Abstract
The content of the major groups of biologically active substances in flowers of 7 Campanula species, cultivated in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia, were investigated for the first time. Freshly collected flowers were found to contain 0.06-0.15 % of catechins, 0.31-3.17 % of flavonols, 3.31-6.47 % of tannins, 3.10-15.57 % of pectic substances, and 0.66-16.4 mg% of carotenoids calculated per absolute dre weight of raw material. The amount of ascorbic acid was 36.9-114.0 mg% per wet weight. The data indicate that Campanula flowers are promising for the production of phenolic compounds, the development of food additives and fresh consumptions a seasoning.
Highlights
Flowers have long been used in the cookery of different countries as ingredients that enhance the nutritional and aesthetic qualities of food
The aim of the study was to determine the content of selected major groups of bioactive substances in the flowers of 7 Campanula species
The biological activity of plants is primarily due to various phenolic compounds, including catechins, flavonols, and tannins
Summary
Flowers have long been used in the cookery of different countries as ingredients that enhance the nutritional and aesthetic qualities of food. The main component of the flowers consumed for food is water (more than 80 %), they contain a lot of fiber, minerals, especially phosphorus and potassium, vitamins, but the content of proteins and lipids is low [4, 5]. Flowers are widely used as medicinal products [6–8]. Contemporary studies have shown that the flowers are rich in natural antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and saponins. A high correlation was found between the antioxidant activity of flower extracts and the total content of phenolic substances in them [9, 10]. Zeaxanthin, and ß-carotene are the most common carotenoids in the flowers [6, 11, 12]
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