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In the last years, special attention has been given to the nutritional properties of food, and the edible flowers (EFs) represent an uncommon fresh product to characterise, with the aim to explore new species with peculiar aesthetic and the aromatic features. This work investigated some nutritional properties of eight new EFs, such as Begonia boliviensis A.DC. (pink and white varieties), Dahlia pinnata Cav., Salvia farinacea Benth., S. × jamensis J.Compton, S. 'Purple Queen' Tulbaghia simmleri Beauv. 'Alba', T. violacea Harv. 'Alba', chosen for their different colours and corolla morphologies. Primary and secondary metabolites have been determined. The highest protein content was found in T. violacea 'Alba' and D. pinnata . The Salvia species showed the highest soluble sugar content. The two Tulbaghia species were notable for hexose and ascorbic acid content . D. pinnata showed the highest polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoid content, with the highest antiradical activity.

The use of edible flowers in cooking dates back to ancient times, but recently it is gaining success among the consumers, increasingly attentive to healthy and sustainable foods of high quality, without neglecting taste, flavour, and visual appeal. The present study aims to deepen the knowledge regarding the mineral composition of edible flowers, an aspect not widely investigated in scientific literature. The concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn have been determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) in flowers belonging to a wide variety of species. The study highlights that some floral species are characterized by significantly higher concentrations of certain trace elements, e.g., the flowers of Acmella oleracea for Mn, those of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and of pumpkins ( Cucurbita moschata and C. pepo ) for Cu and Sr, and those of orange daylily ( Hemerocallis fulva ) for Ni. Potentially toxic elements are present at low concentrations, often below the limit of the detection for Cd, Co, Ni, V. In all samples, Cd and Pb are well below the maximum permitted levels in foodstuffs. It can be concluded that the edible flowers analyzed can be considered a good source of essential elements and do not present risks for the consumer health as for the mineral composition.

Volatilomes emitted from edible flowers of two species of Agastache ( A. aurantiaca (A.Gray) Lint & Epling, and A. mexicana (Kunth) Lint & Epling) and from two hybrids ( Agastache 'Arcado Pink' and Agastache 'Blue Boa') were investigated using a solid-phase microextraction technique as well as the extraction of its essential oils. Oxygenated monoterpenes were almost always the predominant class (>85%) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in each sample of A. aurantiaca , A . 'Blue Boa' and A. mexicana , with the exception of A . 'Arcado Pink' (38.6%). Pulegone was the main compound in A. aurantiaca (76.7%) and A . 'Blue Boa' (82.4%), while geranyl acetate (37.5%) followed by geraniol (16%) and geranial (17%) were the principal ones in A. mexicana . The essential oil composition showed the same behavior as the VOCs both for the main class as well as the major constituent (pulegone) with the same exception for A. mexicana . Total soluble sugars, secondary metabolites (polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) and antioxidant activity were also investigated to emphasize the nutraceutical properties of these edible flowers.

Edible flowers are appreciated due to their aesthetic features, nutritional value and antioxidant properties. Tulbaghia simmleri Beauv. (Amaryllidaceae family) flowers are characterized by a pleasant garlic taste and are consumed both as fresh and dried products. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of chilling temperature (+4°C) on the visual quality, nutritional content, and aroma profile of T. simmleri flowers after two (T2) and six (T6) days of storage. Colorimetric analysis highlighted a reduction in petal brightness at T6 and hence their darkening, due to a significant increase in a* coordinate and the decrease in the b* one. Total polyphenols and flavonoids content remained unchanged until the end of the experiment, while total anthocyanins increased at T2. Flowers antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) decreased progressively during cold storage, while catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities increased. The aroma profile was analyzed by HSSPME associated with GCMS, underlining that fresh flowers were dominated by high content in monoterpenes (around 80%), with 1,8cineol as main compound (53.1%). Cold storage reduced this class of volatiles while sesquiterpenes and nonterpenes increased; between them, benzyl benzoate reached 12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers are inflorescences traditionally used in various part of the world to enrich sweet and savoury recipes. The flowers of Viola spp. were appreciated since the Romans, and today the fresh products are now incorporated as ingredients in different culinary preparations. In this work, cultivation of potted Viola cornuta L. cv. Penny Lane was performed in greenhouse with different environmental conditions (basal heating, additional LED lighting and moisture management) and therefore the biomass production (number of flowers per square meter and plant dimension per pot) was assessed. The plants are characterised by flowers with dark purple and orange petals in the same corolla. The shelflife of detached flowers was studied in postharvest conditions at 0 and 4 days of cold storage at 4°C (polyethylene boxes, 12/12 h light/dark condition) to simulate the condition of I gamma products. Sugars and secondary metabolites were analysed. Basal heating seems not to increase flower number but could contribute to reach a wellbalanced simultaneous presence of different antioxidant molecules (polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids). Our data highlight that the short cold storage under light condition lead to an increase in the content of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity, although a general reduction in pigments and sugars is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]