Edible flowers, a source of valuable phytonutrients and their pro-healthy effects – A review.

Edible flowers have been used for their therapeutic properties for ancient times. Many sources indicate, that edible flowers have many beneficial activities like anti-anxiety, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, diuretic, anthelmintic, immunomodulatory and anti-microbial. People use it also in culinary applications, because they improve the aesthetic value, taste, flavour and appearance of dishes. This study expands knowledge on the content and composition of low molecular phytochemicals of edible flowers and the pro-healthy activities of their extracts or preparations. It is focused on showing flowers which are the best sources of individual compounds and on recent findings with the use of flower extracts or preparations in various cell-lines, animal and human models. Performed comparison of composition includes simple phenolic acids, flavonols, flavanols, flavons, anthocyanidins, carotenoids and tocols. Species with the highest content of selected compounds are highlighted. Unique components of some flowers such as crocin, nimbolide, oleanic and ursolic acids, and acteoside are also mentioned. The potential activity of edible flowers for human health was analysed based on in vitro models with the use of various cell-lines and in vivo models with animal (mostly mice and rat) and human trials. The majority of the reviewed studies confirm the pro-healthy activity of edible flowers or their extracts. Image 1 • Edible flowers are valuable and rich source of many phytochemicals. • Flowers unique compounds are nimbolide, crocin, acteoside, oleanic and ursolic acids. • Flower extracts show a wide array of health promoting properties in vivo. • Crocin have efficiency in treatment people with depression. • Further attention towards in vivo properties of edible flowers is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]