title: Nutritional composition and antioxidant capacity in edible flowers: characterisation of phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn.
abstract: Edible flowers are commonly used in human nutrition and their consumption has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to ascertain the nutritional composition and the content and profile of phenolic compounds of three edible flowers, monks cress (Tropaeolum majus), marigold (Tagetes erecta) and paracress (Spilanthes oleracea), and to determine the relationship between the presence of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity. Proximate composition, total dietary fibre (TDF) and minerals were analysed according to official methods: total phenolic compounds (TPC) were determined with Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent, whereas antioxidant capacity was evaluated using Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assays. In addition, phenolic compounds were characterised by HPLC-DAD-MSn. In relation to the nutritional value, the edible flowers had a composition similar to that of other plant foods, with a high water and TDF content, low protein content and very low proportion of total fat-showing significant differences among samples. The levels of TPC compounds and the antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in T. erecta, followed by S. oleracea and T. majus. Thirty-nine different phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, with flavonols being the major compounds detected in all samples, followed by anthocyanins and hydroxycynnamic acid derivatives. In T. erecta small proportions of gallotannin and ellagic acid were also identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Espinardo 30071 (Murcia), Spain. inmanago@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Navarro-González
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Espinardo 30071 (Murcia), Spain. rgbarrio@um.es.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Barrio
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Espinardo 30071 (Murcia), Spain. verogv@um.es.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: García-Valverde
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Espinardo 30071 (Murcia), Spain. abautista@um.es.
authors.forename: Ana Belén
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bautista-Ortín
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Espinardo 30071 (Murcia), Spain. mjperi@um.es.
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Periago
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000032:analysis; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D031686:Tagetes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D032388:Tropaeolum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols