No abstract

The medicinal value of rose hips largely depends on the contents of vitamin C and flavonoids. Rose hips contain more vitamin C than most fruits and vegetables. We were particularly interested in how the bioactive substances of rose hips are inherited from main rose species. The aim of the study was to compare the contents of ascorbic acid, organic acids, and phenolics in the fruits, rose hips, of Rosa pendulina L. and the hybrid Rosa pendulina L. × spinosissima L. The contents of ascorbic acid in the studied hips were higher in R. pendulina × spinosissima than in R. pendulina. The contents of total organic acids were higher in the hips of R. pendulina × spinosissima than in the hips of R. pendulina. The contents of phenolics in the hybrid were significantly higher in flesh with skin and in seeds. The contents of cyanidin-3-glucoside were higher in R. pendulina × spinosissima. We can conclude that the contents of bioactive substances in our samples is rich and could potentially be used for human consumption. The results will help to increase transparency about which rose species provide rose hips that are the most suitable for nutritional purposes.

The Rosa genus is characterized by great variability and, consequently, they easily hybridize. The petals of R. pendulina, R. spinosissima and their hybrid Rosa pendulina × spinosissima, collected in western Slovenia, were included in the research. We performed morphometric analysis using keys to determine roses and genetic analysis to determine the genome size. The phenolic compound content in petals of all rose flowers was measured by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Using flow cytometry, we could confirm the native hybridization process due to the amount of 2C DNA. The value of R. pendulina was 1.71 pg, of R. spinosissima 1.60 pg and of the hybrid 1.62 pg. The value for the hybrid was close to values measured for parent plants and, at the same time, those values of parent plants significantly differed from each other. Our results showed that the content of phenolic compounds in petals decreased after crossing. We found that the highest total phenolic content (178.9 g/kg FW) was measured in R. spinossisima, the lowest content was analyzed for the hybrid (84.36 g/kg FW) and the content for R. pendulina was between these two values (110.58 g/kg FW). The content of flavanols and flavonols was lowest in the hybrid petals, whereas the content of anthocyanins was highest in the hybrid petals.

The genus Rosa is very extensive and variable, so it remains very unpredictable and uninvestigated. This also holds true for values of secondary metabolites in rose hips, which are important for several purposes (human diet, protection of plants against pests, etc.). The aim of our study was to determine the content of phenolic compounds in the hips of R. × R. glauca, R. corymbifera, R. gallica and R. subcanina, which grow wild in nature in southwestern Slovenia. We examined the content of phenolic compounds in different parts of rose hips, in the flesh with skin and in the seeds, depending on the individual species, over a period of two years, 2020 and 2021. We also considered the influence of environmental conditions on the content of the mentioned compounds. In both years, the content of phenolic compounds was higher in the flesh with skin than in the seeds. Considering the total content of phenolic compounds in the flesh with skin, R. gallica stands out (15,767.21 mg/kg FW), but the hips of this species accumulated the lowest number of different phenolic compounds. The lowest content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) was found in R. corymbifera, in the year 2021 (3501.38 mg/kg FW). The content of TPC (in both observed years) in the seeds varied between 1263.08 mg/kg FW (R. subcanina) and 3247.89 mg/kg FW (R. × R. glauca). Among the anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside was determined, which was predominant in R. gallica (28.78 mg/kg FW), and at least was determined in R. subcanina (1.13 mg/kg FW). When comparing the two years of the period (2020–2021), we found that 2021 was more favorable for the formation of phenolic compounds in the seeds, but 2020 in the flesh with skin.

Common cyclamen (Cyclamen pururascens Mill.) is a very interesting species not only for various breeding programs but also as an ornamental plant. The plants possess interesting floral and foliage characteristics, nice fragrances, and a very useful flavonol profile. The last is very important from the point of view of protecting against diseases and physiological disorders. Twenty-two different genotypes originating from different regions in Slovenia were analyzed in detail, based on their floral and foliage characteristics. Anthocyanin and flavonol contents were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-photodiode array-mass spectrometry (MS). Color characteristics were colorimetrically evaluated separately for petals and leaves. In terms of color measurements, significant differences among the sites of origin were shown with parameters a* and L* when petals were analyzed, and with parameter a* when leaves were analyzed. The pH of petal sap stayed within the acid range, ranging from 3.96 to 4.82. Five different anthocyanins (malvidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-neohesperidoside, delphinidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside, and delphinidine-3-rutinoside) were analyzed in flowers, and this is the first report of delphinidin metabolites naturally present in common cyclamen genotypes. In relation to plant leaves, malvidin-3,5-diglucoside, malvidin-3-rutinoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-neohesperidoside, and peonidin-3-neohesperidoside were measured. Fifteen different flavonols were determined in common cyclamen flowers and 10 different flavonols in common cyclamen leaves. Various glycosides of quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol were analyzed, as well as isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside, laricitin-3-rutinoside, and neohesperidin. The floral and foliage characteristics of the genotypes (physical and chemical) were mainly affected by the environmental conditions of the locality of origin of the genotypes (annual disposition of temperature and precipitation, structure of the soil, etc.).