Effect of Petal Color, Water Status, and Extraction Method on Qualitative Characteristics of Rosa rugosa Liqueur

Abstract

Flowers of Rosa rugosa Thunb. are a rich source of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant properties and are used for the production of jams, teas, juices, and wines. In the present paper, the petals of R. rugosa cv. Alba (white flowers) and Rubra (purple flowers) were evaluated for their morphological and phytochemical characteristics, and for the preparation of an alcoholic liqueur. In particular, the effect of two extraction procedures (conventional and maceration) of fresh and dry petals on the quality of a rose liqueur was determined. As expected, the concentration of the flower’s bioactive compounds was affected by petal water content and by tested cultivars: dry petals showed higher total carotenoids and anthocyanins contents with respect to the fresh ones; cv. Rubra evidenced higher values compared to cv. Alba. As regards the quality of rose liqueur, the two petal extraction procedures did not affect the polyphenol content and higher values were recorded only on dry petals with respect to the fresh ones and, in particular, on those from cv. Rubra. The liqueur’s flavonoid content was influenced by the petal extraction method, water content, and color as higher values were recorded on rose liqueur prepared after the maceration of cv. Rubra dry petals whereas lower values were observed on alcoholic drinks prepared after the conventional extraction of cv. Alba fresh petals. Our study shows that R. rugosa petals have a fair amount of secondary metabolites with antioxidant activity, making them suitable for use in the beverage industry.

Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: The Role and Contribution of CREA (Italy) within the National Program RGV-FAO

“…Since 2019, roses were grown for food uses as their pseudo-fruits (hips) contain vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids with high antioxidant effects and nutraceutical value [248,249]. The rosehips collection was created by collecting seeds and cuttings from species, cultivars and ecotypes naturally grown in Sicily and in other Italian regions to evaluate their potentialities for producing functional foods (jams, teas and wines) as it occurs in other parts of the world [250,251]. Edible flowers were used over the centuries as ingredient in traditional dishes.…”

Comparative Study of Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Five Rose Hip Species Grown in Sicily

“…(a.k.a. wrinkled rose or Japanese rose) is native to Eastern Asia (Far East countries) and is characterised by erect, tomentose, and densely prickly branches, fragrant purplish-pink or white flowers, and globose, smooth hips; though of Asian origin, it was introduced to North America and Europe in the nineteenth century as an ornamental plant and can now be found in numerous public and private gardens, as well as in marginal and coastal areas [ 17 ]. Up to now, only one study was conducted by Fascella et al, 2019a [ 8 ] on the biochemical characterisation of four Sicilian rose hip species, while no studies are available in the literature about the phytochemical properties of hips from R .…”