Physicochemical quality, antioxidant capacity and nutritional value of edible flowers of some wild dahlia species

Abstract

Mexico is the centre of origin and domestication of the dahlia, which has the widest distribution worldwide as an ornamental plant; however, due to changes in eating habits in some sectors of the population (vegetarians and vegans), it has also been incorporated as an ingredient in the gastronomic field. The aim of this research was to determine the attributes of physicochemical quality, antioxidant capacity and nutritional value of ligulate flowers of some wild dahlia species. A completely randomized experimental design with five repetitions was used. Fresh weight, total titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid (AA), colour, total phenols (TP), total flavonoids (TFl), total anthocyanins (TAn), antioxidant capacity (AC) and proximate composition were evaluated. The highest fresh weight was observed in D. × hortorum, with similar values among its different flower colours. Likewise, D. merckii and D. coccinea stood out for their high TTA value; however, D. coccinea also had the highest AA content (0.77-0.9 mg g−1 FW), TP (12.87-19.92 mg GAE g−1 FW), TFl (6.78-11.32 mg QE g−1 DW) and AC (47.28-60.43 mg AAEVC g−1 FW). On the other hand, D. campanulata was notable for its high levels of moisture, fat and raw fibre; similarly, D. coccinea stood out for its high amounts of dry matter and total carbohydrates. The ligulate flowers of wild dahlias have a high concentration of bioactive compounds and a nutritional composition with beneficial contributions to health care, so they could be used for consumption as fresh products.

Combined effect of silicon and non-thermal plasma treatments on yield, mineral content, and nutraceutical proprieties of edible flowers of Begonia cucullata

“…Moreover, in our experimental conditions, anthocyanin concentration in red flowers was even higher than that reported by other authors (Benvenuti et al, 2016). Higher levels of both anthocyanins and antioxidant activity have also been reported in red dahlia flowers, as compared with white ones (Espejel et al, 2019). Anthocyanins are valuable molecules for functional food production as they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects (Speer et al, 2020).…”

Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Enzymatic Browning of Fresh-Cut Chinese Water Chestnuts

“…The result indicates that the inhibition by H 2 S on browning has nothing to do with the higher antioxidant enzyme activities in fresh-cut CWCs. Non-enzymatic antioxidants such as total phenolics also help to maintain a balanced ROS metabolism by quenching ROS (34) and can induce oxidative stress by inhibiting free radicals (35). Correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between H 2 O 2 content and total phenolics (r = 0.865, P < 0.01) in samples (Table 1).…”

Oxidative Stability, Color, and Physicochemical and Sensorial Properties of Raw Stacked and Ground Meat Treated with Shahpouri Orange Juice

“…Citrus cultivation is mainly carried out between 40°n orth latitude and 40°south latitude in the world [13][14][15]. Although its homeland is reported to be tropical and semitropical regions, production is mainly concentrated in the subtropical climatic zones [16,17].…”