Edible flowers: A review of the nutritional, antioxidant, antimicrobial properties and effects on human health
TL;DR: This review summarizes the data of more than 100 studies performed until now on edible flowers, focusing on nutritional, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as health effects.
About: This article is published in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.The article was published on 2017-07-01. It has received 175 citations till now.
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TL;DR: The results demonstrate that edible flowers can be used as a source of phenolic compounds with bioactive potential, which can be applied in the food sector, as foods and as sources natural ingredients.
146 citations
Cites background from "Edible flowers: A review of the nut..."
...The consumption of various types of edible flowers provides health benefits to the consumer, since they are a good source of phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds (Fernandes et al., 2017)....
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TL;DR: An overview of various bioactive ingredients which act as nutraceuticals (carbohydrates, lipids, edible flowers, alkaloids, medicinal plants, etc.) and their role in health benefits has been discussed and further application of nutr pharmaceuticals in various diseases prevention has been also discussed.
Abstract: Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements, utilized to ameliorate health, delay senescence, prevent diseases, and support the proper functioning of the human body. Currently, nutraceuticals are gaining substantial attention due to nutrition and therapeutic potentials. Based on their sources, they are categorized as dietary supplements and herbal bioactive compounds. The global market for nutraceutical is huge i.e. approximately USD 117 billion. Herbal nutraceutical helps in maintaining health and promoting optimal health, longevity, and quality of life. Studies have shown promising results of nutraceuticals to treat several diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. In the present review, an overview of various bioactive ingredients that act as nutraceuticals (carbohydrates, lipids, edible flowers, alkaloids, medicinal plants, etc.) and their role in health benefits, has been discussed. Further application of nutraceuticals in the prevention of various diseases has also been discussed.
102 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of the main mechanisms of action of Resveratrol in different experimental models, including clinical trials and discuss how the interconnection of these molecular events could explain the neuroprotective effects induced by RV as discussed by the authors.
81 citations
TL;DR: The nutritional composition - including total and individual phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and the antioxidant capacity - of two commercially available edible flowers, pansy and snapdragon, was studied.
80 citations
TL;DR: Scientific and technical information on nutritional, therapeutic and chemical features of edible flowers are reviewed and discussed, aiming at strengthening the knowledge, and, consequently, consuming habits and research on their benefits in human diet.
68 citations
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TL;DR: The analysis of pigmentation continues to provide insights into new areas, such as the channeling and intracellular transport of metabolites, regulation of gene expression and RNA interference.
1,359 citations
TL;DR: One of the promising solutions lies in nanoformulation of polyphenols that prevents their degradation and thus enables significantly higher concentrations to reach the target cells, resulting in lowering of the required therapeutic dose and in multitargeted action.
Abstract: Being secondary plant metabolites, polyphenols represent a large and diverse group of substances abundantly present in a majority of fruits, herbs and vegetables. The current contribution is focused on their bioavailability, antioxidative and anticarcinogenic properties. An overview of extraction methods is also given, with supercritical fluid extraction highlighted as a promising eco-friendly alternative providing exceptional separation and protection from degradation of unstable polyphenols. The protective role of polyphenols against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, UV light, plant pathogens, parasites and predators results in several beneficial biological activities giving rise to prophylaxis or possibly even to a cure for several prevailing human diseases, especially various cancer types. Omnipresence, specificity of the response and the absence of or low toxicity are crucial advantages of polyphenols as anticancer agents. The main problem represents their low bioavailability and rapid metabolism. One of the promising solutions lies in nanoformulation of polyphenols that prevents their degradation and thus enables significantly higher concentrations to reach the target cells. Another, more practiced, solution is the use of mixtures of various polyphenols that bring synergistic effects, resulting in lowering of the required therapeutic dose and in multitargeted action. The combination of polyphenols with existing drugs and therapies also shows promising results and significantly reduces their toxicity.
638 citations
TL;DR: Extracts of edible plants from China, Japan, Thailand and Yemen were screened for their antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella infantis to find the most sensitive microorganism to extracts.
582 citations
TL;DR: Three essential oils from three samples: fresh, air-dried and processed flowers of Chrysanthemum indicum, obtained by hydrodistillation, were analyzed by GC-MS and showed that both essential oils possessed significant antimicrobial effect, however, some difference in antimicrobial activity between two oils was observed.
581 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a large number of plants, which have been used as food and herbs in Thailand, were investigated for their antioxidant activity by using a β-carotene bleaching method.
456 citations