Edible flowers are consumed for their appearance, colours, nutritional and healthy properties, but the use is limited by the actual number of the species. Seven edible flowers of the Lamiaceae family (Ocimeae and Mentheae tribes) were investigated: Monarda didyma ‘Fireball’, Nepeta × faassenii ‘Six Hills Giant’, Ocimum basilicum ‘Blue Spice’, O. basilicum ‘Cinnamon’, Ocimum × citriodorum, Salvia discolor, and Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’. Total soluble sugars, proteins, polyphenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity were detected. The species of the Mentheae tribe contained higher sugar content than Ocimeae flowers, the opposite with regard to protein content. Ocimeae tribe flowers showed high polyphenols and carotenoids content. The Ocimeae tribe together with two specie of the Mentheae tribe showed an aroma profile dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (58.0% in S. discolor to 77.9% in Ocimum × citriodorum). Oxygenated monoterpenes prevailed in Nepeta and Monarda, also present in the essential oil of this latter species (84.5%). By contrast, Nepeta and S. discolor evidenced non-terpenes as the principal class (41.2% and 77.5%, respectively), while the oxygenated sesquiterpene was the main one in S. microphylla. The two varieties of Ocimum spp. showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the main class of volatiles.

Microgreens are the seedlings of herbs and vegetables which are harvested at the development stage of their two cotyledonary leaves, or sometimes at the emergence of their rudimentary first pair of true leaves. They are functional foods, the consumption of which is steadily increasing due to their high nutritional value. The species of the Brassicaceae family are good sources of bioactive compounds, with a favorable nutritional profile. The present study analyzed some phytochemical compounds with nutritional values, such as chlorophylls, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, total and reducing sugars, and the antioxidant activity of five Brassicaceae species: broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.), daikon (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin), mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.), rocket salad (Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav.), and watercress (Nasturtium officinale R.Br.). Broccoli had the highest polyphenol, carotenoid and chlorophyll contents, as well as a good antioxidant ability. Mustard was characterized by high ascorbic acid and total sugar contents. By contrast, rocket salad exhibited the lowest antioxidant content and activity. The essential oil (EO) composition of all of these species was determined in order to identify their profile and isothiocyanates content, which are compounds with many reported health benefits. Isothiocyanates were the most abundant group in broccoli (4-pentenyl isothiocyanate), mustard (allyl isothiocyanate), and watercress (benzyl isothiocyanate) EOs, while rocket salad and daikon exhibited higher contents of monoterpene hydrocarbons (myrcene) and oxygenated diterpenes (phytol), respectively. Broccoli microgreens exhibited the overall best nutritional profile, appearing as the most promising species to be consumed as a functional food among those analyzed.

Volatilomes emitted from edible flowers of two species of Agastache (A. aurantiaca (A.Gray) Lint & Epling, and A. mexicana (Kunth) Lint & Epling) and from two hybrids (Agastache ‘Arcado Pink’ and Agastache ‘Blue Boa’) were investigated using a solid-phase microextraction technique as well as the extraction of its essential oils. Oxygenated monoterpenes were almost always the predominant class (>85%) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in each sample of A. aurantiaca, A. ‘Blue Boa’ and A. mexicana, with the exception of A. ‘Arcado Pink’ (38.6%). Pulegone was the main compound in A. aurantiaca (76.7%) and A. ‘Blue Boa’ (82.4%), while geranyl acetate (37.5%) followed by geraniol (16%) and geranial (17%) were the principal ones in A. mexicana. The essential oil composition showed the same behavior as the VOCs both for the main class as well as the major constituent (pulegone) with the same exception for A. mexicana. Total soluble sugars, secondary metabolites (polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) and antioxidant activity were also investigated to emphasize the nutraceutical properties of these edible flowers.

Natural elicitors from macroalgae may affect plant secondary metabolites. Ulvan is a sulfated heteropolysaccharide extracted from green seaweed, acting as both a plant biotic protecting agent, and a plant elicitor, leading to the synthesis of signal molecules. In this work, the aqueous extract of Ulva intestinalis L., mainly composed of ulvan, was used as foliar-spraying treatment and its eliciting effect was investigated in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.). Antioxidant metabolites (polyphenols and carotenoids), volatile compounds (both in headspace emissions and hydrodistilled essential oils), and hormones (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, salicylic acid 2-O-β-D-glucoside, abscisic acid, and azelaic acid) were quantified. The foliar-spraying treatment with U. intestinalis extract increased salicylic acid and its β-glucoside in parsley; in basil, it induced the accumulation of jasmonic and abscisic acids, indicating the presence of a priming effect. In basil, the elicitation caused a change of the essential oil (EO) chemotype from methyl eugenol/eugenol to epi-α-cadinol and increased sesquiterpenes. In parsley EO it caused a significant accumulation of 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, responsible of the typical “parsley-like” smell. In both species, the phenylpropanoids decreased in headspace and EO compositions, while the salicylic acid concentration increased; this could indicate a primarily defensive response to U. intestinalis extract. Due to the evidenced significant biological activity, U. intestinalis extract used as an elicitor may represent a suitable tool to obtain higher amounts of metabolites for optimizing plant flavor metabolites.

Edible flowers are niche horticultural products, routinely used as cooking ingredients in the food industry. Currently, new species are required with the aim of enlarging the number of species with a long shelf-life, healthy nutraceutical compounds, and new fragrance and tastes. Ageratum houstonianum Mill, Tagetes lemmonii A. Gray, Salvia dorisiana Standl, and Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L’Hér “Lemon” were selected for their different morphological characteristics and color. Fresh flowers were analyzed to characterize their phytonutritional content and aroma profile. Postharvest was determined up to 6 days of cold storage at 4°C in transparent polypropylene boxes. Visual quality and cellular membrane damage were observed. The relative content of different antioxidant constituents (e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid), nutritional compounds (soluble sugars, crude proteins), the antioxidant scavenging activity, and the volatile profile were determined and correlated to the quality of shelf-life of the different species. The yellow T. lemmonii freshly picked flowers showed the highest ascorbic acid and flavonoids content, which was maintained during the cold storage, as well as the best visual quality. Limited changes in metabolites were detected in the light blue A. houstonianum during postharvest, although the visual quality is severely compromised. Magenta S. dorisiana and light pink P. odoratissimum showed similar changes in antioxidant constituents during cold storage. For the first time, the volatile compounds have been identified in the four species. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons are the main class in fresh flowers of A. houstonianum, S. dorisiana, and P. odoratissimum, while monoterpene hydrocarbons are abundant in T. lemmonii. The cold storage influenced mainly P. odoratissimum and S. dorisiana flavor initially dominated by the increase in total monoterpenes at 6 days, reaching a relative content of 90%. Both A. houstonianum and T. lemmonii conserved the prevalence of the same class of constituents in all the analyzed conditions, even though the cold storage influenced the major compound abundance. On the basis of the results, T. lemmonii was the most interesting species with the longest shelf-life due to its phytonutritional and aromatic constituents. Results indicated the peculiar metabolic and physiological attitude of flowers species to cold storage.

In the present work, variability of both cytoplasmic and nuclear microsatellite traits was investigated with the aim of characterizing a set of rosemary germplasm resources ( Salvia rosmarinus ). Most of the materials were collected in Italy and France. High‐resolution melting curves were compared each other computing their Euclidean distances and estimating the differences within their principal component as a measure of genetic diversity. Mantel correlation results combined to linear discriminant analysis allowed examined populations to be divided in four principal groups corresponding to four geographic areas, with few interesting and discussed exceptions. As rosemary propagates by seeds coming from insect mediated pollination, steady wild populations can be expected to be in panmictic equilibrium. Gained results confirmed and extended precedent characterization of rosemary genotypes and are compatible with the distribution of other Mediterranean species, as well as with the presence of a glacial refugium in the north‐east area of Sardinia previously described. As the officinal use of this aromatic shrub is spreading, characterization and conservation of wild Mediterranean germplasm is gaining strategic importance. A core collection of 100 genotypes was pointed out as suitable for a cheaper biodiversity ex situ preservation as well as for subsequent metabolic and linkage disequilibrium analyses.

Table S1. Morphometric and ponderal parameters on 20 individuals after 5 months from sowing (T0). Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by Fisher's probable least-squares difference test with cut-off significance at p≤0.05 (four Petri dishes and 1600 seeds per species).

Mertensia maritima is a commercially interesting herb with edible leaves and flowers, characterized by oyster flavor and taste. Plant propagation and traditional cultivation are challenging for this species. Therefore, the main purpose of the present study was to establish successful protocols aimed at ensuring oyster plant shoot propagation, rooting and in vivo acclimatization. Both micropropagation and rooting were tested, comparing the traditional in vitro solid substrate in jar vs. the liquid culture in a temporary immersion system (TIS) bioreactor (Plantform™). A Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium added with 4-µM thidiazuron (TDZ) and 1-µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was employed for micropropagation, while a half-strength MS medium supplemented with 4-µM indole−3-butyric acid (IBA) was used for rooting. Different acclimatization conditions in the greenhouse or in growth chamber were tested. Morphometric and microscopical analyses were performed on the oyster plant leaves at the propagation, rooting and acclimatization stages both in a jar and in a TIS. Micropropagation in a TIS allowed to obtain large shoots, while a great number of shoots was observed in the jar. M. maritima shoots rooted in TIS produced more developed roots, leaves with more developed waxy glands and well-formed stomata; moreover, the plants coming from the TIS showed the best acclimatization performances.