Sensory Profile, Shelf Life, and Dynamics of Bioactive Compounds during Cold Storage of 17 Edible Flowers

Abstract

In this study, 17 edible flowers (Allium ursinum L., Borago officinalis L., Calendula officinalis L., Centaurea cyanus L., Cichorium intybus L., Dianthus carthusianorum L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Leucanthemum vulgare (Vaill.) Lam., Paeonia officinalis L., Primula veris L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Rosa canina L., Rosa pendulina L., Salvia pratensis L., Sambucus nigra L., Taraxacum officinale Weber, and Tropaeolum majus L.) were investigated to assess their sensory profile at harvest and their shelf life and bioactive compounds dynamics during cold storage. The emerging market of edible flowers lacks this information; thus, the characteristics and requirements of different flower species were provided. In detail, a quantitative descriptive analysis was performed by trained panelists at flower harvest, evaluating 10 sensory descriptors (intensity of sweet, sour, bitter, salt, smell, specific flower aroma, and herbaceous aroma; spiciness, chewiness, and astringency). Flower visual quality, biologically active compounds content (total polyphenols and anthocyanins), and antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays) were evaluated both at harvest and during storage at 4 °C for 14 days to assess their shelf life. Generally, species had a wide range of peculiar sensory and phytochemical characteristics at harvest, as well as shelf life and bioactive compounds dynamics during postharvest. A strong aroma was indicated for A. ursinum, D. carthusianorum, L. angustifolia, and L. vulgare, while B. officinalis and C. officinalis had very low values for all aroma and taste descriptors, resulting in poor sensory profiles. At harvest, P. officinalis, R. canina, and R. pendulina exhibited the highest values of polyphenols (884–1271 mg of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g) and antioxidant activity (204–274 mmol Fe2+/kg for FRAP, 132–232 and 43–58 µmol of Trolox equivalent per g for DPPH and ABTS). The species with the longest shelf life in terms of acceptable visual quality was R. pendulina (14 days), followed by R. canina (10 days). All the other species lasted seven days, except for C. intybus and T. officinale that did not reach day 3. During cold storage, the content of bioactive compounds differed, as total phenolics followed a different trend according to the species and anthocyanins remained almost unaltered for 14 days. Considering antioxidant activity, ABTS values were the least variable, varying in only four species (A. ursinum, D. carthusianorum, L. angustifolia, and P. officinalis), while both DPPH and FRAP values varied in eight species. Taken together, the knowledge of sensory profiles, phytochemical characteristics and shelf life can provide information to select suitable species for the emerging edible flower market.

Editorial: Edible flowers: Understanding the effect of genotype, preharvest, and postharvest on quality, safety, and consumption

“…The postharvest chain of edible flowers must be carefully defined to ensure the highest quality to the consumer. Since the edible part is represented by the flower these must be characterized for their senescence process (Demasi et al, 2021b ). Especially wild flowers are highly perishable, compared with the flowers from ornamental garden plants, because their stems are cut very short and they are usually dry stored (Toscano et al, 2021 ).…”

Preliminary Observations on Viola calcarata as a Source of Bioactive Compounds: Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Profile of Two Alpine Subspecies

“…The total anthocyanin content was estimated by the pH differential method using two buffer systems, as described in the literature [2,23,24]. The analysis was performed as follows: 1 mL of phytoextract was diluted in a 10 mL volumetric flask, and then made up to volume with an aqueous buffer solution at pH 1 (KCl and HCl-25 mM).…”

“Oh, You Shouldn’t Have!” Understanding Key Factors Impacting Cut Flowers Gifting Preferences in Germany

“…Further, the approach could be applied to potted plants, as it is likely that consumers consider different gift versatilities and contexts appropriate [53,54]. Further studies could investigate the willingness to pay, or cut flower attribute preferences for floral gifts of young consumers in various online shopping scenarios, or of herbs and edible flowers which are increasing in popularity [55,56].…”