Edible flowers: a rich source of phytochemicals with antioxidant and hypoglycaemic activity

Edible flowers are receiving renewed interest as rich sources of bioactive compounds. Ethanol extracts of eightedible flowers were phytochemically characterized and investigated for their bioactivity. Rutin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol,and myricetin were selected as standards and quantified by HPLC. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by GC and GC-MS.Antioxidant properties were evaluated by using different in vitro tests. The hypoglycemic effects were investigated via theinhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Sambucus nigra exhibited the highest radical-scavenging activity (IC50 of 1.4 μg/mL),followed by Hedysarum coronarium (IC50 of 1.6 μg/mL). Both species contained high quercetin and rutin contents. S. nigraextract exerted the highest activity in preventing lipid oxidation. Malva sylvestris extract inhibited both α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 7.8 and 11.3 μg/mL, respectively. These findings support the consumption of edible flowers asfunctional foods and their use as sources of natural antioxidants by the food industry.