Assessment of nutritional and bioactive properties of selected edible flowers: Characterisation of phenolic compounds by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Edible flowers have been consumed from ancient times and it was believed to deliver medicinal properties. This study explored some common edible flowers from Assam, India, such as Night Jasmine (Nyctanthus arbortristis), Drumstick (Moringa oleifera), Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.), and Nongmangkha (Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus), to assess their nutritional values, phytochemical characteristics, antioxidant potential, and mineral content. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze the presence of various phenolic compounds in these flowers using HPLC. Nongmangkha flowers exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC) of 118.12 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 75.36 mg QE/g. Drumstick flowers showed the highest ash content at 6.55 % and also the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity at 89.76 %. Potassium was found among all these flowers ranged from 11.95 to 4.412 mg/g, zinc 0.046 to 0.130 mg/g and iron 0.235 to 0.513 mg/g. HPLC screening showed that, Night jasmine flowers had gallic acid, resorcinol, caffeic acid, p-coumeric acid, ferulic acid. The findings of this study are valuable for understanding the nutritional composition of these edible flowers. Additionally, further scientific research is needed on their bioaccessibility and bioavailability, as well as on the application of these flowers in the development of food products