Phytonutritional compounds and antioxidant activity of eight new edible flowers

In the last years, special attention has been given to the nutritional properties of food, and the edible flowers (EFs) represent an uncommon fresh product to characterise, with the aim to explore new species with peculiar aesthetic and the aromatic features. This work investigated some nutritional properties of eight new EFs, such as Begonia boliviensis A.DC. (pink and white varieties), Dahlia pinnata Cav., Salvia farinacea Benth., S. x jamensis J.Compton, S. 'Purple Queen' Tulbaghia simmleri Beauv. 'Alba', T. violacea Harv. 'Alba', chosen for their different colours and corolla morphologies. Primary and secondary metabolites have been determined. The highest protein content was found in T. violacea 'Alba' and D. pinnata. The Salvia species showed the highest soluble sugar content. The two Tulbaghia species were notable for hexose and ascorbic acid content. D. pinnata showed the highest polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoid content, with the highest antiradical activity.