Phytochemicals from edible flowers: Opening a new arena for healthy lifestyle

Abstract

Abstract Demand for more attractive and high quality food is growing every day. The increasing interest in functional foods and nutraceuticals has exaggerated exploration into new foods that have positive effects on human wellbeing. Even more we see edible flowers as a new way of nutritional health. Edible flowers are non-poisonous, giving any dish new colour, texture and freshness, and apart from the “alluring” factor, they are potential sources of phytochemicals. Various phytochemicals such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids and phenolics are responsible for health promoting effects of edible flowers. Novel evidence regarding the composition and health benefits of edible flowers is imperative and epitomizes an ample cause for their ingestion. However, due to short blossoming period or most of the flowers are consumed by local people as food and medicine. There have been few attempts to use edible flowers, but remaining are still unexplored and need to be exploited in order to attain food and nutritional security and to upsurge the work opportunities for rural people. Hence, to accomplish this, the present review article was aimed to present the research work on edible flowers such as various species of edible flowers, nutritional and phytochemical composition, health benefits of edible flowers, traditional usage, pre and post-harvest technology, functional food products incorporated with edible flowers, marketing and toxicological aspects. This article helps to popularize the edible flowers among consumers and food industry which are very potent source of nutraceutical compounds.