Evaluation of carotenoids in edible flowers processed by radiation

Abstract

The use of flowers in the gastronomy has been growing in recent years, the world market for edible flowers is in full expansion, this kind of flower ensure a special note in the taste and in the decoration, and improve the nutritional aspects when added in food products. Its beneficial properties in health maintenance are also recognized, requiring new approaches to improve its conservation and safety. Food irradiation is an economically viable technology both in quality and safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate carotenoids in Rosa chinensis and Tagete patula flowers submitted to gamma irradiation and electron beam doses of 0.5, 0.8 and 1.0 kGy. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to carotenoids determination. The most abundant carotenoids were α-carotene for both species of flowers studied. In general, gamma-irradiated samples presented higher amounts in carotenoids (lutein and alfa-carotene) independently of the applied dose. However, the interaction between irradiation and samples did not affect carotenoids present in edible flowers petals.