Department of Chemistry, Exact Sciences Institute, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Department of Chemistry, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Food Res Int. 2020 Mar;129:108868. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108868. Epub 2019 Dec 2.
The consumption of flowers as food is reported in various cultures around the world as part of traditional cuisine or alternative medicine, in addition to their wide use as ornaments. However, many species of edible flowers can be considered more than a delicacy or a garnish due to their nutritional value as source of protein and essential aminoacids. In this scenario, flowers represent an important segment to expand food market, due to their suitable sensory and nutritional characteristics, as well as presence of bioactive compounds beneficial to human health. Research on consumer behavior and purchase intent have been unraveling ways to explore the different attributes of edible flowers, in order to conquer this promising market in the following decades. Socio-cultural factors involved in the consumption of edible flowers have been subject of several studies aiming at popularizing and expanding this growing industry and encouraging local use of traditional flowers is important to preserve endangered traditions. On the other hand, nutritional properties, pharmacological benefits, chemical composition and the forms of preparation of edible species have been increasingly studied with the growing search for natural and health foods. Modern and effective methods for extraction of bioactive compounds from flowers are also contributing to explore their components, allowing the development of functional ingredients for food industry. Some key information as proper taxonomy and toxicological profile are still necessary to stimulate the consumption of edible flowers, as well as the creation of a good practice manual for proper management (cultivation, handling and preparation) of flowers for commercialization. Scientific and technical information on nutritional, therapeutic and chemical features of edible flowers are reviewed and discussed, aiming at strengthening the knowledge, and, consequently, consuming habits and research on their benefits in human diet.
鲜花作为食物在世界各地的不同文化中都有报道，既是传统美食的一部分，也是传统医学的一部分，此外，它们还被广泛用作装饰品。然而，许多可食用的花卉不仅因其作为蛋白质和必需氨基酸来源的营养价值而被视为美味佳肴或配菜。在这种情况下，由于其适宜的感官和营养特性以及对人体健康有益的生物活性化合物的存在，花卉代表了一个重要的细分市场，可以扩大食品市场。关于消费者行为和购买意向的研究已经揭示了探索可食用花卉不同属性的方法，以便在未来几十年征服这个有前途的市场。食用花卉消费中涉及的社会文化因素是一些研究的主题，这些研究旨在推广和扩大这一不断增长的行业，并鼓励当地使用传统花卉，以保护濒危的传统。另一方面，随着对天然和健康食品的需求不断增加，可食用物种的营养特性、药理作用、化学成分和制备形式也越来越受到研究。从花卉中提取生物活性化合物的现代有效方法也有助于探索其成分，从而为食品工业开发功能性成分。一些关键信息，如正确的分类学和毒理学概况，仍然是刺激食用花卉消费以及为商业化制定花卉妥善管理（种植、处理和准备）实用手册所必需的，还需要关于营养、治疗和化学特性的科学和技术信息，以加强对可食用花卉的了解，从而促进其在人类饮食中的消费习惯和研究。
