Exploring the Volatile Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Edible Flower Hydrosols with Insights into Their Spontaneous Emissions and Essential Oil Chemistry.

In the circular economy framework, hydrosols, by-products of the essential oil industry, are gaining attention for their potential in waste reduction and resource reuse. This study analyzed hydrosols from six edible flowers, investigating their chemical composition (VOC-Hyd) and antibacterial properties alongside volatile organic compounds of fresh flowers (VOC-Fs) and essential oils (EOs). exhibited ketones as major VOC-Fs (62.6%) and VOC-Hyd (41.4%), while apocarotenoids dominated its EOs (68.0%). showed alkanes (33.7%) and aldehydes (25.7%) as primary VOC-Fs, while alkanes were prevalent in both extracts (65.6% and 91.7% in VOC-Hyd and in EOs, respectively). had monoterpenoids in VOC-Fs and VOC-Hyd (89.3% and 49.7%, respectively), while its EOs were rich in sesquiterpenoids (59.7%). displayed monoterpenoid richness in both VOC-Fs and extracts. Monocots species' VOC-Fs (, ) were esters-rich, replaced by monoterpenoids in VOC-Hyd. EO maintained ester richness, while EOs contained a significant percentage of sulfur compounds (38.1%). Antibacterial assays indicated comparable minimum inhibitory concentration profiles across VOC-Hyd: and against and ser. , against and , and against , and against .