Search Results (7)

The white oil-bearing rose (R. alba L.) is the second of the industrially important rose species for Bulgarian rose cultivation and essential oil production. In recent years, the interest in white oil-bearing rose has increased, following the worldwide trend for searching for new aromatic alternatives. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to evaluate the volatile compounds profile of fresh R. alba L. flowers using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). More than 75 individual compounds were identified and quantified using HS-SPME-GC/MS. The study revealed that the aroma-bearing fraction of rose volatiles consists mainly of monoterpene alcohols; 2-phenylethanol was the most abundant component (8.4–33.9%), followed by geraniol (12.8–32.5%) and citronellol + nerol (17.7–26.5%). Linalool, α-pinene, β-myrcene, and rose oxides were also observed in low concentrations. The stearopten fraction in the HS phase was observed in low concentration, with main representatives nonadecane + nonadecene, heptadecane, heneicosane, and tricosane. The HS-GC profile of the R. alba fresh flowers shows distinct differences in relative abundance of the components between the two studied clones of the population, as well as between volatiles in petals and in the whole blossom. The absence of some undesirable components, such as allergenic and potentially carcinogenic methyl eugenol in fresh R. alba blossom, makes white oil-bearing rose a promising alternative to R. damascena in perfumery, natural cosmetics, and aromatherapy. Full article

This study on the isolation, identification, and characterization of the probiotic properties of lactic acid bacterial strains from the rose blossom of Rosa damascena Mill. (R. damascena) is crucial for discovering novel, plant-derived probiotics with potential health benefits and applications in food, medicine, and cosmetics. Nine lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains were isolated from rose blossom of R. damascena, and they were identified to the species level by applying physiological and biochemical (API 50 CHL), and molecular genetic (16S rRNA gene sequencing) methods. The isolates were identified as belonging to the Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species. Some probiotic properties of the newly isolated and identified LAB strains were examined: their antibacterial activity against pathogens by the agar well diffusion method, and their antibiotic resistance profile by the agar paper disc diffusion method. The LAB strains studied demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against the Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Abony, Proteus vulgaris, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterococcus faecalis pathogens and were resistant to most of the antibiotics used in clinical practice, which in turn suggested the possibility of their joint inclusion in therapy, in the composition of probiotic preparations. A batch fermentation process was conducted with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 5/20, and the kinetic parameters of the batch fermentation process were determined in order to obtain a concentrate with a high viable cell count (10¹³CFU/cm³). The resultant concentrate was freeze-dried, and freeze-dried preparations with a high viable cell count (over 10¹² CFU/g) were obtained. Research on LAB strains isolated from R. damascena could reveal valuable LAB strains with significant probiotic properties. These strains will be suitable for various applications in the composition of starter cultures for functional beverages and foods, as well as probiotic preparations, showcasing the untapped potential of plant-associated microbiota. Full article

The aim of our study was to determine how the content and composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) change with crossbreeding. We included three autochthonous Slovenian species of roses (R. pendulina, R. spinosissima, and R. gallica) and several cultivars derived from them in the research. The results were compared with the content of the reference plant R. damascena, which is known worldwide for its rich VOC profile and is used in the perfume industry. We found that the total VOC content ranged from 2.579 µg/g FW (‘Fruhlingsmorgen’) to 168.24 µg/g FW (‘Violacea’). According to the content of total VOCs, the variety ‘Charles de Mills’ (43.12 µg/g DM) was the most similar to the variety R. damascena (44.55 µg/g DM). We can conclude that the flowers of the roses we included in the study are a rich source of VOCs. VOC content in hybrids varies depending on the purpose and goals of breeders. We also found that flowering time had no effect on VOC content and composition. With this study, we not only carefully examined the VOC profile of roses but also clearly showed which compounds were present in individual taxa. In this way, it is possible to select a suitable variety or cultivar depending on the desired use, for example, for flavoring food or for a floral fragrance in the perfume industry. Full article

This study examined the effects of adding herbs, spices, and fruits into fermented Olympus Mountain tea (Sideritis scardica) kombucha using thyme honey as a sweetener. This study evaluated how these additions affected the tea’s physical, chemical, and functional characteristics. Two different enrichments were proposed: a “Golden Mountain tea and honey Kombucha” (KG) with fresh ginger, turmeric powder, and lemon zest and juice and a “Red Mountain tea and honey Kombucha” (KR) with dried hibiscus calyces, rose petals, and lavender blossoms. In KR, the levels of vitamin C increased from 33.2 ± 2.7 to 48.4 ± 4.5. Additionally, the levels of calcium increased from 31.0 ± 1.2 to 55.7 ± 1.2, while the levels of potassium practically doubled from 64.7 ± 0.6 to 115.7 ± 2.5. An increased potassium concentration was observed in KG, and ionic iron was found for the first time after both enrichments. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, along with antioxidant capacity, as assessed by the ABTS and DPPH methods, were found to be substantially enhanced in KR. In KG, the total phenolic content increased, together with antioxidant activity, as assessed by ABTS. Enrichment with hibiscus calyces, rose petals, and lavender blossoms significantly increased inhibitory effects against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. On the other hand, enrichment with ginger, turmeric, and lemon zest and juice decreased inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase and increased those against α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. KR had the strongest enzyme-inhibiting activity, with its α-glucosidase-inhibiting activity increased by approximately 18 times. Therefore, enrichment with selected herbs, spices, and fruits can transform fermented Olympus Mountain tea kombucha sweetened with honey into a novel beverage with enhanced functional properties. Full article

The Rosa genus is characterized by great variability and, consequently, they easily hybridize. The petals of R. pendulina, R. spinosissima and their hybrid Rosa pendulina × spinosissima, collected in western Slovenia, were included in the research. We performed morphometric analysis using keys to determine roses and genetic analysis to determine the genome size. The phenolic compound content in petals of all rose flowers was measured by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Using flow cytometry, we could confirm the native hybridization process due to the amount of 2C DNA. The value of R. pendulina was 1.71 pg, of R. spinosissima 1.60 pg and of the hybrid 1.62 pg. The value for the hybrid was close to values measured for parent plants and, at the same time, those values of parent plants significantly differed from each other. Our results showed that the content of phenolic compounds in petals decreased after crossing. We found that the highest total phenolic content (178.9 g/kg FW) was measured in R. spinossisima, the lowest content was analyzed for the hybrid (84.36 g/kg FW) and the content for R. pendulina was between these two values (110.58 g/kg FW). The content of flavanols and flavonols was lowest in the hybrid petals, whereas the content of anthocyanins was highest in the hybrid petals. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory aroma profiles of white wines of the indigenous Greek grape varieties Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Moschofilero, and Roditis. Twenty-three panelists evaluated 17 wines of the aforementioned varieties using the frequency of attribute citation method. Three indices were calculated to assess panel performance in terms of reproducibility. Correspondence analysis and cluster analysis were employed to investigate the sensory space of the wines. Samples of the Roditis variety were characterized mainly by Banana and Vanilla odors; Assyrtiko samples had Earthy, Mushroom, and Nutty odors, as well as Lemon and Honey for some of the samples. Malagousia wines were described as having Lemon, Grapefruit, and Citrus blossom character, and they shared some descriptors with Assyrtiko wines, such as Mushroom and Earthy, and some with Moschofilero samples, i.e., floral and citrus notes. All Moschofilero wines exhibited a floral odor profile: specifically, Rose, Jasmine, or more Citrus blossom-like. Moreover, some Moschofilero samples also revealed a Grapefruit, Lemon, and/or Earthy character, while others expressed Honey notes. In conclusion, despite common characteristics found within varieties, some samples of different varieties exhibited overlapping profiles, and in some cases, samples of the same variety were quite different from each other. Full article

The study investigated preferences of consumers of food retailing outlets in Germany for sustainability labeled cut roses. A sample of 1201 respondents of an online survey was used to analyze their preferences based on a choice-based conjoint experiment in which a bunch of 10 roses was considered which differed concerning the labeling certificate, country of production of the plants, price, packaging, smell, and blossom size of the roses. Latent class analysis revealed existence of consumer heterogeneity with around two thirds of the respondents being strongly in favor of sustainability labels. Thereby Fairtrade labeled roses got an overall positive assessment whereby organic roses were only preferred by 31% of the respondents. In addition, paper or no packaging, strong smell and uniform big blossom sizes got overall positive consumer evaluations in the experiment. The study concludes that sustainability labeled plants might be an option for producers to append additional value to horticultural products in Germany. Full article