https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.63.03.25.8738

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Antioxidant Capacities, Total Phenolic Contents, and Phytochemical Profiles of Canned Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) Flowers

Ayca Gülhan^1*, Mehmet Fuat Gülhan², Oğuz Çakır^3,4, Cihan Düşgün⁵ and Mustafa Abdullah Yılmaz^4,6

¹Department of Food Technology, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Aksaray University, 68100, Aksaray, Türkiye

²Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Aksaray University, 68100, Aksaray, Türkiye

³Department of Nutrition and Dietetic, Atatürk Faculty of Health Sciences, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, 21280, Türkiye

⁴Science and Technology Application and Research Center, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, 21280, Türkiye

⁵Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Literature, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51200, Niğde, Türkiye

⁶Mustafa Abdullah Yılmaz, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Science and Technology Research and Application Center, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, 21280, Türkiye

Copyright © 2024 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Article history:

Received: 11 June 2024

Accepted: 18 February 2025

Keywords:

dandelion flower; canned; antioxidant activities; phytochemicals; LC-MS/MS

Summary:

Research background. Dandelion flowers have a very short shelf life. The canning process is known not only to stabilize foods and preserve their nutritional content at a high level but also to significantly extend their shelf life. For this reason, canned dandelion flowers are thought to be beneficial for both consumers and the gastronomy sector.

Experimental approach. In this study, fresh dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) flowers were canned using sucrose syrups with varying degrees of Brix (°Bx) (20 and 30) as filling mediums and stored at 25 °C for 30 days. A total of 56 phytochemicals were identified using LC-MS/MS, while in vitro antioxidant activities (DPPH and CUPRAC) and total phenolic content (TPC) were analyzed in both the canned flowers and the filling mediums at different storage intervals (10th, 20th and 30th days).

Results and conclusions. The antioxidant activities of fresh dandelion flowers were 89.625 % and 0.804 mmol Trolox equivalents per gram (mmol Trolox Eq/g), respectively. The lowest DPPH (41.453 %) and CUPRAC (0.328 mmol Trolox Eq/g) activities were observed on the 20th day in samples stored in the 30 ºBx filling medium. TPC in fresh flowers was measured at 367.409 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract (mg GAE/g extract). The highest TPC levels in canned flowers were recorded in samples taken on the 10th day for both ºBx filling mediums. Using LC-MS/MS analysis, 24 phytochemicals were identified in fresh flowers, including quinic acid, luteolin, siranoside, chlorogenic acid, fumaric acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, quercetin, cosmosiin, isoquercitrin, and apigenin. A decrease in the polyphenol content of canned flowers was observed during storage. The results indicate that canning dandelion flowers in a 30 °Bx syrup medium and storing them for 20 days was effective in preserving their phenolic components and antioxidant capacity.

Novelty and scientific contribution. In the scientific literature, numerous studies focus on extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables through the canning method. However, this study fills a gap in the literature by successfully applying the canning technique to edible flowers for the first time. Furthermore, the findings of this study contribute to future research on the potential commercialization of canned dandelion flowers as a consumer food product.