Edible roses have been identified as a potential source of antioxidant compounds promoting human health. In order to assess this potential, nine cultivars of edible roses harvested in Jincheon, Chungbuk, were examined in this study. Extracts of flower petals of edible roses were prepared, and the constituent antioxidant compounds and their antioxidant activity were analyzed. Total anthocyanin concentrations and total flavonoid concentrations were significantly higher in the Mister Lincoln cultivar than those in others. Total phenolic compounds and total antioxidant activity in the cultivars Mister Lincoln and Orange Meillandina were significantly higher than those in other cultivars (p < 0.05). Total anthocyanin content was highly correlated with flavonoid content (R = 0.927), and the relationship between total phenolics and DPPH radical scavenging activity was also strongly correlated (R = 0.915). Overall, antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity of edible roses were found to be greater than those of fruits and leafy vegetables. Thus, edible roses are a natural source of antioxidant compounds, and they are expected to have great potential for application in the production of functional foods and in the cosmetic industry.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of eggshell membrane hydrolysates (ESMH) on the anti-inflammatory, anti-wrinkle, anti-microbial activity, and moisture-protection for cosmetic use. Whole ESMH (before fractionation), and fraction I (>10 kDa), fraction II (3-10 kDa), and fraction III (<3 kDa) of the hydrolysates were assessed in this experiment. As lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IFN-γ caused the inflammation on Raw264.7 cell, whole ESMH and fraction I showed to be effective in inhibiting the induction of cell inflammation depending on the concentration, and also showed outstanding effect to suppress the skin inflammation. Fraction I inhibited collagenase and elastase activities to a greater extent than the other fractions, while all fractions had antibiotic effects at concentrations of 10 mg/disc and 20 mg/disc. In addition, it showed the moisture protection effects of skin on the holding amount and losing amount of moisture in upper-inner arm of the human body with a relatively low loss rate in skin, which confirmed that the hydrolyzed fractions of ESM helps to form the superior protective layer of moisture. It was concluded that ESMH fractions with different molecular weights, especially the 10 kDa fraction, have anti-lipopolysaccharide, anti-IFN-γ-induced inflammation, anti- collagenase and elastase activities, and thus can be used as a cosmetic agent to protect skin.

Five Korean blueberries (’’Nelson’’, ’’Duke ’’, ’’Bluejay ’’, ’’Toro’’, and ’’Elliot ’’) were harvested at two maturity stages (unripe and ripe) to evaluate fruit quality and antioxidant activities. The Hunter L, a, and b color of ripe blueberries was lower than that of unripe fruit. Soluble solid concentration (SSC) and pH increased, and titratable acidity (TA) and firmness decreased as the blueberries matured. The ripe blueberry fruits showed a higher SSC/TA ratio than the unripe fruits. Although total anthocyanin, flavonoids, phenolics content, and antioxidant activity were higher in ripe blueberries than in unripe fruit, the unripe fruit had higher acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition activities than ripe fruit in all cultivars. Total antioxidant activity was highly correlated with total flavonoids and phenolics. The relationships between the total antioxidant activity and the AChE or BChE inhibitory activity are negative. There were several physicochemical quality and antioxidant activity differences in blueberries, depending on the cultivar and the maturity at harvest. Unripe fruits also contain potential health-promoting bioactive compounds as functional food ingredients.

Onions are typically consumed as the bulb, but the peel and root are discarded as by-products during processing. This study investigated the potential functional use of these by-products by analyzing the polyphenols, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidant activity contained in onions. In this study, the bulb, peel, and root of five onion cultivars (‘Tank’, ‘Bomul’, ‘Gujji’ ‘Cobra’, and ‘Hongbanjang’) harvested in Korea were investigated. Caffeic acid and quercetin were most abundant in the peel, whereas methyl gallate was the predominant polyphenol in the bulb. Both DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity were higher in onion peel and root than in the bulb. These findings suggest that onion peel and roots, which are often discarded, have abundant antioxidant substances and excellent antioxidant activity. This study provides basic data for the future use of onion peel and roots as functional ingredients with high added value.