Bioactive Compounds and Aroma Profile of Some Lamiaceae Edible Flowers

Edible flowers are consumed for their appearance, colours, nutritional and healthy properties, but the use is limited by the actual number of the species. Seven edible flowers of the Lamiaceae family (Ocimeae and Mentheae tribes) were investigated:Monarda didyma'Fireball',Nepeta x faassenii'Six Hills Giant',Ocimum basilicum'Blue Spice',O. basilicum'Cinnamon',Ocimum x citriodorum,Salvia discolor,andSalvia microphylla'Hot Lips'. Total soluble sugars, proteins, polyphenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity were detected. The species of the Mentheae tribe contained higher sugar content than Ocimeae flowers, the opposite with regard to protein content. Ocimeae tribe flowers showed high polyphenols and carotenoids content. The Ocimeae tribe together with two specie of the Mentheae tribe showed an aroma profile dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (58.0% inS. discolorto 77.9% inOcimumxcitriodorum). Oxygenated monoterpenes prevailed inNepetaandMonarda,also present in the essential oil of this latter species (84.5%). By contrast,NepetaandS. discolorevidenced non-terpenes as the principal class (41.2% and 77.5%, respectively), while the oxygenated sesquiterpene was the main one inS. microphylla. The two varieties ofOcimumspp. showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the main class of volatiles.