Botanical characteristics, phytochemistry and related biological activities of Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit, and its potential use in functional foods: a review

Due to the growing global population, reduction in arable land and effects of climate change, incongruity between food supply and demand has become increasingly severe. Nowadays, with awareness of the elementary nutrients required for human growth, increasing attention is being paid to the health and medical functions of food. Along with increased food production achieved by modern agricultural techniques, underutilised functional foods are an important strategy for solving food security problems and maintaining the nutritional quality of the human diet. Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) is a natural fruit that contains unique functional and nutritional constituents, which are characterised by a high anti-oxidant potential. This review summarises the biological characteristics, chemical composition, health-promoting properties and development status of RRT products to inspire investigations on the use of RRT fruit as a functional food, dietary supplement and pharmaceutical additive. The nutrients and functional ingredients of RRT fruit are described in detail to provide more reference information for nutritionists and pharmacists.

Automated summary

Due to the impact of growing global population, reduction in arable land, and effects of climate change, the incongruity between food supply and demand has become a pressing issue. The development of modern agricultural techniques has led to underutilised functional foods being recognized as an important strategy for solving food security problems. Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT) is a natural fruit with high antioxidant potential, making it a promising candidate for functional food development to meet the demand for health-promoting properties in food products.