Characterization of Anthocyanins and Their Antioxidant Activities in Indian Rose Varieties (Rosa x hybrida) Using HPLC

The present study was designed to explore the anthocyanin profile and antioxidant activities in Indian rose varieties (Rosa x hybrida). Among fifty varieties, Ashwini recorded the highest total phenolic content (427.59 +/- 3.47 mg GAE/100 g) along with the highest FRAP (397.15 +/- 0.82 mu mol trolox/g) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity (93.47 +/- 0.19%) on a fresh weight basis. A significant positive correlation was observed between total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities. Four distinct clusters were formed according to total anthocyanins, total phenols, and antioxidant activities; white- and yellow-colored varieties were most distant from red ones. Principal component analysis revealed that variable total anthocyanin content contributed to the maximum variation among the fifty rose varieties studied. Highly anthocyanin-rich rose varieties were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-PAD), which identified two major components of anthocyanins, i.e., cyanidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside and pelargonidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside. Cyanidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside was the predominant anthocyanin in red- and pink-colored varieties, whereas pelargonidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside was the major one in the orange variety. The maximum cyanidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside content was recorded in variety Ashwini (497.79 mg/100 g), whereas the maximum pelargonidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside content was recorded in Suryakiran (185.43 mg/100 g). It is suggested that the rose varieties with high anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity can be exploited as a potential source of nutraceuticals in the food industry.

Automated summary

This study explores the anthocyanin profile and antioxidant activities in Indian rose varieties and finds a significant positive correlation between total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities. Rose varieties with high anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity can be potential sources of nutraceuticals in the food industry.