Descrição
Plant polyphenols are a wide group of secondary metabolites and are a common component of our diet.
Flavonoids represent the most common and widely distributed group of plant phenolics, and can be further
broken into classes including flavones, flavonols, flavanones, flavanols, anthocyanins and isoflavonoids.
Different classes of bioactive constituents are present in Rosa canina, including phenolic compounds. Rosa
canina fruits can be eaten raw as snacks and possess prophylactic and therapeutic activities against a wide
range of ailments, including the inflammatory disorders arthritis, rheumatism, gout, colds and gastrointestinal
disorders, which might be related with their phenolic composition. This study aimed to characterize the
phenolic compounds present in the above mentioned wild fruits. The analysis of phenolic compounds was
carried out by reversed-phase HPLC-DAD and the major phenolic compounds were identified by ESI-MS, in
order to establish the specific phenolic profile. Rosa canina presented different classes of flavonoids.
Flavones, flavonols and dihydroflavonols represented 5.50 mg/100 g dry weight, among which taxifolin, a
dihydroflavonol, was prominent (1.18 mg/100 g). Flavan-3-ols (i.e., catechins and proanthocyanidins) were
other relevant flavonoids found. (+)-Catechin was the most abundant flavan-3-ol found in the fruits (3.59
mg/100 g), whereas cyanidin 3-O-glucoside was the only anthocyanin detected (0.68 μg/100 g). The studied
fruits may have great potential for food industries as a source of colors and flavors, as well as bioactive
molecules such as phenolic compounds for dietary supplements or functional foods.
; Barros, Lillian 
