Nutritionally Important Components
of Rosa canina L. Originating from Various Areas of Hungary

Éva Stefanovits-Bányai1, Helga Markóth2, Zsuzsanna Bertényi-Divinyi1, and Judit Monspart-Sényi2

1 Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
2 Department of Canning Technology, Faculty of Food Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary

Corresponding author: Éva Stefanovits-Bányai
    Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science,
    Szent István University
    H-1518 Budapest, Hungary
    P.O. Box 53
    Telephone: (+36)-1-372-6200
    Fax number: (+36)-1-372-6255
    E-mail address: ebanyai@omega.kee.hu

CEJOEM 2002, Vol.8. No.2–3.:172–177


Key words:
Rose hip, vitamin C, total phenol, environmental pollution, macro and microelements


Abstract:
Rose hip (Rosa canina L.) is one of the principal medicinal plants, containing mainly vitamin C and other water soluble vitamins, tocoferol, essential oils, sugar, fatty acids, fruit acids, amino acids, pectin, tannins, carotenoids, and polyphenolic compounds. Rose hips are often used in food, tea, juice, jam, etc. In medicine and cosmetics, they play an important role as coloring and as antioxidant protective matters. Our aim was to compare certain nutritionally important components of rose hips in samples of various origins in order to determine the most suitable area for collecting rose hips for various, especially food and therapeutic applications. Vitamin C was determined by titrimetry, total phenol content by spectrophotometry using catechol as standard, and element composition and concentration by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Vitamin C and total phenol contents were higher in the samples collected from non-polluted sites. Differences were seen especially in the content of toxic elements. Vitamin C and total phenol contents were lower in samples with higher concentration of Cu, Mn, Ni, Sr and Zn cations.


Received:  3 July 2002
Accepted:  21 November 2002

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