| Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) in China includes over five hundred cultivars which has been considered as a traditional ornamental and medicinal plant with large and beautiful flowers. The flowers of Paeonia lactiflora are rich in nutrient proteins, micro-elements, and vitamins, are also used as herbal medicine for treatment of diseases related mainly to irregular menstruation for women. In addition, extracts of flowers are employed to make skin care products,which help to enhance skin flexibility, reduce pigment accumulation. To our knowledge, peony flowers for edible and medicinal use in China refer to traditional Chinese cultivars are rare. For further utilization of peony flowers, this study systemly investigated basic nutrients contents, phenolic contents, terpenoid contents and assessed antioxidant potential of petals and lateral buds of different cultivars. The results of the study are as follows:1.By calculating mean membership index value of nutritional and active component indicator in each Paeonia lactiflora variety and then analyzing the index value, the comprehensive nutritional quality of 22 cultivars can be evaluated. It showed that Paeonia lactiflora ’Fen Yu Nu’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Lan ju’, Paeonia lactiflora’Duo Ye Zi’and Paeonia lactiflora’Zi Feng Chao Yang’ had higher nutrltional quality than other cultivars with mean membership index value over 0.45 while Paeonia lactiflora ’Gui Fei Chai Cui’, Paeonia lactiflora’Yang Fei Chu Yu’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Zhong Sheng Fen’, and Paeonia lactiflora’Chi Fen’had the lowest nutritional quality with mean membership index value less than 0.25.2.Contrast 15 peony cultivars cutivated in Heze and Beijing, there were differences in the nutritional and active component contents of petals from two sites, but different cultivars present different changes. Over all, peony flower in Heze showed higher nutritional and active component contents than in Beijing, deep colour cultivar such as Paeonia lactiflora’Zi Fen Yu’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Wan shou Hong’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Duo Ye Zi’occur to more significant change than other cutivars.3.Contrast 3 peony cultivars in different harvest periods, there were differences in the nutritional and active component contents of peony lateral buds. Considering the harvest of cut flower Paeonia lactiflora ’Zi Feng Yu’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Shan He Hong’ with small lateral buds were suggested to remove when the diameter reach 2.0cm while Paeonia lactiflora’Hong Feng’with large lateral buds were suggested to remove when the diameter reach 2.5cm.4.Contrast 4 peony cultivars cultivated in Heze and Beijing, there were differences in the nutritional and active component contents of peony lateral buds from two sites, but different cultivars present different changes. Over all, peony lateral buds cultivated in Heze showed higher nutritional and active component contents than in Beijing, deep colour cultivars such as Paeonia lactiflora ’Zi Fen Yu’, Paeonia lactiflora’Hong Yan Zheng Hui’ occur to more significant changes than other cutivars.5.Contrast 4 peony cultivars from above, there were differences in the nutritional and active component contents of peony lateral buds from different cultivars. Different cultivars could be utilized by different aims. At the angle of flavor, Paeonia lactiflora ’Da Fu Gui’ had highest soluble sugar and lowest organic acid, which may have best taste; At the angle of anti-oxidation and anti-aging, Paeonia lactiflora ’Hong Yan Zheng Hui’ showed highest antioxidant activity. At the angle of utilization of terpenes, Paeonia lactiflora ’Zi Feng Yu’ showed highest component of peoniflorin and Paeonia lactiflora’Da Fui Gui’showed highest hydroxy-paeoniflorin content, indicating that the lateral buds of two culitivars can be good source of terpenes; At the angle of proteins, Paeonia lactiflora ’Qing Wen’ showed the highest content of soluble proteins, suggested that it is good supplementary source of protein.This study found that there were differences in the nutritional and active component contents of petals from different peony cultivars and especially deep colour cultivars showed higher nutritional value. Peony flower in Heze showed higher nutritional and active component contents than in Beijing, deep colour cultivars were greatly influenced by environment. Paeonia lactiflora’ Zi Feng Yu’, Paeonia lactiflora ’Shan He Hong’ with small lateral buds were suggested to remove the lateral bud when the diameter reach 2.0cm while Paeonia lactiflora ’Hong Feng’ with large lateral buds were suggested to remove when the diameter reach 2.5cm. Peony lateral buds of Heze showed higher nutritional and active component contents than in Beijing. |
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