Rose waste from distilleries blocks blood sugar enzymes better than prescription drugs
Bayrak B, Yuca H, Budak YB, Alkuyruk SB, Özer EB
Medicinal Plants
Those spent petals and pruned rose canes you're composting after harvest could be worth keeping: the 'waste' from damask roses rivals pharmaceutical compounds for blocking sugar absorption, pointing toward real uses in functional foods rather than the bin.
Scientists tested every part of the damask rose, including the woody branches and the leftover water after making rose water, to see what useful compounds each contains. They found that flower extracts blocked a digestive enzyme tied to blood sugar spikes better than acarbose, a prescription diabetes medication. Even the wastewater from steam distillation was rich in antioxidants, meaning factory scraps that usually get discarded are genuinely bioactive and worth a second look.
Key Findings
Damask rose flower extracts inhibited alpha-glucosidase with an IC50 of 37 μg/mL, outperforming the pharmaceutical standard acarbose
Distillation wastewater contained significant levels of gallic and ellagic acids, demonstrating high antioxidant bioactive potential in industrial residues
LC-MS/MS identified 20 phenolic compounds across plant parts, with quinic acid dominant in buds and flowers; all extracts tested non-genotoxic in multiple assays
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that Rosa damascena (damask rose) plant parts and processing waste contain potent bioactive compounds, with flower extracts outperforming a common diabetes drug at blocking a key digestive enzyme, and distillation wastewater holding surprisingly high levels of beneficial antioxidants.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Comprehensive Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Rosa damascena Plant Parts and Industrial Residues Using FTIR-ATR and LC-MS/MS.
This study comprehensively evaluated the phytochemical composition, biological activities, and biosafety profile of different organs and processing by-products of Rosa damascena, with particular em...
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