Determination of the Biochemical and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities of Rose Oil (Rosa damascena Mill.) Collected in Different Time Periods

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the biochemical and antioxidant enzyme activities of oil of rose petals collected at different time intervals during the day. The results of the present study revealed that significant changes occurred in the biochemical content of the oil of rose petals due to collecting at various intervals in a day. The total phenolic content exhibited a statistically significant increase over the day, reaching a 151.57% increment by 14.00 p.m. compared to the initial level. Similarly, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant activity progressively increased. Proline, known for its versatile roles, including antioxidant defense, increased from 7.43 mg g-1 in the morning to 24.96 mg g-1. Significant temporal changes were observed in antioxidant enzyme activities as well. Catalase (CAT) activity, for instance, increased by 588.22% from 6.00 a.m. to 14.00 p.m., with similar alterations noted in superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidase (POD) activities. The results highlight a correlation between flower collection time and biochemical activities, with a noticeable increase in antioxidant enzyme activities as the day progresses. The findings emphasize the importance of considering plant physiology and environmental factors when determining optimal flower collection times. In conclusion, it can be said that the collection time of flowers influences the quality of rose oil and early morning collection may be more suitable.