Rosa x hybrida: A New Tool for Functional Food Development with Triple-Negative Breast Antitumoral Implications

Edible flowers have garnered increasing attention due to their high content of bioactive compounds, making them promising candidates for biomedical and functional food applications. This work evaluated the metabolomic data of fresh Rosa x hybrida petals, revealing seven types of metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, vitamins, sugars, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Notably, quercetin, kaempferol and their derivatives were the main flavonoids determined. Furthermore, in vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the potential antiproliferative effects against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Thus, the methanolic extract derived from Rosa x hybrida petals demonstrated significant antitumoral activity against both sensitive and resistant TNBC cells, as evidenced by reduced MTT metabolization, colony formation, and wound healing activity. Furthermore, the cell death mechanism associated with the petal extract was studied. The antiproliferative activity was mediated by reactive oxygen species generation, triggering cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy. In conclusion, these results propose Rosa x hybrida could be a new tool for nutraceuticals and functional food production.