Road to a bite of rosehip: A comprehensive review of bioactive compounds, biological activities, and industrial applications of fruits

With advancing economic development, people are becoming more health-conscious and as a consequence, the demand for functional foods and health products is growing. Therefore, identifying and developing natural food sources, such as plants containing bioactive compounds providing nutritional and health benefits, is highly necessary. One such example is the rosehip, the pseudo-fruit of plants belonging to the genus Rosa, which was previously considered a horticultural waste without any biological application. However, it has been demonstrated that rosehips contain natural antioxidants and functional active ingredients exhibiting nutritional and biological activities for consumers. Consequently, there are several potential applications for rosehips in food and non-food products. Overall, the rosehip is an underutilized and sustainably produced fruit with great potential to generate value-added products. In addition, this fruit should be further explored to uncover its applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the nutritional and phytochemical composition and biological activities of rosehips. Furthermore, numerous applications of rosehips in the food, chemical, and poultry industries are explored. Rosehips are a valuable source of bioactive compounds, mainly natural antioxidants (vitamin C, polyphenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, and polysaccharides), with unique antioxidant, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial, antiaging, and osteoprotective activities. Additionally, it has been reported that extracts derived from rosehips have a wide range of applications in the food, chemical, and poultry industries. Currently, studies regarding wild germplasm resources and biological mechanisms of rosehips remain inconclusive and more studies are needed to clarify these aspects.