International Conference On Research Challenges In Science And Technology, Muğla, Turkey, 18 - 19 July 2024, vol.1, no.1, pp.18
Medicinal plants have historically been utilized to address various health conditions, including
cardiovascular regulation. One such plant is Rosa damascena Mill L., a member of the Rosaceae
family commonly known as Damask rose (1). This plant, characterized by its pink flowers, is a
perennial shrub prized for its aromatic properties and is cultivated in Turkey, Europe, the Middle East,
and Iran (2, 3). Rosa damascena contains various components, including flavonoids, carboxylic acid,
terpene, myrcene, geraniol (4), and vitamin C (5). In ancient medicine, Rosa damascena was used to
address a range of issues such as abdominal and chest pain (6), menstrual bleeding, and digestive
problems (7), as well as for managing depression, grief, nervous stress, and tension (8). Recent
studies have indicated that Rosa damascena possesses diverse functions, including hypnotic,
analgesic, bronchodilatory, antibacterial, laxative, prokinetic (3, 9-12), and anti-inflammatory effects
(7, 13). The roxyloside, isoquercitrin, afzelin, and quercetin gentiobioside, have shown strong
inhibitory activity against 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase. Furthermore, cyanidin-3-
O-β-glucoside notably suppresses angiotensin I-converting enzyme activity. The researchers
concluded that these findings suggest that Rosa damascena and its flavonoids may potentially
enhance cardiovascular health (14).