## 1 Introduction  
Edible flowers are defined as non-toxic, harmless food products with important nutraceuticalal properties beneficial for human health. Therefore, they can be safely incorporated in human nutrition [1,2]. The most popular edible flowers include chrysanthemum, rose, hibscus, violet, carnation, pansy, marigold, calendula, among others [2]. Edible flowers can enhance the aroma, taste and appearance of meals and can be used in the development of functional foods [3]. They are of great nutritional interest as they are almost free of calories and constitute rich sources of phytochemicals, such as phenolics, carotenoids, other pigments, terpenoids, alkaloids, and vitamins, all associated with significant health benefits [4]. The composition of edible flowers in terms of bioactive constituents depends on the botanical part of the flower (petal, pollen, nectar, etc.), the flowering stage, the seasonality of flower production, color differentiation among the cultivars, soil and climatic conditions, production processes, geographical origin, among other factors [5,6]. Edible flowers and their extracts have been reported to exhibit high antioxidant, antiradical, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-hyperglycemic,anti-cholesterol, anti-hypertensive, antitumor and anti-diabetic activities [5; 7; 8; 9]. Their phytochemical profiles have been studied using a variety of analytical methods. Indicatively, flowers belonging to _Calendula_, _Carthamus_, _Cassia_, _Centaurea_, _Chamaemelum_, _Chrysanthenum_, _Dahlia_, _Hibiscus_, _Lavandula_, _Lonicera_, _Monarda_, _Ocimum_, _Rosa_, _Salvia_, _Spilanthes_, _Tagetes_, _Thebroma_ and _Tropealum_ species were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis [10; 11; 12], high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry or with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD, LC-DAD-ESI/MSn) [11; 13; 14; 15; 16], proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (\({}^{1}\)H-NMR) [17; 18], direct-infusion high-resolution mass spectrometry (DI-HRMS) [17] and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [19; 20].  
Apart from analytical methodologies, _in silico_ techniques, such as molecular docking, have been widely utilized to evaluate the potential of phytochemicals to inhibit enzymes that negatively influence antioxidant activity [21; 22; 23; 24; 25]. Several enzymes, such as NADPH oxidase, cytochrome P450 (CP450), lipoxygenase (LOX), myeloperoxidase (MP) and xanthine oxidase (XO), are responsible for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the metabolism of arachidonic acid and their inhibition is of paramount importance, since the ROS production cycle is thereby interrupted. As a result, redox homeostasis is regulated and oxidative stress is decreased [23; 26].  
Hence, it would be particularly interesting to studythe application of _in vitro_ and _in silico_ methodologies in combination with the spectroscopic profiling for the phytochemical evaluation of edible flowers and next their potential exploitation in the food industry. Therefore, the first goal of the study was to extract the bioactive compounds of the petals of selected edible flowers, to evaluate the extracts' spectroscopic profiles by attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and to establish their total phenolic contents and antioxidant and antiradical activities. In a step further, the most frequently encountered phytochemicals in edible flowers, based on data reported in the literature, were subjected to molecular docking studies to identify their binding affinities and inhibition potential in relation to multiple molecular targets mediating antioxidant activity. The ultimate goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of flower extracts as potential sources of antioxidants either through their radical scavenging and reducing power capacities or through their antioxidant enzymatic activities.