Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
In the present study, the nutritional value of the edible parts (immature capitula) of
cardoon plants was evaluated, while further analyses were carried out in order to assess
antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds composition of the various plant parts
and seed oils. Cardoon capitula (heads) were a rich source of carbohydrates, with
the main detected free sugar being sucrose, as well as of macro- and micro-minerals
(K, Ca, Mg, and Fe). Heads were also abundant in saturated fatty acids (palmitic,
behenic, linoleic, stearic, caproic, and oleic acid), whereas seed oils in unsaturated
fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid). Total phenolic compounds (TPC)
content and phenolics composition differed between the various plant parts, with
heads and leaf blades having higher TPC than midribs and petioles. Moreover, heads
and leaf midribs and petioles consisted mainly of phenolic acids (5-O-caffeoylquinic
and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid), with flavonoids being detected in lower amounts. In
contrast, the composition of polyphenols in leaf blades consisted mostly of flavonoids
(Luteolin-7-O-glucoside and luteolin-7-O-malonylhexoside), whereas phenolic acids
were also detected in considerable amounts (5-O-feruloylquinic and 3-O-caffeoylquinic
acid). Regarding antioxidant properties, leaf blades and seeds exhibited the highest
potency for all the tested assays which could be partly attributed to the synergistic
effects of the phenolic compounds present in each sample. In conclusion, cardoon
plant parts may find various uses in the food and pharmaceutical industry, since they
contain considerable amounts of bioactive molecules, while seed oils can be considered
as alternative vegetable oils for human consumption.
Description
Keywords
Antioxidant activity Caffeoylquinic acids Cardoon Flavonoids Nutritional value Phenolic compounds Proximate analysis Seed oil
Citation
Petropoulos, Spyridon A.; Pereira, Carla; Tzortzakis, Nikolaos; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R. (2018). Nutritional value and bioactive compounds characterization of plant parts from cynara cardunculus L. (asteraceae) cultivated in central Greece. Frontiers in Plant Science. ISSN -. 9, p.