The Influence of Flower Head Order and Gibberellic Acid Treatment on the Hydroxycinnamic Acid and Luteolin Derivatives Content in Globe Artichoke Cultivars

Plant Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Food Packages

There has been growing interest in the use of numerous plant bioactive compounds (PBCs) in food and nutrition technology due to their properties that promote human health by reducing the risk of various serious diseases [...].

Influence of Artichoke Antioxidant Activity in Their Susceptibility to Suffer Frost Injury

In the northern hemisphere countries, artichoke harvest occurs in winter months; consequently, they are exposed to cold temperatures. This can lead to frost injury, such as triggering the blistering of the cuticle and detachment of outer bracts, which eventually could display brown or black discolouration. This can cause major economic and production losses. As far as we know, no literature is available about this problem in artichokes. Thus, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of total phenolic content and the antioxidant potential of 'Blanca de Tudela' artichokes in their capacity to tolerate frost injury when they are exposed to low temperatures. Several factors were analysed, including floral head order, weight and size of artichokes, total phenolic content, phenolic profile and total antioxidant activity. Results showed that tertiary heads, which are the smallest in size, exhibited a greater amount of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. As a result, these characteristics offered enhanced protection to the artichoke against frosting temperatures. In contrast, the largest artichokes, especially the primary heads, were more susceptible to suffer frostbite. Therefore, artichokes with robust antioxidant systems, characterized by elevated phenolic content, are crucial to reduce their susceptibility to frost injury.

Bioactive Compounds from Artichoke and Application Potential

Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus, known as the artichoke, originated in the Mediterranean region and is now cultivated in several countries. The artichoke has leaves, a stem, and a head, also called a floral capitulum, covered with green and pointed bracts. It is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, inulin, coumarins, terpenes, dietary fibre, enzymes, polysaccharides, minerals and vitamins, and therefore has a wide range of uses, including in the food industry, medicine and biofuels. Several studies have shown that artichokes have properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, hypocholesterolaemic, anti-HIV, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective and lipid-lowering effects. The aim of this study is to provide a literature review on the phytochemical composition, bioactivity and applications, focusing on the methods of extraction, purification and concentration of enzymes present in artichoke.

Improvement in the Cynaropicrin, Caffeoylquinic Acid and Flavonoid Content of Globe Artichokes with Gibberellic Acid Treatment

Increasing interest has been shown in globe artichoke for pharmaceutical and food applications as a significant source of polyphenol compounds. With the aim to improve the polyphenol profile of globe artichoke, an open-field experiment is set up to study the effect of gibberellic acid (GA₃) application on the cynaropicrin, caffeoylquinic acid and flavone levels of three genotypes (‘Apollo’, ‘Tema 2000’ and ‘Violet de Provence’), along with crop earliness, yield and bio-morphological plant response. The results indicate that GA₃ treatment is more effective in terms of total polyphenol and caffeoylquinic acid accumulation in ‘Apollo’, regardless of the plant parts analyzed. In particular, the leaves of ‘Apollo’ were the richest source of luteolin derivatives of 5-O- and 1,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acids. On average across the genotypes, GA₃ treatment favored the accumulation of apigenin derivatives in the floral stem, and caffeoylquinic acid and cynaropicrin in the leaves. From the perspective of yield, GA₃ treatment allowed us to anticipate the first harvest in each genotype, while either maintaining (‘Apollo’, ‘Violet de Provence’) or enhancing (‘Tema 2000’) the fresh weight yield. In conclusion, this study could be interesting for promoting GA₃ usage to ameliorate the globe artichoke nutraceutical profile and to anticipate the first harvest for fresh marketing without significant yield losses.