Microbiological and Sensory Quality of Fresh Ready-to-Eat Artichoke Hearts Packaged under Modified Atmosphere

Exploring the Cardiovascular Potential of Artichoke-A Comprehensive Review

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, requiring both pharmacological and lifestyle-based preventive strategies. Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus) has gained attention for its health benefits, including choleretic and lipid-lowering activities. However, its cardiovascular effects remain underdiscussed. This paper provides a critical review of the current literature on the cardiovascular effects of artichoke, with a focus on its underlying mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy. Experimental studies assessing artichoke's effects on endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle relaxation, and modulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis were assessed. Additionally, clinical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses investigating its antihypertensive effects were reviewed. Artichoke and its bioactive components, particularly flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids, enhance endothelial-dependent and -independent vasorelaxation and inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme activity. Although clinical studies indicate improvements in flow-mediated dilation, they report only modest reductions in blood pressure, with high variability in formulations, dosages, and patient populations. While artichoke supplementation may support blood pressure regulation and endothelial health, current evidence suggests it should be considered an adjunct rather than a replacement for conventional antihypertensive therapy. Standardized formulations and well-controlled clinical studies will be required to clarify its therapeutic role.

Cryoprotective role of vacuum infused inulin on the quality of artichoke: Interactive effects of freezing, thawing and storage period

Freezing of artichoke is a promising alternative to storing it in brine and canning. The perishable vegetable was vacuum infused with inulin to improve freezing tolerance. Artichokes with and without inulin were frozen by static, air blast and individual quick freezing (IQF) methods and thawed by microwave, 25 °C and 4 °C temperature levels at each month of 6-months storage. Process conditions were evaluated by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and were found significant on the quality parameters. Inulin infusion better conserved the aw, color, texture, ascorbic acid and overall integrity of artichokes during frozen storage. Inulin incorporation and IQF showed mutual positive effect on drip loss. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity values fitted to 2nd order kinetic and the highest residuals were determined in static freezing. PPO showed alleviating effect on total phenolic content. Vacuum impregnation caused a color difference prior to freezing, but was found effective for maintaining color during storage. As a result, the use of quick freezing techniques together with the addition of cryoprotectant was effective in the preservation of artichoke quality attributes during frozen storage.

Effect of Cysteine with Essential Oils on Quality Attributes and Functional Properties of 'Blanca de Tudela' Fresh-Cut Artichoke

The commercialisation of fresh-cut artichokes with optimal quality and appearance and a maximum shelf-life is a great challenge for the artichoke market. The use of different anti-browning agents has been previously studied; however, their effect is still limited. Therefore, the objective of this study is the evaluation of the effect of L-cysteine and, in combination with a mixture of essential oils components (eugenol, thymol and carvacrol) on browning, quality and bioactive compounds of fresh-cut artichokes stored for 9 days at 2 °C. Four different treatments were applied to 'Blanca de Tudela' fresh-cut artichokes: cysteine and cysteine with 75, 150 and 300 µL of the essential oils components (EOs) mixture. After 2, 4 and 9 days of storage, physicochemical parameters (weight loss, colour, respiration rate) and functional (total phenolic content, antioxidant activity) were studied. A descriptive sensorial analysis was also carried out to evaluate sensory attributes. Results showed that the application of cysteine and 150 µL of EOs displayed the lowest browning and highest antioxidant properties, as well as the best quality and sensory parameters. The use of this post-harvest treatment on fresh-cut artichokes would result in a natural and eco-friendly solution to improve artichoke quality and shelf-life.

Bioaccessibility and antioxidant capacity of phenolic compounds during shelf life of a new functional vegetable mix

Fresh-cut vegetables are minimally processed healthy products that have gained the preference of consumers in accordance to the current lifestyle. Fresh-cut industry is continuously evolving and pursuing new varieties of raw material to develop innovative vegetable products, which fulfil consumer expectations. The current study evaluated the phenolic compounds in an innovative vegetable mix (red cabbage, rocket, parsley and beet greens) as well as their antioxidant capacity and bioaccessibility during their shelf life under refrigerated storage. The initial total phenolic compound and flavonoids content in the salad mixture were 163.3 ± 5.77 mg GAE/100 g FW and 280.96 ± 25.14 mg QE/100 g FW, respectively. The initial antioxidant capacity in the salad mixture was 85.4 ± 7.9 mg TE/100 g FW for DPPH and 318.1 ± 26.5 mg TE/100 g FW for ABTS assays. After digestion, total phenolic compound and TEAC capacity at initial times showed percentage of recovery values close to the chemical extraction and suffered a decrease towards day 10 of storage. Flavonoids and DPPH capacity showed recovery percentages less than 50%, at all storage times. Regarding sensory quality, the shelf-life of the salad mixture was limited by the presence of unacceptable off-odors at day 7 but since at microbiological evaluation, the shelf-life of the product is no longer than 5 days.