Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Cichorium spinosum L. leaves in relation to developmental stage

Abstract

a b s t r a c tIn the present study, chemical composition and bioactivity of Cichorium spinosum leaves were examined at different growth stages for optimum harvest stage and end-use assessment. Total fresh weight and number of leaves were higher at 4th growth stage; however, at this stage the end-use is not indicated for raw consumption but mostly for pickled or dried products. Regarding chemical composition, the highest content of tocopherols and minerals was observed in the 1st growth stage, whereas sugars content was the highest in 3rd and 4th growth stage. Polyunsaturated fatty acids content was the highest during the first two growth stages, whereas antioxidant activity, phenolic acids and total phenolic compounds content in the 3rd stage. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that chemical composition of C. spinosum is highly depended on development stage, and harvest stage should be considered for alternative uses of end-products with high bioactivity.

Wild and Cultivated Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta: A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds

“…Differences in the developmental stage between wild and cultivated plants at harvest may also have a pivotal role in the observed differences since wild plants were harvested based on their phenology (marketable size) without having more information regarding the plant age and the number of days after the development of young leaves. These results are consistent with other reports, since according to Petropoulos et al [19] and Poli et al [56] sugars composition shows great variation with the stage of development. Considering that leaves of Centaurea species are well known and highly appreciated for their bitter taste due to their high content in sesquiterpene lactones such as germacranolides and eudesmanolides [12,27,57,58], taste should be determined through panel tests to evaluate the effect of increased sugars content and how they can affect consumers' acceptance.…”

“…These effects are mostly associated with their high content in phytochemicals such as flavanones [7], sterols [6], phenolic acids [8][9][10], sesquiterpene lactones [11][12][13], omega-3 fatty acids [14,15] and other secondary metabolites with bioactive and antioxidant properties. The increasing demand for functional foods has put wild edible greens in the center of attention and many recent studies have highlighted the potential of commercial exploitation of wild plants that may diversify modern diets and increase throughout the year the availability of such products [9,[16][17][18][19][20]. However, domestication of wild species needs several aspects to be considered since various reports highlighted significant changes of bioactive compounds content in domesticated species compared to their wild counterparts, while scarce literature reports exist regarding their agronomic requirements [17,21].…”

Chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum L. in relation to nitrate/ammonium nitrogen ratio

“…There is a growing trend with respect to its commercial cultivation, which is usually based on cultivation practices applied on similar domesticated species (endives, chicory, lettuce) because of the scarce information available in the literature. Recently, our team has published information regarding the effect of salinity, nutrient solution composition and harvesting stage on the nutritional value and chemical composition of the plant edible leaves, whereas a chemical characterization of various C. spinosum ecotypes has been also reported …”

“…4 There is a growing trend with respect to its commercial cultivation, which is usually based on cultivation practices applied on similar domesticated species (endives, chicory, lettuce) because of the scarce information available in the literature. Recently, our team has published information regarding the effect of salinity, 5 nutrient solution composition 6 and harvesting stage 7 on the nutritional value and chemical composition of the plant edible leaves, whereas a chemical characterization of various C. spinosum ecotypes has been also reported. 8 Nitrogenous fertilizers are pivotal for the achievement of high yields in vegetable crop production, although their use has raised concerns with regard to leafy vegetable production because excessive amounts of nitrogen may have implications for human health.…”

Ease of Phytochemical Extraction and Analysis from Plants?

“…Plants produce many phenolic substances as secondary metabolites. However, the type and amount of phenolic substances varies according to plant material, the biotic and abiotic stresses that the plant is experiencing with regard to the physical and biological interaction of the plant with the soil microorganisms, season, and environment (Demir et al, 2014;Elmastas et al, 2017;Galindo et al, 2017;Majdoub et al, 2017;Martini et al, 2017;Mirto et al, 2018;Ojeda-Amador et al, 2018;Petropoulos et al, 2017;Petropoulos et al, 2018;Silva and Sirasa, 2018;Sutay Kocabas et al, 2015;Tupec et al, 2017). Some phenolic species are common and widespread among plants, while some are species-specific.…”