Cynara cardunculus L., a potential source of inulin in the Mediterranean environment: screening of genetic variability

Abstract

Cynara cardunculus L. is a diploid (2n = 34) outcrossing perennial species, native to the Mediterranean basin, comprising the globe artichoke, the cultivated cardoon, and the wild cardoon. These species have potential as biomass, sugar, and oilseed crops. This paper aimed to study the genetic variability for sugar production and sugar composition in the roots of different C. cardunculus L. genotypes, in order to select those suitable for this specific purpose in the Mediterranean environment. At harvest the total biomass and root production, averaged for all genotypes, were 20.4 and 9.8 t DM/ha; they were influenced by genotype, with a CV of 37.4 and 38.5%, respectively. On average for all of the genotypes, the roots showed a total sugar content of 367 g DM/kg, with a CV of 17.1%; the main compound was inulin (85.0% of total sugars). The wild cardoon ‘SR1’ showed the highest total sugar content (470 g/kg DM). On average for all of the genotypes, the total sugar and inulin yields were 3.6 ± 0.20 and 3.0 ± 0.16 t/ha, respectively. It was possible to obtain total sugar yields higher than 4 t/ha in 6 genotypes (‘BH’, ‘VP’, ‘E438’, ‘L01’, ‘C2’, ‘P1’) of the 15 studied.

Globe artichoke as a functional food

“…From a nutritional point of view, artichoke is a plant food whose natural components, beyond their basic nutritional value, have positive effects on particular target functions, therefore reducing the risk of specific diseases. Artichoke has also several non-food uses: the leaves, rich in polyphenols, are employed by the pharmaceutical industry for the production of commercial extracts, while roots and flower heads contain inulin, an important oligosaccharide used as a prebiotic ingredient in functional foods [8]. Artichoke industrial by-products (stems, outer bracts, leaves) represent about the 80% of the biomass and may be used as raw material for the extraction of food additives and nutraceuticals [6].…”

Extraction of inulin from Burdock root (Arctium lappa) using high intensity ultrasound

“…, 2000; mean DP 5 65). Besides globe artichoke, cultivated and domestic cardoons also accumulate inulin in large amounts in roots (Raccuia & Melilli, 2004, 2010).…”

Globe artichoke – a vegetable, herb and ornamental of value in central Europe:

“…Growing artichokes at higher latitudes does not significantly decrease the nutritional value of the head. The accumulation of inulin is enhanced by conditions that increase the efficiency of photosynthesis such as a long photoperiod (Raccuia and Melilli, 2010). Therefore, theoretically, long days at high geographical latitudes could result in the synthesis of this fructan.…”