S25 - Session O3 - Growing artichokes (Cynara cardunculus) in Austria – implications on quality and nutritional value of buds and leaves depending on variety and species

Authors: Anna J. Keutgen *, Dilâra Belkis ubuk, Norbert Keutgen

Artichokes are used as a vegetable as well as the medicinal plants due to their large content of health promoting compounds. The presented research investigated eleven different artichoke cultivars ( Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) and one cardoon cultivar ( Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC) grown in Austria in the first year of cultivation for quality and nutritional value depends on used plant part. Evaluated characteristic comprised the length, width, weight and number of buds, as well as the content of different antioxidant and secondary metabolites. Buds were harvested on three different harvest dates and investigated for differences in cultivar and harvest date in their content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, chlorogenic acid, sugar, nitrate, ascorbic acid, and antioxidative capacity FRAP. Only artichokes were able to develop buds in annual cultivation, however the varieties differed in the number of budding plants, length, number of buds, yield, and weight. The highest amount of buds was found by cultivar Imperial Star. With later harvest, the buds were smaller and lighter. Generally, polyphenolics content as well as chlorogenic acid concentration and in the consequence FRAP increased with the later harvest. Especially the leaves compared to the buds had a higher antioxidant capacity, higher content of polyphenolics, chlorogenic acid, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid. Also some differences were found in the content of chlorogenic acid. The highest content was detected in the buds of the cultivar 'Green Globe' and in the leaves of the cultivar 'Olympus F1'. Furthermore, chlorogenic acid in buds and flavonoids content in leaves showed strong correlation with antioxidant capacity measured as FRAP.