title: Caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids in the immature inflorescence of globe artichoke, wild cardoon, and cultivated cardoon.
abstract: The species Cynara cardunculus is consumed as part of the Mediterranean diet and consists of the globe artichoke [var. scolymus (L.) Fiori], the cultivated cardoon (var. altilis DC.), and the wild cardoon [var. sylvestris (Lamk) Fiori]. The objective of this study was to investigate, in immature inflorescences, the main flavonoids and phenolic acids (caffeoylquinic acids, apigenin, and luteolin derivatives) by HPLC/diode array detection/mass spectrometry. Apigenin derivatives represented the major class in all samples investigated, highest in cardoon forms. Caffeoylquinic acids and luteolin derivatives were observed in var. scolymus only. Data allowed discrimination of globe artichoke from the related species on the basis of the profile of compounds analyzed. Our results suggest the possible use of cultivated and wild cardoon as a source of phenolic acids and flavonoids and indicate that artichoke consumption is an excellent dietary source of apigenin and other flavones.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agronomiche, Agrochimiche e delle Produzioni Animali, Sezione Scienze Agronomiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pandino
authors.forename: Fraser L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Courts
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mauromicale
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D031942:Cynara / Q000737:chemistry*; D031943:Cynara scolymus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000032:analysis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C017616:phenolic acid