Abstract
Cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L., is a perennial plant whose flowers are used as vegetal rennet in cheese making. Cardoon is native from the Mediterranean area and is commonly used in the preparation of salads and soup dishes. Nowadays, cardoon is also being exploited for the production of energy, generating large amount of wastes, mainly leaves. These wastes are rich in bioactive compounds with important health benefits. The aim of this review is to highlight the main properties of cardoon leaves according to the current research and to explore its potential uses in different sectors, namely the food industry. Cardoon leaves are recognized to have potential health benefits. In fact, some studies indicated that cardoon leaves could have diuretic, hepato-protective, choleretic, hypocholesterolemic, anti-carcinogenic, and antibacterial properties. Most of these properties are due to excellent polyphenol profiles, with interesting antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These findings indicate that cardoon leaves can have new potential uses in different sectors, such as cosmetics and the food industry; in particular, they can be used for the preparation of extracts to incorporate into active food packaging. In the future, these new uses of cardoon leaves will allow for zero waste of this crop.
Highlights
Cynara cardunculus L. is a perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, which is native to the Mediterranean area [1,2,3,4,5]
The authors concluded that, due to a high source of protein (18.52 ± 0.08% dry matter), fiber (1.22 ± 0.30%), phenolic compounds (32.7 ± 0.02 mg/tannic acid equivalent), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), namely linoleic acid (1.7% dry matter) and oleic acid (0.7% dry matter), it is suitable for animal feed
According to the same study, cardoon leaves can be considered of high nutritional value as they have a high ratio of PUFA and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (PUFA/SFA = 3.80)
Summary
Andrade 1,2 , Fernanda Vilarinho 1, * , Isabel Castanheira 1 , Ana Luísa Fernando 3 , Monica Rosa Loizzo 4 and Ana Sanches Silva 5,6. REQUIMTE/LAQV, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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