Abstract
Previous research works have reported that ‘Lorca’ artichoke cultivar presents a lower total phenolic content than other cultivars rich in phenolic compounds, which could show a lower susceptibility to enzymatic browning and increase its aptitude for fresh-cut processing. The aim of this study was to analyze the total phenolic content as well as browning evaluation by image analysis and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activity in ‘Lorca’ cultivar in order to characterize the key factors which influence its phenolic levels for minimally processed artichokes. Thus, artichokes were harvested and classified on three head orders (main, secondary, and tertiary), as well as three development stages (initial, intermediate, and advanced). Variance components analysis was carried out for total phenolic content considering three factors: plant, flower head order, and internal development stage. For the first time, the internal development stage has been related to total phenolic content, and results showed that artichoke head order and internal development stage were responsible for a variability of 22.17% and 15.55%, respectively. Main artichoke heads and those at the advanced development stage presented the lowest phenolic concentration as well as the lowest PPO activity; therefore, they exhibit the lowest browning process, which could increase their use in ready-to-eat products at market.
Highlights
Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, and it is native from the Mediterranean region
The three factors analyzed in this study, in addition to total phenolic content, were: plant, artichoke head order, and the internal development stage
Results showed that the plant only explained a 4.55% of variability, with artichoke head order and internal development stage responsible for a variability of 22.17% and 15.55%, respectively
Summary
Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, and it is native from the Mediterranean region. Changes in the society lifestyle have led to an increased demand of minimally processed products considered as added value products in terms of quality, convenience, nutritional value, and ease of preparation [2]. In this sense, processed artichokes as fresh-cut products would provide a good solution to increase their consumption due to the high percentage of discarded plant waste, complexity of preparation, and trimming operations. Different authors have reported that environmental conditions influence phenol biosynthesis for artichoke genotypes and parts of the plant, as well as there being a negative correlation between phenolic content and the age of plant tissues [1,9,10]. Lombardo et al [13] observed that phenol concentration was higher in artichokes harvested in the spring than winter-harvested artichoke heads
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