Oil and paper pulp from Cynara cardunculus: preliminary results

Abstract

Cynara cardunculus, the primitive wild form of the artichoke, was used only as a forage. The analysis of the seeds and the stalks of this plant showed that both these parts could be used; the seeds for vegetable oil production and the stalks for paper pulp manufacturing. The first results showed that oil extracted from Cynara seeds has a similar composition as sunflower oil and the paper pulp obtained by chemical pulping of the stalks is of good quality.