In the present study, the nutritional value, bioactive properties, and chemical composition of various cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) genotypes cultivated in central Greece were investigated. The results demonstrated that Cynara seeds are a good source of fat and protein, while they also contain considerable amounts of K, Mg, and Fe and low amount of Na. Sucrose, oxalic acid, and α-tocopherol were the only free sugar, organic acid, and tocopherol isoform respectively, found among the studied genotypes. The most abundant fatty acids were linoleic, oleic and palmitic acid, while PUFA was the most abundant fatty acid class. All the tested seeds contained only two phenolic compounds, namely 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, while significant antioxidant activities and cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines and antimicrobial effects were also observed. In conclusion, cardoon seed extracts could be exploited in the food and pharmaceutical industries as alternative sources of natural compounds with bioactive properties.
The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology ( FCT , Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO ( UID/AGR/00690/2013 ), C. Pereira ( SFRH/BPD/122650/2016 ), A. Fernandes ( SFRH/BPD/114753/2016 ) grants and L. Barros contract. The authors are also grateful to the FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia for Grant No. 173032 .
