Polyphenolic composition of Spanish cultivars of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori)

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori) is an edible herbaceous perennial plant that plays an important economic role in Mediterranean agriculture. In recent years, extensive research, which aimed to characterize the phenolic profile of the most important globe artichoke cultivars in Italy, has been conducted. However, very little information is available on the phenolic composition of cultivars traditionally grown in Spain. In this work, six cultivars (‘Opal’, ‘Symphony’, ‘Concerto’, ‘Madrigal’, ‘Blanca de Tudela’ and ‘A-106’) cultured in Spain were characterized according to their phenolic content. The phenolic profile differed between cultivars, and also between flower parts. The major phenolic compound in all the different cultivars was chlorogenic acid. Of the six studied cultivars, ‘Madrigal’ had the highest phenolic content.