First Insight into Nutraceutical Properties of Local Salento <i>Cichorium intybus</i> Varieties: NMR-Based Metabolomic Approach

• Main Authors: Chiara Roberta Girelli, Francesca Serio, Rita Accogli, Federica Angilè, Antonella De Donno, Francesco Paolo Fanizzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: nutraceuticals; metabolomics; food safety; human health; NMR-spectroscopy
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4057
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

Background: Plants of genus <i>Cichorium</i> are known for their therapeutic and nutraceutical properties determined by a wealth of phytochemical substances contained in the whole plant. The aim of this paper was to characterize the metabolic profiles of local Salento chicory (<i>Cichorium intybus</i> L.) varieties (“Bianca”, “Galatina”, “Leccese”, and “Otranto”) in order to describe their metabolites composition together with possible bioactivity and health beneficial properties. Methods: The investigation was performed by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis (MVA), by which the metabolic profiles of the samples were easily obtained and compared. Results: The supervised Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) analysis showed as “Bianca” and “Galatina” samples grouped together separated by “Leccese” and “Otranto” varieties. A different content of free amino acids and organic acids was observed among the varieties. In particular a high content of cichoric and monocaffeoyl tartaric acid was observed for the “Leccese” variety. The presence of secondary metabolites adds significant interest in the investigation of <i>Cichorium inthybus</i>, as this vegetable may benefit human health when incorporated into the diet. Conclusions: The ¹H-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) based characterization of Salento chicory varieties allowed us to determine the potential usefulness and nutraceutical properties of the product, also providing a method to guarantee its authenticity on a molecular scale.