First Insight into Nutraceutical Properties of Local Salento <i>Cichorium intybus</i> Varieties: NMR-Based Metabolomic Approach
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>C...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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Series: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4057 |
Summary: | 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 <sup>1</sup>H-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 <sup>1</sup>H-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. |
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ISSN: | 1661-7827 1660-4601 |