Chemical characterization of the achenes in Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis to recover oil and biocompounds

In Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis different researches have shown the grain production and its chemical characterization, resulting in about 240 and 230 g kg-1 DM of oil and protein content, making the grain potentially useful for different utilizations. The oil fatty acid profile is similar to sunflower one, making this crop usable for human consumption. The oil contains also high levels of α-tocopherol, which offers stability against oxidation. Moreover, genotypes characterized by high acid oleic content, useful for biodiesel production, are in selection. In the last years the interest in antioxidant biocompounds source from agricultural wastes or from grains after extraction of oil is growing. In this work data concerning chemical characterization for antioxidant compounds of the whole seed and its partitioning is explored using achenes of Cynara cardunculus var. altilis Line 01-2011. Heads were threshed with a specific mini thresher to separate grains (achenes), which were then weighed to determine 1000 seed weight. Some seeds were utilized to obtain hull (H) and kernel (K), some others were analysed in whole (W). The incidence of hull on the whole seed was determined. On each part of the achenes the moisture content was measured. Grain lipid substances were extracted and quantified by the Soxhlet method. After oil extraction, the phenolic acids characterization (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, catechin), was performed by uHPLC-Dionex in H, K and W, separately. Results showed that about 45% of whole seed was hull. Differences in oil amount between kernel and whole seed were recorded, resulting more concentrated in K (398 g kg-1 DM) than W (226 g kg-1 DM). The hull resulted rich in phenolics (as sum of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, catechin), which can be recovered after oil extraction with a content higher than 5,000 mg kg-1 DM.