Globe artichoke's offshoots: from by-product to new horticultural product

Plants of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus) are generally propagated vegetatively by offshoots. However, this method is becoming less popular, particularly with the rise of artichoke hybrids, that are propagated by “seed” and managed as an annual crop. As a result, offshoots are increasingly being considered as a by-product. Nevertheless, globe artichoke’s offshoots have been inserted as an item in the List of Traditional Agri-Food Product of Puglia (Southern Italy) and used as an ingredient like to the cultivated cardoons (C. cardunculus L. var. altilis DC). In the present study major free sterols in globe artichoke’s offshoots of two Apulian genotypes (‘Lucera’ and ‘Locale di Mola’) were identified using reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) coupled to high resolution Fourier-transform mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (RPLC-APCI-FTMS). Moreover, the content of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol was estimated. The nutritional evaluation of globe artichoke’s offshoots by using a nutrient quality score (NQS) that includes the relative dietetic contribution of some macro- and micro-nutrients and phytosterols was also carried out. Globe artichoke’s offshoots show interesting nutritional traits such as fiber and phytosterol contents. Results of this study highlight the effectiveness of the NQS in distinguishing differences in terms of overall nutritional quality comparing genotypes of the same species. By virtue of different nutrients that are simultaneously considered, the NQS of this study could be applied for a better overview of nutritional quality and also to valorise the globe artichoke’s offshoots as a new horticultural product.