| Abstract (english) | Artichoke (Cynara scolymus), belonging to the family
of Asteraceae, is an herbaceous perennial crop, widely cultivated in the Mediterranean
area. The heads of the artichoke are edible and used worldwide,
while the leaves are an herbal medicine recognized far a long time far their
beneficial and therapeutic effects, including induction of choleresis, LDL
oxidation and significant antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial as well as
strong hepatoprotective activity.
Artichoke contains very little fat and high levels of minerals, vitamins,
fibre, inuline and polyphenols. The most abundant phenolic compounds reported
in artichoke leaf are flavonoides such as apigenin and luteolin (both
glycosides and rutinosides), as well as phenolic acids, particularly derivatives
of mono- and di-caffeoylquinic acid. Although all polyphenols are included
in cholesterol lowering effect of artichoke leaf, the most responsible one is
cynarin, derivative of dicaffeoylquinic acid.
As dietary supplements have an important position in health care
systems worldwide, their current assessment and quality control are a major
bottleneck. Over the last years, major steps were taken to improve the quality
of the dietary supplements and also to develop analytical methods ensuring
their quality. High performance liquid chromatography has become the most
popular analytical technique far analyzing dietary supplements. The main
advantages of the technique are high resolution, selectivity, sensitivity and
possibility to couple the technique to different detectors.
Therefore, the aim of the present work was to develop a new HPLC!
DADIMS/MS method far identification of cynarin present in artichoke leaf
extract tablets. |
