Seeds Mineral Profile and Ash Content of Thirteen Different Genotypes of Cultivated and Wild Cardoon over Three Growing Seasons

Marina Giménez-Berenguer, Salvatore Alfio Salicola, Claudia Formenti, María José Giménez, Giovanni Mauromicale, Pedro Javier Zapata, Sara Lombardo () and Gaetano Pandino
Additional contact information
Marina Giménez-Berenguer: Institute of Agro-Food and Agro-Environmental Research and Innovation (CIAGRO), Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Salvatore Alfio Salicola: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Claudia Formenti: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
María José Giménez: Institute of Agro-Food and Agro-Environmental Research and Innovation (CIAGRO), Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Giovanni Mauromicale: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Pedro Javier Zapata: Institute of Agro-Food and Agro-Environmental Research and Innovation (CIAGRO), Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Ctra. Beniel km. 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Sara Lombardo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Gaetano Pandino: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: Cultivated and wild cardoons are versatile plants with significant economic and bioactive potential. They have gained attention in recent years for their nutritional value and potential health benefits due to their high mineral content and unique composition. The aim of this study was to investigate the variations in mineral composition and ash content of thirteen distinct genotypes (four commercial, four wild, and five self-developed by Catania University) of cultivated and wild cardoon seeds over three consecutive growing seasons. The results showed that ash content and macro and micro-elements are significantly influenced by environmental conditions, genetic factors, and the interaction between both. For example, ash content showed notable fluctuations over the three seasons, with the lowest value recorded in season 2, probably linked to the higher rainfall level with respect to seasons 1 and 3. The genotypes self-developed showed the highest mean content of all micro-mineral elements under study, with Zn and Cu peaking in Linea 7. In general, it was reported that cardoon seeds are a valuable source of macro and micro-elements, highlighting, in particular, the potential of the genotypes developed by Catania University. This research provides, for the first time, valuable insights into the long-term consistency and variability of mineral content and ash composition in cardoon seeds, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of their nutritional value and potential applications.

Keywords: cardoon; genotype; season; macro elements; micro elements; seed; Cynara cardunculus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1228/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1228/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:11:p:1228-:d:1671978

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().