Chemical characterization and use of artichoke parts for protection from oxidative stress in canola oil

- Most of the total phenolic compounds of artichoke are concentrated into its spikes.
- Artichoke spikes showed a remarkable delaying effect against canola oil oxidation.
- Oxitest and DPPH/QUENCHER results showed strong correlation (r = 0.9814).

The residues of artichoke processing are commonly discarded by the food industry owing to lack of detailed knowledge of their chemical composition, which would facilitate research into practical uses for them. We therefore evaluated proximate and fatty acid compositions, total phenolic compound content and total antioxidant activity of artichoke parts (bracts, receptacle and spikes) cultivated in Brazil and performed principal components analysis. Analysis indicated higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in the spikes than in the bracts and receptacle. In a follow-up experiment we assessed the lipid protective value of artichoke parts in tests on canola oil using a new instrument, called “Oxitest”. The addition of 5 g/100 g of spikes almost doubled the canola oil induction point. These results suggest that artichoke spikes may have industrial applications as natural antioxidant additives to foods such as canola oil.