Nutritional profile and chemical composition of Cichorium spinosum ecotypes

• Growing conditions and genotype affected nutritional value of Cichorium spinosum.
• Sugar content consisted mainly of sucrose, glucose and fructose.
• Only two vitamers of tocopherols (α- and δ-tocopherols) were detected.
• Polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ranged from 3.81 to 4.99
• Omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids ratios ranged from 0.31 to 0.48

Wild edible greens have been consumed as leafy vegetables throughout the centuries by many rural communities within the Mediterranean basin. In the present study, the nutritional profile and chemical composition of various Cichorium spinosum L. ecotypes was evaluated. For this purpose, ten ecotypes of C. spinosum collected in situ, grown in pots or purchased by retail supermarkets were examined. Nutritional value showed a great variation between the studied ecotypes for all the assessed parameters, whereas significant differences were observed between wild and cultivated ecotypes, as well as between conventionally cultivated and organic products. In terms of fatty acid composition, the conventionally grown ecotype had the highest nutritional value, as expressed by polyunsaturated fatty acids/unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA/SFA) and omega-6/omega-3 (n-6/n-3) fatty acids ratios. In conclusion, considering the differences between ecotypes, grown conditions and cultivation systems observed in this study, the selection of ecotypes with high nutritional value and their incorporation in commercial cultivation systems could allow for further exploitation of C. spinosum.