Climate change adaptation and water saving by innovative irrigation management applied on open field globe artichoke.

The setting up of innovative irrigation water management might contribute to the mitigation of negative issues related to climate change. Our hypothesis was that globe artichoke irrigated with a traditionally drip system could be converted to an innovative water management system based on precision irrigation techniques and on evaporative cooling application in order to improve crop physiological status with positive impacts on earliness, total heads yield and water saving. Over two experiments carried out at plot- and field-scale, two irrigation management systems, differing in type and application time, were compared: (i) conventional, and (ii) canopy-cooling. Plant physiological status at a weekly sampling interval and the head atrophy incidence (as the ratio of the total primary heads collected) were monitored. We also recorded and determined heads production, and yield components. In both experiments, throughout the application period of evaporative cooling (three months), canopy-cooling showed the lowest value of leaf temperature and the highest photosynthesis values compared with the conventional one (+3 °C and -30%, respectively). The physiological advantage gained by the crop with evaporative cooling has led to a higher production both in terms of total yield (+30%), and in terms of harvested first order heads that from an economic viewpoint are the most profitable for farmers. At farm-scale, the canopy-cooling treatment resulted in a higher earliness (35 days) and water productivity (+36%) compared with conventional one. Our findings show that by combining evaporative cooling practice with precision irrigation technique the heads yield can be optimized also leading to a relevant water saving (-34%). Moreover, the study proved that canopy-cooling set up might be a winning strategy in order to mitigate climatic changes and heat stress conditions.

Taguchi design-based enhancement of heavy metals bioremoval by agroindustrial waste biomass from artichoke.

The Taguchi method of designing experiments is based on a system of tabulated designs (arrays) that enables the maximum number of variables to be estimated in a neutral (orthogonal) balanced manner with a minimum number of experimental sets. Heavy metals remediation of aqueous streams is of special concern due to its highly toxic and persistent nature. Taguchi approach was used for enhanced bioadsorptive removal of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions using agroindustrial waste biomass from globe artichoke as inexpensive sorbent. Sorbent biomass was characterized as to its chemical composition by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), revealing the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, sulphonic and amine functional groups. Ranks of four factors (pH, temperature, sorbent dosage and initial metal concentration) at three levels each, in a L9 array were conducted, in batch sorption tests, for the individual metal ions of concern. The sorption capacity (qe) values were transformed into an accurate signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio for a "higher is better" response. The best conditions for individual heavy metal sorption were determined reaching up to 86.2 mg·g-1 for Pb, 35.8 mg·g-1 for Cd and 24.4 mg·g-1 for Cu. This paper also discusses the equilibria and kinetic aspects of the sorption process. Sorption isotherms were successfully described by the Sips model. In addition, the experimental data showed that the uptake kinetic profiles of the three metal ions closely fitted the pseudo-second order model. Conclusively, the agroindustrial waste biomass from globe artichoke represents a potentially viable sorbent for the bioremoval of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous systems.

Isolation of a polyphenol oxidase (PPO) cDNA from artichoke and expression analysis in wounded artichoke heads.

The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme, which can catalyze the oxidation of phenolics to quinones, has been reported to be involved in undesirable browning in many plant foods. This phenomenon is particularly severe in artichoke heads wounded during the manufacturing process. A full-length cDNA encoding for a putative polyphenol oxidase (designated as CsPPO) along with a 1432 bp sequence upstream of the starting ATG codon was characterized for the first time from [Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (L.) Fiori]. The 1764 bp CsPPO sequence encodes a putative protein of 587 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 65,327 Da and an isoelectric point of 5.50. Analysis of the promoter region revealed the presence of cis-acting elements, some of which are putatively involved in the response to light and wounds. Expression analysis of the gene in wounded capitula indicated that CsPPO was significantly induced after 48 h, even though the browning process had started earlier. This suggests that the early browning event observed in artichoke heads was not directly related to de novo mRNA synthesis. Finally, we provide the complete gene sequence encoding for polyphenol oxidase and the upstream regulative region in artichoke.

Effects of artichoke leaf extract on acute gastric mucosal injury in rats.

The present study was designed to clarify the effects of an ethanol extract of artichoke leaf on acute gastric mucosal injury in rats. Oral administration of artichoke leaf extract dose-dependently prevented absolute ethanol-induced (125-500 mg/kg) or restraint plus water immersion stress-induced gastric mucosal injury (1000-2000 mg/kg). The artichoke leaf extract contains 1% cynaropicrin and 0.8% chlorogenic acid as main components and 70% dextrin as a vehicle. Cynaropicrin at doses of 1/100 of artichoke leaf extract [ethanol-induced mucosal injury: 5 mg/kg, per os (p.o.); stress-induced mucosal injury: 20 mg/kg, p.o.] also prevented gastric mucosal injury in both animal models. However, dextrin and chlorogenic acid at doses contained in the leaf extract were ineffective in both models. When artichoke leaf extract was given orally to normal rats, it (500-2000 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently increased gastric mucus content. In addition, it (125-500 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently prevented the decrease in gastric mucus content by absolute ethanol. When the effects of artichoke leaf extract on basal gastric acid secretion in rats were evaluated, it (500-2000 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently increased the volume of gastric juice in normal rats. However, it was ineffective in decreasing basal gastric acid secretion in normal rats. These results indicate that artichoke leaf extract is effective against acute gastritis and its beneficial effect is due to that of cynaropicrin. The gastric mucus-increasing action of artichoke leaf extract may be, at least in part, related to the anti-gastritic action of the extract.

Evaluación fermentativa del ensilado del subproducto de alcachofa (Cynara scolymus L. ) en tres niveles de un microsilo / Fermentative evaluation of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus L. ) by-product ensilage on three levels of microsilo

Se ha estudiado la evolución de indicadores fermentativos durante 50 días de ensilaje en el subproductoagroindustrial de alcachofa (Cynara scolymus, L). Las muestras se analizaron a intervalos regulares de tiempo(1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 24 y 50 días), en tres fracciones del microsilo (inferior, medio y superior). El pH se estabilizóen los primeros 12 días de fermentación. El contenido de ácido láctico y acético fue diferente entre los días defermentación (p<0,001), pero las diferencias entre fracciones no fue significativa. El contenido de hidratos de carbono solubles fue diferente solo entre los diferentes días de ensilaje (p<0,001). Los resultados demuestran que no existen cambios estadísticamente signifi cativos entre las fracciones evaluadas demostrando un buen nivel fermentativo del ensilaje. Se puede concluir que el subproducto crudo de alcachofa es un material muy idóneo para ser conservado mediante ensilaje

The fermentative indicators evolution has been studied during 50 days of silage in the agro-industrial artichokeby-product (Cynara scolymus, L). The samples were analyzed at different sampling days (1, 2, 3, 4, 8,12, 24 and 50), in three fractions of the microsilo (botton, medium and top). The pH stabilized in the first 12 days. The lactic and acetic acids content was different between the sampling days (p<0.001), but the differences between fractions were not significatives. Water soluble carbohydrates content was different between the different ensiling days (p<0.001). No changes on pH have found and lactic or acetic acids and water solublecarbohydrates between the fractions evaluated. We can conclude that crude artichoke by-product will be suitableto be conserved by ensilage