Organic management and productions of quality: influence of growing management on nutraceutical compounds and mineral profile in artichoke cv “Spinoso Sardo”

Recent years have seen a considerable growth of organic food marker. This phenomena is caused by great awareness of consumers about food safety and health.However, several studies have shown different results on organic management, especially as regard the nutritional component (phytochemicals and minerals). The globe artichoke, rich of minerals and polyphenols, has been analysed for the high nutritional value. A large number of research showed that there were considerable variation on minerals and polyphenols according to different management, environmental and biological factors.The overall objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different crop management on polyphenols profile and mineral component in globe artichoke.The experiment was carried out in an experimental field for ten years under organic management, to evaluate the applicability of this management in the mid-long term in this crop.In the Chapter 1 the variation of concentration of major polyphenols has been investigated in relation to different managements, during two growing seasons. In the second one the clones of “Spinoso sardo” were introduced to evaluate the genotype influence.In the Chapter 2 reports the results obtained to quantification of mineral content during two growing seasons to evaluate the effects of different management and environmental condition to uptake of macro e micro minerals. In the second years of trials has been investigated the effect of genotype.