Polyphenolic composition, genetic profile and in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of artichoke varieties “Strunjanska articoka”, “Romanesco” and "Violetto di Romagna"

In recent years, artichokes have gained attention as functional foods due to their polyphenol content and health benefits. While Italian varieties have been widely studied, the Slovenian landrace "Strunjanska articoka" remains largely unexplored. This study compared "Strunjanska articoka" with two Italian varieties, "Romanesco" and "Violetto di Romagna", assessing genetic profiles, chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and effects on lipid accumulation. The genetic analysis confirmed the uniqueness and clear differentiation of the landrace "Strunjanska articoka" from the two commercial varieties. Analysing the profiles of phenolic compounds in the leaf extracts of these morphologically different artichoke varieties underlines their unique phytochemical composition, which translates into different health benefits. "Romanesco" showed the highest free radical scavenging activity (EC₅₀ = 100 µg/mL), followed by "Strunjanska articoka" (EC₅₀ = 143 µg/mL), and "Violetto di Romagna" (EC₅₀ = 160 µg/mL). Importantly, "Strunjanska articoka" demonstrated superior cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress in HepG2 and CCD112CoN cells. It also reduced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells, along with "Violetto di Romagna," whereas "Romanesco" did not. These findings justify further investigation into the potential therapeutic effects of "Strunjanska articoka" and support the rationale for its cultivation.