Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.)

Artichoke is a plant used from the past to the present, especially as food in Mediterranean type nutrition, as well as for therapeutic support or purposes. Many pharmacopeas and monographs are also registered.

The Cynara L. genus, belonging to the Compositae family, is represented by three species in Turkey and eight in the world. The Cynara breed can be divided into two groups, wild species and species cultivated for use for medical purposes. The most common species is Cynara cardunculus L. It grows in almost all Mediterranean countries, including Italy and Sicily.

Engineer phenolic acid components are characterized, in particular, by sinarin. Experimental studies (in vitro and in vivo) support some known uses of the engine. Traditionally, engineer choleretic and cholesterol-lowering activities have been linked to the beam. However, studies in animals and humans show that these effects may actually be caused by bioactive acids (e.g. chlorogenic and neochlorigenic acids) found in the engine.

Clinical trials investigating the use of engineering and sinarine in the treatment of hyperlipidemia often report positive results. Hepatoprotective and hepatogenetic activity for sinarine has been documented in vitro and in animals.

Various pharmacological properties for artichoke leaves, including inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis, hypolipidemic, antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity, have been documented by numerous studies.

As the uncertainty that which of the components of the engineer is responsible for its pharmacological activities continues to be illuminated by various studies today, it is known that the dikaffeoilkinic acid group (synarine molecule) is an important component in this regard. Sesquiterpen lactones such as sinaropicrine and flavonoids such as luteolin glycoside also exhibit biological effects.

In many other experimental studies carried out, engineers have documented in vivo lipid-reducing effects for leaf extract and sinarin. In a study in rats, the hypocholesterolemic, hypolipidemic and choleretic effects of purified (cafeoquinic acid) and total enginar leaf extracts were studied.

In a laboratory environment, a fluid extract of a luteolin-rich engineered leaf (about 0.4% flavonoid content) has been observed to delay the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in a concentration-dependent manner.

Various in vitro and in vivo studies have investigated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of artichoke leaf extracts and components against liver cell damage caused by different hepatotoxins. Sinarin is the only compound to exhibit significant cytoprotective activity with less effect, although not as much as the caffeic acid molecule.