BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTIC AND ELEMENTC COMPOSITION OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS , KONUS CULTIVAR

Chicory is widely cultivated in many countries of the world due to high nutritional and pharmacological value. The possibility of chicory forcing in winter provides quick production of salad heads, which biochemical characteristics are not fully described. Concentration of sugars, water soluble compounds and antioxidants in roots, leaves and stumps of salad C.intybus Konus cv are studied. Element composition of roots and leaves is obtained using ICP-MS method. The highest amount of water soluble compounds and ascorbic acid was indicated in stumps, while the highest polyphenol concentration was demonstrated in leaves. Antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts reached maximum in leaves and did not differ between roots and stumps. The ability of Konus variety to hyperaccumulate selenium was revealed for the first time: selenium concentration reached 2800 mcg/kg d.w. in roots and 3800 mcg/kg d.w. in leaves. Konus cv was characterized also by high accumulation of chromium, manganese, molybdenum and iron. Uneven distribution of elements between roots and leaves are demonstrated for all elements except Al, As and Si. Intensive root-leaves transport was revealed for Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Se and Zn and decreased rootleaves flow for B, Cd, Co, Li, Sn, Sr, V and especially Na. One hundred g of fresh leaves provides 22% of the daily adequate consumption levels for Se, 91%- for Cr, 15%- for Mo, 14%- for Fe and 12 % for Mn. The results suppose high prospects of C.intybus Konus cv as a functional food, capable to optimize the human Se and Cr status.