New products from Cynara cardunculus L.

The goal of the researches that make up the present study was to explore the potential of C. cardunculus L. to be exploited for some new uses. Although the globe artichoke has deep roots in the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean countries, it requires nowadays innovations that remove the difficulties of its preparation and make it easier and faster to consume. The artichoke as a minimally processed and ready to use product addresses this need. The results presented in this thesis show that by choosing the right cultivar-packaging combination, it is possible to extend the shelf life of the product to at least 7 days from packaging. The cultivated and wild cardoon produce large amounts of biomass, even under low-input conditions, thanks to their hardiness and the perfect match with Mediterranean climate. The data provided in this thesis confirm the cardoon as a possible source of renewable energy, both for its biomass yield and for biomethane yield of its silage. The volume of biomethane produced from the ensiled cardoon (between 200 and 250 Nm3 per t DM) is comparable to that produced by the ryegrass silage, triticale and wheat. Silage of cultivated cardoon genotypes achieved volumes of biomethane (from 3,700 to 4,530 Nm3 ha-1) that are comparable to those obtained with maize grown under an intermediate input intensity regime. Much of the biomass produced by globe artichoke plants remains in the field as crop residues, this biomass can be exploited for the production of bioethanol, considering its richness in complex carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) and even in simple sugars (glucose and fructose ). The enzymatic saccharification of non-pretreated biomass of residues of two globe artichoke cvs. ('Opera F1' and Spinoso sardo') has given rise to a potential yield of 85-109 kg of EtOH per t DM and 1,440-1,520 kg of EtOH per ha