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Del Torre, M., Stecchini, M.L., Peck, M.W. 1998Aug. Investigation of the ability of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum to multiply and produce toxin in fresh Italian pasta. Journal Food Protection 61 (8):988-993.

ABSTRACT EXCERPT The ability of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum (types A, B, and F) to produce toxin in filled fresh Italian pasta (tortelli) packed under a modified atmosphere was investigated. Four types of tortelli (filled with artichoke, meat, ricotta spinach, or salmon) were inoculated with a suspension of heat shocked spores to give an initial concentration of approximately 10(3) spores per piece. Samples were incubated at both 12 and 20 degrees C for up to 50 days and examined at selected time intervals for the presence of toxin by an ELISA and the mouse test. Toxin was not detected in any tortelli stored at 12 degrees C. When storage was at 20 degrees C, toxin was detected in the salmon filled tortelli at day 30, in the meat and ricotta spinach tortelli at day 50, but not in the artichoke filled tortelli at day 50.

Femenia, A., Robertson, J.A., Waldron, K.W., Selvendran, R.R. 1998Aug. Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L), globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) and chicory witloof (Cichorium intybus) processing by products as sources dietary fibre. J sci food agric. 77 (4) :511-518.

ABTRACT EXCERPT: By products arising from vegetable processing activities have been assessed in relation to their potential application as sources of dietary fibre supplements in refined foods. Sources used were fresh cauliflower, globe artichoke and chicory witloof. Non starch polysaccharide (NSP) content and composition of selected parts of each plant source have been measured from alcohol insoluble residues (AIR) and by fibre analysis, complemented by methylation analysis to characterise structural features of component polysaccharides. Results indicate that cauliflower upper stem NSP was similar to the floret (approximately 25 g kg 1 fresh weight) and each was rich in pectic polysaccharides. Cauliflower lower stem was enriched in NSP (approximately 66 g kg 1) due mainly to cellulose and xylan deposition, which resulted in a proportionate decrease in pectic polysaccharides. Artichoke stem (approximately 38 g NSP kg 1) was similar to the receptacle (approximately 34 g NSP kg 1) but bracts were heavily lignified. Chicory root and leaf bud were each rich in pectic polysaccharides but NSP content was much higher in the root (approximately 46 g kg 1) than the leaf (approximately 8 g kg 1). Results indicate that processing byproducts, eg cauliflower upper stem, artichoke stem and chicory root, could prove useful as sources of pectic polysaccharide rich supplements. However, polysaccharide composition and glycosidic linkage pattern also identified important structural differences between sources. The importance of 'fibre type' when considering development of food supplements is discussed.

Macleish, K. 1972. The Tasaday. Stone Age Caveman Of Mindanao. National Geographic 142(2):219

Stone Age, Cavemen Diet, Mindanao, Artichoke Heart, Tasada Diet, Crab, Tadpole, Biking, White Ubud Stalk, Wild Yam, Grub, Palm Fruit, Banana, Natok Paste

Madrid, J., Megias, M.D., Hernandez, F. 1999. Determination of short chain volatile fatty acids in silages from artichoke and orange by products by capillary gas chromatography. Journal Science Food Agriculture 79 (4):580-584.

AB: A simple, rapid and sensitive capillary gas chromatographic method was investigated to determine volatile fatty acids (VFA) in juice from silage made from artichoke and orange by products. The procedure uses a capillary column fused silica, 30m x 0.25mm x 0.25mm ID and coated with FFAP TR. Centrifuged samples can be injected directly after lowering the pH to 1 and using a simple deproteinisation method. No adsorption, tailing or ghost phenomena occurred. Separate analyses of VFA are quick and reliable. The average duration of an analyses is 7 min. The concentration, not only of the major acids, such as acetic acid, but also of the minor fermentation products such as butyric acid can be determined. The retention times of the products of fermentation and the extraction reagents were sufficiently different to avoid interference problems.

Megias, M.D., Hernandez, F., Cano, J.A., Martinez Teruel, A., Gallego, J.A. 1998. Effects of different additives on the cell wall and mineral fractions of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L) and orange (Citrus aurantium L) by product silage. Journal Science Food and Agriculture 76 (2):173-178.

ABSTRACT: The quality of the cell wall fraction content of two silage by products was assessed together with their different mineral composition. Various treatments to test possible improvements in the ensilage of canning industry artichoke and orange by products were compared with the addition of different additives. Three treatments were assessed: sodium chloride (25 g kg 1), dehydrated beet pulp (62.5 g kg 1), formic acid at 4% in doses of 62.5 ml kg 1. A fourth batch acted as a control group. Samples were analysed for their nutritive characteristics. After a 100 day ensilage period the results showed that the use of the additives in the given doses did not significantly improve the quality of the silage, although the composition of the sodium chloride batch appeared to be better.

Morien, K. 1998Fall. Benefits of artichoke leaf extract in hypercholesterolemia, dyspepsia, and liver function. HerbalGram. (44): 21-22.

Peron, J.Y., Briard, M. 1998. Flowering of Chinese artichoke (Stachys sieboldii miq.). Acta hortic (467): 143-154.

Pietta, P., Simonetti, P., Mauri, P. 1998. Antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants. J Agriculture and Food Chemistry 46 (11): 4487-4490.

AB: Commonly used medicinal plant extracts with standardized content of polyphenols were investigated for their total antioxidant activity (TAA). Green tea, oligomeric procyanidins (from grape seed and pine bark), bilberry, and ginkgo exhibited TAA in the range of 5.12 2.57 mM Trolox, thereby indicating a valuable antioxidant capacity. Witch hazel, propolis EPID, artichoke, and hawthorn afforded lower TAA (1.54 0.44 mM Trolox), whereas echinacea, ginseng, passionflower, sweet clover, and eleuthero were rather uneffective (TAA <0.32 mm trolox). excipients normally used to prepare the extracts did not interfere with the assay, and a good correlation between the content of polyphenols and the taa was assessed. the measured taa was higher than those calculated from the content and antioxidant potential of specific components, as exemplified for green tea and ginkgo extracts. this may be attributed to the presence in these extracts of other substances with antioxidant capacity. on the other hand, some components (such as ginkgolides in ginkgo extract) insensitive to the taa assay played an important antioxidant role in vivo. these results suggest that taa determination is of interest for a comparative evaluation of in vitro antioxidant potential, but it needs to be combined with in vivo data for adequate assessment of the antioxidant capacity of medicinal plant extracts.

Rawate, P.D. and R.H. Hill. 1985. Extraction of a high-protein isolate from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) tops and evalua

Schittenhelm, S. 1999Nov/Dec. Agronomic performance of root chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, and sugarbeet in stress and nonstress environments. Crop sci. 39 (6): 1815-1823.

ABTRACT EXCERPT: Introduction of the fructan crops root chicory (Cichorium intybus L., RC) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L., JA) into agricultural production systems is desirable to diversify crop rotation. Field experiments were conducted to compare the agronomic performance of RC and JA with sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L., SB). One set of cultivars during 1995, 1996, and 1997 and an additional set in 1997 were grown on a sandy loam soil (Haplic Luvisol) at Braunschweig, Germany. Crops were cultivated with and without supplemental irrigation, complete and no weed control (1995 and 1996), and N fertilization rates of 0, 60, and 120 kg ha( 1). Severe water stress caused significant but similar storage organ yield losses in all crops, whereas mild water stress mainly affected JA yields. Averaged across years and N levels, storage organ yield losses through weed competition under irrigation amounted to 70, 47, and 8% in SB, RC, and JA, respectively. Averaged across years, in the absence of water and weed stress, SB, RC, and JA at their respective optimal N levels gave root and tuber dry matter yields of 14.8, 15.0, and 11.5 Mg ha( 1), and sugar yields of 11.5, 11.2, and 8.1 Mg ha( 1), respectively. Maximal SB and JA yields generally were achieved at the highest N rate, while RC peak yields were attained at 60 kg N ha( 1). With the same amount of N taken up, RC in 1995 and SB in 1996 and 1997 produced the highest sugar yields.

Seiler, G.J. 1990July-September. Protein and mineral concentrations in tubers of selected genotypes of wild and cultivated Jerusalem-artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus, Asteraceae). Economics Botany 44(1): 322.

Siciliano, J.; Krulick, S.; Heisler, E. G.; Schwartz, J. H.; White Jr., J. W. 1975. Nitrate And Nitrite Content Of Some Fresh And Processed Market Vegetables. Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry 23(3):461

Cabbage, Celery, Ph, Celery, Nitrate, Cucumber Ph, Cucumber, Nitrite, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Lettuce, Mushroom, Green Pepper, Radish, Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, Zucchini Squash, Mixed Salad, Processed Vegetable, Beet, Carrot, Spinach, Artichoke,, Asparagus, Green Bean, Lima Bean, Broccoli, Brussel Sprout, Cauliflower, Collard Green, Corn, Kale, Mustard Green, Okra, Onion, Chinese Pea Pod, Blackeye Pea, Green Pea, Potato, Hash Brown Potato, Turnip Green, Sauerkraut

Somda, Z.C., McLaurin, W.J., Kays, S.J. 1999 Jerusalem artichokes growth, development, and field storage. II. Carbon and nutrient element allocation and redistribution. J plant nutr. 22 (8): 1315-1334.

ABSTRACT EXCERPT Jerusalem artichokes store carbon predominately in the form of inulin, a functional food of increasing interest due to its dietary health benefits for humans and calorie replacement potential in processed foods. To better understand the developmental and agronomic requirements of this crop, the allocation of C and nutrient elements into individual plant parts (stems, leaves, stolons, tubers, 'seed' tuber, and roots) was monitored at 2 week intervals throughout the entire growth cycle of the cultivar 'Sunchoke' grown on a Cecil sandy clay loam. Accumulation patterns of C and nutrient elements in individual plant parts were generally in accordance to the pattern of dry matter accumulation, though concentration patterns differed. Overall, nutrient element levels in vegetative structures decreased with the onset of rapid tuber development. Leaves had the highest nutrient levels, except iron (Fe) and sodium (Na). The concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), and copper (Cu) in tubers were greater than in stems. Total N, P, and K concentrations in the stolons were at lower levels and the total calcium (Ca), Fe, and manganese (Mn) at higher levels compared to the tubers. During rapid tuber growth, the concentration of individual phloem mobile nutrient elements (e.g., N, P, and K) in the leaves and stems decreased progressively due in part to reallocation. In contrast, the concentration of less mobile nutrient elements (e.g., Ca and Mn) in the leaves and stems generally increased due to losses of C and other mobile materials. In the tubers, the concentration of C and most nutrient elements remained fairly constant through the final harves indicating carbohydrates and nutrient elements were accumulating at the same rate. Knowledge of C and nutrient element allocation/reallocation in the Jerusalem artichoke is of value for improving fertilization strategies and in identifying critical traits for the selection of new, high yielding cultivars.

Wei, W., Wan, W.L.H., Wang, S. 1999. Continuous preparation of fructose syrups from Jerusalem artichoke tuber using immobilized intracellular inulinase from Kluyveromyces sp. Y 85. Process biochem. 34 (6/7):643-646.