Comparative analysis of the chemical composition of heliantus tuberosus l. growing in Serbia and Romania

Abstract

Helianthus tuberosus L. (Jerusalem artichoke) belongs to the Asteraceae family, genus Heliathus, and is a native species of Serbia and Romania. Th e most valuable constituent is inulin, which together with other constituents forms the unique content of its plant material. Inulin has the eff ect of reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases; it also has benefi cial eff ects on diff erent gastrointestinal conditions by serving as a prebiotic and has been shown to be important in the prevention and/or the alleviation of the progression of osteoporosis. Th e aim of this study was the to compare the chemical compositions of H. tuberosus L. tubers growing in two diff erent geographic areas on the Balkan peninsula, namely in Serbia and Romania. We have determined the content of the eight main components in both herbal samples: total proteins, fl avonoids, polyphenolic carboxylic acids, reducing sugars, total carbohydrates, antioxidants, inulin and ascorbic acid,. Furthermore, we calculated a caloric value off or each of the herbal samples. Th e levels of all the investigated compounds, with the exception of the total carbohydrates and antioxidants, were slightly higher in the plants growing in Romania than in the plants growing in Serbia. Because the diff erences in the contents of both plant groups are very small, we propose that both materials could be considered as a suitable raw plant material for further processing. Th e caloric value of the plants growing in Serbia was found to be slightly higher than the caloric value of the ones growing in Romania. Both herbal samples are good sources of inulin and represent valuable raw plant material for further processing.