Antioxidant Components of Cichorium intybus in Vitro and in Vivo

Cichorium intybus is a perennial herb of the Compositae Family, native of Europe, west and central Asia, north of Africa and South America. The plant grows to a height of about 50-150 cm. The flowering time of it is from July to September. The flower is lingulate and blue. The basal leaves and the stems of the C. intybus, when they are very tender, are edible. The root, dry and toasted, can be used as a substitute of coffee. Its tuberous roots store inulin as a reserve carbohydrate, which consists of a chain of fructose molecules with a termonal glucose molecule. It may be classified as a fructoligosaccharide, and can be found in more than 30,000 vegetal products. Amongst these vegetables, the chicory roots are outlined for the production of inulin on an industrial scale due to the root's stability in the production of long chains of GFn and constant growth, even in moderate climates. Its use in products with low calories and reduced fat levels, in Europe, the United States and Canada, is already quite widespread. The present experiment was carried out to indicate that C. intybus contains both prooxidant and antioxidant compounds which can act in vitro and in vivo