PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENTS IN SOLID-LIQUID EXTRACTION OF AQUEOUS ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF CHICORY (CICHORIUM INTYBUS L.) LEAVES

The object of our current study is to study the phytochemicalc contents in solid-liquid extraction of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) dry leaves grown in Bulgaria. Cichorium intybus, commonly known as chicory, is well known as a coffee substitute but is also discretely used as the natural product in food industry and medicine throughout its long history. Solid-liquid extraction was performed by using the 50% aqueous ethanol for 120 min which results in concentration of phytochemical contents and the findings of our present results are well consistent with those obtained in other works. The chicory leaves were analysed for the content of tannin by titrimetric method; rutin was determined spectrophotometrically by using ammonium molybdate; the total phenolics was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the total flavonoids was identified through the colorimetric reaction with aluminum (III) chloride. The content of total phenolics and total flavonoids of chicory varied between 2.71 mg GAE/mL for 10 min and 5.65 mg GAE/mL for 120 minutes and 0.84 mg CE/mL for 10 minutes and 2.45 mg CE/mL for 120 min. The content of rutin and tannins that varied within 0.71 percent for 10 minutes and 1.39 percent for 120 min of rutin and tannins was higher than that in 50% aqueous ethanol extract of Cichorium intybus L. for 120 min at 1.56% and 1.08% for 10 min, respectively. Extracts obtained positively correlated with their phenolic and flavonoid contents, rutin and tannins, respectively. Therefore, the complex of phytochemical active substance in dry leaves of Cichorium intybus L. offers lots of opportunities for future application in herbal medicine and nutrition industry to produce healthy food.