DETERMINATION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN TAPROOT OF COMMON CHICORY (CICHORIUM INTYBUS L.)

The object of our current study is to determinate the biologically active substance presented in the taproots of Bulgarian medicinal plant common chicory (Cichorium intybus L.). The carbohydrate composition, the amount of total phenols, the total flavanoides content and the antioxidant activity in the obtained sequential ethanol and water extracts has been evaluated. The amount of inulin-type fructans was defined by the resorcinol assay. The sugars, fructooligosacharides and inulin contents of the obtained extracts were analyzed by TLC and HPLC-RID methods. The total phenolic and flavonoid quantities were analysed by using Folin?Ciocalteu’s and Al(NO3)3 reagents, respectively. The antioxidant activity was defined by four method (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and CUPRAC). The total fructan content in taproots is in range 23 % dw. The presence of monosaccharide glucose, fructose, sucrose and trisaccharides 1-kestose, nystose in the ethanol extracts was observed in the ethanol extracts. The analysis of water extracts revealed the high level of inulin (14 %), total phenols and flavonoids (7 mg/g GAE dw and 2 mg QE/g dw, respectively). The 95 % (v/v) ethanol extracts of roots collected during autumn showed the most well-pronounced antioxidant activity as followed: DPPH - 31 mM TE/g dw, ABTS - 49 mM TE/g dw, FRAP - 28 mM TE/g dw and CUPRAC - 127 mM TE/g dw.