Cynara cardunculus (Asteraceae family) is a perennial plant native to Mediterranean regions. This plant represents a source of high-value compounds, such as polyphenols and fatty acids that have several industrial applications. However, in vitro plant cell cultures can represent a valid alternative to in-field cultivation and facilitate the extraction of metabolites of commercial interest. Generally, sucrose is the main sugar used for plant cell cultures, but other carbon sources can be considered. Here, we investigated the potential use of alternative organic carbon sources, such as galactose, maltose, glucose, glycerol, fructose, lactose, and starch, for the cultivation of C. cardunculus cells. Moreover, cardoon cells were collected, and an extraction of polyphenols and oils was performed to study the effects of different carbon sources on the production of bioactive molecules. This study provided evidence that cardoon cell growth can be supported by carbon sources other than sucrose. However, the carbon source inducing optimum growth, did not necessarily induce the highest production of high-value compounds.
Keywords: cardoon; cell culture; fatty acids; polyphenols; sugars.