Inulin Content in Chipped and Whole Roots of Cardoon after Six Months Storage under Natural Conditions

Industries currently rely on chicory and Jerusalem artichoke for inulin extraction but also cardoon is proved to synthetize and store high quantity of inulin in roots as well. Cardoon is a multipurpose crop, well adapted to marginal lands, whose main residues at the end of cropping cycle consist of roots. However, cardoon roots are a suitable source of inulin, that is of high interest for new generation biodegradable bioplastics production. On the other hand, a sustainable supply chain for inulin production from cardoon roots has not been developed yet. In particular, in the inulin supply chain the most critical part is storage, which can negatively affect both cost and inulin quantity. In the present study the effect on inulin content in cardoon roots stored as dried chipped roots (CRt) and dried whole roots (WRt) was investigated in a 6-month storage trial. Our findings suggest that chipping before storage did not affect the inulin content during the storage. Furthermore, it reduced the time needed for drying by 33.3% and increased the bulk density by 154.9% with the consequent reduction of direct cost for drying, transportation and storage.

Automated summary

Cardoon roots are a suitable source of inulin for producing biodegradable bioplastics, and findings from a storage trial suggest that pre-processing roots before storage can reduce drying time and costs, while increasing bulk density without affecting inulin content. Developing a sustainable supply chain for inulin production from cardoon roots is crucial for cost efficiency and quantity optimization.