Perennial, herbaceous plant of Mediterranean origin, it can grow taller than 1 m. It has rhizomes, an erect stalk, large
alternate leaves, blue-violet flowers and enveloping fleshy bracts. Parts used are cauline leaves. The leaves have a bitter tonic flavor.
The fleshy receptacles and bracts of the flower bud and blanched stalk are eaten as a vegetable, but they may cause off-flavors in breast
milk. The artichoke has been popular since Roman times as a food and medicine. Much of the pharmacologic activity of the leaves
has been attributed to the presence of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives.
Composition
Artichoke leaves, stem and root (not the flower heads) contain a number of bitter aromatic principles. In addition the
plant contains tannins and numerous enzymes including oxidases, peroxidases, cynarase and ascorbinase. TNO (2000) reported the
presence of 48 compounds in artichoke. Of these, 16 were found to be hydrocarbons, 10 alcohols, 4 carbonyl ketones, 10 carbonyl
aldehyde and the remaining were phenols, furans, sulfur compounds, halogens and oxides of pyrans and coumarins
