CHIMIA (Jun 2002)

UV Degradation of Sesquiterpene Lactones in Chicory Extract: Kinetics and Identification of Reaction Products by HPLC-MS

  • Urban Frey,
  • Johanna Claude,
  • Simon Crelier,
  • Marcel-Alexandre Juillerat

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2533/000942902777680450
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 56, no. 6

Abstract

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Inulin, a valuable food ingredient, can be extracted from chicory roots (Cichorium intybus L.). However, the direct use of this material is limited, because of the presence of extremely bitter, co-extracted sesquiterpene lactones. Lactucin, a major component, has been degraded by UV irradiation, a process which showed neither temperature (293– 313 K) nor initial concentration dependence. An overall half life time of ca. 45 min was determined. The degradation product was identified by HPLC-MS and 1H NMR and was the result of the addition of a water molecule on the lactucin C(1)–C(10) double bond, with the OH group located at the C(10) position.

Keywords