Original Research Article Ascorbic acid content, fatty acid composition and nutritional value of the neglected vegetable Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum L., Apiaceae) Giovanni Caprioli a,1 , Dennis Fiorini b,1 , Filippo Maggi a, *, Mirko Marangoni c , Fabrizio Papa b , Sauro Vittori a , Gianni Sagratini a a School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Sant’Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy b School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy c Analisi Control S.r.l., Via San Claudio 5, 62014 Corridonia, Italy 1. Introduction Among many horticultural crops marginalised by various processes and causes, Smyrnium olusatrum L. (Apiaceae), well known as Alexanders, is certainly worthy of consideration due to its historical importance. This plant, probably used since prehisto- ry, became very popular during the time of Alexander the Great (fourth century BC) and was widely cultivated and eaten by the Romans, who introduced it into western and central Europe, up to the British Isles where it is now completely naturalised (Randall, 2003). From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance the plant was also used as a medicinal. Notably, Alexanders enjoyed a reputation in Great Britain, especially among seafarers, of ‘clearing’ the blood and preventing scurvy (Allen and Hatfield, 2004). Indeed, different plant parts such as fruits and leaves were regarded as antiscorbutic (Courchet, 1882; Fournier, 1947). Of all the Apiaceae used as vegetables, Alexanders has been one of the commonest in gardens for many centuries, but in the nineteenth century it was almost completely forgotten. Its marginalisation has to be related to direct competition with the improved form of celery (Apium graveolens L.) as a consequence of the changing tastes in the Western world, i.e. from dishes rich in spices and bitter and/or pungent ingredients towards milder dishes with respect to the flavour of the food itself. It is also because of its characteristic flavour and smell that Alexanders is still used in homemade recipes, especially in Great Britain (http:// www.eatweeds.co.uk/?s=Smyrnium), as a condiment of soups, stews and sauces accompanying meat and fish. In particular, the leaves are used to make a white sauce or in salads; the young shoots or petioles cooked as asparagus or steamed and seasoned with butter; the flower buds in salads or to make fritters, or steamed and eaten in place of broccoli or as pickles; the fruits to flavour meat, soups and salads, and as a substitute of pepper; the roots can be eaten raw or cooked (Facciola, 1990). Given the use of S. olusatrum as a popular antiscorbutic remedy, we decided to investigate the content of ascorbic acid in the different plant parts collected in several places of central Italy by using HPLC–MS. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 35 (2014) 30–36 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 7 February 2014 Received in revised form 17 April 2014 Accepted 8 May 2014 Keywords: Smyrnium olusatrum L. (Apiaceae) Ascorbic acid Petroselinic acid Macronutrients Biodiversity and nutrition Traditional foods Underutilized green vegetable Neglected horticultural crop Food composition Food analysis A B S T R A C T Smyrnium olusatrum, known as Alexanders, is a horticultural crop widely cultivated and eaten by the Romans, then marginalised as a consequence of direct competition with celery (Apium graveolens). Given its traditional use as an antiscorbutic remedy, we have investigated, for the first time, the content of ascorbic acid in different plant parts by HPLC–MS. The nutritional profile of the plant parts in terms of proteins, carbohydrates, crude fibre and fatty acid composition was also investigated. The highest concentrations of ascorbic acid (16.54 mg/kg) were found in immature fruits. The macronutrient profile revealed that Alexanders fruits are a rich source of protein and carbohydrates. Among fatty acids, petroselinic acid was the most abundant in fruits (67.5%), while linoleic acid (32.8–57.7%) was the main compound in the other parts. The levels of ascorbic acid detected and the nutritional profile exhibited partially supported the traditional use of Alexanders as an antiscorbutic remedy and suggest its re-acceptance as a vegetable would be worthwhile. ß 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0737404506; fax: +39 0737637345. E-mail address: filippo.maggi@unicam.it (F. Maggi). 1 These authors equally contributed to this study. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Food Composition and Analysis jo u rn al ho m epag e: ww w.els evier .c om /lo cat e/jfc a http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2014.05.001 0889-1575/ß 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.