Descrição
Rationale and objectives. Leafy forms of Brassica oleracea L. are generally known as kales or collards. They are traditional crops of several areas of Europe (Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Holland, Italy) and in Turkey, well rooted in local farming and food systems, but far lesser known as commercial crops. Glucosinolates are typical components of the Brassicaceae family, to which kales belong, presently valued as health promoting phytochemicals. Leafy kales are virtually the only edible crops containing high relative glucobrassicin content, at the same time, a total gluocosinolate amount compatible with human consumption. With this respect, these local and somewhat neglected species, can play a major role for the valorisation, in a healthy food context, of the glucobrassicin / indole-3-carbinol system. The EU funded project BaSeFood targeted kales as interesting raw materials for further investigation.
Materials and methods. Mature kale leaves have been collected in two context: a) on field, in locally grown crops in Turkey, Italy and Portugal during winter 2009-2010; b) from an experimental trial planted in Cesena, Italy, using 7 Italian, 6 Turkish and 2 Portuguese populations, in wither 2010. The samples were freeze dried and stored and - 20 ° C until extraction by means methanol/water. Gucosinolates were transformed in the corresponding desulpho-derivatives before analysis. The analyses were carried out by means of HPLC, under appropriate conditions fro the two classess of compounds.
Results. The main glucosinolates and phenolics have been identified. Ample variability was detected either in dependence on the origin of the material and within each origin.
Conclusions. For the first time, kale populations of different origin were compared in a common environment. This work allowed therefore the characterisation of kale biodiversity. It also allowed the individuation of strains with better opportunities for exploitation in the preparation of health promoting traditional foods.
; Manco, M. 
