A study on the effects of sample pre-treatment on the amount of sesquiterpene lactones found in chicory (Cichorium Intybus L.) by ELISA and by HPLC

 The effects of sample preparation on the amount of some sesquiterpene lactones, i.e. bitter compounds, extracted from chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) have been studied. Sample preparation was performed using water or a citric acid solution both with and without cellulolytic and pectolytic enzymes. The concentrations of sesquiterpene lactones in the samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The greatest amounts of sesquiterpene lactones were obtained by treatment of the chicory samples in water in the presence of the enzymes. Evidence was obtained that both free and glucosylated sesquiterpene lactones are measured in the specific ELISAs. Received: 28 February 1996/Revised version: 10 June 1996