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The Brassica genus comprises a large and diverse group of important vegetables widely consumed throughout the world. Part of this group, Brassica rapa L., also known as Rapini or Broccoli Rabe, is a green leafy vegetable appreciated in the cuisine of countries such as China, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The consumption of the edible parts of Rapini (young leaves, stems, and flower buds) is associated with various health benefits, due to their composition in macronutrients and bioactive compounds. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the nutritional value of 45 commercially available Rapini varieties. The nutritional profile was assessed following AOAC procedures. Carbohydrates were the major macronutrients found (48.28–64.1 g/100 g dry weight (dw)), followed by proteins (23.7–39.2 g/100 g dw) and ash (7.52– 16.9 g/100 g dw), with samples Leccese centoventina, Novantina leccese a cima grande and Quarantino extra presenting the highest contents, respectively. Lipids (2.68–5.09 g/100 g dw) were less abundant in all samples, highlighting Quarantino extra for the smallest amount. Finally, the energy values found were between 350.4 and 390.4 Kcal/100g dw, with the highest content obtained by sample Novantina riccia San Marzano. In conclusion, the results show that the varieties tested present good nutritional value, which indicate that Rapini can be considered an interesting option of food, as it is a good source of important macronutrients. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for A.F. and L.B. contracts info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
