Radicchio

Radicchio is a quick growing mediterranean red-colored leafy vegetable. It actually is one of the varieties of leaf-chicory used in salads in veneto region of italy for centuries. Its wine-red succulent, bitter flavored leaves hold several unique compounds like lactucopicrin (intybin), zea-xanthin, vitamin-k and several other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Binomially, this beautiful leafy vegetable belongs to the asteracae or daisy family; in the genus, cichorium.a.

Radicchio is a perennial, small cabbage like plant. It prefers cool weather, supplanted with well draining, fertile, moisture rich soil. The crop is ready to harvest after about 75-90 days after seedling. Hot weather and inadequate watering might results in small, dense, and bolting heads. Well-grown radicchio features compact wine-red color leaves with prominent white veins about the size of a romaine leaves with prominent white veins about the size of head of romaine lettuce. Different cultivars of radicchio are grown generally by the name of veneto provincial cities. Chioggia variety has compact, beet-red, bitter leaves. Treviso variety has been less pungent, long, conical, compactly arranged leaves. Radicchio variegate di castlefranco is a hybrid between radicchio and endive (cichorium endiva). Castlefranco has loose, mild flavor leaves. Verona is another non-heading type, and has red color, open leaves with broad white veins as in cabbage.

Radicchio, like other chicory class of vegetables, is very low in calories. 100 g fresh leaves carry just 23 calories.

The bitter principle in the radicchio is lactucopicrin (intybin), a sesquiterpene lactone. Lactucopicrin is a potent anti-malarial agent and has a sedative and analgesic (painkiller) effect.

Its leaves are an excellent source of phenolic flavonoid antioxidants such as zea-xanthin, and lutein. 100 grams leaves provide 8832 ag of these pigments. Zea-xanthin is a xanthophyll category of flavonoid carotenoid (yellow pigment) which concentrates mainly in the central part of retina in humans. Together with lutein, it helps protect eyes from age-related macular disease (armd) by filtering harmful ultra-violet rays.

Fresh leaves hold moderate amounts of essential b-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, pantothenic acid (vitamin b5), pyridoxine (vitamin b6) and thiamin (vitamin b1), niacin (b3). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish and required for fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.

Fresh radicchio is one of the excellent sources of vitamin k. 100 g provides about 255.2 ag or 212% of daily-recommended values. Vitamin k has a potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Further, adequate vitamin-k levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain. It thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from alzheimer's disease.

Further, it isaalso good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron, zinc, and potassium. Manganese is used as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Potassium is an important intracellular electrolyte helps counter the hypertension effects of sodium.