A promising antiangiogenic activity of Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis DC.

There is considerable interest in discovering new angiomodulators from plant sources, as the inhibition of angiogenesis represents a promising strategy for anticancer therapies. The cardoon, both wild and cultivated ( Cynara cardunculus L., Asteraceae), is a rich source of biopharmaceutical compounds as its extracts are known to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, cardioprotective, and vasodilatory effects [ 1 ]. In the present study a phytochemical investigation was performed on C. cardunculus L. var. altilis DC. (cultivated cardoon) along with the assessment of its antiangiogenic properties. The leaves of cultivated cardoon were collected and extracted (EtOH:H2O 80:20% v/v) (AlEt80). Quantitative analyses revealed that AlEt80 shows a remarkable content of total phenolics (200.22 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents/g dry weight) and flavonoids (62.33 mg Catechin Equivalents/g dry weight). A total of 33 compounds were identified using LC-ESI-QTOF MS/MS analysis. Regarding the main classes of compounds, flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin derivatives), hydroxycinnamic acids (mainly caffeic acid derivatives with quinic acid), and lactonic sesquiterpenes (especially cynaropicrin) were the most highly represented. Moreover, an in vivo assay was employed to assess the potential of AlEt80 in modulating angiogenesis, using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as experimental model [ 2 ]. Results showed that the treatment with AlEt80 induced strong inhibitory effects on the CAM vessel growth compared to untreated control (IC 50 =43.16 μg/egg). These promising insights suggest that cultivated cardoon leaves may be considered a valuable source of bioactive compounds with beneficial effects for human health and multifaceted industrial applications. Acknowledgements all the authors acknowledge financial support: Project PRIN 2022 PNRR (P2022SECH4_002) “Exploiting Cynara spp. by-products as a source of molecules with inhibitory activity on skin-related enzymes. CYNINSKINE” funded by the European Union – NextGeneration EU – Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany