## 3 Discussion
### Compounds Likely Involved in Biological Activities  
Although the polyphenol-rich foliar extracts from the three examined artichoke genotypes in this study exhibited significant biological activity against both cancer cell lines and the plant pathogen _A. alternata_, variations in their antiproliferative, cytotoxic and antifungal effects may be attributable to their different polyphenol compositions rather than the overall quantity. In particular, the leaf extracts of Orte 1 and Grato 1 genotypes, although possessing a significantly lower total amount of polyphenols than Orte 2, because of a lower concentration of caffeoylquinic acids, are characterized by a greater abundance of flavones, notably luteolin derivatives. Moreover, the observed biological activities are probably not related to a single compound, but rather to several active compounds acting synergically, and some of them, which have been shown to have antitumor and antimicrobial effects, were found in significant concentration in the artichoke leaf extracts. Among those compounds with potential synergistic action are glycosylated luteolin derivatives (lutetolin 7-O-rutinoside and 7-O-glucose) and chlorogenic acid. Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavonoid compound, distributed in various plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, which is recognized for its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and neuro-protective properties [65; 66]. It has shown potential biological activity for treating different types of cancer by interacting with various molecular targets and regulating signaling pathways within cancer cells [67]. Luteolin-7-O-glucose, a glycoside derivative of luteolin, was also observed to be effective against plant pathogens, e.g., _A. alternata_, and human pathogens, e.g., _Enterococcus faecalis_, _Klebsiella pneumoniae_, and _Staphylococcus aureus_[68; 69]. Chlorogenic acid is a phenylacrylate polyphenol compound produced in plants through the shikimic acid pathway, for which the biosynthesis involves the enzymatic esterification of caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxy-cinnamic acid) with quinic acid (1-hydroxyhexahhydogallic acid) [70]. Although further research is essential to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and establish concrete therapeutic applications, it is known for its involvement in cardiovascular health, neuroprotection, and anticancer effects [71]. Although the mechanisms of action of chlorogenic acid were investigated on the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231 and it has been concluded that the potentially protective effect of chlorogenic acid does not explain all the properties of artichoke extract, it was therefore hypothesized that the combination of different ubiquitous or specific compounds of artichoke are responsible for the chemopre activity [72]. Chlorogenic acid can also act as fungistatic or fungicide when applied at a dose of 15 ug/uL against _Sclerotinia sclerotorium_, _Fusarium solani_, _Verticillium dahliae_, _Botryttis cinerea_, and _Cercospora sojima_[73]. [PERSON] et al. [74] showed that silicon application in rose plants induces chlorogenic acid accumulation and that this phenolic acid was at least partially responsible for the reduction of symptoms caused by rose powdery mildew produced by the biotrophic pathogen _Podosphaera panosa_. In fact, application of chlorogenic acid reduced disease severity by 50%. In addition, [PERSON] et al. [75] found that a dose of 50 mm of chlorogenic acid and phenolic acids, compounds extracted from epicarp and mesocarp tissues of tomato, inhibited _A. alternata_ spore germination by 30%, whereas the same concentration of caffeic acid and vanillic acid inhibited conidia growth by 16%. The pathogen infection on tomato can also be controlled by treatments with acid phenethyl ester obtaining better results than a commercial fungicide Captain (R) (Bayer).