Cichorium intybus L – cultivation, processing, utility, value addition and biotechnology, with an emphasis on current status and future prospects

Cultivation of chicory plants for various applications, such as utilisation of the root biomass
for preparation of a coffee adjuvant, utilisation as a vegetable and, recently, utility of the plants for
important phytochemicals, has received global attention. Chicory is widely grown in countries of
different geographical locations owing to the economic importance of this crop. This review addresses
cultivation, utility, phytochemical studies and pharmacological aspects, with an emphasis on
biotechnological developments in recent years and safety evaluation of genetically modiÆed chicory
crops. These aspects are dealt with in detail to bring out the current status and future prospects of
cultivation and utility of this economically important crop.