scholarly journals Nutritional Value and Phytochemical Content of Crop Landraces and Traditional Varieties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inés Medina-Lozano ◽  
Aurora Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Food Quality ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Phytochemical Content ◽  
Key Resources ◽  
Resistance To Diseases

Over the years, crops have been improved through breeding, mainly to increase production and, secondly, to introduce resistance to diseases and to achieve tolerance to abiotic stresses, these two latter by resorting to Crop Wild Relatives (CWR). This has resulted, in most cases, in homogeneous and nutritionally poor commercial varieties. Landraces and traditional varieties, barely taken into account, are key resources as they retain nutrients frequently “washed away” in the commercial varieties and also harbour a great genetic variability. They could represent a shortcut when compared to CWR in breeding, saving time and resources. The consumer’s growing interest in health and food quality has caused breeders to redirect their attention toward them. This chapter provides information about the content in compounds with health benefits, such as phenolics, minerals, vitamins, etc., of landraces and traditional varieties of the most important crops, which could help to obtain healthier and more nutritious products.

scholarly journals The Diversity of the Genus Diplotaxis and the Spreading of the Species

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Laura LAZAR ◽  
Doru PAMFIL ◽  
Marin ARDELEAN ◽  
Mirela Irina CORDEA
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Fourth Generation ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Underutilized Crops ◽  
Wild Rocket ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

The neglected and underutilized crops are more and more advertised due to the recognition of their nutritional value. Some of these species are used as crop wild relatives in plant breeding, for the infusion of useful characters in the commercial varieties and others are used as fourth generation vegetables. Different scientific reports on their chemical composition and the benefic effect on the human health to the conclusion that the wild rocket is a desirable vegetable. This is the case of the genus Diplotaxis , with its 31 species showing a wide degree of heterogeneity in the morphology, chromosome number and geographical distribution of these species. The accessions within the genus Diplotaxis  are investigated worldwide especially D. tenuifolia and D. muralis , because there is an increasing interest in them due to the fact that they are picked or cultivated for human consumption. The origin of the genus Diplotaxis is considered the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East but its area of spreading is very wide. It was observed that the only areas that have not entered this very adaptable species are arctic and subarctic areas and East Asia. Although the species are so cosmopolitan, it is important to keep their diversity especially in the original places such as Romania for D. tenuifolia and D. muralis.

Crop wild relatives and their conservation strategies in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 750-757
Author(s):  
Yu Yanbo ◽  
Wang Qunliang ◽  
Kell Shelagh ◽  
Maxted Nigel ◽  
V. Ford-Lloyd Brian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Conservation Strategies

scholarly journals Status of the Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation of Brazilian Crop Wild Relatives of Rice, Potato, Sweet Potato, and Finger Millet: Filling the Gaps of Germplasm Collections

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 638
Author(s):  
Marcelo B. Medeiros ◽  
José F. M. Valls ◽  
Aluana G. Abreu ◽  
Gustavo Heiden ◽  
Suelma Ribeiro-Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finger Millet ◽  
Ex Situ Conservation ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Germplasm Collection ◽  
Crop Wild Relatives ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
The Status

This study presents the status of ex situ and in situ conservation for the crop wild relatives of rice, potato, sweet potato, and finger millet in Brazil, and the subsequent germplasm collection expeditions. This research is part of a global initiative entitled “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives” supported by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Species of the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools with occurrences reported in Brazil were included: Oryza alta Swallen, O. grandiglumis (Döll) Prod., O. latifolia Desv., O. glumaepatula Steud., Eleusine tristachya (Lam.) Lam., E. indica (L.) Gaertn., Solanum commersonii Dunal, S. chacoense Bitter, Ipomoea grandifolia (Dammer) O’Donell, I. ramosissima (Poir.) Choisy, I. tiliacea (Willd.) Choisy, I. triloba L., and I. cynanchifolia Meisn. The status of the ex situ and in situ conservation of each taxon was assessed using the gap analysis methodology, and the results were used to plan 16 germplasm collection expeditions. Seeds of the collected material were evaluated for viability, and the protocols for seed germination and cryopreservation were tested. The final conservation score, resulting from the gap analysis and including the average of the ex situ and in situ scores, resulted in a classification of medium priority of conservation for all the species, with the exception of I. grandifolia (high priority). The total accessions collected (174) almost doubled the total accessions of these crop wild relatives incorporated in Embrapa’s ex situ conservation system prior to 2015. In addition, accessions for practically absent species were collected for the ex situ conservation system, such as Ipomoea species, Eleusine indica, and Solanum chacoense. The methods used for dormancy breaking and low temperature conservation for the Oryza, Eleusine, and Ipomoea species were promising for the incorporation of accessions in the respective gene banks. The results show the importance of efforts to collect and conserve ex situ crop wild relatives in Brazil based on previous gap analysis. The complementarity with the in situ strategy also appears to be very promising in the country.

scholarly journals Genetic and Pre- and Postharvest Factors Influencing the Content of Antioxidants in Cucurbit Crops

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Cecilia Martínez ◽  
Juan Luis Valenzuela ◽  
Manuel Jamilena
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Antioxidant Power ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Cultivated Species ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
Valuable Compounds

Cucurbitaceae is one of the most economically important plant families, and includes some worldwide cultivated species like cucumber, melons, and squashes, and some regionally cultivated and feral species that contribute to the human diet. For centuries, cucurbits have been appreciated because of their nutritional value and, in traditional medicine, because of their ability to alleviate certain ailments. Several studies have demonstrated the remarkable contents of valuable compounds in cucurbits, including antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids, but also tannins and terpenoids, which are abundant. This antioxidant power is beneficial for human health, but also in facing plant diseases and abiotic stresses. This review brings together data on the antioxidant properties of cucurbit species, addressing the genetic and pre- and postharvest factors that regulate the antioxidant content in different plant organs. Environmental conditions, management, storage, and pre- and postharvest treatments influencing the biosynthesis and activity of antioxidants, together with the biodiversity of this family, are determinant in improving the antioxidant potential of this group of species. Plant breeding, as well as the development of innovative biotechnological approaches, is also leading to new possibilities for exploiting cucurbits as functional products.

scholarly journals Validation of Reference Genes for Studying Different Abiotic Stresses in oat (Avena sativa L.) by RT-qPCR

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1272
Author(s):  
Judit Tajti ◽  
Magda Pál ◽  
Tibor Janda
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Avena Sativa ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Reference Genes ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Expression Studies ◽  
Gene Expression Studies

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a widely cultivated cereal with high nutritional value and it is grown mainly in temperate regions. The number of studies dealing with gene expression changes in oat continues to increase, and to obtain reliable RT-qPCR results it is essential to establish and use reference genes with the least possible influence caused by experimental conditions. However, no detailed study has been conducted on reference genes in different tissues of oat under diverse abiotic stress conditions. In our work, nine candidate reference genes (ACT, TUB, CYP, GAPD, UBC, EF1, TBP, ADPR, PGD) were chosen and analysed by four statistical methods (GeNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, RefFinder). Samples were taken from two tissues (leaves and roots) of 13-day-old oat plants exposed to five abiotic stresses (drought, salt, heavy metal, low and high temperatures). ADPR was the top-rated reference gene for all samples, while different genes proved to be the most stable depending on tissue type and treatment combinations. TUB and EF1 were most affected by the treatments in general. Validation of reference genes was carried out by PAL expression analysis, which further confirmed their reliability. These results can contribute to reliable gene expression studies for future research in cultivated oat.

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