Purposes
The aim of the present study was to examine whether a replacement diet with products made with organic ancient khorasan wheat could provide additive protective effects in reducing glucose, ...insulin, lipid and inflammatory risk factors, and in restoring blood redox balance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients compared to diet with product made with modern organic wheat.
Methods
We conducted a randomized, double-blinded crossover trial with two intervention phases on 21 T2DM patients (14 females, 7 males). The participants were assigned to consume products (bread, pasta, crackers and biscuits) made using semi-whole flour from organic wheat that was either from ancient khorasan wheat or modern control wheat for 8 weeks in a random order. An 8-week washout period was implemented between the interventions. Laboratory analyses were performed both at the beginning and at the end of each intervention phase.
Results
The metabolic risk profile improved only after the khorasan intervention period, as measured by a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol (mean reduction: −3.7 and −3.4 %, respectively), insulin (−16.3 %) and blood glucose (−9.1 %). Similarly, there was a significant reduction in circulating levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-1ra, and a significant increase of total antioxidant capacity (+6.3 %). No significant differences from baseline were noted after the modern control wheat intervention phase. The change (from pre- to post-intervention) between the two intervention arms was significantly different (
p
< 0.05) for total and LDL-c, insulin and HOMA index.
Conclusions
A replacement diet with ancient khorasan wheat consumption provided additive protection in reducing total and LDL cholesterol, insulin, blood glucose, ROS production, and some inflammatory risk factors, which are all key factors warranting of control in secondary prevention of T2DM compared to a diet with products made with modern wheat.
A two-year study was carried out in three regions of Italy and the crop performance and the chemical composition of tubers of three typical potato varieties evaluated. Carbon and nitrogen tuber ...content was determined by means of an elemental analyzer and the other mineral elements by means of a spectrometer. The same determinations were performed on soil samples taken from experimental areas. The Principal Component Analysis, applied to the results of mineral element tuber analysis, permitted the classification of all potato tuber samples according to their geographic origin. Only a partial discrimination was obtained in function of potato varieties. Some correlations between mineral content in the tubers and in the soil were also detected. Analytical and statistical methods proved to be useful in verifying the authenticity of guaranteed geographical food denominations.
•We assessed sixteen years of agronomic performance and environmental sustainability.•Organic agroecosystems produced comparable crop grain yields respect to the conventional.•Conventional ...agroecosystem showed a larger N surplus and a lower crop N use efficiency.•Organic agroecosystems were more effective in terms of soil C and soil N storage.•Organic farming in Mediterranean increase environmental sustainability.
The Montepaldi Long Term Experiment (MOLTE) trial in central Italy has been comparing three agroecosystems with different management: two organic (Old Organic since 1992 and Young Organic since 2001) and one conventional. After sixteen years of comparison, the agronomic performance and environmental sustainability of the three agro-ecosystems were assessed. Crops grain yield, total C inputs and N budget at field level were evaluated. N use efficiency (NUE) at micro-agroecosystem level was determined. Soil samples were collected from the three agroecosystems in order to quantify soil C and N pools.
Results showed comparable grain yields in the three agro-ecosystems. The conventional system showed a larger N surplus and a lower crop N use efficiency in comparison with the organic ones. Moreover, the organic systems presented a lower potential risk of N losses with respect to the conventional one. The Young Organic agro-ecosystem was the most effective in terms of long term soil C (13% higher than conventional) and the oldest organic agro-ecosystem was the most effective in terms of soil N storage (9% higher than conventional).
The results obtained demonstrated that the application of the organic farming method could increase the environmental sustainability in stockless arable systems under Mediterranean type of climate.
The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a replacement diet with organic, semi-whole-grain products derived from Triticum turgidum subsp. turanicum (ancient) wheat on irritable bowel ...syndrome (IBS) symptoms and inflammatory/biochemical parameters. A double-blinded randomised cross-over trial was performed using twenty participants (thirteen females and seven males, aged 18–59 years) classified as having moderate IBS. Participants received products (bread, pasta, biscuits and crackers) made either from ancient or modern wheat for 6 weeks in a random order. Symptoms due to IBS were evaluated using two questionnaires, which were compiled both at baseline and on a weekly basis during the intervention period. Blood analyses were carried out at the beginning and end of each respective intervention period. During the intervention period with ancient wheat products, patients experienced a significant decrease in the severity of IBS symptoms, such as abdominal pain (P< 0·0001), bloating (P= 0·004), satisfaction with stool consistency (P< 0·001) and tiredness (P< 0·0001). No significant difference was observed after the intervention period with modern wheat products. Similarly, patients reported significant amelioration in the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms only after the ancient wheat intervention period, as measured by the intensity of pain (P= 0·001), the frequency of pain (P< 0·0001), bloating (P< 0·0001), abdominal distension (P< 0·001) and the quality of life (P< 0·0001). Interestingly, the inflammatory profile showed a significant reduction in the circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-17, interferon-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor after the intervention period with ancient wheat products, but not after the control period. In conclusion, significant improvements in both IBS symptoms and the inflammatory profile were reported after the ingestion of ancient wheat products.
Tan spot (TS), Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), spot blotch (SB), and Septoria tritici blotch (STB) caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, Parastagonospora nodorum, Cochliobolus sativus and ...Zymoseptoria tritici, respectively, are the four important fungal leaf spotting diseases of wheat with global importance. These diseases reduce the photosynthetic area of leaves resulting in poor grain filling and lower yields; particularly when the penultimate and flag leaves are severely infected. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is another important fungal disease that infects wheat heads causing significant yield and quality deterioration including mycotoxins contamination. Host plant resistance is one of the main strategies in the management of these diseases. To identify new resistant sources to TS, SNB, STB, SB and FHB, 110 wheat cultivars and advanced breeding lines from different geographic origins were evaluated in growth chambers and field nurseries at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico. These materials have been previously evaluated for their field FHB resistance (combination of type I and II resistance) and performed well, but in the current study they were tested in greenhouse with point inoculation to confirm exclusively their type II resistance. The frequency of resistant lines was similar for TS, SNB and STB with 45, 40 and 33 genotypes, respectively. However, only 11 lines showed resistance to SB while 51 genotypes showed FHB type II resistance. Two genotypes of Chinese origin, NANJING 8611 and NANJING 4840, exhibited broad-spectrum resistance to all of the studied diseases and were not significantly different (P ≤ 0.01) from the resistant check of the respective diseases. The multiple disease resistant accessions identified in this study could be utilized in breeding programs aimed at improving wheat resistance to either individual or multiple leaf and head blight diseases.
Cone and seed insects have played a key role in the decline of stone pine nut production in Italy. To evaluate the impact caused by native Palearctic and exotic insects, a greater knowledge of pest ...symptoms is required. During 2008–2009, first and second-year stone pine cones, as well as the seeds produced, were examined in Tuscany (Italy) to assess viability. Insect damage was characterized based on external signs on the cones and seed endosperms, and the impact of recorded insect species on nut production was evaluated. In the current study, cones attacked by anobiid beetles and Dioryctria spp. were observed, as well as asymptomatic dead cones and cones with resin drops and patches, that could not easily be related to a damaging agent. As regards the anobiid beetles, adults of Ernobius parens (Mulsant and Rey) and E. impressithorax Pic emerged from cones in laboratory rearing. A low number of cones damaged by Dioryctria spp. was recorded whereas high percentages of cones showed resin exudates. The presence of resin cannot be definitely related to a damaging agent, although the feeding activity of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann could be one of the reasons. Damage by L. occidentalis was assessed by seed observation. Most of the seeds displayed tissues that had been damaged by this pest.
For the first time, using chromosome engineering of durum wheat, the underlying genetic determinants of a yield-improving segment from Thinopyrum ponticum (7AgL) were dissected. Three durum wheat–Th. ...ponticum near-isogenic recombinant lines (NIRLs), with distal portions of their 7AL arm (fractional lengths 0.77, 0.72, and 0.60) replaced by alien chromatin, were field-tested for two seasons under rainfed conditions. Yield traits and other agronomic characteristics of the main shoot and whole plant were measured. Loci for seed number per ear and per spikelet were detected in the proximal 7AgL segment (0.60–0.72). Loci determining considerable increases of flag leaf width and area, productive tiller number per plant, biomass per plant, and grain yield per plant were located in the distally adjacent 0.72–0.77 7AgL segment, while in the most distal portion (0.77–1.00) genetic effects on spikelet number per ear were identified. Contrary to previous reports, trials with the bread wheat T4 translocation line, carrying on 7DL a sizeable 7AgL segment of which those present in the durum wheat-Th. ponticum NIRLs represent fractions, gave no yield advantage. The hypothesis that ABA might be a factor contributing to the 7AgL effects was tested by analysing endogenous ABA contents of the NIRLs and their responses to exogenous ABA application. The 7AgL yield-related loci were shown to be ABA-independent. This study highlights the value of wheat–alien recombinant lines for dissecting the genetic and physiological basis of complex traits present in wild germplasm, and provides a basis for their targeted exploitation in wheat breeding.
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