Bioactive phytoprostanes and phytofurans are synthesized in higher plants by non‐enzymatic oxidation of α‐linolenic acid (C18:3 n‐3), triggered by high concentrations of reactive oxygen species. In ...the current scenario of changing dietary patterns, additional information is needed on the concentrations of oxylipins in legumes and on the effect of sustained deficit irrigation on their concentration. The main objective of the work is to elucidate the phytoprostane and phytofuran profile (including eight and three compounds, respectively) of three Pisum sativum cultivars (“mangetout” (ssp. arvense), “BGE‐033620,” and “Lincoln”) and Phaseolus vulgaris (French bean cv. “Helda”), to unravel the oxidative response of these crops to sustained irrigation deficit in terms of oxidative stress, as well as in their importance as healthy dietary sources of new bioactive compounds. Phytoprostanes and phytofurans vary between varieties and species, with 9‐F1t‐PhytoP and ent‐16‐(RS)‐13‐epi‐ST‐Δ14‐9‐PhytoF being the most abundant. The level of phytoprostanes and phytofurans is also determined in sustained deficit irrigation (50% water needed), revealing modifications of their profile and concentration. In conclusion, bioactive phytoprostanes and phytofurans are present in legumes in high concentrations, being further modified by abiotic stress growing conditions, highlighting the importance of this plant food as a dietary source of these bioactive molecules.
Practical Applications: This work is of high relevance from the lipidomic point of view, given that phytoprostanes and phytofurans have been promoted as new bioactive secondary metabolites due to their structural analogy with mammal oxylipins. These compounds can be further postulated as possible markers for the monitoring of the physiological status of legume plants under different agronomical conditions. The results obtained can contribute to the successful development of future research in the field of plant physiology and nutrition, significantly contributing to the advance of the current knowledge on the biological role of phytoprostanes and phytofurans in plants and complex biological systems.
Species‐dependent modification of phytoprostanes and phytofurans by deficit irrigation in French‐bean, pea, and mangetout.
Species‐dependent modification of phytoprostanes and phytofurans by deficit irrigation in French‐bean, pea, and mangetout.
Understanding the distribution of genetic variations and accession structures is an important factor for managing genetic resources, but also for using proper germplasm in association map analyses ...and breeding programs. The globe artichoke is the fourth most important horticultural crop in Europe. Here, we report the results of a molecular analysis of a collection including globe artichoke and leafy cardoon germplasm present in the Italian, French and Spanish gene banks. The aims of this study were to: (i) assess the diversity present in European collections, (ii) determine the population structure, (iii) measure the genetic distance between accessions; (iv) cluster the accessions; (v) properly distinguish accessions present in the different national collections carrying the same name; and (vi) understand the diversity distribution in relation to the gene bank and the geographic origin of the germplasm. A total of 556 individuals grouped into 174 accessions of distinct typologies were analyzed by different types of molecular markers, i.e. dominant (ISSR and AFLP) and co-dominant (SSR). The data of the two crops (globe artichoke and leafy cardoon) were analyzed jointly and separately to compute, among other aims, the gene diversity, heterozygosity (He, Ho), fixation indexes, AMOVA, genetic distance and structure. The findings underline the huge diversity present in the analyzed material, and the existence of alleles that are able to discriminate among accessions. The accessions were clustered not only on the basis of their typology, but also on the basis of the gene bank they come from. Probably, the environmental conditions of the different field gene banks affected germplasm conservation. These outcomes will be useful in plant breeding to select accessions and to fingerprint varieties. Moreover, the results highlight the particular attention that should be paid to the method used to conserve the Cynara cardunculus germplasm and suggest to the preference of using accessions from different gene banks to run an association map.
In the next decades, the agricultural systems will deal with major challenges linked to the expected population growth, climate changes and necessity of sustainable use of resources able to preserve ...the environment ...
► We study the behaviour of three different rootstocks on sweet pepper grown. ► We examine their performances in a greenhouse with shading screen or not. ► Shading screen improves the vegetative ...growth reducing the unmarketable yield. ► The use of grafting seems to be an efficient alternative to the shading screens. ► The rootstock Creonte increases the total fruit yield and reduces sunscalded fruits.
Sweet pepper crop yield and quality in some Mediterranean regions are negatively affected by the high radiation and temperature during the spring–summer harvesting period. Although the use of shading screens is a common, although expensive, strategy to minimize the impact of thermal stress, the use of grafting onto adequate rootstocks could be an interesting alternative to maintain commercial fruit yield and quality under non-shaded conditions, in addition to providing other advantages such as resistance to soil-borne diseases. In order to test this hypothesis, we studied the behaviour of ‘Herminio’ plants ungrafted and grafted onto three different commercial rootstocks (Atlante, Creonte and Terrano) under non-shaded and shaded conditions. The use of shading screen proved to be efficient in improving vegetative growth, photosynthesis, transpiration and leaf water status, and for reducing the unmarketable yield, especially the incidence of the sunscalded fruits, compared to non-shaded conditions. In general, the grafted plants performed better than the ungrafted ones under both growing conditions, but the differences were more evident under non-shaded conditions. The plants grafted onto Atlante produced up to 40% more leaf area than the other combinations but did not increase yield nor reduce the incidence of the sunscald disorder. However, grafting onto Creonte did not significantly affect leaf biomass but increased the total and marketable fruit yield by 30% and 50% under non-shaded and shaded conditions compared to the ungrafted plants, respectively. Moreover, this rootstock maintained 30–60% higher leaf photosynthetic activity and reduced the amount of sunscalded fruits by 6% during the harvest period in non-shaded conditions. However some fruit nutritional parameters were affected. These results suggest that improved protection of the photosynthetic apparatus is more efficient for increasing yield and for reducing sunscald disorder than more foliage per se under non-shaded conditions, in the absence of any other imposed stress. The use of the rootstock Creonte is an efficient alternative to using shading screens in greenhouse-grown sweet peppers.
The floating system is a successful strategy for producing baby leaf vegetables. Moreover, compost from agricultural and agri-food industry wastes is an alternative to peat that can be used as a ...component of growing media in this cultivation system. In this study, we experimented with three composts containing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), leek (Allium porrum L.), grape (Vitis vinifera L.), and/or olive (Olea europaea L.) mill cake residues, which were used as the main component (75/25 volume/volume) of three growing media (GM1, GM2 and GM3) to evaluate their effect on the growth and quality of red baby leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). We used a commercial peat substrate as a control treatment (100% volume) and in mixtures (25% volume) with the composts. The plants were cultivated over two growing cycles, in spring and summer, and harvested twice in each cycle when the plants had four to five leaves. We found that the percentage of seed germination was significantly higher in plants grown in peat than in those grown in compost growing media. The yield was affected by the growing media in the summer cycle, and we obtained the highest value with GM1. Furthermore, the second cut was more productive than the first one for all the growing media in both cycles. The lettuce quality was also affected by the growing media. In general, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in the leaves was higher in plants grown in the compost growing media, particularly in the second cut, but the nitrate content in the leaves was greater in some of the compost treatments compared with the peat treatment. In addition, an in vitro suppressive activity study demonstrated that the interaction between different fungi and bacteria observed through metagenomics analysis could contribute to the effectiveness of the compost in controlling Pythium irregulare. The use of compost as a component of the growing media in the production of baby leaf vegetables in a floating system does not only favor the crop yield and product quality, but also shows suppressive effects against P. irregulare.
The present work aims to explore the potential to improve quality of purslane microgreens by combining water salinity and LED lighting during their cultivation. Purslane plants were grown in a growth ...chamber with light insulated compartments, under different lighting sources on a 16 h d−1 photoperiod—fluorescent lamps (FL) and two LED treatments, including a red and blue (RB)) spectrum and a red, blue and far red (RB+IR) LED lights spectrum—while providing all of them a light intensity of 150 µmol m−2 s−1. Plants were exposed to two salinity treatments, by adding 0 or 80 mM NaCl. Biomass, cation and anions, total phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total chlorophylls (Chl) and carotenoids content (Car) and fatty acids were determined. The results showed that yield was increased by 21% both in RB and RB+FR lights compared to FL and in salinity compared to non-salinity conditions. The nitrate content was reduced by 81% and 91% when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR, respectively, as compared to FL light, and by 9.5% under saline conditions as compared with non-salinity conditions. The lowest oxalate contents were obtained with the combinations of RB or RB+FR lighting and salinity. The content of Cl and Na in the leaves were also reduced when microgreens were grown under RB and RB+FR lights under saline conditions. Microgreens grown under RB light reached the highest TPC, while salinity reduced TFC, Chl and Car. Finally, the fatty acid content was not affected by light or salinity, but these factors slightly influenced their composition. It is concluded that the use of RB and RB+FR lights in saline conditions is of potential use in purslane microgreens production, since it improves the yield and quality of the product, reducing the content of anti-nutritional compounds.
The aim of this work was to study whether the application of a directly brewed compost extract (added in the nutrient solution or by microsprinkler) could be used to improve the yield and quality of ...baby leaf red lettuce growing in a floating system, and to control the incidence of Pythium irregulare. Its effect on the quality of fresh-cut red lettuce was also studied. For this, two experiments were carried out over two growing cycles (winter–spring and autumn). The results showed that the use of compost extract added to the nutrient solution improved baby leaf lettuce growth and quality, reducing the nitrate content and enhancing the content of potentially health-promoting compounds such as phenols and flavonoids and the antioxidant capacity. Microbial quality was maintained during storage and the compost extract had no negative effect on the microbial load of the final product. In addition, application of the compost decreased the population of P. irregulare in the water. It is concluded that the application of directly brewed compost extract is of potential use in a sustainable soilless production system for baby leaf red lettuce, since it improves the yield and quality of the product and is able to control the incidence of P. irregulare.
Salt stress is one of the main limiting factors for plant growth and crop yield. Halophytes have been postulated as a new food source since they are able to grow under saline environments and have ...suitable minerals and bioactive compounds. See fennel Crithmum maritimum L. is a facultative halophyte moderately tolerant to salinity. This study was carried out in order to determine the effect spraying methyl jasmonate (MeJa) on the leaves had on the growth and nutritional quality of NaCl-treated sea fennel plants grown in a hydroponic system. For that, the seedlings were treated with (a) 0.5 mM MeJa, (b) 150 mM NaCl, and (c) 0.5 mM MeJa + 150 mM NaCl. The results showed that NaCl reduced the shoot biomass of baby leaf plants, but the addition of MeJa enabled partial recovery. At the same time, when compared with the plants treated only with NaCl, MeJa favoured the Ca and K uptake and translocation to the leaves of saline-treated plants. However, MeJa did not reduce Na levels. In all treatments, nitrate and nitrite ions were in the range of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and essential fatty acid content was elevated, although the addition of MeJa to NaCl-treated plants reduced linolenic and linoleic acid contents as compared to the plants treated only with NaCl. Total phenolic compounds were not recovered by MeJa after their decrease by salinity and no differences in antioxidant activity was found between treatments. However, all the plants maintained their antioxidant nutritional properties and increased total flavonoids after MeJa spraying to NaCl-treated plants. These results showed that MeJa spraying alleviated the negative effects of salt stress in C. maritimum grown in floating systems, improving the growth of their edible parts and increasing the total flavonoid and mineral content without affecting the total antioxidant capacity of the plant.
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