Phenolic acids and flavonoids are large groups of secondary metabolites ubiquitous in the plant k... more Phenolic acids and flavonoids are large groups of secondary metabolites ubiquitous in the plant kingdom. They are currently in the spotlight due to the numerous health benefits associated with their consumption, as well as for their vital roles in plant biological processes and in plant-environment interaction. Tomato, eggplant and pepper are in the top ten most consumed vegetables in the world, and their fruit accumulation profiles have been extensively characterized, showing substantial differences. A broad array of genetic and genomic tools has helped to identify QTLs and candidate genes associated with the fruit biosynthesis of phenolic acids and flavonoids. The aim of this review was to synthesize the available information making it easily available for researchers and breeders. The phenylpropanoid pathway is tightly regulated by structural genes, which are conserved across species, along with a complex network of regulatory elements like transcription factors, especially of MY...
The wild species Solanum incanum has been used as a donor parent for the development of a set of ... more The wild species Solanum incanum has been used as a donor parent for the development of a set of eggplant introgression lines (ILs), which are of interest for breeding for stress tolerances and relevant morpho-agronomic traits but could also be useful for breeding for fruit quality, due to the generally higher content in health-promoting compounds of S. incanum. The use of eggplant ILs with introgressions from S. incanum requires ensuring that glycoalkaloids levels are below safety limits. We evaluated 25 fruit composition traits, including proximate composition, sugars, acids, phenolics, glycoalkaloids, and minerals in a set of 16 eggplant ILs with S. incanum, both parents and the F1, grown under two environments (open field and screenhouse). The results demonstrated that the parents were significantly different regarding most fruit composition traits. Large variation was found among the 16 ILs for all traits analyzed and a strong influence of the environment accounted for the vari...
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are multifunctional flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae family,... more Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are multifunctional flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae family, well-known and widespread for their ornamental value and many other uses. In this study, morphological differences and genetic relationships among 21 cultivars of three species of marigold (Tagetes patula, T. erecta and T. tenuifolia) were analysed. Results have revealed obvious differences among genotypes, starting from the morphological characteristics of the seeds and their capacity to germinate to adult plant morphological characteristics, both between cultivars and species. The genotypic differences were manifested in considerable variation in the development of phenological stages and the main morphological traits of plants and flowers. PCA and hierarchical clustering analyses of morphological traits revealed a homogeneous grouping of cultivars within each species, except for Orion, belonging to T. patula, which was closer to T. erecta cultivars. A subset of 13 cultivars from the ...
List and features of SSRs. An Excel file that provides a list of the SSRs identified in the pepin... more List and features of SSRs. An Excel file that provides a list of the SSRs identified in the pepino transcripts, including information about the type and numbers of repetitions, and in which transcript they are present. (ZIP 73 kb)
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Horticulture, 2010
Introduction of new crops can make an effective contribution to the development of horticulture. ... more Introduction of new crops can make an effective contribution to the development of horticulture. The Andean region is home of several Solanaceae crops that could be introduced as new crops in Mediterranean climates. One of them is the pepino (Solanum muricatum). This is a herbaceous crop vegetatively propagated which produces juicy fruits. We have developed a programme for the introduction and adaptation of this neglected Andean crop in the Mediterranean region. Main adaptation problems have been the low yield, susceptibility to Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and low sugar content under these new conditions. By using the ample diversity available in the species and wild relatives S. caripense and S. tabanoense we have been able to deal with these adaptation problems and develop adapted and improved materials. Discovery of parthenocarpy P gene, as well as the use of genetic distances to select parents for obtaining segregating generations in which heterotic clones can be selected, have ...
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Horticulture, 2011
During the last century, conventional plant breeding, mostly based in the evaluation at the pheno... more During the last century, conventional plant breeding, mostly based in the evaluation at the phenotypic level, has been very successful in increasing the crop yields and in consequence the global production of food. Maize, rice and wheat, the three most important staple crops for mankind, are typical examples of the dramatic increases in yield achieved thanks to the application of the combination of new cultivars with improved cultivation techniques. Conventional plant breeding has been based in developing efficient methodologies for exploiting the available phenotypic variation present in the crops and wild relatives. However, the recent advances in genomics, which allow the direct study of the genotype and its relationship with the phenotype, are bringing a new paradigm shift in plant breeding. Developments in next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics, are providing breeders with new tools, like large collections of markers which facilitate, among others, developing ultra...
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the globally most consumed vegetable. The objective of this rese... more Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the globally most consumed vegetable. The objective of this research was to analyze physico-chemical, nutritional and sensorial components (taste and flavor) in two new commercial hybrids (AS 300 F1 and AS 400 F1) and their four F7 parental lines. Two widely grown F1 hybrids (Precos F1 and Addalyn F1) were used as controls. The results obtained for carbohydrates (HPLC-RID) indicated that the highest values (27.82 mg/g) were recorded in the paternal line AS 10 of the new hybrid AS 400 F1. The highest values of total organic acids (HPLC-VWD) were recorded in Addalyn F1 (5.06 m/g), while the highest value of phenolic compounds (HPLC-DAD-ESI⁺) were identified in the maternal line AS 09 of the hybrid AS 400 F1 (96.3 µg/g). Intrinsic sensory values were analyzed by male and female tasters of different ages using a hedonic scale. The tasters’ perception revealed obvious taste differences between tomato genotypes. The study allowed determining genetic parame...
Long shelf-life tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) landraces, characterized by carrying the alc allele... more Long shelf-life tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) landraces, characterized by carrying the alc allele in the NOR.NAC locus, have been traditionally cultivated in the Mediterranean region. These materials are adapted to open field conditions under low input conditions. However, cultivation under greenhouse is expanding fueled by increasing demand of these traditional tomatoes. We hypothesize that the large diversity in the long shelf-life landraces and derived materials can be exploited for adaptation to these new cultivation conditions. We have evaluated 12 varieties (seven landraces, three selections and two hybrids) carrying the alc mutation under open field (OF) and greenhouse (GH) cultivation, and evaluated them for 52 morphological, agronomic, chemical properties, and chemical composition descriptors. All descriptors, except six morphological ones, were variable. The variety effect was the greatest contributor to variation for most morphological traits, as well as for fruit weight, fruit shape, dry matter, and soluble solids content. However, significant environmental and genotype × environment interaction were found for 36 and 42 descriptors, respectively. Fruits from GH plants had lower weight and firmness and were less red than those from OF. On average, in GH yield was 35% lower and daily fruit weight loss in post-harvest 41% higher than in OF. However, fruits from GH had on average higher dry matter and soluble solids contents, antioxidant activity, glucose, fructose, and ascorbic acid concentrations, but lower contents in lycopene and β-carotene than those from OF. A principal components analysis clearly separated varieties according to the cultivation environment. However, the distribution pattern of varieties within each of the two clusters (GH and OF) was similar, despite the strong G × E Figàs et al. Greenhouse Adaptation of alc Tomato interaction for many descriptors. Landraces from the same origin plotted in the same area of each cluster, and selections and hybrids plotted together with the landraces. The results reveal a high impact of the cultivation environment on morphological, agronomic, chemical properties, and chemical composition of Mediterranean long shelf-life traditional tomato varieties. This suggests that breeding programs specifically focused to adaptation to greenhouse conditions should be developed.
Background: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioact... more Background: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioactive phenolics and drought tolerance. S. aethiopicum is a cultivated African eggplant cross-compatible with S. melongena. Despite their great interest in S. melongena breeding programs, the genomic resources for these species are scarce. Results: RNA-Seq was performed with NGS from pooled RNA of young leaf, floral bud and young fruit tissues, generating more than one hundred millions raw reads per species. The transcriptomes were assembled in 83,905 unigenes for S. incanum and in 87,084 unigenes for S. aethiopicum with an average length of 696 and 722 bp, respectively. The unigenes were structurally and functionally annotated based on comparison with public databases by using bioinformatic tools. The single nucleotide variant calling analysis (SNPs and INDELs) was performed by mapping our S. incanum and S. aethiopicum reads, as well as reads from S. melongena and S. torvum available on NCBI database (National Center for Biotechnology Information), against the eggplant genome. Both intraspecific and interspecific polymorphisms were identified and subsets of molecular markers were created for all species combinations. 36 SNVs were selected for validation in the S. incanum and S. aethiopicum accessions and 96 % were correctly amplified confirming the polymorphisms. In addition, 976 and 1,278 SSRs were identified in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum transcriptomes respectively, and a set of them were validated. Conclusions: This work provides a broad insight into gene sequences and allelic variation in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum. This work is a first step toward better understanding of target genes involved in metabolic pathways relevant for eggplant breeding. The molecular markers detected in this study could be used across all the eggplant genepool, which is of interest for breeding programs as well as to perform marker-trait association and QTL analysis studies.
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Horticulture, 2015
The common eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most economically important specie for cult... more The common eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most economically important specie for cultivated aubergine. The relationship between eggplant and it the wild relatives has been controversial. The domestication of the cultivated species has resulted in a narrow genetic base, and this difficults further improvements. Here we have characterized 48 accessions belonging to the cultivated scarlet eggplant (S. aethiopicum) and it wild ancestor (S. anguivi), the cultivated gboma eggplant (S. macrocarpon) and its wild ancestor (S. dasyphyllum), including also one accession of cultivated eggplant and one of its wild ancestor (S. incanum) using 39 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A total of 82 alleles were detected with an average of 2.34 alleles/locus. A good differentiation between the three groups corresponding to common, scarlet and gboma eggplants was obtained with a PCoA analysis. These results are of interest for the enhancement of genetic resources of eggplants.
Listada de Gandía is one of the most renowned Spanish eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) landraces. ... more Listada de Gandía is one of the most renowned Spanish eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) landraces. Assessing its genetic diversity and relationships, as well as devising tools for its identification, is of great relevance for the enhancement and protection of this landrace. Forty-two eggplant accessions, which included 25 Striped accessions, of which 19 were of the Listada type (six accessions of Listada de Gandía, eight of Other Spanish Listada, and five of Non-Spanish Listada) and six of the Other Non-Spanish Striped group, and 17 Non-Striped accessions were characterized with 17 genomic SSRs and 32 EST-SSRs. Genomic SSRs had, as a mean, a greater polymorphism and polymorphic information content (PIC) than EST-SSRs. Although Listada de Gandía proved to be genetically diverse, specific and universal alleles for two SSR markers were found for this landrace. All the Listada accessions cluster together in the multivariate PCoA and UPGMA phenograms performed, and are separated from the Other Non-Spanish Striped and Non-Striped accessions. Also, Listada de Gandía accessions were clearly differentiated from the Other Spanish Listada and Non-Spanish Listada accessions in these analyses. SSR markers revealed of great utility to obtain a specific fingerprint for the Listada de Gandía eggplant as well as to establish the uniqueness and distinctness of this landrace. This information will be very helpful for the enhancement and protection from imitation of Listada de Gandía, and contributes to support its potential recognition with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) varieties with increased levels of phenolics in the fruit present en... more Eggplant (Solanum melongena) varieties with increased levels of phenolics in the fruit present enhanced functional quality, but may display greater fruit flesh browning. We evaluated 18 eggplant accessions for fruit total phenolics content, chlorogenic acid content, DPPH scavenging activity, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, liquid extract browning, and fruit flesh browning. For all the traits we found a high diversity, with differences among accessions of up to 3.36-fold for fruit flesh browning. Variation in total content in phenolics and in chlorogenic acid content accounted only for 18.9% and 6.0% in the variation in fruit flesh browning, and PPO activity was not significantly correlated with fruit flesh browning. Liquid extract browning was highly correlated with chlorogenic acid content (r=0.852). Principal components analysis (PCA) identified four groups of accessions with different profiles for the traits studied. Results suggest that it is possible to develop new eggplant varieties with improved functional and apparent quality.
Enhancing conservation and use of local vegetable landraces: the Almagro eggplant (Solanum melong... more Enhancing conservation and use of local vegetable landraces: the Almagro eggplant (Solanum melongena L.
ABSTRACT Common ( Solanum melongena L.) and scarlet ( S. aethiopicum L.) eggplants are cultivated... more ABSTRACT Common ( Solanum melongena L.) and scarlet ( S. aethiopicum L.) eggplants are cultivated for their fruits and form part of the same genepool. We have studied plant and fruit characteristics, pollen viability and seed set, phenolics content, and fruit flesh browning in accessions of S. melongena and S. aethiopicum Kumba group, as well as interspecific hybrids between these species and first backcross generations to each parental species. Respective genotypes were also characterized with seven polymorphic SSR markers. The results demonstrate that many differences exist for plant and fruit morphology among S. melongena , S. aethiopicum and the interspecific hybrids. The latter are very vigorous and generally intermediate between the two parents, except for fruit size which is smaller (and parthenocarpic due to a high pollen sterility) than those of any of the parents. Backcross progenies also exhibited morphological variation with moderate heritability values for the attributes evaluated. Variation for fruit size was present in the backcross generations but fruits were small resulting in little variation for fruit shape. Backcross plants with moderate fertility produced seeded fruits. Primary hybrids had fruit phenolics content similar to that of S. aethiopicum , the parent with lowest phenolics concentration, and were heterotic for fruit flesh browning. Backcross progenies were quite variable for both traits. SSR markers did not reveal segregation distortion in the backcross generations for these interspecific hybrids. The results demonstrate that generations derived from sexual interspecific hybridization can be a powerful tool for S. melongena and S. aethiopicum Kumba group breeding.
Solanum incanum, the wild ancestor of eggplant, Solanum melongena, has been considered as a sourc... more Solanum incanum, the wild ancestor of eggplant, Solanum melongena, has been considered as a source of variation for high content of phenolic acid conjugates in breeding programmes aimed at improving the functional quality of eggplant. We have evaluated the morphological and phenolic acids content in an interspecific family including S. incanum (P1), S. melongena (P2), their interspecific hybrid (F1), progeny from the selfing of the F1 (F2) and the backcross of the F1 to P2 (BC1P2). Many morphological differences were found between parents, while the F1 was intermediate for most traits. However, F1 plants were taller and pricklier and presented higher fruit flesh browning than any of the parents. F2 and BC1P2 were morphologically highly variable and the results obtained suggest that a rapid recovery of the characteristic combination of S. melongena traits can be achieved in a few backcross generations. Segregation for prickliness was found to be compatible with simple genetic control, prickliness being dominant over non-prickliness. A total of 16 phenolic acid conjugates were studied, of which chlorogenic acid (5-O-(E)-caffeoylquinic acid) was the most common compound in all samples, averaging 77.8% of all hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. Contents of total phenolic acid conjugates were much higher in S. incanum than in S. melongena fruit flesh, and no major differences were found in the profile of phenolic acids among parents. The interspecific hybrid (F1) was intermediate between the two parents in phenolic acids content. Non-segregating generations presented considerable variation in phenolic acids content, but the range of variation was wider in segregating F2 and BC1P2 generations. Additive genetic effects were the most important in explaining the results obtained for the phenolic acids content. A number of BC1P2 plants presented a good combination of phenolic acids content and fruit weight or flesh browning. Overall, the results demonstrate that improvement of functional quality in S. melongena can be obtained using S. incanum as a donor of alleles for high phenolic acids content.
Swedish coffee (Astragalus boeticus) seeds have been used as a coffee substitute, in particular d... more Swedish coffee (Astragalus boeticus) seeds have been used as a coffee substitute, in particular during the 19 th century and in times of scarcity. Astragalus boeticus is found in the wild in a wide range of environments in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions and is able to grow in areas with low and irregular rainfall. It is welladapted to cultivated and disturbed environments, has indehiscent pods and high yield potential, and is therefore pre-adapted to cultivation and domestication. Swedish coffee is an annual that flowers in spring and produces small (3-6 mm x 3-5 mm) kidney-shaped seeds that can be harvested in summer. The genetic diversity of the species has not been studied, but evidence (wide range of environments, insect pollination) suggests that considerable diversity exists in the species. The genetic resources of Swedish coffee conserved in germplasm banks are very limited, with only 49 accessions conserved in six genebanks. Although no cultivated varieties exist at present and no breeding studies are underway, evidence suggests that limited breeding could result in considerable genetic advances. The cultivation of A. boeticus was very important during the 19 th century in several countries of Europe, in particular in Sweden, where the cultivation was promoted as a coffee substitute by the monarchy. Several reports exist on its cultivation in several countries of Northern, Central and Southern Europe during the 19 th century and beginning of the 20 th century. However, its cultivation gradually lost importance and was eventually abandoned. Swedish coffee can be grown in different types of soils as a regular winter or spring legume crop, and thanks to symbiosis with rhizobia may be able to perform well with reduced N fertilization. Several historical accounts report an excellent quality of the coffee substitute prepared with roasted Swedish coffee seeds. However, no investigations have been carried outto study the process of roasting and its influence on the final quality. The information presented here indicates that limited efforts in A. boeticus breeding, cultivation, and industrial processing potentially might result in the recovery of this neglected coffee substitute.
Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid; CGA) is an ester of caffeic acid and (-)-quinic acid ... more Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid; CGA) is an ester of caffeic acid and (-)-quinic acid with many beneficial properties for human health, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties. This has raised an interest for the development of new crop cultivars with increased CGA content. One of the crops with higher CGA content is eggplant (Solanum melongena). There is a wide diversity for CGA content in cultivated eggplant germplasm, which is influenced by the fruit developmental stage, storage conditions, and environmental factors. Therefore, appropriate experimental designs are required for an efficient breeding. Several strategies are proposed for breeding for high CGA content such as intraspecific variation, selection among accessions, development of hybrids and lines with good agronomic and commercial characteristics, or introgression of the high CGA trait in élite lines. Some wild relatives, like S....
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was domesticated in the Indo-Birmanian region, which is also the ... more Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was domesticated in the Indo-Birmanian region, which is also the primary center of diversity for this crop. From there eggplant spread to other regions, and diversity accumulated in several secondary centers of diversity. We have assessed the diversity and relationships of 52 accessions of eggplant from three geographically distant secondary centers of diversity (China, Spain, and Sri Lanka) using 28 morphological descriptors and 12 highly polymorphic genomic SSRs. A wide variation was found for most morphological traits, and significant differences among the three centers of diversity were detected for 22 of these traits. The PCA analysis showed that eggplants from the three origins were morphologically differentiated, and accessions from each of the three secondary centers of diversity presented a typical combination of morphological characteristics. In this respect, discriminant analysis showed that accessions could be correctly classified to their...
Phenolic acids and flavonoids are large groups of secondary metabolites ubiquitous in the plant k... more Phenolic acids and flavonoids are large groups of secondary metabolites ubiquitous in the plant kingdom. They are currently in the spotlight due to the numerous health benefits associated with their consumption, as well as for their vital roles in plant biological processes and in plant-environment interaction. Tomato, eggplant and pepper are in the top ten most consumed vegetables in the world, and their fruit accumulation profiles have been extensively characterized, showing substantial differences. A broad array of genetic and genomic tools has helped to identify QTLs and candidate genes associated with the fruit biosynthesis of phenolic acids and flavonoids. The aim of this review was to synthesize the available information making it easily available for researchers and breeders. The phenylpropanoid pathway is tightly regulated by structural genes, which are conserved across species, along with a complex network of regulatory elements like transcription factors, especially of MY...
The wild species Solanum incanum has been used as a donor parent for the development of a set of ... more The wild species Solanum incanum has been used as a donor parent for the development of a set of eggplant introgression lines (ILs), which are of interest for breeding for stress tolerances and relevant morpho-agronomic traits but could also be useful for breeding for fruit quality, due to the generally higher content in health-promoting compounds of S. incanum. The use of eggplant ILs with introgressions from S. incanum requires ensuring that glycoalkaloids levels are below safety limits. We evaluated 25 fruit composition traits, including proximate composition, sugars, acids, phenolics, glycoalkaloids, and minerals in a set of 16 eggplant ILs with S. incanum, both parents and the F1, grown under two environments (open field and screenhouse). The results demonstrated that the parents were significantly different regarding most fruit composition traits. Large variation was found among the 16 ILs for all traits analyzed and a strong influence of the environment accounted for the vari...
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are multifunctional flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae family,... more Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are multifunctional flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae family, well-known and widespread for their ornamental value and many other uses. In this study, morphological differences and genetic relationships among 21 cultivars of three species of marigold (Tagetes patula, T. erecta and T. tenuifolia) were analysed. Results have revealed obvious differences among genotypes, starting from the morphological characteristics of the seeds and their capacity to germinate to adult plant morphological characteristics, both between cultivars and species. The genotypic differences were manifested in considerable variation in the development of phenological stages and the main morphological traits of plants and flowers. PCA and hierarchical clustering analyses of morphological traits revealed a homogeneous grouping of cultivars within each species, except for Orion, belonging to T. patula, which was closer to T. erecta cultivars. A subset of 13 cultivars from the ...
List and features of SSRs. An Excel file that provides a list of the SSRs identified in the pepin... more List and features of SSRs. An Excel file that provides a list of the SSRs identified in the pepino transcripts, including information about the type and numbers of repetitions, and in which transcript they are present. (ZIP 73 kb)
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Horticulture, 2010
Introduction of new crops can make an effective contribution to the development of horticulture. ... more Introduction of new crops can make an effective contribution to the development of horticulture. The Andean region is home of several Solanaceae crops that could be introduced as new crops in Mediterranean climates. One of them is the pepino (Solanum muricatum). This is a herbaceous crop vegetatively propagated which produces juicy fruits. We have developed a programme for the introduction and adaptation of this neglected Andean crop in the Mediterranean region. Main adaptation problems have been the low yield, susceptibility to Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and low sugar content under these new conditions. By using the ample diversity available in the species and wild relatives S. caripense and S. tabanoense we have been able to deal with these adaptation problems and develop adapted and improved materials. Discovery of parthenocarpy P gene, as well as the use of genetic distances to select parents for obtaining segregating generations in which heterotic clones can be selected, have ...
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca: Horticulture, 2011
During the last century, conventional plant breeding, mostly based in the evaluation at the pheno... more During the last century, conventional plant breeding, mostly based in the evaluation at the phenotypic level, has been very successful in increasing the crop yields and in consequence the global production of food. Maize, rice and wheat, the three most important staple crops for mankind, are typical examples of the dramatic increases in yield achieved thanks to the application of the combination of new cultivars with improved cultivation techniques. Conventional plant breeding has been based in developing efficient methodologies for exploiting the available phenotypic variation present in the crops and wild relatives. However, the recent advances in genomics, which allow the direct study of the genotype and its relationship with the phenotype, are bringing a new paradigm shift in plant breeding. Developments in next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics, are providing breeders with new tools, like large collections of markers which facilitate, among others, developing ultra...
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the globally most consumed vegetable. The objective of this rese... more Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the globally most consumed vegetable. The objective of this research was to analyze physico-chemical, nutritional and sensorial components (taste and flavor) in two new commercial hybrids (AS 300 F1 and AS 400 F1) and their four F7 parental lines. Two widely grown F1 hybrids (Precos F1 and Addalyn F1) were used as controls. The results obtained for carbohydrates (HPLC-RID) indicated that the highest values (27.82 mg/g) were recorded in the paternal line AS 10 of the new hybrid AS 400 F1. The highest values of total organic acids (HPLC-VWD) were recorded in Addalyn F1 (5.06 m/g), while the highest value of phenolic compounds (HPLC-DAD-ESI⁺) were identified in the maternal line AS 09 of the hybrid AS 400 F1 (96.3 µg/g). Intrinsic sensory values were analyzed by male and female tasters of different ages using a hedonic scale. The tasters’ perception revealed obvious taste differences between tomato genotypes. The study allowed determining genetic parame...
Long shelf-life tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) landraces, characterized by carrying the alc allele... more Long shelf-life tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) landraces, characterized by carrying the alc allele in the NOR.NAC locus, have been traditionally cultivated in the Mediterranean region. These materials are adapted to open field conditions under low input conditions. However, cultivation under greenhouse is expanding fueled by increasing demand of these traditional tomatoes. We hypothesize that the large diversity in the long shelf-life landraces and derived materials can be exploited for adaptation to these new cultivation conditions. We have evaluated 12 varieties (seven landraces, three selections and two hybrids) carrying the alc mutation under open field (OF) and greenhouse (GH) cultivation, and evaluated them for 52 morphological, agronomic, chemical properties, and chemical composition descriptors. All descriptors, except six morphological ones, were variable. The variety effect was the greatest contributor to variation for most morphological traits, as well as for fruit weight, fruit shape, dry matter, and soluble solids content. However, significant environmental and genotype × environment interaction were found for 36 and 42 descriptors, respectively. Fruits from GH plants had lower weight and firmness and were less red than those from OF. On average, in GH yield was 35% lower and daily fruit weight loss in post-harvest 41% higher than in OF. However, fruits from GH had on average higher dry matter and soluble solids contents, antioxidant activity, glucose, fructose, and ascorbic acid concentrations, but lower contents in lycopene and β-carotene than those from OF. A principal components analysis clearly separated varieties according to the cultivation environment. However, the distribution pattern of varieties within each of the two clusters (GH and OF) was similar, despite the strong G × E Figàs et al. Greenhouse Adaptation of alc Tomato interaction for many descriptors. Landraces from the same origin plotted in the same area of each cluster, and selections and hybrids plotted together with the landraces. The results reveal a high impact of the cultivation environment on morphological, agronomic, chemical properties, and chemical composition of Mediterranean long shelf-life traditional tomato varieties. This suggests that breeding programs specifically focused to adaptation to greenhouse conditions should be developed.
Background: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioact... more Background: Solanum incanum is a close wild relative of S. melongena with high contents of bioactive phenolics and drought tolerance. S. aethiopicum is a cultivated African eggplant cross-compatible with S. melongena. Despite their great interest in S. melongena breeding programs, the genomic resources for these species are scarce. Results: RNA-Seq was performed with NGS from pooled RNA of young leaf, floral bud and young fruit tissues, generating more than one hundred millions raw reads per species. The transcriptomes were assembled in 83,905 unigenes for S. incanum and in 87,084 unigenes for S. aethiopicum with an average length of 696 and 722 bp, respectively. The unigenes were structurally and functionally annotated based on comparison with public databases by using bioinformatic tools. The single nucleotide variant calling analysis (SNPs and INDELs) was performed by mapping our S. incanum and S. aethiopicum reads, as well as reads from S. melongena and S. torvum available on NCBI database (National Center for Biotechnology Information), against the eggplant genome. Both intraspecific and interspecific polymorphisms were identified and subsets of molecular markers were created for all species combinations. 36 SNVs were selected for validation in the S. incanum and S. aethiopicum accessions and 96 % were correctly amplified confirming the polymorphisms. In addition, 976 and 1,278 SSRs were identified in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum transcriptomes respectively, and a set of them were validated. Conclusions: This work provides a broad insight into gene sequences and allelic variation in S. incanum and S. aethiopicum. This work is a first step toward better understanding of target genes involved in metabolic pathways relevant for eggplant breeding. The molecular markers detected in this study could be used across all the eggplant genepool, which is of interest for breeding programs as well as to perform marker-trait association and QTL analysis studies.
Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Horticulture, 2015
The common eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most economically important specie for cult... more The common eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most economically important specie for cultivated aubergine. The relationship between eggplant and it the wild relatives has been controversial. The domestication of the cultivated species has resulted in a narrow genetic base, and this difficults further improvements. Here we have characterized 48 accessions belonging to the cultivated scarlet eggplant (S. aethiopicum) and it wild ancestor (S. anguivi), the cultivated gboma eggplant (S. macrocarpon) and its wild ancestor (S. dasyphyllum), including also one accession of cultivated eggplant and one of its wild ancestor (S. incanum) using 39 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A total of 82 alleles were detected with an average of 2.34 alleles/locus. A good differentiation between the three groups corresponding to common, scarlet and gboma eggplants was obtained with a PCoA analysis. These results are of interest for the enhancement of genetic resources of eggplants.
Listada de Gandía is one of the most renowned Spanish eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) landraces. ... more Listada de Gandía is one of the most renowned Spanish eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) landraces. Assessing its genetic diversity and relationships, as well as devising tools for its identification, is of great relevance for the enhancement and protection of this landrace. Forty-two eggplant accessions, which included 25 Striped accessions, of which 19 were of the Listada type (six accessions of Listada de Gandía, eight of Other Spanish Listada, and five of Non-Spanish Listada) and six of the Other Non-Spanish Striped group, and 17 Non-Striped accessions were characterized with 17 genomic SSRs and 32 EST-SSRs. Genomic SSRs had, as a mean, a greater polymorphism and polymorphic information content (PIC) than EST-SSRs. Although Listada de Gandía proved to be genetically diverse, specific and universal alleles for two SSR markers were found for this landrace. All the Listada accessions cluster together in the multivariate PCoA and UPGMA phenograms performed, and are separated from the Other Non-Spanish Striped and Non-Striped accessions. Also, Listada de Gandía accessions were clearly differentiated from the Other Spanish Listada and Non-Spanish Listada accessions in these analyses. SSR markers revealed of great utility to obtain a specific fingerprint for the Listada de Gandía eggplant as well as to establish the uniqueness and distinctness of this landrace. This information will be very helpful for the enhancement and protection from imitation of Listada de Gandía, and contributes to support its potential recognition with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) varieties with increased levels of phenolics in the fruit present en... more Eggplant (Solanum melongena) varieties with increased levels of phenolics in the fruit present enhanced functional quality, but may display greater fruit flesh browning. We evaluated 18 eggplant accessions for fruit total phenolics content, chlorogenic acid content, DPPH scavenging activity, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, liquid extract browning, and fruit flesh browning. For all the traits we found a high diversity, with differences among accessions of up to 3.36-fold for fruit flesh browning. Variation in total content in phenolics and in chlorogenic acid content accounted only for 18.9% and 6.0% in the variation in fruit flesh browning, and PPO activity was not significantly correlated with fruit flesh browning. Liquid extract browning was highly correlated with chlorogenic acid content (r=0.852). Principal components analysis (PCA) identified four groups of accessions with different profiles for the traits studied. Results suggest that it is possible to develop new eggplant varieties with improved functional and apparent quality.
Enhancing conservation and use of local vegetable landraces: the Almagro eggplant (Solanum melong... more Enhancing conservation and use of local vegetable landraces: the Almagro eggplant (Solanum melongena L.
ABSTRACT Common ( Solanum melongena L.) and scarlet ( S. aethiopicum L.) eggplants are cultivated... more ABSTRACT Common ( Solanum melongena L.) and scarlet ( S. aethiopicum L.) eggplants are cultivated for their fruits and form part of the same genepool. We have studied plant and fruit characteristics, pollen viability and seed set, phenolics content, and fruit flesh browning in accessions of S. melongena and S. aethiopicum Kumba group, as well as interspecific hybrids between these species and first backcross generations to each parental species. Respective genotypes were also characterized with seven polymorphic SSR markers. The results demonstrate that many differences exist for plant and fruit morphology among S. melongena , S. aethiopicum and the interspecific hybrids. The latter are very vigorous and generally intermediate between the two parents, except for fruit size which is smaller (and parthenocarpic due to a high pollen sterility) than those of any of the parents. Backcross progenies also exhibited morphological variation with moderate heritability values for the attributes evaluated. Variation for fruit size was present in the backcross generations but fruits were small resulting in little variation for fruit shape. Backcross plants with moderate fertility produced seeded fruits. Primary hybrids had fruit phenolics content similar to that of S. aethiopicum , the parent with lowest phenolics concentration, and were heterotic for fruit flesh browning. Backcross progenies were quite variable for both traits. SSR markers did not reveal segregation distortion in the backcross generations for these interspecific hybrids. The results demonstrate that generations derived from sexual interspecific hybridization can be a powerful tool for S. melongena and S. aethiopicum Kumba group breeding.
Solanum incanum, the wild ancestor of eggplant, Solanum melongena, has been considered as a sourc... more Solanum incanum, the wild ancestor of eggplant, Solanum melongena, has been considered as a source of variation for high content of phenolic acid conjugates in breeding programmes aimed at improving the functional quality of eggplant. We have evaluated the morphological and phenolic acids content in an interspecific family including S. incanum (P1), S. melongena (P2), their interspecific hybrid (F1), progeny from the selfing of the F1 (F2) and the backcross of the F1 to P2 (BC1P2). Many morphological differences were found between parents, while the F1 was intermediate for most traits. However, F1 plants were taller and pricklier and presented higher fruit flesh browning than any of the parents. F2 and BC1P2 were morphologically highly variable and the results obtained suggest that a rapid recovery of the characteristic combination of S. melongena traits can be achieved in a few backcross generations. Segregation for prickliness was found to be compatible with simple genetic control, prickliness being dominant over non-prickliness. A total of 16 phenolic acid conjugates were studied, of which chlorogenic acid (5-O-(E)-caffeoylquinic acid) was the most common compound in all samples, averaging 77.8% of all hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. Contents of total phenolic acid conjugates were much higher in S. incanum than in S. melongena fruit flesh, and no major differences were found in the profile of phenolic acids among parents. The interspecific hybrid (F1) was intermediate between the two parents in phenolic acids content. Non-segregating generations presented considerable variation in phenolic acids content, but the range of variation was wider in segregating F2 and BC1P2 generations. Additive genetic effects were the most important in explaining the results obtained for the phenolic acids content. A number of BC1P2 plants presented a good combination of phenolic acids content and fruit weight or flesh browning. Overall, the results demonstrate that improvement of functional quality in S. melongena can be obtained using S. incanum as a donor of alleles for high phenolic acids content.
Swedish coffee (Astragalus boeticus) seeds have been used as a coffee substitute, in particular d... more Swedish coffee (Astragalus boeticus) seeds have been used as a coffee substitute, in particular during the 19 th century and in times of scarcity. Astragalus boeticus is found in the wild in a wide range of environments in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions and is able to grow in areas with low and irregular rainfall. It is welladapted to cultivated and disturbed environments, has indehiscent pods and high yield potential, and is therefore pre-adapted to cultivation and domestication. Swedish coffee is an annual that flowers in spring and produces small (3-6 mm x 3-5 mm) kidney-shaped seeds that can be harvested in summer. The genetic diversity of the species has not been studied, but evidence (wide range of environments, insect pollination) suggests that considerable diversity exists in the species. The genetic resources of Swedish coffee conserved in germplasm banks are very limited, with only 49 accessions conserved in six genebanks. Although no cultivated varieties exist at present and no breeding studies are underway, evidence suggests that limited breeding could result in considerable genetic advances. The cultivation of A. boeticus was very important during the 19 th century in several countries of Europe, in particular in Sweden, where the cultivation was promoted as a coffee substitute by the monarchy. Several reports exist on its cultivation in several countries of Northern, Central and Southern Europe during the 19 th century and beginning of the 20 th century. However, its cultivation gradually lost importance and was eventually abandoned. Swedish coffee can be grown in different types of soils as a regular winter or spring legume crop, and thanks to symbiosis with rhizobia may be able to perform well with reduced N fertilization. Several historical accounts report an excellent quality of the coffee substitute prepared with roasted Swedish coffee seeds. However, no investigations have been carried outto study the process of roasting and its influence on the final quality. The information presented here indicates that limited efforts in A. boeticus breeding, cultivation, and industrial processing potentially might result in the recovery of this neglected coffee substitute.
Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid; CGA) is an ester of caffeic acid and (-)-quinic acid ... more Chlorogenic acid (5-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid; CGA) is an ester of caffeic acid and (-)-quinic acid with many beneficial properties for human health, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties. This has raised an interest for the development of new crop cultivars with increased CGA content. One of the crops with higher CGA content is eggplant (Solanum melongena). There is a wide diversity for CGA content in cultivated eggplant germplasm, which is influenced by the fruit developmental stage, storage conditions, and environmental factors. Therefore, appropriate experimental designs are required for an efficient breeding. Several strategies are proposed for breeding for high CGA content such as intraspecific variation, selection among accessions, development of hybrids and lines with good agronomic and commercial characteristics, or introgression of the high CGA trait in élite lines. Some wild relatives, like S....
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was domesticated in the Indo-Birmanian region, which is also the ... more Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was domesticated in the Indo-Birmanian region, which is also the primary center of diversity for this crop. From there eggplant spread to other regions, and diversity accumulated in several secondary centers of diversity. We have assessed the diversity and relationships of 52 accessions of eggplant from three geographically distant secondary centers of diversity (China, Spain, and Sri Lanka) using 28 morphological descriptors and 12 highly polymorphic genomic SSRs. A wide variation was found for most morphological traits, and significant differences among the three centers of diversity were detected for 22 of these traits. The PCA analysis showed that eggplants from the three origins were morphologically differentiated, and accessions from each of the three secondary centers of diversity presented a typical combination of morphological characteristics. In this respect, discriminant analysis showed that accessions could be correctly classified to their...
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