Phytosterols, phytostanols, and their conjugates in foods: structural diversity, quantitative analysis, and health-promoting uses

Tissue culture generates a wide range of genetic variation in plant species which can be incorporated in plant breeding programmes By in vitro selection, mutants with useful agronomic traits, eg salt or drought tolerance or disease resistance, can be isolated in a short duration The successful use of somaclonal variation is very much dependent on its genetic stability in the subsequent generations for which molecular markers such as RAPDs, AFLPs, SSRs and others can be helpful The potential of somaclonal variation has yet to be fully exploited by breeders, even though a few cultivars have been developed in crops such as Brassica juncea, rice and others

Tissue culture-derived variation in crop improvement

Nuclear DNA Amounts in Angiosperms and their Modern Uses—807 New Estimates

Molecular tools in plant genetic resources conservation: a guide to the technologies , Molecular tools in plant genetic resources conservation: a guide to the technologies , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

Molecular tools in plant genetic resources conservation: a guide to the technologies.

Introduction

Herbal medicines (HM) and their preparations have been widely used for hundreds of years all over the world. However, they have not been officially recognised due to a lack of adequate or accepted research methodology for their evaluation.



Objective

To present a concise overview of the recent applications of chemometrics in solving the ambiguity of herbal medicine authentication during the last two decades.



Methodology

Studies involving the applications of chemometric analysis in combination with different analytical methods were classified according to the method of analysis used including chromatographic (HPLC, GC and CE), spectroscopic (NMR, IR, UV and ICP) and genetic analysis (RAPD). The purpose of each of these studies was classified into one of three main categories: taxonomic discrimination, quality assessment or classification between plants of different geographic origins.



Results

This review comprises over 150 studies, covering the past two decades, emphasising the significance of chemometric methods in the discrimination of many herbs from closely related species and from adulterants, based on the principal bioactive components and phytochemical diversity. Furthermore, the differentiation between varieties and hybrids was achieved in addition to the prediction of the active components by quantitative methods of analysis. Discrimination according to geographical origin and localities, processing methods, DNA profiling and metabolomics were also efficiently investigated.



Conclusion

Chemometric methods have provided an efficient and powerful tool for the quality control and authentication of different herbs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Application of chemometrics in authentication of herbal medicines: a review.

Variation in volatile compounds from tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) related to genetic and morphological differences of genotypes.

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are produced following the general steroid biosynthesis pathway, starting from acetyl-coenzyme A and followed by the intermediates mevalonic acid, squalene, cycloartenol, and cholesterol. α-Chaconine and α-solanine are the main SGAs of the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum), whereas many other SGAs are known in the wild potato species. Low concentrations of SGAs improve the taste of potato, but concentrations greater than 200 mg/kg can have toxic effects on animals and humans. SGAs have antimicrobial activity and confer resistance to some insects, but many such pests of potato are not greatly affected. Certain environmental conditions and wounding enhance SGA accumulation in tubers in the field and storage. Low production of SGAs is a dominant character inherited in a relatively simple manner and can be selected for in potato-breeding programs, whereas the use of wild potato germplasm tends to increase the SGA accumulation in the breeding lines. Further efforts ...

Potato Glycoalkaloids: A Burden or a Blessing?

Morphological and genetical differences of twenty Finnish tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) genotypes were studied. The genotypes were distinguishable by morphology, and number of flower heads, which correlated positively with height of the plant and height of the corymb. The mean nuclear DNA content in the leaves of tissue-cultured tansy plantlets was 8.86 pg, and variation between genotypes was 27%. The genotypes were also distinguishable on the basis of their RAPD patterns. The RAPD and morphological data were subjected to analysis of principal components, according to which the genotypes were separated into two main groups. Group I included 7 genotypes from southern Finland and 2 genotypes from the eastern lake district. They started to flower later, had more flower heads and nodes per stem, and the corymb was longer than in the other genotypes that originated in the western and central part of Finland and formed group II. Our data are supported by previous studies and suggest that group I may represent native tansy populations in Finland, whereas group II may represent tansy genotypes that have been transported to other parts of Finland through agriculture and attempts of domestication.

Genetic and morphological diversity of Finnish tansy ( Tanacetum vulgare L., Asteraceae)

Summary. 

Effects of three antibiotics (cefotaxime, rifampicin and gentamicin) were tested on in vitro shoots cultures of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.)- These antibiotics were selected because endophytic bacteria isolated from the in vitro shoot cultures of tansy showed that all bacteria were Gram-negative and their growth was reduced by these three antibiotics. Five isolates were Enterobacteriaceae, three were fluorescent Pseudomonas, and two were aerobic bacteria. Increased concentrations of antibiotics caused usually linear or quadratic changes on the initiation of shoot growth, shoot number, growth rate, and shoot height. These changes and changes in pH of the culture media were tansy genotype-dependent following treatments with gentamicin. Also, the treatment with rifampicin or cefotaxime showed a genotype-dependent effect, because they resulted in significantly higher percentage of rooted plants in one of the three tansy genotypes tested. The growth rate and length of shoots were reduced in the media containing both gentamicin and rifampicin, but less so than in media containing both gentamicin and cefotaxime.

Marjo Keskitalo

Papers

Variation in volatile compounds from tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) related to genetic and morphological differences of genotypes.

Potato Glycoalkaloids: A Burden or a Blessing?

Genetic and morphological diversity of Finnish tansy ( Tanacetum vulgare L., Asteraceae)

Alterations in growth of tissue-cultured tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) treated with antibiotics

Genetic and morphological diversity of finnish tansy (Tanacetum Vulgare L.)