Projects / Programmes
Nutritional quality of sprouts of crop plants
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Agricultural plants |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B420 |
Biomedical sciences |
Nutrition |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
tartary buckwheat, wheat, localization of minerals, biofortification, dietary fibre, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, fagopyrin
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
25512 |
PhD Paula Pongrac |
Biology |
Head |
2012 - 2014 |
285 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
We are witnessing the global paradox of obesity and malnutrition. Micronutrient malnutrition (deficiencies of vitamins and minerals) is affecting more than two billion people. Thus the importance of food quality in human health has been recognized and increased availability and intake of functional foods, i.e. nutrient rich and with health-promoting effects was set as a priority.
Grains are an essential component of daily diet and a major source of minerals and bioactive compounds (e.g. dietary fibre, vitamins, folic acid, sterols, and phenolics) however they usually come in a refined form that diminishes their nutritional quality. Additionally, minerals in grains are more or less tightly bound to organic compounds that are not easily digested and therefore not available for human absorption. During germination some of these compounds are enzymatically broken down in order to be available for the growing plant. Germinated seeds or the so called sprouts are thus perfect low price source of nutritionally important minerals and bioactive compounds.
Several different seeds are used for sprout production with existing interest to diversify supply of sprouts with highest nutritional quality. This is why buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) sprouts, traditionally consumed in Japan and Korea, have drawn attention. Buckwheat is known to be rich in high quality proteins and lipids, flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, and quercitrin), catechin, vitamins and minerals and to have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive effects. Additionally, it is gluten-free and thus appropriate in diets of celiac disease patients. Tartary buckwheat (TB, F. tataricum) has been reported to contain higher rutin concentration and antioxidative activity than common buckwheat (CB, F. esculentum). Interestingly, the antioxidative activity and mineral concentrations of sprouts were increased when grains were sprouted in trace element. However, detailed information on localization of these compounds and nutritional quality of European TB grains and sprouts is very scarce.
Within the project the differences in concentration and localization of minerals and of chosen bioactive compounds in grains and sprouts in TB will be studied. Additionally, wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Reska) will be investigated as one of the most consumed cereal in the world. We will try to improve (biofortify) the mineral concentration of sprouts by growing them in natural mineral water from Slovenian local sources, known to be very rich in minerals and by varying the growing conditions.
To fulfil these aims techniques for bulk quantification of minerals (X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrometry) and bioactive compounds (high pressure liquid chromatography) will be used as well as techniques that enable imaging of compounds in a spatially resolved manner. As such micro-proton induced X-ray emission and synchrotron radiation low-energy X-ray fluorescence microspectroscopy will be used to determine localization of minerals former on tissue level and latter on cellular level. Imaging with synchrotron radiation Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy will be used for localization of bioactive compounds. This multi-method approach of localization studies will allow highly sensitive analyses of plant tissues in situ and correlative assessment of the same area of interest providing important information on metabolic changes that occur during sprouting. Results and conclusions will be published in international journals in the field of food science as well as in nationally important journals and newspapers in order to promote the consumption of sprouts in Slovenia.
The proposed project will contribute to the development of biofortified functional foods and will help to introduce state-of-the-art physical techniques in procedures of food analysis.
Significance for science
Sprouts have been shown to be mineral rich and to have health-promoting effects in humans thus the interest in their consumption in countries where this is not a tradition is rapidly increasing. Scientific studies focus mainly on bioactive compounds that have health promoting effects; however there is no complete information on the mineral quality of sprouts. Furthermore there is no data on localization of essential minerals in sprouts which is essential information for understanding mechanisms involved in mineral regulation, allocation, accumulation and bioavailability. With the project we contributed to basic understanding of these processes. We employed techniques that are novel in the field of food science and food technology studies. Sample preparation and localisation analyses used do not require chemically destructive procedures such as extraction and separation of metabolites and with that degrade the original relationships between them, and causing metabolite relocation at the cellular and sub-cellular levels. This is in contrast to conventional analytical techniques for localization of minerals. Analytical techniques used were micro-Proton Induced X-ray Emission, micro-X-Ray Fluorescence, X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infra Red. The application of these techniques within the project has and will promote their advantages and may open entirely new possibilities of research in the field of food science and food technology. Using these complementary techniques we were able to generate complete maps of mineral localization and chemical forms of Fe in tartary buckwheat and wheat sprouts, not available so far.
Significance for the country
Due to climate changes, the expected price rise for healthy food in the forthcoming years and the re-orientation of agro-industry towards the more efficiently acquired food reserves establishing easily available food that is cheap and nutritionally rich is of great importance. This goal could easily be achieved by promoting sprout consumption. The popularization of sprout consumption may lead to development of commercial production exploring the unoccupied niche as sprouts are not traditionally consumed in Slovenia or in other European countries. This would be a demonstration of good collaboration of scientists and technology that is still unsatisfactory in Slovenia. The broad acceptance of functional food in everyday life as a motto could also ensure the promotion of Slovenia in Europe and in the World. The sprout production does not require the application of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides making the system sustainable and consequently decreasing the burden by these compounds on the environment. Production of sprouts can be performed with minimal costs in individual households ensuring fresh vegetables all year long resulting in lowering the total costs for expensive winter vegetable shopping. The sprout production would offer additional income for farmers in winter time as the production does not require new sophisticated infrastructures and requires only minimal cost for production. Among several sprouts buckwheat sprouts are especially rich in minerals and health promoting compounds. Buckwheat belongs to the group of a short season crops with relatively lower demand on fertilizers and pesticides, which can be successfully grown in low-input systems and less favourable areas such as marginal, non-productive land and at higher altitudes. Moreover, it is a crop convenient for organic agriculture and a base for bio-food product. The culture of buckwheat thus responds to the need to increase the cultivated area to marginal soil.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
