Cannabis sativa L. seeds have been an important source of protein, oil, and dietary fiber for human and animals. Currently, there is a growing interest in the commercial products of these seeds, which are recognized as a legitimate source of medicaments, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals. The objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant properties of seeds from seven hemp cultivars grown in Greece for three consecutive years. All the measured parameters strongly varied under the influence of growing year and genotype. In particular, protein, oil, and carbohydrates’ content of hemp seeds as well as fatty acids’ composition were mainly affected by genotype, whereas the growing year had a major effect on phytochemical components and antioxidant activity, which was determined by the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonate) (ABTS) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Moreover, a predominant effect of the year was observed for phenolic profiles as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and total carotenoids’ content. This study suggests that hemp seeds could be a promising food crop as a result of their high nutritive traits and antioxidant potential. A comparison of the studied cultivars, showed that Finola seeds had the highest oil and protein contents and, thus, appeared to be the most promising cultivar for cultivation in Greece.

Wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a widespread, partially asexual, noble hardwood European species characterized by a scattered distribution, small population sizes, and human exploitation for its valuable wood. These characteristics, especially at the southern limits of the species natural distribution where additional varying stresses may occur, render P. avium populations prone to potential stochastic, genetic, and demographic events. In this study, we used dominant inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and codominant simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to infer the genetic structure of P. avium. Five populations from northern Greece were evaluated based on 46 ISSR and 11 SSR loci. Populations presented a relatively high level of genetic variation, with a mean genetic diversity of H e =0.166 and H e =0.740 regarding ISSR and SSR analysis, respectively. We observed moderate population differentiation for ISSR (G ST =0.113) and SSR (F ST =0.097) markers. AMOVA also detected significant differentiation among populations for ISSRs (Φ ST =0.338) and SRRs (Φ ST =0.162). According to linkage disequilibrium analysis, estimates of effective population size were generally sufficient for maintaining extant genetic variability and evolutionary potential. A possible bottleneck was detected for only one population. In general, it appears that despite the particular characteristics of the P. avium populations studied, genetic stochasticity events were not apparent. The studied populations, located at the rear edge of the species European distribution, reveal a wealth of genetic variation that is very valuable for the genetic conservation of local adaptive gene complexes, especially under contemporary climatic change scenarios.

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Olea europaea L. has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years and is of major economic importance. The origin of olive cultivars remains as complex to trace as their identification. Thus, their molecular characterization and discrimination will enable olive germplasm management. In addition, it would be a useful tool for authentication of olive products. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis, coupled with five microsatellite markers, was integrated to facilitate molecular identification and characterization of main O. europaea cultivars collected from the National Olive Tree Germplasm Collection established in Chania, Greece. The five microsatellite loci used were highly informative and generated a unique melting curve profile for each of the 47 cultivars and for each microsatellite tested. In particular, three microsatellite markers (DCA03, DCA09 and DCA17), which generated 29 HRM profiles, were sufficient to genotype all the olive cultivars studied, highlighting their potential use for cultivar identification. Furthermore, this assay provided a flexible, cost-effective and closed-tube microsatellite genotyping method well suited for molecular characterization of olive cultivars.

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In this study, we evaluated crop productivity and physiology during the hydroponic cultivation of medium-sized and cherry tomato crops, using two experimental greenhouses. Of the greenhouses, one used dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) technology for covering material, whilst the other, a conventional one (CONV), was covered using diffusion glass as a control. The effect of the colored lighting that resulted from the DSSC glass filtering on the physiological response of the crops was examined by measuring the plant transpiration rate and leaf chlorophyll content. Furthermore, we evaluated potential differences in the concentration of phytochemical compounds, such as ascorbic acid, lycopene, and quality characteristics. Tomato plants in the DSSC greenhouse presented lower early and total yields, as well as lower chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate values, especially in the medium-sized fruits, as compared to the CONV greenhouse. The DSSC greenhouse showed significantly higher values of bioactive compounds for both the cherry and medium-sized tomato, with increases in the ascorbic acid, lycopene, β-carotene, and total carotenoids concentration, which ranged from 6% to 26%. Finally, for both the hybrids, the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) tests showed circa 10% and 5% increase, respectively, in the DSSC greenhouse.

Identification of genotypes in Sideritis is complicated owing to the morphological similarity and common occurrence of natural hybridisation within Sideritis species. Species- and genotype-specific DNA markers are very useful for plant identification, breeding and preservation programs. Herein, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ITS2 barcode region coupled with high resolution melting-curve (HRM) analysis was evaluated for an accurate, rapid and sensitive tool for species identification focusing on seven Sideritis species growing in Greece. The HRM assay developed in this study is a rapid and straightforward method for the identification and discrimination of the investigated Sideritis species. This assay is simple compared to other genotyping methods as it does not require DNA sequencing or post-PCR processing. Therefore, this method offers a new alternative for rapid detection of Sideritis species.

Genes in the phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family are instrumental in regulating the fate of meristems and flowering time. To investigate the role of these genes in the monocotyledonous plant Crocus (Crocus sativus L), an industrially important crop cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal properties, we have cloned and characterized a CENTRORADIALIS/TERMINAL FLOWER1 (CEN/TFL1) like gene, named CsatCEN/TFL1-like, the first reported CEN/TFL1 gene characterized from such a perennial geophyte. Sequence analysis revealed that CsatCEN/TFL1 shows high similarity to its homologous PEBP family genes CEN/TFL1, FT and MFT from a variety of plant species and maintains the same exon/intron organization. Phylogenetic analysis of the CsatCEN/TFL1 amino acid sequence confirmed that the isolated sequences belong to the CEN/TFL1 clade of the PEBP family. CsatCEN/TFL1 transcripts could be detected in corms, flower and flower organs but not in leaves. An alternative spliced transcript was also detected in the flower. Comparison of expression levels of CsatCEN/TFL1 and its alternative spliced transcript in wild type flower and a double flower mutant showed no significant differences. Overexpression of CsatCEN/TFL1 transcript in Arabidopsis tfl1 plants reversed the phenotype of early flowering and terminal flowering of the tfl1 plants to a normal one. Computational analysis of the obtained promoter sequences revealed, next to common binding motifs in CEN/TFL1-like genes as well as other flowering gene promoters, the presence of two CArG binding sites indicative of control of CEN/TFL1 by MADS-box transcription factors involved in crocus flowering and flower organ formation.