Cereal crops, such as oats and barley, possess a number of valuable properties that meet the requirements for functional diet components. This review summarized the available information about bioactive compounds of oat and barley grain. The results of studying the structure and physicochemical properties of the cell wall polysaccharides of barley and oat are presented. The main components of the flavonoids formation pathway are shown and data, concerning anthocyanins biosynthesis in various barley tissues, are discussed. Moreover, we analyzed the available information about structural and regulatory genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Hordeum vulgare L. genome, including β-glucan biosynthesis genes in Avena sativa L species. However, there is not enough knowledge about the genes responsible for biosynthesis of β-glucans and corresponding enzymes and plant polyphenols. The review also covers contemporary studies about collections of oat and barley genetic resources held by the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). This review intended to provide information on the processes of biosynthesis of biologically active compounds in cereals that will promote further researches devoted to transcription factors controlling expression of structural genes and their role in other physiological processes in higher plants. Found achievements will allow breeders to create new highly productive varieties with the desirable properties.

Table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a source of the natural red-colored food dye (E162), highly demanded for the broad spectrum of its biological activity. The relevance of this study is dictated by the lack of knowledge about the dynamics of changes in the crop’s betalain content during the growing season, which impedes identifying the optimal timing of harvesting in order to obtain the dye. This paper presents the results of research into betacyanins (BC) and betaxanthins (BX), separately in the peel and flesh of roots, in 15 differently colored table beet accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute (VIR). There was no statistically significant accumulation of betalains in beets during the growing season. The pigment’s significant fluctuations associated with abiotic environmental factors were shown. The ratio of BC/BX in red-colored accessions was measured: 2.65 in the peel and 2.9 in the flesh. Strong positive relationships were found between BC and BX in the peel (r = 0.97) and flesh (r = 0.79) of red-colored biotypes, which stably persisted throughout the growing season. The beetroot peel was more sensitive to temperature changes, in contrast to the flesh. The negative effect of a temperature increase on betalains in red-colored beetroots intensified on the second or third day. The pigment composition of the flesh was less susceptible to the negative impact of increased temperatures, but reacted negatively to rainfall, becoming more expressed on the second or third day. A conclusion was made about the morphotype with high betalain content. Recommended cultivars are mid-ripening, with rounded and medium-sized roots, a large number of narrow leaf blades, and short and thin petioles.

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The fatty acid composition of acyl lipids of 7 naked oat cultivars was studied. Lipids are source of energy and plastic material; promote metabolic processes in the body. In the grain of studied lines the content of raw lipids varied from 5.91 to 7.87 %. The main fatty acids of the investigated lines of naked oats are linoleic (36.2-38.7 %), oleic (33.5-36.7 %), palmitic (15.3-17.8 %). According to the content of oleic and linoleic fatty acids and their ratio (1: 1), lipids of naked oats belong to the oleic-linoleic group of vegetable oils.

Oat is one of the most widespread and important cereal crops in the global agricultural production. Searching for new high-yielding and nutritious forms continues to be relevant, especially under the global trend of climate change, when most local oat cultivars may become economically inefficient. Spring oat accessions from VIR collection served as the material for this study; their origin is diverse, as they came from 11 countries. The basic nutritional value (the content of protein, oil, starch, and β-glucans) and characters important for breeding (plant height, panicle length, number of spikelets, number of grains per panicle, 1000 grain weight, and grain yield) were analyzed in 49 accessions of the cultivated covered oat species: Avena sativa L., A. strigosa Schreb., A. abyssinica Hochst., and A. byzantina Coch., grown under the conditions of the Russian Northwest (Leningrad Province) for two years. Variability parameters, interspecific and intervarietal differences, and the effect of weather conditions were assessed. Sources of useful agronomic traits were identified; they can be used to expand the range of the source material for the development of new high-yielding and highly nutritious oat cultivars adapted to local cultivation conditions. It is demonstrated that the VIR collection has a great potential for contemporary food and feed production and for the breeding of new oat cultivars for various purposes. Thus, the contribution of Nikolai Vavilov to the plant genetic resources investigation for the benefit of humanity is invaluable.

Background. Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important sources of protein, oil, starch and dietary fibers, in particular β-glucans. Dietary fiber serves as a source of nutrition for the intestinal microflora and significantly affects not only its composition, but also the normal functioning of the intestine as a whole. In connection with the increased interest in β-glucans as a food component and dietary supplement, there is a need in a convenient and inexpensive method for determination of β-glucans content in grain. The article provides an overview of the existing methods for the isolation and determination of soluble β-glucans in cereals: enzymatic, alkaline, alkaline-enzymatic, colorimetric; their advantages and disadvantages are noted. The main disadvantages of some methods are the complexity and duration of execution, significant cost of the required reagents, and the inability to determine the exact content of β-glucans due to their insufficient purification from various impurities.Results. This study used the example of naked and covered oat cultivars to demonstrate applicability of the gravimetric method that we developed by modifying the alkaline method. Whole grain oat flour was pretreated with a 50% ethanol solution to inactivate β-glucanase and remove free sugars, some lipids, proteins, and other substances. β-glucans were released from the aleurone layer and the endosperm with a 5% sodium hydroxide solution, and finally extracted with a 70% ethanol solution. Β-glucans floated to the surface in the form of a bunch of fibers, which was then dried at a temperature about 100-102°C to constant weight and weighed. The content of β-glucans was calculated from the dry weight (%). The isolated β-glucans were checked for the presence of accompanying substances: the content of nitrogenous substances was determined by the Kjeldahl method, and the presence of starch was determined by a qualitative reaction with Lugolʼs reagent.Conclusions. The content of β-glucans in the grain of the studied samples ranged from 3.12±0.18 up to 4.65±0.17% of the dry weight. As a result of the study, the optimal conditions of β-glucans isolation were selected: the extraction mixtures ratios, as well as the modes of centrifugation, sedimentation and drying were established. It has been shown that this method makes it possible to isolate β-glucans with a minimum impurity of nitrogenous substances (0.07-0.12%) and no traces of starch. One of the advantages of the described method is its availability for mass analysis when studying a collection of grain crops.

BACKGROUND: The infrared reflection spectroscopy application method for rapid assessment of biochemical parameters in various types of oats is shown. On the basis of the biochemical data obtained in the laboratory of VIR, calibration models of protein, oil and starch content were constructed. AIM: The aim of the study is to develop an express method of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) spectroscopy to determine the main biochemical parameters in oat seeds and to build calibration models for the MATRIX-I IR analyser to quantify the mass fraction of protein, oil and starch in oat seeds based on data obtained by traditional methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biochemical quality indicators (protein, oil, starch) were studied on seeds of filmy oats (Avena sativa L.) grown in 20152016 in the North-Western Region of the Russian Federation. Calibration models for the determination of protein, oil and starch in oat seeds (98 samples, harvest 20142015) were developed for the MATRIX-I IR analyzer by Bruker Optics (Germany). Values obtained by traditional chemical methods of analysis were used to construct calibration models. Oat seed oil was determined by the Soxlet method, protein by the Kjeldahl method, starch by the Evers polarimetric method. All indicators were recalculated for dry weight. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The reliability of the developed models was checked by the results of protein, oil and starch determination in the seeds of the test batch according to the indicator of the calibration correctness. The data obtained using the calibration curve on the MATRIX-I device had no significant differences with the results of chemical studies. Therefore, calibration can be used for screening analysis for protein, oil and starch content in oat samples. This method allows you to save valuable material, increase labour productivity due to the speed of obtaining data, does not require reagents and is safe.

Recently, the trend of using fruit and berry crops as ingredients for functional and dietary nutrition, the development and implementation of f lavors, pigments, new medicines and dietary supplements has been actualized. Because the direction of use depends on the biochemical properties of fruits, which are determined not only by species and varietal characteristics, but also by reproduction conditions, the study of the biochemical composition of fruits grown in various regions of the world continues to be relevant. In this regard, the collection of N.I. Vavilov Institute (VIR), which has a wide diversity of fruit and berry crops, is of great interest for study. Ribes nigrum fruits have a balanced set of sugars, organic acids, essential oils, microelements, a high content of vitamins, anthocyanins, pectins. Lonicera caerulea fruits are characterized by high values of phenolic substances: biof lavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, f lavonols, polyphenols, anthocyanins, as well as vitamins, carotenoids, iridoid glycosides and other natural antioxidants. The investigation of L. caerulea and R. nigrum fruit's accessions from the VIR collection using gas-liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry allows us to obtain new information about the biochemical characteristics of fruits, to identify L. caerulea and R. nigrum varieties with optimal economically valuable characteristics, to determine the specif icity of L. caerulea and R. nigrum metabolomic spectra in the setting of Northwest Russia. As a result of the analysis, typical compounds of the metabolomic prof ile of each culture were identif ied. Organic acids, phenol-containing compounds and polyols prevailed in L. caerulea, while mono-and oligosaccharides, in R. nigrum. The qualitative composition of the black currant varieties 'Malen'kii Printz' , 'Dobriyi Dzhinn' , 'Tisel' , 'Orlovskii Val's' , and blue honeysuckle 'S 322-4' , 'Malvina' , 'Leningradsky Velikan' was optimal for food consumption; the varieties of blue honeysuckle 'Bazhovskaya' and black currant 'Aleander' had a good representation of biologically active compounds, which makes samples attractive as raw materials for the production of biologically active additives, including with the use of microorganisms' cultures.