Characterisation of nutritional quality traits of a chickpea (Cicer arietinum) germplasm collection exploited in chickpea breeding in Europe

Abstract

Seed and flour characteristics of 79 chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) accessions from a representative collection of the germplasm used by European breeders were evaluated. The accessions were grouped according to desi or kabuli types and by different seed traits (size, shape, colour, surface). The variation in nutritional composition was assessed by principal component analysis (PCA) of data from 13 quality parameters. The first PCA component discriminated the accessions by basic composition (protein, fibre, fat) plus δ-tocopherol, and the second by carotenoid composition (zeaxanthin). Whereas desi types showed higher protein and fibre, kabuli accessions exhibited higher fat contents. The majority of accessions analysed showed very low (<1%) resistant starch content. Higher carotenoid concentration was obtained in desi-type accessions and it was related to specific seed traits: small seed size, angular shape and black colour. Besides discrimination between desi and kabuli groups, the detected associations of classes of shape, size and colour seed traits can be explored in chickpea-quality breeding programs. Several accessions showed higher concentrations of α-tocopherol (>200 μg g–1). LEGCA728, with green colouring in the seed coat and cotyledons, showed exceptional lutein concentration (28.32 μg g–1). We conclude that the chickpea germplasm in use by European breeders presents high potential for improvement of nutritional and health-benefit components not yet routinely implemented in the breeding of this important pulse crop.

Relationship between seed traits and pasting and cooking behaviour in a pulse germplasm collection

“…Kabuli seeds showed significantly higher seed weight (33 g v. 19 g for desi seeds), which is similar to previous findings, where kabuli seeds weighed 17.6 g and desi seeds 35.7 g (Tripathi et al 2012). Kabuli seeds are usually described as having thinner seed coat (Serrano et al 2017), and here, they had significantly higher final viscosity values (Fig. 2a).…”

“…For chickpea accessions, variability by basic composition has been demonstrated (Serrano et al 2017). Here, the resulting components of the PCA for chickpea explained 52% of total variance: 37% for the first component and 15% for the second (Fig.…”

“…As such, for quality improvement in breeding programs and for the selection of the best genetic material, certain traits must be characterised for genetic diversity within different germplasm collections. In chickpea collections, physical parameters such as size, shape and colour have been shown to affect variation in quality parameters including protein, fibre and fat content (Serrano et al 2017). In addition, seed traits such as seed weight, hydration capacity and cooking time vary with chickpea genotype (Tripathi et al 2012).…”

Human bioavailability of phenolic compounds found in common beans: the use of high-resolution MS to evaluate inter-individual variability

“…All the measurements were performed in a Spectrophotometer DU-70 (Beckman®), and the final results were expressed as mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per g of seed's dry weight (DW), considering the moisture content of the raw seeds. Moisture content (%) was determined by a Near-IR analyser (MPA; Bruker) with flour calibrations for grain legumes (30) .…”

Legumes in sustainable agriculture

“…Poblaciones and Rengel (2017) successfully biofortified field peas with zinc and selenium using combined foliar application and thus these results may help to reduce the deficiencies of both microelements. Regarding quality, Serrano et al (2017) studied seed and flour characteristics in chickpea and they reported that the chickpea germplasm present a high potential for the improvement of nutritional characteristics. Similarly, Santos et al (2017) also analysed the storage proteins in chickpea using proteomics with a focus in their nutritional aspects.…”