Nutritional Value, Chemical Characterization and Bulb Morphology of Greek Garlic Landraces

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop throughout the world. In Greece there are many areas which have specialized in garlic cultivation through the last decades, considered the main production areas. However, despite the significance of garlic as a food product and the high annual income of this crop, there is a decreasing trend in total cultivated area in Greece, and the local landraces are gradually neglected in favor of new imported genotypes. In the present study, garlic genotypes (local landraces/varieties, imported genotypes, commercial cultivars) from the main production regions of Greece were assessed for their chemical composition and quality (total soluble solids, dry matter content, nutritional value, mineral composition, organic acids, fatty acids content and free sugars content), and bulb morphology. The results of the present study showed significant diversity in quality features and bulb morphology, not only between the genotypes from different growing regions, but also between those of the same region. This result is interesting since it could be implemented for further improvement and valorization of this important vegetable crop through extensive breeding programs within the framework of sustainability and genetic, material conservation.

The influence of amino acid biostimulators on the size and quality of garlic (<i>Allium sativum</i> L.)

“…'Ornak' from the treatment with Calleaf Aminovital (7 pcs×plant -1 ), compared with the remaining experimental treatments. An earlier study by Petropoulsos et al (2018) showed that the number of cloves in a garlic bulb, depending on the cultivar, was from 4 to 6 pcs×plant -1 . On the other hand, Yeshiwas et al (2018) obtained somewhat higher results -from 10 to 20 pcs×plant -1 , while Albuquerque No significant effect of the factors and their interactions on the content of sugars in garlic was demonstrated.…”

“…A considerably higher content of total sugars in garlic bulbs was assayed by Suleria et al (2015) -41.40 g 100 g -1 FM. Petropoulsos et al (2018) obtained from 23.87 to 31.99 g 100 g -1 FM total sugars in the analysed garlic cultivars. Dalhad et al (2018) -19.48 g 100 g -1 FM.…”

Variability in Bulb Organosulfur Compounds, Sugars, Phenolics, and Pyruvate among Greek Garlic Genotypes: Association with Antioxidant Properties

“…In a recent study, pyruvate constituted up to 61% of total organic acids in garlic [ 11 ]. Determination of pyruvate has been used for the indirect estimation of allicin in fresh raw garlic since it is the by-product of alliin transformation to allicin [ 34 ].…”

“…The phenotypic diversity and nutritional value of certain Greek garlic genotypes have recently been reported by our groups [ 11 , 12 , 15 ]. The aim of the present study was to determine the main bioactive compounds and to evaluate in vitro the antioxidant properties of Greek garlic germplasm; organosulfur compounds were determined for the first time and ultrasound-assisted extraction was adopted for the study of both volatiles and polar ingredients.…”

“…Variation among garlic genotypes is the basis for breeding new varieties with superior traits. In this context, there is considerable interest for local genotypes (landraces and/or farmers’ varieties) with respect to their content of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant properties of its cloves [ 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”