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- Title
The colours of durum wheat: a review.
- Authors
Ficco, Donatella B. M.; Mastrangelo, Anna M.; Trono, Daniela; Borrelli, Grazia M.; De Vita, Pasquale; Fares, Clara; Beleggia, Romina; Platani, Cristiano; Papa, Roberto
- Abstract
Pigments are essential to the life of all living organisms. Animals and plants have been the subjects of basic and applied research with the aim of determining the basis of the accumulation and physiological roles of pigments. In crop species, the edible organs show large variations in colour. In durum wheat grain, which is a staple food for humans, the colour is mainly due to two natural classes of pigment: carotenoids and anthocyanins. The carotenoids provide the yellow pigmentation of the durum wheat endosperm, and consequently of the semolina, which has important implications for the marketing of end products based on durum wheat. Anthocyanins accumulate in the aleurone or pericarp of durum wheat and provide the blue, purple and red colours of the grain. Both the carotenoids and the anthocyanins are known to provide benefits for human health, in terms of decreased risks of certain diseases. Therefore, accumulation of these pigments in the grain represents an important trait in breeding programs aimed at improving the nutritional value of durum wheat grain and its end products. This review focuses on the biochemical and genetic bases of pigment accumulation in durum wheat grain, and on the breeding strategies aimed at modifying grain colour. Carotenoids and anthocyanins are the main classes of chemical compounds responsible for the colour of plants, and they have beneficial effects on health. Understanding the genetic and biochemical bases for these compounds is essential to start breeding programs and to develop genotypes with health benefits. The identification of molecular markers associated with the genes responsible for the expression of these characters and the development of high-throughput instrumental methods (NIR, Minolta colourimeter and spectrometry) is a valuable support tool for rapid, effective and low-cost selection processes.
- Publication
Crop & Pasture Science, 2014, Vol 65, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1836-0947
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1071/CP13293