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The assessment of antioxidant properties and phenolic content of grassland species is particularly useful for finding new sources for natural antioxidants, functional foods and nutraceuticals. Knowledge about antioxidant properties and phenolic content of many plant species used as traditional plant remedies is limited. We determined Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) by the two assays 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and the phenolic content by the Folin Ciocalteau method on 16 wild plant species, chosen among those traditionally used for ethnoveterinary practices. TEAC values exhibited extremely large variation, from 1.08 (Opuntia ficus indica) to 131.14 (Pistacia lentiscus) mmol TEAC 100 g-1 DW in the ABTS assay. Total phenolics, calculated as gallic acid equivalent (GAE), showed variation ranging from 12.7 (Hedera helix) to 147.68 (Pistacia lentiscus) g GAE kg-1 (DW). High TEAC values corresponded to high phenolic content, while plants with low antioxidant activity exhibited low total phenolic content. These results suggest that phenolic content might be useful as an indicator of antioxidant properties and encourage investigations on Mediterranean grassland species as sources of antioxidants.

Although heavy metal (HM) contamination of crops is a matter of concern, such contamination has been little investigated in natural areas. Within the frame of a project funded by Regione Sardegna, we checked the spread of heavy metals in vegetation of natural and improved pasturelands selected according to their proximity to potential sources of pollution. We found a wide range of cadmium (Cd) concentrations, and generally a high Cd concentration in vegetation and soils of pasturelands close to military, industrial and mining areas, compared with control areas. The detected HM concentrations are discussed in terms of their impact on the food chain and compared them to values available in literature in order to ascertain critical values for sheep breeding.

We focused our attention on grassland species suitable for multiple uses, as source of bioactive compounds for healthcare of domestic animals, phytoremediation, biomass production for bioenergy and for wild fire prevention. Plant secondary metabolites such as polyphenols exhibit a wide range of biological effects, many of which are associated with their free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity. We looked at available data on natural antioxidants derived from grassland plants for the identification of species to develop new natural products for phytotherapy and as feed additives to improve animal production. We also made a screening of available data about the phytoremediation potential of grassland species taking into account also eco-toxicological aspects related to the utilization of biomass harvested from contaminated sites. Furthermore, we discuss examples regarding the novel role of grasslands to supply bioenergy and bio-based products such as biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials from bio-refinery. Energy generation from biomass of extensive, high-diversity grasslands has been claimed in areas of central Europe, whereas autochthonous Mediterranean perennial grasses are currently being investigated for bioenergy. In Europe, about 65,000 fires occur yearly, burning half a million hectares of vegetated areas. We analysed results of available experience of grazing and wood-pasture management as tools to reduce available fuel, and to protect species and landscape biodiversity.

This paper reports the results of genetic resources characterization of some pasture species from the germplasm collection held at ISPAAM-CNR in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. According to the peculiarities of each species, some of the uses suggested by the experimental results were phytoremediation, wildfi re prevention, biomass production for bioenergy, forage production and multiple uses, bioactive compounds for health care of domestic animals.

BACKGROUND: Sainfoin (Onobrichis viciifolia Scop.) is a forage legume present in temperate areas and less widespread in Mediterranean environments. Compared to other perennial legumes, it has the advantage of containing condensed tannins (CT) that can be important for their implications on nutrition and health of ruminants. Sainfoin nitrogen fixation data reported in literature about sainfoin originate from very different environments and only few field data are available, so it is important to deepen knowledge about N fixation potential of such species, particularly under Mediterranean climate. We studied the accumulation pattern of polyphenolic compounds (total, non tannic polyphenols and CT) and the nitrogen fixation potential of sainfoin in order to contribute to the valorisation of the species for sustainable farming management in Mediterranean environments. RESULTS: CT concentrations were always in the range considered beneficial for animals, not exceeding 50 g delphinidin equivalent kg-1 . The regression of the aerial fixed N on the aerial dry matter (DM) showed, in Mediterranean environment, a relationship of 22 kg of fixed N per tonne of aerial DM. CONCLUSIONS: A wider exploitation of sainfoin is suggested for production under rainfed conditions, thus enlarging the limited set of available perennial legumes suitable for Mediterranean environments.

CONTEXT: Scientific information on antioxidant properties and phenolic content of less widely used plants can be useful. Therefore, the assessment of such properties remains an interesting and useful task, particularly for finding new sources for natural antioxidants, functional foods, and nutraceuticals. OBJECTIVE: As knowledge about antioxidant properties and phenolic content of many plant species used as traditional plant remedies is limited, we determined in vitro the total antioxidant activity and the phenolic content of several plant species traditionally used for ethnoveterinary practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 24 extracts (70% acetone) from wild and cultivated plant species traditionally used for health care of animals we determined the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) by the two assays 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). The phenolic content was determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method. RESULTS: Total phenolics, calculated as gallic acid equivalent (GAE), showed variation ranging from 3.18 (Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae)) to 147.68 (Pistacia lentiscus L. (Anacardiaceae)) mgGAE/g dry weight (DW). High TEAC values corresponded to high phenolic content, while plants with low antioxidant activity exhibited low total phenolic content. The TEAC determined through each assay and total phenolic content were positively correlated, R² = 0.9152 and R² = 0.8896, respectively, for DPPH and ABTS assay. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that phenolic content could be used as an indicator of antioxidant properties. The results of this study encourage investigations on Mediterranean plant species as sources of antioxidants.

Nel corso degli ultimi venti anni, una delle principali tematiche di ricerca del CNR-ISPAAM di Sassari è stata l'identificazione e la caratterizzazione di nuove risorse genetiche di interesse foraggero della flora spontanea, ai fini della loro introduzione in coltura per scopi produttivi. A tale iniziale interesse si è aggiunta da qualche anno la valutazione per gli usi multipli, includendo aspetti legati al recupero e conservazione ambientale, in considerazione delle problematiche relative all'eccessivo pascolamento, agli incendi, all'impatto delle attività antropiche, allo stato di abbandono di molte aree marginali. Una serie di popolazioni naturali di specie spontanee dei pascoli, non solo tra le più tradizionali leguminose e graminacee, ma anche Composite e Geraniacee, sono state quindi collezionate e valutate per alcune caratteristiche bioagronomiche utili per usi foraggeri e multipli in ambiente mediterraneo. Alcuni esempi sono rappresentati da Erodium moschatum che ha mostrato apprezzabili caratteristiche nutrizionali per i ruminanti. Cichorium intybus valutata positivamente per produzione e qualità foraggera che può essere considerata un'alternativa o comunque una specie complementare a foraggere più tradizionali. Chrysamhemllln coronarium in passato considerata una specie infestante che ha invece mostrato ottime capacità produttive di foraggio e buona qualità di insilato; per quest'ultima specie è stata inoltre condotta con successo la messa a punto della raccolta del seme, fase fondamentale per la futura introduzione in coltura di tutte le specie native. Lolium rigidum e Medicago polymorpha sono stati utilizzati con successo nella prevenzione attiva degli incendi boschivi attraverso l'inerbimento di fasce tagliafuoco e la loro utilizzazione al pascolo. Lotus edulis e L. ornithopodioides che in associazione a rizobi e rizobatteri promotori di crescita hanno mostrato potenzialità per utilizzi in programmi di phytoremediation in aree inquinate da metalli pesanti.

Seven slow-growing bacterial strains isolated from root nodules of yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus) that originated from Asinara Island on North Western Sardinia in Italy were characterized by partial 16S rRNA gene and intergenic spacer (ITS) sequencing as well as amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genomic fingerprinting. The results indicated that the O. compressus isolates belong to the Bradyrhizobium canariense species. The analysis of ITS sequences divided the branch of B. canariense strains into two statistically separated groups (ITS clusters I and II). All the strains in ITS cluster I showed the presence of unique oligonucleotide insert TTAGAGACTTAGGTTTCTK. This insert was neither found in other described species of the family Rhizobiaceae nor in any other bacterial families and can be used as a natural and high selective genetic marker for ITS cluster I of B. canariense strains. ITS grouping of O. compressus isolates was supported by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages cluster analysis of their AFLP patterns, suggesting that the strains of ITS cluster II were genetically closer to each other than to isolates from the ITS cluster I. A taxonomic importance is supposed of the revealed 19 bp ITS insert for an intraspecific division within high heterogeneous B. canariense species.

Our aim is to add information on traditional veterinary practices used by farmers and shepherds in some rural areas of Sardinia (Italy), with the belief that also traditional veterinary practices can be precious indicators of defined cultural instances related to human lives and in this way can provide useful indications in order to define and recollect memories of each country specific culture.

The collecting mission on Corsica is part of a new exploration cycle opened in 2002 with a mission to the Maltese archipelago. The main aim is the safeguard of autochthonous crop genetic resources still present on Mediterranean islands. This new exploratory cycle follows the eight-year research accomplished for the collection of crop genetic resources from the small Italian islands. Corsica, with a surface area of 8722 km2, is the fourth largest Mediterranean island. Because of its prevalent mountain areas with a high number of small villages not readily accessible, a first exploratory mission was started in the northern part of the island in September 2003, with the southern part being visited in 2004. In our first expedition, 112 valuable landraces were collected, which belong to several species of pulses, vegetables, cereals, forages, spices and condiments. The progressive genetic erosion of crop genetic resources was clearly evident from the abandoned orchards found around all the all villages that were visited. Because of the genetic erosion risks, the building of a local genebank might help to keep alive the local agricultural traditions and resources.