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Introducción: Mirabegrón es uno de los fármacos usados en el tratamiento de la vejiga hiperactiva, síndrome caracterizado por alteraciones en la micción. Variaciones genéticas en genes implicados en la absorción, distribución, metabolismo y eliminación de mirabegrón pueden tener un efecto en su farmacocinética, afectando así a su eficacia y seguridad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar la posible influencia de la variación genética en la farmacocinética y seguridad de mirabegrón en voluntarios sanos. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de genes candidatos con 79 voluntarios sanos de tres ensayos clínicos de bioequivalencia, en los que se administraron 50 mg de mirabegrón en monodosis o multidosis y en condiciones de alimentación o ayuno. En cada voluntario, se genotiparon 115 variantes relevantes en farmacogenes de interés mediante PCR a tiempo real con sondas TaqMan® y se infirieron sus fenotipos a partir de guías clínicas farmacogenéticas. Finalmente, se realizó un análisis estadístico univariante y multivariante para estudiar las asociaciones entre las variantes genéticas y la farmacocinética y seguridad de mirabegrón. Resultados: Las mujeres mostraron mayor área bajo la curva (AUC) que los hombres, pero estas diferencias desaparecieron al ajustar por la ratio dosis/peso (D/P). En condiciones de alimentación, el AUC corregido por D/P fue menor, al igual que la concentración máxima (Cmáx), que tardaba más en alcanzarse (tmáx). Los voluntarios con un fenotipo metabolizador intermedio para CYP2D6 mostraron mayor vida media y mayor incidencia de reacciones adversas que los metabolizadores ultrarrápidos y normales. Además, la eliminación también fue más lenta en los individuos con genotipo UGT1A4 rs2011425 T/G comparado con el genotipo T/T. También hubo diferencias significativas en la farmacocinética y seguridad en función de la variación genética de UGT1A3, SLC19A1, SLC6A2 y SLCO1B1. Discusión y conclusiones: La mayor exposición a mirabegrón en muje

Tesis por compendio, [ES] En las sociedades modernas ha aumentado la demanda de alimentos funcionales, así como la alimentación como una experiencia gastronómica. Surge así una oportunidad de revalorizar el uso de plantas silvestres comestibles mediante su domesticación y adaptación a cultivo. Algunas de estas especies, además de incorporar sabores distintos, son percibidas como beneficiosas para la salud, factor que a nivel científico puede corresponder con la acumulación de compuestos bioactivos. La presente Tesis es un trabajo de evaluación y pre-domesticación de dos especies de amplia distribución en nuestra región, destacadas por su alto potencial funcional y calidad organoléptica. El objetivo es, por un lado, aumentar el conocimiento en estos componentes de la calidad; y por otra parte, establecer una base para los programas de domesticación y adaptación a cultivo. La primera parte de esta Tesis se centra en el potencial de la berraza. Hasta la fecha se ha descrito su alto potencial en términos de contenido en fenoles totales y capacidad reductora de radicales libres. Nuestros resultados ampliando el número de muestras no sólo confirman dicho potencial, sino que establecen además una clara correlación entre ambos caracteres. Se sugiere así que la capacidad reductora de la berraza está principalmente definida por la acumulación de compuestos fenólicos, especialmente derivados de la quercetina. Por otro lado, el perfil volátil revela una prevalencia de compuestos terpenoides y fenilpropanoides. Este perfil es único en comparación con otras especies cultivadas; se identifican, sin embargo, ciertas similitudes que podrían explicar la relación de sabor entre ellas. Pese a su interés funcional y aromático, el cultivo convencional resulta poco prometedor. Queda no obstante la vía abierta a nuevos trabajos de adaptación a cultivo hidropónico como alternativa prometedora. La segunda parte de la Tesis está orientada al estudio de la rabaniza. Debido a la latencia secundaria de su semilla, s, [CA] En les societats modernes ha augmentat la demanda d'aliments funcionals i s'ha promogut a més l'alimentació com una experiència gastronòmica. Sorgeix així una oportunitat de revaloritzar l'ús de plantes silvestres comestibles, mitjançant la seua domesticació i adaptació a cultiu. Algunes d'aquestes espècies, a més d'incorporar sabors diferents, són percebudes com a beneficioses per a la salut, factor que a nivell científic pot correspondre amb l'acumulació de compostos bioactius. La present Tesi es un treball d'avaluació i pre-domesticació de dues espècies d'àmplia distribució a la nostra regió, destacades per un alt potencial funcional i qualitat organolèptica. L'objectiu és, d'una banda, augmentar el coneixement d'aquests dos components de la qualitat; i d'altra banda, establir una base per als programes de domesticació i adaptació a cultiu. La primera part d'aquesta Tesi se centra en el potencial del creixen de sèquia. Fins hui s'ha descrit el seu potencial en termes de contingut en fenols totals i capacitat reductora de radicals lliures. Els nostres resultats ampliant el nombre de mostres no solament confirmen aquest potencial, sinó que estableixen a més una clara correlació entre els dos caràcters. Se suggereix així que la capacitat reductora del creixen està principalment definida per l'acumulació de compostos fenòlics, especialment derivats de la quercetina. D'altra banda, el perfil volàtil revela una prevalença de compostos terpenoids i fenilpropanoids. Aquest perfil és únic en comparació amb altres espècies cultivades; no obstant això, s'identifiquen certes similituds que podrien explicar la relació entre aquestes espècies. Malgrat el seu interés funcional i aromàtic, el cultiu convencional és poc prometedor. No obstant això, queda oberta la via a nous treballs d'adaptació a cultiu hidropònic com a alternativa prometedora. La segona part de la Tesi està orientada a l'estudi de la ravenissa. A causa de la latència secundària de la seua llavor, es fa nec, [EN] Modern societies have increased the demands on functional, as well as the consideration of feeding as a gastronomic experience. These key points encourage the revalorization of wild edible plants by means of the domestication and adaptation into crop systems. Some of these species, apart from providing new tastes, are also perceived as beneficial for health. These perceived benefits can scientifically correspond to the accumulation of bioactive compounds. The current Thesis is aimed at the evaluation and pre-domestication of two wild species broadly found in our region, which highlight for their functional potential and organoleptic quality. The aim is, on one hand, to increase the knowledge on these components of quality; and, on the other hand, to establish a basis for the domestication and crop adaptation programs. The first part of this Thesis is focused on analyzing the potential of water celery. Previous authors have described high antioxidant properties for this species in terms of content in total phenolics and free radical scavenging capacity. Our work with a larger quantity of materials confirms this potential and establishes a clear correlation between both traits. Thus, we suggest that the free radical scavenging capacity is mainly due to the accumulation of phenolics, mainly quercetin derived compounds. On the other hand, the volatile profile is rich in terpenoid compounds and phenylpropanoids. Such profile is unique compared to other cultivated species. However, there are some similarities that may explain the resemblances among them. Despite the functional and aromatic interest of water celery, its adaptation into conventional systems is not greatly promising. Nevertheless, we suggest that future works could consider the hydroponic system as a promising alternative. The second part of this Thesis is focused on the study of wall rocket. Due to the secondary dormancy of their seeds, it is firstly needed the establishment of an adequate treatment fo

[EN] Antiviral treatments inhibiting Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) replication may represent a strategy complementary to vaccination to fight the ongoing Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Molecules or extracts inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 chymotripsin-like protease (3CLPro) could contribute to reducing or suppressing SARS-CoV-2 replication. Using a targeted approach, we identified 17 plant products that are included in current and traditional cuisines as promising inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro activity. Methanolic extracts were evaluated in vitro for inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro activity using a quenched fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes, mustard (Brassica nigra) seeds, and wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides subsp. erucoides) at 500 ug mL-1 displayed significant inhibition of the 3CLPro activity, resulting in residual protease activities of 0.0%, 9.4%, and 14.9%, respectively. Using different extract concentrations, an IC50 value of 15.74 ug mL-1 was calculated for turmeric extract. Commercial curcumin inhibited the 3CLPro activity, but did not fully account for the inhibitory effect of turmeric rhizomes extracts, suggesting that other components of the turmeric extract must also play a main role in inhibiting the 3CLPro activity. Sinigrin, a major glucosinolate present in mustard seeds and wall rocket, did not have relevant 3CLPro inhibitory activity; however, its hydrolysis product allyl isothiocyanate had an IC50 value of 41.43 ug mL-1. The current study identifies plant extracts and molecules that can be of interest in the search for treatments against COVID-19, acting as a basis for future chemical, in vivo, and clinical trials.

[EN] Cultivated rocket (Eruca vesicaria) is a leafy vegetable highly appreciated for its healthpromoting virtues and consumed both raw and cooked as ready-to-use vegetable. Despite Eruca being cultivated worldwide, only a few cultivars are available and limited breeding activities have been carried out so far. Therefore, the genetic resources available represent an unexploited potential source of variation for breeding. In the present study, 155 E. vesicaria accessions from 30 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and America have been characterized for 54 qualitative and quantitative morphological and quality traits. Conventional descriptors and automated tools for the determination of the quality, morphology, and colour of leaves have been used. Genetic diversity was assessed using 15 inter simple sequence repeat and simple sequence repeat markers. A high level of diversity was evidenced in the collection. Significant differences were found in most of the traits with the exception of five pseudo-qualitative descriptors. The first and second dimensions of the principal components analysis with phenotypic traits accounted for 25.69% of total variation showing a stratification of the genotypes according to the European and Asian origins. In total, 75% of the variation was contained in the first 15 components having eigenvalues higher than 1.0. Also, the population structure divided the collection into two main clusters separating European genotypes from the rest. Furthermore, hierarchical cluster analysis confirmed a geographical separation, grouping the accessions into three major clusters, which were differentiated by plant architecture, leaf and flower colour, leaf water status, leaf blade shape and hairiness of the leaves and stem. Our approach has broadened the knowledge of the diversity within the Eruca gene pool, thus contributing to identify sources of variation and to select the best candidates for cultivated rocket breeding programs, as well as to determin

[EN] Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is a wild edible herb traditionally consumed in the Mediterranean regions with a characteristic, pungent flavour. However, little is known about its acceptance as a potential new crop. In the present study, an hedonic test with 98 volunteers was performed in order to evaluate the potential of wall rocket as a new crop. Three products were tested corresponding to microgreens, seedlings and baby-leaves. The volatile constituents were also studied due to their probable influence on acceptance, and compared to Dijon's mustard and wasabi. The degree of acceptance was mainly related to taste and pungency. Microgreens were well accepted, whereas seedlings and baby-leaves were mainly appreciated by individuals that enjoy pungent tastes. The purchase intent was also highly related to the acceptance of taste and pungency. The volatiles profile revealed that wall rocket was rich in allyl isothiocyanate, like mustard and wasabi. This compound may be greatly responsible of the relationship between the acceptance of mustard, wasabi and wall rocket. Microgreens displayed the highest levels of isothiocyanates, although the quantity of product tested by panellists did not probably allow the appreciation of such compounds. In baby-leaves, a significant decrease in isothiocyanates GC area and relative abundances was observed. These results suggest that wall rocket microgreens would be accepted by a significant proportion of the general public since pungency is lowly perceived in the product, despite its high levels of isothiocyanates. By contrast, baby-leaves may become a crop for a cohort of consumers that enjoy pungent flavours.

[EN] Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is a wild vegetable with potential as a crop. Its seeds present secondary dormancy mechanisms that can become essential for the survival of wall rocket as a weed or in the wild. However, adaptation to crop conditions requires high and synchronised germination. The present work was aimed at studying whether different treatments improve the germination success of wall rocket seeds, and the effects on subsequent crop quality (morphology, yield, ascorbic acid and phenolics). By using of a L8 orthogonal array design, the main effects of soaking the seeds, scarification with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), gibberellic acid (GA3), potassium nitrate (KNO3), cold, and heat treatments on germination traits of wall rocket were evaluated. NaClO scarification was the most efficient treatment and significantly increased the early and final germination, the germination rate and the vigour index. The best germination results were obtained when the NaClO scarification was followed by application of GA3. Thus, a protocol consisting on scarification with 2.5% NaClO for 5 min followed by treatment with 150 ppm GA3 for 24 h was proposed to improve wall rocket germination success. In addition, the germination treatments did not greatly affect the agronomic characters of baby-leaf plants. Scarification with NaClO reduced the days to harvest but did not affect the yield, so its use could have commercial benefits. Moreover, the content in ascorbic acid increased in treatments using NaClO, which may increase the added value of the potential crop. Overall, this study contributes to the domestication of wall rocket by providing a simple germination method that in addition has potential beneficial effects for crop quality.

[EN] Wall rocket is a leafy vegetable with pungent flavor related to the presence of isothiocyanates (ITCs). Despite interest in it as a crop of high organoleptic quality, the variability of the volatile profile in the species remains unknown. Twenty-four populations grown under a greenhouse were evaluated. A considerable diversity for the total levels of volatiles was found, providing information of the aroma intensity among accessions. ITCs represented the main fraction. Allyl ITC was the main compound, and levels showed up to 6-fold difference among populations. The esters fraction was mainly represented bycis-3-hexenyl isovalerate andcis-3-hexenyl butyrate, with 20-fold differences among populations. Additionally, the content in sinigrin was evaluated as main GSL in wall rocket. Differences reached up to 13-fold. These results suggest that some populations can be used to develop highly pungent varieties, whereas some others can be selected for mild-pungent varieties, as it is the case of DER045 with low levels of ITCs and high in esters. The presence of several ITCs in the profile also suggested the presence of other novel GSLs. Overall, the work increases the knowledge in the variability of wall rocket for the volatile profile and sinigrin accumulation, a starting point for future breeding programs.

[EN] Wall rocket is a wild vegetable with interest to become a crop. However, the information regarding morphological variability in the species is scarce, despite the interest it has received for breeding programs. In addition, evaluating the phytochemical composition can also be useful for developing materials of a high quality. In this study, forty-four populations were evaluated for selected morphoagronomic traits and contents in ascorbic acid (AA), total phenolics (TP), and nitrates (NO3¿). Wall rocket plants had, on average, an intermediate growth habit and a good response to transplant. Moderate variability, mainly for size-related traits, was found, with low to moderate heritability estimates (H2 < 0.35). A Principal Component Analysis revealed that some materials may be selected for differenced traits. On the other hand, wall rocket materials had, on average, high contents in AA (53 mg 100 g¿1) and TP (116 mg CAE 100 g¿1) but also accumulated high levels of NO3¿ (891 mg 100 g¿1). Significant positive correlations were found for AA and TP, which could be exploited for increasing the antioxidant activity and properties of the final product. We provide new information on the variation of wall rocket for traits of morphological and phytochemical interest, which together with other traits, such as the profile of glucosinolates, can be useful for the selection of materials in future breeding programs.

[EN] Background. Fool's watercress (Apium nodiflorum) is an edible vegetable with potential as a new crop. However, little information is available regarding the antioxidant properties of the plant and the individual phenolics accounting for this capacity are unknown. Methods. The antioxidant properties of twenty-five wild populations were analysed and individual phenolics present in the species reported and compared with celery and parsley. The antioxidant activity was measured as the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity, and the total phenolics content (TPC) via the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. The individual phenolics constituents were determined via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as aglycones. Results. The average DPPH and TPC of fool's watercress were 28.1 mg Trolox g-1 DW and 22.3 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalents g-1 DW, respectively, much higher than those of celery and parsley. Significant differences for both DPPH and TPC, which may be explained by either genotype or environmental factors, were detected among groups established according to geographical origin. Quercetin was identified as the major phenolic present in the leaves of the species, unlike parsley and celery, in which high amounts of apigenin and luteolin were determined. Quercetin represented 61.6% of the phenolics targeted in fool's watercress, followed by caffeic acid derivatives as main hydroxycinnamic acids. Discussion. The study reports the high antioxidant properties of fool's watercress based on a large number of populations. Results suggest that quercetin accounts for an important share of the antioxidant capacity of this potential new crop. The study also provides a basis for future breeding programs, suggesting that selection by geographical locations may result in differences in the antioxidant properties.

[EN] Wild edible plants can be used for developing new crops and diversifying food markets. Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is an annual weed with potential as a new crop. The present study aims at evaluating the effects of different growing conditions in the visual quality of this potential new crop. We evaluated eleven accessions of wall rocket, together with commercial rocket accessions (Eruca sativa and D. tenuifolia). Experiments were simultaneously conducted under field and greenhouse systems, and performed during two seasons. Fifteen descriptors related to leaf size, colour and shape were evaluated. Analysis of variance detected significant differences in size and shape among the three species studied, revealing the distinctiveness of wall rocket from the other rocket crops. This distinctiveness may enhance its establishment as a new crop. Comparison between the wall rocket accessions was also performed. There was relatively low morphological diversity among them. By contrast, the growing conditions had a high effect on the visual quality, especially for colour related traits and intensity of lobation, and also in the flowering time. As a consequence, the heritability estimates were low to moderate. The principal component analysis (PCA) clustered accessions according to the growing conditions, thus reinforcing the importance of environment in the morphology of wall rocket. The most promising quality of the leaves was obtained under field conditions, where the bright green colour and intensity of lobation were enhanced. In particular, accession DER006-1 was identified as a good candidate for developing a new cultivar. These results establish a basis for the management of wall rocket as a new crop. At the same time, results regarding the low diversity registered for morphology in the accessions evaluated have important implications for future breeding programmes of wall rocket.

[EN] Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is a wild vegetable with the potential to become a crop of high antioxidant quality. The main bioactive compounds include ascorbic acid (AA), sinigrin, and a high content of total phenolic compounds (TP). It also accumulates nitrates. Since these compounds are affected by environmental conditions, adequate crop management may enhance its quality. Eleven accessions of wall rocket were evaluated under field and greenhouse conditions during two cycles (winter and spring) and compared to Eruca sativa and Diplotaxis tenuifolia crops. The three species did not differ greatly. As an exception, sinigrin was only identified in wall rocket. For the within-species analysis, the results revealed a high effect of the growing system, but this was low among accessions. The highest contents of AA and TP were obtained under field conditions. In addition, the levels of nitrates were lower in this system. A negative correlation between nitrates and antioxidants was determined. As a counterpart, cultivation in the field¿winter environment significantly decreased the percentage of humidity (87%). These results are of relevance for the adaptation of wall rocket to different growing conditions and suggest that the field system enhances its quality. The low genotypic differences suggest that intra-species selections in breeding programs may consider other aspects with greater variation.

[EN] Water celery (Apium nodiflorum) is a wild plant traditionally harvested in some Mediterranean areas for being consumed raw. Despite its appreciated organoleptic properties, the aromatic profile of the fresh vegetable remains to be studied. In the present study, volatile compounds from five wild populations were extracted by the headspace-solid phase microextraction technique, analysed by gas cromatography-mass spectrometry, and compared to related crops. The wild species had a high number of aromatic compounds. It was rich in monoterpenes (49.2%), sesquiterpenes (39.4%) and phenylpropanoids (9.6%), with quantitative differences among populations, in absolute terms and relative abundance. On average, germacrene D was the main compound (16.6%), followed by allo-ocimene (11.9%) and limonene (11.1%). Only in one population, the levels of limonene were greater than those of germacrene D. Among phenylpropanoids, dillapiol displayed the highest levels, and co-occurred with myristicin in all populations except one. These differences may have a genetic component, which would indicate the possibility of establishing selection programmes for the development of water celery as a crop adapted to different market preferences. On the other hand, comparison with related crops revealed some similarities among individual volatiles present in the different crops, which would be responsible of the common aroma notes. However, water celery displayed a unique profile, which was in addition quantitatively richer than others. Thus, this differentiation may promote the use of water celery as a new crop.

[EN] Master studies provide post-graduate students with an advanced training for a career specialization. In Plant Science studies, practical lessons can become essential during the learning process. In fact, these lessons can be used as a tool for consolidating the knowledge acquired with the theoretical lessons. Moreover, during the practical lessons, students have the opportunity to apply this knowledge to real situations, and to identify and deal with real problems that can appear. Our Institute offers a Master in Plant Breeding in which the learning process through practical lessons is conceived as an essential complement for theoretical knowledge. The Master provides students with the competence of designing and performing breeding programs addressed to improve adaptation of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as to improve the nutritional and sensorial quality of crops. In plants, there are different families of molecules related to defense, adaptation and/or quality, thus the study of them is of great importance in many breeding programs. An example of compounds with high interest is the family of carotenoids. Carotenoids include a group of compounds with several functions in plants. Some carotenoids are accessory pigments for photosynthesis or precursors of the abscisic acid, offer protection against photooxidative damage, or confer color to flowers, fruits and coloured roots, among other functions. They are also bioactive compounds related to the preservation of human health. According to this combined interest of carotenoids for 1) improving health status and 2) improving tolerance of crops, we consider that future professionals in Plant Breeding would improve their skills by performing an appropriate analysis of these compounds. Thus, we propose the introduction of a new practical lesson in the mandatory subject "Instrumental Techniques" addressed to the evaluation of individual carotenoids by high performance liquid cromatography (HPLC). Duri

[EN] Modern consumers concern about the influence of diet in maintaining the health status. As consequence, Plant Breeding has included the enhancement of nutritional quality as a new goal in many programs. However, not all the bioactive molecules are equally stable, and the degradation by human body and bioavailability of different molecules can differ greatly. In this sense, understanding of chemistry and degradation of different nutritional compounds can become essential to address this issue, as a guide to increase efforts in the enhancement of the most stable target molecules. Thus, professionals must be able to develop and perform specific nutritional analyses in their breeding programs. Master studies are conceived as specialization studies for post-graduates, addressed to increase the knowledge and experience of future professionals. Thus, design of the educational programs should be such as to provide students with the specific competences needed during their careers. Our Institute offers a Master in Plant Breeding that includes the acquisition of specific competences by means of the development of practical lessons. Practical lessons are of paramount importance to understand and fix the knowledge exposed during the theoretical lessons, and are also conceived as a tool for students to gain experience and deal with real problems in their professional careers. As part of our educational program, we propose in this paper the introduction of a new practical lesson in the subject "Breeding for quality": the simulation of a digestion process in vitro for the analysis of bioavailability of target biomolecules. The lesson is designed to be developed during three sessions, in the course of which students will perform all the steps for this type of analyses. Steps include the preparation of samples and analysis of material prior to the digestion, the simulation of the digestion process in vitro, and the analysis of the digested material and evaluation of results. The

[EN] An essential step in many plant breeding programmes is the morphoagronomic phenotyping of the materials that are being developed, using standardized descriptors or, when not available, as it is the case of new crops, consensus guidelines to characterize them. Although many of the traits must be evaluated in the field, those related to the shape and size of leaves and fruits can be easily measured with specific software using digital pictures. This tool provides several advantages, including: 1) more accurate and objective measurements; 2) the possibility of measuring other traits of interest such as area or perimeter, that in other case would not be easily evaluated; or even 3) the possibility of delaying the analysis of pictures in order to focus on field traits. Therefore, the knowledge and management of this tool can become of high usefulness. The Plant Breeding Master offered by our institute is aimed at training professionals able to improve crops and develop new ones according to market trends, in addition to improve adaptation and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Due to the importance of phenotyping considering any of the above breeding goals, in this paper we propose the introduction of a practical session in the mandatory subject "Instrumental Techniques": the management and comparison of adequacy of two specific software tools considering the material to be analyzed. As material, we propose a collection of pepper varieties for analysis of fruits, and a collection of rocket (Eruca and Diplotaxis spp.) germplasm for analysis of leaves, due to the broad variability observed in those materials. The MorphoLeaf v1.0 software will be used for the analysis of leaves, and the Tomato Analyzer 3.0 software will be used for the analysis of fruits and also for leaves. According to the design of the practical lesson, only one session of three hours is required, in which students will learn to properly digitalize materials considering the restrictions of e

[EN] According to the new market trends, one of the goals in many modern breeding programmes is the development of varieties with enhanced bioactive properties. Despite the importance of evaluating the content of specific molecules, the analysis of the broad antioxidant capacity is often suitable. For instance, if the goal is to evaluate large quantity of materials, or even to compare different agronomical practices to obtain the highest antioxidant properties. Thus, studies related to plant breeding should include subjects related to the knowledge of analytical methods for the evaluation of the bioactive properties in the materials tested. Theoretical lessons establish the basis for understanding the importance of bioactive properties and the influence of stresses in their content. Nevertheless, practical sessions complement this knowledge and improve the competence of future professionals, providing them a tool for the evaluation of bioactive quality in developing breeding materials. We consider therefore that this competence should be acquired during the Master degree in Plant Breeding offered by our institute. Thus, we propose to introduce a practical lesson in the mandatory subject "Instrumental Techniques" aimed to the comparison of two analytical methods for the analysis of bioactive properties. As plant material, we will use water celery, an herbaceous species with great antioxidant properties. The methodology will include the analysis of the antioxidant activity with the DPPH method and the content in total phenolics, both spectrophotometric methods but measuring different aspects of the bioactive quality. The lesson is divided in three sessions of three hours each, in the course of which students will perform all steps for these analyses, including sample preparation, extraction of bioactive molecules, preparation of the calibration curve, and analysis of results. This practical lesson provides students with the competence to evaluate the antioxidant activ

[EN] Worldwide there are around 7,000 edible plant species which are known to have been consumed by humans. Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is an herbaceous plant widespread in the Mediterranean region. As a leafy vegetable, this plant can be used as a component of salads, providing a characteristic, mild pungent flavour. Due to the potential interest of this species, we are initiating a breeding program, of which the establishment of a correct growing system is an important part. In this study, two wild, pre-selected populations of wall rocket were analysed and compared with a commercial cultivar. Material was grown in the late autumn-winter season under two different systems, greenhouse and field, and leaf morphological traits were evaluated. Remarkable differences were found among the growing systems in the morphology of the leaves as well as in the leaf colour. Plants growing in greenhouse had larger total leaf area than those growing in the field. The leaf length/width ratio was greater in greenhouse than in the field for the wild populations, while it did not change significantly in the commercial cultivar. Leaf lobation was more marked in the field in all populations assayed. The relative chlorophyll content decreased in the greenhouse system, while both the hue angle and chroma increased compared to the field system. Despite the larger size of the leaves in greenhouse, their lighter colour and few lobation makes them less attractive for the salads market. Therefore, cultivating this species in field seems to offer a better potential for a ready-to-eat product.

[EN] A large number of wild edible plants are included in the plant kingdom. In Mediterranean regions, this kind of vegetables has been traditionally collected, sometimes at time of shortage but mainly as a part of their culinary tradition. On one hand, these foods have a more intense aroma/flavor than the cultivated forms. On the other hand, many of them have shown a high functional potential. Thus, they can be used as an accompaniment food in different dishes for improving the sensorial and functional quality of our diet. Apium nodiflorum (fool's watercress) is a wild plant which grows in water and has been traditionally eaten in Spain. However, there are not many studies about its nutritional and aromatic values. This assay constitutes a first step for its revaluation. The present work studies the functional power of the fool's watercress, focused on its antioxidant potential (total antioxidant capacity, phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid), as well as its aromatic value, based on the volatile fraction. In addition, the existence of variability for these characters among populations has been studied. Twenty-five samples were collected among the Northern Orchard of Valencia. Celery (Apium graveolens) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) were used as reference species. In the nutritional assay, the content in ascorbic acid (AAC) and total phenols (TPC, as chlorogenic acid equivalents) and the antioxidant capacity (TAC, as Trolox equivalents) were analyzed. Five samples were used for determining the phenolic profile by HPLC. In the aromatic assay, the volatile profile was analyzed using the five same samples. Fool's watercress showed an AAC of 34,41mg/100g.f.w., similar to the value of celery but lower than parsley. In contrast, the species of study showed the highest TAC and TPC (2,78gTrolox/100g.d.w. and 2,24gEAC/100g.d.w., respectively). For these two characters, variability among the samples was detected, with values between 1,03-4,35gTrolox/100g.d.w. and 1,36-2, [ES] Dentro del reino vegetal existe un gran número de plantas silvestres con interés alimentario. Tradicionalmente, en las regiones mediterráneas se han recolectado este tipo de vegetales, bien por necesidad en épocas de escasez o, principalmente, como parte de su tradición culinaria. Por un lado, estos alimentos destacan por su intensidad en aroma y flavor respecto a las formas cultivadas. Por otra parte, muchos han mostrado tener un alto potencial funcional. De este modo, su uso como acompañamiento en los platos mejoraría la calidad de nuestra dieta, desde un punto de vista funcional y sensorial. Apium nodiflorum (berraza) es una planta silvestre que crece en cursos de agua y que se ha consumido tradicionalmente en España. Sin embargo, apenas existen estudios en cuanto a su calidad nutricional y aromática, de modo que este estudio constituye un paso previo con vistas su revalorización. En el presente trabajo se ha realizado una valoración funcional de la berraza, centrada en su potencial antioxidante (capacidad antioxidante, compuestos fenólicos y ácido ascórbico), así como aromática, basada en su fracción volátil. Se ha estudiado, además, la existencia de variabilidad entre poblaciones para estos caracteres. Se colectaron 25 muestras en la Huerta Norte de Valencia. Se utilizó apio (Apium graveolens) y perejil (Petroselinum crispum) como especies de referencia. En el ensayo nutricional se determinó el contenido en ácido ascórbico (CAA), el contenido en fenoles totales (CFT, como equivalentes de ácido clorogénico) y la capacidad antioxidante (CAT, como equivalentes Trolox). El perfil de polifenoles se determinó mediante HPLC sobre una submuestra de 5 poblaciones. En el ensayo aromático se analizó el perfil aromático de la especie, a partir de la submuestra anterior. Se determinó un CAA medio de 34,41mg/100g.m.f., comparable al apio pero inferior al perejil. Por el contrario, la berraza destacó por su CAT y su CFT, con valores medios de 2,78gTrolox/100g.m.s. y 2,24

This work displays the preliminary results of a study of the volatile fraction of fool s watercress (FW) (Apium nodiflorum), an underutilized vegetable species with potential use for salads and as spice. A comparative study of the volatile fraction of FW samples from Northern Valencia periurban area and samples from relatives parsley and celery was performed by head-space solid phase microextraction (HS/SPME) and GC-MS analysis. The profile of FW was richer than the profile of celery and parsley and resulted as a mixture of those ones. Moreover, some volatiles like isothiocyanates were identified as specific of FW. Thus, the flavour of this species can be considered similar to its relatives but more intense and consequently, may be used in salads or even as spice herb.

[EN] Capsicum peppers are one of the most important vegetables and a plethora of cultivars can be found within common pepper, C. annuum. In this regard, Spain is a center of diversity for this crop. Many studies on bioactive compounds have been done in peppers, although very little is known about their mineral content. In the present work fruits from a comprehensive collection of Capsicum accessions, mostly C. annuum landraces, were grown in open field in Valencia (Spain) and evaluated at both unripe and fully ripe stages for their content in several minerals: P, K, Ca, Mg and Fe. The effects of the genotype, fruit ripening stage, and the genotype×ripening stage were studied. A wide genotypic diversity was found for minerals. Thus, the difference between the lowest and highest genotype means was about twice in both ripening stages for P, Ca, and Mg and for K in fully ripe fruits. Finally, Fe levels were 0.7-3.1% in unripe fruits and 1.07-5.1% in fully ripe fruits. Our results indicate that C. annuum fruits are a good source of K, particularly when unripe. With very few exceptions, P, K and particularly Ca decreased on average and in most genotypes with the ripening process. By contrast, Mg showed a strong genotype×stage interaction. Here we found a wide diversity among C. annuum genotypes for the content in most minerals, particularly in P, Ca and Mg, as well as high levels of K. Moreover, unripe fruits usually show higher levels of these minerals than fully ripe fruits.