In VitroCulture for Ex SituConservation of “Roveja” and Nutritional Considerations on this Italian Rare Legume

Roveja is a pea cultivar from the Sibillini Mountains (Umbria-Marche Apennine mountain range, Italy). Abandoned for long time, Roveja is nowadays cultivated only in few farms. The present work deals with the in vitroplant growth of this pea by tissue culture for shoots regeneration and ex situconservation. Total polyphenols content evaluation, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) antioxidant activity test and ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay were performed on the flour obtained from Roveja seeds and the results were compared to those collected by performing the same tests on the flour from two common green peas. The best shoots regeneration from embryonic axes was obtained in Murashige & Skoog (MS) media with combinations of 4.0 mg/L BA (6-Benzyladenine) plus 0.4 mg/L NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid), and the best roots induction from the regenerated shoots was obtained in half strength MS media containing 1.0 mg/L IBA (3-Indolebutyric acid). The embryonic axes of Roveja seeds can be used as the starting material for in vitroregeneration of the plant; the antioxidant properties shown by this legume suggest further investigations to evaluate its nutritional/functional benefit.