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https://doi.org/10.15414/2019.9788055220703

4 International Scientific Conference Abstracts Book
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OATS − A CROP FOR FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION

Igor Loskutov
Federal Research Centre N.I. Vavilov Institute Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), Sankt-Petersburg State
University, St-Petersburg, Russian Federation; E-mail.: i.loskutov@vir.nw.ru
The evaluation of cereals genetic resources is important for the selection of source
material for plant breeding. Recently, the most important directions of breeding for oats are,
in addition to grain productivity, grain characters associated with properties for functional
nutrition. The traditional directions of breeding these crops are increasing the content of
protein, lysine, and starch, and the dietary properties of grain are now in demand. The grain
quality of oats depends on the resistance to fungal diseases. Diseases not only reduce the
grain productivity of crops but also worsen crop quality due to the accumulation of toxic
metabolites. Fusarium of grain − a disease that, irst of all, signi icantly reduces the quality of
products and their safety. Mycotoxins that accumulate in the kernels reduce the consumer
properties of these crops and, when used, adversely affect human and animal health. Many
researchers note that naked varieties of oats are more resistant to grain damage by fusarium
and less accumulate mycotoxins.
Complex field and laboratory evaluation of accessions of cultivated species of the genus
Avena L. collection at VIR were conducted. When studying samples of oats of grain contrasting
in parameters of resistance to fusarium (joint work with VIZR) on protein content, oil, fatty oil
composition, a negative correlation relationship was found between protein content in oat
grain, the linolenic acid content in oat oil and infection with fusarium. Conducting of joint
research with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of VIR on biochemical
characteristics allowed us to identify high-quality genotypes of oats. The results of the
metabolic analysis revealed a variety of spectra at the species and intraspecific levels. It was
found that naked oat varieties had large total indicators for organic, fatty and amino acids,
sterols, disaccharides, and total sugars, and covered varieties had high values only for
monoacylglycerols, polyatomic alcohols, and monosaccharides. A large variety of metabolic
spectra was found at the species level of cultivated oats and between varieties of different
levels of breeding. The analysis of the micronutrient composition (joint research with St-
Petersburg State University) in A. sativa L. accessions showed genotypes with a high content
in the groat of such essential elements as Fe, Zn, and Mn.
Therefore, the global oat collection at VIR is an essential and valuable source of material
for ensuring food, bioresource, and ecological security, as well as for functional food. Thus,
varieties of oats with increased level of economically valuable traits and quality parameters of
grains, such as increased content protein, oils with well-balanced fatty acid composition and
micronutrients, as well as resistance to fusarium infection and free from mycotoxins, can be
sources for breeding of new varieties to improve the quality of grain for the production of safe
high-quality, dietary and functional foods.

Keywords: oat, Avena, Fusarium, breeding, functional nutrition.
Acknowledgments:
The studies were performed in 2014–2016 due to the grant of the Russian Scientific Foundation
(project No. 14-16-00072) and in 2017–2019 due to the grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic
Research (project No. 17-00-00338).

4 International Scientific Conference Agrobiodiversity Nutrition, Health and Quality of Human and Bees Life |49
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September 11–13, 2019