Abstract
The aim of this work was to evaluate garlic diversity based on the production of chemical components in the bulbs and geographical distribution. A total of 103 garlic clones collected from worldwide sources were grown in Yamaguchi, Japan. The chemical contents–S-allyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide (AlCSO), and phenolic content—of garlic collections were determined by HPLC and Folin–Ciocalteu assay, respectively. Quantitative analysis of the chemical content showed wide variations between geographical collection sites. Morphological observation of inflorescence was performed, and clones were divided into four types according to their bolting traits: Type A—bolters, producing mainly florets; Type B—bolters, producing mainly bulbils; Type C—incomplete bolters; and Type D—non-bolters. The appearance frequencies of the bolting types varied depending on the latitude of the collection sites. A comparison of these four different types was carried out based on chemical composition data. Garlic clones that possessed florets showed a tendency for higher amount of AlCSO content than did Type B. Moreover, it was confirmed that as distance increased from high-latitude areas (Central Asia and The Northern Mediterranean), the garlic was more likely to produce bulbils in the inflorescence with lower AlCSO content and higher phenolic content. This research suggested that garlic’s transition of from sexual propagation to asexual (vegetative) propagation and changes in the chemical composition of the bulbs would have occurred in the process of expanding garlic cultivation. In conclusion, garlic seems to have obtained high environmental adaptability with these transitions and changes via artificial selection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bravo L (1998) Polyphenols: chemistry, dietary sources, metabolism, and nutritional significance. Nutr Rev 56:317–333
Conci VC, Lunello P, Buraschi D, Italia RR, Nome SF (2002) Variations of Leek yellow stripe virus concentration in garlic and its incidence in Argentina. Plant Dis 86:1085–1088
Chen S, Shen X, Cheng S, Li P, Du J, Chang Y, Meng H (2013) Evaluation of garlic cultivars for polyphenolic content and antioxidant properties. PLoS ONE 8(11):p.e79730
Etoh T (1985) Studies on the sterility in garlic, Allium sativum L. Mem Fac Agric Kagoshima Univ 21:77–132
Etoh T (1986) Fertility of the garlic clones collected in Soviet Central Asia. J Jpn Soc Hortic Sci 55:312–319
Etoh T, Simon PW (2002) Diversity, fertility and seed production of garlic. In: Rabinowitch HD, Currah L (eds) Allium crop science—recent advances. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, pp 101–117
Etoh T, Noma Y, Nishitarumizu Y, Wakamoto T (1988) Seed productivity and germinability of various garlic clones collected in Soviet Central Asia. Mem Fac Agr Kagoshima Univ 24:129–139
Etoh T, Watanabe H, Iwai S (2001) RAPD variation of garlic clones in the center of origin and the westernmost area of distribution. Mem Fac Agr Kagoshima Univ 37:21–27
FAO (2012) FAOSTAT: FAO Statistical Database. Food and Agriculture Organization, New York. http://faostat.fao.org. Accessed 20 Dec 2013
Folin O, Denis W (1915) A colorimetric method for the determination of phenols (and phenol derivatives) in urine. J Biol Chem 22:305–308
Hang TTM, Shigyo M, Yaguchi S, Yamauchi N, Tashiro Y (2004) Effect of single alien chromosome from shallot (Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group) on carbohydrate production in leaf blade of bunching onion (A. fistulosum L.). Genes Genet Syst 79:345–350
Hong CJ, Etoh T (1996) Fertile clones of garlic (Allium sativum L.) abundant around the Tien Shan Mountains. Breed Sci 46:349–353
Hong CJ, Etoh T, Iwai S (2000a) An attempt of crossbreeding in garlic. Mem Fac Agr Kogoshima Univ 36:17–28
Hong CJ, Watanabe H, Etoh T, Iwai S (2000b) A search of pollen fertile clones in the Iberian garlic by RAPD markers. Mem Fac Agr Kagoshima Univ 36:11–16
Hornickova J, Velisek J, Ovesna J, Stavelikova H (2009) Distribution of S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides in garlic (Allium sativum L.). Czech J Food Sci 27:232–235
Kamenetsky R, London Shafir I, Zemah H, Barzilay M, Rabinowitch HD (2004) Environmental control of garlic growth and florogenesis. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 129(2):144–151
Kamenetsky R, London Shafir I, Khassanov F, Kik C, Van Heusden AW, Vrielink-Van Ginkel M, Burger-Meijer K, Auger J, Arnault I, Rabinowitch HD (2005) Diversity in fertility potential and organo-sulphur compounds among garlics from Central Asia. Biodivers Conserv 14(2):281–295
Koul AK, Gohil RN (1970) Causes averting sexual reproduction in Allium sativum Linn. Cytologia 35:197–202
Kyung KH (2012) Antimicrobial properties of Allium species. Curr Opin Biotechnol 23:142–147
Lu X, Ross CF, Powers JR, Aston DE, Rasco BA (2011) Determination of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of garlic (Allium sativum) and elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) by attenuated total reflectance-fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. J Agric Food Chem 59:5215–5221
Pooler MR, Simon PW (1994) True seed production in garlic. Sex Plant Reprod Plant Reprod 7:282–286
Sterling SJ, Eagling RD (2001) Agronomic and allicin yield of Australian grown garlic. Acta Hortic 555:63–73
Vu QH, Hang TTM, Shigenori Y, Ono Y, Pham TMP, Yamauchi N, Shigyo M (2013) Assessment of biochemical and antioxidant diversities in a shallot germplasm collection from Vietnam and its surrounding countries. Genet Resour Crop Evol 60(4):1297–1312
Yaguchi S, Hang TTM, Tsukazaki H, Vu QH, Masuzaki S, Wako T, Masamura N, Onodera S, Shiomi N, Yamauchi N, Shigyo M (2009) Molecular and biochemical identification of alien chromosome additions in shallot (Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group) carrying extra chromosome(s) of bunching onion (A. fistulosum L.). Genes Genet Syst 84:43–55
Yoo KS, Pike LM (1998) Determination of flavor precursor compound S-alk(en)yl-l-cysteine sulfoxides by an HPLC method and their distribution in Allium species. Sci Hortic 75(1–2):1–10
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Takeomi Etoh, professor emeritus (Kagoshima University), for his assistance with our experiments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hirata, S., Abdelrahman, M., Yamauchi, N. et al. Characteristics of chemical components in genetic resources of garlic Allium sativum collected from all over the world. Genet Resour Crop Evol 63, 35–45 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0233-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0233-7