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IX Congreso Científico de Investigadores en Formación de la Universidad de Córdoba. Córdoba, del 3 al 6 de mayo de 2021., Los carotenoides son responsables de muchos de los colores entre el amarillo y el rojo de frutas, verduras y flores. Tienen funciones esenciales en la recolección de luz, la protección contra el exceso de energía lumínica y el daño oxidativo. El consumo de carotenoides se ha asociado con un menor riesgo de desarrollar algunas enfermedades y cánceres, pero los humanos no somos capaces de sintetizarlos, por lo que su suministro depende de la dieta. El tritórdeo (×Tritordeum martinii A. Pujadas), anfiploide derivado del cruce entre Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz. y trigo duro, tiene un alto contenido de carotenoides en grano. Además, gran parte de esos carotenoides se encuentran esterificados con ácidos grasos, lo que incrementa su estabilidad durante el almacenamiento y su capacidad de acumulación en las células vegetales. Trabajos previos del grupo habían localizado el gen de esterificación en el cromosoma 7 de H. chilense y habían identificado genes candidatos para el control de este carácter en trigo harinero. El objetivo es identificar el gen responsable de la esterificación de carotenoides en H. chilense mediante una estrategia de genes candidatos., Estudio financiado por el proyecto AGL2017-85368-P (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) y cofinanciado por FEDER. MDRR ha recibido una beca predoctoral del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PRE2018-084837).

6th Conference on Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding, jointly organized by EUCARPIA Cereals Section. Online Conference, 3–5 November 2021 / Budapest, Hungary., Carotenoids are lipophilic pigments essential in the human diet. In addition, carotenoids are responsible of the yellow colour of food, including the desired yellow color of durum wheat derived-products such as pasta or couscous. Durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) has high content of carotenoids, being lutein the predominant carotenoid, representing over 90% of the carotenoids in the endosperm. The esterification of carotenoids allows greater accumulation in plant tissues and increases its stability which leads to greater retention through the food chain. Therefore, the carotenoid esterification is being considered as a new target in breeding programs. However, carotenoid esters have never found in tetraploid wheats such as durum wheat or emmer. In this work, 156 Spanish durum wheat landraces were characterized for carotenoid content and profile in order to identify accessions with the ability to produce xanthophyll esters., Project AGL2017‐85368‐P funded by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER “ Una manera de hacer Europa ” . MDRR was supported by PRE2018‐084037 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FSE “El FSE invierte en tu futuro”.

Trabajo presentado en el XLII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Genética (SEG2021), celebrado virtualmente del 14 al 18 junio de 2021., Esta investigación ha sido financiada por la subvención AGL2017-85368-P del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, y cofinanciada por FEDER. M.D.R-R ha recibido una beca del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PRE2018-084037).

Trabajo presentado en el XVI Congreso Nacional Ciencias Hortícolas, celebrado en Cördoba (España) del 17 al 22 de octubre de 2021., Los carotenoides son pigmentos lipofílicos con funciones esenciales en la recolección de la luz, la protección contra el exceso de energía lumínica y el daño oxidativo en plantas. El consumo de carotenoides se ha asociado con un menor riesgo de desarrollar algunas enfermedades como la degradación macular del ojo y distintos tipos de cánceres. Dado que los humanos no somos capaces de sintetizar carotenoides, su suministro depende exclusivamente de la dieta. Los carotenoides también son de gran importancia para la calidad industrial del trigo duro ya que son responsables de la coloración amarilla necesaria para la pasta y el cuscús de alta calidad. De ahí que la acumulación de estos pigmentos en el grano y su retención en la cadena alimentaria sean relevantes para la mejora. La esterificación de los carotenoides aumenta la estabilidad durante el almacenaje y la capacidad de acumulación en las células de estos pigmentos. El trigo harinero y el tritórdeo producen ésteres de carotenoides pero se pensaba que el trigo duro era incapaz de sintetizar estos compuestos. El objetivo de este trabajo era explorar la diversidad del perfil de carotenoides de trigo duro de la colección de trigos duros de España para identificar variedades locales con capacidad de esterificar luteína., Proyecto AGL2017‐85368‐P financiado por MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER “Una manera de hacer Europa” MDRR ha recibido la Ayuda PRE2018‐084037 financiada por MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 y FSE “El FSE invierte en tu futuro”.

114 Páginas.-- 22 Esquemas.-- 10 Figuras.-- 10 Tablas, Carotenoids are found in some food plants, flowers and animals, in free form and also esterified with fatty acids. Recent research has concentrated on the extent of carotenoid esters in these sources, how to assess their presence and the amount available for potential health effects. Focusing on the occurrence and assembly in foods, biosynthesis, analytical methods for identification and quantification, dietary intake and metabolism, the most recent research is represented and a balanced overview of what is known about carotenoid esters is provided. As the first book to address this topic in a comprehensive way, it ensures a better understanding of the importance of carotenoid esters to both food and health, and provides one source for researchers in food science, nutrition, natural products and the food and pharmaceutical industries. Carotenoid Esters in Foods will be a valued addition to the literature, specifically for those conducting research into carotenoids and carotenoid esters in foods. It is a unique contribution and a must-have source for those in this community.

Trabajo presentado en el II Spanish Symposium on Physiology and Breeding of Cereals (II SEFiMeC), celebrado en Córdoba (España) el 6 y 7 de marzo de 2019.-- Organized by excellence network AGL2016-81855-REDT., Carotenoids are important for the production of yellow alkaline noodle from common wheat, pasta from durum wheat and tritordeum derived products. These pigments become more stable during storage and processing when esterified with fatty acids. Thus, carotenoid esterification allows a higher retention through the food chain. In this work we developed crosses between a set of deletion lines for chromosome 7D in common wheat ‘Chinese Spring’ (CS) and CS-Hordeum chilense substitution line CS(7D)7Hch. The F2 progenies of these crosses were genotyped and used for carotenoid analyses. As expected, the presence of chromosome 7Hch in the hybrids increased the carotenoid content. Besides, the simultaneous presence of 7Hch and 7D also raised the amount of lutein esters in all cases but one, which means that genes for lutein esterification in 7D are located in this missing region. Using DArTSeq genotyping, the Wheat Reference Genome and the Wheat Expression Browser we identified ten candidate genes annotated as related to esterification processes in this region of chromosome 7D. Furthermore, two of these genes could be related to the Lute locus identified in a different background. The synteny between H. chilense and wheat makes interesting further study of these candidate genes in H. chilense to increase lutein esterification., This research was funded by Grants AGL2014-53195-R from Ministerio de Economía and Competitividad and AGL2017-85368-P from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. Both projects are cofounded by FEDER. DHM is member of CaRed Network funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BIO2015-71703-REDT and BIO2017-90877-REDT) and participates in EUROCAROTEN COST Action (CA15136). CMA and SGA are members of FiRCMe Network, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2016-81855-REDT).

Trabajo presentada en la II reunión nacional sobre Carotenoides en Microorganismos, Plantas, Alimentos y Salud, celebrada en Granada el 7 y 8 de noviembre de 2019.

Trabajo presentado en el I Simposio Español de Fisiología y Mejora de Cereales, celebrado en Zaragoza el 9 y 10 de abril de 2018., Hexaploid tritordeum (×Tritordeum martini A. Pujadas (Pujadas 2016) is the amphiploid derived from the cross between Hordeum chilense and durum wheat (Martín and Sánchez-Monge 1982). This new crop has higher carotenoid content than durum wheat (Atienza et al.2007) and a distinctive profile of lutein esterification with fatty acids.Carotenoid esters increase carotenoid retention during storage of grains (Mellado-Ortega and Hornero-Méndez 2016; Mellado-Ortega et al. 2015) and flour (Mellado-Ortega and Hornero-Méndez 2017) and thus it is a trait of interest for cereal breeding., Research funded by Grant AGL2014-53195R, from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (MINECO) including FEDER funding. M.G.M. was recipient of FPI (BES-2012-055961). D.H.-H. is a member of CaRed Network, funded by MINECO (BIO2015-71703-REDT). S.G.A. is a member of FiRCMe Network, funded by MINECO (AGL2016-81855-REDT).

Trabajo presentado en el I Simposio Español de Fisiología y Mejora de Cereales, celebrado en Zaragoza el 9 y 10 de abril de 2018., Hexaploid tritordeum (×Tritordeum martinii A. Pujadas) (Pujadas 2016) has become a new crop due to its functional characteristics. The most important one is the golden colour of its flour which is caused by the presence of carotenoids (Atienza et al. 2007a). This amphiploid was obtained after chromosome doubling of the hybrid between Hordeum chilense and durum wheat (Martín & Sánchez-Monge 1982). H. chilense genes are responsible for the high carotenoid content (Atienza et al. 2007b; Rodríguez-Suárez et al. 2014) and the distinctive esterification profile of carotenoids (Mellado-Ortega and Hornero-Méndez 2015)., Research funded by Grant AGL2014-53195R, from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (MINECO) including FEDER funding. M.G.M. was recipient of FPI (BES-2012-055961). D.H.-H. is a member of CaRed Network, funded by MINECO (BIO2015-71703-REDT). S.G.A. is a member of FiRCMe Network, funded by MINECO (AGL2016-81855-REDT).

Workshop "Caroteno¡ds in Food, Nutrition ond Health", 4th Working Groups and 5th Management Committee Meetings (EUROCAROTEN), Valencia (Spain) 23_25 October, 2018., Tritordeum, the amphiploid derived from the cross between Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz' and durum wheat, is being successfully commercialized due to its differential characteristics compared to durum and common wheat. Tritordeum-derived products exhibit a distinctive golden colour due to the presence of lutein in the endosperm. Tritordeum grains show higher carotenoid content than their durum wheat parents due to H. chilense genes' Besides, a high proportion of these carotenoids are esterified with fatty acids in tritordeum. only palmitic and linoleic acids are involved in lutein esterification in tritordeum but palmitate esters are more abundant than linoleate ones. Carotenoid esters are more stable during storage and processing. Thus, a high esterification proportion may be an interesting trait for tr¡tordeum breeding since it would allow increasing carotenoid retention in the food chain. Moreover, carotenoid esterification has been suggested as a mechanism enhancing carotenoid production and accumulation in plant cells. The absence of lutein esters in the endosperm of durum wheat indicates that lutein esterification in tritordeum is controlled by H. chilense genome.

Trabajo presentado en el XVII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición (SEN): Alimantación 5S, celebrado en Barcelona del 27 al 29 de junio de 2018, Orange juice (OJ) has one of the highest carotenoid content reported in any fruit‐derived food1. The consumption of OJ is estimated to provide a majority of the intake of β‐cryptoxanthn2. This pigment is a vitamin A precursor and have found to exerts antioxidant and anticancer effects, among other biological activities in the organism3. Food matrix characteristics and food processing techniques influence on the bioaccessibility and absorption of carotenoids, respectively4. In previous studies, our group developed and characterized a novel fermented orange beverage (FOB) obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of OJ and its subsequent heat treatment, finding no differences between FOB and OJ in qualitative or quantitative carotenoid profile5,6. However, it is plausible that the bioavailability of carotenoids may be higher from FOB than from OJ due to food matrix modifications.

40 Páginas; 5 Tablas; 1 Figura, BACKGROUND Alcoholic fermentation of fruits has generated novel products with high concentrations of bioactive compounds and moderate alcohol content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effect on cardiovascular risk factors of the regular consumption by healthy humans of a beverage obtained by alcoholic fermentation and pasteurization of orange juice. RESULTS Thirty healthy volunteers were enrolled in a randomized controlled study. The experimental group (n = 15) drank 500 mL orange beverage (OB) per day for 2 weeks (intervention phase), followed by a 3-week washout phase. Blood samples were collected at baseline (E-T0) and at the end of the intervention (E-T1) and washout (E-T2) phases. Controls (n = 15) did not consume OB during a 2-week period. OB intake significantly increased oxygen radical absorbance capacity (43.9%) and reduced uric acid (−8.9%), catalase (CAT) (−23.2%), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (−30.2%) and C-reactive protein (−2.1%) (E-T1 vs. E-T0). These effects may represent longer-term benefits, given the decreased uric acid (−8.9%), CAT (−34.6%), TBARS (−48.4%) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (−23.9%) values recorded after the washout phase (E-T2 vs. E-T0). CONCLUSION The regular consumption of OB improved antioxidant status and decreased inflammation state, lipid peroxidation and uric acid levels. Thus OB may protect the cardiovascular system in healthy humans and be considered a novel functional beverage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry, Grupo. Grant Number: PAI BIO311 Junta de Andalucía through Projects. Grant Number: P09-AGR4814M

Los carotenoides son compuestos especiales; si bien es común referirse a ellos como pigmentos, lo cierto es que son compuestos de gran versatilidad e importancia en la naturaleza. Más específicamente, son de gran interés en agroalimentación y salud. Así, por ejemplo, son pigmentos naturales y por lo tanto tienen un importante papel en la elección de alimentos por parte de los consumidores. Asimismo, algunos de ellos son precursores de la vitamina A. Sin embargo, que cada vez exista más interés en los carotenoides en este contexto se debe en gran parte a muchos estudios de distinta naturaleza que indican que pueden proporcionar beneficios para la salud. Su interés en alimentación funcional es por lo tanto indudable. En este libro se refleja la experiencia en carotenoides de un gran número de profesionales de la región iberoamericana. En conjunto, se ofrece una visión general de la investigación sobre estos compuestos en agroalimentación y salud. Los autores son miembros de la red ibercarot (http://carotenoides.us.es), que tiene entre sus objetivos conformar una red estable y funcional de profesionales que aúnen esfuerzos en pos de identificar nuevas fuentes de carotenoides de interés nutricional, mejorar su producción y aumentar el valor de los productos que los contengan. Me gustaría agradecer a todas y cada una de las personas que han contribuido de una u otra forma a que este libro sea una realidad. Todos esperamos que sea de ayuda para personas interesadas en los temas desarrollados. Gracias especialmente al Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (Cyted, http:// www.cyted.org/) que, con su apoyo económico a la red ibercarot, ha hecho posible que varias decenas de equipos interaccionen en torno a temas de interés común para contribuir al desarrollo a distintos niveles de la región iberoamericana., RED TEMÁTICA IBERCAROT (referencia 112RT445) http://carotenoides.us.es PROGRAMA IBEROAMERICANO DE CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGIA PARA EL DESARROLLO – CYTED

Se considera que los alimentos que se consumen comúnmente en la dieta proporcionan más de 40 carotenoides diferentes (Khachik, 2006). No obstante, el contenido en carotenoides de los mismos varía considerablemente tanto en términos cualitativos como cuantitativos como consecuencia de factores de distinta naturaleza, como el genotipo, las condiciones climáticas de la zona de producción y factores agronómicos entre otros (Maiani et al., 2009). En este trabajo se han compilado y organizado datos obtenidos mediante HPLC sobre el contenido de carotenoides en frutas y verduras producidas en Iberoamérica en relación con la importancia de estos compuestos en la alimentación y la salud, la agricultura y la biodiversidad. Además de productos comunes en la dieta de los países de la región se incluyen otros silvestres o poco utilizados, con lo que se pretende contribuir a promocionar y valorizar especies y variedades locales.

Trabajo presentado en la Reunión nacional sobre carotenoides en microorganismos, plantas, alimentación y salud, celebrada en Valencia (España) el 216 y 17 de noviembre 2017., El color amarillo de los granos de trigo duro (Triticum turgidum spp. durum) y tritórdeo (xTritordeum Asch. et Graeb.) se debe a la presencia de carotenoides, principalmente luteína. El tritórdeo es el anfiploide obtenido a partir del cruzamiento entre la cebada silvestre (Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz.) y el trigo duro, y se caracteriza por presentar un mayor contenido de carotenoides en grano que los trigos duros parentales. Además, esta especie posee un perfil de carotenoides distintivo, ya que una proporción importante de la luteína se encuentra esterificada con ácidos grasos (palmítico y linoleico). El genoma de H. chilense es el responsable tanto del mayor contenido en carotenoides como de su perfil distintivo, de ahí que la caracterización de la diversidad genética en esta especia resulte de interés. En este estudio se ha determinado el contenido en carotenoides y de ésteres de luteína en una colección de 93 líneas de H. chilense. El contenido total de carotenoides varió entre 5 y 43 ~J,g/g. Luteína fue el carotenoide mayoritario en todas las líneas, representando entre el 78 y el 96% del total de carotenoides. Se observaron diferencias significativas en el perfil de esterificación, de tal forma que luteína fue determinada en su forma libre [(aii-E)-Iuteína + (9Z)-Iuteína + (13Z)-Iuteína], con un rango de variación entre 1.52 y 37.75 ~J,g/g; como monoéster [luteína monopalmitato + luteína monolinoleato]{rango 0- 9.83 IJ.g/g}; y como diéster [luteína dilinoleato + luteína linoleato-palmitato + luteína dipalmitato) {rango 0-10.80 ~J,g/g}. También se detectaron zeaxantina y 13-caroteno. El elevado grado de diversidad encontrado en H. chilense abre la oportunidad para el desarrollo de estudios GWAS (Genome Wide Association Sean) que permitan identificar genes candidatos implicados en los procesos de esterificación de luteína., Investigación financiada por AGL2014-53195-R (cofinanciado por FEDER). M.G.M agradece la concesión de una beca FPI (BES-2012-055961). D.H.M es miembro de la red temática CaRed, financiada por MINECO (BIO2015-71703-REDT).

Trabajo presentado en el 8th International Triticeae Symposium y la 13th Gatersleben Research Conference, celebrados en Wernigerode/Gatersleben (Alemania) del 12 al 16 de junio de 2017., Hordeum chilen e Roem. et chultz. is a wild barley species with potential in cereal breeding. lndeed hexaploid tritordeum, which is being commercialized at present dueto its differential attribute compared to common wheat, is the amphiploid derived from the cross between H chilen e and durum wheat (Martin and Sánchez-Monge 1982). Besides, H chilense has also potential in wheat breeding for important traits such as seed carotenoid content (Mattera et al. 20lSa· Mattera et al. 2015b). Gene~c studies ,ha ve allow~d the identification and mapping of candidate genes for quality traits ~o~guez-Suar.ez and Atlenza 2012; Rodríguez-Suárez and Atienza 2014) but the diversity wlthin the specles .has not been fully exploited. In this context, the availability of highthro~ put genotypmg platform~ constitutes an important tool for genetic studies in H chilense. In this .work, both ~heRIL prev10usly used for mapping (Rodríguez-Suárez et al 2012) anda collect10n of H. chzlense were genotyped using DArTse m k · · de eloped as a previous step for GW AS enome- q. ar ers .. A .new genetic map .~ been coUection for carotenoid profile and agro-mo(g holo . Wld~ assoc1atwn sean) analysts m the structure with the existence oftwo groups el rp 1 d~~ tralts. H chilense revealed a population to provide new insights on the genetic contr~arfy. 1 erentiate~. GWAS analyses are expected 0 Important tralts.

Many fungi of the genus Fusarium stand out for the complexity of their secondary metabolism. Individual species may differ in their metabolic capacities, but they usually share the ability to synthesize carotenoids, a family of hydrophobic terpenoid pigments widely distributed in nature. Early studies on carotenoid biosynthesis in Fusarium aquaeductuum have been recently extended in Fusarium fujikuroi and Fusarium oxysporum, well-known biotechnological and phytopathogenic models, respectively. The major Fusarium carotenoid is neurosporaxanthin, a carboxylic xanthophyll synthesized from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate through the activity of four enzymes, encoded by the genes carRA, carB, carT and carD. These fungi produce also minor amounts of β-carotene, which may be cleaved by the CarX oxygenase to produce retinal, the rhodopsin’s chromophore. The genes needed to produce retinal are organized in a gene cluster with a rhodopsin gene, while other carotenoid genes are not linked. In the investigated Fusarium species, the synthesis of carotenoids is induced by light through the transcriptional induction of the structural genes. In some species, deep-pigmented mutants with up-regulated expression of these genes are affected in the regulatory gene carS. The molecular mechanisms underlying the control by light and by the CarS protein are currently under investigation. Junta de Andalucía project CTS-6638 España, Gobierno BIO2012-39716, BIO2015-69613-R, AGL2014-53195R BIO2015-71703-REDT

Trabajo presentado en el VIII Congreso de Mejora Genética de Plantas, celebrado en Vitoria del 12 al 14 de julio de 2016., Los granos de trigo duro y tritórdeo se caracterizan por la presencia de carotenoides que les confieren un característico color amarillo. Las líneas de tritórdeo tienen un contenido de carotenoides muy superior al de sus trigos duros parentales (Atienza et al. 2007). Además, los tritórdeos presentan un perfil de carotenoides distintivo, ya que parte importante de la luteína se encuentra esterificada con ácidos grasos (palmítico y linoléico) debido al genoma de Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz. (Mellado-Ortega y Hornero-Ménclez 2015). La csterificación incrementa la estabilidad de los carotenoides durante el almacenamiento (Mellado-Ortega y Hornero Méndez 2016), por lo que es un carácter a tener en cuenta. Estudios recientes con líneas ele sustitución de H. chilense en trigo harinero han demostrado la existencia de genes para esterificación en los cromosomas 7Hch y 70 (Mattera et al. 2015). El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la diversidad genética existente en H. chilense para el perfil de carotenoicles. como paso previo para el desarrollo de estudios de GWAS (Genome Wide Association Mapping) en relación con el contenido en carotenoides y su perfil de esterificación., Investigación financiada por AGL2014-53195-R (cofinanciado por PEDER). M.G.M agradece la concesión de una beca FPI (BES-2012-055961). D.H.M es miembro de la red temática CaRed, financiada por MINECO (BI02015-71703-REDT).

53 páginas; 11 figuras, High irradiances may lead to photo-oxidative stress in plants and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) contributes to protection against excess excitation. One of the NPQ mechanisms, qE, involves thermal dissipation of the light energy captured. Importantly, plants need to tune down qE under light-limiting conditions for efficient utilisation of the available quanta. Considering the possible redox control of responses to excess light implying enzymes, such as thioredoxins, we have studied the role of the NADPH thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC). Whereas Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking NTRC tolerate high light intensities, these plants display drastically elevated qE, have larger trans-thylakoid ΔpH and ten-fold higher zeaxanthin levels under low and medium light intensities, leading to extremely low linear electron transport rates. To test the impact of the high qE on plant growth, we generated an ntrc-psbs double knockout mutant, which is devoid of qE. This double mutant grows faster than the ntrc mutant and has higher chlorophyll content. The photosystem II activity is partially restored in the ntrc-psbs mutant and linear electron transport rates under low and medium light intensities are twice as high as compared to plants lacking ntrc alone. These data uncover a new role for NTRC in the control of photosynthetic yield. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved., This work was supported by European Regional Development Fund-cofinanced grant (BIO2013-43556-P) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). B.N. was recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship from MINECO. J.M. Romero, Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Sevilla (Spain), is acknowledged for sharing the aps1 mutant. We would like to thank P. Sétif (CEA Saclay) for his help with the ECS measurements and for fruitful discussions.

Trabajo presentado en el 8th international Congress on Pigments in Food (Colored Food for Health Benefits), celebrado en Cluj-Napoca (Rumanía) del 28 de junio al 1 de julio de 2016., Endosperm colour of wheat grains is an important quality criterion in breeding programs (YPC, yellow pigment content). YPC is mainly due to carotenoids. Durum wheat is selected for high YPC for pasta production (Ficco et al. 2014). On the contrary, white flour is usually preferred for bread-making although new yellowish bread types are being producing from einkorn or tritordeum (xTritordeum Aschers. et Graeb .) (reviewed by Rodríguez-Suárez et al. 2010). Lutein is the main carotenoid present in the endosperm of wheat (Digesú et al. 2009) where the gen Phytoene synthase 1 (Psy 1) plays the main role in the determination of seed carotenoid content in grains (Ficco et al. 2014; Rodríguez-Suárez et al.2014). The development of wheat-alien translocations has allowed the enhancement of carotenoid content in durum wheat (Ceoloni et al. 2014). In this work we have investigated the effect of chromosomes 5Hch and 7Hch from H. chilense on total carotenoid content and lutein esterification profile., This research was supported by Grants AGL2011-24399 and AGL2010-14850 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), including FEDER funding. MGM was recipient of a predoctoral grant BES-2012-055961, also from MINECO). D. H. M. is a member of CaRed, funded by Mineco (BIO2015-71703-REDT).

Trabajo presentado en el VII Congreso de Mejora Genética de Plantas, celebrado en Zarahoza del 14 al 18 de septiembre de 2014., Investigación financiada por los proyectos AGL2011-24399 y AGL2010-14850 del MINECO y P08-AGR-3477 (Junta de Andalucía) todos con financiación FEDER. C.R-S. agradece programa Jae Doc (CSIC, FSE) y E. M-O. al JAE-Predoc (CSIC, FSE).

Trabajo presentado en la EUCARPIA Cereals Section - ITMI Joint Conference (Cereals for Food, Feed and Fuel – Challenge for Global Improvement), celebrada en Wernigerode (Alemania) del 29 de junio al 4 de julio de 2014., Colour is an important quality criterion for most wheat end-use products. Yellow colour has become an important selection criterion in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum, 2n=4x=28, AABB) due to its importance for the production in pasta. On the contrary, white flour is traditionally preferred by consumers for the bread-making using common wheat (T. aestivum L. 2n=6x=42, AABBDD). However, lutein also contributes in part to the yellow colour of yellow alkaline noodles which is promoting the development of high lutein materials in Australia. Similarly, new end-use products using either einkorn (T. monoccocum L. ssp. monococcum L., 2n=2x=14, AA), or the new cereal tritordeum (× Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebner, 2x=6x=42, AABBHchHch) are partly yellow due to the high carotenoid content of these species compared to common wheat. Hexaploid tritordeum is the amphiploid derived from the cross between the wild barley (Hordeum chilense Roem et Schultz., 2n=2x=14) and durum wheat. The addition of chromosome 7Hch to common wheat results in the increase of yellow pigment content. However, the effect of this chromosome in wheat has not been tested in euploid combinations. In this work, we have used five genotypes of common wheat with either translocations or substitutions involving the chromosome 7Hch. These lines were characterized using molecular markers and further confirmed using FISH (fluorescent in-situ hybridization). These lines were analyzed for carotenoid content at harvest. Chromosome substitution lines of H. chilense into ‘Chinese Spring’ wheat background available from other sources were used as controls along with durum wheat ‘Kofa’ and tritordeum ‘HT621’. All the lines carrying Psy1 from H. chilense had a higher seed carotenoid content (mainly lutein) than the wheat control. However, the profile of lutein esterification differed among the lines and it depended on the interaction with the wheat genes., This research was supported by Grants AGL2011-24399 and AGL2010-14850 from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), including FEDER funding. MGM was recipient of a predoctoral grant BES-2012-055961, also from MINECO).

Póster presentado en el IUNS 20th International Congress of Nutrition, celebrado en Granada, del 15 al 20 de septiembre de 2013

The present study was aimed to characterise the carotenoid profile in a wide selected collection of potato tubers in order to provide information to be used in breeding programs directed to improve the nutritional value of potatoes, as well as to increase our knowledge of the biochemical insight of the processes governing the biosynthesis of carotenoids in Solanum tubers, with especial emphasis in the role of the esterification of xanthophylls., This work was supported by the Project AGL2010-14850/ALI, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spanish Government) and by the Project P08- AGR3477, Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia (Junta de Andalucía). RFO is the recipient of a postdoctoral contract from the JAEDoc Program (CSIC). We are grateful to Dr. José Ignacio Ruiz de Galarreta from Neiker-Tecnalia (Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Spain) for providing the potato cultivars.

The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) is an evergreen shrub or small tree usually smaller than 5 m, belonging to the Ericaceae family, and typical of the Mediterranean basin and climate, although it can be also found in other regions such as the Near East and Transcaucasia. The fruits are spherical berries, about 1.5-2 cm in diameter, dark red and tasty when fully ripen in autumn and winter. The berries can be eaten as fresh fruits, but they are usually prepared as preserves, jams, jellies, and marmalades. The name 'unedo' is explained by Pliny the Elder as being derived from unum edo "I eat one", which maybe due to the alcoholic content of overrippen fruits. In some countries the fruits are used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wines, liquors, and brandies (e.g. Portuguese medronho, and Koumaro in Greece). Strawberry tree fruits are also well-known in folk medicine as antiseptics, diuretics, and laxatives, while the leaves of the plant are used as diuretic, urinary antiseptic, antidiarrheic, astringent, depurative, and antihypertensive. The chemical composition of A. unedo fruits has been study by several authors (1-3), but almost any exhaustive description of the different phytochemicals have been carried out up to date. Recent studies have focused on the description of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and anthocyanins, as a part of the antioxidant compositions of these fruits (4-6). However, very little attention has been paid to the carotenoid composition of these fruits, a part from the early study carried out by Schön in 1935 (7). Some of the studies analyzing the chemical and antioxidant composition of A. unedo fruits, concluded that β-carotene is the major and single carotenoid found in these fruits (2). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to carry out the isolation, identification and quantification of the carotenoid pigments responsible for the yellow-orange colour of the flesh of the strawberry tree fruits., This work was supported by the Project AGL2007-60092/ALI, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spanish Government) and by the Project P08-AGR3477, Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia (Junta de Andalucía).

The sarsaparilla (Smilax aspera L.) is an evergreen perennial climbing plant of the Liliaceae family and typical of the Mediterranean basin. The plant grows and climbs from a rhizome and forms many extended branches - up to 15m in length - and numerous leaves around shrubs and trees. Stems are semi-woody and possess several prickles. The shiny leaves are generally heart-shaped with a few, tiny, translucent prickles along the margin. Flowers are associated as branched clusters. The fruits are juicy berries, which are initially green, turning red through ripening, sometimes becoming black. The berries are rather soft, having a spherical shape, 7-9mm across, and each holding a maximum of 3 seeds. The popularity of this plant is due to the ancient medicinal uses of the rhizomes, having depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant and tonic properties (1, 2), so that they have been used as an ingredient in soft drinks. These therapeutic actions are mainly attributed to the high content in steroidal saponins (3). Most of the attention has been given to the rhizomes of the Smilax genus, and no extensive works have been carried out on the chemical characterisation of the fruits. Recently the anthocyanin composition of S. aspera berries has been described as responsible of the fruit colour (4). However some preliminary studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that carotenoid pigments are also involved in the red coloration of these berries, and to our knowledge, the carotenoid composition of S. aspera berries has never been study and described. Therefore, the present work was aimed to isolate, identify and quantify the carotenoid pigments occurring in the S. aspera berries (5)., This work was supported by the Project AGL2007-60092/ALI, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spanish Government) and by the Project P08-AGR3477, Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia (Junta de Andalucía).

The hexaploid tritordeum (Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebner) (Figure 1), is the fertile amphiploid (2n=6x=42, AABBHchHch) resulting from the cross between a wild barley (Hordeum chilense) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum Desf) (1). The agronomic, morphological, chemical, physico-chemical and rheological characteristics of this new crop, similar to bread wheat, indicate that tritordeum is a promising cereal for agriculture and food processing (2). Moreover, there is a huge genetic variability available for breeding this new crop as a consequence of the synthesis of hundreds of different amphiploids, becoming tritordeum a potentially donor of useful traits to wheat. Previous studies (3), carried out in our laboratories, have demonstrated that lutein is the major carotenoide present in tritordeum lines, and at much higher concentration (more than 5 times) than in durum wheat, which suggests a high potential of this crop to become a functional food. In addition, it was found that in the case of tritordeum, lutein shows a characteristic esterification with fatty acids, which is absent or at very low levels in durum wheat grains. In the present study, the effect of storage of grains (temperature and time) on the carotenoid content of three advanced tritordeum lines and three commercial durum wheat varieties has been investigated. The role of esterification on the stability of lutein is also discussed., This work was supported by the Project AGL2007-60092/ALI, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spanish Government) and by the Project P08-AGR3477, Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia (Junta de Andalucía).