Abstract
In the context of sustainable utilisation of valuable but neglected plant resources, a multifaceted study is presented herein for Greek native genotypes of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L., Caprifoliaceae), a species with an appreciated pharmaceutical and nutritional value. At the first phase, fresh plant materials (leaves, softwood cuttings) were collected from nine geographically separated genotypes originating from wild-growing Greek native germplasm of S. nigra. The leaf samples were genetically authenticated using DNA barcoding (ITS2). The next phase included the development of an asexual propagation protocol via cuttings which included screening of the collected genotypes in terms of propagation success, and further experimentation over a two-year period on a prioritised genotype. The propagation results highlighted the importance of external application of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) rooting hormone at levels of 2000–4000 ppm, which consistently presented high rooting rates (100%) of summer softwood, leafy cuttings of apical or sub-apical type. At the same time, rooting quality in terms of root number and length as well as early plant growth after rooting, were improved by external hormone application resulting in high rates of plant survival. This study reports first-time data on multifaceted assessment of Greek native S. nigra genotypes on molecular authentication and asexual propagation, thus ultimately setting the basis for domestication and sustainable utilization of this species.
Highlights
A worldwide concern for a healthy diet is becoming increasingly important over the latest years as human health is at the forefront of relevant research and is inevitably linked to diet [1,2,3]
For sustainable exploitation of such resources, coordinated research efforts and sustainable exploitation strategies are required [20,24,25] as already proposed in other countries of the Mediterranean Basin, including molecular authentication of the plant material collected from the wild as one of the first steps towards its domestication and utilization, and breeding between wild crop relatives (CWRs) and cultivated species to produce new varieties useful for humans [26]
The authentication efficiency of the studied ITS2 marker in Greek native Sambucus nigra accessions was evaluated by applying BLAST1 and distance-based tests
Summary
A worldwide concern for a healthy diet is becoming increasingly important over the latest years as human health is at the forefront of relevant research and is inevitably linked to diet [1,2,3]. As sources of primary and secondary metabolites, provide excellent antioxidant activity for humans [6] The latter is important as they provide a number of beneficial functions for human health, such as antioxidant protection and therapeutic benefits, including reduced risk of coronary heart disease, reduced risk of stroke, anticarcinogenic activity, improved visual acuity, and improved cognitive behavior [7,8]. Wild plants present sophisticated evolutionary adaptations to the climatic regime in which they thrive naturally [17,18]. This tendency makes the wild-growing plants physiologically balanced in terms of photosynthate production and carbon balance; this, in turn leads to improved function of primary and secondary metabolism, which for fruit species is associated with the production of high-quality fruits [19]. For sustainable exploitation of such resources, coordinated research efforts and sustainable exploitation strategies are required [20,24,25] as already proposed in other countries of the Mediterranean Basin, including molecular authentication of the plant material collected from the wild as one of the first steps towards its domestication and utilization, and breeding between wild crop relatives (CWRs) and cultivated species to produce new varieties useful for humans [26]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
