Abstract
Simple SummaryThis study was designed to determine the contents of nutrients and some anti-nutritional factors in the seeds of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and the variation of phenotypic and morphological traits in field studies of 44 European accessions, originating from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, and Germany and grown in the same soil-climate conditions. The results of the research showed that common vetch seeds may be valuable protein-rich feed stuff, but their nutritional usefulness is limited by the presence of anti-nutritional factors.Agricultural research has traditionally focused on staple crops, while relatively little attention has been given to minor crops. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the nutrient contents and some anti-nutritional factors in the seeds of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and the variation of phenotypic and morphological traits in field studies of 44 European accessions, originating from Russia, Ukraine, Poland (east and east-central Europe), the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary (south-central Europe), and Germany (west-central Europe) and grown in the same soil-climate conditions. A three-year field study was conducted from 2010 to 2012. Accessions originating from west-central Europe flowered three days earlier than those from south-central Europe. They also had the lowest seed number per pod (5.9) but the highest thousand seed weight (58 g) (p < 0.05). Vetch lines coming from south-central Europe contained the highest level of crude protein in comparison with vetch seeds originating from west-central Europe (353 vs. 324 g kg−1, respectively) (p < 0.05), but the latter had the highest essential amino acid index value (75 vs. 71 in west-central Europe and south-central Europe, respectively) (p < 0.05). The highest protein level was noted in the seeds of Slovak origin (average 358 g kg−1), whereas the lowest protein level (324 g kg−1) was determined in the Russian and German lines. Vetch grain fat was rich in linoleic (53%) and linolenic (14%) acids. The best n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio (4) and the highest α-linolenic acid level were exhibited by the Slovak and Polish accessions (p < 0.05). The seeds of vetch accessions from east, east-central, and south-central Europe contained higher levels of (p < 0.05) iron than those originating from west-central Europe. The concentration of tannins, trypsin inhibitors, and hydrogen cyanide reached on average 8, 3, and 81 mg kg−1, respectively. The highest hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels was determined in the accessions of German and Russian origin (126 and 119 mg kg−1, respectively), and the lowest values were noted in the Slovak and Polish lines (50 and 67 mg HCN kg−1, respectively). Furthermore, the Polish accessions contained the lowest levels of tannins and trypsin inhibitors. Common vetch seeds may be valuable protein feed/food stuff, but their nutritional usefulness is limited by the presence of anti-nutritional factors, especially HCN, which is difficult to remove. Further selection in this direction may be postulated.
Highlights
Many crops considered neglected on a global scale may be important at a country or local level and can be used as a supplement to well-balanced diets [1,2]
The predominant linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) constituted on average 53% of total FA, with higher contents in the accessions from Czechia and Hungary and the lowest level in the seed fat from the Russian accessions (p = 0.017). Another polyunsaturated fatty acid with the highest proportion in the vetch seed fat was linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3), on average accounting for 13.5% of total FA, with higher contents in the Slovak and Polish accessions and the lowest level in the seed fat from the Russian and Czech accessions (p = 0.025)
The results showed a lower amount of iron in the vetch seed accessions originating from west-central Europe than in those from the other European regions
Summary
Many crops considered neglected on a global scale may be important at a country or local level and can be used as a supplement to well-balanced diets [1,2]. They include a few species of grain legumes, for example grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) [3,4,5] and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), the latter of which is the research object of this study. In European Union countries, common vetch occupies 0.122 million ha and the production of vetch is about 0.161 million tons. According to the Official Journal of the European Union [9], the common EU catalogue comprises
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