Vegetable crop breeding for increased antioxidant content is a promising direction for healthy food production

Abstract

The article presents the directions and results of breeding work of FSBSI Federal Scientific Centre for Vegetable Growing for improved biochemical composition of vegetable crops. The gene pool of traditional and rare vegetable crops is evaluated by their antioxidant properties, the best samples with high content of dry matter, sugars, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, macro- and microelements are selected as the starting material for further breeding for improved biochemical composition. Especially valuable in this direction are cabbages, onions, pumpkins, nightshades, root crops, greens and low-spreading crops. It is shown that in recent years there has been considerable interest in the food use of seedlings of various vegetable crops. Scientists and breeders are increasingly turning to wild species as sources of new material to expand the genetic basis of crops to enhance their antioxidant status, adaptive potential and resistance to biotic stresses, such crops include chervil, ornamental onions, spicy-flavored crops and others. It is shown that breeding vegetable crops for improving the biochemical composition of fruits has great prospects, since the introduction into production of varieties and hybrids with high antioxidant status will increase their food and medicinal value without additional costs of irreplaceable energy sources and will serve as the basis for creating functional products. Functional foods should be obligatory on the market alongside traditional foods, as they can complement traditional ones by acting as a kind of medicinal or preventive remedy.