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Publisher
Springer, Dordrecht
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Authors: Irene MuellerHarvey
Publish Date: 2014
Volume: , Issue: , Pages: 299-311
Abstract
A small number of forage legumes are of great interest for sustainable livestock production because they contain various bioactive compounds such as polyphenols tannins and oxidases The recently completed EU Marie Curie Research Training Network ‘HealthyHay’ reported large intraspecies variation not only in agronomic characteristics but also in bioactive constituents during a detailed screening of a sainfoin Onobrychis viciifolia germplasm collection Tannins for example showed considerable quantitative and qualitative differences contents varied fivefold the average polymer size varied sevenfold prodelphinidins accounted for between 53 and 95 and transflavanols for between 12 and 34 of the tannins Large variations were also observed amongst monomeric polyphenols and between enzymes involved in their biosynthesis Total flavonol and flavan3ol contents were important variables for distinguishing between sainfoin accessions and dihydroflavonol 4reductase and flavonol synthase proved particularly useful for screening purposes Not surprisingly considerable variation was also observed in terms of the effectiveness of the different accessions against parasitic worms coccidia and generation of ruminal fermentation productsThis EU ‘HealthyHay’ project used existing and established several new techniques for screening legumes for their bioactive compounds but also for their effects in terms of antiparasitic nutritional and environmental benefits These included several different tannin methods in vitro anthelmintic assays an anticoccidial assay an automated pressure evaluation system APES for volatile fatty acid and methane production a pepsincellulase digestibility assay and ensiling studies Further work will be needed to identify the optimum concentrations and compositions of the bioactive compounds and to develop molecular markers for this underexploited forage legume Recent research on Populus indicated that the qualitative and quantitative tannin traits are under genetic control and thus amenable to plant breeding It is likely that tannin traits are also under genetic control in sainfoin and that tannin composition can therefore be optimised to maximise specific benefitsThe European Commission funded the ‘HealthyHay’ Marie Curie Research Training Network Grant no MRTNCT2006035805 and currently funds the ‘LegumePlus’ Marie Curie Initial Training Network Grant no PITNGA2011289377 The valuable contributions of all PhD students postdoctoral fellows and their supervisors are gratefully acknowledged
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