GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION AND NUT QUALITY OF CHESTNUT CULTIVARS FROM PIEMONTE (ITALY)

R. Botta, A. Akkak, P. Guaraldo, G. Bounous
The chestnut is a very important world resource and Italy is the main European producer. In Piemonte, (North West Italy), there are many superior quality cultivars, particularly suitable for fresh market or processing. DNA analysis was performed using microsatellite markers in order to characterize the germplasm of the Region, while chemical analysis was carried out to determine: ash, protein, starch, soluble sugars, total dietary fiber (TDF) and lipid contents. The results of DNA-typing showed a high degree of genetic variability within the studied germplasm and identified a case of possible synonymy. The chemical analysis indicated starch and soluble sugars as the most abundant compounds, followed by TDF; lipids and protein were present in lower amount. The association of genetic investigation with chemical approach greatly improves the accuracy of cultivar identification and nut characterization, providing information for the exploitation of local productions and for chestnut breeding.
Botta, R., Akkak, A., Guaraldo, P. and Bounous, G. (2005). GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION AND NUT QUALITY OF CHESTNUT CULTIVARS FROM PIEMONTE (ITALY). Acta Hortic. 693, 395-402
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.693.49
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.693.49
Castanea sativa, protein, starch, sucrose, ash, lipids, dietetic fiber, DNA, microsatellite, SSR
English

Acta Horticulturae