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This brief historical review focuses on durum wheat domestication and breeding in the Mediterranean region. Important milestones in durum wheat breeding programs across the countries of the Mediterranean basin before and after the Green Revolution are discussed. Additionally, the main achievements of the classical breeding methodology are presented using a comparison of old and new cultivars. Furthermore, current breeding goals and challenges are analyzed. An overview of classical breeding methods in combination with current molecular techniques and tools for cultivar development is presented. Important issues of seed quality are outlined, focusing on protein and characteristics that affect human health and are connected with the consumption of wheat end-products.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a popular herb of great economic and medicinal value. Despite its significant potential, there are currently no commercially available varieties specifically adapted to Mediterranean low-input farming systems. The present study aimed to develop a genetically improved breeding population derived from indigenous Greek chamomile germplasm, following a multi-year strategy, based on pedigree selection under low-input conditions. This selection process constituted the first phase of the breeding program, during which selection focused on improving inflorescence dry weight and essential oil quality, particularly with respect to α-bisabolol and chamazulene content. After three cycles of selection, considerable genetic gains were achieved. The realized heritability values exceeded 0.5 for all assessed traits, confirming strong genetic control. In the fourth year, representing the second phase of the breeding program, the breeding population—developed through selection during the first phase—was evaluated alongside the initial population and commercial diploid and tetraploid varieties. The breeding population exhibited significant observed gains compared to the initial population: inflorescence dry weight increased by 12.17%, α-bisabolol content by 71.45%, and chamazulene content by 6.57%. Additionally, the breeding population not only surpassed all evaluated diploid genotypes in essential oil composition, but also displayed a chemotypic shift, indicating successful alignment with tetraploid varieties characterized by high-value chemical profiles. Furthermore, this selection process targeting specific commercial chamomile traits indirectly contributed to improvement in plant height and inflorescence morphology. Overall, these results demonstrate that conventional breeding, when applied effectively to native resources, can enhance both agronomic performance and essential oil profile. The newly developed breeding population provides a strong foundation for future cultivar development tailored to Mediterranean low-input sustainable farming systems.

Durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) van Slageren) is an important crop in the Mediterranean Rim, and it is deeply rooted in the history and tradition of this region. Recently, several studies that examined DNA markers on Mediterranean landrace collections have successfully elucidated the pathways of this crop across the Mediterranean Rim, but the historical frame is still rather diffuse. This paper aims at tracing the historical evolution of durum wheat throughout the Mediterranean Rim since its commencement as a crop until present times. A search was carried out through archaeological references where durum wheat remains were found. Historical descriptions about cultivation of this crop, references to products made from its grain, and articles interpreting DNA marker information from Mediterranean landraces were also consulted. The present article also examines the currently available durum wheat genetic resources. Durum wheat was domesticated in the Levant area. Phoenicians, Greeks, and above all Romans were active in the expansion and success of durum cultivation in all Mediterranean Rim that started displaced emmer by the mid first millennium BCE. Early Arab empire expanded in the area of durum wheat cultivation promoting food types based on semolina (dry pasta and couscous). Up to 1955 most durum areas in this area were planted with landraces, but several breeding programs were initiated in Italy, and later at CIMMYT and at ICARDA. Landrace collection and conservation efforts were carried out along the Mediterranean Rim countries to preserve the legacy of this crop.

Optimizing rice productivity is crucial for global food security, especially in Mediterranean environments. This study investigated the influence of tillering capacity on yield and other agronomic traits in nine European rice cultivars over two seasons (2021–2022). A split-plot design was used with cultivars as the main factor and five tillering levels: main stems (Mn), primary (T1), secondary (T2), tertiary (T3), and quaternary (T4) as sub-factors. The grain yield, total dry matter, harvest index, 1000-grain weight, and number of stems were measured. Significant differences were revealed among cultivars, tillering levels, and their interaction for all traits. Mn and T1 consistently outyielded later tillers, with Ronaldo’s Mn achieving 4.71 t ha−1. Mare and Olympiada displayed the highest average yields (1.52 t ha−1) through balanced resource allocation across tillers. Strong correlations between tillering levels and yield (R2 = 0.73) demonstrate that early tillers significantly enhance productivity. We conclude that optimizing early tiller productivity—rather than maximizing tiller numbers—should be prioritized in breeding programs. Cultivars combining vigorous Mn and T1 development with efficient resource partitioning offer the most promising approach for improving Mediterranean rice productivity.

In this study, three pearling fractions, namely bran, dehulled grains and pearled grains, derived from fourteen hulled and one hull-less Greek barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.), were analyzed for the protein, ash, β-glucan, phenolic compounds and tocols contents. High variations appeared in the bioactive contents across the barley cultivars and fractions as well. The protein and ash contents decreased from the outer to the inner layers, whereas β-glucans presented an inverse trend. The highest protein and β-glucan contents were in the hull-less cultivar; however, one hulled cultivar (Sirios) exhibited similar β-glucan content, while another (Constantinos) had even higher protein content. The results also revealed that functional compounds were mainly located in bran fraction. Similar trends were also noted for the antioxidant activity. Ferulic acid was the primary phenolic acid in all fractions, followed by sinapic and p-coumaric acids that were dominant in bound form. However, oligomeric flavonoids, such as prodelphinidin B3, catechin, and procyanidin B2, were more abundant in free form. Overall, this study highlights that different barley cultivars can provide pearling flour fractions of varying composition (nutrients and bioactives), which have the potential to serve as nutritionally valuable ingredients in formulations of cereal-based functional food products.

The bioflavonoid quercetin has long been known to exert anti-tumor effects, although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Investigation of the potential interference of this anti-oxidant with the efficacy of cell stress-inducing anti-cancer drugs revealed extensive intracellular vacuolation induced by quercetin in epithelial cancer cells that led to cell cycle arrest and ensuing apoptosis. Accumulation of biomarkers of autophagy, including fluorescent autophagy markers and acidotropic dyes characterized these vacuoles as phagolysosomes. Prior to the formation of autophagosomes, an immediate and pronounced inhibition of the autophagy-controlling mTOR activity in quercetin-treated cancer cells occurred, accompanied by a marked reduction in the phosphorylation of the mTOR substrates 4E-BP1 and p70S6 kinase. Assessment of cellular proteasome activity revealed an effective and immediate inhibition of the activity of the proteasome by quercetin in cancer cells. In addition to the formation of autophagosomes, accumulation of poly-ubiquitinated protein aggregates was observed. Thus, proteasome inhibition by quercetin can be regarded as a major cause of quercetin-induced cancer cell death. These results suggest potential new applications for quercetin in cancer science and identify quercetin as an easy-to-handle agent to study proteasome activity, mTOR signaling and autophagy in human cancer cells for cell biological purposes.

The simultaneous use of 2-pyridyl oximes (pyridine-2 amidoxime, H2pyaox; 2-methyl pyridyl ketoxime, Hmpko) and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3btc) provided access to five new compounds, namely [Zn(H2btc)2(H2pyaox)2]•2H2O (1•2H2O), [Zn(Hbtc)(H2pyaox)2]n (2), [Cu(Hbtc)(H2pyaox)]n (3), [Cu(Hbtc)(HmpKo)]n (4) and [Cu2(Hbtc)2(Hmpko)2(H2O)2]•4H2O (5•4H2O). Among them, 3 is the first example of a metal-organic framework (MOF) containing H2pyaox. Its framework can be described as a 3-c uninodal net of hcb topology with the layers being parallel to the (1,0,1) plane. Furthermore, 3 is the third reported MOF based on a 2-pyridyl oxime in general. 2 and 4 are new members of a small family of coordination polymers containing an oximic ligand. 1–5 form 3D networks through strong intermolecular interactions. Dc magnetic susceptibility studies were carried out in a crystalline sample of 3 and revealed the presence of weak exchange interactions between the metal centres; the experimental data were fitted to a theoretical model with the fitting parameters being J = −0.16(1) cm−1 and g = 2.085(1). The isotropic g value was also confirmed by electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Reactivity studies were performed for 3 in the presence of metal ions; the reaction progress was studied and discussed for Fe(NO3)3 by the use of several characterization techniques, including single crystal X-ray crystallography and IR spectroscopy.

Bread wheat landraces were an important source of biodiversity used in agriculture before the widespread adoption of high-yielding commercial cultivars adapted to high inputs. Could future agriculture exploit these landraces in different cropping systems in organic or lower-input environments? A two-year field trial was conducted to evaluate grain yield, agronomic performance, and grain quality of bread wheat landraces under different cropping systems, including low-input/organic/conventional environments. Significant variability was found for almost all characteristics among landraces, which makes landraces valuable sources of genetic variation for breeding programs aimed at achieving high and consistent production as well as high-quality products in low-input/organic environments. Additionally, landraces play a crucial role in expanding the genetic diversity of cultivated bread wheat and mitigating biodiversity erosion, thereby enabling crops to better withstand the challenges of low-input/organic agriculture. The landrace “Xilokastro Lamias” had the highest yield among the landraces evaluated in the first growing season (2.65 t·ha−1) and one of the highest yields (2.52 t·ha−1) of all genotypes in the second growing season, which shows promising potential as a starting material in breeding programs targeting high and stable yields. GGE biplot analysis identified the landrace ”Xilokastro Lamias”, along with commercial cultivars “Yecora E” and “Panifor”, as suitable candidates for direct use in low-input/organic wheat farming systems to achieve enhanced productivity. In the conventional environment (C2-IPGRB), commercial cultivars showed the highest values (3.09 to 3.41 ton·ha−1). Of the landraces, only the X4 showed a high GY (3.10 ton·ha−1) while the other landraces had ~33–85% lower yield. In the organic environment (O2-IPGRB), the highest productivity was found in the commercial cultivar X5 and the landrace X4. Commercial cultivars X8 and X7 showed ~68% reduction in GY in the organic environment compared to the conventional, while this reduction was half for the landraces. Finally, the reduction in grain yield between conventional and organic environments was observed to be 45% for commercial cultivars, while it was only half for landraces. This finding confirms the adaptability of landraces to organic agriculture.

Research has highlighted the nutritional benefits of ancient grains, especially emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum), compared to modern varieties of common and durum wheat, focusing on their higher levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals. In this study, grains from old Greek landraces of einkorn, emmer, durum and common wheat were compared to modern wheat cultivars, as well as barley, oats and rye grains, to investigate their unique genetic profile and nutritional properties. Genotyping of Triticum species was performed using SSR markers, which allowed differentiation up to cultivar level. Nutritional factors like the total content of bound and free polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and fatty acid profile were assessed. The results showed that emmer and einkorn had the highest total polyphenol, flavonoid and mono-unsaturated fatty acids content, as well as higher antioxidant activity than common and durum wheat. Local landraces of common and durum wheat also exhibited higher values than commercial cultivars. The results of this study demonstrate the high nutritional value of ancient wheat varieties. Many of these cultivars have been put aside by more productive, yet with lower qualitative characteristics, commercial cultivars, underlining the importance of maintaining sustainable agricultural practices to ensure their continued cultivation.

Bread wheat variety development suited to organic farming conditions remains a major challenge mainly because of the high breeding costs involved and the few cultivars adapted to low-input systems. The present work explores whether early generation selection needs to take place under organic conditions for subsequent adaptation or whether conventional testing at an early stage could be adequate. A diverse set of crosses involving Greek landraces and commercial cultivars were developed and advanced by honeycomb pedigree selection under both organic and conventional environments. Subsequently, F4 progenies and an upgraded landrace were evaluated over two years in neighboring organic and conventional trials. Both statistical and GGE biplot analyses revealed significant genotype × environment interactions. The results clearly indicate that early selection under organic conditions did not provide a consistent advantage for subsequent performance under organic management compared with conventional early selection. Genotypes derived from the Africa × Atheras cross consistently showed the highest and most stable yields across the two environments, irrespective of the early selection environment. These results indicate that genetic background and landrace-derived diversity are more important than the early selection environment for the expression of performance. A staged breeding strategy involving initial selection in conventional management followed by multi-environment testing in organic conditions can provide a cost-effective approach to developing resilient, high-yielding wheat cultivars suitable for organic farming systems, which are typically characterized by low-input management practices, and in tune with the EU targets for expanded organic farming.