Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Phisiological and nutritional approches to contain cadmium and nitrate...
Coordinator
The task includes: a) the development of advanced predictive models describing the effects of uncontrolled or unexpected processing/storage conditions on chemical biological risks; b) the reduction of the allergenic potential/toxicity of foods
Advanced predictive model(s) and novel strategies to mitigate the biological/chemical risks (M18)
New approaches to reduce nitrate content in fresh-cut vegetables (M36)
Plant-derived foods are the major source of cadmium (Cd) and nitrate (NO3-) exposure for humans. Among cereals, rice accumulates high levels of Cd in grains, sometimes exceeding the limit established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission of FAO/WHO. Cd accumulation in rice grains depends on the equilibrium between the plant capability to retain the metal in the root and the activities involved in xylem loading. Plant sulfur metabolism plays a central role in this equilibrium, determining the total amount of Cd ions available to be translocated via the xylem in a root-to-shoot direction.
More than 80-95% of the dietary intake of NO3- is attributed to vegetables. Nitrogen (N) nutrition and metabolism are the major factors influencing tissue NO3- content in plants. Soil-less systems offer advantages in managing NO3- accumulation since they allow a fine modulation of N nutritional sources (i.e., NO3- and NH4+) and plant metabolism during various phases of the growing cycle.
The implication of plant systemic S fluxes in Cd mobility within the plant will be preliminary analyzed in rice varieties exposed to low and environmentally realistic Cd concentrations in the growing medium. The activity will be carried out using physiological and biochemical methods integrated with 32S/34S stable isotope analysis at natural abundance. The second phase of the project will be devoted at analyzing the effects of different S level and soil amendments with silicate on Cd translocation and accumulation in rice grains.
Concerning NO3-, it will be analyzed the effects of different ratio of NH4+/NO3- in hydroponics on radish growth and nutraceutical quality, NO3- accumulation and related metabolism. Different sulfate availabilities will be also evaluated for their possible effects on root anion balance. Also in this case we will use an integrated approach based on physiological and biochemical methodologies and mass spectrometry analyses (LC-ESI-MS/MS; ICP-MS, IRMS, GC-MS).
