Argentine garlic III: cultivar differentiation under a health-functionality point of view

BURBA, JOSÉ LUIS; CAMARGO, ALEJANDRA; BERMEJILLO, ADRIANA; PORTELA, JOSÉ

ACTA HORTICULTURAE

International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)

Año: 2005 vol. 688 p. 297 - 300

0567-7572

Clonal cultivars obtained by the Garlic Project of INTA Experiment Station La Consulta (Mendoza, Argentina) are being differentiated by health-functional traits. The main goal is to provide useful information for product differentiation, in order to assist the increasing demand for natural food with high health added value for human consumption worldwide. Up to now, the studies have revealed great differences among cultivars in allicin content, ranging from 8.16 mg.g-1 (case of Morado INTA) to 17.4 mg.g-1 (case of Sureño INTA). Sixty percent of the clones showed more than 11 mg.g-1 of allicin in dry weight. Allicin determinations were made by HPLC method. In the study of selenium content in garlic bulbs, a technique for element determination is being adapted; however, a great variability among cultivars was already established. Fresh garlic tasting panels of pre-trained testers are being done since 2000, looking for flavor differences among clones in preparations like mayonnaise or flavored bread. Results showed that cultivars with similar allicin content (about 11.7 mg.g-1) are difficult to distinguish by taste