Turning Garlic into a Modern Crop: State of the Art and Perspectives.

Garlic is cultivated worldwide for the value of its bulbs, but its cultivation is challenged by the infertility of commercial cultivars and the accumulation of pathogens over time, which occurs as a consequence of vegetative (clonal) propagation. In this review, we summarize the state of the art of garlic genetics and genomics, highlighting recent developments that will lead to its development as a modern crop, including the restoration of sexual reproduction in some garlic strains. The set of tools available to the breeder currently includes a chromosome-scale assembly of the garlic genome and multiple transcriptome assemblies that are furthering our understanding of the molecular processes underlying important traits like the infertility, the induction of flowering and bulbing, the organoleptic properties and resistance to various pathogens.

Valorization of the Hydrolate Byproduct from the Industrial Extraction of Purple Alium sativum Essential Oil as a Source of Nematicidal Products.

The hydrolate byproduct resulting from the industrial essential oil extraction of Spanish purple garlic has been studied against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica by in vitro and in vivo bioassays. The essential oil, the hydrolate and its organic fraction caused high mortality of juveniles, suppressed egg hatch, and reduced nematode infection and reproduction on tomato plants. The nematicidal compounds of garlic oil, diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, were the major components of the hydrolate organic fraction. These findings have important implications for the development of new nematode control products based on garlic hydrolate compounds and highlight the recovery of waste from essential oils extraction, promoting a circular economy.

Tissue-Specific Accumulation of Sulfur Compounds and Saponins in Different Parts of Garlic Cloves from Purple and White Ecotypes.

This study set out to determine the distribution of sulfur compounds and saponin metabolites in different parts of garlic cloves. Three fractions from purple and white garlic ecotypes were obtained: the tunic (SS), internal (IS) and external (ES) parts of the clove. Liquid Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), together with bioinformatics including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Clustering (HCL) and correlation network analyses were carried out. Results showed that the distribution of these metabolites in the different parts of garlic bulbs was different for the purple and the white ecotypes, with the main difference being a slightly higher number of sulfur compounds in purple garlic. The SS fraction in purple garlic had a higher content of sulfur metabolites, while the ES in white garlic was more enriched by these compounds. The correlation network indicated that diallyl disulfide was the most relevant metabolite with regards to sulfur compound metabolism in garlic. The total number of saponins was almost 40-fold higher in purple garlic than in the white variety, with ES having the highest content. Interestingly, five saponins including desgalactotigonin-rhamnose, proto-desgalactotigonin, proto-desgalactotigonin-rhamnose, voghieroside D1, sativoside B1-rhamnose and sativoside R1 were exclusive to the purple variety. Data obtained from saponin analyses revealed a very different network between white and purple garlic, thus suggesting a very robust and tight coregulation of saponin metabolism in garlic. Findings in this study point to the possibility of using tunics from purple garlic in the food and medical industries, since it contains many functional compounds which can be exploited as ingredients.

Análisis de la actividad de un equipo de soporte de cuidados paliativos / Analysis of the activity of a palliative care support team

Objetivo: Conocer el perfil de los pacientes atendidos por un equipo de soporte de cuidados paliativos así como analizar la actividad clínica del mismo. Método: Observacional descriptivo retrospectivo mediante revisión de historias clínicas. Equipo de Soporte de Cuidados Paliativos del Hospital Comarcal San Agustín de Linares (Jaén). Pacientes en seguimiento por dicha unidad fallecidos desde diciembre de 2008 hasta diciembre de 2009.Se recogieron datos sociodemográficos y datos clínicos como diagnóstico, síntomas, tratamiento analgésico, número de visitas y consultas telefónicas. Del mismo modo se valoró el grado de dependencia y se registró el sexo y parentesco del cuidador principal. Resultados: La edad media de los 170 pacientes fue de 71,7 ± 13,5 años. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue cáncer de pulmón o de origen digestivo. El cuidador principal suele ser hijo o cónyuge del paciente y de sexo femenino. El tiempo medio de seguimiento por nuestro servicio fue de 58,7 días. La media de consultas atendidas por paciente fue de 4,7 ± 4,8 y la media de consultas telefónicas 4,0 ± 5,9. Entre los síntomas más prevalentes en la primera consulta destaca el dolor (92,6%), el estrenimiento (57,9%) y la disnea (26,2%). El analgésico más empleado fue el fentanilo. Tres de cada cuatro pacientes fallecieron en su domicilio recibiendo sedación terminal en sus últimas horas el 65% de los mismos. Conclusiones: El perfil de los pacientes atendidos por nuestro equipo de soporte es similara otros estudios realizados destacando el mayor tiempo de seguimiento, mayor número de consultas (presenciales o telefónicas) prestadas así como una mayor tasa de sedación termina (AU)

Objective: To determine the profile of patients who were seen in a Palliative Care Unit and to analyse its clinical activity. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study of a Palliative Care Unit of the Hospital San Agustin(Linares, Jaen). We reviewed all medical records of palliative patients who had died from December 2008 until December 2009. Data collected were sociodemographic and clinical data, such as diagnosis, symptoms, analgesic treatment, number of visits and telephone consultations. The level of dependency was also assessed and the sex and family relationship of the primary caregiver was recorded. Results: The mean age of patients was 71.7 ± 13.5 years. The most frequent diagnosis was a lung or gastrointestinal cancer. The primary caregiver was usually the daughter or the partner of the patient. The mean follow-up for our service was 58.7 days. The mean number of visits was4.7 ± 4.8 and the mean number of telephone consultations was 4.0 ± 5.9. The most prevalent symptoms were pain (92.6%), constipation (57.9%) and dyspnea (26.2%). The most commonly used analgesic was fentanyl. Three out of four patients died at home, and 65% of them received sedation and analgesia in their last moments of life. Conclusions: The profile of patients who were seen in our Palliative Care Unit is similar to that of other studies. We emphasize the longer follow-up, the highest number of visits and telephone consultations and an increased rate of terminal sedation (AU)