Raffinose family oligosaccharides in seeds of Pisum wild taxa, type lines for seed genes, domesticated and advanced breeding materials

The content of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in pea seeds constrains their usage in feeding humans and animals. In our research, the content of soluble carbohydrates—particularly α-D-galactosides of sucrose (RFOs)—was analyzed. The materials were as follows: 248 accessions from the Polish Pisum Genebank including representatives of taxa (from species to convarietas), type lines for genes controlling seed characters, and breeding materials and cultivars. Accessions were divided into homogeneous groups considering content of total soluble carbohydrates, total RFOs and individual RFOs: raffinose, stachyose and verbascose. The highest content of total soluble carbohydrates and total RFOs were stated for accessions with wrinkled seeds (r and rb genes) and the lowest content for seeds of the wild species P. fulvum Sibth. et Sm. Accessions valuable for breeding (for further decreasing of anti-nutritional compounds) were found among domesticated taxa (P. sativum subsp. sativum convar. vulgare Alef. and speciosum (Dierb.) Alef.), breeding lines, and some wild taxa. Accessions with decreased content of a total RFOs and verbascose are particularly valuable. It was found that the content of total RFOs was the most highly, frequently, and positively correlated with a stachyose and verbascose content. However, in P. fulvum seeds with the lowest content of RFOs and verbascose, a high correlation between the content of total RFOs and stachyose was revealed. Contents of all oligosaccharides were substantially lower in lines with dominant alleles of main pea seed genes (R, A, and I). It can be assumed that wild, primitive peas were characterized by not-all-to-high (rather not high) content of oligosaccharides; then recessive mutations in mentioned genes resulted in an increased content of RFOs. It seems to be an interesting observation from an evolutionary point of view.