Comparative characteristics of the biochemical composition of chard and table beet accessions from VIR collection

Relevance. Healthy eating is one of the many steps that lead to a healthy nation. It implies the provision of the human body with all the necessary elements for its normal functioning. Within the framework of import substitution, it is extremely important to identify and popularize valuable crops that are suitable for cultivation in the territory of the Russian Federation. One of these rarely studied and insufficiently studied cultures is the leaf variety of beet –chard (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. сicla). Man uses in the food the fleshy petioles and leaves of this plant.Material and methods. The purpose of the research was to identify the characteristics of the biochemical composition of chard and compare them with the widespread red beet. The object of the study was 44 accessions of red beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) and 32 accessions of chard from the VIR collection, differing in phenotype and origin. The accessions were cultivated in the vegetable crop rotation in the Research and production base “Pushkin and Pavlovsk laboratories of VIR” (Pushkin, Leningrad region) for two years (2014 and 2015). Biochemical analysis was performed using standard methods. The quantitative and qualitative composition of the metabolites was assessed using GС-МS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry).Results. The results of the study revealed significant variability of indicators depending on the specific genotype. The indicators of the content of ascorbic acid, protein and pigments: betanin in beetroot and β -carotene in leafy can be attributed to slightly varying. A detailed comparative description of the content of carbohydrate profile metabolites is given. It is shown that chard is better balanced in terms of monosaccharides content, differs in low sucrose content. The amino acid composition of chard is richer and more diverse than that of table beet, it is significantly ahead of table beet in essential amino acids for humans. Selected accessions of chard are recommended for use in infant, dietary and diabetic nutrition. Due to the high protein content (83% higher than that of red beet), the culture is recommended as an ingredient for feed production. Leaf beet has a number of valuable advantages: unpretentious in cultivation, decorative and, most importantly, has great potential for use in human nutrition and fodder production.