title: Variation in Herbage Biochemical Composition among Pitch Trefoil (Bituminaria bituminosa) Populations from Elba Island, Italy.
abstract: This study assessed the variation in herbage protein and fiber content as well as concentration of furocoumarins, plicatin B, (E)-werneria chromene, and pterocarpans of pitch trefoil (Bituminaria bituminosa) germplasm sampled in situ in both summer and autumn in Elba Island, Italy. Populations were sampled from a range of climatic and edaphic conditions, on light soils with pH > 7.5. Valuable variation occurred for forage quality and chemical composition. The quality features, relevant for a possible forage utilization of the species, were promising for the leaves, which represented about two-thirds of the total aerial biomass in early summer and the whole green regrowth in autumn. The species can also represent a source of psoralen, angelicin, plicatin B, bitucarpin A, and erybraedin C for possible pharmaceutical and/or agrochemical use, with individual populations showing high levels of these compounds.
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie (CREA-FLC) , viale Piacenza 29, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pecetti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Organica, Università di Pavia , viale Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie (CREA-FLC) , viale Piacenza 29, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tava
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D007558:Italy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012987:Soil
keywords: angelicin; forage quality; furocoumarins; psoralen; pterocarpans