The development of embryos requires interaction of many endogenous hormones. The aim of the study was to determine which endogenous phytohormones are involved in the process of oat (Avena sativa L.) haploidization. Oat haploids were obtained by wide crossing with Zea mays L. The hormonal profiles of the ovaries with (OE) and without developed embryo (OWE) were compared. Phytohormone contents were measured by UHPLC coupled with mass spectrometer. The total content of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), trans-zeatin (tZ), and kinetin (KN) in OE was significantly higher than in OWE. 4-Chloroindole-3-acetic acid was detected only in OWE. There were no differences between OE and OWE in the content of gibberellins (GA₁, GA₃, GA₄, GA₆, GA₇) and stress hormones (abscisic, salicylic, jasmonic acids). Content of endogenous KN was highly negatively correlated with the percentage of haploid embryos, germinated haploid embryos, haploid plants on MS (in vitro), haploid plants in soil (ex vitro), and doubled haploid lines. The tZ content negatively correlated with the frequency of haploid embryo formation, germination, and haploid plants obtained in vitro, as opposed to GA₁, which correlated positively. A positive correlation was found between IAA and tZ in OE, whereas in OWE it was a negative correlation. The profiles of phytohormones in OE and OWE were determined; however, their mode of action needs to be clarified.

The aim of the study was to examine combinations of base oils and herbal additives with a view to obtaining macerates with improved health benefits. Base oils were cold-pressed from the seeds of black cumin, borage, evening primrose, safflower, walnut, common hazel, and oilseed rape, as well as the flesh of sea-buckthorn fruits. They were then supplemented with herbs, including basil, thyme, and sage, in order to create macerates. Total antioxidant activity and tocopherol level were analyzed in oils, macerates, and oil cakes. Additionally, chemical properties of oil cakes—such as the level of fibre, vitamin C, β-carotene, and lutein—were also examined. Supplementation with herbs caused diversified effects on antioxidant activity and tocopherol level in macerates depending on the base oil, herb, and supplementation method. The obtained results indicate that tocopherol level does not play a decisive role in determining the antioxidant properties of oils, macerates, and oil cakes, suggesting significant involvement of other antioxidants. Among the tested macerates, the most promising one seems to be oilseed rape oil enriched with sage or basil to maximize its health benefits. The study can serve as a starting point for the development and implementation of functional macerates and oil cakes in healthy nutrition.

Oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars ‘Bingo’ and ‘Chwat’ were used to compare the embryogenesis competence of another culture. Despite the embryo-like structures obtained from both tested cultivars, only ‘Chwat’ produced green plantlets, which confirmed the cultivar dependency. ‘Chwat’ produced the highest number of embryo-like structures and green plantlets (0.7/100 anthers and 0.1/100 anthers, respectively). The embryo-like structure formation also depended on cold pretreatment combined with Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, or Ag⁺ ion supplementation, which was applied during the tiller pretreatment or added to the induction media. The highest number of embryo-like structures (2.1/100 anthers) were observed on anthers derived from the tillers kept in a 50% Hoagland medium with the addition of 10 µM of CuSO₄. In turn, the induction media supplemented with the ions Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, or Ag⁺ increased neither the number of embryo-like structures nor the green plantlet production compared to the control conditions. However, such ion applications turned out to be most effective when the induction medium was enriched with 25 µM of AgNO₃ and left to obtain the highest number of embryo-like structures and green plantlets (0.8/100 anthers and 0.2/100 anthers, respectively). Therefore, more attention should be paid to the possibilities of adjusting the media nutrient composition, as this may be the only way to significantly increase the efficiency of this method.

A doubled haploid population of 94 lines from the Chinese Spring × SQ1 wheat cross (CSDH) was used to evaluate additive and epistatic gene action effects on total phenolic content, grain yield of the main stem, grain number per plant, thousand grain weight, and dry weight per plant at harvest based on phenotypic and genotypic observations of CSDH lines. These traits were evaluated under moderate and severe drought stress and compared with well-watered plants. Plants were grown in pots in an open-sided greenhouse. Genetic parameters, such as additive and epistatic effects, affecting total phenolic content, were estimated for eight year-by-drought combinations. Twenty-one markers showed a significant additive effect on total phenolic content in all eight year-by-drought combinations. These markers were located on chromosomes: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, and 4D. A region on 4AL with a stable QTL controlling the phenolic content, confirmed by various statistical methods is particularly noteworthy. In all years and treatments, three markers significantly linked to QTLs have been identified for both phenols and yield. Thirteen markers were coincident with candidate genes. Our results indicated the importance of both additive and epistatic gene effects on total phenolic content in eight year-by-drought combinations.

The efficiency of embryogenesis of anther culture was compared using four cultivars of oat (Avena sativa L.): ‘Akt’, ‘Bingo’, ‘Bajka’, and ‘Chwat’. Despite the high resistance of oat to the process of androgenesis, all tested cultivars produced embryo-like structures and only two of them, ‘Akt’ and ‘Chwat’, produced fertile doubled haploid plants. A strong cultivar dependency was observed during induction of androgenesis. Further, cold pretreatment together with high temperature shock enhanced the efficiency of this technique. The highest number of embryo-like structures and haploid plants was obtained from cv. ‘Chwat’ (3.6% and 0.8%, respectively). Embryo-like structure formation also depended on the distance from the base of the flag leaf to the penultimate leaf of the panicle. Most of them were observed on anthers harvested from panicles of which the distance from the base of the flag leaf to the penultimate leaf was less than 4 cm. The presence of the induction medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators was essential for the induction of embryo-like structures but did not increase the production of haploid plants and doubled haploid lines. The highest number of embryo-like structures and plants was obtained on W14 medium with the addition of 2.0 mg/dm³ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 mg/dm³ kinetin (2.7%). The low haploid plant regeneration rate (from 0.03 to 0.05%) still limits the practical application of anther culture for the production of doubled haploid lines in oat.

Background The oat × maize addition (OMA) lines are used for mapping of the maize genome, the studies of centromere-specific histone (CENH3), gene expression, meiotic chromosome behavior and also for introducing maize C4 photosynthetic system to oat. The aim of our study was the identification and molecular-cytogenetic characterization of oat × maize hybrids. Methods Oat DH lines and oat × maize hybrids were obtained using the wide crossing of Avena sativa L. with Zea mays L. The plants identified as having a Grande-1 retrotransposon fragment, which produced seeds, were used for genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Results A total of 138 oat lines obtained by crossing of 2,314 oat plants from 80 genotypes with maize cv. Waza were tested for the presence of maize chromosomes. The presence of maize chromatin was indicated in 66 lines by amplification of the PCR product (500 bp) generated using primers specific for the maize retrotransposon Grande-1. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) detected whole maize chromosomes in eight lines (40%). All of the analyzed plants possessed full complement of oat chromosomes. The number of maize chromosomes differed between the OMA lines. Four OMA lines possessed two maize chromosomes similar in size, three OMA—one maize chromosome, and one OMA—four maize chromosomes. In most of the lines, the detected chromosomes were labeled uniformly. The presence of six 45S rDNA loci was detected in oat chromosomes, but none of the added maize chromosomes in any of the lines carried 45S rDNA locus. Twenty of the analyzed lines did not possess whole maize chromosomes, but the introgression of maize chromatin in the oat chromosomes. Five of 66 hybrids were shorter in height, grassy type without panicles. Twenty-seven OMA lines were fertile and produced seeds ranging in number from 1–102 (in total 613). Sixty-three fertile DH lines, out of 72 which did not have an addition of maize chromosomes or chromatin, produced seeds in the range of 1–343 (in total 3,758). Obtained DH and OMA lines were fertile and produced seeds. Discussion In wide hybridization of oat with maize, the complete or incomplete chromosomes elimination of maize occur. Hybrids of oat and maize had a complete set of oat chromosomes without maize chromosomes, and a complete set of oat chromosomes with one to four retained maize chromosomes.