Seeds

Two well-known recessive mutations (a, conditioning white flowers and unpigmented testa; and r, conditioning wrinkled seeds) were found to be major contributors to the loss of germination percentage in garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) when seeds were maintained at cool temperatures (5 °C) for extended periods. After approximately 20 years in storage, seeds homozygous for the unpigmented mutation displayed an average germination rate about 20% lower than wildtype seeds, while wrinkled seeds displayed a rate about 25% less. Seeds homozygous for both the a and r mutations (a combination typical of many commercial cultivars) exhibited a reduction in germination percentage of about 50% over the storage period, indicating that the two mutations have an additive effect on the ageing process. Additional results involving a second mutation (a2) in the phenylpropanoid pathway, as well as information available from the literature that a second, independent mutation in starch synthesis (r_b) also reduces seed longevity, suggest that an intact phenylpropanoid pathway and a normally functioning starch synthesis pathway are necessary for optimal storage life of pea seeds.

Wild seeds constitute a taxonomically diverse and underexplored reservoir of C18-series bioactive fatty acids (BFAs) with significant nutritional, biomedical, and industrial relevance. This review integrates current knowledge on their lipid composition, metabolic architecture, and potential applications. Numerous wild taxa accumulate high levels of oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic, γ-linolenic, and stearidonic acids, while others synthesise structurally specialised compounds such as punicic, petroselinic, and sciadonic acids. These FAs, together with tocopherols, phytosterols, and phenolics, underpin antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cardiometabolic effects supported by in vitro and in vivo evidence. The occurrence of these unusual lipids reflects lineage-specific modulation of plastidial and endoplasmic-reticulum pathways, including differential activities of SAD, FAD2/3, Δ6- and Δ5-desaturases, elongases, and acyl-editing enzymes that determine the final acyl-CoA and TAG pools. Wild seed oils show strong potential for translation into functional foods, targeted nutraceuticals, pharmacologically relevant lipid formulations, cosmetic ingredients, and bio-based materials. However, their exploitation is constrained by ecological sustainability, oxidative instability of PUFA-rich matrices, antinutritional constituents, and regulatory requirements for novel lipid sources. This review positions wild seeds as high-value, underused lipid resources with direct relevance to health and sustainability. It underscores their potential to enhance nutritional security and offer alternatives to conventional oil crops.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits rice production, with severity varying among genotypes. It disrupts key physiological processes, particularly water uptake and membrane integrity. This study evaluated six rice genotypes to (i) determine the critical salinity threshold for seed germination and (ii) investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying genotypic variation. Seeds were exposed to saline solutions of up to 32 dS m⁻¹ under controlled conditions, and germination was recorded at 2, 5, 10, and 14 days after stress imposition. Additional assays at 0, 12, 18, and 24 dS m⁻¹ for 1, 3, and 5 days assessed water uptake, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. The critical threshold for germination was consistent across genotypes (26.01–28.53 dS m⁻¹), except for Nona Bokra, which was more sensitive (20.5 dS m⁻¹). Salinity reduced seed water uptake and promoted membrane degradation, as evidenced by increased electrolyte leakage and MDA accumulation, with severity proportional to stress duration.