See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260209465 Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), a neglected medical and condiment species with a relevant glucosinolate profile: A review Article in Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution · October 2013 DOI: 10.1007/s10722-013-0010-4 CITATIONS READS 46 4,594 3 authors: Rosa Agneta Christian Möllers Università degli Studi della Basilicata Georg-August-Universität Göttingen 10 PUBLICATIONS 169 CITATIONS 103 PUBLICATIONS 2,289 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Anna Rita Rivelli Università degli Studi della Basilicata 50 PUBLICATIONS 1,872 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Mapping QTLs controlling seed yield, quantity and quality of oil in doubled haploid population of winter rapeseed View project Identification and characterization of glucosinolates in plants View project All content following this page was uploaded by Rosa Agneta on 10 September 2015. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2013) 60:1923–1943 DOI 10.1007/s10722-013-0010-4 REVIEW PAPER Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), a neglected medical and condiment species with a relevant glucosinolate profile: a review Rosa Agneta • Christian Mo¨llers • Anna Rita Rivelli Received: 20 March 2013 / Accepted: 28 May 2013 / Published online: 14 August 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Abstract Armoracia rusticana (horseradish), a the long and diffuse tradition of using horseradish in member of the Brassicaceae family, has been known food preservation and as condiment in many parts of since ancient times as a folk medicinal herb and as a the world, is generating new applications of this plant plant of nutritional value and culinary interest. Cur- in several agro-industrial and pharmaceutical sectors rently horseradish is cultivated for its thick, fleshy and and is encouraging the use of its roots and leaves in white roots which have a delicious intense pungency functional food and medicine for human health. A and for its tender leaves which are frequently used for bibliography review is discussed on ethnobotanical salad mixed to other vegetables. The traditions to use aspects and uses of this plant, as well as knowledge horseradish plant for medicinal purpose are still about its flavour compounds and GLS content and applied in many countries. Horseradish is a rich composition. This study summarizes also the updated source of a number of bioactive compounds such as information concerning the influence of the genotype glucosinolates (GLSs) and their breakdown products. and environment on GLS profile in horseradish. Sinigrin is the dominant glucosinolate in both leaves and roots. Recent studies have shown that crude plant Keywords Brassicaceae Á Ethnobotany Á extracts have a complex profile of naturally occurring Ethnopharmacognosy Á Glucosinolates Á GLSs, with particular regard to sprouts. The increasing Horseradish Á Isothiocyanates interest in these secondary metabolites, associated to Introduction R. Agneta (&) Doctoral School of Crop Systems, Forestry and Horseradish, Armoracia rusticana G. Gaertn., B. Mey. Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano, 85100 Potenza, PZ, Italy et Scherb., is an extremely hardy perennial plant, e-mail: [email protected] member of the Brassicaeae family (Weber 1949; Shehata et al. 2009). Its root and leaves have been used C. Mo¨llers in antiquity as both a medicinal herb and a condiment Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-Universita¨t Go¨ttingen, Von Siebold-Str. 8, D-37075 Go¨ttingen, (Rosengarten 1969), and the latter use is the principal Germany nowadays. It is currently cultivated for its thick, fleshy and white roots that have a mix of delicious intense A. R. Rivelli pungency and cooling taste which is caused by sulfur School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo compounds, namely glucosinolates (GLSs) (Weber Lucano, 85100 Potenza, PZ, Italy 1949; Balasinska et al. 2005; Walters and Wahle 2010). 123 1924 Genet Resour Crop Evol (2013) 60:1923–1943 The species has become naturalized in many parts In this review we first present a botanical descrip- of the world. Horseradish can be found in various tion of A. rusticana and its traditional uses in food and environments including fields, home gardens, weedy medical fields due to its peculiar chemical composi- areas, farmland, roadsides, ditches and disturbed areas tion. Afterwards, we review knowledge on flavour throughout Europe (Al-Shehbaz 1988; Hammer et al. constituents and profile, concentration and chemical 1992; Luczaj and Szymanski 2007; Sampliner and form of GLSs and their breakdown products in roots Miller 2009). In open fields, horseradish is cultivated and leaves. This review also stresses the influence of as an annual or perennial crop. As annual crop it the genetic variability and agronomic management on requires a long growing season with high temperatures GLS content and composition of horseradish plants. during the summer and fall to enhance root develop- ment; as a perennial it may stay productive for 10–20 years or more, thus requiring a careful field Botanical description and origin management (Walters and Wahle 2010). The main areas of commercial cultivation are found Horseradish has well defined botanical characteristics in Europe and in North America (California, Illinois, which clearly separate the species from other and Wisconsin) (Sampliner and Miller 2009). In Brassicaceae. Various Latin names have been used European countries, horseradish is especially pro- in the course of time by several authors for this duced in Germany, Hungary, and Poland (Shehata species. Taxonomically, horseradish has been placed et al. 2009). Particularly, large scale productions can in various genera by different botanists (Weber 1949). be found in certain regions of Germany, like Upper In 1969, Courter and Rhodes have recorded the names Franconia, Thuringia and the Spreewald, firstly doc- for classification of horseradish during three historical umented in 1569 (Hanelt 2001). In the Serbian periods, as shown in Table 1. It was classified as province of Vojvodina, the collection of wild horse- Nasturtium armoracia Fries, Roripa armoracia radish began a long time ago, and the particular Hitchc., Radicula armoracia Robinson, Cochlearia ecotype collected, called ‘‘Novosadski’’, was highly armoracia L., Armoracia armoracia Britton, and A. sought after by the Austro-Hungarian Empire court rusticana Gaertn. (Weber 1949). Specific epithets thanks to its exceptional quality (Perlaki and Djurovka used were rivini, rusticana, armoracia or lapathifolia. 2009). In Italy this plant grows in the Northern part Although A. lapathifolia is favored by some taxono- and in the Lazio and Basilicata regions (Hammer et al. mists, Lawrence (1953) and Fosberg (1965) have 1990, 1992; La Rocca and Chisci 2005; Guarrera pointed out that A. rusticana should have preference 2006; Sarli et al. 2012). Although the hypothesis needs (Courter and Rhodes 1969). The first valid published to be confirmed by more detailed historic-botanical scientific name of horseradish which resulted from the studies (Pieroni et al. 2005), it is probable that generic name Armoracia was A. rusticana in 1800 by horseradish arrived in villages of inland Lucania Gaertner, Meyer, and Scherbius: this binomial is used (viz. Basilicata) via migrants from Swabia during the today (Shehata et al. 2009). Even more complex is the thirteenth century. Hammer et al. (2011) reported that variety of common names used to designate this it was possibly introduced as a traditional spice plant species whose polynomial is due to different lan- from Albania with Albanian immigrants to South guages and dialectical differentiation in different Italy, where today is particularly diffused in the territories. Horseradish has its gene center in Eastern Arbe¨reshe¨ areas of Basilicata, far away from North Europe and the south western parts of Russia Italy. A. rusticana is cultivated also in Russia, the (Wedelsba¨ck Bladh and Olsson 2011). In fact, early Caucasus, Asia and in some regions 1,000 m above records indicate that horseradish is a native of the sea level in tropical countries (Sampliner and Miller temperate regions of Eastern Europe and western Asia, 2009). In some regions of Russia, it may still be where wild types are found growing from Finland and possible to find horseradish landraces (Vetela¨inen Poland to the regions around the Caspian Sea and the et al. 2009). Recently, China has also begun commer- desert of Cumania (now Romania) and Turkey. From cial production of horseradish, although much of the here, horseradish spread to Western Europe and across crop is produced by small farmers (Shehata et al. the Atlantic to the New World by early settlers. Today, 2009). horseradish has become naturalized in many parts of 123 Genet Resour Crop Evol (2013) 60:1923–1943 1925 Table 1 Classification of horseradish during three periods of the English called the plant horseradish in reference to history its propensity to rapidly spread in a ‘galloping’ Name Source behavior (i.e., it is difficult to control once it has been introduced in an area) (Shehata et al. 2009). It is also Ancient possible that it was called harsh radish because it was Persicum sinapi Dioscorides so bitter on the tongue (McCann 2004). The word Sinapi persicum Dioscorides armoracia has been