The increase of betain content in grain as a promising direction of selection for receiving functional food (review)

In recent years the world’s interest in functional food has dramatically grown. According to the Doctrine of food security of the Russian Federation in the nearest future it is expected to expand the range of healthy food products for the population. Therefore, it is necessary to look for appropriate food resources. Betaine belongs to the substances promoting the prevention of a number of serious diseases of the man. It is shown that the whole grain of wheat is characterized as a very good source of betaine, containing it 4-5 times more than refined grain. It is established that the content of betaine in cereals is significantly influenced by the genotype; in particular, significant differences in the content of this substance in cultivated species and wild forms of cereals have been recorded. It is found that the levels of betaine differ most significantly between the species, while varietal specificity of its content in cereals has been quite poorly studied. Available information on the amount of betaine in the grain of various cereals can be useful for the selection of forms with a high content of betaine in grain...