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Identification of saponin composition and their geographical distribution in Chinese cultivated soybean (Glycine max)

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Abstract

A total of 2959 Chinese cultivated soybeans were examined for saponin composition by thin-layer chromatography. Thirteen components were distinguished as five groups, group A (Aa, Ab, Ax, Ad, Ae and Af), DDMP (αg and βg), group B (Ba), group α (H-αg, I-αg and K-αg), and group β (KA-αg). The detected composition included four common phenotypes (Aa, Ab, AaBc, AbBc) and five new types (AaβKA, AbαH, AaαI, AbαI, and AbαK). The group α components and group β were first found in cultivated soybeans. The frequencies of the Sg-1 a and Sg-1 b alleles for Xyl and Glc at the C-22 terminal sugar were 39.3 and 60.7%, respectively, and the Sg-4 gene for Ara at the second sugar of C-3 was rare (0.07%). The frequency distribution in botanical characters indicated that the Sg-1 locus was related to soybean evolution and ecotypes; small seed, prostrate stem, black seed-coat, indefinite growth, broad-leaved shape, low-oil content, and spring-sowing types accumulated relatively higher frequencies of Sg-1 a allele. The frequency of Sg-1 a allele was regionally higher (>60%) along the Yellow River valley. Integrating archaeological documents, the frequency distribution of Sg-1 a allele and the occurrence of group α in soybeans with a relatively higher frequency in the northwest, a single area of origin for soybeans is proposed as the middle and lower reaches of the Wei River valley, i.e., the middle-upper reaches of the Yellow River valley in China. Group α components in soybeans are safe for humans because these saponins have been ingested for several 1000 years in China.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31571697), the Sci & Tech Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the National Basic Research Program from the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (Item No. 2011FY110200).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Y. Takahashi, X. H. Li, L. J. Qiu & K. J. Wang

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, 020-8550, Japan

    C. Tsukamoto

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  1. Y. Takahashi
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  2. X. H. Li
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  3. L. J. Qiu
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  4. C. Tsukamoto
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Correspondence to C. Tsukamoto or K. J. Wang.

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Takahashi, Y., Li, X.H., Qiu, L.J. et al. Identification of saponin composition and their geographical distribution in Chinese cultivated soybean (Glycine max). Euphytica 213, 175 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-017-1956-7

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