Isoflavones of the red and Hungarian clover and possible impact on animal diet

Abstract

The content of daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A isoflavones was studied in natural populations of red and Hungarian clover, to estimate their impact on fodder quality and to determine directions in possible breeding programs. The study included 6 red clover (Trifolium pratense) and 6 Hungarian clover (Trifolium pannonicum) populations, collected in the central Balkans. The differences between the species and among the populations were analysed. The average content of total isoflavones was 1.393 mg g–1 and 0.487 mg g–1 of air dry matter in Hungarian clover, respectively. While the most prevailed isoflavone in red clover was biochanin A (46%), the Hungarian clover populations were rich in genistein (43%). The red clover leaves accumulated the highest content of isoflavones. The Hungarian clover flowers and leaves had an equal amount of isoflavones. The obtained values of the total isoflavones could not affect the overall nutrient quality and therefore, researched natural populations of two clover species could be considered for further breeding programs.