Nutritional recommendations emphasize fruit and vegetable consumption. This is related to health-benefits associated with bioactive nutritive molecules (nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fibers, …) as ...well as non-nutritive phytochemicals (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, bioactive peptides, …) content of these types of foods. Fermented fruit or vegetable products are part of various diets worldwide. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation is common among the various fermentation processes used. It produces changes in both profile and types of bioactive compounds. Molecules such as bioactive peptides, short chain fatty acids or polysaccharides are generated while sugar content or anti-nutritional compounds are decreased and phenolic compounds are converted to molecules with added biological value. These transformations, associated with prebiotic and/or probiotic potential supply as well as improvement of food components bioaccessibility and bioavailability, result in modifications of health-related properties. Lastly, interactions between ingested fermented food, intestinal microbiota and their correlations to metabolomics profiles and health represent an important perspective deserving to be further explored.
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•Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals of interest such as polyphenols.•Lactic fermentation is an ancestral process of food preservation but with a renew interest.•Fermentation increases the level of health beneficial compounds and hydrolyses anti-nutrients.•Fermented plant products could contribute to good health benefits.
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a cruciferous vegetable, characterized by leaves along the stem, which, in recent years, have gained a great popularity as a ´superfood´. Consequently, in a ...popular culture it is listed in many ´lists of the healthiest vegetables´. Without the doubt, a scientific evidences support the fact that cruciferous vegetables included in human diet can positively affect health and well-being, but remains unclear why kale is declared superior in comparison with other cruciferous. It is questionable if this statement about kale is triggered by scientific evidence or by some other factors. Our review aims to bring an overview of kale's botanical characteristics, agronomic requirements, contemporary and traditional use, macronutrient and phytochemical content and biological activity, in order to point out the reasons for tremendous kale popularity.
We wished to evaluate the effects of arsenic on the morphology and anatomy of Brassica oleracea, Raphanus sativus, Brassica juncea, Brassica oleracea var. capitata and Brassica oleracea var. italica. ...Seeds were subjected to concentrations 0µM, 250µM, 350µM and 450µM arsenic in the form of sodium arsenate (Na2HAsO4·7H2O) during 12 days. All species accumulated more arsenic in the roots than in the shoots, except for B. oleracea var. capitata. There was no difference of translocation factor between species and treatments. Growth decrease was observed in roots of B. oleracea and R. sativus, and in shoots of R. sativus and B. oleracea var. italica. All species presented anatomical alterations in the roots, such as: cell hypertrophy, protoplast retraction, cellular plasmolysis, and necrotic regions. B. juncea presented collapse and hypertrophy of cells from the leaf blade tissues. Quantitative anatomical analyses performed on the root and leaves of B. oleracea and B. juncea revealed that arsenic interfered on the root vascular cylinder diameter and on height of epidermal cells of the adaxial leaf surface of both species. We concluded that arsenic was absorbed from the culture medium and induced alterations both on root and shoot growth of the seedlings. Retention of arsenic within the root was responsible for major damage in this organ.
•Arsenic can be uptaken by Brassicaceae species as human food.•Growth decrease occurred in roots of B. oleraceae and roots and shoots of R. sativus.•Arsenic was capable of causing anatomical damage.•Quantitative analyses revealed that arsenic interfered on root diameter.
The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of broccoli anther and microspore culture methods for doubled haploid (DH) lines production. We evaluated the main influencing factors and ...optimized the culture methods to improve embryo induction and plant regeneration for efficient doubled haploid production in broccoli breeding. Six broccoli hybrids were used in this study. Our results show that generally, the efficiency of androgenic embryogenesis and regeneration in microspore culture is higher than that in the anther culture. Moreover, the microspore culture eliminated the possibility of plantlets coming from diploid tissue. In this study, the four-day cold pre-treatment yielded the highest number of embryos in both anther and microspore culture methods; the embryo yield at 32.5 degree C for 24 h was the highest in anther and microspore culture. Optimal plating densities were 30 anthers per dish in anther culture and 4105 microspores per ml in microspore culture. In androgenic embryo production, the PG-96 medium proved to be more effective than NLN medium. Sucrose concentration at 10% for anther culture and 13% (w/v) for microspore culture was recommended. A total of 70 regenerants were obtained from three genotypes including doubled haploids, haploids and aneuploids.
Antioxidant phytochemicals such as vitamin C,
β-carotene, lutein,
α-tocopherol, and total phenolics were estimated in fresh samples at the edible maturity stage in different genotypes of cruciferous ...vegetables using a reverse-phase HPLC system. Maximum mean vitamin C (52.9
mg/100
g),
β-carotene (0.81
mg/100
g), lutein (0.68
mg/100
g),
dl-
α-tocopherol content (0.47
mg/100
g) and phenol content (63.4
mg/100
g) was recorded in broccoli. Results indicate that the cruciferous vegetables are a relatively good source of abundant antioxidants, and there is a substantial and significant variation, both within and between the subspecies, for the antioxidant phytochemicals.
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group) take a very important place in vegetable farming around the world. Obtaining good-quality plants with ...minimal inputs is imperative in production. The experiment was set up in Sombor, on chernozem. The research analyzed the effect of 9 organic and mineral fertilizers (individually and in combinations), in the presence or absence of mulch, on the quality and the yield of cabbage (variety Adema) and kohlrabi (variety Volturno). The content of nitrates, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were determined after harvesting. The highest yield was obtained by using pig manure + 500 kg NPK/ha and mulch in cabbage, and by applying the same treatment without mulch in kohlrabi. Cabbage and kohlrabi fertilized with beef manure in combination with NPK (300 and 500 kg/ha) had a lower concentration of nitrate than with other kinds of fertilizing. The combination of organic and mineral fertilizers gave the best result both in terms of quality (the content of nitrates, N, P) and yield.
Current study was performed to explore the effect of butanolide (KAR1) in mitigation of cadmium (Cd) induced toxicity in Brussels sprout (Brassica oleracea L.). Brussels sprout seeds, treated with ...10−5 M, 10−7 M and 10−10 M solution of KAR1 were allowed to grow in Cd-contaminated (5 mg L-1) regimes for 25 d. Cadmium toxicity decreased seed germination and growth in B. oleracea seedlings. Elevated intensity of electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were observed in Cd-stressed seedlings. Additionally, reduced level of stomatal conductivity, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and leaf relative water content (LRWC) was also observed in Cd-stressed seedlings. Nevertheless, KAR1 improved seed germination, seedling growth and biomass production in Cd stressed plants. KAR1 application showed elevated LRWC, osmotic potential, and higher membranous stability index (MSI) in seedlings under Cd regime. Furthermore, seedlings developed by KAR1 treatment exhibited higher stomatal conductivity, and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration together with improved rate of transpiration and photosynthetic rate in B. oleracea under Cd stress. These findings elucidate that the reduced level of MDA, EL and H2O2, as well as improvement in antioxidative machinery increased growth and alleviated Cd toxicity in KAR1 treated seedlings under Cd stress.
•Cd toxicity reduced photosynthesis and growth of Brassica oleracea.•Application KAR1 upgraded activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased Cd contents in plants.•KAR1 improved growth of Cd stressed plants.
During the domestication process of broccoli and cauliflower, a number of evolutionary pathways have been traced that established the modern cultivars of both crops. Over the time, the high level of ...similarity between the two crops generated confusion about the classification of the landraces and of the related types and forms. With the aim to offer new parameters to delineate discriminant traits between the two crops, we characterized a set of broccoli and cauliflower landraces and F1 hybrids, traditionally grown in Sicily, an important evolution center for both crops, on the basis of biochemical and biomorphological parameters. In addition, to confirm the genetic diversity, microsatellite analysis was performed using 5 SSR primers. A large diversity was detected on glucosinolate, anthocyanin, carotenoids, total polyphenols, and ascorbic acid content, which could be used as phytochemical descriptors for their traceability. Moreover results highlighted a wide variability expressed by the landraces in terms of biomorphological and genetic traits. Microsatellite analysis allowed to classify the genotypes of the experiment into five groups. All Sicilian landraces resulted clustered into distinct groups, while a relatively high confusion was detected for what regards commercial F1 hybrids of both crops.
Summary
Plant–soil feedback (PSF) may influence plant–insect interactions. Although plant defense differs between shoot and root tissues, few studies have examined root‐feeding insect herbivores in a ...PSF context. We examined here how plant growth and resistance against root‐feeding Delia radicum larvae was influenced by PSF.
We conditioned soil with cabbage plants that were infested with herbivores that affect D. radicum through plant‐mediated effects: leaf‐feeding Plutella xylostella caterpillars and Brevicoryne brassicae aphids, root‐feeding D. radicum larvae, and/or added rhizobacterium Pseudomonas simiae WCS417r. We analyzed the rhizosphere microbial community, and in a second set of conspecific plants exposed to conditioned soil, we assessed growth, expression of defense‐related genes, and D. radicum performance.
The rhizosphere microbiome differed mainly between shoot and root herbivory treatments. Addition of Pseudomonas simiae did not influence rhizosphere microbiome composition. Plant shoot biomass, gene expression, and plant resistance against D. radicum larvae was affected by PSF in a treatment‐specific manner. Soil conditioning overall reduced plant shoot biomass, Pseudomonas simiae‐amended soil causing the largest growth reduction.
In conclusion, shoot and root insect herbivores alter the rhizosphere microbiome differently, with consequences for growth and resistance of plants subsequently exposed to conditioned soil.
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