Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has been identified as a rich source of l-DOPA, which is used in treating Parkinson's disease. Biosynthesis and accumulation of active substances such as l-DOPA in plant ...tissues may interact with growing conditions and processing methods. Accumulation trends of l-DOPA in various faba bean organs and the effect of drought stress and N fertilization on l-DOPA content were studied in a field and two greenhouse experiments. The influence of various processing methods on l-DOPA content of faba bean tissues was evaluated. The highest l-DOPA content was detected in fresh leaves (22.4 mg g−1) followed by flowers, young pods, mature seeds, and roots. Regardless of processing method, l-DOPA concentration in faba bean tissues was significantly reduced when tissues were boiled or dried. Among various methods of processing, freezing had the lowest detrimental effect, reducing l-DOPA concentrations by 24.1% and 21.1% in leaves and seeds, respectively. Drought stress elevated l-DOPA concentration, and maximum l-DOPA (23.3 mg g−1 of biomass) was extracted from plants grown under severe drought stress. However, l-DOPA yield (l-DOPA concentration × biomass) was compromised, owing to the adverse influence of drought stress on dry matter production. No significant difference in l-DOPA concentration was detected among various N application rates.
Mung bean substrate was enriched with phenolic antioxidants and levo-dihydroxy phenylalanine (
l-DOPA) through solid-state bioconversion (SSB) by
Rhizopus oligosporus, with the goal to enhance ...health-linked functionality. The alpha-amylase inhibition linked to diabetes management and
Helicobacter pylori inhibition linked to peptic ulcer management were investigated in bioprocessed extracts. The protein content and β-glucosidase activity of the substrate which are indicators of effective fungal colonization, increased with growth. The phenolic content increase with growth was linked to fungal β-glucosidase activity, indicating phenolic mobilization. The antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) inhibition method were high (65%) initially and increased to 90% on day 12, than maintained higher levels during the rest of growth. The antioxidant activity measured by β-carotene assay was high between days 4–8 when phenolic levels increased. Fungal-linked superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was high in late stages indicating quenching of reactive oxygen species. The
l-DOPA content was low during early growth stage (0.6–0.7 mg/g DW) and gradually doubled to 1.2 mg/g DW in late stages. The α-amylase inhibition potential was moderately high during early stages (days 0–2) followed by higher inhibition during days 4–10 which correlate to higher phenolic content. The change in the antimicrobial activities of the extracts against
H. pylori was high on day 4 and was associated with high antioxidant activity but not high phenolic content. Elevated inhibition on day 8 directly correlated with high total phenolics content suggesting the role of phenolic mobilization. The major implication from this research is that SSB is a good strategy to improve the phenolic content of mung beans for enhanced functionality with improved antioxidant activity that contributes to α-amylase inhibition relevant to potential diabetes management and
H. pylori inhibition linked to peptic ulcer management.
Solid State Bioconversion (SSB) of mung bean by
R. oligosporus is a good strategy to enhance ingredient functionality due to mobilization of phenolic antioxidants. Such enhanced phenolic antioxidant activity potentially contributes to health-relevant functionality such as amylase inhibition for diabetes management and
H. pylori inhibition for peptic ulcer management. Optimization of such SSB systems at industrial scale can help large-scale low cost production of such health-relevant ingredients.
The phenyl propanoid pathway (PPP) was stimulated in mung bean sprouts through the pentose phosphate and shikimate pathways, by natural elicitors such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPH), lactoferrin ...(LF) and oregano extract (OE). Elicitation significantly improved the phenolic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of mung bean sprouts. The optimal elicitor concentrations were 1 ml/l FPH, 250 ppm LF and 1 ml/l OE for the highest phenolic content that was approximately 20, 35 and 18% higher than control, respectively, on day 1 of dark germination. The antioxidant activity estimated by β-carotene assay in mung bean sprouts was highest on day 1 of germination for all treatments and control. In general, higher antioxidant activity was observed in the elicited sprouts compared with control. In the case of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay the antioxidant activity for all treatments and control was highest on day 2. Among the different elicitor treatments, OE elicited mung bean sprouts showed the highest antioxidant activity of 49% DPPH inhibition on day 2. This increased activity correlates with high guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity indicating that the polymerizing phenolics required during lignification with growth have antioxidant function. For all elicitor treatments a higher glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was observed during early germination following the high phenolic content. This is due to the general mobilization of carbohydrates to the growing sprouts in response to elicitation. In general the GPX activity steadily increased with germination for treatments and control. The higher phenolics produced on day 1 was utilized for GPX-mediated polymerization to form polymeric phenolics and lignin required during germination. The late stage polymerization linked to GPX activity preceded stimulation of G6PDH. This indicated that as phenolics were polymerized by GPX in late stages, G6PDH linked precursors such as NADPH
2 and sugar phosphates were being made available. Antimicrobial activity against
Helicobacter pylori was observed in the mung bean sprout extract from control, LF and OE treatments from the day 1 stage. Both the LF and OE elicited extracts showed high antimicrobial activity, which correlated to high antioxidant activity on day 1. The higher antimicrobial activity was also observed with the higher stimulation of G6PDH and GPX activity during early stages of germination. This leads to the hypothesis that enhanced mobilization of carbohydrates (as indicated by G6PDH activity on days 2 and 4), enhanced polymerization of simple phenols (as indicated by GPX activity on day 3) contributed to high antioxidant activity producing intermediary metabolites (day 2).
The phenylpropanoid pathway (PPP) was stimulated in dark-germinated corn sprouts and light-germinated seedlings through the pentose phosphate and shikimate pathways during sprouting and subsequent ...growth phase. Overall trends indicated that natural elicitors such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPH), lactoferrin (LF) and oregano extract (OE) did not stimulate phenolics, antioxidant and seed vigour properties of the corn sprouts and seedlings significantly, but were stimulated in certain stages for specific treatments. The general trend of developmental regulation of total phenolics in corn sprouts was a steady increase with germination. The total phenolic content of control increased almost three-fold from days 1–8 (4
mg/g FW) of dark germination. In the case of 5
ml/l FPH and 2
ml/l OE treatment, the highest phenolic content of 4.5
mg/g FW on days 8 and 7 of dark germination was observed. The FPH and OE primed light-germinated seedlings had 29 and 22% higher phenolic levels, respectively, compared to control on day 3, which was associated with a 33 and 22% increase, respectively, in growth on the same day. In general, the antioxidant activity also increased with germination and growth for control and all treatments. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the case of 2
ml/l OE treatment for sprouts on day 8 with 81% 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition. This higher activity coincided with higher phenolic content, showing that total soluble phenolics were contributing to high antioxidant activity. In the case of light-germinated corn seedlings, the antioxidant activity was high during early growth, suggesting that activity was linked to free soluble phenolics as GPX activity indicates that phenolics were not being partitioned to polymerization or lignification at this stage. In dark-germinated sprouts, higher glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was observed during early germination possibly due to the carbohydrate mobilization from the cotyledons directed towards the high nutrient requirements of the growing sprout. In light-germinated seedlings, the G6PDH activity only in FPH primed treatment peaked on day 3, and this increased activity was maintained throughout late stages. A positive correlation between G6PDH activity, phenolics and growth was observed for all treatments and control. Both in the case of dark-germinated corn sprouts and light-germinated seedlings, a steady increase in the GPX activity was observed as the germination progressed, reflecting the plants’ need for phenolics for lignification and structural development during growth. This study supports the developmental and partial short-term influence of elicitors on the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and its mobilization of enhanced phenolics and antioxidant activity.
Salt stress is a major issue in agriculture and crop production that influences global food security. Mitigation options to address salt stress through agronomic practices can help manage this issue. ...Experiments were performed in two summer seasons in an experimental farm to test the impact of three salinity levels (S): 300 (control), 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm, and two salicylic acid (SA) levels, including 1.0 and 1.50 mM, and their interaction on growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) hybrid Suma. The results showed that increasing S levels up to 3000 ppm reduced plant and fruit physical characteristics, as well as leaf and fruit chemical characteristics, especially leaf total chlorophyll, carotenoids, relative water, fruit nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, which led to a reduction in total yield per plant. However, an insignificant effect was observed in the control level and 1000 ppm saline water in leaf area, fruit length, leaf total chlorophyll content, fruit phosphorus content, and total yield per plant. In contrast, leaf sugars, proline contents, electrolyte leakage, fruit TSS (total soluble solids), and ascorbic acid contents were improved with S levels up to the concentration of 3000 ppm compared to the control. However, tested parameters were significantly higher due to the SA foliar spray of 1.0 mM besides photosynthetic pigments of leaves enhanced by using 1.0 and 1.50 mM. Using 1.0 mM SA concentration alleviated the adverse impact of S on eggplant plants until 1000 ppm saline water, reflecting an increase in eggplant yield. The anatomical structure of eggplant leaves revealed positive variations in mature leaf blades in both the stressed and SA-treated plants. Based on these results, the use of SA at a concentration of 1.0 mM may lessen the negative impacts of salt on the growth of eggplant, which increases the overall yield.
The effect of thermal processing via autoclaving on modifications of total phenolics, antioxidant activity and functionality of wheat, buckwheat, corn and oats sprouts and seedlings were ...investigated. Functionality for type 2 diabetes related α-amylase, α-glucosidase inhibition and levo-dihydroxy phenylalanine (
l-DOPA) content, hypertension related angiotensin converting enzyme 1 (ACE) inhibition and ulcer related
Helicobacter pylori inhibition were evaluated using
in vitro assays. Thermal processing in general resulted in tissue browning leading to higher total phenolic content and free radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity. It increased α-amylase inhibitory activity in buckwheat and oats but decreased in wheat and corn sprouts and seedlings. It increased α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in wheat, buckwheat and oats but decreased in corn sprouts. It reduced the cognitive function/diabetes related
l-DOPA content in all grains sprouts and seedlings tested. It increased ACE inhibitory activity in buckwheat and oats, but decreased in wheat and corn sprouts. It also improved the ulcer related
H. pylori inhibitory activity in all grain sprouts and seedlings studied. These changes in functionality are suggested to be due to modifications in the total phenolic content and profile by phenolic oxidation or polymerization caused by thermal processing. Therefore, diet designs for chronic disease management will have to consider thermal processing-linked modification of bioactive ingredient profiles.
Thermal processing altered the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in winter wheat, buckwheat, corn and oats sprouts and seedlings. It modified the α-amylase inhibitory activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity,
l-DOPA content, ACE inhibitory activity and
H. pylori inhibitory activity of samples. Therefore, the food processing industry and diet design for chronic disease management will have to consider thermal processing-linked modification of bioactive ingredient profiles for more effective health benefits.
Background
Germplasm identification is an essential connection linking the conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources in several plant breeding programs. This study highlights the ...biochemical and molecular variations in a collection of pumpkin genotypes representing four climate zones. The information could help improve germplasm management and sustainable exploitation of the neglected genotypes.
Methods and results
Chemical characterization and genetic diversity among nine Egyptian landraces of pumpkin (
Cucurbita moschata
Duchesne) were estimated using Diode Array (DDA) Near Infra-Red (NIR) technology and the Inter simple Sequence Repeat markers (ISSR). Pumpkin seeds were collected from various geographical parts of Egypt. The spectroscopic properties of pumpkin seeds were used to quantify the fat, moisture, protein, ash, fiber, and total carbohydrate contents. The ten ISSR primers generated a total number of 46 genotype-specific bands, and the total polymorphism produced in the tested landraces was 63.58%. Based on the ISSR data, the polymorphism analysis divided the nine pumpkin landraces into two main groups, two subgroups, and four sub subgroups. The most diverse pumpkin landraces were Alexandria and Sohag, with a similarity percentage of 49.6%. However, the highest calculated similarity value was 88.3% between Matruh and Gharbia. The resultant genotype-specific bands can be used as markers for future genotypic characterization of pumpkins.
Conclusions
The study results could be helpful in the chemical phenotypic characterization and the parental selection and planning for future breeding programs for pumpkin improvement.
Integrated biofertilizers such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs), cyanobacteria, and yeast can considerably improve the growth, integrity, and overall health of crops, including cowpea. ...In this study, we assess the benefits of applying microbial fertilizers as an eco-friendly approach to partially substitute chemical fertilizers while maintaining growth and yield characteristics in cowpea plants. We investigated the role of the three microorganisms, Bacillus amyloliquefacien (B), Nostoc mucorum (C), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Y), individually and in four possible combinations (B + C, B + Y, C + Y, and B + C + Y) as integrated bio-fertilizers on the microbial enzyme activities, plant growth parameters, and yield characteristics of cowpea. Plants inoculated with B + C + Y mixture resulted in significant improvement in dehydrogenase enzyme activity by 390%, chlorophyll by 180%, plant dry weight by 130%, and in the pod length and dry weight by 68% and 190%, respectively, compared to non-inoculated plants. The grain total carbohydrates increased by 170% over the control due to treatment with B + C + Y. The B + C + Y treatment also positively influenced the anatomy of the terminal leaflet with a 16.6% higher thickness of the midrib zone, 22.6% increase in vascular bundle length, and 42.4% and 33.5% increases in upper and lower epidermal leaf layers, respectively. Additionally, palisade and spongy tissues increased by 36.9% and 26.5%, respectively, compared to the control. An integrated nutrient management program using biofertilizers is recommended for achieving higher yields and environmentally safe cowpea production.
The health-relevant functionality of
Mucuna pruriens was improved by priming the seeds with elicitors of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs), lactoferrin (LF) ...and oregano extract (OE) followed by dark germination. FPH elicited the highest phenolic content of 19
mg/g FW on day 1, which was 38% higher than control sprouts. OE enhanced Parkinson’s disease-relevant L-DOPA content by 33% on day 1 compared to control sprouts. Anti-diabetes-relevant α-amylase inhibition percent (AIP) and α-glucosidase inhibition percent (GIP) were high in the cotyledons and decreased following elicitation and sprouting. For potential anti-diabetic applications, low AIP and high GIP with moderate L-DOPA content on day 4 of dark germination could be optimal. Improved L-DOPA concentrations in a soluble phenolic and antioxidant-rich
M. pruriens background on day 1 sprouts have potential for Parkinson’s disease management.
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