Amino acid metabolism in plant leaf

¹⁴C-labelled sodium bicarbonate and ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium sulfate were simultaneously vacuum-infiltrated into detached sunflower leaves, and the incorporation of ¹⁴C and ¹⁵N into free amino acids was chased during 60-min period in the light and in the dark.

In the light, the ue specific activity of aspartic acid, alanine, serine and glycine rapidly increased for 5 min and thereafter decreased. On the other hand, that of gultamic acid continued to increase slowly during the entire 60-min period. In the dark, aspartic acid most actively incorporated ¹⁴C. The difference of changes in ¹⁴C specific activity between glutamic acid and other amino acids was also observed in the dark as in the light. These results suggest that the carbon skeleton of glutamic acid is synthesized from aspartic acid, alanine, serine and glycine.

¹⁵N content of glutamine was the highest of all amino acids investigated in the light, and it was followed by glutamic acid. alanine, aspartic acid, serine and glycine, in this order. In the dark, ¹⁵N content of glutamic acid fell remarkably and was lower than that of alanine up to 5 min. From these ¹⁵N tracer experiments, it is suggested that the incorporation of ammonium into glutamic acid is strictly dependent on light and that alanine incorporates ammonium by the direct amination besides the transamination from glutamic acid.     

Early stages of maillard reaction in dehydrated orange juice.

The formation of furoylmethyl derivatives of amino acids as indicators of the early stages of Maillard reaction in dehydrated orange juices and model systems was studied. In stored dehydrated orange juices, the presence of furoylmethyl derivatives of arginine, asparagine, proline, alanine, glutamic acid, and GABA was detected. Their formation increased with temperature of storage. After 2 weeks at 30 degrees C and a(w) = 0.44, the reconstituted orange juice contained 94 mg/L furoylmethyl derivatives, whereas up to 1215 mg/L was detected in samples stored at 50 degrees C.     

Detection of changes in taste of japonica and indica brown and milled rice (Oryza sativa L.) during storage using physicochemical analyses and a taste sensing system

Changes in the taste of japonica, hybrid, and indica brown and milled rice, stored for 10 months at low (5 degrees C, 65-70% relative humidity) and room temperatures were observed by physicochemical analyses and a novel method using a taste sensing system. During storage, some properties increased or decreased while others were fairly constant. The main taste components of cooked rice such as sweetness (sucrose) and umami tastes (glutamic acid and aspartic acid) were reduced during storage, whereas glucose and fructose increased. The increase of fat acidity and consequent decrease of the pH value of the cooking solution may contribute to the off-taste of cooked stored rice. A taste sensing system with 10 lipid membrane sensors was also used to classify new and old rice samples using principal component analysis. Fresh and room temperature stored japonica and indica rice could be clearly distinguished; however, it was not possible to differentiate the samples stored at low temperature.     

Effect of storage on some volatile aroma compounds in fresh-cut cantaloupe melon

Changes in volatile aroma constituents of fresh-cut cantaloupe melon with storage were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The compounds isolated from the fruit immediately after cutting were predominantly aliphatic and aromatic esters. Storage of fruit at 4 degrees C caused a considerable decrease in concentration of esters and synthesis of the terpenoid compounds beta-ionone and geranylacetone over a period of 24 h. This change in the volatile profile with storage is consistent with that of a stress-induced defense response in the cut fruit as an adaptation process to tissue exposure and cell disruption. The same effect occurred in fruit stored at 22 degrees C and in those treated with sodium azide and ascorbic acid prior to storage. Fruit treated with ascorbic acid and sodium azide had higher concentrations of beta-ionone and geranylacetone and retained these compounds better with storage time. The reduction of esters appears to be an important early reaction step in the loss of freshness during storage of fresh-cut cantaloupe.     

Presence of 2-furoylmethyl derivatives in hydrolysates of processed tomato products

Acid hydrolysis of Amadori compounds yields the corresponding 2-furoylmethylamino acids (2-FM-AA) that can be analyzed by ion-pair HPLC. The relative proportions of the different 2-FM-AA present in the hydrolysates of tomato products were determined to assess their usefulness as indicators of quality. In the lyophilized tomato samples stored at 50 degrees C and a(w) = 0.44 the formation of 2-FM derivatives of alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, serine, and threonine was detected. In commercial tomato products the most abundant 2-FM-AA was 2-FM-GABA (from traces to 26.4 mg/100 g of dry matter) followed by 2-FM-lysine (furosine). Differences in 2-FM-AA contents among samples may be related to processing and storage conditions.     

Soluble root exudates of maize: Influence of potassium supply and rhizosphere microorganisms

Maize was grown for 36 days in solution culture with roots either under axenic conditions or in the presence of rhizosphere organisms. In other experiments with sterile roots the plants were grown with different concentrations of potassium. At the end of the experiments sugars, organic acids and amino acids in the nutrient solutions were determined. Under axenic conditions the exudates consisted of up to 65% sugars, up to 33% organic acids and only up to 2% amino acids. The same substances were detected in non-sterile nutrient solutions. In the presence of microorganisms fructose, arabinose and the predominating glucose decreased to almost one half, while sucrose was not affected. The amounts of organic acids were not changed by microbial growth. The main amino acid, glutamic acid, was nearly doubled by the presence of microorganisms, whereas other amino acids remained unchanged. The lower O₂ content of the nutrient solutions of non-sterile roots suggested microbial decomposition of monosaccharides. In another experiment with roots grown under axenic conditions and with different K treatments low K supply significantly increased the total amounts of sugars, organic acids and amino acids exuded g^?1 root dry matter. As in the previous experiment glucose, fumaric and oxalacetic acid as well as glutamic and aspartic acid dominated in the respective fractions. Again sugars and organic acids represented the major quantity of exudates, while amino acids amounted to less than 2%. In an additional experiment with another cultivar, with nitrate as N source and a 5-day longer growth period, somewhat different results were obtained. In the exudates sugars were found in lower amounts, probably due to a higher growth rate. Under these conditions organic acids were the prevailing root exudates. Unlike sugars and amino acids, their total quantity was not affected by K nutrition, but the proportion of malic acid increased with increasing K supply, while oxalacetic acid dominated at low K nutrition. Similarly the total amount of organic acids within the root was independent of K nutrition. However malic acid content increased with increasing K application, while the likewise dominating citric and oxalacetic acid decreased.     

Nitrogen assimilation in sunflower leaves and upward and downward transport of nitrogen

The assimilation of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen into amino acids of mature sunflower leaves and their transport to the other plant parts were investigated using nitrogen-15 as a tracer. In the leaf, to which ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium was vacuum-infiltrated, the ¹⁵N content of glutamine was always the highest of the amino acids tested and that of alanine was higher than that of glutamic acid and aspartic acid at 15 min after the infiltration. On the other hand in the leaf to which ¹⁵N-labelled nitrate was vacuum-infiltrated, the ¹⁵N content of glutamic acid and aspartic acid was superior to that of glutamine. The incorporation of ¹⁵N into serine was not active in the case of either ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium or nitrate. In the internodes above and below the treated leaf, through which photosynthates were transported into other parts, the ¹⁵N content of γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamine was markedly high when both nitrogen sources were supplied. There were no differences in the labelling patterns of amino acids between the upper and lower internodes. From these results it may be concluded that glutamine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid play an important role in the assimilation of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen in leaves and that nitrogen is transported mainly in the forms of γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamine from the leaves to the other plant parts,     

Extending storage life of fresh-cut apples using natural products and their derivatives

Prevention of browning of apples slices has been difficult to achieve because of the rapidity of the enzymatic oxidation of phenolic substrates even under reduced atmospheric pressure storage. Combinations of enzymatic inhibitors, reducing agents, and antimicrobial compounds containing calcium to extend storage life were tested to decrease the browning of Red Delicious apple slices stored at 5 and 10 degrees C under normal atmospheric conditions. Treatments were devised to prevent browning for up to 5 weeks at 5 degrees C with no apparent microbial growth using dipping solutions of compounds derived from natural products consisting of 4-hexylresorcinol, isoascorbic acid, a sulfur-containing amino acid (N-acetylcysteine), and calcium propionate. Analyses of organic acids and the major sugars revealed that the slices treated with the combinations of antibrowning compounds retained higher levels of malic acid and had no deterioration in sugar levels at 5 and 10 degrees C, indicating that higher quality was maintained during storage.     

Origin and mechanistic pathways of formation of the parent furan--a food toxicant

Studies performed on model systems using pyrolysis-GC-MS analysis and (13)C-labeled sugars and amino acids in addition to ascorbic acid have indicated that certain amino acids such as serine and cysteine can degrade and produce acetaldehyde and glycolaldehyde that can undergo aldol condensation to produce furan after cyclization and dehydration steps. Other amino acids such as aspartic acid, threonine, and alpha-alanine can degrade and produce only acetaldehyde and thus need sugars as a source of glycolaldehyde to generate furan. On the other hand, monosaccharides are also known to undergo degradation to produce both acetaldehyde and glycolaldehyde; however, (13)C-labeling studies have revealed that hexoses in general will mainly degrade into the following aldotetrose derivatives to produce the parent furan-aldotetrose itself, incorporating the C3-C4-C5-C6 carbon chain of glucose (70%); 2-deoxy-3-ketoaldotetrose; incorporating the C1-C2-C3-C4 carbon chain of glucose (15%); and 2-deoxyaldotetrose, incorporating the C2-C3-C4-C5 carbon chain of glucose (15%). Furthermore, it was also proposed that under nonoxidative conditions of pyrolysis, ascorbic acid can generate the 2-deoxyaldotetrose moiety, a direct precursor of the parent furan. In addition, 4-hydroxy-2-butenal-a known decomposition product of lipid peroxidation-was proposed as a precursor of furan originating from polyunsaturated fatty acids. Among the model systems studied, ascorbic acid had the highest potential to produce furan, followed by glycolaldehyde/alanine > erythrose > ribose/serine > sucrose/serine > fructose/serine > glucose/cysteine.     

氨基酸配合硼喷施对油麦菜硼营养及生长、品质的影响

为探究有机营养类物质氨基酸与硼酸配合喷施对油麦菜生长的应用效果,本研究采用盆栽试验,设置单独喷施1%硼酸处理,以及谷氨酸、丙氨酸和天冬氨酸3种氨基酸各设3个喷施浓度(5、10、20 mmol·L^-1) 与1%硼酸配合喷施处理,并以喷施清水为对照(CK),共11个处理,收获后测定植株的生长指标和硼含量。结果表明,单独喷施硼酸对油麦菜生物量无明显影响,低浓度氨基酸与硼配合喷施均能显著提高油麦菜生物量,其中丙氨酸-硼喷施处理油麦菜生物量较CK平均增加了9.4%。与CK相比,3种氨基酸与硼配合喷施均能明显提高油麦菜叶片总蛋白含量,同时降低硝酸盐积累,从而改善品质。与单独喷施硼酸相比,适宜浓度氨基酸与硼配合喷施均可显著提高油麦菜氮、钾积累量,另外谷氨酸-硼和天冬氨酸-硼喷施对油麦菜磷积累量也有明显促进作用。与单独喷施硼酸相比,氨基酸与硼配合喷施均可显著提高油麦菜地上部硼含量,其中丙氨酸-硼喷施处理油麦菜地上部硼含量平均增幅为41.0%;此外,丙氨酸-硼喷施对油麦菜地下部硼含量也有明显提升作用,平均增幅为15.6%;喷施丙氨酸浓度与油麦菜地上部和地下部硼含量均呈显著正相关关系。综合比较不同氨基酸与硼酸配合喷施对油麦菜的影响,可考虑将丙氨酸作为增效剂与硼肥配合施用,提高硼肥的应用效应。本研究为开发新型硼肥提供了理论依据。     

D-amino acid formation in sterilized alkali-treated olives

The occurrence of d-amino acids in commercial ripe olives, a well-known sterilized alkali-treated product, was investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with precolumn automatic derivatization. Absolute amounts of D-amino acids were in total 18.6-38.2 mg/100 g edible portion. The major D-amino acids were D-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid, D-serine, and D-leucine. Furthermore, to evaluate the effects of sterilization time and olive pH on amino acid racemization, a simulated processing of green ripe olives was carried out. Serine (both free and bound form) was the most-racemized amino acid after heat treatment. Sterilization (15-35 min at 121 degrees C) increased the racemization values of both free and protein-bound amino acids, although in case of protein-bound phenylalanine the increase was not statistically significant. With an increase of pH from 8 to 10 units, the racemization values of all amino acids increased significantly, except for free forms of aspartic and glutamic acids. In general, the effects of the sterilization time and olive pH on total concentration (L + D enantiomers) of each amino acid were also significant.     

Turkish Tombul hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.). 1. Compositional characteristics

The quality of Tombul (Round) hazelnut, grown in the Giresun province of Turkey, was determined by measuring proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, amino acids, and taste active components (free amino acids, sugars, and organic acids). Fat was the predominant component in Tombul hazelnut (approximately 61%). The major minerals were potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and selenium. Hazelnut was also found to serve as an excellent source of vitamin E (24 mg/100 g) and a good source of water soluble (B complex) vitamins and dietary fiber. The major amino acids were glutamic acid, arginine, and aspartic acid. The three nonessential amino acids and the essential amino acids contributed 44.9 and 30.9% to the total amino acids present, respectively, while lysine and tryptophan were the limiting amino acids in Tombul hazelnut. Twenty-one free amino acids, six sugars, and six organic acids were positively identified; among these, arginine, sucrose, and malic acid predominated, respectively. These taste active components may play a significant role in the taste and flavor characteristics of hazelnut. Thus, the present results suggest that Tombul hazelnut serves as a good source of vital nutrients and taste active components.     

Quantification of racemization of amino acids in alkaline-treated duck eggs by micellar capillary electrophoresis

Duck eggs were pickled in 4.2% NaOH/5% NaCl solution for 20 days to prepare the traditional Chinese Pidan. The extent of racemization of compositional amino acid in egg albumen and yolk over the alkaline pickling period was investigated with micellar capillary electrophoresis (MCE) using beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector. The racemization value of amino acids in egg albumen was in the order serine > aspartic acid > glutamic acid > phenylalanine > leucine > valine > threonine = isoleucine, whereas the order in egg yolk was aspartic acid > glutamic acid > phenylalanine > leucine > valine. Therefore, the tendency of amino acid racemization appeared to be closely related to the properties of its residual side chain, as well as the pH and alkaline treating period. Moreover, racemization of most of the amino acids was remarkably induced by the alkaline treatment during the initial pickling period.     

Nutritional value of Mediterranean sheep's burnet (Sanguisorba minor ssp. muricata).

A survey of compositional characteristics of the aerial part of sheep's burnet (Sanguisorba minor ssp. muricata) growing in Mediterranean French pastures has been undertaken. Investigations with scanning electron microscopy gave the morphological structure of this plant, in particular for akene ornamentation. Taxonomic characters confirmed the identification of the muricata subspecies. Moisture, ash, free sugars, cellulose, amino acids, and fatty acids of the whole aerial part were determined. Besides the major component, cellulose (20.4%), amino acid analysis showed that proteins contained mainly glutamic acid plus glutamine (0.67%) and aspartic acid plus asparagine (0.56%). The main fatty acids were palmitic (29.1%), linoleic (22.6%), and linolenic (21.4%).     

Extraktion freier Aminosäuren aus Pilzsporen (Phycomyces blakesleeanus)

Extraction of free amino acids from fungal spores (Phycornyces blakesleeanus) Because extraction conditions are crucial for the reliability of biochemical analysis of fungal spore materia1, comparative investigations on methods were conducted, using the amount of free amino acids as a parameter of exhaustive extraction. It was found that optimal conditions are: Extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus with methanol as extracting medium (for 8 hours under reduced pressure and 40°C boiling temperature) or treatment with ice-cold perchloric acid (10 % for 30 minutes) or trichloroacetic acid (10 % for 30 minutes). A pretreatment of the material by desintegration was not necessary. Extraction with hot water (70 or l00T) or with ethanol, propanol, butanol, 3,3 %perchloric or trichloroacetic acid proved to be inappropriate. All of the common amino acids were detected in the extracts except proline and phenylalanine. A few amino acids make up the majority of the pool (glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, asparagine, alanine and y-butyric acid). These amino acids comprised about 80% of the total intracellular pool (ca. 12000 moles/l00mg spores) and account for nearly 2% of the spore dry weight. Sacrosine, probably being present in considerable amounts, could not be determined quantitatively.     

Soil amino acid composition across a boreal forest successional sequence

Soil amino acids are important sources of organic nitrogen for plant nutrition, yet few studies have examined which amino acids are most prevalent in the soil. In this study, we examined the composition, concentration, and seasonal patterns of soil amino acids across a primary successional sequence encompassing a natural gradient of plant productivity and soil physicochemical characteristics. Soil was collected from five stages (willow, alder, balsam poplar, white spruce, and black spruce) of the floodplain successional sequence on the Tanana River in interior Alaska. Water-extractable amino acid composition and concentration were determined by HPLC. Irrespective of successional stage, the amino acid pool was dominated by glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, asparagine, alanine, and histidine. These six amino acids accounted for approximately 80% of the total amino acid pool. Amino acid concentrations were an order of magnitude higher in coniferous-dominated late successional stages than in early deciduous-dominated stages. The composition and concentration of amino acids were generally constant throughout the growing season. The similar amino acid composition across the successional sequence suggests that amino acids originate from a common source or through similar biochemical processes. These results demonstrate that amino acids are important components of the biogeochemical diversity of nitrogen forms in boreal forests.     

Changes in the free amino acid composition with maturity of the noble cultivar of Vitis rotundifolia Michx. grape

The changes in amino acid composition that occur with maturity of the Noble cultivar of the Vitis rotundifolia Michx. (muscadine) grape were determined by HPLC. Eighteen amino acids were identified. Histidine was the most prominent amino acid followed by alanine. The concentrations of most of the major amino acids (alanine, glycine, histidine, valine, isoleucine, aspartic acid, and serine) were highest at verasion. Glutamine and threonine contents dropped sharply after fruit set, while those of arginine and proline increased gradually with maturity and ripening. Tyrosine content increased gradually with maturity and ripening following a slight drop after fruit set. In ripe grapes, seeds contained most of the amino acids in mature grapes (50%) followed by the pulp (23%), the juice (15%), and the skin (11%). Alanine, histidine, and arginine were the principal amino acids identified in the juice. Alanine, histidine, arginine, valine, glutamine, aspartic acid, proline, serine, and threonine accounted for about 90% of the amino acids in the pulp. In seeds, alanine, proline, asparagine, and histidine accounted for over 55% of the amino acids, while alanine and histidine were found to be the predominant free amino acids in the skin. The profile indicates some differences in the changes in amino acid composition with berry maturity and relative amounts of amino acids present in muscadine compared to those in nonmuscadine grape species.     

Quantitative amino acid analysis of feedstuff hydrolysates by reverse phase liquid chromatography and conventional ion-exchange chromatography

Corn, soybean meal, and isolated soybean protein samples were acid-hydrolyzed and analyzed for amino acid content by reverse phase liquid chromatography (LC) and by conventional ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) using an amino acid analyzer. The former method employed pre-column derivatization with orthophthalaldehyde (OPTA)/ethanethiol and fluorescence detection. In the LC procedure, glycine and threonine were not resolved, and proline and cyst(e)ine were not detected. In general, amino acid values obtained by LC and IEC compared closely within and across feedstuffs, and both agreed well with published amino acid composition data. The notable exceptions were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine. Results of this study suggest that reverse phase LC with pre-column OPTA derivatization can be applied to accurately measure primary amino acids in individual feedstuffs.     

Postharvest changes in physicochemical properties and volatile constituents of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.). Characterization of 28 Cultivars

To investigate the changes in physicochemical properties and volatile constituents in apricot during postharvest ripening, the volatile compounds of 28 apricot cultivars were investigated by means of liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME), GC-FID, and GC-MS. Fruits picked at their optimal harvestable stage of maturity were analyzed at harvest and after ripening at 20 degrees C under controlled conditions. Soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), levels of sugars (saccharose, fructose, and glucose), and organic acids (citric and malic acids) were also determined. Thirty-three volatile compounds, including 6 esters, 5 C6 compounds, 4 alcohols, 3 carbonyl compounds, 6 terpenic compounds, and 9 lactones, were identified. Changes in the levels of volatiles have been found to increase greatly during post-harvest ripening in comparison to the modifications observed for the other physicochemical characteristics. The discrimination of the 28 apricot cultivars into four distinguishable aroma groups was achieved by statistical treatment of the data including ANOVA, principal component, and cluster analyses.