Protein content and amino acid composition of seven wheat cultivars subjected to water stress: Effects of nitrogen fertilizer treatments

Seven wheat cultivars of wide genetic base were grown with three levels of N (0, 100, and 200 kg/ha), and were subjected to a water stress at the flowering stage. The protein content and amino acid composition of the wheat grain were determined. Crude protein content increased with each increase of N rate for each cultivar but the largest increase was from the first increment. The percentages of three amino acids (glutamic acid, proline, and phenylalanine) increased with the first increment of nitrogen, and the percentages of eight (lysine, histidine, arginine, aspartic acid, threonine, glycine, alanine, and valine) decreased. None of the cultivar x N interactions for amino acid composition was significant, indicating that the relative changes in amino acid composition for the seven cultivars were the same. This shows that successful manipulation of amino acid composition through N fertilization of selected cultivars that were subjected to a soil water stress at the flowering stage is remote.     

Suppression of C-hordein synthesis in barley by antisense constructs results in a more balanced amino acid composition

Barley has for feeding purposes a shortage of essential amino acids, especially lysine, threonine, and methionine, and an excess of proline and glutamine. In the present study, we have introduced into barley an antisense construct against C-hordeins, the storage protein with the lowest nutritional quality. SDS-PAGE and reverse phase HPLC revealed a relative reduction in the amounts of C-hordeins and relative increases in the content of the other storage proteins. The five different lines analyzed had lower amounts of proline, glutamic acid/glutamine, and phenylalanine (up to 12%, 6%, and 9% reductions), while the lysine, threonine, and methionine content was increased with up to 16%, 13% and 11%. It is concluded that antisense mediated suppression of C-hordein synthesis may be a promising approach for improving the nutritional value of barley as a feed crop while at the same time reducing the environmental nitrogen load.     

Variations in Amino Acid and Protein Contents of Wheat During Milling and Northern‐Style Steamed Breadmaking

To determine the variations of amino acid and protein during milling and steamed breadmaking, two types of wheat cultivars belonging to soft and hard wheat types were used. The results showed that losses occurred in 17 amino acids during milling. The mean loss of threonine (18.0%) was the highest, which was followed by proline (15.5%), methionine (15.1%), and histidine (15.1%). The losses of tyrosine and lysine were the lowest (8.1 and 9.7%, respectively). Losses were also found for 17 amino acids during steamed breadmaking. The highest loss was observed in alanine (17.1%), with tyrosine (12.5%) close behind, and leucine (4.3%) exhibiting the lowest loss. The mean protein contents for whole‐wheat meal, flour, and steamed bread prepared from the test materials were 15.25, 14.27, and 14.33%, respectively. This meant that protein content decreased during milling; however, a slight increase was observed during steamed breadmaking. Amino acid scores of lysine in whole‐wheat meal, flour, and steamed bread prepared from the test materials were 45.4, 41.0, and 38.2, respectively. The general trend in the variations of protein and amino acids was similar in the two wheat cultivars tested.     

蚕豆根系分泌物中氨基酸含量与枯萎病的关系

通过田间试验研究不同品种蚕豆枯萎病病情指数的差异,并通过水培试验鉴定蚕豆根系分泌物中氨基酸组分并测定氨基酸的含量,分析各氨基酸组分与蚕豆枯萎病病情指数的相关性。结果表明:根系分泌物中氨基酸总量随着蚕豆枯萎病抗性的降低而升高。感病品种和中抗品种中检出15种氨基酸,而抗病品种中检出14种,组氨酸只存在于中抗品种中,脯氨酸仅在感病品种中检测到,3个蚕豆品种根系分泌物中均未检出精氨酸。丝氨酸(Ser)、蛋氨酸(Met)和赖氨酸(Lys)与枯萎病病指呈负相关关系,以Ser的相关系数最高,其他13种氨基酸含量与蚕豆枯萎病的病情指数呈正相关。蚕豆根系分泌物中Ser、Met和Lys含量及Ser/Gly、Ser/Ala比值高能抑制枯萎病的发生与发展,而天门冬氨酸(Asp)、苏氨酸(Thr)、甘氨酸(Gly)、丙氨酸(Ala)、缬氨酸(Val)、酪氨酸(Tyr)、苯丙氨酸(Phe)含量高时能促进枯萎病的发生。不同蚕豆品种根系分泌的氨基酸含量与组分的差异是影响蚕豆对枯萎病抗性差异的重要原因之一。     

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.     

Free amino acids of tronchuda cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. costata DC): influence of leaf position (internal or external) and collection time

The free amino acid profile of 18 samples of tronchuda cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC) leaves, harvested at three different months, was determined by HPLC/UV-vis. The tronchuda cabbage leaves total free amino acid content varied from 3.3 to 14.4 g/kg fresh weight. Generally, arginine was the major compound, followed by proline, threonine, glutamine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. This study indicates that free amino acids are not similarly distributed: in external leaves, proline and arginine were the major free amino acids, while in internal ones, arginine was the main free amino acid, followed by threonine, glutamine, and cysteine. Significant differences were observed for valine, proline, arginine, leucine, cysteine, lysine, histidine, and tyrosine contents. The levels of some free amino acids were significantly affected by the collection period. In external leaves, this occurred with glutamic acid, serine, valine, leucine, cysteine, and ornithine contents, while in internal leaves, it occurred with aspartic acid, arginine, and total contents.     

Identification of free amino acids in peat by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The qualitative and quantitative composition of free amino acids in a typical Finnish peat bog at various depths down to 5.3 m below the surface was studied using capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Sixteen amino acids were identified at each depth: α-alanine, β-alanine, glycine, valine, leucine, proline, isoleucine, serine, threonine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, tyrosine, γ-aminobutyric acid, ornithine and lysine. Their amounts decreased markedly at a depth of 40–100 cm. The total amount of amino acids varied between 0.6 and 5.6 g kg^?1 dry matter (i.e. 0.06–0.56%) depending on the depth. The proportion of neutral amino acids was greatest at all depths studied, except at the surface layer where it ranged between 41 and 72% by mass. The acidic amino acids decreased with depth from 56 to 23% of the total. The proportion of aromatic amino acids was very small, 3.2–5.5% by mass. In samples from aerobic conditions, where the microbial production of free amino acids was the greatest, α-ala, gly, glu and asp were most abundant. In peat from anaerobic conditions, where the microbiological activity was low, the proportion of the most chemically stable amino acid was exceptionally high. This may have been because glycine was a degradation product of other amino acids or peptides. Peat type and degree of decomposition had a strong influence on the total amount of free amino acids and their qualitative composition.     

氨基酸部分替代硝态氮对小白菜生长、硝酸盐累积及大量元素含量的影响

A hydroponic experiment was carried out to determine the influence of replacing 20% of nitrate-N in nutrient solutions with 20 individual amino acids on growth, nitrate accumulation, and concentrations of nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P）, and potassium （K） in pak-choi （Brassica chinensis L.） shoots. When 20% of nitrate-N was replaced with arginine （Arg） compared to the full nitrate treatment, pak-choi shoot fresh and dry weights increased significantly （P ≤ 0.05）, but when 20% of nitrate-N was replaced with alanine （Ala）, valine （Val）, leucine （Leu）, isoleucine （Ile）, proline （Pro）, phenylalanine （Phe）, methionine （Met）, aspartic acid （Asp）, glutamic acid （Glu）, lysine （Lys）, glycine （Gly）, serine （Ser）, threonine （Thr）, cysteine （Cys）, and tyrosine （Tyr）, shoot fresh and dry weights decreased significantly （P ≤ 0.05）. After replacing 20% of nitrate-N with asparagine （Asn） and glutamine （Gin）, shoot fresh and dry weights were unaffected. Compared to the full nitrate treatment, amino acid replacement treatments, except for Cys, Gly, histidine （His）, and Arg, significantly reduced （P ≤0.05） nitrate concentrations in plant shoots. Except for Cys, Leu, Pro, and Met, total N concentrations in plant tissues of the other amino acid treatments significantly increased （P ≤ 0.05）. Amino acids also affected total P and K concentrations, but the effects differed depending on individual amino acids. To improve pak-choi shoot quality, Gln and Asn, due to their insignificant effects on pak-choi growth, their significant reduction in nitrate concentrations, and their increase in macroelement content in plants, may be used to partially replace nitrate-N.     

施用钾肥和有机肥对小麦产量、品质的影响

利用布置在河北玉田县的一个钾肥定位试验,研究了在施用氮磷化肥的基础上,施用钾肥和有机肥对小麦子粒产量、17种氨基酸、粗蛋白和粗淀粉含量的影响。结果表明,施用钾肥明显提高了小麦子粒产量,同时提高了天门冬氨酸、蛋氨酸、酪氨酸和赖氨酸的含量;施用有机肥明显提高了蛋氨酸、赖氨酸和脯氨酸的含量;钾肥和有机肥配合施用明显提高了产量、天门冬氨酸、蛋氨酸、酪氨酸和赖氨酸的含量,对上述氨基酸的提高幅度均在10%以上。施用钾肥和(或)有机肥提高了小麦子粒的氨基酸总量、粗蛋白含量,但降低了粗淀粉含量。     

Effect of peduncle‐perfused nitrogen,sucrose, and growth regulators on barley and wheat amino acid composition

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) or growth regulator application to small grain cereals near anthesis has been demonstrated to alter grain fill and grain yield, the protein yield and nutritional quality may also be modified by these management factors. The objective of this study was to determine whether delivery of N, growth regulator, or sucrose solutions into greenhouse‐grown barley (Hordeurn vulgare L. cv. Leger) or wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Katepwa), plants through peduncle perfusion altered the amino acid composition of the grain. The following treatments were tested: N (25 and 50 mM), chlormequat (30 μM), ethephon (15 μM), N + chlormequat, N + ethephon, detillering + N, sucrose (250 mM), distilled water check, and non‐perfused check. Perfusion lasted 30 d beginning 5 to 8 d after spike emergence. Addition of N via peduncle perfusion increased protein concentrations and concentrations of all amino acids in both barley and wheat when expressed in terms of grain dry matter. Protein yield and lysine content were also increased. However, the increase in essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, arginine, and leucine was relatively small, and the proportions of these amino acids in the grain protein were actually reduced. The sucrose treatment only affected wheat, increasing lysine concentration and decreasing the total protein concentration. Growth regulators used in this study did not alter protein yield or amino acid composition in either crop.     

Comparative study on free amino acid composition of wild edible mushroom species

A comparative study on the amino acid composition of 11 wild edible mushroom species (Suillus bellini, Suillus luteus, Suillus granulatus, Tricholomopsis rutilans, Hygrophorus agathosmus, Amanita rubescens, Russula cyanoxantha, Boletus edulis, Tricholoma equestre, Fistulina hepatica, and Cantharellus cibarius) was developed. To define the qualitative and quantitative profiles, a derivatization procedure with dabsyl chloride was performed, followed by HPLC-UV-vis analysis. Twenty free amino acids (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, glutamine, serine, threonine, glycine, alanine, valine, proline, arginine, isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, cysteine, ornithine, lysine, histidine, and tyrosine) were determined. B. edulis and T. equestre were revealed to be the most nutritional species, whereas F. hepatica was the poorest. The different species exhibited distinct free amino acid profiles. The quantification of the identified compounds indicated that, in a general way, alanine was the major amino acid. The results show that the analyzed mushroom species possess moderate amino acid contents, which may be relevant from a nutritional point of view because these compounds are indispensable for human health. A combination of different mushroom species in the diet would offer good amounts of amino acids and a great diversity of palatable sensations.     

江河源区高寒嵩草草甸土壤氨基酸成分和含量特征分析

通过高效液相色谱技术分析了青海省果洛州达日县窝赛乡原生嵩草草甸、严重退化草地及人工草地三类植被土壤中各种氨基酸成分及含量。结果表明:(1)三种类型土壤中都检测出19种常见氨基酸:精氨酸、天冬氨酸、丝氨酸、谷氨酸、苏氨酸、丙氨酸、甘氨酸、氨基丁酸、脯氨酸、蛋氨酸、缬氨酸、苯丙氨酸、异亮氨酸、亮氨酸、胱氨酸、组氨酸、鸟氨酸、赖氨酸、酪氨酸;(2)测定结果表明原生嵩草草甸土壤的氨基酸总量显著高于人工恢复重建草地和严重退化土壤氨基酸,而后两者之间差异不显著。原生高寒草地的土壤(6316.28μgg-1)严重退化草地土壤(2977.10μgg-1)人工恢复重建草地土壤(2975.90μgg-1)。(3)原生高寒草地土壤氨基酸总体呈现下降趋势:5月氨基酸含量最高,随后6月7月的显著下降,8月稍微有所回升,9月氨基酸含量到达最低;严重退化草地土壤与人工恢复重建草地土壤氨基酸含量季节变化相似,氨基酸总量在6月份到达最高点,随后7月8月显著下降,9月份稍微有所回升。     

酵母硒和枣粉饲粮对鸡肉宰后氧化及氨基酸的影响研究

为研究酵母硒和枣粉饲粮对白羽肉鸡鸡胸肉成熟过程中蛋白质氧化及氨基酸含量变化的影响,本试验采用不同浓度酵母硒和枣粉饲喂白羽肉鸡42 d,根据酵母硒和枣粉添加量分为6个处理组,分别为CK(基础日粮)、J组(基础日粮+8％枣粉替换8％玉米)、0.3S(基础日粮+0.3 mg·kg-1酵母硒)、0.6S(基础日粮+0.6 mg...     

Biochemical and microbial changes during the storage of minimally processed cantaloupe

The effect of storage time on pH, titratable acidity, degrees Brix, organic acids, sugars, amino acids, and color of minimally processed cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud. cv. Mission) was determined at 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C. Changes in most of the biochemical parameters with storage time were relatively slow at the lower temperature. At 20 degrees C, a 17% loss in soluble solids and a 2-fold increase in acidity occurred after 2 days. Organic acid content also increased considerably with time at this temperature as a result of the production of lactic acid. Oxalic, citric, malic, and succinic acids were the organic acids, and glucose, fructose, and sucrose were the sugars present in the freshly cut cantaloupe. Malic acid concentration decreased concurrently with lactic acid production indicating the possible involvement of anaerobic malo-lactic fermentation along with sugar utilization by lactic acid bacteria. The effect of storage on microbial growth was determined at 4, 10, and 20 degrees C. Gram-negative stained rods grew at a slower rate at 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C than the Gram-positive mesophilic bacteria that dominated microorganism growth at 20 degrees C. Eighteen amino acids were identified in fresh cantaloupe: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamine, glycine, histidine, arginine, threonine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenyl alanine, and lysine. The dominant amino acids were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine, and alanine. Total amino acid content decreased rapidly at 20 degrees C, but only a slight decrease occurred at 4 degrees C after prolonged storage. Changes in lightness (L), chroma, and hue at both temperatures indicate the absence of browning reactions. The results indicate the potential use of lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria as quality control markers in minimally processed fruits.     

Uptake and Distribution of Arsenic in Chickpea: Effects on Seed Yield and Seed Composition

Chickpea plants were grown in arsenic (As)–contaminated soils (5 mg kg^?1 of dry soil) and investigated for As uptake, distribution, and effects on growth, yield, and quality of seeds. The roots accumulated the greatest As (7 mg kg^?1 dry weight), followed by stem (4.8 mg), leaves (4.0 mg), and seeds (0.7 mg). Arsenic inhibited the growth of the roots and shoots (as dry weight) by 65% and 60%, respectively, over controls. The shoot/root ratio declined from 4.3 in the control to 3.5 in As-treated plants. The seed yield (g) and number of pods plant^?1 decreased by 66 and 53%, respectively, over controls. A marked increase in membrane damage coupled with reduction in chlorophyll and relative leaf water content occurred in As-treated plants. The contaminated plants showed 34% and 25% decrease over control in sucrose content in their leaves and seeds, respectively. The accumulation of seed reserves such as starch, proteins, sugars, and minerals was inhibited significantly due to As-treated plants. Storage proteins such as albumins, globulins, glutelins and prolamins decreased significantly with larger effect on glutelins. The contents of minerals such as calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and iron (Fe) declined greatly in the seeds of As-treated plants. The accumulation of amino acids such as lysine, methionine?+?cystine, phenylalanine?+?tyrosine, proline, threonine, tryptophan, and valine was inhibited significantly in the seeds of As-applied plants compared to the control. The findings indicated that As application markedly reduced the quality of the chickpea seeds, especially in terms of proteins and minerals.     

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.     

Comparison of Nutritional Compounds in Premature Green and Mature Yellow Whole Wheat in Korea

Until now few comparisons of nutritional compounds in premature green and mature yellow wheat have been reported. In this study, the contents of amino acids, vitamins, mineral compounds, phytosterols, and fatty acids as well as the proximate composition of premature green and mature yellow wheat were investigated. Premature green wheat had lower protein content (12.0 g/100 g db) and higher dietary fiber content (19.3 g/100 g db) than mature yellow wheat (13.6 and 14.3 g/100 g db for protein and dietary fiber, respectively). Despite a small difference in total amino acids, protein in premature wheat had a significantly greater proportion of essential amino acids: 16.1, 39.9, and 32.7 mg/g of protein for methionine, lysine, and threonine, respectively. Furthermore, the protein digestibility‐corrected amino acid scores of whole grain premature green and mature yellow wheat were 62.8 and 46.4, respectively, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). Total fatty acids content was 2.66 g/100 g db for premature green wheat and 2.21 g/100 g db for mature yellow wheat. Vitamin C, β‐carotene (provitamin A), α‐ and γ‐tocopherol, and niacin were the major vitamins in premature green wheat, whereas vitamin C and β‐carotene were not detected in mature yellow wheat. The results obtained indicated that premature green wheat has potential for the human diet because of its desirable nutritional value.     

Amino acid content and composition of winter wheat affected by Nitrogen Fertilization

The protein quality of wheat is closely correlated with its amino composition. Consequently, when conducting a N fertilization experiment, it is important to know how the ratio of essential amino acids determining the nutritional quality, especially that of the most important limiting amino acids of wheat within the increased protein content, works out. The effect of nitrogen fertilizer applied at different times and/or doses (0–200 kg/ha) was investigated on grain protein and amino acid contents and yields of a Hungarian bread wheat variety on a soil type of medium ? status (eutric cambisol) in Western Hungary for three years. 160 kg N/ha was necessary to reach the highest possible crude protein content and the split application of this dose proved to be the most beneficial to the crude protein yield on the three years’ average. Though most of the treatments seemed to be disadvantageous from the point of view of amino acid composition considering the nutritional quality, the amount of essential amino acids, especially that of lysine harvested per hectare showed a considerable increase (up to 28.4%).     

Improving nutritional quality of maize proteins by expressing sense and antisense zein genes

The predominant proteins in maize grain are a family of alcohol-soluble prolamin storage proteins called zeins. They account for >50% of total seed proteins but are deficient in several essential amino acids. As a result, the corn grain is considered to be nutritionally poor for monogastric animals with respect to key essential amino acids, most notably lysine, tryptophan, and methionine. Thus, corn mutants with reduced levels of zeins, such as opaque-2 (o2), have been demonstrated to possess grain with improved nutritional quality characteristics. The o2 mutant has a superior amino acid composition and has been used through conventional breeding to develop Quality Protein Maize (QPM) for human and animal consumption in developing countries. With the understanding of molecular genetics of zeins and progress in biotechnology, an alternative approach to zein reduction is explored here. Through the targeted reduction of the 19-kDa alpha-zeins, increased levels of lysine, tryptophan, and methionine have been engineered in grain of transgenic hybrids. Currently, the agronomic properties and nutritional values of these transgenic lines are being evaluated.     

Riboflavin-sensitized photochemical changes in beta-lactoglobulin in an aqueous buffer solution as affected by ascorbic acid

The effects of ascorbic acid on the riboflavin-sensitized photochemical changes in beta-lactoglobulin in an aqueous buffer solution as determined by high performance gel permeation liquid chromatography (HPGPLC), insoluble protein content, and individual amino acid content during fluorescent light illumination were studied. The riboflavin-sensitized photochemical degradation of beta-lactoglobulin was effectively inhibited by ascorbic acid, and its inhibitory effectiveness was concentration dependent. The 0.1% ascorbic acid treatment showed 74.4% inhibition of beta-lactoglobulin degradation as determined by a HPGPLC during 6 h light illumination. Insolubility of beta-lactoglobulin in a buffer solution during light illumination was also effectively decreased by ascorbic acid treatment. The riboflavin-sensitized photochemical reduction of cysteine, histidine, lysine, methionine, and tryptophan in beta-lactoglobulin was high during 6 h fluorescent light illumination. The 0.1% ascorbic acid treatment exhibited 20.8% inhibition of total amino acid degradation in beta-lactoglobulin during 6 h light illumination, showing strong inhibitory activity against the degradation of arginine, aspartic acid, cystein, glycine, histidine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, and tryptophan.