Composition and variation in vitamin C,carotenoids, protein,nitrate and oxalate contents inCelosia leaves

Twenty two lines/accessions belonging to 5 species ofCelosia were analysed for their nutritional and antinutritional composition. The nutrient contents, vitamin C varied from 18.8 to 53.6 mg/100 g, carotenoids 9.1 to 15.1 mg/100g, protein 2.1 to 5.9%, while the antinutritional factors, nitrate 0.18 to 0.46% and oxalate 0.98 to 3.93%. Moisture ranged 81 to 89%. Variation of these parameters with leaf position and the amino acids profile of some promising lines was also evaluated.     

Total carotenoid and beta-carotene contents of forest green leafy vegetables consumed by tribals of south India

Seventy edible wild forest green leafy vegetables (GLV) collected andconsumed by tribals of Andhra Pradesh, India were analyzed for totalcarotenoids (TC) and beta carotene (BC) contents using high performanceliquid chromatography (HPLC). The vitamin A activity expressed as retinolequivalents (RE) was calculated based on in vivo conversion factorgiven by WHO. The results of the study indicated that thirty-six GLV werefound to have high vitamin A activity (0.87 to 2.34 RE) with TC and BCcontents ranging from 12.22 to 36.13 and 5.21 to 14.05 mg %,respectively; thirty GLV had moderate vitamin A activity (0.36–0.8 RE)with TC and BC contents ranging from 10.60 to 31.33 and 2.19 to 4.78 mg %.Four GLV contained low vitamin A activity (0.07–0.32 RE); – TC and BCcontents ranging from 5.12 to 13.13 and 0.40 to 1.94, respectively. Thepercent beta carotene in total carotenoids among the three groups of theGLV varied from 19.41 to 73.02, 11.11 to 46.21 and 5.98 to 37.11,respectively.     

Analysis of nutritional components of eight famine foods of the Republic of Niger

In the western Sahel, indigenous plants become important staples when cereal harvests are inadequate to support populations inhabiting that region of Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrient content of several of these edible wild plants. The leaves of the following seven plant foods were analyzed: Ziziphus mauritiana, Cerathotheca sesamoides, Moringa oleifera, Leptadenia hastata, Hibiscus sabdarifa, Amaranthus viridi, and Adansonia digitata. The fatty acid, vitamin E, carotenoid, selected mineral and amino acid contents of these plant foods were determined. These same analyses were performed on the fruit of the Adansonia digitata. In quantitative and qualitative terms, Amaranthus viridis was found to be an excellent source of protein. Its amino acid composition compared favorably to that of a World Health Organization (WHO) protein standard. It also contained considerable amounts of the two fatty acids that are essential in humans (linoleic and -linolenic) and a number of minerals including iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. The leaves of Hibiscus sabdarifa contained an appreciable quantity of protein the composition of which was comparable to the WHO standard. The mineral content of the leaves of this plant was also exceptionally high; noteworthy was its high zinc content. H. sabdarifa also contained significant quantities of the two essential fatty acids. Ziziphus mauritiana was an excellent source of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid and several of the metals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Its content of other essential nutrients, however, was rather low. In general, Adansonia digitata leaves were nutritionally superior to the fruit of the tree; however, the fruit did contain useful quantities of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and -linolenic acid. The Leptadenia hastata leaves were an especially good source of lutein and -carotene. These data should be useful to the people who inhabit the western Sahel in helping them devise healthy diets during times when cereal staples are in short supply.     

Carotenoid composition and heterotic effect in selected Italian maize germplasm

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a promising crop for improving the nutritional quality of foods, because of the presence of broad natural variability for the content of carotenoids. One hundred Italian and nine public lines were screened by PCR to identify the alleles of Hydroxylase3 (HYD3) and Lycopene epsilon cyclase (LCYE) genes, codifying for key enzymes of the carotenoid pathway and associated with high or low β-carotene contents. Nineteen selected genotypes carrying different alleles were grown in 2011 and/or 2012, and used to obtain F1 seeds. HPLC analysis highlighted the richness in zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin of Italian germplasm (mean values 12.63 and 2.88 mg/kg d.m., respectively). The percentage of positive and significant mid parent heterosis (MPH) and best parent heterosis (BPH) values (51% and 29%) indicated the presence of a high heterotic response for carotenoids. The compounds on the same branch of the pathway were found to be positively correlated; on the contrary, no consistent correlation was observed between the different HYD3 alleles and β-carotene content. Finally, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was also measured. These lines resulted therefore as interesting raw materials for the market of maize-based foods.     

不同遮阴条件下红花檵木叶色变化与色素的关系

以红花檵木为研究对象,设置全光照、25%遮阴、50%遮阴和75%遮阴四个处理,测定叶片内叶绿素、类胡萝卜素质量分数及花青素质量摩尔浓度和叶色参数(L、a、b值),研究其叶色与色素质量分数(或质量摩尔浓度)间的内在联系。结果表明:红花檵木叶色和色素质量分数(或质量摩尔浓度)在全光照条件下变化不明显;25%、50%和75%遮阴使叶色以不同程度由紫红色向绿色变化,叶色参数a值明显减小,但L值和b值没有明显变化规律。花青素质量摩尔浓度显著下降,叶绿素、类胡萝卜素质量分数以不同速率增加。相关性分析发现,a值与各色素质量分数(或质量摩尔浓度)间均呈极显著相关关系,但L值、b值与各色素质量分数(或质量摩尔浓度)间没有表现出明显的相关性;叶色参数a与色素相对质量分数(或质量摩尔浓度)的回归模型为Y(a值)=10.071+8.006X1(花青素相对质量摩尔浓度)-15.398X2(叶绿素相对质量分数)+13.066X3(类胡萝卜素相对质量分数),F检验达0.01显著水平。     

降雨季节波动对反枝苋与大豆光合色素的影响

为探讨外来杂草反枝苋在入侵农田生态系统过程中对降雨季节波动的适应规律及与作物的竞争机制,采用人工模拟不同降雨季节格局的方法,比较研究了反枝苋和大豆叶片光合色素含量及组成的变化情况。结果表明,在苗期和开花结荚期,降雨季节波动对大豆叶片光合色素含量及组成影响不显著,在鼓粒期影响显著;在整个生育期内,降雨季节波动对反枝苋叶片光合色素含量及组成影响显著,这与其具有较强的表型可塑性有关;此外,无论大豆还是反枝苋,在混栽时光合色素含量均大于单栽,说明两物种混栽时具有相互促进的作用,这种促进作用也是反枝苋成功入侵大豆田的原因之一。     

桂花15-顺式-ζ-胡萝卜素异构酶基因(Z-ISO)的克隆及表达分析

15-顺式-ζ-胡萝卜素异构酶(15-cis-ζ-carotene isomerase,Z-ISO)可以催化9,15,9'-三顺式-ζ-胡萝卜素异构化生成9,9'-二顺式-ζ-胡萝卜素,Z-ISO基因是植物类胡萝卜素代谢途径中最后一个被鉴定的基因.为克隆桂花(Osmanthus fragrans) Z-ISO基因的ORF序列并研究其表达特征,本研究利用已构建的桂花花瓣转录组数据库中Unigene序列信息,结合PCR技术克隆得到桂花Of Z-ISO1(GenBank登录号:KX120175)和Of Z-ISO2(GenBank登录号:KX120176)基因ORF序列.生物信息学分析表明,Of Z-ISO1和OfZ-ISO2基因均含有长为1 107 bp的ORF,编码368个氨基酸残基.Of Z-ISO1和Of Z-ISO2蛋白均含有6个跨膜螺旋区和3个保守的异构酶功能作用所必需的活性位点(H152、H268和D296).Of Z-ISO1和Of-ISO2与玉米(Zea mays)和拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana) Z-ISO1氨基酸序列有较高的相似性,系统进化树分析发现,Of Z-ISO1和Of Z-ISO2与芝麻(Sesamum indicum)Z-ISO亲缘关系最近,聚为同一小支.qRT-PCR结果显示,堰虹桂花序发育过程中,OfZ-ISO1基因在花蕾期花序中表达量较低,铃梗期其表达量急剧增加,初开期表达量保持不变,而盛开期表达量显著下降;Of Z-ISO2基因在花蕾期和铃梗期花序中表达量较低,随后表达量逐渐增加,于盛开期表达量达到最高.在桂花不同花色品种中,丹桂品种堰虹桂花色最深、花瓣类胡萝卜、素总量最高,金桂品种金球桂次之,银桂品种玉玲珑花色最浅、花瓣类胡萝卜素总量最低;总体上铃梗期和初开期时玉玲珑Of Z-ISO1和Of Z-ISO2基因的表达量较高,盛开期3个不同花色品种花瓣中OfZ-ISO1和Ofz-ISO2基因的表达量大致相同.本研究结果表明,桂花花序开放过程中Of Z-ISO1和Of Z-ISO2基因的表达水平对其类胡萝卜素的积累十分重要,不同花色品种类胡萝卜素含量与其Of-ISO1和OfZ-ISO2基因表达量并非正相关.研究结果将为全面揭示桂花呈色机制提供理论基础.     

小麦品种LOX活性及其与全麦粉色泽的相关性研究

选用130份小麦品种(系)为试验材料,测定其脂肪氧化酶(LOX)活性,全麦粉白度,黄度,类胡萝卜素含量和RVA参数,并进行相关,方差,聚类分析和根据来源地分类.结果表明,LOX活性品种间差异极显著;LOX活性与全麦粉白度呈显著正相关,与全麦粉黄度极显著负相关;采用最长距离法进行聚类分析共聚为三类;不同来源地小麦品种(系)间LOX平均活性差异性较大;讨论了LOX活性在小麦品质改良中的应用等问题.     

Antioxidant,Anti-Nephrolithe Activities and in Vitro Digestibility Studies of Three Different Cyanobacterial Pigment Extracts

Phycobiliprotein-containing water and carotenoid-containing methanolic extracts of three different cyanobacteria, Pseudanabaena sp., Spirulina sp. and Lyngbya sp., were studied for their DPPH scavenging, iso-bolographic studies, and anti-nephrolithe activities. The best EC₅₀ values for DPPH scavenging were in Lyngbya water (LW, 18.78 ± 1.57 mg·mg⁻¹ DPPH) and Lyngbya methanol (LM, 59.56 ± 37.38 mg·mg⁻¹ DPPH) extracts. Iso-bolographic analysis revealed most of the combinations of extracts were antagonistic to each other, although LM—Spirulina methanol (SM) 1:1 had the highest synergistic rate of 86.65%. In vitro digestion studies showed that DPPH scavenging activity was considerably decreased in all extracts except for Pseudanabaena methanol (PM) and LM after the simulated digestion. All of the extracts were effective in reducing the calcium oxalate crystal size by nearly 60%–65% compared to negative control, while PM and Spirulina water (SW) extracts could inhibit both nucleation and aggregation of calcium oxalate by nearly 60%–80%.     

Physiological and biochemical modes of action of the diphenylether aclonifen

Aclonifen belongs to the diphenylether (DPE) chemical family among which potent herbicides with a photodependent mode of action can be found. For years aclonifen has been used in several types of cultures. However its biochemical mode of action remains unclear although it was listed as a carotenoid synthesis inhibitor by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC). As a matter of fact, corn seedling leaves treated with 10⁻⁴ M aclonifen and maintained in the dark no longer contained carotenoids but showed an accumulation of a compound having all the characteristics of phytoene. That demonstrated aclonifen ability to inhibit the desaturases catalyzing the transformation of phytoene into carotenoids. Moreover, aclonifen (5 × 10⁻⁵ M) was responsible for a photodependent cell destruction (necrosis) of cucumber cotyledons typically due to protoporphyrin IX accumulation. The same phenomenon was demonstrated in aclonifen-treated etiolated corn seedlings (10⁻⁴ M) that showed an accumulation of protoporphyrin IX, reaching 62 ng/g of leaf fresh mass and reactive oxygen species production under light. On these two cases (cucumber cotyledons and etiolated corn seedlings), aclonifen was acting as a typical DPE, as demonstrated by the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX. As a whole, aclonifen was shown here, to act on two different biochemical pathways including carotenoid synthesis on the one hand, as well as protoporphyrinogen oxidase, in the chlorophyll synthesis pathway, on the other for the same range of concentrations.