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.     

Effects of dried fairy shrimp Streptocephalus sirindhornae meal on pigmentation and carotenoid deposition in flowerhorn cichlid; Amphilophus citrinellus (Günther, 1864) × Cichlasoma trimaculatum (Günther, 1867)

We investigated the effects of dried fairy shrimp Streptocephalus sirindhornae meal (FS) on skin pigmentation and carotenoid deposition in flowerhorn cichlid. Six experimental diets including three treatments of FS at 10% (FS10), 20% (FS20) and 30% (FS30), two dried Spirulina sp. meal (SP) at 6% (SP6) and 12% (SP12), and a control diet (a basal diet without FS or SP) were offered for 90 days. The results demonstrate an increase in the flowerhorn cichlid skin pigmentation from alternative carotenoid feeding. Fish fed the FS diet displayed higher (P ≤ 0.05) chroma and redness values than those fed with a SP diet. The hue value (measure for skin pigmentation) was high when fish were fed with FS20 for 30 and 60 days (P ≤ 0.01). However, fish also showed high hue values when fed for 90 days with FS10 (P ≤ 0.01). The FS20 treatment gave better results than other treatments in terms of total carotenoid, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and β‐carotene concentration in the skin and musculature. The optimum level of FS in flowerhorn cichlid diets for achieving the highest skin pigmentation was 20%.     

Effects of oral supplementation with β-carotene on concentrations of β-carotene, vitamin A and α-tocopherol in plasma, colostrum and milk of mares and plasma of their foals and on fertility in mares

In this study, effects of oral β-carotene supplementation to mares (β-carotene group: 1000 mg/day, n = 15; control group: n = 15) from 2 weeks before foaling until 6 weeks thereafter on concentrations of β-carotene, vitamin A and α-tocopherol in plasma, colostrum and milk and plasma of their foals were determined. In addition, effects on fertility were studied. Beta-carotene concentrations increased in plasma and colostrum of β-carotene-supplemented mares compared to control mares (p < 0.05). In mares of both groups, β-carotene concentrations were higher in colostrum than in milk (p < 0.05). In foals, β-carotene concentrations increased with colostrum uptake and were higher in foals born to supplemented mares (p < 0.05; control group: 0.0003 ± 0.0002 μg/ml on day 0, 0.008 ± 0.0023 μg/ml on day 1; β-carotene group: 0.0005 ± 0.0003 μg/ml on day 0, 0.048 ± 0.018 μg/ml on day 1). Concentrations of vitamin A and α-tocopherol were higher in colostrum than in milk (p < 0.05) but did not differ between groups. Concentration of α-tocopherol in plasma of mares decreased over time and in foals, increased markedly within 4 days after birth. All but one mare (control group) showed oestrus within 2 weeks post-partum. Occurrence of oestrus did not differ between groups. More mares of the control group (7/7 vs. 5/12 in the β-carotene group) became pregnant after being bred in first post-partum oestrus (p < 0.05). In conclusion, β-carotene supplementation to mares increased β-carotene concentrations in plasma, colostrum and milk of mares and plasma of their foals but had no positive effects on fertility.     

氮磷钾及有机肥配施对胡萝卜中胡萝卜素含量的综合影响

通过二次正交旋转回归设计,探讨了氮、磷、钾及有机肥对胡萝卜中胡萝卜素的综合影响。结果表明:影响胡萝卜素含量的一级(2因素)和三级(4因素)交互作用显著,二级(3因素)交互作用不显著;氮磷、氮钾、磷钾、钾与有机肥、磷与有机肥互作有利于胡萝卜素的积累,氮、磷、钾和有机肥合理配施(1∶0.84∶2.15∶725)可明显促进胡萝卜素的积累;在该试验条件下,有利于胡萝素积累的最佳施肥方案为:N(8.56～9.03kg/667m2)、P2O5(6.99～7.2kg/667m2)、K2O(18.37～19.41kg/667m2)、有机肥(6 159～6 596kg/667m2)。     

Selection of Parents for Breeding Edible Varieties of Sweetpotato with High Carotene Content

Sweetpotato varieties with high carotene content have high value for human health. This work aims to improve the breeding efficiency of special varieties with high carotene content by combining molecular markers and agronomic traits to evaluate and screen the parents. The cluster analysis was carried out to identify and screen promising parents by utilizing phenotypic results of the agronomic and characteristic traits, and RAPD and ISSR markers of 15 parents and their offspring by group crossing. Among different parental materials, greater variations were observed in two important traits, the carotene content and the storage root yield. Negative correlation was found between the carotene content and both fresh and dried root yields. The most significant positive correlation was between the carotene content of parents and that of their offspring, with the coefficient of correlation value of 0.7932＊＊. The relationship based on the agronomic characters of the trial materials was not in agreement with the known genealogy, while that based on the molecular marker data showed better result. Each primer amplified 13.8 bands oflSSR markers on average, in which the rate of polymorphic loci was 89.6%. 9.4 bands of RAPD markers were arnplified per primer, in which the rate of polymorphic bands was 74.46%. Large genetic variation of carotene content was found among the parents. For analyzing the genetic diversity of sweetpotato, the molecular marker methods were better than morphological traits; ISSR markers were more efficient than RAPD markers. The combination of molecular markers and agronomic trait analysis may provide valuable theoretic basis for selection of parents to breed new varieties with high carotene content.     

Mode of bleaching phytotoxicity of herbicidal diphenylpyrrolidinones

A mode of action study of herbicidal diphenylpyrrolidinones was carried out through carotenoid analyses in intact Scenedesmus cells and by a cell‐free plant‐type phytoene desaturase assay using Escherichia coli transformants. A series of forty‐eight diphenylpyrrolidinones decreased the carotenoid content of Scenedesmus cells in the light and inhibited phytoene desaturase. The relationship between substituents at various positions and inhibition of phytoene desaturase is discussed. Using very active bleaching diphenylpyrrolidinones, a 10⁻⁵ M concentration affected neither the ζ‐carotene desaturase nor the protoporphyrinogen‐IX oxidase. Although some differences in their inhibitory activity were found between the in vivo and cell‐free assays, it is concluded that the compounds are essentially bleachers affecting carotenoid biosynthesis in plants. Enzyme kinetics studies with recombinant phytoene desaturase revealed a non‐competitive inhibition with respect to the substrate phytoene. A competition against the inhibitor was shown by the cofactor NADP⁺, suggesting an interaction of pyrrolidinones at the cofactor‐binding site of phytoene desaturase. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

遮光对超级杂交稻叶片叶绿素含量的影响

为了探讨不同遮光条件下超级杂交稻剑叶的叶绿素含量动态变化特征,以超级杂交稻、普通杂交稻和高产常规稻代表品种为供试材料,设置齐穗后遮光30%、60%和不遮光3个处理。结果表明,不同遮光处理对叶绿素含量影响显著,超级杂交稻在齐穗后遮光其叶绿素a、叶绿素b和叶绿素a+b的含量均有所提高,其中叶绿素b含量增加的幅度高于叶绿素a;遮光处理对超级杂交稻类胡萝卜素含量的影响不明显;遮光处理降低超级杂交稻叶绿素a/b,超级杂交稻叶绿素a/b下降幅度要高于常规稻和普通杂交稻,这可能与超级杂交稻对环境适应能力的脆弱性有关。     

Factors affecting β carotene destruction in moist preserved leaf protein

Leaves are, and will probably remain, an important dietary source of carotene (provitamin A). There is enough of it in extracted leaf protein (LP) to make that a useful source. carotene is rapidly destroyed when LP, especially from young leaves, is preserved with salt. Destruction can be partly prevented by avoiding contamination with iron during preparation, by coagulating LP by heating rather than acidification, and by treatment with chelating agents. The unsaturated fatty acids in leaf lipids seem not to be involved in the destruction.     

Effects of supplementation with β‐carotene on the growth performance and intestinal mucosal barriers in layer‐type cockerels

β‐carotene is a robust modulator of mucosal barriers, and it can amplify the immunoglobulin A (IgA) response via the retinoic acid (RA)–mediated pathway. We investigated the influence of β‐carotene on intestinal barriers in layer‐type cockerels. In this study, β‐carotene has a positive influence on growth performance and intestinal morphology. β‐carotene remarkably enhanced serum secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels, jejunal mucosal sIgA, and IgA concentrations. β‐Carotene significantly enhanced mRNA expression levels of IgA, CC chemokine receptor‐9 (CCR9), polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), and retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) in the ileal tissues and pIgR in the jejunal tissues. β‐Carotene improves mRNA expression of intestinal barrier‐related proteins including: mucin‐2 (MUC‐2), zonula occludens‐2 (ZO‐2), occludins (OCLN), and zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1) in the ileal tissues. Moreover, β‐carotene decreased the levels of Escherichia coli and elevates the levels of Lactobacillus. The results indicate that β‐carotene can promote growth performance and contribute to the gradual development of intestinal barriers in Hyline Brown chicks. This study enriches our knowledge about the effects of β‐carotene on intestinal barrier and highlights a theoretical basis of β‐carotene application in the poultry industry.     

Effect of domestic processing and cooking on selected antinutrient contents of some green leafy vegetables

Three vegetables, 5 roots and tubers, 23 fruits and 3 stored products collected and consumed by tribals of Andhra Pradesh, India were analyzed for total carotenoids (TC) and Beta carotene (BC) contents using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The vitamin A activity expressed as retinol equivalents (RE) was calculated based on the in vivo conversion factor given by WHO. The results of the study indicated that the vegetables, roots and tubers analyzed showed negligible vitamin A activity with TC and BC content ranging from 0.01 to 0.61 and 0.14 to 0.23 mg%, respectively. Among the fruits, Canthium parviflorum contained very high TC (9.51 mg%) and BC (6.10 mg%) contents, and the edible orange color fresh rind portion analyzed had the highest (6.8 mg%) BC content. Other fruits contained negligible content of TC (0.0015 to 1.32 mg%) and BC (0.004 to 0.49 mg%). The edible pulp portion of the fruit (Diosphros melanoxylon contained no BC but the rind portion analyzed fresh and dried had BC) 0.79 and 2.17 mg%, respectively. Tribals were found to have distinct attitudes and beliefs towards food they use or avoid in certain physiological conditions.