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.     

Nutritional and toxic factors in selected wild edible plants

Nutritional (ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid and carotenes); antinutritional and toxic components (oxalic acid, nitrate and erucic acid) were determined in sixteen popular species of wild edible plants which are collected for human consumption in southeast Spain. Ascorbic+dehydroascorbic acids contents were very high in several species, especially in Chenopodium album L. (155 mg/100 g). Carotenoid content ranged from 4.2 mg/100 g (Stellaria media Villars) to 15.4 mg/100 g (Amaranthus viridis L.). A range of values was found for oxalic acid from absence to 1100 mg/100 g of plant material. Nitrate contents ranged from 47 mg/100 g ( Salicornia europaea L.) to 597 mg/100 g (Amaranthus viridis L.). Low amounts of erucic acid were found in the Cruciferae family (Sisymbrium irio L. 1.73%; Cardaria draba L. 1.23%) and Plantago major L. 3.45%.     

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.     

常见桑科榕属植物叶片类胡萝卜素含量的比较分析

采用酒精-丙酮(1∶1)进行萃取,用分光光度法测定常见桑科榕属植物小叶榕、黄金榕和花叶榕的胡萝卜素、叶黄素和总类胡萝卜素的含量。结果表明,胡萝卜素含量为:小叶榕>黄金榕>花叶榕;叶黄素含量是:黄金榕>花叶榕>小叶榕;总类胡萝卜素含量为:小叶榕>花叶榕>黄金榕。可见,黄金榕叶黄素含量最高,小叶榕的最低,花叶榕的居中;而小叶榕的胡萝卜素含量最高,花叶榕的最低,黄金榕的居中。由于这3种植物各种色素的含量差异,使得这3种植物的叶片呈现出不同的颜色。     

白菜型油菜八氢番茄红素合酶基因BrPSY的克隆与序列分析

八氢番茄红素合酶（PSY）是类胡萝卜素合成途经的第一个关键限速酶,对类胡萝卜素合成起着重要的控制作用。本研究利用电子克隆技术,从油菜EST数据库中找到与拟南芥PSY基因高度同源的油菜EST序列,通过人工拼接及RT-PCR、RACE的方法,克隆得到白菜型油菜BrPSY基因全长cDNA的序列,提交GenBank,被命名为BrPSY（GenBank登记号EU138883）。BrPSY包含168bp的5’前导序列、69bp的3’不翻译序列和1 278bp的完整开放读码框（ORF）,编码47.6 kDa的蛋白质。序列比对结果表明,BrPSY蛋白与其它植物的PSY蛋白具有很高的相似性;系统进化树分析表明,BrPSY与拟南芥亲缘关系最近。在全长cDNA序列的基础上,设计引物从白菜型油菜DNA中克隆得到BrPSY基因的全长DNA序列,含有7个外显子和6个内含子。     

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%.     

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.     

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。     

蓝藻中类胡萝卜素生物合成途径研究进展

文中就近年来在蓝藻中类胡萝卜素生物合成的研究进行了总结,并进行了展望。