Isoflavone Changes in Immature and Mature Soybeans by Thermal Processing

The isoflavone changes occurring in mature soybeans during food processing have been well studied, but less information is available on the changes in immature soybeans during thermal processing. This study aimed to determine the effect of thermal processing by dry- or wet-heating on the changes in the isoflavone profiles of immature and mature soybeans. In the malonylglycoside forms of isoflavone, their deglycosylation was more severe after wet-heating than after dry-heating regardless of the soybean maturity. The malonyl forms of isoflavones in the immature seeds were drastically degraded after a short wet-heating process. In the acetylglycoside forms of isoflavone, dry-heating produced relatively low amounts of the acetyl types in the immature soybeans compared with those in the mature soybeans. These results were explained by the content of acetyldaidzin being relatively less changed after dry-heating immature soybeans but increasing four to five times in the mature soybeans. More of the other types of acetylglycoside were produced by dry-heating soybeans regardless of their maturity. Acetylgenistin in wet-heating was a key molecule because its content was unchanged in the immature soybeans during processing but increased in the mature soybeans. This determined the total acetylglycoside content after wet-heating. In contrast, most of the acetyl forms of isoflavone were produced after 90 to 120 min of dry-heating regardless of the seed maturity. It can be suggested that the pattern of isoflavone conversion was significantly affected by the innate water content of the seeds, with a lower water content in the mature soybeans leading to the greater production of acetyl isoflavones regardless of the processing method even if only applied for a relatively short time. The results suggested that the isoflavone conversion in the immature soybeans mainly follows the wet-heating process and can be promoted in the application of stronger processing.

Effect of Elevated CO2 on Seed Yield, Essential Oil Metabolism, Nutritive Value, and Biological Activity of Pimpinella anisum L. Accessions at Different Seed Maturity Stages

Besides the lack of studies regarding applying elevated CO2 (eCO2) as a strategy to improve the chemical composition of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) seeds, studies on its interaction with seed developmental stages and origin are very limited. The seed yield, chemical composition, and biological activity of 6 aniseed accessions (Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, and Morocco) were investigated during three developmental stages (immature, premature, and mature) under control and elevated CO2 conditions. Mature seeds from all aniseed accessions had significantly higher (p < 0.05) dry weight (DW) percentages than premature and immature seeds. The highest DW percentages were recorded in Egypt and Morocco accessions. Seed maturation increased nutrients and antioxidant metabolites in most eCO2-treated accessions. In contrast, essential oils were decreased by seed maturation, while eCO2 reversed this effect. Essential oil-related precursors (e.g., phenylalanine) and enzyme activities (3-Deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) and O–methyltransferase) decreased with seed maturity. However, high CO2 reduced this impact and further induced the other essential oil-related precursors (shikimic and cinnamic acids). Consequently, eCO2 provoked changes in the antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic activities of aniseeds, particularly at mature stages. Overall, eCO2 application, as an efficient way to improve aniseed growth, essential oil metabolism, and chemical composition, was affected by seed maturation and origin. Future studies of eCO2-treated aniseeds as a nutraceutical and pharmaceutical product are suggested.

Valorization of Byproducts of Hemp Multipurpose Crop: Short Non-Aligned Bast Fibers as a Source of Nanocellulose

Nanocellulose was extracted from short bast fibers, from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants harvested at seed maturity, non-retted, and mechanically decorticated in a defibering apparatus, giving non-aligned fibers. A chemical pretreatment with NaOH and HCl allowed the removal of most of the non-cellulosic components of the fibers. No bleaching was performed. The chemically pretreated fibers were then refined in a beater and treated with a cellulase enzyme, followed by mechanical defibrillation in an ultrafine friction grinder. The fibers were characterized by microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction after each step of the process to understand the evolution of their morphology and composition. The obtained nanocellulose suspension was composed of short nanofibrils with widths of 5–12 nm, stacks of nanofibrils with widths of 20–200 nm, and some larger fibers. The crystallinity index was found to increase from 74% for the raw fibers to 80% for the nanocellulose. The nanocellulose retained a yellowish color, indicating the presence of some residual lignin. The properties of the nanopaper prepared with the hemp nanocellulose were similar to those of nanopapers prepared with wood pulp-derived rod-like nanofibrils.

QTL identification for nine seed-related traits in Brassica juncea using a multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population

Agronomic traits are usually determined by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that can have pleiotropic effects. A multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population is well suited for genetically analysing the effects of multiple QTLs on the traits of interest because it contains more QTL alleles than a biparental population and can overcome the problem of confounding the population structure of the natural germplasm population. We previously developed the B. juncea MAGIC population, derived from eight B. juncea lines with great diversity in agronomic and quality traits. In this study, we show that the B. juncea MAGIC population is also effective for the evaluation of multiple QTLs for complex agronomic traits in B. juncea. A total of twenty-two QTLs for nine seed-related traits were identified, including one QTL for each oil content, seed number per silique and thousand-seed weight; two QTLs for each acid detergent lignin and neutral detergent fibre; three QTLs for each acid detergent fibre and protein content; four QTLs for the seed maturity time; and five QTLs for the white index. Some of these QTLs overlapped. These results should be helpful for further fine mapping, gene cloning, plant breeding and marker-assisted selection (MAS) in B. juncea.

Seed Dormancy in Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) Is Influenced by Genotype and Environment

Seed dormancy complicates the agricultural use of many legume species. Understanding the genetic and environmental drivers of seed dormancy is necessary for advancing crop improvement for legumes, such as Vicia villosa. In this study, we quantify the magnitude of genetic and environmental effects on physical dormancy among 1488 maternal V. villosa plants from 18 diverse environments. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between physical dormancy and environmental conditions during seed development. Additive genetic variance (h2) accounted for 40% of the variance, while the growing environment explained 28% of the variance in physical dormancy. Maternal lines showed complete variance in physical dormancy, as one line was 100% dormant, and 56 lines were 0% dormant. Distributions of physical dormancy varied widely among seed production environments, with some site-years strongly skewed toward physically dormant seed, while other site-years exhibited little dormant seed. Twenty-three weather variables were associated with environmental and error effects of physical dormancy. High mean and minimum relative humidity, low mean and maximum temperature, and high precipitation weakly grouped with low physical dormancy. Weather variables calculated from fixed time windows approximating seed maturity to seed harvest at each site-year tended to be less predictive than biological seed drying windows calculated based on seed maturity of each maternal line. Overall, individual and cumulative effects of weather variables were poor predictors of physical dormancy. Moderate heritability indicates that breeding programs can select against physical dormancy and improve V. villosa for agricultural use. Marker-based approaches would maximize selection for physical dormancy by reducing the influence of unpredictable environmental effects.

PENGARUH UMUR PANEN TERHADAP VIABILITAS BENIH SERTA HUBUNGANNYA DENGAN PRODUKSI TERNA SAMBILOTO (Andrographis paniculata Nees

ABSTRAK<br />Salah satu faktor yang berpengaruh terhadap viabilitas benih<br />sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata Nees) adalah waktu panen.<br />Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut kegiatan ini dilakukan dengan tujuan<br />untuk mengetahui pengaruh umur panen terhadap viabilitas benih serta<br />hubungannya dengan produksi terna sambiloto. Percobaan dilakukan di<br />KP. Cimanggu dan Laboratorium, Balai Penelitian Tanaman Obat dan<br />Aromatik, dari Maret 2005 – Maret 2006. Percobaan disusun dalam<br />rancangan acak kelompok (RAK) dengan 10 perlakuan stadia umur<br />panen dan 4 ulangan. Stadia umur panen yang diuji yaitu 18, 21, 22, 23,<br />24, 25, 26, 27, 28, dan 29 hari setelah antesis (HSA). Variabel yang<br />diamati yaitu mutu benih (daya berkecambah benih, kecepatan<br />berkecambah), pertumbuhan tanaman (tinggi tanaman, jumlah cabang),<br />serta produksi terna (bobot basah tanaman, bobot kering daun, dan bobot<br />kering batang). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Umur panen<br />benih berpengaruh terhadap daya berkecambah benih dan kecepatan<br />berkecambah benih sambiloto; daya berkecambah dan kecepatan<br />berkecambah tertinggi didapatkan pada umur panen benih 22 dan 21 HSA<br />(67,00 dan 55,00)%; sedangkan daya berkecambah yang terendah<br />diperoleh pada umur panen 18 HSA (23,50)%, (2) Umur panen benih<br />berpengaruh terhadap tinggi tanaman dan jumlah cabang pada tanaman<br />umur 1 bulan. Tinggi tanaman dan jumlah cabang tertinggi berturut-turut<br />didapatkan pada perlakuan umur panen benih 27 dan 26 HSA (39, 63<br />dan 36,58 cm serta 16,71 dan 16,61 buah); dan (3) Umur panen benih<br />berpengaruh terhadap produksi terna (bobot basah tanaman, bobot kering<br />daun, bobot kering batang) pada umur 3 bulan. Bobot basah tanaman,<br />bobot kering daun, serta bobot kering batang tertinggi didapatkan pada<br />perlakuan umur panen benih 27 HSA (291,25, 28, 27 dan 28,86)g. Bobot<br />basah tanaman, bobot kering daun, serta bobot kering batang terendah<br />didapatkan pada perlakuan 18 HSA (217,09, 22,10 dan 20,24)g. Umur<br />panen benih tidak berpengaruh terhadap jumlah cabang pada umur 3<br />bulan.<br />Kata kunci : Sambiloto, Andrographis paniculata Nees, umur panen,<br />viabilitas, produksi, Jawa Barat<br />ABSTRACT<br />The influence of harvesting time on the seed viability and<br />the relationship with herb yield of king bitter<br />(Andrographis paniculata Nees)<br />One of the main factors influencing the viability of king bitter<br />(Andrographis paniculata Nees) is appropriate harvesting time. Based on<br />this problem a research was conducted to study the relationship between<br />seed maturity and seed viability, and herb yield of king bitter. The research<br />was conducted at Cimanggu Experimental Station and in the laboratory of<br />Indonesian Medicinal and Aromatic Crops Research Institute (IMACRI)<br />from March 2005 to March 2006. The experiment was arranged in a<br />randomized block design with 10 seed maturity stages and 4 replications.<br />Maturity seed tested was 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 days<br />after anthesis. The observations were made on seed quality (percentage of<br />seed germination, and rate of seed germination), plant growth (plant<br />height, number of branches) and herb yield (fresh herb weight, leaf dry<br />weight, and stem dry weight). The results of experiment indicated that (1)<br />seed maturity affected seed germination, and rate of seed germination of<br />king bitter; the highest seed germination and germination rate were<br />achieved by seeds harvested at 21 and 22 days after anthesis, (2) stage of<br />seed harvesting affected on the plant height and number of branches at 1<br />month after planting. The highest plant height and number of branches<br />were found on the treatments of seeds harvested at 26 and 27 days after<br />anthesis, they were 39.63 and 36.58 cm and 16.71 and 16.61; (3) seed<br />maturity also affected herb production, such as wet weight of plants, dry<br />weight of leaf and dry weight of steam at 3 moths after planting. Wet<br />weight of plant, dry weight of leaf and dry weight of stem were achieved<br />at the treatments of seeds harvested at 27 days after anthesis, they were<br />291.25, 28.27 and 28.86 g. The lowest of wet of plant weight, dry weight<br />of leaf and dry weight of stem were found on the seeds harvested at 18<br />days after anthesis. They were 217.09, 22.10 and 20.24 g. Moreover, the<br />stage of harvesting did not influence the number of branches at 3 months<br />after planting.<br />Key words: King bitter, Andrographis paniculata Nees, seed maturity,<br />viability, production, West Java

Reliable Physical Parameters for Determining Fruit/Seed Maturity Timing of Ficus semicordata Buch. in Kumaun Region of Central Himalaya

Wild edible plants play an important role as food supplements during scarcity for local inhabitants. Ficus semicordata is commonly known as drooping fig. Plant parts are used for medicinal purposes. It is a common agroforestry tree in the Himalayan region growing from 750 to 1500 m elevation. The present study was carried out to assess the exact time of seed and fruit maturation and germination of F. semicordata in Nainital district of Kumaun Himalaya across 3 sites during two consecutive years 2017 and 2018. Fruit of F. semicordata were collected from the marked trees from all the sites till the availability of the fruits. Across all the sites the mean fruit size varied between 190.24 ± 0.46 and 395.14 ±3.56.14 mm² in Yr-1 and 135.56 ±3.69 to 516.86 ±1.26 mm² in Yr-2. Across both the sites the colour change from green to pinkish brown appears as one of the indicator of maturity. In addition to the colour fruit moisture content between 50.25±0.58% and 62.73±2.30% coincided with maximum germination (48.0±0.06% and 85± 4.61%).

Seed Maturity Indices of Semecarpus anacardium Linn under Garhwal Himalayan Condition: A Highly Valuable Medicinal Tree

In the Himalayan region, there are several tree species which are relatively less studied particularly in reference to their seed maturation. Semecarpus anacardium Linn (Marking Nut) is a medicinal tree which is found in Garhwal Himalaya and mostly propagated through seeds. In perennial crops, selection of fruits is an important management techniques adopted after fruit harvest as it plays an important role in production of high quality seedlings in nursery. Hence, studies were formulated to evaluate the influence of fruit colour variation on seed quality characters. Fresh marking nut were collected from Dehradun, Lansdowne and Kalagarh Forest Division, Uttarakhand, India. The fruits were categorized based on the colour into four different groups such as T1 as Ground collection (dried), T2 as fully ripened fruits, T3 as Semi ripened & T4 as unripened (fully green) and seeds were sown on petri dish with five replications of 20 seeds each by Randomized block design (CRD) under Laboratory condition. In all parameters, seed maturity indices- ground collection and fully ripened seeds showed significant results with respect to germination percentage, germination capacity, sedling vigour index, collar diameter and height.