Natural Variation of Seed Tocopherol Composition in Diverse World Soybean Accessions from Maturity Group 0 to VI Grown in China

Tocopherols are natural antioxidants that increase the stability of fat-containing foods and are well known for their health benefits. To investigate the variation in seed tocopherol composition of soybeans from different origins, 493 soybean accessions from different countries (China, USA, Japan, and Russia) belonging to 7 maturity groups (MG 0–VI) were grown in 2 locations (Beijing and Hainan Provinces of China) for 2 years (2017 and 2018). The results showed that significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed among the accessions and origins for individual and total tocopherol contents. The total tocopherol content ranged from 118.92 μg g−1 to 344.02 μg g−1. Accessions from the USA had the highest average concentration of γ- and total tocopherols (152.92 and 238.21 μg g−1, respectively), whereas a higher level of α-tocopherol (12.82 μg g−1) was observed in the Russian accessions. The maturity group of the accession significantly (p < 0.001) influenced all tocopherol components, and higher levels of α-, γ-, and total tocopherols were observed in early maturing accessions, while late-maturing accessions exhibited higher levels of δ-tocopherol. The inclination of tocopherol concentrations with various MGs provided further evidence of the significance of MG in soybean breeding for seed tocopherol components. Furthermore, the correlation between the seed tocopherol components and geographical factors revealed that α-, γ-, and total tocopherols had significant positive correlations with latitude, while δ-tocopherol showed an opposite trend. The elite accessions with high and stable tocopherol concentrations determined could be used to develop functional foods, industrial materials, and breeding lines to improve tocopherol composition in soybean seeds.

Effect of Dietary Vitamin E on Growth Performance, Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity in Male Jiangnan White Goslings from 1 to 28 d of Age

This experiment aimed to investigate effects of the different dietary levels of vitamin E (VE) on the growth performance, immunity and antioxidant capacity of goslings. A total of 240 1-day-old, male Jiangnan white goslings were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups. Each treatment included five replicates. The basal diet was supplemented with 6 concentrations of VE (0, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 mg DL-α-tocopherol acetate/kg). The results were as follows: (1) The α-tocopherol content in the serum and liver of goslings increased linearly as supplemental VE increased in diet (p < 0.05). (2) The body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) increased quadratically with increasing dietary VE supplementation (p < 0.05). Dietary VE supplementation could significantly reduce the feed/gain ratio (F/G) (p < 0.05). (3) Dietary supplementation with VE could significantly improve the contents of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the serum of the goslings (p < 0.05). The content of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the serum was significantly reduced with VE supplementation (p < 0.05). (4) Dietary supplementation with VE could significantly improve serum and liver catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p < 0.05); Serum and liver MDA contents were significantly reduced with VE supplementation (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with VE could improve growth performance, immunity and antioxidant capacity. Based on broken-line regression analysis, the dietary VE supplementation level for ADG was 12.51 mg/kg, but higher supplementation level should be considered to improve immunity and antioxidant capacity.

Evaluation of yield and quality properties of Elaeagnus mollis oil produced by ultrasound-assisted solvent enzymatic extraction

To improve the extraction efficiency and quality, ultrasound-assisted solvent enzymatic extraction (UASEE) method was applied to extract oil from Elaeagnus mollis Diels. The soxhlet extraction (SE) and cold pressing (CP) were carried out to be compared with UASEE. The optimal UASEE conditions were liquid–solid ratio of 11.6 mL/g, enzyme amount of 1.1%, and ultrasound power of 583 W, which gave by Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken design. Under optimum conditions, the oil yield of 43.35 ± 0.26% was reached, which was similar to that of SE (43.02 ± 0.77%). The oil obtained by UASEE is more desirable than that of SE, but similar with CP, especially on unsaturated fatty acids content and total tocopherol content. Overall, UASEE is a potential alternative to traditional methods for the efficient extraction of E. mollis oil for its higher oil yield and better quality.

Efficacy of Bottle Gourd Seeds’ Extracts in Chemical Hazard Reduction Secreted as Toxigenic Fungi Metabolites

Bottle gourd seeds are surrounded by innumerable bioactive components of phytochemicals. This work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bottle gourd extracts as antimicrobial and an-ti-mycotoxigenic against toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins. Polar and nonpolar extracts were made from the seeds. The polar eco-friendly extract was prepared by an ultrasonication-assisted technique utilizing aqueous isopropanol (80%), whereas the non-polar extract was obtained using petroleum ether (40–60). The antioxidant efficacy, total phenolic content, and flavonoid content of the extracts were all measured. The fatty acid profile was measured using GC equipment, and the influence on toxigenic fungus and mycotoxin release was also investigated. The antioxidant efficacy of the polar extract is reflected. The total phenolic values of the oil and polar extract were 15.5 and 267 mg of GAE/g, respectively. The total flavonoid content of the oil was 2.95 mg catechol/g, whereas the isopropyl extract of seeds contained 14.86 mg catechol/g. The polar extract inhibited the DPPH more effectively than oil. When compared to other seed oils, the fatty acid composition differed. The pathogens were distinguished by the MIC and MFC for the polar extract. Three sterols were found in the oil, with a high concentration of B-sitosterols. The oil’s valuable -carotene content and tocopherol content were recorded. When compared to traditional antibiotics, the polar extract has shown promising antimicrobial activity against infections and toxigenic fungi. Bottle gourd extracts, as a non-traditional bioactive source, are viewed as a potentially promising alternative that might contribute to increased food safety, shelf-life, and security.

Combining Grape Byproducts to Maximise Biological Activity of Polyphenols in Chickens

Grape seeds (GS) and grape skins (GK) are natural sources of polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. An experiment was conducted to investigate in chickens the effect of including GS and GK (40 g/kg), individually or combined in different proportions (20 g/kg GS–20 g/kg GK; 30 g/kg GS–10 g/kg GK; 10 g/kg GS–30 g/kg GK), in a corn-soybean diet on growth performance, ileal and excreta contents of total extractable polyphenols (TEP) and tannins, ileal digestibility of protein, plasma and meat α-tocopherol concentration and lipid oxidation (assessed by measuring the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) of stored thigh meat. Neither growth performance parameters nor ileal digestibility of protein were affected by dietary treatments. As compared with control birds, chickens fed the grape byproduct diets showed higher ileal (p < 0.001) and excreta (p < 0.001) TEP and tannins contents. Dietary inclusion of grape byproducts increased α-tocopherol concentration both in plasma (p < 0.001) and in thigh meat (p < 0.01 at 1 d; p < 0.001 at 7 d), as compared with the control group. The highest plasma α-tocopherol concentrations were reached with the 30 g/kg GS–10 g/kg GK and 20 g/kg GS–20 g/kg GK combinations. On day 1 of meat storage, no differences on meat α-tocopherol concentration were found among the grape byproducts treatments but on day 7 of storage, the 20 g/kg GS–20 g/kg GK and 10 g/kg GS–30 g/kg GK combinations led to the highest α-tocopherol concentrations in chicken thigh meat. After seven days of refrigerated storage of meat, the TBARS value was lower in chickens fed the grape byproducts diets than in control birds (1.27 vs. 2.49 mg MDA/kg, p < 0.001). Moreover, among the different grape byproduct treatments, the lowest MDA values were reached with the diets containing GK at rates from 20 to 40 g/kg. In conclusion, dietary incorporation of 40 g/kg of GS and GK added separately or combined increased the plasma and meat α-tocopherol content. Furthermore, the combinations of GS and GK with a proportion of GK of at least 50% optimised α-tocopherol concentration both in plasma and in thigh meat and mitigated lipid oxidation in 7-day stored meat.

EFFECT OF COOKING ON THE CONTENT OF CAROTENOIDS AND TOCOPHEROLS IN SWEET CORN

Taste and nutritional value make sweet corn a valued plant and an important component of the human diet worldwide. Kernel nutritive composition of sweet corn has been reported in various papers, but a description of carotenoid and tocopherols profile, especially after cooking is scarce. Therefore, the present study was carried out to compare the carotenoid and tocopherol content in sweet corn before and after cooking. Contents of β-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin and tocopherols (δ-T, β+γ-T, α-T) in the kernels of twelve sweet corn hybrids were determined by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and were expressed as the mean value of three independent measurements. Both genotype and cooking affected the content of the carotenoids and tocopherols in the kernel. The highest content of total carotenoids before and after cooking was found in hybrid ZP486/1su (27.77/45.28 µg/g) whereas the lowest content was in hybrid ZP 355su (10.27 µg/g) before cooking i.e. in hybrid ZP 347su (24.55 µg/g) after cooking. The cooking resulted in a significant increase in the content of total carotenoids and tocopherols, lutein+zeaxanthin, and β-carotene in all hybrids, except the ZP504su in which the β-carotene content decreased. An increase in α-tocopherol after cooking was observed in hybrids ZP485/1su and ZP484/1su, while a decrease was in hybrids ZP481/1su, ZP486/1su and ZP477/2su. The results showed that increasing micronutrient content is genotype-dependent. This study confirmed that cooking increases the nutritional value of sweet corn and gives it additional value in terms of functional food.

Investigation of Different Post-Harvest Treatments on the Quality of Almond Kernels during Ambient Storage

Maintaining almond kernel quality during and after harvest is crucial in producing premium kernel product for Australian and international markets. In this study, we investigated the effects of different post-harvest treatments on changes in moisture content, texture, colour, nutritional profile and flavour of almond kernels over a storage period of 9 months under ambient conditions. Post-harvest treatments included steam pasteurization, volumetric heating pasteurization, oven roasting and dry roasting, which were compared with raw kernels. Moisture and texture analysis revealed that the average values within each treatment group did not change significantly over 9 months, although the breaking force required to create an initial crack in the kernel structure were markedly lower for Steam Pasteurized (SP) and Oven Roasted (OR) samples after 9 months. Sensory analysis conducted by a trained panel of experts revealed that the chewiness of raw samples increased over time, and both toasted and roasted characteristics were low. For OR and Dry Roasted (DR) samples the chewiness was low and roasted and toasted properties were higher. Average overall enjoyment score given to samples as a part of sensory testing was higher for Volumetric Heating Pasteurization (VHP) and DR at start of the storage (control) and stayed higher than others after 6 and 9 month of storage. Testing of nutritional content of samples showed changes in alpha tocopherol content in roasted samples. However, DR samples had higher content in comparison with OR samples. Volumetric heating treatment didn’t diminish tocopherol content of samples in comparison with raw samples while the average alpha tocopherol content of SP over first 3 month of storage was lower. Both SP and OR samples showed lower fat percentage in comparison with raw, VHP and DR. A reduction was observed in Lightness (L*) values for all samples tested. Among the tested treatments OR samples had darker kernels and Raw and VHP samples had lightest colours. The testing results showed the potential of volumetric heating pasteurization and roasting in maintaining quality of kernel over bulk storage period.

Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Properties of Edible Super Food: Pumpkin Seeds - A Review

Pumpkin seeds, despite their small size, are loaded with enough nutrients necessary to protect the human body against various health issues. Pumpkin seeds, also called as “Pepita” can be incorporated easily into the diet. They are good sources of minerals like magnesium, zinc and amino acid tryptophan, which helps to promote good sleep. They also have high tocopherol content, which makes them a rich source of antioxidants. Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, diterpenes, saponins, and phenols. High dietary fiber content in these seeds help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes and obesity. Gas chromatographic analysis of the pumpkin seed oil (PSO) showed that the linoleic (39.84%), oleic (38.42%), palmitic (10.68%) and stearic (8.67%) acids were the major fatty acids present in PSO. Studies revealed that PSO can be a valuable source of edible oil due to their high poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content when compared to other vegetable oils. Besides this, bioactive compounds from the pumpkin seeds are known for their anthelmintic, antidiabetic, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-atherogenic, hypolipidemic, immunomodulator, antitumor, and cytoprotective properties. United States Pharmacopoeia had included pumpkin seeds as an official medicine for parasite elimination from 1863 to 1936. Literature studies revealed that pumpkin seeds can be used as a traditional and functional food ingredient provided further animal and clinical investigations are carried out to establish the respective molecular mechanisms. The present paper reviews about the nutraceutical and therapeutic applications of this super food.

Regulation of Tocopherol Biosynthesis During Fruit Maturation of Different Citrus Species

Tocopherols are plant-derived isoprenoids with vitamin E activity, which are involved in diverse physiological processes in plants. Although their biosynthesis has been extensively investigated in model plants, their synthesis in important fruit crops as Citrus has scarcely been studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to initiate a physiological and molecular characterization of tocopherol synthesis and accumulation in Citrus fruits during maturation. For that purpose, we selected fruit of the four main commercial species: grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), lemon (Citrus limon), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), and mandarin (Citrus clementina), and analyzed tocopherol content and the expression profile of 14 genes involved in tocopherol synthesis during fruit maturation in both the flavedo and pulp. The selected genes covered the pathways supplying the tocopherol precursors homogentisate (HGA) (TAT1 and HPPD) and phytyl pyrophosphate (PPP) (VTE5, VTE6, DXS1 and 2, GGPPS1 and 6, and GGDR) and the tocopherol-core pathway (VTE2, VTE3a, VTE3b, VTE1, and VTE4). Tocopherols accumulated mainly as α- and γ-tocopherol, and α-tocopherol was the predominant form in both tissues. Moreover, differences were detected between tissues, among maturation stages and genotypes. Contents were higher in the flavedo than in the pulp during maturation, and while they increased in the flavedo they decreased or were maintained in the pulp. Among genotypes, mature fruit of lemon accumulated the highest tocopherol content in both the flavedo and the pulp, whereas mandarin fruit accumulated the lowest concentrations, and grapefruit and orange had intermediate levels. Higher concentrations in the flavedo were associated with a higher expression of all the genes evaluated, and different genes are suitable candidates to explain the temporal changes in each tissue: (1) in the flavedo, the increase in tocopherols was concomitant with the up-regulation of TAT1 and VTE4, involved in the supply of HGA and the shift of γ- into α-tocopherol, respectively; and (2) in the pulp, changes paralleled the expression of VTE6, DXS2, and GGDR, which regulate PPP availability. Also, certain genes (i.e., VTE6, DXS2, and GGDR) were co-regulated and shared a similar pattern during maturation in both tissues, suggesting they are developmentally modulated.

On the Squalene Content of CV Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki (Greece) Virgin Olive Oil

This work is a continuation of efforts to establish the nutritional profile of virgin olive oil (VOO) from cv. Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki and to strengthen its positioning in the global VOO landscape. VOOs produced at an industrial scale in different olive mills of the Chalkidiki (Greece) regional unit as well as VOOs obtained at the laboratory scale from drupes of different maturity stages for four consecutive harvesting years were examined for their squalene (SQ) content using both HPLC and GC procedures. The mean values of SQ were found to be 4228 (HPLC) and 4865 (GC) mg/kg oil (n = 15) and were of the same magnitude as that in VOOs from cv Koroneiki (4134 mg/kg, n = 23). Storage of VOOs in the dark at room temperature for 18 months indicated an insignificant mean SQ content loss (~2%) in comparison to a mean loss of 26% for alpha-tocopherol content. This finding strengthens our view that SQ does not act as a radical scavenger that donates hydrogen atoms to the latter. The four consecutive harvest years studied indicated a clear declining trend in VOO SQ concentration upon olive ripening. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic work concerning the SQ content of Chondrolia Chalkidikis and Chalkidiki VOOs.