Vitamin B9 in Dark Green Vegetables: Deficiency Disorders, Bio-Availability, and Fortification Issues

Folic acid is a B complex water-soluble vitamin that is essential to humans, and its deficiency can cause problems including neural tube defects as well as heart-related diseases. An important feature of such vitamins is that they are generally not synthesized by mammalian cells and therefore must be supplied in sufficient amounts in the diet. Folate is a generic term for compounds, possessing vitamin activity similar to that of pteroylglutamic acid, and is the form of the vitamin, which is naturally present in foods. The main dietary sources of folic acid are dark green and leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, romaine lettuce, broccoli, bok choy, turnip green, beet, dried or fresh beans, and peas. The amount of folate that is absorbed and utilized physiologically varies among different food sources and different chemical forms of the vitamin. About 85% of folic acid is estimated to be bioavailable; however, the bioavailability of food folate is estimated at about 50% of folic acid. Several national health authorities have introduced mandatory food fortification with synthetic folic acid, which is considered a convenient fortificant, being cost efficient in production, more stable than natural food folate, and superior in terms of bioavailability and bio-efficacy. Presently, many countries affected by diseases associated with a lack of folic acid have made it mandatory to supplement foods with the vitamin. Considering the need, several analytical procedures were standardized to determine the presence of folic acid in different food matrices. The reported methods are simple, selective, robust, and reproducible and can be used in routine analyses.

Expression of Bacterial Blight Resistance in Brassica Leafy Greens Under Field Conditions and Inheritance of Resistance in a Brassica juncea Source

Brassica leafy greens are one of the most economically important vegetable commodity groups grown in the southeastern United States, and more than 28,000 metric tons of these crops are harvested in the United States annually. Collard and kale (Brassica oleracea Acephala group), mustard green (B. juncea), and turnip green (B. rapa) are the most commonly planted members of the brassica leafy greens group. In the last 10 years, numerous occurrences of bacterial blight on these leafy vegetables have been reported in several states. One of the pathogens responsible for this blight is designated Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis. Two B. rapa (G30710 and G30499) and two B. juncea (PI418956 and G30988) plant introductions (PIs) that exhibited moderate to high levels of resistance to this pathogen in greenhouse studies were tested for field resistance in comparison with eight commercial cultivar representatives of turnip green, mustard green, collard, and kale. The two B. juncea PIs and one of the B. rapa PIs (G30499) were found to have significantly less disease than all tested cultivars except ‘Southern Curled Giant’ mustard green (B. juncea) and ‘Blue Knight’ kale (B. oleracea). Inheritance of resistance studies performed with populations derived from the resistant G30988 and two susceptible PIs provided some evidence that resistance may be controlled by a single recessive gene.

Interactive Effects of Soil pH, Halosulfuron Rate, and Application Method on Carryover to Turnip Green and Cabbage

Field studies were conducted in 2006 and 2007 to evaluate the tolerance of autumn-planted cabbage and turnip green to halosulfuron applied the previous spring to cantaloupe. Main plots were three levels of soil pH: maintained at a natural pH level, pH raised with Ca(OH)2, and pH lowered with Al2(SO4)3. Subplots were a factorial arrangement of two halosulfuron application methods and three halosulfuron rates. Halosulfuron application methods were PPI or POST after transplanting to the edges of mulch-covered seedbeds. Halosulfuron rates were 35 and 70 g ai/ha, along with a nontreated control. Cantaloupe were transplanted, maintained weed-free, and evaluated for yield response. After cantaloupe harvest, direct-seeded turnip green and transplanted cabbage were established in September of each year and evaluated for crop tolerance and yield. Data indicated nonsignificant main effects of soil pH and halosulfuron application method on cantaloupe yield. However, in 2007 cantaloupe yields were significantly reduced, by 16 and 20% for halosulfuron applied at 35 and 70 g/ha, respectively. For all turnip green and cabbage response parameters, interactions were nonsignificant between application method and rate, soil pH and rate, and soil pH and application method, along with the three-way interaction. After 6 mo, there was no evidence of stunting from halosulfuron carryover in 2006 to direct-seeded turnip green and in both years to transplanted cabbage. Visual estimates of stunting to direct-seeded turnip green ranged from 9 to 16% for halosulfuron at 35 and 70 g/ha, respectively, in 2007, but all stunting was transient and turnip green yield was not affected.