A Journey to the West: The Ancient Dispersal of Rice Out of East Asia

Rice is one of the most culturally valued and widely grown crops in the world today, and extensive research over the past decade has clarified much of the narrative of its domestication and early spread across East and South Asia. However, the timing and routes of its dispersal into West Asia and Europe, through which rice eventually became an important ingredient in global cuisines, has remained less clear. In this article, we discuss the piecemeal, but growing, archaeobotanical data for rice in West Asia. We also integrate written sources, linguistic data, and ethnohistoric analogies, in order to better understand the adoption of rice outside its regions of origin. The human-mediated westward spread of rice proceeded gradually, while its social standing and culinary uses repeatedly changing over time and place. Rice was present in West Asia and Europe by the tail end of the first millennium BC, but did not become a significant crop in West Asia until the past few centuries. Complementary historical, linguistic, and archaeobotanical data illustrate two separate and roughly contemporaneous routes of westward dispersal, one along the South Asian coast and the other through Silk Road trade. By better understanding the adoption of this water-demanding crop in the arid regions of West Asia, we explore an important chapter in human adaptation and agricultural decision making.

Profiling of Primary Metabolites and Volatile Determinants in Mahlab Cherry (Prunus mahaleb L.) Seeds in the Context of Its Different Varieties and Roasting as Analyzed Using Chemometric Tools

Mahlab cherry (Prunus mahaleb L.) is a plant native to the Mediterranean basin and Eastern Europe, with several health benefits and culinary uses. We explored the compositional heterogeneity in the aroma profile and nutrients of three P. mahaleb seeds in the context of its cultivar type, i.e., white and red, and in response to roasting. A holistic untargeted metabolomics approach was employed for the first time using solid-phase microextraction (SPME–GC–MS) profiles of seed volatiles and primary metabolites coupled with chemometrics. Around 65 peaks belonging to sugars, fatty acids, esters and organic acids were identified by GC–MS. White mahlab from Egypt is rich in fatty acids, e.g., oleic and α-linolenic acids. Some acyl esters, e.g., glycerylmonostearate and n-butylcaprylate, characterized mahlab cultivars from various origins. A total of 135 volatiles were identified, with organic acids and aldehydes the most abundant. Aldehydes were the most discriminatory in seed origin and in accounting for its distinct aroma. Several roasting indices were identified, viz. 1-octanol, γ-caprolactone and isomintlactone. A direct relationship between furans and fatty acids was rationalized by cyclic transformation of the latter into furan derivatives. This study provides the first chemical evidence supporting the nutritional and flavor determinants of mahlab seeds, suggesting novel uses as a functional food.

Universal barcoding regions, rbcL, matK and trnH-psbA do not discriminate Cinnamomum species in Sri Lanka

The genus Cinnamomum consists of about 250 species spread globally. Out of these, C. verum (C. zeylanicum), also known as true cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon, has gained worldwide attention due to its culinary uses and medicinal values. Sri Lanka is the largest true cinnamon producer in the world and accounts for about 80–90% of global production. Other than the cultivated species, Sri Lankan natural vegetation is home to seven endemic wild species of the genus Cinnamomum. While these are underutilized, proper identification and characterization are essential steps in any sustainable conservation and utilization strategies. Currently, species identification is purely based on morphological traits, and intraspecific diversity has made it more challenging. In this study, all the eight Cinnamomum species found in Sri Lanka, C. capparu-coronde, C. citriodorum C. dubium, C. litseifolium, C. ovalifolium, C. rivulorum, C. sinharajaense, and C. verum were collected in triplicates and identified using typical morphological traits. DNA extracted with the same collection was assessed with universal barcoding regions, rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA. While no intraspecific sequence differences were observed in C. citriodorum, C. rivulorum, and C. verum, the others had polymorphic sites in one, two, or all regions assessed. Interestingly, two individuals of C. sinharajaense had identical barcodes to the cultivated species C. verum, while the other one had one variable cite in matK region and three cites in trnH-psbA reigon. Further, one C. dubium and one C. capparu-coronde accession each had identical, rbcL, and trnH-psbA sequences while those had only a single nucleotide variation observed in matK region. Overall, the phylogeny of Cinnamomum species found in Sri Lanka could not be completely resolved with DNA barcoding regions studied.

MORINGA OLEIFERA AND ITS RECENT PRACTICE IN FOOD INDUSTRIES - A SUPER FOOD PRODUCT TO BEAT MALNUTRITION: A REVIEW

Moringa oleifera commonly known as drumstick tree or horseradish tree is widely distributed in India and other subtropical and tropical parts of the world. Besides its conventional culinary uses, Moringa has profound contribution to herbal medicine, agricultural and livestock development, water purification, bio-fuel production and so on. Being one of the richest sources of different macro and micro nutrients, antioxidants and other bioactive compounds, this miracle tree recently has gained popularity in food processing industry with the aim to curb the sprawling malnutrition. In some countries like African countries, either fresh or dried Moringa leaf, seed and flower powder are being used to fortify different foods. Improved texture, sensory and nutritional quality and extended shelf life of the target products have been making this tree important for food industry. So the aim of this review is to reveal the present application of Moringa as food fortificant in food processing industries in different countries, factors those restrain its further applicability and also to focus on the need of future research in this regard.

Identification and Isolation of Caffeic, Chlorogenic and Ferulic Acids in Aerial Parts of Capparis spinosa wildly grown in Iraq

Capparis spinosa is one of the oldest genera grown in Iraqi land with worldwide traditional medicinal uses beside the culinary uses. These uses were own to the presence of many phytochemical including flavonoids, polyphenols. Among the reported polyphenolic acids are caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids with well-known powerful antioxidant properties. The present work aimed to identify the presence of these polyphenolic acids in Iraqi caper naturally gown in the rural area of middle Iraq following standard chromatographic procedures. Aerial parts of the plant (buds, berries and leaves) were extracted with hydroalcoholic solvent by maceration method. Thin layer chromatographic techniques and HPLC analysis were performed to identify the presence of polyphenolic acids in ethyl acetate fraction of the hydroalcoholic extracts. The result obtained in this work revealed the presence of these phenolic acids in investigated extracts. Chromatographic analysis confirms the presence of considerable amounts of these acids in ethyl acetate fraction when the separated spots were compared with Rf values and UV spectra of standards. Such data give a promising use of aerial parts of Iraqi caper for globally reported medicinal uses.

Therapeutic and culinary uses of Benincasa hispida (Alupuhul)

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) is commonly called as winter melon or ash melon. It is a popular vegetable crop, especially among Asian communities both for nutritional and medicinal purposes. It has been used as a medicinal plant by Ayurvedic and Sri Lankan traditional physicians since antiquity. It is used singly or in various formulations in combination with different medicaments in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. The literature for the present review was gathered from Ayurvedic texts, traditional medical texts, books on plant science, modern medicinal texts, journals and online scientific tools. The fruits, pericarp, seeds, stems, roots and leaves of this plant are used in various preparations. It is used in internal treatment for urinary disorders including calculi, dysuria, pain in pelvis and genitals, disorders like gastritis, gastric ulcers, worm infestation, hiccough, hyperdipsea, anaemia, jaundice, diabetes mellitus, piles, fever, internal haemorrhages, hemoptysis, general debility, epilepsy, cough, hoarseness, all kinds of asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, ulceration of lungs, heart diseases, testosterone-induced prostatic hypertrophy and especially in the vitiated condition of Pitta Dosha. Externally, it showed anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic and antimicrobial effects. Rejuvenate, antioxidant, anti-ageing, nutritive, tonic, diuretic, aphrodisiac, nephron protective, styptic, vermin fugue, antidiabetic, hyperlipidemic, anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, antidepressant and antimicrobial in properties of Benincasa hispida are scientifically proven. It is concluded that Benincasa hispida is with multi-faceted medicinal values.

Variation in Headspace Volatiles of Saffron Determined by GC×GC-ToF-MS

Saffron, obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus L (Iridaceae), is the most expensive spice traded worldwide. In addition to its culinary uses, various medicinal properties have been confirmed for saffron, which has recently captured the interest of the phytotherapy industry. The quality of saffron is determined by the presence of 3 compounds, namely, crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, with the latter being responsible for the distinct aroma characteristic of saffron. To determine the volatiles and assess possible geographical variation, headspace analysis using 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional gas chromatography (GC) on 26 samples collected from 9 countries was undertaken. The major constituents identified include safranal, 4-ketoisophorone, acetic acid, 2(5H)-furanone, and 1,4-cyclohexanedione-2,2,6-trimethyl. Quantitative rather than a qualitative variation was noted in the samples from different origins. The levels of safranal ranged from 22.1% to 62.4%. This study represents the first report on the headspace volatiles of saffron using GC×GC-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry and clearly demonstrates the superior chromatographic potential of 2-dimensional GC compared with conventional 1-dimensional GC.

Genome-wide analyses reveal footprints of divergent selection and popping-related traits in CIMMYT’s maize inbred lines

Popcorn (Zea mays L. var. Everta) is the most ancient type of cultivated maize. However, there is little known about the genetics of popping-related traits based on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology. Here, we characterized the phenotypic variation for seven popping-related traits in maize kernels among 526 CIMMYT inbred lines (CMLs). In total, 155 083 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were identified by a GBS approach. Several trait-associated loci were detected by genome-wide association study for color, popping expansion volume, shape, pericarp, flotation index, floury/vitreous, and protein content, explaining a majority of the observed phenotypic variance, and these were validated by a diverse panel comprising 764 tropical landrace accessions. Sixty two of the identified loci were recognized to have undergone selection. On average, there was a 55.27% frequency for alleles that promote popping in CMLs. Our work not only pinpoints previously unknown loci for popping-related traits, but also reveals that many of these loci have undergone selection. Beyond establishing a new benchmark for the genetics of popcorn, our study provides a foundation for gene discovery and breeding. It also presents evidence to investigate the role of a gradual loss of popping ability as a by-product of diversification of culinary uses throughout the evolution of teosinte–to–modern maize.