Biochemical profile of mung bean varieties affects the growth, consumption, and digestive enzymes activities of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

We examined the changes in leaf phenolic chemistry and insect herbivory from saplings of two temperate deciduous species, Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar) and Cornus florida (dogwood), planted in five microenvironments in Gilmer County, Georgia, USA. The experimental design permitted comparisons between saplings grown in an open field, under shade cloth within the field, on the edge between field and forest, in forest understory, and within canopy gaps established within the forest. Half of the trees in each microenvironment were fertilized. Leaves from each tree were sampled at the end of the growing season and 1989 and 1990 and analyzed for toughness, percent dry mass, total phenolics, hydrolyzable tannins, condensed tannins, and insect herbivory (percent leaf area damaged). The shade—tolerant dogwood saplings contained higher levels of total phenolics and hydrolyzable tannins than the shade—intolerant tulip poplar saplings. Dogwood generally had lower levels of herbivory. These results support earlier studies suggesting that slow—growing, shade—tolerant species tend to have higher levels of phenolics and experienced lower levels of herbivory than fast growing, shade—intolerant species. However, dogwood leaves contained lower levels of condensed tannins and were as tough as tulip poplar leaves. Sunlight availability had a significant positive influence on levels of phenolics in both species. Leaf phenolics generally increased with greater insolation from forest to field and when sunlight was greater within field for forest habitats. However, the levels of tannins in dogwood saplings only dropped significantly in the deep shade of the forest. The similar levels of dogwood phenolics in most microenvironments are indicative of the relatively high photosynthetic efficiency of this species in reduced light environments. Overall, these results are consistent with carbon/nutrient balance theory that predicts trade—offs in the allocation of photosynthate from defense to growth as light declines. Levels of insect herbivory and total phenolics were inversely related for dogwood. However, the relationship with tannins was less apparent. Herbivory on tulip poplar was unrelated to changes in phenolics, possibly reflecting the greater chemical diversity of that species. Fertilization increased the biomass of both species, but had no apparent influence on levels of leaf phenolics or insect hervivory. The lack of a fertilization effect was unexpected in light of previous suggestions that fertilization results in reduced phenolics and increased herbivory.

Microscopic fungi synthesize a wide range of phenolic compounds that play an important role in cell wall formation, as well as perform signaling and protective functions. One of the important functions of phenolic compounds, primarily polyphenols, is antioxidant activity. The most active polyphenols are flavonoids, their synthesis in microscopic fungi has not been studied enough. The aim of the study was to determine the total phenols and flavonoids content and antioxidant activity of Talaromyces funiculosus strains isolated from different econiches. Methods. 20 strains of the microscopic fungus T. funiculosus – 10 endophytes and 10 saprotrophs were used in the experiments. Cultivation of filamentous fungi was performed under submerged conditions with shaking at 210–230 rpm in Erlenmeyer flasks containing 200 ml of Czapek liquid medium at a temperature 26±2°C for 6 days. The biomass of the strains was filtered, dried at 70°C and extracted with 95% methanol (1:50 w/v). The total phenols content was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent by the method of Arora, Chandra (2010) with some modifications and expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per g of dry weight mycelium. Flavonoids in each extract were determined spectrophotometrically with AlCl3 and expressed as mg of quercetin equivalents (QE) per g of dry weight mycelium. Antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts was measured as radical scavenging activity by the percentage inhibition of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Results. The total phenolic content of methanolic extracts of T. funiculosus strains ranged from 0.12±0.007 to 1.97±0.150 mg GAE/g. The highest level of phenolic compounds was found for saprotroph UCM F-16790 (1.97±0.150) and endophyte UCM F-16795 (1.71±0.137 mg GAE/g). The flavonoid content in methanolic extracts of the studied strains varied in the range of 0.02±0.001–0.39±0.041 mg QE/g. All studied strains of T. funiculosus showed antioxidant activity against DPPH radical, which was 12.19±2.34–60.37±7.24% inhibition. Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the total phenols and flavonoids content (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r=0.92); between antioxidant activity, phenols (r=0.82) and flavonoids (r=0.81) content in methanol extracts of T. funiculosus strains. The total content of phenols and flavonoids and antioxidant activity did not depend on the trophic group of the studied strains. The moderate correlation between flavonoids content and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of endophytic T. funiculosus strains (r=0.46) may be related to their ability to synthesize a wider range of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. Conclusions. The studied T. funiculosus strains have the ability to synthesize phenolic compounds and flavonoids in different concentrations. Correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. The reason for phenomenon of moderate correlation (r=0.46) between flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in endophytic strains may be the synthesis of other compounds by individual strains. The determination of individual components synthesized by the most active strains is of scientific interest for further study. T. funiculosus UСM F-16795 and UСM F-16790 strains had a quite high level of phenols and flavonoids. Obtained data may be promising for the search for phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties to increase plant resistance to negative impacts of environmental stress factors.

Very few studies have thus far evaluated the impact of various processing and preservation techniques (blanching, frying, freezing, dehydration, and sun drying) on the levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of okra. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different processing and preservation methods on the levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of okra. The ethanolic extracts of each sample were analyzed before and after preservation and storage for a period of three months. The results showed a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (134.1 mg GAE/100g) and DPPH (1-1-diphenyl1-2-pricrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity (IC50 value of 3.0 mg/mL) in blanched okra when compared to fresh okra (86.35 mg GAE/100g and IC50 value of 3.8 mg/mL, respectively). Fresh okra exhibited the highest flavonoid content (105.75 mg QE/100g), while sun-dried okra samples stored for three months exhibited a decrease in total phenolic content (14.45 mg GAE/100g), total flavonoid contents (13.25 mg QE/100g), reducing power activity (23.30%), and DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 value of 134.8 mg/mL). The DPPH inhibition activities of all okra treatments showed a significant and positive correlation with the okra phenolic and flavonoid content (r = 0.702 and 0.67, respectively). The reducing power activity (%) of okra treatments exhibited a strong correlation (r) with phenolic contents (r = 0.966), and the correlation with flavonoid contents was 0.459. Generally, different processing and preservation methods of okra revealed that the impact on total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activities, was slightly significant among samples preserved using the same method during storage. In addition, blanched and frozen okra resulted in the highest retention of phenolic contents and antioxidant activities.

Growing microgreens on trays without substrate in a vertical multilayered growing unit offers several advantages over traditional agriculture methods. This study investigated the yield performance and nutritional quality of five selections of radish microgreens grown in sprouting trays, without a substrate using only water, in an indoor multilayer cultivation system using artificial light. Various parameters were measured, including fresh weight, dry matter, chlorophyll, minerals, amino acids, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, glucosinolates, and antioxidant activity with four different in vitro assays. After ten days, the biomass had increased by 6-10 times, and the dry matter varied from 4.75-7.65%. The highest yield was obtained from 'Asia red', while the lowest was from 'Koregon red'. However, 'Koregon red' and 'Asia red' had the highest dry matter. 'Asia red' was found to have the highest levels of both Chls and vitamin C compared to the other cultivars, while 'Koregon red' exhibited the highest levels of total phenolics and flavonoids. Although variations in the levels of individual glucosinolates were observed, there were no significant differences in the total content of glucosinolates among the five cultivars. 'Asia purple' had the highest anthocyanin content, while 'Asia green 2' had the lowest. The K, Mg, and Na concentrations were significantly highest in 'Asia green 2', and the highest Ca was recorded in 'Asia purple'. Overall, 'Asia purple' and 'Koregon red' were the best cultivars in terms of nutritional quality among the tested radish microgreens. These cultivars exhibited high levels of dry weight, total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, essential and total amino acids, and antioxidant activities. Moreover, the implementation of this vertical cultivation method for microgreens, which relies solely on water and seeds known for their tall shoots during the sprouting could hold promise as a sustainable approach. This method can effectively be utilized for cultivar screening and fulfilling the nutritional and functional needs of the population while minimizing the environmental impacts associated with traditional agriculture practices.

Different extraction methods can affect the extracted compounds as well as the levels of flavonoids and total phenolics in leek extract (Garlic shallots. L). The aim of the research was to compare various extraction methods (percolation, reflux, maceration, Soxhlet) with 70% ethanol solvent on the antioxidant activity and total flavonoid and phenolic content of shallot leaf extract. Extracts from the 4 extraction methods were subjected to phytochemical screening and tested for antioxidant activity using the DPPH method using the standard standard of vitamin C λ 516.5 nm and measurement of total phenolic and flavonoid levels using the standard standard of quercetin λ 430 nm and gallic acid λ 743 nm using UV-Vis Spectrophotometry. Nilai IC50 and total phenolic and flavonoid levels were analyzed using independent One Way Anova and T tests. The research results show that leek extract contains phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids and has strong antioxidant activity in the percolation, reflux and maceration methods with IC50 values 88.12±0.78; 95.09±1.11; 99.39 ± 0.49 ppm and soxhlet 105.08 ± 0.39 ppm in the medium category and have a total phenolic content of 179,708 ± 0.42; 137.625 ± 0.42; 83,875 ± 0.42 and 69,708 ± 0.42 mgGA/g extract and total flavonoid content of 3,745 ± 0.02; 3,528 ± 0.02; 2,935±0.02 and 1.47±0.02 mgQE/g extract. Tukey analysis results showed significant differences (P&lt;0.05) in antioxidant activity and total flavonoid and phenolic levels in the 4 extraction methods with the best order of percolation, reflux, maceration and soxhlet.

Variety and crop management strategies affect the content of bioactive compounds (phenolics, flavonoids and glucosinolates) in green broccoli (calabrese) types, which are cultivated during summer and autumn in temperate European climates. Sprouting broccoli types are morphologically distinct and are grown over the winter season and harvested until early spring. Thus they show considerable potential for development as an import substitution crop for growers and consumers during the 'hungry gap' of early spring. The present study investigated the effect of variety and management practices on phytochemical content in a range of sprouting broccoli varieties. Yields were significantly higher in white sprouting broccoli varieties. Levels of phenolics and flavonoids were in the range 81.64-297.65 and 16.95-104.80 mg 100 g⁻¹ fresh weight, respectively, depending on year and cultivar, and were highest in variety 'TZ 5052' in both years. In-row spacing did not affect flavonoid content. Phenolic and flavonoid content generally increased with increasing floret maturity and levels were high in edible portions of the crop. Crop wastes (leaf and flower) contained 145.9-239.3 and 21.5-116.6 mg 100 g⁻¹ fresh weight total phenolics and flavonoids, respectively, depending on cultivar, tissue and year. Climatic factors had a significant effect on phenolic and flavonoid content. Levels of total and some individual glucosinolates were higher in sprouting broccoli than in the green broccoli variety 'Ironman'. Levels of total phenolics, flavonoids and glucosinolates are higher in sprouting than green broccoli types. Sprouting broccoli represents an excellent source of dietary bioactive compounds.

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) were popular for their high nutritional profile and abundance of bioactive constituents, making them highly sought after in the consumer market. This investigation evaluated the impact of germination on the levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and other bioactive compounds, as well as free amino acids, soluble proteins, dietary fiber, and starch, in two chickpea sprout cultivars. The results demonstrated that germination significantly enhanced the concentrations of total flavonoids and phenolics in chickpeas. Compared to ungerminated seeds, the total flavonoid content in Xinying No. 1 and Xinying No. 2 sprouts increased by 3.95-fold and 3.25-fold, respectively, while total phenolic content increased by 2.47-fold and 2.38-fold. Germination also significantly augmented free amino acid, soluble protein, and total dietary fiber content while reducing resistant starch and insoluble dietary fiber. Concurrently, the bioaccessibility of essential nutrients was substantially improved, as indicated by enhanced solubility. This research provided valuable insights for optimizing the nutritional quality and bioactive compound content of chickpeas through sprouting technology. These results provided critical insights for optimizing the nutritional and functional properties of chickpeas via sprouting and established a scientific basis for the development of functional foods from germinated chickpeas, underscoring their potential to support dietary health and wellness.

ABSTRACT: Water, an inexpensive and environmentally friendly solvent is an ideal solvent for industrial extraction of phenolics, but its use is limited due to poor extraction efficiency at low temperatures. In this study, subcritical water (SW) and subcritical sulfured water (SSW) (containing 1400 μg/mL sodium metabisulfite) extractions of grape skin phenolics were conducted over the temperature range of 100 to 160°C in 10°C increments for a short time (40 s), and compared with conventional hot water or aqueous 60% (v/v) methanol extractions (50°C, 1 h). The composition and contents of anthocyanins, flavonols, hydroxycinnamates, phenolic acids, and antioxidant capacities (Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity [ORAC]) in the extracts were determined. Increasing SW extraction temperature from 100 to 160°C resulted in a linear increase in ORAC values, but extraction temperatures &gt; 110°C resulted in decreased contents of individual and total anthocyanins. Subcritical sulfured water extracts had higher levels of total anthocyanins and total phenolics than SW extracts. The SW and SSW extracts had comparable or higher levels of anthocyanins and ORAC values than extracts obtained using conventional hot water or 60% methanol. Subcritical water at 100 to 110°C appears to be an excellent alternative to organic solvents to extract anthocyanins and other phenolics from dried red grape skin and possibly other grape processing byproducts.

Being delicious and containing strong disease-fighting agents, berries represent an increasing proportion of fruits consumed nowadays in our diet. However, berries are highly perishable as fresh and, therefore, they are usually processed into various products to extend their shelf-life and availability throughout the year. Among the fruit-containing products, jam is one of the most common due to its nourishing properties, its low production costs, and its accessibility for a lengthy period. Rather than home preparation, consumers nowadays increasingly prefer to purchase commercial jams from markets due to its convenience. Although fresh berries have been extensively studied for their phenolic compounds, a limited number of studies investigating commercially manufactured jams have been conducted so far. Considering this, the objective of this study was to assess the total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content and the antioxidant activity of five commonly consumed commercial berry jams (blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) and blackcurrant (Ribes nigrun) mixture, blackcurrant (Ribes nigrun), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus)) collected from the market. Even though a possible loss of phenolics, anthocyanins, and a decrease of radical scavenging activity may occur during jam processing and subsequent storage, our data indicated that the selected commercial jams remained good sources of nutritive molecules with antioxidant properties based on the high levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and elevated antioxidant activities determined in this study. Additionally, the samples were characterized by GC-MS for their volatile profiles, and terpenes were found to be the dominating class covering more than 74% of volatile compounds in the jams.

Flavonoids and phenolics are compounds with hydroxyl groups (-OH) bound to aromatic rings which enable them to react with reactive oxygen species and eliminate free radical activity. Single bulb garlic ( Allium sativum var. solo garlic) is known to have antioxidant activity which comes from the phenolic groups. This study aims to determine the correlation of total flavonoid and phenolic levels with the antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts from single bulb garlic grown in Magetan and Tawangmangu regions. This study included an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional design. Total flavonoid levels were measured by colorimetric method and total phenolic levels were measured by Folin-ciocalteu method using Spectrophotometric UV-Vis. Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH method at a wavelength of 517 nm. The data analysis used was multiple linear regression. The results showed that the extract of single bulb garlic from Magetan had total flavonoids of 12,1833 ± 0,1943 mg QE/gram, total phenolics of 70,244 mg GAE/gram, and antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 20,216 ppm. The extract of single bulb garlic from Tawangmangu contained total flavonoids of 14,4833 ± 0,5911 mg QE/gram, total phenolics of 92,222 mg GAE/gram, and antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 13,777 ppm. The conclusion of this study is that there is a significant correlation of total flavonoid and total phenolic content with antioxidant activity.

Belonging to the Campanulaceae family, Kitolod (Isotoma longiflora) possesses antioxidant properties crucial for wound healing; presenting a case for its formulation into a gel and investigating the total phenolic and flavonoid content of kitolod leaf extract when in gel form is essential to understand its capabilities as an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing gel, as well as to examine the possible correlation between the extract's concentration and its phenolic and flavonoid content. This study assessed how different concentrations of kitolod leaf extract affect the total phenolic and flavonoid levels in a gel formulation. Using 96% ethanol, kitolod leaves were macerated. The gel formulations contained varying concentrations of kitolod leaf extract: F1(5%), F2(10%), and F3(20%). The presence of phenols and flavonoids was confirmed through qualitative tests using FeCl3 1% for phenols and the Shinoda test for flavonoids. The findings confirmed that the total levels of phenolics and flavonoids increased with the concentration of kitolod leaf extract in the gel. SPSS analysis showed a strong correlation between extract concentration in the gel and the amounts of total phenolics and flavonoids, highlighting a positive relationship between these two chemical compounds since they are in the same category.

Introduction: Galling insects manipulate the development of their host plants. Galls are rich in secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds and terpenes. Caryocar brasiliense acts as a host of galling insects. Few studies report the impacts of this plant-insect interaction on the species' morphology, physiology, and secondary metabolism. Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify if there is a correlation between the levels of total phenols and flavonoids in C. brasiliense leaf extracts and environmental variables, such as temperature and precipitation, throughout the year, and to evaluate how galling insects can interfere in this seasonality. Methods: Ethanol extracts from leaves were obtained by soxhlet extraction. The main classes of secondary metabolites were detected by phytochemical prospecting. The levels of total phenols and flavonoids were quantified by the Folin-Dennis tests and complexation reaction with aluminum chloride, respectively. Pearson 's correlation coefficient shows that the levels of phenols and flavonoids were correlated with the average monthly maximum temperatures and precipitation accumulation, respectively, recorded in Gurupi - Tocantins. Results and Discussion: Phytochemical prospecting indicated flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, and alkaloids in both extracts. In C. brasiliense, the samples of healthy leaves suffered a greater variation in the levels of phenols (68.39±2.3 to 279.34±3.1 mg GAE g-1 extract) and flavonoids (164.06± 3.0 at 269.03±3.6 mg QE g-1 extract) compared to leaf samples with galls. A strong positive correlation was found between the contents of total phenols and maximum temperatures and a strong negative correlation with precipitation through Pearson's correlation. Conclusions: The variations observed in the levels of phenols and flavonoids in the extracts of C. brasiliense seem to be related to abiotic factors and the herbivory promoted by the galling insect.

Total phenols, flavonoids, minerals content and amino acids content were investigated in four fern species grown under four shading treatments with different transmittance of 35% full sunlight (FS), 13% FS, 8% FS and 4% FS. The four fern species contain high levels of total phenols and flavonoids, as well as abundant mineral elements and amino acids. The total phenols, flavonoids, minerals and amino acids content were strongly affected by transmittance, the total phenols and flavonoids content were significantly positively correlated with transmittance, and minerals and total amino acids content were significantly negatively correlated with transmittance. Higher light intensity can effectively stimulate the synthesis of phenols and flavonoid, and proper shading can stimulate the accumulation of amino acids. In addition, Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro (MS) had the highest total phenols content, Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching (AM) showed the highest total amino acids, total essential amino acids content, Osmunda cinnamomea (L) var. asiatica Fernald (OCA) exhibited the highest total non-essential amino acids content and flavonoids content, and Pteridium aquilinum L. Kuhn var latiusculum (Desy.) Underw. ex Heller (PAL) exhibited the highest minerals content. This will provide a scientific basis for the cultivation and management of four fern species.

BackgroundThe invasion of apple snails (Pomacea spp.) has a serious negative impact on the yield of aquatic crops, including rice, which is a vital food source for more than half of the global population and irreplaceable in maintaining the global food security of human society. So far, it has been unclear whether jasmonic acid (JA) application can enhance the effects of silicon addition on the defense of crops like rice against the invasion of apple snails. Rice plants were grown in a greenhouse and subjected to treatments involving the addition of silicon (sodium silicate) and JA (methyl jasmonate). Then, in an indoor experiment, apple snails were fed with the leaves of the rice plants that had undergone the treatments. Growth and growth-related traits for rice plants and apple snails and defense-related mechanic characters for rice plants were measured.ResultsSilicon addition significantly increased rice growth, leading to improved biomass and relative chlorophyll content. JA application did not affect the growth of rice plants but increased their foliar nitrogen and carbon content disproportionally, leading to a reduced C/N ratio. JA application increased the levels of tannins, total phenolics, and flavonoids in rice leaves. Silicon addition increased the tannin, total phenolic, and flavonoid content in rice leaves, particularly when supplied with JA. Silicon addition could also enhance the force of fracture in rice leaves. In addition, the foliar sulfur and silicon content increased with the addition of silicon, and the combination of silicon addition and JA application resulted in the highest foliar silicon content. Both silicon addition and JA application significantly decreased weight gain, leaf consumption, relative growth rate, and cellulase activity of apple snails, indicating a strong interaction.ConclusionsOverall, these findings indicated that both silicon addition and JA application enhanced the defense of rice against apple snails and impeded the growth of these snails. JA application amplified the impact of silicon addition on rice’s defense mechanism. This study provides new insights into controlling biological invasions and their impact on crop yield.

Relationships Between Anthocyanins, Total Phenolics, Carbohydrates, Acidity and Colour of Saskatoon Berries