Integrative Analysis of Morphological and Biochemical Markers of Seeds in Several Fagopyrum esculentum Varieties.

The sb401 gene from potato (Solanum berthaultii) encoding a pollen-specific protein with high lysine content was successfully integrated into the genome of maize plants and its expression was correlated with increased levels of lysine and total protein content in maize seeds. A plasmid vector containing the sb401 gene under the control of a maize seed-specific expression storage protein promoter (P19z) was constructed and introduced into maize calli using microprojectile bombardment. The integration of the sb401 gene into the maize genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and its expression was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Quantification of lysine and protein content in R1 maize seeds showed that, compared to the non-transgenic maize control, the lysine content increased by 16.1% to 54.8%, and total protein content increased by 11.6% to 39.0%. There was no visible morphological change in vegetative parts and seeds of the transgenic maize plants. Lysine and protein analysis of the transgenic maize grains showed that the levels of lysine and total protein remained high for six continuous generations, indicating that the elevated lysine and total protein levels were heritable. These results indicate that the sb401 gene could be successfully employed in breeding programmes aimed at improving the nutritional value of maize.

ABSTRACTGenetic parameters, heritability, and minimum number of genes for total seed protein content were estimated in tropical semiarid‐adapted cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] germplasm aiming to provide the basis for the development of cultivars with higher nutritional value. Generation mean and variance analyses were conducted with the parental lines, F1, F2, and backcross populations derived from two contrasting crosses ‘IT97K‐1042‐3’ (31.15% total seed protein content) × ‘BRS Tapaihum’ (24.35%) and IT97K‐1042‐3 × ‘Canapu’ (22%). Narrow‐sense heritabilities were moderate (47.7%) in the cross IT97K‐1042‐3 × BRS Tapaihum and high (87.6%) in the cross IT97K‐1042‐3 × Canapu. The analyses indicated (in both crosses) the importance of additive gene effects and the parental mean for total seed protein. The minimum gene number, estimated by different methods, ranged from three to seven in the IT97K‐1042‐3 × Canapu cross and three to less than 25 in the IT97K‐1042‐3 × BRS Tapaihum cross. Transgressive segregation was observed in the F2 population from the cross IT97K‐1042‐3 × Canapu, with individual plants displaying up to 34.1% seed protein content. The results suggest that, although under polygenic control, the seed protein content in cowpea can be improved via standard breeding methods largely used in self‐pollinated crops.

The use of high-protein soybean cultivars is one of the most important reserves for solving the problem of protein deficiency in the production of feed and food products. In recent years, soybean cultivars with high productivity potential and improved biochemical composition of seeds have been developed in the V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops. The cultivars approved for usage in various regions of the Russian Federation were assessed by the total protein content in seeds and its fractional composition as the main biochemical characteristics of raw materials. The cultivars with a high content of water-soluble (albumin) and stable indicators of salt- and alkali-soluble (globulins and glutelins) fractions, respectively, were noted. It was established that the studied indicators depended not only on the genetic properties of the cultivars, but also on the characteristics of the conditions of the reproduction year. Thus, in soybean seeds of the 2021 harvest, the cultivars Iney (39.0%), Triada (39.9%) and Graya (42.0%) stood out with the highest protein content; in terms of albumin content in protein – Graya and Bars (91.8 and 92.0%, respectively). And in the seeds of the 2022 harvest, the maximum protein content was observed in the cultivars Puma (38.9%), Graya (39.4%) and Gnom (40.2%), albumin content – Barguzin (92.7%), Bars (94.5%) and Puma (95.1%). A weakly positive correlation was noted between the total protein content and the proportion of the water-soluble fraction in it (r = +0.33).

Soybean seeds are an ideal host for the production of recombinant proteins because of their high content of proteins, long-term stability of seed proteins under ambient conditions, and easy establishment of efficient purification protocols. In this study, a polypeptide fusion strategy was applied to explore the capacity of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and γ-zein fusions in increasing the accumulation of the recombinant protein in soybean seeds. Transgenic soybean plants were generated to express the γ-zein- or ELP-fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the soybean seed-specific promoter of β-conglycinin alpha subunit (BCSP). Significant differences were observed in the accumulation of zein-GFP and GFP-ELP from that of the unfused GFP in transgenic soybean seeds based on the total soluble protein (TSP), despite the low-copy of T-DNA insertions and similar expression at the mRNA levels in selected transgenic lines. The average levels of zein-GFP and GFP-ELP accumulated in immature seeds of these transgenic lines were 0.99% and 0.29% TSP, respectively, compared with 0.07% TSP of the unfused GFP. In mature soybean seeds, the accumulation of zein-GFP and GFP-ELP proteins was 1.8% and 0.84% TSP, an increase of 3.91- and 1.82-fold, respectively, in comparison with that of the unfused GFP (0.46% TSP). Confocal laser scanning analysis showed that both zein-GFP and GFP-ELP were abundantly deposited in many small spherical particles of transgenic seeds, while there were fewer such florescence signals in the same cellular compartments of the unfused GFP-expressing seeds. Despite increased recombinant protein accumulation, there were no significant changes in the total protein and oil content in seeds between the transgenic and non-transformed plants, suggesting the possible presence of threshold limits of total protein accumulation in transgenic soybean seeds. Overall, our results indicate that γ-zein and ELP fusions significantly increased the accumulation of the recombinant protein, but exhibited no significant influence on the total protein and oil content in soybean seeds.

<p>Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of horticultural plants in Indonesia. The demand of soybean in Indonesia is about 2,2 million ton per year, however, the productivity of soybean is still relatively low. This research was aimed to induce mutation in soybean through an application of sodium azide. Soybean seed of “Argomulyo” variety was obtained from Reserach Station for Leguminosae and Tuberous plant in Malang. Seeds were soaked in sodium azide of 0 mM (control), 5 mM, 10 mM or 20 mM for 12 hours. The pH of sodium azide solution was adjusted to 3 by adding sulphuric acid. For each treatment 100 seeds (M1) were used . Seeds were washed under tap water , germinated and grown in a polybag containing soil and compost vertilizer (3 : 1, v/v). In each polybag 4 seeds were germinated. All plants were watered regularly every other day. Growth and development parameters observed were plant height, chlorophyll content, time to flowering, sillique number per plant, seed dry weight and total protein content. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variant and followed by DMRT (Duncan’s Multiple Range Test) at significant level of 5%. The results showed that sodium azide of 5 mM, 10 mM or 20 mM decreased the average of plant height 15 to 20% compared to control plants. Time to flowering, chlorophyll content, sillique number per plant, and seed dry weight were not affected by sodium azide. The average of total protein content in seeds of plant originated from seeds treated with sodium azide was 40% and this value is 5% higher compared to seeds of control plants. This seeds are potential to be further replanted and reselected for better characters.</p><p><br /><strong>Keywords</strong>: soybean (Glycine max L.), sodium azide, chlorophyll contenyt, total protein</p>

Soybean crop production in Serbia involves seed inoculation by N-fixing bacteria just before sowing time. The main objective of the current work was to assess the impact of the genotype and inoculation on range of morphological and yield traits of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), as well as the total protein content. The experiment was conducted on chernozem soil, where soybean was previously grown. The six local varieties were used, where each variety was sown, in three replicates for both inoculated and non-inoculated treatment. The following morphological traits were analysed: the plant height, number of lateral branches, distance to the first pod, number of pods per plant, pods (containing seeds) weight per plant, seed weight per plant, and the total grain yield. The total protein content in seeds was determined by standard analytical method, while subtle differences in qualitative protein composition were assessed using Raman spectroscopy. The total protein content varied from 39.6 to 42.15 %. Performance of inoculation resulted in an increase of the plant height and the distance to the first pod, although not in all tested varieties. The highest and the lowest plant height values were observed for non-inoculated variety Dana (59.23cm) and Sava (80.03cm), respectively. The effect of genotype was much more expressed causing differences in almost all tested characters, except for the total protein content. However, Raman spectroscopy analyses revealed distinct discrimination among surveyed varieties, and differences between inoculated and non-inoculated plants in qualitative composition of seed proteins.

Drought is one of the most destructive abiotic stresses that impact the growth, physiology, yield, and nutritional quality of seeds of crop plants. In modern agriculture, the use of nanoparticles can be beneficial due to their large surface area and higher potentiality to enter into the plant leaf during foliar application. This study aims to evaluate the effects of foliar spray containing varying doses (0, 100, and 200 ppm) of the nano-iron (Fe3O4) on the growth, physiology, yield, and seed nutritional quality of soybean under drought (40% of field capacity, FC) and well-watered (80% of FC) conditions. Leaf water status, chlorophyll content of leaves, the height of the plant, fresh leaf weight, fresh stem weight, fresh petiole weight, total dry weight, seed yield, and protein and oil content in soybean seeds were found to be suppressed by the applied drought stress. Under both drought (40% of FC) and controlled well-watered (80% of FC) conditions, the foliar application of nano-iron substantially improved the growth, physiology, yield, and quality of soybean seeds. The nanoparticles at 200 ppm increased soybean seed yield by 40.12 and 32.60% in drought and well-watered conditions, respectively, compared to the untreated plants. Furthermore, nano-iron increased the oil content of soybean seeds by 10.14 and 7.87% under drought and well-watered conditions, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Our results indicate that the application of nano-iron improved drought tolerance, yield, and seed quality of soybean, so exogenous foliar sprays of 200 ppm Fe3O4 were more effective than the other treatments in enhancing drought tolerance and can be utilized to reduce losses caused by drought stress in soybean-growing areas.

Extracts of Fruits and Vegetables Activate the Antioxidant Response Element in IMR-32 Cells1–3

Stability of yerba mate extract, evaluation of its microencapsulation by ionic gelation and fluidized bed drying

Different natural and anthropogenic activities have contributed to the prevalence of various environmental abiotic stressors that negatively affect agricultural yields worldwide. Also, more adverse impacts can be seen in legumes due to their susceptibility to abiotic stresses compared to cereals. The present study sought to understand cadmium's impact and its alleviation using ascobin on several seed protein properties of soybean (Glycine max). The total seed protein content, estimated using the semi-micro Kjeldahl method, was 36.25% without ascobin (control) at the highest cadmium (Cd) concentration, i.e., 30 mg per kg of soil. The protein content was restored to the highest level (43.75%) with 500 mg/L of ascobin at 10 mg Cd/kg of soil compared to the control without Cd. There was a noticeable decrease in total seed protein content in all sets under control conditions (i.e., without ascobin spray). Also, a negative correlation was found between increasing Cd concentration and the amount of free amino acids, quantified using Lee and Takahashi’s protocol in the seed proteins. The electrophoretic analysis using Gelanalyzer on SDS gels, as per Laemmli’s formulation, revealed that the 7S-Conglycinin protein subfraction was more affected than the 11S-Glycinin subfraction. The analysis revealed how Cd toxicity in soybean plants led to decreased seed protein content and altered proportion of two globulin sub-fractions (glycinin and β-conglycinin). Additionally, it affected the free amino acid content, potentially determining the seeds' nutritional value. However, foliar application of ascobin helped the plants to mitigate these Cd-induced changes and restore the seed quality.

Seed protein content (SPC) is an important grain quality trait, which impacts the nutritional importance of pigeonpea seed in the diet of over a billion people globally. The present study was carried out to determine variation in SPC and its relationships with some agronomic traits among 23 parental lines of different types of pigeonpea mapping populations. The parental lines were evaluated under field conditions during 2014-2015 growing season. A randomised complete block design in two replications was used. Data were recorded on SPC, days to first flower (DTF), plant height at maturity (PltH), number of pods per plant (NPP), number of seeds per pod (NSP), hundred-seed weight (SW) and seed yield per plant (SY). There were significant differences among genotypes for all traits. Broad-sense heritability was 0.693 for SPC but ranged from 0.519 (NPP) to 0.999 (DTF) while genetic advance was 2.4% for SPC but ranged from 1.2 % (NSP) to 141.2 % (SY), and genetic gain ranged from 11.0 % (SPC) to 230.0 % (SY). Simple correlation showed that SPC is only significantly but negatively correlated with SW (r = -0.30, P < 0.05), while path analyses revealed that SPC is negatively associated SW and NPP but positively with DTF, PltH, NSP and SY. It is concluded that genetic variation for SPC and agronomic traits exist among pigeonpea genotypes studied. The variation is accompanied by both favourable and unfavourable relationships of SPC with the agronomic traits.

The aim of the study was to assess soybean response to sowing material inoculation with HiStick® Soy preparation, containing Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the inoculation significantly increased the number and dry weight of nodules on soybean roots compared to control. The bacterial preparation significantly increased the number of pods per plant. As a result, a significant increase in seed yield (0.58 t/ha) was obtained compared to control. HiStick® Soy increased total protein content in seeds. Protein and fat yield was higher after seed inoculation by 318 kg/ha and 101 kg/ha, respectively, compared to control.

The sb401 gene from potato (Solanum berthaultii) encoding a pollen-specific protein with high lysine content was successfully integrated into the genome of maize plants, and its expression was correlated with increased levels of lysine and total protein content in maize seeds. A plasmid vector containing the sb401 gene under the control of a maize seed-specific expression storage protein promoter (P19z) was constructed and introduced into maize calli by microprojectile bombardment. The integration of the sb401 gene into the maize genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis, and its expression was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Quantification of the lysine and protein contents in R1 maize seeds showed that, compared with the nontransgenic maize control, the lysine content increased by 16.1% to 54.8% and the total protein content increased by 11.6% to 39.0%. There were no visible morphological changes in the vegetative parts and seeds of the transgenic maize plants. Lysine and protein analysis of the transgenic maize grains showed that the levels of lysine and total protein remained high for six continuous generations, indicating that the elevated lysine and total protein levels were heritable. These results indicate that the sb401 gene could be successfully employed in breeding programs aimed at improving the nutritional value of maize.

Variability of soybean yield and seed quality depending on environmental hydrothermal factors

A field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India to assess the effect of foliar application of elicitors viz., salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) on biochemical constituents of Brassica seeds. Seeds of Brassica juncea and B. napus were sown in the field during rabi season. Four different treatments of elicitors along with a fungicide and control were given to 10 week old plants up to four consecutive weeks. After harvesting, the seeds were analyzed for oil, total soluble protein and glucosinolate content. Results indicated that the elicitor treatments increased the oil, total soluble protein and glucosinolate content in seeds of both the Brassica species. In B. juncea, BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) showed 12.5% higher oil content than control. In B. napus, the combinations of elicitors viz., BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) and BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) exhibited 15% increase in oil content compared to control. Treatment containing BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) showed 18.72 and 15.86% higher total soluble protein content in B. juncea and B. napus seeds, respectively compared to control. In B. juncea, BTH (3 ppm) + SA (33 ppm) exhibited 7.13% higher glucosinolate content compared to control. In B. napus, BTH (7 ppm) + SA (17 ppm) showed 11.23% higher glucosinolate content than control. In conclusion, the application of elicitors, i.e., SA and BTH could be a useful tool for improving the nutritive value of B. juncea and B. napus seeds.