Lipoxygenase and Tocopherol Profiling of Soybean Genotypes Exposed to Electron Beam Irradiation

Abstract

AbstractElectron beam (EB)‐irradiation is increasingly being preferred to radioactive‐based gamma irradiation in overcoming the constraints that affect the quality of food material. Soybean seeds of 3 soybean genotypes were exposed to 4 doses viz. 4.8, 9.2, 15.3 and 21.2 kGy of EB‐irradiation and assessed for the changes in the contents of lipoxygenase isozymes and tocopherol isomers. Densitometry of protein profile revealed decreasing intensity of lipoxygenase with increasing EB dose. All the 3 lipoxygenase isozymes viz. lipoxygenase‐1, ‐2 and ‐3 registered significant (P < 0.05) increasing reduction with increasing dose; though genotypic variation was noted for the magnitude of reduction at the same dose. Concomitantly, all the 3 genotypes exhibited significant (P < 0.05) decline in α‐, γ‐ and δ‐isomers of tocopherol. δ‐Tocopherol was the most sensitive to EB‐irradiation. EB dose, which caused minimum and maximum decline in total tocopherol content, was genotype‐dependent. Decline in vitamin E activity corresponding to the dose, which induced maximum reduction for total lipoxygenase also varied in 3 genotypes. The study showed the usefulness of EB for significant inactivation of off‐flavor generating lipoxygenases in soybean, with a non‐significant effect on oil content and varied retention of tocopherol isomers and vitamin E activity depending upon genotype.