Black-eyed Pea Research Articles

How enriched diet of the second trophic level (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) affects the performance of the third trophic level (Neoseiulus cucumeris): the role of pollens and legumes.

The generalist predatory mite, Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the most effective biocontrol agents to control the pests of many crops in indoor cultivations. In this study, the effects of the enriched diets of the second trophic level, i.e. the stored-product mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) on the performance of N. cucumeris as the third trophic level was determined in a tritrophic system. In the first step, different pollens including almond, maize, date palm, castor bean, saffron, and cattail or different legume flours including pinto bean, lentil, black-eyed pea, chickpea, mung bean and broad bean as enrichment additives were added to the basic diet, i.e. a mixture of wheat bran and flour as a basic diet of T. putrescentiae. In the second step, to reveal the effects of the mentioned additives on the performance of N. cucumeris, the demographic parameters of the predator were determined when it was fed with the prey enriched with the additives. Our results indicated that N. cucumeris had higher performance by feeding on the prey reared on diets enriched by either pollens or legumes compared with the basic diet. Overall, there was no significant difference between pollen grains and some legume flours when the predatory mite was fed with them through its prey. Since legumes are more available and cost-effective food sources than pollens, they can be affordable supplementary diets for the mass rearing of N. cucumeris.

First report of Fusarium falciforme causing root and stem rot in cowpea (syn. black-eyed pea; Vigna unguiculata) in California.

In both April 2018 and September 2019, cowpeas / black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata) in one field in Tulare County, California were observed with tap root rot, both underground (foot) and aboveground stem rot, and in some cases canopy decline, compromising bean formation. In both fields, < 5% of plants appeared affected. Foot and stem segments (~1 cm) of 5-10 plants / field were disinfested sequentially with 0.1% Tween 20 (dip), 70% ethanol for 30 s, and 1% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min and placed on 1:10 potato dextrose agar with 0.03% tetracycline and Fusarium selective medium (Leslie and Summerell 2006). Fusarium-like isolates (dominant in isolation plates) were transferred to 0.6% KCl agar, where fusiform, curved macroconidia and varied microconidia in false heads on elongated monophialides were observed, characteristic of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) (Leslie and Summerell 2006). Isolates CS221, CS222, and CS520 (representing different plants and locations) were saved as single hyphal tip cultures. An Illumina-derived genome sequence was assembled (Burkhardt et al. 2019) and partial tef1ɑ and rpb2 sequences (O'Donnell et al. 2022) were extracted from genome sequences in silico. Sequences were 99.9-100% identical to one another and to deposited F. falciforme isolates based on Fusarium ID and Fusarium MLST for tef1ɑ and rpb2, respectively (tef1a accessions: NRRL 28562 and NRRL 32331; rpb2 accession: NRRL 22857), and were deposited in GenBank (accessions in supplementary table). Pathogenicity was evaluated in three-week-old cowpea plants (cv. CB46rk2) in the greenhouse (13.5-33.6℃; 12:12 h L:D). The tap root / stem was wounded (1 mm wide, 2 mm deep) ~ 2 cm below the soil line and drenched with 50 ml of 106 spores / ml 0.1% water agar or with 0.1% water agar (negative control). The trial was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three blocks and 2-3 plants / isolate / block, and conducted twice. 52 d post-inoculation, below ground tap root / stem rot developed in 83% of F. falciforme-inoculated plants, with lesion lengths ranging from 25.2 ± 4.2 to 29.2 ± 8.0 mm (P = 0.893 for isolate, ANOVA). Canopy decline developed in 33-50% of plants across treatments in trial 1 (P = 0.859 for isolate) but not in trial 2, likely due to cooler conditions in trial 2 (January-March) vs. trial 1 (May-July), which were less stressful. F. falciforme isolates did not affect bean biomass (dry weight) vs. negative controls (12.5-14.8g / plant; P = 0.949 for pathogen treatment). FSSC isolates were recovered from 100% of symptomatic plants in the inoculated treatments but not in negative controls (both trials) and representative isolates from all treatments were confirmed as F. falciforme (tef1a analysis; trial 2 only). This study establishes F. falciforme as a root and stem rot pathogen of cowpea in California-a disease previously attributed to the morphologically and phylogenetically distinct F. phaseoli (syn. F. solani f. sp. phaseoli), but which lacked modern etiological studies (Frate et al. 2018; Geiser et al. 2021). This work is consistent with previous reports of F. falciforme as a root / stem rot pathogen in cowpea (Ajamu et al. 2023) and other beans (Sousa et al. 2017; Duarte et al. 2019). Clarification of disease etiology will improve accurate diagnosis and effective crop rotation-based management, since F. falciforme is also a pathogen of other California crops including melon, tomato and pistachio.

Symbiotic N2 fixation in cowpea varieties is markedly enhanced by inoculation with elite Bradyrhizobium strains

Because of its excellent ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] makes a significant contribution to soil sustainability and productivity in the resource limited tropical regions. However, due to in part to ineffectiveness and limited availability of bio-inoculant, its symbiotic N contribution and yield remained low in the field. Therefore, this study examined the effect of elite cowpea infecting Bradyrhizobium strains (CP-24 and CP-37) on shoot biomass and symbiotic nitrogen contributions of four cowpea varieties (Keti, TVU, Black eye bean, and White wonderer trailing). For this a two-year field experiment was carried out at three sites using a factorial randomized complete block design with four replications. The natural abundance of the 15N technique was used to compute the symbiotic N contribution. Bradyrhizobium inoculation led to significantly higher nodule formation, % Ndfa, amounts of N fixed, and shoot biomass, demonstrating the effectiveness and ability of the strains to enhance soil fertility. Inoculating cowpea with CP-24 strain increased shoot N content, % Ndfa and N fixed by 40%, 15%, and 41%, respectively, in comparison to the un-inoculated control. Furthermore, the inoculant by variety interaction had a significant effect on nodule number, nodule dry weight, and amount of N fixed, with TVU and White Wonderer trailing in combination with CP-24 exhibiting the most outstanding performance. There was also a strong positive correlation between biomass accumulation and N fixed, as well as N fixed and seed yield. Therefore, Bradyrhizobium inoculation on cowpea varieties TVU and White Wonderer trailing with CP-24 strain is recommended at all three tested sites and similar agro-ecologies for improved symbiotic N contribution and associated yield advantage of cowpea. This study highlights that, the use of elite and crop specific Bradyrhizobium strains can boost symbiotic nitrogen contribution, soil fertility, and the yield performance of legumes. Thus, it helps resource-poor farmers who are suffering from rising mineral fertilizer cost to achieve food security while reducing climate change risks.

Benign fibrous histiocytoma of the lacrimal sac

Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) is a tumor of mesenchymal origin, mostly seen in subcutaneous tissues, and it commonly affects males with a mean age of 55 years. We report a 60-year-old with lacrimal sac swelling that was recurrent. Initially, it started as the size of a black-eyed bean seed, which gradually progressed to the size of a small-sized peewee egg. She had complete excision of the mass with no bony erosions or intracranial extension. Histopathology revealed a BFH of the lacrimal sac. She is currently doing well.

Effect of Seed Priming Using GA3, KNO3, ZnSO4 on Germination Parameters of Vigna unguiculata

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), an important legume is a versatile crop, also commonly known as southern pea, black eye pea, crowder pea, lubia, niebe, coupea or Frijole. The establishment of this crop is poor due to poor germination. Seed priming technique helps to overcome this difficulty. There is only less research have been carried out to enhance seed germination in cowpea by seed priming technique. This research paper focuses to study on the effects of different priming agents like GA3 at 20 ppm, 40 ppm and 60 ppm, KNO3 at 1 %, 2%, 3%, ZnSO4 at 1 %, 2%, 3% and hydro priming all in 3 hrs and 6 hrs soaking conditions. The untreated seeds serve as control. The result from the present study revealed that the germination parameters viz., germination value, germination index, imbibition, co-efficient of variation of germination, seed length, root length, seedling length, vigor index were at its maximum for the seeds primed with GA3 at 60 ppm, KNO3 at 2% and ZnSO4 at 2%. Priming of seeds at lower concentration improves the seed germination parameters which in turn increases the yield.

Metabolites profiling, in-vitro and molecular docking studies of five legume seeds for Alzheimer’s disease

Even though legumes are valuable medicinal plants with edible seeds that are extensively consumed worldwide, there is little information available on the metabolic variations between different dietary beans and their influence as potential anti-cholinesterase agents. High-resolution liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in positive and negative ionization modes combined with multivariate analysis were used to explore differences in the metabolic profiles of five commonly edible seeds, fava bean, black-eyed pea, kidney bean, red lentil, and chickpea. A total of 139 metabolites from various classes were identified including saponins, alkaloids, phenolic acids, iridoids, and terpenes. Chickpea showed the highest antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase effects, followed by kidney beans. Supervised and unsupervised chemometric analysis determined that species could be distinguished by their different discriminatory metabolites. The major metabolic pathways in legumes were also studied. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was the most significantly enriched KEGG pathway. Pearson’s correlation analysis pinpointed 18 metabolites that were positively correlated with the anti-cholinesterase activity. Molecular docking of the biomarkers to the active sites of acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase enzymes revealed promising binding scores, validating the correlation results. The present study will add to the metabolomic analysis of legumes and their nutritional value and advocate their inclusion in anti-Alzheimer’s formulations.

Development of a fluorescent nano-sensing probe for atomoxetine analysis: Additional clinical pharmacokinetic study

Atomoxetine is a psychostimulant drug used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in people with autism. Herein, eco-friendly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized using black-eyed pea beans and characterized for the purpose of quantifying atomoxetine in pharmaceutical capsules and human plasma. The selectivity of these CQDs towards atomoxetine was improved by functionalizing their surface with an atomoxetine-tetraphenylborate ion complex. The quantification of atomoxetine is based on measuring the fluorescence quenching of the functionalized CQDs in response to varying concentrations of atomoxetine. The Stern-Volmer plot was employed to investigate the mechanism through which atomoxetine quenches the fluorescence intensity of the CQDs. The outcomes indicated a dynamic quenching mechanism. The applied method was optimized and validated in compliance with ICH requirements, resulting in excellent linearity across the concentration range of 50–800 ng/mL. The developed method was successfully used to quantify atomoxetine in pharmaceutical dosage form and human plasma with acceptable accuracy and precision outcomes. In addition, the method was applied for clinical pharmacokinetic study of atomoxetine in the plasma of children diagnosed with both autism and ADHD. Atomoxetine was rapidly absorbed after a single oral dose of 10 mg, reaching maximum concentration within two hours and having a half-life (t1/2) of 3.11 h. Moreover, the method demonstrates a notable degree of eco-friendliness, as evidenced by two greenness evaluation metrics; Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE).

First report of Boeremia exigua causing spot blight on cowpea in China.

Cowpea or black-eyed pea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is a dual-purpose leguminous crop grown for food and fodder. In September 2022, cowpea plants exhibiting symptoms of a leaf spot and blight were observed in Renda Town located in Jingning County of Gansu Province, China, with the disease incidence in individual cowpea fields as high as 100%. Diseased leaves showed variable-sized, nearly circular brown blotches, large blotches with dark brown margins, and the adaxial surfaces of blotches had small black dots and whorls (Fig. 1). Multiple isolates with consistent colony characteristics were obtained from cowpea leaves with typical symptoms. The isolates were transferred to fresh potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) and then purified by transferring hyphal tips to PDA. Three isolates, JNJD-1, JNJD-2, and JNJD-3, were selected for subsequent identification and pathogenicity determination. After eight days at 25℃ on PDA, the colonies appeared irregular, aerial mycelium dense, cottony, atrovirens to olive brown, with white hyphae on the undulate margin (Fig. 2A and B). The pycnidia were globose to sub-globose, brown to dark brown, with 70-110 μm diameters. Single celled hyaline conidia were ellipsoidal to oblong with obtuse ends, and measured 6.6-9.3 × 2.8-4.1 μm (x̄ = 7.8 × 3.5 μm, n = 50) (Fig. 2C). Morphological characteristics are similar to the description of the genus Boeremia (Aveskamp et al, 2010). Primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, LR0R/LR5, fRPB2-5F2/fRPB2-7cR, and TUB2FD/TUB4RD were used to amplify portions of the ITS, LSU, RPB2, and TUB genes, respectively (Chen et al, 2015). The obtained sequences (Accession numbers: PP033662 to PP033664 for ITS, PP033667 to PP033669 for LSU, PP035531 to PP035533 for RPB2, and PP035534 to PP035536 for TUB) were 97% identical to that of a B. exigua strain CBS 431.74 (accession no. FJ427001, EU754183, GU371780, and FJ427112) (Table 1). The constructed maximum likelihood tree indicated close relationships between three isolates and B. exigua, which clustered together (Fig. 3). Cowpea plants (cultivar Junlintianxia) at the three-leaf stage were inoculated by spraying a spore suspension (1×106 conidia/ml) of JNJD-1, JNJD-2, and JNJD-3 until run off and incubated at greenhouse conditions (25°C and 12 h light). Inoculations with sterile water were used as a control and each treatment was repeated 3 times with five plants per replicate. Small brown spots appeared on the infected leaves at 2 dpi, followed by the appearance of large blotches, with dark brown at the margin and grayish-white in the center at 5 dpi (Fig. 4A). These lesions gradually increase and coalesce, causing leaf chlorosis and finally defoliation in serious cases. Disease incidence in inoculated cowpea plants treated with the isolates JNJD-1, JNJD-2, and JNJD-3 reached almost 100%. In contrast, control plants developed no symptoms (Fig. 4B). The pathogens were re-isolated from the inoculated leaves and identified as B. exigua using morphological and molecular analysis, whereas no fungus was isolated from control leaves. The experiment was repeated once under the same conditions, yielding similar results. B. exigua has a broad host range, infecting 19 families and 31 genera of plant species, and causing leaf spots, leaf blight, and tuber rot (Lan and Duan 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the pathogen B. exigua causing spot blight on cowpeas. It has been reported that B. exigua infects leguminous crops from multiple genera, such as field pea, soybean, white clover, and Dumasia villosa (Liu et al, 2023). This study further enriches the host range of this pathogen and the pathogen species of cowpea leaf diseases.

Effects of position of seed perforation by cowpea weevils, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), on viability and vigour of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) seed

Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, is a high-protein legume crop that is often susceptible to pest damage. The cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus, predates on cowpea seeds in storage which renders grain unsuitable for human consumption. In the larval stage, cowpea weevils consume food reserves from the seed endosperm and may deter seed germination. The problem is more pervasive among resource-poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, who grow cowpea for subsistence and keep the surplus grain for sale and use it as seed in the subsequent growing seasons. Unsuitable storage structures and ineffective methods of weevil control may increase weevil infestation of cowpea seeds in storage which constrains the production of cowpeas. The aim of the study was to determine if the position of seed perforation by cowpea weevils affects seed viability and growth of cowpea seedlings. Undamaged cowpea seeds ‘black-eyed peas’ were infested with cowpea weevils and stored for three months to allow for infestation. Thereafter, seeds with a single perforation or hole were selected from the infested seed lot and sorted into groups of damage according to the position of the hole on the seed. Five categories of potential damage were identified namely seeds with holes on the top, bottom, side, back or hilum area of the seed as presented schematically in the paper. The positions of holes on seeds served as treatments for the study and undamaged seed served as control. Data on germination and seedling height were collected and analysed statistically. Results reveal that the positions of damage on seed affects seed germination and seedling height. Seed germination on day two was significantly poorer for seeds damaged at the top, relative to both undamaged seeds and the alternative sites of damage. The results of top damaged seed being inferior than other treatments, remained consistent for germination on day seven and for seedling height at two weeks after the first emergence. Small holder farmers should therefore refrain from planting top damaged cowpea seed.

Pulse Consumption and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review

Pulses—comprising the dry, edible seeds of leguminous plants—have long been lauded for their culinary flexibility and substantial nutritional advantages. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence on how pulses contribute to overall human health. Four electronic databases were searched for clinical and observational studies in English. We identified 30 articles (3 cross-sectional studies, 1 federated meta-analysis, 8 prospective cohort studies, 1 before-and-after study, and 17 randomized controlled trials) that met our inclusion criteria. Predominant among the pulses studied were lentils, chickpeas, common bean varieties (e.g., pinto, black, navy, red, kidney), black-eyed peas, cowpeas, and split peas. Consumption modalities varied; most studies examined mixed pulses, while five isolated individual types. In intervention studies, pulses were incorporated into diets by allotting a fixed pulse serving on top of a regular diet or by substituting red meat with pulses, offering a comparative analysis of dietary effects. The health outcomes evaluated were multifaceted, ranging from lipid profiles to blood pressure, cardiovascular disease risk and mortality, type 2 diabetes and glycemic control, metabolic syndrome indicators, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress biomarkers, and hormonal profiles. The most frequently assessed study outcomes included changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference, and C-reactive protein or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. This review should serve as a call to action for the scientific community to build upon the existing evidence, enriching our understanding of the nutritional and health-promoting attributes of pulses.

Alternative Plant-Based Gluten-Free Sourdough Pastry Snack Production by Using Beetroot and Legumes: Characterization of Physical and Sensorial Attributes.

Objective of this study was to design a formula of a sourdough pastry snack by adding starter inoculum into the formulation which was obtained by the fermentation process through beetroot (Beta vulgaris) puree with black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata) and fava bean (Vicia faba). With this development process, it was aimed to review the functional impact of legumes as gluten replacement and emphasize the importance regarding physical and sensory attributes in a pastry snack product. First, a starter inoculum was developed based on modification of the shalgam fermentation process with legumes. An experimental design suggested by the response surface methodology was used to optimize its microbial properties and level of antioxidants with the factors of amounts of beetroot puree, fava bean/black-eyed pea ratio, and fermentation time. In the second part, this starter inoculum was mixed with fava bean flour to obtain a sourdough pastry snack (FBS) with improved physical and sensory attributes and compared to the wheat control sourdough (WCS) pastry snack after the baking process. According to the optimization results to produce starter inoculum with the optimum results of lactic acid bacteria 9.55 log cfu/mL, the level of antioxidant activity 91.86 μM TE/mL, and total yeast level 6.96 log cfu/mL; 75 mL of beetroot puree, 100% for fava bean, and fermentation for 24 h were obtained. Compared to WCS, FBS has approximately 16% higher hardness values. Also, a significant difference was observed for stiffness and springiness among samples. The retention of moisture was higher in the first 4 days following the storage for 8 days; the moisture content continuously decreased with the final moisture content of 12.6%. When compared with the results of textural profile analysis in terms of hardness, stiffness, and springiness, sensory results were correlated. Comparing the overall acceptability of the FBS to WCS, FBS was from moderate to higher scores, which indicated that it could be a promising alternative to chemically developed snack products and a preferred product for people suffering from celiac disease and other gluten intolerances.

A Kingdom of Possibility

A Kingdom of Possibility

RACISM AS A SOCIAL ISSUE IN BLACK EYED PEAS SONG “WHERE IS THE LOVE?”

This research departs from the problems that occur related to racial discrimination that occurred in America. This study aims to examine the social issue surrounding the superiority of racist violence. Finding out the types of racism exist and describing how it is portrayed in the Black Eyed Peas song “Where is The Love?” are the goals of this study. Content analysis is a type of qualitative research that was employed in this research by the researcher. Unit analysis was used to gather data from the song through words and lyrics. The themes in the data were categorized, coded, and classified. Following that, the data were interpreted using the writer's point of view. The result showed that “Where is The Love?” song contained racism in the form of prejudice, and physical violence occur in the song. The “Where is The Love?” song represents racism in America because it was based on the tragedy happened in the past where Black Americans have been treated bad by the superiority.

Resistant starches from dietary pulses improve neurocognitive health via gut-microbiome-brain axis in aged mice.

Cognitive decline is a common consequence of aging. Dietary patterns that lack fibers and are high in saturated fats worsen cognitive impairment by triggering pro-inflammatory pathways and metabolic dysfunctions. Emerging evidence highlights the neurocognitive benefits of fiber-rich diets and the crucial role of gut-microbiome-brain signaling. However, the mechanisms of this diet-microbiome-brain regulation remain largely unclear. Accordingly, we herein investigated the unexplored neuroprotective mechanisms of dietary pulses-derived resistant starch (RS) in improving aging-associated neurocognitive function in an aged (60-weeks old) murine model carrying a human microbiome. Following 20-weeks dietary regimen which included a western-style diet without (control; CTL) or with 5% w/w fortification with RS from pinto beans (PTB), black-eyed-peas (BEP), lentils (LEN), chickpeas (CKP), or inulin fiber (INU), we find that RS, particularly from LEN, ameliorate the cognitive impairments induced by western diet. Mechanistically, RS-mediated improvements in neurocognitive assessments are attributed to positive remodeling of the gut microbiome-metabolome arrays, which include increased short-chain fatty acids and reduced branched-chain amino acids levels. This microbiome-metabolite-brain signaling cascade represses neuroinflammation, cellular senescence, and serum leptin/insulin levels, while enhancing lipid metabolism through improved hepatic function. Altogether, the data demonstrate the prebiotic effects of RS in improving neurocognitive function via modulating the gut-brain axis.

Nitrogen and phosphorus effects on growth, and yield of black-eyed bean (Vigna unguiculata L.)

The combination of nitrogen and phosphorous plays a vital role in increasing the productivity of black-eyed bean. Therefore, a study was carried out at the Research Farm of Afghanistan National Agriculture Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU), Kandahar, Afghanistan during the spring of 2020 to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) doses on the growth, yield and economics of black-eyed bean (Vigna unguiculata L.). The treatment consists of four levels of nitrogen (0, 20, 30 and 40 kg ha-1) in main plots and four levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha-1) in a sub-plot laid out in a split-plot design and replicated thrice. The plant height, LAI and dry matter accumulation in blacked-eye bean was significantly affected by N and P doses. The grain yield, biological yield and net return of black-eyed bean were significantly higher with the application of 30 kg N ha-1 in combination with 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 in the sandy clay loam soil of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Multi-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography of Pulse Triacylglycerols with Triple Parallel Mass Spectrometry

We analyzed ten pulses (the dried seeds of legumes), i.e., baby lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, cranberry beans, garbanzo beans, green split peas, lentils, navy beans, and pinto beans, using three-dimensional liquid chromatography (3D-LC) with parallel second dimensions, LC × (LC + LC). We combined non-aqueous reversed-phase (NARP) chromatography as the first dimension separation, 1D, with argentation UHPLC for separation based on degree and location of unsaturation in the first second dimension, 2D(1), and multi-cycle NARP-UHPLC in the second second dimension, 2D(2). Pulses contained 1.9% to 2.7% lipids, except garbanzo beans, which contained 6.2% lipids. High-resolution, accurate-mass (HRAM) orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) was used to perform lipidomic analysis of the 2D(2) and percent relative quantification, showing that the most abundant average triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species across all pulses were PLL at 10.67% and PLLn at 10.45%. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were clustered together using principal component analysis (PCA), showing the highest levels of linolenic acid, C18:3, in molecular species such as PLnLn, LLnLn, and OLLn, with palmitic (P), C16:0, linoleic (L), 18:2, linolenic (Ln), 18:3, and oleic (O), 18:1, FAs. Calibration curves derived from interweaved sets of regioisomer standards allowed the absolute quantification of 1,2- and 1,3-regioisomers for a subset of TAGs.

Characterization of Mixed Rice: Nutritional Value, Physicochemical Properties, Organoleptic, and Glycemic Index

The nutritional and physicochemical value of rice could be enhanced by mixing or combining white and brown rice with various beans. Besides nutritional and functional aspects, it is also crucial to consider organoleptic properties. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize nutritional value (proximate), physicochemical properties, organoleptic and Glycemic Index (GI) of mixed rice. A total of 10 mixed rice formulas, ranging from F1 to F10, and consisting of white rice, brown rice, black rice, aromatic rice, sticky rice, black-eyed peas and mung beans, were determined. These samples were analyzed for proximate, total phenolic compounds, pasting properties, and organoleptic tests (hedonic and ranking tests). Furthermore, 3 selected formulas based on the previous test were then evaluated for GI, and Glycemic Load (GL) was calculated. The results showed that adding black-eyed peas and mung beans (F9 and F10) increased the protein content of mixed rice while higher proportion of black or brown rice (F3 and F4) enhanced the fat content. The amylose content was decreased due to higher proportion of sticky rice (F6 and F8). Based on the hedonic test, the F1-F6 formula had a favorable rating. The ranking results indicated that F9 was better than F10, while F1 and F6 was the best among F1 to F4, as well as F5 to F8. Considering the constituent materials, F1, F6, F9 and commercial low GI rice were selected and tested for GI, and the test results showed 48.2, 54.7, 78.0, and 60.3, respectively. As a result, F1 and F6 have the potential to be developed as mixed rice because they have good nutritional value, physicochemical and organoleptic properties, as well as low GI.

An experimental study on the effects copper and lead on the seedlings of some economically important vegetable species

Bioaccumulation of toxic heavy metals in vegetables is closely related to the problems of safety concerns as they negatively affect plants in particular those consumed by the humans. Among the food systems the vegetables are the most noticeable foods affected by environmental pollution. Vegetables can take up the metals like copper and lead and store them in excessive levels. Keeping this in view this investigation was undertaken to study the effect of copper and lead concentrations (20, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320, 640, and 1280 µM) and assess their toxic affects on germination and seedling growth at early stages of eight vegetable cultivars; kidney bean, peas, black-eyed bean, artichoke, kale, lettuce, rocket and radish. The results were evaluated by multivariate analysis of variance and Pearson correlation statistical analysis. Our results indicate that the seeds of the vegetables studied by us are generally tolerant to both copper as well lead, except higher concentration exposures which showed no improvement when applied to artichoke (for Cu 1280 µM) and lettuce seeds (Cu 1280 µM; Pb 1280 µM). An application of copper and lead ended up with a decrease in barium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium and zinc content in all seedlings studied. In all vegetables exposed to copper and lead a promotion in copper and lead accumulation was recorded. There was a decrease in nutrient element intake which interrupted the mineral element uptake in the seedlings.

COWPE BEAN PRODUCTION - (VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP). A DROUGHT-RESISTANT PLANT IS VERY COMMON IN REGIONS OF THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID

Cowpea is a dicotyledonous plant, originating from Africa, belonging to the order Fabales, Family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, tribe Phaseoleae, subtribe Phaseolina, genus Vigna, species Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp, the bean is considered a plant resistant to drought and is very common in regions of the Brazilian semi-arid region. It is commonly known as cowpea, macassar bean, black-eyed pea or green bean, among others. Given this, the objective of the present study was to carry out a bibliographical review of studies published in recent years to observe the nutritional potential and its economic viability for its production. The searches were carried out in Google Scholar databases. The harvested area of cowpea in the world is approximately 11,806,648 hectares, with a production of 5,389,235 tons, with Nigeria (2,916,00 tons) and Niger (1,265,839 tons) standing out among the largest producers. Cowpea production in Brazil is concentrated in the Northeast (1.2 million hectares) and North (55.8 thousand hectares) regions, predominantly cultivated in the semi-arid hinterland of the Northeast region, cowpea is cultivated in practically all micro-regions in the state of Paraíba, with a production of 62,018 tons in an area of 186,151 hectares, ranking fourth in planted area in the Northeast. The results show that cowpea has good energy and nutritional reserves that can be used in numerous recipes, including sautéed desserts, sweets, among others. Therefore, it presents itself as a very rich and nutritious food. A visit was made to some of Felipe Rodrigues Maia’s properties, in the rural community Sítio Cedro, with geographic coordinates of 37º57’20” longitude to the west and latitude to the south of 07º44’57”. It is located approximately four kilometers from the urban area of the municipality of Princesa Isabel - PB, to learn about the forms of production cultivation and the main pests that affect plantations in the semi-arid region and how to deal with this problem, as it is a factor Knowing its forms and how to deal with pests is crucial for cultivation. In view of what was obtained in the research, beans should be included in the human diet in a complementary way, considering that the crop is quite representative in the region where it plays an effective role in the population’s diet, as it constitutes an excellent source of low-cost proteins and carbohydrates.

Taifi rose extract improves the growth and physiology of cowpea seedling stage under drought stress

Drought stress is the most significant environmental stress factor affecting the growth of crops and farming sector in the present era. This study was carried out mainly in the rose water extracted from the essential oil of Taif rose (Rosa damascena “Trigintipetala”), which was explored for drought stress tolerance from industry. The aim of this study was to investigate how Taif rose water (RW) pretreatment affected cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var. California blackeye NO.46) seedlings under drought stress (65% and 35% of filed capacity). The cowpea seeds are immersed in rose water with 15%, 25% and 35% for a couple of hours before being implanted. Drought stress dramatically reduces morphological traits of root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass and leaf area. However, pretreatment of RW seed dramatically improves cowpea growth conditions, relative water content, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate. However, under drought stress, RW pretreated seedlings showed a decreased levels in malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, total soluble proteins and carbohydrates. However, drought stress increases the quality of antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase and catalase in pretreated RW cowpea seedlings. This study concludes that pretreating with RW could increase the drought tolerance in cowpea seedlings by stretching their antioxidant defense mechanisms. In addition, this study holds the potential to play a vital role in ensuring food security in the near future, as it provides valuable insights into improving crop resilience and productivity under drought conditions.