Chicory Seeds Research Articles

Impacts of supplementing broiler diets with a powder mixture of black cumin, Moringa and chicory seeds

The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of a phytogenic mixture in the diet on broiler production. A total of 400 day-old unsexed Cobb broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four treatment groups of 10 replications in a randomised design experiment. The phytogenic feed mixture (BMC) contained equal ratios of black cumin, Moringa oleifera and chicory seeds. The treatment groups were as follows: T1 was fed the basal diet, while T2, T3 and T4 were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4% or 0.6% of three BMC mixture, respectively. Results showed that increasing the dietary BMC level could be associated with a gradual but significant increase in body weight and improvement in the feed conversion ratio when compared with the control group. Broiler diets enriched with 0.4% to 0.6% of the BMC mixture reduced gut microbial count of coliforms, E. coli and C. perfringens as well as gut pH, compared to the control group. Increasing the dietary BMC mixture level was associated with gradual but significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein concentrations and liver enzymes concentrations. However, there was an increase in the high density lipoprotein concentration, and glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity in serum. In conclusion, the BMC mixture could be deemed an effective growth promoter, but further research is needed to evaluate it as a viable alternative to antibiotics.Keywords: blood, broiler, carcass, microbiota, oxidative status, performance, phytogenic

Environmental factors’ effect on seed germination and seedling growth of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) as an important medicinal plant

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.; Asteraceae) is a small aromatic and medicinal biennial and perennial herb that is distributed in most parts of Europe and Asia including Iran. However, little information is available about seed germination (SG) and seedling growth of this plant in response to abiotic environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of several environmental factors such as temperature (T), water stress (ψ), salinity, pH and burial depth on SG characteristics of chicory. Results indicated that all studied traits including germination percentage (GP), germination rate (GR), germination uniformity (GU), normal seedling percentage (NSP), root length (RL), shoot length (SL) and seedling dry weight (SDW) are significantly influenced by each environmental factor. Estimated cardinal Ts were 3.5, 28.9 and 40.2 °C for the base, optimum and ceiling T, respectively, with a thermal time 330.2 °C h after fitting a beta model in water. The drought tolerance threshold value was − 0.82 MPa for GP and − 0.75 MPa for NSP. The sensitive of each trait to ψ was ranking RL > SL > GR > SDW > NSP > GP. Increasing salinity level from 0 to 250 mM declined GP, GR, NSP, RL, SL and SDW by 75, 83, 88, 85, 80 and 60%, respectively, and also GU decreased seven times compared with the control. The salt tolerance threshold value was 223 and 194 mM for GP and NSP, respectively. Although chicory seeds were able to germinate at all pH levels (84%, ranged from 2 to 10), they could not produce an equivalent normal seedling in the same condition which indicates that seedling growth is more sensitive to pH relative to SG. The best pH for germination and seedling growth was estimated to be ~ 7 for this plant. Seedling emergence increased by 25% as burial depth increased from 0.5 to 2 cm and then sharply decreased by 87% when reached to 4 cm. The best burial depth ranged from 1 to 2 cm (> 88%) for chicory. Consequently, this information could help us to adequately manage the production of this plant under different environmental factors and also to determine its geographic range expansion in the world.

Antimicrobial Effects of Egyptian Local Chicory, Cichorium endivia subsp. pumilum.

The discovery of novel and more efficient antimicrobial agents from natural sources like plants is one of the most important ways through which the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens can be overcome. Herein, we report the potential antimicrobial activity of Cichorium endivia L. subsp. pumilum. Different concentrations of various solvent extracts prepared from several parts of chicory were tested for their antimicrobial effect against a panel of microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity was analyzed using the well diffusion method, where zones of inhibition were used as indicators of antimicrobial activity. The results indicated the superiority of seed extracts over both leaf and root extracts. Methanol extracts showed higher activity compared with chloroform and water extracts. Increased solvent extract concentration was accompanied by a parallel increase in the diameter of the inhibition zone. Gram-positive bacteria were found to be more sensitive than Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. On a whole, the highest observed inhibition zones (21.3 ± 0.6 and 20.1 ± 0.4 mm) were recorded with the methanolic extract of chicory seeds against S. aureus and B. cereus, respectively. These results offer insights into the antimicrobial potency of this Egyptian local plant and provide a basis for further phytochemical and pharmacological research.

チコリの栽培法 : 第1報 チコリ種子の発芽について

チコリの栽培法 : 第1報 チコリ種子の発芽について

Humic-Like Water-Soluble Lignins from Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.) Display Hormone-Like Activity on Plant Growth

Water-soluble humic-like lignins from energy crops had been previously shown to significantly improve plant development due to their chemical composition and supramolecular arrangement. Here, humic-like lignins isolated from Giant Reed were tested in several bioassays to verify whether the biostimulation was due to a hormone-mimic (auxin- and gibberellin-like) activity. The water-soluble lignins were applied on tomato seeds harboured with the auxin reporter DR5::GUS (β-glucuronidase), to visualize the auxin responses in roots. Moreover, auxin- or gibberellin (GA)-mimetic activities were assessed by the Audus test on watercress and chicory seeds, respectively, with increasing concentrations of water-soluble lignin. The latter showed a significant GA-like effect, whereas it did not produce auxin-like activity at any assayed concentration. The water-soluble lignins may either directly function as GA on plant and seed development or positively perturb GA-related hormonal balances, thereby influencing GA-mediated physiological mechanisms. These findings suggest that humic-like residual lignins from energy crops may be useful in intensified sustainable agriculture as seed germination enhancers and biostimulants of plant growth.

Response of Cichorium intybus L. to eight seed priming methods under osmotic stress conditions

Abstract Poor germination and seedling establishment are major problems in arid and semi-arid environments, and these characteristics are considered to be important factors in later plant growth and yield. Laboratory experiments were conducted on Chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.) seeds to investigate the effects of eight seed priming methods, including hydropriming, low temperature, scarification, urea, KNO 3 , KCl, NaCl and ascorbic acid on germination percentage, seedling and radicle length, fresh weight and the activity of 4 antioxidant enzymes. The responses of primed and unprimed chicory seeds were determined under PEG 6000 induced water stress (−1.5 MPa) and non-stress conditions. Germination and seedling growth components were measured 7 days after seeds were placed in Petri dishes. Water stress significantly decreased germination and seedling growth while different priming methods positively affected germination percentage and primary seedling growth under control and water stress condition, both. The highest germination percentage and the best primary seedling growth were achieved in ascorbic acid priming treatment followed by KCl treatment. Water stress increased catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) while the activity of ascorbic peroxidase (ASP) did not affect significantly. Different priming methods affected antioxidant enzymes activity differently. The result of correlation analysis showed that under control conditions, seedling productivity (seedling weight) had negative and significant correlation with activity of CAT and POD. Almost all seed treatments in this study gave better performance than control (untreated) with clear effectiveness of ascorbic acid treatment in improving the germination percentage (100%) and early seedling growth. It also increased tolerance of seeds to water stress and that ascorbic acid is an effective tool to impart water stress tolerance in C. intybus .

Caffeoylquinic acid-rich extract from chicory seeds improves glycemia, atherogenic index, and antioxidant status in rats

ObjectiveComparison of the effects of a high-fructose diet supplemented with rutin, a phenolic compound with well-recognized bioavailability and bioactivity, and a chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) seed extract rich in caffeoylquinic acids (CQA) on gut physiology and the development of disorders related to metabolic syndrome. MethodsA 28-d experiment was conducted on 32 young male Wistar rats. In comparison with control rats fed a standard corn starch diet (group C), the experimental group (group E) was fed a diet with an increased content of cholesterol and fructose (to 1% and 66% of the diet, respectively), as well as with oxidized soybean oil. Rats from the other two experimental groups were administered the same diet as group E during the first 2 wk of feeding, whereas at the beginning of the last 2 wk, the diet was enriched with rutin (group ER) or the CQA-rich ethanol extract from chicory seeds (9.6% of CQA, group EC), so the amount of added phenolics was equal in both dietary groups (0.15%). ResultsThe diet administered in group E caused hyperglycemia and increased blood serum atherogenicity in rats, but did not induce other manifestations of the metabolic syndrome, i.e., dyslipidemia and oxidative stress. Additionally, it affected gut physiology through increasing mucosal sucrase activity and disturbing fermentative processes in the cecum, such as the production of short-chain fatty acids and the activity of microbial enzymes. Similarly to rutin, the dietary addition of the chicory seed extract improved glycemia, which was comparable to that determined in group C. In addition, the extract was found to decrease the atherogenic index to the level observed in group C and to increase blood antioxidant status. Both dietary supplements reduced the content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in kidney and heart tissue when compared with group E. ConclusionThe potential efficacy of the CQA-rich extract from chicory seeds in improving diet-induced metabolic disturbances proved to be better than that of rutin; thus, the extract might be considered as a dietary supplement for carrying out clinical trials.

Evaluation of chicory seeds maturity by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) seed production includes sorting to remove foreign materials and non-viable seeds. A machine vision system was developed to monitor the fluorescence in order to detect the immature chicory seeds. It comprised a monochromatic light source, a highpass filter and a monochromatic CCD camera sensitive to red and infrared. With this device, blue light reflected by the seeds was blocked whilst red fluorescence was measured by the camera. A segmentation algorithm was designed to estimate separately the fluorescence intensities of the pappus, a crown of scales, and the main body of the pericarp. Experiments were carried out on five clones of cross-pollinated chicory plants used for seed production. Two hundred flower heads were labelled at flowering and harvested at different times during the maturation process expressed in “days after flowering” (DAF). Germination tests were performed according to the recommendations of the International Seed Testing Association to measure the germination percentage (GP) and the germination rate (GR), an indicator of seed vigour. Seed chlorophyll content diminished during maturation following a different logistic trend for the pappus and the pericarp. The GP increased from 18 DAF to reach its maximum value at 21 DAF, but the GR remained low until 30 DAF and increased afterwards. The potential of chlorophyll fluorescence to be used as an indicator of chicory seed vigour was the greatest between 21 and 36 DAF.

Effect of the dietary polyphenolic fraction of chicory root, peel, seed and leaf extracts on caecal fermentation and blood parameters in rats fed diets containing prebiotic fructans.

The aim of this 28d experiment was to examine the physiological response of growing rats to a dietary combination of prebiotic chicory fructans, with polyphenols originating from different parts of the chicory plant, i.e. roots, root peels, seeds and leaves. A total of forty rats were assigned to groups fed the following diets characterised by a similar content of oligofructose and inulin: control, with 10% of a root extract (a low level of dietary polyphenols, 0·05%), with 6·5% of a root peel extract (a medium level of dietary polyphenols, 0·107%), with a combination of 8% of a peel extract and 0·8% of a seed extract (a high level of dietary polyphenols, 0·208%) and with 2·5% of a leaf extract (a medium level of dietary polyphenols, 0·106%, with chicoric acid constituting half of them). Chicory seeds are the richest source of polyphenols, especially abundant in dicaffeoylquinic acids. When applied as a dietary supplement, the mixture of monocaffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids, from the extracts made of roots, root peels and seeds, elicited more favourable changes in parameters of the antioxidative status of the body and in the activity of bacterial β-glucuronidase in the faeces and caecal digesta. In turn, the extract from chicory leaves, containing considerable quantities of chicoric acid and polyphenolic glycosides, apart from chlorogenic acids, also triggered desirable changes in the lipid profile of the blood serum. The high concentration of polyphenols in the extracts examined enables their application as dietary supplements to be administered in low doses.

Pathogenicity of Selected Soil-Borne Fungi for Seedlings of Root Chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. sativum Bisch.)

Pathogenicity of Selected Soil-Borne Fungi for Seedlings of Root Chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. sativum Bisch.) The study involved seedlings of Cichorium intybus var. sativum cv. ‘Polanowicka’ and fungi (Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium irregulare, Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) colonizing the soil environment in the field cultivation of that plant. Pathogenicity tests carried out in a phytotron showed that pre-emergence damping-off of chicory seeds, and thus no germination, was caused mainly by S. sclerotiorum, P. irregulare and A. alternata. The most harmful for the seedlings of root chicory proved to be P. irregulare, A. alternata, R. solani and F. oxysporum, while the least harmful were B. cinerea and F. culmorum. The growth of the affected plants was arrested and well-defined necrotic lesions appeared on their roots.

The effect of olive mill wastewater on seed germination after various pretreatment techniques

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) management has been a major issue of environmental concern for olive oil producing countries. OMW can be a serious nuisance, when disposed of untreated, due to its significantly high organic load, its phytotoxic properties and its relatively low biodegradability. Field and plant irrigation with raw or pretreated OMW is an easy and relatively inexpensive method to treat and dispose of OMW. Typical pretreatment techniques could be comprised of phase separation through a settling basin, dilution with water, aeration to promote biological degradation and pH neutralization. A full factorial experimental design approach was used here to study the main effects and interactions of the above four pretreatment techniques on the germination of tomato and chicory seeds. Results of the study showed that the most statistically significant technique affecting OMW phytotoxicity is water dilution. The next most significant technique was aeration. In particular, phytotoxicity decreased with increased OMW dilution with water, when OMW was aerated and without pH adjustment. pH neutralization resulted in increased phytotoxicity. Settling did not significantly decrease the phytotoxicity of settled OMW and is therefore not considered necessary in an OMW management system in which plant irrigation is the goal. The interaction of aeration and pH was, marginally, the most significant two-way interaction for tomato seeds, while no interactions were significant when chicory seeds were used.

Opto-electronic Sensor System for Laboratory Measurement of Planter Seed Spacing with Small Seeds

An opto-electronic sensor system for measuring seed spacing uniformity with different types of seeds is described in this paper. It consisted of a rectangular photogate block (124×92 mm) with 24 phototransistors (diameter, 3 mm) receiving light beams from 24 light-emitting diodes (diameter, 3 mm) opposite them, a digital input/output board in a personal computer, and power supplies. The opto-electronic system was tested by comparing seed spacing measurements obtained from the opto-electronic system with measurements of the same seed spacings obtained from a grease belt test stand. The tests were conducted with different types of seeds including regular-pelleted (diameter, 3·8–4·5 mm), mini-pelleted (diameter, 3·2–4·0 mm), and medium-encrusted sugarbeet seeds (3·2–3·6 mm in diameter by 1·8–2·6 mm in thickness), and pelleted chicory seeds (diameter, 2·8–3·3 mm). Results showed that the adjusted opto-electronic seed spacings were not significantly different from the same seed spacings measured with the grease belt test stand. The opto-electronic sensor system worked well to obtain 508 seed spacings with regular-pelleted and mini-pelleted sugarbeet seeds and pelleted chicory seeds. The opto-electronic sensor system missed two seeds and detected two “phantom” seeds out of 170 seed spacings with the medium-encrusted sugarbeet seed.

Effect of nitrogen concentration on fructan and fructan metabolizing enzymes in young chicory plants (Cichorium intybus)

Witloof chicory seeds (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum cv. Flash) were sown in acid‐washed vermiculite in a controlled environment growth chamber. Plants received a nitrogen poor (“N‐poor”: 0.2 mM NH4NO3) but otherwise complete medium, or a nitrogen rich (“N‐rich”: 2 mM NH4NO3) medium. After 1 month of growth the fructan concentration in the “N‐poor” plants was about five times higher and also the activity of sucrose:sucrose 1‐fructosyl transferase (1‐SST; EC 2.4.1.99) was twice as high as in “N‐rich” plants. The activities of the catabolic enzymes fructan 1‐exohydrolase (1‐FEH; EC 3.2.1.80) and acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) were higher in the “N‐rich” plants where significant energy was invested in root and leaf growth. After one month of growth, part of the “N‐poor” plants were switched to the “N‐rich” medium. One day after this switch, a sharp decrease in sucrose and glucose concentration was observed in the roots. During the following days, both the activities of 1‐SST and fructan:fructan 1‐fructosyl transferase (1‐FFT; EC 2.4.1.100) decreased and the 1‐FEH and invertase activities increased. These changes were correlated with a decrease in fructan concentration. Ten days after the switch, glucose and sucrose concentrations increased again and fructan synthesis resumed. During this period 1‐SST activity increased and 1‐FEH activity decreased. Apparently 1‐SST, 1‐FFT and 1‐FEH simultaneously control fructan in young chicory roots. The rather unexpected finding that 1‐FEH activity, which was believed to occur only in older material, can be induced in very young roots indicates that this enzyme can be induced at any physiological stage.

Composition of the microflora of witloof chicory seeds

The bacterial microflora of nine varieties of witloof chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var.foliosum Hegi) seeds was studied. The 184 isolates were characterized by protein profiles determined by SDS-protein polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the total cell proteins. Isolates with identical protein profiles were grouped into one fingerprint type. Sixty-seven fingerprint types were distinguished. Two quantitatively major fingerprint types,Erwinia herbicola and an arthrobacter, represented 52% of the total number of isolates and were found on different chicory varieties. The latter organism was inhibited at seed germination. Other isolates, i.e.,Xanthomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas paucimobilis, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Pseudomonas syringae, and a fluorescentPseudomonas, were only occasionally found. A minority were gram-positive isolates, i.e.,Bacillus sp.,Streptomyces sp., and coryneforms. In vitro activity of the isolates was tested against five fungi. Isolates with strong antifungal activity were found amongErwinia herbicola andBacillus sp.