High Tryptophan Content Research Articles

Amino acid content in spring common wheat grain

The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the content of amino acids in wheat grains of the world collection of VIR in the agro-climatic conditions of the Republic of Tatarstan and to search for sources of increased content of essential amino acids for the use of these data in breeding. The study was conducted in 2021-2022 at the experimental base of the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture of the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 15 km away from Kazan, the soil of the experimental site is gray forest. 354 samples of spring wheat were studied. The determination of the content of seventeen amino acids and protein in wheat grain was carried out using the near-infrared spectroscopy method on the DS 2500F device from FOSS. The protein content in the grain has a significant effect on the amount of essential acids. The correlation between the protein content and the amount of essential acids in wheat grain is high in 2021. r = 0.91 ± 0.02 and average in 2022. r = 0.69± 0.04. The highest content of glutamine in wheat grain was noted - up to 2.22 % and proline - up to 1.55 %. The source of high grain content of histidine 0.38- 0.40 %, isoleucine 0.53-0.54 %, lysine 0.61-0.62 %, methionine 0.28-0.30 %, phenylalanine 0.66-0.67 %, threonine 0.52-0.56 % and tyrosine 0.31-0.36 % was the Ranee sample (k-26982). The Panifor sample was a source of high grain content of cysteine 0.58-0.63 %, histidine 0.39 % and threonine 0.51-0.58 %. The Arrino sample (k-65995) is a source of high grain content of leucine 0.82-0.91 %, tyrosine 0.31-0.34 % and valine 0.75-0.78 %. According to the lysine content in protein (grams of amino acid per 100 grams of protein), samples Ranee (k-26982) - 3.63-3.66 and NIL Avocet Yr15 (k-66241) - 2.86-4.52 were isolated. According to the content of methionine in the protein, samples of Uffo (k- 66798) - 1.80-1.8 and Fiorina (k-66034) - 1.70-1.91 were isolated. According to the threonine content, three samples Ranee (k-26982) - 3.04-3.36, Panifor (k-66039) - 3.09-3.20 and Cub (k- 62510) - 3.07-3.20 were distinguished. The source of the high tryptophan content in the protein were samples Ethos (k- 65002) - 2.00-2.27, Tulaykovskaya 108 (k- 65452) - 2.01-2.26 and Ekada 109 (k-66239) - 2.07-2.14.

Fighting the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition Practices to Reduce Eating Disorders and Promote Sustainability

Over the past two years, the world’s population has been tested by the COVID-19 health emergency. This has changed population habits worldwide by encouraging a sedentary lifestyle and overnutrition. Isolation and reduction of social life, for most of the population, was mandatory but it quickly became a new lifestyle. Nowadays, we are encountering the consequences with an increase in nutritional associated disorders and conditions that cause illnesses in the general population. These disorders include diet excesses that lead to obesity and diet deficiencies and malnutrition which could rapidly lead to death. These eating disorders are very complex to manage because they become mental disorders which can negatively impact physical or mental health. This work will disucss the benefits associated with the mindfulness–exercise–nutrition (MEN) technique. From a nutritional point of view it will focus on the nutritional effect of a plant-based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet (MD) which has a high tryptophan content which can increase serotonin (the “feel good” hormone) levels. The MEN technique takes a multidisciplinary approach and aims to integrate healthy behaviors into clinical practice using healthy eating, active living, and mindfulness. This method includes controlled physical movements, stretching techniques such as yoga, and aerobic exercise to achieve optimal mental and physical health. This literature review, carried out using the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, aims to investigate the latest research on this topic. This study may be useful for healthcare professionals and clinicians and may help patients to be more self-aware, encouraging them to lead a healthier lifestyle, make thoughtful choices, and ameliorate their mental health. The final aim of this study is to promote physiological homeostasis and well-being.

On-farm agronomic performance and farmer preference of quality protein maize grown under conservation agriculture in Southern Africa: a case for Zimbabwe

AbstractMaize is the most important staple food crop in southern Africa with human consumption averaging 91 kg/capita/year. Most smallholder farmers and weaning children depend on maize for much of the daily food requirements and it is the largest contributor of dietary proteins. Despite the development of quality protein maize (QPM) with high tryptophan and lysine content, stunting and kwashiorkor remain high in southern Africa partly due to low adoption of QPM varieties. The objective of this study was to compare the agronomic performance and farmer preferences of new generation of QPM with non-QPM varieties under conservation agriculture on-farm conditions. Eight QPM and four non-QPM varieties were tested on on-farm trials in Zimbabwe during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 cropping seasons at five different locations. Significant differences were detected among the genotypes for the measured traits in the two seasons. Similarly, genotype plus genotype × environment interactions were significant for both seasons for grain yield. Three QPM varieties, SC527, SC535 and SC643, recorded the highest and stable yield. Four QPM varieties, SC643, SC535, SC527 and MQ623, and a non-QPM variety, PAN413, were ranked high among farmers for overall ear characteristics as their most preferred varieties. The high-yielding and stable QPM varieties are likely to be adopted by farmers in southern Africa.

Heritability and Associations among Grain Yield and Quality Traits in Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and Non-QPM Hybrids.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the main staple cereal food crop cultivated in southern Africa. Interactions between grain yield and biochemical traits can be useful to plant breeders in making informed decisions on the traits to be considered in breeding programs for high grain yield and enhanced quality. The objectives of this study were to estimate the heritability of grain yield and its related traits, as well as quality traits, and determine the association between quality protein maize (QPM) with non-QPM crosses. Grain yield, and agronomic and quality trait data were obtained from 13 field trials in two countries, for two consecutive seasons. Significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations were recorded for grain yield with protein content (rG = 0.38; rP = 0.25), and tryptophan with oil content (rG = 0.58; rP = 0.25), and negative rG and rP correlations were found for protein with tryptophan content and grain yield with tryptophan content. Path analysis identified ear aspect, ears per plant, and starch as the major traits contributing to grain yield. It is recommended that ear aspect should be considered a key secondary trait in breeding for QPM hybrids. The negative association between grain yield and tryptophan, and between protein and tryptophan, will make it difficult to develop hybrids with high grain yield and high tryptophan content. Hence, it is recommended that gene pyramiding should be considered for these traits.

АМИНОКИСЛОТНЫЙ СОСТАВ БЕЛКА ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ КОНКУРСНОГО СОРТОИСПЫТАНИЯ

The article presents the results of a study of two varieties (Povolzhskaya 86, Povolzhskayaniva) and two promising lines (Erythrospermum 3730, Lutescens 4043) for the content of essential amino acids: lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, valine, leucine, histidine, phenylalanine. The studies were conducted in 2018-2019. The objectives of the study included: assessment of the influence of weather conditions and the genetic potential of varieties and lines on the content of essential amino acids; determination of the amount of essential amino acids in new varieties and promising lines. The amount of essential acids in winter wheat grain is primarily affected by the weather conditions of the growing season and the genetic characteristics of the variety. The content of lysine, tryptophan, valine, leucine, histidine, and phenylalanine was the highest in 2018, characterized by increased precipitation and high temperatures in April, May, and July. The content of trionine, methionine was maximum in 2019 with increased precipitation and reduced temperature. The new variety Povolzhskayaniva had high levels of amino acids leucine, histidine, valine. The promising Erythrospermum 3730 line had the highest content of the amino acids tryptophan and isoleucine. The promising Lutescens 4043 line showed a high content of tryptophan and isoleucine amino acids.

Evaluation candidate of test cross hybrid QPM under ecosystem of Polewali Mandar West Sulawesi

Abtract. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) was specialty maize which is high content of lysine and tryptophan. These are two essential amino acids better nutritional for human body to anticipated of disease (kwashiorkor) on severe among children, and could be corrective use in balancing diets. The experiment on 2018 has been conducted to evaluated of nine candidate test cross hybrid of QPM vs. check Bima 13Q with CRD three replications under lowland in distrit of Polman West Sulawesi. Genetic material were planted in four rows 5.0 m lenght, spacing 75x20 cm, and applied fertilizer Urea, Ponska (300-200) kg/ha. The result shown that two test cross F1 QPM were (MSQ(S1)C0-26-1-1 x MR14Q) and (MSQ(S1)C0-43-1-1-1 x MR13Q) which the best with potential yield 10.66-10.95 t/ha. The LSD shown that there are significant different with check Bima 13Q on yield (wc.15%) and highly 30.0% and 31.6%. The two candidates were founded shelling percentage 77.9% and 79.0%, asi less than five days and could be promising as new variety and continuing in evaluation variety trial (evt) in west Sulawesi.

Identification and effect of ozone and ultrasound pretreatments on Desmodesmussp. and Tetradesmus obliquus proteins

Either ozone or ultrasound pretreatment was applied to identify and evaluate their effect over the protein fraction of Desmodesmussp. and Tetradesmus obliquus biomass cultivated in wastewater. Studies of SDS-PAGE, protein solubility, sulfhydryl and disulphide bond contents, and DSC were performed to evaluate the effect of each pretreatment on abundance, structure, and thermal properties of the protein concentrate obtained.Seven proteins were identified in Desmodesmussp. biomass, while nine proteins were identified in Tetradesmus obliquus. The proteins identified may give a high add-value to microalgae biomass because they can find important applications in agricultural, food, and biomedical areas. On the other hand, the effect of pretreatment on these microalgal proteins mainly depends on protein structure. Desmodesmussp. proteins showed a content of S-S groups an order of magnitude higher than Tetradesmus obliquus. This results in a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) for Desmodesmussp. proteins (249 °C) than for Tetradesmus obliquus proteins (188 °C). On the contrary, the Tetradesmus obliquus native structure proteins tend towards cross-linking and protein-protein aggregation, as their primary structure has a high content of Methionine, Tyrosine, Tryptophan, Histidine, and Phenylalanine. Either ozone or ultrasound pretreatment, induces a Tg reduction in both Tetradesmus obliquus and Desmodesmussp. proteins, however, this reduction is especially remarkable for Desmodesmussp. proteins (drop in Tg of about 80 °C). The results showed that proteins in Desmodesmussp. and Tetradesmus obliquus are highly resistant to pretreatment due to the nature of their biochemical structures which imply an excellent quality for protein valorisation, even after application of highly disruptive pretreatments.

Effects of LED illumination spectra on glucosinolate and sulforaphane accumulation in broccoli seedlings

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are well known for plant defense and human nutrition. In this study, broccoli seedlings were illuminated under different LED light, including white, red, blue, and 75% red + 25% blue (200 mmol·m−2·s−1) for 4 weeks to investigate the effects of LED light on GSLs and sulforaphane biosynthesis. Results showed that red light promoted GSL biosynthesis and sulforaphane accumulation because red light could induce SOT18 expression to advance aliphatic GSLs biosynthesis, whereas the high tryptophan content and the upregulation of CYP79B2, CYP79B3, and CYP83B1 were attributed to indole GSL biosynthesis. Low-level methionine content and downregulated SOT18 were the main factors inhibiting GSLs and sulforaphane accumulation under blue LED illumination. BoHY5 gene expression was induced significantly and the yeast one-hybrid assay demonstrated BoHY5 could bind to SOT18 promoter. Consequently, BoHY5 inhibited SOT18 expression, and played a negative role in the GSL biosynthetic network.

ОЦЕНКА КАЧЕСТВА ЗЕРНА КУКУРУЗЫ С ПОМОЩЬЮ ДНК-МАРКЕРОВ

To evaluate maize lines on the basis of the high content of lysine and tryptophan and waxiness using SSR markers.

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ АМИНОКИСЛОТ В МЫШЦАХ АФРИКАНСКОГО КЛАРИЕВОГО СОМА В МЕЖНЕРЕСТОВЫЙ ПЕРИОД

The meat of the African sharptooth catfish has a variability in indicators of nutritional and biological value, depending on the physiological state of fish. The aim of the study was to compare the nutritional and biological value of african sharptooth catfish meat during the spawning and inter-spawning period. The object of the study is muscle tissue of the african sharptooth catfish at the age of 12 months. The assessment of organoleptic properties and indicators of nutritional and biological value of the muscle tissue of the african sharptooth catfish during the spawning and inter-spawning period was carried out. The organoleptic properties of the african sharptooth catfish during the inter-spawning and spawning periods did not differ significantly. It was found that the criteria for the nutritional value of african sharptooth catfish meat in the inter-spawning period significantly exceed similar indicators during the spawning period. The meat of the african sharptooth catfish in inter-spawning period includes more fat and protein, therefore, is characterized by less water content. The biological value of meat is determined by the content of amino acids in it. During the inter-spawning period, the amount of all amino acids in the meat of African clarias significantly increases. The dominant position of essential amino acids is occupied by lysine and tryptophan. This is of exceptional importance for a living organism. Tryptophan is indispensable in the synthesis of vitamin B3, which has a vasoprotective effect, reduces cholesterol and provides prevention of hypoxia of cells and tissues. Lysine is a source of carnitine, stimulates mitosis, provides prophylaxis of osteoporosis, and stimulates bone regeneration. According to research, lysine can prevent the development and ease the course of Alzheimer’s disease. Eating foods with high levels of tryptophan and lysine ultimately improves the quality of life. The high content of lysine and tryptophan makes it possible to attribute african sharptooth meat to an indispensable component of children’s and sports nutrition.

Standardizing the Hydrogel Application Rates and Foliar Nutrition for Enhancing Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris)

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is an important winter season annual legume crop known for its highly valued seed in human and animal nutrition owing to its high lysine and tryptophan content. Shortage of water during the crop growth period has become the major impediment for cultivation of pulses in rice fallow in particular. Under such conditions, the application of hydrogel can be a potential alternative to improve photosynthetic efficiency, assimilate partitioning, and increase growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted from November to February during 2015–16 to 2017–18 on clay loam soil that was medium in fertility and acidic in reaction (pH 5.4) at Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. There were three hydrogel levels in total in the main plot and foliar nutrition with five different nutrient sprays in sub-plots, together comprising 15 treatment combinations. The data pooled over three years, 2015–2018, revealed that application of hydrogel at 5 kg/ha before sowing recorded a significantly greater number of pods per plant (38.0) and seed yield (1032.1 kg/ha) over the control. Foliar application of nutrients over flower initiation and pod development had a positive effect on increasing the number of pods per plant eventually enhanced the seed yield of lentil. Foliar application of either 0.5% NPK or salicylic acid 75 ppm spray at flower initiation and pod development stages recorded significantly more pods per plant over other nutrient treatments. Further, the yield attributed improved because of elevated growth in plant. Significantly maximum seed yield (956 kg/ha) recorded in the NPK spray of 0.5% remained on par with salicylic acid 75 ppm (939 kg/ha) over the rest of the treatments.

Statistical test for interaction of G x E on QPM grain yellow for hybrid candidate under lowland in Indonesia

The use of the statistical test has been demonstrated to assess the interaction of single crosses QPM maize genotypes (G) under five different environments (E). The statistical pooled model used in this study i.e. yi= μ+τ+α+ε and (2) yij=μ+τ/Λ+α+(αxΛ)+ε, (effect of mean, replication within the location, entry, interaction gxe, error). The parental material was introduced from CIMMYT Maize Lines (CML) and the yellow grain tester was modified by MR14x CML164 backcrosses programs until BC3F3. The testing environment (ei, i=1,2,3, 4,5) were lowland zone in (e1) Maros experimental Farm, (e2) Bajeng, (e3) Bontobili, (e4) Sidondo and (e5) Polman farmers field. Experiments were conducted by a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first variables were analyzed separately in each ei (i:1,2,3,4,5) and followed by pooled analysis by gj (j:1,2,3, . , 10). There were ten variables observed, the grain yield was observed in water content (wc) of 15%. The spacing used was 75x20cm one plant per space, the fertilizer applied were urea-ponska (200-150 kg/ha), weeding and irrigated was regularly conducted for maximum plant growth. The experiments were conducted on the rainy season in 2018. The statistical test showed that there is a significant difference of genotypes under five environments, interaction gxe, and cv: 10.69%, test by LSD (least significant difference) found that two candidates single cross (1)CML161-2-1-4-2xMR14Q and (2)CML165-3-1-2-4xMR14Q were high yielded and significantly different with two check variety MSQ.C0xMR14Q and Bima 13Q. These two single crosses could be promising as new QPM hybrids with yield potential 9.0-10.0 t/ha. The ear position is on the middle of the plant, shelling 75.2-77.8%, flowering 55 days and plant aspect scored one. QPM (Quality Protein Maize/Maize) is defined as speciality maize which has a high content of lysine and tryptophan. These are two essential amino acids that have important nutritional values for the human body to anticipate the disease among children and could be supplemented for human diets.

Diallel Analysis of Maize Inbreds for Grain Yield, Protein and Tryptophan Content

ADOPTION of quality protein maize in Egyptian maize breeding programs would maximize the nutritional value of maize products. However, the assessment of adaptability of exotic quality protein maize germplasms is an important step before incorporating them in breeding programs. The current studies consisted of two experiments including a preliminary evaluation of some exotic quality protein maize inbreds and combine eight adapted elite inbreds into a half-diallel cross. The current study revealed that CML158 exhibited the highest significant general combining ability effect with an average grain yield/plant of 53.0g. While CML492 contained the highest percentages of both protein (14.5%) and tryptophan (1.02%) with the highest values of general combining ability effects. Based on specific combining ability, the best parental combination for grain yield/plant was CML182×CML184, which yielded 239g and exceeded the average grain yield/plant of all hybrids (201.5g). It seems that CML143 possesses favorable alleles for increasing the percentage of protein (CML143×CML557) and tryptophan (CML158×CML491 and CML143×CML182) because it was a common parent in the best parental combinations for both traits. Mid-parent heterosis % varied from trait to trait; however, the highest amount of heterosis was detected in grain yield/plant due to its polygenic state. In conclusion, superior hybrids in yield and quality were detected. These hybrids need further evaluations across years and locations to assess stability. These hybrids can be considered as a cheap and sustainable source of high protein and tryptophan content for human consumption, which might play a magnificent role in food security in Egypt.

Combining three grain mutants for improved‐quality sweet corn

AbstractOur goal was to improve sweet corn (Zea mays L.) by the novel approach of combining three grain mutants in one plant, shrunken‐2 (sh2sh2), purple (Pr1Pr1C1C1), and opaque‐2 (o2o2), for increased sugar, anthocyanin, and tryptophan content, respectively. We crossed purple opaque‐2 waxy maize with sweet corn inbred lines. In the segregating selfed progenies, the opaque‐2 gene was detected by the genetic marker phi057, the two other genes by the visual markers purple and shrunken. The purple opaque‐2 sweet corn performed well in field tests; it had high total sugar content as required for sweet corn, improved protein quality indicated by 30% higher tryptophan content, and a 10‐fold higher anthocyanin content than yellow kernel maize. This new sweet corn germplasm is a first step toward developing specialty maize with increased health benefits.

Вплив породи дюрок на якість м’яса свиней різних генотипів

Studies on the main indicators of the chemical composition and physical properties of the longest muscle of the back of pigs of various genotypes were carried out. The indicators of the chemical composition and physical properties of muskulus longissimus dorsi in the laboratories of the Kharkiv State Zooveterinary Academy by generally accepted methods were determined. Materials of experimental studies were processed using methods of variation statistics. According to the indicators of the amount of moisture and protein in the longest muscle of the back, a tendency to decrease them in crossbreeds, and an increase in the of the Duroc breed from ½ to ¾ contributed to a decrease in the relative amount of moisture by 0.7%, protein - by 0.1% has been established. At the same time, crossbreeding compared with pure breed large white breeds contributed to an increase in intramuscular fat by 0.35% (½D) ... 0.36% (¾D) at P> 0.95. According to the content of tryptophan and oxyproline in the muscle of pigs of various genotypes, no significant difference was found. At the same time, crossbreeds, in comparison with pure-breed peers of a large white breed were characterized by a higher tryptophan content and an increase in the amount of tryptophan is directly proportional to an increase in the “blood share” in the Duroc breed. The same trend in the context of genotypes in the amount of oxyproline was observed. The moisture-holding ability of meat of animals of different genotypes is almost at the same level - 67.2 (LW) ... 67.9% (½K + ½ D). The increase in the “blood share” in the Duroc breed from ½ to ¾ as compared to the purebred peers of the large white breed did not affect the size of the total wet spot, nor did the animal genotype affect the area of the meat spot and wet spot. The pH value is an indicator of the maturity stage of the meat and its safety. A tendency to increase the pH value of the longest back muscle in animals with a share of blood of the Duroc breed when compared with large white breed has been established. In animals with a “blood share” of the Duroc ½ and ¾ breed, the pH value increases compared to the large white breed by 0.07 (1.3%) ... 0.05 (0.9%).

Marker-Assisted Selection to Pyramid the Opaque-2 (O2) and β-Carotene (crtRB1) Genes in Maize.

Maize is an excellent nutritional source and is consumed as a staple food in different parts of the world, including India. Developing a maize genotype with a combination of higher lysine and tryptophan, along with β-carotene, can help alleviate the problem of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This study is aimed at improving lysine and tryptophan content by transferring opaque-2 (o2) gene from donor HKI163 to β-carotene-rich inbred lines viz., UMI1200β+ and UMI1230β+. For this purpose, F1, BC1F1, BC2F1, BC2F2, and BC2F3 plants were developed using an o2 line HKI163 and two β-carotene-rich inbred lines, UMI1200β+ and UMI1230β+, as the parents. Foreground selection using the associated marker umc1066 for the o2 gene and the marker crtRB1 3′TE for the crtRB1 gene was used to select the target genes. A total of 236 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers distributed evenly across the maize genome were employed for the background selection. To fix the crtRB1 allele in the BC1F1 stage, individual plants homozygous at the crtRB1 locus and heterozygous at the o2 locus were selected and used for backcrossing to produce BC2F1 plants. Furthermore, the selected heterozygous BC2F1 plants from both crosses were selfed to obtain the BC2F2 plants, which were then selected for the target gene and selfed to generate the BC2F3 lines. From each cross, five improved lines with homozygous marker alleles for the crtRB1 and o2 genes with a recurrent parent genome (RPG) recovery ranging from 86.75 to 91.21% in UMI1200β+×HKI163 and 80.00 to 90.08% in UMI1230β+×HKI163 were identified. The improved lines had good agronomic performance and possessed high lysine (0.294–0.332%), tryptophan (0.073–0.081%), and β-carotene (6.12–7.38 µg/g) content. These improved lines can be used as genetic resources for maize improvement.

The distinctive characteristics of the nutrient composition of reindeer meat from the Vorkuta district determined by the conditions of the region of origin

Reindeer meat is an important source of crucial nutrients (protein, fat, minerals) in nutrition of Arctic indigenous people. The authentic meat properties are formed under the influence of many factors, the main of which are the lifetime factors including the region of production and peculiarities of keeping. The regional peculiarities of the reindeer meat composition are quite poorly reflected in the reference books on the chemical composition of food products and in the scientific publications. The aim of the work was to evaluate nutritional value, the level of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and trace elements of reindeer meat from the Vorkuta district. Material and methods. The objects of the research were the samples of reindeer meat (m. longissimus dorsi) from the Vorkuta district obtained from the highly productive semi-domesticated young reindeers of the Nenets breed. The samples were taken from free-ranging male animals at the age of 8-10 month. The amino acid composition was analyzed by the chromatographic method, the mass fraction of tryptophan by the spectrofluorometrically method, oxyproline by the spectrophotometric method. The content of minerals and trace elements was detected by the flame atomic absorption method. The lipid extraction from the average sample was carried out by the extraction with chloroform/ methanol by the Folch method, the purity of the extracted lipids was controlled by the method of thin layer chromatography. The fatty acid composition was determined the gas chromatographic method. Results and discussions. The indicators of the chemical composition of reindeer meat from the Vorkuta district were established. The content of protein was 23.0%, the content of fat 1.2%. The high content of tryptophan (0.628 g/100 g of the product) was characteristic for this prodact. The ratio of tryptophan to oxyproline was 11.8, which exceeded the values in pork and chicken. The low level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (17.8% of total lipids), in particular linoleic acid (6.9%), was assigned to the special features of the composition of meat under investigation. With that, quite high content of saturated fatty acids (48.6% of total lipids) was observed, which explained increased meat stability to oxidative spoilage during long-term storage and processing. The content of calcium in the reindeer meat from the Vorkuta district was 72.25 mg/kg, potassium - 33.3 g/kg, magnesium - 310.25 mg/kg, iron - 55.54 mg/kg, zinc - 41.89 mg/kg, copper - 4.0 mg/kg. The level of iron, magnesium and copper in this type of meat was significantly higher than the data on reindeer meat presented in the reference literature. Conclusion. The obtained data on the chemical composition of reindeer meat from the Vorkuta district can be a basis for the development of the indicators of its authenticity and in the future can be used for identification in case of the need to confirm species and a region of origin of meat, as well as for solving tasks of formation and promotion of regional brands.

Physico-chemical characterization and transcriptome analysis of 5-methyltryptophan resistant lines in rice

Mutation breeding has brought significant contributions to the development of high value crops. It steered the first studies to generate plants with desired mutations of genes encoding key enzymes involved in important metabolic pathways. Molecular characterization of 5-methyl tryptophan (5-MT) resistant plants has revealed different base changes in alpha unit of anthranilate synthase (OsASA) gene that can lead to insensitivity to feedback inhibition of anthranilate synthase. The objective of this study was to perform in silico analysis of microarray data from five progressing time points during grain filling of rice. Results showed various differentially expressed genes. Enrichment of these genes revealed their roles in amino acid transportation during grain filling. Surprisingly, among all DEGs, only LOC_Os06g42560, a tryptophan synthase beta chain, was found to be directly related to tryptophan biosynthesis. It might affect amino acid content during grain filling. For physico-chemical analysis, different grain and eating qualities parameters were measured using mutant rice lines. Evaluation results showed that 5MT resistant-lines (5MT R-lines) showed approximately 60% chalkiness after milling although it had 20 times higher tryptophan content measured in μg/100 mg seeds. Taste quality of these 5MT R-lines in general was not affected significantly. However, other parameters such as peak time of viscosity and gelatinization temperature showed different results compared to the wildtype. Mutant lines generated in this study are important resources for high tryptophan content, although they have lower grain quality than the wildtype. They might be useful for developing new high nutrient rice varieties.

Overexpressing broccoli tryptophan biosynthetic genes BoTSB1 and BoTSB2 promotes biosynthesis of IAA and indole glucosinolates.

Tryptophan is one of the amino acids that cannot be produced in humans and has to be acquired primarily from plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), the tryptophan synthase beta subunit (TSB) genes have been found to catalyze the biosynthesis of tryptophan. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of two TSB genes from Brassica oleracea (broccoli), designated BoTSB1 and BoTSB2. Overexpressing BoTSB1 or BoTSB2 in Arabidopsis resulted in higher tryptophan content and the accumulation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole glucosinolates in rosette leaves. Therefore, the transgenic plants showed a series of high auxin phenotypes, including long hypocotyls, large plants and a high number of lateral roots. The spatial expression of BoTSB1 and BoTSB2 was detected by quantitative real-time PCR in broccoli and by expressing the β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) controlled by the promoters of the two genes in Arabidopsis. BoTSB1 was abundantly expressed in vascular tissue of shoots and inflorescences. Compared to BoTSB1, BoTSB2 was expressed at a very low level in shoots but at a higher level in roots. We further investigated the expression response of the two genes to several hormone and stress treatments. Both genes were induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), gibberellic acid (GA), Flg22 (a conserved 22-amino acid peptide derived from bacterial flagellin), wounding, low temperature and NaCl and were repressed by IAA. Our study enhances the understanding of tryptophan biosynthesis and its regulation in broccoli and Arabidopsis. In addition, we provide evidence that TSB genes can potentially be a good tool to breed plants with high biomass and high nutrition.

The influence of plant-based nutrition and level of oestrogen on life satisfaction

Previous studies have shown that people benefit more from vegetarian or vegan diets than from an omnivorous diet, not only in physical but also in mental health. Studies have also reported substantial evidence that particular disorders can be triggered by preferred food choices. For example, consumption of animal products increases the intake of arachidonic acid which can induce depressive moods. On the other hand, nutrition can have positive effects, e.g. polyunsaturated N-3 fatty acids have several somatic health benefits not only on cardiovascular diseases, but also on depression. Similarly, a diet with a high content of tryptophan (a serotonin predecessor) can change mood by altering the synthesis of different neurotransmitters. In this pilot study, (i) omnivores (n=45), (ii) vegetarians (n=13) and (iii) vegans (n=7) were compared for their levels of satisfaction in everyday life, as measured on the Oxford Happiness Scale. The effect of oestrogen was analysed as a confounding variable. Between the three styles of nutrition, only small differences were found. All groups achieved an average of more than 4 points on a 6-stage Likert-scale (1=not happy, 6 = very happy), which lies in the range of moderately happy. The mean score of all three groups was 4.30 ±0.84. The difference between the omnivore, (4.23 ±0.69) and the vegetarian groups, (4.29 ±1.24) was very small, but the vegan group achieved a score well above 5, (5.20 ±0.17). In an ANCOVA, the effect of nutrition style on happiness was close to being significant, [p=0.066]. In addition, estimated oestrogen level had significant effects on satisfaction in everyday life, [p=0.047]. Conclusion: Further research on a larger sample is justified to determine if life satisfaction is influenced by nutrition style when controlled for oestrogen levels.