Lentil Research Articles

Effects of Salicylic Acid Seed Priming on Germination of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Exposed to Salt Stress

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is an essential crop globally, particularly in Türkiye, West Asia, Southern Europe, India, and Africa. Lentil is a valuable food source, rich in proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. However, lentil production faces challenges due to salinity stress, which hampers water uptake and causes toxic effects on plants. The study aimed to investigate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) seed priming and varying salt (NaCl) concentrations on the germination and development of lentil seeds. The research was conducted in the Field Crops Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Dicle, Faculty of Agriculture, Türkiye. In the research, control, two salt (NaCl), four salicylic acid (SA) doses and their combinations were used on Lens culinaris variety called İlke. Germination percentage, energy, rate index, mean germination time, peak value, and vigor index were calculated. The results demonstrated that SA had a significant impact on improving lentil germination under salt stress conditions. Specifically, lower concentrations of NaCl combined with SA showed positive effects on germination and growth parameters compared to higher NaCl concentrations. The highest germination percentage, energy, and rate index values were in the control and 0.25 SA dose treatment. Salicylic acid doses under 50 NaCl concentration exhibited higher germination percentage, energy, and rate index values than under 100 NaCl. Increasing SA and salt doses negatively affected lentil seed germination. This finding is significant for lentil cultivation in salt-affected areas, offering a potential strategy to improve crop resilience and yield in challenging environmental conditions.

Understanding genome structure facilitates the use of wild lentil germplasm for breeding: A case study with shattering loci.

Plant breeders are generally reluctant to cross elite crop cultivars with their wild relatives to introgress novel desirable traits due to associated negative traits such as pod shattering. This results in a genetic bottleneck that could be reduced through better understanding of the genomic locations of the gene(s) controlling this trait. We integrated information on parental genomes, pod shattering data from multiple environments, and high-density genetic linkage maps to identify pod shattering quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in three lentil interspecific recombinant inbred line populations. The broad-sense heritability on a multi-environment basis varied from 0.46 (in LR-70, Lens culinaris × Lens odemensis) to 0.77 (in LR-68, Lens orientalis × L. culinaris). Genetic linkage maps of the interspecific populations revealed reciprocal translocations of chromosomal segments that differed among the populations, and which were associated with reduced recombination. LR-68 had a 2-5 translocation, LR-70 had 1-5, 2-6, and 2-7 translocations, and LR-86 had a 2-7 translocation in one parent relative to the other. Segregation distortion was also observed for clusters of single nucleotide polymorphisms on multiple chromosomes per population, further affecting introgression. Two major QTL, on chromosomes 4 and 7, were repeatedly detected in the three populations and contain several candidate genes. These findings will be of significant value for lentil breeders to strategically access novel superior alleles while minimizing the genetic impact of pod shattering from wild parents.

Prevalence, diversity and applications potential of nodules endophytic bacteria: a systematic review.

Legumes are renowned for their distinctive biological characteristic of forming symbiotic associations with soil bacteria, mostly belonging to the Rhizobiaceae familiy, leading to the establishment of symbiotic root nodules. Within these nodules, rhizobia play a pivotal role in converting atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-assimilable form. However, it has been discerned that root nodules of legumes are not exclusively inhabited by rhizobia; non-rhizobial endophytic bacteria also reside within them, yet their functions remain incompletely elucidated. This comprehensive review synthesizes available data, revealing that Bacillus and Pseudomonas are the most prevalent genera of nodule endophytic bacteria, succeeded by Paenibacillus, Enterobacter, Pantoea, Agrobacterium, and Microbacterium. To date, the bibliographic data available show that Glycine max followed by Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulgaris and Lens culinaris are the main hosts for nodule endophytic bacteria. Clustering analysis consistently supports the prevalence of Bacillus and Pseudomonas as the most abundant nodule endophytic bacteria, alongside Paenibacillus, Agrobacterium, and Enterobacter. Although non-rhizobial populations within nodules do not induce nodule formation, their presence is associated with various plant growth-promoting properties (PGPs). These properties are known to mediate important mechanisms such as phytostimulation, biofertilization, biocontrol, and stress tolerance, emphasizing the multifaceted roles of nodule endophytes. Importantly, interactions between non-rhizobia and rhizobia within nodules may exert influence on their leguminous host plants. This is particularly shown by co-inoculation of legumes with both types of bacteria, in which synergistic effects on plant growth, yield, and nodulation are often measured. Moreover these effects are pronounced under both stress and non-stress conditions, surpassing the impact of single inoculations with rhizobia alone.

Preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion classification in hepatocellular carcinoma based on clinical features and MRI parameters.

Microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a critical pathological factor and the degree of MVI influences treatment decisions and patient prognosis. The present study aimed to predict the MVI classification based on preoperative MRI features and clinical parameters. The present retrospective cohort study included 150 patients (training cohort, n=108; validation cohort, n=42) with pathologically confirmed HCC. Clinical and imaging characteristics data were collected from Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital (Dongying, China). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association of clinical variables and MRI parameters with MVI (grade M1 and M2) and the M2 classification. Nomograms were developed based on the predictive factors of MVI and the M2 classification. The discrimination capability, calibration and clinical usefulness of the nomograms were evaluated. Multivariate analysis revealed an association between the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of α-fetoprotein, protein induced by vitamin K absence-II and tumor margin and MVI-positive status, while peritumoral enhancement and tumor size were demonstrated to be marginal predictors, but were also included in the nomogram. However, among MVI-positive patients, only peritumoral hypointensity and tumor size were demonstrated to be risk factors for the M2 classification. The nomograms, incorporating these variables, exhibited a strong ability to discriminate between MVI-positive and MVI-negative patients with HCC in both the training and validation cohort [area under the curve (AUC), 0.877 and 0.914, respectively] and good performance in predicting the M2 classification in the training and validation cohorts (AUC, 0.720 and 0.782, respectively). Nomograms incorporating clinical parameters and preoperative MRI features demonstrated promising potential as straightforward and effective tools for predicting MVI and the M2 classification in patients with HCC. Such predictive tools could aid in the judicious selection of optimal clinical treatments.

Integrated Application of Silicic and Humic Acid Seed Priming for Enhanced Germination and Yield of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.)

Background: Lentil is second most important nutritionally dense pulse crop of India due to its ability to fix nitrogen, helps to maintain soil fertility and increase yield of other crops grown in rotations. Seed priming is a good innovative technology for improvement of emergence and plant stand under various stress conditions and also could enhance various defense mechanisms in seeds against biotic and abiotic stresses. The present study aimed to examine the effect of seed priming with silicic acid (3 mM @18 hr), humic acid (600 ppm @18 hr) and combination of humic and silicic acid (100 ppm + 1 mM @ 16 hr), that may reduce harmful effect of stress at seedling stage and improve early seedling vigor. Methods: In this field-laboratory investigation during 2022-2023, seed quality and yield quality attributing parameters i.e. germination percentage, seed vigor index-I and II, total chlorophyll, emergence percentage, final plant stand, final plant stand emergence, plant height, secondary branches, tertiary branches, number of pod per plant, average number of pod per plant, pod cluster, seed yield per plot and yield per plot were recorded in both laboratory and field conditions. Result: The results demonstrated a positive effect of seed priming on seed quality parameters against the stress. The highest seed quality and yield quality attributing parameter was recorded in treatment (T5) combination of humic and silicic acid as compare to control. The chemical priming with combination of humic and silicic acid was found to be most effective treatment to enhance plant stand establishment against stress.

Dynamics of lentil (Lens culinaris) production and trade: Global scenario and Indian interdependence

Increasing pulse production is one of the national priorities for food and nutritional security of India. In this context, incremental changes in pulse production can play a pivotal role. During 2003–2022, for example, the area under lentil (Lens culinaris L.) registered a decline (2.08%), however; productivity improvement (41.26%) led to the enhancement in its production (by 37%) in the country. This study portrays the temporal trend and patterns of lentil production growth during the period 2003–2022. A substantial growth in imports of lentil from 63.97 thousand tonnes in Triennium estimate (TE) 2003 to 814.20 thousand tonnes in TE 2022 was registered in India. Moreover, the share of lentil imports to total lentil production increased from 6.94% in TE 2002 to 63.24% in TE 2022. Lentil imports exhibited a high annual growth rate (15.83%) and high instability during the overall study period (2003–2022), which was higher than the annual growth rate of imports of overall pulses during the same period. Approximately 0.65 million tonnes of lentils were imported in the year 2022, to meet domestic consumption demands. Canada and Australia accounted for 61% and 36% of the total lentil imports to India in year 2022, while Bangladesh (49.61%) followed by UAE (21.74%) and Nepal (18.33%) were the major export destinations of the total lentil export (2022). The gap between production and consumption, coupled with the changing trade regulations and consumer preferences, contributed to the observed instability in lentil trade in India over the past two decades. Concerted efforts in intensifying the technology transfer, capacity building and convergence of resources among the stakeholders can impact the productivity of lentils, thereby developing strategies for optimizing its import and export dynamics.

Peptide Inhibitors of Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) Bioavailability in Legumes Subjected to Hydrothermal Treatment

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides derived from five legumes (Vigna unguiculata, Cicer arietinum, Lens culinaris, Vicia faba, and Phaseolus vulgaris) after undergoing a hydrothermal treatment. The seeds were divided into two groups: one was subjected to drying and grinding, and the other one to cooking for 2 hours (100 °C), followed by drying and grinding. The flours obtained from the different processes were subjected to digestion with pepsin-pancreatin, and the resulting peptides were evaluated for their ACE inhibitory activity. The obtained results were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey's test. The group consisting of the treatments V. unguiculata (82.63%), V. unguiculata cooked (96.41%), and C. arietinum (80.84%) showed the highest percentages of ACE inhibition, while the group comprising V. faba (6.0%), cooked L. culinaris (3.03%), and P. vulgaris (4.0%) exhibited the lowest inhibition percentages. These results demonstrate that V. unguiculata, V. faba, and C. arietinum can undergo hydrothermal treatment while still retaining their bioactive potential, ensuring a cooked flour, ready for formulating a multifunctional food.

Diagnostic and prognostic performances of GALAD score in staging and 1-year mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective study

BACKGROUND The GALAD score has improved early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detection rate. The role of the GALAD score in staging and predicting tumor characteristics or clinical outcome of HCC remains of particular interest. AIM To determine the diagnostic/prognostic performances of the GALAD score at various phases of initial diagnosis, tumor features, and 1-year mortality of HCC and compare the performance of the GALAD score with those of other serum biomarkers. METHODS This prospective, diagnostic/prognostic study was conducted among patients with newly diagnosed HCC at the liver center of Vajira Hospital. Eligible patients had HCC staging allocation using the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) categorization. Demographics, HCC etiology, and HCC features were recorded. Biomarkers and the GALAD score were obtained at baseline. The performance of the GALAD score and biomarkers were prospectively assessed. RESULTS Exactly 115 individuals were diagnosed with HCC. The GALAD score increased with disease severity. Between BCLC-0/A and BCLC-B/C/D, the GALAD score predicted HCC staging with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.868 (95%CI: 0.80–0.93). For identifying the curative HCC, the AUC of GALAD score was significantly higher than that of Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (0.753) and Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP-L3 (0.706), and as good as that of Protein induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) (0.897). For detecting aggressive features, the GALAD score gave an AUC of 0.839 (95%CI: 0.75–0.92) and significantly outperformed compared to that of AFP (0.761) and AFP-L3 (0.697), with a trend of superiority to that of PIVKA-II (0.772). The performance to predict 1-year mortality of GALAD score (AUC: 0.711, 95%CI: 0.60–0.82) was better than that of AFP (0.541) and as good as that of PIVKA-II (0.736). The optimal cutoff value of GALAD score was ≥ 6.83, with a specificity of 72.63% for exhibiting substantial reduction in the 1-year mortality. CONCLUSION The GALAD model can diagnose HCC at the curative stage, including the characteristic of advanced disease, more than that by AFP and AFP-L3, but not PIVKA-II. The GALAD score can be used to predict the 1-year mortality of HCC.

Genome wide identification and expression profiling of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters gene family in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) under aluminium stress condition

Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) are involved in regulating plant growth, development and tolerance to environmental stresses. In this study, a total of 138 ABC transporter genes were identified in the lentil genome that were classified into eight subfamilies. Four lentil ABC transporters from subfamily B and I were clustered together with the previously characterized ABC transporter proteins related to aluminium (Al) detoxification. Lentil ABC transporter genes were distributed across the chromosomes. Tandem duplication was the main driving force for expansion of the ABC gene family. Collinearity of lentil with soybean indicated that ABC gene family is closely linked to Glycine max. ABC genes in the same subfamily showed similar gene structure and conserved motifs. The ABC promoter regions harboured a large number of plant hormones and multiple stress responsive cis-regulatory elements. The qRT-PCR showed that ABC genes had varied expression in roots of lentil at different time points under Al stress. This is the first report on genome wide identification and expression analyses of genes encoding ABC transporter genes in lentil which has provided in-depth insight for future research on evolution and elucidation of molecular mechanisms for aluminium tolerance.

GALAD score as a prognostic model for recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after local ablation

BackgroundCurrently, the high recurrence rate still forms severe challenges in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. The GALAD score, including age, gender, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) was developed as a diagnostic model. However, evidence is still lacking to confirm the capability of the GALAD score to predict the recurrence of HCC.MethodsThis study included 390 HCC patients after local ablation at Beijing You'an Hospital from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022. Firstly, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the predictive capability of the GALAD score. Then, the Kaplan–Meier (KM) curve and log-rank test were used to compare the prognosis between two groups classified by GALAD score. Finally, a nomogram for high-risk patients was established by Lasso-Cox regression. It was assessed by ROC curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsThe ROC curve (AUC: 0.749) and KM curve showed the GALAD score had good predictive ability and could clearly stratify patients into two groups through the risk of recurrence. Prognostic factors selected by Lasso-Cox regression contained tumor number, tumor size, and globulin. The nomogram for high-risk patients showed reliable discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.ConclusionThis research displayed that the GALAD score is an effective model for predicting the recurrence of HCC. Meanwhile, we found the poor prognosis of the high-risk group and created a nomogram for these patients.

Identification of novel genes associated with herbicide tolerance in Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medik.)

Weeds pose a major constraint in lentil cultivation, leading to decrease farmers’ revenues by reducing the yield and increasing the management costs. The development of herbicide tolerant cultivars is essential to increase lentil yield. Even though herbicide tolerant lines have been identified in lentils, breeding efforts are still limited and lack proper validation. Marker assisted selection (MAS) can increase selection accuracy at early generations. Total 292 lentil accessions were evaluated under different dosages of two herbicides, metribuzin and imazethapyr, during two seasons at Marchouch, Morocco and Terbol, Lebanon. Highly significant differences among accessions were observed for days to flowering (DF) and maturity (DM), plant height (PH), biological yield (BY), seed yield (SY), number of pods per plant (NP), as well as the reduction indices (RI) for PH, BY, SY and NP. A total of 10,271 SNPs markers uniformly distributed along the lentil genome were assayed using Multispecies Pulse SNP chip developed at Agriculture Victoria, Melbourne. Meta-GWAS analysis was used to detect marker-trait associations, which detected 125 SNPs markers associated with different traits and clustered in 85 unique quantitative trait loci. These findings provide valuable insights for initiating MAS programs aiming to enhance herbicide tolerance in lentil crop.

A Review of the Health Benefits of Processed Lentils (Lens culinaris L.)

ABSTRACTLentil (Lens culinaris L.) is a versatile and nutrient‐dense food legume crop with demonstrated health benefits. As people are trying to minimize health‐related issues through healthy eating, lentils are gaining more popularity. Several processing methods, including heating, germination, fermentation, and extrusion, are frequently utilized to prepare this extensively consumed legume, transforming it into delicious and nutritious dishes while also optimizing its medicinal attributes. However, both in vitro and in vivo studies using the processed lentils effectively demonstrated their functional benefits including cardioprotective, antidiabetic, anti‐inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic activities. These facts make a strong case that consuming processed lentils can lower the likelihood of developing noncommunicable chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and so on. The conservation of bioactive substances including phenolic compounds and flavonoids is key to the processed lentils' beneficial health effects. These bioactive compounds have an impact on human physiology, neutralizing the excess free radicals or oxidants from damaging cell, which leads to improved health and well‐being. In this article, we reviewed and summarized the results from studies on processed lentils that have an impact on human health. By combining available studies, this review article provides an up‐to‐date and well‐informed viewpoint on improving health through dietary interventions, specifically looking at processed lentils and their potential to systematically lower disease risk and obtain health benefits.

Diagnostic accuracy of serological and imaging tests used in surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma in adults with cirrhosis: a systematic review protocol.

Liver cirrhosis is the largest risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and surveillance is therefore recommended among this population. Current guidance recommends surveillance with ultrasound, with or without alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). This review is part of a larger project looking at benefits, harms and costs of surveillance for HCC in people with cirrhosis. It aims to synthesise the evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of imaging or biomarker tests, alone or in combination, to identify HCC in adults with liver cirrhosis in a surveillance programme. We will identify studies through a 2021 Cochrane review with similar eligibility criteria, and a database search of MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We will include diagnostic test accuracy studies with adult cirrhosis patients of any aetiology. Studies must assess at least one of the following index tests: ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerised tomography (CT), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), a genomic biomarker, or a diagnostic prediction model incorporating at least one of the above-mentioned tests. We will assess studies for risk of bias using QUADAS-2 and QUADAS-C. We will combine data using bivariate random effects meta-analyses. For tests evaluated across varying diagnostic thresholds, we will produce pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity across the full range of numerical thresholds, where possible. Where sufficient studies compare two or more index tests, we will perform additional analyses to compare the accuracy of different tests. Where feasible, we will stratify all meta-analyses by tumour size and patient characteristics, including cirrhosis aetiology and liver disease severity. This review will synthesise evidence across the full range of possible surveillance tests, using advanced statistical methods to summarise accuracy across all thresholds and to compare the accuracy of different tests. CRD42022357163.

Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Antioxidant Properties of Two Iranian Lentil Cultivars: A Comparative Study of Cooking and Germination Effects

Background: Lentils are one of the most important rainfed legumes in the world. They are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. Methods: Proximate composition (moisture, total ash, total fat, protein, fiber, and carbohydrate), mineral content, antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50), and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were determined in the raw, germinated, and cooked samples of two cultivars of Iranian lentils. Results: Cooking and germination showed a significant effect on TPC, antioxidant activity, and minerals. The highest amount of phenolic compounds was obtained in raw black lentil, followed by raw green and germinated lentils. The black cultivar showed a higher quantity of K, Cu, Ca, and Zn and treatments decreased the concentrations of mineral elements in the investigated samples. Moreover, losses of the minerals in the cooked samples were higher than the germinated ones. Conclusions: Cooking and germination brought about a significant reduction in the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. Meaningful reductions were also recognized in the mineral content during cooking and germination.

Comparative effect of Callosobruchus maculatus (Pest) on different pulses

Experiments were undertaken in room circumstances on variety of pulses to investigate the seed damage and weight loss caused by pulse beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. The pulses selected for the study of comparative effect of Callosobruchus maculatus were chick pea (desi chana) “Cicer arietinum”, golden gram (moong daal) “Vigna radiata”, field pea (matar) “Pisum sativum”, Lentil (Masur) “Lens culinaris” and Kabuli chana (Chola) “Cicer arietinum”. The selected five variety of pulses are infested with pulse beetles and kept the pulse boxes for forty-five days without disturbing the pulses.

Growth, Export Performance and Trade Competitiveness of Lentil (Lens culinaris) From Nepal

The lentil (Lens culinaris) sector in Nepal has realized as an export potential commodity but lacks adequate trade related research and development. To study the growth, export performance and trade competitiveness of Nepalese lentil, secondary data pertaining for the period of 30 years (1990–2019 A.D.) were analyzed classifying as pre and post WTO period for Nepal. Compound annual growth rate (CAGR), Cuddy-Delle Velle instability index, export performance ratio, reveled comparative advantage (RCA), trade specialization and Herfindahl-Hirschman index were analyzed. The trend analysis showed highly fluctuation with the growth rate of 40.31 and 42.24 percent per annum has been noticed in import value and quantity respectively. Whereas; the export quantity is found negative growth of 0.43 percent and export value with the growth of 1.44 percent. High instability was found in all parameters of export and import and highest variation was noticed for pre-WTO period in comparison to post-WTO. Nepal enjoys relatively strong competitiveness in export of lentil with RCA value greater than 1. Trade specialization index fluctuated over the years, it remains in the stage of import substitution declining from growth stage and have witnessed positive direction to revive the lentil export performance from Nepal. Herfindahl-Hirschman index showed that the Nepalese lentil market for export is highly concentrated which can lead to high economic risks. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 11, Issue-(1-2): 7-16.

Seasonal comparison of the effect of landfill leachate from Mediouna (Casablanca, Morocco) on germination and α-amylase activity in Lens culinaris and Medicago sativa

Seasonal comparison of the effect of landfill leachate from Mediouna (Casablanca, Morocco) on germination and α-amylase activity in Lens culinaris and Medicago sativa

Physiological and proteomic characterization revealed the response mechanisms underlying aluminium tolerance in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus).

Aluminium (Al) toxicity causes major plant distress, affecting root growth, nutrient uptake and, ultimately, agricultural productivity. Lentil, which is a cheap source of vegetarian protein, is recognized to be sensitive to Al toxicity. Therefore, it is important to dissect the physiological and molecular mechanisms of Al tolerance in lentil. To understand the physiological system and proteome composition underlying Al tolerance, two genotypes [L-4602 (Al-tolerant) and BM-4 (Al-sensitive)] were studied at the seedling stage. L-4602 maintained a significantly higher root tolerance index and malate secretion with reduced Al accumulation than BM-4. Also, label-free proteomic analysis using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer exhibited significant regulation of Al-responsive proteins associated with antioxidants, signal transduction, calcium homeostasis, and regulation of glycolysis in L-4602 as compared to BM-4. Functional annotation suggested that transporter proteins (transmembrane protein, adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transport-related protein and multi drug resistance protein), antioxidants associated proteins (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent oxidoreductase, oxidoreductase molybdopterin binding protein & peroxidases), kinases (calmodulin-domain kinase & protein kinase), and carbohydrate metabolism associated proteins (dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase) were found to be abundant in tolerant genotype providing protection against Al toxicity. Overall, the root proteome uncovered in this study at seedling stage, along with the physiological parameters measured, allow a greater understanding of Al tolerance mechanism in lentil, thereby assisting in future crop improvement programmes.

Changes in Chemical Composition of Lentils, Including Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Volatile Compound Formation during Submerged and Solid-State Fermentation with Pediococcus acidilactici.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the characteristics of non-treated and fermented [via submerged (SMF) and solid-state (SSF) fermentation using Pediococcus acidilactici] lentils (Lens culinaris) grown either in pure stands (L) or relay intercropped with winter rye (LR). It was observed that the lentils were suitable substrate for lacto-fermentation. Most of the free amino acid concentrations increased in lentils after both fermentations. The highest concentration of γ-aminobutyric acid was found in SSF LR samples. However, fermentation led to higher biogenic amines (BA) content in lentils. The most abundant fatty acid in lentils was C18:2. SSF lentils showed more complex volatile compound (VC) profiles (with between nine and seventeen new VCs formed), whereas, in SMF samples, between two and five newly VCs were formed. When comparing lentil grown types, L contained significantly higher concentrations of Na, K, Ca, P, Mn, and Se, while LR contained significantly higher concentrations of Fe and Ni. To sum up, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) contributed to the improved biological value of lentils; still, the quantity of BA needs to be considered. Further investigations into the P. acidilactici metabolism of certain compounds (such as phenolic and antinutritional compounds) in lentils during fermentation ought to be carried out.

Εleven Greek Legume Beans: Assessment of Genotypic Effect on Their Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Properties.

Legumes, one of the first crops of humanity, inherently constitute a staple nutritional source for mankind, attracting significant research attention that has been afforded to the development of numerous cultivars. The study herein concerns the exploitation of the nutritional and bio-functional content of beans harvested from eleven Greek cultivars belonging to five different species, namely Cicer arietinum L., Pisum sativum L., Vicia faba L., Lens culinaris L., and Phaseolus vulgaris L. The final goal is to define their varietal identity and correlate their phytochemical content with their potential utilization as functional foods and/or feed of high nutritional value. In this respect, their extracts were screened against the presence of 27 fatty acids and 19 phenolic compounds, revealing the presence of 22 and 15 molecules, respectively. Specifically, numerous fatty acids were detected in significant amounts in all but C. arietinum extract, while significant polyphenolic content was confirmed only in P. vulgaris. Among individual compounds, linoleic acid was the major fatty acid detected in amounts averaging more than 150 mg/g, followed by oleic acid, which was present as a major compound in all extracts. Among the nine polyphenols detected in P. vulgaris, the molecules of genistein (3.88 mg/g) and coumestrol (0.82 mg/g) were the most abundant. Their antioxidant properties were evaluated through DPPH and FRAP assays, which were highlighted as most potent in both tests of the V. faba extract, while C. arietinum was determined as totally inactive, indicating a potential correlation between the phenolic content of the plant species and antioxidant activity. These results are indicative of the significant advances achieved for the cultivars investigated and reveal their important role as nutritional crops for human and animal consumption.