Moth Bean Research Articles

Moth Bean (Vigna aconitifolia) as Potential Supplement to Evaluate the Weight Gain in Wistar Albino Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Vigna aconitifolia is an essential crop in Indian agriculture, predominantly cultivated in India. It is acknowledged for its significant nutritional value and its affordability, making it a valuable dietary choice for individuals facing economic challenges. This study investigates the potential of ungerminated and germinated Vigna aconitifolia seeds as a dietary supplement to evaluate their effects on weight growth and general health in Wistar Albino Rats. The Wistar Albino Rats were categorized into three groups viz., Group I (Control), Group II (Fed with ungerminated Vigna aconitifolia) and Group III (Fed with germinated Vigna aconitifolia). The rats were given unrestricted access to water and food for a duration of 28 days. Water and food consumption and changes in body weight were observed on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28. On day 29, animals were killed and their kidneys and intestines histopathologically examined. Although the ungerminated and germinated groups consumed similar amounts of water, both consumed more than the control group. On the 28th day, ungerminated Vigna aconitifolia had significantly lower food intake compared to germinated and regular feed groups (P<0.05). Rats given both ungerminated and germinated seeds gained more weight. All groups had normal kidney histology, with no tubular epithelial cell degeneration or congestion. Rats administered ungerminated and germinated Vigna aconitifolia had villi, mucus-secreting epithelium and glands in their ileums but no hyperplasia or edema. The study found that Wistar Albino Rats gain weight when supplemented with germinated Vigna aconitifolia. This shows it could be a growth-promoting nutritional supplement. Further research is needed to determine the fundamental processes behind the claimed effects.

Irrigation Scheduling and Nitrogen Management Practices Affected the Nutrient Concentration of Moth Bean under Arid Ecosystem

Efficient utilization of water and fertilizers is important for maximizing yield for moth bean production through improvement the nutrient use efficiency under arid ecosystem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizers on growth, yield and nutrient content of moth bean in the western zone of Rajasthan during 2020 & 2021. Treatments included three levels of nitrogen (N1:15 kg N as basal + foliar spray of urea (2%) at flowering stage, N2: 15 kg N + foliar spray of urea (2%) at pod development stage and N3: 15 kg N + foliar spray of urea (2%) at flowering and pod development stages) and levels three levels of irrigation (I1: single irrigation at branching stage, I2: two irrigation at branching + pod development stages and I3: two irrigation at flowering + pod development stages) were laid down in factorial combinations of randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that 15 kg N + foliar spray of urea (2%) at flowering and pod development stage recorded significantly higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in seed and haulm over 15 kg N + foliar spray of urea (2%) at flowering stage and 15 kg N + foliar spray of urea (2%) at pod development stage. However, the phosphorus content in seed and haulm was not significantly influenced by N3 and statistically equivalent with N2 and N1 during 2020 and 2021. Potassium content in seed showed significant enhancement under N3, while K content in haulm was not affected significantly during 2020 and pooled basis. Further, irrigation management practices did not show any significant improvement on N, P, K content in seed and haulm during years of 2020 and 2021. While, N content in seed and haulm was significantly improved under I2 over I3 and I1 on pooled basis. Thus, 15 kg N as basal application + foliar spray of urea (2%) at flowering and pod development stages with two irrigations at branching + pod development stages improved the nutrient content in moth bean in arid condition.

Multivariate Analysis and Screening of Moth Bean Accessions for Biotic Stresses in the Arid Region of Western India

The present investigation assesses the genetic diversity and resilience of moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) against the biotic stresses in the arid zones of India. This research was carried out at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Regional Research Centre, Bikaner, and employed an augmented design to analyze 300 accessions for morphological and agronomic traits. The study integrated Pearson’s correlation, hierarchical clustering, and principal component analysis to understand trait interrelationships and genetic variance. The number of clusters per plant, number of pods per plant, plant height and test weight showed a highly significant and positive correlation, whereas days to 50% flowering and number of branches per plant showed a negative correlation with seed yield per plant. Hierarchical clustering subdivided accessions into fourteen clusters, and cluster1 best suited to arid conditions with 21 accessions. Principal component analysis with eigenvalues classified the accessions into eight principal components. PC1 contributed the maximum variation that is 32.21 percent, followed by other clusters. Cercospora leaf spot had the highest disease incidence among the three diseases (yellow mosaic virus, cercospora leaf spot and leaf curl virus diseases). The findings underscore the potential of exploiting genetic variability in moth beans for breeding programs aimed at enhancing yield and stress tolerance, crucial for sustainable production in resource-poor arid ecosystems.

Assessment of Annual Leguminous Forage Varieties in Cotton Inter cropping: Evaluating Green Fodder Yield and Dry Matter Production

Intercropping is an agronomic technique and is considered to be an effective and potential mean of increasing crop production per unit area and time (Ahmad and Anwar 2001). Legume intercrops are included in cropping system due to their ability to reduce soil erosion, improving land productivity through soil amelioration, suppress weeds and fix nitrogen. Intercropping cotton is significant because of higher profit and stabilized yield advantage, especially under adverse climatic conditions (Aladakatti et al., 2011). In this aspect, intercropping of short duration legumes in cotton has no adverse effect on cotton performance but an additional yield of legume makes the system more profitable. Rochester et al. (2001) studied the contribution of legume crops such as faba bean (Vicia faba), field pea (Pisum sativaum) and lab-lab (Lablab purpureus) on nitrogen fertility of cotton cropping system. The present study was undertaken in order to develop a compatible, short duration legume fodder and to assess the feasibility of different annual legume fodders for higher green fodder production. The field experiments were conducted in Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Veterinary College and Research Institute Campus, Namakkal, under irrigated condition, during July-August of 2021-22 and 2022-23. Experimental procedures were adopted to analyze the effects of various fertilizer levels on green fodder yield of various leguminous fodder crops viz., fodder cowpea (var. CO (FC)-8), mothbean (var. TMV (mb)-1), horse gram (var. Paiyur-2) and pillipesera. The results indicated that green fodder yield recorded at harvest stage (55 Days After Sowing (DAS)) was influenced by various fertilizer levels of Bt cotton. With respect to green fodder yield fodder cowpea (17407 and 14431 kg ha-1), horse gram (4439 and 4662 kg ha-1), moth bean (10041 and 10010 kg ha-1) and pillipesera (3066 and 2720 kg ha-1) recorded higher yield with application of 150% RDF and it was followed by 125% RDF and 100 RDF during first- and second -year study. Similarly, application of 150% RDF (F3) recorded more dry matter production (DMP) value, for all leguminous fodder crops during first (184.8, 305.6 and 452.7 kg ha-1) and second year study (169.9, 291.2, 450.2 kg ha-1) at all growth stages viz., 20, 40 DAS and at harvest stage, respectively.

Moth bean and tepary bean as green nitrogen sources in intensive winter wheat cropping systems

Use of cover crops have been suggested to increase agricultural sustainability by providing multiple ecosystems services. Replacing summer fallow with drought tolerant legumes could serve both as a cover and a green source of N for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and help mitigate economic and environmental problems by increasing resilience of agroecosystems in the United States (US) Southern Great Plains (SGP). Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the USDA - ARS Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center near El Reno, OK. The overall objective of the study was to quantify the potential of two summer legumes, tepary bean [Phaseolus acutifolius (A.) Gray] and moth bean [Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal], as green sources of N for winter wheat production in comparison with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The PROC MIXED procedure of the SAS statistical software was used to analyze biomass production by legumes, their impacts on soil water, soil N and yield of winter wheat, and N transfer from green N biomass to following winter wheat. Green N crops did not differ in biomass production, but soybean provided 22 % and 40 % more N than tepary bean and moth bean, respectively. Soil water was reduced under all green N crops than summer fallow at termination of green N crops and wheat planting. Biomass of green N crops increased N content in soils at wheat planting. Grain yield of winter wheat was significantly higher under tepary bean (5295 kg ha−1) than soybean (4300 kg ha−1), moth bean (4560 kg ha−1) and the control treatment (4323 kg ha−1). Nitrogen recovery in wheat biomass was greater under moth bean and tepary bean compared to soybean. Both moth bean and tepary bean could serve as green sources of N for winter wheat in the US SGP.

Forage yield and nutritive value of summer legumes as affected by row spacing and harvest timing

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an essential, high-quality forage used for grazing stocker cattle from fall to spring in the US Southern Great Plains (SGP). However, the lack of nutritious forages during summers limits grazing by stocker cattle. To fill this quality gap, a short season species capable of producing significant yield and quality of forage is necessary. A two-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of three legumes: tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray), mothbean [Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal], and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] as a control, at different harvest dates, in response to different row spacing (38 ​cm and 76 ​cm) and moisture levels (rainfed and irrigated). Results showed forage yield by all legumes planted at 38 ​cm spacing (4.5 and 3.9 ​Mg ​ha−1) was higher than at 76 ​cm spacing (3.4 and 2.4 ​Mg ​ha−1) in 2018 and 2019. Soybean was the most productive while mothbean had the highest relative feed value (RFV) in both 2018 and 2019 (160 and 118, respectively). Although soybean produced more forage, mothbean and tepary bean provided high quality forage in terms of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and in-vitro true digestibility (IVTD). The results indicate that no single legume species stands out as the unequivocal leader in delivering both high-quality and abundant forage. Consequently, the choice of which species to utilize should be tailored to the specific forage requirements and management goals. Future research should explore mothbean genotypes to identify cultivars with greater yield potential and develop agronomic practices that effectively utilize those cultivars.

Influence of storage on physico-chemical physiognomies of fermented whey cereal (pearl millet and moth bean) beverage.

The present study concludes the impact of storage on changes in physico-chemical characteristics of fermented whey cereal (pearl millet and moth bean) beverage. The beverage was prepared by fermented whey (standardised to 4% fat and 18% total solids) supplemented with germinated pearl millet and moth bean slurry & using NCDC-167 as starter culture for 6-8h at 37°C. The developed beverage was then stored at 5°C for 4weeks. The samples were analysed for physico-chemical characteristics (pH, titrable acidity, viscosity, tyrosine, FFA, wheying off), sensory qualities changes and microbial quality changes (standard plate count, lactic acid bacteria count, coli form counts) at 3days' interval for 4weeks at 4°C. Control was prepared standardised whey (4% fat and 18% total solids) while treatments were prepared using standardised milk. During storage: acidity, tyrosine values, free fatty acid values and wheying off increased in all the samples The upsurge was on higher side in non nisin treated and non thermised samples compared to control formulation. However, all the samples remained sensorily acceptable upto 12th day of storage. Basic and thermised as well as nisin treated fermented whey cereal products epitomize innovative dairy products with desired functional characteristics with decent shelf life.

Seed Quality Behaviour Variation of Moth Bean during Storage in Different Packaging

An experiment was carried out in order to assess the behavior of the moth bean seed quality in 4 types of packaging including cloth, gunny, HDPE, and vacuum-packed bags for 18 months. After two months of storage, the moisture content of the seeds fluctuated greatly in cloth, gunny, and HDPE bags (conventional packaging) because these materials are pervious, but the moisture content of the seeds did not vary in vacuum packed bags as the polythene bag used for the vacuum package was thicker, had a lower water vapor and oxygen transmission rate. Further, seeds in conventional packaging’s developed bruchid infestations after 4 months of storage but no infestation was found in vacuum-packed bags until 18 months. The bruchid infestation caused the germination rate of the seeds to drop to less than 20%. In comparison to the initial state, even after 18 months of storage, there was little change in the parameters used for measuring seed quality (germination, total seedling length, seedling dry weight, moisture content, and protein content). Therefore, without the use of chemicals, moth bean seeds can be safely stored using vacuum packaging technology.

Morphological and Biochemical Changes in Moth Bean during Drought Stress

The current investigation on the repercussions of drought stress on the growth parameters of the Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) has been carried out in a semi-field condition. Two sets of local moth bean cultivars (RMO-40: fifteen in each) were prepared, and one was subjected to terminal drought stress. The rest was maintained with proper watering as a control set. The treated plants were thoroughly evaluated based on leaf length, root length, and relative leaf water content in comparison with the control ones. The findings of this study reveal a significant impact of drought stress on moth bean's growth and physiological performance. Under drought conditions, treated plants exhibited considerable reductions in leaf length and root length compared to their well-watered counterparts. Additionally, the relative leaf water content declined under drought stress, indicating decreased water uptake and retention within the plants under stress. These outcomes underscore the vulnerability of moth bean to drought stress, emphasizing the urgency of developing efficient water management strategies and drought-resistant varieties to safeguard food security in regions where this legume serves as a staple crop. This research highlights the importance of understanding the adverse effects of drought stress on moth bean's growth parameters for sustainable agriculture and food production.

Peptide fraction from moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.)) seed protein hydrolysate demonstrates multifunctional characteristics

Present study ascribe multifunctional characterstics of moth bean bioactive peptides obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of seed proteins. Alcalase derived protein hydrolysates were further subjected to fractionation by ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography. Moth bean peptide (MBP) fractions of < 3 kDa was characterised for in vitro antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiproliferative, DNA damage inhibition and antibiofilm activities. It reports high ACE-inhibition activity (IC50 =9.51 µg/mL) and exhibit significant stability on a wide range of pH, temperature, and gastrointestinal proteases. The peptide fraction displayed noteworthy DPPH radical-scavenging activity (IC50 =155.05 µg/mL), ABTS radical-scavenging activity (IC50 =158.88 µg/mL), and Fe2+ chelating activity (IC50 =71.59 µg/mL). Additionally, it showed inhibition against α-amylase (IC50 =126.90 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 =121.69 µg/mL). Further, peptide fraction effectively inhibited the growth of carcinoma breast cells MCF-7 (IC50 =46.93 µg/mL). It showed protective effects against DNA damage. Moreover, MBP fraction significantly restricted the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IC50 =86.45 µg/mL). Overall, the MBP fraction provides value addition to moth bean protein for its use in nutraceutical formulations.

Molecular Modelling and Structure Analysis of Lectins from Vigna linearis

A study was conducted during the year 2022–2023 for in silico analysis of two Vigna linearis lectins in the computer lab, CDFT, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Amino acid sequences of both lectins were obtained from NCBI database and analyzed using different computational tools. Primary structure analysis using ProtParam server revealed acidic, stable and hydrophobic nature of both VLL proteins. Both proteins were predicted heavily glycosylated with a single signal peptide cleavage site (A26-A27). High sequence similarity of both VLL proteins was observed with adzuki, rice bean and moth bean lectins. Both VLL proteins had high proportions of β-sheets in their secondary structure. Good quality 3D structures for both VLL proteins were modelled using Modeller software. A Jelly roll fold, also known as β-sandwich structure was identified in the 3D structure of both VLL proteins. Profunc server annotated both lectins as a carbohydrate binding regulatory protein with significant role in plant defense (GO terms: 0065007, 0006952, 0050896, 0006950, 0009607, 0030246). Galaxy Site web server predicted galactose, A2G (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranose), MFU (Methyl α-L-fucopyranoside) and adenine as common binding ligands for both VLL proteins. Lig Plot analysis revealed hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the major bonding interactions between VLL proteins and putative ligands. The results of the study would provide a base for conducting future research on Vigna linearis lectins for different applications.

Evaluation of Spatio-temporal dynamics in agriculture in arid and semiarid region of Rajasthan, India-A statistical approach

The aridity of the arid and semiarid region of Rajasthan, India is considered as a great challenge for the growth of the crops due to lack of precipitation and high range of temperature. The present study focused on evaluating agricultural dynamics of the arid and semi-arid region of Rajasthan for the period of 2008-09 and 2021-22. The study comprised seven districts of Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. Indices like crop combinations, crop diversity and agricultural efficiency of crops were taken into consideration. Hanumangarh showed 8 crop combinations to 4 from past to recent years viz. Bajra (Pennisetum glaucum), Guar seed (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), Kharif pulses (Without Arhar) and Moth (Vigna aconitifolia), while in Jaisalmer, it was 3 crop combinations in the past while it is 6 in the recent years viz. Bajra, Guar seed , Moth , Mustard (Brassica), Mung (Vigna radiata) and Groundnut(Arachis hypogaea). A small percentage of Seasamum (Sesamum indicum) and Cotton (LINT)(Gossypium) was in the past previous years, but now, it is almost negligible. Wheat (Triticum) was observed in a lower to moderate percentage share throughout the period. There was no change in the dominant crops except in Ganganagar and Churu district. All the districts had higher crop diversification in recent years except Barmer. The result of agricultural efficiency showed that Ganganagar, Jodhpur, Hanumangarh had higher agricultural efficiency (&gt; 100), while Barmer had the least value (&lt; 50). Agricultural Indices efficiently visualized temporal agriculture trends in arid and semiarid regions of Rajasthan.

A narrative review on nutritional and health benefits of underutilized summer crop to address agriculture challenges: Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia L.)

AbstractA reasonable plant‐based protein supply needs to be found in order to fight protein undernourishment, especially in developing nations. One of the most prominent and underutilized members of the Fabaceae family, moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia L.), has outstanding nutritional and bioactive components. Moth bean is a tropical crop and has ability to grow well at arid and semiarid areas. In addition to vitamins, minerals, lipids, fatty acid, and carbohydrate, moth bean seeds also provide an abundant protein source. Furthermore, the antioxidant and phenolic content of moth bean seeds is also high. If consumed on a regular basis, moth bean legume possesses countless beneficial effect on health and immune system, including the ability to prevent obesity, diabetes, and cardiac diseases in humans. This review focuses on the uses, improved varieties, adaptive constrain, nutritional bioavailability, and health benefits of V. aconitifolia seeds.

Natural Retinol Analogs Potentiate the Effects of Retinal on Aged and Photodamaged Skin: Results from In Vitro to Clinical Studies.

Plants are a source of natural ingredients with retinol-like properties that can deliver anti-aging benefits without the side effects typically associated with retinoid use. We hypothesized that by combining two such analogs, bakuchiol (BAK) and Vigna aconitifolia extract (VAE), with the potent retinoid retinal (RAL), the anti-photoaging potential of RAL could be enhanced without compromising its skin irritation profile. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that BAK and VAE potentiate the anti-photoaging activity of RAL. Gene expression profiling of full-thickness reconstructed skin was first used to examine the impact of BAK or VAE in combination with RAL on skin biology. Next, the irritative potential of this combination, and its capacity to reverse key signs of photoaging in an ex vivo model was assessed. Finally, a proof-of-concept open label clinical study was performed to evaluate the anti-photoaging capacity and skin compatibility of a cosmetic formulation (tri-retinoid complex; 3RC) containing this complex in combination with other well characterized anti-photoaging ingredients. In vitro profiling suggested that combining 0.1% RAL with BAK or VAE potentiates the effect of RAL on keratinocyte differentiation and skin barrier function without affecting its skin irritation profile. When formulated with other anti-photoaging ingredients, such as niacinamide and melatonin, 3RC reversed ultraviolet radiation-induced deficits in structural components of the dermal extracellular matrix, including hyaluronic acid and collagen. In vivo, it led to a reversal of clinical signs of age and photodamage, with statistically significant improvement to skin firmness (+5.6%), skin elasticity (+13.9%), wrinkle count (-43.2%), and skin tone homogeneity (+7.0%), observed within 28days of once nightly use. Notably, the number of crow's feet wrinkles was reduced in 100% of subjects. Furthermore, 3RC was very well tolerated. These data suggest that 3RC is a highly effective and well-tolerated treatment for photoaging.

Exploiting genetic and genomic resources to enhance productivity and abiotic stress adaptation of underutilized pulses.

Underutilized pulses and their wild relatives are typically stress tolerant and their seeds are packed with protein, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. The consumption of such nutritionally dense legumes together with cereal-based food may promote global food and nutritional security. However, such species are deficient in a few or several desirable domestication traits thereby reducing their agronomic value, requiring further genetic enhancement for developing productive, nutritionally dense, and climate resilient cultivars. This review article considers 13 underutilized pulses and focuses on their germplasm holdings, diversity, crop-wild-crop gene flow, genome sequencing, syntenic relationships, the potential for breeding and transgenic manipulation, and the genetics of agronomic and stress tolerance traits. Recent progress has shown the potential for crop improvement and food security, for example, the genetic basis of stem determinacy and fragrance in moth bean and rice bean, multiple abiotic stress tolerant traits in horse gram and tepary bean, bruchid resistance in lima bean, low neurotoxin in grass pea, and photoperiod induced flowering and anthocyanin accumulation in adzuki bean have been investigated. Advances in introgression breeding to develop elite genetic stocks of grass pea with low β-ODAP (neurotoxin compound), resistance to Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus in black gram using rice bean, and abiotic stress adaptation in common bean, using genes from tepary bean have been carried out. This highlights their potential in wider breeding programs to introduce such traits in locally adapted cultivars. The potential of de-domestication or feralization in the evolution of new variants in these crops are also highlighted.

Genome resources for underutilised legume crops: genome sizes, genome skimming and marker development

Underutilised crops suffer from under-investigation relative to more mainstream crops, but often possess improved stress tolerance and/or nutrition, making them potentially important for breeding programmes in the context of climate change and an expanding human population. Developing basic genome resources for underutilised crops may therefore catalyse analyses to facilitate their use, through improved understanding of population structure, phylogeny, candidate genes, and linkage mapping. We carried out nuclear and plastid genome sequencing and assembly for five underutilised legumes: jack bean, sword bean, Kersting’s groundnut, moth bean, and zombi pea. Using only ‘off-the-shelf’, free-to-use bioinformatic tools, we also developed a simple but effective pipeline to identify thousands of markers, which could be applied in other species. We assembled 53–68% of the genome and 73–95% of the gene space in the five legumes. The assemblies were fragmented but nevertheless useful for identifying between 34,000—60,000 microsatellites. Examination of 32 markers in zombi pea revealed 16 primer pairs which amplified in at least half of the eight accessions tested and were polymorphic. We also present nuclear genome size estimates for 17 legume taxa (12 for the first time), comprising the above five species as well as other domesticated legume species and crop wild relatives. We aim for the newly developed markers and genome size estimates presented here to be useful for the research community by aiding genomic and population genetic studies for these taxa, and to provide information on approaches that can be applied for investigating other important yet underutilised crops.

Release of an encrypted, highly potent ACE-inhibitory peptide by enzymatic hydrolysis of moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) protein.

Dietary approaches for the regulation of blood pressure are the need of the hour. Hence, identifying the foods possessing such activity is gaining importance. With this aim, moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), an underutilized pulse, was explored for the presence of antihypertensive activity in terms of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibition bioactivity. Defatted moth bean protein concentrate was hydrolyzed by using different proteases including Alcalase, papain, and trypsin, to identify the enzyme producing highly potent ACE inhibitory peptides. The hydrolysate showing the highest ACE inhibitory activity was further fractionated using an ultrafiltration membrane (10, 3 and 1 kDa) based on ACE inhibitory activity. The active fraction was further subjected to the ion-exchange chromatography followed by RP-HPLC and LC-MS/MS analysis for the enrichment and identification of ACE inhibitory peptides. Finally, based on the bioinformatic analysis, few peptides were synthesized and evaluated for ACE inhibitory activity, followed by docking study and molecular dynamic simulation of a peptide with the highest ACE inhibitory activity. Out of the three proteases, Alcalase-derived hydrolysate showed the highest (~59%) ACE inhibition activity. Molecular weight-based fractionation revealed that <1 kDa fraction possessed the highest ACE inhibitory activity. Activity guided separation of 1 kDa fraction using ion-exchange chromatography, RP-HPLC and LC-MS/MS showed the presence of about 45 peptides. Based on the bioinformatic analysis, 15 peptides were synthesized and evaluated for ACE inhibitory activity. Among these, a novel octapeptide FPPPKVIQ showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (93.4%) with an IC50 of 0.24 μM. This peptide retained about 59% activity post gastrointestinal digestion simulation. A Dixon plot as well as docking studies revealed the uncompetitive inhibitory nature of this peptide with a Ki value of 0.81 μM. Molecular dynamic simulation studies till 100 ns ensured the stability of the ACE-peptide complex. Thus, present study identified a novel potent ACE inhibitory peptide from moth bean that can be incorporated in a functional dietary formulation for regulation of hypertension.

Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia): a minor legume with major potential to address global agricultural challenges.

Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) is an orphan legume of Vigna genus, exhibiting wide adaptability and has the potential to grow well in arid and semi-arid areas, predominantly across different eco-geographical regions of Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. The inherent adaptive attributes of this crop have made it more tolerant towards a diverse array of abiotic and biotic stresses that commonly restrain yield among other Vigna species. Additionally, the legume is recognized for its superior nutritional quality owing to its high protein content as well as amino acid, mineral and vitamin profile and is utilized as both food and fodder. Moth bean can play a vital role in sustaining food grain production, enhancing nutritional security as well as provide a source of income to resource-poor farmers amid rise in global temperatures and frequent drought occurrences, particularly in rain-fed cropping systems which accounts for about 80% of the world's cultivated land. However, this minor legume has remained underutilized due to over-exploitation of major staple crops. With the exception of a few studies involving conventional breeding techniques, crop improvement in moth bean for traits such as late maturity, indeterminate growth habit, shattering and anti-nutritional factors has not garnered a lot of attention. Recent advances in sequencing technologies, modern breeding approaches and precision phenotyping tools, in combination with the available crop gene pool diversity in gene banks, can accelerate crop improvement in moth bean and lead to the development of improved cultivars. Considering the recent surge in awareness about the development of climate-smart crops for sustainable agricultural future, collective effort towards effective utilization of this hardy, neglected legume is the need of the hour.

Studies on Isolation of Plant Growth Promoting Azotobacter spp from Soil Samples

Soil is the heterogeneous mixture of different kinds of microorganisms. Soil provides nutritive environment for the growth of microorganisms. One of the soil microbes is Azotobacter. The aim of present study was to isolate plant growth promoting Azotobacter spp. In the present study, 25 soil samples were collected from different locations of Akola and Akot region. In the study, 10 Azotobacter spp. were isolated. Azotobacter spp. was checked for phosphate solubilizing ability, stress tolerance (Temperature, pH, Salt), Nitrate Reduction, Cyst formation by using Burks medium and Indole Acetic Acid production using L- Tryptophan. Amongst the 10 isolates all were found to reduced nitrate, NH3 formation ability and IAA production, while two isolates H3 and C5 were only found to be have phosphate solubilizing ability. The seed germination test was also performed, Azotobacter showed promising results on the moth beans. The result reveals that Azotobacter could be a better source for crop improvement and soil fertility over the use of chemical fertilizers.

Genetic diversity, population structure, and genome-wide association study for the flowering trait in a diverse panel of 428 moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) accessions using genotyping by sequencing

BackgroundMoth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) is an underutilized, protein-rich legume that is grown in arid and semi-arid areas of south Asia and is highly resistant to abiotic stresses such as heat and drought. Despite its economic importance, the crop remains unexplored at the genomic level for genetic diversity and trait mapping studies. To date, there is no report of SNP marker discovery and association mapping of any trait in this crop. Therefore, this study aimed to dissect the genetic diversity, population structure and marker-trait association for the flowering trait in a diversity panel of 428 moth bean accessions using genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach.ResultsA total of 9078 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered by genotyping of 428 moth bean accessions. Model-based structure analysis and PCA grouped the moth bean accessions into two subpopulations. Cluster analysis revealed accessions belonging to the Northwestern region of India had higher variability than accessions from the other regions suggesting that this region represents its center of diversity. AMOVA revealed more variations within individuals (74%) and among the individuals (24%) than among the populations (2%). Marker-trait association analysis using seven multi-locus models including mrMLM, FASTmrEMMA FASTmrEMMA, ISIS EM-BLASSO, MLMM, BLINK and FarmCPU revealed 29 potential genomic regions for the trait days to 50% flowering, which were consistently detected in three or more models. Analysis of the allelic effect of the major genomic regions explaining phenotypic variance of more than 10% and those detected in at least 2 environments showed 4 genomic regions with significant phenotypic effect on this trait. Further, we also analyzed genetic relationships among the Vigna species using SNP markers. The genomic localization of moth bean SNPs on genomes of closely related Vigna species demonstrated that maximum numbers of SNPs were getting localized on Vigna mungo. This suggested that the moth bean is most closely related to V. mungo.ConclusionOur study shows that the north-western regions of India represent the center of diversity of the moth bean. Further, the study revealed flowering-related genomic regions/candidate genes which can be potentially exploited in breeding programs to develop early-maturity moth bean varieties.