Grain Legume Seeds Research Articles

Cultivation of leguminous crops in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region

In the system of agriculture an important place belongs to legume phytocenoses, which have a unique ability as biological fixation of nitrogen, and increasing its share in the formation of crop yields becomes an urgent task in the system of ecologization of agriculture. The inclusion of grain legumes in the structure of sown areas will allow obtaining feed resources valuable in amino acid composition, developing crop rotations based on the principles of seed exchange, supporting biodiversity. The purpose of the research was to study the cultivation of leguminous crops in the forest–steppe zone of the Middle Volga region in order to increase the potential productivity of agrophytocenoses. Under the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region the infl uence of basic tillage techniques and plant protection levels on soil fertility indicators, the phytosanitary condition of crops, the activity of the symbiotic apparatus, yield and feed productivity of soybean, pea, lupine and chickpea was studied in a long-term stationary field experiment. The use of combined tillage in crop rotation increased the productivity of symbiotic nitrogen fi xation of grain legumes by 3,5–5,2 kg/ha or by 7,1–12,4 %, their yield by 0,23–0,33 t/ha or 10,3–15,9 %. Etching of seeds of grain legumes with the preparation Delit Pro, CS (pyraclostrobin, 200 g/l) 0,5 l/t together with the biopreparation BisolbiSan, Zh (Bacillus subtilis, strain Ch-13) 1,0 l/t reduced the spread of root rot of soybean by 93,7 %, pea by 96,2 %, lupine by 83,3 and chickpea by 91,5 %, increasing the productivity of symbiotic nitrogen fixation by 3,4–4,2 kg/ha or by 10,0–15,5 % and yield by 0,16–0,22 t/ha or 9,2–11,0 %.

Olive oil and phaseolus vulgaris beans and breast cancer – experimental study

Leguminous plants such as dry seeds of grain legumes, rich in vegetal protein had been associated with reduced risk of cancer. In this study we intended to establish the relationship between consumption of a diet with olive oil and another one with phaseolus vulgaris beans in the number and volume of breast cancer tumours. A total of 72 female rats with 50 days were used and divided in three groups. All animals were submitted to the administration of 20 mg of 7,12 dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) in olive oil, by gavages. The same defined standard food was provided for all animals, but supplemented with beans in group II (40 g of lyophilized beans/Kg ) and with olive oil in the group III (50 ml/Kg). Female rats were sacrificed in the end of 150 days. Neoplastic lesions were evaluated according to morphologic features described in rat mammary carcinomas. It was evaluated the pattern and nuclear grade, the number of mitosis, tumoral necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, general score and volume. A non-significant variation was observed in tumour score between animals, however tumours volume was significantly different between the groups two and three (p<0,05). Our results show that high olive oil diet provokes a superior number of carcinomas but with inferior volume than the other groups.

Accumulation of free tryptophan in azuki bean ( Vigna angularis) induced by expression of a gene ( OASA1D) for a modified α-subunit of rice anthranilate synthase

Anthranilate synthase (AS) is a key metabolic enzyme of the tryptophan (Trp) biosynthetic pathway in plants and microbes, and its activity is regulated by feedback inhibition by Trp. A rice gene ( OASA1D) for a modified α-subunit of anthranilate synthase that is resistant to such feedback inhibition was introduced into azuki bean [ Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi] by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation followed by selection with hygromycin B. Five independent azuki bean lines expressing OASA1D in which the transgene was fixed in the T 2 generation were obtained. The free Trp level in seeds of these lines (1.3–3.3 mg/g of dry weight) was increased compared with that in wild-type seeds (0.2 mg/g). In contrast, the amount of protein-bound (fixed) Trp in seeds was not affected by expression of the transgene. The AS activity in the transgenic seeds showed a reduced sensitivity to feedback inhibition by Trp or the Trp analog 5-methyltryptophan, indicating that the rice OASA1D subunit was able to interact functionally with the β-subunit of azuki bean AS. These results reveal that transformation with OASA1D is a feasible approach to increase Trp synthesis and accumulation in mature seeds of grain legumes.

Evaluation of α-galactosides decrease during storage of germinated pea seeds treated by high pressure

Germination is an elementary way how to reduce a large amount of α-galactosides in seeds of grain legumes and high-pressure treatment is modern way how to preserve them. The germinated pea seeds were pressurized at 400–600 MPa, time of pressurization 5–15 min. The treated samples were stored in refrigerator at temperatures 5–8 °C. Decrease of α-galactosides concentration was expressed as linear regression with four evaluated parameters (pressure, time of germination, time of pressurization and time of storage). The most important influence had time of germination; time of storage and high of pressure. Influence of time of pressurization was not significant. The shelf life of germinated pea seeds was markedly prolonged by the pressure treatment without decreasing sensory value.

Pulsing Cl- channels in coat cells of developing bean seeds linked to hypo-osmotic turgor regulation.

Seed coat cells in the developing seeds of grain legumes release nutrients to the developing embryo. This occurs into an apoplastic space that separates the maternal (seed coat) and filial (embryo) generations. Protoplasts of seed coat cells from coats of Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds were isolated and whole-cell current across their plasma membranes was characterized using the patch-clamp technique. A pulsing inward current that displayed a spontaneous activation and voltage-dependent inactivation was observed. The frequency and magnitude of the current pulses were positively dependent on cytoplasmic Cl(-) concentrations and independent of external cations. The pulse current was inhibited by DIDS and La(3+), but not by Gd(3+). Single channel events (conductance=18 pS) could be identified with the inactivating phase of the pulses. Together, these findings are consistent with the current being carried by a burst of Cl(-) efflux through Cl(-)-permeable channels that activate almost simultaneously. Neomycin caused a reversible inhibition of the pulsed current, suggesting that its activation is likely to be modulated by an IP(3)-dependent intracellular Ca(2+) release. The pharmacological profiles of Cl(-) efflux from excised seed coats were comparable with those of the Cl(-) channels in the whole cell configuration, suggesting that the Cl(-) channels may underpin Cl(-) efflux from the seed coats. Efflux of Cl(-) from the seed coats was also stimulated by hypo-osmotic treatment as was the frequency and magnitude of Cl(-) channel in whole-cell patch clamp experiments. This implies that the Cl(-) channels responsible for the pulsed Cl(-) currents are likely to be a component of the turgor-regulatory mechanism in developing bean seeds.

Post-Sieve Element Transport of Sucrose in Developing Seeds

Developing seeds of cereals and grain legumes have proven to be useful experimental models to examine post-sieve element assimilate transport in sink tissues. Morphologically, these seeds offer well-defined sinks in which the processes of sucrose import plus efflux and influx plus metabolism may be examined independently. In all cases, sucrose is delivered through the phloem to the maternal seed tissues. Unloading from the sieve element-companion cell complexes is symplastic. Subsequently, sucrose moves through a symplastic route to cells responsible for sucrose efflux to the seed apoplast. The efflux cells are located at, or near, the maternal/filial interface. Sucrose is retrieved from the seed apoplast by the outermost cell layers of the filial tissues. Subsequent transfer of sucrose to the sites of storage in the filial tissues is confined principally to a symplastic route. Sucrose efflux from the maternal tissues appears to be passive in cereals and energy dependent in grain legumes, possibly through a sucrose/proton antiport system. Sucrose influx across the plasma membranes of the filial cells is energy dependent and, for grain legumes, is energy coupled through a sucrose/proton symporter. Studies on the control of post-sieve element transport of sucrose have focused largely on the membrane transport steps. The role of phytohormones as modulators of sucrose transport is uncertain in grain legumes, efflux from the maternal cells could be regulated by rates of sucrose utilisation in the filial tissues through a turgor homeostat mechanism located in the efflux cells.