Lima Bean Research Articles

Uncle John's City Garden by Bernette G. Ford

Reviewed by: Uncle John's City Garden by Bernette G. Ford Elizabeth Bush Ford, Bernette G. Uncle John's City Garden; illus. by Frank Morrison. Holiday House, 2022 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780823447862 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780823453085 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs A blank, lifeless apartment building looms over an equally bare vacant lot full of carefully raked dirt when Li'l Sissy and her siblings arrive with towering Uncle John to begin a transformation. Each has a contribution: Brother, lima bean and corn seeds; Sister, tomato and onion; Li'l Sissy, okra. Mother comments later that they've landed on the fixings for succotash, which is fine with Li'l Sissy. There's planting, hoeing, weeding, and worrying about rainstorm washouts as the summer goes by, but the crops eventually yield a bountiful harvest; even after the relatives gather for a big barbecue (featuring, of course, a succotash side dish), there's plenty to bag up for everyone to take home. Morrison's paintings play with perspective and composition to easily capture the oversized presence of a towering Uncle John and the Brutalist sensibility of a housing project, in which even brick and fabric take on the chilly sterility of concrete. Meanwhile, the madly saturated colors of picture-perfect plants bring vibrancy, and the body language of the siblings is both sturdy and dynamic. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it end matter reference to support from the TERC organization, which develops math curricula, should send adult readers scrambling back over the text to notice how Li'l Sissy's frequent observations of height and length and amount—a believable preoccupation for the youngest of the sibs—can seed a flourishing math discussion. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Genetic diversity and erosion in lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) in Northeast Brazil

Genetic diversity and erosion in lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) in Northeast Brazil

Extraction and purification of a High Mannose type oligosaccharide from Phaseolus lunatus beans by oxidative release with sodium hypochlorite

High Mannose glycans (HM) are intermediates for the eukaryotic glycosylation pathway but are not commonly found on mature glycoproteins. HM, particularly Man9GlcNAc2 (M9), are present on the glycan shield of viral envelopes and have received attention as elements for semi-synthetic vaccines. The most common strategy to produce HM is extensive pronase digestion from soybean agglutinin (SBA) to obtain Asn-M9. Storage proteins from Phaseolus lunatus (butter beans) are abundant in M9 and could also be used for M9 production. Chemical alternatives to enzyme-based protocols such as sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) have been used effectively to release N-glycans. Here we present an application of the NaClO glycan release strategy to produce M9 from Phaseolus lunatus beans as an alternative to SBA and the characterisation of some of the release side products that support the release reaction mechanism.

Domestication of Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) Changes the Microbial Communities in the Rhizosphere.

Plants modulate the soil microbiota and select a specific microbial community in the rhizosphere. However, plant domestication reduces genetic diversity, changes plant physiology, and could have an impact on the associated microbiome assembly. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the microbial community in the bulk soil and rhizosphere of wild, semi-domesticated, and domesticated genotypes of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), to investigate the effect of plant domestication on microbial community assembly. In general, rhizosphere communities were more diverse than bulk soil, but no differences were found among genotypes. Our results showed that the microbial community's structure was different from wild and semi-domesticated as compared to domesticated genotypes. The community similarity decreased 57.67% from wild to domesticated genotypes. In general, the most abundant phyla were Actinobacteria (21.9%), Proteobacteria (20.7%), Acidobacteria (14%), and Firmicutes (9.7%). Comparing the different genotypes, the analysis showed that Firmicutes (Bacillus) was abundant in the rhizosphere of the wild genotypes, while Acidobacteria dominated semi-domesticated plants, and Proteobacteria (including rhizobia) was enriched in domesticated P. lunatus rhizosphere. The domestication process also affected the microbial community network, in which the complexity of connections decreased from wild to domesticated genotypes in the rhizosphere. Together, our work showed that the domestication of P. lunatus shaped rhizosphere microbial communities from taxonomic to a functional level, changing the abundance of specific microbial groups and decreasing the complexity of interactions among them.

Top‐down cascading effects of seed‐feeding beetles and their parasitoids on plants and leaf herbivores

Abstract When feeding on a plant, herbivorous insects alter the quality of the plant as a food source. This affects other organisms interacting with the same plant. These so‐called ‘plant‐mediated interactions’ can be altered by parasitoids that attack the herbivores. So far, this research area has mainly focussed on interactions at the leaf level, and very little is known about plant‐mediated interactions via seeds. It is still poorly understood if seeds that survive insect damage have fewer resources to allocate to plant growth and defence against leaf herbivores, and whether parasitoids that kill seed‐feeding insects mitigate such negative effects. Using seeds of wild lima bean plants Phaseolus lunatus, we studied the effect of the intensity of infestation by seed beetles Zabrotes subfasciatus and their parasitoids Stenocorse bruchivora on the following parameters under lab conditions: seed mass and germination, plant growth and defensive compounds (cyanogenic glycosides and flavonoids) and performance of a leaf herbivore species Spodoptera latifascia. In addition, we performed a field experiment using seeds with or without insect damage to investigate the consequences on plant performance and fitness in the wild. Seed beetle infestation had an overall negative impact on seed germination. Lab experiments revealed that damaged seeds produced plants with slower growth and reduced concentration of defensive compounds, which increased the performance of the leaf herbivores. Effects of seed‐feeding on seed germination and plant growth were attenuated by parasitism, resulting in a net increase of the number of viable offspring. In the field, we observed that seed damage impaired germination, delayed flowering time and increased leaf herbivory. Our results show that plant‐mediated interactions between insect herbivores are not limited to leaf herbivores, but extend to seed herbivores. In our study system, parasitoids had no apparent effect on these interactions, despite their strong beneficial effects on germination and plant performance. These findings confirm the long‐lasting consequences of indirect plant‐mediated interactions in a community‐wide ecological context. Furthermore, they contribute to a better understanding of the important but understudied effects of parasitoids on plant fitness. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Cyanide content, nutritional quality, and sensory acceptance of raw and cooked lima bean grain varieties

The Phaseolus lunatus L. (lima bean) is a species of the Fabaceae family widely cultivated in the Northeast region of Brazil and is an important source of nutrients for the population. The lima bean has high genetic variability, which results in many cultivated varieties. However, there is little information about the cyanide levels, nutritional quality and sensory acceptance of these varieties, as well as about the changes caused by the cooking process, especially with regard to free cyanide contents. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the cyanide contents, nutritional quality and sensory attributes of lima bean varieties. Potential and free cyanide levels, quality attributes and a Qualitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) were evaluated in raw and cooked grains. The study was carried out in a completely randomized design, with five lima bean varieties (Orelha de Vó, Branca, Roxinha, Rosinha, and Cearense), in 4 replications. Relatively to the raw ones, cooked grains presented larger size and smaller contents of ash, proteins, carbohydrates, potential cyanide and free cyanide, in the studied varieties. The Orelha de Vó lima bean showed higher mass of raw and higher firmness of cooked grains, which was judged to have the bitterest flavor among the others but showed safe levels of free cyanide after cooking. When cooked, Branca lima bean had a greater intention of purchase and global acceptance, due to its greater intensity of characteristic aroma and lower residual bitter taste.

Nutritional and Physiological Effects of Consuming Legume Seed Powders (Glycine Max, Phaseolus Lunatus, Vigna Unguiculata, Cajanus Cajan) in Combination with Kponan Yam Powder (Dioscorea Alata) in Young Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

The aim of this study is to assess the effects of consumption of Lima beans, angole peas and cowpeas on nutritional and physiological characteristics in growing rats. To do this, twenty-four growing male rats in four batches of six were fed for 21 days, with four diets. For example, a control diet based on soy powder (SAI), a Lima bean powder diet (PLI), an Angole pea powder diet (PAI) and a commercially purchased cowpea powder (NEI) diet were put into experimentation. The protein level of these diets is set at 10 %. At the end of the experiment, the results reveal that rats fed Lima bean powder diets experienced a loss of body mass from the beginning to the end of the experiment, while those fed with the other three diets (SAI, PAI and NEI) caused growth in rats. This study shows that there is no significant difference (p>0.05) between the values of triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and conjugated bilirubins of rats on the PLI, PAI and NEI diets compared to the control (SAI). Blood glucose levels in rats on the PAI and NEI diets are significantly higher (p≤0.05) than control rats (SAI). Similarly, the hemoglobin values of rats on PAI and NEI diets show no significant (p>0.05) difference compard to those of controls. These results imply that soybeans, cowpeas and Angole Peas may contribute to the fight against children malnutrition unlike Lima beans.

Sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba for selected mid-Atlantic vegetable crops

AbstractDicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicamba-tolerant crops. The increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in increased reliance on dicamba-based herbicides in soybean production systems. Because of the high volatility of dicamba it is prone to off-target movement, and therefore concern exists regarding its drift onto nearby specialty crops. The present study evaluates 12 mid-Atlantic vegetable crops species for sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba. Soybean, snap bean, lima bean, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, cucumber, summer squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to dicamba at 0, 0.056, 0.11, 0.28, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24 g ae ha−1, which is, respectively, 0, 1/10,000, 1/5,000, 1/2,000, 1/1,000, 1/500, and 1/250 of the maximum recommended label rate for soybean application (560 g ae ha−1). Vegetable crop injury was evaluated 4 wk after treatment using visual rating methods and leaf deformation index measurements. Overall, snap bean was the most sensitive crop, with dicamba rates as low as 0.11 g ae ha−1 resulting in significantly higher leaf deformation levels compared with the nontreated control. Other Fabaceae and Solanaceae species also demonstrated high sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba with rates ranging 0.28 to 0.56 g ae ha−1 causing higher leaf deformation compared with the nontreated control. While cucumber, pumpkin, and summer squash were no or moderately sensitive to dicamba, watermelon showed greater sensitivity with unique symptoms at rates as low as 0.056 g ae ha−1 based on visual evaluation. Within the range of tested dicamba rates, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale demonstrated tolerance to dicamba with no injury observed at the maximum rate of 2.24 g ae ha−1.

Phaseollin A, a novel pterocarpan with a unique 6/7/5/6/6 skeleton from Phaseolus lunatus L.

A novel pterocarpan, named phaseollin A (1) was isolated from Lima bean (the seeds of Phaseolus lunatus L.). The structure of 1 was elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS) as well as the experimental and calculated ECD data analysis. Compound 1 showed moderate activity of inhibiting NO production on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells with IC50 value of 37.13 ± 2.58 μM.

SELECTION OF SUPERIOR GENOTYPES OF LIMA BEAN LANDRACES BY MULTIVARIATE APPROACH

ABSTRACT The knowledge of genetic diversity in plant population is essential to the success of plant breeding programs. Thus, previous characterization of landraces is one of the first steps before the indication of genotypes to these plant breeding programs. This study aimed to characterize, through morphological traits, and estimate the genetic diversity in landraces of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.). Genetic diversity was estimated by using multivariate methods that selected individual landraces to be indicated for farmers and consumers. According to morphological traits proposed by Biodiversity International, the genotypes UFPI-667 and UFPI- 682 showed higher dissimilarity and high potential to be used in crosses since they are genetically distant and complementary. The principal component analysis identified positive and significant phenotypic associations between variables: pod length, pod width, and grain production. According to the multivariate methods used, the landraces UFPI-666, UFPI-650, UFPI-651, UFPI-687, UFPI-658, UFPI-673, UFPI-667, and UFPI-674 are potential candidates for selection since they have relevant features for lima bean breeding, such as shorter cycles and higher grain production. This study showed that multivariate analysis can be used as an effective tool to find potential traits in lima bean and can assist the lima bean breeders in the selection of potential landraces. Accessions UFPI-667 and UFPI-682 can be indicated as genitors for breeding programs, as they are genetically distant and complementary in their characteristics.

SELECTION OF LANDRACES OF LIMA BEAN FOR FAMILY AGRICULTURE

ABSTRACT Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is the second most important socioeconomic species of the genus, consisting of a food alternative as green or mature beans. It is an income option for family farmers and the lack of superior varieties makes its recommendation difficult, considering the peculiar lima bean variability. Thus, aimed to select landraces of lima beans based on desirable agronomic traits, enabling their use in breeding programs and later recommendations to family farmers. Evaluation trials were carried out with 14 landraces of lima beans in the municipalities of São Domingos do Maranhão - MA, Teresina - PI, Bom Jesus - PI, and Tianguá - CE. The agronomic traits were evaluated: number of days until flowering, number of days until pod maturation, pod length, pod width, pod thickness, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, and grain yield. The data were initially subjected to univariate analysis of variance to determine the genetic variability in different environments and, subsequently, to multivariate and cluster analyses. The evaluated landraces showed genetic divergence, not being grouped according to geographic origin, demonstrating the existence of similarity between germplasms of rural communities in neighboring states. The varieties Boca de Moça, Raio de Sol, and Fava Branca CE are the earliest; Boca de Moça, Rajada, and Raio de Sol presented the longest pods and largest seeds; and Boca de Moça, Rajada, and Mulatinha are the most productive. Therefore, it qualifies them for recommendation to family farmers and/or incorporation in lima bean breeding programs.

ARTIFICIAL HYBRIDIZATION WITHOUT EMASCULATION IN LIMA BEAN (Phaseolus lunatus L.)

ABSTRACT This study aimed to validate the artificial hybridization without emasculation in lima beans, identifying F1 generation using microsatellite markers (SSR). We used four accessions from the Active Germplasm Bank of Phaseolus, Universidade Federal do Piauí (BGP-UFPI), with contrasting growth habits and days-to-maturity traits. The 241 crosses performed had a percentage of hybrid pods of 5.8%, obtaining 42 seeds in F1. Artificial cross-fertilization was confirmed by microsatellite markers (BM 211, BM 141, BM 154, and GAT 591), and four plants were identified as hybrids. Thus, the proposed method is effective in performing artificial crosses for lima beans.

Not Smart, The Silent Waiter and Winter's Night

Not Smart, The Silent Waiter and Winter's Night

Dietary correlates of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in 6-19 Year old children and adolescents.

Children are vulnerable to adverse health effects associated with phthalates, and food is one source of exposure. A comprehensive analysis investigating urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in relation to food type and source has yet to be undertaken. We use reduced rank regression, a dimension reduction method, to identify dietary patterns associated with urinary phthalate metabolites in children in a large US study. We used data from 2369 participants 6-19 years old from the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who recalled their diet over the 24h prior to urine collection. We used dietary data to estimate intake and source (i.e., prepared at a restaurant vs. purchased from a grocery store) of 136 food groups. We used reduced rank regression to identify dietary patterns explaining variation in overall urinary concentrations of ∑di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and seven phthalate metabolites. We also examined pairwise associations between food groups and urinary phthalate metabolites. We identified eight dietary patterns that cumulatively explained 12.1% of variation in urinary phthalate metabolites, including a dietary pattern characterized by certain starchy vegetables (e.g., plantains and lima beans), quick breads, and citrus juice prepared at a restaurant. A one SD increase in this food pattern score was associated with a 37.2% higher monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) concentration (95% CI: 30.3, 44.4). We also observed weak associations between certain food groups and urinary phthalate metabolites (e.g., a one SD increase in intake of certain starchy vegetables prepared at a restaurant was associated with a 1.8% [95% CI: 0.7, 2.8] higher MCOP). Children whose diets were characterized by higher consumption of certain starchy vegetables, quick breads, and citrus juices prepared at a restaurant had higher urinary phthalate metabolites. More detailed information on the specific methods of food processing and details on packaging materials is needed.

Physicochemical and protein characterization of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L) seed

Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L) is native to Latin America and has spread out worldwide, thus having a high level of diversity. The lima bean seed from a specific region might have different characteristics from others. This study was aimed to characterize the physicochemical and protein of the dry seed of lima bean from Indonesia based on its solubility, electrophoretic pattern, and amino acid profile. The result showed that carbohydrate (68.89±1.55%) was the major component, with starch (41.96±1.10%) as the predominant. The amylopectin was higher than amylose. Dietary fibre (27.87±0.37%) was significant and dominated by insoluble one (25.47±0.32%). The fat content (1.15±0.04%) was low and ash (3.67±0.47%) comprised of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron with the content of 184, 75, 38, 11, and 10 mg/100 g, respectively. Total phenolic compounds of this seed were 1.29±0.02 mg/g, phytic acid 11.57±0.03 mg/g, saponins 16.84±0.42 mg/g, and trypsin inhibitors 36.07±0.11 TIU/g. HCN was found significantly at 30.99±0.29 ppm. Oligosaccharides were 5.93±0.29% that comprised of raffinose 1.22±0.08% and stachyose 4.61±0.21%. Protein content was moderate (15.93±0.55%) that comprised of albumin 18.47±0.62%, globulin 56.20±2.00%, prolamin 3.14±0.20%, and glutelin 22.69±1.60%. The molecular weight of this protein was 10-141 kDa with 12 polypeptides. Globulin had 12 polypeptides of 10 to 124 kDa. Albumin had 18 to 116 kDa molecular weights, while glutelin had six polypeptides of 13 to 109 kDa. Prolamin did not have visible polypeptides. Lysine, leucine, valine, and phenylalanine were the primary essential amino acids with high lysine but low methionine and cysteine. In conclusion, lima bean seed is a source of carbohydrates and minerals, with a moderate protein content dominated by the globulin. The polypeptide profile of lima bean seed is varied depending on the protein fractions. The occurrence of antinutrition might hinder its utilization as a protein source. HCN as a toxicant should be removed to obtain a safe seed for consumption.

PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS PROFILE OF LIMA BEAN (PHASEOLUS LUNATUS) FOODS IN KADUNA STATE

This study was conducted to determine the amino acids content of some lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus) foods in Kaduna state, so as to provide nutritional basis for increased utilization of lima beans as a value-added product in households. The foods include lima bean porridge, lima bean-benniseed and lima bean-hungry rice. These foods were subjected to proximate and amino acids analysis using standard procedures and analytical methods. Amino acid composition of lima bean-benniseed recorded higher content of essential amino acids leucine (6.97g/100g), lysine (7.10g/100g), methionine (2.60g/100g), threonine (3.81g/100g), and also had higher content of non-essential amino acids, tyrosine (3.45g/100g), alanine (4.54g/100g), serine (3.94g/100g), glutamic acid (12.94g/100g) and aspartic acid (8.68g/100g). Lima bean-hungry rice food had higher content of isoleucine (4.04g/100g), phenylalanine (4.13g/100g), tryptophan (1.26g/100g). Proximate composition shows that the protein content of lima bean-benniseed food (8.33%) and lima bean porridge (8.30%) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than lima bean-hungry rice food while lima bean-benniseed food had higher content of crude fat (13.46%), ash (2.28%) and crude fibre (4.09%) compared to other foods. The carbohydrate content (24.58%) of lima bean porridge was significantly (P<0.05) higher than other foods. The study shows that lima bean foods have a good nutritional profile therefore; increase in the consumption of foods prepared with lima beans could serve as an addition to food-based strategies used in decreasing malnutrition and its effects

Molecular Identification of Bacillus Species during Spontaneous Fermentation of Lima Bean Flour (Phaseolus lunatus)

Aims: Bacillus species is used as starter culture to improve quality of the fermented product. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify Bacillus species during the spontaneous fermentation of Phaseolus lunatus with prospective selection as starter cultures.
 Study Design: Spontaneous fermentation of Phaseolus lunatus flour was allowed to proceed at ambient temperature (29±2°C) for three days under anaerobic condition.
 Methodology: The Bacillus counts were determined and 100 isolates were identified by PCR and the sequencing of 16S rDNA domain.
 Results: In unfermented sample the Bacillus count was 3.14 log CFU/mL. During fermentation the count being between 2.68 and 2.88 log CFU/mL. Based on PCR and the sequencing of 16S rDNA domain, Bacillus isolates were assigned to four species Bacillus sp, Bacillus subtilis, Brevibacillus agri and Bacillus xiamensisis. Bacillus spp, Bacillus subtillis and Bacillus cereus were detected at all the fermentation times. Their frequencies were between 14.29 and 45.83%, 25 and 35.71%, 25 and 50% respectively.
 Conclusion: Among these species Bacillus subtillis could be used as starter culture to improve quality of the fermented product.

Impact of different spacing on production of pole type lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) with intercropping of brinjal crop

Lima beans are very nutritious underutilized legume crops. It is two types; bush type and pole type or vine varieties. Pole lima beans are grown for their distinctive flavour prized by local cooks (Namkeen) and high value as a fresh market crop in the district Farrukhabad. The pods are picked when they semi mature and seed sold for namkeen making. The experiment consisted three plant spacing (T1 S-1x1m Farmers practice without trellis, T2 S-2x2m+trellis, T3 S-3x3 trellis) and that effect on growth, yield and quality of lima bean and additional crop of brinjal as an intercrop at initial stage of lima beans. Flowering parameters Days to first flowering significantly earliest flowering was observed in the treatment T3 (S-3.0m x 3.0m + trellis), with minimum days for first flowering (72.50) and 50% flowering (92.50) at days after sowing. The number of pods per cluster (7.20) was found to be superior among all the treatment in spacing T3 followed by T2 and minimum in T1. Green Seed yield per hectare (q) as influenced by different spacing was found to be significant. The green seed yield per hectare (185q) was found significantly superior in the treatment T3 followed by (178q) in T2 and minimum (129q) in T1. The economics of the lima bean and intercrop of brinjal was found superior in treatment T3 with highest BC ratio.

Utilization of Guazuma ulmifolia gum and sodium alginate to form protective beads of antioxidant peptides obtained from Phaseolus lunatus

Effect of peptides obtained from Phaseolus lunatus L. where biological properties such as antioxidant activity have been found. In addition to improve this beneficial effect, the microencapsulation could be a way to protect the peptides against the environment to which they are exposed. Gums extracted from plant seeds are a potential option such as Guazuma ulmifolia, and its seeds gum exhibits promising properties as coating materials in encapsulation. Two peptide fractions from P. lunatus L. were encapsulated (>10 and <10 kDa) by ionic gelation using mixtures of G. ulmifolia gum and sodium alginate (GUG:SA). A 23 experimental design was used: GUG:SA ratios (A) (70:30 or 30:70); CaCl2 concentrations (B) (0.05 or 0.15 M); and hardening time (C). (10 or 30 min). Multiple variable response analysis with a desirability coefficient identified optimum conditions for each peptide fraction. Better results were obtained for >10 kDa peptide fraction at optimal conditions of A: 70:30, B: 0.05 and C: 10, obtaining irregular beads with a diameter of 5.85 mm2, Bead Encapsulation efficiency 42% and 31 and 42 mM TEAC for ABTS and DPPH respectively. These results shown that GUG:SA mixture is a viable encapsulation system for preserving antioxidant peptide fractions.

Hydric and saline stress on Phaseolus lunatus L. seeds.

Hydric and saline stress on Phaseolus lunatus L. seeds.