Stress response of Trichosanthes cucumerina L. (Cucurbitaceae) to elevated UV-B doses

UV-B radiation induced alterations in the contents of photosynthetic pigments, antioxidants (phenolics and ascorbic acid) and chlorophyll fluorescence in two tropical variants of Trichosanthes cucumerina L. – Cucurbitaceae. The Green (Variant A) and Light Green (Variant B) variants of T. cucumerina, which had earlier been shown to differ in their total phenolics contents, were used for the study. The plants were exposed to two UV-B doses of 11.9 kJ m–2 corresponding to 4 h, 23.8 kJ m–2 corresponding to 8 h and a control (without UV-B treatment). The maximum photochemical efficiency of the control plant (0.75) was significantly higher than those of the plants exposed to UV-B for 4 h (0.63) and 8 h (0.44). The chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll contents of the control plant were significantly higher than those of plants exposed to UV-B for 4 h and 8 h. The chlorophyll b contents were not significantly affected by the UV-B exposure.We report a significant decline in the total phenolics and ascorbic acid composition at 4 hours after exposure to UV-B. However, at 8 h after exposure, the total phenolics and ascorbic acid contents increased significantly compared to 4 h after exposure. The UV-B doses had no significant effect on the concentrations of Mg and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in the two variants of T. cucumerina used for this study. The physiological explanations for these results are discussed

Antihypertensive properties of aqueous extracts of vegetable leaf-fortified bread after oral administration to spontaneously hypertensive rats

This study investigated the potential cardiovascular health benefits of leavened bread produced from wheat flour that contained 1%, 2% and 3% additions of leafy vegetable powders obtained from Amaranthus viridis (AO), Solanum macrocarpon (SM) or Telfairia occidentalis (TO). Vegetable leaves were harvested from the MicroVeg Project (Nigeria). See [http://hdl.handle.net/10625/58583]. Leafy vegetables are very rich sources of phytochemicals, especially polyphenols that can contribute to improved human health. Oral administration of 100 mg dried extract/kg body weight to hypertensive rats led to reductions (up to 42 mmHg) in systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure

Potential of Indigenous Vegetable-Fortified Food Products for Improved Human Nutrition and Health in West Africa

The study developed and tested the acceptability of key innovative value-added products, including vegetable-fortified bread and pastry products (cookies and chinchin), using each of these three indigenous vegetables, namely Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F. (fluted pumpkin), Amaranthus virdis L. (local amaranth), and Solanum macrocarpon L. (eggplant). The bread was fortified with each of the individual dried leafy vegetables at levels of 1%, 3%, and 5%. Ogi was also fortified with the equivalent of the dried Telfaria occidentalis in the wet form at 1%, 3%, and 5%, while pastry was fortified with the only extract obtained from amaranth leafy vegetable at 1%, 3%, and 5%. Results from the MicroVeg project showed that bread fortified with 3% (w/w) dried vegetable leaf powders had higher nutritional properties. Pastry formulations that included 3% dried vegetable leaf powders had slightly lower consumer acceptability in terms of taste and color; however, due to the associated potential health benefits, consumers were willing to buy the vegetable-fortified products as replacements for the regular products. This chapter discusses the full details of the nutrition and value addition aspects of MicroVeg with empirical examples of the interventions and the potential contributions to dietary diversity and enhanced family nutrition

In Vitro Characterization of Fluted Pumpkin Leaf Protein Hydrolysates and Ultrafiltration of Peptide Fractions: Antioxidant and Enzyme-Inhibitory Properties

Hydrolysates were produced using Alcalase (AH), chymotrypsin (CH), pepsin (PH), and trypsin (TH), and also fluted pumpkin leaf protein isolate (FLI) as a substrate. AH had the lowest degree of hydrolysis (16.37%) but exhibited overall superior antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties. Therefore, it was fractionated by membrane ultrafiltration to give 10 kDa peptide fractions. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the molecular weight of the FLI was 19.77 kDa and that of the hydrolysates was below 7.5 kDa. The hydrolysate peptides had a high content of hydrophobic amino acids but low levels of sulfur-containing amino acids, when compared to protein of FLI. Peptide sequence analysis showed that the hydrolysates consisted of dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides with molecular weights below 500 Da. The hydrolysates were also stronger inhibitors of linoleic acid oxidation, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) than FLI. Among the fractions, the <1 and 1-3 kDa were the most effective free radical scavengers and metal chelators in addition to their strong inhibitory activities against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE. We conclude that the AH and low molecular weight peptide fraction (<3 kDa) could find applications in formulating foods with various bioactive properties