A comprehensive approach to antioxidant activity in the seeds of wild legume species of tribe fabeae

The benefits of polyphenols have been widely demonstrated in recent decades. In order to find new species with a high biological functionality, the antioxidant activity of the polyphenol extracts from seeds of 50 taxa of tribe Fabeae (Lathyrus, Lens, Pisum, and Vicia) fromSpain has been studied. Considering the average concentration obtained fromthe data in the four genera of the Fabeae tribe, Pisum and Lathyrus show the highest average polyphenol concentration. The highest specific antioxidant activity as well as the antioxidant activity coefficient was observed in Pisum and Vicia. However, with respect to the total antioxidant activity, the highest average value was observed in Lathyrus and Pisum.The results obtained reveal that many of the wild taxa examined could be potential source of antioxidant

Quinolones modulate ghrelin receptor signaling: potential for a novel small molecule scaffold in the treatment of cachexia

Cachexia is a metabolic wasting disorder characterized by progressive weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and appetite loss. Cachexia is associated with almost all major chronic illnesses including cancer, heart failure, obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease and significantly impedes treatment outcome and therapy tolerance, reducing physical function and increasing mortality. Current cachexia treatments are limited and new pharmacological strategies are needed. Agonists for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS-R1a), or ghrelin receptor, prospectively regulate the central regulation of appetite and growth hormone secretion, and therefore have tremendous potential as cachexia therapeutics. Non-peptide GHS-R1a agonists are of particular interest, especially given the high gastrointestinal degradation of peptide-based structures, including that of the endogenous ligand, ghrelin, which has a half-life of only 30 min. However, few compounds have been reported in the literature as non-peptide GHS-R1a agonists. In this paper, we investigate the in vitro potential of quinolone compounds to modulate the GHS-R1a in both transfected human cells and mouse hypothalamic cells. These chemically synthesized compounds demonstrate a promising potential as GHS-R1a agonists, shown by an increased intracellular calcium influx. Further studies are now warranted to substantiate and exploit the potential of these novel quinolone-based compounds as orexigenic therapeutics in conditions of cachexia and other metabolic and eating disorders.Irish Research Council for Science and Technology (IRCSET)Science Foundation Ireland (SFI/12/IP/1315)Science Foundation Ireland (SFI/12/RC/2275)Science Foundation Ireland (SFI/12/RC/2273)Universidad de Sevill

A novel non-peptidic agonist of the ghrelin receptor with orexigenic activity in vivo

Loss of appetite in the medically ill and ageing populations is a major health problem and a significant symptom in cachexia syndromes, which is the loss of muscle and fat mass. Ghrelin is a gut-derived hormone which can stimulate appetite. Herein we describe a novel, simple, non-peptidic, 2-pyridone which acts as a selective agonist for the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). The small 2-pyridone demonstrated clear agonistic activity in both transfected human cells and mouse hypothalamic cells with endogenous GHS-R1a receptor expression. In vivo tests with the hit compound showed significant increased food intake following peripheral administration, which highlights the potent orexigenic effect of this novel GHS-R1a receptor ligand

Nutritional characterization of wild legumes (Lathyrus and Vicia genera)

In several regions of the world, legumes play an important role in human and animal nutrition as they are a cheap source of protein and other nutrients. In recent years have been shown that the consumption of proteins, certain lipids, polyphenols, or bioactive peptides contained in legumes have a beneficial effect on health. In addition, since the ?green revolution,? a large amount of the world?s phytodiversity has been lost because local crops have been substituted by other genetically uniform crops, which have higher yields. However, the diversification of cultivars is necessary to adapt cultivars to soil and water conditions, or to limit phytosanitary risks. Hence, knowledge of local plants could provide useful data for the possible development of future crops. Vicia and Lathyrus are major genera of the tribe Fabeae and have wild species in Southern Spain. A total of 46 different wild species have been studied. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a deep nutritional characterization of wild populations of Lathyrus and Vicia species has been made. In this work the fatty acid composition of the seed oil, the polyphenol concentration and the antioxidant activity of the polyphenols extracted from the seeds, the amino acid composition and nutritional quality of seed proteins have been studied in 15 Lathyrus species and in 28 Vicia species (31 taxa). The main seed oil fatty acids ranged from C14:0 to C20:0. All studied species showed higher amounts of total unsaturated fatty acids than saturated ones. Among unsaturated fatty acids, the most abundant were linoleic, oleic and linolenic acids. Among studied species, the ɷ6/ɷ3 ratio was variable, ranging from 1.7 in V. articulata to 17.3 in V. faba, there being nine species in which the ɷ6/ɷ3 ratio was below 5. Polyphenolic contents ranged from 1.9 mg/g meal in V. narbonensis to 29.2 mg/g meal in L. sphaericus. The highest specific polyphenols antioxidant activity (referred to as catechin equivalents in the extracts) was observed in the extracts from Lathyrus annuus, Vicia parviflora and Vicia tenuifolia. On the contrary, the highest total antioxidant activity (referred as to extract volume) was observed in L. aphaca y V. sativa. Results show that studied Lathyrus and Vicia species are rich in phenolic compounds with higher antioxidant activity than phenolics of widely consumed legumes such as soy, chickpea or lupin. Protein contents in studied species ranged from 17.7% in Lathyrus sativus to 32% in V. pyrenaica. Among essential amino acids the most abundant were Leu, Lys, Phe, Thr and Val. Also, all species contained Lys above FAO recommendations. On the contrary, all species were limiting in Trp ranging from 0.5% to 1.0% content and were also limiting in sulphur containing amino acids, Met and Cys. In vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) in studied legumes ranged from 76.0% in L. pratensis to 86.5% in L. annuus. Nutritional parameters, such as protein efficiency ratio, corresponded to high quality proteins. Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score was similar to the observed in other commercial legumes such as lentil or peanut. In conclusion, results confirm the interest of studying wild populations of Lathyrus and Vicia species as source of seeds with good nutritional characteristics and contribute to revalorize the cultivation of these legumes.Fil: Pastor Cavada, Elena. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Pastor, Julio E.. Universidad de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Juan, Rocío. Universidad de Sevilla; EspañaFil: Vioque, Javier. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Españ

Nutritional characteristics of seed proteins in 15 Lathyrus species (fabaceae) from Southern Spain

The nutritional characteristics of seed proteins of 15 Spanish Lathyrus species have been analyzed. Protein contents in studied Lathyrus ranged from 17.7% in Lathyrus sativus to 25.6% in L. tingitanus with a 22.4% average protein content in studied Lathyrus. Among essential amino acids the most abundant were Leu, Lys, Phe, Thr and Val. Also, all species contained Lys above FAO recommendations. On the contrary, all species were limiting in Trp ranging from 0.5% to 0.8% content and were also limiting in sulphur containing amino acids, Met and Cys. In vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) in studied Lathyrus ranged from 76.0% in L. pratensis to 86.5% in L. annuus, with an average IVPD of 80.5%. Nutritional parameters, such as protein efficiency ratio, corresponded to high quality proteins. Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score was similar to the observed in other legumes such as lentil or peanut. An analysis of similarity based on the profile of seed protein amino acid composition showed, in the cluster generated, correlation with the taxonomic classification of these species according to morphological characters. Results confirm the interest of studying wild populations of cultivated and non-cultivated Lathyrus species as source of seeds with good nutritional characteristics. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.This work was financed by grant AGR-711 from Junta de Andalucía (Spain).Peer Reviewe

Analytical nutritional characteristics of seed proteins in six wild Lupinus species from Southern Spain

The nutritional characteristics of seed proteins of Spanish wild populations of Lupinus angustifolius, L. cosentinii, L. gredensis, L. hispanicus, L. luteus and L. micranthus have been studied. Protein contents in this genus ranged from 23.8% in L. gredensis to 33.6% in L. luteus. On the one hand, L. cosentinii showed the most balanced amino acid composition, being only deficient in lysine. On the other hand, L. gredensis showed the worst amino acid composition. The in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) was high in all species examined, ranging from 82.3% in L. gredensis to 89.0% in L. cosentinii. In addition to the amino acid composition and IVPD, other nutritional parameters, such as amino acid score, calculated biological value, predicted protein efficiency ratio or protein digestibility corrected amino acid score, were studied. These data yielded L. luteus, L. hispanicus and L. cosentinii as the species with seed proteins with the best nutritional properties, similar to those observed in other legumes with recognised high quality proteins, such as soybean. Results confirm the importance of studying wild populations of cultivated and non-cultivated Lupinus species as sources of seeds with good nutritional characteristics.This work was financed by grant AGR-711 from Junta de Andalucía (Spain).Peer reviewe

Antioxidant activity in the seeds of four wild lupinus species from souther Spain

12 páginas, 2 figuras, 4 tablas.The antioxidant activity (AA) of the phenol extracts obtained from the seeds of Lupinus micranthus, Lupinus hispanicus, Lupinus angustifolius and Lupinus luteus collected in southern Spain was investigated. The seeds were all taken from wild populations, although some of these species have been used to feed livestock and for crop rotation. The polyphenol concentration in ground seeds ranged from 8.7 to 11 mg/g seed flour. AA of Lupinus polyphenols was determined using the β-carotene bleaching method. AA was highest in L. hispanicus. Intermediate values were observed in L. micranthus and L. luteus. The lowest antioxidant values were observed in L. angustifolius polyphenols. A positive correlation between seed flour and polyphenol AA was observed. L. hispanicus showed higher AA than cultivated soy, chickpea or lupin. Results suggest that these easy-to-grow Lupinus species, especially L. hispanicus, represent a source of natural polyphenols that could be added to foods as functional antioxidant components.This work was financed by Grant AGR-711 from Junta de Andalucía (Spain).Peer reviewe

Fatty Acid Distribution in the Seed Flour of Wild Vicia Species from Southern Spain

The fatty acid distribution in the seed flour from 31 Vicia taxa distributed throughout southern Spain was analyzed by gas chromatography. Fatty acids ranged from myristic acid to araquidic acid. Linoleic acid (from 28.7 to 66.3% of the fatty acids), oleic acid (from 7.2 to 32.5% of the fatty acids) and linolenic acid (from 2.7 to 16.6% of the fatty acids) were the most abundant among unsaturated ones and palmitic acid among saturated ones. The total unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio ranged between 2.6 in V. hirsuta and 4.2 in V. hybrida. Polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fatty acids ratio ranged between 1.3 in V. ervilia and 9.0 in V. pyrenaica. The ω-6 to ω-3 ratio ranged between 1.7 in V. articulata and 17.3 in V. faba. The fatty acids distribution observed in the Vicia species studied supports the use of these plants as a source of important dietary lipids.This work was supported by grant AGR-711 from the Junta de Andalucía (Spain).Peer reviewe

Protein and amino acid composition of select wild legume species of tribe Fabeae

The nutritional characteristics of seed proteins of 50 Spanish wild taxa of Lathyrus, Lens, Pisum and Vicia have been compared. The highest average protein richness and the in vitro protein digestibility have been observed in the genus Vicia and Lens, respectively, whereas the genus Pisum showed the lowest protein-digestibility corrected amino acid score. Using the K-means algorithm three clearly distinguished groups of taxa have been established in relation to their essential amino acid contents, protein richness, digestibility and nutritional parameters. The most adequate protein profile was observed in the taxa of group 1. This group includes four taxa of genus Lathyrus and nine taxa of genus Vicia. It should be noted that seven of the thirteen taxa included in this group have never been used as crops. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This work was financed by Grant AGR-711 from Junta de Andalucía (Spain). Thanks are due to María Dolores García-Contreras for technical assistance.Peer Reviewe

Antioxidant activity of seed polyphenols in fifteen wild Lathyrus species from South Spain

Antioxidant activity of seed phenolics was studied in the following Lathyrus species: Lathyrus hirsutus, Lathyrus filiformis, Lathyrus sativus, Lathyrus cicera, Lathyrus angulatus, Lathyrus sphaericus, Lathyrus annuus, Lathyrus clymenum, Lathyrus pratensis, Lathyrus ochrus, Lathyrus aphaca, Lathyrus latifolius, Lathyrus setifolius, Lathyrus tingitanus and Lathyrus amphicarpos. Phenolic contents ranged from 3.8 mg/g meal in L. setifolius to 29.2 mg/g meal in L. sphaericus. In general, non-cultivated Lathyrus species contained higher phenolic contents than cultivated ones. A negative correlation between seed size and phenolic contents was observed and was related to the higher proportion of hulls in the smaller seeds. L. annuus possessed phenolics with highest specific antioxidant activity. These phenolics were more than two times more antioxidant than equivalent amounts of phenolics extracted from commercial chickpea, lupin or soy. On the other hand, L. aphaca possessed the highest antioxidant activity per mg of flour extract. This antioxidant activity was twice that observed in same amounts of extracted flours from commercial chickpea, lupin or soy. Results show that studied Lathyrus species are rich in phenolic compounds with higher antioxidant activity than phenolics of widely consumed legumes such as soy, chickpea or lupin. In conclusion, Lathyrus may represent an interesting source of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity that may be useful as natural antioxidants and contribute to revalorize the cultivation of these legumes.This work was supported by grant AGR-711 from Junta de Andalucía (Spain).Peer reviewe