Fatty acid compositions and nutritional value of six walnut (Juglans regia L.) cultivars grown in Iran

Background and aims: Walnuts are good sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and polyphenols which have beneficial effects such as proper growth, decreasing coronary heart disease, prevention of several kinds of cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic activities. In this study, the fatty acid content and antiradical activity of different walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotypes grown in Kolyaei region located in Kermanshah Province (Iran) were investigated. Methods: In this experimental study, fatty acid compositions in different genotypes of Persian walnut were determined using a GC–FID coupled with a flame ionization detector. For antiradical activity, methanolic extracts of different genotypes affected on DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical. BHA (2-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol) was used as the reference compound. Results: Total oil content of walnuts ranged from 63.3 to 78.5. Oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid contents ranged respectively from 17.9 to 28.6, 46.9 to 56.8, 10.8 to 13.9, 5.5 to 7.2 and 2.0 to 3.9, while trace amounts of other fatty acids (<0.1 each) were detected in the samples. The results demonstrated that fatty acid composition is genotype dependent and the highest amounts of PUFA (due to the high content of linoleic acid) were observed in B2 genotype. Among different studied genotypes, the extract of B2 had also the highest radical scavenging activity and therefore the lowest EC50. Conclusion: It was concluded that pellicle is a necessary protecting layer that can help to inhibit the oxidation of fatty acids

Determination of fatty acid compositions, and pellicle antioxidant properties of different Persian walnut genotypes

زمینه و هدف: گردوها منبع خوبی از اسیدهای چرب ضروری و توکوفرول ها می باشند. ترکیبات شیمیایی بویژه اسیدهای چرب و توکوفرول ها وابسته به نوع ژنوتیپ و شرایط محیطی مختلف هستند. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی ترکیبات اسیدهای چرب و همچنین خاصیت آنتی اکسیدانی پوسته محاط کننده مغز گردو (Pellicle) در ژنوتیپ های مختلف گردوی ایرانی (Juglans regia L.) طراحی و اجرا شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی شش ژنوتیپ گردو (K1, G1, B1, K2, K3, B2) از نقاط مختلف منطقه کلیایی در استان کرمانشاه جمع آوری گردید. ترکیب اسیدهای چرب (9 ترکیب) با استفاده از کروماتوگرافی گازی کوپل شده با آشکارساز یونیزاسیون شعله ای آنالیز شد. برای بررسی خاصیت آنتی اکسیدانی از روش مهار فعالیت رادیکال DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) استفاده شد. یافته ها: روغن کل در دامنه ای از3/63 تا 5/78 قرار داشت. اسیدهای چرب دارای چند پیوند دوگانه (PUFA) مهمترین گروه اسیدهای چرب در روغن ژنوتیپ های مختلف مورد مطالعه را شامل می شدند که در دامنه ای از 6/57 تا 2/70 بودند. بالاترین میزان PUFA در ژنوتیپ کوره گردگان (B2) مشاهده شد. ژنوتیپ B2 نسبت به سایر ژنوتیپ ها فعالیت جمع آوری رادیکال بیشتری داشت (05/0>P). نتیجه گیری: نتایج این مطالعه نشان داد، ترکیب اسیدهای چرب وابسته به ژنوتیپ است. پوسته نازک دور مغز سرشار از ضد رادیکال می باشد و به عنوان یک لایه محافظت کننده، اسیدهای چرب به خصوص اسیدهای چرب PUFA را در برابر رادیکال ها محافظت می کند

Effect of seed priming with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) on some physiological and anatomical parameters in maize plants under lead stress

Lead as an enormous pollutant in the environment affects the metabolic and physiological activities of living organisms, therefore, has attracted more attention in recent years. In this research, the effect of seed priming with sodium hydrosulfide (hydrogen sulfide donor) on growth parameters, total chlorophyll content, soluble sugars and total protein and anatomical index in maize plant under lead stress was investigated. For this purpose, maize seeds were soaked in sodium hydrosulfide (0.5 mM) for 12 hours. Seedlings were treated with Pb 2.5 mM after planting. The results showed that lead stress reduced growth parameters, total chlorophyll, soluble sugars and total protein contents, and in case of structural studies, increased thickness of root and vascular cylinders and size of root parenchymal and epidermal cells, and decreased the thickness of leaf and middle vein. Seed pretreatment with sodium hydrosulfide resulted in an improvement in growth parameters and increased total chlorophyll, soluble sugars, and total protein contents. Regarding the anatomical parameters, sodium hydrosulfide pretreatment, depending on the parameter type, could compensate anatomical factors that were affected by the Pb stress. According to the results, it seems that Pb stress has harmful effects on maize plant, and hydrogen sulfide as a signaling molecule in different ways could increase plant adaptation to stress conditions

Different UV radiation-induced changes in antioxidant defense system in okra

In this paper okra plants were treated by different UV radiation, UV-A, UV-B and UV-C, for 12 days and effects of different UV radiation on activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (EC. 1.15.1.1, SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11, APX), guaiacol peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7, GPX), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6, CAT), and glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2, GR) in leaves, stems, and roots as well as antioxidant compounds including ascorbic acid (AA), anthocyanin, and flavonoid were examined under controlled conditions. The results show an increase in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants when plants are exposed to UV-B or UV-C radiation while antioxidant enzymes activities and antioxidant compounds did not significantly increase under the UV-A radiation treatments compared to control plants. Our results suggest that increased level of lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant system activity in the UV-B and UV-C treatments may be considered as biomarkers of intensity of UV radiation stress. However, more research is necessary to elucidate the precise role that the antioxidant system plays under UV radiation stress. © 2014 AENSI Publisher All rights reserved

Comparative growth and physiological responses of tetraploid and hexaploid species of wheat to flooding stress

Present study is aimed to comparatively investigate the response of two ploidy levels of wheat including a tetraploid (Triticum turgidum L.) and a hexaploid (Triticum aestivum L.) wheat to different durations of flooding stress. Wheat seedlings were exposed to flooding stress for 0, 3, 6 and 9 days. Results showed that all flooding treatments significantly decreased the shoot and root length, and chlorophyll content of both species of wheat. The decrease in chlorophyll content of tetraploid wheat was more than that of hexaploid one. In both species, ADH activity of root was significantly increased under flooding stress, where the increase was more in hexaploid wheat. Flooding stress did not significantly affect root and shoot water content, root porosity, and shoot protein content of any wheat species. Tetraploid and hexaploid wheat used different mechanisms for better tolerance of flooding condition, where tetraploid wheat increased the proline content but in hexaploid wheat, an increase in soluble sugar content was observed.</p

Anthocyanin pigment stability of Cornus mas–Macrocarpa under treatment with pH and some organic acids

The use of colors in food industry is essential for the creation of new products or their improvement. As an important pigment group, anthocyanin could be used as a natural coloring pigment in foods. This study aims at exploring strategies that result in color stability of anthocyanin in pear‐shaped variety of blueberry (Cornus mas–Macrocarpa). In this study, the effects of different pH values (1, 2, 3, 4) as well as various concentrations (0, 120, 240, 480, 960 mg/L) of five copigments, including tannic, caffeic, benzoic, and coumaric acids, on anthocyanin copigment complexes (ratio 1:1) were investigated. The studied copigments were tannic, caffeic, benzoic, and coumaric acids. Anthocyanin was influenced by the highest concentration of 960 mg/L copigment in the presence of different pHs. Five groups were considered, one of which contained anthocyanin without copigment and the rest consisted of copigments. To evaluate the response of copigmentation through spectrophotometer, absorbance from samples was measured after 30 min of adding copigment to anthocyanin in the range of 450–600 nm wavelengths. The results showed that caffeic acid possessed the greatest anthocyanin stability compared to other copigments and it was the best copigment. An increase in the concentrations of copigments led to a higher level of anthocyanin stability and changes in hyperchromic and bathochromic. Moreover, the results revealed that the strongest hyperchromic effect for all organic acids was observed in pH 2, and the strongest bathochromic changes were observed in pH 4

The effect of some soil parameters on the total alkaloid levels of tubers of Bongardia chrysogonum in three regions of Iran

The tubers of Bongardia chrysogonum, belonging to to Podophyllaceae, are rich in alkaloids. In this study, total alkaloid content of the tubers of this plant in Naghadeh, Zanjan and Boukan were determined by spectrophotometeric method. In addition, the effects of soil characteristics such as total nitrogen, potassium, pH, soil texture and tubers nitrate levels on the plant total alkaloid content were measured. The results of the analyses indicated significant differences between the total alkaloid content of B.chrysogonum in these three regions. Moreover, the results showed significant differences among nitrates amounts of this plant in these habitats. The highest and lowest nitrate contents belong to Naghadeh and Boukan plants, respectively. The evaluation of soil samples of these three regions indicated that the texture of soil in Naghadeh is clay-loamy, in Zanjan it is silty- clay- loamy and in Boukan it is loamy- sandy. It was also discovered that increase in plant total alkaloid content depends on the increase of sand percentag in soil to some extent. The effect of soil pH on total alkaloid content turned out to be non-significant

Correlation between antioxidant activities and phenolic content of Leontice armeniaca and L. leontopetalum

In this study, the total phenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of dried leaves and fresh and dried tubers of Leontice armeniaca and L. leontopetalum were determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), reducing power and superoxide radical scavenging percentage. The results revealed that in both species, the content of total phenolic, total flavonoid and FRAP of leaf were greater than tuber. The order of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents and FRAP of leontopetalum was significantly higher than armeniaca (

Free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of plum (Prunus domestica L.) in both fresh and dried samples

Objectives: Consumption of fruits, such as plums and prunes, is useful in treating blood circulation disorder, measles, digestive disorder, and prevention of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. The paper presents a description of antioxidant and antiradical capacity of plum (Prunus domestica L.) in both fresh and dried samples. Materials and Methods: Samples were mixed with methanol and ethanol (as solvents) and were extracted on magnetic shaker, separately. The experiments were carried out to measure the Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Reducing Power Assay (RPA), Chain Breaking Activity (CBA), and quantity of Malondialdehyde (MDA), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH),Nitric Oxide (NO),Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide(O2-) radicals inhibition. Results: The results showed that the highest values for the TPC, TFC,TAC, RPA, CBA, DPPH, and NO were related to ethanolic extractsof dried sample which showed statistically significant differences (p2O2 and O2-were related to ethanolic extracts of fresh sample. The correlations data were analyzed among all parameters and the TPC and TFC had a significant correlation (r2=0.977). Moreover, it was found that methanol was more successful in extraction procedure than ethanol (

Response of maize plant to sodium hydrosulfide pretreatment under lead stress conditions at early stages of growth

Lead contamination is a major environmental stress imposing serious toxicity to plants and other living organisms. In the present study, the effects of sodium hydrosulfide were investigated on maize plants exposed to lead stress. Maize seeds were soaked in 0.5 mM sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) for 12 h and then exposed to lead (2.5 mM Pb(NO3)2) for 9 days. Lead imposition caused Pb accumulation, water stress induction, growth inhibition, sharp increases in oxidative parameters with reduction in chlorophyll content and nutrients uptake in maize plants. Data indicate that NaHS pretreatment conferred mitigation of lead toxicity. The improved tolerance governed by NaHS could be attributed to its ability to reduce lead uptake and regulation of mineral nutrition, modulation of root anatomical structure changes, induction of antioxidant system and protective compounds contents such as soluble sugar, glutathione, ascorbic acid and total phenol