Anthocyanins and antioxidant activity in coloured waxy corn at different maturation stages

The anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of kernels from 12 genotypes of waxy corn at two maturation stages (milk and mature) were investigated. The individual anthocyanins contained in coloured waxy corn were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis. Cyanidin-3-glucoside and its derivatives were detected as being most dominant. Furthermore, acylated anthocyanins constituted 67.1–88.2% and 46.2–83.6% of the total contents at the milk and mature stages, respectively. The concentration of monomeric anthocyanin increased throughout the development of each genotype of corn. The antioxidant activity, which was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability, increased with ripening. However, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) revealed decreases in some genotypes during ripening. The kernels of a purplish black waxy corn genotype (KKU-WX111031) exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity and contained the highest level of anthocyanins among the genotypes tested at both maturation stages

Anthocyanin, phenolics and antioxidant activity changes in purple waxy corn as affected by traditional cooking

Antioxidant components, including anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and their changes during traditional cooking of fresh purple waxy corn were investigated. As compared to the raw corn, thermal treatment caused significant (p ⩽ 0.05) decreases in each antioxidant compound and antioxidant activity. Steam cooking preserved more antioxidant compounds than boiling. Boiling caused a significant loss of anthocyanin and phenolic compounds into the cooking water. This cooking water is a valuable co-product because it is a good source of purple pigment. By comparing levels of antioxidant compounds in raw and cooked corn, we determined that degradation results in greater loss than leaching or diffusion into cooking water. Additionally, separation of kernels from the cob prior to cooking caused increased loss of antioxidant compounds

Types of gene effects governing the inheritance of oleic and linoleic acids in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Oleic and linoleic acids are major fatty acids in peanut determining the quality and shelf-life of peanut products. A better understanding on the inheritance of these characters is an important for high-oleic breeding programs. The objective of this research was to determine the gene actions for oleic acid, linoleic acid, the ratio of oleic to linoleic acids (O/L ratio) and percentage oil (% oil) in peanut. Georgia-02C, SunOleic 97R (high-oleic genotypes) and KKU 1 (low-oleic genotypes) were used as parents to generate P1, P2, F2, F3, BC11S and BC12S. The entries were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications in the rainy season (2008) and the dry season (2008/2009). Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) was used to analyze fatty acid compositions. The data were used in generation means analysis to understand gene effects. The differences in season, generation and generation X season interactions were significant for oleic acid in the crosses Georgia-02C X KKU 1 and SunOleic 97R X KKU 1. Additive, dominance and epistasis gene effects were significant for oleic acid, linoleic acid, O/L ratio and % oil. Initial selection can be carried out in early segregating population, and final selection in late generations.Keywords: Breeding, gene actions, generation mean analysis, groundnut, oil qualit

Neuroprotective and Memory-Enhancing Effect of the Combined Extract of Purple Waxy Corn Cob and Pandan in Ovariectomized Rats

The neuroprotectant and memory enhancer supplement for menopause is required due to the side effects of hormone replacement therapy. Since purple waxy corn cob and pandan leaves exert antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChEI) effects, we hypothesized that the combined extract of both plants (PCP) might provide synergistic effect leading to the improved brain damage and memory impairment in experimental menopause. To test this hypothesis, female Wistar rats were ovariectomized bilaterally and orally given various doses of the functional drink at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg for 28 days. The animals were assessed nonspatial memory using object recognition test every 7 days throughout the study period. At the end of study, they were assessed with oxidative stress status, AChEI, neuron density, and ERK1/2 signal in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Interestingly, all doses of PCP increased object recognition memory and neuron density but decreased oxidative stress status in PFC. Low dose of PCP also decreased AChE activity while medium dose of PCP increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in PFC. Therefore, the improved oxidative stress status and cholinergic function together with signal transduction via ERK in PFC might be responsible for the neuroprotective and memory-enhancing effects of PCP

Combining Ability and Heterosis for Agronomic Traits, Husk and Cob Pigment Concentration of Maize

The objective of this study was to identify the maize inbred lines with good general combining ability (GCA), good specific combining ability (SCA), high heterosis for yield and phytochemicals, and the crosses with high yield of yellow kernels and high anthocyanin content in cobs and husk, which was probably related to the high antioxidant activity. The parental lines including five unpigmented females and five pigmented males were crossed in North Carolina design II. The parents, the resulting 25 hybrids, and 5 controls were evaluated at two locations in the dry season of 2016/2017. Additive and non-additive gene effects controlled the inheritance of grain yield, agronomic traits, and phytochemicals. KKU–PFC2 and KKU–PFC4 had the highest GCA effects for phytochemical traits in husk and cob, whereas Takfa1 and Takfa3 were good combiners for grain yield. F1 hybrids had significantly higher total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH), and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) in husk and cob than pigmented control cultivars. The hybrids superior for individual traits were identified, but the experiment was not able to identify superior hybrids for multiple traits. The Takfa3 × KKU–PFC5 and NakhonSuwan2 × KKU-PFC4 had the highest anthocyanin in husk and cobs, respectively. The breeding strategies to develop maize varieties with high anthocyanins and normal yellow kernels and utilization of the hybrids are discussed

Variability in Prolificacy, Total Carotenoids, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin of Yellow Small-Ear Waxy Corn Germplasm

Waxy corn is a popular, alternative staple food in most Asian countries including Thailand. The availability of small-ear waxy corn genotypes with prolific ears and a high level of carotenoids is expected to benefit growers and consumers. Integrated evaluation among source germplasm is essential before performing further breeding efforts for enhancing prolific ears and high-carotenoid content. Thus, the present study explored the variability of ear prolificacy, total carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene among yellow small-ear waxy corn accessions. About 44 corn accessions and 4 check varieties were evaluated for agronomic traits and yield components under multienvironment trials in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The immature seed sample of these genotypes was analyzed to quantify the content of total carotenoids and some carotenoid fractions. All traits showed that low GXE interaction and significant genotypic diversity existed among all tested accessions with the predominant contribution of genotype to total phenotypic variation and beta-carotene. Accessions were clustered into four major groups based on the similarity of multiple carotenoids profiles. Three selected accessions (UT121001, KKU-WX112087, and KKU-WX212001) had higher values of total carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene than those of all check varieties. High and positive correlations among second-emerged ears, marketable second-emerged ears, and total ear number indicate that a higher chance of secondary ears becomes marketable ears with an increase of total ears per plant per hectare. Lutein and zeaxanthin had positive, strong correlations with total carotenoids. The implications and breeding strategies are discussed prior to promoting yellow small-ear waxy corn as a biofortified crop