A Compiled Update on Nutrition, Phytochemicals, Processing Effects, Analytical Testing and Health Effects of Chenopodium album: A Non-Conventional Edible Plant (NCEP).

Bathua (Chenopodium album) is a rich source of extensive-ranging nutrients, including bio-active carbohydrates, flavonoids and phenolics, minerals, and vitamins that translate to countless health benefits such as anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity. Ascaridole, an important phytoconstituent present in aerial parts of the plant, contributes to its anthelmintic property. Even with vast historical use and significant health benefits, its renown has not spread, and utilization has significantly decreased in recent decades. Gradually, the plant has become known under the name of Non-conventional edible plant (NCEP). This compilation is prepared to bring out the plant under the spotlight for further research by foregrounding previous studies on the plant. Scientific research databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online, were used to fetch data on C. album. This review offers over up-to-date knowledge on nutritious values, phytochemical composition, volatile compounds, as well as health benefits of C. album. The ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal uses of the plant in India and other parts of the world are deliberately discussed. Scrutinizing the reported literature on C. album reveals its powerful nutrient composition advantageous in the development of food products. The impact of various cooking and processing methods on the nutritional profile and bioavailability are discussed. The future perspectives with regards to the potential for food and nutraceutical products are critically addressed. This review proves the necessity of breakthrough research to investigate the pharmacology and safety of phytochemicals and nutraceutical development studies on the C. album.

Tropolone derivatives with hepatoprotective and antiproliferative activities from the aerial parts of Chenopodium album Linn.

Chenopodium album Linn is used as the traditional Chinese medicine for treating cough, anorexia, piles, dysentery, diarrhea, and kills small worms in China. Nine new tropolones (1-9), and fourteen known tropolone derivatives (10-23) were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis and references from C. album Linn for the first time. Compounds (1-4) and compounds (13-14) displayed notably hepatoprotective activities in intro for lowering AST levels (19.63 ± 2.34 to 29.87 ± 1.27 U•L-1) and ALT levels (15.21 ± 1.18 to 20.29 ± 2.11 U•L-1) in HepG2 cells treated with H2O2. Compounds (8-9) and compounds (15-17) exhibited moderate antiproliferative activities in vitro against the human tumor cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.5 ± 0.2 to 15.5 ± 2.7 µM. A preliminary structure activity relationship was summarized and discussed scientifically, which provided new clues to design novel hepatoprotective and antiproliferative drugs based on the tropolone derivatives.

Ameliorating potency of Chenopodium album Linn. and vitamin C against mercuric chloride-induced oxidative stress in testes of Sprague Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Mercury has been documented as an industrial risk that posed a serious danger to human health. Mercury exposure results in oxidative stress that may lead to the pathogenesis of male reproductive dysfunction. The present study investigated the ameliorating potential of Chenopodium album L. and vitamin C against mercuric chloride-induced oxidative deterioration of reproductive functions in adult male rats. METHODS: Group 1 (control) received saline. Group 2 received Mercury (0.15 mg/kg b.w, i.p) dissolved in distilled water. Groups 3 and 4 were given oral gavage of vitamin C (200 mg/kg b.w) and the ethanolic extract of C. album (200 mg/kg b.w) respectively, along with Mercury (0.15 mg/kg b.w, i.p). Group 5 was treated only with C. album (200 mg/kg b.w). After 30 days of the treatment, the rats were dissected and their testicular tissue and the cauda epididymis were used for biochemical analysis while blood plasma was used for protein determination. RESULTS: The applied dose-treatment of Mercury-induced oxidative stress in the testis and cauda epididymis tissues of the rats was apparent by a noteworthy decrease in total protein, CAT, SOD, POD, and GST values while there was increase in ROS and TBARS levels. Furthermore, Mercury decreases daily sperm production and enhanced sperm DNA damage as noticeable by an increase in the head and tail length of comets and decrease in intact DNA. There was no significant effect on the body weight and the weight of the reproductive tissues. Treatment with C. album significantly ameliorated the total protein, ROS, and TBARS content. Similarly, the level of CAT, SOD, POD, and GST was significantly improved and the daily sperm production was significantly increased. Furthermore, C. album administration significantly protected Mercury-induced sperm DNA damage. The results of the extract treatment group were compared with those of vitamin C in detoxifying the oxidative stress and restoring the sperm parameters. CONCLUSION: C. album showed protection against Mercury-induced oxidative stress by ameliorating antioxidant enzyme activity, daily sperm production, and DNA damage in rat testes. This suggests that C. album could be beneficial against toxicity induced by an environmental toxicant.

Comparative study of raw and germinated Chenopodium (Chenopodium album) flour on the basis of thermal, rheological, minerals, fatty acid profile and phytocomponents.

This study determined the effects of germination on the minerals, fatty acids, pasting, thermal, rheological and phytocomponents contents of Chenopodium album flour. The predominant fatty acids in raw flour were palmitic (0.83%), oleic (0.99%) and linoleic acids (1.96%), which increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with germination. Minerals (Na, Cu and Zn) and dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble) were increased with germination, while pasting and gelatinization properties were reduced significantly. Scanning electron micrographs showed destruction of the continuous composite structure of starch embedded in the dense protein matrix of flour following germination. Quantitative analysis of C. album flour by GC-MS revealed that germinated flour contained more phytocompounds than raw flour. This research suggests the potential of germination in enhanced product development and utilization of valuable bioactive compounds.

Evaluation of anthelmintic antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Chenopodium album.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Chenopodium album against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep and some pathogenic microbes. A worm motility inhibition assay was used for in vitro study, and a faecal egg count reduction assay was used for an in vivo study. Various concentrations ranging from 100 to 500 µg/ml of the extract were subjected to antimicrobial screening by disc diffusion method against four selected bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas multocida and Escherichia coli) and two fungal (Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans) strains in order to estimate the medicinal potential of the herb. DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), riboflavin photo-oxidation, deoxyribose, lipid peroxidation assays were used for antioxidant activity. The extracts exhibited dose- and time-dependent anthelmintic effects on the Haemonchus contortus as compared to levamisole. The extract showed maximum inhibitory effect against S. aureus (28 ± 0.14 mm), while as mild inhibitory effect was observed against E. coli among the selected microbial strains. The effect produced by the different extract concentrations was comparable with the standard antibacterial agent streptomycin sulphate and antifungal agent nystatin, which were used as effective positive control in the study. The antioxidant activity showed that the extracts exhibited scavenging effect in concentration-dependent manner on superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals leading to the conclusion that the plant has broad spectrum anthelmintic, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and could be a potential alternative for treating various diseases.

Chenopodium album Linn. leaves prevent ethylene glycol-induced urolithiasis in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The leaves of Chenopodium album Linn. are traditionally used for correction of kidney diseases and urinary stones. The present work investigated the effect of methanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves of Chenopodium album on experimentally-induced urolithiasis in rats to substantiate its traditional use as antilithiatic agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The leaf extract was standardized by HPLC. Urolithiasis was induced in rats by administration of 0.75% v/v of ethylene glycol (EG) in distilled water and in addition, vehicle or methanol (CAME) or aqueous (CAAE) extract of the leaves of Chenopodium album each in the dose 100, 200 and 400mg/kg or Cystone (750mg/kg) were administered daily orally for 28 days. Urolithiasis was assessed by estimating the calcium, phosphorus, urea, uric acid, and creatinine in both urine and plasma. The volume, pH and oxalate levels were also estimated in urine. The renal oxalate content was estimated in kidney while calcium oxalate deposits were observed histologically. RESULTS: The treatment with CAME or CAAE for 28 days significantly attenuated the EG-induced elevations in the urine and plasma levels of calcium, phosphorus, urea, uric acid and creatinine along with decrease in urine volume, pH and oxalates. The treatments also decreased renal tissue oxalate and deposition of oxalate crystals in kidney due to EG treatment. The effects of CAME and CAAE were comparable to standard antilithiatic agent, cystone. The findings indicate the preventive effect of CAME and CAAE which can be due to inhibitory effect on crystallization and stone dissolution. The effect was attributed to the presence of phytochemicals like flavonoids and saponins. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, Chenopodium album leaves exhibited antilithiatic effect and validates its ethnomedicinal use in urinary disorders and kidney stones.

Antioxidant activity and nutritional assessment of under-utilized medicinal plants.

The present study investigates the nutritive and anti-nutritive composition of six species (Allium porrum, Amaranthus spinosis, Apium graveolens, Caralluma edulis, Chenopodium album, Urtica dioica). The studied species contained considerable amount of crude protein (4.53-11.41%), crude fat (1.25-3.74%), vitamin C (7.85-28.09mg 100-1 g) and ß-Carotene (18.29-169.33mg 100-1g). The mineral profile of Chenopodium album is considered as potential source of Zn (14.51±1.14mg 100-1g), Mn (67.71±0.85mg 100-1g), Se (8.45±0.49mg 100-1g) and Fe (182.08±1.52mg 100-1g) and Caralluma edulis as potential source of Fe (7.28± 0.03mg 100-1g). Ca and P content ranged 63-306mg 100-1 g and 12-392mg 100-1 g in all studied plants with exceptionally high level was found in Chenopodium album (1084mg 100-1g) and (3924mg 100-1g), respectively. Similarly, total phenol, tannin and phytic acid were found in the range of 105-354, 5-90 and 10-85mg 100-1g, respectively. Total oxalates and soluble oxalates contents were below 200mg 100-1g in five examined plants with the exception of Chenopodium album (413mg 100-1g). Antioxidant activity of Caralluma edulis was found maximum while the rest of the examined plants had moderate levels.

Rubemamine and Rubescenamine, Two Naturally Occurring N-Cinnamoyl Phenethylamines with Umami-Taste-Modulating Properties.

Sensory screening of a series of naturally occurring N-cinnamoyl derivatives of substituted phenethylamines revealed that rubemamine (9, from Chenopodium album) and rubescenamine (10, from Zanthoxylum rubsecens) elicit strong intrinsic umami taste in water at 50 and 10 ppm, respectively. Sensory tests in glutamate- and nucleotide-containing bases showed that the compounds influence the whole flavor profile of savory formulations. Both rubemamine (9) and rubescenamine (10) at 10-100 ppm dose-dependently positively modulated the umami taste of MSG (0.17-0.22%) up to threefold. Among the investigated amides, only rubemamine (9) and rubescenamine (10) are able to directly activate the TAS1R1-TAS1R3 umami taste receptor. Moreover, both compounds also synergistically modulated the activation of TAS1R1-TAS1R3 by MSG. Most remarkably, rubemamine (9) was able to further positively modulate the IMP-enhanced TAS1R1-TAS1R3 response to MSG ∼ 1.8-fold. Finally, armatamide (11), zanthosinamide (13), and dioxamine (14), which lack intrinsic umami taste in vivo and direct receptor response in vitro, also positively modulated receptor activation by MSG about twofold and the IMP-enhanced MSG-induced TAS1R1-TAS1R3 responses approximately by 50%. In sensory experiments, dioxamine (14) at 25 ppm in combination with 0.17% MSG exhibited a sensory equivalent to 0.37% MSG.

Cysteine-2 and Cys30 are essential for chlorophyll-binding activity of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) of Chenopodium album.

Chenopodium album has a non-photosynthetic chlorophyll protein known as the water-soluble chlorophyll (Chl)-binding protein (WSCP). The C. album WSCP (CaWSCP) is able to photoconvert the chlorin skeleton of Chl a into a bacteriochlorin-like skeleton. Reducing reagents such as ß-mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol inhibit photoconversion, indicating that S-S bridge(s) in CaWSCP are quite important for it. Recently, we found that the mature region of CaWSCP contains five cysteine residues; Cys2, Cys30, Cys48, Cys63, and Cys144. To identify which cysteine residues are involved in the photoconversion, we generated five mutants (C2S, C30S, C48S, C63S, and C144S) by site-directed mutagenesis. Interestingly, C48S, C63S, and C144S mutants showed the same Chl-binding activity and photoconvertibility as those of the recombinant wild-type CaWSCP-His, while the C2S and C30S mutants completely lost Chl-binding activity. Our findings indicated that the S-S bridge between Cys2 and Cys30 in each CaWSCP subunit is essential for Chl-binding activity.

Involvement of NFκB in the antirheumatic potential of Chenopodium album L., aerial parts extracts.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Chenopodium album L. (C. album) is commonly known as Bathua in Hindi (Family: Chenopodiaceae). Traditionally, the plant is used as a laxative, diuretic, sedative and the infusion of the plant is used for the treatment of rheumatism. However, no scientific validation is available on the antirheumatic potential of the plant. In the present investigation, role of NF kappa B (NFκB) in the antiarthritic potential of extracts of aerial parts of Chenopodium album was explored and evaluated. METHODS: The defatted aerial parts of Chenopodium album were successively extracted with ethylacetate, acetone, methanol and 50% methanol to study their antioxidant capacity followed by antiarthritic potential using Complete Freund׳s adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis model in rats. The polyphenol, flavonoid and flavanone contents of different extracts were quantified and correlated with their antioxidant capacity, antiarthritic activity and NFκB inhibition potential. RESULTS: The experimental data indicated that the acetone extract of Chenopodium album (ACCA) has shown significant reduction in rat paw edema (80.13%) at dose level of 200 mg/kg per oral in 21 days of this study. On 22nd day, hematological and biochemical parameters were estimated and it was observed that the altered hematological parameters (Hb, RBC, WBC and ESR), biochemical parameters (Serum creatinine, total proteins and acute phase proteins) and loss in body weight in the arthritic rats were significantly brought back to near normal level by the ACCA extract. ACCA extract significantly decreased the NFκB expression in paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus and this effect is comparable with standard indomethacine in CFA treated rats. The polyphenolic and flavonoid content of different extracts were in the range of 14.56±0.21-42.00±0.2 mg (gallic acid equivalent/g extract) and 2.20±0.003-7.33±0.5 mg (rutin equivalent/g extract) respectively. CONCLUSION: The antiarthritic activity possessed by ACCA extract can be correlated directly to its antioxidant potential, high flavonoidal content achieved by successive extraction and its capacity to inhibit the NFκB protein, as proven by immunohistochemistry study.

Utilizing a nano-sorbent for the selective solid-phase extraction of vanillic acid prior to its determination by photoluminescence spectroscopy.

Vanillic acid (VA) is a phenolic acid, and acts as a natural antioxidant in fruits, vegetables and plants. The extraction and determination of trace levels of VA in plants is important, because stimulation of protein synthesis and activation of antioxidant enzymes occur in the presence of phenolic acids at trace levels. In this research, a photoluminescence spectroscopic method was developed for the quantification of VA in plant samples after separation and pre-concentration. Selective extraction of VA from aqueous solution was performed using a solid-phase extraction column packed with nickel-aluminum layered double hydroxide as a nano-sorbent. After elution of extracted analyte from the column using 3 mL of a 3 mol/L NaOH solution, its concentration was determined spectrofluorometrically at λ(em) = 357 nm with excitation at λ(ex) = 280 nm. The spectrofluorometry method gave a linear response for VA within the range 20.0-900.0 µg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9982. The limit of detection and sorption capacity were 7.6 µg/L and 66.2 mg/g, respectively. The method was validated by comparing the obtained results with gas chromatographic data. This method was used to determine VA in Chenopodium album and Prangos asperula plants.

Evaluation of antibacterial, antioxidant and DNA protective capacity of Chenopodium album's ethanolic leaf extract.

We have investigated the antibacterial effects of Chenopodium album's ethanolic leaf extract (CAE) on all the Gram (+) and Gram (-) microorganisms and evaluated the protective effects of CAE on both yeast and human mononuclear leukocytes' genomic DNA upon oxidative shock. Antibacterial activity was recorded on Bacillus subtilis with 13 mm of inhibition zone. Total oxidative status (TOS) and the total antioxidative status (TAS) levels were determined to evaluate the antioxidant activity of CAE. Results indicated that there was a good correlation between dose of CAE and TAS levels. We also observed that CAE protect the DNA of both yeast and mononuclear leukocytes against the damaging effect of hydrogen peroxide. The comet assay, applied on both Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 (MATa his3Δ1 leu2Δ0 met15Δ0 ura3Δ0) and human leukocytes, results suggested that there was statistically significant correlation between CAE dilutions and antigenotoxic activity.

Safety evaluation of some wild plants in the New Nordic Diet.

One of the dietary components in the New Nordic Diet, is plants from the wild countryside. However, these may have a high content of bioactive components, some of which could be toxic in larger quantities. The objective of this paper is to outline a strategy for safety evaluation of wild plants not covered in current food compositional databases and to apply the method for selected plants used in the New Nordic Diet recipes. Four examples of typical wild edible plants were evaluated (stinging nettle, sorrel, chickweed and common lambsquarters), and based on substantial equivalence with known food plants the majority of the bioactive components reported were within the range experienced when eating or drinking typical food stuffs. For most compounds the hazards could be evaluated as minor. The only precaution found was for common lambsquarters because of its presumed high level of oxalic acid. It is concluded that a substance-by-substance evaluation of intake by equivalence to common foods is a useful and efficient strategy to evaluate the safety of newly introduced wild edible plants. Further evaluation and better compositional analyses are warranted before a daily consumption of significant amounts of wild edible plants can be generally regarded as safe.

Constructing a hybrid molecule with low capacity of IgE binding from Chenopodium album pollen allergens.

Allergen specific immunotherapy is the only remedy to prevent the progression of allergic diseases. Nowadays, using of recombinant allergens with reduced IgE-binding capacity is an ideal tool for allergen immunotherapy. Therefore, in this study we focused on a hybrid molecule (HM) production with reduced IgE reactivity from Chenopodium album pollen allergens. By means of genetic engineering, a head to tail structure of the three allergens of the C. album pollen was designed. The resulting DNA construct coding for a 46kDa HM was inserted into an expression vector and expressed as hexahistidine tagged fusion protein in Escherichia coli. IgE reactivity of the HM was evaluated by western blotting, inhibition ELISA and in vivo skin prick test and its immunogenic property was tested by proliferation assay. The recombinant HM was expressed and purified by nickel-affinity chromatography. Comparison of the recombinant HM with a mixture of three recombinant allergens, as well as natural allergens in the whole C. album pollen extract via immunological experiments revealed that it has a much lower potential of IgE reactivity. Furthermore, in vivo skin prick tests showed that it has a significantly lower potency to induce cutaneous reactions than the mixture of recombinant wild type allergens and whole extract while, it had been preserved immunogenic properties. Our results have demonstrated that assembling three allergens of C. album in a hybrid molecule can reduce its IgE reactivity.

Evaluation of safety margins of Chenopodium album seed decoction: 14-day subacute toxicity and microbicidal activity studies.

BACKGROUND: Sperm immobilizing activity and plausible mechanism of action of Chenopodium album seed decoction (CAD) have been elucidated in our earlier studies. The present study has been carried out to explore the safety standards of CAD along with microbicidal properties as prerequisite for its use as a topically applicable vaginal contraceptive. METHODS: The safety standards of CAD were assessed by a) Hemolytic index determination using rabbit erythrocytes, to set the doses of the other experiments, b) Dermal irritancy test using refined version of Draize scoring system on rabbits, c) Possible effect on local tissues and reproductive performance in female rats after fourteen daily single dose application, d) PCNA staining- to evaluate the effect of CAD on vaginal tissue proliferation, e) TUNEL assay- to examine its ability to induce in situ apoptosis in the vaginal tissue sections of the treated animals, and f) Microbicidal activity- to explore the effect of CAD on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Candida albicans. RESULTS: In vitro irritation studies on rabbit erythrocytes revealed the hemolytic index of CAD to be 8.2 mg/ml. The dermal irritation test showed it to be a non-irritant even at higher doses. Intra vaginal application of CAD in rat vagina for 14 consecutive days caused slight reversible inflammation on vaginal epithelial cells at doses as high as 82 mg/ml. However, at this dose level it neither had any adverse effect on vaginal tissue proliferation nor did it cause in situ apoptosis as evident from PCNA staining and TUNEL assay. Fertility and fecundity were restored 4-15 days after withdrawal of CAD application. At dose level 10 times that of its spermicidal MEC (minimum effective concentration), CAD did not block the growth of Lactobacillus, although the size of individual colony was marginally reduced. However, growth of the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans was completely inhibited with 20 mg/ml of CAD. CONCLUSION: The overall result evolved from the study strengthens the candidature of CAD as a safe microbicidal spermicide. It is almost non-irritant to rabbit skin and rat vaginal tissues at doses 10 fold higher than its hemolytic index. The effect of CAD on Lactobacillus culture was not highly encouraging but it prevented the growth of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans at 20 mg/ml of CAD.

Plant-mediated biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles.

Single-pot biosynthesis of silver and gold quasi-spherical nanoparticles (SNPs and GNPs) in the size range of 10-30 nm was attempted using Chenopodium album (an obnoxious weed). This method is rapid, facile, convenient and environmentally safe. Average crystal size was approximately 12 nm and 10 nm for silver and gold nanocrystals respectively. Synthesized NPs were stable in a wide range of pH as there was less variation in zeta potential values. In synthesis of SNPs and GNPs, naturally occurring oxalic acid played significant role in bio-reduction of silver nitrate and auric acid solution into their corresponding silver and gold nano-colloids in single step rapid process.

Cloning and expression of Che a 1, the major allergen of Chenopodium album in Escherichia coli.

Chenopodium album is a weedy annual plant in the genus Chenopodium. C. album pollen represents a predominant allergen source in Iran. The main C. album pollen allergens have been described as Che a 1, Che a 2, and Che a 3. The aim of this work was to clone the Che a 1 in Escherichia coli to establish a system for overproduction of the recombinant Che a 1 (rChe a 1). In order to clone this allergen, the pollens were subjected to RNA extraction. A full-length fragment encoding Che a 1 was prepared by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the first-strand cDNA synthesized from extracted RNA. Cloning was carried out by inserting the cDNA into the pET21b+ vector, thereafter the construct was transformed into E. coli Top10 cells and expression of the protein was induced by IPTG. The rChe a 1 was purified using histidine tag in recombinant protein by means of Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. IgE immunoblotting, ELISA, and inhibition ELISA were done to evaluate IgE binding of the purified protein. In conclusion, the cDNA for the major allergen of the C. album pollen, Che a 1, was successfully cloned and rChe a 1 was purified. Inhibition assays demonstrated allergic subjects sera reacted with rChe a 1 similar to natural Che a 1 in crude extract of C. album pollen. This study is the first report of using the E. coli as a prokaryotic system for Che a 1 cloning and production of rChe a 1.

Improved discrimination between monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants for weed control based on the blue-green region of ultraviolet-induced fluorescence spectra.

Precision weeding by spot spraying in real time requires sensors to discriminate between weeds and crop without contact. Among the optical based solutions, the ultraviolet (UV) induced fluorescence of the plants appears as a promising alternative. In a first paper, the feasibility of discriminating between corn hybrids, monocotyledonous, and dicotyledonous weeds was demonstrated on the basis of the complete spectra. Some considerations about the different sources of fluorescence oriented the focus to the blue-green fluorescence (BGF) part, ignoring the chlorophyll fluorescence that is inherently more variable in time. This paper investigates the potential of performing weed/crop discrimination on the basis of several large spectral bands in the BGF area. A partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed on a set of 1908 spectra of corn and weed plants over 3 years and various growing conditions. The discrimination between monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants based on the blue-green fluorescence yielded robust models (classification error between 1.3 and 4.6% for between-year validation). On the basis of the analysis of the PLS-DA model, two large bands were chosen in the blue-green fluorescence zone (400-425 nm and 425-490 nm). A linear discriminant analysis based on the signal from these two bands also provided very robust inter-year results (classification error from 1.5% to 5.2%). The same selection process was applied to discriminate between monocotyledonous weeds and maize but yielded no robust models (up to 50% inter-year error). Further work will be required to solve this problem and provide a complete UV fluorescence based sensor for weed-maize discrimination.

Nutritional quality of some wild leafy vegetables in South Africa.

Wild vegetables play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of different parts of the world. Among the wild vegetables of South Africa are Chenopodium album, Sonchus asper, Solanumnigrum and Urtica urens. The leaves of these plants were analysed for their nutritive value, anti-nutritive components and polyphenolic contents. The protein contents of their leaves ranged between 13.25% and 26.44%, while the fibre and mineral (ash) contents were 16.08-23.08% and 13.0-27.75%, respectively. U. urens contained the highest concentrations of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. A high level of iron was observed in S. asper. These values were found to be comparable with or higher than those of commonly used vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and cabbage. The total phenolic contents ranged between 4.58 and 10.53 mg/g. In terms of anti-nutritional principles, all the vegetables had comparatively lower concentrations of phytate, alkaloids and saponins. Considering the amount of available mineral elements in the vegetables, these plants could be valuable and important contributors to the diets of the people in South Africa.

Chenopodium album prevents progression of cell growth and enhances cell toxicity in human breast cancer cell lines.

The present study is aimed to investigate the effects of Chenopodium album (leaves) on the growth of estrogen dependent (MCF-7) and estrogen independent (MDA-MB-468) human breast cancer cell lines. The different solvent extracts (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol) were assessed for their cytotoxicity using TBE (Trypan blue exclusion) and MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium] bioassay. These cells were cultured in MEM (minimum essential medium) medium and incubated with the dilution series of extracts (10-100 mg/ml) in CO(2) incubator at 37 degrees C for 24 h. Among the various extracts studied for two cell lines, methanolic extract of C. album (leaves) exhibited maximum antibreast cancer activity having IC(50) (the concentration of an individual compound leading to 50% inhibition) value 27.31 mg/ml against MCF-7 cell line. Significant percent inhibition (94.06%) in the MeOH extract of C. album (leaves) at 48 h of exposure and concentration 100 mg/ml (p < 0.05) against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, indicates the presence of some structural moiety responsible for this observed antiproliferative effect. In vivo study and structural elucidation of its bioactive principle are in progress. Our findings highlight the potential of this plant for its possible clinical use to counteract malignancy development as antibreast cancer bioagent.