Genome-wide association study of resistance to anthracnose in pepper (Capsicum chinense) germplasm.

BACKGROUND: Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum spp. that has a significant impact on worldwide pepper production. Colletotrichum scovillei is the most common pathogenic anthracnose-causing species in the Republic of Korea. RESULTS: The resistances of 197 pepper (Capsicum chinense) accessions deposited in Korea's National Agrobiodiversity Center were evaluated for their response against the virulent pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum isolate 'KSCa-1' and C. scovillei isolate 'Hana') in the field and in vitro methods for three consecutive years (2018 to 2020). The severity of the disease was recorded and compared between inoculation methods. Six phenotypically resistant pepper accessions were selected based on three years of disease data. All of the selected resistant pepper accessions outperformed the control resistant pepper in terms of resistance (PI 594,137). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with anthracnose resistance. An association analysis was performed using 53,518 SNPs and the disease score of the 2020 field and in vitro experiment results. Both field and in vitro experiments revealed 25 and 32 significantly associated SNPs, respectively. These SNPs were found on all chromosomes except Ch06 and Ch07 in the field experiment, whereas in the in vitro experiment they were found on all chromosomes except Ch04 and Ch11. CONCLUSION: In this study, six resistant C. chinense accessions were selected. Additionally, in this study, significantly associated SNPs were found in a gene that codes for a protein kinase receptor, such as serine/threonine-protein kinase, and other genes that are known to be involved in disease resistance. This may strengthen the role of these genes in the development of anthracnose resistance in Capsicum spp. As a result, the SNPs discovered to be strongly linked in this study can be used to identify a potential marker for selecting pepper material resistant to anthracnose, which will assist in the development of resistant varieties.

Changes in Isoflavone Profile from Soybean Seeds during Cheonggukjang Fermentation Based on High-Resolution UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS: New Succinylated and Phosphorylated Conjugates.

In this study, thirty-eight isoflavone derivatives were comprehensively identified and quantified from the raw, steamed and fermented seeds of four selected soybean cultivars based on UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS results with reference to the previously reported LC-MS library and flavonoid database, and summarized by acylated group including glucosides (Glu), malonyl-glucosides (Mal-Glu), acetyl-glucosides (Ac-Glu), succinyl-glucosides (Suc-Glu) and phosphorylated conjugates (Phos) in addition to aglycones. Among them, Suc-Glu and Phos derivatives were newly generated due to fermentation by B. subtilis AFY-2 (cheonggukjang). In particular, Phos were characterized for the first time in fermented soy products using Bacillus species. From a proposed roadmap on isoflavone-based biotransformation, predominant Mal-Glu (77.5-84.2%, raw) decreased rapidly by decarboxylation and deesterification into Ac-Glu and Glu (3.5-8.1% and 50.0-72.2%) during steaming, respectively. As fermentation continued, the increased Glu were mainly succinylated and phosphorylated as well as gradually hydrolyzed into their corresponding aglycones. Thus, Suc-Glu and Phos (17.3-22.4% and 1.5-5.4%, 36 h) determined depending on cultivar type and incubation time, and can be considered as important biomarkers generated during cheonggukjang fermentation. Additionally, the changes of isoflavone profile can be used as a fundamental report in applied microbial science as well as bioavailability research from fermented soy foods.

Effects of Particulate Respirator Use on Cardiopulmonary Function in Elderly Women: a Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Individual particulate respirator use may offer protection against exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5). Among elderly Korean women, we explored individual particulate respirator use and cardiopulmonary function. METHODS: Recruited in Seoul, Korea, 21 elderly, non-smoking women wore particulate respirators for six consecutive days (exlcuding time spent eating, sleeping, and bathing). We measured resting blood pressure before, during, and after respirator use and recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, pulse pressure, and lung function. We also measured 12-hour ambulatory blood pressure at the end of the 6-day long experiment and control periods. Additionally, we examined physiological stress (heart rate variability and urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) while wearing the particulate respirators. Person- and exposure-level covariates were also considered in the model. RESULTS: After the 6-day period of respirator use, resting blood pressure was reduced by 5.3 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (P = 0.013), 2.9 mmHg for mean arterial blood pressure (P = 0.079), and 3.6 mmHg for pulse pressure (P = 0.024). However, particulate respirator use was associated with changes in physiological stress markers. A parasympathetic activity marker (high frequency) significantly decreased by 24.0% (P = 0.029), whereas a sympathetic activity marker (ratio of low-to-high frequency) increased by 50.3% (P = 0.045). An oxidative stress marker, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, increased by 3.4 ng/mg creatinine (P = 0.021) during the experimental period compared with that during the control period. Lung function indices indicated that wearing particulate respirators was protective; however, statistical significance was not confirmed. CONCLUSION: Individual particulate respirator use may prevent PM2.5-induced blood-pressure elevation among elderly Korean women. However, the effects of particulate respirator use, including physiological stress marker elevation, should also be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0003526.

Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in professional dancers, including lapse period of group practice due to the COVID-19 outbreak: repeated-measures analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of musculoskeletal pain among professional dancers who experienced a lapse in group practice due to coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS: General characteristics, practice time, region of musculoskeletal pain due to injury using the visual numeric scale (VNS), and causative motion were surveyed among professional dancers. Pain of VNS 0 to 3 was categorized as "no or minor," 4 to 6 was categorized as "moderate," and 7 to 10 was categorized as "severe." The causal motions of musculoskeletal pain were analyzed according to body region. Factors other than motion associated with pain were also analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 368 participants were included. In the univariate analysis, age and practice time were positively associated with "moderate" pain. Practice time, dance experience, and postural accuracy were positively associated with "severe" pain, as was performing Korean traditional dance. In the multivariable analysis, practice time, group practice, and age were positively associated with pain of VNS 4 to 10, and practice time, group practice, and Korean traditional dance were positively associated with pain of VNS 7 to 10. CONCLUSION: Among the factors related to dancer training, practice time, group practice, and dance type affect the occurrence of pain.

Nursing care services to address unmet supportive care needs among cancer survivors: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The increasing population of cancer survivors poses a significant challenge for healthcare systems globally, necessitating comprehensive post-treatment care to address diverse physical, psychological, and social needs. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to synthesize and critically evaluate the current evidence concerning the unmet needs for nursing services among cancer survivors, spanning various dimensions of survivorship care. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across major databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, to identify relevant studies investigating the unmet needs and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) of nursing services led by nurses among cancer survivors. The final search update was conducted in June 2024. Unmet needs dimensions were categorized by the biopsychosocial-spiritual framework. RESULTS: Of the 9503 records searched, 18 studies were included. This review revealed mixed findings in the domains of unmet needs and interventions aimed at addressing them. While nurse-led interventions showed promise in addressing physical and daily living needs, outcomes related to psychological and emotional needs varied across studies. Additionally, nurse-led interventions were effective in addressing patient-clinician communication and health system/information needs, although statistical significance was not consistently observed. HRQOL assessments using general and cancer-specific measures yielded mixed findings. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations of the risk of bias of included studies and weak study designs for evaluating nurse-led intervention effects for cancer survivors, the findings highlight the potential of nursing practice to significantly contribute to improving unmet needs of physical, psychological, and social perspectives and ultimately improving their HRQOL. However, the impact on the spiritual needs of nursing care services is limited by the low number of studies. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: By providing comprehensive support and management, nursing practice can enhance post-treatment outcomes and HRQOL for cancer survivors, contributing to more patient-centered and effective care delivery. More rigorous research considering a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective to help cancer survivors improve HRQOL is needed.

Nutritional Qualities, Metabolite Contents, and Antioxidant Capacities of Yardlong Beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) of Different Pod and Seed Colors.

Studying the effects of genetic and environmental factors on plant biochemical components helps in selecting the best varieties for the food industry and breeding programs. This study analyzed the nutritional qualities, secondary metabolites, and antioxidant activities of 14 field-grown yardlong beans accessions and how they are affected by differences in pod and seed colors. The analyzed parameters varied significantly among the yardlong bean accessions, with variances ranging from 1.36% in total unsaturated fatty acid content to 51.01% in DPPH• scavenging activity. Accessions YLB4, YLB7, and YLB14 performed the best, showing antioxidant indices of 100.00, 70.10, and 67.88%, respectively. Among these, YLB14 showed a characteristic property, having the highest levels of vitamin C (2.62 mg/g) and omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (2.67). It also had the second highest dietary fiber (21.45%), stearic acid (4.44%), and linoleic acid (40.39%) contents, as well as the lowest thrombogenicity index (0.38). Although cluster and principal component analyses did not clearly separate the yardlong beans based on pod or seed color, analysis of variance revealed that these factors and their interaction had significant effects on total phenol, DPPH• scavenging activity, ABTS•+ scavenging activity, and reducing power. In contrast, the nutritional parameters, except for dietary fiber, were not significantly affected by pod and seed color variations. Therefore, consuming yardlong beans of different pod and seed colors may not affect the overall nutrient intake. In general, this study identified yardlong beans with green pods and black seeds as good sources of antioxidants. Accordingly, further metabolomics and genomics studies are suggested to thoroughly explore their characteristics.

Multivariate Analysis of Biochemical Properties Reveals Diversity among Yardlong Beans of Different Origins.

This study analyzed the nutrient levels, secondary metabolite contents, and antioxidant activities of 35 yardlong bean accessions from China, Korea, Myanmar, and Thailand, along with their key agronomic traits. Significant variations were found in all the parameters analyzed (p < 0.05). The crude fiber (CFC), dietary fiber (DFC), total protein, and total fat contents varied from 4.10 to 6.51%, 16.71 to 23.49%, 22.45 to 28.11%, and 0.59 to 2.00%, respectively. HPLC analysis showed more than a 10-fold difference in vitamin C level (0.23 to 3.04 mg/g), whereas GC-FID analysis revealed the dominance of palmitic acid and linoleic acid. All accessions had high levels of total unsaturated fatty acids, which could help in preventing cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, total phenolic, tannin, and saponin contents ranged between 3.78 and 9.13 mg GAE/g, 31.20 and 778.34 mg CE/g, and 25.79 and 82.55 mg DE/g, respectively. Antioxidant activities like DPPH• scavenging, ABTS•+ scavenging, and reducing power (RP) ranged between 1.63 and 9.95 mg AAE/g, 6.51 and 21.21 mg TE/g, and 2.02, and 15.58 mg AAE/g, respectively. Days to flowering, total fat, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and TPC were significantly influenced by origin and genotype differences, while seeds per pod, one-hundred seeds weight, CFC, DFC, vitamin C, RP, and TSC were not affected by these factors. Multivariate analysis categorized the accessions into four clusters showing significant variations in most of the analyzed parameters. Correlation analysis also revealed significant relationships between several noteworthy parameters. Overall, this comprehensive analysis of biochemical factors revealed diversity among the different yardlong bean varieties. These findings could have practical applications in industries, breeding programs, and conservation efforts.

Anti-nutrient factors, nutritional components, and antioxidant activities of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) as affected by genotype, seed traits, and their interactions.

This study explored how genotype, seed color, and seed weight affect major biochemical components in 95 faba bean accessions. Genotype variation significantly affected convicine, total tannin (TTC), total saponin, and total phenol (TPC) contents. Seed color and weight variations affected several parameters, with their interaction significantly affecting convicine, total vicine-convicine content (TVC), TTC, total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and antioxidant activities. Genotype interaction with seed weight and seed color also significantly affected convicine, TVC, TPC, oleic acid, linoleic acid, PUFA, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Vicine, dietary fiber, total fat, crude protein, palmitic acid, and stearic acid contents remain unaffected by these factors. Multivariate analysis showed that brown and small beans had distinctive characteristics. Overall, this study demonstrated the connection between biochemical components, genotype, and seed traits in faba beans. Therefore, these factors should be considered when choosing faba bean genotypes for use in the food industry and breeding programs.

The North Equatorial Current and rapid intensification of super typhoons.

Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which traversed the North Equatorial Current (NEC; 8-17 °N) in the western North Pacific in 2018, was the most intense Category-5 tropical cyclone (TC) with the longest duration in history-3.5 days. Here we show that the combination of two factors-high ocean heat content (OHC) and increased stratification - makes the NEC region the most favored area for a rapid intensification (RI) of super typhoons, instead of the Eddy Rich Zone (17-25 °N), which was considered the most relevant for RI occurrence. The high OHC results from a northward deepening thermocline in geostrophic balance with the westward-flowing NEC. The stratification is derived from precipitation associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone in the summer peak typhoon season. These factors, which are increasingly significant over the past four decades, impede the TC-induced sea surface cooling, thus enhancing RI of TCs and simultaneously maintaining super typhoons over the NEC region.

Screening Germplasms and Detecting Quantitative Trait Loci for High Sucrose Content in Soybean.

Sucrose is a desirable component of processed soybean foods and animal feed, and thus, its content is used as an important characteristic for assessing the quality of soybean seeds. However, few studies have focused on the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with sucrose regulation in soybean seeds. This study aims to measure the sucrose content of 1014 soybean accessions and identify genes related to high sucrose levels using QTL analysis. Colorimetric analysis based on the enzymatic reaction of invertase (INV) and glucose oxidase (GOD) was employed to test the germplasms. A total of six high-sucrose genetic resources (IT186230, IT195321, IT263138, IT263276, IT263286, and IT276521) and two low-sucrose genetic resources (IT025668 and IT274054) were identified. Two F2:3 populations, IT186230 × IT025668 and Ilmi × IT186230, were then established from these germplasms. QTL analysis identified four QTLs (qSUC6.1, qSUC11.1, qSUC15.1, and qSUC17.1), explaining 7.3-27.6% of the phenotypic variation in the sugar content. Twenty candidate genes were found at the four QTLs. Notably, Glyma.17G152300, located in the qSUC17.1 QTL region, exhibited a 17-fold higher gene expression in the high-sucrose germplasm IT186230 compared to the control germplasm Ilmi, confirming its role as a major gene regulating the sucrose content in soybean. These results may assist in marker-assisted selection for breeding programs that aim to develop soybean lines with a higher sucrose content.

Comprehensive Characterization of Global Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Collection Using Agronomic Traits, ß-Glucan Level, Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activities.

This study characterized the diversity of 367 barley collections from 27 different countries, including 5 control cultivars, using several phenotypic traits. Morphological traits, including spike type, grain morphology, cold damage, and lodging rate, exhibited wide variations. Eighteen accessions matured early, while four accessions had longer culm and spike lengths than the controls. The ranges of total phenolic content (TPC), ß-glucan content, ABTS•+ scavenging activity, DPPH• scavenging activity, and reducing power (RP) were 1.79-6.79 mg GAE/g, 0.14-8.41 g/100 g, 3.07-13.54 mg AAE/100 g, 1.56-6.24 mg AAE/g, and 1.31-7.86 mg AAE/g, respectively. Betaone, one of the controls, had the highest ß-glucan content. Two accessions had ß-glucan levels close to Betaone. Furthermore, 20 accessions exhibited increased TPC compared to the controls, while 5 accessions displayed elevated ABTS•+ scavenging activity. Among these, one accession also exhibited higher DPPH• scavenging activity and RP simultaneously. Based on the statistical analysis of variance, all the quantitative traits were significantly affected by the difference in origin (p < 0.05). On the other hand, grain morphology significantly affected biochemical traits. Multivariate analysis classified barley accessions into eight groups, demonstrating variations in quantitative traits. There were noteworthy correlations between biochemical and agronomical traits. Overall, this study characterized several barley varieties of different origins, anticipating future genomic research. The barley accessions with superior performances could be valuable alternatives in breeding.

Types and Characteristics of Stress Coping in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and predictors of types of stress coping in women undergoing infertility treatment. The cross-sectional study included 120 women who were receiving infertility treatment at infertility hospitals. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure. K-means cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine the characteristics and predictors of stress-coping types. Out of all the women undergoing infertility treatment who completed a self-report survey, 30.8% had a weak mixed coping type, 35.9% had a strong mixed coping type, and 33.3% had a passive coping type. The strong mixed treatment type was compared to weak mixed treatment type, with the following results: infertility adaptation (OR = 17.71, p < 0.000), spousal support (OR = 4.50, p = 0.021), infertility counseling experience (OR = 7.14, p = 0.010). Comparing the strong mixed coping type with the passive coping type, resilience (OR = 9.11, p < 0.000) was shown. It is necessary to strengthen resilience and provide a receptive attitude and spousal support to women undergoing infertility adaptation to help them relieve stress and develop functional coping.

Comprehensive evaluation of nutritional components, bioactive metabolites, and antioxidant activities in diverse sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) landraces.

Sorghum, one of the prospective crops for addressing future food and nutrition security, has received attention in recent years due to its health-promoting compounds. It is known that several environmental and genetic factors affect the metabolite contents of dietary crops. This study investigated the diversity of different nutrients, functional metabolites, and antioxidant activity using three different assays in 53 sorghum landraces from Korea, China, Japan, Ethiopia, and South Africa. The effects of origin and seed color variations were also investigated. Total phenolic (TPC), total tannin (TTC), total fat, total protein, total dietary fiber, and total crude fiber contents all varied significantly among the sorghum landraces (p < 0.05). Using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were detected in all the sorghum landraces, and their content significantly varied (p < 0.05). Furthermore, four 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (luteolinidin, apigeninidin, 5-methoxyluteolinidin, and 7-methoxyapigeninidin) and two flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin) were detected in most of the landraces using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and their concentrations also significantly varied. Statistical analyses supported by multivariate tools demonstrated that seed color variation had a significant effect on TPC, TTC, DPPH• and ABTS•+ scavenging activities, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power, with yellow landraces having the highest and white landraces having the lowest values. Seed color variation also had a significant effect on dietary fiber, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and luteolin contents. In contrast, all nutritional components and fatty acids except total protein and oleic acid were significantly affected by origin, while most 3-deoxyanthocyanidins and flavonoids were unaffected by both origin and seed color differences. This is the first study to report the effect of origin on sorghum seed metabolites and antioxidant activities, laying the groundwork for future studies. Moreover, this study identified superior landraces that could be good sources of health-promoting metabolites.

Exploring the potentials of sorghum genotypes: a comprehensive study on nutritional qualities, functional metabolites, and antioxidant capacities.

Introduction: Sorghum, long regarded as one of the most underutilized crops, has received attention in recent years. As a result, conducting multidisciplinary studies on the potential and health benefits of sorghum resources is vital if they are to be fully exploited. In this study, the nutritional contents, functional metabolites, and antioxidant capacities of 23 sorghum breeding lines and three popular cultivars were assessed. Materials and method: All of the sorghum genotypes were grown under the same conditions, and mature seeds were hand-harvested. The metabolite contents and antioxidant capacities of sorghum seeds were assessed using standard protocols. Fatty acids were quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, whereas flavonoids and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were analyzed using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. The data were analyzed using both univariate and multivariate statistical approaches. Results and discussion: Total protein (9.05-14.61%), total fat (2.99-6.91%), crude fiber (0.71-2.62%), dietary fiber (6.72-16.27%), total phenolic (0.92-10.38 mg GAE/g), and total tannin (0.68-434.22 mg CE/g) contents varied significantly across the sorghum genotypes (p < 0.05). Antioxidant capacity, measured using three assays, also differed significantly. Five fatty acids, including palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, were found in all the sorghum genotypes with statistically different contents (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the majority of the sorghum genotypes contained four 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, including luteolinidin, apigeninidin, 5-methoxyluteolinidin, and 7-methoxyapigeninidin, as well as two dominant flavonoids, luteolin and apigenin. Compared to the cultivars, some breeding lines had significantly high levels of metabolites and antioxidant activities. On the other hand, statistical analysis showed that total tannin, total phenolic, and antioxidant capacities varied significantly across white, yellow, and orange genotypes. Principal component analysis was used to differentiate the sorghum genotypes based on seed color and antioxidant index levels. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed strong links between biosynthetically related metabolites and those with synergistic antioxidant properties. Conclusion: This research demonstrated the diversity of the sorghum resources investigated. Those genotypes with high levels of nutritional components, functional metabolites, and antioxidant activities could be used for consumption and breeding programs.

Nutrient Levels, Bioactive Metabolite Contents, and Antioxidant Capacities of Faba Beans as Affected by Dehulling.

Legume dehulling often removes anti-nutrients while improving nutritional quality. However, the process may reduce the levels of other health-promoting metabolites. This study investigated the effect of dehulling on major nutrients, bioactive metabolites, and antioxidant activities using 22 faba bean cultivars typically grown in different parts of the world. The faba bean cultivars differed significantly in all the parameters assessed. Crude fiber (CFC), dietary fiber (DFC), crude protein, and crude fat contents were in the ranges of 5.24-10.56, 16.17-25.15, 19.83-30.90, and 0.79-1.94% in the whole seeds and 0.96-1.59, 4.14-9.50, 22.47-36.61, and 1.13-2.07% in the dehulled seeds, respectively. Moreover, fatty acids including palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, bioactive metabolites including total phenol (TPC), total saponin (TSC), and total tannin (TTC) contents, and antioxidant activities including ABTS•+-scavenging activity, ferric antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH•-scavenging activity also showed significant variations. Dehulling significantly reduced DFC (55.09-79.30%), CFC (69.61-87.52%), and TTC (1.70-66.99%) in all the faba bean cultivars while increasing total protein content (9.31-17.69%). Dehulling also increased the total fat content (3.02-48.13%) in all the cultivars except Giant Three Seeded, a Japanese cultivar, which showed a 12.62% decrease. In contrast, dehulling exhibited varying results on fatty acids, TPC, TSC, and antioxidant activities among the faba bean cultivars. Accordingly, three cultivars: Primus from Hungary, Levens Marschbohne from Germany, and Ascott from France, exhibited simultaneous increases in nutritional levels after dehulling. Domasna-2 from Macedonia, Abawi# 1 from Peru, Seville from the United Kingdom, and Large Mazandran from Iran, on the other hand, exhibited marked reductions in nutritional levels, functional metabolites, and antioxidant activities. In general, our findings indicated that dehulling reduces crude fiber, dietary fiber, and tannin levels while increasing protein and fat contents in faba beans. However, fatty acids, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity may not be equally affected by dehulling and, therefore, specific genotypes should be inspected.

Analysis of Genetic Diversity in Adzuki Beans (Vigna angularis): Insights into Environmental Adaptation and Early Breeding Strategies for Yield Improvement.

Adzuki beans are widely cultivated in East Asia and are one of the earliest domesticated crops. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity and domestication history of adzuki beans, we conducted Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) analysis on 366 landraces originating from Korea, China, and Japan, resulting in 6586 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population structure analysis divided these 366 landraces into three subpopulations. These three subpopulations exhibited distinctive distributions, suggesting that they underwent extended domestication processes in their respective regions of origin. Phenotypic variance analysis of the three subpopulations indicated that the Korean-domesticated subpopulation exhibited significantly higher 100-seed weights, the Japanese-domesticated subpopulation showed significantly higher numbers of grains per pod, and the Chinese-domesticated subpopulation displayed significantly higher numbers of pods per plant. We speculate that these differences in yield-related traits may be attributed to varying emphases placed by early breeders in these regions on the selection of traits related to yield. A large number of genes related to biotic/abiotic stress resistance and defense were found in most quantitative trait locus (QTL) for yield-related traits using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genomic sliding window analysis of Tajima's D and a genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) revealed distinct domestication selection signatures and genotype variations on these QTLs within each subpopulation. These findings indicate that each subpopulation would have been subjected to varied biotic/abiotic stress events in different origins, of which these stress events have caused balancing selection differences in the QTL of each subpopulation. In these balancing selections, plants tend to select genotypes with strong resistance under biotic/abiotic stress, but reduce the frequency of high-yield genotypes to varying degrees. These biotic/abiotic stressors impact crop yield and may even lead to selection purging, resulting in the loss of several high-yielding genotypes among landraces. However, this also fuels the flow of crop germplasms. Overall, balancing selection appears to have a more significant impact on the three yield-related traits compared to breeder-driven domestication selection. These findings are crucial for understanding the impact of domestication selection history on landraces and yield-related traits, aiding in the improvement of adzuki bean varieties.

Variability of Anthocyanin Concentrations, Total Metabolite Contents and Antioxidant Activities in Adzuki Bean Cultivars.

In this study, adzuki bean cultivars including Arari, Chilbopat, Geomguseul, and Hongeon were recently cultivated, and the concentrations of seven individual anthocyanins were determined in their seed coats for the first time. Moreover, the variations of total saponin content (TSC), total phenolic content (TPC), 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) between defatted and undefatted extracts of whole seeds, seed coats, and dehulled seeds of each were analyzed. The anthocyanins were detected only in the black seed-coated cultivars and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside was dominant in both Geomguseul (12.46 mg/g) and Chilbopat (10.88 mg/g) followed by delphinidin-3-O-galactoside. TSC and TPC were in the ranges of 16.20−944.78 mg DE/g and 0.80−57.35 mg GAE/g, respectively, and each decreased in the order of seed coats > whole seeds > dehulled seeds regardless of extract type. The antioxidant activities also showed similar patterns of variation. Geomguseul seed coats outweighed the remaining cultivars in terms of TPC and FRAP activity (p < 0.05). Generally, significant variations of metabolite contents and antioxidant activities were observed between cultivars and across their seed parts (p < 0.05). Thence, black seed-coated adzuki beans could be excellent sources of anthocyanins and antioxidants.

Origin and seed coat color differently affect the concentrations of metabolites and antioxidant activities in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) seeds.

In this study, 54 soybean germplasms of different seed coat colors originated from America, China, Japan, and Korea were cultivated in Korea and analyzed for the contents of total oil, total protein, total phenolic, five fatty acids, and five isoflavones, and antioxidant activities using three assays. The soybeans showed significant variations (p < 0.05) of metabolite contents and antioxidant activities. Origin and seed coat color exhibited a slight or insignificant effect on total protein and total oil contents. In contrast, origin and seed coat color significantly affected the concentration of individual and total isoflavones, and total phenolics, with few exceptions. Whereas fatty acids were significantly affected by origin, seed coat color provided better information regarding the variations in antioxidant capacities. Together, multivariate and correlation analyses revealed important associations between biosynthetically-related metabolites. In general, origin and seed coat color differently influenced the concentration of different classes of metabolites and antioxidant activities.

Comprehensive characterization of flavonoid derivatives in young leaves of core-collected soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivars based on high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Most previous studies have been focused on isoflavone profile with biological activities from soybean seed and its related products. However, in the present study, eighty-three flavonoid derivatives (55 flavonols, 9 flavones and 19 isoflavones) were comprehensively identified and quantified from young leaves of 21 core-collected soybean cultivars based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector with quadrupole time of flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QToF/MS). Among total flavonoids from soybean leaves (SLs), the abundant flavonols (83.6%) were primarily composed of di- and tri- glycosides combined to the aglycones (K, kaempferol; Q, quercetin; I, isorhamnetin). Particularly, K-rich SLs (yellow coated seed), Nongrim 51 (breeding line) and YJ208-1 (landrace) contained mainly kaempferol 3-O-(2″-O-glucosyl-6″-O-rhamnosyl)galactoside and 3-O-(2″,6″-di-O-rhamnosyl)galactoside, and were expected to be superior cultivars by their higher flavonoids. Besides, the new tri-I-glycosides (soyanins I-V) were presented as predominant components in Junyeorikong (landrace, black). Thus, this study suggest that the SLs can be considered as valuable edible resources due to their rich flavonoids. Also, these detailed profiles will support breeding of superior varieties with excellent biological activities as well as relationship with seed anthocyanins production, and contribute to perform metabolomics approach to investigate the changes of SLs flavonols during the leaf growth and fermentation in further research.

Metabolite Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) Seeds of Different Seed Coat Colors.

Seed coat color is one of the main agronomical traits that determine the chemical quality of soybean seeds and has been used as a parameter during cultivar development. In this study, seeds of yellow (n = 10), greenish-yellow (n = 5), and light-yellow (n = 4) soybean accessions were evaluated for their contents of total protein, total oil, total phenolic (TPC), and five prominent fatty acids including palmitic acid (PA), stearic acid (SA), oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid (LA), and linolenic acid (LLA), relative to a control cultivar, and the effect of seed coat color on each was investigated. Antioxidant activity was also evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The results showed significant variations of metabolite contents and antioxidant activities between the soybeans. The average TPC, DPPH-radical scavenging activity, and FRAP were each in the order of greenish-yellow > yellow > light-yellow soybeans. In contrast, light-yellow soybeans contained a high level of OA and low levels of SA, LA, and LLA, each except LA differing significantly from yellow and greenish-yellow soybeans (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that greenish-yellow and light-yellow soybeans could be good sources of antioxidants and high-quality soybean oil, respectively.