Multilocus functional characterization of indigenous and exotic inbreds for dgat1-2, fatb, ge2 and wri1a genes affecting kernel oil and fatty acid profile in maize.

Demand for maize oil is progressively increasing due to its diverse industrial applications, aside from its primary role in human nutrition and animal feed. Oil content and composition are two crucial determinants of maize oil in the international market. As kernel oil in maize is a complex quantitative trait, improving this trait presents a challenge for plant breeders and biotechnologists. Here, we characterized a set of 292 diverse maize inbreds of both indigenous and exotic origin by exploiting functional polymorphism of the dgat1-2, fatb, ge2, and wri1a genes governing kernel oil in maize. Genotyping using gene-based functional markers revealed a lower frequencies of dgat1-2 (0.15) and fatb (0.12) mutant alleles and a higher frequencies of wild-type alleles (Dgat1-2: 0.85; fatB: 0.88). The favorable wri1a allele was conserved across genotypes, while its wild-type allele (WRI1a) was not detected. In contrast, none of the genotypes possessed the ge2 favorable allele. The frequency of favorable alleles of both dgat1-2 and fatb decreased to 0.03 when considered together. Furthermore, pairwise protein-protein interactions among target gene products were conducted to understand the effect of one protein on another and their responses to kernel oil through functional enrichments. Thus, the identified maize genotypes with dgat1-2, fatb, and wri1a favourable alleles, along with insights gained through the protein-protein association network, serve as prominent and unique genetic resources for high-oil maize breeding programs. This is the first comprehensive report on the functional characterization of diverse genotypes at the molecular and protein levels.

Enhanced nutraceutical potential of gamma irradiated black soybean extracts.

Radiation processing of soybean, varying in seed coat colour, was carried out at dose levels of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 kGy to evaluate their potential anti-proliferative and cytoprotective effects in an in vitro cell culture system. Irradiated and control black (Kalitur) and yellow (DS9712) soybean extracts were characterized in terms of total phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins, especially cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G). Using an epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B the potential cytoprotective effects of soybean extracts were evaluated in terms of intracellular ROS levels and cell viability. The most relevant scavenging effect was found in Kalitur, with 78% decrease in ROS, which well correlated with a 33% increase in C3G after a 1 kGy dose. Results evidenced a correspondence between in vitro antioxidant activity and a potential health property of black soybean extracts, exemplifying the nutraceutical role of C3G. To our knowledge this study is the first report validating the cytoprotective effects of irradiated black soybean extracts.

Elucidation of the role of oleosin in off-flavour generation in soymeal through supercritical CO2 and biotic elicitor treatments.

Defatting soybean by sophisticated oil extraction method utilising supercritical CO2 resulted in a significant decrease in the residual phospholipids (PLs) compared with soymeal obtained by conventional cold percolation method utilising hexane as the extraction solvent. Interestingly, the levels of residual PLs showed a proportionate relationship with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number, an indicator of lipid peroxidation responsible for off-flavour generation. Furthermore, two oleosins (18 and 24 kDa) were isolated from the oil bodies extracted from soybean seeds and positively characterised for phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity, suggesting their plausible involvement in off-flavour generation in soymeal. The treatment of soybean seeds, before oil extraction, with different concentrations of biotic elicitors such as chitosan and jasmonic acid also significantly reduced the levels of residual PLs as well as the TBA number. The biotic elicitor treatment could thus prove to be an important strategy for the reduction of off-flavour in protein-rich soymeal.