Significance of dietary quinoa husk (Chenopodium quinoa) in gene regulation for stress mitigation in fish.

The persistent challenges posed by pollution and climate change are significant factors disrupting ecosystems, particularly aquatic environments. Numerous contaminants found in aquatic systems, such as ammonia and metal toxicity, play a crucial role in adversely affecting aquaculture production. Against this backdrop, fish feed was developed using quinoa husk (the byproduct of quinoa) as a substitute for fish meal. Six isonitrogenous diets (30%) and isocaloric diets were formulated by replacing fish meal with quinoa husk at varying percentages: 0% quinoa (control), 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35%. An experiment was conducted to explore the potential of quinoa husk in replacing fish meal and assess its ability to mitigate ammonia and arsenic toxicity as well as high-temperature stress in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. The formulated feed was also examined for gene regulation related to antioxidative status, immunity, stress proteins, growth regulation, and stress markers. The gene regulation of sod, cat, and gpx in the liver was notably upregulated under concurrent exposure to ammonia, arsenic, and high-temperature (NH3 + As + T) stress. However, quinoa husk at 25% downregulated sod, cat, and gpx expression compared to the control group. Furthermore, genes associated with stress proteins HSP70 and DNA damage-inducible protein (DDIP) were significantly upregulated in response to stressors (NH3 + As + T), but quinoa husk at 25% considerably downregulated HSP70 and DDIP to mitigate the impact of stressors. Growth-responsive genes such as myostatin (MYST) and somatostatin (SMT) were remarkably downregulated, whereas growth hormone receptor (GHR1 and GHRß), insulin-like growth factors (IGF1X, IGF2X), and growth hormone gene were significantly upregulated with quinoa husk at 25%. The gene expression of apoptosis (Caspase 3a and Caspase 3b) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were also noticeably downregulated with quinoa husk (25%) reared under stressful conditions. Immune-related gene expression, including immunoglobulin (Ig), toll-like receptor (TLR), tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and interleukin (IL), strengthened fish immunity with quinoa husk feed. The results revealed that replacing 25% of fish meal with quinoa husk could improve the gene regulation of P. hypophthalmus involved in mitigating ammonia, arsenic, and high-temperature stress in fish.

Integration of transcriptome and metabolome reveals the accumulation of related metabolites and gene regulation networks during quinoa seed development.

Quinoa seeds are gluten- and cholesterol-free, contain all amino acids required by the human body, have a high protein content, provide endocrine regulation, protein supplementation, and cardiovascular protection effects. However, metabolite accumulation and transcriptional regulatory networks in quinoa seed development are not well understood. Four key stages of seed development in Dianli-3260 and Dianli-557 were thus analyzed and 849 metabolites were identified, among which sugars, amino acids, and lipids were key for developmental processes, and their accumulation showed a gradual decrease. Transcriptome analysis identified 40,345 genes, of which 20,917 were differential between the M and F phases, including 8279 and 12,638 up- and down-regulated genes, respectively. Grain development processes were mainly enriched in galactose metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, the biosynthesis of amino acids, and carbon metabolism pathways, in which raffinose, phosphoenolpyruvate, series and other metabolites are significantly enriched, gene-LOC110689372, Gene-LOC110710556 and gene-LOC110714584 are significantly expressed, and these metabolites and genes play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid and Amino acid synthesis of quinoa. This study provides a theoretical basis to expand our understanding of the molecular and metabolic development of quinoa grains.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Mechanisms of Accumulation and Conversion of Folate Derivatives during Germination of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Seeds.

Folate was enriched during quinoa germination, while molecular mechanisms were not well understood. In this study, three quinoa varieties were selected for germination, and changes in substrate content and enzyme activity of the folate biosynthesis pathway were monitored. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate (5-CH3-THF) and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-CHO-THF) were significantly enriched in quinoa sprouts. Among the selected varieties, QL-2 exhibited the lowest content of the oxidation product MeFox and the highest total folate content. Based on transcriptome analysis, the p-ABA branch was found to be crucial for folate accumulation, while the pterin branch served as a key control point for the one carbon pool by folate pathway, which limited further folate biosynthesis. In the one carbon pool by folate pathway, genes CqMTHFR and CqAMT significantly contributed to the enrichment of 5-CH3-THF and 5-CHO-THF. Findings gained here would facilitate the potential application of quinoa sprouts as an alternative strategy for folate supplementation.

Identification of core genes associated with different phosphorus levels in quinoa seedlings by weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Quinoa is a highly nutritious and novel crop that is resistant to various abiotic stresses. However, its growth and development is restricted due to its limited utilization of soil phosphorus. Studies on the levels of phosphorus in quinoa seedlings are limited; therefore, we analyzed transcriptome data from quinoa seedlings treated with different concentrations of phosphorus. RESULTS: To identify core genes involved in responding to various phosphorus levels, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis method was applied. From the 12,085 expressed genes, an analysis of the gene co-expression network was done. dividing the expressed genes into a total of twenty-five different modules out of which two modules were strongly correlated with phosphorus levels. Subsequently we identified five core genes that correlated strongly either positively or negatively with the phosphorus levels. Gene ontology and assessments of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes have uncovered important biological processes and metabolic pathways that are involved in the phosphorus level response. CONCLUSIONS: We discovered crucial new core genes that encode proteins from various transcription factor families, such as MYB, WRKY, and ERF, which are crucial for abiotic stress resistance. This new library of candidate genes associated with the phosphorus level responses in quinoa seedlings will help in breeding varieties that are tolerant to phosphorus levels.

Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Revealed the Response Mechanism of Quinoa Seedlings to Different Phosphorus Stresses.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a dicotyledonous annual herb of Family Amaranthaceae and Subfamily Chenopodiaceae. It has high nutritional and economic value. Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant macronutrient, a component of many biomolecules, and vital to growth, development, and metabolism. We analyzed the transcriptomes and metabolomes of Dianli-1299 and Dianli-71 quinoa seedlings, compared their phenotypes, and elucidated the mechanisms of their responses to the phosphorus treatments. Phenotypes significantly varied with phosphorus level. The plants responded to changes in available phosphorus by modulating metabolites and genes implicated in glycerophospholipid, glycerolipid and glycolysis, and glyconeogenesis metabolism. We detected 1057 metabolites, of which 149 were differentially expressed (DEMs) and common to the control (CK) vs. the low-phosphorus (LP) treatment samples, while two DEMs were common to CK vs. the high-phosphorus (HP) treatment samples. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) annotated 29,232 genes, of which 231 were differentially expressed (DEGs) and common to CK vs. LP, while one was common to CK vs. HP. A total of 15 DEMs and 11 DEGs might account for the observed differences in the responses of the quinoa seedlings to the various phosphorus levels. The foregoing results may provide a theoretical basis for improving the phosphorus utilization efficiency in quinoa.

An Insight into Saponins from Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd): A Review.

Saponins are an important group found in Chenopodium quinoa. They represent an obstacle for the use of quinoa as food for humans and animal feeds because of their bitter taste and toxic effects, which necessitates their elimination. Several saponins elimination methods have been examined to leach the saponins from the quinoa seeds; the wet technique remains the most used at both laboratory and industrial levels. Dry methods (heat treatment, extrusion, roasting, or mechanical abrasion) and genetic methods have also been evaluated. The extraction of quinoa saponins can be carried out by several methods; conventional technologies such as maceration and Soxhlet are the most utilized methods. However, recent research has focused on technologies to improve the efficiency of extraction. At least 40 saponin structures from quinoa have been isolated in the past 30 years, the derived molecular entities essentially being phytolaccagenic, oleanolic and serjanic acids, hederagenin, 3ß,23,30 trihydroxy olean-12-en-28-oic acid, 3ß-hydroxy-27-oxo-olean-12en-28-oic acid, and 3ß,23,30 trihydroxy olean-12-en-28-oic acid. These metabolites exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as molluscicidal, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, hemolytic, and cytotoxic properties.

Review: Shaping a sustainable food future by rediscovering long-forgotten ancient grains.

Genetic erosion of crops has been determined way back in the 1940s and accelerated some twenty years later by the inception of the Green Revolution. Claims that the revolution was a complete triumph remain specious, especially since the massive production boost in the global big three grain crops; wheat, maize, and rice that happened back then is unlikely to recur under current climate irregularities. Presently, one of the leading strategies for sustainable agriculture is by unlocking the genetic potential of underutilized crops. The primary focus has been on a suite of ancient cereals and pseudo-cereals which are riding on the gluten-free trend, including, among others, grain amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, teff, and millets. Each of these crops has demonstrated tolerance to various stress factors such as drought and heat. Apart from being the centuries-old staple in their native homes, these crops have also been traditionally used as forage for livestock. This review summarizes what lies in the past and present for these underutilized cereals, particularly concerning their potential role and significance in a rapidly changing world, and provides compelling insights into how they could one day be on par with the current big three in feeding a booming population.