Nutritional and Chemical Quality of Maize Hybrids from Different FAO Maturity Groups Developed and Grown in Serbia.

Maize is a globally significant cereal crop, contributing to the production of essential food products and serving as a pivotal resource for diverse industrial applications. This study investigated the proximate analysis of maize hybrids from different FAO maturity groups in Serbia, exploring variations in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids with the aim of understanding how agroecological conditions influence the nutritional potential of maize hybrids. The results indicate substantial variations in nutritional composition and antioxidant properties among different maturity groups. The levels of total polyphenols varied among FAO groups, indicating that specific hybrids may offer greater health benefits. Flavonoids and carotenoids also showed considerable variation, with implications for nutritional quality. Tocopherol content varied significantly, emphasizing the diversity in antioxidant capacity. Fatty acid analysis revealed high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, indicating favorable nutritional and industrial properties. The study highlights the importance of considering maturity groups in assessing the nutritional potential of maize hybrids.

Cereal-Pea Intercropping Reveals Variability in the Relationships among Yield, Quality Parameters, and Obligate Pathogens Infection in Wheat, Rye, Oat, and Triticale, in a Temperate Environment.

Widespread usage of intercropping systems has been limited because of a lack of knowledge about the key factors that affect the performance of intercrop components. We used general linear modelling to explain the effect of different cropping systems on the relationships among yield, thousand kernel weight (TKW), and crude protein of cereal crops under the same agro-ecological conditions and naturally occurring inocula of obligate pathogens. The results of our study showed that the yield variation under extreme fluctuations in climatic conditions could be lowered through intercropping cultivation. The disease indices of leaf rust and powdery mildew were highly dependent on the type of cultivation. The relationships among the levels of pathogenic infection and yield performances were not straightforward and were highly dependent on the yielding potentials of the cultivars. Our study indicated that changes in yield, TKW, and crude protein, as well as their relationships during intercropping cultivation, were cultivar specific and, therefore, not the same among all cereal crops exposed to the same agro-ecological conditions.

Changes in Fusarium and Aspergillus Mycotoxin Content and Fatty Acid Composition after the Application of Ozone in Different Maize Hybrids.

Mycotoxins in maize represent a great threat to human health. For this reason, novel technics such as ozone treatment are used to reduce the content of maize mycotoxins. However, there is little knowledge about the effect of ozone treatment on maize quality parameters. This study investigated the changes in Fusarium and Aspergillus mycotoxins and the changes in fatty acids during the ozone treatment of maize samples. Sixteen maize hybrids were visually tested for the naturally occurring ear rot severity and treated with three different concentrations of ozone (40, 70, and 85 mg/L). Mycotoxin content in maize samples was determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, whereas dominant fatty acids were determined using gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Ozone treatments could be successfully applied to reduce the content of mycotoxins in maize below the detection limit. Ozone treatments increased the content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and decreased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), i.e., linoleic acid (36.7% in relation to the lowest applied ozone concentration), which negatively affected the nutritional value of maize.

Correlation of elongation factor 1A accumulation with photosynthetic pigment content and yield in winter wheat varieties under heat stress conditions.

Heat stress is one of the most important environmental factors that influences wheat growth and development, leading to significant losses in grain yield and has become a significant detrimental factor for worldwide wheat production. In recent years, several studies suggested that eukaryotic elongation factor 1A (eEF1A), may contribute to heat tolerance in plants, therefore the aim of this study was: to investigate the accumulation of eEF1A in wheat under conditions of moderate and high air temperatures; to determine the amount of photosynthetic pigments and to determine the yield traits; and to examine whether there is a correlation between eEF1A accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, and yield in different wheat varieties. The results showed that heat stress induced accumulation of eEF1A significantly different among wheat varieties and showed that varieties with a higher accumulation of eEF1A under heat stress are characterized by a smaller decrease in the photosynthetic pigments. A correlation between higher accumulation of eEF1A under heat stress and yield traits was found. Analyzed parameters from two growing seasons, indicated that the higher accumulation of eEF1A and a smaller decrease in photosynthetic pigments distinguishes the varieties more resistant to heat stress. The analysis of the molecular mechanisms by immunoblot, under conditions of high and moderate air temperatures in two growing seasons, aims to develop agricultural strategy and develop wheat varieties tolerant to heat stress.

Expression of protein synthesis elongation factors in winter wheat and oat in response to heat stress.

The aim of our work was to examine the expression and accumulation of EF-Tu and eEF1A in grain filing stage of five genotypes of winter wheat and one oat genotype in conditions of heat stress. In addition, the correlation between accumulation of elongation factors eEF1A and EF-Tu, and yield components of cereals in the field was investigated. Flag leaf protein samples were analyzed by immunoblotting. Flag leaves were collected under conditions of moderate (23 °C; MT) and high air temperature (38 °C; HT) in a field experiment. After the harvest, grain yield was determined. The yield components, the weight of dry seed and grains number per spike, were assessed in the stage of full physiological maturity of investigated cultivars. Obtained results revealed a difference in the level of EF-Tu accumulation both under conditions of moderate air temperatures and conditions of heat stress among investigated cultivars. Cultivar Zvezdana was the only one that showed increase in EF-Tu accumulation under HT (25%) compared to MT. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the highest increase of eEF1A accumulation (43%) in relation to moderate temperature was detected in cultivar Talas. A significant, positive, linear correlation was found between the expression of eEF1A and small grains productivity under heat-stress conditions.

Effects of high temperatures and drought during anthesis and grain filling period on wheat processing quality and underlying gluten structural changes.

BACKGROUND: Climate changes do not only affect wheat yield, but also its quality. Information on this topic gathered so far is somewhat contradictory and insufficient. Climate changes also affect wheat indirectly through their influence on the ecosystem, including insects and fungi that affect wheat technological quality. The aim of this study was to examine trends in structural and technological changes of wheat quality under conditions typical of climate changes. With this in mind, three groups of wheat varieties with the same Glu-score were examined in three production years, characterized by different production conditions. RESULTS: A production season characterized by climate change conditions results in lower activity of amylolytic enzymes. What is more, it results in lower content of gluten, higher gluten index value, its decrease after 1 h to 37 °C, lower number of free SH groups and higher content of free amino groups, which result in lower alveograph W, lower farinograph WA and higher extensograph dough resistance. CONCLUSION: Variability in wheat quality produced under different climatic conditions is mainly influenced by the production conditions, including their influence on ecosystem factors. The influence of wheat cultivar genetic predisposition is much less expressed. This indicates that differences among cultivars with different Glu-score might be diminished under the influence of altered production conditions, as a consequence of climate change. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Content of free amino groups during postharvest wheat and flour maturation in relation to gluten quality.

The objective of this study was to monitor the changes in the content of free amino groups during postharvest wheat and flour maturation. The content of free amino groups of wheat flour was analysed immediately after wheat harvest, after 50 days of wheat storage and after 14 days of flour storage varying by wet gluten samples incubation temperatures and incubation times (0, 90 or 135 min at 30°C and after that 180 min at 37°C). The results were observed in relation to wheat-bug damaged kernels content, gluten index values, proteolytic activity and electrophoretic properties of gliadins and glutenins. The content of free amino groups increased during postharvest wheat and flour maturation periods. Proteolytic activity values were the highest 50 days after the wheat storage. The electrophoretic determination indicated a macromolecular redistribution of the gluten proteins from the moment of the wheat harvest until the moment of flour stabilisation.

Advantages of the lab-on-a-chip method in the determination of the kunitz trypsin inhibitor in soybean varieties.

Qualitative and quantitative determination of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) in soybean experimental lines is very important in processes of selecting and breeding of new varieties. The total enzyme activity assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and Lab-on-a-Chip (LoaC) method were used for the determination of the presence and quantity of KTI in 15 soybean experimental lines and varieties. From the total trypsin inhibitor enzyme assay, inhibitor activities were registered in all samples, even in a Kunitz variety that was a negative control. The SDS-PAGE method did not detect the presence of the KTI protein band in seven soybean experimental lines and Kunitz variety, while the LoaC method showed the absence of KTI only in the Kunitz variety sample. Results confirmed the superiority of the LoaC method over other two methods in selectivity and sensitivity when KTI determination is concerned. Relationships between the KTI content obtained by the LoaC method and total trypsin inhibitor enzyme activity were established and statistically confirmed.