Realization of Lodging Tolerance in the Aromatic Grass, Cymbopogon khasianus Through Ploidy Intervention.

Artificial polyploidy that brings about increase in cell size confers changes in histo-morphology leading to altered phenotype, causing changes in physiological attributes and enhanced concentration of secondary metabolites. The altered phenotype is generally a manifestation of tissue hardiness reflected as robust plant type. Based on a case study undertaken on an industrially important grass, Cymbopogon khasianus (2n = 60) valued for its citral rich essential oil, here we report that the artificial polyploidy not only brings about enhancement in concentration of essential oil but also facilitates lodging tolerance. The latter is contributed by ploidy mediated changes that occur to the cells and tissues in various plant organs by way of increased wall thickening, tissue enhancement and epidermal depositions that enable robust features. An exhaustive illustrated account covering various micro-/macro-morphological, skeletal and histochemical features constituting growth and development vis-a-vis ploidy mediated changes is presented highlighting the novelties realized on account of induced polyploidy.

Comparative study on nutritional and sensory quality of barnyard and foxtail millet food products with traditional rice products.

Millets have the potential to contribute to food security and nutrition, but still these are underutilized crops. The present study was undertaken with a view to analyse the physico-chemical, functional and nutritional composition of foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice and to compare the sensory quality and nutritive value of food products from foxtail and barnyard millet with rice. Analysis of physico- chemical and functional characteristics revealed that the thousand kernel weight of foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice was 2.5, 3.0 and 18.3 g, respectively and thousand kernel volume was 1.6, 13 2.0 and 7.1 ml, respectively. The water absorption capacity of foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice was 1.90, 1.96 and 1.98 ml/g, respectively and water solubility index was 2.8, 1.2 and 1.0 %, respectively. Viscosity was measured for foxtail millet (1650.6 cps), barnyard millet (1581 cps) and rice (1668.3 cps). Analysis of nutritional composition showed that the moisture content of foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice was 9.35, 11.93 and 11.91 %, respectively. The total ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate of foxtail millet were 3.10, 10.29, 3.06, 4.25 and 69.95 %, respectively, for barnyard millet were 4.27, 6.93, 2.02, 2.98 and 71.87 %, respectively and the corresponding values for rice were 0.59, 6.19, 0.53, 0.21 and 80.58 %, respectively. The energy value for foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice was 349, 407 and 352 Kcal, respectively. The foxtail millet contained 30.10 mg/100 g calcium and 3.73 mg/100 g iron whereas barnyard millet contained 23.16 mg/100 g calcium and 6.91 mg/100 g iron. Values of 10 mg/100 g calcium and 0.10 mg/100 g iron were observed for rice. The formulated products viz. laddu, halwa and biryani from foxtail millet, barnyard millet and rice (control) were analysed for their sensory qualities. Among the products prepared, there was non significant difference with regard to the colour, flavor, texture, appearance and overall acceptability of foxtail and barnyard millet laddu and halwa when compared to control. Foxtail millet biryani was most acceptable compared to barnyard millet and control biryani. Nutritive value of formulated products was calculated and it was compared with the rice. The protein, fat and fibre content of the formulated products from foxtail and barnyard millet were higher than the rice products. Thus from the present study it was concluded that the foxtail millet and barnyard millet are superior in nutritive value to rice and have potential for use in traditional food products.

Evaluation of finger millet incorporated noodles for nutritive value and glycemic index.

The present study was undertaken to develop finger millet incorporated noodles for diabetic patients. Finger millet variety VL-149 was taken. The finger millet flour and refined wheat flour (RWF) were evaluated for nutrient composition. The finger millet flour (FMF) was blended in various proportions (30 to 50%) in refined wheat flour and used for the preparation of noodles. Control consisted of RWF noodles. Sensory quality and nutrient composition of finger millet noodles was evaluated. The 30% finger millet incorporated noodles were selected best on the basis of sensory evaluation. Noodles in that proportion along with control were evaluated for glycemic response. Nutrient composition of noodles showed that 50% finger millet incorporated noodles contained highest amount of crude fat (1.15%), total ash (1.40%), crude fiber (1.28%), carbohydrate (78.54%), physiological energy (351.36 kcal), insoluble dietary fiber (5.45%), soluble dietary fiber (3.71%), iron (5.58%) and calcium (88.39%), respectively. However, control RWF noodles contained highest amount of starch (63.02%), amylose (8.72%) and amylopectin (54.29%). The glycemic index (GI) of 30% finger millet incorporated noodles (best selected by sensory evaluation) was observed significantly lower (45.13) than control noodles (62.59). It was found that finger millet flour incorporated noodles were found nutritious and showed hypoglycemic effect.

Autopolyploidy differentially influences body size in plants, but facilitates enhanced accumulation of secondary metabolites, causing increased cytosine methylation.

Whole genome duplication leads to autopolyploidy and brings about an increase in cell size, concentration of secondary metabolites and enhanced cytosine methylation. The increased cell size offers a positive advantage to polyploids for cell-surface-related activities, but there is a differential response to change in body size across species and taxonomic groups. Although polyploidy has been very extensively studied, having genetic, ecological and evolutionary implications, there is no report that underscores the significance of native secondary metabolites vis-à-vis body size with ploidy change. To address this problem we targeted unique diploid-autotetraploid paired sets of eight diverse clones of six species of Cymbopogon- a species complex of aromatic grasses that accumulate qualitatively different monoterpene essential oils (secondary metabolite) in their vegetative biomass. Based on the qualitative composition of essential oils and the plant body size relationship between the diploid versus autotetraploid paired sets, we show that polyploidy brings about enhanced accumulation of secondary metabolites in all cases, but exerts differential effects on body size in various species. It is observed that the accumulation of alcohol-type metabolites (e.g. geraniol) does not inhibit increase in body size with ploidy change from 2× to 4× (r = 0.854, P < 0.01), but aldehyde-type metabolites (e.g. citral) appear to drastically impede body development (r = -0.895). Such a differential response may be correlated to the metabolic steps involved in the synthesis of essential oil components. When changed to tetraploidy, the progenitor diploids requiring longer metabolic steps in production of their secondary metabolites are stressed, and those having shorter metabolite routes better utilize their resources for growth and vigour. In situ immunodetection of 5-methylcytosine sites reveals enhanced DNA methylation in autopolyploids. It is underpinned that the qualitative composition of secondary metabolites found in the vegetative biomass of the progenitor diploid has a decisive bearing on the body size of the derived autotetraploids and brings about an enhancement in genome-wide cytosine methylation.

Ploidy-mediated reduced segregation facilitates fixation of heterozygosity in the aromatic grass, Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.).

In most medicinal and aromatic plants, the vegetative tissue (e.g., roots, stems, leaves) is the source of the economic product. These plants are inherently heterozygous (natural allelic hybrids) and maintain their genetic makeup in nature by obligate vegetative propagation. Under seed cultivation, these plants incur population heterogeneity that reduces biomass and hampers product quality. Therefore, fixation of heterozygosity is vital for maintaining uniformity in quality of the economic product and quantity of biomass under seed cultivation. Although seed-grown clonal progenies identical to the mother plant can be obtained in certain plants that show an unusual breeding system called apomixis, such a breeding system is rare in medicinal and aromatic plants of economic value. Here we show an effective experimental strategy based on a polyploid model that facilitates fixation of heterozygosity in obligate asexual species owing to tetrasomic inheritance and low segregation in C(1) progenies from high-fertility C(0) autopolyploids. Using an obligate asexual species of aromatic grass-Cymbopogon martinii, we demonstrated that progenitor diploids with distal chiasma localization and low chiasmate association in meiosis, when changed into tetraploids, entail high gametic/seed fertility reflected in high bivalent pairing and balanced anaphase segregation. Their seed progenies evince crop homogeneity owing to reduced segregation, indicating fixation of heterozygosity present in the source diploids. Because C. martinii could be maintained through obligate vegetative propagation, here is a unique opportunity to utilize the polyploid advantage through C(1) seed progenies for commercial cultivation, as well as maintenance of original C(0) stock for raising seeds without losing polyploid heterosis normally threatened in subsequent segregating progenies on account of aneuploidy and gametic instability.

Nutritional quality of leaves of some genotypes of mulberry (Morus alba).

This study was undertaken to determine the proximate composition, vitamins, minerals and the antinutritional factor tannic acid in leaves of six genotypes of mulberry. The results showed that in fresh mulberry leaves the proximate composition values ranged from 71.13 to 76.68% for moisture, from 4.72 to 9.96% for crude protein, from 4.26 to 5.32% for total ash, from 8.15 to 11.32% for Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), from 0.64 to 1.51% for crude fat, from 8.01 to 13.42% for carbohydrate and from 69 to 86 kcal/100 g for energy. In dried mulberry leaf powder, moisture ranged from 5.11 to 7.24%, crude protein from 15.31 to 30.91%, total ash from 14.59 to 17.24%, NDF from 27.60 to 36.66%, crude fat from 2.09 to 4.93%, carbohydrate from 9.70 to 29.64% and energy from 113 to 224 kcal/100 g. Among vitamins ascorbic acid and beta-carotene were found to range from 160 to 280 mg/100 g and from 10,000.00 to 14,688.00 microg/100 g, respectively, in fresh mulberry leaves and from 100 to 200 mg/100 g and from 8438.00 to 13,125.00 microg/100 g, respectively, in dried mulberry leaf powder. The minerals iron, zinc and calcium were observed in the ranges of 4.70-10.36 mg/100 g, 0.22-1.12 mg/100 g and 380-786 mg/100 g, respectively, for fresh mulberry leaves, and 19.00-35.72 mg/100 g, 0.72-3.65 mg/100 g and 786.66-2226.66 mg/100 g, respectively, for dried mulberry leaf powder. The tannic acid ranged from 0.04 to 0.08% in fresh leaves and from 0.13 to 0.36% in dried leaf powder.

Mulberry (Morus alba) leaves as human food: a new dimension of sericulture.

Mulberry leaf is commonly used for sericulture in almost every part of the world but its potential to be utilized for human consumption is not well recognized. This paper deals with development of mulberry leaf powder and its use with wheat flour to develop paratha, the most common food item of breakfast and dinner in the Indian diet. The optimum ratio of the mulberry leaf powder and wheat flour (MLP-WF) mix for preparation of paratha on the basis of sensory quality was found to be 1:4. The protein quality of the MLP-WF mix was estimated by measuring the Protein Efficiency Ratio, and was found to be 1.82 against a casein diet for which a value of 2.44 was observed. The in vivo toxic effect of mix was studied and no adverse effect on the growth of internal organs of rats (heart, liver, kidney and testes) was found. The storage stability of the mix was estimated for a period of 2 months in polyethylene bags at room temperature. A non-significant difference was observed between paratha prepared from fresh and stored mix. This indicated that mix can be stored for a period of 2 months at room temperature without loss of quality.

Physicochemical properties and nutritional traits of millet-based weaning food suitable for infants of the Kumaon hills, Northern India.

A weaning food based on malted foxtail millet flour (30%), malted barnyard millet flour (30%), roasted soybean flour (25%) and skim milk powder (15%) was prepared. The mix contained 18.37 g protein and 398 kcal energy per 100g. The nutrient composition of this unfortified weaning (UW) mix met the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) standards, except in total ash. In order to meet the minor constituent requirements, the UW mix was fortified. The fortified weaning (FW) mix met PFA standards for various nutrients. The protein efficiency ratio of the UW mix was 2.25 against a casein control, for which a value of 2.50 was recorded. The nutrient composition, viscosity and sensory quality of the UW mix was compared with the marketed weaning mix, commercial infant formula. The viscosity of UW gruel was much lower (20 centipoise (cps)) than that of marketed weaning mix (7400 cps). The high alpha-amylase activity of 661 units in the UW mix was responsible for its low viscosity. The sensory quality of UW mix and marketed weaning mix did not differ significantly (P = 0.05). Both of the gruels were liked moderately on the Hedonic Scale. The UW gruel met the acceptability criteria for weaning food. It could be stored in plastic airtight containers at room temperature for 4 months without any changes in sensory quality.