Evaluation of anti-sickling effects of two varieties of Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth on sickle cell beta thalassemia.

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Globally, the prevalence of sickle cell disease is on the rise, with developing countries experiencing particularly alarming mortality rate compared to developed nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) have acknowledged sickle cell disease as a significant global public health concern. Unfortunately, a cure for this condition is yet to be discovered, and existing allopathic treatments, while offering relief, come with serious side effects. In recent times, there has been a growing interest in exploring the potential of medicinal plants for treating sickle cell disease due to their content of secondary metabolites that may impact the disease's mechanisms. Cajanus cajan, a crucial grain legume in rain-fed agriculture in semi-arid tropics, has been traditionally used in folk medicine to manage various illnesses and is suggested to possess anti-sickling properties. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study investigated two varieties of C. cajan for their effectiveness in treating sickle cell beta thalassemia, a variant of sickle cell disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was divided into four groups consisting of the untreated group (group 1), group treated with standard drug (group 2), group treated with white C. cajan (group 3) and group treated with brown C. cajan (group 4). The effects of the two variety of C. cajan were measured by polymerization test, reversibility test, osmotic fragility test, deoxygenation and beta globin synthesis test. RESULT: The results revealed that both varieties of C. cajan demonstrated a reduction in polymerization rates, reversed sickled red blood cells, increased the oxygen affinity of Hb-S/ß, elevated the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio, and maintained the membrane stability of red blood cells. Notably, the white variety exhibited superior anti-sickling properties compared to the brown variety. CONCLUSION: This suggests that this significant leguminous crop could be utilized for the treatment and management of sickling disorders, particularly in low-income countries where conventional treatments may be financially inaccessible to patients.

Nano zinc oxide mediated resuscitation of aged Cajanus cajan via modulating aquaporin, cell cycle regulatory genes and hormonal responses.

KEY MESSAGE: Nanoparticle pretreatment improved the health of aged Cajanus cajan seeds viz., regulation of redox status, gene expression, and restoration of hormonal homeostasis. Ageing deteriorates the quality of seeds by lowering their vigor and viability, and terminating with loss of germination. These days, nanotechnology has been seen to revolutionize the agricultural sectors, and particularly nano zinc oxide (nZnO) has gained considerable interests due to its distinctive properties. The aim of the present work was to decipher the possibilities of using nZnO to rejuvenate accelerated aged (AA) seeds of Cajanus cajan. Both chemically (CnZnO) and green (GnZnO; synthesized using Moringa oleifera) fabricated nZnOs were characterized via standard techniques to interpret their purity, size, and shape. Experimental results revealed erratic germination with a decline in viability and membrane stability as outcomes of reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) buildup in AA seeds. Application of nZnO substantially rebated the accrual of ROI, along with enhanced production of antioxidants, α-amylase activity, total sugar, protein and DNA content. Higher level of zinc was assessed qualitatively/ histologically and quantitatively in nZnO pulsed AA seeds, supporting germination without inducing toxicity. Meantime, augmentation in the gibberellic acid with a simultaneous reduction in the abscisic acid level were noted in nZnO invigorated seeds than that determined in the AA seeds, suggesting possible involvement of ROI in hormonal signalling. Furthermore, nZnO-subjected AA seeds unveiled differential expression of aquaporins and cell cycle regulatory genes. Summarizing, among CnZnO and GnZnO, later one holds better potential for a revival of AA seeds of Cajanus cajan by providing considerable tolerance against ageing-associated deterioration via recouping the cellular redox homeostasis, hormonal signaling, and alteration in expression patterns of aquaporin and cell cycle regulatory genes.

Longistylin A from Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. disturbs glycerophospholipid metabolism and cytokinin biosynthesis of Nocardia seriolae.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Nocardiosis is an uncommon infectious disease that bears certain similarities to tuberculosis, with a continuous increase in its incidence and a poor prognosis. In traditional Chinese medicine, the leaves of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. are employed to treat wounds, malaria, coughs, and abdominal pain. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of longistylin A (LGA), a natural stilbene isolated from C. cajan, as a potential antibiotic against nocardiosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LGA was isolated from the leaves of C. cajan and assessed using a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determination against Nocardia seriolae. Multi-omics analysis encompassing genes, proteins, and metabolites was conducted to investigate the impact of LGA treatment on N. seriolae. Additionally, quantitative analysis of 40 cytokinins in N. seriolae mycelium was performed to assess the specific effects of LGA treatment on cytokinin levels. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy was utilized to examine morphological changes induced by LGA treatment, particularly in the presence of exogenous trans-zeatin-O-glucoside (tZOG). The therapeutic effect of LGA was investigated by feeding N. seriolae-infected largemouth bass. RESULTS: LGA exhibited significant efficacy against N. seriolae, with MBC value of 2.56 µg/mL. Multi-omics analysis revealed that LGA disrupted glycerophospholipid metabolism and hormone biosynthesis by notably reducing the expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and calmodulin-like protein. Treatment with LGA markedly disrupted 12 distinct cytokinins in N. seriolae mycelium. Additionally, the addition of exogenous tZOG counteracted the inhibitory effects of LGA on filamentous growth, resulting in mycelial elongation and branching. Furthermore, LGA treatment improved the survival rate of largemouth bass infected with N. seriolae. CONCLUSIONS: We found for the first time that LGA from C. cajan exhibited significant efficacy against N. seriolae by interfering with glycerophospholipid metabolism and cytokinin biosynthesis.

A Novel Trypsin Kunitz-Type Inhibitor from Cajanus cajan Leaves and Its Inhibitory Activity on New Cancer Serine Proteases and Its Effect on Tumor Cell Growth.

A novel trypsin inhibitor from Cajanus cajan (TIC) fresh leaves was partially purified by affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE revealed one band with about 15 kDa with expressive trypsin inhibitor activity by zymography. TIC showed high affinity for trypsin (Ki = 1.617 µM) and was a competitive inhibitor for this serine protease. TIC activity was maintained after 24 h of treatment at 70 °C, after 1 h treatments with different pH values, and ß-mercaptoethanol increasing concentrations, and demonstrated expressive structural stability. However, the activity of TIC was affected in the presence of oxidizing agents. In order to study the effect of TIC on secreted serine proteases, as well as on the cell culture growth curve, SK-MEL-28 metastatic human melanoma cell line and CaCo-2 colon adenocarcinoma was grown in supplemented DMEM, and the extracellular fractions were submitted salting out and affinity chromatography to obtain new secreted serine proteases. TIC inhibited almost completely, 96 to 89%, the activity of these serine proteases and reduced the melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma cells growth of 48 and 77% respectively. Besides, it is the first time that a trypsin inhibitor was isolated and characterized from C. cajan leaves and cancer serine proteases were isolated and partial characterized from SK-MEL-28 and CaCo-2 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, TIC shown to be potent inhibitor of tumor protease affecting cell growth, and can be one potential drug candidate to be employed in chemotherapy of melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma.

Three new anti-inflammatory stilbenoids and a diphenyl ether derivative from Cajanus cajan.

Three new stilbenoids, namely two rare plant-derived phenanthrenes denominated Cajananthrenes A and B (1, 2) and one bibenzyl named Cajanbenzyl (3), together with a diphenyl ether derivative designated Cajanether (4), as well as five other known compounds (5-9) were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Cajanus cajan. Their structures were determined through extensive spectroscopic analysis including UV, IR, NMR (1D and 2D) and HRESIMS as well. A plausible biogenesis pathway was proposed for the biosynthesis of compounds 1-3. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed moderate anti-inflammatory activity as evident from the inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 73.6 and 44.6 µM respectively.

CcNFYB3-CcMATE35 and LncRNA CcLTCS-CcCS modules jointly regulate the efflux and synthesis of citrate to enhance aluminium tolerance in pigeon pea.

Aluminium (Al) toxicity decreases crop production in acid soils in general, but many crops have evolved complex mechanisms to resist it. However, our current understanding of how plants cope with Al stress and perform Al resistance is still at the initial stage. In this study, the citrate transporter CcMATE35 was identified to be involved in Al stress response. The release of citrate was increased substantially in CcMATE35 over-expression (OE) lines under Al stress, indicating enhanced Al resistance. It was demonstrated that transcription factor CcNFYB3 regulated the expression of CcMATE35, promoting the release of citrate from roots to increase Al resistance in pigeon pea. We also found that a Long noncoding RNA Targeting Citrate Synthase (CcLTCS) is involved in Al resistance in pigeon pea. Compared with controls, overexpression of CcLTCS elevated the expression level of the Citrate Synthase gene (CcCS), leading to increases in root citrate level and citrate release, which forms another module to regulate Al resistance in pigeon pea. Simultaneous overexpression of CcNFYB3 and CcLTCS further increased Al resistance. Taken together, these findings suggest that the two modules, CcNFYB3-CcMATE35 and CcLTCS-CcCS, jointly regulate the efflux and synthesis of citrate and may play an important role in enhancing the resistance of pigeon pea under Al stress.

Methyl jasmonate reduces cadmium toxicity by enhancing phenol and flavonoid metabolism and activating the antioxidant defense system in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

Cadmium (Cd) is absorbed by plant roots from soil along with essential nutrients and affects plant growth and productivity. Methyl jasmonate (Me-JA) play important roles to mitigate Cd toxicity in plants. We have investigated the role of Me-JA to ameliorate Cd toxicity in Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Plant root growth, biomass, cellular antioxidant defense system and expression of key regulatory genes in molecular and signaling process have been analyzed. Two Cajanus cajan varieties AL-882 and PAU-881 were grown at 25 °C, 16/8h light/dark conditions in three biological replicates at 5 mM Cd concentration, three concentration of Me-JA (0, 10 nM, 100 nM) and two concentrations in combination of Me-JA + Cd (10 nM Me-JA +5 mM Cd, 100 nM Me-JA +5 mM Cd). The seedlings were exposed to Cd stress consequently plants showed decrease in primary root growth (60.71%, in AL-882 and 8.33%, in PAU-881), shoot and root biomass and antioxidant enzymes activities. Me-JA treatment resulted in increased primary root growth (63.64%, in AL-882) and overall plant biomass. Oxidative stress generated due to Cd stress was counter balanced by Me-JA treatment. Me-JA reduced H2O2 free radicals formation and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and phenolic content in stressed seedlings. Me-JA treatment increased expression of CALM, IP3, CDPK2, MPKs (involved in calcium and kinase signaling pathways) and reduced expression of metal transporters (IRT1 and HMA3) genes. This reduction in metal transporters gene expression is a probable reason for low toxicity effect of Cd in root after Me-JA treatment which has potential implications in reducing the risk of Cd in the food chain.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of GRAS gene family in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh).

The GRAS proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that play a crucial role in various plant physiological processes, including tissue development and stress responses. To date, GRAS family has been comprehensively characterized in Arabidopsis, soybean, rice, chickpea and other plant species. To understand the structural and functional aspects of pigeonpea (C. cajan), we identified 60 putative GRAS (CcGRAS) genes from pigeonpea genome and further analysed their physicochemical properties, subcellular locations, evolutionary classification, exon-intron structures, conserved domains, gene duplication events and cis-promoter regions. Based on the sequence similarity, CcGRAS family was clustered into 9 subfamilies and the genes with a similar structure and motif distribution were clustered in the same group. The gene duplication studies revealed that these genes were derived from tandem and dispersed duplication events. The cis-promoter regulatory analysis of CcGRAS genes indicated the presence of three types of cis-acting elements including light-responsive, hormone-responsive and plant growth and development related. The expression profiling of CcGRAS genes revealed their tissue-specific functions and differential nature. Collectively, this study highlights relevant functional and regulatory elements of GRAS family in pigeonpea creating a significant resource for future functional studies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03782-x.

Two novel symbiovars of Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense, americaense and caribense, the symbiovar tropici of Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi and the symbiovar cajani of Bradyrhizobium cajani are microsymbionts of the legume Cajanus cajan in Dominican Republic.

Cajanus cajan L. (guandul) is commonly cultivated in Dominican Republic where this legume is a subsistence crop. Here we identified through MALDI-TOF MS several rhizobial strains nodulating C. cajan in two Dominican locations as Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense. The phylogenetic analysis of recA and glnII housekeeping genes showed that these strains belong to a wide cluster together with the type strain of B. yuanmingense and other C. cajan nodulating strains previously isolated in Dominican Republic. The comparison of genomes from strains representative of different lineages within this cluster support the existence of several genospecies within B. yuanmingense, which is the major microsymbiont of C. cajan in Dominican Republic where it is also nodulated by Bradyrhizobium cajani and Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi. The analysis of the symbiotic nodC gene showed that the C. cajan nodulating strains from the B. yuanmingense complex belong to two clusters with less than 90% similarity between them. The strains from these two clusters showed nodC gene similarity values lower than 90% with respect to the remaining Bradyrhizobium symbiovars and then they correspond to two new symbiovars for which we propose the names americaense and caribense. The results of the nodC gene analysis also showed that C. cajan is nodulated by the symbiovar tropici, which has been found by first time in this work within the species Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi. These results confirmed the high promiscuity degree of C. cajan, which is also nodulated by the symbiovar cajani of Bradyrhizobium cajani in Dominican Republic.

Safety Assessment and Hepatic-Renal Protection of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. Root and Its Soy Isoflavone Contents.

Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp., also known as pigeon pea, has roots that have exhibited much pharmacological potential. The present study was conducted to assess the safe dose of the ethanolic extract of C. cajan roots (EECR95) and to analyze the main soy isoflavones contents. In vitro, we investigated the mutagenicity and cytotoxic effect of EECR95 on Salmonella typhimurium-TA98 and TA100 (by Ames tests) and RAW 264.7, L-929, and HGF-1 cell lines (by MTT tests) for 24 h of incubation. We found no mutagenic or cytotoxic effects of EECR95. After administration of 0.2 or 1.0 g/kg bw of EECR95 to both male and female Wistar rats for 90 days, there were no significant adverse effects on the behaviors (body weight, water intake, and food intake), organ/tissue weights, or immunohistochemical staining, and the urine and hematological examinations of the rats were within normal ranges. EECR95 potentially decreases renal function markers in serum (serum uric acid, BUN, CRE, and GLU) or liver function markers (cholesterol, triglyceride, and glutamic-pyruvate-transaminase (GPT)). We also found that EECR95 contained five soy isoflavones (genistein, biochanin A, daidzein, genistin, and cajanol), which may be related to its hepatorenal protection. Based on the high dose (1.0 g/kg bw) of EECR95, a safe daily intake of EECR95 for human adults is estimated to be 972 mg/60 kg person/day.

Decomposition and nutrient release of green manure biomass in a passion fruit orchard in the brazilian semiarid region.

Green manure decomposition and nutrient recycling improve soil quality and productivity of different crops, but information on irrigated fruit orchards in the Brazilian semi-arid region is still scarce. Decomposition and nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium release from the cut biomass of three green manure legumes (sunn hemp, pigeon pea and jack bean) placed in litterbags, and spontaneous vegetation grown for 90 days in the rows of a passion fruit orchard were followed for 150 days. Biomasses decreased exponentially, reaching 12 (sunn hemp) to 25% (jack beans and spontaneous vegetation) after 150 days. K was rapidly released (< 21 and 4% of the original content remaining after 7 and 150 days, respectively), contrasting with more than half of the P and one third of the N remaining after 150 days. The amounts released were more influenced by the amounts of biomass produced (sunn hemp, 1583); (Jack bean 5152 kg ha-1); (Pigeon pea 822 kg ha-1); (Spontaneous plants 3175 kg ha-1); (spontaneous legumes 744 kg ha-1) than by variation in decomposition proportions among species. N release represented a liquid input to the soil, since more than 80% of the green manure and spontaneous vegetation contents came from N2-symbiotic fixation. Therefore, green manure is an effective technique to incorporate N and recycle K and P in irrigated orchards in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of ABC transporter superfamily in the legume Cajanus cajan.

Plant ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein family is the largest multifunctional highly conserved protein superfamily that transports diverse substrates across biological membranes by the hydrolysis of ATP and is also the part of the several other biological processes like cellular detoxification, growth and development, stress biology, and signaling processes. In the agriculturally important legume crop Cajanus cajan, a genome-wide identification and characterization of the ABC gene family was carried out. A total of 159 ABC genes were identified that belong to eight canonical classes CcABCA to CcABCG and CcABCI based on the phylogenetic analysis. The number of genes was highest in CcABCG followed by CcABCC and CcABCB class. A total of 85 CcABC genes were found on 11 chromosomes and 74 were found on scaffold. Tandem duplication was the major driver of CcABC gene family expansion. The dN/dS ratio revealed the purifying selection. The phylogenetic analysis revealed class-specific eight superclades which reflect their functional importance. The largest clade was found to be CcABCG which reflects their functional significance. CcABC proteins were mainly basic in nature and found to be localized in the plasma membrane. The secondary structure prediction revealed the dominance of α-helix. The canonical transmembrane and nucleotide binding domain, signature motif LSSGQ, Walker A, Walker B region, and Q loop were also identified. A class-specific exon-intron pattern was also observed. In addition to core elements, different cis-acting regulatory elements like stress, hormone, and cellular responsive were also identified. Expression profiling of CcABC genes at various developmental stages of different anatomical tissues was performed and it was noticed that CcABCF3, CcABCF4, CcABCF5, CcABCG66, and CcABCI3 had the highest expression. The results of the current study endow us with the further functional analysis of Cajanus ABC in the future.

Stilbenoids and Flavonoids from Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities.

Two new stilbenoids, cajanstilbenoid C (1) and cajanstilbenoid D (2), together with eight other known stilbenoids (3-10) and seventeen known flavonoids (11-27), were isolated from the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate portions of the 95% ethanol extract of leaves of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. The planar structures of the new compounds were elucidated by NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry, and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) values. All the compounds were assayed for their inhibitory activities against yeast α-glucosidase. The results demonstrated that compounds 3, 8-9, 11, 13, 19-21, and 24-26 had strong inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, with compound 11 (IC50 = 0.87 ± 0.05 µM) exhibiting the strongest activity. The structure-activity relationships were preliminarily summarized. Moreover, enzyme kinetics showed that compound 8 was a noncompetitive inhibitor, compounds 11, 24-26 were anticompetitive, and compounds 9 and 13 were mixed-competitive.

Pigeon Pea Intercropped with Tropical Pasture as a Mitigation Strategy for Enteric Methane Emissions of Nellore Steers.

In this study, we evaluate the effects of intercropping pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) with tropical pastures for feeding Nellore cattle and compared animal performance and enteric CH4 emissions with other pasture-based systems during the dry and rainy seasons of 2021. Thirty-six Nellore steers (with a body weight of 221 ± 7 kg and an age of 15-16 months) were randomly distributed in three treatments with three replicates (in paddocks of 1.5 hectares each): (1) a degraded pasture of Urochloa spp. (DEG); (2) a recovered and fertilized pasture of Urochloa spp. (REC); and (3) pigeon pea intercropped with Urochloa spp. (MIX). Enteric CH4 emissions were estimated using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer gas technique, and dry matter intake (DMI) was determined using internal (iNDF) and external (TiO2) markers. Forages were collected by hand plucking after observations of ingestive behavior, and feces was collected after voluntary defecation. The proportion of grass and legume intake was estimated by C stable isotopes, and the forage nutritional quality was determined, while animal performance was monitored monthly, and the stocking rate was adjusted by the "put and take" technique. The results indicated that intercropping pigeon pea with tropical grasses is an interesting strategy for sustainable livestock production based on pastures. The MIX treatment was able to meet the nutritional requirements of the animals, which presented higher performance. In addition, there was a reduction in CH4 emissions up to 70% when expressed per average daily weight gain in comparison to the DEG treatment.

Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like actions of Cajanus cajan seed extract mediated through monoaminergic, nitric oxide-cyclic GMP and GABAergic pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The seeds of Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp, are used in Traditional medicine for the treatment of anxiety and other neurological disorders. Hence, this study is designed to investigate the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like properties of ethanol seed extract of Cajanus cajan (CC) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CC (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered 1h before subjecting the animals to different behavioral models: forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) (depressive-like behaviour), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), light-dark test (LDT) and hole-board test (HBT) for anxiety-like behaviour. To ascertain the pharmacodynamic of CC mice were pretreated with monoaminergic, nitrergic and GABAergic receptors antagonists. As well as molecular docking analysis of about 19 flavonoids present in CC on GABAA, α2 adrenoceptors and 5-HT2A receptors. RESULTS: CC (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) treatment significantly reduced immobile time in both FST and TST when compared with vehicle-treated control. However, the pretreatment of mice with prazosin/yohimbine (α1/2 adrenoceptor antagonists, respectively), WAY100635 (5-HT1A receptor antagonist), ketanserin (5-HT2A receptor antagonist), sulpiride (dopamine D2 receptor antagonist), L-NG-Nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), or methylene blue reversed the antidepressant-like effect of CC. In anxiety model, CC produced significant (p < 0.05) increase in open arms exploration and head dipping behavior which was reversed by flumazenil (benzodiazepine receptor antagonist) in the EPM. Docking analysis showed significant binding affinity of orientin, vitexin, pinostrobin and quercetin with 5HT2A, α2-adrenoceptor and GABAA receptors. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study showed that C.cajan seeds extract exerts antidepressant-like effect through participation of monoaminergic systems (5-HT2 receptor, α1/α2-adrenoceptors, and dopamine D2-receptors), nitric oxide-cyclic GMP pathway and anxiolytic-like effect via GABAA benzodiazepine receptors. Moreso, presence of flavonoids with significant binding energies with monoaminergic and GABAergic systems support the potential of the extract in the management of mixed anxiety-depressive illness.

Efeito da germinação e da desidratação no valor nutritivo, compostos bioativos e atividade antioxidante de farinhas de leguminosas / Germination and dehydration effects on nutritional value, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of legume flours / Efectos de la germinación y la deshidratación sobre el valor nutritivo, los compuestos bioactivos y la actividad antioxidante de harinas de leguminosas

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o efeito da germinação no teor de macronutrientes e da desidratação em compostos bioativos, nutrientes e atividade antioxidante de farinhas das leguminosas Phaseolus lunatus L. e Cajanus cajan (L. Millsp.) germinadas. As condições de germinação foram controladas em laboratório e as amostras foram submetidas à desidratação térmica (55°C) e liofilização. Foram realizadas as análises de composição centesimal, fenólicos totais flavonoides, atividade antioxidante (DPPH, FRAP), perfil de ácidos graxos (CG-FID) e de vitâmeros de tocoferol (HPLC- DAD). A germinação das leguminosas promoveu aumento de proteínas, lipídios e carboidratos. O processamento térmico para desidratação contribuiu para perdas de proteínas, lipídios, cinzas, e maior atividade antioxidantes em ambas as espécies. O perfil de ácidos graxos e vitâmeros de tocoferol mostraram-se com variações que dependem do tipo de leguminosa e condições de processamento, podendo ser positivas ou negativas. Farinhas de leguminosas germinadas pode ser uma alternativa para a inserção na dieta ou em formulações alimentícias e as condições de processamento devem ser monitoradas com intuito de otimiza propriedades nutritivas e funcionais.

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effect of germination on macronutrient content and dehydration on bioactive compounds, nutrients and antioxidant activity of flours from germinated Phaseolus lunatus L. and Cajanus cajan (L. Millsp.) legumes. The germination conditions were controlled in the laboratory and the samples were submitted to thermal dehydration (55°C) and lyophilization. Analyses were carried out for centesimal composition, total phenolic flavonoids, antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP), fatty acid profile (GC-FID) and tocopherol vitamers (HPLC-DAD). Germination of the legumes promoted an increase in proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Thermal processing for dehydration contributed to losses of proteins, lipids, ash, and higher antioxidant activity in both species. The profile of fatty acids and tocopherol vitamers showed variations that depend on the type of legume and processing conditions, and can be positive or negative. Sprouted legume flours can be an alternative for insertion in the diet or in food formulations and the processing conditions must be monitored in order to optimize nutritional and functional properties.

Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron evaluar el efecto de la germinación sobre el contenido en macronutrientes y de la deshidratación sobre los compuestos bioactivos, los nutrientes y la actividad antioxidante de harinas de leguminosas germinadas de Phaseolus lunatus L. y Cajanus cajan (L. Millsp.). Las condiciones de germinación se controlaron en el laboratorio y las muestras se sometieron a deshidratación térmica (55°C) y liofilización. Se realizaron análisis de composición centesimal, flavonoides fenólicos totales, actividad antioxidante (DPPH, FRAP), perfil de ácidos grasos (GC-FID) y vitaminas tocoferol (HPLC-DAD). La germinación de las leguminosas promovió un aumento de proteínas, lípidos y carbohidratos. El procesado térmico para la deshidratación contribuyó a pérdidas de proteínas, lípidos, cenizas y a una mayor actividad antioxidante en ambas especies. El perfil de ácidos grasos y vitaminas tocoferol mostró variaciones que dependen del tipo de legumbre y de las condiciones de procesado, pudiendo ser positivas o negativas. Las harinas de leguminosas germinadas pueden ser una alternativa para su inserción en la dieta o en formulaciones alimentarias y las condiciones de procesado deben ser monitorizadas para optimizar las propiedades nutricionales y funcionales.

Lignans and Flavonoids from Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities.

A pair of new lignan conformers (1-2), one new flavonoid glycoside (3), as well as nineteen known compounds were purified from the twigs and leaves of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.. The planar structures of the unknown compounds were determined via NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry, while their absolute configurations were elucidated via comparison between their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) values. All the isolated compounds were assayed for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The results demonstrated that compounds 8-12, 15-16, 18-19, 21-22 had strong inhibition activities, with compound 10 (IC50 =0.4±0.21 µM) most active. The structure-activity relationships were preliminarily summarized. Enzyme kinetics showed that compounds 8, 9, 15-16, 18-19, 21-22 were non-competitive inhibitors and compounds 10-12 were anti-competitive ones.

Cajanus cajan shows multiple novel adaptations in response to regular mechanical stress.

Cajanus cajan is one of the least studied crop plants regarding its responses to stress conditions. Regular mechanical stress suppresses plant physiology and growth at the cellular and systemic levels. In the current study, we have explored morphological, physiological, and anatomical adaptations of C. cajan seedlings to regular mechanical stress. Young seedlings of C. cajan were given mechanical stress in the form of touch for fifteen days and observed for various changes. Touch stimuli caused an immediate release of oxidative burst, suppressed plant growth, increased compactness of the stem tissue, and altered the chlorophyll a/b ratio. We have also identified two novel phenotypes; regular touch stimuli affected the nyctinasty movements of the leaves and also affected the root nodule development. We have identified and studied the expression of four putative touch responsive calcium binding genes, TCH gene homologs, in C. cajan using Arabidopsis TCH gene sequences. At an early time point, the expression of two TCH gene homologs (CcTCH1-1 and CcTCH2-2) were found to be upregulated. This study unravels the novel adaptation displayed by C. cajan in response to mechanical stress that can be used as a phenotypic marker for future studies in this plant.

Revisiting the Nutritional, Chemical and Biological Potential of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

The genus Cajanus (Family: Fabaceae) consists of approximately 37 species, and Cajanus cajan (C. cajan) is a significant member of the genus. It is a commercial legume crop widely grown in sub-tropical and semi-arid tropical areas of the world. C. cajan is well known for its folk medicinal uses to treat various disorders, such as toothache, dizziness, diabetes, stomachache, female ailments and chronic infections. These properties have been linked to the presence of several value-added nutritional and bioactive components. Different solvent extracts from C.cajan (leaves, root, stem and seeds) have been evaluated for their phytochemical and biological activities, namely antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. Taken together, and considering the prominent nutraceutical and therapeutic properties of C. cajan, this review article focuses on the important details including ethnomedicinal uses, chemical composition, biological applications and some other medicinal aspects related to C.cajan nutraceutical and pharmacological applications.

Unraveling the mechanism of sulfur nutrition in pigeonpea inoculated with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

An investigation was carried out to understand the mechanism(s) involved in the uptake of sulfur (S) as sulfate in pigeonpea following single inoculation of two sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Stenotrophomonas pavanii in the treatments amended with either elemental sulfur (S0) or sulfate (S6). Colonization potential and biofilm formation were analyzed through confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Furthermore, the effect of seed inoculation on root architecture, expression of genes involved in sulfur oxidation (sox) in bacterial inoculants, and genes involved in sulfate transport in pigeonpea (PpSULTR) were analyzed to correlate with the higher uptake of S in roots and shoots of pigeonpea. Both the SOB exhibited a good colonization potential and biofilm formation on the roots of pigeonpea. Among the 11 sox genes targeted in rhizosphere of pigeonpea, expression was achieved for seven genes, which showed 2-fold increase in treatments inoculated with S. maltophilia and amended with either S6 or S0. The inoculation of S. maltophilia and amendment of S0 led to increased expression of PpSULTR genes by several folds in roots. The inoculation of SOB had a significant influence on non-enzymatic (osmolytes like proline) and enzymatic (PAL, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) levels. The results revealed a significant increase in sulfur uptake in roots and shoots in treatment inoculated with S. maltophilia and amended with S6. The investigation showed that the SOB-mediated over-expression of PpSULTR genes in roots of pigeonpea and sox genes in the rhizosphere were acting synergistically in facilitating higher uptake and translocation of S in roots and shoots of pigeonpea plants.