Assessing the effects of Bt maize on the non-target pest Rhopalosiphum maidis by demographic and life-history measurement endpoints.

The most commercialized Bt maize plants in Europe were transformed with genes which express a truncated form of the insecticidal delta-endotoxin (Cry1Ab) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) specifically against Lepidoptera. Studies on the effect of transgenic maize on non-target arthropods have mainly converged on beneficial insects. However, considering the worldwide extensive cultivation of Bt maize, an increased availability of information on their possible impact on non-target pests is also required. In this study, the impact of Bt-maize on the non-target corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, was examined by comparing biological traits and demographic parameters of two generations of aphids reared on transgenic maize with those on untransformed near-isogenic plants. Furthermore, free and bound phenolics content on transgenic and near-isogenic plants were measured. Here we show an increased performance of the second generation of R. maidis on Bt-maize that could be attributable to indirect effects, such as the reduction of defense against pests due to unintended changes in plant characteristics caused by the insertion of the transgene. Indeed, the comparison of Bt-maize with its corresponding near-isogenic line strongly suggests that the transformation could have induced adverse effects on the biosynthesis and accumulation of free phenolic compounds. In conclusion, even though there is adequate evidence that aphids performed better on Bt-maize than on non-Bt plants, aphid economic damage has not been reported in commercial Bt corn fields in comparison to non-Bt corn fields. Nevertheless, Bt-maize plants can be more easily exploited by R. maidis, possibly due to a lower level of secondary metabolites present in their leaves. The recognition of this mechanism increases our knowledge concerning how insect-resistant genetically modified plants impact on non-target arthropods communities, including tritrophic web interactions, and can help support a sustainable use of genetically modified crops.

A Khorasan wheat-based diet improves systemic inflammatory profile in semi-professional basketball players: a randomized crossover pilot study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Khorasan wheat is an ancient grain with widely acclaimed beneficial effects on human health. The objective of the study was to examine the effect of a Khorasan-based diet on the wellbeing and inflammatory profile of young athletes. RESULTS: We conducted a randomized, single-blinded crossover trial involving 20 male young athletes. The participants were randomly assigned to consume products (pasta, bread, biscuits and crackers) made either with Khorasan (KAMUT® brand) or modern semi-whole-grain wheat for 4-weeks with a 4-week washout period before the crossover. Laboratory analyses and fitness tests were performed both at the beginning and end of each diet period. The consumption of Khorasan products was associated with a significant reduction of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1; mean reduction: -36.15 pg/mL; -25.67%) while the consumption of modern wheat was not associated with significant differences in Interleukin-8 (IL-8) or Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). The consumption of the Khorasan-based diet also resulted in a significant improvement in self-rated health status. No statistically significant differences in any athletic performance parameter were observed between the two diets. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that a Khorasan-based diet could be effective in reducing the inflammatory status in young athletes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Determination of phenolic compounds in ancient and modern durum wheat genotypes.

Due to its significant amount of antioxidants, durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) could potentially contribute to the protection against a number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The increasing interest toward healthy food among both consumers and scientists has moved the focus toward the phytochemical content of whole wheat grains. The aim of this study was to identify the phytochemical composition of 22 cultivars belonging to old and modern durum wheat genotypes, including antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP tests). In addition, five phenolic acids involved in the vanillin biosynthesis pathway and in the defence mechanism of plants were screened using UHPLC-MS/MS. Remarkable quantitative differences in the amount of the five phenolic acids analysed (p < 0.05) were detected among the wheat genotypes investigated. Results showed that among the investigated phenolic compounds, trans-ferulic acid was the most abundant, ranging from 13.28 to 324.69 µg/g; all the other identified compounds were present at lower concentrations. Moreover, significant differences on the antioxidant activity were observed. Collected data suggested possible differences between biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites among durum wheat genotypes.

Environment and genotype effects on antioxidant properties of organically grown wheat varieties: a 3-year study.

BACKGROUND: Wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) possesses significant amounts of antioxidants that contribute to the dietary antiradical protection against a number of chronic diseases. Despite the increasing interest in organic food among both consumers and scientists, the availability of literature studies concerning the environment effect under organic management is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of wheat varieties by considering the genotype response to different environmental factors under biodynamic management. RESULTS: The soluble fraction of phenolic compounds was mainly determined by the environment, whereas a major genotypic effect was observed for the bound forms, which were present at higher amounts in red grain varieties. Moreover, a predominant effect of genotype was observed for yellow pigment content and antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP method. Despite some changes induced by environment, most genotypes had stable antioxidant properties and different phenolic profiles as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, except for the old variety Inallettabile, which was the most sensitive to environmental fluctuations. CONCLUSION: The red grain varieties Andriolo, Gentil rosso and Verna were identified as the most promising breeding material for the development of varieties with high nutraceutical value under low-input management. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioactive peptides in cereals and legumes: agronomical, biochemical and clinical aspects.

Cereals and legumes are key components of a healthy and balanced diet. Accordingly, many national nutritional guidelines emphasize their health promoting properties by placing them at the base of nutritional food pyramids. This concept is further validated by the observed correlation between a lower risk and occurrence of chronic diseases and the adherence to dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, in which cereal grains, legumes and derived products represent a staple food. In the search for a dietary approach to control/prevent chronic degenerative diseases, protein derived bioactive peptides may represent one such source of health-enhancing components. These peptides may already be present in foods as natural components or may derive from hydrolysis by chemical or enzymatic treatments (digestion, hydrolysis or fermentation). Many reports are present in the literature regarding the bioactivity of peptides in vitro and a wide range of activities has been described, including antimicrobial properties, blood pressure-lowering (ACE inhibitory) effects, cholesterol-lowering ability, antithrombotic and antioxidant activities, enhancement of mineral absorption/bioavailability, cyto- or immunomodulatory effects, and opioid-like activities. However it is difficult to translate these observed effects to human. In fact, the active peptide may be degraded during digestion, or may not be absorbed or reach the target tissues at a concentration necessary to exert its function. This review will focus on bioactive peptides identified in cereals and legumes, from an agronomical and biochemical point of view, including considerations about requirements for the design of appropriate clinical trials necessary for the assessment of their nutraceutical effect in vivo.

Health-promoting phytochemicals of Italian common wheat varieties grown under low-input agricultural management.

BACKGROUND: The increasing interest in organic food products and environmental friendly practices has emphasised the importance of selecting crop varieties suitable for the low-input sector. Moreover, in recent years the relationship between diet and human health has gained much attention among consumers. The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the agronomic performance and the nutrient and phytochemical composition of old and modern Italian wheat genotypes grown under low-input management. RESULTS: Research highlighted that several old wheat genotypes were comparable to the modern ones in terms of agronomic performance and nutrient content. Genotype and environmental conditions (growing season), as well as their interaction, significantly affected the phytochemical composition of wheat grains for most of the analysed bioactive compounds. High variability was observed among the wheat genotypes for dietary fibre (154.7-183.3 g kg⁻¹), polyphenol (1.94-2.77 mg g⁻¹), tocopherol (9.1-21.2 mg kg⁻¹) and carotenoid (701.4-3243 µg kg⁻¹) content. CONCLUSION: The comparative study of old and modern wheat varieties highlighted that, under low-input conditions, ancient genotypes may equal modern ones in terms of agronomic traits and additionally provide nutraceutical value-added wheat grains. The most promising ancient varieties for the unique phytochemical profiles are Gentil rosso, Marzuolo d'aqui and Verna.

Prebiotic effect of soluble fibres from modern and old durum-type wheat varieties on Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.

BACKGROUND: Wheat grains are a rich source of dietary fibres, particularly in the western human diet. Many of the health effects attributed to dietary fibres are believed to be related to their microbial fermentation in the gut. This study evaluated the ability of two potentially probiotic strains, Lactobacillus plantarum L12 and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum B7003, to ferment soluble dietary fibres (SDFs) from modern and ancient durum-type wheat grains. RESULTS: Fibre microbial utilisation was highly variable and dependent on the strain. SDFs from the varieties Svevo and Solex supported the growth of L. plantarum L12 the best, whereas those from the varieties Anco Marzio, Solex and Kamut(®) Khorasan were good carbohydrate substrates for B. pseudocatenulatum B7003. The highest prebiotic activity scores (describing the extent to which prebiotics support selective growth of probiotics) for B7003 were obtained with SDFs from the varieties Solex (0.57), Kamut(®) Khorasan (0.56) and Iride (0.55), whereas for L12 the highest scores were achieved with the varieties Orobel (0.63), Kamut(®) Khorasan (0.56) and Solex (0.53). CONCLUSION: The present study has identified some SDFs from durum-type wheat grains as suitable prebiotic substrates for the selective proliferation of B. pseudocatenulatum B7003 and L. plantarum L12 in vitro. The results provide the basis for the potential utilisation of wheat-based prebiotics as a component of synbiotic formulations.

Differentiation of modern and ancient varieties of common wheat by quantitative capillary electrophoretic profile of phenolic acids.

Phenolic compounds have received great attention among the health promoting phytochemicals in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), mainly because of their strong antioxidant properties. In the present study a simple Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) method with UV detection was optimized and validated for the quantitation of six of the most important phenolic acids in whole grain i.e., sinapic, ferulic, syringic, p-coumaric, vanillic and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The separation was achieved in a running buffer composed of sodium phosphate solution (50 mM) in water/methanol 80:20 (v/v) at pH 6.0 and using a fused-silica capillary at the temperature of 30 °C under application of 27 kV. By means of diode array detector, and made possible by the favorable characteristic UV spectra, the quantitation of the solutes was carried out at 200, 220 and 300 nm, in the complex matrices represented by the soluble and bound fractions of wheat flours. The validation parameters of the method i.e., linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy and robustness were in line with those obtained by consolidated separation techniques applied for the same purposes (e.g., HPLC-UV), with a significant advantage in term of analysis time (less than 12 min). Ten varieties of soft wheat (five modern Italian and five old Italian genotypes) were analysed and the data were subjected to Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Interestingly, significant differences of the quantitative phenolic acids profile were observed between the modern and the ancient genotypes, with the latter showing higher amount of the main represented phenolic acids.

Isolation and Characterization of Wheat Derived Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Protein 2 (nsLTP2).

Numerous studies support the protective role of bioactive peptides against cardiovascular diseases. Cereals represent the primary source of carbohydrates, but they also contain substantial amounts of proteins, therefore representing a potential dietary source of bioactive peptides with nutraceutical activities. The analysis of wheat extracts purified by chromatographic techniques by means of HPLC-UV/nanoLC-nanoESI-QTOF allowed the identification of a signal of about 7 kDa which, following data base searches, was ascribed to a nonspecific lipid-transfer protein (nsLTP) type 2 from Triticum aestivum (sequence coverage of 92%). For the first time nsLTP2 biological activities have been investigated. In particular, in experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), nsLTP2 displayed antioxidant and cytoprotective activities, being able to significantly decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and to reduce lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, generated following oxidative (hydrogen peroxide) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1ß, and lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. The obtained promising results suggest potential protective role of nsLTP2 in vascular diseases prevention. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: nsLTP 2 peptide is resistant to proteases throughout the gastrointestinal tract and exerts antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. These characteristics could be exploited in vascular diseases prevention.

Transcriptome Profiling of Wheat Seedlings following Treatment with Ultrahigh Diluted Arsenic Trioxide.

Plant systems are useful research tools to address basic questions in homeopathy as they make it possible to overcome some of the drawbacks encountered in clinical trials (placebo effect, ethical issues, duration of the experiment, and high costs). The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis whether 7-day-old wheat seedlings, grown from seeds either poisoned with a sublethal dose of As2O3 or unpoisoned, showed different significant gene expression profiles after the application of ultrahigh diluted As2O3 (beyond Avogadro's limit) compared to water (control). The results provided evidence for a strong gene modulating effect of ultrahigh diluted As2O3 in seedlings grown from poisoned seeds: a massive reduction of gene expression levels to values comparable to those of the control group was observed for several functional classes of genes. A plausible hypothesis is that ultrahigh diluted As2O3 treatment induced a reequilibration of those genes that were upregulated during the oxidative stress by bringing the expression levels closer to the basal levels normally occurring in the control plants.

Droplet evaporation method as a new potential approach for highlighting the effectiveness of ultra high dilutions.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to verify whether the droplet evaporation method (DEM) can be applied to assess the effectiveness of ultra-high dilutions (UHDs). We studied the shape characteristics of the polycrystalline structures formed during droplet evaporation of wheat seed leakages. METHODS: The experimental protocol tested both unstressed seeds and seeds stressed with arsenic trioxide 5mM, treated with either ultra-high dilutions of the same stressor substance, or with water as a control. The experimental groups were analyzed by DEM and in vitro growth tests. DEM patterns were evaluated for their local connected fractal dimension (measure of complexity) and fluctuating asymmetry (measure of symmetry exactness). RESULTS: Treatment with arsenic at UHD of both stressed and non-stressed seeds increased the local connected fractal dimension levels and bilateral symmetry exactness values in the polycrystalline structures, as compared to the water treatment. The results of in vitro growth tests revealed a stimulating effect of arsenic at UHD vs. control, and a correlation between the changes in growth rate and the crystallographic values of the polycrystalline structures was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that polycrystalline structures are sensitive to UHDs, and so for the first time provide grounds for the use of DEM as a new tool for testing UHD effectiveness. DEM could find application as a treatment pre-selection tool, or to monitor sample conditions during treatment. Moreover, when applied to biological liquids (such as saliva, blood, blood serum, etc.), DEM might provide information about UHD effectiveness on human and animal health.

Lunasin in wheat: a chemical and molecular study on its presence or absence.

Lunasin is a peptide whose anticancer properties are widely reported. Originally isolated from soybean seeds, lunasin was also found in cereal (wheat, rye, barley and Triticale), Solanum and amaranthus seeds. However, it was recently reported that searches of transcript and DNA sequence databases for wheat and other cereals failed to identify sequences with similarity to those encoding the lunasin peptide in soy. In order to clarify the presence or absence of lunasin in wheat varieties, a broad investigation based on chemical (LC-ESI-MS) and molecular (PCR) analyses was conducted. Both approaches pointed out the absence of lunasin in the investigated wheat genotypes; in particular no compounds with a molecular weight similar to that of lunasin standard and no lunasin-related sequences were found in the analysed wheat samples. These findings confirm the hypothesis, reported in recent researches, that lunasin is not a wheat-derived peptide.