Carotenoids in yellow‐ and red‐fleshed papaya (Carica papaya L)

Vitamin A deficiency is a disorder of public health importance in Sri Lanka. A recent national survey revealed that 36% of preschool children in Sri Lanka have vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol <0.2 µg ml^?1). In view of its well‐established association with child morbidity and mortality, this is a reason for concern. One of the main fruits which has been recommended for prevention of vitamin A deficiency in Sri Lanka is papaya (Carica papaya L). In this study the carotenoid profiles of yellow‐ and red‐fleshed papaya were analysed by medium‐pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) and UV‐vis spectrophotometry. A section of yellow‐fleshed papaya showed small carotenoid globules dispersed all over the cell, whereas in red‐fleshed papaya the carotenoids were accumulated in one large globule. The major carotenoids of yellow‐fleshed papaya were the provitamin A carotenoids β‐carotene (1.4 ± 0.4 µg g^?1 dry weight (DW)) and β‐cryptoxanthin (15.4 ± 3.3 µg g^?1 DW) and the non‐provitamin A carotenoid ζ‐carotene (15.1 ± 3.4 µg g^?1 DW), corresponding theoretically to 1516 ± 342 µg kg^?1 DW mean retinol equivalent (RE). Red‐fleshed papaya contained the provitamin A carotenoids β‐carotene (7.0 ± 0.7 µg g^?1 DW), β‐cryptoxanthin (16.9 ± 2.9 µg g^?1 DW) and β‐carotene‐5,6‐epoxide (2.9 ± 0.6 µg g^?1 DW), and the non‐provitamin A carotenoids lycopene (11.5 ± 1.8 µg g^?1 DW) and ζ‐carotene (9.9 ± 1.1 µg g^?1 DW), corresponding theoretically to 2815 ± 305 µg kg^?1 DW mean RE. Thus the carotenoid profile and organisation of carotenoids in the cell differ in the two varieties of papaya. This study demonstrates that carotenoids can be successfully separated, identified and quantified using the novel technique of MPLC. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mineral contents of some aromatic plants,their growth soils and infusions

BACKGROUND: In this study, 18 kinds of medicinal plants were collected together with their soils from different regions of Turkey and their macro‐ and micro‐element and heavy metal contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES). In soils, pH, electrical conductivity, carbonate (lime), organic matter, texture, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and B were analysed. In plants and extracts, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, B, Na, Al, Li, Pb, Ni, Cd, Co and Cr contents were determined. Also, correlations between soil and plant and between plant and extract were established. RESULTS: Element concentrations ranged between 0.11 and 5160 µg g^?1 in soil samples, between 0.14 and 54400 µg g^?1 in plant samples and between 0.039 and 22033 µg g^?1 in extract samples. While sage was rich in Fe (981.3 µg g^?1), basil was abundant in P (9.8 mg g^?1), K (54.4 mg g^?1), Ca (22.6 mg g^?1), Mg (3.1 mg g^?1) and Zn (46.05 µg g^?1) and mint was rich in Li (23.50 µg g^?1). Moreover, while high levels of P (4100.9 µg g^?1), K (22033 µg g^?1) and Mg (529.15 µg g^?1) were found in basil extract, Ca (5979.3 µg g^?1) was present at high concentration in marjoram leaf extract. Also, Fe (4.25 µg g^?1) and Zn (17.51 µg g^?1) were detected at high levels in lime flower and mint extracts respectively. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that aromatic plants are important sources of nutrients and essential elements. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of selenium concentration in rice and the effect of foliar application of Se‐enriched fertiliser or sodium selenite on the selenium content of rice

Atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry was used to determine the selenium (Se) concentration in 30 rice products of different species from Southern China. The Se level ranged from 0.015 to 0.046 µg g^?1. Considering the average daily individual consumption of rice products in Southern China, the average dietary intake of Se supplied by this source is only 6–18 µg day^?1 for an adult. This low Se intake from rice products is mainly responsible for the low total Se intake of inhabitants in Southern China. Foliar spraying of Se‐enriched fertiliser or sodium selenite with 14–18 g Se ha^?1 in the heading stage of rice growth increased the Se content to 0.178–0.421 µg g^?1 in rice products. The concentration and amount of Se‐enriched fertiliser can be varied to achieve an optimum concentration of Se in rice products. The authors suggest that these Se‐enriched rice products can contribute an increase in Se intake of 50–100 µg day^?1 on average if their Se concentration is controlled in the region of 0.15–0.50 µg g^?1. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

In vitro accessibility of β‐carotene from cooked Sri Lankan green leafy vegetables and their estimated contribution to vitamin A requirement

Vitamin A deficiency is an important issue for public health in Sri Lanka, where pro‐vitamin A carotenoids from green leafy vegetables provide most of the dietary vitamin A. The objective of this study was to analyse the β‐carotene content of seven types of green leafy vegetables and calculate the contribution of one traditionally cooked portion to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of retinol. The total amount and in vitro accessibility of β‐carotene were determined using HPLC. The in vitro method simulates the conditions in the human intestinal tract. The all‐trans‐β‐carotene content in the fresh blanched vegetables ranged from 149 µg g^?1 dry weight (DW) in leaves of Alternanthera sessilis (mukunuwanna) to 565 µg g^?1 DW in Amaranthus caudatus (thampala). One portion (100 g) of green leaves cooked without fat (coconut) only contributed from 140 to 180 µg mg^?1 of the recommended daily allowance. A. sessilis, Centella asiatica (gotukola), Spinacea oleracea (nivithi) and A. caudatus, cooked with coconut fat contributed 140–680 µg mg^?1. However, stir‐fried or ‘malluma’ preparations (with coconut products) of Sesbania grandiflora (kathurumurunga) and Manihot esculenta (manioc) may provide more than 1.59–4.37 times the RDA of retinol. These results show that not only the choice of green leaves used but also the addition of fat while cooking is of great importance. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sulfate determines the glucosinolate concentration of horseradish in vitro plants (Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., Mey. & Scherb.)

BACKGROUND: Horseradish plants (Armoracia rusticana) contain high concentrations of glucosinolates. Former studies have revealed that Armoracia plants cultivated in vitro have markedly lower glucosinolate concentrations than those grown in soils. Yet, these studies neglected that the sulfate concentration in the growth medium may have had a strong impact on glucosinolate metabolism. Accordingly, in this study horseradish in vitro plants were cultivated with differing sulfate concentrations and the glucosinolate concentrations were quantified by ion pair HPLC. RESULTS: Cultivation in 1.7 mmol L^?1 sulfate (as used in the prior studies) resulted in the accumulation of 16.2 µmol g^?1 DW glucosinolates, while the glucosinolate concentration increased to more than 23 µmol g^?1 DW when 23.5 mmol L^?1 sulfate was used in the medium. Correspondingly, the glucosinolate concentration decreased to 1.6 µmol g^?1 DW when sulfate concentration was lowered to 0.2 mmol L^?1. CONCLUSION: Since the glucosinolate accumulation in relation to the sulfate concentration follows a typical saturation curve, we deduce that the availability of sulfate determines the glucosinolate concentration in horseradish in vitro plants. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Survey of 13 trace elements of toxic and nutritional significance in rice from Brazil and exposure assessment

Twenty-seven rice samples from Brazil, four parboiled brown, seventeen white and six parboiled white were analysed by ICP-MS for trace element determination. Concentrations of arsenic varied from 58.8 to 216.9?ng?g^?1, for cadmium from 6.0 to 20.2?ng?g^?1, for antimony from 0.12 to 1.28?ng?g^?1, and for uranium from 0.025 to 1.28?ng?g^?1. The estimated daily intake through rice consumption was 9.5?µg for As, 2.4?µg for Cd, 0.029?µg for Sb, 0.013?µg for U, 3.1?µg for Co, 0.2?µg for Cu, 85.6?mg for Mg, 1.9?mg for Mn, 333?mg for P, 3.0?µg for Se, 1.6?mg for Zn, 0.9?mg for Rb, and 0.3?µg for V. Found values represent a considerable percentage of the dietary reference intakes and provisional tolerable daily intake for essential and toxic elements, respectively.     

Antioxidant capacity and secondary metabolites in four species of Andean tuber crops: native potato (Solanum sp.), mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón), Oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina) and ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas)

Four species of edible tubers endemic to and domesticated in the Andes, native potato (Solanum sp.), mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón), oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina) and ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas), were studied for their antioxidant capacity and associated secondary metabolites. The antioxidant capacity was measured using ABTS^? radicals and total phenolics, carotenoids, anthocyanin, betaxanthin and betacyanin content were also characterized. The antioxidant capacity found in the crops studied ranged from 483 to 9800 µg trolox equiv. g^?1, phenolics ranged from 0.41 to 3.37 mg chlorogenic acid equiv. g^?1, anthocyanins ranged from 0.08 to 2.05 mg cyanidin 3‐glucoside g^?1 and carotenoids ranged from 1 to 25 µg β‐carotene g^?1. The content of bioactive compounds was high and variable between crops and within the genotypes studied. In general, mashua tubers showed the highest antioxidant capacity and phenolic, anthocyanin and carotenoid content compared with other crops. Ulluco was the only crop that contained betalains in the acid form of betaxanthins (22–96 µg g^?1) and betacyanins (64 µg g^?1) with no presence of carotenoids or anthocyanins. This is the first publication regarding the antioxidant capacity of and associated secondary metabolites in Andean tubers. This information can be useful in the identification of Andean tubers species and genotypes with potential value as a novel dietary source of antioxidants for food, and also for medicinal use. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Intake of essential and non-essential elements from consumption of octopus,cuttlefish and squid

Total concentrations of essential (Cu, Zn, Se and Cr) and non-essential (Hg, Cd, Pb and As) trace elements were measured in the flesh and hepatopancreas of Octopodidae (Eledone moschata, Eledone cirrhosa, Octopus salutii), Sepiidae (Sepia elegans, Sepia orbignyana) and Loliginidae (Illex coindeti, Loligo vulgaris) from the Mediterranean Sea. As expected, the hepatopancreas showed higher metal concentrations than flesh; the only exceptions were Hg and As, which were equally distributed in the two tissues. Regarding the edible portion, the highest toxic metal concentrations were in Octopodidae (Hg: 0.44, Cd: 0.49, Pb: 0.10 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Sepiidae (Hg: 0.27, Cd: 0.50, Pb: 0.12 µg g^?1 wet weight), while Loliginidae tended to accumulate less metal, especially Hg (Hg: 0.11, Cd: 0.30, Pb: 0.05 µg g^?1 wet weight). The other elements showed a heterogeneous distribution among the different cephalopod families. Loliginidae showed the highest Se concentrations (1.18 µg g^?1 wet weight), Octopodidae of Cu (37.37 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Zn (42.00 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Sepiidae of As (61.43 µg g^?1 wet weight), while Cr was uniformly distributed among the various families (0.38–0.43 µg g^?1 wet weight). In these seafoods, the concentrations of essential and non-essential elements were within the prescribed limits set by various authorities, except for Cu and As. Health risks posed by toxic elements to humans via dietary intake of these mollusks were assessed on the basis on Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI), while the estimated intakes of essential elements were compared to Dietary Reference Intakes (RDIs). A 70-g serving of these mollusks was shown to provide a large contribution to Cd intake (0.89 µg kg^?1 body weight), corresponding to 35.6% of PTWI. Concerning the essential elements, the consumption of these mollusks made an important contribution to daily dietary intake of Se, Cu and Zn.     

Phenolics and antioxidative activities in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L)

Six bean cultivars grown in southern Manitoba for 2 years were evaluated for variability in yield of millstreams and phenolic constituents. The ethanolic extract of bean cultivars and millstreams was screened for antioxidant activity using the β‐carotene‐linoleate and the 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro model systems. Cultivar was the main source of variation for yield of millstreams, content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities. Phenolic compounds in cultivars varied from 3.3 to 16.6 mg catechin equivalent and from 0.15 to 0.32 mg cyanidin‐3‐glucoside equivalent g^?1 bean for total phenolic and anthocyanin contents, respectively. The bean cultivars exhibited antioxidant activity (AA) of 10–46% inhibition of lipid peroxidation in the linoleate and 0.4–1.3 trolox equivalent antioxidant capacities (TEAC) in the DPPH model systems. The hull millstream with maximum concentration of phenolic compounds exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity of 383 µM trolox equivalent g^?1 hull. Total phenolic content, alone or in combination with other phenolic constituents, is a potential candidate as a selection criterion for antioxidant activity in beans. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Content of selenium, total and inorganic arsenic and bioaccessibility of arsenic in children diets of Mexico

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of selenium, total and inorganic arsenic and the bioaccessibility of arsenic in diets of Mexican schoolchildren using an in vitro method. RESULTS: Total and inorganic arsenic concentrations in the diets ranged from 0.05 to 1.15 mg kg^?1 dry weight (DW) and from 0.023 to 0.088 mg kg^?1 DW respectively, while selenium levels were between 0.08 and 0.20 mg kg^?1 DW. Daily intake of total and inorganic arsenic ranged from 0.15 to 10.49 µg day^?1 kg^?1 body weight (BW) and from 0.06 to 1.11 µg day^?1 kg^?1 BW respectively, while that of selenium varied from 0.29 to 2.63 µg day^?1 kg^?1 BW. Bioaccessibility of total and inorganic arsenic ranged from 4 to 97% (mean 44 ± 21.5%) and from 33 to 97% (mean 71 ± 22.5%) respectively. CONCLUSION: Inorganic arsenic levels in the diets were low. Therefore there appears to be a low risk of adverse effects resulting from excess inorganic arsenic intake from these diets. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ochratoxin A contamination of coffee batches from Kenya in relation to cultivation methods and post-harvest processing treatments

This study set out to assess the relative importance of sound and unsound beans in a batch of coffee with regard to ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination. Initially, unsound beans were found to account for 95% of contamination in a batch of coffee, whatever the methods used for post–harvest processing. It was also found that beans displaying traces of attacks by Colletotrichum kahawae were the greatest contributors to OTA contamination. In a second stage, the study compared the contamination of sound beans with that of beans attacked by Colletotrichum kahawae. On average, beans attacked by Colletotrichum kahawae had a statistically higher OTA content than sound beans (18.0 µg kg^?1 as opposed to 1.2 µg kg^?1). In addition, the average OTA content in unsound beans varied depending on growing conditions.     

Quantification of Catechin and Epicatechin in Foods by Enzymatic-Spectrophotometric Method with Tyrosinase

Catechin and epicatechin are important phenolic compounds found mainly in tea leaves, cocoa beans, and in the peels and seeds of fruits. The reliable detection of these compounds by spectrophotometry is limited by the interference with substances that absorb light at similar wavelengths; thus, an effective alternative is to detect the oxidation products of these compounds at more specific wavelengths. This study aimed to develop an analytical method to quantify total catechin and epicatechin in some food samples (cocoa beans, guarana powder, apples, and tea leaves) by enzymatic oxidation with tyrosinase. The samples were extracted in an ultrasonic bath and the purified extracts were oxidized with tyrosinase solution. The quinones formed in the reaction were detected by spectrophotometry. The method was selective and presented linearity between 1.21 and 7.26 mg g^?1, limit of detection of 0.48 mg g^?1, and limit of quantification of 1.61 mg g^?1. The accuracy of the proposed method was reasonable, with recoveries between 84.3 and 90.7% in the fortified matrices. High precision was observed, with low coefficients of variation for repeatability (3.17 to 3.68%) and intermediate precision (3.27%). In cocoa beans, the total catechin and epicatechin level was 1.65 mg g^?1 (3.58 mg g^?1). The successful application of the method was also demonstrated in guarana powder. Therefore, the method can be applicable for spectrophotometric analysis of catechin and epicatechin in samples containing above 1.61 mg g^?1 of these compounds.     

The use of a non‐equilibrated solid phase microextraction method to quantitatively determine the off‐notes in mint and other essential oils

The undesirable top notes or off‐notes found in mint, clary sage, and cedarwood oils could be quantitatively determined using a non‐equilibrated solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring/mass spectrometry (SPME/GC/SIM‐MS) technique. Using the low threshold components, dimethyl sulfide, 2‐methylpropanal, 2‐methylbutanal, and 3‐methylbutanal, which are associated with the off‐notes of these oils, their levels could be reproducibly quantitatively determined. The highest level of off‐notes was found in a sample of Scotch spearmint oil where the levels of the four constituents were, dimethyl sulfide (238 µg g^?1), 2‐methylpropanal (286 µg g^?1), 2‐methylbutanal (1048 µg g^?1) and 3‐methylbutanal (1489 µg g^?1). These quantitative results in combination with sensory evaluations could provide for a powerful overall assessment of essential oil quality. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Impact of cycling temperatures on Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum growth and mycotoxins production in soybean

BACKGROUND: Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides are two very important mycotoxigenic species as they cause diverse diseases in crops. The effects of constant and cycling temperatures on growth and mycotoxin production of these species were studied on soybean based medium and on irradiated soya beans. RESULTS: F. graminearum grew better when was incubated at 15, 20 and 15–20 °C (isothermal or cycling temperature) during 21 days of incubation. Maximum levels of zearalenone and deoxynivalenol (39.25 and 1040.4 µg g^?1, respectively) were detected on soya beans after 15 days of incubation and the optimal temperature for mycotoxin production was 15 °C for zearalenone and 20 °C for deoxynivalenol. F. verticillioides grew better at 25 °C in culture medium and at 15/20 °C and 15/25 °C on soybean seeds. Fumonisin B₁ was produced only in culture medium, and the maximum level (7.38 µg g^?1) was found at 15 °C after 7 days of incubation. CONCLUSION: When growth and mycotoxin production under cycling temperatures were predicted from the results under constant conditions, observed values were different from calculated for both species and substrate medium. Therefore, care should be taken if data at constant temperature conditions are to be extrapolated to real field conditions. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

High apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids in raw and germinated faba bean (Vicia faba)‐ and chickpea (Cicer arietinum)‐based diets for rats

The effects of germinated faba bean (Vicia faba minor var Alameda)‐ and chickpea (Cicer arietinum kabuli var Athenas)‐based diets on performance, N utilisation, amino acid ileal digestibility and plasma concentrations were studied in growing male Wistar rats. Raw and germinated faba bean and chickpea seed meals were incorporated in essential amino acid‐supplemented and energy‐equalised diets as the only sources of protein. A lactalbumin‐based diet equalised in protein (100 g kg^?1) and digestible energy (15.5 kJ g^?1) with the test diets was used as control. Weight gains, gain/feed ratios, N retention and NPU values of animals fed raw or germinated legumes were lower than those of rats given the control (lactalbumin) diet, while faecal dry weights were higher. However, N retention and NPU values of rats fed germinated faba bean diets were higher and faecal dry weights lower than those of animals fed non‐germinated faba bean diets. Liver and thymus fresh and dry relative weights were lower than controls for all legume diets, whilst small intestine, caecum and colon relative weights were higher than controls for non‐germinated faba beans and chickpeas either germinated or not. Caecum and colon fresh and dry relative weights of rats fed germinated faba bean seeds were lower than those of rats fed non‐germinated faba beans and not different from controls. Except for aspartic acid and proline in rats fed raw faba bean diets, apparent ileal digestibilities of amino acids were not different or higher in rats fed legume diets as compared with controls. Except for arginine, apparent ileal amino acid digestibility was higher for germinated than for non‐germinated faba bean seeds. The amounts of glycine, arginine and ornithine in plasma significantly increased whilst those of threonine, alanine, leucine and lysine decreased with respect to controls in faba bean‐ or chickpea‐fed rats, either germinated or not. We conclude that (a) germination of faba bean seeds gave rise to a significant (P < 0.01) but limited improvement in performance, N retention and apparent ileal digestibilities of some amino acids in growing rats compared with non‐germinated seeds, while there was no detectable effect in the case of germinated chickpea seeds, and (b) the apparent ileal amino acid digestibility of essential amino acid‐supplemented diets based on faba bean or chickpea meals, either germinated or not, is similar or even higher than controls. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Quantitative analysis of the isoflavone content and biological growth of soybean (Glycine max L.) at elevated temperature,CO2 level and N application

Effects of ambient and elevated CO₂ levels (360 and 650 µmol mol^?1 respectively), ambient and high (5 °C above ambient) temperatures and their interactions with N application on soybean (Glycine max L.) were studied in 2001. Overall, total isoflavones in whole soybean seeds were highest (1383.0 µg g^?1) in the elevated CO₂ (AE) treatment without N application and lowest (414.1 µg g^?1) in the elevated temperature (EA) treatment with N application. Malonylgenistin (449.2 µg g^?1) and malonyldaidzin (435.9 µg g^?1) concentrations in the AE treatment without N application were highest among the 12 individual isoflavones, while aglycon and acetyl conjugates showed lower concentrations (below 10 µg g^?1) than glucoside and malonyl conjugates in all treatments. Overall, N application had no effect on total isoflavone concentration, while both temperature and CO₂ level had a higher effect on increasing isoflavones, including aglycon and acetyl conjugates (P = 0.001). In the biological growth analysis, total dry weight was highest (100.9 g) in the elevated temperature and CO₂ (EE) treatment with N application, while leaf area was more affected by CO₂ than by temperature and increased with N application. There were larger numbers of pods (99) and seeds (176) per plant in the EE treatment with N application, and generally the AE treatment showed a greater increase in 100‐seed weight (g per 100 seeds) and in pods and seeds per plant than other treatments. Overall, total dry weight was highly affected (P = 0.001) by three main factors, temperature, CO₂ and N application, but the interactions temperature × N and temperature × CO₂× N did not affect total dry weight. Also, total dry weight tended to increase with increasing numbers of pods (r² = 0.93***) and seeds (r² = 0.93***) and larger leaf area (r² = 0.85***). In addition, numbers of pods and seeds were significantly affected (P = 0.01–0.001) by temperature, CO₂ and temperature × CO₂. Generally, elevated CO₂ and temperature did not affect N, P and K concentrations in the seeds but did decrease the concentrations of Ca and Mg, which were increased in the AE treatment. Among the nutrients, Ca and Mg were highly correlated with temperature and CO₂ level. N concentration in the seeds increased with applied N and in particular showed a high increase with elevated temperature and ambient CO₂ (EA treatment). The variation in isoflavones was correlated with temperature (r² = ?0.70**) and CO₂ (r² = 0.67**), while N application was not correlated with isoflavone concentration. Also, Ca (r² = ?0.85***) and Mg (r² = ?0.57*) in the seeds were correlated with variation in isoflavones. This indicated that isoflavones were in higher concentrations under conditions of low temperature and increasing CO₂, which also resulted in low Ca and Mg concentrations in the seeds. The results of this study suggest that the long‐term adaptation of the soybean to growth at elevated CO₂ level and high temperature might potentially increase its isoflavone content, growth and yield. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Growth, yield and seed composition of native Australian legumes with potential as grain crops

BACKGROUND: Many Australian native legumes grow in arid and nutrient‐poor environments. Yet few Australian herbaceous legumes have been investigated for domestication potential. This study compared growth and reproductive traits, grain yield and seed composition of 17 native Australian legumes with three commercial grain legumes. RESULTS: Seed yields of seven native legumes were > 40% of Cicer arietnum, with highest seed yields and harvest indices in Glycine sp. (14.4 g per plant, 0.54 g g^?1) and Lotus cruentus (10.2 g per plant, 0.65 g g^?1). Five native species flowered earlier than field pea (Pisum sativa) (109 days), though many were slower to flower and set seed. Largest seeds were found in Glycine canescens (17 mg), with seed of other native species 14 times smaller than commercial cultivars. Seed composition of many native legumes was similar to commercial cultivars (200–330 g protein kg^?1 dry weight (DW), 130–430 g dietary fibre kg^?1 DW). Two Cullen species had high fat content (>110 g kg^?1 DW) and Trigonella sauvissima had the highest crude protein content (370 g kg^?1 DW). CONCLUSION: The seed composition and reproductive traits of some wild native Australian legumes suggest they could offer potential as grain crops for soils and environments where the current grain legumes are uneconomic. Further evaluation of genetic diversity, especially for seed size, overall productivity, and reproductive development is needed. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lycopene content differs among red‐fleshed watermelon cultivars

Lycopene, a carotenoid, has antioxidant properties that may reduce the incidence of certain cancers. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum & Nakai) is a natural source of lycopene, with a reported average content of 48.7 µg g^?1 fresh weight based on samples taken from retail produce. This study demonstrated the variability of lycopene content in 11 red‐fleshed watermelon cultivars grown at one location, representing seedless, open‐pollinated and hybrid types, and in commercially shipped hybrid and seedless melons, representing seasonal production periods. Tristimulus colorimeter a* and chroma values were positively correlated with lycopene values, but linear or quadratic regressions of colorimeter data against lycopene values were not significant. Tristimulus colorimeter readings from cut melons were compared to amounts of lycopene extracted from the same melons. Lycopene content varied widely among cultivars, with four cultivars having mean values greater than 65.0 µg g^?1 fresh weight. Seedless types sampled tended to have higher amounts of lycopene (>50.0 µg g^?1 fresh weight) than seeded types. Watermelon lycopene content changed for some cultivars with production season. Published in 2001 for SCI by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

Comparative characterisation of durian,mango and avocado

The aim of this investigation was to determine the nutritional and bioactive properties of relatively less investigated exotic fruit durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) and to compare these indices with widely used mango (Mangifera indica L.) and avocado (Persea americana). For this purpose HPLC, three‐dimensional fluorescence (3D‐FL), several radical scavenging assays and multivariate factor analysis were used. It was found a similarity in acetone extracts between durian and mango in the contents of polyphenols (1.66 ± 0.08, 1.48 ± 0.05, mg GAE g^?1 DW, respectively), and in some antioxidant assays such as ABTS (11.98 ± 0.5, 12.24 ± 0.5, μm TE g^?1DW, respectively) and DPPH (5.61 ± 0.3, 5.22 ± 0.2, μm TE g^?1 DW, respectively). Durian and avocado were similar in the contents of polyphenols, and ABTS and DPPH values in water and in methanol extracts, respectively. Based on the obtained results the nutritional and bioactive properties of durian are comparable with those indices in mango and avocado. In conclusion, durian can be recommended as a part of disease prevented diets.     

Phytosterol content in seven oat cultivars grown at three locations in Sweden

The total and individual sterol content in 21 oat samples (seven cultivars grown at three different locations in Sweden) were analysed by gas chromatography after acid hydrolysis. The total sterol content in these oat cultivars varied between 350–491 µg g⁻¹ of dry weight of kernel. The most abundant phytosterol was β‐sitosterol (237–321 µg g⁻¹) followed by campesterol (32–46 µg g⁻¹), Δ⁵‐avenasterol (15–47 µg g⁻¹) and stigmasterol (11–21 µg g⁻¹). There was a statistically significant difference in total sterol content between cultivars (p < 0.05) but no effect was found for cultivation location. Furthermore when contents of Δ⁵‐avenasterol in hexane‐extracted oat oil and acid‐hydrolysed oat samples were compared, it was noticed that the content of Δ⁵‐avenasterol was lowered due to acid hydrolysis. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry