Alleviation of salt stress in wheat seedlings by mammalian sex hormones

BACKGROUND: Salinity is one of the most serious constraints facing agriculture today. Some mechanical, chemical and biological approaches are being pursued to cope with soil salinity. Although exogenously treated mammalian sex hormones (MSHs), progesterone, β‐estradiol and androsterone, activate significant effects in various biological aspects in plants growing under normal conditions, there is no report investigating their effects on plants growing under salt stress. The present study aimed to investigate whether MSHs could alleviate the destructive effect of salt stress on wheat seedlings and thereby increase their salt tolerance. Wheat leaves were sprayed with 10^?6, 10^?8 and 10^?10 mol L^?1 concentrations of MSH on the ninth day after sowing. MSH‐treated seedlings (10‐day‐old seedlings) were subjected to salt stress for 5 days (between days 10 and 15). RESULTS: At all the concentrations tested, MSH treatment provided a significant protection against to detrimental effects of salt stress in wheat seedlings. It improved dry weight, sugar, proline, protein, chlorophyll and glutathione contents in comparison to salinity alone. Similarly, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and nitrate reductase activities also were augmented by MSH treatment. On the other hand, increases in lipid peroxidation level, superoxide production and hydrogen peroxide content arising from salt treatment were reduced by MSH treatment. The highest salt tolerance was obtained at the concentrations of 10^?6 mol L^?1 for progesterone and 10^?8 mol L^?1 for β‐estradiol and for androsterone. CONCLUSION: MSHs could be used effectively to protect wheat seedlings from the destructive effects of salt stress by stimulating both enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidant mechanism and by promoting levels of osmotic protectants such as proline and sugars resulting in osmotic adjustment, carbon storage and radical scavenging in plants. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physiological changes, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Salvia officinalis L. grown under saline conditions

BACKGROUND: Hydroponic culture was used to investigate the effect of NaCl concentrations on the growth, nutrient uptake, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Salvia officinalis L. leaves. The antioxidant capacity of the methanolic extract of S. officinalis was evaluated by using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging test and β‐carotene‐linoleic acid bleaching assay. Physiological and biochemical parameters of S. officinalis were assessed after 4 weeks of salt treatment with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mmol L^?1 NaCl. RESULTS: Plant growth exhibited a reduction of 61% at 100 mmol L^?1 NaCl. Assessment of Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ and water contents of shoots and roots showed that S. officinalis is able to regulate Na⁺ concentration by active compartmentation in vacuoles. Salvia officinalis phenolics were increased in response to salinity at the threshold of 75 mmol L^?1 NaCl. This herb was also found to be able to achieve important DPPH^? quenching activity and to inhibit the β‐carotene‐linoleic acid bleaching notably enhanced by salt treatment. It is interesting to highlight the correlation between the phenolic and antioxidant activity, suggesting the involvement of these compounds in this activity. CONCLUSION: Salvia officinalis treated with 75 mmol L^?1 NaCl constitutes a potential source for production of secondary metabolites useful in several applications. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Azospirillum improves lettuce growth and transplant under saline conditions

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that as a plant‐growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Azospirillum inoculation could contribute to the mitigation of the negative effects caused by salt on lettuce growth. Moreover, the use of PGPR to alleviate the effects of transplant in vegetables has also been recognized. However, the scarce data available on the use of Azospirillum to improve lettuce growth before and after transplant under saline conditions prompted us to focus our research on this topic. RESULTS: Early germination and seedling settlement of seeds exposed to 0 and 40 mol m^?3 NaCl were clearly improved by Azospirillum inoculation. At 0 mol m^?3 NaCl, plant establishment, leaf mass and root mass parameters before transplant were significantly higher in inoculated plants than in non‐inoculated controls. At harvest, leaf fresh weight, ascorbic acid content and plant survival to transplant were also significantly higher in Azospirillum‐inoculated plants grown at 0 mol m^?3 NaCl. In addition to these effects, leaf dry weight, area and chlorophyll content were also increased by Azospirillum inoculation when plants were grown at 40 mol m^?3 NaCl. CONCLUSION: Azospirillum‐inoculated lettuce seeds yield a higher number of transplanted plants with superior quality than non‐inoculated controls grown at 0 or at 40 mol m^?3 NaCl. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

A proposed mechanism for the inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase by β‐carotene

The inhibition mechanism of soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) by β‐carotene was studied. Addition of β‐carotene into the reaction mixture decreased the rate of conjugated diene formation. Increasing the concentration of β‐carotene in the reaction mixture resulted in a decrease in the rate of conjugated diene formation. Although the rate of conjugated diene formation was lower in the presence of β‐carotene, the same amounts of linoleic acid hydroperoxides were formed by the enzyme at the end of the reaction, both with and without β‐carotene in the reaction medium. The rates of conjugated diene formation for 40, 20, 10 and 4 U mL^?1 LOX enzyme were almost equal to zero when the concentrations of β‐carotene were 20, 17.5, 15 and 10 µmol L^?1 in model reaction systems, respectively. β‐Carotene directly influences the amount of enzyme in the reaction medium available for the catalytic conversion of linoleic acid into corresponding hydroperoxides. The results obtained here suggest that β‐carotene reacts with linoleyl radical (L^?) at the beginning of the chain reaction, preventing the accumulation of conjugated diene forms (LOO^?, LOO^? and LOOH). Since L^? transforms back to its original form of LH, the enzyme cannot complete the chain reaction and thus remains at inactive Fe(II) form. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of potential side activities of commercial enzyme preparations used in winemaking

Twenty‐one commercial enzyme preparations used in winemaking were characterised for the α‐L‐rhamnosidase, α‐L‐arabinosidase, β‐D‐xylosidase, ?β‐D‐galactosidase, β‐D‐glucosidase, esterase, protease, cinnamoyl esterase and laccase activities. A new rapid fluorimetric method to assay esterase activity was developed. Enzyme preparations differed for the level of each enzyme activity assayed rather than for the type of enzymatic activity detected. High levels of protease, glycosidase, esterase and cinnamoyl esterase activity were found among enzyme preparations for different technological applications. A drastic reduction in the level of cinnamoyl esterase was observed in commercial grape juice, pH 3.6, total acidity 5.3 g L^?1_, sugar 170 g L^?1. Protease activity was only weakly reduced, from 10 to 20%, in commercial grape juice. β‐glucosidase activity levels are reduced in the presence of increasing concentration of glucose but are still present at the higher glucose concentration (100 g L^?1). The extent of the reduction observed was dependent on the enzymatic preparations tested.     

Low‐field NMR: A tool for studying protein aggregation

Low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin–spin relaxation (T₂) measurements were used to study the denaturation and aggregation of β‐lactoglobulin (β‐LG) solutions of varying concentrations (1–80 g L^?1) as they were heated at temperatures ranging from ambient up to 90 °C. For concentrations of 1–10 g L^?1, the T₂ of β‐LG solutions did not change, even after heating to 90 °C. A decrease in T₂ was only observed when solutions having higher concentrations (20–80 g L^?1) were heated. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and fluorescence tests using the dye 1‐anilino‐8‐naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) on 0.2 and 1 g L^?1 solutions, respectively, indicated there were changes in the protein's secondary and tertiary conformations when the β‐LG solutions reached 70 °C and above. In addition, dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that protein aggregation occurred only at concentrations above 10 g L^?1 and for heating at 70 °C and above. The hydrodynamic radius increased as T₂ decreased. When excess 2‐mercaptoethanol was added, the changes in both T₂ and the hydrodynamic radius followed the same trend for all β‐LG protein concentrations between 1 and 40 g L^?1. These observations led to the conclusion that the changes in T₂ were due to protein aggregation, not protein unfolding. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

In vitro degradation of 10 mono‐ and sesquiterpenes of plant origin by caprine rumen micro‐organisms

The extent of disappearance of 10 mono‐ and sesquiterpenes in presence of mixed rumen micro‐organisms has been measured in 24‐h batch cultures. The molecules that were tested are frequently found in the plants consumed by ruminants in highland pastures (limonene, β‐myrcene, β‐ocimene, α‐pinene, sabinene, γ‐terpinene and thymol) or are potential markers of the diet (camphene, β‐caryophyllene and α‐copaene). All terpenes were tested at 2 µL mL^?1, except α‐copaene and thymol, which were tested at 0.9 µL mL^?1 and 2 mg mL^?1, respectively. Camphene and thymol were not degraded to a significant extent. The disappearance of part of β‐caryophyllene, (?)‐limonene and γ‐terpinene could not be attributed to the direct action of rumen micro‐organisms but rather than to an effect of the extracellular medium. In contrast, a third group of one sesquiterpene (α‐copaene) and four monoterpenes (myrcene, β‐ocimene, α‐pinene and sabinene) was extensively degraded by rumen micro‐organisms, at rates of 1.6, 4.5, 3.5, 4.8 and 5.4 µmol mL^?1 inoculum day^?1, respectively. The preliminary exposure of rumen micro‐organisms to a specific blend of essential oils compounds, containing mainly thymol, guajacol and limonene, increased the extent of disappearance of γ‐terpinene only. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Differences in properties of myofibrillar proteins from bovine semitendinosus muscle after hydrostatic pressure or heat treatment

Hydrostatic pressure (HP) and heat treatments of myofibrillar proteins have both been shown to induce protein denaturation, but different gel formation properties result from these treatments. To characterise differences in the properties of proteins resulting from HP or heat treatment, Ca‐ and Mg‐ATPase activities (ATP, adenosine triphosphate) and protein solubility in 0.1 and 0.6 mol L^?1 KCl buffers (pH 7) were evaluated in this study. The inactivation rate of Ca‐ATPase of myofibrillar proteins (Mf) induced by HP was slower than that of Mg‐ATPase at each of the tested pressures. However, the inactivation rate of Ca‐ATPase induced by heating was faster than that of Mg‐ATPase at each of the tested temperatures. The level of soluble proteins in Mf suspension induced by HP in 0.1 mol L^?1 KCl buffer increased with increasing pressure up to 400 MPa and then decreased slightly at 500 MPa. However, the level of soluble proteins in Mf suspension induced by heat treatment in 0.1 mol L^?1 KCl buffer increased with increasing temperature up to 55°C. According to the results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the levels of soluble myosin heavy chain and actin in Mf suspension induced by HP in 0.6 mol L^?1 KCl buffer decreased simultaneously at pressures higher than 300 MPa. The level of soluble MHC in 0.6 mol L^?1 KCl buffer decreased gradually with increasing temperature, but there were no changes in the level of soluble actin in 0.6 mol L^?1 KCl buffer with increasing temperature up to 50°C. These results showed that the mechanism of HP‐induced protein denaturation was different from the mechanism underlying heat‐induced protein denaturation. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of salinity on the growth,yield and essential oils of turnip‐rooted and leaf parsley cultivated within the Mediterranean region

BACKGROUND: Turnip‐rooted parsley, a field‐crop of northern Europe, has recently been introduced to the Mediterranean region for fresh consumption or production of essential oil. Because of soil salinity within this area, the sensitivity of turnip‐rooted and two other parsley subspecies (plain‐ and curly‐leafed) to salt was studied. RESULTS: NaCl or CaCl₂ additions to the irrigation water raised the electrical conductivity (EC) in increments from 0.5 dS m^?1 to 4.5 dS m^?1 (year 1) or 6.0 dS m^?1 (year 2), reducing parsley foliage weight in year 2, but increasing the root weight of turnip‐rooted parsley in year 1. Raising the EC with NaCl increased the yield of foliar essential oil from curly‐leafed parsley (both years), but not from the other cultivars. CaCl₂ had less effect on oil yield. The relative concentrations of the principal aroma constituents (β‐phellandrene, myristicin, β‐myrcene and apiole) of the foliar essential oil were affected by NaCl or CaCl₂ in a way that differed between cultivars. Oil yield from parsley roots was very low and apparently unaffected by salinity. CONCLUSION: All three parsley subspecies are moderately sensitive to salinity, but may be cultivated at <4.5 dS m^?1 EC. Salinity may assist oil production by increasing oil yield (curly‐leafed parsley) and positively affecting certain aroma constituents. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of different nitric oxide application on quality of kiwifruit during 20 °C storage

The effects of fumigating with 0, 10, 20, 30 μL L^?1 nitric oxide (NO) gas and dipping in 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 μmol L^?1 NO aqueous solution on quality of kiwifruit (Actinidia Chinensis Planch cv Xuxiang) during storage at 20 °C were evaluated. It was found that fumigating with 20 μL L^?1 NO gas and dipping in 1.0 μmol L^?1 NO aqueous solution delayed firmness lost and increased SSC/TA ratios of kiwifruits. In comparison with the kiwifruits fumigated with 20 μL L^?1 NO, the kiwifruits dipped in 1.0 μmol L^?1 NO solution had slower ethylene production, lower contents of soluble solids and malondialdehyde (MDA), higher contents of vitamin C and E, but no significant difference existed in chlorophyll contents. The results suggested that dipping kiwifruits in 1.0 μmol L^?1 NO aqueous solution was more effective in maintaining kiwifruits quality during 20 °C storage.     

Voltammetric analysis of DL‐α‐tocopherol with a paste electrode

BACKGROUND: A voltammetric study of vitamin E (DL‐ α‐tocopherol) detection using square wave stripping and cyclic voltammetry is discussed in this paper. The working sensor was made by mixing carbon nanotube powder with DNA (double‐stranded calf thymus DNA) and mineral oil. In this electrode, the anodic peak was obtained for ? 0.6 V in a 0.1 mol L^?1 phosphate electrolyte solution. RESULTS: Under optimized stripping conditions, analytical linear working ranges of 0.5–4.0 µg L^?1 and 40.0–160.0 µg L^?1 were obtained. The RSD precision was pegged at 0.105% with seven points using an 80 µg L^?1 spike. The detection limit (S/N) was found to be 0.056 µg L^?1 (1.30 × 10^?10 mol L^?1). CONCLUSION: The developed method was found to be applicable to quality control analysis in the food, pharmaceutical and other manufacturing sectors. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of exogenous nitric oxide on contents of soluble sugars and related enzyme activities in 'Feicheng' peach fruit

BACKGROUND: Sugar content is one of the main characteristics related to the quality of fruit. Research confirms that nitric oxide (NO) involves a physiological process and prolongs the storage life of fruit. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of NO on sugar metabolism in fruit during storage. In this study, the effect of different concentrations (0, 10, 30 µmol L^?1) of exogenous NO treatment on sugar content and related enzyme activities in ‘Feicheng’ peach fruit was investigated during storage (0–12 days after harvest) at room temperature (25 °C). RESULTS: Results showed that the decrease of firmness and accumulation of sugar and acid:sugar ratio in peach fruit during storage were significantly inhibited by treatment with 10 µmol L^?1 NO. Treatment with 10 µmol L^?1 NO could promote fructose and glucose metabolism during the first 4 days of storage, and increase the content of sucrose and the activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase, sorbitol oxidase and sucrose phosphate synthase in peach fruit during storage. However, acid invertase activity from 8 to 12 days of storage and neutral invertase activity during the first 4 days of storage were inhibited by treatment with 10 µmol L^?1 NO. At the same time, treatment with 10 µmol L^?1 NO inhibited sucrose synthase (SS) activity in decomposition during storage and SS activity in synthesis from 8 to 12 days of storage. CONCLUSION: Treatment with 10 µmol L^?1 NO had a significant impact on content of soluble sugars and related enzyme activities in ‘Feicheng’ peach fruit during storage (0–12 days) at room temperature (25 °C). Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Protein association of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine in Triticum aestivum via irrigation

Bioaccumulation of several cyanotoxins has been observed in numerous food webs. More recently, the neurotoxic, non-proteinogenic amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) was shown to biomagnify in marine food webs. It was thus necessary to assess whether a human exposure risk via a terrestrial food source could exist. As shown for other cyanotoxins, spray irrigation of crop plants with cyanobacterial bloom-contaminated surface water poses the risk of toxin transfer into edible plant parts. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated a possible transfer of BMAA via spray irrigation into the seeds of one of the world’s most widely cultivated crop plants, Triticum aestivum. Wheat plants were irrigated with water containing 10 µg L^?1 BMAA until they reached maturity and seed-bearing stage (205 days). Several morphological characteristics, such as germination rate, number of roots per seedling, length of primary root and cotyledon, and diameter of the stems were evaluated to assess the effects of chronic exposure. After 205 days, BMAA bioaccumulation was quantified in roots, shoots, and mature seeds of T. aestivum. No adverse morphology effects were observed and no free intracellular BMAA was detected in any of the exposed plants. However, in mature seeds, protein-associated BMAA was detected at 217 ± 150 ng g FW^?1; significantly more than in roots and shoots. This result demonstrates the unexpected bioaccumulation of a hydrophilic compound and highlights the demand to specify in addition to limit values for drinking water, tolerable daily intake rates for the cyanobacterial-neurotoxin BMAA.     

Scirpusin A,a hydroxystilbene dimer from Xinjiang wine grape,acts as an effective singlet oxygen quencher and DNA damage protector

BACKGROUND: Grapes and red wines are rich sources of phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, catechins, flavonols and stilbenes, most of which are potent antioxidants showing cardioprotective properties. We first isolated scirpusin A, a hydroxystilbene dimer, from a wine grape of Xinjiang, and studied its antioxidant activity. RESULTS: Reactive oxygen species scavenging effects and the protection against reactive singlet oxygen‐induced DNA damage of scirpusin A have been investigated in our experiments. The concentration of scirpusin A required to inhibit 50% of ¹O₂ generation was 17 µmol L^?1, while addition of scirpusin A at 140 µmol L^?1 caused complete inhibition. Further kinetic study revealed that the reaction of Scirpusin A with singlet oxygen has an extremely high rate constant (k_a = 4.68 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1). Scirpusin A (140 µmol L^?1) exhibited significant inhibition effects on pBR322 DNA breakage. However, scavenging effects of scirpusin A on superoxide anion O₂^?? and hydroxyl radical ·OH were not potent as the inhibitor rates at a concentration of 1400 µmol L^?1 were 28.83% and 19.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that scirpusin A is a selective quencher of singlet oxygen and a protector against reactive singlet oxygen‐induced pBR322 DNA damage at very low concentrations. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fate of aflatoxin B(1) in contaminated corn gluten during acid hydrolysis

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins that cause serious chronic disease outbreaks and contaminate several food products such as corn and its by‐product, corn gluten. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of hydrochloric acid (HCl) on aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) degradation in contaminated corn gluten under different HCl concentrations, hydrolysis temperatures and hydrolysis times. RESULTS: During the wet milling process the highest AFB₁ level (45.68 µg kg^?1) (37.86%) was found in corn gluten fraction. Treatment with 1 mol L^?1 HCL at 110 °C resulted in degradation of AFB₁ by 27.6% (33.07 µg kg^?1) after 4 h and reached 42.5% (26.26 µg kg^?1) after 8 h. Increasing HCl concentration from 1 to 3 mol L^?1 HCl resulted in increased degradation of AFB₁, while complete degradation occurred in the presence of 5 mol L^?1 HCl after 4 h at 110 °C. Meanwhile, half‐life time of AFB₁ was recorded after 2 h at 100 °C and was < 2 h at 110 °C in the presence of 3 mol L^?1 HCl. CONCLUSION: It could be demonstrated that the manufacture of hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a suitable method for decontamination of aflatoxin in highly contaminated grains, especially gluten fractions. The hydrolysis reaction could be considered in terms of first‐order reaction kinetics of AFB₁ degradation. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antioxidant activity of hydrolysates derived from porcine plasma

BACKGROUND: In China alone, more than 400 million pigs are slaughtered each year to provide meat. Porcine blood is rich in proteins but is usually discarded, which can cause environmental contamination. Recovering porcine blood and converting it to high‐value products is therefore economically and environmentally desirable. However, very little information on antioxidant peptides from porcine blood by‐products is currently available. In this study the antioxidant properties of porcine plasma hydrolysates PPE and PPA prepared with pepsin and papain respectively were investigated. RESULTS: Both PPE and PPA showed excellent antioxidant activity in a linoleic acid system (AL) compared with α‐tocopherol (VE) at the same concentration (P < 0.01). Their activities were respectively 3.33 and 1.83 times stronger than that of VE at a concentration of 10 µg mL^?1 and 5.4 and 5.6 times stronger at 100 µg mL^?1. The 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activity (DRSA) reached 48.4 and 43.1% for PPE and PPA respectively at 500 µg mL^?1. The ferrous ion‐chelating power (FICP) of PPE at 100 µg mL^?1 was about 1.5 times stronger than that of 10 µmol L^?1 ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in a 50 µmol L^?1 Fe²⁺ system, whereas the FICP of PPA at 100 µg mL^?1 was 61% that of 10 µmol L^?1 EDTA. Furthermore, PPE was separated on Resource 15RPC and Superdex peptide 10/300GL columns, and the antioxidant activity of the peptides and its relationship to their polarity and molecular weight (MW) were analysed. The hydrolysate was divided into four groups (R1–R4) with hydrophobicities ranging from weak to strong by Resource 15RPC, while it was divided into three groups (S1, MW 7–12 kDa; S2, MW 3–7 kDa; S3, MW 1–3 kDa) by Superdex peptide 10/300GL. CONCLUSION: The results showed that AL was significantly and positively correlated with the relative amounts of R1, S2 and S3 and that DRSA was dependent on R3 and S1. The fractions of PPE were not responsible for FICP. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Salt effect on phenolics and antioxidant activities of Tunisian and Canadian sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) shoots

BACKGROUND: Two varieties of Origanum majorana (Canadian and Tunisian) were evaluated for their phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents, individual phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities under NaCl constraint. RESULTS: The results showed a significant variability in phenolic composition and antioxidant behavior between the two varieties under salt stress. The phenolic composition of methanolic extracts was determined by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Amentoflavone was the predominant flavonoid compound; in addition, trans‐2‐hydrocinnamic acid became the major phenolic acid with salt treatment of the Tunisian variety. In the control, Canadian variety extract was characterized by high levels of gallic acid and amentoflavone. However, under 75 mmol L^?1 NaCl, gallic acid content doubled, whereas amentoflavone content was maintained in the Canadian variety. Stimulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis was observed in these two varieties under salt treatment despite the fact that shoots of the Tunisian variety showed higher antioxidant activities compared to those from the Canadian variety. Tunisian O. majorana might have developed tolerance to salinity and avoided tissue damage by activating enzymes involved in the galactosylation of quercetin into quercetin‐3‐galactoside and quercetin‐3‐rhamnoside. CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the tolerance of Tunisian O. majorana plants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Salt-induced modulation in inorganic nutrients, antioxidant enzymes, proline content and seed oil composition in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

BACKGROUND: Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) has gained considerable ground as a potential oil‐seed crop. However, its yield and oil production are adversely affected under saline conditions. The present study was conducted to appraise the influence of salt (NaCl) stress on yield, accumulation of different inorganic elements, free proline and activities of some key antioxidant enzymes in plant tissues as well as seed oil components in safflower. Two safflower accessions differing in salt tolerance (Safflower‐33 (salt sensitive) and Safflower‐39 (salt tolerant)) were grown under saline (150 mmol L^?1) conditions and salt‐induced changes in the earlier‐mentioned physiological attributes were determined. RESULTS: Salt stress enhanced leaf and root Na⁺, Cl^? and proline accumulation and activities of leaf superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase, while it decreased K⁺, Ca²⁺ and K⁺/Ca²⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ ratios and seed yield, 100‐seed weight, number of seeds, as well as capitula, seed oil contents and oil palmitic acid. No significant effect of salt stress was observed on seed oil α‐tocopherols, stearic acid, oleic acid or linoleic acid contents. Of the two safflower lines, salt‐sensitive Safflower‐33 was higher in leaf and root Na⁺ and Cl^?, while Safflower‐39 was higher in leaf and root K⁺, K⁺/Ca²⁺ and Ca²⁺/Na⁺ and seed yield, 100‐seed weight, catalase activity, seed oil contents, seed oil α‐tocopherol and palmitic acid. Other attributes remained almost unaffected in both accessions. CONCLUSION: Overall, high salt tolerance of Safflower‐39 could be attributed to Na⁺ and Cl^? exclusion, high accumulation of K⁺ and free proline, enhanced CAT activity, seed oil α‐tocopherols and palmitic acid contents. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Moisture Diffusivity in High Oleic Sunflower Seeds and Kernels

Moisture diffusivities in high oleic seeds and kernels were obtained from experimental thin layer drying rates in the range of 25–90°C air temperature and 4.2–33.5% initial moisture content (d.b.). Moisture diffusivity back-calculated from Fick´s second law of diffusion varied between 0.85.10^-10 and 7.26.10^?10 m²/s for seeds and between 0.37.10^?10 and 2.39.10^?10 m²/s for kernels. The Arrhenius activation energy for seeds and kernels resulted 31 and 24 kJ/mol, respectively. A new model based on the kinetic parameter of Page equation was proposed as a simple tool to predict water diffusion in high oleic sunflower seeds and kernelss.     

Use of ultrasonication to enhance pea seed germination and microbial quality of pea sprouts

This study investigated the effects of ultrasonication, heating and chemical washing on decontamination of seeds of three pea (Pisum sativum) varieties and the microbial safety of their sprouts. Most of the decontamination treatments increased germination, decreased microbial load and enhanced sprout growth. Ultrasonication and NaOCl treatments reduced total aerobic counts on sprouts by 5.86 and 5.51 log units (averages of three varieties), respectively; while other chemical treatments (350 mL L^?1 ethanol, 350 mL L^?1 vinegar and 10 g L^?1 NaCl solutions) failed to reduce total aerobic counts sufficiently enough to secure microbial safety. The ultrasonication not only improved germination (increased from an average of 83 to 97%), but also reduced the total aerobic counts to 2.21 log₁₀ CFU g^?1 on seed sprouts. Ultrasonication also increased the sprouts yield to 301.83 g per 10 g seeds. Therefore, ultrasonication can be used as a microbial control treatment for pea sprout production.