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     

Preparative Isolation of Antioxidant Flavonoids from Small Black Soybeans by Centrifugal Partition Chromatography and Sequential Solid-Phase Extraction

Unlike other members of the leguminous family that are generally used as food, Rhynchosia volubilis, a small soybean with a black seed coat, is used as a folk medicine in Korea. Using an on-line high performance liquid chromatography-2,2?-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation screening system, one peak in the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited outstanding antioxidant capacity. To purify and determine the antioxidant compounds associated with this peak, we developed a centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) method. The ethyl acetate fraction (500 mg) was subjected to CPC using a two-phase solvent system of n-hexane–ethyl acetate–ethanol–water (0.1:8:2:7, v/v) with a dual-mode CPC (descending-ascending order) in a bid to separate glycitin (3.1 mg), daidzin (14.4 mg), 6??-O-acetyl genistin (6.9 mg), 6??-O-acetyl daidzin (5.3 mg), and a mixture of epicatechin and genistin. The mixture was further separated through solid-phase extraction to yield epicatechin (6.8 mg) and genistin (23.5 mg), respectively. Structural identification of the R. volubilis flavonoids was performed by NMR and ESI-MS.     

Flavonoids from the roots of two Rhynchosia species used in the preparation of a Zambian beverage

High concentrations of flavonoids were found in the roots of Rhynchosia insignis and R heterophylla used for the preparation of the popular Zambian munkoyo beverage. The major flavonoids were isolated and identified by means of fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy and co-chromatography with authentic standards as vicenin-2, schaftoside, isoschaftoside and an isovitexin derivative (in both species) and, additionally, vitexin, isovitexin and a violanthin-type compound in R heterophylla. As these compounds are yellow to orange-yellow in the concentrations found in the roots, they are likely to be responsible for the yellow coloration of the beverage before fermentation.     

Germinated Rhynchosia nulubilis Fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus SC65 Reduces Particulate Matter Induced Type II Alveolar Epithelial Apoptotic Cell Death

Particulate matter (PM) is a significant environmental pollutant that promotes respiratory diseases, including lung injury and inflammation, by inducing oxidative stress. Rhynchosia nulubilis (black soybean) is traditionally used to prevent chronic respiratory disease via inducing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus pentosus SC65 fermented GR (GR-SC65) and Pediococcus pentosaceus ON81A (GR-ON81A) against PM-induced oxidative stress and cell death in A549 cells, we performed the 2-7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and cell counting kit-8 assays, as well as Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining and western blotting. GR-SC65 showed the highest total polyphenolic contents and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylidrazil radical scavenging activity among lactic acid bacteria-fermented GRs (p < 0.001 vs. GR). Four soy peptides, β-conglycinin breakdowns (INAENNQRNF, ISSEDKPFN, LAFPGSAQAVEK, and LAFPGSAKDIEN), were detected in GR-SC65, but not in GR. In GR-SC65, PM-induced A549 cell death was less than that observed in GR-ON81A and GR (p < 0.001 vs. PM-treated group). GR-SC65 significantly decreased intracellular reactive oxidative species (ROS) when compared with PM (*** p < 0.001 vs. PM). GR-SC65 decreased the levels of BAX, active caspase-9, -3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) proteins (^# p < 0.01, ^### p < 0.001 vs. PM), while increasing the level of BCL-2 protein, a mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein (^### p < 0.001 vs. PM). Our findings indicate that GR-SC65 inhibited PM-induced cell death by suppressing the levels of ROS, active caspase-9 and -3, and PARP proteins, while enhancing the level of BCL-2 protein in type II alveolar epithelial A549 cells. Therefore, GR-SC65 might be a potential therapeutic and preventive agent against PM-induced lung injury.     

Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanolic Extracts of Glycine max (L.) Merr and Rhynchosia nulubilis Seeds

The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo potential of ethanolic extracts of Glycine max (L.) Merr. (SoRiTae) and Rhynchosia nulubilis (Yak-Kong) seeds as natural anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents. To assess the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory potential, the ethanolic extracts of SoRiTae and Yak-Kong seeds were tested in arachidonic acid-induced ear edema, carrageenan induced paw edema, formalin-induced licking time, acetic acid induced writhing and hot plate-induced thermal stimulation in mice. The administration of ethanolic extracts of SoRiTae and Yak-Kong seeds evoked a significant effect of anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities as compared to standards aminopyrine and indomethacin. The ear edema, paw edema, paw licking time, pain and writhes in mice were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) as compared to the control. The results obtained in this study indicate that both SoRiTae and Yak-Kong soybeans possesses potential anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.