Physical and functional stability of spray-dried jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) juice powder produced with different carrier agents.

Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit is an underutilized source of bioactive phytochemicals. Therefore, preserving this fruit in various forms over the year is necessary.

Association Mapping in Plants.

Quantitative trait loci mapping has become a common practice in crop plants and can be accomplished using either biparental populations following interval mapping or natural populations following the approach of association mapping. Because of its ability to use the natural diversity and to search for functional variants in a broader germplasm, association mapping is becoming popular among researchers. An overview of the different steps involved in association mapping in plants is provided in this chapter.

Cataloguing of blast resistance genes in landraces and breeding lines of rice from India.

The rice blast caused by the fungus is one of the most devastating diseases of rice and can lead to complete failure of the crop under severe cases. The first step in breeding for blast resistance in rice is therefore to identify the novel sources of resistance and cataloguing different blast resistant genes in these genotypes. In the present study, a set of 37 rice genotypes comprising of landraces, advanced breeding lines and released varieties were first characterized for blast resistance under epiphytotic conditions and subsequently different blast resistant genes were catalogued with the help of markers tightly linked to these genes.

Association mapping in plants in the post-GWAS genomics era.

With the availability of DNA-based molecular markers during early 1980s and that of sophisticated statistical tools in late 1980s and later, it became possible to identify genomic regions that control a quantitative trait. The two methods used for this purpose included quantitative trait loci (QTL) interval mapping and genome-wide association mapping/studies (GWAS). Both these methods have their own merits and demerits, so that newer approaches were developed in order to deal with the demerits.

Trait Mapping Approaches Through Linkage Mapping in Plants.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in crop plants has now become a common practice due to the advances made in the area of molecular markers as well as that of statistical genomics. Consequently, large numbers of QTLs have been identified in different crops for a variety of traits. Several computational tools are now available that suit the type of mapping population and the trait(s) to be studied for QTL analyses as well as the objective of the program.

Marker-trait association study for protein content in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most important cool season food legume cultivated in arid and semiarid regions of the world. The objective of the present study was to study variation for protein content in chickpea germplasm, and to find markers associated with it.

Association mapping in crop plants: opportunities and challenges.

The research area of association mapping (AM) is currently receiving major attention for genetic studies of quantitative traits in all major crops. However, the level of success and utility of AM achieved for crop improvement is not comparable to that in the area of human health care for diagnosis of complex human diseases. These AM studies in plants, as in humans, became possible due to the availability of DNA-based molecular markers and a variety of sophisticated statistical tools that are evolving on a regular basis.

Association mapping for pre-harvest sprouting resistance in white winter wheat.

Association mapping identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and the markers linked to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance in an elite association mapping panel of white winter wheat comprising 198 genotypes. A total of 1,166 marker loci including DArT and SSR markers representing all 21 chromosomes of wheat were used in the analysis. General and mixed linear models were used to analyze PHS data collected over 4 years.

Effects of seed treatments and storage on the changes in lipids of pearl millet meal.

Lipids in pearl millet meal showed a rapid hydrolytic decomposition during storage. The magnitude of such degradation was influenced significantly by the nature of the storage container used, the temperature and heat treatments given to the seeds. The hydrolytic breakdown of lipids was significantly low in the meals stored in polyethylene bags, plastic boxes and under refrigerated (5 +/- 2 degrees C) conditions.

Effects of dry heat treatments to peanut kernels on the functional properties of the defatted meal.

Dry heat treatments at 140 degrees C for 20 min or 160 degrees C for 10 min of peanut kernels significantly improved protein solubility, water and oil absorptions, foaming capacity and stability, and least gelation concentration of the defatted meal. However, heat treatments at 160 degrees C for 30 min or more than 30 min period resulted in significant decrease in these properties. Such heat treatments significantly decreased the level of albumin and globulin fraction with concomitant increase in glutelin fraction in the meal.

Nutritional enrichment of bakery products by supplementation with nonwheat flours.

Bakery products are important ready-to-eat processed foods. The nutritional quality of these products is low because of the inferior nutritional composition of wheat grain per se. This is further accentuated with the use of refined flours in their preparations.

Differential carbon monoxide sensitivity of cytochrome C oxidase in the leaves of c(3) and c(4) plants.

CO sensitivity of cytochrome a(3) in the leaves of a number of C(3) and C(4) plants was monitored by the nitrate reductase assay under differing CO to O(2) ratios. All the C(3) plants were relatively insensitive to CO and required a high CO to O(2) ratio of 40 to promote significant nitrate reductase activity. However, when treated with 2 millimolar 2,4-dinitrophenol, these leaves readily responded to CO even at low CO to O(2) ratios of 10 or less.

Utilization of expeller pressed partially defatted peanut cake meal in the preparation of bakery products.

Expeller pressed partially defatted peanut cake obtained from skin-free kernels was used as graded supplements in the preparation of breads, sweet buns, cupcakes and yeast-raised doughnuts. Incorporation of cake meal lowered the specific volume and sensory properties, but improved the fresh weight, water holding capacity and protein content of the products. The products containing 10% peanut cake meal were found to be acceptable.

Effects of roasting and storage on proteins and oil in peanut kernels.

Peanut kernels, untreated or soaked in salt solution, were roasted at 160 degrees C for 30 min in a hot air oven or oil roasted at 147 degrees C for 2 min and, stored at 27 degrees C and 5 degrees C up to 150 days. The heat treatments significantly decreased methionine, tryptophan and in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) and, increased the soluble proteins and acid value of kernel oil. Storage of heated peanuts caused an increase in water-soluble proteins, IVPD, acid value and saponification value and a decrease in methionine, tryptophan and iodine value.

Processing of commercial peanut cake into food-grade meal and its utilization in preparation of cookies.

The commercial cake produced during expeller pressing of peanuts was extracted with n-hexane, and 80% ethanol followed by sieving through 80 mesh, to remove residual oil, pigments, bitter taste and fibrous material. The processed meal exhibited comparable composition with defatted peanut flour prepared in the laboratory by solvent extraction of full-fat peanut meal. However, the processed cake meal exhibited low methionine content and in vitro protein digestibility as compared with defatted peanut flour.

Nutritional improvement of cereals by sprouting.

Cereal grains form a major source of dietary nutrients for all people, particularly those in the developing countries. However, the nutritional quality of cereal grains and sensory properties of their products are inferior due to lower protein content, deficiency of certain essential amino acids, lower protein and starch availabilities, presence of certain antinutrients, and the coarse nature of the grains. The consumption of sprouted cereals is becoming popular in various parts of the world.

Nutritional improvement of cereals by fermentation.

Cereal grains form a major source of dietary nutrients for all people, particularly those in the developing countries. However, compared with animal foods, nutritional quality of cereal grains is inferior due to lower protein content, deficiency of certain essential amino acids, lower protein and starch availabilities, and the presence of some antinutritional factors. Fermentation of cereals for a limited period of time improves amino acid composition and vitamin content, increases protein and starch availabilities, and lowers the levels of antinutrients.

Effects of heat treatments and germination on trypsin inhibitor activity and polyphenols in jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis L. DC).

The application of dry heat to seeds and meal was not effective in inactivating the TI and reducing the polyphenol content. Soaking for 24 h followed by cooking for 20 min, was equally effective in destroying the TI activity. Germination of jack bean seeds for 40 h decreased the levels of TI and polyphenols by 31% and 35%, respectively.

Nutritional quality of some improved cultivars of cowpea.

The seeds of 13 improved cowpea cultivars were analysed for proximate composition, methionine, tryptophan and polyphenols. Considerable genetic variations were observed for the contents of protein, nonprotein nitrogen, limiting amino acids and polyphenols. The globulins contributed about 50% of the total seed proteins.