Soil Chemical Analysis

Effect of air-drying temperature on physico-chemical properties, antioxidant capacity, colour and total phenolic content of red pepper (Capsicum annuum, L. var. Hungarian)

A comparison of the product yield, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant properties was done in different leafy vegetables/herbs (basil, chard, parsley, and red kale) and fruit crops (bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and squash) grown in aeroponic growing systems (AG) and in the field (FG). An average increase of about 19%, 8%, 65%, 21%, 53%, 35%, 7%, and 50% in the yield was recorded for basil, chard, red kale, parsley, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and squash, respectively, when grown in aeroponic systems, compared to that grown in the soil. Antioxidant properties of AG and FG crops were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) and cellular antioxidant (CAA) assays. In general, the study shows that the plants grown in the aeroponic system had a higher yield and comparable phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant properties as compared to those grown in the soil.

/pdf/assessment-of-total-phenolic-and-flavonoid-content-1dujuy2ak3.pdf

Assessment of Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content, Antioxidant Properties, and Yield of Aeroponically and Conventionally Grown Leafy Vegetables and Fruit Crops: A Comparative Study

Biodiversity and nutrition: A common path toward global food security and sustainable development

Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Malaysian underutilized fruits

Changes in total phenolics, antioxidant activity (AOX), carotenoids, capsaicin and ascorbic acid were monitored during three maturity stages in 10 genotypes of sweet pepper. In an attempt to explain the variations during maturity stages (green, intermediate and red/yellow), the data was expressed both on fresh and dry weight basis. All the antioxidant constituents (phenolics, ascorbic acid and carotenoids) and AOX, when expressed on fresh weight basis in general, showed an overall increasing trend during maturity in all the genotypes studied. On dry weight basis, phenolic content declined in majority of the genotypes during maturity to red stage. This decline was significant ( P 0.05 ) in Parker, Torkel, HA-1038 and Flamingo. Genotype Flamingo and Golden Summer had the highest phenolic content of 852.0 mg 100 g−1 and 720.5 mg 100 g−1, at their final red and yellow maturity stages, respectively. With maturation, most of the cultivars showed a declining trend with regard to capsaicin content while total carotenoids and β-carotene content increased significantly. Anupam was a promising genotype in terms of both total carotenoids and β-carotene content. Ascorbic acid content declined progressively with advancing maturity. Genotype HA-1038 had the maximum content (3030 mg 100 g−1 dwb) at the green stage. AOX in general, increased with maturity and registered a 1.30–1.95fold increase from green to red stage. The study proposes the nutritional significance of consuming sweet peppers at the red maturity stage because of enhanced functional properties. Overall genotype Flamingo and Anupam represent superior genotypes for both nutrition and germplasm improvement.

Antioxidant constituents in some sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes during maturity

Antioxidant activity in some red sweet pepper cultivars

Ten commercial and three exotic/wild cultivars (cvs) grown under Indian conditions were analyzed for variations in lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolics, quercetin, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity (AOX). AOX was measured using three in vitro assays namely ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. The lycopene content in tomato cvs ranged from 4.31 to 5.97 mg/100 g fw. The wild/exotic cvs had exceptionally high total phenolic content (141.98 mg/100 g fw), quercetin (56 μg/g fw) and total AOX (5.39 μmol TE/g fw). Solanum pimpinellifolium , with nearly six times lycopene content than commercial cvs, may serve as the most desirable gene pool in breeding programmes to develop functional tomatoes. Results suggest that TEAC may be more useful than DPPH assay for detecting total AOX in tomatoes.

/pdf/functional-quality-and-antioxidant-composition-of-selected-qsoxfm6jna.pdf

Functional quality and antioxidant composition of selected tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L) cultivars grown in Northern India

Protected cultivation of high value vegetables and cut-flowers has shown tremendous potential during the last decade or so. With the progress of liberalized economy and the advent of newer technologies in agriculture, protected cultivation opens up avenues in agriculture hitherto not seen. These technologies are not only creating avenues at higher level but also to the growers with the smaller landholdings as the higher productivity levels retain economic relevance to agriculture. Protected cultivation is in a way precise, progressive and parallel agriculture encompassing virtually all facets of agriculture and rather under additional scrutiny of technical relevance to situations and grower and market economics. Since protected cultivation is a vast assembly of diverse aspects of agriculture, this review is an effort to bring its current status in global arena covering various components of this important and emerging field of horticulture. Apart from the status, technological components and methodologies, review also discusses principal vegetables like tomato, cucumber, capsicum and lettuce in brief, besides a good amount of treatise on key pests and plant protection strategies in greenhouses.

Protected cultivation of vegetables in global arena: A review

Protein synthesis is a ubiquitous and essential process in all organisms, including plants. It is primarily regulated at translation initiation stage which is mediated through a number of translation initiation factors (eIFs). It is now becoming more apparent that in addition to synthesis of proteins, eIFs also regulate various aspects of plant development and their interaction with environment. Translation initiation factors, such as eIF3, eIF4A, eIF4E, eIF4G, and eIF5A affect different processes during vegetative and reproductive growth like embryogenesis, xylogenesis, flowering, sporogenesis, pollen germination, etc. On the contrary, eIF1A, eIF2, eIF4, and eIF5A are associated with interaction of plants with different abiotic stresses, such as high temperature, salinity, oxidative stress, etc. Similarly, eIF4E and eIF4G have roles in interaction with many viruses. Therefore, the translation initiation factors are important candidates for improving plant performance and adaptation. A large number of genes encoding eIFs can functionally be validated and utilized through genetic engineering approaches for better adaptability and performance of plants by inhibiting/minimizing or increasing expression of desired eIF(s).

Balraj Singh

Papers

Antioxidant constituents in some sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes during maturity

Antioxidant activity in some red sweet pepper cultivars

Functional quality and antioxidant composition of selected tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L) cultivars grown in Northern India

Protected cultivation of vegetables in global arena: A review

Translation initiation in plants: roles and implications beyond protein synthesis