IntroductionVegetable soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), commonly consumed as edamame, represents a nutritionally dense crop with growing global demand. Despite its potential to address dietary diversification and enhance functional food markets, systematic evaluation of its biochemical traits remains limited, particularly in Eastern India where malnutrition and low crop diversity persist.MethodsThirty-four vegetable soybean genotypes were assessed under field conditions using a randomized block design with three replications. Quantitative analysis of proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, oil, fatty acids, vitamins, isoflavones, tocopherols, phenolics, trypsin inhibitor activity, and lipoxygenase activity was conducted using HPLC, GC, and spectrophotometric assays. Multivariate analyses including PCA, correlation, and hierarchical clustering were performed to identify trait associations and superior genotypes.ResultsSignificant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were observed among genotypes for all the parameters. Protein content varied between 25.7 and 34.9%, while sugars ranged from 13.5 to 24.6%. Our analysis showed that vegetable soybean genotypes, particularly AGS-190 and AGS-456, contained oleic acid levels exceeding 50%, which is considerably higher than those typically reported in grain soybean, thereby indicating improved oxidative stability. Isoflavone content was more than 14 mg/100 g in several accessions, whereas AGS-292 and AGS-610 recorded lower trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase activities, respectively, improving consumer suitability. Considerable diversity was also observed for tocopherols, phenolics, and vitamin C, indicating scope for enhancing antioxidant potential. Multivariate analyses identified a set of superior lines integrating multiple desirable traits, marking them as promising candidates for biofortification, functional food development, and breeding of next-generation vegetable soybean cultivars.DiscussionThe findings align with earlier studies reporting wide genotypic variation in protein, oil, sugar content and bioactive compounds of vegetable soybeans. However, unlike grain soybeans, the vegetable soybean genotypes showed higher oleic acid and lower linoleic acid, likely due to differences in harvest stage and seed maturity. Certain parameters showed ranges, comparatively lower than earlier studies, likely due to genotype-specific differences and agro-climatic conditions. These variations emphasize the need for region-specific screening to identify nutritionally rich and consumer-preferred cultivars.

Soymilk is a popular alternative to dairy products due to its low cholesterol and lactose levels. However, its consumption is often limited by its astringent flavor and the presence of anti-nutritional factors. Fermentation has been identified as an effective strategy to address these issues. This study employed a co-culture approach to develop fermented soymilk using a large seeded food-grade variety, with five novel probiotic Weissella strains screened for their fermentation characteristics and effects on soymilk quality. Key variables, including the isoflavone profile, phytic acid content, essential minerals, and antioxidant activity, were analysed during fermentation. Among the strains, Weissella cibaria Sb and W. confusa 30082a were selected through cluster analysis and used in a mixed-culture approach to evaluate potential synergistic effects. Comprehensive analyses were performed in the co-culture, including in vitro protein digestibility, Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), trypsin inhibitory activity, total protein and sugar content, microstructure, and sensory evaluation. The co-culture approach demonstrated significant improvements over single-strain fermentations, enhancing nutritional quality by increasing free isoflavone content, protein quality, antioxidant activity, and mineral bioavailability, while reducing phytate and trypsin inhibitor levels.

High potential is attributed to the concomitant use of probiotics and prebiotics in a single food product, called “synbiotics”, where the prebiotic component distinctly favours the growth and activity of probiotic microbes. This study implemented a detailed comparison between the prebiotic effect of Fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) on the viable count of bacteria, hydrolysis into monosaccharides, the biosynthesis of short-chain fatty acids and sensory attributes of soymilk fermented with 1% (v/v) co-cultures of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus JCM1136 and Weissella confusa 30082b. The highest viable count of 1.21 × 109 CFU/mL was observed in soymilk with 3% RFOs added as a prebiotic source compared with MRS broth with 3% RFOs (3.21 × 108) and 3% FOS (6.2 × 107 CFU/mL) when replaced against glucose in MRS broth. Raffinose and stachyose were extensively metabolised (4.75 and 1.28-fold decrease, respectively) in 3% RFOs supplemented with soymilk, and there was an increase in glucose, galactose, fructose (2.36, 1.55, 2.76-fold, respectively) in soymilk supplemented with 3% FOS. Synbiotic soymilk with 3% RFOs showed a 99-fold increase in methyl propionate, while the one supplemented with 3% FOS showed an increase in methyl butyrate. The highest acceptability based on the sensory attributes was for soymilk fermented with 2% RFOs + 2% FOS + 2% table sugar + 1% vanillin (7.87 ± 0.52) with high mouth feel, product consistency, taste, and flavour. This study shows that the simultaneous administration of soy with probiotic bacteria and prebiotic oligosaccharides like FOSs and RFOs enhance the synergistic interaction between them, which upgraded the nutritional and sensory quality of synbiotic soymilk.

Isoflavones provide multiple health benefits, such as the potential for prevention of cancer and osteoporosis. Isoflavones are naturally present as beta-glucosides, rendering them unavailable for uptake in the human gut. In the present study, an attempt was made to understand the mechanism of beta-glucoside hydrolysis by probiotic microbes. Six major probiotic-type strains were screened for beta-glucosidase activity, and two annotated beta-glucosidase genes were cloned and characterized from L. acidophilus. These proteins were more active on phosphorylated pNPG than on pNPG, indicating a Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent pathway involving phosphoglucosidase for the uptake and metabolism of beta-glucosides such as isoflavones. The screening of these strains for the bioconversion of isoflavones showed above 90% isoflavone glucoside hydrolysis for four strains, with L. rhamnosus showing the highest hydrolysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report comparing glucoside hydrolysis by whole bacterial cells with cell extracts and purified candidate proteins.

MAIN CONCLUSION:In this review, using genome editing, the quality trait alterations in important crops have been discussed, along with the challenges encountered to maintain the crop products' quality. The delivery of economic produce with superior quality is as important as high yield since it dictates consumer's acceptance and end use. Improving product quality of various agricultural and horticultural crops is one of the important targets of plant breeders across the globe. Significant achievements have been made in various crops using conventional plant breeding approaches, albeit, at a slower rate. To keep pace with ever-changing consumer tastes and preferences and industry demands, such efforts must be supplemented with biotechnological tools. Fortunately, many of the quality attributes are resultant of well-understood biochemical pathways with characterized genes encoding enzymes at each step. Targeted mutagenesis and transgene transfer have been instrumental in bringing out desired qualitative changes in crops but have suffered from various pitfalls. Genome editing, a technique for methodical and site-specific modification of genes, has revolutionized trait manipulation. With the evolution of versatile and cost effective CRISPR/Cas9 system, genome editing has gained significant traction and is being applied in several crops. The availability of whole genome sequences with the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies further enhanced the precision of these techniques. CRISPR/Cas9 system has also been utilized for desirable modifications in quality attributes of various crops such as rice, wheat, maize, barley, potato, tomato, etc. The present review summarizes salient findings and achievements of application of genome editing for improving product quality in various crops coupled with pointers for future research endeavors.

Isoflavones are a sub-class of phenylpropanoids having health benefits and a role in plant defence and plant-rhizobium interaction. Isoflavone conjugate hydrolysis is crucial in determining the bioactivity and bioavailability of these isoflavones inside the human body. This study examined the different characteristics of soy isoflavone conjugate hydrolysing β-glucosidase (GmICHG) to explore its potential for isoflavone bioavailability enhancement. We cloned the full-length GmICHG cDNA from the soybean seedling roots from the DS2706 variety of 1545 bp. The bioinformatics analysis revealed secretion and glycosylation of this protein. The evolutionary relatedness of this gene to the other glucosidases interestingly had related sequences outside the Papilionaceae family. The protein had a pI above neutral of 7.62 and optimum pH of 6.0, indicating its activity in the extracellular acidic environment. The GmICHG gene expression at three stages of seedling roots gradually rose to 1.84 ± 0.54 fold and a concomitant increase in the β-glucosidase activity. The enzyme kinetics of GmICHG showed a Km of 6.38 mM and Vmax of 2.82 U/ml and an optimum temperature of 40 °C. These hint that soy ICHG can be a potent candidate for the isoflavone bioavailability enhancement by hydrolysing their β-glycosidic bonds.

Abstract High potential is attributed to the concomitant use of probiotics and prebiotics in a single food product, called "synbiotics," where the prebiotic component distinctly favours the growth and activity of probiotic microbes. This study implemented a detailed comparison between the prebiotic effect of Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Raffinose Oligosaccharides (RFOs) on the viable count of bacteria, hydrolysis into monosaccharides for the biosynthesis of postbiotic Short Chain Fatty Acids and sensory attributes of soymilk fermented with 1% (v/v) mixed cultures of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus JCM 1136 and Weissella confusa 30082b. The highest viable count of 1.21×109 CFU/ml was observed in soymilk with 3%RFOs added as a prebiotic source compared with MRS broth with 3% RFOs (3.21×108) and 3%FOS (6.2 ×107 CFU/ml) when replaced against glucose in MRS broth. Raffinose and stachyose were extensively metabolised (4.75 and 1.28-fold decrease, respectively) in 3%RFOs supplemented with soymilk, and there was an increase in glucose, galactose, fructose (2.36,1.55, 2.76-fold respectively) in soymilk supplemented with 3% FOS. Synbiotic soymilk with 3%RFOs showed a 99-fold increase in methyl propionate, while the one supplemented with 3%FOS showed an increase in methyl butyrate. The highest acceptability was for soymilk fermented with 2%RFOs + 2%FOS + 2% Table sugar + 1% vanillin (7.87 ± 0.52) with high Mouth feel, product consistency, taste, and flavour. This study shows that simultaneous administration of soy with probiotic bacteria and prebiotic oligosaccharides like FOS and RFOs enhance the synergistic interaction between them, which up-graded the nutritional and sensory quality of synbiotic soymilk.

The rising interest in plant-based formulations and ethical concerns associated with animal-based products has led to an increased consumption of soymilk. This review explores research trends in soymilk and its fermentation to enhance our understanding and encourage further investigation. Various strategies for transforming conventional soymilk into functional soymilk are discussed, including fermentation, germination, probiotic immobilization, ultrasound, metabolic engineering, and nanotechnology. Functional soymilk, enriched with bioactives like peptides, aglycone isoflavones, & gamma;-amino butyric acid (GABA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), carotenoids, and vitamins (B2, B6, B9, and B12), demonstrates improved nutritional value. The review also examines medicinal potential of fermented soymilk-based products, including their ability to treat diabetes, combat cancer, improve gut health, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce obesity. Probiotic bacteria play a vital role in enhancing the functionality and health benefits of fermented soymilk. Innovative probiotics offer the opportunity to produce functional soymilk that caters to consumer needs and provides positive health properties.

Research background. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is a nutrient-rich crop with a high protein content and various bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. Nevertheless, it is poorly accepted as a food by consumers due to its off-flavour. Due to the ubiquitous presence of isoflavones in soybeans, their inherent antioxidant potential and inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase activity, their sensory properties are currently being considered to mitigate the off-flavour. Experimental approach. In the present study, the content and composition of isoflavones in 17 soybean cultivars are determined. The correlation between the isoflavone mass fraction and lipid peroxidation was also established, using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value and carbonyl compound concentration as indices for the development of off-flavour. Cloning, gene expression analysis and in silico analysis of isoflavone synthase isoforms (IFS1 and IFS2) were also performed. Results and conclusions. The total isoflavone mass fraction in soybean genotypes ranged from (153.5±7.2) µg/g for PUSA 40 to (1146±43) µg/g for Bragg. There was a moderately negative correlation between the indices of off-flavour formation and the genistein/daidzein ratio (p<0.1). However, the correlation with total isoflavone mass fraction was found to be insignificant, indicating complex interactions. Higher protein-protein interactions for the predicted structure of IFS2 with other biosynthesis enzymes and its comparatively higher expression in the Bragg than that of IFS1 indicated its more important role in isoflavone synthesis. Novelty and scientific contribution. The genistein/daidzein mass ratio was found to be an important factor in controlling off-flavour. IFS2 was identified as key to produce soybeans with high isoflavone mass fraction and potentially lower off-flavour formation.

1. Abstract Arabidopsis thaliana , a model plant, is intensively researched because of the intrinsic advantages associated with its life cycle, genetics, and other characteristics. In the present study, we analysed the publication data of research work done on A. thaliana during 2001-2020, a period when the whole genome sequence of the plant was available to the researchers. The current meta-analysis showed that 31965 research papers were published globally on Arabidopsis during the study period. The USA topped the countries with the maximum share of publications (28.97%), followed by China, Japan, and West European countries. The analysis showed a temporal shift in the number of publications from different countries and their research focus. After 2013, the research output from China was higher than that from the USA, and there was a shift in focus from developmental biology to stress-related topics. Plant Physiology journal carried the most research work (2490 publications) on Arabidopsis, which was followed by Plant Cell (2376), the Plant Journal (2260) and the Journal of Experimental Botany (1121). However, there was a progressive decline in the publication in these journals, and a shift was evident in favour of open access journals like Frontiers in Plant Science. The publication and citation numbers also show ongoing Arabidopsis research’s relevance to plant sciences, particularly curiosity-driven and discovery-based science. This article delves into the patterns in the prominence of research areas, ideas and foci for the future Arabidopsis research roadmap.

As bulks of animal food products are excessively expensive, to be purchased by the rural poor; especially in rainfed areas, hence; protein-energy malnutrition and chronic energy deficiency affect a large portion of the Indian population. However, to overcome this ongoing problem as the population grows, legumes play a massive part in boosting the nutritional status of the vast majority of people. Legume crops boost native nitrogen production while also meeting human protein and energy needs. For living creatures, legumes are one of the most protein-dense foods available. They also contribute to soil fertility maintenance through biological nitrogen fixation. As organic acids are excreted from their roots, some legumes may dissolve phosphate. When legumes are grown in rotation with nonleguminous crops, they help bring back soil organic matter and reduce pest and disease threats. Native legumes such as jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), rice bean (Vigna umbellata), and tree bean (Parkia roxburghii) are comparatively more nutritious than other legumes in the north-eastern Indian Himalaya and have a large potential to restore soil fertility. This chapter presents a description of fostering legumes in the rainfed agro-ecosystem to strengthen farmers' social and economic conditions and possibly even national food security.

Abstract Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is a nutrient-rich crop with limited consumer acceptability because of the presence of off-flavour. Owing to the ubiquity of isoflavones in soybean, their inherent antioxidant potential, and their inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase activity, their sensorial attribute in mitigating off-flavour is currently being envisaged. We estimated the content and composition of isoflavones in 17 soybean cultivars and established the correlation between isoflavone profile and lipid peroxidation, which was measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number and carbonyl value. The results showed a significant negative correlation of these parameters with the total isoflavone content and genistein: daidzein ratio. In addition, expression analysis of a key gene involved in isoflavone biosynthesis, i.e., isoflavone synthase (IFS1 and IFS2), in contrasting soybean genotypes during seed development revealed a higher expression of both isoforms in Bragg (high isoflavone) compared to PUSA 40 (low isoflavone) at different stages of seed development accompanied by more isoflavone accumulation. The cloning and in silico analysis of IFS isoforms revealed a more significant interaction with other biosynthesis enzymes by IFS2, indicating its more substantial role in isoflavone synthesis. IFS2 overexpression can thus be a valuable target to increase isoflavone biosynthesis, thereby scavenging off-flavour.

The present work reports a novel, continuous, specific, and colorimetric coupled method for the assay of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which involves use of acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) as coupling enzyme and Dilinoleoyl Phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) as substrate. This method is based on the principle that free fatty acids (FFA) produced by PLA2 are acted upon by ACS, which requires Coenzyme A (CoA) as co-substrate. The PLA2 activity was measured in terms of amount of CoA utilized in the coupled reaction, determined indirectly by measuring unreacted CoA using 5,5’-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoate). The PLA2 assay was in agreement with Michaelis–Menten equation (Vm = 11.9 nmole. min−1 mg−1, Km = 5.3 nmole, Vm/Km = 2.2 min−1 mg−1). This method provides a true measure of PLA2 in comparison to other available methods, wherein PL analogs were used rather than the natural PL used in our study. The embedded advantages of this method would have wider acceptability and applicability.

Abstract Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is a nutrient-rich crop but has limited consumer acceptability because of the presence of off-flavour. Owing to the ubiquity of isoflavones in soybean, their inherent antioxidant potential, and inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase activity, their sensorial attribute in mitigating off-flavour is currently being envisaged. We estimated the content and composition of isoflavones in 17 soybean cultivars and established the correlation between isoflavone profile and lipid peroxidation, which was measured in terms of Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number and carbonyl value. The results showed a significant negative correlation of these parameters with the total isoflavone content and genistein: daidzein ratio. Besides, expression analysis of a key gene involved in isoflavone biosynthesis i.e., isoflavone synthase (IFS1 and IFS2) in contrasting soybean genotypes during seed development revealed a higher expression of both isoforms in Bragg (High isoflavone) as compared to PUSA 40 (Low isoflavone) at different stages of seed development accompanied by more isoflavone accumulation. The cloning and in silico analysis of IFS isoforms revealed a more significant interaction with other biosynthesis enzymes by the IFS2, indicating its more substantial role in isoflavone synthesis. IFS2 overexpression thus can be a valuable target to increase isoflavone biosynthesis, thereby scavenging off-flavour.

In the world of highly processed foods, special attention is drawn to the nutrient composition and safety of consumed food products. Foods fortified with probiotic bacteria confer beneficial effects on human health and are categorized as functional foods. The salubrious activities of probiotics include the synthesis of vital bioactives, prevention of inflammatory diseases, anticancerous, hypocholesterolemic, and antidiarrheal effects. Soy foods are exemplary delivery vehicles for probiotics and prebiotics and there are diverse strategies to enhance their functionality like employing mixed culture fermentation, engineering probiotics, and incorporating prebiotics in fermented soy foods. High potential is ascribed to the concurrent use of probiotics and prebiotics in one product, termed as "synbiotics," which implicates synergy, in which a prebiotic ingredient particularly favors the growth and activity of a probiotic micro-organism. The insights on emended bioactive profile, metabolic role, and potential health benefits of advanced soy-based probiotic and synbiotic hold a promise which can be profitably implemented to meet consumer needs. This article reviews the available knowledge about strategies to enhance the nutraceutical potential, mechanisms, and health-promoting effects of advanced soy-based probiotics. Traditional fermentation merged with diverse strategies to improve the efficiency and health benefits of probiotics considered vital, are also discussed.

Garlic (Allium sativa L.) is a bulbous flowering plant belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae and is a predominant horticultural crop originating from central Asia. Garlic and its products are chiefly used for culinary and therapeutic purposes in many countries. Bulbs of raw garlic have been investigated for their role in oral health, which are ascribed to a myriad of biologically active compounds such as alliin, allicin, methiin, S-allylcysteine (SAC), diallyl sulfide (DAS), S-ally-mercapto cysteine (SAMC), diallyl disulphide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS) and methyl allyl disulphide. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statement. Scopus, PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Science direct databases were searched between 12 April 2021 to 4 September 2021. A total of 148 studies were included and the qualitative synthesis phytochemical profile of GE, biological activities, therapeutic applications of garlic extract (GE) in oral health care system, and its mechanism of action in curing various oral pathologies have been discussed. Furthermore, the safety of incorporation of GE as food supplements is also critically discussed. To conclude, GE could conceivably make a treatment recourse for patients suffering from diverse oral diseases.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a highly versatile crop with huge demand of nitrogen (N) for its growth and development. N is the most essential macronutrient for crop production. Despite being the highest abundant element in the atmosphere (~ 78%), it is scarcely available for plant growth. To fulfil the N demand, commercial agriculture is largely dependent on synthetic fertilizers. Excessive dependence on inorganic fertilizers has created extensive ecological as well as economic problems worldwide. Hence, for a sustainable solution to nitrogenous fertilizer use, development of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in cereals will be the best alternative. BNF is a well-known mechanism in legumes where diazotrophs convert atmospheric nitrogen (N≡N) to plant-available form, ammonium (NH4+). From many decades, researchers have dreamt to develop a similar symbiotic partnership as in legumes to the cereal crops. A large number of endophytic diazotrophs have been found associated with maize. Elucidation of the genetic and molecular aspects of their interaction will open up new avenues to introgress BNF in maize breeding. With the advanced understanding of N-fixation process, researchers are at a juncture of breeding and engineering this symbiotic relationships in cereals. Different breeding, genetic engineering, omics, gene editing, and synthetic biology approaches will be discussed in this review to make BNF a reality in cereals. It will help to provide a road map to develop/improve the BNF in maize to an advance step for the sustainable production system to achieve the food and nutritional security.

Citation: Kumar SK., et al. “Experimental Evaluation of Garlic (Allium sativum Linn) for Toxicity w. s. r. to Adverse Drug Reaction”. EC Veterinary Science 5.10 (2020): 33-41. Abstract Kumar SK1*, Lalith BR2, Sridhar NB3, Girish Kumar V4 and Raghunath GV5 1Scientist E, The University of TransDisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India 2Professor and Head, Department of PG Studies in Dravya Guna, Government Ayurveda Medical College, Bangalore, India 3Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary College, Shimoga, India 4Scientist E, The University of TransDisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India 5Principal, Ramakrishna Ayurveda Medical College, Bangalore, India *Corresponding Author: Kumar SK, Scientist E, The University of TransDisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore, India. Received: July 24, 2020; Published: September 24, 2020