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The increased mortality rates associated with antibiotic resistance has become a significant public health problem worldwide. Living beings produce a variety of endogenous compounds to defend themselves against exogenous pathogens. The knowledge of these endogenous compounds may contribute to the development of improved bioactive ingredients with antimicrobial properties, useful against conventional antibiotic resistance. Cowpea is an herbaceous legume of great interest due to its high protein content and high productivity rates. The study of genetic homology of vicillin (7S) from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) with vicilins from soybean and other beans, such as adzuki, in addition to the need for further studies about potential biological activities of this vegetable, led us to seek the isolation of the vicilin fraction from cowpea and to evaluate the potential in vitro inhibitory action of pathogenic microorganisms. The cowpea beta viginin protein was isolated, characterized, and hydrolyzed in silico and in vitro by two enzymes, namely, pepsin and chymotrypsin. The antimicrobial activity of the protein hydrolysate fractions of cowpea flour was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, confirming the potential use of the peptides as innovative antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical, chemical, sensory, microbiological and nutritional characteristics of cowpea beans cowpea bean (Vigna unguiculata L, Walp.) were evaluated. For the study, seeds of cowpea bean variety IPA 206 commercial quality were evaluated according to CODEX STAN 171. Moisture content, total nitrogen, total carbohydrates, ashes, fat and minerals were determined. It was obtained in the visual inspection of the grains that they were creamy white, with an irregularly shaped black spot around the hilum, free of strange odors and flavors, the sample consisted of uniform grains in color and shape, which shows that they are of the same variety. The moisture content was 14.1%. The nutritional values showed a high content of proteins (25.7%) and carbohydrates (51.1%). The predominant minerals were iron (132 mg/100 kg), zinc (6.18 mg/100 kg), potassium (1190 mg/100 g), magnesium (125 mg/100 g) and copper (9.4 mg/100 kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased mortality rates associated with antibiotic resistance has become a significant public health problem worldwide. Living beings produce a variety of endogenous compounds to defend themselves against exogenous pathogens. The knowledge of these endogenous compounds may contribute to the development of improved bioactive ingredients with antimicrobial properties, useful against conventional antibiotic resistance. Cowpea is an herbaceous legume of great interest due to its high protein content and high productivity rates. The study of genetic homology of vicillin (7S) from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) with vicilins from soybean and other beans, such as adzuki, in addition to the need for further studies about potential biological activities of this vegetable, led us to seek the isolation of the vicilin fraction from cowpea and to evaluate the potential in vitro inhibitory action of pathogenic microorganisms. The cowpea beta viginin protein was isolated, characterized, and hydrolyzed in silico and in vitro by two enzymes, namely, pepsin and chymotrypsin. The antimicrobial activity of the protein hydrolysate fractions of cowpea flour was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, confirming the potential use of the peptides as innovative antimicrobial agents.

The article presents an evaluation of legumes as an alternative animal feed. It highlights that legumes used as food and forage in tropical savannas are nutritionally beneficial and drought-resistant. It is mentioned that cowpea can be used as a protein source in animal feed, but its nutritional content can vary due to factors that inhibit mineral absorption. The study evaluates the use of thermal treatments to reduce antinutritional compounds in cowpea without significantly affecting its protein content. It is concluded that subjecting cowpea to thermal stress can be an alternative to reduce antinutritional compounds and maintain its protein content, making it a possible source of supplementation in animal feed. [Extracted from the article]

The destructive estimation of leaf area in any plant species is a lengthy and labor-intensive process that entails significant research costs. Consequently, non-destructive mathematical models serve as an excellent alternative for in-situ leaf area estimation, especially when applicable across various environmental conditions. In this study, we assessed the impact of two stress conditions, salinity and drought, on the leaf area characteristics of each of the three leaflets in cowpea bean plants, specifically, the left lateral leaflet (FI), central leaflet (FC), and right lateral leaflet (FD). To achieve this, we digitized images of 7,722 leaflets and developed mathematical models that correlated the dimensions of length (L), width (W), and their product (LW) with the variable of interest. Principal results from model identity tests revealed that central leaflets remained unaffected by environmental conditions (P>0.01; F=1.22 ns). However, the lateral leaflets were significantly affected by the stress treatments (P<0.01; F=443.63**). In summary, the morphology of lateral leaflets was influenced by the studied stress conditions, and linear models proved to be a reliable alternative for estimating leaf area in bean plants exposed to variable climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sowing date can play a fundamental role in crop production, since a better use of the available environmental supply depends on it. The effect of three sowing dates on the yield of cowpea cultivars Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp MISSOURI, with bushy growth habit, and the semi-cropped habit variety CAUPICOR-50, as a commercial control, was evaluated in the municipalities of Fundación and Ariguaní (Magdalena) from November 2022 to January 2023. Under a randomized complete block design, with four replications per treatment, the variables number of pods per plant (NPP), pod length (PL), number of grains per pod (NGP) and yield were measured. In Ariguaní there were no significant differences in the response of the variables evaluated due to the effect of the sowing date in the two cultivars, however, a general trend of yield reduction of 30% and 47% was observed on the second and third dates, respectively. In Fundación, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in grain yield between varieties and between dates. On the first date (3/Nov/2022), MISSOURI yields were higher (60%) than CAUPICOR-50. For the second date (17/ Nov/2022) and third date (2/Dec/2022) there was a reduction in yield of approximately 60% compared to the first date, regardless of variety. These results allow us to conclude that the date of sowing determined the yield of cowpea V. unguiculata under conditions of the dry Colombian Caribbean, being favorable the sowings until the beginning of November. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]