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Rutin is a crucial bioactive compound that determines the nutritional value of Tartary buckwheat (TB). However, the potential of utilizing TB as a dietary source of rutin for human consumption remains largely unexplored. This study aims to address these knowledge gaps by conducting a detailed analysis of rutin content distribution in TB tissues. Our findings revealed a significant variation in rutin content across different plant tissues. Notably, higher levels of rutin were found in embryos and cotyledons compared to other tissues, highlighting them as the primary sites of rutin accumulation in TB seeds and sprouts. Additional research on the processing of TB showed that sprouts and seeds retain high rutin levels even after boiling, steaming, deep-frying, stir-frying, and popping. Comparative analysis of different TB-derived products confirmed that cooked seeds and sprouts can serve as significant dietary sources of rutin. This study offers a foundational framework for the development of future dietary recommendations and applications of TB. [Display omitted] • Embryo and cotyledon are crucial sites accumulating rutin in Tartary buckwheat. • Boiling and steaming can effective prevent rutin degradation into quercetin. • Cooked seeds and sprouts from Tartary buckwheat retain high rutin levels. • Tartary buckwheat serve as significant dietary sources of rutin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black chickpea is a good source of bioactive compounds, particularly isoflavones. Sprouting improves nutraceutical value in chickpea seeds. This study aimed to explore the role of sprouting of black chickpea seeds on the synthesis of isoflavones and evaluate the impact of the soluble isoflavone on cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and antiproliferative activity in breast cancer cells. Isoflavones were identified and quantified by HPLC-UV-MS. The CAA and antiproliferative activity were determined in HepG2 cells and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, correspondingly. In sprouted black chickpea, six isoflavones (formononetin, biochanin-A, and its glycosides) were identified and the total isoflavones content increased (0.31 to 35.72 µgBA/mg of extract). The CAA was increased five times from 137.2 to 788.2 µMEQ/100 g of sample. The bioactive compounds in sprouted chickpea decreased the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cell line. Also caused morphological changes such as cell shrinkage, rounding and nuclear fragmentation. The results herein suggest that bioactive compounds, as isoflavones, in sprouted black chickpea showed a potential antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. Therefore, it may be considered as a value-added product or ingredient for produce functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) with available chlorine concentrations (ACC) of 35 and 70 mg/L is used instead of regular production water for soaking pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds and spraying the sprouts during seed sprouting. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) with the same ACC and tap water are used as a control in this study. The population of total bacteria, coliform, yeast and mold are determined at day 2, day 5, day 8, and day 11, respectively during seed sprouting. The biological indicators, nutritive indicators, and nitrite content after the sprouts are harvested are measured as well. The results indicate that when treated with SAEW, the counts of total bacteria, coliform, yeast and mold are reduced by 0.99–1.58 log CFU/g, 0.57–1.02 log CFU/g, and 1.01–1.22 log CFU/g respectively, compared to tap water treatment. Fresh weight, length, and edible rate of the sprouts significantly improve when treated with SAEW (p < 0.05). No evident adverse effects are observed in the nutritive indicators after SAEW treatment. In fact, a slight improvement (soluble sugar, flavonoid) was evident. Moreover, after a storage period of 7 d, the nitrite content of the sprouts was significantly lower in the SAEW treated samples than in any of other treatments. Therefore, SAEW could be a promising application in the production of pea sprouts to ultimately improve food safety. • SAEW effectively reduced the natural microbiota on pea sprouts. • The biological parameters of the sprouts were slightly enhanced by SAEW. • SAEW showed no adverse effect on nutrients of the sprouts, and even improved. • SAEW could be used in pea sprout production instead of tap water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is an aromatic and spice herb whose seeds have medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Trigonelline is one of the valuable alkaloids in fenugreek seeds with therapeutic potential for diabetes and central nervous system disease. In order to improve fenugreek sprout growth and trigonelline production, an experiment examining two factors was conducted on the basis of complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Fifty healthy seeds were put in petri dish and subjected to different arginine (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 μM) and/or NaCl concentrations (0, 75 and 150 mM). To identify the best time in which the highest trigonelline content was accumulated and its possible mechanisms, trigonelline, proline and nicotinic acid contents were measured at 4, 8 and 12 days after beginning the experiment. Results showed that the arginine application mitigated the salinity induced reduction in germination and sprout growth. At early stages of sprout growth (4 days after treatments), salinity induced changes in the assimilate partitioning into proline, trigonelline and nicotinic acid accumulation. However, application of arginine adjusted the salinity effects. Over time (4–8 and 12 days after treatments), arginine application together with salinity increased the trigonelline and nicotinic acid content and the highest efficiency was achieved by 20 μM arginine and 150 mM salinity. In general, the highest yield of trigonelline in fenugreek sprouts, as the most important index, was observed when they were subjected to 75 mM NaCl and 20 μM arginine and it was noticeable in 12-day-old ones. Therefore, arginine and NaCl exogenous application, depends on their concentrations, were a valuable method for improving the trigonelline content of fenugreek sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black soybeans are commonly consumed as health foods and used in traditional Chinese medicine, but they are rarely cultivated as edible sprouts. During germination, the composition of seeds undergoes distinct changes that cause variations in bioactivities. In this study, the water-soluble black soybean polysaccharide (BSPS) was isolated from sprouts harvested at two-day intervals during the first week of seedling growth. The chromatographic profiles of the BSPS in ungerminated seeds showed fraction 1 (F1, about 64 kDa) and fraction 2 (F2, <1 kDa) that degraded during germination. The polysaccharide in F1 fraction of ungerminated seeds was covalently associated with the protein and mainly contained arabinose, galactose, glucose, and galacturonic acid at various levels during germination. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activities and the reducing power of F1 were highest on the seventh day of germination. The phenolic and flavonoid content significantly increased after the fifth day of germination, suggesting that these ingredients also contributed to the antioxidant activities. During long-term germination, the polysaccharide-protein conjugate in the F1 fraction with enhanced antioxidant activities is regarded as a potential natural antioxidant for the development of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past three decades, numerous outbreaks linked to seed sprouts have occurred in the United States and many other countries. In most of the sprout-related outbreaks, seeds were identified as the most likely source of contamination. The goal of this study was to develop a heat treatment that could effectively inactivate Salmonella on seeds while preserving their viability and vigor. Mung bean, red clover, and radish seeds were inoculated with a cocktail of 4 Salmonella strains and conditioned to a w of 0.10–0.33. The inoculated seeds were heated at 71.0, 76.6, and 80.6 °C for up to 160 h. Thermal inactivation of Salmonella was greatly improved by increasing seeds' a w. To achieve >5 log reductions of Salmonella on mung bean seeds at 76.6 °C, increasing a w from 0.20 to 0.33 reduced the heat treatment time by 18 h. However, this increase in a w made them less tolerant to thermal treatment; resulting in a 35.1% reduction in sprout yield ratio. Although increasing heating temperature from 71.0 to 80.6 °C improved Salmonella inactivation efficiency, it drastically reduced mung bean seeds' survival. The a w of 0.2 and heating temperature of 71.0 °C were identified as the optimum processing conditions for mung bean seeds. Heat treatment using these optimum conditions for 40 and 50 h resulted in 4.5 and 5.1 log reductions of Salmonella and sprout yield ratios of 100.8% and 98.4%, respectively. However, those optimum processing conditions did not result in satisfactory sprout yields when they were applied to red clover and radish seeds. A wash treatment of mung bean, red clover, and radish seeds with 20,000 ppm of sodium hypochlorite, as recommended by a former FDA guideline, was much less effective for seeds decontamination than the heat treatment, resulting in Salmonella population reductions ranged from 1.3 to 1.5 logs. Chlorine wash also negatively affected seed viability, reducing the sprout yield ratio by up to 35%. Compared to the chlorine wash, the heat treatment developed in this study achieved much better inactivation of Salmonella and better preservation of seed viability, especially for mung bean seeds. • Salmonella inactivation is positively correlated to seeds' water activity. • Heat treatment could effectively inactivate Salmonella on mung bean seeds while preserving viability. • Heat treatment was detrimental to viability of red clover and radish seeds. • Chlorine wash of seeds was not effective on Salmonella inactivation and damaged seed viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water in reducing natural microbiota on radish seed and sprout during seed soaking and sprouting. EO water with different available chlorine concentrations (ACC, 15, 20, 28, 33 and 40 mg/L) and different pH (2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5) were used to soak radish seeds for 12 h and the surviving population of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, and germination rate were determined. On the other hand, EO water with ACC of 30 and 50 mg/L was applied to spray sprouts during seed sprouting and the antimicrobial efficacy of EO water, as well as length, gross weight and dry weight of sprout were evaluated. The results showed that the population of natural microbiota decreased with increasing ACC of EO water, while no significant difference was observed among EO waters with different pH levels that were applied while soaking the seeds. EO water with higher ACC and lower pH slightly reduced the germination percentage of radish seed during seed soaking. EO waters with ACC of 30 and 50 mg/L sprayed during seed sprouting resulted in 1.39 and 1.58 log reductions of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, respectively, and improved the length, gross weight and dry weight of the sprouts. Therefore, EO water with low ACC and near neutral pH could be used to soak seeds and water sprouts throughout seed germination and sprouting to control the population of natural microbiota on seeds and sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An LC-MS metabolomics method for fenugreek with good compound coverage is presented. • The approach can reproducibly assess 237 putatively identified compounds. • Fenugreek sprouts contain more 4-hydroxyisoleucine and trigonellin than the seeds. • Fenugreek sprouts have almost the same flavonoid and steroid saponin pattern as the seeds. • 1–100 mM MeJA and MeSA did not increase the amount of flavonoids in fenugreek sprouts. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is an important food and spice with bioactive compounds against diabetes. In this study, fenugreek seeds germinating in darkness for 72 h were studied using quantification of trigonelline and 4-hydroxyisoleucine and an LC-ESI-MS/MS-based metabolomic approach capable of accurately estimating 237 features from various primary and specialized compound classes. During germination, the concentrations of trigonelline and 4-hydroxyisoleucine rose by 33.5% and 33.3%, respectively. At the same time, untargeted metabolomics revealed 9 putative flavonoids increasing 1.19- to 2.77-fold compared to the dormant seeds. A set of 19 steroid saponins rose by 1.08- to 31.86-fold. Primary metabolites however showed much more variability: abundance changes in amino acid derivatives, peptides and saccharides fell in the 0.09- to 22.25-fold, 0.93- to 478.79-fold and 0.36- to 941.58-fold ranges, respectively. To increase biosynthesis of specialized metabolites during germination, sprouts were exposed to 1–100 mM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and methyl salicylate (MeSA). The hormone treatments affected normal metabolism: 67.1–83.1 % and 64.1–83.5 % of compounds showed a reduction compared to the controls in 100 mM MeJA and MeSA treatments at different sampling time points. Contrary to expectations, the abundance of flavonoids decreased, compared to the control sprouts (0.75- and 0.68-fold change medians, respectively). The same was observed for most, but not all steroid saponins. The quality-controlled untargeted metabolomics approach proved to yield excellent insight into the metabolic changes during germination of fenugreek. The results suggest that although fenugreek germination causes major shifts in plant metabolism, there are no major qualitative changes in bioactive specialized metabolites during the first three days. This stability likely translates into good bioactivity that is similar to that of the seeds. Because the large changes in the primary metabolites likely alter the nutritive value of the seed, further studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Chromosome doubling changed morphology, nutrition and metabolome of TB sprouts. • Tetraploid sprouts had higher biomass, thicker hypocotyl, and more ash and minerals contents. • 62 diseases-resistance metabolites and 43 key active ingredients were identified in TB sprouts. • 209 metabolites were regulated by chromosome doubling including some key bioactive metabolites. Tartary buckwheat (TB) sprout is a kind of novel nutritional vegetable, but its consumption was limited by low biomass and thin hypocotyl. The tetraploid TB sprouts was considered to be able to solve this issue. However, the nutritional quality of tetraploid TB sprouts and differences between conventional (diploid) and tetraploid TB sprouts remain unclear. In this study, the morphological traits, nutrient compositions and metabolome changes of diploid and tetraploid TB sprouts were analyzed. The water, pigments and minerals contents of TB sprouts increased during sprouting, while the contents of total soluble protein, reducing sugar, cellulose, and total phenol decreased. Compared with diploid sprouts, tetraploid sprouts had higher biomass and thicker hypocotyl. Tetraploid sprouts had higher ash and carotenoid contents, but had lower phenol and flavonoid accumulation. 677 metabolites were identified in TB sprouts by UPLC-MS analysis, including 62 diseases-resistance metabolites and 43 key active ingredients. Some key bioactive metabolites, such as rimonabant, quinapril, 1-deoxynojirimycin and miglitol, were identified. 562 differential expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified during sprouting with seven accumulation patterns, and five hormones were found to be involved in sprout development. Additionally, 209 DEMs between diploid and tetraploid sprouts were found, and some key bioactive metabolites were induced by chromosome doubling such as mesoridazine, amaralin, atractyloside A, rhamnetin and Qing Hau Sau. This work lays a basis for the development and utilization of TB sprouts and provides evidence for the selection of tetraploid varieties to produce sprouts with high biomass and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouts have been involved in many outbreaks of salmonellosis where seeds were identified as the likely source of contamination. This study aimed to develop an effective heat treatment that could achieve a >5-log reduction of Salmonella inoculated on alfalfa seeds while maintaining seed viability and vigor. Effects of seeds' water activity (a w) and heat treatment temperature on Salmonella inactivation and seed viability were determined. Alfalfa seeds were dip-inoculated with a four-strain Salmonella cocktail and dried to a w of 0.05–0.20. The inoculated seeds were then placed in sealed glass tubes and heated at 65.9, 71.0, and 76.6 °C for up to 180 h. Increasing a w of seeds greatly improved thermal inactivation of Salmonella. For example, to achieve a >5-log reduction of Salmonella on seeds, treatment times of 140 and 60 h at 71.0 °C were required for a w of 0.1 and 0.2, respectively. Treatment temperature also greatly affected inactivation of Salmonella on alfalfa seeds. For example, to achieve a >5-log reduction of Salmonella on seeds with a w of 0.2, treatment times of 180 and 60 h were required for temperatures of 65.9 and 71.0 °C, respectively. Seeds' a w was critical for preserving seed viability. When seeds were treated at 71.0 °C for 60 h, increasing a w from 0.1 to 0.2 decreased the sprout yield ratio from 103.9 % to 73.7 %. Treatment of seeds with a w of 0.1 at 71.0 °C was found to be optimum for achieving a desirable Salmonella inactivation level while maintaining seed viability, resulting in 4.2 and 6.0 log reductions of Salmonella and yield ratios of 100.7 % and 96.1 % after 100- and 140-h treatments, respectively. This optimum heat treatment was compared with the traditional 20,000-ppm chlorine wash in terms of Salmonella inactivation and preservation of seed viability and found to be a far superior disinfection method. The chlorine treatment achieved 1.8 and 2.0 log reductions of Salmonella and yield ratios of 70.9 % and 65.1 % after 15- and 20-min treatments, respectively. • Increasing alfalfa seed's a w and heating temperature enhanced Salmonella inactivation. • The a w of alfalfa seeds was critical for seed viability during heat treatment. • Treatment of seeds with a w of 0.1 at 71.0 °C was optimum for inactivation and maintaining seed viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our country, bean sprouts are vegetables that people like eating. When the food safety is threatened, we need find the root of the problem timely and solve the problem. In this paper, it studies air distribution in production workshop about sprouts production base and workshop wall producing mold in Shenyang area. Finding the factors that lead to mold growth. The article outs forward the corresponding measures to avoid the growth of mold, it makes food safety guarantee. In this way, people can eat bean sprouts on the trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poleward and upward range shifts are important strategies for range-restricted tree species in the face of climate warming, but empirical studies of both latitudinal and altitudinal shifts are scarce. We investigated regeneration dynamics of an endemic Tertiary-relict tree ( Euptelea pleiospermum ) along (i) a latitudinal gradient across its range in China and (ii) altitudinal gradients along three mountains at low, middle and high latitudes. Sprouting ratio and relative seedling density present contrasting latitudinal patterns, with more seedlings at the leading edges and more sprouts at the trailing edges. We detected no apparent shift, a downslope shift and an upward shift along mountains located at low, middle and high latitudes, respectively. Sprouting ratio and relative seedling density also show contrasting altitudinal patterns. Our results suggested (i) northward migration along the latitudinal gradient and (ii) disparity in altitudinal shifts of the same tree species along different mountains. Furthermore, we emphasize that sprouting is an important strategy for sprouting tree species to buffer range contraction at the trailing edges in the face of climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potato sporamins are trypsin inhibitors and exhibit strong resistance to digestion by pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. In addition, they constitute the major storage proteins in the sweet potato and, after degradation, provide nitrogen as a nutrient for seedling regrowth in sprouting storage roots. In this report, four cysteine proteases—one asparaginyl endopeptidase ( SPAE ), two papain-like cysteine proteases ( SPCP1 and SPCP2 ), and one granulin-containing cysteine protease ( SPCP3 )—were studied to determine their association with sporamin degradation in sprouting storage roots. Sporamin degradation became significant in the flesh of storage roots starting from week 4 after sprouting and this correlated with expression levels of SPAE and SPCP2 , but not of SPCP1 and SPCP3 . In the outer flesh near the skin, sporamin degradation was more evident and occurred earlier than in the inner flesh of storage roots. Degradation of sporamins in the outer flesh was inversely correlated with the distance of the storage root from the sprout. Exogenous application of SPAE and SPCP2 , but not SPCP3 , fusion proteins to crude extracts of the outer flesh ( i.e ., extracted from a depth of 0.3 cm and within 2 cm of one-week-old sprouts) promoted in vitro sporamin degradation in a dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment of SPAE and SPCP2 fusion proteins at 95 °C for 5 min prior to their application to the crude extracts reduced sporamin degradation. These data show that sweet potato asparaginyl endopeptidase SPAE and papain-like cysteine protease SPCP2 participate in sporamin degradation during storage root sprouting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was aimed to determine the potency of hypocholestrolemic properties of protein isolate from cowpeas sprout through in vivo bioassay by using Sprague Dawley male rats. The treatments of the research were rat conditions (normal and diabeic rats) and feed treatments (standard and protein isolate feed). Blood triglyceride, cholesterol total, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), of rats were analysed on 3 th , 6 th , 9 th , 12 th , 15 th days for the treatment and before treatment as control. The result of this research showed that the blood triglyceride, cholesterol total, LDL decreased and the blood HDL increased in diabetics rats with protein isolate treatment. The potency of hypocholestrolemic activity were shown by the ratio of cholesterol total/HDL and LDL/HDL. The ratio of the rats were normal, exception diabetic rats with standart feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprout consumption has become more popular due to a new variety of sprouts being introduced to the market. However, sprout seeds are a major source of sprout contamination and have been linked to most sprout-associated foodborne outbreaks. This study investigated Salmonella reduction in sunflower and roselle seeds using various sanitizing agents including water, water at 55 °C, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), diluted vinegar, acidic electrolyzed water (ACEW), and alkaline electrolyzed water (ALEW). Diluted vinegar containing 1.25% (v/v) acetic acid was the most effective treatment to inactivate Salmonella in sunflower seeds, resulting in a 3.82 log reduction after 15-min treatment. High concentrations of NaOCl (available chlorine concentration (ACC) 1692 mg/L) and ACEW (pH 2.76, oxidation-reduction potential 1093 mV, ACC 48 mg/L) had significantly lower antimicrobial activity with 3.20 and 2.39 log reduction, respectively, after 15-min treatment. Disinfecting roselle seeds for 15 min with water at 55 °C and diluted vinegar had comparable efficacy to reduce Salmonella by 2.54 and 2.48 log, respectively. There were no significant changes in Salmonella reduction among the high and low concentrations of NaOCl containing ACC 79 and 1692 mg/L, respectively, and ACEW in roselle seeds during 5–15 min of exposure time. All tested treatment solutions had no negative impact on the percentage of seed germination with over 96% and 92.56–95.89% for sunflower and roselle seeds, respectively. Conversely, the fresh weight and length of sunflower and roselle sprouts were influenced significantly by the types of sanitizing agents used for decontaminating the seeds. Collectively, our findings may contribute to the development of effective seed sanitization measure for sunflower and roselle seeds to reduce the risk of Salmonella -associated outbreaks linked to sprout consumption. • Diluted vinegar washing reduced Salmonella in sunflower seeds by 3.82 log CFU/g. • 55 °C water and diluted vinegar were most effective for sanitizing roselle seeds. • Seed sanitization had no negative impact on seed germination rate. • The weight and length of sprouts were affected by sanitizing agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] 10 cDNAs involved in carotenoid biosynthetic pathway were characterised. [•] An inverse correlation between CCD expression and carotenoid content was found. [•] Carotenoid biosynthesis in the sprouts was upregulated in light condition. [•] The light-grown sprouts contained very abundant amounts of lutein and β-carotene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic contents (TP) and anthocyanins contents (ANT) were determined in Amaranthus cruentus and Chenopodium quinoa seeds and sprouts. Antioxidant activity of the investigated seeds decreased in the following order: quinoa, amaranth v. Rawa, amaranth v. Aztek for FRAP and quinoa, amaranth v. Aztek, amaranth v. Rawa for both ABTS and DPPH. Sprouts activity depended on the length of their growth, and the peak values were reached on the fourth day in the case of amaranth and on the sixth day in the case of quinoa. The data obtained by the three methods showed significant correlation between TP content in seeds and sprouts. In sprouts grown in the daylight and in the darkness we observed some significant changes of TP, ANT and antioxidant activity. Amaranth and quinoa seeds and sprouts can be used in food, because it is a good source of ANT and TP with high antioxidant activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: T-type calcium channel antagonists were designed using a protocol involving the program SPROUT and constrained by a ComFA-based pharmacophore model. Scaffolds generated by SPROUT were evaluated based on their ability to be translated into structures that were synthetically tractable. From this exercise, a novel series of potent and selective T-type channel antagonists containing a biaryl sulfonamide core were discovered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The light environment and growth traits of the pioneer tree species Litsea citriodora in a recently clear-cut plantation were investigated in order to reveal the establishment process and growth of this species under annual weeding after clear-cutting. We investigated the light environments and the morphology, physiology and aboveground architecture of L. citriodora saplings in a plot that included both clear-cut open areas and forest floor under a conifer canopy. Dense populations of L. citriodora saplings were found in the open sites but few were observed on the forest floor. Saplings that originated from old stumps (sprout-saplings) were tall in height and dense, but seedlings were sparse and lower in height than the competitive tall herbaceous species Solidago altissima. Saplings of L. citriodora showed a higher leaf area per aboveground mass and greater area-based photosynthetic capacity than saplings of the co-occurring pioneer tree species Mallotus japonicus and Clerodendron trichotomum. Moreover, the L. citriodora saplings had a main stem with a larger length per mass ratio and more efficiently elongated per unit aboveground mass than M. japonicus and C. trichotomum. Sprout-saplings of L. citriodora attained rapid vertical elongation with rapid biomass acquisition as a result of their aboveground shoot architecture, allowing competition with S. altissima. Clear-cutting and subsequent weeding not only created open sites favorable for this pioneer tree, but also promoted the formation of sprouts, allowing sprout-saplings with rapid vertical growth to successfully establish in the clear-cut zone by inhibiting complete coverage by other pioneer trees. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Estrogens, especially estradiol, have been shown to stimulate the proliferation of hormone-dependent types of breast cancer cells. 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1) enzyme catalyses the synthesis of the active female estrogen, estradiol and is thus an attractive target for structure-based ligand design for the prevention and control of breast tumour growth. In this study, the active site of 17β-HSD1 has been reviewed, and three crystal structure complexes (estradiol/NADP+, equilin/NADP+, dehydroepiandrosterone) of 17β-HSD1 have been selected to be analysed for de novo ligand design. The boundary surface, hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding sites in the ligand binding domain for each ligand complex were analysed to create a comprehensive image of the active site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examined the structure and dynamics, over 3 years (mortality, recruitment, stem growth and sprout formation), of Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii (nomenclature follows ) saplings in relation to canopy states such as old gap (canopy gap maintained), closed gap (canopy gap changed to closed canopy), new gap (closed canopy changed to canopy gap) and closed canopy (closed canopy maintained). We used these data to evaluate how forming or having sprouted shoots affected the maintenance of a sapling population in an old-growth evergreen broad-leaved forest, at Tatera Forest Reserve, southwestern Japan. Canopy trees were distributed randomly in the 1 ha study plot, whereas saplings were clumped. During the study, annual mortality and recruitment rates of saplings were 7.5 and 8.5%, respectively. These rates fluctuated within each year. Mortality was highest at closed-canopy sites and lowest at new-gap sites, although the difference was not significant. On the other hand, recruitment was significantly highest at closed-canopy sites and significantly lowest at new-gap sites. The relative growth rate of stem length was significantly highest at new-gap sites and significantly lowest at closed-gap sites. Mortality rate did not differ significantly between saplings with or without sprouted shoots, but sprout formation and stem replacement did. Saplings without sprouted shoots grew more in stem length than did those with sprouted shoots. The presence of sprouted shoots had little effect on sapling recruitment from the understory to upper layers, but it did contribute to declining sapling mortality and to maintaining sapling population size under closed canopies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lack of information concerning root growth of trees limits our knowledge of plant development and fertilizer response. The objective of this work was to study root growth dynamics of an E. urophylla forest after harvesting and the supply of nutrients from the roots and the soil to the new sprouts originating from the stumps. About 7-year-old eucalypt trees were felled and the sprouts and roots were sampled at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 330 days after harvesting. The roots were separated into fine roots (<1 mm), medium roots (1–3 mm), coarse roots (>3 mm), and taproot. Nutrient supply to sprouts from the old roots and the soil was calculated based on the change in nutrient content of the roots with time and accumulation of nutrients in the sprouts. Fine, medium and coarse root biomass increased with time after harvesting. However, the increase was more pronounced with fine roots. Between harvesting and day 60 of the new growth, all nutrients allocated to the sprouts, excluding potassium, were supplied by the soil. K was the nutrient most dependent on root reserves for the initial growth of sprouts. The contribution of the old roots to N, P, Ca, and Mg accumulation in the sprouts increased between day 60 and 120. At 330 days after harvesting, about 9.2, 23.9, and 12.6% of the N, K, and Mg, respectively, that had accumulated in the sprouts were supplied by the roots, while all P and Ca were supplied by the soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Alfalfa and other types of sprouts are known to harbor large populations of native microorganisms. As some of these microbes may be causes of reduced shelf life of the product (plant pathogens and other spoilage organisms) and sprouts may, on occasion, harbor bacteria pathogenic towards humans, the addition of antimicrobial compounds to the irrigation water may be warranted. In this study, we tested the efficacy of several antimicrobial compounds for reducing the native microbial populations on alfalfa sprouts during propagation. These compounds included H2O2, peroxyacetic acid+hydrogen peroxide (Tsunami 100™), acidified NaClO2, NaClO2 (Aquatize™), EDTA, Na3PO4 and NaOCl. When added to the irrigation water at various concentrations, none of the antimicrobial compounds reduced the levels of any class of native microflora by more than 1 log10 without evidence of phytotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Microbiome changes during sprout manufacturing were examined. • The microbial composition and its major shift differed by seed type. • Alfalfa sprouts had the highest abundance of Enterobacteriaceae. • Enterobacteriaceae increased dramatically during pre-germination soaking of alfalfa. • Pseudomonadaceae thrived during germination and sprouting of radish and rape seed. Sprouts harbor high levels of bacteria and have been implicated in massive outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The elucidation of microbial profiles in sprouts is important; however, little is known about the changes in the microbial composition during production. The present study aimed to define the microbial ecology of sprouts during the stages of production using 16S rRNA metagenome sequencing and culture-dependent methods. Samples of three types of sprouts (alfalfa, radish, and rapeseed) were collected from each stage of production (seed, soaking, germination 1 (Germ 1), germination 2 (Germ 2), sprouting, unwashed, and washed sprouts; n = 105) and subjected to microbiome analyses as well as quantitative and qualitative analyses. Aerobic plate count (APC) and coliforms levels significantly increased within one day (Germ 1) by 3.9–4.4 and 4.2–5.2 log CFU/g, respectively, and levels up to 8.0–9.0 and 6.9–9.0 log CFU/g, respectively, were recorded at the final stage. During production, the microbial communities in alfalfa sprouts simplified into Enterobacteriaceae (80.97–99.29%), whereas the radish and rapeseed sprouts were dominated by microbial communities belonging to two families, the Enterobacteriaceae (radish: 32–43.4%, rapeseed: 24.11–38.39%) and Pseudomonadaceae (radish: 30.53–46.45%, rapeseed: 41.51–57.34%). This suggests that the sprout manufacturing conditions could promote the growth of particular bacterium. Alpha diversity analysis revealed a diverse bacterial community structure in the seeds; however, the diversity sharply declined until Germ 1 and recovered during the production steps thereafter. Beta diversity results suggested that the pattern of microbial composition, and the major shifts in composition, differed by seed type. Significant changes in the bacterial community were observed during the soaking (alfalfa), Germ 1 (radish), and Germ 2 (rapeseed) stages. The present study is the first fundamental report to investigate microbial changes by during the various stages of the sprouting process. The results highlight the potential risk of sprouts regarding foodborne illness and facilitate the determination of effective intervention points during sprout production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The biomas, morphological characters and nutritional indexes of quinoa sprouts were determined. • The additional functional contents of quinoa sprouts were investigated. • Quinoa sprouts are rich sources of magnesium, leucine, vitamin C, β-carotene, total flavonoids and phenols. • Quality characteristics was significant differences in different quinoa sprouts varieties. • Quinoa sprouts can be promoted as edible sprouts due to high nutrient and functional contents. Quinoa has a long history of cultivation and unique nutritional value. Quinoa sprouts can be eaten as leafy vegetables, but their nutritional quality is unknown. Ten quinoa sprout varieties (lines) were evaluated and compared for nutrient and functional composition. All quinoa sprout varieties had high contents of moisture content, reducing sugar, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. All varieties contained all essential amino acids, with leucine present in abundance. They had high contents of phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids (β-carotene and lycopene) as well as chlorophylls a and b. Overall, var. LL-01 had better nutrient and phytochemical composition than other varieties. The potential nutritional health benefits of quinoa sprouts as a vegetable are important for both traditional and contemporary diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This study investigated the microbiome of sprouts by 16S rRNA microbiome sequencing. • Proteobacteria (phylum) and Enterobacteriaceae (family) were predominant on sprouts. • Alfalfa sprouts exhibited the highest abundance of Enterobacteriaceae. • Species richness and evenness were highest on radish sprouts and lowest on alfalfa. • Sprout microbiomes were affected by type and brand, not by distribution route. Sprouts harbor high populations of bacteria and cause numerous foodborne disease outbreaks, yet little is known about their microbial composition. The present study aimed to define the microbiological ecology of sprouts using 16S rRNA microbiome sequencing and culture-dependent methods. Different types (radish, alfalfa, and rapeseed), brands (A, B, and C), and distribution routes (online and offline) of sprouts (n = 70) were considered for microbiome analysis, as well as quantitative (aerobic plate count and coliforms) and qualitative analyses (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes , and Salmonella Typhimurium). The aerobic plate count ranged from 7 to 8 CFU/g, and the coliforms ranged from 6 to 7 log CFU/g. Microbiome analysis revealed that Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, accounting for 79.0% in alfalfa sprouts, 68.5% in rapeseed sprouts, and 61.9% in radish sprouts. Enterobacteriaceae was the dominant family in alfalfa sprouts (33.9%) and rapeseed sprouts (14.6%), while Moraxellaceae (11.9%) were prevalent on radish sprouts. The majority of the dominant genera were common in the environment, such as soil or water. Alfalfa sprouts yielded the lowest aerobic plate count but the highest relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae compared to the other sprouts. These results could explain why alfalfa sprouts are a leading cause of sprout-related foodborne disease outbreaks. Alpha-diversity results (Chao1 and Shannon indices) suggested that species richness was greater on radish sprouts than the other sprout types. Beta-diversity results showed samples were clustered by types, indicating dissimilarity in microbial communities. However, the distribution route had a limited influence on microbial composition. The present study provides a comparative examination of the microbial profiles of sprouts. Microbiome analyses contribute to an in-depth understanding of the microbial ecology of sprouts, leading to potential control measures for ensuring food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of peanut sprout extract as a new nitrogen source in the production of Nata de coco was evaluated. A completely randomized experimental design consisting of six treatments and three repeatabilities was performed. The results showed that the treatment with the addition of 100.0 g/L peanut sprout extract in coconut water offered good physicochemical properties including the moisture content, crude fiber content, wet weight, and thickness of Nata de coco product fermented for 7 and 11 days. The addition of peanut sprout extract exhibited a significant effect for the Nata de coco. Based on the single-factor ANOVA analysis at a significance level of 0.05, the T cal values of the physicochemical properties were higher than the T tab values with a p-value less than 0.05, indicating the significant effect of the peanut sprout extract. The Fisher's Least Significance Difference (LSD) post-hoc test also proved the significant effect of the extract for the Nata de coco product. The organoleptic testings were performed in which the average assessment on the texture, taste, and color of Nata de coco were more chewy, sweet, and white, respectively. The addition of extract affected the texture of Nata de coco while the extract did not affect the taste and color of Nata de coco. Therefore, the addition of peanut sprout extract as a new natural nitrogen source is a good alternative and eco-friendly material than the common nitrogen sources in the production of Nata de coco. • Peanut sprout extract was used as a new nitrogen source to produce Nata de coco. • The nitrogen source is green and sustainable. • The expected physicochemical properties were obtained for the Nata de coco product. • The Nata de coco product was affected by the addition of peanut sprout extract. • The texture, taste, and color of Nata de coco with the addition of extract were more chewy, sweet, and white, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]