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Micronutrient deficiencies caused by lack of Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn) and Vitamin A in the human body have negative effect with regard to health issues worldwide. Imbalances of these nutrients in the human body create a significant risk of illness and mortality among children under five years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Some of the food crops that thought to reduce micronutrients include rice, sweet potato, dry bean, sorghum, corn, barley, and finger millet have been biofortified through ways of agronomic practices, conventional breeding, or modern biotechnology. Despite the fact that dry beans address Fe and Zn deficiencies based on recommended dietary allowances (RDA), they often take a long time to cook. Many communities have limited cooking resources which make them rely on burning wood, charcoal or other biofuels that require more time and money. This study identified dry bean cultivars with enhanced Fe and Zn concentration levels and fast cooking time from 200 cultivars. Experiments were conducted under a complete randomized block design with two replications, 200 cultivars, and two different agro-ecologies. Iron and Zinc concentration levels were determined from the harvested seed grains of each bean cultivar using X-Ray Fluorescence while cooking time of similar cultivars were determined using the Mattson cooker. The variation of Fe and Zn concentration was significantly different at (p Key words: Micronutrient deficiencies, Biofortification, Cultivars, Cooking time, Vulnerable group, Variation, INTRODUCTION Iron and Zinc are essential micronutrients for body growth, development, reproduction and other physiological functions in the human body [1]. The available data on zinc level in serum and [...]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of substitution of red meat with legumes in the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes patients based on dietary education. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial. Thirty-one participants (24 women and 7 men; age: 58.1 [+ or -]6.0 years) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to consume a control diet (legume-free TLC diet) and legume-based TLC diet for 8 weeks. Legume-based TLC diet was the same as the control diet, but the legume-based TLC group was advised to replace two servings of red meat with legumes, 3 days per week. After the interventional period, a washout period was conducted for 4 weeks. The groups were then advised to follow the alternate treatment for 8 weeks. Cardiometabolic risk factors were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the legume-free TLC diet, the legume-based TLC diet significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (P = 0.04), fasting insulin (P = 0.04), triglyceride concentrations (P = 0.04) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.02). Total cholesterol concentrations decreased after consumption of both TLC diet and legume TLC diet; however, the data did not differ significantly between the two diets. body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures did not change significantly after consumption of either the legume-free TLC diet or the legume-based TLC diet. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary advice given for substitution of red meat with legume intakes within a TLC diet-improved lipid profiles and glycemic control among diabetes patients, which were independent from BMI change. This trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) as IRCT201202251640N7. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 592-597; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.228; published online 29 October 2014, INTRODUCTION Cardiometabolic risk factors are the most frequent problems among type 2 diabetes patients; (1) consequently, interventions that decrease these cardiometabolic risk factors are considered beneficial to health. In previous [...]

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a diet rich in legumes are associated with oxidative stress among type 2 diabetic patients. In a randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial, 31 type 2 diabetic patients were randomly assigned to receive 2 diets, each for a period of 8 weeks: (1) The legume-free therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) diet and (2) the legume-based TLC diet. Both diets were similar except that 2 servings of red meat were replaced by different types of legumes 3 days per week in the legume-based TLC diet. Oxidative stress biomarkers were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks. Compared to the legume-free TLC diet, the legume-based TLC diet significantly decreased malondialdehyde (-0.22 versus -0.68 [mu]mol/l; P=0.002), oxidized-LDL (-0.9 versus -2.3 mU/l; P=0.05) and increased nitric oxide (0.40 versus 0.96 mM/l; P=0.03) and catalase activity (1.2 versus 2.1 Iu/ml; P=0.05). European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2018) 72, 174-176; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.113; published online 19 July 2017, Author(s): P Mirmiran [1]; S Hosseinpour-Niazi [2]; F Azizi [3] Introduction Ameliorating oxidative stress through diets rich in antioxidants has been suggested as a new therapy for diabetes patients for [...]

ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Pharmacokinetics Astragaloside IV (AGS-IV) Total astragalosides Radix Astragali Human Tolerance ABSTRACT Total astragalosides (TA) are the principal active constituents isolated from Radix Astragali, which has been extensively [...]

ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Astragali Radix Hedysari Radix Danggui Buxue Tang Traditional Chinese medicine ABSTRACT Astragali Radix (AR) has been used for over 2000 years in China for the enrichment of [...]

ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens Chronic constrictive injury NR2B p-ERK p-CREB Neuropathic pain ABSTRACT Purpose: In this study we investigated a ntinociceptive effects of oxymatrine through regulation of [...]

ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Aspalathus linearis Rooibos Aspalathin Glucose uptake Palmitate Insulin resistance ABSTRACT Increased levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), specifically saturated free fatty acids such as palmitate are associated [...]

Grain legumes are a valuable source of food proteins; hence, their exploitation is expected to grow in relation to a growing world's food needs. Apart from high level of dietary fibre, their protein composition makes them useful in managing diabetes. This paper reports a study conducted to evaluate the effects of four different non-soy legume-based (Vigna unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana var dekindtiana, Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata, Sphenostylis stenocarpa and Vigna subterranea) diets in rats administered with alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg bodyweight). Concentration of plasma glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and HDL-triacyglycerol as well as hepatic levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerols were determined spectrophotometrically in alloxan-induced diabetic rats fed on these legumes for five weeks. Induction of rats with alloxan monohydrate led to significant (p < 0.05) elevation of fasting plasma glucose and reduction in body weight. Consumption of each of the four legumes led to a significant reduction in the fasting plasma glucose concentrations in the diabetic rats (p < 0.05) with V. subterranean causing about 60% reduction. Vigna unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana var dekindtiana and Sphenostylis stenocarpa caused a reversal of the diabetes-induced reduction of hepatic cholesterol (p < 0.05). Plasma dyslipidemia was observed in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats as significant (p < 0.05) increases in total cholesterol, triacylglycerols, HDL-cholesterol, HDL-triacylglycerols and LDL-cholesterol levels were observed. The legumes improved the plasma lipid profile as shown by a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the ratios of total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (ranging from 1.25-2.25 for control groups to 1.00-1.35 for the legume-fed groups) and LDL Cholesterol/HDL-Cholesterol (ranging from 0.50-1.75 for control groups to 0.50-0.75 for the legume fed groups). The results suggest that wild cowpea, white cowpea, african yam bean and bambara groundnut equally reversed diabetes-associated dyslipidemia as indicated by the indexes of cardiovascular disorder. This, therefore, underscores the potential of these underutilized legumes in managing dyslipidemia associated with diabetes in experimental rats. These data should contribute toward enhancing the nutraceutical potential and utility of these legumes. Key words: Diabetes, lipid profile, rats, legumes, INTRODUCTION Legumes belong to the family Leguminosae, which is probably the second most important source of food next only to the family Gramineae--the cereal grains [1]. They are important in [...]

Fasting leptin and ghrelin levels were measured in 36 insulin-sensitive (IS) and 28 insulin-resistant (IR) men who consumed a legume-enriched low-glycemic index (LG) diet or healthy American (HA) diet in a randomly ordered cross-over feeding study consisting of two 4-week periods. Weight remained stable over the entire study. Fasting plasma leptin was significantly reduced from pre-study levels by both the LG (18.8%, P < 0.001) and HA (16.1%, P < 0.001) diets, whereas fasting ghrelin did not change. By subgroup analysis according to prestudy insulin status, leptin was reduced in IR subjects after both the LG (17.1%, P < 0.01) and the HA (33.3%, P < 0.001) diets, whereas IS subjects responded only after the LG diet (23.1%, P < 0.01). Thus, a legume-rich LG index diet may be a beneficial strategy for reducing circulating leptin concentrations, even under conditions of weight maintenance. European journal of Clinical Nutrition (2011) 65, 415-418; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.273; published online 5 January 2011 Keywords: ghrelin; insulin resistance; legume-enriched diet; leptin, Introduction Leptin, a 16-kDa protein encoded by the obese (ob) gene, is produced primarily by the adipose tissues and is thought to have a key role in weight maintenance. In [...]

Background/Objectives: To assess the possible role of particular patterns of food consumption in the occurrence of hypertension. Subjects/Methods: A cross-sectional study of 571 members of defence forces was carried out in eight military institutions in Yaounde, Cameroon. Blood pressure was measured with automatic sphygmomanometers simultaneously at both arms. Food consumption data were obtained through a food frequency questionnaire and lifestyle questionnaire was used to ascertain information on physical activity and other risk factors. Results: Two dietary patterns were identified. The &apos;fruit and vegetable&apos; pattern was typified by a high intake of fruits, vegetables, tubers and legumes. The &apos;meat&apos; pattern was characterized by a high intake of bush meat, poultry and red meat. After adjustment for age, body mass index, rank, vigorous physical activity and total energy intake, the fruit and vegetable pattern was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hypertension (odds ratio (OR) = 0.40;95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.20-0.83, P = 0.04) when comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of dietary pattern scores. No significant relationship was apparent between the meat pattern and hypertension. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, tubers and legumes may have an important role in regulating blood pressure. More prospective and extensive data are warranted to investigate the magnitude of cardiovascular disease in that specific population. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 64, 1014-1021; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.109; published online 30 June 2010 Keywords: hypertension; blood pressure; dietary pattern; defence forces; Cameroon, Introduction Hypertension has been named the silent killer, and it is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality in adult population (Chockalingam et [...]

The Legume Inflammation Feeding Experiment is, to our knowledge, the first randomized crossover feeding trial testing the effects of a legume-enriched, low-glycemic index (GI) diet among men characterized for colorectal adenomas and insulin resistance (IR) status. This study was designed to test the effects of a legume-enriched diet compared with a healthy American (HA) diet under weight-stable conditions. The primary objective was to assess effects on C-reactive protein (CRP) and C-peptide levels. The secondary objective was to assess changes by IR status or history ef adenomas. A total of 64 men who completed a colonoscopy within the previous 2 y consumed 2 diets in random order each for 4 wk separated by a washout period. The diets were a legume-enriched (250 g/d), low-GI (GI 38) diet and a high-GI (GI 69) HA diet. We measured fasting glucose, insulin, C-peptide, CRP, and soluble tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] receptors I and II (sTNFRI/II) at the beginning and end of the diet periods. Participants who consumed both the legume and HA diets had favorably improved CRP (-20.2 and -18.3%) and sTNFRI (-3.7 and -4.4%) concentrations, respectively. The sTNFRII concentrations declined marginally during the legume diet period (-3.8%; P = 0.060) and significantly during the HA diet period (-5.1%; P < 0.001). Fasting glucose increased significantly during both the legume (+1.8%) and HA (-2.2%) diet periods. Only the changes in glucose differed between the diet periods. Serum C-peptide and plasma insulin levels did not change in participants consuming either diet. Healthful dietary changes can improve biomarkers of IR and inflammation. J. Nutr. 140: 60-67, 2010. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.114249.

Our objective was to compare the capacities of biofortified and standard black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to deliver iron (Fe) for hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis. Two lines of black beans, one standard and the other biofortified (high) in Fe (71 and 106 [micro]g Fe/g, respectively), were used. Maize-based diets containing the beans were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements for swine except for Fe (Fe concentrations in the 2 diets were 42.9 [+ or -] 1.2 and 54.6 [+ or -] 0.9 mg/kg). At birth, pigs were injected with 50 mg of Fe as Fe dextran. At age 28 d, pigs were allocated to the experimental diets (n = 10). They were fed 2 times per day for 5 wk and given free access to water at all times. Body weights and Hb concentrations were measured weekly. Hb repletion efficiencies (means [+ or -] SEM) did not differ between groups and, after 5 wk, were 20.8 [+ or -] 2.1% for the standard Fe group and 20.9 [+ or -] 2.1% for the high Fe group. Final total body Hb Fe contents did not differ between the standard [539 [+ or -] 39 mg (9.7 [+ or -] 0.7 [micro]mol)] and high Fe [592 [+ or -] 28 mg (10.6 [+ or -] 0.5 [micro]mol)] bean groups (P = 0.15). The increase in total body Hb Fe over the 5-wk feeding period was greater in the high Fe bean group [429 [+ or -] 24 mg (7.7 [+ or -] 0.4 [micro]mol)] than in the standard Fe bean group [361 [+ or -] 23 mg (6.4 [+ or -] 0.4 [micro]mol)] (P = 0.034). We conclude that the biofortified beans are a promising vehicle for increasing intakes of bioavailable Fe in human populations that consume beans as a dietary staple.

Rhizobia can infect roots of host legume plants and induce new organs called nodules, in which they fix atmospheric nitrogen. Infection generally starts with root hair curling, then proceeds inside newly formed, intracellular tubular structures called infection threads. A successful symbiotic interaction relies on infection threads advancing rapidly at their tips by polar growth through successive cell layers of the root toward developing nodule primordia. To identify a plant component that controls this tip growth process, we characterized a symbiotic mutant of Medicago truncatula, called rpg for rhizobium-directed polar growth. In this mutant, nitrogen-fixing nodules were rarely formed due to abnormally thick and slowly progressing infection threads. Root hair curling was also abnormal, indicating that the RPG gene fulfils an essential function in the process whereby rhizobia manage to dominate the process of induced tip growth for root hair infection. Map-based cloning of RPG revealed a member of a previously unknown plant-specific gene family encoding putative Iong coiled-coil proteins we have called RRPs (RPG-related proteins) and characterized by an 'RRP domain' specific to this family. RPG expression was strongly associated with rhizobial infection, and the RPG protein showed a nuclear localization, indicating that this symbiotic gene constitutes an important component of symbiotic signaling. genetics | symbiosis | coiled-coil

We examined the associations of intake of vegetables, legumes and fruit with all-cause and cause-specific morality in a population with prevalent diabetes in Europe. A cohort of 10,449 participants with self-reported diabetes within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study was followed for a mean of 9 y. Intakes of vegetables, legumes, and fruit were assessed at baseline between 1992 and 2000 using validated country-specific questionnaires. A total of 1346 deaths occurred. Multivariate relative risks (RR) for all-cause mortality were estimated in Cox regression models and RR for causespecific mortality were derived in a competing risk model. An increment in intake of total vegetables, legumes, and fruit of 80 g/d was associated with a RR of death from all causes of 0.94 [95% CI 0.9043.98]. Analyzed separately, vegetables and legumes were associated with a significantly reduced risk, whereas nonsignificant inverse associations for fruit intake were observed. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and mortality due to non-CVD/non-cancer causes were significantly inversely associated with intake of total vegetables, legumes, and fruit (RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.81-0.95] and 0.90 [0.82-0.99], respectively) but not cancer mortality (1.08 [0.99-1.17]). Intake of vegetables, legumes, and fruit was associated with reduced risks of allcause and CVD mortality in a diabetic population. The findings support the current state of evidence from general population studies that the protective potential of vegetable and fruit intake is larger for CVD than for cancer and suggest that diabetes patients may benefit from a diet high in vegetables and fruits.

Beans improve serum lipids and may reduce the risk of colon cancer by increasing colonic SCFA formation. We assessed whether pinto bean consumption affects in vitro fecal bacterial fermentation and production of SCFA, colonic bacterial populations, and serum lipids. Adults grouped as premetabolic syndrome (pre-MetSyn) (n = 40) or controls (n = 40) were randomly assigned to consume either a bean entree [1/2 cup (130 g) of dried, cooked pinto beans] or an isocaloric chicken soup entree daily for 12 wk. Measurements included in vitro fecal fermentation of various resistant starch substrates, fecal bacterial speciation, and blood lipids. When expressed as a difference between baseline and treatment, propionate production from fecal material fermented in vitro with bean flour was higher (P < 0.02) in volunteers consuming beans than in those consuming soup. During the treatment period alone, bean consumption did not affect propionic acid production with any substrate but lowered (P < 0.02) butyric acid production when cornstarch was the substrate. In all volunteers, bean consumption decreased fecal production of isovaleric (P < 0.05) and isobutyric (P < 0.002) acids from cornstarch by as much as 50%. Of the bacterial populations tested, only Eubacterium limosum was affected by bean consumption and was ~50% lower than in those consuming soup. Beans lowered serum total cholesterol (P < 0.014) by ~8% in the controls and 4% in the pre-MetSyn group. Bean consumption lowered serum HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.05) in both groups without affecting serum triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, or glucose. This study provides evidence that bean consumption can improve lipid profiles associated with cardiovascular disease, but does not clearly confer health benefits related to colon cancer risk.

Feeding legume grains to pigs usually increases losses of endogenous proteins at the terminal ileum. However, the identity of such proteins is largely unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the ileal flow and identity of soluble proteins present in large concentrations in ileal digesta of young pigs fed soybean meal (SBM), peas (P), faba beans (FB), or blue lupin (L) in expt. 1, and white (WPC) or black (BPC) chickpeas in expt. 2. Protein in the control diet (C) was provided by casein. Ileal digesta proteins were analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Coomassie blue staining, densitometry and N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Three protein bands at molecular masses of 25, 27, and 30 kDa had a higher ileal flow (P < 0.05) in the pigs fed the legume-based diets compared to those fed the control diet in expt. 2. This was true for the 25- and 30-kDa proteins (P < 0.05) and the 27-kDa protein (P < 0.10) in pigs fed the legume-containing diets in expt. 1. These proteins shared N-terminal amino acid sequences with enzymes of the serine protease family including pig trypsin (25 kDa) and blood coagulation factor IX or chymotrypsin (27 and 30 kDa). KEY WORDS: * piglets * endogenous proteins * serine-protease * proteins * densitometry * sequence analysis

The effects of cooking and germination on the vitamin C content of beans and pulses rationed to refugee communities with vitamin C deficiency were evaluated. The vitamin C content of different legumes was examined after germination in light and dark using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results showed that there was a considerable increase in vitamin C concentrations among several species of pulses following germination in both light and dark after cooking. This increase in vitamin C quantities differed significantly between species.

With the aim of improving the nutritive value of an important grain legume crop, a chimeric gene specifying seed-specific expression of a sulfur-rich, sunflower seed albumin was stably transformed into narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.). Sunflower seed albumin accounted for 5% of extractable seed protein in a line containing a single tandem insertion of the transferred DNA. The transgenic seeds contained less sulfate and more total amino acid sulfur than the nontransgenic parent line. This was associated with a 94% increase in methionine content and a 12% reduction in cysteine content. There was no statistically significant change in other amino acids or in total nitrogen or total sulfur contents of the seeds. In feeding trials with rats, the transgenic seeds gave statistically significant increases in live weight gain, true protein digestibility, biological value, and net protein utilization, compared with wild-type seeds. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using genetic engineering to improve the nutritive value of grain crops.

Amino acid concentrations of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) foods were analyzed to test the foods' ability to supply 10 essential amino acids (EAA). Results show that most seed species are deficient in more than one EAA, and seeds of many forbs, woody species and grasses are deficient in several EAAs. Legume species are the best sources of EAAs. Management strategies should include more species diversity and greater insect densities to supply EAAs for optimum growth, reproduction and maintenance in northern bobwhites.

OD GULATI-1 Eplerenone Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in ß -receptor Stimulated Myocardial Infarcted Rats Umesh Mahajan B [sup]1 , Navya Reddy M [sup]1 , Chandragouda Patil R [sup]1 [...]

Byline: Sk. Ahmmed, Pulok. Mukherjee, Shiv. Bahadur, Amit. Kar, Kakali. Mukherjee, Sanmoy. Karmakar, Arun. Bandyopadhyay Objective: The seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) (family: Leguminosae) are widely consumed both as a [...]

Byline: Dhaval. Patel, Mrunal. Sawant, Ginpreet. Kaur Aim: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Vigna mungo hydroalcoholic extract (VMHA) by papain induced osteoarthritis (OA) in the [...]

Byline: Nisha. Sonkar, Aditya. Ganeshpurkar, Priyanka. Yadav, Shagun. Dubey, Divya. Bansal, Nazneen. Dubey Objective: The current work was aimed to evaluate the nephroprotective potential of Butea monosperma. Materials and Methods: [...]

Mung bean was reported as a potential antidiabetic agent while fermented food has been proposed as one of the major contributors that can reduce the risk of diabetes in Asian populations. In this study, we have compared the normoglycemic effect, glucose-induced hyperglycemic effect, and alloxan-induced hyperglycemic effect of fermented and nonfermented mung bean extracts. Our results showed that fermented mung bean extracts did not induce hypoglycemic effect on normal mice but significantly reduced the blood sugar levels of glucose- and alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice. The serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were also lowered while insulin secretion and antioxidant level as measured by malonaldehyde (MDA) assays were significantly improved in the plasma of the fermented mung bean-treated group in alloxaninduced hyperglycemic mouse. These results indicated that fermentation using Mardi Rhizopus sp. strain 5351 inoculums could enhance the antihyperglycemic and the antioxidant effects of mung bean in alloxan-treated mice. The improvement in the antihyperglycemic effect may also be contributed by the increased content of GABA and the free amino acid that are present in the fermented mung bean extracts., 1. Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disease that is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency or resistance which are associated with other complications such as macroangiopathy and [...]

Byline: Niladri. Maity, Neelesh. Nema, Birendra. Sarkar, Pulok. Mukherjee Aim: Plant Clitoria ternatea L. is claimed to possess a wide range of activities including antiinflammatory, local anesthetic and antidiabetic effect, [...]

Byline: G. Kalyani, Purnima. Ashok, A. Taranalli, C. Ramesh, V. Krishna, A.H.M. Viswanatha Swamy Sir, Desmodium triquetrum contains a wide variety of free radical scavenging molecules, such as phenolic and [...]