Selenium Priming Selectively Ameliorates Weed – Induced Phytotoxicity by Modulating Antioxidant Defense Components in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.).

Aims: Present investigation was performed to assess the phytotoxic effect of weed, Ageratum conyzoides L. on two pulses, lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and the ameliorative role of selenium (Se) to counter it. Place and Duration of Study: Leaf samples of Ageratum were collected from the lentilgrowing fields of Kalyani, West Bengal, India during winter of 2011-12. The lab-based works were performed at Department of Botany, R.P.M. College, West Bengal, India throughout the period of 2012. Study Design: The study was carried out using four replicates treatment-1 in a completely randomized block design. Methodology: Ageratum leaf aqueous extract of 200 mg ml-1 (w/v) was prepared and used on the two crops in (a) nutrient media, and (b) media + Se concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 μM separately. Also, Se was added alone (no extract) in nutrient media. A control (no exogenous Se, no extract) was maintained. The experiment was performed in an environmentally controlled growing chamber and plants were grown till flowering. Different morpho-physiological parameters along with root-tip mitosis and flower bud meiosis were

Antioxidant Potential and Type II Diabetes Related Enzyme Inhibition Properties of Raw and Processed Legumes in Indian Himalayas.

In vitro antioxidant potential and type II diabetes related enzyme inhibition capacity was analyzed in methanolic extract of raw and processed seeds of seven prominent legume genotypes, originated in Indian Himalayas. In raw seeds, total free phenolic content ranged from 2.18 ± 1.9 (small-seeded urd bean) to 13.11 ± 2.4 (bold-seeded grass pea) mg gallic acid/g extract dry weight basis (dwb), while total flavonoids varied between 1.89 ± 0.61(lima bean) and 0.41 ± 0.9 (small-seeded urd bean) mg catechin/ g of the extracts, dwb. Raw seed extracts exhibited scavenging capacity against DPPH (30.80 - 66.40 %), superoxides (43.78- 71.22%) and hydrogen peroxide (11.19-53.78%) along with ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP, 37.87-161.32 μmol/g extract dwb) and inhibition of ß-carotene degradation (23.45-49.11%). In type II diabetes related enzyme inhibition activity, the value varied from 8.11% (urd bean) to 21.34% (lima bean) for α-amylase and from 27.12% (urd bean) to 87.54% (grass pea) for α-glucosidase in raw seed extracts under in vitro bioassay. Among the processing methods, sprouting followed by direct cooking showed significant enhancement of antioxidant activity along with balanced levels of enzyme inhibition capacity, while soaking + cooking as well as roasting showed diminishing effects. Oil-frying exhibited mixed effects. Bold-seeded lima bean, grass pea and black-seeded common beans were superior to lentil, small-seeded urd bean and white-seeded beans. Phenolic content was correlated with antioxidant properties and enzyme inhibition activity, but this association was stronger in sprouting and direct cooking than raw seeds and other three methods.

Studies on antioxidant enzymes in Canna indica plant under copper stress.

Bright red-flowered Canna indica L. plants were subjected to grow in nutrient solution supplemented with five different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 30 and 50 µM) of CuCl2 to study antioxidant defense responses of the plant. Accumulation of Cu was dose-dependent and much higher in the roots (108- 191µg g-1 d. wt.) than in the leaves (23.36 - 40.43 µg g-1 d.wt.). Total ascorbate content did not changed in both tissues, but ascorbate redox state decreased (0.570-0.640) in Cu-treated Canna roots. In contrast, both total and reduced glutathione contents increased (387-591.9 nmol g-1 f. wt.) considerably in roots, accompanied with enhanced activities of dehydroascorbate reductase (153.3-160 nmol mg-1 protein) and glutathione reductase (67-87.5 nmol mg-1 protein). No significant change, however, was observed for monodehydroascorbate reductase activity in both tissues of the treated plant. The efficient scavenging of hydrogen peroxide was performed by normal (control level) activities of both ascorbate peroxidase and catalase in leaf and increased activity of only catalase in root, preventing its accumulation at toxic concentrations (despite high superoxide dismutase activity) and subsequent damage of membrane lipids by peroxidation. Together, these ensured normal dry weight of leaves and roots, indicating tolerance of Canna indica plant to Cu-induced oxidative stress.

In vitro antioxidant potential and type II diabetes related enzyme inhibition properties of traditionally processed legume-based food and medicinal recipes in Indian Himalayas.

In vitro antioxidant potential of methanolic extracts of six legume-based traditional plant recipes used in Indian Himalayas were evaluated by trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and inhibition of ß-carotene degradation activity (IBDA). Type II diabetes-related enzyme inhibition capacity of recipes was assayed on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity under in vitro assay. The methanolic extracts of six recipes showed substantially high total phenolic and flavonoid content along with TEAC, radical scavenging activities, FRAP and IBDA in significantly different magnitudes. Apart from high magnitude of antioxidant potential, the three recipes namely ‘methi paste’, ‘arhar dal’ and ‘ghew simi’ used during diabetes by local people exhibited moderate to high level of enzyme inhibition capacity. Present results suggest that methanolic extracts of six indigenous recipes are rich in polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The three medicinal preparations have high potential to inhibit type II diabetes-related enzyme activity, and may be integrated into dietary management of type II diabetes.