ABSTRACT
To overcome the different challenges to food security caused by a growing population and climate change, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) breeders are creating novel cultivars that have the potential to improve productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability. Genomic selection (GS) is an advanced approach that may accelerate the rate of genetic gain in breeding using genome-wide molecular markers. The accuracy of genomic selection can be affected by trait architecture and heritability, marker density, linkage disequilibrium, statistical models, and training set. The selection of a minimal and optimal marker set with high prediction accuracy can lower genotyping costs, computational time, and multicollinearity. Selective phenotyping could reduce the number of genotypes tested in the field while preserving the genetic diversity of the initial population. This study aimed to evaluate different methods of selective genotyping and phenotyping on the accuracy of genomic prediction for soybean yield. The evaluation was performed on three populations: recombinant inbred lines, multifamily diverse lines, and germplasm collection. Strategies adopted for marker selection were as follows: SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) pruning, estimation of marker effects, randomly selected markers, and genome-wide association study. Reduction of the number of genotypes was performed by selecting a core set from the initial population based on marker data, yet maintaining the original population's genetic diversity. Prediction ability using all markers and genotypes was different among examined populations. The subsets obtained by the model-based strategy can be considered the most suitable for marker selection for all populations. The selective phenotyping based on makers in all cases had higher values of prediction ability compared to minimal values of prediction ability of multiple cycles of random selection, with the highest values of prediction obtained using AN approach and 75% population size. The obtained results indicate that selective genotyping and phenotyping hold great potential and can be integrated as tools for improving or retaining selection accuracy by reducing genotyping or phenotyping costs for genomic selection.
ABSTRACT
Maize is a globally significant cereal crop, contributing to the production of essential food products and serving as a pivotal resource for diverse industrial applications. This study investigated the proximate analysis of maize hybrids from different FAO maturity groups in Serbia, exploring variations in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids with the aim of understanding how agroecological conditions influence the nutritional potential of maize hybrids. The results indicate substantial variations in nutritional composition and antioxidant properties among different maturity groups. The levels of total polyphenols varied among FAO groups, indicating that specific hybrids may offer greater health benefits. Flavonoids and carotenoids also showed considerable variation, with implications for nutritional quality. Tocopherol content varied significantly, emphasizing the diversity in antioxidant capacity. Fatty acid analysis revealed high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, indicating favorable nutritional and industrial properties. The study highlights the importance of considering maturity groups in assessing the nutritional potential of maize hybrids.
ABSTRACT
Sorghum grain (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a gluten-free cereal with excellent nutritional value and is a good source of antioxidants, including polyphenols, as well as minerals with proven health benefits. Herein, the phenolic composition, elemental profile, and antioxidant activity of sixteen food-grade sorghum grains (S1-S16) grown under agroecological conditions in Serbia were determined. Nine phenolic compounds characteristic of sorghum grains, such as luteolinidin, 5-methoxyluteolinidin, luteolidin derivative, luteolidin glucoside, apigeninidin, 7-methoxyapigeninidin, apigeninidin glucoside, and cyanidin derivative, were quantified. The antioxidant potential of the analyzed sorghum grains was evaluated by UV/Vis (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy (hydroxyl and ascorbyl radical scavenging assays). The content of macro- and microelements was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy. Theoretical daily intakes of selected major and trace elements were assessed and compared with the Recommended Daily Allowance or Adequate Intake. Sample S8 had the highest amount of phenolic compounds, while S4, S6, and S8 exhibited the strongest antioxidative potential. The sorghum studied could completely satisfy the daily needs of macro- (K, Mg, and P) and microelements (Se, Zn, Fe). Pattern recognition techniques confirmed the discrimination of samples based on phenolic profile and elemental analysis and recognized the main markers responsible for differences between the investigated samples. The reaction between hydroxyl radicals and luteolinidin/apigeninidin was investigated by Density Functional Theory and thermodynamically preferred mechanism was determined.
ABSTRACT
Cocoa beans are part of the cocoa plant fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) used to prepare various products such as chocolate, cocoa butter, jelly, liqueurs, cosmetics, etc. Dark chocolate is consumed worldwide by different populations and is known for its good taste, making it one of the most favoured food products. This work aimed to determine the content of total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and the antioxidant potential measured through the ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as major and trace elements contained in twelve commercially available dark chocolate samples, with cocoa content ranging from 40% to 99%. The total polyphenols content ranged between 10.55 and 39.82 mg/g GAE, while the total flavonoid content was from 10.04 to 37.85 mg/g CE. All applied antioxidant assays indicate that the sample with the highest cocoa percentage shows the greatest antioxidant activity (DPPH: 48.34% of inhibition; FRAP: 89.00 mg/g GAE; TAC: 83.86 mg/g AAE). Statistical methods were applied to establish the differences between the samples concerning TPC, TFC, DPPH, FRAP and TAC, as well as to differentiate the samples according to the mineral content. The results indicated that the differences in TPC and TFC between different samples depended on the cocoa content and the addition of dried fruit pieces. A good correlation between antioxidant potency composite index (ACI) and declared cocoa content was noticed (R2 = 0.8034), indicating that the declared percentage of cocoa is a reliable indicator for antioxidant activity of analysed dark chocolate samples. The nutritional evaluation proved that the studied chocolate samples were an excellent source of Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu.
ABSTRACT
The goal of this study is to evaluate the quality of seven natural mineral water sources in the Vrnjacka Banja area used in the treatment of various diseases. The 24 macro- and microelements were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results show that element content was within allowed limits of concentration, except for B, As, and Se. The evaluated content of these elements can be associated with geological and anthropogenic factors. The sample S6 contains more than twice the concentration of As, meaning that the use of water from this source should be limited due to the negative impact of this element on human health. The calculated values of weekly (EWI) and oral (OI) intakes as well as the acute hazard quotient (HQA) of selected toxic and potentially toxic elements indicate no health risks to the consumers. The highest hazard quotient (HQL) observed for As in sample S6 (2.0·10-1) demonstrated a significant risk of carcinogenic diseases in long-term consumption from this source. The estimated non-carcinogenic (DIA) and carcinogenic (DIL) dermal intakes with acute (HQA) and long-term (HQL) hazard quotient values for sample S3 show that there is no health risk to those who use the water from this thermal source for bathing. The presence of aerobic mesophilic bacteria at 22 °C and 37 °C in samples S3, S6, and S7 as well as sulphite-reducing Clostridia species in sample S5 were detected, potentially indicating some non-faecal or faecal contamination.
