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1.
Critical Assessment of Streptomyces spp. Able to Control Toxigenic Fusaria in Cereals: A Literature and Patent Review.
Colombo, EM, Kunova, A, Cortesi, P, Saracchi, M, Pasquali, M
International journal of molecular sciences. 2019;(24)
Abstract
Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species on cereals represent a major concern for food safety worldwide. Fusarium toxins that are currently under regulation for their content in food include trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenone. Biological control of Fusarium spp. has been widely explored with the aim of limiting disease occurrence, but few efforts have focused so far on limiting toxin accumulation in grains. The bacterial genus Streptomyces is responsible for the production of numerous drug molecules and represents a huge resource for the discovery of new molecules. Streptomyces spp. are also efficient plant colonizers and able to employ different mechanisms of control against toxigenic fungi on cereals. This review describes the outcomes of research using Streptomyces strains and/or their derived molecules to limit toxin production and/or contamination of Fusarium species in cereals. Both the scientific and patent literature were analyzed, starting from the year 2000, and we highlight promising results as well as the current pitfalls and limitations of this approach.
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2.
Bioactive peptides from selected latin american food crops - A nutraceutical and molecular approach.
Orona-Tamayo, D, Valverde, ME, Paredes-López, O
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2019;(12):1949-1975
Abstract
This review reported an updated survey on the molecular functional properties of bioactive peptides derived from different Latin American ancient grains such as Maize, common Bean, Amaranth, Quinoa and Chia seeds. Seed storage proteins ecrypt in their sequences diverse peptides associated with a wide range of beneficial effects on the human health and the most studied are antihypertensive, anti-cholesterolemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. Additionally, in the last decades molecular properties have been also used for their characterization to understand their activities and it makes them highly attractive to be incorporated into food formulations and to complement or replace some conventional cereal grains. Due to the nutraceutical effects, today, these seeds are one of the main gastronomic trends of consumption worldwide due to their nutritional benefits and are part of the shopping lists of many people, among them vegetarians, vegans, celiacs or lovers of raw food. These seeds are a legacy of pre-Columbian civilizations reason why in our time they are considered as "Superfoods of the Gods", "The pre-hispanic superfoods of the future" and "The new golden seeds of the XXI century".
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3.
Rapid gene cloning in cereals.
Bettgenhaeuser, J, Krattinger, SG
TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik. 2019;(3):699-711
Abstract
The large and complex genomes of many cereals hindered cloning efforts in the past. Advances in genomics now allow the rapid cloning of genes from humanity's most valuable crops. The past two decades were characterized by a genomics revolution that entailed profound changes to crop research, plant breeding, and agriculture. Today, high-quality reference sequences are available for all major cereal crop species. Large resequencing and pan-genome projects start to reveal a more comprehensive picture of the genetic makeup and the diversity among domesticated cereals and their wild relatives. These technological advancements will have a dramatic effect on dissecting genotype-phenotype associations and on gene cloning. In this review, we will highlight the status of the genomic resources available for various cereal crops and we will discuss their implications for gene cloning. A particular focus will be given to the cereal species barley and wheat, which are characterized by very large and complex genomes that have been inaccessible to rapid gene cloning until recently. With the advancements in genomics and the development of several rapid gene-cloning methods, it has now become feasible to tackle the cloning of most agriculturally important genes, even in wheat and barley.
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4.
Translating auxin responses into ovules, seeds and yield: Insight from Arabidopsis and the cereals.
Shirley, NJ, Aubert, MK, Wilkinson, LG, Bird, DC, Lora, J, Yang, X, Tucker, MR
Journal of integrative plant biology. 2019;(3):310-336
Abstract
Grain production in cereal crops depends on the stable formation of male and female gametes in the flower. In most angiosperms, the female gamete is produced from a germline located deep within the ovary, protected by several layers of maternal tissue, including the ovary wall, ovule integuments and nucellus. In the field, germline formation and floret fertility are major determinants of yield potential, contributing to traits such as seed number, weight and size. As such, stimuli affecting the timing and duration of reproductive phases, as well as the viability, size and number of cells within reproductive organs can significantly impact yield. One key stimulant is the phytohormone auxin, which influences growth and morphogenesis of female tissues during gynoecium development, gametophyte formation, and endosperm cellularization. In this review we consider the role of the auxin signaling pathway during ovule and seed development, first in the context of Arabidopsis and then in the cereals. We summarize the gene families involved and highlight distinct expression patterns that suggest a range of roles in reproductive cell specification and fate. This is discussed in terms of seed production and how targeted modification of different tissues might facilitate improvements.
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5.
Grain Legumes and Fear of Salt Stress: Focus on Mechanisms and Management Strategies.
Nadeem, M, Li, J, Yahya, M, Wang, M, Ali, A, Cheng, A, Wang, X, Ma, C
International journal of molecular sciences. 2019;(4)
Abstract
Salinity is an ever-present major constraint and a major threat to legume crops, particularly in areas with irrigated agriculture. Legumes demonstrate high sensitivity, especially during vegetative and reproductive phases. This review gives an overview of legumes sensitivity to salt stress (SS) and mechanisms to cope with salinity stress under unfavorable conditions. It also focuses on the promising management approaches, i.e., agronomic practices, breeding approaches, and genome editing techniques to improve performance of legumes under SS. Now, the onus is on researchers to comprehend the plants physiological and molecular mechanisms, in addition to various responses as part of their stress tolerance strategy. Due to their ability to fix biological nitrogen, high protein contents, dietary fiber, and essential mineral contents, legumes have become a fascinating group of plants. There is an immense need to develop SS tolerant legume varieties to meet growing demand of protein worldwide. This review covering crucial areas ranging from effects, mechanisms, and management strategies, may elucidate further the ways to develop SS-tolerant varieties and to produce legume crops in unfavorable environments.
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6.
Insights to plant-microbe interactions provide opportunities to improve resistance breeding against root diseases in grain legumes.
Wille, L, Messmer, MM, Studer, B, Hohmann, P
Plant, cell & environment. 2019;(1):20-40
Abstract
Root and foot diseases severely impede grain legume cultivation worldwide. Breeding lines with resistance against individual pathogens exist, but these resistances are often overcome by the interaction of multiple pathogens in field situations. Novel tools allow to decipher plant-microbiome interactions in unprecedented detail and provide insights into resistance mechanisms that consider both simultaneous attacks of various pathogens and the interplay with beneficial microbes. Although it has become clear that plant-associated microbes play a key role in plant health, a systematic picture of how and to what extent plants can shape their own detrimental or beneficial microbiome remains to be drawn. There is increasing evidence for the existence of genetic variation in the regulation of plant-microbe interactions that can be exploited by plant breeders. We propose to consider the entire plant holobiont in resistance breeding strategies in order to unravel hidden parts of complex defence mechanisms. This review summarizes (a) the current knowledge of resistance against soil-borne pathogens in grain legumes, (b) evidence for genetic variation for rhizosphere-related traits, (c) the role of root exudation in microbe-mediated disease resistance and elaborates (d) how these traits can be incorporated in resistance breeding programmes.
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7.
Review: Shaping a sustainable food future by rediscovering long-forgotten ancient grains.
Cheng, A
Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. 2018;:136-142
Abstract
Genetic erosion of crops has been determined way back in the 1940s and accelerated some twenty years later by the inception of the Green Revolution. Claims that the revolution was a complete triumph remain specious, especially since the massive production boost in the global big three grain crops; wheat, maize, and rice that happened back then is unlikely to recur under current climate irregularities. Presently, one of the leading strategies for sustainable agriculture is by unlocking the genetic potential of underutilized crops. The primary focus has been on a suite of ancient cereals and pseudo-cereals which are riding on the gluten-free trend, including, among others, grain amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, teff, and millets. Each of these crops has demonstrated tolerance to various stress factors such as drought and heat. Apart from being the centuries-old staple in their native homes, these crops have also been traditionally used as forage for livestock. This review summarizes what lies in the past and present for these underutilized cereals, particularly concerning their potential role and significance in a rapidly changing world, and provides compelling insights into how they could one day be on par with the current big three in feeding a booming population.
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8.
Prevalence and concentration of ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and total aflatoxin in cereal-based products: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mousavi Khaneghah, A, Fakhri, Y, Raeisi, S, Armoon, B, Sant'Ana, AS
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2018;:830-848
Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and concentration of total aflatoxin (TAF) ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in bread, cornflakes, breakfast cereals and pasta-based products through meta-analysis. The required databases including (PubMed and Scopus databases) were investigated to collect data on the concentration and prevalence of mentioned mycotoxins in cereal-based products. Among 2461 explored articles in identification step, 38 articles with 9627 samples were included in the conducted meta-analysis. The prevalence and concentration of studied mycotoxins varied with the cereal-based food studied. In this context, the overall rank order of mycotoxins prevalence in the cereal foods was OTA > DON > ZEN > TAF > 15-ADON > 3-ADON. Also, the overall rank order of mycotoxins based on concentration in the cereal foods investigated was DON > ZEN > 15-ADON > OTA > 3-ADON > TAF. The findings of this meta-analysis may be useful for the building of risk assessment models aiming to derive data for the development of specific actions to reduce the exposure to OTA, ZEN, TAF, and DON through the consumption of the cereal-based products.
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9.
Health-related effects and improving extractability of cereal arabinoxylans.
Fadel, A, Mahmoud, AM, Ashworth, JJ, Li, W, Ng, YL, Plunkett, A
International journal of biological macromolecules. 2018;:819-831
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Abstract
Arabinoxylans (AXs) are major dietary fibers. They are composed of backbone chains of β-(1-4)-linked xylose residues to which α-l-arabinose are linked in the second and/or third carbon positions. Recently, AXs have attracted a great deal of attention because of their biological activities such as their immunomodulatory potential. Extraction of AXs has some difficulties; therefore, various methods have been used to increase the extractability of AXs with varying degrees of success, such as alkaline, enzymatic, mechanical extraction. However, some of these treatments have been reported to be either expensive, such as enzymatic treatments, or produce hazardous wastes and are non-environmentally friendly, such as alkaline treatments. On the other hand, mechanical assisted extraction, especially extrusion cooking, is an innovative pre-treatment that has been used to increase the solubility of AXs. The aim of the current review article is to point out the health-related effects and to discuss the current research on the extraction methods of AXs.
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10.
Breeding Major Cereal Grains through the Lens of Nutrition Sensitivity.
Yu, S, Tian, L
Molecular plant. 2018;(1):23-30
Abstract
Cereal grains are the common food staples that collectively provide over 50% of dietary calories and proteins for the world's population. Although the Green Revolution has greatly increased the yield of commercial cereal crops, they often lack nutrients essential for human health in the edible tissues. In developing nutrition-sensitive agriculture, the nutritional quality of cereal grains has been a major target for improvement using breeding and biotechnology approaches. This review examines recent progress on biofortification of micronutrients (provitamin A and folates) and an essential amino acid (lysine) in three major cereal grains, wheat, rice, and maize, through plant breeding. In addition, how natural variations, induced mutations, and the advanced genome-editing technologies can be applied to improving the nutrient content and stability in these cereal grains are discussed. High-yield cereal crops pyramided with improved (micro)nutrient contents hold great promise to meet the increasing demand of nutritionally limited populations and to contribute to achieving sustainable nutrition security.