Chia seeds and chemical-elicited sprouts supplementation ameliorates insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in obese rats

Chia seeds (CS) and sprouts are rich in bioactive compounds. This study aimed to assess the effects of germination and chemical elicitation (salicylic acid [SA]; hydrogen peroxide [H₂ O₂ ]) on proximate chemical, total phenolics compounds (TPC), non-extractable proanthocyanidins (NEPA), and carotenoids content of chia sprouts; besides, the effects of their supplementation on obesity-associated complications in rats fed with high-fat and fructose diet (HFFD) were evaluated. Protein, carbohydrate, TPC, NEPA, and carotenoids content were higher in sprouts than CS; elicitation enhanced TPC and carotenoids compared to non-elicited (NE) sprouts. CS, NE, and elicited chia sprouts ameliorated insulin resistance and dyslipidemia at the same level in HFFD-fed rats. NE and SA-chia sprouts exerted the biggest reduction in hepatic triglycerides, which could be partially related to inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity. In addition, SA elicitation induced the greatest effect on insulin levels and corporal weight. CS and their sprouts decreased obesity and its complication, mainly SA-elicited sprouts. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity has led to the search for prevention and treatment through lifestyle changes, including the consumption of foods rich in bioactive compounds, such as seeds and their sprouts. Since sprouts contain higher concentrations of bioactive compounds and nutrients than seed, germination is a natural alternative to produce ready-to-eat functional foods. Chemical elicitation is a strategy to increase even more the bioactivity of sprouts. CS has been recognized for its beneficial health effects ameliorating dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. This study demonstrates that elicitation, with SA and H₂ O₂ , during germination of CS, increases the nutrient and phytochemical content of sprouts, with beneficial effects on body weight gain, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and prevention of NAFLD progression in diet-induced obese rats. Therefore, chia sprouts, natural and elicited, may be used as potential nutraceutical foods for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.

Seed treatment and foliar application of methyl salicylate (MeSA) as a defense mechanism in rice plants against the pathogenic bacterium, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is a volatile biological compound synthesized from salicylic acid (SA) and is a plant hormone that helps defend against pests and pathogens. A major bacterial pathogen of rice, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes severe disease. Seed and plant treatments with MeSA can stimulate the defense enzyme peroxidase (POD) in plants. Response of peroxidase activity in rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivars IR 20, IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 19 and ADT 46 to MeSA were measured under greenhouse conditions. Treatments of rice seedlings with MeSA at 50 and 100 mg L^-1 significantly upregulated POD expression in the plants. The activity of POD was also significantly upregulated when plants were inoculated with bacterial blight. Effects were stronger in ASD 16, ASD 19 and ADT 46 and were more pronounced in high dose treatment (100 mg L^-1) when inoculated with bacterial blight condition and the effects were dose dependent, although the relationship between dose and rice varieties were not always linear. The pathogenic related (PR) protein bands at 33 kDa and 14 kDa were identified in treatments of 100 mg L^-1 MeSA in the presence of bacterial blight disease. Band intensity was estimated to be twice that of those from pathogen induce MeSA levels in rice plants. These results suggest that treatment with MeSA can significantly increase the POD defense related enzyme by altering the plant physiology in ways that may be beneficial for crop protection.

Improvement of Phenylpropanoid Production with Elicitor Treatments in Pimpinella brachycarpa Nakai

Pimpinella brachycarpa Nakai, known as cham-na-mul in Korea, is a popular edible herb and vegetable. Phenolic compounds are recognized as a vital group of plant secondary metabolites that provide innumerable, valuable therapeutic properties. Elicitors are biofactors or chemicals from diverse sources that can trigger morphological and physiological responses in the target organism. This study examined the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), and chitosan treatment on the accretion of phenolic compounds in P. brachycarpa Nakai. This plant was harvested under different concentration of elicitor treatment for time course. Eight phenolic compounds including were detected in response to elicitor using HPLC. While the untreated controls showed the lowest phenolic content, treatment with 0.3% chitosan, 0.1 mM SA, and 0.1 mM MeJA resulted in 1.43-, 1.39-, and 1.35-fold increase in the phenolic content, respectively. The highest content of most of the individual phenolic compounds followed a similar trend according to treatment type, with chitosan treatment showing the highest content, followed by SA and then MeJA treatments. Thus, we demonstrate that the treatment with optimal concentrations of these elicitors for an optimal period of time increases the production of phenolic compounds in P. brachycarpa Nakai.

Influence of Chitosan, Salicylic Acid and Jasmonic Acid on Phenylpropanoid Accumulation in Germinated Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)

The present study investigated the effects of jasmonic acid (JA), chitosan, and salicylic acid (SA) on the accumulation of phenolic compounds in germinated buckwheat. A total of six phenolics were detected in the buckwheat treated with different concentrations of SA (50, 100, and 150 mg/L), JA (50, 100, and 150 μM), and chitosan (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5%) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The treatment with 0.1% chitosan resulted in an accumulation of the highest levels of phenolic compounds as compared with the control and the 0.01 and 0.5% chitosan treatments. The treatment with 150 μM JA enhanced the levels of phenolics in buckwheat sprouts as compared with those observed in the control and the 50 and 100 μM JA-treated sprouts. However, the SA treatment did not affect the production of phenolic compounds. After optimizing the treatment concentrations of elicitors (chitosan and JA), a time-course analysis of the phenolic compounds detected in the germinated buckwheat treated with 0.1% chitosan and 150 μM JA was performed. Buckwheat treated with 0.1% chitosan for 72 h showed higher levels of phenolic compounds than all control samples. Similarly, the germinated buckwheat treated with JA for 48 and 72 h produced higher amounts of phenolic compounds than all control samples. This study elucidates the influence of SA, JA, and chitosan on the production of phenolic compounds and suggests that the treatment with optimal concentrations of chitosan and JA for an optimal time period improved the production of phenolic compounds in germinated buckwheat.