Diversity of nutritional content in seeds of Brazilian common bean germplasm

How Nutritious Are French Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from the Citizen Science Experiment?

French beans are tender, immature, edible pods that are harvested early in the plant's growth cycle and are usually eaten cooked. The growth habits of French beans were studied for the first time in a Citizen Science experiment, and 19 pod samples were collected for further nutritional analysis. Various macronutrients (e.g., protein, ash, fat, carbohydrates, amino acids) and multi-element profiles were determined. A survey of their growing habits revealed that beans are usually planted once or twice a year in May and June at a length of 5-10 m, with a predominance of dwarf beans cultivation over climbing varieties, and pest resistance and stringless pods are the most important characteristics when deciding on a bean. Homogenised freeze-dried pod samples contained 16.1-23.1% protein, 4.5-8.2% ash, 0.1-1.1% fat, and 62.0-70.6% carbohydrates and had a caloric value of 337-363 kcal/100 g. Of the 17 free amino acids identified, 8 were essential (histidine, threonine, methionine, valine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine) and 9 were non-essential (cysteine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, arginine, alanine, proline, tyrosine); meanwhile, of the 12 elements, 5 were macroelements and 7 were microelements. The predominant free amino acids were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine. In the multiple comparisons (Box and Whisker plot), the parameters caloric value and iron showed the strongest response. A very strong positive significant Pearson correlation (≥0.95) was found for five pairs of variables within the free amino acids. Comparison of the nutrient data obtained in the pods showed near-perfect or high complementarity (85.2-103.4%) with the food composition databases for half of the parameters, suggesting that the home-grown French beans from the Citizen Science experiment are a highly nutritious vegetable.

Biofortification to avoid malnutrition in humans in a changing climate: Enhancing micronutrient bioavailability in seed, tuber, and storage roots

Malnutrition results in enormous socio-economic costs to the individual, their community, and the nation's economy. The evidence suggests an overall negative impact of climate change on the agricultural productivity and nutritional quality of food crops. Producing more food with better nutritional quality, which is feasible, should be prioritized in crop improvement programs. Biofortification refers to developing micronutrient -dense cultivars through crossbreeding or genetic engineering. This review provides updates on nutrient acquisition, transport, and storage in plant organs; the cross-talk between macro- and micronutrients transport and signaling; nutrient profiling and spatial and temporal distribution; the putative and functionally characterized genes/single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with Fe, Zn, and β-carotene; and global efforts to breed nutrient-dense crops and map adoption of such crops globally. This article also includes an overview on the bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity of nutrients as well as the molecular basis of nutrient transport and absorption in human. Over 400 minerals (Fe, Zn) and provitamin A-rich cultivars have been released in the Global South. Approximately 4.6 million households currently cultivate Zn-rich rice and wheat, while ~3 million households in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America benefit from Fe-rich beans, and 2.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil eat provitamin A-rich cassava. Furthermore, nutrient profiles can be improved through genetic engineering in an agronomically acceptable genetic background. The development of "Golden Rice" and provitamin A-rich dessert bananas and subsequent transfer of this trait into locally adapted cultivars are evident, with no significant change in nutritional profile, except for the trait incorporated. A greater understanding of nutrient transport and absorption may lead to the development of diet therapy for the betterment of human health.

Correlating the morphology of Anacardium occidentale L. fruits from 30 orchards with their physicochemical and nutritional properties

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a cross-pollinating plant whose fruit consists of two parts, the nut, and the apple. This study aimed to carry out agro-morphological characteristics of cashew fruits to establish relationships with their physicochemical and nutritional properties. Thirty (30) cashew accessions fruits were sampled in different regions of Burkina Faso. The length, width, thickness, weight, yield, kernel output ratio (KOR), proximate composition, specific minerals, phenolic compounds, and anti-nutritional factors were assessed. Evaluations were made using standard methods. The results showed significant variations in agro-morphological, physicochemical and nutritional traits depending on the accessions and the organ. Also, the ratio of apple mass versus nut one was about 12.24 ± 1.24. Kernels are an important source of proteins, fat, total phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, with average contents of 22.84 ± 1.25 g/100 g, 51.65 ± 2.54 g/100 g, 9.78 ± 2.15 mg GAE/g, and 6.24 ± 12.15 mg QE/g, respectively. As for the apples, they contained substantial quantities of Potassium, Phosphorus, Chlorine, and Magnesium with contents of 611.24 ± 14.5 mg/100 g, 418.24 ± 16.47 mg/100 g, 332.24 ± 10.54 mg/100 g, and 224.95 ± 13.15 mg/100 g, respectively. Statistical analyses showed that mineral and phytate contents were positively correlated to cashew apples while phenolic compounds and tannins were strongly correlated with walnuts. Principal component analyses showed three groups of accessions based on apples and kernels characteristics. These data showed a direct relationship between cashew physicochemical, nutritional potentials, kernels, and apples' agro-morphological characteristics. These data constitute an important basis for the identification of cashew accessions with high nutritional and economic potential.

Comparison of Proximate and Phytonutrient Compositions of Cashew Nuts and Apples from Different Geographical Areas of Burkina Faso

The cashew plant is an allogamous plant that produces two types of fruits: the nut and the cashew apple. The present study was conducted to perform a comparison of proximate and phytonutrient compositions of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nuts and apples from different geographical areas of Burkina Faso. For this purpose, 60 samples of apples and kernels were collected from the three main cashew cultivation areas. The nutritional potential of cashew nuts and apples produced was evaluated to enhance their food processing. Protein, carbohydrates, lipids, dietary fibers, ascorbic acid, tannins, anthocyanins, chlorophyll, lycopene, and β-carotene contents were assessed. The results revealed high contents of lipids ( $50.42\pm 2.3$  g/100 gDW), proteins ( $22.32+-1.8$ g/100 gDW), and starch ( $12.05\pm 1.27$ g/100 g DW) in almonds. Apples, on the other hand, are rich in lipids, ascorbic acid ( $387.45\pm 17.4$ mg/100 g), soluble sugars ( $387.45\pm 17.4$ mg/100 g,), and pigments (lycopene, anthocyanin, β-carotene, and chlorophyll). In summary, almonds may be suitable as a source of lipids and related products. Apples can be used as natural antioxidants and produce juices. All of these data are important clues for cashew by-product processing. These results obtained provide a scientific basis for their food and economical valorization of cashew fruits.

Genome-wide association study for grain mineral content in a Brazilian common bean diversity panel

QTNs significantly associated to nine mineral content in grains of common bean were identified. The accumulation of favorable alleles was associated with a gradually increasing nutrient content in the grain. Biofortification is one of the strategies developed to address malnutrition in developing countries, the aim of which is to improve the nutritional content of crops. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a staple food in several African and Latin American countries, has excellent nutritional attributes and is considered a strong candidate for biofortification. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions associated with nutritional content in common bean grains using 178 Mesoamerican accessions belonging to a Brazilian Diversity Panel (BDP) and 25,011 good-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms. The BDP was phenotyped in three environments for nine nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, sulfur, zinc, and iron) using four genome-wide association multi-locus methods. To obtain more accurate results, only quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) that showed repeatability (i.e., those detected at least twice using different methods or environments) were considered. Forty-eight QTNs detected for the nine minerals showed repeatability and were considered reliable. Pleiotropic QTNs and overlapping genomic regions surrounding the QTNs were identified, demonstrating the possible association between the deposition mechanisms of different nutrients in grains. The accumulation of favorable alleles in the same accession was associated with a gradually increasing nutrient content in the grain. The BDP proved to be a valuable source for association studies. The investigation of different methods and environments showed the reliability of markers associated with minerals. The loci identified in this study will potentially contribute to the improvement of Mesoamerican common beans, particularly carioca and black beans, the main groups consumed in Brazil.

Genetic Variability of Mineral Content in Different Grain Structures of Bean Cultivars from Mesoamerican and Andean Gene Pools

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, and micronutrients in the diets of millions of people in Latin America and Africa. Studies related to genetic variability in the accumulation and distribution of nutrients are valuable for biofortification programs, as there is evidence that the seed coat and embryo differ in the bioavailability of essential nutrients. In this study, we sought to evaluate the genetic variability of total mineral content in the grain and its constituent parts (seed coat, cotyledon, and embryonic axis) of bean genotypes from Mesoamerican and Andean centers of origin. Grain samples of 10 bean cultivars were analyzed for the content of proteins and minerals (Mg, Ca, K, P, Mn, S, Cu, B, Fe, and Zn) in the whole grains and seed coat, cotyledons, and embryonic axis tissues. Genetic variability was observed among the cultivars for protein content and all evaluated minerals. Moreover, differential accumulation of minerals was observed in the seed coat, cotyledons, and embryonic axis. Except for Ca, which accumulated predominantly in the seed coat, higher percentages of minerals were detected in the cotyledons. Furthermore, 100-grain mass values showed negative correlations with the contents of Ca, Mg, P, Zn, Fe, and Mn in whole grains or in the different grain tissues. In general, the Mesoamerican cultivars showed a higher concentration of minerals in the grains, whereas Andean cultivars showed higher concentrations of protein.

Morpho-agronomic, biochemical and molecular analysis of genetic diversity in the Mesoamerican common bean panel

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is of great importance to the food and nutritional security of many populations, and exploitation of the crop's genetic diversity is essential for the success of breeding programs. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of 215 common bean accessions, which included cultivars, obsolete cultivars, improved lines, and landraces using morpho-agronomic and biochemical traits, and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLP). Genetic parameters, box plots, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Ward's hierarchical clustering were used to analyze the data. The Jaccard similarity coefficient and neighbour-joining clustering method were used for molecular analysis. A wide variability among the accessions was observed for morpho-agronomic and biochemical traits. Selective accuracy (Ac) and broad-sense heritability (h2) values were high to intermediate for all traits, except seed yield. Ward's hierarchical clustering analysis generated six groups. AFLP analysis also revealed significant differences among the accessions. There was no correlation between the differences based on genetic markers and those based on morpho-agronomic and biochemical data, which indicates that both datasets are important for elucidating the differences among accessions. The results of the present study indicate great genetic diversity among the evaluated accessions.