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Background: Winged bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) D.C.], is unique legume which has numerous phytochemical with distinct properties. So, this research work was performed to explore and quantify the bioactive compound from different extracts of winged bean seeds through GC-MS and to assess the bio-efficacy on cowpea seed to protect them against deterioration and bruchid. Methods: The bioactive compounds of winged bean seed extracts (from different solvents, viz., water, ethanol and hexane) were analysed by GC-MS and the bio-efficacy of identified superlative extract on maintaining the quality of cowpea seed var. VBN 3 was done using accelerated ageing method. Result: The GC-MS results showed the attendance of 30 different compounds in different extracts of the winged bean seeds. Of the different compounds eluted from extract, the ethanolic seed extract revealed the existence of distinct phytocompounds such as dmannitol, 1,4-anhydro-(1.59%), diethyl phthalate (27.21%), n-hexadecanoic acid (4.54%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (9.71%), oleic acid (14.16%), octadecanoic acid (4.89%), 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid and 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxan-5-yl ester (1.05%) which possess significant antioxidant and insecticidal properties. Among the different concentration of ethanolic extract, cowpea seeds treated with 2.5% of ethanolic seed extract of winged bean showed the highest germination (94%) and vigour index I (4436) compared to other treatments while the control recorded lowest germination (88%) and vigour index (3572) at initial day. As ageing progresses, seed germination percent and vigour index of 2.5% ethanolic extract treated seeds dropped to 63% and 1845 while, it is 42% and 953 in case of untreated seeds. The bio-efficacy study of ethanolic extract against bruchid revealed the LD90 value (2.5%) of winged bean seed extract. This study clearly shows that ethanolic extract of winged bean seeds have many bioactive compounds with distinct properties that maintain the seed quality under storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiment conducted in onion cv. CO (On) 5 to study the effect of manual restriction of umbel orders as two, four, six and eight umbels plant-1 revealed that the yield contributing characters viz., umbel diameter (6.6 cm), number of capsules (166.4), seed set per cent (85.3%) and seed yield umbel-1 (1.97 g) were maximum for the plant with two umbels and these were reduced when the number of umbel orders increased. The quantitative and qualitative characters were found to be optimum upto sixth order umbel and beyond that the reduction in both parameters were observed. Hence the maximum of six umbels plant-1 could be maintained in onion cv. CO (On) 5 to get maximum quantity of quality seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed development is the period between fertilization and maximum fresh weight accumulation, while maturation is the attainment of maximum physiological stamina, where the seed obtains its capacity to reproduce its generation. At physiological maturity the seed attains its maximum dry weight that mostly (except on possession of seed dormancy) accompanied with higher germination and vigor. The attainment of seed maturation is understood either based on duration from anthesis or through the physical symptoms of fruit /seed. Fruit /seed color often serves as the valuable and easily practicable symptom of seed maturation. But both the symptoms and duration vary with crop to crop, particularly in vegetables in which fruits are the economic part that contains seed. Hence to have a better understanding on the seed development and maturation period and symptoms in vegetable crops, work done so far on the said objective was reviewed and summerized, which would be helpful in production quality seed of vegetable crops including leafy vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine if the combination therapy of quercetin along with vitamins (C and E) has any advantage over the cadmium (Cd) induced oxidative stress and renal injury in rats. They were analysed serum and urinary markers of renal damage (urea, uric acid, creatinine and creatinine clearance), renal oxidative stress indices (thio barbituric acid reactive substances: TBARS, lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and protein carbonyls (PC), renal non-enzymatic [reduced glutathione (GSH), total sulphydryl groups (TSH)], vitamin-C and vitamin-E, enzymatic [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione-s-transferase, GST)], glutathione metabolizing enzymes [glutathione reductase (GR)and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, (G6PD)] and histological changes in kidney. Results: Cd intoxication significantly (P>0.05) increased the levels of serum nephritic markers (urea, uric acid, creatinine) and significantly (P>0.05) reduced the urea, uric acid and creatinine in urine and serum creatinine clearance. It also significantly (P>0.05) increased renal oxidative stress markers andsignificantly (P>0.05) decreased renal non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants status and severely increased the histo-pathological changes when compared to normal control rats. Cd intoxicated rats pre-treated with quercetin (QE) alone and QE along with vitamin-C (VC) and vitamin-E (VE) significantlyameliorated Cd induced anomalies in renal biochemical and histological indices. Conclusion: The ameliorative effect against Cd intoxication was much pronounced in rats treated with QE along with vitamins C and E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury is one of the major outcomes of chronic Cd toxicity, which can be ameliorated by numerous antioxidants. The present study was undertaken to find the therapeutic efficacy of naringenin (NGN) plus vitamins C and E on Cd-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. It has been noticed that Cd intoxication significantly elevates the levels of serum hepatic marker enzymes such as alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, γ glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, and hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides, conjugated dienes and protein carbonyls. In addition, Cd also decreases the activities of hepatic enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants total sulphydryl groups, reduced glutathione, vitamins C and E and histopathological changes in liver. Treatment with NGN and vitamins C and E in combination more significantly improved the altered biochemical and histopathological changes in the liver of Cd-intoxicated rats than the NGN or vitamins C and E treatment alone., Conclusion: The present data suggest that combined administration of NGN with vitamins C and E proved to be more beneficial in the treatment of Cd-hepatotoxicity than NGN treatment alone.

Background and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine if the combination therapy of quercetin along with vitamins (C and E) has any advantage over the cadmium (Cd) induced oxidative stress and renal injury in rats. They were analysed serum and urinary markers of renal damage (urea, uric acid, creatinine and creatinine clearance), renal oxidative stress indices (thio barbituric acid reactive substances: TBARS, lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and protein carbonyls (PC), renal non-enzymatic [reduced glutathione (GSH), total sulphydryl groups (TSH)], vitamin-C and vitamin-E, enzymatic [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione-s-transferase, GST)], glutathione metabolizing enzymes [glutathione reductase (GR) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, (G6PD)] and histological changes in kidney., Results: Cd intoxication significantly (P > 0.05) increased the levels of serum nephritic markers (urea, uric acid, creatinine) and significantly (P > 0.05) reduced the urea, uric acid and creatinine in urine and serum creatinine clearance. It also significantly (P > 0.05) increased renal oxidative stress markers and significantly (P > 0.05) decreased renal non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants status and severely increased the histo-pathological changes when compared to normal control rats. Cd intoxicated rats pre-treated with quercetin (QE) alone and QE along with vitamin-C (VC) and vitamin-E (VE) significantly ameliorated Cd induced anomalies in renal biochemical and histological indices., Conclusion: The ameliorative effect against Cd intoxication was much pronounced in rats treated with QE along with vitamins C and E.