Search Results (5)

Soil salinization is a major environmental constraint that poses a significant threat to global agricultural productivity and food security. Coix lacryma-jobi L., a minor cereal crop that is valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties, displays moderate susceptibility to salinity stress. Although exogenous treatments have been demonstrated to enhance plant resilience against various biotic and abiotic stresses, the potential of nano-silicon (NaSi), melatonin (MT), and their combined application in mitigating salinity-induced damage, particularly in relation to the medicinal properties of this medicinal and edible crop, remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of exogenous NaSi and MT application on Coix under salinity stress using two varieties with contrasting salinity tolerances. The plants were subjected to salinity stress and treated with NaSi, MT, or a combination of both. The results revealed that salinity stress significantly impaired the agronomic traits, physiological performance, and accumulation of medicinal compounds of Coix. Exogenous MT application effectively alleviated salinity-induced damage to agronomic and physiological parameters, exhibiting superior protective effects compared to NaSi treatment. Strikingly, the combined application of MT and NaSi demonstrated synergistic effects, leading to substantial improvements in growth and physiological indices. However, the medicinal components were only marginally affected by exogenous treatments under both control and salinity-stressed conditions. Further clarification of the molecular mechanisms underlying salinity stress responses and exogenous substance-induced effects is critical to achieving a comprehensive understanding of these protective mechanisms. Full article

Coix lacryma-jobi L., an annual or perennial plant belonging to the Poaceae family, has long been cultivated as a food and medicine plant in China. In recent years, coix cultivation for high yields and good quality has become a research hotspot in Southwest China. Soil optimization is essential for improving crop growth. To ensure the robust establishment of coix plants, eight soil substrates, prepared from three typical soils, i.e., red clay soil, peat soil, and sandy soil, were used to cultivate two local coix varieties (Pu coix from Fujian Province, China; Qi coix from Hebei Province, China), and the plant growth and root coixol content of the two coix varieties were investigated. It was found that coix plants could maintain growth when cultivated with peat soil or sandy soil, but red clay soil was unfavorable for coix growth. The mixtures of sandy soils and peat soils resulted in synergistic benefits for coix growth and root coixol levels over the effects of sandy soil or peat soil alone. In conclusion, the mixtures of sandy soils and peat soils with appropriate proportions (sandy soils/peat soils = 2:1) were suggested as an ideal soil substrate for coix cultivation. The results provide valuable guidance for the establishment of coix plants, which could contribute to high yields and good quality in coix cultivation. Full article

Starchy foods are an essential part of people’s daily diet. Starch is the primary substance used by plants to store carbohydrates, and it is the primary source of energy for humans and animals. In China, a variety of plants, including edible medicinal plants, such as Pueraria root, yam tuber and coix seed, are rich in starch. However, limited by their inherent properties, kudzu starch and other starches are not suitable for the modern food industry. Natural starch is frequently altered by physical, chemical, or biological means to give it superior qualities to natural starch as it frequently cannot satisfy the demands of industrial manufacturing. Therefore, the deep processing market of modified starch and its products has a great potential. This paper reviews the modification methods which can provide excellent functional, rheological, and processing characteristics for these starches that can be used to improve the physical and chemical properties, texture properties, and edible qualities. This will provide a comprehensive reference for the modification and application of starch from medicinal and edible plants. Full article

Coix lachryma-jobi L. is an excellent plant resource that has a concomitant function for medicine, foodstuff and forage in China. At present, the commonly used cultivar for both medicine and foodstuff is Xiaobaike, and the cultivar for foraging is Daheishan. However, differences in the internal composition of plants lead to the expression of different phenotypic traits. In order to comprehensively elucidate the differences in nutrient composition changes in Coix seeds, a non-targeted metabolomics method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to analyze the metabolic changes in Coix seeds at different developmental stages. An edible Coix relative (Xiaobaike) and a feeding Coix relative (Daheishan) were selected as the research subjects. In the metabolome analysis of Coix seed, 314 metabolites were identified and detected, among which organic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleotides and flavonoids were the main components. As an important standard for evaluating the quality of Coix seed, seven lipids were detected, among which fatty acids included not only even-chain fatty acids, but also odd-chain fatty acids, which was the first time detecting a variety of odd-chain fatty acids in Coix seed. The analysis of the compound contents in edible and feeding-type Coix lachryma-jobi L. and the lipid content at the mature stage showed that, among them, arachidic acid, behenic acid, heptadecanoic acid, heneicosanoic acid and pristanic acid may be the key compounds affecting the lipid content. In addition, in the whole process of semen coicis maturation, edible and feeding Coix show similar trends, and changes in the third period show clear compounds in the opposite situation, suggesting that edible and feeding Coix not only guarantee the relative stability of species but also provide raw materials for genetic breeding. This study provides valuable information on the formation of the edible and medicinal qualities of Coix. Full article

Adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is a cereal crop that has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes. It is processed into nutritious food in China and Southeast Asian countries. This study assesses the phytochemical constituents of this plant and their potential as antioxidants and crop protection agents. The methanolic extracts from seeds of Indonesian adlay (C. lacryma-jobi) varieties including Agrotis, Ma-yuen, and Aquatic, were tested against 2,2-diphnyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) to determine their free radical scavenging activity. The relationship between extraction solvents, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant activity was analyzed statistically using principal component analysis (PCA) to classify them based on the similarities among the components. The potential use of the phytochemicals as crop protection agents was also explored through a review of the literature. The Agrotis variety demonstrated the highest antioxidant activities (IC₅₀ DPPH = 741.49 and ABTS =152.69 µg/mL). The ethyl acetate fraction of this variety showed the greatest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ DPPH and ABTS = 106.34 and 17.62 µg/mL, respectively), total phenolic content (275.16 mg GAE/g extract), and flavonoid content (37.41 mg QE/g extract). Fatty acids (FAs) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) accounted for 47.71 ± 0.02 and 41.73 ± 0.04%, respectively, and they were the major components of the extracts. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three different groups of phytochemical components in the seeds of Agrotis variety, including fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), such as methyl linoleate, methyl stearate, methyl vaccinates, and methyl palmitate, and fatty acids (FAs), including 7-hexadecanoid acid, bovinic acid, and 15-hydroxipentadecanoic acid. The final phytochemical group consisted of minor components, including uncategorized compounds such as decamethyl-tetrasiloxane and cycloalkenes. This study highlights the fact that C. lacrima-jobi is a promising source of natural antioxidants and agrochemicals. Full article