The metabolic profiling of Chinese yam fermented by Saccharomyces boulardii and the biological activities of its ethanol extract in vitro

Chinese yam(Dioscorea opposita Thunb.),as one of the medicinal and edible homologous plants,is rich in various nutrients and functional factors.In this study,Chinese yam fermented by Saccharomyces boulardii was performed to investigate its bioactive components and metabolic profile.And then,the main bioactive components and biological activities of fermented Chinese yam ethanol extract(FCYE)were evaluated.Results showed that there were 49 up-regulated metabolites and 52 down-regulated metabolites in fermented Chinese yam compared to unfermented Chinese yam.Besides,corresponding metabolic pathways analysis initially revealed that the distribution of bioactive substances was concentrated on alcoholsoluble small molecular substances.Ulteriorly,the total polyphenol content and the total flavonoid content in FCYE were significantly increased,and the corresponding antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities in vitro were also significantly enhanced.Our study provided a new reference for the comprehensive utilization of Chinese yam and laid a theoretical foundation for the development and application of natural probiotic-fermented products.

Production of Yam Tubers Using Seed Tubers from Vitroplants Regenerated from Aerial Stems in the Yam Species Dioscorea alata (L.) and Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata (L. & P.) in Côte d’Ivoire

The aim of this study is to produce large quantities of yam tubers in the field from seed tubers derived from vitroplants regenerated from aerial stem cuttings and farmers’ tuber seeds. Seed tubers from ten yam cultivars, including five from Dioscorea alata (cDa083, cDa053, cDa115, cDa150 and cDa266) and five from Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata (cDr015, cDr027, cDr150, cDr206 and cDr148) with distinct agro-morphological characteristics, were used as material. A completely randomized block design with 3 replications was used. In each block, all cultivars and seed types were represented. When put into cultivation, the tubers produced by the vitroplants all germinated and gave 100% healthy plants, compared with 86% to 100% healthy plants for the seed tubers produced by the farmers. Yields per hectare ranged from 10 to 25 tonnes for seed tubers produced by in vitro plants, and from 4 to 9 tons for seed tubers produced by farmers. Seed tubers from vitroplants can therefore be recommended to farmers as a solution to the problem of seed tuber unavailability.

Efficiency of Legumes in Increasing Yam Yield under Sandy Ferrasol in the Forest Zone of Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire

The cropping system is based on traditional farming in rural areas. In this way, yields of some food crops like yam are very low considering their high need for nutrients. The nutrient-rich land is under high land pressure as it is occupied by cash crops such as oil palm and rubber at the expense of food crops and soil fertility is declining. The study was conducted in Grand-Lahou to assess the effect of organic matter provided by legumes in increasing yam yield. The randomized complete block design included four (4) treatments: Arachis hypogaea + yam association (T1), Acacia mangium + yam association (T2), Arachis + Acacia mangium + yam association (T3) and pure yam crop (T0). The parameters measured were: the soil nutrients content, the rate of mineralization of organic matter through the C/N ratio as well as the yield of yam through different techniques that allowed the objective of the study to be achieved. It was noted a slight improvement of nitrogen and organic carbon in all treatments with a higher value recorded in the T2 treatment. The C/N ratio decreased to 12 in all treatments compared to the control, which reflects a normal decomposition of the organic matter. Treatment T1 increased yam yield (8.4 t/ha) in contrast to treatments T2 (4.1 t/ha) and T3 (2.8 t/ha). Legume-based treatments T2 and T3 were associated with a significant decrease in yam yield, resulting in losses of −46.34% to −25.09%, while treatment T1 resulted in a gain of 28.57%. As a result, the treatments involving legumes contributed to normalizing the organic matter content of the soil. The simultaneous association of these two legumes led to a decrease in yam production, contrary to the treatment associating only groundnut.

First Report of a Successful Development of Yam Hybrids(Dioscorea alata L.)from Lyophilized and Long-Term Stored Pollens

Various biological constraints including erratic and asynchronous flowering between male and female plants hinder successful hybrid development and genetic gains in greater yam breeding programs.Therefore,pollen storage has gained much attention to facilitate artificial pollinations and increase the genetic gains.This 4-year study aimed at developing a practical long-term pollen storage technique for the successful development of yam hybrids.Fresh pollens were collected from two Dioscorea alata males,then lyophilized(two lyophilization treatments were applied),followed by storage at room temperature(24℃–25℃)for 12 months.Moreover,the lyophilized and stored pollens were tested for viability by crossing with four female varieties.Our results showed that lyophilization is effective for achieving viable pollens after 12 months of storage.Treatment 1(48 h drying)showed higher pollen germination and fertility rates than Treatment 2(72 h drying).Although we observed a reduction in viability of lyophilized pollens after 12 months of storage,we generated hybrid seedlings with success rates from 12%to 21%compared to 21%–31%when using fresh pollens.Paternity testing based on molecular genotyping confirmed the hybrid status of the obtained seedlings,which grew well in a greenhouse.Lyophilization is a practical approach for a long-term storage of greater yam pollen samples.This protocol will positively impact yam breeding programs particularly in developing countries.

Effect of Purple Yam(Dioscorea alata L.) on Nutritional and Physiological Functions of Growing Rats

[Objective] This study was to explore the effect of purple yam on the nutritional and physiological functions of rats.[Method] Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups with ten rats in each group which were reared with artificial semisynthetic feed added with 10% steamed yam powder.The four groups,the casein（CK） group which was used as the control,the purple yam（PY） group,the Tiegun yam（TY） group and common Huai yam（HY） group,were supplied with feed of equal content of energy,protein and fat.The rats were pair-fed for 56 days to observe changes of relevant nutritional and physiological indices.[Result] There were no significant differences of body weight,food conversion rate and organ indices between rats in PY group and CK group.Mean corpuscular hemoglobin in PY group was significantly lower than that in CK group;hemoglobin showed no significant difference with that in CK group;eosnophils was lower than that in CK group.Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol,total cholesterol and atherogenic index in PY group were lower than that in the other three groups;anti-atherogenic index was the highest among the four groups,while showing no significant difference;triglyceride content was lower than that in CK group.Among the antioxidant indices,the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase were higher than that in CK group,while malondialdehyde content was lower than that in CK group.[Conclusion] Purple yam showed the trend of reducing the content of blood glucose,total cholesterol,low density lipoprotein-cholesterol,triglyceride,malondialdehyde,and raising the activity of glutathione peroxidase,superoxide dismutase and catalase,thus having certain antioxidative function.

Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides in Yam Bulbils and Their Hypoglycemic Effect in Diabetic Mice

The polysaccharides in yam bulbils were extracted, and their antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic effect in diabetic mice were discussed. The results showed that the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides in yam bulbils was signifi- cantly enhanced with the increase of concentration; they showed a strong scaveng- ing ability against DPPH. and .OH, and the scavenging ability was dose dependent to some extent; the scavenging rates reached 91.15% and 89.06% respectively when the dose reached 4.0 mg/ml; the polysaccharides in yam bulbils significantly educed the blood glucose in model rice, and the hypoglycemic effect of large-dose polysaccharides was more obvious. The polysaccharides in yam bulbils has good antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic effect, which provides a new source for devel- opment of safe and natural food antioxidants and blood sugar-lowering agents.

新型有机螯合捕收剂YAM2的选矿特性研究

通过一系列浮选数据介绍了由云南大学矿产研究所最新开发的代号为YAM2的n-辛基-异羟肟酸钾有机螯合捕收剂在浮选复杂难选氧化铜矿的显著优势和此药剂与常规捕收剂组合使用时的协同增效作用。对人工硅孔雀石富矿试样的试验结果表明，当调整矿浆的pH值为7．5～10．5时，YAM2是硅孔雀石矿物的有效捕收剂。对实际难选氧化铜矿的试验结果表明，YAM2可单独使用，也可与其他硫化矿捕收剂组合使用，当YAM2与常规硫化矿捕收剂组合使用时，明显加强了其协同增效作用，在精矿品位略有提高的基础上，精矿回收率提高了15—20个百分点。

Breeding and Mechanized Cultivation of the New Bulk Purple Yam Variety Suyu 2

The new bulk purple yam variety Suyu 2,which had high quality,efficiency and was suitable for production in a highly mechanized cultivation,was bred by special and was suitable for whole-course mechanized cultivation.Integrated with agricultural machinery and agricultural trait,four kinds of machines produced by two factories from Jiangsu and Shandong could complete 10 kinds of main production processes,including rotary tillage,ridging,sowing,intertillage,topdressing,drug delivery,weeding,hilling,vine cutting and harvest.The work efficiency of single machine was 4-5 hm^2/d,and the production pattern got the cost saving and effectiveness increasing in the main yam producing area.The benefit reached over RMB 37500 yuan/hm^2 in special vegetable area.It was simple,feasible and easy to popularize the mechanization cultivation technique.

ZrB_2复合材料表面YAM涂层制备

以硝酸铝和硝酸钇摩尔配比混合溶液为前躯体,采用共沉淀法及随后热处理在ZrB_2复合材料表面制备YAM涂层。研究了基体材料表面处理状态、浸涂次数和煅烧温度对涂层结构的影响。借助X射线衍射仪和扫面电镜分析了涂层热处理后的物相、形貌和涂层与基体之间的结合情况。研究结构表明:经过1750℃真空煅烧,基体表面形成YAM涂层,涂层厚度随浸涂次数增加而增加,浸涂两次的涂层表面光滑程度最好,而经过粗化能够提高涂层与基体间良好结合。

Chinese yam(Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) Notillage Ecological Cultivation Technique

For traditional cultivation of Chinese yam, it is necessary to dig a deep trench duringsowing and harvest, wasting labor and time, and Chinese yam requires good quality of cultivated land, causing serious impact on the development of yam industry due to the competition with food production. Yam no-tillage ecological cul- ture techniques, combined with advantage of yam directional tuberization, could en- able the cultivation of yam inlow-production field, barren hills and sloping field, forest land and other non-staple food land and thus could promote farmers＇ income as well as improving the ecological environment.

Effect of Some Processing Variables on the Quality Attributes of Yam Flour

The effect of varied processing variables （yam slice thickness, drying temperatures and type of drying） were investigated to determine their effects on the proximate and some functional properties of yam flour. The yam flour was produced with different slice thickness of 1, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 5 cm using both conventional sun drying method and oven drying at temperatures; 40 ~C, 50 ~C, 60 ~C and 70 ~C. The moisture content of all the yam flour samples increased with increasing yam slice thickness, with the samples sun dried having the lowest values （6.20%-6.87%） followed by those dried at 70 ~C and then 60 ~C. The protein content of the yam flour samples increased with increase in slice thickness and decreased with increase in drying temperatures while the fat and the crude fibre of all the yam flour samples decreased with increase in slice thickness. The water absorption capacity of the sun dried yam flour samples decreased with increase in slice thickness while the syneresis value, bulk density and the gel strength increased with increase in slice thickness for all drying temperatures and for sun dried yam flour samples but smaller slice thickness had higher swelling capacity.

Comprehensive characterization of yam tuber nutrition and medicinal quality of Dioscorea opposita and D.alata from different geographic groups in China

China is an important domestication center of yams,and two main yam species of Dioscorea opposita and D.alata are commonly cultivated in China.However,the differences of nutritional and medicinal characteristics between the two species and their subgroups remain unclear,which would greatly affect the resource conservation and commercial utilization of yams.In this study,typical yam resources including the species of D.opposita(wild and cultivated Ruichang yam from southern China,and Tiegun yam from northern China)and two landraces of D.alata(Longyan yam and Anyuan yam from southern China)were selected as materials.Nutritional traits and medicinal characteristics were determined and analyzed respectively.The results showed that there was no significant differences in the content of most nutrients between D.opposita and D.alata,but most cultivated Ruichang yam of D.opposita showed higher levels of starch,soluble sugar,sucrose,and ascorbate in tuber than that in yam from D.alata.Moreover,an UPLC-MS method was developed for identification and determination of medicinal characteristics in the two species.The results showed that allantoin can be detected in all selected samples.Cultivated Ruichang yam of D.opposita possessed the highest allantoin content among the tested materials,and was significantly different with that in Tiegun yam and D.alata.Dioscin was not detected in D.alata.Overall,there was little difference in nutritional composition between D.opposita and D.alata,but the medicinal quality of D.opposita was better than that of D.alata.Due to the outstanding comprehensive quality,the local variety of cultivated Ruichang yam can be further developed and utilized.

Isolation of Nine Microorganisms from Rotten <i>Dioscorea rotundata</i>(White Yam) and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test with Five Plant Extracts

Five yam tuber varieties were investigated for microorganisms that cause yam tuber rot from five local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria, between the months of March 2014 to March 2015. Five fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marnessei and four bacteria species: Serratia marcescens, Erwinia caro-tovora, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were consistently isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out confirmed these organisms as the pathological agent of the rot. Antimicrobial activity of five plant aqueous extracts: Terminalia catapa (common name fruit), Passiflora edulis (passion fruit), Daniella oliveri (Chiha-Tiv), Ceiba pentandra (Vambe-Tiv), Jatropha tanjorensis (Catholic plant) was carried out on the isolated microorganims and they showed varing degrees of inhibition, the aqueous extract from Passiflora edulis, Ceiba pentandra and Jatropha tanjorensis were able to inhibit all the fungi completely.

Identification of Polysaccharides from Chinese Yam(Dioscoreae opposite “Qi”) by Infrared Spectroscopy

In this study, the structure of polysaccharides from Chinese yam （Dioscoreae opposite ＂Qi＂） was analyzed and identified by infrared spectroscopy within an infrared spectral range of 400-4 000 cm^-1, Characteristic absorption peaks were observed at 840 cm^-1 （α-glucosidic bond）, 759.21 cm^-1 （xylose）, 830.87 cm^-1 （rhamnose）, 812.81 cm^-1, 876.60 cm^-1 （mannose） and 842.64 cm^-1 （arabinose） in infrared spectra of polysaccharides from D. opposite ＂Qi＂, indicating that D. opposite ＂Qi＂ polysaccharides exist mainly in the form of α-glucosidic bonds, including xylose, rhamnose, mannose and arabinose. The experimental results could provide the basis for quantitative analysis, development and application of polysaccharides from D. opposite ＂Qi＂.

Effect of Incorporation of Yam Flour and Moringa Powder in Wheat Bread on Glycemic Response

This study aimed to investigate the effect of yam flour substitution (Dioscorea alata L.) and moringa powder in wheat bread on glycemic response. Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of pieces of bread were determined. A mixture plan design was used to determine the optimal formulation of bread made of yam flour, wheat flour and moringa powder. The mixture of 79.4% soft wheat flour, 20% yam flour and 0.6% moringa leaves powder has a good potential in bread preparation and was used in this study. 100% wheat bread was used as control. Postprandial blood glucose response (glycemic response) was evaluated with the glucose used as a reference food. Blood glucose responses were measured at different intervals for 2 hours. The results indicated that composite bread had low GI and GL values than wheat bread. Values are GI = 80 and GL = 61.2 for wheat bread and GI = 37.78 and GL = 29.65 for the composite bread. This study demonstrated that the inclusion of yam flour of moringa leaves powder in bread production might not pose a threat to blood glucose response compared to wheat bread. These pieces of bread could be included easily in diabetics’ and non-diabetics diet.

DPPH Radical Scavenging Capacity of Phenolic Extracts from African Yam Bean (<i>Sphenostylis stenocarpa</i>)

The phenolic extracts of the seeds of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) were studied using different extraction solvents (70% ethanol, 80% acetone and acidic 70% acetone) and two heat treatment methods (dry heating on a hot plate with acid-washed sea sand at 135℃ for 25 min and wet heating in an autoclave at 120℃ for 20 min). The study examined the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and condensed tannin content (CTC) of the seed extracts, as well as their free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties. The raw African yam bean seed was dry heated in air oven at 100℃ for 5 min (control). Heat treatments application affected the phenolic contents of the seeds significantly (p < 0.05). The free radical scavenging activity of the phenolics were done using 2,2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The effectiveness of the extract was determined using DPPH at 50 mg/g, 10 mg/g and 5 mg/g of the extracts. At 5 mg/g, the extract was most effective indicating that higher concentration of extract gave higher antioxidant activity. The seed has high antioxidant capacity and an appreciable amount of phenolic extracts.

Preparation and characterization of resistant starch type 3 from yam and its effect on the gut microbiota

Background:Yam(Dioscorea opposita Thunb.)has been consumed as a food and used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.Resistant starch(RS)3 is of particular interest because it is heat-resistant,safe and non-toxic,and retains good nutritional benefits;it is therefore used in a wide range of traditional and emerging foods as a heat-stable prebiotic ingredient.In our previous study,we found that yam RS includes strong lipid-lowering and anti-constipation activities.Methods:Yam RS3 was prepared by autoclaving-retrogradation and pullulanase debranching to yield autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS and pullulanase debranching yam RS,respectively.First,the physicochemical properties of both RS3s were analyzed.Second,the structures of the RS3s were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray powder diffraction,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Finally,the regulatory effects of the RS3s on the gut microbiota were evaluated using an in vitro fecal fermentation model.Results:The RS content of the RS3s decreased after processing,but was higher in pullulanase debranching yam RS(35.67%)than in autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS(28.71%).Compared with native yam starch,RS3s lost their original granular shapes and instead exhibited irregularly shapes with continuous phases.The crystalline structure of the RS3s was completely altered,with pullulanase debranching yam RS exhibiting B-type patterns.Both RS3s,and especially pullulanase debranching yam RS,promoted a significant increase in short chain fatty acid content after in vitro fermentation(all P<0.05).Moreover,pullulanase debranching yam RS significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia and Shigella(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Our findings show that yam RS3s can regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and promote the production of short chain fatty acid,especially butyric acid.Pullulanase debranching was a more effective method for producing functional yam RS3.

Optimization of Preservation on Fresh-cut Yam under Simulated Cold-chain Process

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the effect of compound fresh-keeping liquid on the browning and quality of fresh-cut yam during the cold chain process.[Methods]Under the simulated cold chain condition of 4℃,a uniform design(U6*(64))experiment was carried out to optimize the compound preservative formula,and a better compound preservative formula was obtained using the regression equation.[Results]The compound preservative formula was:AA 0.25%,CA 0.5%,Nisin 0.09%,GSH 0.15%.The compound fresh-keeping liquid effectively delayed the browning of fresh-cut yam and the accumulation of MDA,maintained the content of TSS,inhibited the activity of PAL and delayed the appearance of the maximum activity of POD and POD.[Conclusions]This study provides technical support for the actual extension of the shelf life of fresh-cut yam.

Polyphenol Oxidase Activity and Inhibition in White Yam （Dioscorea Rotundata. Var. Laasirin） Chips as African Fries for Human Consumption

Polyphenol oxidase, a bi-functional enzyme, has been implicated in enzymatic browning of yam and other tubers in a negative way. The objective of this present study was to examine the activity of polyphenol oxidase in Dioscorea rotundata. Var. laasirin and the efficiency of heat and chemical treatments in inhibiting this enzyme. Crude Polyphenol Oxidase （PPO） of Dioscorea rotundata.Var. Laasirin was isolated and the kinetics studied using the lineweaver-burk plot. The activity of the enzyme was evaluated using spectrophotomeric method. Yam PPO catalyzes oxidation of various substrates with catechol being the most readily oxidized substrate. The Michaelis-Menten constant （Km） and maximum reaction velocity （Vmax） for yam PPO were 0.00037 and 0.3125 respectively. Inhibition data showed that the enzyme had least activity （71.70） when blanched at 95℃ for 7 mins with chemical treatment involving a combination of 0.5% Sodium metabisulphite （Food grade） and 0.5% Ascorbic acid （Food grade）. The activity was highest （83.02） when it was blanched at 95 ℃ for 7 rains. This study has shown that it is possible to inhibit polyphenol oxidase activity in white yam using the chemical pretreatments and processing conditions described in this study for possible adoption in the production of packaged frozen yam chips by food industries.

Formulation factors affecting the binding properties of Chinese yam(Dioscorea oppositifolia) and corn starches

Objective:The quantitative effects of formulation and processing variables affecting the binding properties of Chinese yam starch（Dioscorea oppositifolia） in chloroquine phosphate tablet formulations have been investigated in comparison with corn starch using a 23 factorial experimental design.Methods:Chinese yam starch,representing the "low" level,and corn starch,representing the "high" level were used as binders at concentrations of 2.5%w/w and 10%w/w in chloroquine phosphate tablet formulations.The mechanical properties of the tablets,measured by the tensile strength（T） and brittle fracture index（BFI） as well as the release properties measured by the disintegration time（DT） and dissolution time(t80- time for 80%drug release),were used as assessment parameters.Results:The ranking of the individual coefficient values for the formulations on T was D 】 N 】】C,on BFI was N 】 D 】】C,on DT was D 】 N 】 C and on t80 was C 】 N 】 D while the ranking of the interaction coefficient on T was N-D 】 C-D 】】 N-C,on BFI was N-D 】 N-C = C-D,on DT and t80 was N-C 】 N-D 】 C-D.Changing the binding agent from Chinese to corn starch,led to a decrease in T,DT and t80 but increase in BFI of the tablets.There were significant（P 【 0.001 ） interactions between the nature of binder,N and the other two variables,C and D.Conclusion:The result showed that Chinese yam possessed stronger binding capacity than corn starch and could be useful as an alternative binder when tablets with high mechanical strength with minimal problems of lamination,and slow release are required.