High-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) is a key factor affecting dough-processing quality. 1Sty13 is a novel HMW-GS found in the tetraploid species, Elymus sibiricus L. 1Sty13 has faster electrophoretic mobility than the 1Dy12 subunit on sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gene encoding the 1Sty13 subunit was composed of 1803 nucleotide base pairs with an open reading frame that was 599 amino acids in length. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of 1Sty13 indicated that the N-terminal domain was similar to the y-type subunit, whereas the C-terminal domains were similar to the x-type subunit. Five cysteine residues were found in 1Sty13, which is one less than the published HMW-GS in the St genome. The 1Sty13 protein was purified at a scale sufficient for incorporation into flour for the SDS sedimentation test, which indicated that incorporating 1Sty13 improved dough quality.

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) of endosperm is mainly correlated with dough quality of bread wheat. In wheat cultivars, the HMW-GS genes with good processing quality are limited. However, there are an amount of excellent HMW-GS genes presenting in wheat-related species. In this work, two novel HMW-GS genes located on 1 M chromosome from Aegilops comosa have been cloned, designated as 1Mx2.1 and 1My12.1, respectively. The molecular structure of 1Mx2.1 and 1My12.1 showed high similarity with the published HMW-GS, but containing unique structures. 1Mx2.1 contained an extra cysteine residue in the repetitive domain, and 1My12.1 lost the conservative cysteine residue in the C-terminal domain. In vitro mixing test has indicated that 1Mx2.1 contributes excellent dough quality. The Ae. comosa can be used as an important genetic resource for wheat quality improvement.

Introduction. Cashew appleis a rich source of sugars, vitamin C and polyphenols. In spiteof its nutritional value, this pseudo-fruit has been left unexploitedto a large extent in the crop-growing areas. Some reports of thechemical characteristics of cashew apple have been published. However,nothing is known about the changes in the composition of its bioactive compoundsin the course of ripening. Materials and methods. Cashewapples at three different maturity stages were examined with respectto their ascorbic acid content, phenolic compounds and antioxidantcapacity. Ascorbic acid was quantified by HPLC. Phenolic compoundswere identified and quantified by using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS by comparisonwith authentic standard compounds. The antioxidant capacity wasmeasured by TOSC assay against peroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. Results. Amounts of identified phenolic compounds werethe highest in unripe cashew apple and decreased in the course ofripening. Myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-O-galactoside and quercetin3-O-rhamnoside turned out to be the main flavonoids in all maturitystages. The antioxidant capacity and the concentration of ascorbicacid increased in the course of ripening. The antioxidant activitywas considerably influenced by ascorbic acid, more than by the content ofphenolic compounds. Conclusion. This study provides, forthe first time, information on changes in bioactive compounds andthe antioxidant capacity in cashew apple during ripening. A dietaryor technological exploitation of ascorbic acid is useful in theripe condition. The unripe pseudo-fruits are a good source for the extractionof polyphenols with regard to possible food technological purposesor the preparation of food supplements.