>Magister Scientiae - MSc / With a decrease in water availability and arable land, and the ever-increasing reports of toxic chemical pollutants, it is crucial to elucidate plants’ mechanisms of adaptability to these abiotic stressors. South Africa alone accounts for approximately 30% of global Zirconium (Zr) production. However, reports on Zr-induced stress in plants are sparse. Increased mining activity leads to soil contamination which subsequently has harmful effects on crop plants. Under normal conditions B. rapa crop plants flourish, they are rapid in their cycling and circumvent the seed dormancy stage which enables them to have high yields over relatively short periods. However, when unfavourable conditions arise, such as exposure to toxic chemicals and metal ions like Zirconium, the development and growth of B. rapa L., much like other crop plants is affected. More specifically, the damaging effects of Zr is not only attributed directly; as with substitutions of biometals [like Iron (Fe)] in various biomolecules rendering them inactive, but more as a consequence of the production of toxic molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG). ROS such as superoxide anion (O₂⁻) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂ ) are known to have signalling roles in plants with reports on their involvement in alleviating seed dormancy and seedling development. However, the signalling roles of MG are not known with regards to plant cells and have been reported more so in animal cells; playing vital roles in fat signalling in diseases such as diabetes. Furthermore MG, in plant and animal cells, directly converts oxygen (O₂) to O₂⁻ and thus increases the cell’s oxidative imbalance, leading to cell damage if O₂⁻ is not rapidly dismutated to H₂O₂ and H₂O by superoxide dismutase (SOD). In turn, H₂O₂ is more stable than O₂⁻ and consequently is more toxic to cells over time. Therefore, H O must be removed as well by a collection of enzymes, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalases (CAT). In this study, possible stress-signalling of MG in seedlings under normal conditions and Zr-stress were investigated to establish whether MG at a low dose (6 μM) would benefit seedling growth and development, via a proposed preinduction of the B. rapa L. antioxidant system. Therefore, it was proposed that ROS accumulation due to the exogenous application of MG, would incite the activation of antioxidants and thus mitigate the effects of Zr stress. Physiological tests to determine dry weights (figure 3.2.3) and germination percentage (figure 3.2.2) revealed that MG-treated seedlings yielded an improved biomass and early development compared to Zr-treated seedlings and the control. Membrane damage as assessed by lipid peroxidation viz. Malondialdehyde [MDA] (figure 3.2.4) and conjugated dienes [CD] (figure 3.2.5) also indicated less damage in MG-treated seedlings compared to the Zr-treated set. The chlorophyll content observed was prominent (table 3.1). MG-treated seedlings exhibited a 40% and 15.5% increase compared to Zr-treated seedlings and the control respectively. Moreover cell viability had improved in MG-treated seedlings compared to the control, and in MG+Zr-treated seedlings only a slight increase in cell death occurred despite Zr being present. O₂⁻, H₂O₂ and •OH (figure 4.2.1 – 4.2.3) were investigated in B. rapa L. seedlings in response to Zr and MG by spectrophotometric biochemical assays, as well as their scavenging enzymes, MG accumulation and Gly-I activity. Furthermore, BrGLY1 gene expression and Zr-uptake by ICP-OES were performed. Seedlings treated with MG and Zr respectively showed an increase in ROS. However, all of the ROS observed in MG+Zr-treated seedlings were markedly lower compared to Zr-treated seedlings. SOD and CAT activity observed in MG+Zr-treated seedlings had decreased compared to Zr-treated seedlings, whereas APX activity had increased. Gly-I activity and BrGlyI gene expression had increased across all treatments, showing an elicited response to oxidative stress, due to the observed upregulation, as a result of the accumulated MG. The observed Zr-uptake in MG+Zr-treated seedlings was inhibited by 5-fold compared to Zr-treated seedlings. Clear signs of stress were evident in seedlings treated with Zr compared to the control and MG- treated seedlings, the MG-supplemented (MG and MG+Zr) seedlings displayed a vast improvement comparatively. Modulation of antioxidant activity observed in this study is indicative of an incited response to oxidative stress (figure 4.2.4 – 4.2.6). MG revealed distinct involvement in stress-signalling, ROS levels had increased, although not as severely as with Zr-treated seedlings, but seemingly enough to activate antioxidants without eliciting damage. Furthermore, the proposed early-onset activation of antioxidants has been observed in B. rapa L. seedlings of this study, and as such has resulted in improved growth, development and seed germination. The results of this study has therefore negated the previous reports on MG-toxicity (at high concentrations), and has shed light on further properties of this ubiquitous and inevitably-occurring metabolite at low levels. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

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<p>U ovom radu su ispitani hemijski sastav i biolo&scaron;ka aktivnost vrsta&nbsp;<em> Brassica oleracea&nbsp; </em>i<em>&nbsp; Brassica rapa</em>&nbsp; poreklom iz organskog i konvencionalnog sistema proizvodnje. Ispitivanja hemijskog sastava su obuhvatila određivanje volatilnih komponenata primenom headspace GC-MS tehnike, kvalitativnu analizu sokova ispitivanih vrsta pomoću LC-DAD-MS/MS tehnike, kvantifikaciju odabranih fenolnih jedinjenja&nbsp;pomoću LC-MS/MS tehnike i spektrofotometrijsko određivanje sadržaja ukupnih glukozinolata, fenola i flavonoida i sadržaja ukupnih monomernih antocijana. Biolo&scaron;ka aktivnost povrća je ispitana određivanjem antioksidantnog potencijal, antimikrobne i antitumorske aktivnosti sokova. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da su glavne volatilne komponente ispitivanih vrsta degradacioni proizvodi masnih kiselina i organosumpornih jedinjenja od kojih neke od identifikovanih komponenata predstavljaju ključne mirisne komponente. Na osnovu njihove distribucije nije bilo moguće utvrditi uticaj sistema proizvodnje na miris i ukus ispitivanih vrsta. Pomoću LC-DAD-MS/MS i LC-MS/MS tehnike je utvrđeno prisustvo primarnih metabolita, slobodnih hidroksibenzoevih i hidroksicimetnih kiselina, derivate hinske kiseline&nbsp;sa hidroksicimetnim kiselinama, glikozida flavonola, biflavonoida, i kumarina u sokovima spitivanih vrsta. Pored toga u svim sokovima subili prisutni kondenzacioni proizvodi degradacionih proizvoda indolnih glukozinolata sa askorbinskom kiselinom-&nbsp; askorbigen i metoksiaskorbigen. U sokovima crvenog kupusa su bili prisutni antocijani. Najveći sadržaj ukupnih glukozinolata je određen u brokoliju, dok je crveni kupus sadržao najveći sadržaj ukupnih fenola ukupnih flavonoida kao i hinske kiseline. Crveni kupus je bio varijetet koji je ispoljio najvi&scaron;i antioksidantni kapacitet u svim primenjenim testovima, brokoli i karfiol su ispoljili najjaču antimikrobnu aktivnost, dok je kelj bio varijetet sa najjačim antitumorskim delovanjem. Na osnovu analize hemijskog sastava i biolo&scaron;ke aktivnosti vrsta <em>B</em>. <span id="cke_bm_177S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><em>oleracea</em><span id="cke_bm_177E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span> i&nbsp;<em> B. rapa</em>&nbsp; može se <span id="cke_bm_178E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span>zaključiti da u zavisnosti od primenjenog tipa&nbsp;proizvodnje mogu biti pobolj&scaron;ane neke od karakteristika ispitivanih vrsta i da je uticaj sistema proizvodnje značajan za pojedine varijetete, a nikako za celu vrstu. U konačnom obliku može se zaključiti da bi potencijalna kombinacija sokova crvenog kupusa, brokolija, karfiola i kelja mogla ostvariti značajno hemopreventivno i hemoterapeutsko delovanje, ispoljavajući istovremeno antioksidantnu, antimikrobnu i antitumorsku aktivnost.</p> / <p>Chemical composition and biological activity of<em>&nbsp; Brassica oleracea</em>&nbsp; and&nbsp; <em>B. rapa&nbsp;</em> species were investigated in the present work. Investigation of chemical composition&nbsp; encompassed determination of volatile compounds by headspace GC-MS technique, qualitative analysis of juices of investigated vegetables by LC-DAD-MS/MS technique, quantification of selected phenolic compounds by LC-MS/MS technique and spectrophotometric determination of total content of glucosinolates, phenolic compounds and flavonoids and total content of monomeric anthocyanes. Biological activity of vegetables was investigated by determination of antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial and antitumorigenic effect of juices. Obtained results showed that main volatile compounds were degradation products of fatty acids and organo-sulphur compounds among which some of the identified components were the key aroma compounds. Based on their distribution it was not possible to evaluate influence of cropping system on aroma and taste of investigated species. By LC-DAD-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS techniques, it was determined the presence of primary metabolites, freehydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, derivatives of quinic acid and hidroxicinnamic acids, flavonol glucosides, biflavnoids&nbsp; and a cumarin in juices of the investigated species. Furthermore, condensation products of degradation products of indole glucosinolates with ascorbic acid-&nbsp; ascorbigen and metoxiascorbigen were present in all juices. Anthocyanes were present in juices of red cabbage. The highest total content of glucosinolates was determined in broccoli, while red cabbage had the highest total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, as well as content of qunic acid. Red cabbage was a variety that showed the highest antioxidant capacity measured by different assays. Broccoli and cauliflower expressed the highest antimicrobial potential, while Savoy cabbage was a variety with the highest antitumor effect. Investigation of chemical composition and biological activity showed that applied cropping conditions may be useful for improving some of the characteristics of investigated species and significance of cropping system only&nbsp; for particular varieties, but not for the whole species in general. As the conclusion, potential&nbsp; combination of juices of red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Savoy cabbage could be potent chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, expressing simultaneously antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor activity.</p>