Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius G.), was germinated for 48 hours and used for akara preparation. Raw and germinated teparies and uncooked and cooked akara were analyzed for proximate and amino acid composition, vitamin A and ascorbic acid contents, trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), and compared to that obtained using cowpeas. Protein and amino acid composition of cowpeas and raw teparies were similar. Vitamin A and ascorbic acid contents were low. Germination increased vitamin A and ascorbic acid contents but had little effect on protein content, amino acid composition, and TIA. In cooked akara, protein content dropped from 21.03-23.77% to 12.05-14.36%, ascorbic acid from 5.76-8.88% to 1.22-1.60%, and TIA from 12.41-12.98% to 9.15-11.25%. For sensory evaluation, no significant difference in color, texture, and flavor was found but for the overall acceptability, akara prepared from raw teparies was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) preferred to akara prepared using cowpeas and germinated teparies.

No description available.

The cancer bush (Lessertia frutescens L.) is an important leguminous perennial native to southern Africa and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine by the continent’s diverse cultural groups. Like many other legumes, the seeds of this species exhibit dormancy. Moreover, woody plants are typically difficult to propagate in in vitro culture systems. But in vitro shoot cultures are valuable in providing an alternative means of deriving desired secondary metabolites or phytocompounds, under controlled conditions. This study describes novel protocols for breaking seed dormancy, rapid and efficient in vitro propagation, bioreactor culture, and comprehensive phytochemical data following screening and analysis of in vitro and field extracts of L. frutescens. Experiments using physical, mechanical and chemical pre-sowing treatments were conducted to determine the germination response of this species. The results indicated that seeds of L. frutescens exhibited exogenous dormancy due to the inhibitory effect of the hard coat on germination. Seed dormancy was released by mechanical scarification in which 100 % germination was achieved. In vitro propagation studies using single node explants in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with combinations of different concentrations of benzyladenine and naphthaleneacetic acid revealed a maximum number of 10 shoots per explant in solid medium, and 12.9 shoots per explant in liquid medium inside a temporary immersion bioreactor. Indirect shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration using rachis and stem segments was achieved with the highest percentage of explants forming shoots (88.8 %) from rachis explants cultured onto MS medium supplemented with thidiazuron. Direct shoot organogenesis from hypocotyl and cotyledon segments was also achieved in L. frutescens. The highest shoot regeneration using hypocotyls (83 %) was obtained in MS medium supplemented with kinetin whilst the highest shoot regeneration using cotyledons (46 %) was obtained in MS medium supplemented with kinetin in combination with benzyladenine. Successful rooting (up to 80 %) and acclimatization (up to 90 % survival rate) was attained. Spectrophotometric and gravimetric methods indicated that saponins were the most abundant, followed by phenolics, flavonoids and then alkaloids in in vitro leaf extracts then in field leaf extracts and seed extracts, respectively. After qualitative analysis these extracts were also found to contain tannins, phlobatannins and cardiac glycosides of medicinal interest. By using gas and liquid chromatography the presence of the medicinally important L-canavanine, gamma amino-butyric acid and D-pinitol was verified in in vitro leaf, field leaf and seed extracts. In vitro leaves had higher quantities of all compounds, except for D-pinitol. Phytocompound analysis of shoots derived from several of the cytokinin-enhanced media showed that these organs contained higher quantities of L-canavanine compared to the control. This study, therefore, highlights the potential techno-economic production of medicinal phytocompounds from in vitro leaves of L. frutescens following large scale production using the protocols described in this study. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The problems associated with the use of white clover in pastures in the eastern high potential areas of South Africa i.e. high P requirements, low tolerance to high Al levels and low pH in the soil as well as a limited survival time of approximately 30 months, were identified and found to be related to the inadequate root system of white clover cultivars. During the improvement programme cultivars available on the world market were introduced and evaluated under dryland conditions. Selections were made from these introductions on the basis of root conformation in high AI, low pH soils, their response to grazing and induced moisture stress. A laboratory technique for the improvement of Al tolerance was developed and the tolerance of white clover plants to high levels of Al was improved but due to the complexity of pasture plant improvement it was decided that the selection for tolerance to Al could be more effectively carried out in the field. The effectiveness of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas as phosphate gatherers indicated that local strains of mycorrhizas combined as effectively with white clover as the imported strains. As no seed production of white clover is undertaken in South Africa guidelines for local seed production were also established. As a result of the improvement programme, Trifolium repens cv. DUSI was developed as an open pollinated synthetic variety, based on thirty eight selected mother lines. DUSI has a greater tolerance to high AI, low pH, low P in the soil and due to an improved root system with a high percentage of secondary taproots produces better under dryland conditions and has a longer stand life than any of the cultivars of white clover available on the local market. Plant Breeders Rights were obtained for cv. DUSI and the cultivar was inscribed on the South African variety list. Limited amounts of Breeders seed have been made available to the South African Forage Seed Association for commercial seed production. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1988.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Science and Engineering. Bibliography: p. 137-190.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Oct. 23, 2008). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-105). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Illinois, 1920. / Vita. "Reprinted from Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, vol. 14, 1921." "The common garden bean ... was chosen for these experiments." p. 4. Bibliography: p. 24.