Phytic acid is an antinutrient present mainly in seeds of grain crops such as legumes and cereals. It has the potential to bind mineral micronutrients in food and reduce their bioavailability. This study analyzed the phytic acid concentration in seeds of 19 lentil (Lens culinaris L.) genotypes grown at two locations for two years in Saskatchewan, Canada. The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the levels of phytic acid in commercial lentil genotypes and (2) the impact of postharvest processing and (3) the effect of boiling on the stability of phytic aid in selected lentil genotypes. The phytic acid was analyzed by high-performance anion exchange separation followed by conductivity detection. The Saskatchewan-grown lentils were naturally low in phytic acid (phytic acid = 2.5−4.4 mg g−1; phytic acid phosphorus = 0.7−1.2 mg g−1), with concentrations lower than those reported for low phytic acid mutants of corn, wheat, common bean, and soybean. Decortication prior to cooking further reduced total phytic acid by >50%. As lowering phytic acid intake can lead to increased mineral bioavailability, dietary inclusion of Canadian lentils may have significant benefits in regions with widespread micronutrient malnutrition.
The biofortification of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus.) has the potential to provide adequate daily selenium (Se) to human diets. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine how low-dose Se fertilizer application at germination affects seedling biomass, antioxidant activity, and Se uptake of 26 cultivated lentil genotypes; and (2) quantify the seed Se concentration of 191 lentil wild accessions grown in Terbol, Lebanon. A germination study was conducted with two Se treatments [0 (control) and 30 kg of Se/ha] with three replicates. A separate field study was conducted in Lebanon for wild accessions without Se fertilizer. Among cultivated lentil accessions, PI533690 and PI533693 showed >100% biomass increase vs.Se addition significantly increased seedling Se uptake, with the greatest uptake (6.2 µg g-1) by PI320937 and the least uptake (1.1 µg g-1) by W627780. Seed Se concentrations of wild accessions ranged from 0 to 2.5 µg g-1; accessions originating from Syria (0-2.5 µg g-1) and Turkey (0-2.4 µg g-1) had the highest seed Se. Frequency distribution analysis revealed that seed Se for 63% of accessions was between 0.25 and 0.75 µg g-1, and thus a single 50 g serving of lentil has the potential to provide adequate dietary Se (20-60% of daily recommended daily allowance). As such, Se application during plant growth for certain lentil genotypes grown in low Se soils may be a sustainable Se biofortification solution to increase seed Se concentration. Incorporating a diverse panel of lentil wild germplasm into Se biofortification programs will increase genetic diversity for effective genetic mapping for increased lentil seed Se nutrition and plant productivity.
Owing to their lower costs and functional properties, the construction industry has been increasingly adopting synthetic organic polymer (SOP) materials into linings, interiors and non-load bearing structural components. While SOPs have favourable properties and characteristics at ambient conditions, the same materials often perform poorly under moderate-to-elevated temperatures such as that arising from a building fire. In fact, most SOPs tend to combust and decompose at elevated temperatures which, unlike traditional building materials such as concrete and ceramic tiles, is proven to not only contribute to the fire but also to adversely affect evacuation and firefighting operations. From a fire engineering perspective, this paper tests a hypothesis in which ceramic tiles (CTs) are expected to outperform SOPs and commonly used insulations as finishing and lining materials under fire conditions. As such, this study showcases a thorough comparison between the behaviour of commonly available CTs, SOPs and insulations in temperatures ranging between 25 and 1000°C. Then, this paper analyses published CT models to derive temperature-dependent material models with the aid of machine learning (ML). Findings of this work advocate the use of CTs as favourable finishing and interior lining materials to enable realising improved structural fire performance and fire response managements, as opposed to SOPs, composites or insulations. The outcome of this work is expected to be of interest to architects, first responders, building officials, fire and structural engineers.
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