title: A correlation between tocopherol content and antioxidant activity in seeds and germinating seeds of soybean cultivars.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tocopherols are crucial lipid-soluble antioxidants and essential nutrients. There is increasing interest in the biofortification of crops with vitamin E for reducing micronutrient malnutrition. However, relatively little is known about the development of soybean cultivars with high levels of tocopherol through combined breeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tocopherol contents of seeds and germinating seeds of 28 Korean soybean cultivars were analyzed and evaluated for health-promoting activities. Total tocopherol concentrations ranged from 203.9 to 503.1 µg g⁻¹ in seeds and from 20.1 to 230.1 µg g⁻¹ in germinating seeds. The traditional landraces of HaNagari (HN, 503.1 µg g⁻¹), Orialtae (OL, 486.6 µg g⁻¹), SuMoktae (SM, 476.5 µg g⁻¹) and SoRitae (SR, 475.5 µg g⁻¹) showed high levels of tocopherol content. The contents of the four isomers of tocopherol in seeds and germinating seeds were correlated with lipid peroxidation. The γ- and δ-tocopherol contents in seeds were related to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity (0.434; P < 0.01 and 0.373; P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total tocopherol content was higher in soybean landraces as compared with modern cultivars developed by cross-breeding. These results suggest that soybean breeding is necessary to increase tocopherol levels.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon, 441-857, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyang Mi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae Young
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sun Lim
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seuk Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Kee Jong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Up
authors.initials: YU
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Sang Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yul Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001947:Breeding; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D018525:Germination; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D009753:Nutritive Value; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; C479072:delta-tocopherol; D024505:Tocopherols
keywords: antioxidant activity; germination; lipid peroxidation; seed; soybean; tocopherols