It is concluded that the IF of pulses might be an important source of bioactive compounds.

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The influence of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and its total non-digestible fraction (TNDF) on the expression of genes involved in azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer in Sprague Dawley rats was analyzed. The dose used in the animal model was two tablespoons of flaxseed per day, which is the dose recommended for humans. Flaxseed significantly decreased the crypt multiplicity (10.50 ± 3.5) compared with the AOM treatment (34.00 ± 11.0), which suggests that flaxseed exhibits a preventive effect against colon cancer. Both treatments (flaxseed and TNDF) influence the overexpression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial apoptosis: p53, p21, bcl-2, bax and caspase-3. Flaxseed induced the expression of p53 and p21, whereas TNDF triggered the p21-independent expression of p53. This finding suggests that both of these treatments induced cell cycle arrest. In addition, TNDF induced mitochondrial apoptosis because the TNDF + AOM group exhibited the expression of caspase-3, decreased bcl-2 expression and increased bax expression. These results suggest that the expression of the analyzed genes is associated with the presence of dietary antioxidants linked to the cell wall of flaxseed.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in animals and plants by targeting mRNAs for cleavage or translational repression. Small RNAs are classified into different types by their biogenesis and mode of action, such as miRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, and snoRNAs. In the case of miRNAs, this specific type regulates gene expression in plants and animals by targeting mRNAs for cleavage and translational repression, respectively. Diverse miRNAs regulate plant development, metabolism, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The identification of miRNAs has been accomplished in diverse species, organs and developmental or diverse biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Novel massive sequencing techniques and further bioinformatics analysis have allowed the identification of hundreds of miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Malus domestica, Zea mays, Solanum lycopersicum, and other plants. Functional characterization of a given miRNA in a specific biological context has shown their role in the finetuning mechanisms of posttranscriptional gene regulation. In this chapter, besides making a summary of genome-wide miRNA profiling in plants, we describe how gain and loss of function approaches influence plant phenotypes that affect development, physiology or stress responses, pointing to miRNAs as effective tools for the generation of new plant phenotypes that improve plant productivity and conservation.

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