The questions of the practical usage of the analytical scanning electron microscope JSM 600 LA by JEOL company (Japan) with EDS system -microanalysis for the studying of the ash elemental composition of seeds 9 breeds (Vegetable and Grain application) 4 species genus Amaranthus L. -A. hypochondriacus, A. cruentus, A. hybridus, A. caudatus, A. tricolor. Plant seeds by Federal center of vegetable production selection were envisaged. We studied the concentration of 14 basic elements (in weight %) contained in the mineral part of amaranth seeds. In the amaranth seeds of vegetable forms the accumulation order of the elements is the following: Ca >K >P >Mg >Si >Se >Fe >Mo ≈ S ≈ Cl ≈ Zn >Na >Al. In the seeds of the grain forms the order is different: К >P >Ca >Si >Se >Mg >Fe >Na >Mo >Cl ≈ S ≈ Mn ≈ Zn ≈ Al. The amaranth seeds of the grain forms are rich in macro -and microelements. P, K, Cl and S in the seeds of the grain forms are accumulated on 50, 37, 15 and 5% more and Si, Fe and Al in 2.6 and 1.8 times more than in the vegetable forms seeds. The breeds with the high concentration of the elements are recommended for using in the selection process. The elevated level of the essential macroand microelements such as Ca, K, P, Mg, Mo, S and Cl stipulates the perspective of the functional products creation on the base of the studied amaranth seeds for the enrichment of the food stuffs.

Antioxidant metabolites of plant origin are able to regulate many physiological functions of the body and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases caused by free radical oxidation. Vegetable plants are the most affordable source of essential antioxidant metabolites lack of which leads to a sharp decrease in resistance to environmental stresses. Amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) is a promising food and medicinal plant. Variety Valentina (originated by V.K. Gins, P.F. Kononkov, M.S. Gins, All-Russian Research Institute of Breeding and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops) was successfully introduced and grown in several Russian regions. Our objective was to study the composition and content of low-molecular biologically active antioxidant metabolites that determine the nutritional and pharmacological value of amaranth leaves, and to assess the main antioxidant accumulation in plant organs under the conditions of the Moscow Region. For analysis, fresh and dried leaves (juvenile, those with a formed blade, and old ones), inflorescences, stems, veins, petioles and roots were used. Amaranthine, reduced ascorbic acid, and total antioxidant content was measured in water and ethanol extracts from fresh and dry leaves and plant organs. Also, simple phenols and oxybenzoic acids, flavonoids, condensed and polymeric polyphenols were assayed. Chlorogenic, gallic, ferulic acids and arbutin content was determined in aqueous extract by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The metabolites were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). It was shown that actively photosynthesizing leaves with a fully formed blade predominantly accumulated ascorbic acid, while in the aging leaves its amount decreased. Veins, petioles and stems contained substantially less metabolites with antioxidant activity compared to leaves. In aqueous extracts, the main betacyanins were amaranthine and iso-amarantine. Chromatography of aqueous extracts from amaranth leaves showed the presence of highly active antioxidants, e.g. arbutin-glucoside hydroquinone and oxycinnamic acids including ferulic, chlorogenic, oxybenzoic (gallic) acids. In the tests, gallic acid concentration was 1.51 µg/100 ml, chlorogenic acid concentration was 2.05 µg/100 ml, ferulic acid concentration was 0.01 µg/100 ml, and arbutin concentration was 472.51 µg/100 ml. Water-extracted squalene (C 30 H 50), a powerful antioxidant usually isolated from amaranth seeds only, was first discovered in amaranth leaves. Ethanol extraction revealed a greater number of the colored components in the spectral range of the 350-700 nm, in addition, gallic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids were found. A total of 37 low-molecular metabolites were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our findings indicate that vegetable amaranth, as a promising reproducible source of antioxidants, can be used in functional foods and phytobiologicals.

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The flavonoM composition of certahl plant pollens is studied. Pollen.~'om representatives of val4ous families differs hi the quantitative and qualitative composition of the flavonoid comple.r. A specially developed method is used to estimate the content of three Si species that d~lfer in the strength of bonding to organic substances in the pollen samples. The coexistence in plant pollen of the bioflavonoids and Si increases the phalwlacological vahw of this natural product.Plant pollen has been used since antiquity in lbld medicine and pharmacology. The natural compounds responsible for the pharmacological value of pollen are bioflavonoids [1][2][3], which possess of vitamin P activity [4]. The flavonoid complex of plants used for food and medicine is well known [1][2][3][4][5]. However, most attention has been paid to the leaves and racemes whereas pollen has been little studied.The Si content of plants has recently been of interest in addition to the flavonoids [6][7][8][9]. Silicon is no longer considered an inert (trallast) component of plant tissues. It is completely justifiably assigned to a group of elements that are necessary lbr the normal growth and development of animal and human organisms [6]. Silicon plays an important role in functioning of connective tissues, facilitates the biosynthesis of collagen and the formation and calcification of bone, and participates in the metabolism of lipids and phosphorus and the maintenance of Ca equilibrium, which is involved with the aging process [61.We proposed a methtxl for determining organogenic (chemically bound to an organic substance in plant tissues) Si and developed an analysis procedure based on it lbr three [7] and five [9[ Si species in plants (in the presence of amounts of P typical of plant tissues). The method can determine Si in plants that is contained in phospholipids (where it partialy replaces P) and Si that is chemically bound to protein, lignin, cellulose, and pectins [7]. This excludes Si from plant detritus, soil particles, and dust that contaminate the plant material from the analysis. Plant pollen, which contains pectin and cellulose, turned out to be a gcx~ sample for applying our method. The present work presents analytical results on the Si species in plant pollen and certain new data on the flavonoid composition of pollen.Pollen ~mples were collected from plants in the Moscow re~ion (MGU Biostation, Zvenigorod) in the summer of 1998. Edible (vegetable) chrysanthemum was grown on the starting plot of the All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Selection and Vegetable Seed Culture of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Odintsovo). Flower pollen was collected using a paint brush into a plastic container taking all precautions to exclude dust from air. It was stored at 0~ before analysis.All pollen samples examined by us had a high polyphenol content (photometric method with vanillin and conc. HCI) and contained bioflavonoids. Edible (vegetable) chrysanthemum pollen contained 4.33% polyphenols including quercetin (1.93%), l...