Characterization of Maize Near-Isogenic Lines With Enhanced Flavonoid Expression to Be Used as Tools in Diet-Health Complexity

Abstract

Increasing incidence of chronic diseases in the 21st century has emphasized the importance of developing crops with enhanced nutritional value. Plant-based diets are associated with reduced incidence of many chronic diseases. The growing population and increased food demand have prioritized the development of high-yielding commercial crop varieties at the expense of natural flavors as well as health-benefiting compounds including polyphenols. Flavonoids are a large subfamily of polyphenols abundant in the plant kingdom with known health-promoting effects, making them a promising trait to be re-introduced into elite lines. Given the vast array of flavonoids and the complexity of plant food metabolome interactions, it is difficult to identify with certainty the specific class(es) of flavonoids in the food matrix that are anti-inflammatory. To address this, we have developed four maize near-isogenic lines (NILs); a line that lacked both anthocyanins and phlobaphenes, a second NIL containing phlobaphenes, a third line had anthocyanins, and a fourth line that contained both anthocyanins and phlobaphenes. The phytochemical profiles and the antioxidant potential of the NILs were characterized. The accumulation of anthocyanins and phlobaphenes contributed significantly to antioxidant capacity compared to maize lines that lacked one or both of the compounds (p < 0.05). Pilot study showed that intake of flavonoid-rich maize diets were able to alleviate experimental colitis in mice. These NILs offer novel materials combining anthocyanins and phlobaphenes and can be used as powerful tools to investigate the disease-preventive effects of specific flavonoid compound in diet/feeding experiments.

Inclusion of high-flavonoid corn in the diet of broiler chickens as a potential approach for the control of necrotic enteritis

“…Lines of corn genetically selected to express high flavonoid contents have shown important anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo in mice subjected to intestinal inflammation ( Wu et al, 2020 , 2021 ). Factors promoting intestinal inflammation, have been correlated with decreased animal performance, multiplication of C. perfringens and development of NE ( Timbermont et al, 2011 ).…”

“…To estimate the content of flavonoids, the relative flavylium ion concentration, a product derived from flavonoids during the extraction method, was measured to compare PennHFD and the commercially available corn lines, following a methodology previously described ( Grotewold et al, 1998 ; Wu et al, 2021 ). Briefly, 100 mg of ground kernel was incubated in 1 mL of acidic butanol (HCL:butanol = 3:7, v/v) at 37°C for 1 hour.…”

“…Corn (Zea mays L.) is commonly used source of energy for poultry in the United States ( Dei, 2017 ). Some cultivars of corn have been genetically selected to contain higher concentrations of flavonoids, which have shown important antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties ( Nessa et al, 2012 ; Wu et al, 2020 , 2021 ). A flavonoid-rich corn line (PennHFD) has been developed at The Pennsylvania State University.…”

The Flavonoid Biosynthesis Network in Plants

“…FNR is a NADPH-dependent reductase and drives the substitution of an oxygen with a hydroxyl group at position C-4 of ring C [ 89 ]. FNR is also a dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR)-like enzyme, and can convert dihydroflavonol to leucoanthocyanidin [ 93 ]. In maize, DFR and FNR correspond to the same enzyme [ 91 ].…”

Sustitución del pienso de finalización por maíz amarillo en pollos criollos

“…El contenido y la naturaleza de los polisacáridos no amiláceos son los principales factores que afectan la solubilidad y disponibilidad de nutrientes (Melo-Duran et al, 2021). Algunas variedades de maíz han sido seleccionadas para contener concentraciones más altas de flavonoides, que han mostrado importantes propiedades antibacterianas y antiinflamatorias (Wu et al, 2021). El maíz también es rico en carotenoides, pigmentos con propiedades antioxidantes, que en gallinas puede alterar el microbioma intestinal, además de contener importantes cantidades de aceite de alta digestibilidad, con una alta proporción de ácidos grasos insaturados (Zhang et al, 2022).…”