Genetic structure of traditional varieties of bitter manioc in three soils in Central Amazonia

Manioc is the most important food crop that originated in Amazonia. Many studies have increased our understanding of its evolutionary dynamics under cultivation. However, most of them focused on manioc cultivation in environments with low soil fertility, generally Oxisols. Recent ethnobotanical observations showed that bitter manioc also performs well in high fertility soils, such as Amazonian dark earths (ADE) and the floodplain. We used 10 microsatellite loci to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of bitter manioc varieties grown in different soil types in communities of smallholder farmers along the middle Madeira River in Central Amazonia. The genetic diversity of some sweet varieties and seedlings was also evaluated. Adult individuals showed higher levels of genetic diversity and smaller inbreeding coefficients (A ( R ) = 5.52, H ( O ) = 0.576, f = 0.086) than seedlings (A ( R ) = 4.39, H ( O ) = 0.421, f = 0.242). Bitter manioc varieties from the floodplain showed higher levels of genetic diversity (A ( R ) = 5.19, H ( O ) = 0.606) than those from ADE (A ( R ) = 4.45, H ( O ) = 0.538) and from Oxisols (A ( R ) = 4.15, H ( O ) = 0.559). The varieties grown in the floodplain were strongly differentiated from the varieties grown in Oxisols (F ( ST ) = 0.093) and ADE (F ( ST ) = 0.108), suggesting important genetic structuring among varieties grown in the floodplain and upland soils (ADE and Oxisols). This is the first time that genetic divergence of bitter manioc varieties in cultivation in different Amazonian soils in a small geographic area is reported.     

Cyanide content of cassava (Manihot esculenta,Euphorbiaceae) cultivars used by Tukanoan Indians in Northwest Amazonia

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a cyanide-containing food crop used by many indigenous peoples in Amazonia. Tukanoan Indians in Northwest Amazonia utilize both “bitter” and “sweet” cassava cultivars. Those classified as “bitter” are the dietary staple. Analysis of 13 commonly used “bitter” cultivars indicates that they are high in cyanide in comparison to values reportedin the literature. The Tukanoan practice of including the inner peel in the edible portion contributes to the high cyanide values found.     

Genetic diversity of traditional South American Landraces of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz): an analysis using microsatellites

The extent and structure of the genetic variability of traditional varieties of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) have been little documented, despite considerable evidence for this crop? great varietal diversity in traditional agroecosystems. We used microsatellite markers to assess the genetic structure of traditional landraces of sweet and bitter cassava collected from five South American sites. As reference, we used a sample of 38 accessions from a world collection of cultivated cassava. For a total of 10 loci examined, we found 15 alleles that were not represented in this sample. Ten of these had been previously detected in wild Manihot species. The geographical structure of genetic variability was weak, but the genetic differentiation between bitter and sweet landraces was significant, suggesting that each form had evolved separately after domestication. Our results showed that traditional landraces form an important source of genetic diversity and merit more attention from managers of crop genetic resources.     

Modulation of sweet responses of taste receptor cells

Taste receptor cells play a major role in detection of chemical compounds in the oral cavity. Information derived from taste receptor cells, such as sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami is important for evaluating the quality of food components. Among five basic taste qualities, sweet taste is very attractive for animals and influences food intake. Recent studies have demonstrated that sweet taste sensitivity in taste receptor cells would be affected by leptin and endocannabinoids. Leptin is an anorexigenic mediator that reduces food intake by acting on leptin receptor Ob-Rb in the hypothalamus. Endocannabinoids such as anandamide [N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA)] and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are known as orexigenic mediators that act via cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB₁) in the hypothalamus and limbic forebrain to induce appetite and stimulate food intake. At the peripheral gustatory organs, leptin selectively suppresses and endocannabinoids selectively enhance sweet taste sensitivity via Ob-Rb and CB₁ expressed in sweet sensitive taste cells. Thus leptin and endocannabinoids not only regulate food intake via central nervous systems but also modulate palatability of foods by altering peripheral sweet taste responses. Such reciprocal modulation of leptin and endocannabinoids on peripheral sweet sensitivity may play an important role in regulating energy homeostasis.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caboclo</Emphasis> Horticulture and Amazonian Dark Earths along the Middle Madeira River,Brazil

This article examines the relationship between Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) and Caboclo horticultural knowledge and practice along the middle Madeira River (the biggest whitewater tributary of the Amazon) in the municipality of Manicoré, Amazonas State, Brazil. ADE are fertile anthropogenic (human-made) soils that are found in many areas of the Amazon region. The formation of ADE is a legacy of Amerindian settlement patterns, mostly during the late pre-Columbian period (2000–500 bp). The primary users of ADE in the Central Amazon today are Caboclos, traditional Amazonian people of heterogeneous origins. The multi-sited ethnography presented here demonstrates that Caboclos have developed a repertoire of local knowledge surrounding the cultivation of their staple crop, bitter manioc, in these soils. This revolves around a local theory of “weakness” and “strength” used to describe different sets of bitter manioc landrace traits and their responses to planting in different kinds of soil and fallow ages. This local theory has developed in the context of a regional historical ecology that has enabled the conservation and generation of such horticultural knowledge. I conclude that these notions of strength and weakness shape divergent loci of bitter manioc genetic traits and co-evolutionary dynamics between people and plants in the cultivation of bitter manioc in different soil types.     

The interaction of phosphorus and potassium with seed alkaloid concentrations, yield and mineral content in narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifoliusL.)

We tested the impact of P deficiency, K deficiency, and their interaction on seed alkaloid concentrations and profile, yield and mineral content in sweet (low-alkaloid) and bitter (high-alkaloid) varieties of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.). P deficiency reduced seed alkaloid concentrations in sweet, but not in bitter, varieties. Under P deficiency, the alkaloid profile in harvested seed of sweet varieties mimicked that of the bitter variety Fest, with 13-hydroxylupanine dominating over lupanine. With adequate or abundant P, lupanine was the predominant alkaloid in sweet varieties. K deficiency was associated with an 8-fold increase of seed alkaloid concentrations in the sweet variety Danja (from 1000 to 8000 mg kg^–1 DM), mostly due to the stimulation of lupanine production. There was a significant interaction between P and K that affected seed alkaloid concentrations in two ways: (i) the inhibitory effect of P deficiency was only apparent under K deficiency and (ii) the lowest seed alkaloid concentrations occurred with abundant K (240 mg K kg^–1) and P (60 mg P kg^–1). Seed yield of all varieties increased asymptotically with increasing P and reached a maximum at adequate P (30 mg P kg^–1). There was no impact of K deficiency on seed yield. In sweet and bitter varieties P supply increased seed N, P and Zn concentrations, but not K. In contrast, seed K concentrations increased and P concentrations decreased with increasing K supply. These findings suggest that P fertiliser should be supplemented with K, to avoid high seed alkaloid concentrations stimulated by asymptomatic K deficiency at high P levels.     

Post-damage alkaloid concentration in sweet and bitter lupin varieties and its effect on subsequent herbivory

Abstract:  While most lupin species possess quinolizidine alkaloids, sweet (low alkaloid) varieties are more palatable but at the same time more susceptible to herbivory. Nevertheless, as they are not totally devoid of alkaloids, it may be possible that their alkaloid levels increase after damage. The aim of this study was to compare inductive responses to herbivory in sweet and bitter varieties of Lupinus albus (L.) and Lupinus angustifolius (L.), and to assess if these responses were effective to stop subsequent herbivory. Two experiments were carried out; in the first, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner; Lep., Noctuidae) caterpillars were introduced in field-growing lupin plants and allowed to feed for 72 h, after which leaves were collected and analysed for alkaloid content and composition. The second experiment was a bioassay, in which leaves collected from experiment 1, from treated and control plants, were offered to another set of Anticarsia caterpillars, and consumption was recorded after 24 h. We found that both L. albus varieties (sweet and bitter) had an increase in their alkaloid concentration after damage, while none of the L. angustifolius varieties had. The sweet L. albus variety, Rumbo, had a greater inductive response than the bitter variety. When leaves were offered to caterpillars (bioassay), this variety showed the greatest difference between consumption of controls and previously eaten leaves, implying that alkaloid levels reached after damage were effective to deter subsequent herbivores as a result of plants probably overcoming a 'palatability threshold'.     

Convergent adaptations: bitter manioc cultivation systems in fertile anthropogenic dark earths and floodplain soils in central amazonia

SHIFTING CULTIVATION IN THE HUMID TROPICS IS INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, YET RESEARCH TENDS TO FOCUS ON ONE TYPE: long-fallow shifting cultivation. While it is a typical adaptation to the highly-weathered nutrient-poor soils of the Amazonian terra firme, fertile environments in the region offer opportunities for agricultural intensification. We hypothesized that Amazonian people have developed divergent bitter manioc cultivation systems as adaptations to the properties of different soils. We compared bitter manioc cultivation in two nutrient-rich and two nutrient-poor soils, along the middle Madeira River in Central Amazonia. We interviewed 249 farmers in 6 localities, sampled their manioc fields, and carried out genetic analysis of bitter manioc landraces. While cultivation in the two richer soils at different localities was characterized by fast-maturing, low-starch manioc landraces, with shorter cropping periods and shorter fallows, the predominant manioc landraces in these soils were generally not genetically similar. Rather, predominant landraces in each of these two fertile soils have emerged from separate selective trajectories which produced landraces that converged for fast-maturing low-starch traits adapted to intensified swidden systems in fertile soils. This contrasts with the more extensive cultivation systems found in the two poorer soils at different localities, characterized by the prevalence of slow-maturing high-starch landraces, longer cropping periods and longer fallows, typical of previous studies. Farmers plant different assemblages of bitter manioc landraces in different soils and the most popular landraces were shown to exhibit significantly different yields when planted in different soils. Farmers have selected different sets of landraces with different perceived agronomic characteristics, along with different fallow lengths, as adaptations to the specific properties of each agroecological micro-environment. These findings open up new avenues for research and debate concerning the origins, evolution, history and contemporary cultivation of bitter manioc in Amazonia and beyond.     

Standardized descriptions of primate locomotor and postural modes

As quantitative studies on primate positional behavior accumulate the lack of a standard positional mode terminology is becoming an increasingly serious deficiency. Inconsistent use of traditional terms and inappropriate conflation of mode categories hamper interspecific and interobserver comparisons. Some workers use common terms without definition, allowing at least the possibility of misunderstanding. Other researchers coin neologisms tailored to their study species and not clearly enough defined to allow application to other species. Such neologisms may overlap, may completely encompass, or may conflate previously defined labels. The result is, at best, the proliferation of synonyms and, at worst, the creation of confusion where clarity had existed. Historical precedents have sometimes resulted in “catch-all” terms that conflate any number of kinematically different behaviors (e.g. “brachiation,” “climbing,” and “quadrumanous climbing”). We recognize three areas where distinction of positional modes has some current importance: (1) Modes that require humeral abduction should be distinguished from adducted behaviors; (2) locomotor modes that involve ascent or descent should be distinguished from horizontal locomotor modes; and (3) suspensory modes should be distinguished from supported modes. We recommend a nomenclature that is not dedicated to or derived from any one taxonomic subset of the primates. Here we define 32 primate positional modes, divided more finely into 52 postural sub-modes and 74 locomotor sub-modes.     

Preference for dietary fat: From detection to disease

Recent advances in the field of taste physiology have clarified the role of different basic taste modalities and their implications in health and disease and proposed emphatically that there might be a distinct cue for oro-sensory detection of dietary long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Hence, fat taste can be categorized as a taste modality. During mastication, LCFAs activate tongue lipid sensors like CD36 and GPR120 triggering identical signaling pathways as the basic taste qualities do; however, the physico-chemical perception of fat is not as distinct as sweet or bitter or other taste sensations. The question arises whether “fat taste” is a basic or “alimentary” taste. There is compelling evidence that fat-rich dietary intervention modulates fat taste perception where an increase or a decrease in lipid contents in the diet results, respectively, in downregulation or upregulation of fat taste sensitivity. Evidently, a decrease in oro-sensory detection of LCFAs leads to high fat intake and, consequently, to obesity. In this article, we discuss recent relevant advances made in the field of fat taste physiology with regard to dietary fat preference and lipid sensors that can be the target of anti-obesity strategies.     

Starch granule size and the domestication of manioc (Manihot esculenta) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Archaeological studies of plant remains have indicated that an increase in seed size is frequently correlated with both intensive cultivation and domestication of seed crop plants. To test if starch granules of domesticated root crops are significantly larger than those of wild or less intensively cultivated plants, archaeological and modern specimens of manioc and sweet potato were sampled for starch granules, and granule size was compared across a temporal sequence. The results indicate that a gross generalization can be made that modern specimens of both manioc and sweet potato yield larger starch granules than some archaeological specimens. It does appear, however, that modern domesticated manioc roots produce significantly larger-sized starch granules than those of its purported wild ancestor. Additionally, there exist two lines of evidence that the coastal Peruvian and lowland Neotropical regional types of manioc differ from one another and have been separate for several millennia. These findings indicate that manioc may have been domesticated more than once.     

A comparison of the diversity of Jivaroan Gardens with that of the tropical forest

The proposition that tropical polycultural gardens simulate the structure and dynamics of the surrounding forest is examined in the light of research on Jivaroan manioc cultivation. Garden transects were used to measure the diversity of intercropped species and of locally recognized varieties of manioc. Huambisa and Aguaruna Jivaro gardens have much lower species diversities than the surrounding forest, even though crop compositions reflect the age, topography, and soil type of the swiddens. Furthermore, the number of manioc varieties is far greater than that of all other crop species combined. It is argued that a pure stand of Jivaroan manioc can itself be considered a polycrop of distinct cultivars with differing branching patterns, leaf shapes, and growth periods.     

Equilibrium between basic nitrogen compounds in lupin seeds with differentiated alkaloid content

The results of studies on the content of the nitrogen basic compounds, viz. quinolizidine alkaloids, biogenic polyamines and basic amino acids in lupin seeds are presented. The investigations concerned three lupin species (Lupinus angustifolius L., Lupinus albus L. and Lupinus luteus L.) and 10 bitter and sweet cultivated varieties. Content of quinolizidine alkaloids in L. angustifolus ranged from 11.4 to 19.6 microg mg(-1) dw (bitter cultivars), from 0.18 to 0.47 microg mg(-1) dw (sweet), in L. albus from 0.58 microg mg(-1) dw (sweet) to 29.6 microg mg(-1) dw (bitter) and in L. luteus from 0.59 (sweet) to 14.7 microg mg(-1) dw (bitter). Total biogenic polyamine content ranged in L. angustifolius from 2,773.9 to 3,180.2 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter) and from 315.0 to 599.0 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet), in L. albus from 432.6 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet) to 1,832.0 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter) and in L. luteus from 506.9 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet) to 2,091.8 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter). Total basic amino acids varied in L. angustifolus from 1,034.3 to 1,704.6 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter) and from 1,761.9 to 2,101.9 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet), in L. albus from 696.9 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter) to 1,269.2 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet) and in L. luteus from 927.6 pmol mg(-1) dw (bitter) to 1,598.3 pmol mg(-1) dw (sweet). We found a close dependence between alkaloid content and level of biogenic polyamines and basic amino acids in all three lupin species tested. All bitter lupin seeds also contain high level of biogenic polyamines but a low content of basic amino acids. The reverse relationship in sweet lupin seeds was found. The findings demonstrate that lupin nitrogen basic compounds are in steady equilibrium and that change of content in one compound leads to corresponding change in the content of another.     

The HCN Potential of Chinese Sorghum and Sudangrass Varieties and the Changes of HCN Potential During the Growth of Seedling

In this paper, we measured the HCN potential (HCN-p) of 148 sorghum (Sorghum hicolor (L.) Moench) and sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense) varieties and the changes of HCN-P during seedling growth. The results showed that most of the varieties had their HCN-p more than 1000 ppm (94:59%). Among them, 33.11% belonged to 1400–1600 ppm, 22.97% to 1200–1400 ppm, 17.57% to 1000–1200 ppm, and 14.86% to 1600–1800 ppm. The varieties which HCN-p were less than 1000 ppm or higher than 1800 ppm had a little proportion (11.44%). The varieties with the lowest HCN-p were “Xinliang 80” (672 ppm), “sudancao” (753 ppm), “Huangke Sudancao” (856 ppm), “Limuji” (860 ppm), and “MI03” (876 ppm). Those with the highest HCN-p were “Yuanxin lA” (1967 ppm), “Shisanjie” (1904 ppm), “Mi- bangz” (Da Lai (1900 ppm), “7503 A” (1889 ppm), and Mijia Honggaoliang (1883 ppm). Sudangrass had the lowest HCN-p (about 700 ppm), sweet sorghum had higher HCN-p (about 1500 ppm). with the seedling growth, HCN-p reached its highest value in 4-day-old seedling. The first leaf had the highest HCN-p content, the second leaf and sheath had lower and root had the lowest.     

The good taste of peptides

The taste of peptides is seldom one of the most relevant issues when one considers the many important biological functions of this class of molecules. However, peptides generally do have a taste, covering essentially the entire range of established taste modalities: sweet, bitter, umami, sour and salty. The last two modalities cannot be attributed to peptides as such because they are due to the presence of charged terminals and/or charged side chains, thus reflecting only the zwitterionic nature of these compounds and/or the nature of some side chains but not the electronic and/or conformational features of a specific peptide. The other three tastes, that is, sweet, umami and bitter, are represented by different families of peptides. This review describes the main peptides with a sweet, umami or bitter taste and their relationship with food acceptance or rejection. Particular emphasis will be given to the sweet taste modality, owing to the practical and scientific relevance of aspartame, the well‐known sweetener, and to the theoretical importance of sweet proteins, the most potent peptide sweet molecules. Copyright © 2011 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In Situ conservation of maize in Mexico: Genetic diversity and Maize seed management in a traditional community

Results from a study of maize varieties and seed sources in a traditional community in Jalisco, Mexico, raise questions about the relationship between genetic erosion and the introduction of varieties. The relevance of models for in situ conservation of crop genetic resources based on geographical isolation of a community is discussed. The morphophenological diversity of local materials is shown to be enhanced by introductions of both improved cultivars and landraces from farmers in other communities. On the other hand, the geographical point of reference for defining “local” landrace is shown to be larger than the community itself. Farmers will classify seed obtained from other farmers in and outside the community as that of a local landrace if it resembles their own according to the phenotypic characteristics they use to distinguish varieties. Maize diversity in this community is then the result of a certain level of introduction of genetic material and not of geographical isolation.     

Piaroa Manioc Varietals: Hyperdiversity or Social Currency?

The maintenance of exceptionally high numbers of folk varieties by the Piaroa people of the Venezuelan Amazon is considered. We cataloged 113 manioc folk varieties, their nomenclature, use and relevant characters, revealing significant insights into the role of manioc in Piaroa social life. Through a qualitative investigation of the cultivation, processing and symbolic significance of manioc (Manihot esculenta) in two Piaroa regions over a period of 18 years, we have found that such agrobiodiversity can only be fully explained by a combination of multiple factors, including pragmatic and ecological considerations, the subtle and complex diversity of Piaroa manioc preparations and a variety of sociocultural factors, such as manioc’s role as a mediator of social relationships and as a marker of cultural and social heritage.

Genetic variation in taste and its influence on food selection

Abstract Taste perception plays a key role in determining individual food preferences and dietary habits. Individual differences in bitter, sweet, umami, sour, or salty taste perception may influence dietary habits, affecting nutritional status and nutrition-related chronic disease risk. In addition to these traditional taste modalities there is growing evidence that "fat taste" may represent a sixth modality. Several taste receptors have been identified within taste cell membranes on the surface of the tongue, and they include the T2R family of bitter taste receptors, the T1R receptors associated with sweet and umami taste perception, the ion channels PKD1L3 and PKD2L1 linked to sour taste, and the integral membrane protein CD36, which is a putative "fat taste" receptor. Additionally, epithelial sodium channels and a vanilloid receptor, TRPV1, may account for salty taste perception. Common polymorphisms in genes involved in taste perception may account for some of the interindividual differences in food preferences and dietary habits within and between populations. This variability could affect food choices and dietary habits, which may influence nutritional and health status and the risk of chronic disease. This review will summarize the present state of knowledge of the genetic variation in taste, and how such variation might influence food intake behaviors.