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Lentils have potential to improve metabolic health but there are limited randomized clinical trials evaluating their comprehensive impact on metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of lentil-based vs. meat-based meals on fasting and postprandial measures of glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation. Thirty-eight adults with an increased waist circumference (male ≥ 40 inches and female ≥ 35 inches) participated in a 12-week dietary intervention that included seven prepared midday meals totaling either 980 g (LEN) or 0 g (CON) of cooked green lentils per week. Linear models were used to assess changes in fasting and postprandial markers from pre- to post-intervention by meal group. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were assessed through a survey randomly delivered once per week during the intervention. We found that regular consumption of lentils lowered fasting LDL (F = 5.53, p = 0.02) and total cholesterol levels (F = 8.64, p < 0.01) as well as postprandial glucose (β = −0.99, p = 0.01), IL-17 (β = −0.68, p = 0.04), and IL-1β (β = −0.70, p = 0.03) responses. GI symptoms were not different by meal group and all symptoms were reported as “none” or “mild” for the duration of the intervention. Our results suggest that daily lentil consumption may be helpful in lowering cholesterol and postprandial glycemic and inflammatory responses without causing GI stress. This information further informs the development of pulse-based dietary strategies to lower disease risk and to slow or reverse metabolic disease progression in at-risk populations.

Background Lentils are generally considered to be a nutrient-dense food, and a good source of iron (Fe). This study aims to establish novel evidence of the effectiveness of the consumption of Fe-fortified lentils in improving the body Fe status and thus cognitive performance in non-pregnant adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh, compared to consumption of ordinary lentils. Methods We have designed a double-blind (both trial participants and outcome assessors), community-based, cluster-randomized controlled trial among 1260 Bangladeshi adolescent girls between the ages of 10–17 years who are non-smoking, not married, not pregnant, not breastfeeding, and generally healthy at the time of enrollment. The intervention will include three arms who will receive: (1) Fe-fortified lentils; (2) unfortified lentils; or (3) usual intake. Participants will be served a thick preparation of cooked Fe-fortified lentils (37.5 g raw lentils, approximately 200 g cooked lentils) 5 days per week for 85 feeding days (around 4 months) using a locally acceptable recipe. Lentils were fortified with Fe in the laboratory at the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. A subsample of participants ( n  = 360) will be randomly invited to be included in cognitive testing. Discussion Data on socio-demographic characteristics, household food security status, adolescent food habits and cognitive testing will be collected at baseline and endline (4 months). Venous blood samples will be collected at baseline, midline (2 months) and endline to measure adolescents’ Fe status. Computerized cognitive testing will include five common measures of attentional (three of attention) and mnemonic functioning (two of memory) carried out using DMDX software. The results of this study will be used to garner support for and to substantiate large-scale production and market expansion of Fe-fortified lentils, and will contribute to knowledge about how to enhance Fe status in adolescents worldwide in resource-poor settings, using staple food crops. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03516734 . Registered on 24 May 2018.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid. As phyto-toxicity is manifested by its accumulation in different tissue types and subsequent growth inhibition in plants. Despite the vital role of leguminous crops in providing proteins to human diets, a little is known about the As accumulation in lentil. In this study, the rate of As uptake and transport from soil to root, shoot and grain of lentil as well as associated risks with the consumption of As contaminated food were examined. Biomass accumulation of lentil genotypes pardina, red chief and precoz drastically decreased when treated with As at 6 mg kg −1 concentration in comparison to 0 and 3 mg kg −1 As. Quantification of As concentrations following different treatment periods showed that As accumulation in roots and shoots of 0, 3 and 6 mg kg −1 As-treated lentil genotypes was statistically different. Arsenic content in grains of red chief genotype was found significantly lower than pardina and precoz. Moreover, As transport significantly increased in roots and shoots compared to the grains. Due to the high concentrations of As in biomass of lentil genotypes, animal as well as human health risk might be associated with the consumption of the As contaminated legume crops.

Water being a vital part of cell protoplasm plays a significant role in sustaining life on earth; however, drastic changes in climatic conditions lead to limiting the availability of water and causing other environmental adversities. α-tocopherol being a powerful antioxidant, protects lipid membranes from the drastic effects of oxidative stress by deactivating singlet oxygen, reducing superoxide radicals, and terminating lipid peroxidation by reducing fatty acyl peroxy radicals under drought stress conditions. A pot experiment was conducted and two groups of lentil cultivar (Punjab-2009) were exposed to 20 and 25 days of drought induced stress by restricting the availability of water after 60 th day of germination. Both of the groups were sprinkled with α-tocopherol 100, 200 and 300 mg/L. Induced water deficit stress conditions caused a pronounced decline in growth parameters including absolute growth rate (AGR), leaf area index (LAI), leaf area ratio (LAR), root shoot ratio (RSR), relative growth rate (RGR), chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, and soluble protein content (SPC) which were significantly enhanced by exogenously applied α-tocopherol. Moreover, a significant increase was reported in total proline content (TPC), soluble sugar content (SSC), glycine betaine (GB) content, endogenous tocopherol levels, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. On the contrary, exogenously applied α-tocopherol significantly reduced the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). In conclusion, it was confirmed that exogenous application of α-tocopherol under drought induced stress regimes resulted in membrane protection by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, enhancing the activities of antioxidative enzymes (APX, CAT, POD, and SOD) and accumulation of osmolytes such as glycine betaine, proline and sugar. Consequently, modulating different growth, physiological and biochemical attributes.

This study was conducted in order to test the effect of seed pretreatment or exogenous application through the rooting medium of 0.1 mM Salicylic Acid (SA) and 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) on growth, nutritional behavior and some biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange parameters, oxidative stress indicators and antioxidant enzymes activities) of lentil plants ( Lens culinaris ) under 75 mM salt stress. Our results demonstrated that salt stress noticeably reduced shoot and root DWs by 39.01 and 42.81%, respectively, as compared to controls. This reduction was associated with a significant decrease in all photosynthetic parameters, including Chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid (Car), net assimilation of photosynthesis ( A ), stomatal conductance ( gs ), transpiration ( E ) and internal CO 2 level ( Ci ), an accumulation of Na + and Cl - and a decrease of K + and Ca 2+ concentrations in plant shoots and roots. In addition, relative to control plants, salt stress remarkably increased the malondialdehyde MDA and H 2 O 2 contents especially in roots and increased GPOX and SOD activities, especially in plant shoots. Both methods of SA and H 2 O 2 application recovered the plant growth, enhanced shoot and root DWs (increase of 67.65 and 82.36% in shoots and roots, respectively, as compared to salt-stressed plants) and increased all parameters that were reduced by NaCl treatment. Nevertheless, the most prominent effects of SA and H 2 O 2 on plant growth were obtained with the seed priming method. Thus, SA and H 2 O 2 applications, especially the H 2 O 2 seed priming method, induced the antioxidant system, improved the membrane stability and ameliorated the gas exchange parameters. As compared to salt plant stressed, Na + and Cl - contents were significantly decreased and K + and Ca 2+ were significantly increased in shoots and roots following SA and H 2 O 2 applications, especially with the H 2 O 2 seed priming method. Similarly, this method was more efficient in alleviating the adverse effects of salt stress on all photosynthetic pigment contents and measured gas exchange parameters. Compared to salt stressed plants, it significantly decreased the H 2 O 2 and MDA contents and further stimulated GPOX and SOD activities. Our results indicated that the seed priming method, particularly with H 2 O 2 , could be recommended for obtaining better growth of lentil seedlings under salt-affected soil conditions.

Arsenic (As) is a carcinogenic and hazardous substance that poses a serious risk to human health due to its transport into the food chain. The present research is focused on the As transport in different lentil genotypes and the role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in mitigation of As phyto-toxicity. Arsenic transport from soil to root, shoot and grains in different lentil genotypes was analyzed by flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. AMF were applied for the reduction of As uptake as well as the improvement of plant growth in lentil genotypes. Arsenic phyto-toxicity was dose-dependent as evidenced by relatively higher shoot length, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot in 5 and 15 mgkg-1 As-treated lentil plants than that in 100 mgkg-1 As-treated lentil. Arsenic accumulation occurred in roots and shoots of all BARI-released lentil genotypes. Arsenic accumulation in grains was found higher in BARI Mashur 1 than other lentil genotypes. AMF treatment significantly increased growth and biomass accumulation in lentil compared to that in non-AMF plants. Furthermore, AMF effectively reduced the As concentrations in roots and shoots of lentil plants grown at 8 and 45 mgkg-1 As-contaminated soils. This study revealed remarkable divergence in As accumulation among different BARI-released lentil genotypes; however, AMF could reduce As uptake and mitigate As-induced phyto-toxicity in lentil. Taken together, our results suggest a great potential of AMF in mitigating As transfer in root and shoot mass and reallocation to grains, which would expand lentil cultivation in As-affected areas throughout the world.

Background The membrane transporters viz. multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) and aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT) are associated with aluminum (Al) tolerance by accelerating secretion of organic acids, which can influence nutrient availability and stress response. However, such transporter families have not yet been reported in lentil under Al stress condition. Method and results In this study, 90 MATE and 14 ALMT genes were identified and clustered into four (MATE) and five (ALMT) subfamilies/clades with smaller subgroups. All the MATE and ALMT genes were unevenly dispersed across lentil chromosomes. Duplication analysis suggested that LcMATE gene family has expanded primarily through tandem duplication event. Collinearity of lentil with soybean suggested a close relationship between the MATE genes. The MATE promoter regions harboured many stress responsive as well as Al resistance transcription factor 1 related cis-regulatory elements. Predicted 3D (three-dimensional) structure and molecular docking revealed that 5 LcMATE proteins could bind citrate and contain amino acids related to its secretion via citrate exuding motif and other neighbouring sites. Expression analyses of LcMATE and LcALMT genes were performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Six genes namely, LcM1, LcM42, LcM46, LcM47, LcALMT8 and LcALMT14 responded to Al stress with varying levels of expression patterns at different time points (3, 6, 12 and 24 h). Conclusion Our findings offer thorough details on the MATE and ALMT transporters in lentils and will aid in valuable understanding for future functional studies of these transporters in generating Al tolerant cultivars.

Background Purple acid phosphatases, an important sub-class of metallo-phosphoesterase, play a key role in the uptake and homeostasis of phosphorus in plants, especially under phosphorus limited conditions. Phosphorus deficiency in legumes leads to an impaired growth, poor nodulation and a significant decline in yield potential. Results In this study, 22 putative purple acid phosphatase genes in Lens culinaris ( LcPAP s) were identified, distributed across seven chromosomes with chromosome 4 harbouring the highest number. In-silico analysis revealed their gene structures, physico-chemical properties, structures of the PAP proteins, and predicted sub-cellular localization. Most of the LcPAPs were found to possess a signal peptide suggesting their involvement in the secretory pathway, whereas LcPAP3 lacking any signal peptide was uniquely localized in the nucleus. Considering molecular weights, the LcPAPs clustered into three groups and were classified in five out of six clades in a phylogenetic tree constructed with PAPs from soyabean, rice and Arabidopsis . Synteny analysis of LcPAPs revealed the highest conservation with soyabean followed by Arabidopsis and least with rice, consistent with the lineage divergence of dicots and monocots that occurred million years ago. Promoter analysis of the LcPAP s revealed the presence of multiple cis elements associated with stress responsive transcription factors, including PHR1, a key regulator of phosphorus starvation response. Docking studies of the protein with ligands like para-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) and phytic acid revealed the involvement of the conserved motifs and different covalent bonds in protein–ligand interaction. Gene expression analysis under differential phosphorus regimes revealed root specific upregulation of LcPAP20 , while constitutive upregulation in both root and shoot tissues of LcPAP4 annotated with oxidoreductase and phosphatase enzyme activity under low as well as high phosphorus conditions as compared to control. In contrast, LcPAP9 predicted to possess dual phosphatase-phytase activity was highly upregulated in the shoots under phosphorus deficient condition as compared to phosphorus sufficiency. Conclusions These findings provide foundational insights into the functional diversification of LcPAPs on an intricate molecular level, and might pave the way of identifying key regulatory genes of lentil involved in phosphorus homeostasis. Further in-depth bioinformatics study on LcPAPs with their two potential interactors has unravelled their potential role and binding efficacies.

Lead (Pb) toxicity is a major issue due to anthropogenic activities that is faced by farmers nowadays which inhibits plant growth and decreases crop yields. From contaminated soils, Pb absorbed by the plants and then ultimately enters into the food chain. Silicon (Si) can reduce Pb availability to plants and can be helpful in Pb immobilization in the soils. Moreover, Si in its nano-form, is expected to augment the beneficial attributes of applied Si. However, very little is known regarding the prospects of nano-Si application and leguminous lentil for alleviating the effects of Pb stress. To assess the effectiveness of bulk Si and nano-Si for reducing Pb toxicity and improving the yield of lentils, a pot study was conducted. Lentil variety Punjab Masoor 2020 was examined under normal and Pb toxic conditions as affected by applied Si and nano-Si. There were eight treatments comprised of different combinations of Si at 100 and 200 mg Si kg − 1 soil, and nano-Si at 125 mg kg − 1 soil, which were tested against Pb at 500 mg kg − 1 soil. A completely randomized design with factorial arrangements was applied along with three replications each. The result showed that Pb toxicity reduced the plant growth, yield, total chlorophyll contents, membrane stability index, relative water content, shoot fresh weight and dry weights of lentil. Whereas Si and nano-Si lessened the negative effect of Pb toxicity by significantly reducing its concentration in plant roots and shoot, and improved agro-physiological traits of lentil in normal and Pb-toxic soil conditions. In soil spiked with 500 mg kg − 1 Pb, the application of 100 and 200 mg bulk Si per kg of soil and 125 mg kg − 1 nano-Si reduced the Pb concentration in shoot by 31, 62 and 84% respectively over controls. In squat, the application of nano-Si most significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) reduced the root and shoot Pb concentration in lentil.

One hundred and sixty two genotypes of different Lens species were screened for salinity tolerance in hydroponics at 40, 80 and 120 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) for 30 d. The germination, seedling growth, biomass accumulation, seedling survivability, salinity scores, root and shoot anatomy, sodium ion (Na+), chloride ion (Cl-) and potassium ion (K+) concentrations, proline and antioxidant activities were measured to evaluate the performance of all the genotypes. The results were compared in respect of physiological (Na+, K+ and Cl-) and seed yield components obtained from field trials for salinity stress conducted during two years. Expression of salt tolerance in hydroponics was found to be reliable indicator for similarity in salt tolerance between genotypes and was evident in saline soil based comparisons. Impressive genotypic variation for salinity tolerance was observed among the genotypes screened under hydroponic and saline field conditions. Plant concentrations of Na+ and Cl- at 120 mM NaCl were found significantly correlated with germination, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots, seedling survivability, salinity scores and K+ under controlled conditions and ranked the genotypes along with their seed yield in the field. Root and shoot anatomy of tolerant line (PDL-1) and wild accession (ILWL-137) showed restricted uptake of Na+ and Cl- due to thick layer of their epidermis and endodermis as compared to sensitive cultigen (L-4076). All the genotypes were scanned using SSR markers for genetic diversity, which generated high polymorphism. On the basis of cluster analysis and population structure the contrasting genotypes were grouped into different classes. These markers may further be tested to explore their potential in marker-assisted selection.