Researchers seek to improve soy tocopherol concentration

Tocopherols are antioxidants that are found at high levels in soybeans but concentrations vary between genotypes and environments. Functional food manufacturers seeking consistently high concentrations will therefore benefit from research identifying high performing genotypes and environments.

In a study published in Agronomy Journal, ​Canadian scientists sought to identify such information by investigating differences among several early-maturing genotypes grown in multiple environments.

The researchers decided to focus on alpha tocopherol, which is one of four forms of the compound (alpha, beta, gamma, delta), because it has the greatest antioxidant activity, and is the form converted to vitamin E in the human body. Alpha tocopherol is therefore of particular interest to the food and health industries.

Study findings​

Results of the study suggest that both specific environmental factors and management practices, such as seeding date, could significantly affect concentrations.

Study leader Philippe Seguin, from McGill University said: “The large variation observed among genotypes for alpha-tocopherol, the relatively high stability of genotypes performance across environments, and the lack of negative correlation with other important seed characteristics suggest that selection for high alpha-tocopherol will be possible.” ​

Seguin said this conclusion will be good news for the functional food industry. He said: “Such characteristics will also help in the development of functional foods, which requires consistency in concentrations of health-beneficial compounds.”​

Source: Agronomy Journal, 101:1153-1159 (2009)

“Tocopherols Concentration and Stability in Early Maturing Soybean Genotypes”​

Authors: P. Seguin, P. Turcotte, G. Tremblay, D. Pageau, L Wucheng.