Folate content of different edible portions of vegetables and fruits

Nitric oxide modulates folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism and mitochondrial energy levels of peaches during cold storage

Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) is closely associated with postharvest preservation. This study investigated the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on FOCM, storage quality, energy metabolism, and mitochondrial membrane integrity in cold-storage peach fruit. In this experiment, peaches were soaked with 1.5 mmol L^-1S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) as NO donor, and the negative treatment (NT) solution containing 5 μmol L^-1 carboxy-PTIO (c-PTIO, NO scavenger), 200 μmol L^-1 N^G-Nitro-_L-arginine methyl ester (_L-NAME, NO synthase-like enzyme inhibitor), and 200 μmol L^-1 sodium tungstate dihydrate (nitrate reductase inhibitor) and stored at 0°C. The results showed that NO decreased the activity of S-adenosylmethionine synthase and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and increased the activity of methionine sulfoxide reductase A, as well as the content of N5-methyl-THF, the ratio of tetrahydrofolate (THF), homocysteine, methionine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and SAM to S-adenosylhomocysteine compared with the control, indicating that NO effectively increased FOCM flux by affecting the activity of FOCM enzymes. Meanwhile, NO increased the activities of H⁺-ATPase, Ca²⁺-ATPase, cytochrome c oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase, and the contents of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate, and maintained high energy charge in peaches during storage. NO retarded the increase in mitochondrial permeability transition, reactive oxygen species content, and the decrease in mitochondrial membrane fluidity, membrane potential, and swelling. NT treatment exhibited the opposite results. In conclusion, these results suggested that NO could induce the accumulation of folate and FOCM flux and maintain mitochondrial energy levels, which might be responsible for maintaining the quality of peaches during cold storage.

Folate Profiling in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Tubers by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the profiling of six folate species in potatoes. The calibration curves cover a wide, linear range (the lower and upper limits of quantitation range between 0.22-0.24 and 216.07-242.28 μg/100 g of fresh weight), allowing sensitive determination in small amounts of potato flesh. With a single exception, the acceptance criteria for intra- and interday precision and accuracy were met: for all quality controls, the percent relative standard deviation and the percent bias were lower than 15% (or 20% at the lower limit of quantitation). Application of the method on tubers at different stages of maturation demonstrated the large variability within a single variety: the folate content and polyglutamylation rate varied between 10.35 and 24.01 μg/100 g of fresh weight and between 4.96% and 60.49%, respectively. Additionally, the two-dimensional folate profiling of mature tubers demonstrated an increase in folate from center to peel, combined with a stable species distribution and polyglutamylation rate.

Influence of thermal processing on hydrolysis and stability of folate poly-gamma-glutamates in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), carrot (Daucus carota) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

The folate poly-gamma-glutamate profile, their concentrations, and hydrolysis by endogenous gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) were evaluated in broccoli, carrot and tomato. Further studies on the effect of time and temperature on folate poly-gamma-glutamate hydrolysis and stability were carried out in broccoli since this vegetable showed the highest long-chain and total folate poly-gamma-glutamate concentration. The evolution of l-ascorbic acid, total phenols and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values was evaluated in parallel. Upon thermal inactivation of GGH prior to crushing, it was observed that broccoli, carrot and tomato contained poly-gamma-glutamates with one to seven glutamate residues but differed in the predominant poly-gamma-glutamates. Crushing of raw broccoli, carrot and tomato resulted in significant poly-gamma-glutamate profile changes in broccoli and carrot (indicating GGH-catalyzed hydrolysis) but not in tomato. In this study, the actual crushing of raw broccoli matrix had a greater effect on folate poly-gamma-glutamate hydrolysis than incubation conditions (0-30 min at 25-55 degrees C). During treatments at 25-140 degrees C, folate retention was higher at 80 and 100 degrees C than at the other temperatures. A similar trend in thermal stability was observed for folates, vitamin C, total phenols and TEAC value, an indication that conditions that result in endogenous antioxidants degradation might also result in folate degradation.