Assessment of Fatty Acid Profile and Seed Mineral Nutrients of Two Soybean (Glycine max L.) Cultivars Under Elevated Ultraviolet-B: Role of ROS, Pigments and Antioxidants

Current scenarios under global climate change envisage a considerable increase in ultraviolet B (UV‐B) radiation in near future which may affect the productivity and yield quality of major agricultural crops. Present investigation was conducted to examine various defense strategies adopted against elevated UV‐B (ambient + 7.2 kJ mˉ2 dayˉ1) and their impact on seed nutrients, content and quality of oil including fatty acid profile of two soybean cultivars (JS‐335 and PS‐1042). Elevated UV‐B (eUV‐B) exposure leads toward higher unsaturation of fatty acids and changes in other oil quality parameters (acid, iodine and saponification value) indicated that eUV‐B favored the synthesis of long‐chain fatty acids with fewer carboxylic acid groups, making the oil rancid, with undesirable flavor and low nutritional value. The effect was more severe in JS‐335 as compared to PS‐1042. Negative effects were also seen on nutrients of soybean seeds. Adverse effects resulted due to insufficient quenching of ROS (superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide) by the defense system and thus unable to overcome the imposed oxidative stress. Credit of better performance by PS‐1042 against eUV‐B may be given to the adoption of efficient defense strategies like higher wax deposition, increase in lignin and flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol) contents. Elevated UV‐B exposure to soybean led to an increase in unsaturation of fatty acids and changes in acid, iodine and saponification values of oil. This indicated that eUV‐B stress favored the synthesis of long‐chain fatty acids with fewer carboxylic acid groups, making the oil more rancid, with undesirable flavor and low nutritional value. Negative effects were also observed on seeds mineral nutrients. Adverse effects resulted due to insufficient quenching of ROS by the defense system (i.e. antioxidative enzymes, flavonoids, lignin and wax) and thus unable to counteract the imposed oxidative stress.