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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #164978
Title: NUTRACEUTICALS AND POTENTIAL SOURCES OF PHYSOPHARMACEUTICALS FROM GUAR AND VELVETBEAN GENETIC RESOURCES REGENERATED IN GEORGIA, USA

Author
item Morris, John - Brad
item MOORE, KM - AGRESEARCH CONSULT, INC.
item EITZEN, JB - AGRESEARCH CONSULT, INC.

Submitted to: Phytochemistry
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Morris, J.B., Moore, K., Eitzen, J. 2004. Nutraceuticals and potential sources of physopharmaceuticals from guar and velvetbean genetic resources regenerated in georgia, usa. Current Topics in Phytochemistry. 6:125-130

Interpretive Summary: Guar and velvetbean have been used as industrial, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical crops. These uses include laxatives, ease of diabetes, and ease of Parkinson's Disease. Both guar and velvetbean contain numerous other traits with other uses, and the fact that guar and velvetbean offer additional value-added potential as a source of nutraceuticals and potentially new medicines. Natural products including phytopharmaceuticals from plants is a multi-million dollar industry. Recently, research and development has focused on the production of alternative crops as a source of high-value by-products for industrial and pharmaceutical use. The first report of a regeneration protocol for thse two species using either direct seed or transplants. More than 100 accessions of both guar and velvetbean were evaluated for their regeneration ability. High quality plants producing up to 8,000 seed per accession were regenerated.

Technical Abstract: The guar and velvetbean plants contain numerous phytochemicals for potentially new nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical products that have only recently been investigated. the USDA, ARS, PGRCU maintains 1,298 guar and 29 velvetbean accessions. Guar is used in industrial and nutraceutical products such as paint, textiles, cereal, ice cream, candy, benefiber, ensure plus for diabetes while velvetbean has been used as a natural nematicide, forage and green manure. Other potential pharmaceuticals that have been discovered in guar include quercetin, which also reduces diabetes and lowers lung cancer. Velvetbean contains numerous potential phytopharmaceuticals, including L dopa known to ease Parkinson's Disease. Glutamic acid found in velvetbean is potantially useful for chemotherapy induced mucositis. Guar accesions were direct seeded into fields at both Griffin and Ashburn, GA between the first week of May and the first week of June. After 3 to 6 months, 172 accessions of these species were evaluated for regeneration. High quality plants regenerated from all accessions of these species were evaluated for regeneration. High quality plants regenerated from all accessions, producing 27 to more than 8,000 seed. These species can be successfully regenerated in both Griffin and Ashburn, GA.