PhilRice scientist discovers Trigonelline from rice seeds

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

IN MANY INSTANCES, scientists find something great in their researches, which they never thought of before hand. Called serendipity, this was exactly how a PhilRice researcher discovered Trigonneline from rice seeds while he was studying the possibility of extending the nitrogen fixation system in non-leguminous crops such as rice.

Trigonelline is is a chemo attractant for rhizobia or nitrogen fixing bacteria and an active medicinal compound in rice seeds. This compound is an alkaloidal compound named after the leguminous plant Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) from which it was first isolated and characterized. Thus, besides the beneficial interaction of rice with nitrogen fixing bacteria, trigonelline provides health benefits from drinking rice coffee.

Dr. Constancio A. Asis Jr. said it never occurred in his mind that he would stumble upon trigonelline, even as he was trying to identify some compounds that can attract the nitrogen fixing bacteria (called chemo attractants) to the roots of rice.

Initially, he successfully obtained and identified the known chemo attractants for soybean. Using the extracting solutions he used for soybean, he tried to extract the candidate compounds from rice seeds. “However, after more than four months of experimenting on the extraction procedure, I did not get any positive results,” Dr. Asis said.

He added thus: “Serendipitously, it came to my mind of using the ordinary water and hot water treatments to extract the compounds from rice seeds. With tap water, I did not get any compound as usual. I thought my research topic would be changed after working so hard for so many months. However, when I tried hot water extraction, I was really surprised to find a compound in the extract.”

Using the gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, Dr. Asis finally identified the compound as trigonelline. He also found that the amount of trigonelline in rice seeds significantly varies among the wild type, traditional and improved rice cultivars. Earlier, trigonelline was identified as a compound that can attract nitrogen bacteria of alfalfa and, hence, Dr. Asis finally finished the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Because trigonelline is new to him and other rice researchers, Dr. Asis searched the internet and found that this compound has a host of medicinal attributes.

For one thing, trigonelline has anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties in the cervix and liver. It also possesses anti-migraine, antiseptic, hypoglycemic and mutagenic properties.

Also found in coffee, trigonelline may help to prevent dental caries by preventing the bacteria Streptococcus mutants from adhering to the teeth.

A good number of plants have high amount of trigonelline as follows:

* Coffee, 3,000 – 13,000 ppm [part per million] in the seed;

* Fenugreek, Greek clover, Greek hay, 1,300 ppm in the seed;

* Pea, 128 – 227 ppm in the seed; 6-203 ppm in the fruit; 91 ppm in sprout seedling; 9-88 ppm in the leaf; 55 ppm in the shoot; 1-24 ppm in the stem

* Soybean, 19.7-71.8 ppm in the seed; 10.5-63.2 ppm in the leaf; 3.7-16.2 ppm in the fruit; 1.1 ppm in the root

* Tomato, 69 ppm in the root

* Onion, 13 ppm in the bulb

* Melons, 2-6 ppm in the seed

* Corn, 4 ppm in the seed

Other plant parts with anti-cancer activity from trigonelline are: Eggplant fruits, Pepper seeds, Sprout seedlings of squash, Fruits of beans, Potato plant, cacao seed, and wheat seed.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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