Roasting nuts may alter their chemical composition leading to changes in their health benefits. However, the presence of testa may alleviate the negative effects of thermal treatments. Hence, this study aimed to explore the effects of roasting on kernel chemical quality and colour development of Canarium indicum and examine to what extent testa would protect kernels against damage from roasting...

We previously reported that an apparent water potential disequilibrium is maintained late in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) seed development between the embryo and the surrounding fruit tissue (mesocarp). To further investigate the basis of this phenomenon, the permeability characteristics of the tissues surrounding muskmelon embryos (the mucilaginous endocarp, the testa, a 2- to 4-cell-layered pe...

The occurrence of pectic polysaccharide epitopes in cells and tissues of the pea testa during late stages of seed development have been examined in relation to anatomy and cell properties. Homogalacturonan, in a highly methyl-esterified form, was present throughout late development in all pea testa cell walls, including the thickened cell walls of the outer macrosclereid layer. Two epitopes, ch...

Eighteen elements in the cotyledon, the embryonic axis, and the testa of peanut seeds were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave acid digestion, while the gravimetric standard addition with internal standard was applied for the calibration of the elemental concentrations. The detection limit and the procedure blank value for each element were low en...

We have confirmed here that the seeds of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) do not support development of the bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), a pest of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] seeds. Analysis of the testa (seed coat) of the bean suggested that neither thickness nor the levels of compounds such as tannic acid, tannins, or HCN are important for the resistance. On the oth...

JORDAN, M. S. & W. J. HAYDEN (1992). A Survey of Mucilaginous Testa in Chamaesyce. Collect. Bot. (Barcelona) 21 :79-89. Seeds of Chamaesyce were studied for presence of mucilaginous testa. Samples were selected to represent all major systematic sections within the genus. Observations were made with a dissecting microscope following brief hydration of seeds; additional SEM observations of both i...

The germination of seeds of Xanthium pensylvanicum Wallr. occurs in 2 phases, an initial passive phase of water uptake followed by an active phase of growth. These 2 phases have been separated experimentally, and shown to occur similarly in isolated cotyledons and embryonic axes. Measurements of the physical thrust generated by the entire seed and its separate components of cotyledon and axis r...

The testa of higher plant seeds protects the embryo against adverse environmental conditions. Its role is assumed mainly by controlling germination through dormancy imposition and by limiting the detrimental activity of physical and biological agents during seed storage. To analyze the function of the testa in the model plant Arabidopsis, we compared mutants affected in testa pigmentation and/o...

M. Bajard 1 , M. Chevallier 1 , D. Dauvergne 1 , N. Freud 2 , P. Henriquet 1 , S. Karkar 3 , F. Le Foulher 1 , J.M. Létang 2 , R. Plescak 4 , C. Ray 1 , D. Schardt 4 , E. Testa 1# , M. Testa 1 . IPNL, Université de Lyon, F-69003 Lyon; Université Lyon 1 and CNRS/IN2P3, UMR 5822, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France ; 2 Laboratoire de Contrôles Non Destructifs par Rayonnements Ionisants, INSA-Lyon, F-696...