A comparative proteome assay on the quality of yardlong bean pods as influenced by the organic and inorganic nourishment systems

The assumption of enhanced nutritional quality of food produced through the organic systems against the inorganic systems is under constant challenge. Changes in nutritional quality under varying methods of crop nourishment, if any, should be through the differential translation of proteins and hence should be reflected in the proteome profile. The present study was undertaken to understand the effect of organic and inorganic crop nourishments on the nutritional quality of yardlong bean, through two-dimensional proteome profiling. Yardlong beans were raised separately under organic and inorganic nourishment and the proteome of pods was profiled. The differentially expressed and upregulated proteins from immature and mature pods from both the systems were characterized through MALDI-ToF/MS. Under both the production systems, differentially expressed proteins were the contributors to antioxidant properties at different pod maturity stages and pod quality was proven to be independent of crop nourishment system. This study does not support the hypothesis that organically produced foods will be nutritionally superior.