The effect of germination on isoflavone contents in two soybean varieties (Hutcheson and Caviness) was investigated. Soybean seeds were soaked at 25 degrees C for 12 h, germinated at 40 degrees C, and freeze-dried. The isoflavone contents of dry, soaked, germinated (hypocotyl length at 0.5, 2.5, and 6.5 mm), and nongerminated seeds were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The maximum amount of total isoflavone, genistein, and daidzein with their beta-glucoside conjugates was obtained when hypocotyl length of the germinated-seed from var. Hutcheson was 0.5 mm (2.491, 1.500, and 0.671 mg/g), and from var. Caviness was 2.5 mm (2.78, 1.523, and 0.905 mg/g). A dramatic increase in malonylgenistin and malonyldaidzin (1.305 mg/g and 0.476 mg/g in Hutcheson, and 1.308 mg/g and 0.677 mg/g in Caviness, respectively) was observed at these hypocotyl lengths. A decrease was observed after this stage. Genistein and daidzein contents were highest just after soaking. Glycitein and its beta-glucoside conjugates remained almost the same during germination. Controlled germination can be used to enhance isoflavone content in soybean seed.

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Keke Salt Lake is located in the Qaidamu Basin of China. It is a unique magnesium sulfate-subtype hypersaline lake that exhibits a halite domain ecosystem, yet its microbial diversity has remained unstudied. Here, the microbial community structure and diversity was investigated via high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V5 regions of 16S rRNA genes. A high diversity of operational taxonomic units was detected for Bacteria and Archaea (734 and 747, respectively), comprising 21 phyla, 43 classes, and 201 genera of Bacteria and 4 phyla, 4 classes, and 39 genera of Archaea. Salt-saturated samples were dominated by the bacterial genera Bacillus (51.52%-58.35% relative abundance), Lactococcus (9.52%-10.51%), and Oceanobacillus (8.82%-9.88%) within the Firmicutes phylum (74.81%-80.99%), contrasting with other hypersaline lakes. The dominant Archaea belonged to the Halobacteriaceae family, and in particular, the genera (with an abundance of >10% of communities) Halonotius, Halorubellus, Halapricum, Halorubrum, and Natronomonas. Additionally, we report the presence of Nanohaloarchaeota and Woesearchaeota in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau lakes, which has not been previously documented. Total salinity (especially Mg, Cl, Na, and K) mostly correlated with taxonomic distribution across samples. These results expand our understanding of microbial resource utilization within hypersaline lakes and the potential adaptations of dominant microorganisms that allow them to inhabit such environments.

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