NBUJPS ISSN No. 0974-6927 NBU Journal of Plant Sciences Vol. 14 (2022), pp. 8-20 Copyright © 2022, University of North Bengal. All Rights Reserved 8 Study of major isoflavones in mung bean seedlings with special emphasis on its enhanced antioxidant activity after solid matrix priming with selected elicitors including nano-chitosan under salinity stress Sujoy Kumar Sen 1, 2, 3 , Palash Mandal 2 , and Jnan Bikash Bhandari 3 * 1 Department of Botany, Siliguri College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India-734 001, ORCID Id: 0000-0002-9828-5694 2 Nanobiology and Phytotherapy Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India-734 013, ORCID Id: 0000-0003-0742-7931 3* Pteridology and Palaeo Botany Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India-734 013, ORCID Id: 0000-0002-5573-4760 Abstract For a long time, mung bean has been a well-liked crop. It is frequently used as a popular dish in the primarily cereal-based diets of Asian countries for its physiological functionalities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, and antidiabetic activities. Isoflavones present in legume-based foods have high antioxidant potential. These isoflavones are considered beneficial to human health and are linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and the prevention of certain types of cancer in humans, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer, as well as menopausal symptoms. On the other hand, nanotechnology is starting to look like an excellent method to boost food production and make farming less hazardous to the environment. Fascinatingly, the seed nano-priming method demonstrated promising results to mitigate the detrimental effects of different abiotic stress factors including salinity stress on crop plants and has thus, led to higher crop yields. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of solid matrix priming (SMP) using nano-chitosan in mung bean sprouts under salinity stress related to the production of major mung bean isoflavones, which were detected through high-resolution liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry. When compared to unprimed seedlings exposed to salinity stress conditions, phytochemical quantification showed that SMP with nano-chitosan showed improved antioxidant activities as well as the highest total flavonoids and proline content. Under salinity stress, SMP with nano-chitosan significantly increased the biochemical anti-oxidative properties in germinated mung bean seeds, and also provided salt tolerance. As a familiar healthier choice, and because of the significance of mung bean sprouts for human health and the industry's rapid expansion, nutritional enrichment of this food has emerged as a significant field of study. . Keywords: Mung bean sprouts; Isoflavones; Nano-chitosan; Salinity; Solid matrix priming; Introduction Legumes from the Fabaceae family are the primary source of isoflavones (Dixon and Sumner 2003) and mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] has long been a popular leguminous crop that is frequently used as a popular dish in the predominantly cereal- based diets of Asian countries and accepted all over the world for its physiological functionalities, such as antitumor, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities (Li et al. 2012; Yao et al. 2013). It is a well-balanced source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and bioactive compounds in significant amounts (Gan et al. 2017). According to studies, mung beans have physiological properties that include anti-obesity, DOI: https://doi.org/10.55734/NBUJPS.2022.v14i01.002 * Correspondence - jnanbikashbhandari@nbu.ac.in Research Article Article info Received 19 December 2022 Revised 22 April 2023 Accepted 28 April 2023