Variation in gamma-aminobutyric acid accumulation and molecular mechanisms: Elucidating the germination process of adzuki beans based on cold plasma treatment

Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi, commonly known as adzuki bean, is an annual leguminous crop species belonging to the Fabaceae family. Native to East Asia, it is widely cultivated for its small, reddish-brown edible seeds, which hold significant nutritional and economic value. Adzuki beans are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Due to its relatively small genome size and genetic tractability, V. angularis has emerged as a model legume for studying stress physiology, seed development, and germination-related metabolic pathways. This project investigates the transcriptomic responses of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) during germination under cold plasma (CP) priming stress. All samples are derived from the same species but constitute different experimental groups for comparative analysis. The sample set includes: (1) untreated dry seeds (non-germinated control), and (2) CP-treated seeds at 24-, 48-, and 72-hours germination stages.