Red-orange Research Articles

Evaluation of rGO decorated MnO2/NiO nanocomposite for high-performance photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications

To the degradation of dyes and for use as supercapacitors, MnO2/NiO@rGO (MNrGO) nanocomposite (NCs) were synthesized and characterized. X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) studies have been utilized to determine the crystalline structure and functional groups of the nanocomposites (NCs). In the photodegradation process, the Methylene blue (MB), Congo red (CR) and Methyl orange (MO) dyes had higher degradation efficiency, such as 98.5 % for MB within 35 min, 83.04 % for CR within 60 min, and 92.47 % for MO within 30 min, respectively. It showed a maximum capacitance value of 391.6 F/g at 0.5 A/g when its electrochemical characteristics were investigated in a 1 M KOH electrolyte solution. One of the main benefits of long-term applications is that the NCs retain 91 % of their electrochemical properties even after 5000 GCD cycles. These metal oxides are well-known as materials for environmental remediation due to their low cost, stability, efficiency, and low impact on the environment. Due to its better performance in both photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, MnO2/NiO@rGO nanohybrid has emerged as a promising long-term catalyst in these two areas.

Effectiveness of standardized red orange extract (Citrus sinensis) for weight reduction in canine obesity

Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in both humans and dogs, currently characterized as a low-intensity inflammatory state. The anthocyanins found in red oranges can assist in combating weight gain and reducing body fat accumulation by reducing lipogenesis and modulating inflammation. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of standardized dried red orange extract in reducing overweight in obese dogs compared to chromium picolinate and a placebo. In total, 23 animals were used in the current study and divided randomly into three experimental groups. All dogs received the same hypocaloric diet and supplementation: standardized Citrus sinensis red-orange extract (G1, n=9), chromium picolinate (G2, n=7), and a placebo-control group (G3, n=7). The dogs were managed by their owners for 90 days. In the distribution of the body condition score (BCS) determined at the beginning of the study, 47.8% of the animals had BCS of 6; 26.1% had BCS of 7; 8.7% had BCS of 8, and 17.4% had BCS of 9. During the program, most of the owners reported being unable to involve other residents of their households in the dogs' treatment. At the end of the experiment, the G1 group had a significant reduction in weight and BCS (p<0.01), as well as in HDL cholesterol levels (p<0.05) when compared to the other groups. It was concluded that incorporating dried red-orange extract into the diet of overweight and obese dogs can lead to weight loss and improved BCS.

Facile fabrication of Pluronic-mediated copper nanoparticles using microwave techniques and their application as the photocatalysts for various organic dyes degradation

Pluronic-mediated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were fabricated using the reducing agent sodium borohydride in the micellar media of different Pluronics (L121, P123, and F127) using cost-effective microwave techniques. The microwave-irradiation used to create CuNPs has been optimized. All Pluronic-mediated CuNPs fabricated emit red light and have been thoroughly characterized using a range of advanced techniques. The results showed that the hydrophilic PEO and hydrophobic PPO parts of the Pluronic have a countable impact on the particle size and stability of the CuNPs. When compared to the other two Pluronic micellar media, the Pluronic F127-mediated CuNPs (CuNPsF7) performed better in terms of uniformity, size reduction, and stability. In this context, CuNPsF7 has been investigated as a powerful photocatalyst for the degradation of textile anionic (Congo red and methyl orange) and cationic (Methylene blue and rhodamine B) dyes. When compared to blank CuNPs, the results confirmed that the CuNPsF7 followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and significantly increased the rate and efficiency of dye degradation. In conclusion, the Pluronic-mediated CuNPs serve as potent photocatalysts to remove organic dyes in the treatment of waste water from textile industries.

A non-fluorinated superhydrophobic PDMS/STA/TiO2 coating with photocatalysis and environmental stability properties by one-step cold spraying

Constructing a titanium dioxide (TiO2) superhydrophobic surface that is both environmentally friendly and long-term stable, while also possessing photocatalytic properties, is a considerable challenge. In this work, instead of a perfluorinated modifier, we used stearic acid (STA) to modify TiO2 nanoparticles. The particles were further utilized to facilitate the rough structure of superhydrophobic surfaces, making these surfaces fluoride-free and environmentally friendly in practical applications. STA/TiO2 nanoparticles and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were mixed in an ethyl acetate solution to form the PDMS/STA/TiO2 emulsion, which was used to prepare the PDMS/STA/TiO2 coating by a one-step cold spraying. PDMS was introduced into the coating, providing the lower surface energy, adhesiveness, and protection from photo-oxidative damage. It is found that the non-fluorinated PDMS/STA/TiO2 coating exhibits good superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 159.7° and a sliding angle of 2.9°. Under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the coating displayed excellent photocatalytic degradation activity towards Methylene Blue, Methyl Orange, and Nile Red dyes. Moreover, the coating can withstand sandpaper abrasion, high temperatures and exposure to droplets of different pH values, indicating good chemical, mechanical and thermal stability. The coating presented strong durability, maintaining its superhydrophobicity even after being exposed to air for 3 months or UV irradiation for 5 h. Besides, the coating demonstrates good self-cleaning performance and adaptability. The large-area superhydrophobic surface made by simple and convenient one-step cold spraying is expected to have practical applications in shipbuilding, construction, textiles, and other industries.

Ecofriendly blue emissive ZnO-graphene nanocomposite and its application as superior catalytic reduction of methyl orange and congo red

Ecofriendly blue emissive ZnO-graphene nanocomposite and its application as superior catalytic reduction of methyl orange and congo red

Impact of Cold Storage Temperature and Shelf Life on Ripening Physiology, Quality Attributes, and Nutritional Value in Apricots-Implication of Cultivar.

This work aimed to investigate the storability potential of Orange Red and Orange Rubis apricots harvested at commercial maturity stage during cold storage (CS) at 1 or 5 °C for up to 28 days, followed by shelf life (SL) at 20 °C for 2 days. The variables evaluated included total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH only at harvest, weight loss (WL), ethylene production rates, peel color, firmness, chilling injury incidence (CI), concentrations of total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, total antioxidant capacity, b-carotene, b-cryptoxantine, and lutein. The main results showed that storage at 5 °C resulted in higher WL and CI symptoms than at 1 °C during both CS and SL, increased ethylene production during CS, whereas there was limited or no effect of CS temperatures on changes in firmness, color, and all antioxidants during CS. Firmness decreased abruptly soon after harvest in Orange Rubis, but progressively in the remaining samples of both cultivars during CS and SL. SL advanced fruit deterioration according to WL, CI, and softening. During SL, ethylene production increased in all samples. Orange Red exhibited higher ethylene rates during SL and antioxidant concentrations throughout CS and SL, by comparison. Conclusively, storage temperature at 1 °C retained WL, CI, and ethylene production, and both cultivars were marketable up to 21 days CS without SL or up to 14 days CS followed by SL, although Orange Rubis exhibited CI after 14 days, while Orange Red exhibited CI after 21 days of CS.

Visible light treatment of azo dye-contaminated water by Ni- and Co-doped-ZnO nanoparticles supported on carbon-covered alumina

Abstract Metal-ion (Co and Ni)-doped-zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocatalysts were successfully embedded onto carbon-covered alumina (CCA) supports via a simple, green sol–gel technique. The nanocatalysts were characterised by various analytical, microscopic, and spectroscopic techniques. The CCA-embedded nanocatalysts were crystalline with high surface areas and pore volume compared to the free metal-ion–doped-ZnO nanocatalysts while retaining the wurtzite phase of the core ZnO. The influences of the dopant content and the CCA on the optical and dye removal activities of the ZnO were investigated. The materials were photo-catalytically active under visible light irradiation. Congo red and methyl orange dyes were used as model pollutants, and the reactivity followed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The reaction rate of the CCA-supported nanocatalysts showed doping with Co > Ni. The CCA/metal-ion-doped-ZnO was found to have photocatalytic activities better than the CCA-supported ZnO.

The potential of different ripeness of blood oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) for sale in advance after low-temperature storage: Anthocyanin enhancements, volatile compounds, and taste attributes.

To explore the optimal early harvest time similar to the ripe fruit qualities, the effects of storage temperatures on maturity indexes, weight losses, colour parameters, anthocyanin profiles, volatile and taste components of blood oranges at six different maturity levels were investigated. Total anthocyanin contents of cold-treated fruits increased to or exceed that of ripe fruits (0.24±0.12mg/100g), and fruits harvested from 260 d and 280 d after anthesis shared similar individual anthocyanin profiles to ripe fruits during storage at 8°C for 30 d and 20 d (III-30 d and IV-20 d groups), respectively. Moreover, comparative analyses of e-nose and e-tongue demonstrated the distances of volatile components and scores of taste attributes including sourness, saltiness, bitterness, sweetness, and umami in III-30 d and IV-20 d groups were close to that of ripe fruits, indicating that the fruits could be sold about 20 to 30 d ahead of the season.

Rub ‘n’ roll – Pigs, Sus scrofa domesticus, display rubbing and rolling behaviour when exposed to odours

Pigs are regarded as having a highly developed sense of smell, although scientific information on the topic is sparse. Here, we describe two behaviours unexpectedly observed in a study assessing pigs’ responses to odours and not previously reported in pigs. The study included 192 pigs of commercial breeds, tested in pairs with 12 different odours of non-social origin: 8 essential oils and 4 synthetic perfumes, plus an odourless control. Each odour was tested 24 times in triads of three odours. The results showed that, when exposed to odours, pigs display rubbing and rolling behaviour. Pigs displayed rubbing behaviour in 18 % of all odour exposures. Rolling behaviour was less frequent and displayed 7 times by five different pig pairs. Rubbing was always displayed following sniffing behaviour, and after a rubbing event, the pigs either performed sniffing behaviour (86.1 %), attempts at rolling (8.8 %) or a rolling event (5.1 %). Both males and females performed the rubbing behaviour (61 % female, 39 % male, Wilcoxon signed-rank test: W = 2199, P > 0.1), rolling behaviour (71 % female, 29 % male) and attempts at rolling (62 % female, 38 % male). Overall, essential oils (lavender, thyme, blood orange, aniseed, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, ginger, and pine) elicited more of the behaviours than the synthetic perfumes (vanilla, musk, apple, and jasmine) or the odourless control. All odours elicited rubbing whereas only four odours (blood orange, ginger, lavender, and pine) elicited rolling. Scent-rubbing/scent-rolling is a well-known behaviour in both wild (e.g., wolves and coyotes) and pet (e.g., cats and dogs) carnivores, although the function is not clear. This is the first report of rubbing and rolling as a response to an odour in pigs. The motivation for performing these behaviours is unknown but may include skin care, comfort behaviour or marking behaviour. Further studies allowing pigs physical access to rub and roll in different odours may elucidate the underlying motivation.

Sm doped ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposites with improved photo-degradation strength and antibacterial properties

In this work, we devoted our effort to synthesize rare-earth (Sm3+) doped ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposites by sol-gel method to address issues like wastewater treatment and minimization of bacterial infection. Successful formation of multi-phase nanocomposites of hexagonal ZnO and tetragonal SnO2 has been confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The effect of Sm doping is understood from the enhancement in ZnO grain growth and shift in diffraction peaks. The morphology study by FESEM reveals the variation in sample morphology with Sm doping with energy-dispersive analysis of x-ray (EDAX) study providing the confirmation on the existence of Sm ions in the crystal lattice of ZnO-SnO2 heterostructure. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) study manifests the formation of two distinct types of particles (hexagonal & spherical) corresponding to ZnO and SnO2 which has been further clarified from the measurement of lattice spacing from the high-resolution TEM images and indexing of selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern. The near band edge emission (NBE) of ZnO is blue shifted along with the evolution of oxygen vacancy defects which induced new bands at 488 nm and 613 nm upon Sm doping. Further, intra-4f transitions of Sm3+ ions have also been observed at 560 nm, 590 nm and 638 nm linked to 4G5/2– 6HJ (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2) transitions. The Zn, Sn, O, and Sm elements are confirmed to exist in the nanocomposite according to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigation which provided information on the chemical composition and electronic states of the material. Photocatalytic degradation study of toxic environmental dyes like methylene blue (MB), Congo red (CR) and methyl orange (MO) shows that Sm3+ ions in ZnO/SnO2 helps to enhance the degradation efficiency by the formation of Z-scheme heterojunctions between ZnO and SnO2. This allows the delay in recombination rate of the photoinduced electron/hole pairs. The antibacterial behavior of the prepared nanocomposites against E. Coli and S. Aureus has also been studied in detail which demonstrates improved antibacterial efficiency of the samples.

Packaging effects on highly nutritional value beverage obtained by a mix of typical sicilian fruits in accelerated storage

Consumers' knowledge has been improved and now they are aware of the importance of consuming healthy food. They know how food and beverages are linked with the proper functioning of their body, so are always more drawn towards consuming healthy products with high nutritional value. The new challenge for soft drink producers is the increasing interest in high nutritive quality products. Therefore such high-quality fruit juice is required to meet consumer needs, but also to ensure safety aspects in order to prolong shelf life. The aim of this research was to understand the most suitable packaging through experimental research to preserve over time the chemical-physical characteristics of a beverage with a high nutritional value obtained by mixing blood orange, pomegranate, and prickly pear juices. The three types of stand-up pouches tested were respectively transparent packaging (PT) (PET/OPA/PE), metalized packaging (PM) (PET/ALU/PET/PE), and totally recyclable packaging (PR) (OPP/OPP/PP). On stand-up pouches, weight loss (%), color intensity, browning index (BI), anthocyanin content (mg/L), total phenols, antioxidant activity (%), and flavonoids were monitored during storage at +45 °C, 65 % RH for accelerated ageing. Results have shown that PR performances were good, it kept high qualitative characteristics among the packaging tested it is the advisable best packaging solution because it certainly offers a valid alternative in terms of performance and a lower environmental impact compared to PM or to traditional packaging (glass), thus representing a more sustainable, effective and innovative choice.

Comparative Analysis of Primary and Secondary Metabolites in the Peel of Eight Blood Orange Varieties

The global cultivation of blood oranges is experiencing an increase due to their remarkable nutritional properties. Blood orange by-products, especially the peel, have a high concentration of bioactive compounds with exceptional antioxidant potential, making them an ideal choice for incorporation into various food products. This study aimed to determine the morphological parameters and primary and secondary metabolite content of peel of eight blood orange varieties using 1H NMR and HPLC-ESI-DAD-MSn. “Tarocco Meli” had the highest weight (367.83 g), caliber (94.13 mm and 88.87 mm), peel thickness (6.73 mm), and peel weight (155.0 g). “Tarocco Rosso”, “Sanguinelli”, and “Tarocco Gallo” had the highest levels of total amino acids (25.57 g kg−1 DW), total organic acids (29.99 g kg−1 DW), and total sugars (68.56 g 100 g−1 DW), respectively. The peel of “Moro” had significantly higher concentrations of total anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavones (650.67, 263.33, and 449.85 mg kg−1, respectively) compared to the other varieties. In conclusion, “Tarocco Meli” had the most interesting values for morphological parameters, “Tarocco Rosso”, “Sanguinelli”, and “Tarocco Gallo” for primary metabolites, and “Moro” for secondary metabolites. With the increasing interest in utilizing co-products, these findings could be useful in developing functional food products that meet consumer demands for healthier and more sustainable food choices.

Quantifying the ultraviolet-induced fluorescence intensity in green mould lesions of diverse citrus varieties: Towards automated detection of citrus decay in postharvest

Citrus fungal infections developing during fruit storage and transportation can cause significant economic losses after harvest. The most important is caused by the fungus Penicillium digitatum, which infects the fruit through rind wounds and causes a rot lesion. The symptoms of decay are difficult to notice by the human eye in the initial stages of decay development because the colour of the lesion is very similar to that of the healthy rind. One method to detect this disease early is to illuminate the fruit with ultraviolet (UV) light since the disease causes visible fluorescence. Manual inspection exposes the workers to UV light, which is dangerous for their skin and eyes. An alternative is to use artificial vision systems. But not all varieties show the same level of fluorescence, and even some do not produce this phenomenon, making it challenging to create effective automatic detection systems based on image analysis. This work has studied and determined the fluorescence level of 104 varieties of oranges and mandarins using hyperspectral and colour imaging. The samples were inoculated with spores of the P. digitatum in controlled conditions. Images were captured exposing the fruit under UV light (380 nm) using a colour camera and a hyperspectral imaging system. The fluorescence level of each variety was measured using three colour coordinates and the hyperspectral images. Best correlations between the spectral and the colour-based systems were achieved using the green (G) colour coordinate of the RGB colour space (R2 =0.85). Navel and common oranges emit the most fluorescence, while 16 varieties (mostly blood oranges and other mandarins) have very low or undetectable fluorescence.

Structural, morphological and photocatalytic properties of nanostructured TiO2/AgI photocatalyst

Nanostructured TiO2/AgI photocatalyst under the action of ultraviolet or visible electromagnetic radiation effectively neutralizes organic pollutants in the aqueous environment. It is a nanostructure in which micro- and small mesopores of anatase TiO2 are filled with silver iodide in the superionic state. The content of the α-AgI ion-conducting phase in the volume of ТіО2 pores can be ~20 wt %.
 To obtain a photocatalyst, titanium dioxide is synthesized by the sol-gel method, using a titanium aquacomplex solution [Ti(OH2)6]3+•3Cl- and a Na2CО3 modifier additive as a precursor. The modifying additive during synthesis ensures the fixation of =О2СО carbonate groups on the surface of oxide material particles. The presence of these groups leads to an increase in both the pore volume and the specific surface area of ТіО2. The specific surface area of carbonized titanium dioxide is 368 m2•g-1, the pore volume is 0.28 cm3•g-1, and their size is 0.9-4.5 nm.
 To fill the micro- and small mesopores of TiO2 with the superionic α-AgI phase, Ag+ cations are first adsorbed from the AgNO3 solution on the titanium dioxide surface, and then the oxide material is contacted with the KI solution.
 Compared to the Evonik P25-TiO2 photocatalyst, the nanostructured TiO2/AgI photocatalyst demonstrates a significantly higher efficiency of photodegradation of organic dyes Congo Red and Methyl Orange in visible and ultraviolet radiation. The most active ТіО2/40AgI sample achieved complete degradation of the CR dye in 6 minutes of UV irradiation, while the efficiency of commercial Р25-TiO2 over the same time was only 42%.

Reduction of toxic organic dyes in aqueous media using N-heterocyclic copper(II) complex immobilized on the beta-cyclodextrin-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a magnetically recyclable catalyst

This study was undertaken to design a stable easy-recoverable nanoadsorbent (Fe3O4@CM-β-CDP@Tet-Cu(II)) hybrid with rich catalytic sites via wet-chemical method for the catalytic reduction of toxic dyes in wastewater. β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with a hydrophilic character outside and hydrophobic inside cavity play an important role in catalytic reduction process by interacting with organic molecules and also prepared more sites for further surface modifications. Several characterization techniques including FT-IR, TGA analysis, FE-SEM/EDX, TEM, X-Ray diffraction patterns (XRD) measurements were employed to investigate the structural properties of the synthesized material. The catalytic ability of the obtained material was examined in the presence of different dyes including p-nitrophenol, Eosin Y, Rhodamine B, Congo red, and Methyl orange by UV–Vis spectroscopy as a simple and available method. Moreover, the parameters which effect on reduction process, such as dye and reducing agent (NaBH4) concentrations, mass of adsorbent and time were optimized at room temperature. The obtained data demonstrate the considerable catalytic ability of Fe3O4@CM-β-CDP@Tet-Cu (II) besides a remarkable reduction rate and high yield over a short reaction time, in particular for Methyl orange dye. Recycling experiments revealed that Fe3O4@CM-β-CDP@Tet-Cu (II) has an excellent stability wherein the catalyst was recycled five times with a slight decrease in the reduction ability without any remarkable change in morphological properties which confirm by FE-SEM analysis. The high catalytic activity, the magnetic recoverability, along with the excellent stability of Fe3O4@CM-β-CDP@Tet-Cu (II) make it a potential candidate for the reduction of multiple dyes in real wastewater samples.

A new formulation of Ni/Zn bi-metallic nanocomposite and evaluation of its applications for pollution removal, photocatalytic, electrochemical sensing, and anti-breast cancer

Nanocomposites have gained attention due to their variety of applications in different fields. In this research, we have reported a green synthesis of a bi-metallic nanocomposite of nickel and zinc using an aqueous extract of Citrus sinensis in the presence of chitosan (Ni/Zn@orange/chitosan). The nanocomposite was characterized using different techniques. We have examined various applications for Ni/Zn@orange/chitosan. The NPs were manufactured in spherical morphology with a particle range size of 17.34–90.51 nm. Ni/Zn@orange/chitosan showed an acceptable ability to remove dyes of Congo red and methyl orange from an aqueous solution after 80 min furthermore, it uptaking the drug mefenamic acid from a solution. Ni/Zn@orange/chitosan also exhibited great photocatalytic activity in synthesizing benzimidazole using benzyl alcohol and o-phenylenediamine. Ni/Zn@orange/chitosan was found as a potent electrochemical sensor to determine glucose. In the molecular and cellular section of the current research, the cells with composite nanoparticles were studied by MTT way about the anti-breast adenocarcinoma potentials malignant cell lines. The IC50 of composite nanoparticles were 320, 460, 328, 500, 325, 379, 350, and 396 μg/mL concering RBA, NMU, SK-BR-3, CAMA-1, MCF7, AU565, MDA-MB-468, and Hs 281.T breast adenocarcinoma cell lines, respectively. The results revealed the newly synthesized nanocomposite is a potent photocatalyst, dye pollution removal agent, and an acceptable new drug to treat breast cancer.

Diversity of Mycotoxins and Other Secondary Metabolites Recovered from Blood Oranges Infected by Colletotrichum, Alternaria, and Penicillium Species.

This study identified secondary metabolites produced by Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Penicillium digitatum in fruits of two blood orange cultivars before harvest. Analysis was performed by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Three types of fruits were selected, asymptomatic, symptomatic showing necrotic lesions caused by hail, and mummified. Extracts from peel and juice were analyzed separately. Penicillium digitatum was the prevalent species recovered from mummified and hail-injured fruits. Among 47 secondary metabolites identified, 16, 18, and 13 were of A. alternata, C. gloeosporioides, and P. digitatum, respectively. Consistently with isolations, indicating the presence of these fungi also in asymptomatic fruits, the metabolic profiles of the peel of hail-injured and asymptomatic fruits did not differ substantially. Major differences were found in the profiles of juice from hail-injured and mummified fruits, such as a significant higher presence of 5,4-dihydroxy-3,7,8-trimethoxy-6C-methylflavone and Atrovenetin, particularly in the juice of mummified fruits of the Tarocco Lempso cultivar. Moreover, the mycotoxins patulin and Rubratoxin B were detected exclusively in mummified fruits. Patulin was detected in both the juice and peel, with a higher relative abundance in the juice, while Rubratoxin B was detected only in the juice. These findings provide basic information for evaluating and preventing the risk of contamination by mycotoxins in the citrus fresh fruit supply chain and juice industry.

The performance of carboxylated alginic acid derivatives via methyl orange and Congo red catalytic reduction

Numerous water-treatment marital have been developed during the past few years, including adsorbents., the catalytic reduction behavior of carboxylated alginic acid derivatives has been investigated against harmful organic dyes including Methyl Orange (MO) and Congo Red (CR). Alginic acid was firstly oxidized through an easy addition of KMnO4 as an oxidizing agent. A carboxylated alginic acid (CAA) has been interacted with selected metal ions (Sn, Fe, Ni, and Zr) through coordination bonds at the value of pH = 4 to form the corresponding metal complexes namely: Sn-CAA, Fe-CAA, Ni-CAA, and Zr-CAA. The consistency of the coordination was confirmed by several spectroscopic techniques including FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. The catalytic reduction of these metal ion-based products was carried out against MO, and CR in the presence of NaBH4 as a reducing agent under UV irradiation. All catalysts-based metal complexes showed enhanced catalytic reduction against CR compared to MO. Among all those mentioned metal complexes Sn-CAA showed the best catalytic reduction of these dyes. The time is taken by the Sn-CAA for CR, and MO is 5 and 7 min respectively. Ni-CAA was classified as the second efficient product against both dyes, where the reduction process took 20 and 9 min respectively. The other two catalysts took a long time for CR and MO reduction. Zr-CAA showed more than 80% reduction of only CR dye within 20 min. Whereas, Fe-CAA did not show any significant sign of reduction against both the dyes after the same time. The order of higher catalytic reduction was illustrated as: Sn-CAA > Ni-CAA > Zr-CAA = Fe-CAA.

Weighted gene coexpression correlation network analysis reveals the potential molecular regulatory mechanism of citrate and anthocyanin accumulation between postharvest ‘Bingtangcheng’ and ‘Tarocco’ blood orange fruit

BackgroundOrganic acids and anthocyanins are the most important compounds for the flavor and nutritional quality of citrus fruit. However, there are few reports on the involvement of co-regulation of citrate and anthocyanin metabolism. Here, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis to elucidate the genes and pathways involved in both citrate and anthocyanin accumulation in postharvest citrus fruit with ‘Tarocco’ blood orange (TBO; high accumulation) and ‘Bingtangcheng’ sweet orange (BTSO; low accumulation).ResultsA robust core set of 825 DEGs were found to be temporally associated with citrate and anthocyanin accumulation throughout the storage period through transcriptome analysis. Further according to the results of weighted gene coexpression correlation network analysis (WGCNA), the turquoise and brown module was highly positively correlated with both of the content of citrate and anthocyanin, and p-type ATPase (PH8), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase (PEPCK), chalcone isomerase (CHI), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase (F3’H) and glutathione S transferase (GST) were considered key structural genes. Moreover, MYB family transcription factor (PH4), Zinc finger PHD-type transcription factor (CHR4, HAC12), Zinc finger SWIM-type transcription factor (FAR1) and Zinc finger C3H1-type transcription factor (ATC3H64) were considered hub genes related to these structural genes. Further qRT-PCR analysis verified that these transcription factors were highly expressed in TBO fruit and their expression profiles were significantly positively correlated with the structural genes of citrate and anthocyanin metabolism as well as the content of citrate and anthocyanin content.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the CHR4, FAR1, ATC3H64 and HAC12 may be the new transcription regulators participate in controlling the level of citrate and anthocyanin in postharvest TBO fruit in addition to PH4. These results may providing new insight into the regulation mechanism of citrate and anthocyanin accumulation in citrus fruit.

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal the effects of grafting on blood orange quality.

Blood orange (Citrus sinensis L.) is a valuable source of nutrition because it is enriched in anthocyanins and has high organoleptic properties. Grafting is commonly used in citriculture and has crucial effects on various phenotypes of the blood orange, including its coloration, phenology, and biotic and abiotic resistance. Still, the underlying genetics and regulatory mechanisms are largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic profiles at eight developmental stages of the lido blood orange cultivar (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Lido) grafted onto two rootstocks. The Trifoliate orange rootstock provided the best fruit quality and flesh color for Lido blood orange. Comparative metabolomics suggested significant differences in accumulation patterns of metabolites and we identified 295 differentially accumulated metabolites. The major contributors were flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and coumarins, and terpenoids. Moreover, transcriptome profiling resulted in the identification of 4179 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 54 DEGs were associated with flavonoids and anthocyanins. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified major genes associated to 16 anthocyanins. Furthermore, seven transcription factors (C2H2, GANT, MYB-related, AP2/ERF, NAC, bZIP, and MYB) and five genes associated with anthocyanin synthesis pathway (CHS, F3H, UFGT, and ANS) were identified as key modulators of the anthocyanin content in lido blood orange. Overall, our results revealed the impact of rootstock on the global transcriptome and metabolome in relation to fruit quality in lido blood orange. The identified key genes and metabolites can be further utilized for the quality improvement of blood orange varieties.