Chinense Var Research Articles

Comparison of multi-type chemical compounds in fruits of Lycium and correlations between compounds and traits

To comprehensively reveal and utilize the plant resources of Lycium in China, this study determined and compared the content of monosaccharides, polysaccharides, proteins, carotenoids, organic acids, and phenols in the dried fruits of 8 different Lycium species. Furthermore, the traits including the hundred-fruit weight, shape index, and the ratio of seed to fruit were measured, and the correlations between the content of chemical compounds and fruit traits were assessed. The results showed that L. truncatum, L. barbarum var. auranticarpum, and L. dasystemum var. rubricaulium were the species with high content of monosaccharides. L. barbarum and L. barbarum var. auranticarpum were the species with high content of total polysaccharides, and L. barbarum was the species with high content of carotenoids. L. yunnanense and L. chinense var. potaninii had high content of soluble proteins. L. truncatum, L. dasystemum, and L. barbarum showed high content of organic acids and phenols. L. barbarum and L. barbarum var. auranticarpum demonstrated high fruit weight, while L. yunnanense and L. chinense had high ratios of seed to fruit. The multivariate statistical analysis indicated that polysaccharides, carotenoids, hundred-fruit weight, ratio of seed to fruit, scopolamine, fructose, 5-O-feruloylquinic acid, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, scopoletin, cryptochlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid were the main differential compounds in the fruits among different species of Lycium. Moreover, the results of correlation ananysis showed strong correlations between fruit traits and compound content. Specifically, the hundred-fruit weight had positive correlations with the content of total polysaccharides and scopola-mine. The ratio of seed to fruit was negatively correlated with the content of rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, fructose, and glucose and positively correlated with the content of succinic acid, soluble proteins, and zeaxanthin. The results implied that chemical compounds presented different distribution patterns in the fruits of 8 Lycium species. This study provides a basis for the comprehensive development and utilization, targeted breeding, and value-added application of Lycium plants.

Remediation of heavy metal cadmium polluted water by a variety of garden plant schemes

With the advancement of urbanization and industrialization in China, more and more urban and rural areas are experiencing varying degrees of cadmium (Cd) pollution in water and soil. Biological treatment is one way to eliminate Cd pollution in water bodies, and plants such as Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, and Phalaris arundinacea var. picta can purify heavy metal pollution. So this study attempts to select six common garden plants and conduct experiments to analyze the absorption effect on Cd in this polluted water body. The aim is to find a planting plan for garden plants that has a stronger purification effect on Cd polluted water bodies. The experimental results showed that in a water environment with a Cd concentration of 50 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 0.735, 0.938, 0.784, 0.827, 3.168, and 0.597, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 10 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.549, 0.729, 1.081, 0.924, 1.420, and 0.690, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 5 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.238, 0.473, 0.566, 0.695, 0.431, and 1.236, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 0 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.030, 0.452, 0.954, 0.695, 0.826, and 0.958, respectively. Due to the significant decrease of Cd in the roots and significant increase of Cd in the stems and leaves of Polygonum chinense L. in the water with a Cd of 50 mg/L, the cultivation time increased from 10d to 30d. The plant species Polygonum chinense L. exhibited a notably high Cd enrichment potential, as evidenced by its substantial enrichment and transport coefficients. In the experiments, the plant's ability to accumulate and transport Cd was demonstrated quantitatively. Under controlled conditions, the highest Cd enrichment coefficients in root, stem, and leaf were 0.735, 2.900, and 1.581, respectively. These results indicated the plant's capacity for efficient Cd uptake and translocation, making it a promising candidate for phytoremediation efforts in Cd-contaminated environments. However, in the high Cd environment, the root enrichment coefficient of Phalaris arundinacea var. picta was the highest, making it more suitable as a container for collecting Cd ions in Cd contaminated water. Under other concentration conditions, the average Cd enrichment coefficient of various parts of Polygonum chinense L was still the highest. The experimental results prove that Polygonum chinense L. has the ability to treat Cd polluted water bodies through absorption.

Soil bacterial community in a photovoltaic system adopted different survival strategies to cope with small-scale light stress under different vegetation restoration modes.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is a major carbon reduction technology that is rapidly developing worldwide. However, the impact of PV plant construction on subsurface microecosystems is currently understudied. We conducted a systematic investigation into the effects of small-scale light stress caused by shading of PV panels and sampling depth on the composition, diversity, survival strategy, and key driving factors of soil bacterial communities (SBCs) under two vegetation restoration modes, i.e., Euryops pectinatus (EP) and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (LC). The study revealed that light stress had a greater impact on rare species with relative abundances below 0.01% than on high-abundance species, regardless of the vegetation restoration pattern. Additionally, PV shadowing increased SBCs' biomass by 20-30% but had varying negative effects on the numbers of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU), Shannon diversity, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Chao1 richness index. Co-occurrence and correlation network analysis revealed that symbiotic relationships dominated the key SBCs in the LC sample plots, with Chloroflexi and Actinobacteriota being the most ecologically important. In contrast, competitive relationships were significantly increased in the EP sample plots, with Actinobacteriota having the most ecological importance. In the EP sample plot, SBCs were found to be more tightly linked and had more stable ecological networks. This suggests that EP is more conducive to the stability and health of underground ecosystems in vulnerable areas when compared with LC. These findings offer new insights into the effects of small-scale light stress on subsurface microorganisms under different vegetation restoration patterns. Moreover, they may provide a reference for optimizing ecological restoration patterns in fragile areas.

Velutinus, a novel genus in Patellariopsidaceae from medicinal plants in Sichuan Province, China

Velutinus sichuanensis gen. et sp. nov. was collected from dead branches of the medicinal plant Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (Hamamelidaceae) in Sichuan Province, China. The genus Velutinus is characterized by having cylindrical, straight or slightly curved, septate, hyaline conidiophores, holoblastic, polyblastic conidiogenous cells, and thick-walled, dark brown, septate, spherical conidia, sometimes with conspicuous appendages. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the combined ITS and LSU sequences data showed that Velutinus forms a distinct lineage in Patellariopsidaceae, Helotiales, Leotiomycetes. The new genus, Velutinus is introduced to accommodate V. sichuanensis based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new taxa are provided.

The identity of Bupleurum jeholense (Apiaceae)

Bupleurum jeholense Nakai (Apioideae, Apiaceae), originally found in the Wuling Mountain of China, was initially described as a species but later treated as a variety of B. sibiricum Vest ex Spreng. However, researchers have recently found that it is more closely related to B. chinense DC. In this study, we conducted morphological and phylogenetic analyses as well as chromosome counting to determine the taxonomic status of B. sibiricum var. jeholense (Nakai) Chu. Our results showed that B. sibiricum var. jeholense and B. chinense share common features (i.e., bracteoles 5 and stem solid) that distinguish both from B. sibiricum var. sibiricum. The chromosome number of B. sibiricum var. jeholense was found to be the same as in B. chinense (i.e., 2n = 12), whereas the chromosome number of B. sibiricum var. sibiricum was 64. A phylogenetic tree based on complete chloroplast genome data revealed a close relationship between B. sibiricum var. jeholense and B. chinense. Finally, B. sibiricum var. jeholense and B. chinense were mainly found to differ in plant height, number of stems, and middle stem leaves. Based on this evidence, we propose a new combination: Bupleurum chinense var. jeholense (Nakai) Q.R.Liu & L.H.Wang.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the bHLH Gene Family in Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum: Identification, Classification, Evolution, and Diversity of Expression Patterns under Cultivation.

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family is the second-largest transcription factor family in plants. Members of this family are involved in the processes of growth and development, secondary metabolic biosynthesis, signal transduction, and plant resistance. Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum is a critical woody plant with higher ornamental and economic values, which has been used as ornamental architecture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine plants. However, the bHLH transcription factors in Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. chinense var. rubrum) have not yet been systematically demonstrated, and their role in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin is still unclear. Here, we identified 165 potential LcbHLHs genes by using two methods, and they were unequally distributed on chromosomes 1 to 12 of the genome of L. chinense var. rubrum. Based on an evolutionary comparison with proteins from Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa, these bHLH proteins were categorized into 21 subfamilies. Most LcbHLHs in a particular subfamily had similar gene structures and conserved motifs. The Gene Ontology annotation and Cis-elements predicted that LcbHLHs had many molecular functions and were involved in processes of plant growth, including the biosynthesis of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Transcriptomic analysis revealed different expression patterns among different tissues and cultivars of L. chinense var. rubrum. Many LcbHLHs were expressed in the leaves, and only a few genes were highly expressed in the flowers. Six LcbHLHs candidate genes were identified by bioinformatics analysis and expression analysis. Further Real-time quantitative PCR analysis and protein interaction network analysis showed that LcbHLH156, which is one of the candidate proteins belonging to the IIIf subfamily, could interact with proteins related to anthocyanin synthesis. Therefore, LcbHLH156 was transiently expressed in L. chinense var. rubrum to verify its function in regulating anthocyanin synthesis. Compared with the control group, red pigment accumulation appeared at the wound after injection, and the total anthocyanin content increased at the wound of leaves. These results lay a foundation for the research of the regulation mechanism of leaf colors in L. chinense var. rubrum and also provide a basis for the function of the LcbHLH family.

Evaluation of the Capsaicinoid Extraction Conditions from Mexican Capsicum chinense Var. Mayapan with Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE)

Capsaicin (Cp) is a secondary metabolite produced by the Capsicum plant family. This molecule exhibits various biological properties such as antioxidant capacities, anti-obesogenic effects, and antidiabetic properties, among others. However, conventional extraction methods for Cp present several disadvantages including toxicity, extraction time, and low purity. Therefore, the utilization of supercritical fluid extraction techniques represents a viable option for obtaining highly pure and low-toxicity oleoresins (capsaicin-rich extracts). This approach involves the use of CO2 in the supercritical state and finds applicability in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. The Capsicum chinense variety from the Yucatán Peninsula is a crop with significant economic impact in the region, due to having the highest concentrations of Cp in Mexico. This significant characteristic is attributed to its adaptation to the unique conditions (climate, soil, solar radiation, humidity) of the southeastern region of Mexico. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature (45 °C, 60 °C), pressure (1450 psi, 2900 psi), and extraction time (60 min, 120 min) on the supercritical fluid extraction of Cp and dihydrocapsaicin (DhCp) from Capsicum chinense Jacq. The results obtained demonstrated that the extraction conditions of 45 °C, 1450 psi, and 60 min yielded the highest concentration of Cp (37.09 ± 0.84 mg/g extract) and DhCp (10.17 ± 0.18 mg/g extract), while the highest antioxidant capacity (91.48 ± 0.24% inhibition) was obtained with 60 °C, 2900 psi, and 60 min. The findings of this study indicate that the lower the pressure and extraction time, the higher the concentrations of Cp and DhCp compared to previous reports. This represents an opportunity for cost reduction in production lines and improved utilization of Capsicum chinense in the agrifood industry through additional optimization processes.

Phenotypic, Physiological, and Molecular Response of Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum under Different Light Quality Treatments Based on Leaf Color Changes.

Light quality is a vital environmental signal used to trigger growth and to develop structural differentiation in plants, and it influences morphological, physiological, and biochemical metabolites. In previous studies, different light qualities were found to regulate the synthesis of anthocyanin. However, the mechanism of the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins in leaves in response to light quality remains unclear. In this study, the Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum "Xiangnong Fendai" plant was treated with white light (WL), blue light (BL), ultraviolet-A light (UL), and blue light plus ultraviolet-A light (BL + UL), respectively. Under BL, the leaves were described as increasing in redness from "olive green" to "reddish-brown". The chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, and total flavonoid content were significantly higher at 7 d than at 0 d. In addition, BL treatment also significantly increased the accumulation of soluble sugar and soluble protein. In contrast to BL, ultraviolet-A light increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes in the leaves, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in varying degrees over time. Moreover, we also found that the CRY-like gene, HY5-like gene, BBX-like gene, MYB-like gene, CHS-like gene, DFR-like gene, ANS-like gene, and UFGT-like gene were significantly upregulated. Furthermore, the SOD-like, POD-like, and CAT-like gene expressions related to antioxidase synthesis were found under ultraviolet-A light conditions. In summary, BL is more conducive to reddening the leaves of "Xiangnong Fendai" and will not lead to excessive photooxidation. This provides an effective ecological strategy for light-induced leaf-color changes, thereby promoting the ornamental and economic value of L. chinense var. rubrum.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors and Their Expression Profile in Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum.

The WRKY gene family plays important roles in plant growth and development, as well as in the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum has high ornamental and medicinal value. However, few WRKY genes have been reported in this plant, and their functions remain unknown. To explore the roles that the WRKY genes play in L. chinense var. rubrum, we identified and characterized 79 LcWRKYs through BLAST homology analysis and renamed them (as LcWRKY1-79) based on their distribution on the chromosomes of L. chinense var. rubrum. In this way, according to their structural characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, they were divided into three groups containing 16 (Group I), 52 (Group II), and 11 (Group III) WRKYs, respectively. LcWRKYs in the same group have similar motifs and gene structures; for instance, Motifs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 constitute the WRKY domain and zinc-finger structure. The LcWRKY promoter region contains light response elements (ACE, G-box), stress response elements (TC-rich repeats), hormone response elements (TATC-box, TCA-element), and MYB binding sites (MBS, MBSI). Synteny analysis of LcWRKYs allowed us to establish orthologous relationships among the WRKY gene families of Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Solanum lycopersicum L., Vitis vinifera L., Oryza sativa L., and Zea mays L.; furthermore, analysis of the transcriptomes of mature leaves and flowers from different cultivars demonstrated the cultivar-specific LcWRKY gene expression. The expression levels of certain LcWRKY genes also presented responsive changes from young to mature leaves, based on an analysis of the transcriptome in leaves at different developmental stages. White light treatment led to a significant decrease in the expression of LcWRKY6, 18, 24, 34, 36, 44, 48, 61, 62, and 77 and a significant increase in the expression of LcWRKY41, blue light treatment led to a significant decrease in the expression of LcWRKY18, 34, 50, and 77 and a significant increase in the expression of LcWRKY36 and 48. These results enable a better understanding of LcWRKYs, facilitating the further exploration of their genetic functions and the molecular breeding of L. chinense var. rubrum.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiling Provides Insights into Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Flower Coloring in Loropetalum chinense and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum

The Loropetalum chinense and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum are typical as well as traditional ornamental and Chinese herbal medicines in Asia; however, more information is needed on the mechanisms underlying their flower coloring. Here, we profiled the flavonoid metabolome and carried out full-length sequencing in addition to transcriptome analyses to investigate the flavonoid biosynthesis and global transcriptome changes among different petal coloring cultivars of L. chinense and L. chinense var. rubrum. The total anthocyanins in addition to the RHSCC values and CIE 1976 L*a*b* values of petals were highly consistent with petal color. Moreover, a total of 207 flavonoid components were identified. Of these, 13 flavonoid compounds were considered significantly different expression compounds highly consistent with color information in the 4 samples. Meanwhile, the first reference full-length transcriptome of L. chinense var. rubrum was built, which had 171,783 high-quality nonredundant transcripts with correcting with next-generation sequencing (NGS). Among them, 52,851 transcripts were annotated in the seven databases of NR, KOG, GO, NT, Pfam, Swiss-Port, and KEGG. Combined with NGS analyses, the DETs involved in flavonoids and anthocyanins contributed greatest to the flower coloring. Additionally, the different expressions of eight LcDFRs and four LcANS genes were positively correlated with flavonoid biosynthesis, and the four LcBZ1 as well as one Lc3Mat1 were positively correlated with the content of seven anthocyanins revealed by coupling with metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses. Together, these results were used to mine candidate genes by analyzing flower coloring changes at comprehensive metabolic and transcriptomic levels in L. chinense and L. chinense var. rubrum.

ESTIMATION OF CAPSAICIN IN PHENYLALANINE AND VALINE TREATED CELL SUSPENSION CULTURES IN CAPSICUM ANNUUM AND CAPSICUM CHINENSE USING HPLC

Capsaicin content was estimated in phenylalanine & valine (0.01, 0.02, 0.03 %) treated cell suspension cultures derived from zygotic embryo (non-fruit tissue) using HPLC in 10 Capsicum genotypes. Maximum amount of capsaicin (20.1±0.3µM/g) was observed in C. chinense var. Kotpar, while in C. annuum var. special bullet produced maximum amount of Capsaicin (18.2±0.3µM/g), whereas minimum amount of capsaicin was found in C. annuum var. Badiga-1 (4.5±0.7µM/g). Another observation was that capsaicin was not detected both in precursor and non-precursor treated cell suspension cultures of C. annuum var. california wonder & yolo wonder.

Comprehensive analysis of metabolome and transcriptome reveals the mechanism of color formation in different leave of Loropetalum Chinense var. Rubrum

BackgroundLoropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. chinense var. rubrum) is a precious, coloured-leaf native ornamental plant in the Hunan Province. We found an L. chinense var. rubrum tree with three different leaf colours: GL (green leaf), ML (mosaic leaf), and PL (purple leaf). The mechanism of leaf coloration in this plant is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the metabolites and genes involved in determining the colour composition of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves, using phenotypic/anatomic observations, pigment content detection, and comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics.ResultsWe observed that the mesophyll cells in PL were purple, while those in GL were green and those in ML were a mix of purple-green. The contents of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and total chlorophyll in PL and ML were significantly lower than those in GL. While the anthocyanin content in PL and ML was significantly higher than that in GL. The metabolomics results showed the differences in the content of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside, pelargonidin, and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside in ML, GL, and PL were significant. Considering that the change trend of anthocyanin content change was consistent with the leaf colour difference, we speculated that these compounds might influence the colour of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves. Using transcriptomics, we finally identified nine differentially expressed structural genes (one ANR (ANR1217); four CYP75As (CYP75A1815, CYP75A2846, CYP75A2909, and CYP75A1716); four UFGTs (UFGT1876, UFGT1649, UFGT1839, and UFGT3273) and nine transcription factors (two MYBs (MYB1057 and MYB1211), one MADS-box (MADS1235), two AP2-likes (AP2-like1779 and AP2-like2234), one bZIP (bZIP3720), two WD40s (WD2173 and WD1867) and one bHLH (bHLH1631) that might be related to flavonoid biosynthesis and then impacted the appearance of colour in L. chinense var. rubrum leaves.ConclusionThis study revealed potential molecular mechanisms associated with leaf coloration in L. chinense var. rubrum by analyzing differential metabolites and genes related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. It also provided a reference for research on leaf colour variation in other ornamental plants.

Alkaloids from fruit of Lycium chinense var. potaninii

Ten alkaloids(1-10) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the fruit of Lycium chinense var. potaninii by silica gel, ODS, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and identified by NMR and MS as methyl(2S)-[2-formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(phenyl)propanoate(1), methyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(phenyl)propanoate(2), 3-hydroxy-4-ethyl ketone pyridine(3), indolyl-3-carbaldehyde(4),(R)-4-isobutyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]oxazine-6-carbaldehyde(5),(R)-4-isopropyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]oxazine-6-car-baldehyde(6), methyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate(7), dimethyl(2R)-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanedioate(8), 4-[formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoate(9), 4-[2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoic acid(10). All the compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time. Among them, compounds 1-3 were new compounds. Compounds 1-9 were evaluated for hypoglycemic activity in vitro with the palmitic acid-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. At 10 μmol·L~(-1), compounds 4, 6, 7, and 9 can promote the glucose consumption of HepG2 cells with insulin resistance.

Leaf color change and photosystem function evaluation under heat treatment revealed the stress resistance variation between Loropetalum chinense and L. chinense var. rubrum.

This research mainly focused on the leaf color change and photosystem function differentiation between Loropetalum chinense and its variety L. chinense var. rubrum under heat stress, which were tightly concerned about their ornamental traits and growth. L. chinense 'Xiangnong Xiangyun' (X) and L. chinense var. rubrum 'Xiangnong Fendai' (F) and L. chinense var. rubrum 'Hei Zhenzhu' (H) were chosen to be experimented on to investigate whether leaf color morphology and pigment composition could influence the adaptability of plants to high temperature in order to select foliage plants which posses stable leaf color and better adaptability for hot regions. The plants were cultured in hot environment (40 °C/33 °C, day/night) and normal environment (25 °C/18 °C, day/night). Phenotype and anatomic observation of three cultivars were made and leaf color indices and pigment contents were measured. During the experiment, H and F gradually turned green, total anthocyanins contents significantly decreased in them, however, chlorophyll b contents increased in all three cultivars. In addition, the initial fluorescence (Fo) decreased in X, while increased in H and F. For the maximum fluorescence (Fm) and maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), they only increased in H and decreased in both F and X. The non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (NPQ) also increased in H and decreased in F. For X, it increased at first then gradually decreased. The coefficient of photochemical quenching all increased at first then gradually decreased. Correlation analysis between showed that there was relatively strong connection between anthocyanins, flavonoids and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, especially NPQ, proved anthocyanins and flavonoids might not only involved in enriching leaf color, but also interfered with the protection of photosystem. Generally speaking, we found higher anthocyanin and flavonoids content level not only dramatically enriched the leaf color of L. chinense var. rubrum cultivars, but also offered more potential antioxidant to keep their normal growth when encountered heat stress.

First report of Coniella koreana causing leaf blight on Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (Chinese Fringe Flower) in Sichuan, China.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (Chinese Fringe Flower) is widely distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as northern India. It is a popular landscape plant for its red evergreen foliage and its showy red flowers in the spring. In July 2020, This leaf blight was discovered in Chengdu city (30°42＇41＂N, 103°51＇58＂E). In June 2021, the disease incidence rate at two places in Wenjiang District of Chengdu was 76% and 64%, respectively. The symptoms began to appear from May to June, worsened from July to August, and then disappeared gradually in November. Initially, brown-edged irregular necrotic patches appeared at the leaf margins. Progressively, the patches increased in number, expanded to leaf middle, and turned grayish-white. The scattered black fruiting bodies (conidia) were appeared at patches under humid conditions. Eventually, the leaves tended to dry up and fall off. Infected tissues from five samples and collected were cut into small pieces 2×2 mm, surface sterilized for 30 s in 3% sodium hypochlorite, 60 s in 75% ethanol, rinsed three times in sterile water, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25℃ in the dark. A total of eight isolates were collected, five isolates exhibited similar culture characteristics while two were Nigrospora sp. and one was a Fusarium sp.. The five similar isolates produced sparse, grayish-withe mycelia with a flat elevation and curled margin. Abundant globose and yellow pycnidia were formed on the PDA surface and arranged in irregular concentric zones. Conidia were 18.20 to 22.36 × 2.64 to 3.05 μm (average 20.36 × 2.82 μm, n=50) in size, fusiform, sickle-shaped, aseptate. DNA was extracted from the representative strain (HMcj B03), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α), and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced with primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), LR0R/LR7 (Rehner and Samuels 1994; Vilaglys and Hester 1990), 728F/986R (Carbome and Kohn 1999), and 5F2/7cR (Alvarez et al. 2016), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank, viz. OL468959, OL469170, OL489770, and OL855833, respectively. BLAST analysis showed >98.7% identity with several reference sequences of Coniella koreana strain CBS 143.97 and Coniella quercicola strain CBS 904.69, deposited in GenBank. A conidial suspension (1 × 107 conidia/mL) having 0.05% Tween 80 buffer was used for foliar inoculation of 6-year-old Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum plants for pathogenicity test. Ten leaves of each plant (10 pots in total) were inoculated with spore suspensions (20 μL onto the wounded sites). An equal number of control leaves were sprayed with 0.05% Tween 80 buffer to serve as a control. The experiment was repeated three times, and all plants were incubated in a growth chamber (a 12h light and 12h dark period, 25°C, RH > 80%). Twenty days later, all the inoculated leaves showed similar symptoms as the original diseased plants, however, the controls remained asymptomatic. The C. koreana was re-isolated from the infected leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. chinense var. rubrum caused by C. koreana in China. The discovery of this new disease will provide useful information for developing effective control strategies, and prove beneficial in reducing economic losses in floral product.

Capsicum chinense var. BRS Moema: chemical characterization by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and antiproliferative screening.

Capsiate and phenolics present in the free, esterified, glycosylated, and insoluble-bound forms of BRS Moema peppers were characterized and quantified using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Additionally, the in vitro antiproliferative activity of BRS Moema extract was evaluated. The peppers showed considerable quantities of capsiate and phenolic compounds. Esterified phenolics were the main fraction, followed by the insoluble-bound fraction, indicating that relying solely on the extraction of soluble phenolics may underestimate the total phenolic content. Among the fourteen phenolics identified in extract fractions, gallic acid was the major constituent. Phenolic fractions displayed high antioxidant capacity by TEAC and ORAC assays. Nevertheless, the correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity suggested that other bioactive or phenolic compounds may contribute to the overall phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of the obtained fractions. Concerning the antiproliferative activity, the extract did not exhibit any effect on cell proliferation within the evaluated concentration range. These findings indicated that BRS Moema peppers can serve as a rich source of phenolic compounds. Therefore, fully utilizing them could bring advantages to the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as to consumers and producers.

Utilization of Indole Acetic Acid with Leucadendron rubrum and Rhododendron pulchrum for the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals in the Artificial Soil Made of Municipal Sewage Sludge.

The development of phytoremediation by garden plants is an effective way to deal with the dilemma of municipal sewage sludge disposal. In this study, two ornamental plants were used as phytoremediation plants to rehabilitate heavy-metal-contaminated municipal sewage sludge in field experiments, and the role of exogenous phytohormone IAA was also tested. Ornamental plants Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. rubrum) and Rhododendron pulchrum (R. pulchrum) adapted well to the artificial soil made of municipal sewage sludge, and the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were decreased by 7.29, 261, 20.2, and 11.9 mg kg−1, respectively, in the soil planted with L. rubrum, and 7.60, 308, 50.1, and 17.7 mg kg−1, respectively, in the soil planted with R. pulchrum, accounted for 11−37% of the total amounts and reached significant levels (p < 0.05), except Cd. The concentration of Pb in all parts of the two ornamental plants was increased, as well as most heavy metals in L. rubrum root. As a result, three months after transplant, the phyto-extraction amounts in L. rubrum were 397, 10.9, and 1330 μg for Ni, Cd, and Pb, respectively, increased by 233% to 279%. The phyto-extraction amount in R. pulchrum were 1510, 250, and 237 μg for Zn, Pb, and Cu, respectively, increased by 143% to 193%. These results indicated a potential to remediate heavy metals of the two ornamental plants, especially L. rubrum. The results of correlation analysis implied that the interaction of heavy metals in the plant itself played an important role in the uptake of heavy metals. This seemed to explain why applying IAA in the experiment had little effect on plant growth and phytoremediation of heavy metals. This study provided a green and feasible idea for the proper disposal of municipal sewage sludge.

Effects of low temperature on flowering and the expression of related genes in Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum blooms 2-3 times a year, among which the autumn flowering period has great potential for exploitation, but the number of flowers in the autumn flowering period is much smaller than that in the spring flowering period. Using 'Hei Zhenzhu' and 'Xiangnong Xiangyun' as experimental materials, the winter growth environment of L. chinense var. rubrum in Changsha, Hunan Province was simulated by setting a low temperature of 6-10°C in an artificial climate chamber to investigate the effect of winter low temperature on the flowering traits and related gene expression of L. chinense var. rubrum. The results showed that after 45 days of low temperature culture and a subsequent period of 25°C greenhouse culture, flower buds and flowers started to appear on days 24 and 33 of 25°C greenhouse culture for 'Hei Zhenzhu', and flower buds and flowers started to appear on days 21 and 33 of 25°C greenhouse culture for 'Xiangnong Xiangyun'. The absolute growth rate of buds showed a 'Up-Down' pattern during the 7-28 days of low temperature culture; the chlorophyll fluorescence decay rate (Rfd) of both materials showed a 'Down-Up-Down' pattern during this period. The non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) showed the same trend as Rfd, and the photochemical quenching coefficient (QP) fluctuated above and below 0.05. The expression of AP1 and FT similar genes of L. chinense var. rubrum gradually increased after the beginning of low temperature culture, reaching the highest expression on day 14 and day 28, respectively, and the expression of both in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group. The expressions of FLC, SVP and TFL1 similar genes all decreased gradually with low temperature culture, among which the expressions of FLC similar genes and TFL1 similar genes in the experimental group were extremely significantly lower than those in the control group; in the experimental group, the expressions of GA3 similar genes were all extremely significantly higher than those in the control group, and the expressions all increased with the increase of low temperature culture time. We found that the high expression of gibberellin genes may play an important role in the process of low temperature promotion of L. chinense var. rubrum flowering, and in the future, it may be possible to regulate L. chinense var. rubrum flowering by simply spraying exogenous gibberellin instead of the promotion effect of low temperature.

Phenotypic Diversity Analysis of the Progeny Variation of a ‘Mosaic Leaf’ Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum Based on Flower Organ Characteristics

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum is a common landscape plant. Because of the preference for the ‘red leaf’ trait, the ‘flower color’ trait was ignored in breeding, and the genetic diversity of L. chinense var. rubrum was replaced by a few genotypes. Therefore, the potential value of flower color traits was affected, and the genetic diversity was not fully exploited. In this study, we utilized a cultivar with mosaic-colored flowers and leaves and observed 15 phenotypic traits in its flower organs and its progeny, as well as a total of 60 different flower color materials. We analyzed the variation characteristics and diversity of flower colors, and qualitatively described and preliminarily classified flower colors using the ISCC-NBS and CIELab systems to explore the correlation with the flower color phenotype from the distribution and content of anthocyanins. The phenotypic diversity of the flower organs was enriched, and genetic differences in flower color were significant for the L.chinense var. rubrum, with most of the 15 phenotypic traits showing significant positive correlations, and the most critical phenotypes are sepal, petal and nectary color, as well as petal length. According to the CIELab color system and anthocyanin content and distribution characteristics, it is considered more accurate and convenient to classify the color phenotypes of L. chinense var. rubrum flowers into five categories. In this study, for the first time, the flower organ phenotype of L. chinense var. rubrum has been systematically analyzed, and it is explored as a reference method for breeding new cultivars of a diverse range of colors in L. chinense var. rubrum.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Dust Retention and Metal Accumulation by the Leaves of Roadside Plants in Hangzhou among Seasons

The auto exhaust and dust derived from increased traffic volumes have led to an increasing level of atmospheric particulates in urban areas, which have become a primary pollutant of ambient air in urban zones. Roadside plants can effectively retain atmospheric particulates and clean the urban air via foliar capture of road dust. Five common roadside plants in Hangzhou were selected to evaluate their capacity for the retention of particulate matter (PM) and the accumulation of metals. The results showed that the PM retention capacity of the different plants varied greatly, as was the case with Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum Yieh, Osmanthus fragrans (Thunb.) Loureiro, Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Ait, Photinia × fraseri Dress and Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl. In addition, the amounts of particles retained by the plants varied among seasons, with the highest retention in winter (12.19 g·m−2) and the lowest retention in spring (6.89 g·m−2). The solids on the leaf surface were mainly irregular particles, such as mineral fragments, soot aggregates, and fly ash particles. Meanwhile, these plant species can effectively accumulate heavy metals that attached to the particles. The leaves of the five tree species had the highest amounts of copper (Cu) and the lowest amounts of cadmium (Cd). Among species, L. chinense and P. tobira had the strongest comprehensive capacity to adsorb particulate matter and heavy metals. The results shed light on the rational selection of road plants, both as ornaments and to purify air via dust suppression in subtropical zones.