Alboglabra Research Articles

EFFECT OF THREE TYPES OF GROWING MEDIA AND VERMICOMPOST TEA ON THE GROWTH AND INDIVIDUAL WEIGHT OF CHINESE KALE (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey)

The intensive use of inorganic fertilizers is an effective means to promote crop productivity. However, continuous and improper use of inorganic fertilizers alone can lead to soil degradation, resulting in lower yield, environmental pollution, and human health. Organic fertilizers maintain soil quality, increase soil organic matter, and improve soil properties, consequently enhancing crop yield. This present study aimed to investigate the effects of growing media and vermicompost tea on the growth and yield of Chinese kale plants under pot conditions. Consequently, the experiment of the present study included six treatments, including control. The results showed that mixing cow manure and vermicompost with growing media and VT application significantly positively affected plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and individual weight of Chinese kale plants. Particularly, the highest plant height, the number of leaves, and individual weight were seen in the T6 treatment [GM3 (the mixture of 50% soil, 20% cocopeat, and 30% vermicompost) + VT application], but T2 treatment [GM2 (the mixture of 50% soil, 20% cocopeat, and 30% cow manure) + no VT application] had the highest stem diameter. Noticeably, VT application increased the individual weight of the plants in the T4 treatment (GM of 100% soil + VT application) by 119.9%, as compared to the control (GM of 100% soil + no VT application). Consequently, the findings of this present study demonstrated that vermicompost tea may have great potential for use as a foliar fertilizer for leaf vegetables to promote growth in plant height and weight.

Effect of Brown Seaweed in Powder and Extract Forms on Growth and Yield of Chinese Kale

Brown seaweed is generally found on the beach in Chanthaburi province. Brown seaweed can be used as a bio-stimulant for plant growth enabling the reduction cost of crop production. This experiment aimed to study the effect of seaweed in the forms of powder and extract on the growth and yield of Chinese Kale. Each experiment was conducted in three replicates and designed by CRD with 7 treatments, consisting of control, spraying of seaweed powder at 1%, 2%, and 3%, respectively, and spraying of seaweed extract at 1%, 2%, 3%, respectively. Total amino acid and plant nutrients (N, P, and K) of seaweed powder were analyzed prior to the experiment. Plant growth parameters were recorded at three intervals: 18, 25, and 32 days after transplanting (DAT). Fresh and dry weights of Chinese kale were measured after harvesting at 32 DAT. The results showed that brown seaweed at 2% either in in powder or extract forms can be used as a bio-stimulant for Chinese kale production without any significant difference.

Effect of gamma irradiated super water absorbent from sago waste on vegetables

Super water absorbent (SWA) has the ability to absorb water hundreds of times bigger than its own weight and potentially can be used as a water retainer in agriculture. Other than holding water, SWA can release water to the soil, which is required by the plants. In this study, SWA from sago waste has been successfully prepared using the gamma radiation technique and the properties of SWA such as FTIR, gel fraction and swelling have been carried out. Performance of SWA from sago waste as a water retainer has been carried out with mustard and Chinese kale with three different compositions (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5%) of SWA mixed with the soils. The effects of SWA on the plants such as height of plants and weight of plants have been determined. Generally, the height and weight of the plants were at the highest at 0.1% of SWA content in the soil.

Shading Effect of Photovoltaic Panels on Growth of Selected Tropical Vegetable Crops

Solar photovoltaic (PV) has grown rapidly over the years, which has led to land competition between installing PV for generating energy and utilizing land for agriculture to meet rising demand in human population consumption. As a result, agrivoltaic systems have become a promising way to grow food crops and produce electricity at the same time. This research assessed the potential crops that can be planted in a solar park in order to determine the possibility in combining energy and food production on the same land. This study observed growth responses of selected vegetable crops (okra, eggplant, green spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese kale, Brazilian spinach and pennywort) planted in the outskirt and row between the solar panels while under the panels, there were three distinct locations assessed: the highest elevated area, moderately inclined area, and the lowest point area. Results showed that light restriction in the highest elevated area under the panels reduced the growth of the okra by 18%, eggplant and Brazilian spinach by 50%, Chinese cabbage by 70%, while green spinach and Chinese kale by 90% yet pennywort grew 52% higher compared to the outskirt area. No significant differences in height and fruit yield for all crops grown between rows and outskirt area. Eggplants, Brazilian spinach and Chinese cabbage favor condition between rows as growth parameters were slightly higher compared to outskirt, while Okra, green spinach and Chinese kale prefer otherwise. Only pennywort performed best under panels of highest elevated area. These results suggest that different crops have distinct preferences on light requirement. Although the solar park was built close to the ground, it is still possible to produce vegetables and this study may pave the way for simultaneous generation of food and energy in tropical climate of Southeast Asian countries.

Cooking Methods for Preserving Isothiocyanates and Reducing Goitrin in Brassica Vegetables.

Glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables can be hydrolyzed into various products, e.g., chemopreventive agents, isothiocyanates (ITCs) and anti-thyroid substance, goitrin. Cooking can reduce goitrin but destroy isothiocyanates. This study aimed to optimize cooking conditions for reducing goitrin while preserving isothiocyanates in Brassica vegetables. Cabbage and Chinese kale samples were divided evenly into raw, blanched, steamed, and water-based stir-fried samples. Cooking temperature and time were varied at 60, 80, or 100 °C for 2, 4, or 6 min. The levels of goitrin, benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), and sulforaphane (SFN) were measured using LC-MS/MS. Response surface model (RSM) was used to identify the optimal cooking conditions to reduce goitrin but preserve ITCs. Results showed that goitrin content in cabbage depended on the cooking methods, temperature, and time, while that of Chinese kale only depended on the methods. In contrast, the concentrations of SFN in cabbage and BITC in kale depended on the cooking temperature and time but not methods. Based on RSM analysis, the suggested household cooking methods for preserving isothiocyanates and reducing goitrin are steaming cabbage at 80-100 °C for 4 min and stir-frying Chinese kale at 60-100 °C for 2 min. Such methods may preserve the bioactive compounds while reducing food hazards.

Identification and Genome-Wide Gene Expression Perturbation of a Trisomy in Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra).

Trisomy harbouring an extra copy of the chromosome generally causes a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities in mammals but is an extremely rare and important genetic stock in plants. In this study, a spontaneous trisomy plant in a Chinese kale accession (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra, CC, 2n = 18) that showed significantly smaller plant architecture when compared to other normal plants was found and subsequently confirmed by cytological analysis in which the chromosome set of 2n = 19 and abnormal chromosome behaviour were observed. Then, based on the gene expression deviation determined by RNA-seq, the extra chromosome copy in this trisomy was identified as chromosome C2 (TC2). Compared to normal plants, TC2 not only showed generally upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on chromosome C2 (97.21% of 573 DEGs in chromosome C2) but also exhibited a whole-genome expression perturbation, in which 1329 DEGs (69.87% of total DEGs) were observed along two-copy chromosomes (trans-effect). The genes in the high (gene expression value > 100) and medium (100 > gene expression value > 10) groups were more prone to decreased gene expression, but the genes in the low group (10 > gene expression value > 0.1) showed upregulated expression deviation. In addition, GO (Gene ontology) annotation analysis revealed that the upregulated DEGs in the trans-effect group were overrepresented by the genes involved in the response to stress category, while the downregulated DEGs in the trans-effect group were mostly enriched in pathways related to DNA synthesis. In conclusion, we think our results can provide important resources for genetic analysis in B. oleracea and show some novel insights for understanding trisomy plant biology.

Efficacy of Vegetable Crude Extracts to Inhibit Bacteria, Exiguobacterium indicum

Crude vegetable extracts are very interesting to study and then applied to inhibit bacteria. In this study, we obtained crude extracts from vegetable wastes, including yard-long bean leaf, pumpkin peel, and Chinese kale leaf, and studied their efficacies of those crude extracts to inhibit the bacteria, and investigated their phytochemicals using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The efficacy of the crude vegetable extracts in inhibiting bacteria was evaluated based on the size of the inhibition zone. The results showed that the pathogenic bacteria isolated from the infected Nile tilapia fish was Exiguobacterium indicum presenting yellow colony. This species showed the highest inhibition activity at 15.33 mm from Chinese kale leaf crude extract. After testing antibacterial activity, crude extract from Chinese kale leaf had the highest antibacterial efficiency; however, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) with yard-long bean leaf extract. Phytochemical studies of all three vegetable wastes showed that crude extracts from Chinese kale leaves and yard-long bean leaves contained high quantities of 3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol Phytol, 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, (Z,Z,Z)-, Butyl 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate, and Ethyl 9,12 ,15-octadecatrienoate in high quantity to antimicrobials, which are antimicrobials. In contrast, upon studying the phytochemical compounds, it was found that the crude extracts from yard-long bean leaves contained the highest number of various compounds. This study indicated that the crude extracts from Chinese kale leaf and yard-long bean leaf can be applied in preventing pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture, especially Nile tilapia fish

Effects of sgRNAs, Promoters, and Explants on the Gene Editing Efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 System in Chinese Kale.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is extensively used for plant gene editing. This study developed an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system for Chinese kale using multiple sgRNAs and two promoters to create various CRISPR/Cas9 vectors. These vectors targeted BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO in Chinese kale protoplasts and cotyledons. Transient transformation of Chinese kale protoplasts was assessed for editing efficiency at three BoaZDS sites. Notably, sgRNA: Z2 achieved the highest efficiency (90%). Efficiency reached 100% when two sgRNAs targeted BoaZDS with a deletion of a large fragment (576 bp) between them. However, simultaneous targeting of BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO yielded lower efficiency. Transformation of cotyledons led to Chinese kale mutants with albino phenotypes for boazds mutants and orange-mottled phenotypes for boacrtiso mutants. The mutation efficiency of 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (92.59%) exceeded YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (70.97%) in protoplasts, and YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (96.49%) surpassed 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (58%) in cotyledons. These findings introduce a strategy for enhancing CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiency in Chinese kale.

Field Efficacy of Antagonistic Fungi against Black Spot Disease of Chinese Kale

Background: Alternaria brassicicola (Schw.) causes black spot disease, which is one of the major diseases limiting the production of vegetable crops, especially Chinese kale in Southeast Asia and Thailand. Previous pathogen management based on synthetic fungicides is expensive, toxic for humans, and harmful to the environment. The current study investigated the efficiency of Talaromyces flavus (Klöcker) Stolk and Samson Bodhi001, Talaromyces trachyspermus (Shear) Stolk and Samson Bodhi002, Talaromyces flavus (Klöcker) Stolk and Samson Bodhi003, Neosartorya fischeri (Wehmer) Malloch and Cain Bodhi004, and Neosartorya fischeri (Wehmer) Malloch and Cain in controlling Chinese kale black spot disease caused by A. brassicicola under field conditions. Methods: A. brassicicola and four antagonistic fungus strains were cultured separately on a PDA plate and incubated at room temperature for 14 days. Ten mL of sterile water was poured into a culture plate, and the spores were gently scraped from the mycelium with a sterile loop to obtain a spore suspension and afterward adjusted to a final concentration of 106 spores mL−1. Result: The results showed that spore suspensions of 106 spores mL−1 of T. flavus Bodhi001, T. trachyspermus Bodhi002, T. flavus Bodhi003, N. fischeri Bodhi004, and N. fischeri effectively controlled black spot disease in field trials and resulted in a significant reduction in black spot incidence compared with the unprotected control. Meanwhile, the spore suspension of T. flavus Bodhi001 revealed the greatest suppression of black spot incidence, causing 10.23% and 42.93% disease reduction, compared with the negative control, indicating promising preventive activity against A. brassicicola. Based on our results, T. favus Bodhi001 is a promising biological control agent (BCA) in controlling A. brassicicola causing Chinese kale black spot disease.

Residue monitoring and dietary risk assessment of chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad in Chinese kale under open‑field conditions

ABSTRACT Chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad has been used for the control of diamondback moth in kale around the world with a suspension concentrate formulation being prepared for marketing in China. In order to evaluate pesticide residues in kale and intake risks for different populations, a modified QuEChERS procedure of detecting chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad were simultaneously established using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The average recoveries of chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad were in the range of 83–98%, with the precision of intra-day (n = 5) and inter-day (n = 15) ranging from 1.7 to 6.7% and from 2.1 to 4.7%, respectively. The limits of quantification were all 0.01 mg kg−1 in kale. Supervised filed trials were conducted in 12 regions of China, and results showed that residues of chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad in kale were 0.01 to 0.17 and 0.01 to 0.11 mg kg−1, respectively, within the recommended pre-harvest interval (10 days). Based on these data, dietary risk assessments were performed. The long-term intake risk quotient (RQc) values for chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad were 0.33% and 28.09% respectively, while the short-term risk quotient (RQa) values of the more toxic tolfenpyrad were 21% (children, 1–6 years old) and 52% (the general population, >1 years old) respectively, which were all lower than 100%, highlighting the higher chronic risk for children compared with that of the general population. However, the less than 100% value revealed that not only the long-term but also short-term risks were acceptable when consuming kale under Good Agricultural Practice conditions. The paper will be helpful in rational use of chlorantraniliprole and tolfenpyrad on kale.

Map-based cloning and CRISPR/Cas9-based editing uncover BoNA1 as the causal gene for the no-anthocyanin-accumulation phenotype in curly kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica).

Brassica oleracea comprises several important vegetable and ornamental crops, including curly kale, ornamental kale, cabbage, broccoli, and others. The accumulation of anthocyanins, important secondary metabolites valuable to human health, in these plants varies widely and is responsible for their pink to dark purple colors. Some curly kale varieties lack anthocyanins, making these plants completely green. The genetic basis of this trait is still unknown. We crossed the curly kale inbred line BK2019 (without anthocyanins) with the cabbage inbred line YL1 (with anthocyanins) and the Chinese kale inbred line TO1000 (with anthocyanins) to generate segregating populations. The no-anthocyanin trait was genetically controlled by a recessive gene, bona1. We generated a linkage map and mapped bona1 to a 256-kb interval on C09. We identified one candidate gene, Bo9g058630, in the target genomic region; this gene is homologous to AT5G42800, which encodes a dihydroflavonol-4-reductase-like (DFR-like) protein in Arabidopsis. In BK2019, a 1-bp insertion was observed in the second exon of Bo9g058630 and directly produced a stop codon. To verify the candidate gene function, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology was applied to knock out Bo9g058630. We generated three bona1 mutants, two of which were completely green with no anthocyanins, confirming that Bo9g058630 corresponds to BoNA1. Different insertion/deletion mutations in BoNA1 exons were found in all six of the other no-anthocyanin kale varieties examined, supporting that independent disruption of BoNA1 resulted in no-anthocyanin varieties of B. oleracea. This study improves the understanding of the regulation mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in B. oleracea subspecies.

Sequencing and Analysis of Complete Chloroplast Genomes Provide Insight into the Evolution and Phylogeny of Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra).

Chinese kale is a widely cultivated plant in the genus Brassica in the family Brassicaceae. The origin of Brassica has been studied extensively, but the origin of Chinese kale remains unclear. In contrast to Brassica oleracea, which originated in the Mediterranean region, Chinese kale originated in southern China. The chloroplast genome is often used for phylogenetic analysis because of its high conservatism. Fifteen pairs of universal primers were used to amplify the chloroplast genomes of white-flower Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra cv. Sijicutiao (SJCT)) and yellow-flower Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra cv. Fuzhouhuanghua (FZHH)) via PCR. The lengths of the chloroplast genomes were 153,365 bp (SJCT) and 153,420 bp (FZHH) and both contained 87 protein-coding genes and eight rRNA genes. There were 36 tRNA genes in SJCT and 35 tRNA genes in FZHH. The chloroplast genomes of both Chinese kale varieties, along with eight other Brassicaceae, were analyzed. Simple sequence repeats, long repeats, and variable regions of DNA barcodes were identified. An analysis of inverted repeat boundaries, relative synonymous codon usage, and synteny revealed high similarity among the ten species, albeit the slight differences that were observed. The Ka/Ks ratios and phylogenetic analysis suggest that Chinese kale is a variant of B. oleracea. The phylogenetic tree shows that both Chinese kale varieties and B. oleracea var. oleracea were clustered in a single group. The results of this study suggest that white and yellow flower Chinese kale comprise a monophyletic group and that their differences in flower color arose late in the process of artificial cultivation. Our results also provide data that will aid future research on genetics, evolution, and germplasm resources of Brassicaceae.

PRE-TREATMENT OF VEGETABLES AND FORMULA DEVELOPMENT OF CALCIUM-FORTIFIED VEGETABLE CRISPY WAFFLES WITH RICEBERRY USING A MIXTURE DESIGN

Crispy waffles are popular snacks typically containing wheat flour, sugar, and oil. Excessive consumption may be unhealthy. This study aimed to produce healthier crispy waffles using vegetables, specifically Chinese kale (CK), False Pak Choi (FPC), and Thai basil (TB), as sources of calcium. These vegetables underwent three pre-treatments: blanching, steaming, and stir-frying. The study then focused on the formulation of calcium-fortified crispy vegetable waffles with riceberry (CVWR) using a mixture design experiment. Calcium content in TB, FPC, and CK was found to be 313.96, 309.88, and 246.15 mg/100g, respectively. Pre-treatment results revealed that steaming resulted in the least reduction of calcium content, while stir-frying caused the least reduction of total chlorophyll and total polyphenol contents. The proportions of the crispy waffles components were 0-30%CK, 0-30% FPC, 0-30%TB, and 70% riceberry. The physical quality of CVWR, considering crispness and calcium content, was determined using a linear regression equation. The analysis showed that CVWR with TB as the primary component had the highest calcium content and crispness, followed by FPC and CK, respectively. In terms of sensory characteristics, FPC had the highest fracture coefficient, followed by TB and CK, respectively. The optimal formulation, determined by overlapping diagrams, consisted of 14.88% FPC, 13.11% TB, 2.01% CK, and 70% riceberry. The resulting CVWR contained 286.19 mg/100g calcium and was a source of total dietary fiber and anthocyanin. Consequently, CVWR offers a healthier, high-nutritional-value snack option suitable for health-conscious consumers.

The Effect of Hydroponic Nutrient Sources and Planting Media Types on the Growth and Production of Chinese Kale (Brassica oleraceae L.)

Kale is prospective for cultivation because they have a good market. In order to get optimal plant output when growing kale in a hydroponic system, care must be taken to employ AB Mix nutrients and specific planting media types. This study aim at obtaining the right combination of AB Mix nutrients and types of growing media on the yield and growth of Kale plants, which were grown on substrates hydroponic. The study was organized in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replicates and factorial arrangement. The first factor was the source of nutrition AB Mix i.e. Infarm, Growrich, and Purie Garden. The second factor was the type of planting media, including husk charcoal, cocopeat, and a mixture of cocopeat and husk charcoal (1:1). Results revealed that the combination treatment of AB Mix nutrients and types of growing media was statistically different on the leaf area. The best combination was between charcoal and Infarm. The source of nutrition AB Mix significantly affected plant growth parameters such as plant height, leaf area, and dry weight of root with Infarm was found to the best nutrient. The type of growing media did not significantly influence all the parameters observed. Interaction between the type of nutrient AB Mix and type of growing media on the leaf area parameter showed with the best result M2A2 (husk charcoal + Infarm) of 700,96 cm2 , but not significantly different from the other treatment. Keywords: AB Mix nutrient, Cocopeat, Husk charcoal, Kale

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated BoaAOP2s editing alters aliphatic glucosinolate side-chain metabolic flux and increases the glucoraphanin content in Chinese kale

Glucoraphanin (GRA) is an aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL), and its hydrolysis product has powerful anticancer activity. ALKENYL HYDROXALKYL PRODUCING 2 (AOP2) gene, encodes a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, which can catalyze GRA to form gluconapin (GNA). However, GRA only present in trace amounts in Chinese kale. To increase the content of GRA in Chinese kale, three copies of BoaAOP2 were isolated and edited using CRISPR/Cas9 system. The content of GRA was 11.71- to 41.29-fold (0.082–0.289 μmol g−1 FW) higher in T1 generation of boaaop2 mutants than in wild-type plants, and this was accompanied by an increase in the GRA/GNA ratio and reductions in the content of GNA and total aliphatic GSLs. BoaAOP2.1 is an effective gene for the alkenylation of aliphatic GSLs in Chinese kale. Overall, targeted editing of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated BoaAOP2s altered aliphatic GSL side-chain metabolic flux and enhanced the GRA content in Chinese kale, suggesting that metabolic engineering of BoaAOP2s has huge potential in improving nutritional quality of Chinese kale.

The function of BoTCP25 in the regulation of leaf development of Chinese kale.

XG Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea cv. 'XiangGu') is a variety of Chinese kale and has metamorphic leaves attached to the true leaves. Metamorphic leaves are secondary leaves emerging from the veins of true leaves. However, it remains unknown how the formation of metamorphic leaves is regulated and whether it differs from normal leaves. BoTCP25 is differentially expressed in different parts of XG leaves and respond to auxin signals. To clarify the function of BoTCP25 in XG Chinese kale leaves, we overexpressed BoTCP25 in XG and Arabidopsis, and interestingly, its overexpression caused Chinese kale leaves to curl and changed the location of metamorphic leaves, whereas heterologous expression of BoTCP25 in Arabidopsis did not show metamorphic leaves, but only an increase in leaf number and leaf area. Further analysis of the expression of related genes in Chinese kale and Arabidopsis overexpressing BoTCP25 revealed that BoTCP25 could directly bind the promoter of BoNGA3, a transcription factor related to leaf development, and induce a significant expression of BoNGA3 in transgenic Chinese kale plants, whereas this induction of NGA3 did not occur in transgenic Arabidopsis. This suggests that the regulation of Chinese kale metamorphic leaves by BoTCP25 is dependent on a regulatory pathway or elements specific to XG and that this regulatory element may be repressed or absent from Arabidopsis. In addition, the expression of miR319's precursor, a negative regulator of BoTCP25, also differed in transgenic Chinese kale and Arabidopsis. miR319's transcrips were significantly up-regulated in transgenic Chinese kale mature leaves, while in transgenic Arabidopsis, the expression of miR319 in mature leaves was kept low. In conclusion, the differential expression of BoNGA3 and miR319 in the two species may be related to the exertion of BoTCP25 function, thus partially contributing to the differences in leaf phenotypes between overexpressed BoTCP25 in Arabidopsis and Chinese kale.

Anti-Leukemic Effects on a U937 Cell Line of Fresh and Steamed Chinese Kale Juice and Their Pro-Apoptotic Effects via a Caspase-Dependent Pathway

Chinese kale is a vegetable belonging to the family Brassicaceae in which members of this family produce unique metabolites called glucosinolates and isothiocyanates. These substances have been found to exhibit many benefits to human health. This study aimed to investigate and compare the contents of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, and the anti-leukemic activity of fresh and steamed Chinese kale juice (CKJ). Cell viability and proliferation activity of U937 cells treated with CKJ were determined. Cell apoptosis and alterations of apoptosis-related protein expression were studied. Results showed that CKJ significantly decreased the viability of leukemic cells and inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After treatment with 5% v/v fresh and steamed CKJ for 24 h, the percentage of apoptotic cells increased to 53% and 36%, respectively. Increased amounts of cleaved caspase-3 in U937 cells treated with CKJ were observed, indicating that CKJ can trigger apoptotic cell death through a caspase-dependent pathway. Fresh CKJ was found to be more effective than steamed CKJ in suppressing cell survival and inducing cell apoptosis. The results suggest that Chinese kale possesses an anti-leukemic potential and could be further developed for cancer therapy and prevention. However, thermal cooking could reduce its beneficial function.

Far-Red-Light-Induced Morphology Changes, Phytohormone, and Transcriptome Reprogramming of Chinese Kale (Brassica alboglabra Bailey)

With far-red-light supplementation (3 W·m-2, and 6 W·m-2), the flower budding rate, plant height, internode length, plant display, and stem diameter of Chinese kale were largely elevated, as well as the leaf morphology such as leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, and leaf area. Consequently, the fresh weight and dry weight of the edible parts of Chinese kale were markedly increased. The photosynthetic traits were enhanced, and the mineral elements were accumulated. To further explore the mechanism that far-red light simultaneously promoted the vegetative growth and reproductive growth of Chinese kale, this study used RNA sequencing to gain a global perspective on the transcriptional regulation, combining it with an analysis of composition and content of phytohormones. A total of 1409 differentially expressed genes were identified, involved mainly in pathways related to photosynthesis, plant circadian rhythm, plant hormone biosynthesis, and signal transduction. The gibberellins GA9, GA19, and GA20 and the auxin ME-IAA were strongly accumulated under far-red light. However, the contents of the gibberellins GA4 and GA24, the cytokinins IP and cZ, and the jasmonate JA were significantly reduced by far-red light. The results indicated that the supplementary far-red light can be a useful tool to regulate the vegetative architecture, elevate the density of cultivation, enhance the photosynthesis, increase the mineral accumulation, accelerate the growth, and obtain a significantly higher yield of Chinese kale.

Biological efficacy of marine-derived Trichoderma in controlling chili anthracnose and black spot disease in Chinese kale

Biological efficacy of marine-derived Trichoderma in controlling chili anthracnose and black spot disease in Chinese kale

Enhancing health-promoting isothiocyanates in Chinese kale sprouts via manipulating BoESP.

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are a group of sulfur-containing secondary metabolites, which are abundant in Brassica vegetables. GSL breakdown products (GBPs), especially isothiocyanates (ITCs) benefit human health. Chinese kale is a native Brassica vegetable in China, and its sprouts are rich in GSLs and nutritional substances. ITCs are the predominant GBPs while alternative products are formed in the presence of specifier proteins. However, fewer ITCs are formed in the sprouts. Epithiospecifier (ESP) promotes the formation of epithionitriles at the expense of ITCs in Arabidopsis, but a systematic study of different isoforms of ESPs in most vegetables is still missing. In this study, changes in the content of GBPs and the precursor GSLs, as well as thiols per plant were monitored during sprout development. The proportions of epithionitriles and ITCs in total GBPs were found to be increased and decreased, respectively. RNA-seq showed enhanced expression of numerous genes involved in GSLs biosynthesis and degradation, as well as sulfur assimilation in sprouts compared to seeds. Four copies of BoESPs were isolated and BoESP2 was the most abundant isoform. Generally, transcription of BoESPs showed a strong response to abscisic acid and gibberellin, and consequently epithionitriles increased under these treatments. Knockdown of BoESP2 expression through virus-induced gene silencing system could effectively increase total ITCs and decrease total epithionitriles. Overall, dynamic GSL metabolic flux exists in the sprouting period, and the expression of BoESPs determines the pattern of GBPs, suggesting that improving the health-promoting ITCs in Chinese kale sprouts through manipulating BoESPs by metabolic engineering is feasible.