Common Fruit Research Articles

Natural Sweeteners and Sweetness-Enhancing Compounds Identified in Citrus Using an Efficient Metabolomics-Based Screening Strategy.

With the high demand for a healthy diet, it is necessary and important to explore natural sweeteners used in food that enhance palatability but minimize calories. Citrus is considered a good potential source of noncaloric sweeteners, but to date, only one sweetness modulator has been found in this most common fruit crop. Herein, an efficient strategy based on an in-house database and the untargeted and targeted metabolomics analyses was proposed to screen sweeteners or sweet-enhancing compounds from citrus. Eight sweeteners or sweetness-enhancing compounds were screened out, seven of which were newly identified from the genus Citrus. Surprisingly, we identified naturally occurring oxime V, which previously was only known as a synthetic compound. The contents of five compounds, in 11 citrus cultivars or unreleased selections across two production years, were compared. Successful identification of these natural sweeteners and sweetness-enhancing compounds in citrus fruit indicated the potential to identify the relevant biosynthetic pathways and to breed new citrus cultivars containing these compounds that provided both palatability and lower sugar consumption. This study also demonstrated that the proposed metabolomics-based screening strategy could greatly boost the identification of taste modulators with low contents in natural resources.

A rapid capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fiber spin-down tip approach for the isolation of plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) from 20 common fruit and vegetable sources

In the emerging field of phyto-nanotechnology, 30–200 nm plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are now known to contain active biomolecules that mediate cell-to-cell communication processes in a manner very similar to exosomes in mammalian cells. The ability to deliver cargo across cellular membranes suggests that botanical systems could be used in the mass production of therapeutic vectors to transport exogenous molecules into human cells. The fundamental biochemical characteristics of PDEVs remain poorly understood due to the lack of efficient methods to isolate and characterize these nanovesicles. Described here is a rapid PDEV isolation method using a hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC)-based extraction performed on a capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fiber spin-down tip. The C-CP solid-phase extraction method is performed using a standard table-top centrifuge, enabling the isolation and concentration of PDEVs (>1 × 1010 particles from 100 μL of sample). PDEVs of 189 nm average diameter were obtained from 20 common fruit and vegetable stocks. The size, integrity, and purity of the recovered PDEVs were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), multi-angle light scattering (MALS), absorbance quantification, a protein purity assay, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to the PEN1 PDEV surface marker protein. The HIC C-CP tip isolation method allows for concentrated PDEV recoveries (up to 2 × 1011 EVs) on reasonable time scales (<15 min) and low cost (<$1), with the purity and integrity fit for fundamental research and downstream applications.

Drosophila melanogaster: A platform for anticancer drug discovery and personalized therapies.

Cancer is a complex disease whereby multiple genetic aberrations, epigenetic modifications, metabolic reprogramming, and the microenvironment contribute to the development of a tumor. In the traditional anticancer drug discovery pipeline, drug candidates are usually screened in vitro using two-dimensional or three-dimensional cell culture. However, these methods fail to accurately mimic the human disease state. This has led to the poor success rate of anticancer drugs in the preclinical stages since many drugs are abandoned due to inefficacy or toxicity when transitioned to whole-organism models. The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a beneficial system for modeling human cancers. Decades of fundamental research have shown the evolutionary conservation of key genes and signaling pathways between flies and humans. Moreover, Drosophila has a lower genetic redundancy in comparison to mammals. These factors, in addition to the advancement of genetic toolkits for manipulating gene expression, allow for the generation of complex Drosophila genotypes and phenotypes. Numerous studies have successfully created Drosophila models for colorectal, lung, thyroid, and brain cancers. These models were utilized in the high-throughput screening of FDA-approved drugs which led to the identification of several compounds capable of reducing proliferation and rescuing phenotypes. More noteworthy, Drosophila has also unlocked the potential for personalized therapies. Drosophila ‘avatars’ presenting the same mutations as a patient are used to screen multiple therapeutic agents targeting multiple pathways to find the most appropriate combination of drugs. The outcomes of these studies have translated to significant responses in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancers. Despite not being widely utilized, the concept of in vivo screening of drugs in Drosophila is making significant contributions to the current drug discovery pipeline. In this review, we discuss the application of Drosophila as a platform in anticancer drug discovery; with special focus on the cancer models that have been generated, drug libraries that have been screened and the status of personalized therapies. In addition, we elaborate on the biological and technical limitations of this system.

Effect of Foliar Application of GA3, NAA and Urea on Fruit Physiological Characterstics of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.) cv. Banarasi Karaka

Among subtropical fruits Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana L.) one of the most common fruit crop, grown under neglected soil types. It is a drought hardy and can grow under the most hazardous conditions of soil, water and climate and thus it has rightly been recommended for the arid and desert area of India [1]. It is found growing wild as well as in cultivated forms throughout the warmer regions up to an altitude of 1500 metres above Mean Sea Level. The experiment comprised 13 treatments consisting of foliar spray of GA3, NAA, Urea and control. The treatments are as follows- T0 Control (water spray), T1 (GA3 @10 ppm), T2 (GA3 @20 ppm), T3 (NAA @20 ppm), T4 (NAA @40 ppm), T5 (Urea @1.0%), T6 (Urea @1.5%), T7 (GA3 @10 ppm + NAA @20 ppm + Urea @1.0%), T8 (GA3 @20 ppm + NAA @40 ppm + urea @1.5%). Mentioned solutions with different concentration were sprayed by foot sprayer in the morning hours and selected branches were fully drenched. On the basis of sprays of plant growth regulators i.e. GA3 and NAA and urea as well as their combined treatments influenced different parameters in this research trial. The combined treatments of GA3 20 ppm + NAA 40 ppm + urea 1.5% maximized initial fruit set, fruit retention, fruit volume, length of fruit, fruit diameter, fruit weight, pulp weight, pulp/stone ratio and minimized the fruit drop, stone weight content. The second effective treatment was GA3 10 ppm + NAA 20 ppm + urea 1.0% identified in present investigation.

Real-time, highly accurate robotic grasp detection utilizing transfer learning for robots manipulating fragile fruits with widely variable sizes and shapes

The automatic picking, sorting, and packaging of fruits require robots to accurately detect the grasping position of fruits. However, accurate detection of grasping positions is challenging due to the diversity of fruit shapes and sizes. At present, research objects of grasping detection are mainly daily necessities and office items, and few studies on fruit-grasping detection are available. To solve these problems, four end-to-end detection models were designed based on three convolutional neural network architectures: Xception, MobileNetV3, and DenseNet. In addition, considering the large amount of data required for deep learning, data augmentation and transfer learning techniques were applied to improve model accuracy and generalization performance. The most widely applied evaluation criteria were used to evaluate the models, and the accuracy of the four models ranged within 83.86%–93.64%. All the models were capable of rapid real-time detection. To verify the robustness, the models were tested under different evaluation thresholds, and the results showed that the models performed well under higher evaluation criteria. Additionally, a dataset containing 4400 images of 11 common fruits was established due to the current lack of data for fruit grasp detection.

Solanaceae Family Phytochemicals as Inhibitors of 3C-Like Protease of SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Analysis.

COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. As of 8 April 2022, the virus has caused a global pandemic, resulting in 494,587,638 infections leading to 6,170,283 deaths around the world. Although several vaccines have received emergency authorization from USA and UK drug authorities and two more in Russia and China, it is too early to comment on the prolonged effectiveness of the vaccines, their availability, and affordability for the developing countries of the world, and the daunting task to vaccinate 7 billion people of the world with two doses of the vaccine with additional booster doses. As a result, it is still worthwhile to search for drugs and several promising leads have been found, mainly through in silico studies. In this study, we have examined the binding energies of several alkaloids and anthocyanin derivatives from the Solanaceae family, a family which contains common consumable vegetables and fruit items such as eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes. Our study demonstrates that Solanaceae family alkaloids such as incanumine and solaradixine, as well as anthocyanins and anthocyanidins, have very high predicted binding energies for the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as Mpro). Since Mpro is vital for SARS-CoV-2 replication, the compounds merit potential for further antiviral research towards the objective of obtaining affordable drugs.

Interactions of Selected Monoterpenes with Iron and Copper Ions Based on Ferrozine and CUPRAC Methods - the Preliminary Studies.

Secondary plant metabolites are chemical compounds produced by plants through a variety of metabolic pathways. It is known that these compounds, among others, monoterpenes, are characterized by holding valuable pro-health activities when consumed or applied. Taking into account the development of civilizational diseases, eating foods enriched with compounds such as the monoterpenes is highly recommended. Good sources of such health-promoting food items include common fruits and vegetables, seed sources and plant parts used to enhance flavour such as spices. It is known that monoterpene compounds instigate or contribute to a variety of biological activities. It is known that the compounds can scavenge free radicals, reduce Fe(III) and inhibit AChE which are considered as possible anti-neurodegenerative activities. The aim of the presented study was to determinate another activity of selected monoterpenes, namely towards reducing and chelating Cu(II) and Fe(II), respectively. The assays were based on colorimetric CUPRAC and ferrozine-based methods. Study results explicitly indicated chelation and reduction activities of the selected monoterpenes. These properties considerably support the benefits of consuming plants rich in these compounds.

Development and Quality Evaluation of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus undatus) based Blended RTS Beverages

Background: Dragon fruit is considered as a fruit crop for the future, having great potential for developing value-added products as the demand for natural and healthy beverages is increasing. The present study was undertaken to standardize blended Ready To Serve beverages from dragon fruit and to evaluate the product quality during storage. Methods: Blended RTS beverages were prepared by mixing dragon fruit juice with that of three common tropical fruits viz., acid lime, pineapple and watermelon in nine different ratios, analyzed for various sensory attributes and compared with that of pure dragon fruit RTS beverage. The best blended beverage selected from each fruit was analyzed for chemical, nutritional and sensory parameters and were stored in transparent glass bottles under ambient storage conditions (27-32°C and 70-83% RH) for 60 days for assessing the shelf stability. Result: TSS, acidity, reducing and total sugars had increased with storage period and ascorbic acid, β-carotene, antioxidant activity and overall acceptability scores had decreased. All the developed blended beverages were microbiologically safe during 60 days of storage with good acceptability. Blended beverages with pineapple or watermelon were economical compared to pure beverage. The study proved that blending of fruit juices in dragon fruit juice is a viable option which could improve the quality and sensory attributes.

Platelet augmentation activity of mature leaf juice of Sri Lankan wild type cultivar of Carica papaya L: Insights into potential cellular mechanisms

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCarica papaya L., a common fruit crop of the family Caricaceae and its leaf juice/extract is a traditionally commended preparation against dengue and other thrombocytopenic diseases by many Asian countries. Aim of the studyThe present study posits the potential cellular mechanisms of platelet augmentation activity of mature leaf juice of Sri Lankan wild-type Carica papaya. Materials and methodsC. papaya leaf juice prepared from different cultivar types, maturity of the leaf, agro-climatic region, and preparation methods were orally administered to hydroxyurea-induced thrombocytopenic rats at 0.72 ml/100 g BW dosage to investigate the most potent platelet increasing preparation.The papaya juice doses; low dose (LD-0.18 ml/100 g BW), human equivalent dose (HED-0.36 ml/100 g BW), and high dose (HD-0.72 ml/100 g BW), were administered to thrombocytopenic rats (N = 6/group) daily for three consecutive days and post-treatment plasma levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), thrombopoietin (TPO), and platelet-activating factor (PAF) were quantified using specific rat ELISA kits. The mature leaf juice of C. papaya induced IL-6 secretion from bone marrow cell (BMC) cultures was quantified using ELISA. The ability of papaya juice to protect the platelet membrane, from the damage caused by the lytic agent was analyzed in vitro using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. The effect of the mature leaf juice of C. papaya on secondary hemostasis was investigated using blood coagulation and clot hydrolyzing activity. ResultsThe comparative analysis revealed that the platelet increasing activity of C. papaya leaf did not significantly differ among different types of cultivar, maturity of the leaf, agro-climatic regions and preparation methods (p > 0.05). Both TPO and PAF levels in thrombocytopenic rats diminished when treated with all three doses of the mature leaf juice of C. papaya (p < 0.05), yet IL-6 plasma level was unaltered (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, ex vivo treatment of the mature leaf juice of C. papaya had significantly enhanced IL-6 levels of rat BMC cultures (p < 0.05). Pre-treatment of platelets with the mature leaf juice of C. papaya at different concentrations significantly inhibited LDH leakage from platelets and may have reduced the membrane damage caused by the lytic agent (p < 0.05). Treatment of mature leaf juice of C. papaya also significantly reduced blood clotting time through the extrinsic pathway of the blood coagulation cascade (p < 0.05). Further, prolonged incubation of the plasma clot with different concentrations of the papaya leaf juice revealed dose-dependent hydrolysis of the blood clot, indicating fibrinolysis activity. ConclusionsThe current study exceeded the traditional medicinal claims, and scientifically affirmed the platelet augmentation activity of mature leaf juice of C. papaya. The mechanistic rationale tested herein explicated that the platelet augmentation activity of the papaya leaf juice can be partially attributed to the stimulation of bone marrow megakaryocytes via modulating thrombopoietic cytokines TPO and IL-6, and by inhibiting the secretion of PAF, while reducing the peripheral platelet destruction by stabilizing the platelet membrane. Further, mature leaf juice of C. papaya imparted both pro-coagulation and fibrinolysis activity of secondary hemostasis endorsing its potential against thrombocytopenia.

The beneficial effects of citrus peel waste and its extract on fish performance and health status: A review

Food production and processing in developing countries produce a huge amount of fruit waste by-products, which is costly and pose detrimental effects on the environment. Proteins, lipids, starch, micronutrients, bioactive compounds and dietary fibres are found in many of these fruit wastes. Among fruit wastes, citrus fruits play an important role in generating a wide range of health benefits. Citrus L. of the Rutaceae family are common fruits cultivated and consumed globally both as fresh fruits and as a juice. Citrus peel wastes (CPW) are considered the main by-products, with an average of 60% of processed fruits; hence, CPW have a promising role in the food production industry. CPW contain high concentrations of polyphenol and essential oils, which have nutritional importance and pharmaceutical usage. There is a concern on the increasing prevalence and incidence of different fish infections and a growing interest in shifting from synthetic to natural antimicrobial agents, leading to the use of citrus peel wastes for identification of novel compounds for use as fish feed additives. Although the antimicrobial properties of EOs have been reviewed extensively, the antimicrobial properties of citrus peels oil have not been extensively discussed. In fish farming, feeding strategies that employ phytochemicals as modulators of immunological and physiological responses such as growth, antioxidant activity and gene expression have received attention. In the past years, several studies have reported positive results of using citrus peel extracts as a nutritional additive in aquafeeds. Recently, these dietary functional feed additives have been evaluated and reported to increase disease resistance and improve fish growth, animal welfare and feed utilization. This review elucidates the global production, bioactive compounds, natural sources, chemical structures, physical properties, practical applications of citrus peel wastes and extracts as a desirable and sustainable route in fish nutrition.

Ecology of morphological fruit types, and fruit and seed colors in 27 Venezuelan plant communities

The composition, richness and diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) of morphological fruit types, and fruit and seed colors were assessed in 27 Venezuelan plant communities. We examined whether morphological fruit types and fruit and seed colors represent ecological attributes with predictable values that can be related to the structural and climatic characteristics of plant communities. Texture, dehiscence, and fruit types following two classification systems, and fruit and seed colors were determined for each plant community and habitat. The highest mean frequencies of dry fruits were found in the meadow, wetland and shrubland vegetation types, and the highest mean frequencies of fleshy fruits in the wet forests. The frequencies of dry and fleshy fruits, and dehiscent and indehiscent fruits were largely similar in both habitat types. The most common fruit types were loculicidal and septicidal capsules in the mesothermic shrublands, wetlands, and savanna grassland; berries in the cloud forests, sub-páramo and riparian wet forest; drupes in the cloud forests and psammophilous meadow; schizocarps in the xerophytic shrublands and psammophilous meadow; and achenes in the savanna grassland and páramo. The richness and diversity of the morphological fruit types, and fruit and seed colors identified were highest in dry forests. Almost all the ecological parameters measured were positively correlated, including plant species number, except abiotic factors. The composite Shannon-Weiner diversity index and fruit types and fruit and seed colors richness were significantly correlated with the total number of plant species number. Plant locality classification according to the frequencies of each morphological fruit type showed approximate affinities with geographic areas, vegetation type and plant community. This suggests a predictable value, and highlights the importance of the composition, richness, and diversity of fruit types in the organization of plant communities and their biotic and abiotic interactions.

A comparative study of the fatty acid profile of common fruits and fruits claimed to confer health benefits

This study aims to verify the nutritional value of the fatty acid (FA) profile of three fruits claimed to confer health benefits (goji berry, white mulberry, and cranberry), often referred to as “superfruits”, over three common fruits (banana, apple, and strawberry). Nineteen different FAs, ranging in concentrations between 0.018 and 9.4 mg/g dry sample were detected. Levels of very long-chained FAs were highest in cranberries, oleic acid was most abundant in goji berries, alpha-linolenic acid showed high levels in strawberries and linoleic acid showed high levels in goji berries and white mulberries. The ratio of unsaturated to saturated FAs was highest in strawberries and goji berries, and the ratio of odd-carbon to even carbon saturated FAs was high in all common fruits, whereas among the superfruits both goji- and white mulberries showed very low ratios. Finally, the ratio of very long-chain to long-chain FAs showed the highest levels in cranberries and apples. A composite measure of the FA profile suggests apples and cranberries to show the most beneficial lipid profile. However, a common and beneficial lipid profile was not found in the superfruits as compared to more common fruits.

Analysis of the Fruit Quality of Pear (Pyrus spp.) Using Widely Targeted Metabolomics.

Pear is a kind of common temperate fruit, whose metabolite composition that contributes to the difference in fruit quality is unclear. This study identified and quantified the metabolites using a widely targeted LC-MS/MS approach in three pear species, including Pyrus bretschneideri (PB), Pyrus usssuriensis (PU) and Pyrus pyrifolia (PP). A total of 493 metabolites were identified, consisting of 68 carbohydrates, 47 organic acids, 50 polyphenols, 21 amino acids, 20 vitamins, etc. The results of PCA and OPLS-DA demonstrated that the metabolite compositions differed distinctly with cultivar variability. Our results also involved some metabolic pathways that may link to the fruit quality based on KEGG pathway analysis, the pathway of phenylalanine metabolism revealed significant differences between PB and PP (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the study selected D-xylose, formononetin, procyanidin A1 and β-nicotinamide mononucleotide as the major differentially expressed metabolites in the three species. The present study can open new avenues for explaining the differences in fruit quality of the major commercial pear cultivars in China.

A Review on Vitis vinifera L.: The Grape

Vitis vinifera, the Grape being a common fruit with great nutritional values, has been known to mankind since ancient times. Vitis vinifera is a renowned species of grape with a number of varieties originated from western Asia and southern Europe. Vitis vinifera is the Latin name applied to grapevines. It is a vigorous, high-powered tendril climber with a large, lobed, bright green leaves. The tiny green summer flowers are followed by late summer bunches of small grapes. The fruit is used as food supplement and the seeds and leaves are employed in herbal therapy. The most significant application of grape is in wine production followed by raisin and juice. Thus, grape is also an economically important fruit crop in the world. Several varieties of Vitis vinifera are available in India. Phytochemistry, pharmacological, nutraceutical, traditional uses of Vitis vinifera are been presented in this review. The nutritional and phytochemical constituents present in the grape have resulted in its health beneficial effects however more studies are needed regarding the genotoxicity and toxicity of Vitis vinifera.

Anaphylaxis in Chinese Children with Pollen Sensitization: Triggers, Clinical Presentation, and Acute Management.

PurposePollen sensitization is increasing in children. However, there is little evidence regarding the characteristics of anaphylaxis in individuals with pollen sensitization.Patients and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of patients with anaphylaxis combined with pollen sensitization who attended an allergy department in a tertiary children’s hospital from 2014 to 2021.ResultsA total of 157 anaphylaxis events in 108 patients were analyzed; the mean age at the reaction was 5.8 ± 4.17 years. A total of 99.1% (107/108) of the patients came from northern China. The most common sensitizing pollen was mugwort (93.5%,101/108), followed by ragweed (68.5%, 74/108) and birch (40.7%, 44/108). A total of 76.9% (83/108) of the patients showed polysensitization to pollen. Allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis was the most common comorbidity (87.0%, 94/108). Children with severe anaphylaxis were more likely to have a history of recurrent urticaria (16.1% vs 3.9%, p = 0.028). The most frequently implicated foods were fruits/vegetables (22.3%, 35/157), followed by wheat (8.9%, 14/157) and milk (8.3%, 13/157), and the most common fruit allergen was peach (n = 7). Of 14% (22/157) exercise-induced reactions, 63.6% (14/22) occurred in pollen season. Skin symptoms were the most frequent (86.0%, 135/157) symptoms, followed by respiratory (73.9%, 116/157) and gastrointestinal (21%, 33/157) symptoms. Regarding acute management, only 7.4% of the patients were treated with epinephrine.ConclusionOur findings revealed the characteristics of anaphylaxis in children with pollen sensitization. Fruits/vegetables accounted for a substantial percentage of anaphylaxis triggers. The suboptimal use of epinephrine highlights the need for educational programs promoting the use of epinephrine.

PENGARUH MEDIA KULTUR PISANG LOKAL TERNATE TERHADAP FEKUNDITAS LALAT BUAH (DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER MEIGEN 1979) STRAIN NORMAL

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most common fruit fly species. This study aims to see the effect of culture media on the fecundity of these flies. The culture media used were pisang raja, pisang mulut bebek and pisang mas. The study was preceded by catching and identifying fruit flies, making culture media, making parent stock, isolating pupae to mating on each culture medium and counting the number of pupae. Data were analyzed using ANOVA. The results showed that there was a significant effect of Ternate local banana culture media, in this case plantain culture media, on the fecundity of fruit fly (D. melanogaster) with a significant value of 0.014 out of 0.05. Based on this research, it can be concluded that there is a significant effect of Ternate local banana culture media on fruit fly fecundity.

A Survey of the Bio-activity of the Fruit Rind of Kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus)

Background: Kiwano, commonly called horned melon is a common fruit consumed in the tropics for its nutritional and therapeutic value. This study evaluated the composition of some bioactive compounds in the rind of the fruit as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects using in vitro methods.&#x0D; Methods: The rind of the fruits of kiwano were peeled out, pulverized and extracted with 80% ethanol. The bioactive compounds evaluated were phenol, flavonoid, beta carotene, lycopene and ascorbic acid. The antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH, iron reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays. Ascorbic acid served as the standard. The anti-inflammatory property was measured in-vitro using anti-proteinase activity, inhibition of albumin denaturation and membrane stabilization assay systems. Aspirin and diclofenac served as reference drugs&#x0D; Results: Phenol and flavonoids were the bioactive compounds found in higher concentration than the rest with concentrations of 261.73±13.54 and 130.86±9.66 mgGAE/ml of the dry matter respectively. In the antioxidant assay, the highest activity of more than 50% was recorded in DPPH assay. The maximum percentage radical scavenging activity of the extract was 76.74% at 800 µg/ml with a drop in activity at 1000 µg/ml (75.02%) and EC50 value of 230 µg/ml. Ascorbic acid exhibited 96.35% scavenging activity of radicals at 1000 µg/ml and EC50 value of 260 µg/ml. For the anti-inflammatory assay, the extract exhibited 16.43% anti-proteinase activity, 25.64% inhibition of heat-induced haemolysis activity and 47.14% inhibition of albumin denaturation activity at 1000 µg/ml. More than 50% activity was recorded for the reference drugs.&#x0D; Conclusion: We therefore conclude that the rind of the fruit of kiwano is rich in biologically active compounds and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The rind is a potential source of therapeutic compounds.

First Report of Colletotrichum tropicale Causing Anthracnose on Common Fig in Taiwan.

Ficus carica L. known as common fig is one of the most profitable fruit crops in Taiwan. Their fruit are harvested for high-priced market. Common fig can be eaten fresh or dried and processed to make different food products. In September 2015, an anthracnose-like disease was widely observed on common fig fruit planted in an orchard in Lukang township (24°04'36" N, 120°27'15" E) in Changhua County, central Taiwan. Symptoms were sunken, water-soaked lesions covered with salmon-colored spore masses and were observed on all stages of fruit, especially when fruit was ripe. Four fungal isolates were collected from four diseased fruit of different plants in the same orchard. Conidia were spread on 2% water agar, and a single conidium was separated by a handmade glass needle. Fungal isolates were grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 24 to 28°C with diffused light. All four strains produced white, aerial, and cottony mycelia covered with abundant salmon-colored conidial masses on PDA. The conidia were hyaline, single celled, round cylindrical on both ends, thin walled, and the contents guttulate. The sizes of conidia were 15.4 (18.5 to 13.1) × 4.73 (5.8 to 3.6) μm [average (max. to min.); length/width ratio = 3.25, n = 40]. DNA was isolated from the representative isolate FC1 and used for amplification of partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), β-tubulin 2 (TUB2), manganese-superoxide dismutase (SOD2), calmodulin (CAL), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1) (Weir et al. 2012) and the intergenic region of apn2 and MAT1-2-1 gene (ApMat) genes (Sharma et al. 2013). A BLAST search against the NCBI database revealed that FC1 gene sequences [GenBank accession nos. MT192648 (ITS), MT155819 (GAPDH), MT199873 (ACT), MT199874 (TUB2), MT815916 (SOD2), MT815917 (CAL), MW684717 (CHS-1) and MT221652 (ApMat)] displayed 99.1, 98.2, 99.3, 99.6, 99.5, 100.0, 92.8 and 100.0% nucleotide identity to the respective gene sequences of Colletotrichum tropicale CBS 124949 (ICMP18653) (JX010264, JX010007, JX009489, JX010407, JX010329, JX009719, JX009870 and KC790728). Multilocus phylogenetic analysis performed with reference sequences showed that the isolate FC1 clustered with C. tropicale in accordance with BLAST results. A conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/mL) prepared from FC1 isolate was inoculated by spraying onto detached, ripe, healthy, non-wounded and surface-disinfected common fig fruit (cv. China, n = 4). Fruit sprayed with sterile water were used as control. Fruit were kept in a moist chamber (greater than 90% relative humidity, 24 to 28°C) for 24 h and then maintained in the lab for additional 5 days. The inoculated fruit developed lesions similar to the disease symptoms in the orchard. No symptom was observed on fruit treated with water. C. tropicale was re-isolated from symptomatic fruits and had similar morphological characteristics to FC1 isolate, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. The experiment was repeated once showing similar results. The FC1 isolate of C. tropicale with the identification number BCRC FU31436 has been deposited at Taiwan Bioresource Collection and Research Center. This fungus had previously been found on lotus and mango in Taiwan (Chen and Kirschner 2018; Wu et al. 2020), while the pathogenicity among the isolates from different origins is not yet known. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. tropicale causing anthracnose on common fig fruit in Taiwan.

Fungal and Oomycete Diseases of Minor Tropical Fruit Crops

Minor tropical fruits are grown on a small scale and provide income to smallholder farmers. The cultivation of these fruit crops indirectly contributes to the economy of producing countries as well as to food and crop security. Dragon fruits, guava, passionfruit, lychee, longan, mangosteen, durian, and rambutan are common minor fruit crops. In recent years, the international trade of some of these minor tropical fruits, particularly dragon fruit, passionfruit, guava, and lychee, has increased due to their nutritional value, with various health benefits. Similar to other crops, minor fruit crops are susceptible to fungal and oomycete diseases. These diseases negatively affect the yield and quality of fruit crops, leading to substantial losses. In this context, the knowledge of disease types and causal pathogens is fundamental to develop suitable disease management practices in the field as well as appropriate post-harvest treatments.

Anticancer Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Apigenin in Cervical Cancer Cells.

Simple SummaryThe present study investigated the anticancer effects and molecular mechanisms of apigenin in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. HeLa and C33A cells were treated with apigenin; the apigenin inhibited cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest, and inhibited migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cervical cancer cells. In a cervical tumor xenograft mouse model, apigenin suppressed the growth of C33A xenograft tumors. The apigenin down-regulated FAK signaling (FAK, paxillin, and integrin β1) and PI3K/AKT signaling (PI3K, AKT, and mTOR), which inactivated or activated various signaling targets, such as Bcl-2, Bax, p21cip1, CDK1, CDC25c, cyclin B1, fibronectin, N-cadherin, vimentin, laminin and E-cadherin, leading to mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, G2/M-phase arrest, and reduction in cancer cell migration, thereby producing anticancer effects in cervical cancer. Thus, apigenin may have potential as a chemotherapeutic agent for cervical cancer treatment.Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy in women. Apigenin is a natural plant-derived flavonoid present in common fruit, vegetables, and herbs, and has been found to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as a health-promoting agent. It also exhibits important anticancer effects in various cancers, but its effects are not widely accepted by clinical practitioners. The present study investigated the anticancer effects and molecular mechanisms of apigenin in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. HeLa and C33A cells were treated with different concentrations of apigenin. The effects of apigenin on cell viability, cell cycle distribution, migration potential, phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT, the integrin β1-FAK signaling pathway, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein levels were investigated. Mechanisms identified from the in vitro study were further validated in a cervical tumor xenograft mouse model. Apigenin effectively inhibited the growth of cervical cancer cells and cervical tumors in xenograft mice. Furthermore, the apigenin down-regulated FAK signaling (FAK, paxillin, and integrin β1) and PI3K/AKT signaling (PI3K, AKT, and mTOR), inactivated or activated various signaling targets, such as Bcl-2, Bax, p21cip1, CDK1, CDC25c, cyclin B1, fibronectin, N-cadherin, vimentin, laminin, and E-cadherin, promoted mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, induced G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest, and reduced EMT to inhibit HeLa and C33A cancer cell migration, producing anticancer effects in cervical cancer. Thus, apigenin may act as a chemotherapeutic agent for cervical cancer treatment.