Sugar Compounds Research Articles

Cold plasma processing of kiwifruit juice: Effect on physicochemical, nutritional, microstructure, rheological properties and sensory attributes.

This study aimed to compare the untreated, cold plasma (CP)-optimized (30 kV/5 mm/6.7 min), CP-extreme (30 kV/2 mm/10 min), and thermally treated (TT) (90 ℃/5 min) kiwifruit juices based on the physicochemical (pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), total color change (ΔE)), physical (particle size and rheology), microstructure (optical microscope), bioactive compounds (polyphenol, ascorbic acid, and sugar compounds), and sensory characteristics of kiwifruit juice. The pH, TSS, and TA were not significantly affected in CP and TT juice, whereas the ΔE (6.52) of TT juice lies in the range of "greatly visible." The microstructure characteristics of juice significantly changed after CP and thermal treatment. The cell and tissue disruption in CP-extreme and thermally treated juice was more than CP-optimized. The particle size of juice decreased irrespective of treatment, but the span value of CP-optimized juice was the lowest. Further, the CP treatment showed a lower consistency index, apparent viscosity, and pseudoplasticity of juice than the thermal treatment. The CP-treated juice retained bioactive and nutritional attributes more than thermally treated juice. The CP-optimized, CP-extreme, and thermal treatment reduced the sucrose content by 54, 55, and 23%, while the fructose and glucose content were increased by 17, 12, & 93%, and 17, 11 & 99%, respectively. Among the CP-treated juice, CP-optimized (71.36 mg/100g) contained a higher amount of ascorbic acid than the CP-extreme (64.36 mg/100g). Based on the similarity values in the fuzzy logic analysis, the sensory attributes of CP-optimized treated juice were superior to CP-extreme and thermal treated. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In this era, non-thermal processing techniques are trending for retaining the nutrition and stability of juice. The old plasma (CP)-treated kiwifruit juice had better nutritional, bioactive compounds, and sensory attributes than the thermally treated juice. Further, the CP-treated juice had higher flowability and lower viscosity, making it ideal for juice processing. The conclusions drawn suggest that CP processing is a better alternative for processing kiwifruit juice than thermal processing.

Potential of Dioscorea spp. for Bioethanol Production Using Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation Method

Thailand is globally recognized for its rich biodiversity, a characteristic that extends to the diverse species of indigenous yams within the Dioscorea spp. genus. With the energy crisis, the selection of agricultural materials for ethanol production to replace the use of economic crops is therefore necessary. This research focuses on six specific yam varieties: Amorphophallus konjac, Colocasia esculenta, Dioscorea bulbifera, Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea hispida, and Dioscorea esculenta. The primary objective is to investigate their bioethanol productivity through the implementation of a separate hydrolysis and fermentation process, with the broader aim of contributing to the potential preservation of these invaluable indigenous yam species. Initiating the study, the experimental samples underwent hydrolysis by alpha-amylase enzyme (1% w/winitial starch) for 180 min, followed by glucoamylase enzyme (1% w/winitial starch) for an additional 72 h. Post the initial hydrolysis, the detection of small molecule sugars by high-performance liquid chromatography, revealed a range of 14.49 ± 1.10 to 28.89 ± 0.03 gtotal sugar/L, with maltose emerging as the predominant sugar compound. Subsequent to the second hydrolysis, it was observed that maltose and starch residues across all six samples underwent successful digestion. The peak glucose productivity was attained at the 12-h mark post-glucoamylase hydrolysis. Among the diverse yam varieties under examination, Dioscorea hispida exhibited the highest glucose production, showcasing a hydrolysis efficiency of 62.53 ± 2.08%. Following the fermentation process with S. cerevisiae, the optimal fermentation time was identified as 72 h, at which point all available glucose in the hydrolysate was fully utilized. The bioethanol productivity spanned from 32.31 ± 3.40 to 43.66 ± 0.02 g/L, with Dioscorea hispida demonstrating the highest ethanol productivity at 0.61 ± 0.00 g/L/h, and a yield of 0.42 ± 0.01 gEtOH/gGlucose. These findings underscore the potential of Dioscorea hispida as a promising contributor to bioethanol production.

Lectin from edible seaweed Meristotheca papulosa exhibits a high digestion-resistant property

The physiological impacts of polysaccharides and lipids in seaweed on human health are becoming clearer, but the behavior of the protein components, especially lectins, after ingestion remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the resistance of edible red algae-derived lectins to digestive enzymes. We found that a lectin extracted from Meristotheca papulosa (MPL-1), belonging to the Jacalin-related lectin family, was relatively stable when subjected to both peptic and tryptic digestion and retained its hemagglutination activity after 24 h of digestion. The activity of MPL-1 was also maintained without a large change for 24 h following exposure to enzymes such as papain, Actinase E, and proteinase K, suggesting that MPL-1 possesses a strong resistant property against proteolytic digestion. We examined the anti-proliferation activity of the MPL fraction from the algal body against HT-29, a human colon cancer-derived cell line, and found that it showed a strong inhibitory activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 4.5 μg/mL. This activity was nullified in the presence of yeast mannan, an inhibitory sugar compound of lectin, demonstrating that MPL expressed its activity through binding to the glycan moieties on HT-29. This study indicates that this proteinase-resistant lectin could play a vital role after ingestion and is expected to have an inhibitory effect against colorectal cancer.

Short-term high-light intensity and low temperature improve the quality and flavor of lettuce grown in plant factory.

Lettuce holds a prominent position in the year-round supply of vegetables, offering a rich array of health-beneficial substances, such as dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, lactucopicrin and lactucin. As such, its flavor has garnered increasing attention. Balancing the enhancement of beneficial compounds with the reduction of undesirable taste is a key focus of scientific research. To investigate short-term management to improve the nutritional quality and flavor of lettuce, combinations of different light intensities (200, 500 and 800 μm ol m-2 s-1) and temperatures (10 and 22 °C) were applied separately to 'Lollo Rosso' and 'Little Butter Lettuce' for 7 days before harvest. The results obtained showed that increasing light intensity at low temperatures decreased nitrate content and increased soluble sugar, soluble protein, anthocyanin and phenolic compound content. In the case of lettuce flavor, the bitterness-related metabolites such as lactucin and lactucopicrin were reduced with high light intensity at a low temperature of 10 °C. With this combination, the fructose and glucose contents increased, significantly improving lettuce flavor. Higher light intensity combined with low temperature for 7 days before harvest effectively improved the nutritional quality and flavor of lettuce, suggesting its great potential for use in horticultural practices. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Is a combination of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi more beneficial to enhance drought tolerance than single arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in Lallemantia species?

Climate change-induced abiotic stress hinders crop growth, providing a challenge to global food security and agricultural sustainability. An effective approach to safeguard crop production from drought stress is to use either a single species or co-inoculating different native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species. A pot experiment was carried out to examine the impacts of using single and combined AMF (Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Funneliformis mosseae, and Rhizophagus intraradices) on the growth and physiological-biochemical characteristics of Lallemantia species (Lallemantia iberica and L. royleana) under well-watered, moderate drought, and severe drought conditions. Drought stress had a notable negative impact on growth performance, photosynthetic rate, antioxidant enzyme activities, water use efficiency, nutrient uptake, oil and fatty acid levels, and sugar components, which were associated with restricted root development. In contrast, inoculation with mycorrhizal species, especially Mix 4 treatment (C. etunicatum, F. mosseae, and R. intraradices), significantly boosted root AMF colonization, leading to an increase in mycorrhizal growth response, mycorrhizal dependency, water use efficiency, and seed yield. Seeds produced under Mix 4 inoculation showed the highest levels of mucilage, sugar compounds, oil, and fatty acid compositions, compared with individual AMF and other AMF mixtures. Furthermore, the presence of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced by applying Mix 4 treatment under drought stress. It suggested that a combination of AMF species can better promote the growth and yield of Lallemantia species during drought stress by preserving the plants' physiological functions than single arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus.

Exploring Microbial Influence on Flavor Development during Coffee Processing in Humid Subtropical Climate through Metagenetic-Metabolomics Analysis.

Research into microbial interactions during coffee processing is essential for developing new methods that adapt to climate change and improve flavor, thus enhancing the resilience and quality of global coffee production. This study aimed to investigate how microbial communities interact and contribute to flavor development in coffee processing within humid subtropical climates. Employing Illumina sequencing for microbial dynamics analysis, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) integrated with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for metabolite assessment, the study revealed intricate microbial diversity and associated metabolic activities. Throughout the fermentation process, dominant microbial species included Enterobacter, Erwinia, Kluyvera, and Pantoea from the prokaryotic group, and Fusarium, Cladosporium, Kurtzmaniella, Leptosphaerulina, Neonectria, and Penicillium from the eukaryotic group. The key metabolites identified were ethanol, and lactic, acetic, and citric acids. Notably, the bacterial community plays a crucial role in flavor development by utilizing metabolic versatility to produce esters and alcohols, while plant-derived metabolites such as caffeine and linalool remain stable throughout the fermentation process. The undirected network analysis revealed 321 interactions among microbial species and key substances during the fermentation process, with Enterobacter, Kluyvera, and Serratia showing strong connections with sugar and various volatile compounds, such as hexanal, benzaldehyde, 3-methylbenzaldehyde, 2-butenal, and 4-heptenal. These interactions, including inhibitory effects by Fusarium and Cladosporium, suggest microbial adaptability to subtropical conditions, potentially influencing fermentation and coffee quality. The sensory analysis showed that the final beverage obtained a score of 80.83 ± 0.39, being classified as a specialty coffee by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) metrics. Nonetheless, further enhancements in acidity, body, and aftertaste could lead to a more balanced flavor profile. The findings of this research hold substantial implications for the coffee industry in humid subtropical regions, offering potential strategies to enhance flavor quality and consistency through controlled fermentation practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the broader understanding of how microbial ecology interplays with environmental factors to influence food and beverage fermentation, a topic of growing interest in the context of climate change and sustainable agriculture.

Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Can Change the Composition of Secondary Metabolites in Fruits of Solanum nigrum L.

Solanum nigrum is a common weed in arable land, while being used in traditional medicine around the world due to its remarkable levels of valuable secondary metabolites. Agronomic and biological techniques can alter the production of a specific metabolite by influencing plant growth and metabolism. The effects of colonization with three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), including Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizoglomus intraradices, and Rhizoglomus fasciculatum, on the chemical composition of S. nigrum fruits were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. More than 100 different chemical constituents were evaluated by GC-MS. Our study revealed that the levels of phenols (quinic acid), benzenes (hydroquinone), sulfur-containing compounds, lactone and carboxylic acids were improved by R. intraradices. In contrast, hydroxymethylfurfural increased by 68 % in R. fasciculatum inoculated with uninoculated S. nigrum plants, and this species was also the most efficient in inducing sugar compounds (D-galactose, lactose, and melezitose). Our results suggest that AMF colonization is an effective biological strategy that can alter the chemical composition and improve the medicinal properties of S. nigrum.

Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatments Affect the Metabolite Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Freeze- and Air-Dried New Zealand Apricots.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment has been shown to improve the quality of dried fruits in terms of antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds. In this study, apricots were pretreated with PEF at different field strengths (0.7 kV/cm; 1.2 kV/cm and 1.8 kv/cm) at a frequency of 50 Hz, and electric pulses coming in every 20 µs for 30 s, prior to freeze-drying and air-drying treatments. PEF treatments were carried out at different field strengths. The impact of different pretreatments on the quality of dried apricot was determined in terms of physical properties, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and metabolite profile. PEF pretreatments significantly (p < 0.05) increased firmness of all the air-dried samples the most by 4-7-fold and most freeze-dried apricot samples (44.2% to 98.64%) compared to the control group. However, PEF treatment at 1.2 kV/cm did not have any effect on hardness of the freeze-dried sample. The moisture content and water activity of freeze-dried samples were found to be significantly lower than those of air-dried samples. Scanning electron microscopy results revealed that air drying caused the loss of fruit structure due to significant moisture loss, while freeze drying preserved the honeycomb structure of the apricot flesh, with increased pore sizes observed at higher PEF intensities. PEF pretreatment also significantly increased the antioxidant activity and total phenol content of both air-dried and freeze-dried apricots. PEF treatment also significantly (p < 0.05) increased amino acid and fatty acid content of air-dried samples but significantly (p < 0.05) decreased sugar content. Almost all amino acids (except tyrosine, alanine, and threonine) significantly increased with increasing PEF intensity. The results of this study suggest that PEF pretreatment can influence the quality of air-dried and freeze-dried apricots in terms antioxidant activity and metabolites such as amino acids, fatty acids, sugar, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. The most effective treatment for preserving the quality of dried apricots is freeze drying combined with high-intensity (1.8 kv/cm) PEF treatment.

LC-MS/MS-QTOF Screening and Identification of Phenolic compounds from Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Madhuca longifolia Leaves

Natural products, particularly those derived from plants and microbes, offer an endless supply of unique compounds that can be converted into new pharmaceuticals. Due to their potential health benefits, bioactive components from herbs, particularly phenolics, have recently attracted a lot of interest. One of the multi-use forest tree species, Madhuca longifoliaJ. Koenig. (mahua), is found throughout much of South Asia and offers locals a source of food, fuel, fodder, and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in addition to timber. Almost all of this tree's components exhibit its therapeutic qualities.Mahua's phytochemical analysis reveals that it contains high levels of vitamins, alkaloids, sugar, glycosides, proteins, steroids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. These compounds are responsible for a variety of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, antihyperglycemic, spasmolytic, hepatoprotective, anticonvulsant, anticancer, results of the High-Resolution Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (HR-LCMS) analysis showed that plant extracts included a number of pharmaceutically significant chemicals. By comparing the weights and fragmentation patterns of the twenty-four (24) phenolic compounds in this work with those of published libraries, the LC-MS/MS method was used to screen and confirm them. The findings of this research support the usage of this plant as a source of bioactives and the beneficial effects of these compounds on human health.

Optimizing ‘Xinomavro’ (Vitis vinifera L.) Performance by Post-Bloom Basal Leaf Removal Applications

A three-year study was conducted to investigate the effects of two timings—at berry set and at veraison—of post-bloom leaf removal (LR) applications from the basal sections of the shoot on the growth, yield, and berry composition of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Xinomavro, the major red winegrape of North Greece. LR at berry set drastically reduced yield by affecting all its components while increasing the ratio of secondary foliage per total leaf area. LR at veraison had a milder effect on growth and yield. Both treatments increased sugar and phenolic compound levels in berries, while early LR increased the contribution of more stable forms of anthocyanins. Additionally, early LR increased the skin-to-pulp ratio, suggesting that it could be an effective viticultural technique for more concentrated red wines. Overall, both LR timings improved most of the berry attributes compared to the non-treated vines; however, the earlier application can be recommended when aiming at the production of deep-colored and richly flavored wines.

Influence of anthropogenic activities on metals, sugars and PAHs in PM10 in the city of Fez, Morocco: Implications on air quality

Particulate matter (PM) is an important component in the atmosphere, affecting air quality, health, radiation balance, and global climate. To assess regional air quality in the city of Fez, an intensive field campaign was carried out in the autumn of 2019 in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco. Aerosol sampling was performed simultaneously at two urban sites in the city of Fez: (1) Fez University (FU), a sub-urban site, and (2) Fez Parc (FP), an urban site located in the city center of Fez, using PM10 collectors. Various laboratory analyses were carried out, including PM mass, trace metals, inorganic ions, OC/EC, sugar compounds, and PAHs. The results indicate that the PM10 mass (61 ng m−3) was comparable at both sites, with a 37–107 ng m−3 range. Most of the 19 investigated PAHs at the FU site (10.2 ± 6.2 ng m−3) were low-molecular-weight PAHs, while the most abundant PAHs at the FP site (6.9 ± 3.8 ng m−3) were mainly higher-molecular-weight PAHs. A diagnostic ratio analysis at both sites indicated that PAHs originated from fossil fuel combustion and traffic emissions from diesel engines, with Ant/(Ant + Phe) and Flu/(Flu + Pyr) ratios averaging 0.22 and 0.84, respectively. PMF analysis identified traffic emissions as a major source (30%), with secondary inorganic aerosols (20%) and biomass burning (14%). Polar plots highlight the dominance of local anthropogenic activities in PM pollution, with vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and biomass burning. This study shows that local sources and combustion processes significantly contribute to PM10 sources in Morocco, providing insights into air pollution mitigation in North Africa.

Variation of sugar compounds in Phoebe chekiangensis seeds during natural desiccation.

To investigate the role of sugar metabolism in desiccation-sensitive seeds, we performed a natural desiccation treatment on Phoebe chekiangensis seeds in a room and systematically analyzed the changes in seed germination, sugar compounds, malondialdehyde, and relative electrical conductivity during the seed desiccation. The results revealed that the initial moisture content of P. chekiangensis seed was very high (37.06%) and the seed was sensitive to desiccation, the germination percentage of the seed decreased to 5.33% when the seed was desiccated to 22.04% of moisture content, therefore, the seeds were considered recalcitrant. Based on the logistic model, we know that the moisture content of the seeds is 29.05% when the germination percentage drops to 50% and that it is desirable to keep the seed moisture content above 31.74% during ambient transportation. During seed desiccation, sucrose and trehalose contents exhibited increasing trends, and raffinose also increased during the late stage of desiccation, however, low levels of the non-reducing sugar accumulations may not prevent the loss of seed viability caused by desiccation. Glucose and fructose predominated among sugar compounds, and they showed a slight increase followed by a significant decrease. Their depletion may have contributed to the accumulation of sucrose and raffinose family oligosaccharides. Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between the accumulation of sucrose, trehalose, and soluble sugars, and the reduction in seed viability. Sucrose showed a significant negative correlation with glucose and fructose. Trehalose also exhibited the same pattern of correlation. These results provided additional data and theoretical support for understanding the mechanism of sugar metabolism in seed desiccation sensitivity.

Escherichia coli possessing the dihydroxyacetone phosphate shunt utilize 5'-deoxynucleosides for growth.

The acquisition and utilization of organic compounds that serve as growth substrates are essential for Escherichia coli to grow and multiply. Ubiquitous enzymatic reactions involving S-adenosyl-l-methionine as a co-substrate by all organisms result in the formation of the 5'-deoxy-nucleoside byproducts, 5'-methylthioadenosine and 5'-deoxyadenosine. All E. coli possess a conserved nucleosidase that cleaves these 5'-deoxy-nucleosides into 5-deoxy-pentose sugars for adenine salvage. The DHAP shunt pathway is found in some extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, but its function in E. coli possessing it has remained unknown. This study reveals that the DHAP shunt enables the utilization of 5'-deoxy-nucleosides and 5-deoxy-pentose sugars as growth substrates in E. coli strains with the pathway during aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration with TMAO, but not fermentative growth. This provides an insight into the diversity of sugar compounds accessible by E. coli with the DHAP shunt and suggests that the DHAP shunt is primarily relevant in oxic or TMAO-rich extraintestinal environments.

Unveil the sugar diet and associated environmental compounds in the crop of the mosquito Culex pipiens

Culex pipiens (Linnaeus, 1758) mosquitoes search plant sources of sugars to cope with the energetic demand of various physiological processes. The crop as part of the digestive system is devoted to the storage of sugar-based meal obtained from various nectars sources. The profiling of sugars and metabolites in the Culex pipiens’ crop is scarce, and only few studies used Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), which provides broad detection for biomonitoring environmental substances and even contaminants in the sugar diet of mosquitoes populations.Therefore, sugar and metabolite profiling were performed on crops obtained from mosquitoes exposed to plant nectar under laboratory or natural conditions by Ultra High-Performance LC-MS (UHPLC-MS). This method allowed us a precise quantitative and qualitative identification of sugar diet and associated environmental compounds in the crop of the mosquito C. pipiens. Under laboratory condition, mosquitoes were allowed to feed on either glucose solution, commercially-available flowers or field collected flowers. In addition, we collected mosquitoes from the field to compare those crop metabolomes with metabolome patterns occurring after nectar feeding in the lab.The sugar quantities and quality obtained from the crops of mosquitoes collected in the field were similar to those crops obtained from mosquitoes that fed on commercially-available flowers and from field collected flowers with a limit of detection of 10 μg/L for sucrose, glucose and sucrose. Next to sugar compounds, we identified 2 types of amino acids, 12 natural products, and 9 pesticides.Next to the diversity of sugar compounds, we could confirm that secondary metabolites and environmental pollutants are typically up taken from floral nectar sources by C. pipiens. The in-depth knowledge on mosquito–plant interactions may inspire the development and further optimization of mosquito trap systems and arboviral surveillance systems.

Mitigating Salinity Stress in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) through Biochar and NPK Fertilizers: Impacts on Physio-Biochemical Behavior and Grain Yield

Increased soil salinity significantly inhibits crop production around the world. Over the last decade, biochar has been used in agriculture to improve plant productivity, soil quality, and as an alternative to plant amendment. This study was aimed to study the effect of biochar, NPK, and their combination on the growth, physio-biochemical traits, mineral contents, and grain yield of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Thus, a pot factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was performed. Experimental treatments included four levels of biochar (0, 2, 5 and 10% of total pot mass), four different NaCl levels (0, 75, 125, and 200 mmol L−1), and with or without NPK fertilizer. The results showed that a negative effect on gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic pigments, SPAD value, minerals contents, and grain yield of barley under salinity treatments. In addition, our funding showed the negative effect on biochemical traits such as proline, soluble sugars, individual sugar, and phenolic compounds. The use of biochar, combined with NPK fertilizers, considerably increases these parameters and especially improves barley grains yield under severe salinity conditions (200 mM) with a dose of 2% and 5% (394.1 and 280.61 g m−2, respectively) of total pot mass. It is concluded that biochar amendment could be a promising practice to enhance barley growth under severe saline irrigation and NPK fertilization regimes.

Deconstructing biomass resistance for improving pyrolytic sugars via γ-valerolactone pretreated bamboo coupled with fast pyrolysis

Pyrolytic sugars, as significant fermentable sugars for the production of fuel ethanol, can be fleetly prepared by biomass fast pyrolysis. However, both the biomass inherent resistance and the interaction of compositions restrain the formation of pyrolytic sugars during pyrolysis. To overcome the above bottleneck and improve the yield of pyrolytic sugars, γ-valerolactone (GVL) pretreatment of bamboo coupled with fast pyrolysis was proposed. The effects of reaction temperatures, concentration of acid catalyst, pyrolytic parameters and kinetics on the distributions of sugar compounds were systematically investigated in this process. The experimental results demonstrated that the GVL pretreated biomass effectively eliminated the inherent resistance due to the removal of lignin (16.5 wt%) and hemicellulose (16 wt%). In addition, the content of alkaline and alkaline earth metals significantly decreased from 0.25 wt% of untreated bamboo to 0.01 wt% of the pretreated sample. Subsequently, the selectivity of levoglucosan effectively raised from 9.1 % of untreated bamboo to 70.3 % of GVL pretreated bamboo, and the content of levoglucosan from fast pyrolysis of GVL pretreated bamboo increased 20.2 folds as compared to untreated bamboo.

Prevention of drought damage through zeolite treatments onVitis vinifera: A promising sustainable solution for soil management

AbstractViticultural activity is intrinsically interlocked with climatic fluctuations and awful subjected to soil management. Increasing temperatures and reduced precipitation originate several alterations in the metabolic plant pathway and a depletion in grapes quality. The main aspiration of soil management is to keep and retain a microenvironment that considers all vine requirements to upgrade the balance between vegetative growth and cluster quality intensifying its resilience towards abiotic stress. Aiming to establish match and dissimilar drought stress responses among Sangiovese grapevines, we scouted ecophysiological and biochemical alterations after zeolite and irrigation soil application (combined and/or alone), using as control plants naturally exposed to abiotic stress in a Chianti Classico vineyard. When grapevines were exposed to water stress alone, the main reactions encompassed dwindled leaf midday water potential (Ψleaf) and increased proline content. These were accompanied by augments in zeaxanthin and lutein leaf contents, symptomatic of oxidative stress. Positive metabolic alterations in grapes triggered by zeolite and/or water showed some influence on the ripening of the berry differently depending on the year. They created a situation of resilience in berry avoiding arrest in the anthocyanin synthesis pathway during the warmest season and produced a more balanced maturation, closer to the objectives of the modern producer of classic Chianti (i.e. fresher and less alcoholic wines) during the fresher one. Under severe drought, it was activated the shikimic acid pathway and in stressed vines treatment, (WS) a reduction in malic acid content was found. Sugar and phenolic compounds were enhanced by zeolitic and undrought treatments. A negative effect enkindled by the drought and high temperatures combined with stress was the accumulation of quercetin‐3‐O‐rutinoside (Qrut), quercetin‐3‐O‐galactoside (Qgala), quercetin‐3‐O‐glucoside (Qgluc) and quercetin‐3‐O‐glucoronide (Qgluco) in WS treatment. These results summarize that clinoptilolite applied to the soil, both combined with water as well in purity, noteworthy protectorship from more detrimental repercussions of drought‐stressed grapevines, suggesting that new sustainable approaches in soil management are useful for the wellness of vines.

Efeitos antileucêmicos do extrato de Vernonia amygdalina

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the impact of Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract on FLT3 regulation. V. amygdalina was extracted with 96% ethanol (VAE-96), and its cytotoxicity against FLT3- cell lines (MOLM-13 and MV-4-11) was evaluated. The results indicated that VAE-96 induced apoptosis in these cells and inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT, MAPK, and FLT3. Additionally, VAE-96 substantially diminished the activity of the FLT3 promoter and the expression of FLT3 mRNA. The extract was found to contain alkaloids, saponin, reduced sugar compounds, and polyphenols, including tannins and flavonoids, as per the phytoconstituents analysis. The potential of alkaloid fractions on MOLM-13 cells was indicated by the robust cytotoxic effect of the alkaloid fractions, which resulted in over 50% cell mortality at 30 µg/ml. Our results suggest that VAE-96 may be a beneficial agent for the prevention and treatment of AML with FLT3-ITD mutation.

Catalytic Systems for 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Preparation from Different Biomass Feedstocks: A Review

The preparation of high-value-added platform compounds from biomass materials provides an important method for solving fossil energy shortages. Known as the “sleeping giant”, 5-HMF is one of the most important biomass platform compounds with promising applications. At present, raw materials for the preparation of 5-HMF mainly comprise sugar compounds and non-food biomass. The current systems for preparing 5-HMF are disadvantaged by poor selectivity and a low conversion rate. This paper focuses on the catalytic mechanisms and catalytic systems for the synthesis of 5-HMF from different biomass feedstocks and reviews a series of existing techniques for the preparation of 5-HMF. Catalytic systems for the synthesis of 5-HMF from different feedstocks are also discussed in depth, providing theoretical support for its subsequent in-depth study. The development of efficient catalysts and catalytic systems for the conversion of polysaccharide raw materials into 5-HMF is anticipated.

Characteristics of bacterial and fungal communities and their associations with sugar compounds in atmospheric aerosols at a rural site in northern China

Abstract. Bioaerosols play significant roles in causing health and climate effects. Sugar compounds in air have been widely used to trace the source of bioaerosols. However, knowledge about the association of sugar molecules and the microbial community at taxonomic levels in atmospheric aerosols remains limited. Here, microbial community compositions and sugar molecules in total suspended particles collected from a typical rural site, Gucheng, in the North China Plain were investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-throughput gene sequencing, respectively. Results show that fungal community structure exhibited distinct diurnal variation with largely enhanced contribution of Basidiomycota at night, while bacterial community structure showed no obvious difference between daytime and night. SourceTracker analysis revealed that fungi and bacteria were mainly from plant leaves and unresolved sources (presumably human-related emissions and/or long-distance transport). All the detected anhydrosugars and sugar alcohols and trehalose showed diurnal variations with lower concentrations in the daytime and higher concentrations at night, which may be affected by enhanced fungal emissions at night, while primary sugars (except trehalose) showed an opposite trend. Mantel's test showed that more sugar compounds exhibited significant associations with fungal community structure than bacterial community structure. Co-occurrence analysis revealed the strong associations between sugar compounds and a few saprophytic fungal genera with low relative abundances, e.g., Hannaella, Lectera, Peniophora, Hydnophlebia, Sporobolomyces and Cyphellophora. This study suggests that the entire fungal community, rather than specific fungal taxa, likely greatly contributes to sugar compounds in rural aerosols, while the contribution of bacteria is limited.