Fruit Color Research Articles

Anti-inflammatory activity of anthocyanin extract on diabetic and hypertensive patients

Anthocyanins pigments are a major class of plant phenolic components, flavonoids‎. The distinctive purple or red colours of many fruits and vegetables are attributed to the presence of these flavonoids‎. They are highly water-soluble pigments and have been well known to possess general health-promoting characteristics. The aim: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of anthocyanin extract. It also looked at how the extract consumption affected people with hypertension and diabetes in terms of lowering blood pressure and blood glucose levels and in preventing their complications, including oxidative stress and inflammatory status. Material and method: The subjects included in the study were hypertensive and diabetic patients divided into control and test groups. Total reactive oxygen species concentrations and C-reactive protein levels were used to assess the oxidative stress and inflammatory status before and after consuming anthocyanin extract for thirty days using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The results revealed that consumption of anthocyanin extracts for 30 days did not significantly lower blood pressure or blood glucose levels in comparison to the control group and also when compared with day zero values. However, quantitative analysis of the C-reactive protein levels for the inflammatory status and the overall oxidative stress levels measurements demonstrated a significant decline compared to both the control group (placebo) and baseline values (day zero). Conclusion: The findings highlighted the prophylactic, as anti-inflammatory, rather than the curative effects of anthocyanin extracts in preventing or delaying the complications associated with various chronic conditions, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Effect of solar radiation on pigmentation, phenolic content and antioxidant activity in ‘Forelle’ pears during fruit growth and ripening

ABSTRACT Blush development is an important commercial quality attribute in European pear, but some cultivars exhibit reduced red colouration at harvest due to environmental stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of bagging ‘Forelle’ pear fruit at 85, 57 and 27 d before commercial harvest on ripening, pigment concentration, phenolic content and antioxidant activity, with unbagged fruit (0 d) considered a control treatment. It was found that bagging reduced the fruit colouration and concentration of pigments, particularly anthocyanins and carotenoids, as well as the phenolic and antioxidant contents, but did not affect fruit ripening. During fruit growth, the anthocyanin concentration of fruit in the control treatment peaked at 57 d before harvest and then decreased at 27 d before harvest, but at the time of harvest, both this variable and blush development were higher in unbagged fruit than in bagged fruit, particularly where longer periods of bagging had been used. These results indicate that reducing radiation stress through continuous bagging of the fruit does not improve the colour intensity of ‘Forelle’ pears at harvest, and the 27 d prior to harvest appear to be most important for blush development.

Transcriptome Characterization of Pigment-Related Genes in Jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba Mill.) Peel at Different Growth Stages.

One of the most important qualities of jujube fruit is its color. Chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin all play important roles in the coloring of jujube fruit. However, few studies have focused on the pigment molecular mechanism. In the present study, jujube peels of 'Sanbianhong' in three growth stages were evaluated for their gene expression characteristics and gene regulation related to pigment formation using the transcriptome sequencing analysis. A total of 84.86Gb of clean data were obtained in the analysis. In the FS1 vs. FS3, FS1 vs. FS5, and FS3 vs. FS5, 4,530, 11,012, and 9,072 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, respectively. The inter-group screening among the three comparisons yielded 1430 common DEGs. Among these DEGs, 27, 16, and 28 genes were enriched in chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin metabolic pathways, respectively. Twelve genes were chosen at random, and the accuracy of the transcriptome data were confirmed using qRT-PCR. The molecular mechanism underlying the pigmentation of jujube fruit was elucidated at the transcriptome level, which would provide a scientific basis for the subsequent functional studies on the color-regulating genes of jujube fruits.

Pre-Harvest Application of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Salicylic Acid and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Fruit Quality of ‘Sweetheart’ Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherry, which affects consumers’ preferences with its aroma, taste and sensory properties, is a significant fruit species for human health with its bioactive compounds such as organic acids, vitamins and anthocyanins. However, its post-harvest shelf life is very short due to its sensitive fruit structure. Thus, the significant economic losses occur. In the study, effects of pre-harvest Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), Salicylic acid (SA) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) applications on fruit quality characteristics and biochemical content in sweet cherry were determined. SA and PGPR treatments increased fruit size, but AVG decreased (If the fruit weight is 4.51 in the control application, 4.49 in the SA application and 4.10 in the PGPR, how can it be said that SA and PGPR increase the fruit weight). The fruits treated with SA, AVG and PGPR had higher fruit firmness values than the control’-fruits. Salisylic acid treatmens did not affect the rate of soluble solids content(SSC) in fruit, SSC rate was higher in PGPR treated-fruit, but AVG decreased the SSC. Titratable acidity (TA) was lower in PGPR treated-fruit, but was higher in the AVG and SA treated-fruit. Fruits treated with the SA and AVG had higher fruit color values than control fruits, while the lowest color values was obtained with PGPR treatment. In general; PGPR, SA and AVG were effective in the concentration of organic acids, but their effects varied depending on the organic acid compounds. As a result, AVG and SA delayed fruit ripening and fruit softening while PGPR, AVG and SA improved fruit quality (It is not clear how this idea was reached). These applications can be considered as a promising method for improving fruit quality at harvest and maintaining post-harvest fruit quality of sweet cherry.

RESPONSES OF LOWLAND CHERRY TOMATO (Solanum Lycopersicum var. Cerasiform) PLANTED UNDER SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEM TO THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT BIOCHAR SUBSTRATES AND FOLIAR FERTILIZER

A field experiment has been conducted to evaluate the effect of different biochar substrates and foliar fertilizer derived from seaweed on the growth of lowland cherry tomato and its fruit quality attributes. The experiment was arranged as according to the randomized complete block design with two factors viz. i) different biochar substrates (Palm Kernel Shell, PKS; Sugarcane Bagasse, SB; Coconut Shell, CS; and Walit Bird Waste; WW), and ii) with (W) and without seaweed (WO) extract. The experimental treatments were i) cocopeat with SW; ii) cocopeat (C) alone (serve as control); iii) C and PKS with seaweed; iv) C and PKS without seaweed; v) C and SB with seaweed; vi) C and SB without seaweed; vii) C and WW with seaweed; viii) C and WW without seaweed; ix) C and CS with seaweed; and x) C and CS without seaweed with four replications. The parameters evaluated were such as pre- (stem diameter) and postharvest parameters (number of fruits, fresh weight, fruit colour, fruit diameter, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and fruit firmness). For the results, both factors were not significantly interacted in all parameters assessed as well as its single factor. However, in general, some of the parameters with biochar and SW showed a tendency to improve growth and fruit quality. In conclusion, regardless of SW extract, all substrates can be developed into commercial growth media exclusively for cherry tomato as they had a comparable growth and postharvest quality without causing adverse effect. In addition, the best biochar substrate could not be revealed as all the substrates had similar effect with control. Meanwhile, SW extract had the potential to be commercialized as foliar biofertilizer, however, the pure solution should be more concentrated

Influence of rootstock on endogenous hormones and color change in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Different rootstocks for grapes can significantly affect fruit color and quality, possibly by affecting hormone contents, related genetic pathways, and fruit coloring mechanisms in skin. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ was grafted to ‘5BB’, ‘SO4’, ‘140R’, ‘CS’, ‘3309M’ and ‘Vitis riparia’ rootstocks, with self-rooting seedlings as the control (CS/CS), and sampled from the early stage of veraison to the ripening stage. The effects of rootstock on the contents of gibberellin (GA3), auxin (IAA), and abscisic acid (ABA) in grape skin were determined alongside the expression levels of eight anthocyanin synthesis related genes using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR methods. The rootstock cultivars exhibited accelerated fruit color change, and the CS/140R combination resulted in grapes with more color than the control group in the same period. With the development of fruit, the IAA and GA3 contents in the skin of different rootstock combinations showed trends of increasing initially, then decreasing, while the ABA content decreased initially and then increased. During the verasion (28 July), the various ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ rootstock combinations exhibited varying degrees of increases in GA3, ABA, and IAA contents; correlation analysis showed that, at the start of veraison, the expression levels of the anthocyanin synthesis-related genes VvCHS, VvDFR, and VvUFGT had strong positive correlations with hormone contents, which indicated they are key genes involved in the endogenous hormone responsive anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. The results of this study showed that rootstock regulates the fruit coloring process by influencing the metabolism level of peel hormones in the ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grape.

Fruit Color Preference of Frugivorous Birds in an Agroecosystem in Southcentral Mindanao, Philippines

The removal of fruit is a consequence of plant–animal interactions, and is a vital step in the natural regeneration cycle of plant populations. This research aimed to determine the effect of fruit color and local landscape on plant–bird interactions in an agroecosystem in Southcentral Mindanao, Philippines. We set out 1500 artificial fruit models in ten sampling locations within an agroecosystem. We measured the difference in the proportion of predated/removed (%) fruit models and the risk between sites, fruit color, and predators. Approximately a quarter (24.53%) of the artificial fruit models deployed were predated, and the proportion of predation was significantly higher in the red fruit models (mean = 18.74 ± 9.84) compared to the green fruit models (mean = 11.67 ± 6.17). Birds were the most dominant predators compared to mammals and arthropods, and contributed to at least 60% of the predation of red fruits. Our findings are consistent with previous evidence showing birds’ preferences for darker fruit colors. Although landscape variables did not significantly affect fruit predation, tree cover may help increase these interactions. Overall, our study showed that agroecosystems can still support species of frugivorous birds, as indicated by high fruit predation rates, particularly by birds that can permeate different layers of the agroecosystem. Our findings demonstrate an important implication for habitat quality management within agroecosystems. Enriching agroecosystems with pioneer trees with dark-colored fleshy fruits is a sustainable greening strategy that would benefit frugivores and producers in this system.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Anthocyanin and Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Red and Yellow Fruits of Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) during Ripening

The diversity of fruit color in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) has been attributed to the presence of either anthocyanin or carotenoid. We profiled the anthocyanin and carotenoid metabolites to investigate the different pigments and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of differential expression genes (DEGs) between red and yellow fruits of sweet cherry. We profiled two cultivars, ‘Jiangnanhong’(JNH, red fruits) and ‘Chaoyang’(CY, yellow fruits) to establish their anthocyanin and carotenoid metabolites by LC-MS/MS and transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq to test the difference in gene expression and metabolic substances between the two varieties. Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside was the most different pigment between two cultivars, the content of which in red fruit was significantly higher than in the yellow one during the whole ripening stage (stage 3 and stage 4). The total carotenoid content in the two color types of fruits was close, but the content in yellow fruit was shown to be more stable after harvest. Based on the transcriptome data, the heatmap of selected structural DEGs showed that all of the anthocyanin genes expressed significantly higher levels in red fruits than that in yellow fruits. Two unigenes encoding chalcone synthase (CHS) and UDP glucose-flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT) were expressed 1134.58 and 1151.24 times higher in red than in yellow fruits at stage 4, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that anthocyanin genes in JNH were negatively correlated with those in CY; by contrast, there were some strong correlations observed between the two cultivars in carotenoid genes. Thus, the coloration of sweet cherry was mainly attributed to anthocyanin-related genes.

Mutation of CsARC6 affects fruit color and increases fruit nutrition in cucumber.

A mutation of CsARC6 not only causes white fruit color in cucumber, but also affects plant growth and fruit quality. Fruit color of cucumber is a very important agronomic trait, but most of the genes affecting cucumber white fruit color are still unknow, and no further studies were reported on the effect of cucumber fruit quality caused by white fruit color genes. Here, we obtained a white fruit mutant em41 in cucumber by EMS mutagenesis. The mutant gene was mapped to a 548kb region of chromosome 2. Through mutation site analysis, it was found to be a null allele of CsARC6 (CsaV3_2G029290). The Csarc6 mutant has a typical phenotype of arc6 mutant that mesophyll cells contained only one or two giant chloroplasts. ARC6 protein was not detected in em41, and the level of FtsZ1 and FtsZ2 was also reduced. In addition, FtsZ2 could not form FtsZ ring-like structures in em41. Although these are typical arc6 mutant phenotypes, some special phenotypes occur in Csarc6 mutant, such as dwarfness with shortened internodes, enlarged fruit epidermal cells, decreased carotenoid contents, smaller fruits, and increased fruit nutrient contents. This study discovered a new gene, CsARC6, which not only controls the white fruit color, but also affects plant growth and fruit quality in cucumber.

Locule Position and Thawing Duration Affect Postharvest Quality of Freshly Cryo-Frozen Musang King Durian Fruit

This study examined the effect of locule position and thawing duration on the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of intact cryo-frozen Musang King durian fruit. Cryo-frozen durian that had 5 locules was thawed for 2 and 18 hr, and the fruitlets of each locule were analysed for colour (L*, a*, b*, C*, and h), firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, ascorbic acid (AA), total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). Results show that L* and a* of pulp colour, firmness, SSC, pH, TA, AA, and FRAP of cryo-frozen durian fruit were affected by a significant interaction between locule position and thawing duration. It implies the postharvest quality of intact cryo-frozen durian fruitlet distinct from each other due to their locule position and thawing duration.

Evaluation of the Fruit Quality and Phytochemical Compounds in Peach and Nectarine Cultivars.

Qualitative traits and chemical properties of 32 peach cultivars (yellow flesh and white flesh fruits) and 52 nectarine cultivars (yellow flesh and white flesh fruits) of different pomological characteristics is performed, and the correlation between cultivars and chemical characteristics is analyzed. Yellow nectarines have a higher variability in soluble solids concentration (SSC) and titratable acidity (TA) values. Evaluation of color parameters (a*, b*, L*) shows a significant interaction between pulp color (white vs. yellow) and types (peaches vs. nectarines) of fruit. The difference between yellow and white fruits is stronger in nectarines than in peaches. Sucrose is the main sugar detected in peach fruits, with a percentage content of 78.37% and 76.70% of the total sugar content in yellow and white peaches, respectively, and 78.29% and 78.12% in yellow and white nectarines, respectively. Variability is found among cultivars for the chemical compounds analyzed. The yellow flesh has higher amounts of total carotenoids and TPC, while white-flesh fruits present an average antioxidant value higher than yellow-flesh fruits. No significant correlation is found for polyphenol content and DPPH, while an interaction (p < 0.005) between neochlorogenic acid content and peaches and nectarines is evidenced, with a neochlorogenic acid content higher in nectarines than in peaches.

Abstract 4243: Dietary flavonoids prevent colon tumor formation in ApcMin/+ mice in a microbiome- and sex-dependent manner

Abstract Background: A diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is effective for the prevention of various inflammation-induced cancer types. Mechanistically, this effect has been attributed to the potent antioxidant properties of flavonoid molecules. However, contrary to observations in mice, the success of flavonoids in human dietary cancer prevention trials is often dampened due to large interpersonal variation. Antioxidant activity alone does not explain this variability, suggesting there is an additional important variable that has not been accounted for. Since flavonoids have a poor bioavailability and predominantly passage into the large intestine, we hypothesize that gut microbial metabolism is essential for flavonoid bioactivity in colon cancer prevention. Goals and Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of microbiota composition on the efficacy of dietary flavonoids in preventing intestinal tumorigenesis. Methods: We used the adenomatous polyposis coli - multiple intestinal neoplasia (ApcMin/+) mouse model, which is genetically predisposed to develop adenomas along its gastrointestinal tract. Development of these adenomas and eventual adenocarcinoma formation is further influenced by factors such as inflammation, dietary input and the gut microbiota. Animals were fed a control high fat diet (HFD) or prevention diets consisting of 1% berry extract, 1% purified flavonoid or 1% microbial catabolite, all on the HFD background. The contribution of the microbiota was modelled by including experimental groups that received an antibiotic cocktail in their drinking water throughout the course of the experiment. For these animals, microbiota community composition was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing, plasma was collected for histological profiling and metabolomics analysis and end-point measurements of intestinal tumor numbers and size were performed. Results: Supplementation with berry extract significantly reduced colon tumor numbers and incidence in male, but not in female mice. This effect was negated in mice on antibiotic drinking water, implicating the involvement of the gut microbiota. Community analysis revealed a relative increase in Erysipelotrichaceae, Clostridia and Akkermansia in the berry supplemented versus HFD control mice. In addition, their systemic monocyte counts were reduced. Dietary supplementation with a major gut microbial flavonoid catabolite, did not reduce colon tumor formation, suggesting the functional involvement of different microbial metabolites. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the involvement of the mouse gut microbiota in dietary prevention of colon tumor formation. These effects impact circulating monocytes and are linked to changes in the plasma metabolome. We are currently elucidating the microbial actors and associated molecular pathways involved. Citation Format: Beckey DeLucia, Jan Claesen. Dietary flavonoids prevent colon tumor formation in ApcMin/+ mice in a microbiome- and sex-dependent manner. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4243.

Application of Non-thermal Plasma-Activated Liquid for Delay Browning in an Apple Slice

The color of fresh-cut fruits is indicated by the appearance and quality of their products. A sliced apple is a highly putrefying fruit that is sensible to react with oxygen gas, which causes the color, taste, smell, and nutritional value to change during storage in ambient air. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) is one of the most crucial applications for food preservation. This study was divided into two parts. First, the emission intensities of the plasma spectrum and electrical properties were investigated. Then, the colorimetric was used to investigate plasma-treated effects on different liquids (tap water, deionized water, and saline water) to delay color changes of fresh-cut apples. The I-V characteristic curve was used to obtain an optimal power of 8.5 kHz-AC pulse-driven NTAPPJ with argon gas. Additionally, the parameter a*, L*, b*, ΔE, h*, YI, Chroma, and browning index (BI) using the colorimeter method were examined. We then demonstrated that using the Ar-NTAPPJ can be considered a novel approach to increasing fresh-cut apple’ toleration and shelf life. Furthermore, plasma exposure is one of the nondestructive processes that does not have any side effects on the products and can significantly delay degradation and discoloration. Keywords: Plasma jet, Shelf life, Colorimeter, Browning index

Fingerprinting of Plum (Prunus domestica) Genotypes in Lithuania Using SSR Markers.

This study's aim was to evaluate the genetic diversity of European plum (Prunus domestica) cultivars and hybrids in Lithuania using SSR markers. In total, 107 plum genotypes (including 68 European plum cultivars and 39 hybrids) from the genetic resources collection of the Institute of Horticulture of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LRCAF IH) were evaluated using nine microsatellite markers (SSRs) previously published and suggested by the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR). Up to six alleles per locus with each primer pair were generated for some genotypes due to the hexaploidy of plums. The number of alleles in each primer ranged from 18 to 30, with an average of 24.33. The highest number of alleles was generated with the PacA33 primer pair (30). The most informative primer, according to the PIC value, was BPPCT007. Sixty-two unique alleles (representing 39.5% of all polymorphic alleles) have been detected in the plum germplasm developed in Lithuania. According to UPGMA cluster analysis, 58 European plum genotypes were separated into eight groups without any relation to fruit color or shape. By genetic diversity (UPGMA) and structure (Bayesian) analysis, European plum hybrids were grouped into clusters according to their pedigree.

Phenology of Some Selected Flowering Plants of Dhaka University Campus in Relation to Climatic Variables

This study dealt with the phenological activities like leaf flushing, leaf maturation, leaf fall, flower bud formation, flower bud maturation, flower fall, fruit initiation, fruit color changing and fruit ripening for some plants of Curzon Hall Campus, University of Dhaka in 2019 and 2020. The seasonal cycle of plants however is influenced to the greatest extent by temperature, humidity and the concentration of CO2. Forty individuals were studied from 20 species. These 20 species belong to twelve families. Among these 20 species, 5 species are evergreen and 15 species are deciduous, and 7 species are short trees and 13 species are trees. Variation in some individual plants were observed which belong to the same species and they are close to each other, e.g. in different individuals of Couroupita guianensis Aubl., Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm. leafing, flowering, fruiting times were different. Some plants shed their leaves in frequent season. The temperature, humidity and concentration of CO2 beside trees were also recorded. Temperature was highest in the month of July and lowest in the month of December. Humidity was also highest in the month of July but lowest in the month of February. The concentration of CO2 was highest in the month of August and lowest in the month of January. The temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration varied from 20.1 - 41.8℃, 37.0 - 88.0%, 435.0 - 713.0 ppm, respectively. From the study, it was found that temperature, humidity and concentration of CO2 are important factors for phenological changes. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(1): 141-148, 2023 (March)

Effects of xanthan gum and calcium ascorbate treatments on color and nutritional quality of fresh cut pear fruit

Effects of xanthan gum and calcium ascorbate treatments on color and nutritional quality of fresh cut pear fruit

Melatonin Treatment of Strawberry Fruit during Storage Extends Its Post-Harvest Quality and Reduces Infection Caused by Botrytis cinerea

Gray mold is a main disease of strawberry fruit (Fragaria × xananassa cv. Camino Real) caused by Botrytis cinerea, which leads to marketable value losses in the supply chain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin (MT) on the physicochemical quality, antioxidant defense system, and disease resistance of strawberry fruit to B. cinerea infection. The results revealed that strawberry fruit immersed in 100 µM MT for 15 min effectively maintained its brightness and delayed the change in fruit color. MT also maintained the level of titratable acidity and slowed down the increase of total soluble solids in strawberry fruit. Moreover, strawberries immersed in MT maintained a fresh weight and fruit firmness, as well as reduced B. cinerea infection when compared to the untreated control fruit and fruit treated with 5% NaOCl. In addition, MT increased the accumulation of DPPH scavenging capacity and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and APX) with the exception of CAT. The same effect was also observed in strawberry fruit after immersion in MT and followed by B. cinerea inoculation. These findings demonstrated that exogenous MT could effectively maintain the postharvest quality of strawberries, even when the fruit was inoculated with B. cinerea.

Identification of CaPs locus involving in purple stripe formation on unripe fruit, reveals allelic variation and alternative splicing of R2R3-MYB transcription factor in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

The purple color of unripe pepper fruit is attributed to the accumulation of anthocyanins. Only a few genes controlling the biosynthesis and regulation of anthocyanins have been cloned in Capsicum. In this study, we performed a bulked segregant analysis of the purple striped trait using an F2 population derived from a cross between the immature purple striped fruit line Chen12-4-1-1-1-1 and the normal green fruit line Zhongxian101-M-F9. We mapped the CaPs locus to an 841.39 kb region between markers M-CA690-Xba and MCA710-03 on chromosome 10. CA10g11690 encodes an R2R3-MYB transcription factor that is involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins as the best candidate gene. Overexpression and silencing in transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) lines indicated that CA10g11690 is involved in the formation of purple stripes in the exocarp. A comparison of parental sequences identified an insertion fragment of 1,926 bp in the second intron region of Chen12-4, and eight SNPs were detected between the two parents. Additionally, there were 49 single nucleotide polymorphic variations, two sequence deletions, and four sequence insertions in the promoter region. We found that CA10g11690 undergoes alternative splicing and generates different transcripts. Thus, the functional transcript of CA10g11690 appeared to be primarily involved in the development of purple phenotype in the exocarp. Our data provide new insight into the mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis and a theoretical basis for the future breeding of purple striped pepper varieties.

Transcriptome analysis reveals association of carotenoid metabolism pathway with fruit color in melon

Flesh color is an important quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) and is determined mainly by carotenoid content, awarding them with colors, aromas, and nutrients. enhancing the nutritional and health benefits of fruits and vegetables for humans. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analysis of two melon inbred line “B-14” (orange-flesh) and “B-6” (white-flesh) at three developmental stages. We observed that the β-carotene content of inbred line “B-6” (14.232 μg/g) was significantly lower than that of inbred line “B-14” (0.534 μg/g). RNA-sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two inbred lines at different stages; the DEGs were analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases (KEGG). We identified 33 structural DEGs in different developmental periods of the two lines that were related to carotenoid metabolism. Among them, PSY, Z-ISO, ZDS, CRTISO, CCD4, VDE1, and NCED2 were highly correlated with carotenoid content. Thus, this study provides a basis for molecular mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis and flesh color in melon fruit.

Crop load, fruit russeting, vegetative growth traits and leaf nutrient effects as a function of customized foliar nutritive fluids in Gale Gala apple (Malus × domestica) in dry temperate environment

The study exploited the clonal rootstocks for bio-efficacy testing of water soluble customized nutrient (WSCN), viz. K2O:S:Mg:Ca:Zn:B (6:11:5:0.3:0.3:0.4, w/w) on agronomic performance, fruit yield and quality characteristics on Gale Gala apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) grafted onto EMLA.111 and EMLA.7 clonal rootstocks in dry temperate climatic conditions of north-west Himalaya. The trial procedure included tree fertilization of four levels of NPK soil fertilizers (100, 80, 60 and 40% of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF-NPK, 70:35:70, one-year-old tree basis) were supplemented along with WSCN foliar formulation. Application of 60% RDF+75g WSCN+25g urea at 15 DAPF followed by 75g WSCN at 30 and 45 DAPF improved growth traits, fruit coloration, fruit yield and quality attributes. All applied concentrations of WSCN reduced russeting in Gale Gala apple significantly. The effects of the integrated fertilizers schedules with WSCN on russet control were also evaluated. EMLA.111 was the most suitable clonal rootstock, where, the rate of russeting on fruits was less compared to EMLA.7 irrespective of the WSCN treatments tested. The phenological observations in relation to the initiation of the flowering lasting for 19 days were also recorded. The pest management programme was adopted to manage the apple pest complex. Between the different schedules with foliar WSCN, the differences were also recorded in amount of russeting on EMLA.111/ EMLA.7 rootstocks compared to control. The schedules with foliar WSCN on a wet canopy noticed less russetted fruits. The study also identified the relationship between yield and productivity traits using path coefficient analysis to know the direct and indirect effects of independent variables on managerial ability of the crop. Principle component analysis (PCA) of fruit quality traits was also worked out for differences among WSCN formulations tested which accounted 100% of the cumulative variance.