Stages Of Fruit Ripening Research Articles

Diversity in Pyracantha fortuneana fruits maturity stages enables discrepancy in the phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity.

Pyracantha fortuneana (P. fortuneana) fruit is a wild fruit that is popular because of its delicious taste and numerous nutrients, and phenolic compounds are considered to be the main bioactive components in P. fortuneana fruits. However, the relationship between phenolic compounds and their antioxidant and tyrosinase (TYR) inhibitory activities during the ripening process is still unclear. The study compared the influence of the five developmental stages on the accumulation of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and TYR inhibitory activity in the fruits of P. fortuneana. The compounds were identified by offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (2D-LC-ECD) combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the main active ingredients were quantified. The results showed that stage II had higher total phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as higher antioxidant and TYR inhibitory activity, but the total anthocyanin content was lowest at this stage. A total of 30 compounds were identified by 2D-LC-ECD. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis screened out six major potential markers, including phenolic acids, procyanidins, and flavonoids. In addition, it was found that caffeoylquinic acids, procyanidins, and flavonoids were higher in stage II than in stages I, III, IV, and V, whereas anthocyanins accumulated gradually from stages III to V. Therefore, this study suggests that the changes in antioxidant and TYR inhibitory activities of P. fortuneana during the five developmental stages may be due to the transformation of procyanidins, caffeoylquinic acids, and phenolic glycosides into other forms during the fruit maturation process. Practical Application: Differences in chemical constituents, antioxidant, and tyrosinase inhibitory activities in fruit maturity stages of P. fortuneana were elucidated to provide reference for rational harvesting and utilization of the fruits and their bioactive components. These findings are expected to provide a comprehensive assessment of the bioactive profile and guide the food industrial production.

The effect of fruit maturation stage on seed germination of iaa9-3 and iaa9-5 tomato mutants

The effect of fruit maturation stage on seed germination of iaa9-3 and iaa9-5 tomato mutants

Optimizing deficit drip irrigation to improve yield,quality, and water productivity of apple in Loess Plateau of China

ContextDeficit drip irrigation is an advanced agricultural technology widely promoted and applied around the world to maintain/increase yield and quality while simultaneously minimizing water consumption. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive research on the effects of deficit drip irrigation at different stages on apple yield, water productivity, and quality. ObjectiveThe aim was to investigate the effects of deficit drip irrigation treatments (DDITs) on apple yield, quality, and water productivity (WP), and optimize the deficit drip irrigation strategy for apples in the Loess Plateau of China. Methodsa two-year field experiment was conducted with 17 irrigation treatments, including a control treatment (CK, full irrigation (FI)) and four DDITs (D15%, D30%, D45%, D60%) during the bud burst to leafing stage (I), flowering to fruit set stage (II), fruit expansion stage (III), and fruit maturation stage (IV). The optimal irrigation management was determined using the fuzzy Borda combined model, which was based on four different single evaluation models of the TOPSIS method, principal component analysis (PCA), grey correlation analysis (GCA), and membership function analysis (MFA). ResultsThe DDITs at stage IV decreased midday leaf water potential (Ψs) by 2.57–20.00% compared with CK, and the difference of Ψs between IV-D30%, IV-D45%, IV-D60%, and CK were significant in two years (P<0.05). DDITs at stages I, II, and IV improved fruit weight (FW), fruit shape index (FSI), and fruit firmness (FN), but did not significantly affect fruit water content (FWC). The DDITs at stages III and IV significantly enhanced total soluble solids (TSS), soluble sugars (SS), and vitamin C (Vc) in 2021 and 2022, but a notable decrease in titratable acidity (TA) was observed. ConclusionsDDITs at stage IV exhibited the highest comprehensive benefit of apple, followed by DDITs at stages I and II, and DDITs at stage III had the lowest values. The DDITs of D15%, D30%, CK, and D15% at stages I, II, III, and IV were identified as the optimal irrigation strategy to improve apple yield, quality, and WP. ImplicationsOur findings can guide the development of appropriate irrigation strategies for apple cultivation in Loess Plateau of China, promoting efficient and sustainable apple production.

Water deficit drip irrigation promotes citrus sugar accumulation during the late growth stages

Water deficit drip irrigation (WDDI) in citrus orchards was found has a positive effect on fruit quality, particularly enhancing the soluble sugar content during the late period of fruit growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, four deficit irrigation levels of D-60%, D-45%, D-30%, and D-15% were set at fruit expansion stage (stage III) and maturation stage (stage IV), respectively, and a fully irrigated treatment was set as the control (CK). Combined analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics was used to reveal the molecular mechanism of sugar accumulation changes under different water deficit (WD) treatments. The results showed that sugar metabolism was growth stage dependent: stage III is a key period of sucrose metabolism and synthesis, while for stage IV, the accumulation of glucose and fructose increased significantly. Importantly, III-D15% and IV-D30% treatments were identified as optimal strategies for enhancing sugar content of citrus fruits. WDDI during the late growth stages up-regulated the expression of sugar metabolism-related differential expression genes (DEGs), consequently increasing the content of sugar-related differential expression metabolites (DEMs), and ultimately enhancing sugar accumulation in citrus fruits. For III-D15% treatment, DEMs related to sugar metabolism were mainly enriched in ‘carbon metabolism’, with significant increases in Sucrose, ɑ-D-Glucose-6 P and ß-D-Fructose-6 P content observed. SPS showed significant up-regulation, wihle BGLU, GN, TPS11, TPPF and TPPJ were down-regulated. For IV-D30% treatment, most DEMs were significantly enriched in ‘Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis’. Key DEMs (Sucrose, D-Glucose-6 P, ß-D-Fructose-6 P) and DEGs (SUS, SPS, BGLU, HXK) involved in the metabolism and synthesis of sucrose, fructose and glucose were significantly increased. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of sugar accumulation in citrus fruit under appropriate WDDI, providing valuable guidance for high-quality fruit production.

Unravelling the impact of plant ontogenic factors on the content and phytotoxic potential of Cistus ladanifer L. (rockrose) essential oils

In recent years, research has focused on the development of next-generation herbicides based on allelochemicals, with a particular emphasis on plant essential oils, such as Cistus ladanifer L. (rockrose) essential oil. This study has evaluated how plant ontogenic factors influence the yield, chemical composition, and phytotoxic activity of C. ladanifer essential oil. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results revealed that the content of essential oil varied significantly, with higher yields observed during the fruit maturation stage compared to the flowering stage. C. ladanifer essential oils were characterized by their richness in terpene-oxygenated compounds. The most significant finding was that C. ladanifer essential oil displayed potent dose-dependent phytotoxic activity on Raphanus sativus (radish) seedlings, indicating their potential use as a natural bioherbicide in agriculture. Notably, essential oil samples from the fruit maturation stage, which contained higher levels of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes (both hydrocarbons and oxygenated forms), exhibited greater phytotoxic activity on seed germination and early growth compared to the samples from the flowering stage, which were richer in diterpenes and the group labelled ``others''. Multivariate analyses (PCA and Heatmaps combined with cluster analysis) revealed concordance between modifications in secondary metabolism biosynthetic pathways and their enzymes implicated as responses to diverse plant-specific ecological functions. Finally, by exploring sustainable natural products like plant essential oils, this research contributes to the development of next-generation herbicides that promote crop protection while reducing environmental impact.

Changes in mango postharvest quality due to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium dose and production season

This study analysed the impact of two production seasons (PS): off-season (OS) and main-season (MS); plus, three fertilization doses (FD): proposed (PR), regional (RE) and no fertilization (NF); and the PSxFD interaction, on the quality of ‘Ataulfo’ mango produced in a commercial orchard. A completely randomized factorial design with four replications was used. The experimental unit was a 12-year-old mango tree. The variables evaluated at physiological maturity and ripe stage were firmness, color, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), TSS/TA ratio, total sugars (TS), reducing sugars (RS), β-carotene, total phenols, vitamin C and weight loss (5, 10 and 15 days) only at the stage of maturity of consumption. PS and FD differentially affected (according to fruit maturity stage) the physicochemical and nutraceutical quality. A similar behavior was observed for the PSxFD interaction. The outstanding results were, at physiological maturity, the PR dose elevated TSS, phenols and TSS/TA ratio; in PS, OS increased Hue, TA, TSS and phenols. At maturity of consumption, the RE dose increased TSS, TSS/TA ratio, phenols, β-carotene and RS; at PS, OS increased TS, luminosity, TSS/TA ratio, β-carotene and vitamin C. The best fruit quality is achieved with the MS:PR combination at physiological maturity and OS:RE at ripening stage. Depending on the degree of maturity of the fruits, this study showed how the fertilization dose, the production seasons, and their interaction modify the physicochemical and nutraceutical quality of mango fruits.

A Comprehensive Assessment of the Morphological Development of Inflorescence, Yield Potential, and Growth Attributes of Summer-Grown, Greenhouse Cherry Tomatoes

Understanding how cherry tomatoes respond to variations in greenhouse microclimate is crucial for optimizing tomato production in a controlled environment. The present study delves into the intricate relationship between summer-grown cherry tomatoes (Cheramy F1) and greenhouse conditions, exploring the influence of these conditions on growth attributes, inflorescence development, and yield potential. The aim of the study was to characterize the chronology of reproductive events, specifically flowering and fruit stages, in correlation with the prevailing greenhouse climate during the development of the first ten inflorescences on the plant. The performance of each inflorescence has been ranked based on available data, which involve a comparative analysis of both the time duration (number of days) and the frequency of yield-contributing traits, specifically the total number of flowers at the anthesis stage. The duration of each stage required for completion was recorded and presented as a productivity rate factor. Greenhouse conditions exhibited variations during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, as follows: temperature - 25.1 °C and 21.33 °C, CO2 levels - 484.85 ppm and 458.85 ppm, light intensity - 367.94 W/m2 and 349.52 W/m2, and humidity - 73.23% and 89.73%. The collected data conclusively demonstrated a substantial impact of greenhouse microclimate on plant growth, productivity, and inflorescence development. The development of flowers and fruit has been categorized into five stages: the fruit bud stage (FB), the anthesis stage (AS), the fruit setting stage (FS), the fruit maturation stage (FM), and the fruit ripening stage (FR). An irregular productivity and development response was noted across the first (close to roots) to the tenth inflorescence. Inflorescence 5 demonstrated the highest overall performance, followed by inflorescence numbers 4 and 6. The study findings provide valuable insights for enhancing greenhouse operations, emphasizing the improvement of both the yield and growth of cherry tomatoes while promoting environmental sustainability. A statistical analysis of variance was used to rigorously examine the presented results, conducted at a confidence level of p &lt; 0.05.

Exogenous Melatonin Enhances Moisture Stress Tolerance in Mango (Mangifera indica L.) through Alleviating Oxidative Damages.

In subtropical regions, April to June represents a temporary moisture stress for mango trees, leading to huge economic loss. Although water is available in the deep root zone, the upper soil surface, which has fibrous roots, is dry, and the tree transpiration rate is high. Moisture stress causes an increased oxidation state, which is detrimental to fruit growth and development. Finding substitutes for moisture stress management is important for sustainable mango production. To manage this moisture stress in mango, we tested if foliar application of 20, 50, 100 and 150 μM melatonin helped to maintain a reduced oxidation state in the cells. Applications were made at three phenological stages of fruit development (marble, egg and mature fruit stages) in 16-year-old trees and the same plants for each treatment were followed over three years. Melatonin application indeed improved the fruit yield of mango. Moisture stress decreased yield by 55.94% compared to irrigated trees but only by 7.5% in melatonin treatment. Also, more 'A' grade fruits were harvested in irrigated and melatonin-treated conditions than in non-irrigated and non-treated conditions. Indeed, the total chlorophyll content in the leaves of moisture-stressed melatonin-treated trees (12.58 mg.g-1 fresh weight) was well above non-treated trees (6.77 mg.g-1) and similar to irrigated trees (12.50 mg.g-1). A dose-dependent increase in the chlorophyll content of melatonin-treated plants was found. Similarly, the activities of catalase, peroxidase, superoxidase dismutase enzymes in leaves of irrigated and melatonin-treated trees were lower than in non-irrigated condition, and superoxide free radial formation was lower in moisture-stressed melatonin-treated trees (0.77 nmol H2O2.mg-1 protein) and irrigated trees (0.65) than moisture-stressed non-treated trees (4.27). Significant variations was found in antioxidants (total, reduced and oxidized glutathione and ascorbate) content and antioxidant enzymes' activities (i.e., glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase) in irrigated, melatonin-treated and non-irrigated conditions. Overall, 150 μM exogenous melatonin applied three times at different fruit development stages may be a sustainable and useful approach to manage transient moisture stress in mango trees thanks to its positive action on the antioxidant system.

Evaluation of Fine Root Morphology and Rhizosphere Environmental Characteristics of the Dioecious Idesia polycarpa Maxim

To explore the differences in the fine root characteristics and rhizosphere environment of male and female Idesia polycarpa Maxim at different stages, 7-year-old male and female I. polycarpa were used as plant materials. The fine root characteristics were measured with a root scanner, and rhizosphere soil was collected at the flowering stage (May), fruit accumulation stage (July), and fruit maturity stage (October). In addition, this study analyzed the soil nutrient characteristics of these conditions at different stages. At the same time, Illumine high-throughput sequencing technology and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS) technology were used to analyze the rhizosphere microbes and metabolites of male and female plants at different stages. The results showed that the total root length, surface area, total volume, root tip number, and total average diameter of the fine root of female plants were larger than those of male plants, and the difference reached its maximum in the fruit material accumulation stage. Total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in the rhizosphere soil of male and female plants significantly differed over multiple stages, while available soil nitrogen and potassium content significantly differed during fruit ripening. The rhizosphere microbial composition of male and female plants was similar, and the dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere soil of each stage were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Ascomycota, and Mortierellomycota. The relative abundance of Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Volutella, and Neocosmospora in rhizosphere soil at different stages differed between male and female plants. Combined with the OPLS-DA model and database retrieval, 29 significantly different metabolites, most of which were carbohydrates, were detected in the rhizosphere soil of male and female plants. Moreover, there were more significant metabolites in the rhizosphere soil at the flowering stage than in the fruit ripening stage. Through RDA analysis, available potassium (AK), Pedomicrobium, Chaetomium, and Glucose 1 had the greatest influence on fine root traits of I. polycarpa. The results indicated that the fine root traits were negatively correlated with AK and rhizosphere metabolites. Moreover, positive correlations were found with rhizosphere microorganism traits. The above results laid a foundation for the field management of I. polycarpa and the screening and application of rhizosphere growth-promoting bacteria resources.

Imidacloprid triggered changes in strawberry fruits on edible quality and phenolic profiles by applied at two growth stages

Increasing evidence showed that imidacloprid affects plants’ abiotic or biotic stress tolerance. However, the effects of imidacloprid on the quality of fruits remain elusive. This work aimed to study the effects of imidacloprid applied at different growth stages on the edible quality and phenolic profile of strawberry fruit in the field experiment. For the first time, lower fruit quality was observed in the mature strawberry fruits after imidacloprid treatment at the fruit-bearing completion stage (five days after pollination). Compared to the control group, the mature strawberry fruit wights and the SCC/TA ratio declined about 18.2–30.0 % and 10.3–16.8 %, respectively. However, those attributes did not occur in the mature strawberry fruits by imidacloprid treatment at the fruit maturation stage (30 days after pollination). Among the 30 phenolic compounds, nine presented significant up-regulation or down-regulation after imidacloprid application at two different growth stages, suggesting that the application period played an essential role in evaluating the effects of imidacloprid on the quality of fruits. A significant effect on fruit quality was presented at the strawberry early growth stage treated by imidacloprid. This study provided a new insight into how and when imidacloprid affects the quality of strawberry fruits, contributing to the future’s more scientific application of imidacloprid on strawberries.

Differences in primary metabolism related to quality of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruit under open field and protected soilless culture growing conditions.

The raspberry (Rubus idaeus) fruit is characterized by good taste and high acceptability by consumers. Thus, the impact on the quality attributes and metabolites related to raspberry taste should be evaluated in crop alternatives such as the protected soilless culture. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic changes during fruit development and postharvest of raspberry grown in open field and protected soilless culture and their relationship with quality parameters and sensory perception. In this study, the quality parameters and polar metabolites -sugar and amino acids- content were evaluated during raspberry ripening. In addition, ripe fruit was stored at 1 °C for five days, followed by one day of shelf life at 20 °C. The physiological and quality parameters showed typical changes during ripening in both growing conditions: a constant production of CO2, a drastic loss of firmness, an increase in weight and soluble solids content, loss of acidity, and a turning to red color from the green to fully ripe fruit stages in both growing conditions. Fruit from the protected soilless culture had significantly higher weight but a lower soluble solids content. The metabolic analysis showed differences in primary metabolites content during ripening and storage at 1 °C between both growing conditions. The raspberries grown in the open field showed higher contents of sugars such as D-glucose and D-fructose. On the contrary, the fruit from the protected soilless culture showed higher contents of some amino acids such as L-alanine, L-serine and L-valine, among others. The sensorial panel showed significant differences in the perception of the sweetness, acidity, color and firmness of ripe fruit from both growing conditions. The present study provides interesting and useful results with direct commercial application for this alternative growing system, mainly in areas where soil and water scarcity are a reality.

Physical and physiological aspects in cocoa seeds influenced by fruit maturity stage

The determination of the harvest time is one of the crucial aspects to consider for obtaining high-quality seeds, which can be established based on the fruit maturity stage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of seeds from cocoa clones based on the fruit maturity stage, aiming to determine the ideal harvest time. The experimental design used was completely randomized in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, with four maturity stages based on the visual coloration of the fruit exocarp (green, semi-green, semi-ripe, and ripe) and four clones (SJ02, CEPEC 2006, PH16, and CCN51). After extraction from the fruits, the seeds underwent analysis, including assessment of physical aspects (length, width, water content, and dry matter) and physiological aspects (germination, germination speed index, seedling emergence, and electrical conductivity). The biometric results showed low influence of the maturity stages, not being sufficient to define the ideal harvest stage. The ripe stage (yellow-orange exocarp) for the studied clones enabled obtaining cocoa seeds with higher quality, generally indicating it as the ideal harvest time.

Effects of gibberellic acid concentration and fruit maturation stage on seed germination and vigor of pitahaya seedlings.

With increased interest in cultivation, the study of white-fleshed pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus (Haw.) D.R. Hunt, Cactaceae family) seedling production is of fundamental importance in the search for novel techniques to increase cultivation and guarantee homogeneous and productive orchards. The present study investigated the influence of various gibberellic acid (GA3) concentrations and fruit maturation stages on seed germination and vigor of white-fleshed pitahaya seedlings, considering the physiological quality of seedlings produced to support genetic breeding and conservation programs of the species. White-fleshed pitahaya seeds at two maturation stages (physiologically ripe and maintained at 10 °C in Biochemical Oxygen Demand incubators for three months) were treated with varying GA3 concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 500 mg/L. We observed the influence of fruit storage on seedling germination, emergence, and growth as a function of GA3 concentration. According to the results, seeds extracted from ripe white-fleshed pitahaya fruits grown under the conditions tested here required GA3 application to increase seedling emergence and vigor, with optimal doses in the 150-300-mg/L range. In the case of pitahaya fruits intended for storage for future seed removal and maintained under the same sowing conditions, the application of higher doses of GA3 was necessary when compared to the previous condition, with a minimum dose of 500 mg/L GA3. The present study shows that the maturation stage of white-fleshed pitahaya fruits intended for seed removal influences the quality of seedlings; therefore, the use of seeds extracted from ripe pitahaya fruits without fermentation is more appropriate for the purpose.

Studies on fruit morphometric traits of Myristica dactyloides in relation to stages of fruit maturity

Studies on fruit morphometric traits of Myristica dactyloides in relation to stages of fruit maturity

Quality improvement of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) ‘Optima’ with amino acid-enriched leaf fertilizer

Tomato quality is influenced by fertilization and matutity level. This study aimed to determine the best dosage of amino acid-enriched leaf fertilizer (Amiboost) and to determine the best nutritional content at several ripeness levels of ‘Optima’ tomatoes. Amiboost is an inorganic foliar fertilizer that is rich in amino acids that can be easily absorbed by plants. The experiment used a factorial (RCBD) with 3 repetitions. The ‘Optima’ tomatoes were grown at Wonosobo and fertilized with 4 levels of Amiboost fertilizer consisting of 0, 1, 2, 4 L ha-1 amino acid fertilizer, and 2 L ha-1 comparison fertilizer (standard fertilizer). The research was conducted at the Horticulture Sub-Laboratory, UGM at 27 °C with a relative humidity of 75%. The tomato quality observed was CO2 concentrations, visual quality rating (VQR), fruit weight percentage, fruit hardness, fruit color, total soluble solids, total titrated acid, vitamin C, carotenoids, lycopene, and flavonoids. The observation was terminated when the score of VQR reached 1 as the shelf life of tomatoes. The best dose of amino acid-enriched leaf fertilizer (Amiboost) is 2 L ha-1 for the lightness (*L) of fruit color, ascorbic acid, and lycopene. The maturity stage of fruit significantly affected vitamin C, flavonoids, total soluble solids, carotenoids, and lycopene.&#x0D; Keywords: Aminoalkanoic; shelf life; leaf fertilizer; tomato quality

The Effect of the Increasing Doses of Vermicompost Applications to Soil on Some Nutrient Concentrations in Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaves

This research was conducted on young olive (Olea europaea L.) trees in a private cultivation land located in Bozkoy closed to Geyikli District of Çanakkale Province, Türkiye in the year 2018. The study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of vermicompost [(control) 0, 2, 4, 6 kg tree-1] on macro and micro nutrient elements of olive trees. Randomized complete block design was established applying four doses with 5 replications. Vermicompost was applied to the soil in a depth of 15-20cm under the crown projection area. During the fruit maturity stage, the leaf samples were collected from annual shoot tip leaves. Macro nutrient element concentrations namely nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) stayed inside the limit values upon applications of increasing doses of vermicompost. While the changes were statistically non-significant. Even though, this research was an annual study comprised on a single year, where N was in an increasing trend and 2 kg tree-1 was found to be the most effective dose of vermicompost on N values (17.13 g kg-1). Among the leaf micro nutrient elements, statistically significant increases were obtained by 2 kg tree-1 on copper (Cu) (31.32 mg kg-1), on manganese (Mn) (50.77 mg kg-1), and 6 kg tree-1, on zinc (Zn) (21 mg kg-1); while a decrease was ob-served on iron (Fe) concentration by 6 kg tree-1 (100.88 mg kg-1). Micro nutrient elements remained under the limit of toxic effect upon all the applications. The dose 2 kg tree-1 was determined to be the most suitable one in terms of both macro and micro element concentrations under such trial circumstances.

Dynamic Changes of Phenolic Composition, Antioxidant Capacity, and Gene Expression in 'Snow White' Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) Fruit throughout Development and Ripening.

The newly released 'Snow White' (SW), a white-fleshed loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) cultivar, holds promise for commercial production. However, the specifics of the phenolic composition in white-fleshed loquats, along with the antioxidant substances and their regulatory mechanisms, are not yet fully understood. In this study, we examined the dynamic changes in the phenolic compounds, enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, and gene expression patterns of SW during the key stages of fruit development and ripening. A total of 18 phenolic compounds were identified in SW, with chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, and coniferyl alcohol being the most predominant. SW demonstrated a stronger antioxidant capacity in the early stages of development, largely due to total phenolics and flavonoids. Neochlorogenic acid may be the most significant antioxidant contributor in loquat. A decline in enzyme activities corresponded with fruit softening. Different genes within a multigene family played distinct roles in the synthesis of phenolics. C4H1, 4CL2, 4CL9, HCT, CCoAOMT5, F5H, COMT1, CAD6, and POD42 were implicated in the regulation of neochlorogenic acid synthesis and accumulation. Consequently, these findings enhance our understanding of phenolic metabolism and offer fresh perspectives on the development of germplasm resources for white-fleshed loquats.

Accumulation Patterns of Metabolites Responsible for the Functional Quality of Virgin Olive Oil during Olive Fruit Ontogeny.

The health-promoting antioxidant properties of virgin olive oil (VOO) are today considered priority targets in the new olive breeding programs. Given that these properties depend mainly on its phenolic fraction, whose origin lies in the phenolic compounds present in olive fruit, the objective of this study was to provide further insight into the accumulation dynamics of the main antioxidant compounds, including both polar phenolics and lipophilic tocopherols, during the ontogeny of the olive fruit. Data obtained show that, albeit with significant differences, all the studied genotypes share just after fruit set an intense increase in the synthesis of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol derivatives, by far the main phenolic compounds of the olive fruit, and a subsequent steady decrease along fruit development and ripening. The accumulation dynamics of flavonoids and tocopherols were different from those of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol derivatives, presenting a peak of synthesis just before the onset of fruit ripening, and then in general, their content decreases throughout the ripening phase. In the case of flavonoids, all genotypes also share a strong increase in the accumulation of anthocyanins in the final stages of fruit ripening, coinciding with the change in fruit color. Furthermore, the results during the fruit ripening process evidenced that the content of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol derivatives and tocopherols in the fruit largely determines the content of these groups of compounds in the oil. The information acquired could be useful for the selection of the most suitable moment in the ontogeny of the olive fruit for the search for key genes in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds.

Exploring the function of MaPHO1 in starch degradation and its protein interactions in postharvest banana fruits

Banana is a quintessential fruit known for its starch conversion process. During development, substantial starch accumulates in banana fruit and subsequently undergoes rapid degradation, contributing to flavor development during postharvest ripening. However, the genes orchestrating this crucial starch degradation process have not been comprehensively studied thus far. Through temporal transcriptomic analysis, we screened 63 active genes that were actively expressed in association with starch degradation during the ripening of banana fruits. The results found that phosphorolytic enzymes primarily regulate starch degradation at the early to middle stages of fruit ripening and that hydrolytic enzymes significantly contribute to starch degradation at the later stage. The expression of Musa acuminata starch phosphorylase 1 (MaPHO1) was the highest at the early to middle stages of banana ripening, characterized by the insertion of an L80 domain. While MaPHO1 was predominately found in the chloroplast, MaPHO2 was localized to the cell membrane. Starch accumulation was significantly increased by transient attenuation of MaPHO1 expression, whereas a drastic reduction in starch content was triggered by transient overexpression of MaPHO1, affirming its functional role in banana fruit ripening. By constructing a co-expression network, 29 categories, including 74 proteins interacting with MaPHO1 were identified. Tripartite interactions between MaPHO1 and both glucan, water dikinase 1 (GWD1) and enolase 1 (ENO1) were revealed by further validation through yeast two-hybrid and glutathione-S-transferase pull-down analyses.

Genome-wide identification and a comparative transcriptomics approach reveal FaSAD3 as a strawberry fruit ripening regulator

Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) play a crucial role in plant growth as well as in the regulation of biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their function has not been well understood in the ripening of fruit. In this study, we identified 73 FADs in the octoploid strawberry genome and analyzed their physicochemical characteristics, chromosomal localization, phylogeny, gene structures, covariance, cis-acting elements, and transcript levels during fruit ripening stages. According to the predicted subcellular localization, FADs are mostly located in the plasma membrane, with a lower abundance in the cell wall, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Numerous cis-elements in the FADs promoter are responsive to light, hormones, and stress. Here, combining comparative transcriptomics, we identified a Δ9 stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) desaturase gene (FxaC_8 g24100, namely FaSAD3) that is negatively regulated by both key glycolysis genes, cytoplasmic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (FaGAPC2) and pyruvate kinase (FaPKc2.2). The spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that FaSAD3 is expressed in both vegetative and reproductive organs. Subcellular localization analysis confirmed that FaSAD3 is expressed in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Meanwhile, the transient overexpression of FaSAD3 reduced anthocyanin, sugar, organic acid, total phenol, and flavonoid contents, while increased fruit firmness. Furthermore, the yeast one hybridization and dual-luciferase assay revealed that the ripening regulator FaGAMYB negatively regulates the transcriptional activity of FaSAD3 promoter, promoting strawberry fruit ripening. These findings indicated that FaSAD3 acts as a negative regulator in strawberry fruits ripening, providing a novel model for comprehending the mechanisms involved in strawberry fruit ripening.