Fruit Shrub Research Articles

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Distinct Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Synthesis

Nanoparticles are materials that can be used in a wide range from medicine to industry. In recent years, especially the fruits, flowers, leaves, and roots of plants have come to the fore in nanoparticle synthesis because they are environmentally friendly and economical. Rosa damascena is a plant that is used both in foods such as jams, desserts, and beverages, and in many cosmetic products such as perfumes, creams, and lotions due to its pleasant smell and taste. In addition to its pleasant taste and aroma, valuable bioactive components are among the main uses of these flowers. Berberis crataegina fruit is a wild shrub fruit that can be consumed by humans but is unknown to many. This study aims to examine the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of silver nanoparticles produced from Rosa damascena flowers and Berberis crataegina fruits, both of which are rich in anthocyanins. For this, first of all, the produced silver nanoparticles were evaluated using SEM and SEM EDX. In addition, the size and properties of the nanoparticle were defined by performing XRD and FTIR analyses. In addition, antimicrobial, and antioxidant analyses analyses of these nanoparticles were performed. As a result, two different silver nanoparticles with high antioxidant properties were synthesized from both. However, nanoparticles synthesized from R. damascena flower showed more antimicrobial activity than nanoparticles synthesized from Berberis crataegina fruit.

Quality analysis and metabolomic profiling of the effects of exogenous abscisic acid on rabbiteye blueberry.

Blueberry is a characteristic berry fruit shrub of the genus Vaccinium in the Rhododendron family. The fruit is rich in anthocyanins and has a variety of nutritional and health functions. This study aimed to systematically study the effect of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) application on ripening and metabolites in blueberry fruits. Blueberry fruit ripening was divided into six stages for further analysis. In this study, nontarget metabolomics was performed to demonstrate the effect on metabolite levels. The results showed that 1000 mg/L ABA significantly promoted fruit ripening and increased anthocyanin content. Moreover, exogenous ABA treatment can affect endogenous ABA levels and improve its antioxidant capacity. Important metabolites of the flavonoid pathway were detected, and the results showed that anthocyanin synthesis increased, and some other bioactive metabolite levels decreased. After comprehensive assessments, we believe that 1000 mg/L exogenous ABA application will have positive impacts on blueberry fruit quality and economic benefits.

Effects of walnut/Rosa roxburghii compound planting on growth, fruit yield, quality of Rosa roxburghii and soil properties.

Walnut and Rosa roxburghii are important arbor and shrub fruit trees cultivated in the southwest mountainous area of China. Furthermore, those two species are compound cultivated in this area. In this study, we investigated the growth, yield, fruit quality, photosynthesis, and soil fertility of R. roxburghii in a 7-year typical 'Qianhe 7'/ 'Guinong 5' compound planting pattern in Guizhou. The results showed that compared with the monoculture, photosynthetic pigment content and photosynthetic rate of R. roxburghii leaves were significantly lower in the compound plantation. The growth and yield of R. roxburghii decreased significantly, with a 77.7% reduction of yield. Fruit quality of R. roxburghii was improved. The content of ascorbic acid (Vc), total phenol, carbohydrate, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and other substances increased significantly. Fruit Vc and Mn content increased by 34.1% and 64.1%, respectively. The contents of total N, available N and K in the soil increased by 45.8%, 34.8% and 67.8%, respectively. The abundance of soil microorganisms and functional bacteria increased significantly, with the increase of bacteria and fungi being more than 36.0%. The increase of potassium bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria was 71.3% and 124.8%, respectively. However, the contents of organic matter, carbon-nitrogen ratio, total P, total K, available mineral nutrient (P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) contents decreased. While the activities of soil urease and catalase were increased, the activities of other soil enzymes (sucrase, cellulase, protease, phosphatase) were significantly reduced. In summary, with continuous growth of walnuts in the walnut/R. roxburghii compound plantation, there was obvious shade and soil fertility competition for R. roxburghii, which affected its yield, but had a improvement effect on fruit quality.

Monitoring of Oxythyrea Funesta and Tropinota Hirta Species in Fruit Shrub Plantations in Cluj County

Two species of the family Cetoniidae are commonly found in agricultural ecosystems: Oxythyrea funesta (Poda, 1761) and Tropinota hirta (Poda, 1761). These are polyphagous, attacking annual plants, fruit trees and shrubs but also plants from spontaneous flora. In 2020-2022, the presence of these two pests in the blackberry and black currant plantations was monitored, using Barber traps and blue containers with ecomonal products, (E)-anethole and (E)-cinnamyl alcohol and (±)-lavandulol and 2-phenyletanol. Species have been identified by morphological characters. The studies were carried out in the blackberry collection from USAMV Cluj-Napoca and in the ecological currant plantation in Recea Cristur - Cluj County (Romania). In the variant with (E)-anethole and (E)-cinnamyl alcohol in the three years, 318 individuals were captured, of which 282 of Tropinota hirta Poda (representing 88.7% of the total catches) and 36 individuals of Oxythyrea fatesta Poda. In the variant with (±)-lavandulol and 2-phenyletanol in the three years, 218 individuals were captured of which 139 were Oxythyrea funesta Poda (representing 63.8% of the total catches) and 79 individuals of Tropinota hirta Poda. These ecomonal products may be useful in monitoring and/or control these species. In Barber traps, catches were very low and they are not recommended in monitoring of these species.

The genome of Prunus humilis provides new insights to drought adaption and population diversity.

Prunus humilis (2n = 2x = 16) is a dwarf shrub fruit tree native to China and distributed widely in the cold and arid northern region. In this study, we obtained the whole genome sequences of P. humilis by combining Illumina, PacBio and HiC sequencing technologies. This genome was 254.38 Mb long and encodes 28,301 putative proteins. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. humilis shares the same ancestor with Prunus mume and Prunus armeniaca at ∼ 29.03 Mya. Gene expansion analysis implied that the expansion of WAX-related and LEA genes might be associated with high drought tolerance of P. humilis and LTR maybe one of the driver factors for the drought adaption by increase the copy number of LEAs. Population diversity analysis among 20 P. humilis accessions found that the genetic diversity of P. humilis populations was limited, only 1.40% base pairs were different with each other, and more wild resources need to be collected and utilized in the breeding and improvement. This study provides new insights to the drought adaption and population diversity of P. humilis that could be used as a potential model plant for horticultural research.

Unlocking the impact of drying methods on quality attributes of an unexploited fruit, karonda (Carissa carandas L.): A step towards food and nutritional security

• Karonda ( Carissa carandas L.) is an underutilized fruit shrub and is mostly grown in Indian subcontinent as economic protective hedge around orchards. • Its berry like fruits are highly nutritious. Its daily intake un the diet can remove malnutrition and iron deficiency in the poor and tribal people. • The major concern with karonda fruit is less post-harvest management due to which most of the fruit on harvesting get wasted. • The present study aims in finding the impact of economical drying methods like sun, oven and microwave on the nutritional quality of karonda fruit so that its fruit powder can be utilized in various food items as a natural nutritional supplement. • The results revealed low power (200W) microwave and sun drying as the best processing methods to retain maximum nutritional compounds in karonda powder. • Both drying methods like sun and microwave showed better color retention and anthocyanin content compared to oven dried samples. • The findings of this study will help the consumers in bulk drying of karonda fruits for utilization in various food preparations as a nutritional substituent. It is one of the best way to improve nutritional and food security. Karonda ( Carissa carandas L.) is an underutilized fruit shrub and is mostly grown in Indian subcontinent as economic protective hedge around orchards. Its berry like fruits are edible and are enriched in nutrients. Its intake can be a boon for the people suffering from malnutrition and iron deficiency especially residing in tribal areas who can't afford costly fruits and vegetables. The major concern with karonda fruit is its post-harvest management as most of this fruit get wasted because of the high perishability, limited harvest time, improper processing and storage conditions, thereby reducing its nutritional quality. Drying is considered as a best food processing method for making the fruit available for extended period (s) of time. Therefore, the present study aims in finding the impact of economical drying methods like sun (SD), oven (OD) and microwave (MD) on the nutritional quality of karonda fruit. The nutritional parameters tested were the proximate composition, bioactive compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanin), vitamin C, antioxidant activity and mineral content. The results revealed low power (200W) microwave and sun drying as the best processing methods to retain maximum nutritional compounds in karonda powder. Also, both the drying methods showed better color retention and anthocyanin content compared to oven dried samples. The findings of this study will help the consumers in bulk drying of karonda fruits for utilization in various food preparations as a nutritional substituent.

Roadkills in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

As Malaysia’s economy continues to grow, an ever-expanding road network is being built to support the new developments. Whilst roads increase accessibility to resources and connect human communities, they also bring with them a host of environmental problems such as destruction and fragmentation of habitat, poaching, pollution, and roadkills. Of these, roadkills are the most direct and visible impact of building roads, yet few dedicated studies have been conducted on the extent of roadkills and how to minimize them in Malaysia. In this study, we examined the species richness and abundance of vertebrate roadkills along eight one-km stretches (two in each habitat) of highways in Terengganu and Pahang across four habitat types: rainforest, oil palm plantation, subsistence agricultural land, and village. Each stretch of highway was surveyed by walking it six times between May to October 2017 for the Terengganu segments and May to October 2018 for the Pahang segments. A total of 305 roadkilled animals were recorded, consisting of at least 24 species. Three of these are protected by Malaysian law. The most common roadkilled animals were frogs (102 individuals) followed by birds (70 individuals), mammals (67 individuals) and reptiles (66 individuals). The highest number of roadkills were recorded in roads going through villages (112 individuals), followed by oil palm plantations (81 individuals), forests (65 individuals) and subsistence agricultural land (47 individuals). For every roadkill we also recorded the location’s specific habitat and landscape characteristics such as distance to the nearest fruit tree, tree, shrub, water body, human structure, and overhead cable. Most roadkills were found close to vegetation cover and water bodies. However, we found that roadkills decreased to near zero between 30 and 80 m from the nearest shrub or tree. Roadkills decreased over larger distances from the nearest water body, but in oil palm and village habitats, reducing water bodies within 20–50 m from a road would almost half the number of roadkills. We suggest that making changes to the structure and composition of roadside vegetation and other landscape features, such as thinning vegetation to discourage wildlife from gathering near roads, could significantly reduce the number of roadkills.

Exploring the use of Near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool to predict quality attributes in prickly pear (Rosa roxburghii Tratt) with chemometrics variable strategy

Prickly pear (Rosa roxburghii Tratt) is a regional deciduous shrub fruit that grows in southwestern China. The total flavonoids and vitamin C rich in prickly pear are important criteria for judging the ripening status and quality. In this study, a nondestructive analytical method was developed to predict titratable acid (TA), soluble solids (SS), total flavonoids (TFs) and vitamin C (VC) in prickly pear using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometrics. Different spectral pretreatments and variables selections were involved to optimize the NIRS models. Through comparative investigation, the best performance was finally attained from DBiPLS-CARS with Rp of 0.9685, RPD of 4.388 for TFs, and Rp of 0.9461, RPD of 3.045 for VC, respectively. Prediction of TA and SS were relatively less satisfactory but acceptable. Overall results in this study demonstrated that fast quantitative analysis of the essential quality attributes can be achieved by NIRS modeling approach.

Determinants of blood and saliva lead concentrations in adult gardeners on urban agricultural sites

Soil Pb concentrations at urban agriculture sites (UAS) commonly exceed recommended safe levels. There is a lack of evidence regarding uptake of Pb by gardeners using such sites for food crops. Our study aimed to elucidate whether gardening in soil with raised Pb levels results in Pb body burdens of concern to health, and to assess confounding factors influencing Pb body burden. Our cross-sectional case study measured Pb in saliva and blood of UAS gardeners (n = 43), soil and produce samples from their UAS, and home tap water. Blood and saliva Pb concentrations were compared with those from non-UAS gardener controls (n = 29). A health risk threshold of 5 µg dL−1 blood Pb level (BLL) was selected in keeping with international guidance. Detailed surveys investigated individuals’ anthropometrics and potential Pb exposures from diet, and historic and everyday activities. Saliva was not found to be a suitable biomarker of adult Pb exposure in this context. Predictors of higher BLLs were being older, being male and eating more root vegetables and shrub fruit. Eating more green vegetables predicted a lower BLL, suggesting a protective effect against Pb uptake. UAS gardeners’ BLLs (geometric mean 1.53; range 0.6–4.1 µg dL−1) were not significantly higher (p = 0.39) than the control group (geometric mean 1.43; range 0.7–2.9 µg dL−1). All BLLs were below 5 µg dL−1 except one resulting from occupational exposure. Having paired the UAS gardeners with closely matched controls, we found Pb in UAS soils (with range 62–1300 mg kg−1from common urban sources) unlikely to pose an additional risk to adult health compared to their neighbours who did not access UAS. As such, other Pb sources may be the dominant factor controlling BLL.

Alternative Control of Phragmidium rubi-idaei Infecting Two Rubus Species.

Organic berry plantations have been gaining popularity among farmers during recent years. Even so, farmers experience serious challenges in disease control management, which is a concern in organic farming. Phragmidium rubi-idaei (DC) P. Karst is the pathogen responsible for blackberry and raspberry rust disease, one of the most present and active diseases in plantations. The antifungal certified products found on the organic farming market offer the opportunity for an efficient control strategy over plant pathogens in fruit shrub plantations. In this study, 5 natural based products—namely Altosan, Mimox, Canelys, Zitron, and Zeolite—were tested for their fungistatic effect over P. rubi-idaei. The experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions, performing observations over the impact of organic products, used at different concentration levels, on rust conidia germination. Moreover, field experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the efficiency of different treatments for rust control on raspberry (‘Polka’, ‘Veten’ and ‘Heritage’) and blackberry (‘Thorn Free’, ‘Chester’ and ‘Loch Ness’) varieties. Data analysis based on ANOVA tests showed significant differences between the tested variants and the control sample at p < 0.001. Furthermore, LSD test confirmed differences between all substances tested (p < 0.005). The natural products Canelys (formulated with cinnamon) and Zytron (based on citrus extract) have proven the highest inhibitory capacity for conidia germination during in vitro tests registering values of 80.42% and 78.34%, respectively. The same high inhibitory rates against rust pathogen were kept also in the field tests using the same two natural-based products mentioned earlier. In addition, outcomes from this study demonstrated that Zeolite is not recommended for raspberry or blackberry rust control.

Morphological and genetic polymorphism of the introduced population of Prunus pumilaL. in Chelyabinsk Province

Background.Studying genetic polymorphism of the Prunus pumilaL. representatives with a wide range of variability in morphological characters will make it possible to identify promising genotypes with high combining ability for hybridization.Material and methods.The study covered 39 genotypes from the Chelyabinsk cultivated population and 6 genotypes from Khakassia, with extreme or intermediate expressions of such characters as fruit size, color and shape; stone shape and surface structure; leaf blade serration and shape; plant habitus, and some others. Genetic distances were calculated using the data matrix for binary states of presence (1) or absence (0) of amplified fragments with the Past Program (Gower). The UPGMA dendrograms were obtained in TREECON (version 1.3b).Results and discussion. The selected 5 ISSR and 2 RAPD primers demonstrated their effectiveness in detecting genetic polymorphism in the studied accessions. In individual cases, a weak connection of separate markers with leaf blade edge serration, stone surface structure, plant habitus, and geographic origin of the genotype was detected. Concurrent inclusion of all primers and genotypes in the cluster analysis failed to group the studied P. pumilasamples into clades according to the presence/absence of any traits, which may attest to their close genetic affinity. An independent clade with reliable bootstrap support (100%) was formed only for the genotypes of the taxonomically close sp. P. tomentosaThunb., analyzed as an external group. Moreover, this clade manifested (with the 86% reliability of bootstrap support) differences between the hybrid genotypes of P. pumila× P. tomentosa(F3) and the genotype of P. tomentosa. Parent pairs promising for fruit quality and shrub shape improvement through breeding were identified using the produced indices of genetic distinction.

Phenotypic variation, functional traits repeatability and core collection inference in Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell reveals the Dahomey Gap as a centre of diversity

The miracle plant Synsepalum dulcificum is a multipurpose natural sweetener and a promising West African orphan fruit shrub candidate for genetic improvement. Unfortunately, basic knowledge such as phenotypic variation and inheritance estimates required for implementing a breeding program are still lacking. A set of 203 accessions were sampled in two habitats from seven populations spread across the Dahomey Gap (DG) and the Upper Guinea forest (UG) in West Africa. The phenotypic diversity and allometric relationships among functional traits were analysed; the broad-sense heritability was estimated for fruit-traits, and a mini-core collection was developed in the species. Quantitative variation in tree- and fruit-traits was recorded, and multivariate analyses were performed to assess relationships among accessions, whereas heritability was estimated using the coefficient of repeatability. Tree-traits observed in S. dulcificum were more variable than fruit-traits. While habitat-type only affected tree-traits, the provenance population significantly affected both fruit- and tree-traits, with the UG populations outperforming the DG ones. Significant correlations were observed among fruit-traits on one hand, and among tree-traits on the other hand, whereas poor correlations were observed between tree- and fruit-traits. The multivariate analysis grouped accessions in three clusters. Promising individuals for high fruit mass and pulp-dense genotypes’ selection were identified within clusters. Repeatability estimates for fruit-traits ranged from 0.015 (edible ratio) to 0.88 (fruit mass). The Core Hunter algorithm enabled the extraction of 41 individuals as robust representatives of the initial set of 203 accessions, and the mapping of this core collection suggested Dahomey Gap as a centre of diversity of the species. These original findings offer opportunities, not only for the genetic improvement of S. dulcificum, but also for targeted ex-situ conservation in the species.

Detection of RNA viruses in Solanum quitoense by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) using total and double stranded RNA inputs

Solanum quitoense Lam. is a solanaceous fruit shrub native to South America that produces a tomato-sized fruit popular in the preparation of fresh juice, fermented beverages, nectars, ice cream and fruit concentrates. Unfortunately, this crop is highly susceptible to insects, nematodes, fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and a wide range of viral diseases. With the arrival of High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) methods, our understanding of the viruses affecting this crop has increased at a steady pace. In this work, we investigate the virome of S. quitoense in Antioquia (Colombia) using the Illumina HTS platform and analyze the effect of using ribosomal RNA depleted total RNA and dsRNA templates. Our results suggest that total RNA outputs a larger amount of viral sequences but fails to detect viruses present at lower loads. Both templates allowed detection and assembly of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), Potato yellow vein virus (PYVV), and Potato mop-top virus (PMTV); however, the dsRNA input was more sensitive for detection of Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus S (PVS), and Bell pepper alphaendornavirus (BPEV). These results suggest that the combination of different RNA inputs in HTS studies of plant viromes can give a more complete picture of the real virus diversity.

Response of early-successional Bahamian dry forest habitat to goat grazing and implications for Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) wintering ground management

Limited financial resources coupled with competing social demands may require novel approaches for biodiversity conservation. Within the Bahamas archipelago, subtropical dry forest (“coppice”) provides habitat for many resident and migratory bird species including the U.S. federally endangered Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii). On the islands, this migratory bird relies heavily on fruits of shrubs in early-successional coppice. Evidence indicates shrub species of particular importance in the bird's diet may not be generally widespread, while attempts to actively manage for these plant species could be cost-prohibitive or counterproductive to other conservation concerns. Because these shrubs and Kirtland's warblers have been frequently found on goat farms we investigated whether periodic goat grazing might be a practical tool for maintaining suitable coppice habitat in other semi-natural areas where late-successional coppice is unsupportable (e.g. utility rights-of-way) and whether it promotes increased abundance of important fruiting shrubs. In experiments conducted in young coppice within a pipeline corridor, we found little evidence that grazing would increase abundance of these shrubs, but our grazed coppice plots returned quickly to their pre-grazing state and exhibited few subsequent structural or compositional differences from ungrazed coppice plots. Thus, if appropriately applied and managed, goat grazing may serve as an economically viable tool for biodiversity preservation because (1) suitability as habitat for Kirtland's warblers and many other birds returns quickly after a short-term grazing treatment and (2) periodic, short-term grazing will forestall succession toward a vegetation type less appropriate for these birds or for certain types of human land use.

Индикаторные признаки адаптации субтропических древесных растений на основе комплексных исследований

For the Lower Volga region with difficult soil and climatic conditions, forecasts bear an increase in the length of the growing season, an increase in heat, and a softer winters. This indicates the need for studies of subtropical plants for an objective assessment of the identification of mechanisms for their adaptation and prospects for creating protective forest plantations in sparsely wooded regions. Theoretical and practical interest for the Volgograd region is a valuable fruit, medicinal, forest reclamation and ornamental shrub (unabi) plant Zizyphus jujuba Mill. (family Rhamnaceae). The purpose of the research is to study the ecological and physiological features of subtropical woody plants of Zizyphus jujuba and to identify indicator signs of their adaptation in the Volgograd region. The objects of research were the varietal plants of the unabi (Ta-yang-zao, Southerner - large-fruited, Druzhba, Phenicia - medium-fruited, Sochi, Temryuk - small-fruited). They are tested in the Volgograd region for the first time, obtained from the FSBI (city of Sochi) and are cultivated in FSBI FNTS Agroecology RAS (Volgograd region, Russia). The soils of the experimental plot (50 ° 4´-50 ° 5´N and 45 ° 22´-45 ° 23´E) are characterized by a low humus content (from 0.57 to 1.15%). It was revealed that the study area (Volgograd region) is characterized by a small amount of precipitation, low temperatures in winter, high temperatures in summer, droughts of high and medium intensity. The amplitude of the absolute maxima and minima varies from seventy-eight (dry steppe) to ninety degrees Celsius (semi-desert). It has been established that the agroclimatic resources of natural distribution areas differ from the introduction points of Zizyphus jujuba Mill. to culture. Different levels of morphological variability, as well as water availability, lead to a change in the ability to expend and retain water, to a lack of moisture in the leaves of Z.jujuba. The insignificant effect of drought on the state of the aboveground plant organs during the arid periods was observed in medium-sized and large-fruited varieties. Young, non-lignified shoots are damaged (at an air temperature of about 40 ° C and a decrease in air humidity of up to 10%). A decrease in leaf turgor was observed with water deficit indicators of 28.3-35.8%. Water deficiency decreases by 6-10% with increasing age, which is due to increased adaptation and regulation of water balance. According to the indicators of the relative electrolyte yield, groups were determined according to the degree of drought resistance: low - Southerner, Ta-Yan-Zao (4.23-4.71), medium - Finik, Friendship (3.10-3.61) and high - Temryuk, Sochi (1.64-1.99). Ecological tolerance of various organisms to low temperatures is quite specific. Evaluation of different varieties of Zizyphus jujuba under light-brown soils showed that the adaptation of plants to low temperatures increases with increasing age. In small varieties with an increase in age, the damage is minor. Based on the vegetation experience, the limits of ecological tolerance of small-fruited forms of Zizyphus jujuba to chloride salinity were established, which makes it possible to predict their successful cultivation on soils with a chlorine ion content of 0.1%. Thus, complex ecological and physiological studies of the adaptive capacity of subtropical plants Zizyphus jujuba revealed indicator signs that allow to evaluate and predict the degree of adaptation depending on the variety and the response to stress factors specific to the conditions of the Lower Volga region.

New Information on Distribution and Habitat Preferences of the Leopard Skink, Lacertoides pardalis, across the Ultramafic Surfaces of Southern New Caledonia

New insights into distribution and habitat preferences of the large scincid lizard Lacertoides pardalis at a local scale were made during the course of a translocation study undertaken on the Kwe Range, in the region of the Plaine des Lacs of southern New Caledonia. Information gathered showed it to be distributed widely in elevation across the range where suitable habitat of outcropping rock was present, with a preference for rock habitat located within moderately low but dense maquis shrubland with a ground cover of tall sedges. Association with this particular stunted vegetative structure in part likely reflects the extent to which plant matter, primarily fruits of shrubs, constitutes a substantial component of the species' diet, as confirmed by scat analysis of captured individuals during the study. Lacertoides pardalis is currently recognized as “Vulnerable” under IUCN criteria, a designation assigned by virtue of its extremely limited area of extent and specialized biology. However, we here report a major extension in range, indicating that the species could be more widespread in suitable habitat across the whole of the southern ultramafic region of the island.

&lt;b&gt;The physicochemical properties of fruits and seed germination of &lt;i&gt;Campomanesia aurea&lt;/i&gt; O. Berg

Campomanesia aurea is a potentially ornamental native fruit shrub. There are no studies on the seed germination capacity and fruit properties of the species. Therefore, the main goal of this paper was to describe the seed germination and the physical and chemical properties of fruits from two C. aurea accession areas. The study was conducted with fruits collected from two native vegetation areas located in the Morro do Osso Natural Park and in the municipality of Barao do Triunfo, Brazil. Physical and chemical analyzes, seed counting and germination tests were performed. Results were submitted to ANOVA and the means were compared by t test at 5% error probability. C. aurea has oblong-shaped fruits weighting around 1.26 g with a high content of vitamin C. Each fruit usually has four intact seeds of which 3% are polyembryonic. Seed germination averaged 93% in 20 days. It is concluded that the C. aurea fruits collected from two different accession areas differ in the concentration of TSS, TSS/TA ratio and vitamin C content, but not physically. Seeds have shown a high germination rate.

Effects of Fertilization on Vegetative Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa Elliot)

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa Elliot) is a deciduous fruit shrub from Rosaceae family that does not have a long cultivating tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the effect of variety, quantity and combination of fertilizers on characteristics of vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality of black chokeberry of Nero cultivar, in agro - ecological conditions of the Una – Sana Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The experimental site fertilized with the combination of mineral and organic nitrate fertilizers gave the best results in morphometric characteristics of fruit, yield and vegetative characteristics of growth. Fruits from the control site had the highest values when it comes to the most of the following characteristics: dry matter content, ash, total acidity, vitamin C and total phenolic content. Statistical analyses showed that factors of quantity and the manner of fertilization influence significantly most of examined parameters in this research (P ≤ 0.05).

De novo assembly and functional annotation of Myrciaria dubia fruit transcriptome reveals multiple metabolic pathways for L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis.

BackgroundMyrciaria dubia is an Amazonian fruit shrub that produces numerous bioactive phytochemicals, but is best known by its high L-ascorbic acid (AsA) content in fruits. Pronounced variation in AsA content has been observed both within and among individuals, but the genetic factors responsible for this variation are largely unknown. The goals of this research, therefore, were to assemble, characterize, and annotate the fruit transcriptome of M. dubia in order to reconstruct metabolic pathways and determine if multiple pathways contribute to AsA biosynthesis.ResultsIn total 24,551,882 high-quality sequence reads were de novo assembled into 70,048 unigenes (mean length = 1150 bp, N50 = 1775 bp). Assembled sequences were annotated using BLASTX against public databases such as TAIR, GR-protein, FB, MGI, RGD, ZFIN, SGN, WB, TIGR_CMR, and JCVI-CMR with 75.2 % of unigenes having annotations. Of the three core GO annotation categories, biological processes comprised 53.6 % of the total assigned annotations, whereas cellular components and molecular functions comprised 23.3 and 23.1 %, respectively. Based on the KEGG pathway assignment of the functionally annotated transcripts, five metabolic pathways for AsA biosynthesis were identified: animal-like pathway, myo-inositol pathway, L-gulose pathway, D-mannose/L-galactose pathway, and uronic acid pathway. All transcripts coding enzymes involved in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle were also identified. Finally, we used the assembly to identified 6314 genic microsatellites and 23,481 high quality SNPs.ConclusionsThis study describes the first next-generation sequencing effort and transcriptome annotation of a non-model Amazonian plant that is relevant for AsA production and other bioactive phytochemicals. Genes encoding key enzymes were successfully identified and metabolic pathways involved in biosynthesis of AsA, anthocyanins, and other metabolic pathways have been reconstructed. The identification of these genes and pathways is in agreement with the empirically observed capability of M. dubia to synthesize and accumulate AsA and other important molecules, and adds to our current knowledge of the molecular biology and biochemistry of their production in plants. By providing insights into the mechanisms underpinning these metabolic processes, these results can be used to direct efforts to genetically manipulate this organism in order to enhance the production of these bioactive phytochemicals.The accumulation of AsA precursor and discovery of genes associated with their biosynthesis and metabolism in M. dubia is intriguing and worthy of further investigation. The sequences and pathways produced here present the genetic framework required for further studies. Quantitative transcriptomics in concert with studies of the genome, proteome, and metabolome under conditions that stimulate production and accumulation of AsA and their precursors are needed to provide a more comprehensive view of how these pathways for AsA metabolism are regulated and linked in this species.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2225-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Environmental Effect on the Leaf Morphology and Anatomy of Berberis microphylla G. Forst

Berberis microphylla G. Forst is a fruit shrub native from Patagonia, considered as a non-timber forest product. In recent years, there has been an increased demand for its fruits, both for fresh and industrialized consumption, being the establishment of commercial orchards in different sites a need to meet this demand. B. microphylla cloned plants have been introduced from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego to Buenos Aires province in order to evaluate its phenotypic plasticity and the possibility of fruit production. At the same time, a comparative study on the morphology and anatomy of the mature leaves of B. microphylla grown in two different environmental conditions was carried out. Moreno leaves were significantly larger than Ushuaia leaves in all the morphological parameters registered, while Ushuaia leaves were more circular than Moreno leaves with the highest roundness and elongation indexes. Nevertheless, histological sections showed that Ushuaia leaves have one more layer of palisade cells respect to Moreno leaves. Ushuaia leaves showed higher palisade cells, larger abaxial epidermal cells and thicker cuticles than Moreno leaves. The stomatal density was superior on Moreno leaves. Scanning Electron Microscope of abaxial epidermis showed a surface with numerous ridges of different forms that prevent the layout of epidermal cells on Moreno leaves. Appearance of this surface is glossy and oily. On the contrary, epidermal cells are well recognized on Ushuaia leaves. Stomata of anomocytic type were observed and surface looks waxy. Auto-fluorescence on leaf cross sections were observed on the vascular bundles and partially on the epidermis cells. B. microphylla leaves showed a high phenotypic plasticity between the two sites of cultivation. The changes in the leaf morphology and structure observed in Moreno leaves could indicate that the plants are trying to adjust its morphology to the new culture conditions i.e. higher temperatures and lower irradiance.