Increase In Soluble Sugars Research Articles

Microbial Organic Fertilizer Combined with Magnetically Treated Water Drip Irrigation Promoted the Stability of Desert Soil Aggregates and Improved the Yield and Quality of Jujubes.

In the southern Xinjiang region of China, developing efficient irrigation and fertilization strategies to enhance resource utilization and prevent desertification is of critical importance. This study focuses on jujubes in Xinjiang, China, and involves a three-year field experiment aimed at exploring the optimal application strategy of magnetically treated water combined with microbial organic fertilizer to provide scientific support for high-quality jujube production. The experiment included a control group (using only fresh water, denoted as CK) and combinations of magnetically treated water drip irrigation with varying amounts of microbial organic fertilizer: in 2021, treatments included M0 (only irrigating with magnetically treated water), M6 (0.6 t/ha), M12 (1.2 t/ha), M18 (1.8 t/ha), and M24 (2.4 t/ha); in 2022 and 2023, treatments included M0, M6 (0.6 t/ha), M12 (1.2 t/ha), M24 (2.4 t/ha), and M48 (4.8 t/ha). This study investigated the effects of magnetically treated water drip irrigation combined with microbial organic fertilizer on soil physical properties, hydraulic parameters, enzyme activity, aggregate stability, and jujube yield and quality. The application of microbial organic fertilizer significantly reduced the soil bulk density by 3.07% to 11.04% and increased soil porosity by 1.97% to 14.75%. Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity gradually decreased with the increasing amount of microbial organic fertilizer, with a reduction range of 5.95% to 13.69%, while the water-holding capacity significantly improved (from 0.217 cm3/cm3 to 0.264 cm3/cm3). Additionally, microbial organic fertilizer significantly enhanced the activities of urease, catalase, and sucrase in the soil and significantly increased the proportion of large soil aggregates. Jujube yield increased by 3.66% to 21.38%, and the quality significantly improved, as evidenced by the increase in soluble sugar and flavonoid content. The Gauss model calculation results recommended 3.09 t·hm2 as the optimal amount of microbial organic fertilizer for comprehensively improving jujube yield and quality. These findings indicate that magnetically treated water drip irrigation combined with high amounts of microbial organic fertilizer significantly improved soil physical properties, hydraulic parameters, enzyme activity, aggregate stability, and jujube yield and quality, providing scientific evidence for desert soil improvement and agricultural production.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls induced rice "diabetes" by disturbing the transport and decomposition of soluble sugars

Halogenated flame retardants in farmlands were observed to inhibit the growth of exposed crops. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of inhibition on rice by employing four representative polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The exposure to these contaminants at 200 nM led to a decrease of 0.63–0.95 fold in rice below-ground biomass and 0.49–0.66 fold in yield, and a corresponding 4%–10% increase in soluble sugars in leaves. PBDEs and PCBs were found to significantly disrupt the synthesis, decomposition, and transport of sugars in leaves, the three pivotal determinants of crop growth. Notably, these compounds promoted a 1.41- to 7.60-fold upregulation of the triose phosphate translocator, significantly enhancing soluble sugar synthesis. Conversely, a 0.45–0.97 fold downregulation was observed for sucrose transporters, thus impeding the leaf-to-shoot efflux of soluble sugars. Furthermore, PBDEs and PCBs were favorably bound to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA), inducing its substrate-specific dysfunction in fructose-1,6-diphosphate decomposition (3%–14%). Overall, PBDE and PCB exposure promoted a notable intracellular accumulation of soluble sugars in rice leaves, a typical symptom of plant diabetes, since the intensified synthesis of soluble sugars in leaves and the repressed decomposition and transportation of soluble sugars to other storage organs, thus impeding crop growth. This study provided an insightful understanding of the toxic effects and molecular mechanisms of halogenated flame retardants, highlighting their role in abnormal sugar accumulation and growth inhibition in crops and offering vital information for the risk assessment and administration of these compounds to guarantee the safety of agricultural products.

The Physiological Mechanism of Low-Temperature Tolerance Following the UV-B Radiation of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver with rich active components, such as flavonoids, lignans, polysaccharides, is used as a medicinal plant. Unfortunately, its popularization and cultivation are limited due to its low-temperature sensitivity. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of different doses of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (UV-1, UV-2, and UV-3) and low-temperature (LT) stress, both applied individually and in combination, on the photosynthetic properties, biochemical parameters, and the contents of salicylic acid in E. ulmoides plants. The results showed that UV-B radiation alone significantly reduced photosynthetic performance and soluble total sugar content, as well as causing increases in soluble protein, proline, and superoxide anion content and antioxidant activity including SOD, POD, CAT, total phenol, and total flavonoid content. The leaf thickness and photosynthetic parameters significantly increased, as well as a significant decrease in SOD activity and soluble sugar, proline, and superoxide anion content after 14 days of none-UV-B radiation exposure. UV-B combined with LT significantly improved photosynthetic properties, Chl content, and soluble sugar content but significantly decreased proline content. Principal component analysis showed that salicylic acid was the key factor in improving LT tolerance, and UV-2 radiation showed the best LT resistance. We aim to provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the directional cultivation and LT stress tolerance research of E. ulmoides. Our findings demonstrate that the combined effect was more positively helpful in improving the ability to resist LT tolerance via the improvement of photosynthetic ability and the increase in soluble sugar and salicylic acid content in E. ulmoides.

Creating a zero amylose barley with high soluble sugar content by genome editing.

Amylose biosynthesis is strictly associated with granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) encoded by the Waxy gene. Mutagenesis of single bases in the Waxy gene, which induced by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, caused absence of intact GBSSI protein in grain of the edited line. The amylose and amylopectin contents of waxy mutants were zero and 31.73%, while those in the wild type were 33.50% and 39.00%, respectively. The absence of GBSSI protein led to increase in soluble sugar content to 37.30% compared with only 10.0% in the wild type. Sucrose and β-glucan, were 39.16% and 35.40% higher in waxy mutants than in the wild type, respectively. Transcriptome analysis identified differences between the wild type and waxy mutants that could partly explain the reduction in amylose and amylopectin contents and the increase in soluble sugar, sucrose and β-glucan contents. This waxy flour, which showed lower final viscosity and setback, and higher breakdown, could provide more option for food processing.

Effects of rainfall patterns in dry and rainy seasons on the biomass, ecostoichiometric characteristics, and NSC content of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings.

With global climate change and rising temperatures, rainfall will change. The impact of global rainfall changes on ecosystems has prompted people to delve deeper into how changes in rainfall affect plant growth; Plant biomass, nutrient element content, and non-structural carbohydrate content are very sensitive to changes in precipitation. Therefore, understanding the impact of rainfall changes on seedlings is crucial. However, it is currently unclear how the seedlings of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl in rocky desertification areas respond to changes in rainfall. In this study, the response of biomass, nutrient accumulation, and NSC content of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings to different rainfall intervals and rainfall during the dry and rainy seasons was studied. Use natural rainfall duration of 5 days (T) and extended rainfall duration of 10 days(T+) as rainfall intervals; average monthly rainfall was used as the control (W), with a corresponding 40% increase in rainfall (W+) and a 40% decrease in rainfall (W-) as rainfall treatments. The research results indicate that the biomass of roots, stems, and leaves, as well as the accumulation of C, N, and P in Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings increase with the increase of rainfall, while the soluble sugar and starch content show a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing. The biomass and nutrient accumulation of each organ showed root>leaf>stem. Except for the beginning of the dry season, prolonging the duration of rainfall in other periods inhibits the biomass accumulation of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings, and promotes the accumulation of C, N, and P nutrients and an increase in soluble sugar and starch content. There was a significant positive correlation (P<0.05) between the nutrient contents of C, N, and P in various organs, as well as between soluble sugar and starch content; And N: P>16, plant growth is limited by P element. These results indicate that changes in rainfall can affect the growth and development of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings, increasing rainfall can promote biomass and nutrient accumulation of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings, and prolonging rainfall intervals and reducing rainfall have inhibitory effects on them. The exploration of the adaptation of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl seedlings to rainfall patterns has promoted a basic understanding of the impact of rainfall changes on the growth of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl. This provides a theoretical basis for understanding how Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl can grow better under rainfall changes and for future management of Fraxinus malacophylla Hemsl artificial forests in rocky desertification areas.

Nitrogen mitigates the negative effects of combined heat and drought stress on winter wheat by improving physiological characteristics.

Extreme drought stress is often accompanied by heat stress after anthesis in winter wheat. Whether nitrogen (N) can mitigate the damage caused by combined stress on wheat plants by regulating root physiological characteristics is still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to study the effects of combined heat and drought stress on photosynthesis, leaf water relations, root antioxidant system, osmoregulatory, and yield in wheat to reveal the physiological mechanism of N regulating the adverse impacts of combined stress on wheat. Heat and drought stress markedly reduced photosynthesis, leaf water content, root vitality, and bleeding sap. The combination of heat and drought strengthens these changes. Within a certain stress range, the increase in soluble sugar and proline contents and the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase under combined stress effectively alleviated the oxidative damage. Compared with those under high N application (N3), wheat plants under low N application (N1) maintained higher yield and yield components under combined stress; the number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, and yield increased by 13.65%, 9.07%, and 15.33%, respectively, under N1 compared with those under N3 treatment, which may be attributed to the greater maintenance of photosynthesis, leaf water status, root vitality, and antioxidant and osmoregulation capacities. In summary, reduced N application mitigated the damage caused by combined heat and drought stress in wheat by improving root physiological characteristics and enhanced adaptability to combined stress, which is an appropriate strategy to compensate for yield losses.

Optimized Fertilizer–Water Management Improves Carrot Quality and Soil Nutrition and Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the North China Plain

In order to improve carrot quality and soil nutrition and reduce the environmental pollution caused by intensive carrot production, more comprehensive combined water–fertilizer management strategies are necessary. This study hypothesizes that optimal management of water and fertilizer can improve carrot yield and quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and soil nutrient residues. Thus, coordinated water–fertilizer management strategies were tested for carrot production on the North China Plain over two consecutive growing seasons. Four treatments were tested: local standard fertilization and irrigation practices (FNP); optimized irrigation and chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer (OPT); OPT treatment with partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with peanut shell (PS); and OPT treatment with partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with mushroom residue (M). Compared to the FNP treatment, there were statistically significant increases in soluble sugars (12–27%) and free amino acids (14–26%), and decreases in the nitrate content (7–17%) of fleshy root in the OPT, PS, and M treatments. In autumn carrots, the OPT and M treatments decreased yield, whereas PS increased yield; spring carrot yield was significantly decreased in the OPT, PS, and M groups compared to the FNP group. There were no significant effects of the treatment group on carrot growth rates, nutrient accumulation, or nutrient distribution. However, the OPT, PS, and M treatments were associated with significantly increased partial productivity of phosphate fertilizer (233–363%), reduced residual levels of nitrate and available phosphorus in the top 80 cm of soil, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 8–18% compared to the FNP treatment. These results highlight the effectiveness of partial organic fertilizer substitution and integrated water–fertilizer management to produce high-quality carrots with minimal environmental damage.

Foliar spraying of exogenous uniconazole (S3307) at the flowering stage as an effective method to resist low-temperature stress on mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Low temperature is one of the major constraints on agricultural productivity worldwide and is likely to further increase. Several adaptations and mitigation strategies are required to cope with low-temperature stress. Uniconazole (S3307) could play a significant role in the alleviation of abiotic stress in plants. In this study, the effects of S3307 on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant metabolism were studied in the leaves of mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]. The experimental results showed that the low-temperature induced accumulation of superoxide anion (O2-) production rate, and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents. Increased proline content and enzymatic antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), were found to alleviate oxidative damage under low temperatures. While, S3307 could reduce O2- production rate and MDA contents and increase the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, slowed the decrease in ascorbic acid (AsA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and promoted increase in soluble sugars (SS), soluble proteins (SP), and proline (Pro) content under low-temperature. At the same time, low temperature leads to lower 100 grain weight and number of grains per plant, which eventually causes yield reduction decreased. Foliar spraying of S3307 could alleviate the yield loss caused by low temperature, and the increase of S3307 treatment was 5.1%–12.5% and 6.3%–32.9% for the two varieties, respectively, compared with CK. In summary, exogenous S3307 pretreatment enhances plant tolerance to low-temperature by improving the antioxidant enzyme activities, increased non-enzymatic antioxidants content, and decreased O2- production rate and MDA contents and inducing alterations in endogenous S3307, and reduce the decrease in mung bean yield.

Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla successfully traps tea aphid (Toxoptera aurantia) and alters associated networks to enhance tea quality.

The tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantia is a destructive pest causing severe damage to the quality and yield of tea, Camellia sinensis. Relying on chemical insecticides to control this pest causes adverse ecological and economic consequences. Trap plants are an eco-friendly alternative strategy to mitigate pest damage on focal plants by attracting target insects and natural enemies. Yet, the utilization of trap plants in tea plantations remains limited. Besides, the effects of the trap plant on the tea aphid-ant-predator community and tea quality and yield are unknown. Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla successfully trapped tea aphids and enhanced the complexity of aphid-ant-predator networks over three consecutive years compared to monoculture management. Moreover, F. macrophylla significantly increased the abundance of natural predators by 3100% and species richness by 57%. The increasing predators suppressed the aphid population and hampered its spillover to neighbouring tea plants. Consequently, F. macrophylla improved tea quality by an 8% increase in soluble sugar and a 26% reduction in polyphenols to amino acids ratio. The study illustrated that F. macrophylla is a suitable trap crop for tea aphid control in tea plantations. This legume increases species nodes and strengthens multiple connections in aphid-associated communities through its cascade effects, improving tea quality. These findings shed light on the potential application of trap plants in tea plantations as an efficient integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Sink–Source Relationship Regulated Camellia oleifera Flower Bud Differentiation by Influencing Endogenous Hormones and Photosynthetic Characteristics

To explore the reasons for the differences in flower bud differentiation in Camellia oleifera under different sink–source relationships, different types of new shoots (T1 and T2) were selected to represent different sink–source relationships (new shoots with one fruit borne alongside at the bottom of the new shoots-T1; new shoots without one fruit borne alongside at the bottom of the new shoots-T2), and the flower bud differentiation rate, endogenous hormones and photosynthetic characteristics were determined. With the increase in the sink, the flower differentiation rate decreased significantly and the IAA and GA3 content in the leaves and ABA content in the buds increased significantly, while the GA3 and ZT content in the buds decreased significantly, which were significantly and positively correlated with the flower differentiation rate, with correlation coefficients of 0.777 and 0.817, respectively. Furthermore, an increase in the number of sinks contributed significantly to the increase in soluble sugar and starch content in leaves, while the soluble sugar and starch content in flower buds decreased significantly with the increase in sinks, with maximum differences of 3.45 mg·g−1 (soluble sugar in leaves), 4.09 mg·g−1 (soluble sugar in flower buds), 7.08 mg·g−1 (starch in leaves) and 4.87 mg·g−1 (starch in flower buds), and the high soluble sugar and starch content in flower buds at preflower bud differentiation with correlation coefficients of 0.854 and 0.837, respectively. The chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased with increasing sinks. In the presence of fruit at the base of the new shoot, more 13C assimilates were allocated to fruit and less to flower buds, resulting in a decrease in the rate of flower bud differentiation. The 13C assimilate allocated to the flower buds of T1 (6.71 mg·g−1) was significantly lower than the 13C assimilate allocated to the flower buds of T2 (10.26 mg·g−1) during late bud differentiation, and the difference between T1 and T2 was greatest during this period. Our work demonstrated that the sink–source relationship regulated Camellia oleifera flower bud differentiation by influencing endogenous hormones and photosynthetic characteristics. To achieve stable production of Camellia oleifera in successive years in the future, the ratio of the number of new shoots of the two types in relation to the different sink–source relationships should be reasonable.

Vine shoots pre-treatment strategies for improved hydrogen production and metabolites redistribution in Clostridium butyricum

This work deals with the use of vine shoots, a renewable, largely available, lacking of alternatives lignocellulosic material as a feedstock for hydrogen production. Physical pre-treatments by steam explosion (SE), chemical by organosolv (OS) and biological by laccase (LAC) were carried out in vine shoots to disrupt the cell fiber and increase the biomass hydrolysis and fermentation into hydrogen (H2). After SE, there was a slight decrease in cellulose and hemicellulose contents in biomass fibers, while a decrease in lignin content occurred after OS pre-treatment. There were no quantifiable changes after laccase pre-treatment, however the enzyme-substrate oxidative reactions were favorable for hydrolysis and fermentation since an increase in soluble sugars and H2 production was observed with LAC vine shoots as substrate. 300.1 mL H2/L were obtained from raw material vine shoots, while 649.4, 399.8 and 749.7 mL H2/L were obtained from biomass pre-treated by SE, OS and LAC, respectively. Furthermore, the hydrolysis of pre-treated biomass by addition of cellulase was evaluated to improve H2 production. Higher amounts of H2 were obtained from hydrolyzed biomass in relation to non-hydrolyzed ones (154.2%, 602.0% and 167.1% more with SE, OS and LAC hydrolyzed, respectively). In all cases, the mixed acid pathway was carried out by Clostridium butyricum, since acetic and butyric acids were produced.

Light Intensity Regulates Low-Temperature Adaptability of Tea Plant through ROS Stress and Developmental Programs.

Low-temperature stress limits global tea planting areas and production efficiency. Light is another essential ecological factor that acts in conjunction with temperature in the plant life cycle. However, it is unclear whether the differential light environment affects the low temperature adaptability of tea plant (Camellia sect. Thea). In this study, tea plant materials in three groups of light intensity treatments showed differentiated characteristics for low-temperature adaptability. Strong light (ST, 240 μmol·m-2·s-1) caused the degradation of chlorophyll and a decrease in peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, as well as an increase in soluble sugar, soluble protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), and relative conductivity in tea leaves. In contrast, antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll content, and relative conductivity were highest in weak light (WT, 15 μmol·m-2·s-1). Damage was observed in both ST and WT materials relative to moderate light intensity (MT, 160 μmol·m-2·s-1) in a frost resistance test. Chlorophyll degradation in strong light was a behavior that prevented photodamage, and the maximum photosynthetic quantum yield of PS II (Fv/Fm) decreased with increasing light intensity. This suggests that the browning that occurs on the leaf surface of ST materials through frost may have been stressed by the previous increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Frost intolerance of WT materials is mainly related to delayed tissue development and tenderness holding. Interestingly, transcriptome sequencing revealed that stronger light favors starch biosynthesis, while cellulose biosynthesis is enhanced in weaker light. It showed that light intensity mediated the form of carbon fixation in tea plant, and this was associated with low-temperature adaptability.

Morpho-physiological responses and growth indices of triticale to drought and salt stresses

Salinity and drought are two major abiotic stresses challenging global crop production and food security. In this study, the effects of individual and combined effects of drought (at different phenological stages) and salt stresses on growth, morphology, and physiology of triticale were evaluated. For this purpose, a 3 x 4 factorial design in three blocks experiment was conducted. The stress treatments included three levels of salinity (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) and four levels of drought (regular irrigation as well as irrigation disruption at heading, flowering, and kernel extension stages). The stresses, individual as well as combined, caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll contents, total dry matter, leaf area index, relative water content, and grain yield of triticale. In this regard, the highest reduction was recorded under combined stresses of 100 mM NaCl and drought stress at flowering. However, an increase in soluble sugars, leaf free proline, carotenoid contents, and electrolyte leakage was noted under stress conditions compared to the control. In this regard, the highest increase in leaf free proline, soluble sugars, and carotenoid contents were noted under the combination of severe salinity and drought stress imposed at the flowering stage. Investigating the growth indices in severe salinity and water deficit stress in different phenological stages shows the predominance of ionic stress over osmotic stress under severe salinity. The highest grain yield was observed under non-saline well-watered conditions whereas the lowest grain yield was recorded under severe salinity and drought stress imposed at the flowering stage. In conclusion, the flowering stage was more sensitive than the heading and kernel extension stages in terms of water deficit. The impact of salinity and water deficit was more pronounced on soluble sugars and leaf free proline; so, these criteria can be used as physiological indicators for drought and salinity tolerance in triticale.

Exogenous IBA stimulated adventitious root formation of Zanthoxylum beecheyanum K. Koch stem cutting: Histo-physiological and phytohormonal investigation

Poor rooting performance of Chinese pepper (Zanthoxylum beecheyanum K. Koch) shrub is a restriction for its commercial production. This investigation was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the exogenous application of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on adventitious root (AR) formation and some morpho-physiological, biochemical, and histological alterations associated with rhizogenesis events. IBA, at 1500 or 2000 mg kg-1, gave comparable effects for improving the performance of rooting architecture compared to the control treatment. The AR primordia of Z. beecheyanum originated from two distinct developmental pathways: (i) direct genesis from cells in the cambial zone and nearby tissues, and (ii) indirect genesis from cells in callus tissues. Rooting process involved four phases: (i) induction at 0–10 days after planting (DAP), (ii) initiation at 10–15 DAP, (iii) formation of the root primordia (Rp) at 15–20 DAP, and (iv) root extension at 20–30 DAP. Cuttings' inductive phase correlated temporarily with intensive cell divisions, high levels of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellins (GA3). However, IBA application led to a pronounced increase in soluble sugars and phenolic content. The initiation phase was accompanied by a histological appearance of meristemoids. This phase was also stimulated by the subsequent generation of low IAA and high GA3 contents. In the development of Rp and root extension phases, prominent Rp formation in the cambium and complete differentiation with vascular tissues continued with that of the stem cuttings. In essence, the current study provides insights into the morphological, histo-physiological, and phytohormonal alterations in stem cuttings.

Far-red light during cultivation improves postharvest chilling tolerance in basil

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a temperature sensitive plant and suffers from chilling injury (CI), especially during the postharvest storage. We investigated the effect of additional far-red light (FR) during cultivation at two temperatures on postharvest chilling tolerance. Basil was cultivated under red-white Light Emitting Diodes (LED) at 25 °C. During the last 3 weeks before harvest, plants were maintained at a high temperature (25 ºC) or exposed to a low temperature (15 ºC). Furthermore, plants were exposed to additional FR (180 µmol m−2 s−1) for different durations (0, 1 or 3 weeks). After harvest, leaves were stored at 4 and 12 ºC in darkness. Overall visual quality and maximum quantum yield of PS II (Fv/Fm) as indicators of chilling injury were monitored every third day for 15 d. Abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA), carbohydrates, and antioxidants were measured at harvest and after 9 d of storage at 4 °C. Additional FR improved the chilling tolerance at both cultivation temperatures. Cultivation temperature had no effect on postharvest chilling tolerance. Hormone levels in basil leaves at harvest were not affected by FR. This indicates that ABA and JA are not involved in development of FR-induced chilling tolerance in basil. FR had no effect on the levels of antioxidants at harvest whereas the levels of soluble sugars and starch increased under additional FR. The positive effect of adding FR during cultivation on chilling tolerance in basil may be due to the increase in soluble sugars and starch.

Effect of Zinc and Nickel Treatments on Improvement of the Osmotic Defense System of Wheat Plant Under Salinity Stress

The present experiments were performed to determine the effects of Zn (20 µM and 200 µM) and Ni (1 µM and 100 µM) on the growth and metabolic activities in the roots, shoots, and spikes of wheat (&lt;i&gt;Triticum aestivum&lt;/i&gt; L.) cv. Gimiza 11 grown under different salinity conditions. In addition to identifying the osmotic tolerance of wheat, the roles of Zn and Ni in alleviating osmotic stress were examined. The root was the organ most sensitive to osmotic stress, whereas the shoot was the most resistant, and the spike was the intermediate. These three organs negatively responded to increasing osmotic stress levels, as fresh and dry matter decreased, and related biochemical parameters were adversely affected. However, fresh and dry matter were generally elevated when plants were supplemented with Zn or Ni under increasing osmotic stress. The sensitivity of roots was associated with depletion in the concentrations of sugars and free proline, whereas soluble protein and amino acid levels were increased. The stress tolerance of shoots and spikes was accompanied by an increase in soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and proline, while amino acid levels increased in spikes only. The Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; and K&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; content in wheat plants increased with increasing NaCl-induced osmotic stress levels. In turn, the accumulation and partitioning of Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; and K&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; did not vary among the three organs, both at different salt concentrations and between Zn or Ni treatments. Moreover, the present results show that the concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and l-ascorbic acid increased under exposure to osmotic stress and did not change significantly under Zn or Ni treatments.

Physicochemical, nutritional, and phytochemical profile changes of fermented citrus puree from enzymatically hydrolyzed whole fruit under cold storage

This study aimed to investigate the microbial viability, edible qualities, and flavor volatiles of enzymatically hydrolyzed ‘Orah’ (Citrus reticulata Blanco) puree separately using Lactobacillus paracasei JLPF-176 (LP) and Bifidobacterium infantis JYBI-373 (BI) as starters during fermentation and storage. The results showed that fermented enzymatically hydrolyzed citrus puree contains sufficient viable counts (6–8 log CFU/mL) during fermentation and storage. Probiotics fermentation increased the content of organic acids, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant capacities, and flavanones. Storage led to an increase in soluble sugars (fructose and glucose) and a decrease in organic acid (l-tartaric acid). During the early storage weeks, the TPC, polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), and flavanones of citrus puree fermented by LP were obviously increased, resulting in higher antioxidant capacity based on the DPPH and FRAP methods. Correspondingly, the antioxidant capacity (ABTS and FRAP) of citrus puree fermented by BI was decreased continuously during storage, which was related to the decrease in the TFC and tangeretin. A total of 24 volatile compositions were identified, and storage tended to decrease the sensory properties of citrus puree by probiotic fermentation. Overall, this study provides a potential method to innovate whole citrus fruit processing technology and improve its nutritional value.

Evaluation of the allelopathic potential of Trianthema portulacastrum L. on Convolvulus arvensis L

BackgroundAs the crop season progresses and plants size increases, weeds also begin to compete with the essential resources available for plant growth. Once weeds initiate to deprive the crop of these essential resources, the crop yield potential can be negatively impacted. Weeds infestations not only caused a severe impact on the yield but also provide shelter for various pathogens. Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed) is a serious detrimental weed to various crops. Among weed control methods, herbicidal control through synthetic chemicals is the most popular method but excessive usage of herbicides is a health hazard and causes environmental pollution along with resistance problems in weeds. Therefore, allelopathy is an eco-friendly biological control method. The objective of this research was to study the allelopathic influence of Trianthema portulacastrum (horse purslane) on the growth of C. arvensis. To meet the objectives, root and shoot length, leaf area, chlorophylls (a and b), total soluble sugars, proline, superoxidase dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were assessed. ResultsResults intimate that water extracts of root and shoot of T. portulacastrum significantly (p ≤ 0.05) inhibited growth parameters. But the allelopathic effect of shoot extract was more toxic than the root extract and maximum growth inhibition was found in 100% shoot extract. This inhibition of the growth of C. arvensis was coupled with a significant increase in soluble sugars and proline. In addition, growth reduction was associated with a decrease in photosynthetic pigments and activities of SOD and CAT. Shoot extract treatments caused almost equal inhibitory action in the growth of C. arvensis with herbicide treatment. ConclusionThe results indicated that shoot extract of T. portulacastrum could be used as a bio-herbicide against C. arvensis.

Biochemical and physiological response of borage to seed priming and water deficit: antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes, photosynthetic pigments, and fluorescence parameters

Aim of study: To investigate the general response patterns of the borage plant to water fluctuations from a biochemical and physiological perspective. Area of study: East Azerbaijan Province of Iran during the period 2012 and 2013. Material and methods: The study investigated the effects of irrigation (after 60, 90, 120 and 150 mm evaporation) and priming (unprimed, and primed seeds with water, 1% KNO3 and 1% KH2PO4) on the antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes, photosynthetic pigments, and fluorescence parameters of borage using a split-plot experimental design. Main results: The statistical analyses showed no effect of seed priming on all evaluated traits other than than extracellular superoxide dismutase SOD3 activity where it was significantly enhanced by seed pretreatment with 1% KNO3 and 1% KH2PO4. However, irrigations after 120 and 150 mm evaporation increased Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), SOD2, and SOD3, soluble sugars, and initial fluorescence (F0). The mean contents of Ch a, Ch b, and Ch a+Ch b under mild, moderate and severe water deficit were significantly higher than those under normal irrigation. Severe drought stress gave the highest carotenoids content and quantum yield baseline parameter (F0/Fm) of borage leaves. However, water limitation decreased Chl a/Chl b ratio, maximum primary yield of photosystem II (Fv/F0), and maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). Research highlights: Based on these findings, it is postulated that the increase in soluble sugars and SOD activity under stress, and the accumulation of carotenoids under severe water limitation indirectly enhance the tolerance of borage plants to drought stress.

Integration of transcriptomic and metabonomic reveals molecular differences of sweetness and aroma between postharvest and vine ripened tomato fruit

The quality of vine ripened (PR) fruit is better than that of postharvest ripened (VR) fruit, which is reflected in taste and aroma. The results indicated that there was a remarkable increase in soluble sugars (sucrose, fructose, and glucose) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contents during the process of maturity. At the full red stage, VR fruit possessed higher soluble sugars and VOCs contents, especially (E)-2-Octenal, 6-methyl-5-Hepten-2-one, 6,10-dimethyl-5,9-Undecadien-2-one trans-β-Ionone, methyl salicylate, compared to PR fruit, which partly explained why VR fruit has better flavor quality. The transcriptome analysis indicated that 4989 and 4847 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were up- and down-regulated in PR vs. VR, respectively. These DEGs participated in multiple metabolic pathways related to sugar and VOCs metabolism. Moreover, MYB transcription factors were critical in sugar metabolism. And, seven hub genes were found which played key roles in the regulation of fruit flavor. These results laid a foundation for the flavor research of postharvest fruit and enhanced our understanding of the differences in flavor, especially sweetness and aroma between PR and VR fruit.