Jujuba Mill Research Articles

A Combination of Rosa Multiflora and Zizyphus Jujuba Enhance Sleep Quality in Anesthesia-Induced Mice.

Sleep is an essential component of quality of life. The majority of people experience sleep problems that impact their quality of life. Melatonin is currently a representative sleep aid. However, it is classified as a prescription drug in most countries, and consumers cannot purchase it to improve their sleep. This sleep induction experiment in mice aimed to identify a natural combination product (NCP) that can create synergistic sleep-promoting effects. Based on the mechanism of action of sleep, we investigated whether phenomenological indicators of sleep quality change according to the intake of NCP. The sleep onset and sleep time of the mice that consumed the NCP found by this study were improved compared to the existing sleep aids. The mean melatonin level in the blood increased by 197% compared to the control. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that Rosa multiflora Thunb. (Yeongsil) can promote sleep similarly to Zizyphus jujuba Miller (Sanjoin). The results indicate a preclinical study of NCPs containing Rosa multiflora Thunb and Zizyphus jujuba Miller developed by us showed significant differences in sleep incubation and duration depending on melatonin concentrations. Our results also suggest that increased melatonin concentrations in the blood are likely to improve sleep quality, especially regarding incubation periods.

The insecticidal potential of Bacillus velezensis CE 100 against Dasineura jujubifolia Jiao & Bu (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) larvae infestation and its role in the enhancement of yield and fruit quality of jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder)

Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder) is highly susceptible to jujube gall midge (Dasineura jujubifolia Jiao & Bu) larvae infestation, which causes rolled leaf damage, leaf galls, discoloration, and a decline in fruit yield. In this study, we demonstrate the larvicidal potential of cuticle-degrading chitinase and protease produced by Bacillus velezensis CE 100 against jujube gall midge larvae and the plant growth-promoting effect on jujube fruit yield. The laboratory insecticidal assay involving bacterial broth culture and crude enzymes of B. velezensis CE 100 revealed that both treatments caused gall midge larvae mortality rates of up to 85.5% and 96.7%, respectively. Both treatments caused severe degradation of the larvae cuticle, such as deformation of the exoskeleton and loss of sensilla. Foliar application of the bacterial broth culture in the jujube field reduced the rate of rolled leaf damage by 3.8-fold more than that in the control group. In addition, B. velezensis CE 100 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) up to 3.5 mg/mL, which improved root development, and exhibited the potential for nitrogen-fixation and phosphate solubilization to improve nutrient availability and uptake. Compared to the control, applying the bacterial treatment in the jujube field increased the leaf chlorophyll content by 1.3-fold and improved the fruit yield by 2.4-fold. For the first time, we demonstrate the dual larvicidal and bio-stimulation potential of entomopathogenic B. velezensis CE 100 in managing gall midge larvae and the improvement of jujube fruit production, respectively.

Ozone reduces the fruit decay of postharvest winter jujube by altering the microbial community structure on fruit surface

Microbial community structure on fruit surface plays an important role in fruit decay during postharvest storage, although the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Winter jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Miller cv. Dongzao) is a unique fruit resource with high edible and commercial value in China, while postharvest decay has always been a severe problem leading to short shelf life and poor quality of fruit. Ozone treatment is regarded as one of the most effective means to control decay and extend shelf life because of its cost-effective and eco-friendly properties. In the present study, three concentrations of ozone (2.5, 5 and 10 μL L−1) were found to reduce significantly postharvest decay of winter jujube on days 10 and 15, which were produced from Huanghua City, Hebei, China. High-throughput sequencing revealed significant changes in the bacterial and fungal communities in response to the application of ozone treatment, while Didymella, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Phialemoniopsis and Mycosphaerella were found to be the most abundant in fungi, and Methylobacterium, Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Sphingomonas and Gluconobacter being the most abundant in bacteria. Results of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) indicated that ozone treatments considerably reduced the abundance of Rhizopus and Gluconobacter on the surface of winter jujube fruit. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis showed that Rhizopus was positively correlated with Gluconobacter (r = 0.97) while negatively correlated with Didymella (r = −0.96). By predicting the metabolic function, ozone may inhibit metabolic pathways including nucleoside and nucleotide biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, fatty acid and lipid degradation, respiration, and electron transfer, thereby reducing the incidence of fruit decay and maintaining the firmness of winter jujube fruit.

Determination of Iron Content, Potassium, Calcium, and Sodium In Chinese Date Fruit (Ziziphus Jujuba Miller.) Fresh and Boiled In Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometry

Chinese dates fruit are generally used by the people of Indonesia as a fruit that has a fairly good nutritional value, namely every 100 g of Chinese dates fruit contain 79 kcal of energy, 1.2 g protein, 20.23 g carbohydrates, 250 mg potassium, 21 mg calcium, 23 mg. phosphorus, 0.5 mg iron, 3 mg sodium, 10 mg magnesium, 0.1 vitamin B6 and 69 mg vitamin C. Chinese dates fruit are foods that are rich in fiber, so they can lower blood cholesterol and cure chronic constipation. In addition, Chinese dates fruit are foods with good sources of potassium. Adequate potassium intake can lower blood pressure so that it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. High iron content can also prevent anemia. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the content of iron, potassium, calcium, and sodium in fresh and boiled Chinese dates fruit fruit, and to determine the percentage decrease in levels after boiling.
 The method used in this study included dry digestion, then quantitative analysis of iron, potassium, calcium, and sodium was carried out using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method, namely iron at a wavelength of 248.3 nm, for potassium 766.5 nm, to calcium 422.7 nm, and sodium 589.0 nm.
 The results showed that the iron content in fresh Chinese dates fruit fruit was (0.6687 ± 0.0084) mg/100 g and boiled (0.3285 ± 0.0127) mg/100 g. Potassium levels in fresh Chinese dates fruit fruit (657.9024 ± 0.4713) mg/100 g and boiled (158.6504 ± 0.2510) mg/100 g. Calcium levels in fresh Chinese dates fruit fruit were (47.3501 ± 1.1630) mg/100 g and boiled (26.3968 ± 0.5922) mg/100 g, and sodium levels in fresh Chinese dates fruit fruit (16.1272 ± 0.1543) mg/100 g and boiled at (13.4048 ± 0.1973) mg/100 g. The percentage decrease in mineral content in Chinese dates fruit fruit after boiling, for iron was 50.87%, potassium 75.88%, calcium 44.25%; and 16.88% sodium.
 Statistically different test of the average mineral levels of iron, potassium, calcium, and sodium using the T distribution, it can be concluded that fresh Chinese dates fruit fruit contain higher levels of iron, potassium, calcium, and sodium minerals than boiled Chinese dates fruit.

Prophylactic efficacy of Unani herbal and herbo-mineral preparations in population at risk of COVID-19 – A randomised controlled prospective field trial

Present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Unani poly-herbal decoction and Khamira Marvareed (herbo-mineral preparation) in COVID-19 susceptible population. This study was conducted as prospective, open label, randomized Controlled, prophylactic Community-based clinical trial. Four thousand five hundred healthy adults from containment zone were allocated randomly into intervention (n=2250) and control group (n=2250). The intervention group was given a combination of herbal drugs namely Unnab ( Zizyphus jujube Mill.), 5 pieces; Sapistan ( Cordia myxa L . ), 9 pieces; Behidana ( Cydonia oblonga Mill.), 3gms in decoction form and Khameera Marwareed , 5gms as semisolid preparation, orally once daily in the morning for 20 days. No drug was given in the control group. The subjects were assessed on 0, 20 th and 35 th day. The prophylactic effect of the Unani intervention was evaluated on the basis of difference of COVID-19 incidence between the groups, COVID-19 like symptoms, scores of immunity status questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF scale after completion of 35 th day of study. The study remained inconclusive to find any difference in COVID-19 incidence, but showed highly significant result (p<0.001) in favour of Unani intervention in containing all COVID-19 like symptoms except cough; highly significant results (p<0.001) in score of immunity status questionnaire and highly significant results (p<0.001) in scores of physical and psychological domains of WHOQOL-BREF scale. The highly significant results in almost all secondary outcomes suggest the efficacy of the Unani intervention in control of COVID-19 like symptoms and may be beneficial in prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Detection of Decarboxylated Amino Acids after in Vitro Protease Digestion of the Hydrophilic Fraction of Crude Drug Extracts.

Many constituents of crude drugs in Japanese Kampo formulas are thought to function as pro-drugs, whose pharmacological activity is manifested after oral administration. Proteins and peptides in crude drugs may be digested and metabolized in the digestive tract and liver. However, few studies have reported the pharmacological activity of peptides in crude drugs. Here, we applied an analysis using LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify the compounds derived from six crude drugs that are assumed to have anti-inflammatory effects. To simulate in vivo protease digestion, each water-soluble fraction of the crude drug extracts was treated with proteases, including endoproteinases and exopeptidases. Amines in the resultant digests were modified by 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate and analyzed using LC-MS/MS, which demonstrated the presence of four decarboxylated amino acids (primary amines). In the digest of the hydrophilic fraction of the fruit of Ziziphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder (Taiso), isobutylamine, isoamylamine, and 2-methylbutylamine were identified, which may be derived from valinyl, leucinyl, and isoleucinyl residues, respectively. Additionally, tyramine possibly derived from tyrosyl residues was identified in the digests of all the crude drugs. In primary cultured rat hepatocytes treated with interleukin-1β, all these decarboxylated amino acids suppressed the production of nitric oxide, a proinflammatory mediator. Our approach, i.e., in vitro protease digestion and LC-MS/MS analysis, suggests that decarboxylated amino acids may be formed in vivo from peptides and may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of crude drugs included in Kampo medicine.

Adapting Root Distribution and Improving Water Use Efficiency via Drip Irrigation in a Jujube (Zizyphus jujube Mill.) Orchard after Long-Term Flood Irrigation

Jujube tree yields in dryland saline soils are restricted by water shortages and soil salinity. Converting traditional flood irrigation to drip irrigation would solve water deficit and salt stress. The root distribution reacts primarily to the availability of water and nutrients. However, there is little information about the response of jujube roots to the change from flood irrigation to drip irrigation. In this context, a two–year experiment was carried out to reveal the effects of the change from long–term flood irrigation to drip irrigation on soil water, root distribution, fruit yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of jujube trees. In this study, drip irrigation amounts were designed with three levels, i.e., 880 mm (W1), 660 mm (W2), 440 mm (W3), and the flood irrigation of 1100 mm was designed as the control (CK). The results showed that replacing flood irrigation with drip irrigation significantly altered soil water distribution and increased soil moisture in the topsoil (0–40 cm). In the drip irrigation treatments with high levels, soil water storage in the 0–60 cm soil layer at the flowering and fruit setting, and fruit swelling stages of jujube trees increased significantly compared with the flood irrigation. After two consecutive years of drip irrigation, the treatments with higher irrigation levels increased root length density (RLD) in 0–60 cm soil depth but decreased that in the 60–100 cm depth. In the horizontal direction, higher irrigation levels increased RLD in the distance of 0–50 cm, while reducing RLD in the distance of 50–100 cm. However, the opposite conclusion was obtained in W3 treatment. Additionally, in the second year of drip irrigation, W2 treatment (660 mm) significantly improved yield and WUE, with an increasing of 7.6% for yield and 60.3% for WUE compared to the flood irrigation. In summary, converting flood irrigation to drip irrigation is useful in regulating root distribution and improving WUE, which would be a promising method in jujube cultivation in arid regions.

Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfers during intermittent microwave drying of Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller)

A 3-D coupled electromagnetics, heat transfer, and mass transfer model for intermittent microwave drying of jujube fruit was developed to understand and optimize the effect of duty cycle (power level) and initial moisture on the temperature and moisture distributions and the rate of drying. The model was validated using measured temperature, pressure, and moisture content histories. A comprehensive understanding of the spatial and time evolutions of temperature, moisture, pressure, microwave power absorption, and evaporation rate were obtained. A uniformity index for temperature and moisture, that more closely relates to quality, was computed as drying progressed, providing unique insight into how the power level can affect quality in such a complex drying process. The effect of duty cycling was clearly seen, showing a sharp increase in temperatures, evaporation rate and pressure during the ON-phase, followed by decrease during the OFF-phase. Moisture profiles tracked the temperature cycling. Low moisture samples heated more spatially uniformly at relatively lower temperatures and with more uniform moisture profiles. Lower duty cycles (effectively lower power) reduced both the rate of temperature rise and the moisture loss, while improving the uniformity of temperature and moisture. The model provided a comprehensive mechanistic insight into the complex microwave drying process that would greatly reduce the time and resources in the design of product, process, and equipment.

Observation of Embryo Abortion Characteristics of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’

The embryo abortion rate of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ is high, which hinders cross-breeding. Research to identify the causes of embryo abortion is urgently required. To determine the embryo abortion pattern and create a foundation for further research, the embryo abortion characteristics of Z. jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ were observed during this study. The results indicated that Z. jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ was a cultivar with a high embryo abortion rate. Furthermore, there were some differences in the embryo abortion rates of jujube fruits in different batches. There was no significant difference between the first and second batches of jujube fruits. Large jujube fruits had a relatively low embryo abortion rate. Small jujube fruits had a relatively low kernel content rate and high embryo abortion rate. Most of the jujube fruits contained a single kernel, and some contained double kernels. The third batch of jujube fruits differed greatly from the first and second batches. The third batch had the highest degree of embryo abortion and all contained kernels were single. The embryo abortion degree of jujube fruits on the lignified bearing shoot was higher than that on the nonlignified bearing shoot, and the probability of jujube fruit with double kernels on the nonlignified bearing shoot was higher than that of the fruit on the lignified bearing shoot. The embryo abortion rates of jujube fruits with a smaller fruit shape index and larger fruit shape index were lower, and that of the medium (fruit shape index range, 1.30–1.60) was higher. The embryo abortion rates of globose, oblong globose, and long cylinder jujube fruits were lower, whereas that of cylindrical fruits was higher. Cracked jujube fruits did not contain normal seed kernels and their embryo abortion rate was 100%.

Identification compounds fruit of Ziziphus jujube Mill hydroethanoly extract and evaluation of Its antifungal effect on blanched corn grains

Identification compounds fruit of Ziziphus jujube Mill hydroethanoly extract and evaluation of Its antifungal effect on blanched corn grains

Determination of phenolics, organic acids, minerals and volatile compounds of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba miller) jam produced by under vacuum evaporation compared with open pan method

The jujube fruit (Ziziphus jujuba Miller) is used in alternative medicine due to its important bioactive components and is well-suited for jam processing due to its high sugar content. In this study, changes in the chemical and aroma compounds of jujube jams produced using the open-pan (OPJ) and vacuum evaporation (VEJ) methods were determined immediately after production and after a storage period of 4 months. Concentrations of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the OPJ and VEJ were 13.94 and 1.53 mg/kg initially and 22.63 and 1.66 mg/kg after storage, respectively. Epicatechin was identified as the major phenolic component in jujube fruit and jams. Concentrations of phenolic compounds were higher in the VEJ both before and after storage. It was determined that jujube jam is a good source of the minerals Fe, Ca, Zn, Se, and Cu. Ascorbic acid loss was 86.47% in the OPJ versus 73.32% in the VEJ after production and continued during storage in both jams. Numerous novel aroma compounds that are not found in fresh jujube fruit were produced as a result of the different jam production methods. Significant advantages of the vacuum evaporation process have been determined in the production of jujube jam compared to the open pan process.

Molecular role of ethylene in fruit r​ipening of Ziziphus jujube Mill

ABSTRACT The fruit of Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujube) is widely consumed by human beings due to its high proteins, vitamins, and mineral nutrients. The harvest time of Chinese jujube fruit determines its quality, while ethylene plays a pivotal role in fruit ripening. Nevertheless, the relationship between ethylene biosynthesis/signal transduction and fruit ripening of Chinese jujube is still elusive. Here, the Chinese jujube fruit ripening with its fruit peel color change from cyan to dark red at seven different ripening stages (stage I–VII) and expression levels of genes related to ethylene synthesis and signal transduction were determined. Results showed that expression levels of ZjACO1-3, ZjETR2, ZjERF1, and ZjERF4 were increasingly upregulated, whereas the expression levels of ZjERS1, ZjETI, ZjERF2, and ZjERF3 were downregulated from green to red fruit ripening stages. Among them, ZjACO1-3 promoters contain ethylene response element. Taken together, Chinese jujube fruit ripening might be affected by the ethylene signaling which was mainly regulated by ZjACO, a gene involved in ethylene biosynthesis. This research supports theories and techniques for the storage, preservation and molecular breeding of Z. jujube.

Physiological and metabolic analysis of winter jujube after postharvest treatment with calcium chloride and a composite film

Ziziphus jujuba Miller cv. Dongzao is extremely susceptible to reddening, browning, nutritional loss, and perishability after harvest. In this study, we evaluated the mechanisms of calcium chloride and chitosan/nano-silica composite film treatments on the quality, especially in reddening, by physiological and metabolomic assays. The treatment delayed the decline of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and chalcone isomerase (CHI) activities. Meanwhile, the treated groups retarded the increases in anthocyanin and quercetin contents by inhibiting the gene expressions of flavonol synthase (ZjFLS), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (ZjDFR), and anthocyanidin synthase (ZjANS), while promoting leucoanthocyanidin reductase (ZjLAR) expression, which leads to retardation of fruit reddening. Anthocyanins were found to be responsible for post-harvest winter jujube reddening through principal component analysis. Results from the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution indicated that the treated group delayed the decline of the quality of 'Dongzao' and extended its shelf life. The treatment induced the heightening of flavonoids metabolism. They enhanced the nutritional value and the ability to resist stress by delaying the decline of PAL, CHS, and CHI activities. Meanwhile, the treated groups retarded the increase in anthocyanin and quercetin contents by inhibiting the gene expressions of ZjFLS, ZjDFR, and ZjANS and promoting ZjLAR expression, which leads to retardation of fruit reddening. Anthocyanins are responsible for post-harvest winter jujube reddening. Coating treatment effectively delayed the decline of winter jujube quality. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Isolation and analysis of a novel protoglycan from zizyphus jujuba cv. jinsixiaozao

Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller) is a well-known oriental medicinal plant that has various biological activities. In this study, a novel water-soluble proteoglycan (ZSG4b) was isolated from Zizyphus jujuba cv. Jinsixiaozao and its effect on the complement system was investigated. ZSG4b was extracted with hot water and purified by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. It was eluted as a single symmetrical narrow peak on high-performance gel-permeation chromatography (HPGPC) and the average molecular weight was estimated to be 1.4 × 105 Da. ZSG4b contained 83.5% glycan and 9.7% protein. Gas chromatography analysis result indicated that the glycan portion of ZSG4b was composed mainly of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose and galactose in a molar ratio of 13.8:4:3:8. It also contains 29% uronic acid as determined by m-hydroxybiphenyl method. The presence of galacturonic acid was estimated by the increase of galactose content in the carboxyl-reduced ZSG4b. The amino acid composition showed that it was rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, threonine and leucine; the molar content of these five amino acids constituted 62.8% of the total amino acids. The β-elimination reaction demonstrated that the protein and glycan were linked by O-linkage. ZSG4b exhibited high anti-complement activity which was increased in accordance with the concentration below 120 μg/mL in vitro.

The effect of some environmental factors on morphological, anatomical and phytochemical traits of Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Miller) in South Khorasan province, Iran

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Miller) is one of the valuable medicinal plants that is widely used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical industries. This species is native to Iran and due to the wide range of ecological tolerance in different parts of the country with different climatic conditions is naturally distributed and planted. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ecological factors on morphological, anatomical and phytochemical traits of jujube natural populations in three regions of South Khorasan province. The highest values of morphological traits including height, diameter of breast-height, canopy diameter and canopy cover, length, width and weight of fruit are related to Shahrakht habitat, and leaf length and width to Alghor habitat. The highest values of anatomical traits including number of layers and thickness of spongy parenchyma, thickness of epidermis, midrib and bundle sheath and stomata length were observed in Bijar habitat. Also, the highest values of thickness of lamina, mesophyll and cuticle as well as number of layers and thickness of collenchyma and palisade and number of stomata are related to Shahrakht habitat. In addition, the highest amount of phytochemical traits including extract and antioxidant activity belong to Bijar habitat and the amounts of total phenol and flavonoids belong to Shahrakht habitat. Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between all these traits in the three populations. The results of Pearson correlation showed that among environmental factors, rainfall, annual temperature and altitude had the highest significant correlation with the studied traits, respectively.

Desorption of the Exotic Fruit Jujube (Ziziphus Jujube Mill) of Bulgarian Origin

The present study determined the physico-chemical parameters of the exotic fruit jujube (Ziziphus jujube mill) of Bulgarian origin – pH of 4.62, refractometric dry matter of 31.6 %, dry matter (in weight) of 36.78 %, TTA (total titratable acidity) – citric acid – of 0.67 %, 0.70 % malic acid, 65.95 % moisture, 0.78 % fibre, 1.41 % protein, 23.65 % carbohydrate, 0.24 % fat and energy value of 428.44 kJ/102.4 kcal. Equilibrium moisture content and monolayer moisture content were established for desorption concerning eight water activities in the 0.1 0.9 range and the temperatures of 10 °С, 25 °С and 40 °С. The coefficients of the modified Oswin, Chung-Pfost, Halsey and Henderson models were obtained statistically. The modified Halsey model is recommended as a description of the desorption isotherms of jujube (Ziziphus jujube mill) since it corresponds to the criteria for model assessment and suitability. Via BET model linearization, the values of the monolayer moisture content for desorption at the temperatures of 10 °С 5.41 % d.b., 25 °С – 4.65 % d.b. and 40 °С 5.08 % d.b were determined.

Effect of a cotton intercrop on spider mite populations in jujube trees

Abstract In the arid and semi-arid parts of Xinjiang (China), jujube (Zizyphus jujube Mill) orchards are regularly intercropped with cotton. In 2016–2017, a field study was conducted to compare the species composition and infestation pressure of spider mites in local jujube trees under a cotton-jujube intercropping system and a jujube monocrop system. Our results showed that Tetranychus truncatus Ehara accounted for 94.2–98.5% of all spider mites in either cropping systems. Overall abundance of tree-inhabiting spider mites, including T. truncatus, in intercropped orchards was generally higher than in monocrop ones. Combining our work with earlier findings, we demonstrate how intercropping of cotton and jujube trees generally increases population levels of spider mites on either crop.

Control of Fungal Diseases and Increase in Yields of a Cultivated Jujube Fruit (Zizyphus jujuba Miller var. inermis Rehder) Orchard by Employing Lysobacter antibioticus HS124

The objective of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effects of Lysobacter antibioticus HS124 on fungal phytopathogens causing gray mold rot, stem rot, and anthracnose. Another objective of this study is to promote the yield of fruit in jujube farms. L. antibioticus HS124 produces chitinase, a lytic enzyme with the potential to reduce mycelial growth of fungal phytopathogens involving hyphal alterations with swelling and bulbous structures, by 20.6 to 27.3%. Inoculation with L. antibioticus HS124 decreased the appearance of fungal diseases in jujube farms and increased the fruit yield by decreasing fruit wilting and dropping. In addition, L. antibioticus HS124 produced the phytohormone auxin to promote vegetative growth, thereby increasing the fruit size. The yield of jujube fruits after L. antibioticus HS124 inoculation was increased by 6284.67 g/branch, which was 2.9-fold higher than that of the control. Auxin also stimulated fine root development and nutrient uptake in jujube trees. The concentrations of minerals, such as K, Ca, Mg, and P in jujube fruits after L. antibioticus HS124 inoculation were significantly increased (1.4- to 2.0-fold greater than the concentrations in the control). These results revealed that L. antibioticus HS124 could not only control fungal diseases but also promote fruit yield in jujube farms.

Influence of Different Drying Techniques on Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity and Colour of Ziziphus jujube Mill. Fruits.

This study was to present the effect of different parameters of combined methods of drying such as vacuum-microwave (VMD: 480, 120 W), hot air (CDD: 70, 60, 50 °C) and combined methods as pre-drying by CD and finish drying by VMD (CD-VMD: 60 °C + 480/120W) in order to avoid a rapid increase in temperature at the critical moisture content of ca. 1 kg/kg dm (dry mass). Control samples were prepared by freeze-drying (FD). Drying kinetics, including the temperature profile of dried material, as well as on some quality factors of the finished product as phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and color were evaluated. The increase in air temperature during CD as well as the increase in material temperature during VMD deteriorated dried product quality in terms of the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and color. Dried jujube fruits have a long shelf life and therefore may be a fine alternative to fresh fruit all year round.

Effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency in jujube (Ziziphus jujube Mill.) plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region, China

Jujube (Ziziphus jujube Mill.) is a traditional economic forest crop and is widely cultivated in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, China. However, soil desiccation was discovered in jujube plantations. Pruning is recognized as a water-saving method that can reduces soil water consumption. In this study, we monitored the jujube plots with control (CK), light (C1), medium (C2) and high (C3) pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015 to explore the effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency (WUE) of jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region. The results showed that pruning is an effective method for soil water conservation in jujube plantations. Soil moisture increased with increasing pruning intensity during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015. C1, C2 and C3 pruning intensities increased soil water storage by 6.1–18.3, 14.4–40.0 and 24.3–63.3 mm, respectively, compared to CK pruning intensity. Pruning promoted soil moisture infiltration to deeper soil layer. Soil moisture infiltrated to soil depths of 240, 280 and >300 cm under C3 pruning intensity, 220, 260 and 260 cm under C2 pruning intensity, 200, 240 and 220 cm under C1 pruning intensity, and 180, 200 and 160 cm under CK pruning intensity in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Soil water deficit was alleviated by higher pruning intensity. In 2013–2015, soil water change was positive under C2 (6.4 mm) and C3 (26.8 mm) pruning intensities but negative under C1 (−20.5 mm) and CK (−40.6 mm) pruning intensities. Moreover, pruning significantly improved fresh fruit yield and WUE of jujube plants. Fresh fruit yields were highest under C1 pruning intensity with the values of 6897.1–13,059.3 kg/hm2, which were 2758.4–4712.8, 385.7–1432.1 and 802.8–2331.5 kg/hm2 higher than those under CK, C2, and C3 pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015, respectively. However, C3 pruning intensity had the highest WUE values of 2.92–3.13 kg/m3, which were 1.6–2.0, 1.1–1.2 and 1.0–1.1 times greater than those under CK, C1 and C2 pruning intensities, respectively. Therefore, C3 pruning intensity is recommended to jujube plantations for its economic and ecological benefits. These results provide an alternative strategy to mitigate soil desiccation in jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region, which is critical for sustainable cultivation of economic forest trees in this region.