Accumulation Of Organic Acids Research Articles

Alleviating phytotoxicity of soils biosolarized with almond processing residues

Biosolarization is a method for controlling soil pests and pathogens where biomass amendments are incorporated into soil and fermented under thermophilic conditions. Endogenous and fermentative organic acid biopesticides derived from the amendments can disinfest soil without the use of potentially harmful chemical fumigants. However, these biopesticides can be phytotoxic if they linger through crop establishment. This study assessed the phytotoxicity of soils amended with prominent agricultural residues – almond hulls and shells – with and without simulated biosolarization. Germination indices (GI) calculated from radish seedlings were used to measure phytotoxicity of soil amended with 0.3125 to 2.5% biomass by dry weight. Biosolarized soils were initially highly phytotoxic, and GI was negatively correlated to the concentration of succinic, acetic, and lactic acid found in treated soils. Aeration of biosolarized soil successfully improved GI and decreased organic acid concentrations. Decreasing almond residue particle size to less than 0.5 mm also aided phytotoxicity removal for certain biosolarization scenarios. This study concludes that biosolarization with low amendment rates (0.3–0.6%) would be ideal for field application, as they generated high initial organic acid accumulation (27–131 mM), but phytotoxicity could be eliminated after only one week of aeration. The results of this study will be useful for formulating land application strategies for almond residue biomass and addressing a key barrier to adoption for biosolarization as a fumigant alternative.

Organic acid metabolites involved in local adaptation to altitudinal gradient in Agriophyllum squarrosum, a desert medicinal plant.

Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq., a pioneer plant endemic to the temperate deserts of Asia, could be domesticated into an ideal crop with outstanding ecological and medicinal characteristics. A previous study showed differential organic acid accumulation between two in situ altitudinal ecotypes. To verify whether this accumulation was determined by environmental or genetic factors, we conducted organic acid targeted metabolic profiling among 14 populations of A. squarrosum collected from regions with different altitudes based on a common garden experiment. Results showed that the most abundant organic acid in A. squarrosum was citric acid (96.03%, 2322.90μgg-1). Association analysis with in situ environmental variables showed that salicylic acid content was positively correlated with altitudinal gradient. Considering the enrichment of salicylic acid and protocatechualdehyde in high-altitude populations based on the common garden experiment, and the high expression of their biosynthesis relative genes (i.e., PAL and C4H) in the in situ high-altitude ecotype, we propose that organic acid accumulation could be involved in local adaptation to high altitudes. This study not only addresses the molecular basis of local adaptation involving the accumulation of organic acids in the desert plant A. squarrosum but also provides a method to screen wild germplasms to mitigate the impact of global climate change.

Modulation of Phosphate Deficiency-Induced Metabolic Changes by Iron Availability in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Concurrent suboptimal supply of several nutrients requires the coordination of nutrient-specific transcriptional, phenotypic, and metabolic changes in plants in order to optimize growth and development in most agricultural and natural ecosystems. Phosphate (Pi) and iron (Fe) deficiency induce overlapping but mostly opposing transcriptional and root growth responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. On the metabolite level, Pi deficiency negatively modulates Fe deficiency-induced coumarin accumulation, which is controlled by Fe as well as Pi deficiency response regulators. Here, we report the impact of Fe availability on seedling growth under Pi limiting conditions and on Pi deficiency-induced accumulation of amino acids and organic acids, which play important roles in Pi use efficiency. Fe deficiency in Pi replete conditions hardly changed growth and metabolite profiles in roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana, but partially rescued growth under conditions of Pi starvation and severely modulated Pi deficiency-induced metabolic adjustments. Analysis of T-DNA insertion lines revealed the concerted coordination of metabolic profiles by regulators of Fe (FIT, bHLH104, BRUTUS, PYE) as well as of Pi (SPX1, PHR1, PHL1, bHLH32) starvation responses. The results show the interdependency of Pi and Fe availability and the interplay between Pi and Fe starvation signaling on the generation of plant metabolite profiles.

Effect of heat treatment with biopreparation on the quality of tomato fruit during storage

Tomato fruits are characterized by a high content of biologically active substances, which makes them an irreplaceable component of nutrition. However, tomatoes are perishable products and require additional measures to extend storage. One of the most problematic areas is the limited use of synthetic chemicals for processing fruit prior to storage. An alternative to them are natural exogenous preparations with antioxidant and disinfectant effects, which are environmentally friendly. However, the treatment of fruits with natural substances does not have sufficient efficiency in comparison with synthetic ones, which requires a combination with other post-harvest measures to increase cold stress. The object of research is the process of storing tomato fruits using heat treatment with a biological product. Numerous studies indicate the feasibility of using the processing of fruits with biological products to extend their storage duration. Standardized preparations based on bee products are of great interest. The research carried out in this work is aimed at extending the shelf life of tomato fruits while maintaining their quality by heat treatment of tomatoes with a solution of a biological product (tincture of the biomass of the larvae of the greater wax moth) before storage. In the course of the study, it was found that such treatment prolongs the shelf life of blank tomatoes up to 50 days, which is 40 % longer compared to the control. It has been proven that fruits treated with a biological product demonstrate a low level of metabolic processes. This is due to the fact that the proposed treatment slows down the rate of accumulation and degradation of sugars and organic acids. In particular, in fruits treated with a biological product, the sugar content is 8.8–10.6 % higher than in the control. The rate of decrease in the level of titratable acidity in the variants treated with the biological product is 15–19 % slower than in the control. The above results indicate the effectiveness of the use of a biological product for storing tomato fruits in comparison with similar measures.

Soil bacteria, genes, and metabolites stimulated during sulfur cycling and cadmium mobilization under sodium sulfate stress

Sodium sulfate stress is known to improve cadmium (Cd) mobilization in soil and microbial sulfur oxidation, Cd resistance, and the accumulation of stress tolerance-associated metabolites has been correlated with increased soil Cd availability and toxicity. In this study, aerobic soil microcosms with Cd-contamination were stimulated with sodium sulfate to investigate its effects on soil microbial community structure, functional genes, and associated metabolite profiles. Metagenomic analysis revealed that sulfur oxidizing and Cd-resistant bacteria carried gene clusters encoding sox, dsr, and sqr genes, and znt, czc, and cad genes, respectively. Exposure to sodium sulfate resulted in the reprogram of soil metabolites. In particular, intensification of sulfur metabolism triggered an up-regulation in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which promoted the secretion of carboxylic acids and their precursors by soil bacteria. The accumulation of organic acids induced in response to high sodium sulfate dosages potentially drove an observed increase in Cd mobility. Pseudomonas and Erythrobacter spp. exhibited a high capacity for adaptation to heavy metal- or sulfur-induced stress, evident by an increased abundance of genes and metabolites for sulfur cycling and Cd resistance. These results provide valuable insights towards understanding the microbial mechanisms of sulfur transformation and Cd dissolution under saline stress.

Comparison of fruit morphology and nutrition metabolism in different cultivars of kiwifruit across developmental stages.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia) is becoming increasingly popular worldwide due to its favorable flavour and high vitamin C content. However, quality parameters vary among cultivars. To determine the differences in quality and metabolic parameters of kiwifruit, we monitored the growth processes of ‘Kuilv’ (Actinidia arguta), ‘Hongyang’ (Actinidia chinensis) and ‘Hayward’ (Actinidia deliciosa). We found that ‘Kuilv’ required the shortest time for fruit development, while ‘Hayward’ needed the longest time to mature. The fruit size of ‘Hayward’ was the largest and that of ‘Kuilv’ was the smallest. Furthermore, ‘Hongyang’ showed a double-S shape of dry matter accumulation, whereas ‘Kuilv’ and ‘Hayward’ showed a linear or single-S shape pattern of dry matter accumulation during development. The three cultivars demonstrated the same trend for total soluble solids accumulation, which did not rise rapidly until 90–120 days after anthesis. However, the accumulation of organic acids and soluble sugars varied among the cultivars. During later fruit development, the content of glucose, fructose and quinic acid in ‘Kuilv’ fruit was far lower than that in ‘Hongyang’ and ‘Hayward’. On the contrary, ‘Kuilv’ had the highest sucrose content among the three cultivars. At maturity, the antioxidative enzymatic systems were significantly different among the three kiwifruit cultivars. ‘Hongyang’ showed higher activities of superoxide dismutase than the other cultivars, while the catalase content of ‘Hayward’ was significantly higher than that of ‘Hongyang’ and ‘Kuilv’. These results provided knowledge that could be implemented for the marketing, handling and post-harvest technologies of the different kiwifruit cultivars.

The Role of Metal Ions in Fungal Organic Acid Accumulation.

Organic acid accumulation is probably the best-known example of primary metabolic overflow. Both bacteria and fungi are capable of producing various organic acids in large amounts under certain conditions, but in terms of productivity-and consequently, of commercial importance-fungal platforms are unparalleled. For high product yield, chemical composition of the growth medium is crucial in providing the necessary conditions, of which the concentrations of four of the first-row transition metal elements, manganese (Mn2+), iron (Fe2+), copper (Cu2+) and zinc (Zn2+) stand out. In this paper we critically review the biological roles of these ions, the possible biochemical and physiological consequences of their influence on the accumulation of the most important mono-, di- and tricarboxylic as well as sugar acids by fungi, and the metal ion-related aspects of submerged organic acid fermentations, including the necessary instrumental analytics. Since producing conditions are associated with a cell physiology that differs strongly to what is observed under “standard” growth conditions, here we consider papers and patents only in which organic acid accumulation levels achieved at least 60% of the theoretical maximum yield, and the actual trace metal ion concentrations were verified.

Comparative metabolomics reveals that Agaricus bisporus fairy ring modulates the growth of alpine meadow plant on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The fairy ring is an ecological phenomenon that consists of a visible green ring composed of mushroom fruiting bodies and a green plant stimulating zone. Agaricus bisporus fairy ring stimulates the growth of alpine meadow plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, however, the underlying eco-physiological and molecular mechanisms still unclear. Here, using physiological and metabolomic analyses, we showed that A. bisporus fairy ring improves leaf growth of alpine meadow plant by modulating plant metabolism. A. bisporus fairy ring induces the accumulation of a set of amino acids in Kobresia humilis (one of the main plant species of alpine meadow), such as glutamine, asparagine, tryptophan and proline, etc., and thereby modulating nitrogen metabolism, plant growth and stress responses. A. bisporus fairy ring also affects sugar accumulation and carbon metabolism pathways in K. humilis plants. Furthermore, A. bisporus fairy ring alters the metabolite accumulation in soil. Increased accumulation of several organic acids and lipids in soil is beneficial to promote nutrient element uptake in plants and regulate microorganisms growth and propagation in soil. Taken together, our results indicated A. bisporus fairy ring affects alpine meadow plant growth by modulating carbon/nitrogen metabolism, stress responses, nutrient uptake and interaction between soil microorganisms and alpine meadow plants.

Anaerobic Mesophilic Co-Digestion of Swine Slurry and Hidrolyzate in Batch Reactors: A Case Study

The management of residual flows from swine farms, such as slurry and hydrolyzate, is a serious environmental problem in Portugal, so the search for new solutions is important, especially if they can be implemented in production sites, avoiding the transport of waste. Anaerobic co-digestion can configure a sustainable method of management and valorization of these flows in swine farms, resulting in biogas to produce energy and a digestate with agronomic value. The swine hydrolyzate is the product from the elimination of swine carcasses on the farms, through a hydrolysis process. Its use in the anaerobic process wasn’t found in the literature, identifying the need to evaluate its potential. Thus, anaerobic co-digestion of swine slurry and hydrolyzate was carried out and the main purpose of this research was to find the best feeding ratio between the two substrates in batch test, focusing on biogas production. The study was developed in two phases, both under mesophilic conditions. In the first one, using 100 ml syringes, the effect of the relative proportion of substrates on the anaerobic co-digestion potential was investigated and the effect of pressure sterilization of the substrates on biogas production was verified. In the second phase, a larger scale study was carried out in a 4,500 ml digestor, ran under the conditions identified as the most favorable in the preliminary tests. The results obtained allowed us to conclude that the largest volume of accumulated biogas was obtained with the proportion of 90.9% swine slurry: 9.1% swine hydrolyzate (v/v); and that the sterilization of the substrates doesn’t constitute an effective thermal pre-treatment. The larger scale test revealed an inefficient anaerobic process due to the inhibitory effect caused by the accumulation of ammonia and volatile organic acids. However, the production yield was 606.8 LBiogas/kgVS and 431.6 LMethane/kgVS, indicating that process allowed a production of biogas and methane higher than the values cited in literature for anaerobic digestion of swine slurry. This result showed that the use of swine hydrolyzate as a co-substrate results in a better balance of nutrients, promoting a better development of microorganisms.

Multiomics analysis provides insights into alkali stress tolerance of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Alkali stress is an extreme complex stress type, which exerts negative effects on plants via chemical destruction, osmotic stress, ion injury, nutrient deficiency, and oxygen deficiency. Soil alkalization has produced severe problems in some area, while plant alkali tolerance is poorly understood. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop with strong alkali tolerance. Here we exposed sunflower plants to alkali stress (NaHCO3/Na2CO3 = 9:1; pH 8.7) for whole life cycle. We applied transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and phytohormone analysis to elucidate the alkali tolerance mechanism of sunflower plant. Lipidomic analysis showed that alkali stress enhanced accumulation of saccharolipids and glycerolipids and lowered the accumulation of glycerophospholipids in sunflower seeds, indicating that alkali stress can change the lipid components of sunflower seeds, and that cultivating sunflower plants on alkalized farmlands will change the quality of sunflower seed oils. In addition, alkali stress downregulated expression of two rate-controlling genes of glycolysis in the leaves of sunflower but upregulated their expression in the roots. Enhanced glycolysis process provided more carbon sources and energy for alkali stress response of sunflower roots. Under alkali stress, accumulation of many fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, and organic acids was greatly stimulated in sunflower roots. Alkali stress enhanced ACC, GA1, and ABA concentrations in the leaves but not in the roots, however, alkali stress elevated accumulation of BR (typhasterol) and CTK (Isopentenyladenosine) in the roots. We propose that multiple phytohormones and bioactive molecules interact to mediate alkali tolerance of sunflower.

Metabolome and transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular profiles underlying the ginseng response to rusty root symptoms

BackgroundGinseng rusty root symptoms (GRS) is one of the primary diseases of ginseng. This disease leads to a severe decline in the quality of ginseng. It has been shown that the occurrence of GRS is associated with soil environmental degradation, which may involve changes in soil microbiology and physicochemical properties.ResultsIn this study, GRS and healthy ginseng (HG) samples were used as experimental materials for comparative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome. Compared with those in HG samples, 949 metabolites and 9451 genes were significantly changed at the metabolic and transcriptional levels in diseased samples. The diseased tissues’ metabolic patterns changed, and the accumulation of various organic acids, alkaloids, alcohols and phenols in diseased tissues increased significantly. There were significant differences in the expression of genes involved in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the peroxidase pathway, and the plant-pathogen interaction pathway.ConclusionThe current study involved a comparative metabolome and transcriptome analysis of GRS and HG samples. Based on the findings at the transcriptional and metabolic levels, a mechanism model of the ginseng response to GRS was established. Our results provide new insights into ginseng’s response to GRS, which will reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of this disease in ginseng.

Thermophilic biodigestion of fermented sugarcane molasses in high-rate structured-bed reactors: Alkalinization strategies define the operating limits

Energetic exploitation of sugarcane-derived byproducts via anaerobic digestion (AD) has recently been highlighted as an alternative to the conventional ethanol-producing approach. In this context, the thermophilic (55 °C) methane production from fermented molasses was assessed in the long-term (>200 d) continuous operation of two anaerobic structured-bed reactors. Two types of alkalinization strategies, namely, NaHCO3 dosing (RM1) and NaOH dosing coupled to effluent recirculation (RM2) were compared, as well as different levels of organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were applied to reach limiting operating conditions. Both alkalinization strategies provided an equivalent buffer control up to an OLR of 7.5 kg-CODt m−3 d−1, from which unwanted accumulation of organic acids was observed in RM2. NaHCO3 dosing enabled doubling the OLR (15.0 kg-CODt m−3 d−1) without performance deterioration, i.e., organic matter removal > 80.0% and maximum methane yield values. A detailed assessment of the food-to-microorganism ratio demonstrated the maintenance of stable operating conditions at excess substrate availability (>3.0 g-CODt g−1VSS d−1) in the feeding chamber (FDC) of the reactors, in which substrate conversion exceeded 70.0%. Organic overloads occurred only when biomass retention reached a saturation level in the FDC, hampering the uptake of volatile organic acids, regardless of the operating condition. In any case, the wide range of operating conditions (OLR = 2.5–15.0 kg-CODt m−3 d−1 and HRT = 24.0–36.0 h) associated with maximized methane production characterized a highly flexible process, which enables varied design arrangements in full-scale AD plants.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to organic acid and sugar accumulation in loquat.

Organic acids and sugars are the primary components that determine the quality and flavor of loquat fruits. In the present study, major organic acids, sugar content, enzyme activities, and the expression of related genes were analyzed during fruit development in two loquat cultivars, 'JieFangZhong' (JFZ) and 'BaiLi' (BL). Our results showed that the sugar content increased during fruit development in the two cultivars; however, the organic acid content dramatically decreased in the later stages of fruit development. The differences in organic acid and sugar content between the two cultivars primarily occured in the late stage of fruit development and the related enzymes showed dynamic changes in activies during development. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and mNAD malic dehydrogenase (mNAD-MDH) showed higher activities in JFZ at 95 days after flowering (DAF) than in BL. However, NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME) activity was the lowest at 95 DAF in both JFZ and BL with BL showing higher activity compared with JFZ. At 125 DAF, the activity of fructokinase (FRK) was significantly higher in JFZ than in BL. The activity of sucrose synthase (SUSY) in the sucrose cleavage direction (SS-C) was low at early stages of fruit development and increased at 125 DAF. SS-C activity was higher in JFZ than in BL. vAI and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activities were similar in the two both cultivars and increased with fruit development. RNA-sequencing was performed to determine the candidate genes for organic acid and sugar metabolism. Our results showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with the greated fold changes in the later stages of fruit development between the two cultivars were phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase 2 (PEPC2), mNAD-malate dehydrogenase (mNAD-MDH), cytosolic NADP-ME (cyNADP-ME2), aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT9), subunit A of vacuolar H+-ATPase (VHA-A), vacuolar H+-PPase (VHP1), NAD-sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH), fructokinase (FK), sucrose synthase in sucrose cleavage (SS-C), sucrose-phosphate synthase 1 (SPS1), neutral invertase (NI), and vacuolar acid invertase (vAI). The expression of 12 key DEGs was validated by quantitative reverese transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Our findings will help understand the molecular mechanism of organic acid and sugar formation in loquat, which will aid in breeding high-quality loquat cultivars.

Effect of different lactic acid bacteria on nitrite degradation, volatile profiles, and sensory quality in Chinese traditional paocai

Paocai is one of the most popular traditional fermented products in China. Different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have an important influence on the microbial changes, the dynamic changes of metabolites, and the sensory qualities of paocai. In this study, five different paocai groups were designed which were fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum DMDL 9010 (LP), Lactobacillus brevis GIM 1.773 (LB), Leuconostoc mesenteroides GIM 1.774 (LM), mixed three kinds of LAB (LP + LB + LM), pasteurization (PST) and natural fermentation (NF) without LAB. The nitrite, nitrate, pH, titratable acidity, viable count (LAB and yeast) and metabolites (organic acids, sugars and volatile substances) of these paocai groups were measured. Compared with each single bacterial fermentation (LP, LB and LM), NF and PST, the mixed three kinds of LAB (LP + LB + LM) had a lower nitrite peak, which could be attributed to the significant accumulation of organic acids, and positively affected sensory quality of paocai. Flavor substances produced in paocai samples confirmed as alcohols, ketones and olefins. Sensory evaluation showed that multi-bacteria mixed fermentation of paocai had a better flavor than that of NF, PST and single bacterial fermentation. Therefore, the use of multiple LAB as starter cultures contributes to enhance paocai qualities and control the levels of nitrite.

ВЛИЯНИЕ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ПРЕПАРАТОВ НА КОНСЕРВИРОВАНИЕ КОЗЛЯТНИКА ВОСТОЧНОГО (GALEGA ORIENTALIS LAM.)

Galega orientalis Lam. is a valuable forage crop due to its early regrowth, rapid growth, long-term use, high productivity and nutritional value. Given the uniqueness and wide range of applications, the study of the technology of harvesting haylage from this grass is very relevant. The purpose of the work is to conduct a comparative assessment of the process of preserving haylage from Galega orientalis in laboratory model experiments using the bio-preservative Bioamid-3 and plant growth regulator Melafen, as well as their complex application (Bioamid-3 + Melafen). The research was carried out in 2018-2019 in the department of agrobiological research Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture, Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences. According to the scheme of an experiment, in samples of green mass Galega orientalis Lam. the studied preparations were introduced: Bioamid-3 – 2.5 g/t, Melafen - 0.1 g/t; were tamped into hermetically sealed vessels with a capacity of 3.0 liters and sent for storage in a darkened room. Opening and further determination of the chemical composition of haylages according to the methods E.A. Petukhova’s was carried out on the 60th day of conservation. As a result of the experiments, it was found that due to the addition the drug Bioamid-3 in haylage, the preservation of crude protein increased by 3.55% (p <0.05), crude fiber - 0.23%, nitrogen-free extract (NFE) - 7.62% (p <0.05), crude fat - 1.41% (p <0.05) and metabolic energy concentration - 13.76% (p <0.05) in relation to the control sample without adding a preservative. Use of the combination Bioamid-3 + Melafen, along with an increase in crude protein by 1.9%, NFE - 3.71%, crude fat 0.74%, metabolic energy 12.59% (p <0.05) made it possible to achieve the optimal value pH at 4.45 and an increase in the accumulation of organic acids by 0.44% (p <0.05) in the finished feed

Adaptation pattern of trembesi (Samanea saman Jacq. Merr.) seedling to lead exposure at nutrient culture based on the characteristics of organic acid

Lead (Pb) is known as one of the dangerous heavy metals which may spread in the environment due to industrial, domestic, agricultural and other human activities. The use of plants for cleaning up contamination which is known as phytoremediation requires information on the ability of plants to tolerate heavy metal exposure. The aim of this study was to determine the adaptation pattern of trembesi (Samanea saman Jacq. Merr) seedlings to lead (Pb) exposure based on the characteristics of organic acids content. Trembesi seedlings were grown on nutrient culture with Pb treatment of 0.5,1.5 and 2.5 mM for 7 days. The percentage of seedling life was counted and the organic acids content was observed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the life percentage of trembesi seedling exposed to lead up to 1.5mM reached 100%, but it decreased to 60% when it was exposed to 2.5 mM of lead. Trembesi seedlings produced all three organic acids investigated as oxalic, malic and citric acid. The increase of lead exposure from 0.5 to 1.5 and 2.5 mM, caused a significantly increase of oxalic acid exudation from 0.346 to 0.545 and 0.668 µg/mL respectively. At the same time, they also induced the accumulation of citric acid from 46.4481 to 63,668 and 83,516 µg/g respectively. This shows that trembesi has the adaptability to lead by a combination of external and internal mechanisms involving organic acids accumulation.

Orthopaedic Problems in 35 Patients With Organic Acid Disorders.

Organic acid disorders (OADs) are a subset of inborn errors of metabolism that result in a toxic accumulation of organic acids in the body, which can lead to metabolic derangements and encephalopathy. Patients with these disorders are managed by a team of biochemical geneticists and metabolic nutritionists. However, subspecialists such as neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons are often needed to help manage the sequelae of the metabolic derangements. The breadth of orthopaedic sequelae of these disease states is poorly understood. Herein, we describe orthopaedic problems associated with 5 types of OAD most commonly seen at our institution: maple syrup urine disease, methylmalonic aciduria, propionic aciduria, pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, and glutaric aciduria type 1. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 35 patients with an OAD who were seen at our academic tertiary care center from May 1999 to May 2020. Patients were grouped into cohorts according to OAD type and analyzed for orthopaedic presentations of hip, knee, or foot disorders, presence and severity of scoliosis, history of fracture, movement disorders, and osteopenia/osteoporosis. Of the 35 patients, 13 had maple syrup urine disease, 12 had methylmalonic aciduria, 4 had propionic aciduria, 4 had pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, and 2 had glutaric aciduria type 1. Associated orthopaedic problems included spasticity causing neuromuscular scoliosis and/or hip subluxation or dislocation (10 patients), fractures (7 patients), and osteopenia/osteoporosis (7 patients). Overall, 22 of 35 patients had some orthopaedic condition. Most in this cohort of patients with OAD also had an orthopaedic abnormality. It is important for physicians treating these patients to understand their propensity for musculoskeletal problems. When treating patients with OAD, it is important to initiate and maintain communication with specialists in several disciplines and to develop collaborative treatments for this unique population. Level IV-prognostic study.

Postharvest Dehydration Temperature Modulates the Transcriptomic Programme and Flavonoid Profile of Grape Berries.

Raisins are a popular and nutritious snack that is produced through the dehydration of postharvest grape berries under high temperature (HT). However, the response of the endogenous metabolism of white grape varieties to postharvest dehydration under different temperature have not been fully elucidated to date. In this study, the white grape cultivar ‘Xiangfei’ was chosen to investigate the effect of dehydration at 50 °C, 40 °C, and 30 °C on the transcriptomic programme and metabolite profiles of grape berries. Postharvest dehydration promoted the accumulation of soluble sugar components and organic acids in berries. The content of gallic acid and its derivatives increased during the dehydration process and the temperature of 40 °C was the optimal for flavonoids and proanthocyanidins accumulation. High-temperature dehydration stress might promote the accumulation of gallic acid by increasing the expression levels of their biosynthesis related genes and regulating the production of NADP+ and NADPH. Compared with that at 30 °C, dehydration at 40 °C accelerated the transcription programme of 7654 genes and induced the continuous upregulation of genes related to the heat stress response and redox homeostasis in each stage. The results of this study indicate that an appropriate dehydration temperature should be selected and applied when producing polyphenols-rich raisins.

Identification of genes associated with soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in 'Huapi' kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia Swingle) via transcriptome analysis.

The levels and ratios of sugar and acid are important contributors to fruit taste. Kumquat is one of the most economically important citrus crops, but information on the soluble sugar and organic acid metabolism in kumquat is limited. Here, two kumquat varieties - 'Rongan' (RA) and its mutant 'Huapi' (HP) - were used to assess soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and the related genes. Soluble sugars include sucrose, glucose and fructose, while malate, quinic acid and citrate are the dominant organic acids in the fruits of both kumquat varieties. HP accumulated more sugars but fewer organic acids than did RA. Transcriptome analysis revealed 63 and 40 differentially expressed genes involved in soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation, respectively. The genes associated with sugar synthesis and transport, including SUS, SPS, TST, STP and ERD6L, were up-regulated, whereas INVs, FRK and HXK genes related to sugar degradation were down-regulated in HP kumquat. For organic acids, the up-regulation of PEPC and NAD-MDH could accelerate malate accumulation. In contrast, high expression of NAD-IDH and GS resulted in citric acid degradation during HP fruit development. Additionally, the PK, PDH, PEPCK and FBPase genes responsible for the interconversion of soluble sugars and organic acids were also significantly altered in the early development stages in HP. The high sugar accumulation in HP fruit was associated with up-regulation of SUS, SPS, TST, STP and ERD6L genes. The PEPCK, PEPC, NAD-MDH, NADP-IDH, GS and FBPase genes played important roles in acid synthesis and degradation in HP kumquat. These findings provide further insight into understanding the mechanisms underlying metabolism of sugars and organic acids in citrus. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Girdling stimulates anthocyanin accumulation and promotes sugar, organic acid, amino acid level and antioxidant activity in red plum: An overview of skin and pulp metabolomics

Girdling is a widespread agronomic technique to increase the fruit quality characteristics (e.g. size, solid soluble content [SSC] and colour). However, the information on the fruit metabolic changes related to this practice still remains unclear and fragmentary. Moreover, girdling duration and application time may greatly affect the plant/fruit metabolic responses producing sometimes counterproductive results. Fruit quality, metabolomic and antioxidant analyses were conducted to characterise the effects of two different girdling dates (4- and 2-weeks before the harvest, 4 W and 2 W, respectively) in skin and pulp of red-fleshed plum (Prunus cerasifera var. pissardii). Overall, the pulp metabolism was altered in both 4 W and 2 W Girdling by inducing accumulation of sugars (sucrose and trehalose), sugar alcohols (inositol and xylitol), organic acids (especially some TCA cycle intermediates such as α-ketoglutaric, citric, isocitric, fumaric and malic acid), amino acids (ß-alanine and L-proline), anthocyanins and other phenols. In the skin only girdling 4 W showed major significant differences compared to the control increasing the fruit quality characteristics (size, SSC, dry matter and red colour) and showing greater metabolic changes with respect to the controls. Furthermore, the total antioxidant activity was also increased in both skin and pulp respect to other treatment only in Girdling 4 W. This approach could be used with both P. cerasifera plums as well as other red-fleshed fruit species in order to ensure red-fleshed fruits production with a uniform red colouration and higher content of bioactive compounds.