Cauliflower Research Articles

Gelatin film cross-linked with laccase-catalyzed purple cauliflower extract and coated with Zn-carbon dots exhibits excellent physicochemical properties and functionality for intelligent and active packaging

Preparation of oxidized purple cauliflower extract (OPE) was conducted by laccase oxidation and served as a reinforcing agent for enhancing physicochemical properties of gelatin (Gel) films. Chitosan (CS) loaded with biowaste-derived Zn-carbon dots (Zn-CD) coating further enhanced the functionality and stability of Gel/OPE film. Structural characterization revealed that OPE and Gel form Schiff base bonds and hydrogen bonds. After the formation of CS/Zn-CD coating, hydrogen bonds formed between CS and Zn-CD, and CS and Gel were closely bonded through electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. OPE crosslinking and CS/Zn-CD coating improve mechanical, barrier properties and water resistance of Gel films. CS/Zn-CD coating improved antibacterial and antioxidant ability and illumination stability of composite film, effectively reflected the freshness of salmon during storage. Hence, the functional Gel films developed in this study is hopeful candidate for intelligent and active food packaging application.

Pesticides in widely consumed vegetables in Bangladesh and its health risk

ABSTRACT This study analysed pesticide residues in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis) and bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), two widely consumed vegetables in Bangladesh, and assessed the associated human health risks. Vegetables were analysed using a modified QuEChERS extraction, followed by gas chromatography with flame thermionic and electron capture detectors. Results showed that in 36.7% of the samples pesticide residues were detected, 90.9% of which exceeding the MRLs of the European Commission, so highlighting serious food safety concerns. Multiple residues were detected in some samples, with chlorpyrifos being the most common present, followed by diazinon, dimethoate and quinalphos. Human health risks, calculated by estimated daily intake and hazard index, indicated potential non-carcinogenic risks from the present pesticides. This study may assist policymakers and authorities in developing strategies for safe vegetable production and quality monitoring to ensure food safety.

Fungicide-Resistant Botrytis in Forest Nurseries May Impact Disease Control in Norway Spruce.

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis spp., is a serious problem in Norway spruce seedling production in forest nurseries. From 2013 to 2019, 125 isolates of Botrytis were obtained from eight forest nurseries in Norway: 53 from Norway spruce seedlings, 16 from indoor air, 52 from indoor surfaces, and four from weeds growing close to seedlings. The majority of isolates were identified as B. cinerea, and over 60% of these were characterized as Botrytis group S. B. pseudocinerea isolates were obtained along with isolates with DNA sequence similarities to B. prunorum. Fungicide resistance was assessed with a mycelial growth assay, and resistance was found for the following: boscalid (8.8%), fenhexamid (33.6%), fludioxonil (17.6%), pyraclostrobin (36.0%), pyrimethanil (13.6%), and thiophanate-methyl (50.4%). Many isolates (38.4%) were resistant to two to six different fungicides. A selection of isolates was analyzed for the presence of known resistance-conferring mutations in the cytb, erg27, mrr1, sdhB, and tubA genes, and mutations leading to G143A, F412S, ΔL497, H272R, and E198A/F200Y were detected, respectively. Detection of fungicide resistance in Botrytis from Norway spruce and forest nursery facilities reinforces the necessity of employing resistance management strategies to improve control and delay development of fungicide resistance in the gray mold pathogens.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

BoMYB2 plays a key role in anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco plants overexpressing BoMYB2, BoTT8 and BoTTG1 transcription factors from purple cauliflower

BoMYB2 plays a key role in anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco plants overexpressing BoMYB2, BoTT8 and BoTTG1 transcription factors from purple cauliflower

Development and evaluation of consumer properties of functional canned meat

The article presents the results of a study of the combination of plant extracts of caulifl ower and stinging nettle in canned poultry and beef. In the course of the study, the optimal amounts of additives were established, as well as the organoleptic, physico-chemical, and microbiological indicators of the quality of fi nished products were examined. The article presents the main functional properties of canned meat, developed on the basis of a combination of vegetable and animal raw materials. As a result of the research, a method to increase the nutritional value and microbiological safety of canned meat is proposed.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling reveal the role of BoMYB2 in flavor regulation mechanism and coloration in the postharvest purple cauliflower

Purple (Pr) mutant cauliflower has a bright color and high nutritional value. During postharvest storage, purple cauliflower fades in color and gradually develops a pungent flavor, which directly affects its commercial value. In this study, six anthocyanin-related metabolites were identified in postharvest Pr mutants via metabolomic analyses. Gene–metabolite association analysis revealed that 6-gingerol was the main component responsible for the pungent flavor of the Pr mutant, and that this compound was a component of the stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and gingerol biosynthesis pathways. The pungent flavor was correlated with the expression level of caffeoyl coenzyme A O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT). In vitro experiments confirmed that the transcription factor (TF) BoMYB2 specifically binds to the BoCCoAOMT promoter through the MBS site. Additionally, transient expression analysis confirmed that BoMYB2 negatively regulates BoCCoAOMT transcription and promotes 6-gingerol accumulation, thereby influencing flavor formation in the Pr mutant. Our findings reveal the key genes and TF for the flavor-related transcriptional regulatory mechanism of postharvest Pr mutant cauliflower, and provide a valuable basis for developing postharvest preservation technology for commercial crops.

Isothiocyanate-Rich Extracts from Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea Var. Botrytis) and Radish (Raphanus sativus) Inhibited Metabolic Activity and Induced ROS in Selected Human HCT116 and HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and radish contain isothiocyanates exhibiting chemoprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. This research aimed to assess the impact of cauliflower (CIE) and radish (RIE) isothiocyanate extracts on the metabolic activity, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and LDH production of selected human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HCT116 and HT-29 for early and late colon cancer development, respectively). Non-cancerous colon cells (CCD-33Co) were used as a cytotoxicity control. The CIE samples displayed the highest allyl isothiocyanate (AITC: 12.55 µg/g) contents, whereas RIE was the most abundant in benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC: 15.35 µg/g). Both extracts effectively inhibited HCT116 and HT-29 metabolic activity, but the CIE impact was higher than that of RIE on HCT116 (IC50: 0.56 mg/mL). Assays using the half-inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of all treatments, including AITC and BITC, displayed increased (p < 0.05) LDH (absorbance: 0.25-0.40 nm) and ROS release (1190-1697 relative fluorescence units) in both cell lines. BITC showed the highest in silico binding affinity with all the tested colorectal cancer molecular markers (NF-kB, β-catenin, and NRF2-NFE2). The theoretical evaluation of AITC and BITC bioavailability showed high values for both compounds. The results indicate that CIE and RIE extracts display chemopreventive effects in vitro, but additional experiments are needed to validate their effects.

Ectopic expression of two CAULIFLOWER genes from mango caused early flowering in Arabidopsis

APETALA1 (AP1), CAULIFLOWER (CAL) and FRUITFULL (FUL) were homologous genes with redundant functions in the process of flower transformation and floral development in Arabidopsis. Two CALs genes, MiCAL1 and MiCAL2, were cloned from mango (Mangifera indica L.). Their full-length sequences contained 717 bp and 714 bp, encoding 239 and 238 amino acids, respectively. Both the MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 proteins contained typical MADS-box and K-box domains and therefore belonged to the CAL-like protein family. MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 were expressed in all tissues at the inflorescence elongation stage and flowering stage, with the highest expression in the leaves at the flowering stage. They had similar expression patterns during flower development, with the highest expression levels in leaves during flower differentiation and the lowest expression levels during fruit development. Overexpression of MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 resulted in significantly earlier flowering in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of MiCAL1 resulted in terminal flowers with normal flower organs, while overexpression of MiCAL2 induced partially variation in floral organs but had no effect on inflorescences. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) experiments showed that MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 can interact with several flower-related proteins as well as stress response proteins, such as SEP1, SVP1, SVP2, SOC1G and Di19-4. These results suggest that these two MiCALs genes may have an important influence on mango flowering.

Intelligent films of marine polysaccharides and purple cauliflower extract for food packaging and spoilage monitoring

In this study, metalloanthocyanin-inspired, biodegradable packaging films were developed by incorporating purple cauliflower extracted (PCE) anthocyanins into alginate (AL)/carboxymethyl chitosan (CCS) hybrid polymer matrices based on complexation of metal ions with these marine polysaccharides and anthocyanins. PCE anthocyanins-incorporated AL/CCS films were further modified with fucoidan (FD) because this sulfated polysaccharide can form strong interactions with anthocyanins. Metals-involved complexation (Ca2+ and Zn2+-crosslinked films) improved the mechanical strength and water vapor permeability but reduced the swelling degree of the films. Zn2+-cross-linked films exhibited significantly higher antibacterial activity than did pristine (non-crosslinked) and Ca2+-cross-linked films. The metal ion/polysaccharide-involved complexation with anthocyanin reduced the release rate of anthocyanins, increased the storage stability and antioxidant capability, and improved the sensitivity of the colorimetric response of the indicator films for monitoring the freshness of shrimp. The anthocyanin-metal-polysaccharide complex film showed great potential as active and intelligent packaging of food products.

Development of Smart Colorimetric Sensing Films Carbohydrate-Based with Soybean Wax and Purple Cauliflower Anthocyanins for Visual Monitoring of Shrimp Freshness

Development of Smart Colorimetric Sensing Films Carbohydrate-Based with Soybean Wax and Purple Cauliflower Anthocyanins for Visual Monitoring of Shrimp Freshness

Performance Evaluation of Cauliflower Cultivars in Mid-Hills of Nepal for Winter Season Production

Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea botrytis) is one of the most popular and demanded vegetables in Nepal. Five cultivars: Barkha, Girija, Giewont, Whistler and Snow Mystique were transplanted in the first week of October 2016 and 2017 in the mid-hills (Kathmandu valley, 1300 masl) and grown during the winter season with 60X45 cm spacing. Source seed of Snow Mystique was Takii Seed Japan and the rest were Montsanto Seed, India. Crops were fertilized with 200:120:80N.P.K Kg/ha and 15-ton FYM/ha. Insecticide and fungicide were sprayed one time in the early period for crop establishment. The main objective of this experiment was to find out suitable high yielding and insect pest and disease tolerant hybrid cauliflower cultivars for commercial farming in the mid-hills of Nepal. Crops were evaluated with their vegetative, insect pest and disease, yield and farmers' and consumers' response in two consecutive years. Results showed that among the tested cultivars, Barkha was found to be highly uniform, vigorous, less attacked by insect pests and disease, early harvestable (62.7 days after transplanting), efficient per day yield (487.7 kg/ha), preferable average head weight (1039 g), freshness (4.3) and market preference (4.0) as compared to check variety Snow Mystique. On the other hand, Snow Mystique has only yield efficiency (436.2 kg/ha/day), greater insect damage and leaf spot disease, longer days to harvest (101 days), and freshness (3.8), respectively. Hence, Barkha has been selected and recommended for commercial cultivation in the mid-hills of Nepal.

Pervasive fungicide resistance in Botrytis from strawberry in Norway: Identification of the grey mould pathogen and mutations

AbstractControl of grey mould, caused by Botrytis spp., is a major challenge in open field strawberry production. Botrytis was isolated from plant parts collected from 19 perennial strawberry fields with suspected fungicide resistance in the Agder region of Norway in 2016. Resistance to boscalid, pyraclostrobin and fenhexamid was high and found in 89.1%, 86.0% and 65.4% of conidia samples, respectively. Multiple fungicide resistance was common; 69.6% of conidia samples exhibited resistance to three or more fungicides. Botrytis group S and B. cinerea sensu stricto isolates were obtained from 19 and 16 fields, respectively. The sdhB, cytb, erg27 and mrr1 genes of a selection of isolates were examined for the presence of mutations known to confer fungicide resistance to boscalid, pyraclostrobin, fenhexamid and pyrimethanil plus fludioxonil, respectively. Allele‐specific PCR assays were developed for efficient detection of resistance‐conferring mutations in cytb. Among B. cinerea isolates, 84.7%, 86.3% and 61.3% had resistance‐conferring mutations in sdhB, cytb and erg27, respectively. A triplet deletion in mrr1, resulting in ΔL497, commonly associated with the multidrug resistance phenotype MDR1h, was detected in 29.2% of Botrytis group S isolates. High frequencies of resistance to several fungicides were also detected in Botrytis from both imported and domestically produced strawberry transplants. Fungicide resistance frequencies were not different among fields grouped by level of grey mould problem assessed by growers, indicating factors other than fungicide resistance contributed to control failure, a fact that has important implications for future management of grey mould.

Heavy Metals in Widely Consumed Vegetables Grown in Industrial Areas of Bangladesh: a Potential Human Health Hazard.

The prevalence of heavy metals in frequently consumed vegetables constitutes a considerable public health hazard. This study aims to determine the quantity of heavy metals in widely consumed watercress (WC), alligator weed (AW), red amaranth (RA), spinach (SP), cauliflower (CF), and eggplant (EP) cultivated in industrial areas (e.g., Narsingdi district) of Bangladesh to assess the potential health hazards. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) served to determine the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in vegetable samples (n = 72). The contents of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni were found in most of the analyzed vegetables, whereas 79.17%, 44.44%, and 1.39% samples exceeded the FAO/WHO maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for Pb, Cd, and Ni, respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of single heavy metal was below the corresponding maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI). The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values of Cd in all samples exceeded the threshold limit (ILCR > 10-4) for both adults and children, indicating lifetime cancer risk due to the consumption of contaminated vegetables. The target hazard quotient (THQ) of each heavy metal was THQ < 1.0 (except Ni in few samples), indicating that consumers have no non-cancer risk when exposed to a single heavy metal. However, hazard index (HI) values of heavy metals were greater than unity in contaminated WC and AW for adults and children. Meanwhile, WC, AW, and SP samples for children emerged as potential health risks of inhabitants in the studied areas. The outcomes of the present investigation might assist the regulatory bodies concerned in setting new strategies through monitoring the quality of marketed vegetables to minimize the risks to humans.

Overexpression of CpWRKY75 from Chimonanthus praecox Promotes Flowering Time in Transgenic Arabidopsis.

WRKY transcription factors play critical roles in the physiological processes of plants. Although the roles of WRKYs have been characterized in some model plants, their roles in woody plants, especially wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), are largely unclear. In this study, a wintersweet WRKY gene named CpWRKY75 belonging to group IIc was isolated and its characteristics were identified. CpWRKY75 is a nucleus-localized protein, and exhibited no transcriptional activation activity in yeast. CpWRKY75 was highly expressed in flowers at different bloom stages. Ectopic expression of CpWRKY75 significantly promoted the flowering time of transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), as determined by the rosette leaf number and first flower open time. The expression levels of flowering-related genes were quantified by qRT-PCR, and the results suggested that CpWRKY75 had obvious influence on the expression level of MICRORNA156C (MIR156C), SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3 (SPL3) and SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 9 (SPL9), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), LEAFY (LFY), SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1 (SOC1), APETALA1 (AP1), CAULIFLOWER (CAL), and FRUITFULL (FUL). These results suggest that CpWRKY75 might have a flowering time regulation function, and additionally provide a new gene resource for the genetic engineering of woody flowering plants.

Directions of Changes in the Content of Selected Macro- and Micronutrients of Kale, Rutabaga, Green and Purple Cauliflower Due to Hydrothermal Treatment

Little is still known about macro- and micronutrients in processed selected Brassica vegetables such as purple and green cauliflower, rutabaga and kale. This study evaluates the influence of different processing conditions (blanching and boiling) on the stability of selected macro- and micronutrients in the aforementioned vegetables. Results indicated that blanching and boiling affect the mineral content of Brassica vegetables. Of the examined Brassica vegetables, the largest losses were found for potassium and iron (on average by 39.72%).

Content determination of functional composition and antioxidant activity from six purple plants

Background: Nowadays, many purple vegetables are available in the market. These vegetables have rich content of anthocyanins, which gives them their characteristic purple color. A high intake of anthocyanin-rich vegetables/plant parts imparts potential beneficial effects. Therefore, in this study, we investigated six purple plants (SPPs; purple cauliflower, purple potato, purple lettuce, purple carrot, purple beans, and purple tomato) for their content of functional composition and their antioxidant activity. Materials and Methods: Anthocyanins from SPPs were extracted and purified by an optimized process. Then, we determined the total anthocyanin (TA) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C-3-G) content in the anthocyanin purified extracts (APEs) from the SPPs through pH difference and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods, respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power methods were used to test the antioxidant activities of the APEs. In addition, the contents of the total flavonoids, total polyphenol, Vitamin C, and dietary fiber from the SPPs were determined. Results: SPPs are rich in anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other compounds that show strong antioxidant activity. According to our results, anthocyanin content was the highest in purple cauliflower, which translated into the greatest antioxidant activity of the APEs of purple cauliflower. The content of total flavonoid, polyphenol, and Vitamin C in the purple lettuce was higher than that of the other plants. The highest content of dietary fiber was found in purple potato. Conclusion: According to our results, purple cauliflower is the most potential plants to the pharmaceutical industry. Our results provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of efficacy of the purple plants and exploitation.

Pesticide use in vegetable production in rural Uganda - A case study of Kabale District, South western Uganda

A study to investigate commonly grown vegetables, commonly used pesticides, and pesticide use practices was conducted in Kabale District, in South-western Uganda. This is because indiscriminate pesticide use and poor application practices can leave pesticide residues in food rendering it unsafe for consumption. The study revealed extensive pesticide application in Brassica oleracea; var. capitata (cabbage), Brassica oleracea; var. botrytis (cauliflower), Solanum lycopersicum, (tomato) and Beta vulgaris (beet root). Information obtained using interviews revealed that 16.5% of the traders in Kabale Municipality sold pesticides and 70% of the farmers in the major vegetable growing subcounties of Kaharo, Kyanamira and Kamuganguzi sprayed their vegetables with pesticides. Only 18% of the interviewed farmers could interpret instructions on pesticide container or bag labels correctly. All farmers (100%) had never attended any training on pesticide use. Cypermethrin, dimethoate, dichlorvos, metalaxyl, profenofos, malathion and mancozeb were mentioned as commonly used pesticides in vegetables grown in the district. Some of the farmers (42%) used mixed different pesticides in the vegetables. Limited knowledge about pesticide application, inability to interpret instructions, non-observance of pre-harvest intervals, mixing pesticides and lack of training on pesticide use contribute to pesticide use malpractices which may put farmers’ health at risk and reduce food quality. Therefore, there is need to address the identified knowledge gaps on safer pesticide application in order to attain safe agricultural productivity for sustainable food security, safeguarding human health and community development in Kabale District, Uganda. Key words: Pesticides, vegetables, pesticide use practices, Kabale District, Uganda.

Vegetable By-Products as New Sources of Functional Proteins.

Vegetable by-products, obtained from cauliflower (CA), broccoli (BRL), cabbage (CB) and beetroot (BR) can be a potentially good source of proteins. The proteins were obtained from leaves (LPs) of vegetables with alkaline extraction at pH10, and their isoelectric precipitation at pH4. Protein contents were in the range of 39.76 - 53.33%, and the molecular weights of fractions were mostly about 45, 25 and 14kDa. Their solubility is higher in the alkaline environment, where they reach the highest solubility at pH10 (9.7mg/mL for CALP, 8.45 for BRLP, 5.35mg/mL for CBLP, 5.5mg/mL for BELP). Moreover, they showed favorable emulsifying abilities, water absorption capacities (0.62 to 1.61g/g) and foaming capacity (86.3 to 92%) as well as stability (48.57 to 79.30%). Digestibility was studied using gastrointestinal proteases (pepsin and pancreatin), and all four LPs can easily be digested. The biologically active potential of the digests was evaluated measuring antioxidant capacity by two complementary methods - DPPH+ and ABTS+ radical cation scavenging activity. The values for DPPH+ and ABTS+ were in the range from 59 to 65.1% at 0.1 and 0.3mg/ml to 0.22mg/ml IC50 values, respectively. Therefore, it can be indicated from these results, that obtained LPs, owing to their good functional properties, may be considered as potential ingredients of health-promoting food and cosmetic products.

C-terminal domain of APETALA1 is essential for its functional divergence from CAULIFLOWER in Arabidopsis

APETALA1 (AP1) and CAULIFLOWER (CAL) are involved in floral meristem identity and suppress the inflorescence meristem program in flower meristem in Arabidopsis thaliana. Based on the ap1 mutant phenotype genetic studies demonstrated that it is involved in sepal and petal identity specification as well as bract suppression in flower. Despite having high sequence similarity with AP1, its closest paralog CAL does not show a defect in flower development. In ap1 cal1 double mutant, floral meristem turns into inflorescence meristem resulting in a cauliflower like phenotype. cal mutants appear like wild type, suggesting that AP1 compensates its function. Here, we report that AP1 can replace CAL by interacting its potential interactors. Functional studies using the truncated version of AP1 confirmed that the C-terminal domain of AP1 is exclusively involved in floral organ identity specification.

Disease Identification and Intimation of Cauli Flower Crop through Tensor Flow and Open CV

Disease Identification and Intimation of Cauli Flower Crop through Tensor Flow and Open CV