Red Berries Research Articles

Ocena aktywności olejku tatarakowego (Calami aetheroleum) wobec bakterii tlenowych i mikroaerofilnych

Introduction. Calamus (Acorus calamus L) grows in South and North America and Asia, it reached Europe with the invasions of the Tatars. It is a perennial with strongly branched, creeping, aromatic rhizome, strongly elongated, sword-shaped, pointed leaves. Reaches a height of up to 1 m. It has a cob-shaped inflorescence with green-yellow flowers. The fruits are small red berries, but in our climate calamus does not bear fruit. The extracts and essential oil obtained from the plant contain: ?- and ?-asarone, cyperenol, cyperol, acorin, acoritin, cyperenone, isoazarone, 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-hexanol, galgavin, sacuranin, retusin, isoeugenol, elemicin, safrole, geranyl acetate, spathulenol, borneol, eugenol, linalool, camphor and linoleic, polmitinic and palmitoleic acid. Both the extract and the essential oil have antimicrobial properties. Aim. The investigation activity of calamus oil on aerobic and microaerophilic bacteria. Material and methods. The aerobic and microaerophilic bacteria were isolated from oral cavity and upper respiratory tract. The strains belonging to following genera: Staphylococcus (7), Enterococcus (4), Corynebacterium (2), Acinetobacter (3), Citrobacter (2), Escherichia (4), Klebsiella (2), Pseudomonas (5), Serratia (2), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (11), Campylobacter (3), Eikenella (4), Rothia (2) and 7 reference strains were used. Investigation for aerobic bacteria was carried out in Mueller-Hinton agar which contain 2.5-20.0 mg/ml calamus oil (Semifarm) and incubation was carried out in 37°C for 24 hrs and for microaerophilic bacteria in range 0.12-2.0 mg/ml in Brucella agar with 5% sheep blood, and was incubated in anaerostats (CAMPY Pak, BBL) in 37°C for 48 hrs. The inoculums contained 10 5 CFU per spot. The lowest dilution of calamus oil that completely inhibited the growth of the tested bacteria was taken as the MIC. Results. The oil (10.0-15.0 mg/ml) inhibited the grows 4 strains from Staphylococcus aureus genus. MIC for remaining cocci were 15.0-? 20.0 mg/ml. The activity of calamus oil in the case of Gram-negative sticks turned out to be lower (15.0-? 20.0 mg/ml). The oil was more effective against microaerophilic bacteria (MIC 1.0-? 0.12 mg/ml). The strains from Campylobacter genus characterized the most susceptibility to oil (MIC ? 0.12-0.25 mg/ml). Until 81% of strains from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans genus was susceptible in concentrations ? 0.12-0.25 mg/ml. The rods from Eikenella and Rothia genus turned out to be sensitive to the concentration of the oil in the range of ? 0.12-1.0 mg/ml. Conclusions. The Gram-positive aerobic bacteria were most susceptible to calamus oil then Gram-negative rods. The oil was highly effective against microaerophilic bacteria of the Campylobacter sputorum species. Calamus oil showed higher activity against microaerophilic bacteria compared to aerobic microorganisms.

Kaolin impacts on hormonal balance, polyphenolic composition and oenological parameters in red grapevine berries during ripening

BACKGROUND: Kaolin particle-film application is a well-known strategy to avoid fruit damage. However, its putative role in balancing berry ripening under a changing climate remains poorly explored. OBJECTIVE: We assessed kaolin treatment effect on several ripening berry components, hormonal balance and oenological parameters of the field-grown Touriga-Franca (TF) and Touriga–Nacional (TN) grapevine varieties at veraison (EL35) and ripening (EL38) during two growing seasons (2017 and 2018). RESULTS: Under the adverse summer conditions (two heatwave events) of 2017, kaolin application increased 211.2 %and 51.4 %the salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) levels in TF berries at EL38, while no significant differences were observed in TN. Conversely, TF, and TN kaolin treated berries showed lower SA and ABA accumulation in 2018, respectively. Tartaric acid content increased about 17.2 %, and 24.2 %in TF and TN treated berries at stage EL35 in the 2017 growing season. Though kaolin treatment had no consistent effect on anthocyanins accumulation, flavonoids, ortho-diphenols and tannins increased in kaolin treated grapevines in 2017. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the key role of climate in triggering ripening related processes and fruit quality potential. Nevertheless, kaolin treated grapevines displayed an improved response to oxidative stress signals by increasing secondary metabolites accumulation in warm vintages. Kaolin application promoted different varietal responses, with a possible ripening delaying effect in TF, reinforcing its efficiency in alleviating severe summer stress impacts.

Vibrational Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics as Tool for Discriminating Organic vs. Conventional Culture Systems for Red Grape Extracts.

Food plants provide a regulated source of delivery of functional compounds, plant secondary metabolites production being also tissue specific. In grape berries, the phenolic compounds, flavonoids and non-flavonoids, are distributed in the different parts of the fruit. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of FTIR and Raman screening spectroscopic techniques combined with multivariate statistical tools to find patterns in red grape berry parts (skin, seeds and pulp) according to grape variety and vineyard type (organic and conventional). Spectral data were acquired and processed using the same pattern for each different berry part (skin, seeds and pulp). Multivariate analysis has allowed a separation between extracts obtained from organic and conventional vineyards for each grape variety for all grape berry parts. The innovative approach presented in this work is low-cost and feasible, being expected to have applications in studies referring to the authenticity and traceability of foods. The findings of this study are useful as well in solving a great challenge that producers are confronting, namely the consumers’ distrust of the organic origin of food products. Further analyses of the chemical composition of red grapes may enhance the capability of the method of using both vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics for discriminating the hydroalcoholic extracts according to grape varieties.

Pengaruh Tingkat Kematangan Buah terhadap Kehilangan Hasil dan Mutu Green Bean Kopi Robusta

<em>Kepahiang Robusta coffee has received a Geographical Indication (GI) certificate. Maintaining the quality of green coffee bean has been achieved through the application of proper harvesting technology. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fruit maturity level when harvested on yield losses due to coffee berry borer (CBB) and the quality of green coffee bean. The research was conducted from December 2019 to August 2020 in Bukit Sari Village, Kabawetan District, Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province. The harvested beans were categorized into 3 groups based on their maturity level, namely: red (K1), reddish yellow (K2), and yellowish green (K3). The parameters observed were the CBB infecteds, yield, physical quality of green coffee bean and chemical content. The results showed that the highest attack rate of CBB found in the red berry about 34.33%, whereas the highest rendement was 20.52% found in yellowish-green berry. The highest percentage of yield loss due to CBB attacks occurred in red berry at 30.23%. However, the best physical quality and chemical content was also found in the red berry.</em>

A High-Throughput Metabolic Microarray Assay Reveals Antibacterial Effects of Black and Red Raspberries and Blackberries against Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Helicobacter pylori infection is commonly treated with a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors. However, since H. pylori is becoming increasingly resistant to standard antibiotic regimens, novel treatment strategies are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated that black and red berries may have antibacterial properties. Therefore, we analyzed the antibacterial effects of black and red raspberries and blackberries on H. pylori. Freeze-dried powders and organic extracts from black and red raspberries and blackberries were prepared, and high-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure the concentrations of anthocyanins, which are considered the major active ingredients. To monitor antibiotic effects of the berry preparations on H. pylori, a high-throughput metabolic growth assay based on the Biolog system was developed and validated with the antibiotic metronidazole. Biocompatibility was analyzed using human gastric organoids. All berry preparations tested had significant bactericidal effects in vitro, with MIC90 values ranging from 0.49 to 4.17%. Antimicrobial activity was higher for extracts than powders and appeared to be independent of the anthocyanin concentration. Importantly, human gastric epithelial cell viability was not negatively impacted by black raspberry extract applied at the concentration required for complete bacterial growth inhibition. Our data suggest that black and red raspberry and blackberry extracts may have potential applications in the treatment and prevention of H. pylori infection but differ widely in their MICs. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Biolog metabolic assay is suitable for high-throughput antimicrobial susceptibility screening of H. pylori.

Effect of Microwave Maceration and SO2 Free Vinification on Volatile Composition of Red Wines.

This study evaluates the effect of microwave treatment in grape maceration at laboratory scale on the content of free and glycosidically bound varietal compounds of must and wines and on the overall aroma of wines produced with and without SO2. The volatile compounds were extracted by solid phase extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, carrying out a sensory evaluation of wines by quantitative descriptive analysis. Microwave treatment significantly increased the free and bound fraction of most varietal compounds in the must. Wines from microwave maceration showed faster fermentation kinetics and shorter lag phase, resulting in an increase in some volatile compounds of sensory relevance. The absence of SO2 caused a decrease in concentration of some volatile compounds, mainly fatty acids and esters. The sensory assessment of wines from microwave treatment was higher than the control wine, especially in wines without SO2, which had higher scores in the “red berry” and “floral” odor attributes and a more intense aroma. This indicates that the pre-fermentative treatment of grapes with microwaves could be used to increase the wine aroma and to reduce the occurrence of SO2.

The Evolution of Phenolic Compounds in Vitis vinifera L. Red Berries during Ripening: Analysis and Role on Wine Sensory—A Review

The study of phenolic maturity in Vitis vinifera L. requires a multidisciplinary approach to understand how the evolution of berry flavonoids and cell wall material influence the colour and the textures of red wine. This is a challenging issue which involves researchers of viticulture and enology, and the results of their work are of particular interest for the producers of high-quality red wines. This review reports the current knowledge regarding phenolic maturity, describing the sensorial traits of the different compounds, the evolution of berry flavonoids and the methodologies used to evaluate their characteristics. Finally, the role of cell wall material in influencing the extractability of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was shown. By means of a critical review of the results, it can be hypothesised that prolonged ripening improved colour characteristics and mouthfeel properties, thanks to the higher amounts of extractable skin flavonoids associated with lower amounts of seed proanthocyanidins, and to the increased affinity of the cell wall material for the proanthocyanidins most involved in the perception of unpleasant astringency.

Liquid Chromatographic Fingerprints for the Characterization of Flavanol-Rich Nutraceuticals Based on 4-Dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde Precolumn Derivatization

Flavanols consist of a great family of bioactive molecules displaying a wide range of health-promoting attributes for humans, including antioxidant, antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory effects. As a result, botanical species rich in this type of compound are often used to develop nutraceutical products or dietary supplements with recognized healthy attributes. This paper aims at characterizing nutraceutical products using liquid chromatographic fingerprints related to flavanol composition. Catechins and their oligomers were exploited to characterize and authenticate various commercial products prepared with extracts of red berries and medicinal plants. These compounds resulted in interesting descriptors of some fruits and vegetables, thus providing an additional perspective for the study of nutraceuticals. For such a purpose, a new method based on liquid chromatography with UV/Vis detection (HPLC–UV/Vis) with precolumn derivatization with 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde was developed. Results indicated that the separation of flavanols was very complex due to the degradation of procyanidin derivatives. The resulting data sets were analyzed using chemometric methods such as principal component analysis and partial least square–discriminant analysis. Despite the complexity of chromatographic fingerprints, nutraceutical samples could be discriminated according to their main ingredients. In general, catechin and epicatechin were the most abundant compounds in the different samples, and procyanidin A2 was highly specific to cranberry.

Effects of Several Preharvest Canopy Applications on Yield and Quality of Table Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) Cv. Crimson Seedless.

Modern viticultural areas are being confronted with the negative impacts of global warming on yield and fruit composition, with especially adverse effects on anthocyanin synthesis. Novel and sustainable tools, such as biostimulants, may represent a viable alternative to traditional cultural practices, thus promoting eco-friendly strategies to enhance the yield, fruit quality and abiotic stress tolerance of grapevines. ‘Crimson Seedless’ is a late-season red table grape variety, and due to climatic warming, its berries are frequently failing to acquire the commercially acceptable red color. Canopy applications of different biostimulants, namely, Kelpak®, Sunred®, Cytolan®, LalVigne™ Mature as well as Ethrel® Top, were tested on grapevine cv. Crimson Seedless grown under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions in order to evaluate their effects on yield and fruit quality. Some of the products were sprayed in canopies at labeled doses, and some were applied at doses reported in other studies. For the control treatment, canopies were sprayed with water. Sampling started at veraison and was repeated at 10-day intervals to measure the evolution of berry weight, length and diameter, as well as the total soluble solids and titratable acidity of the juice. The grapes were harvested when the berries of one of the treatments attained the commercially acceptable color. The greatest improvements in the red berry color were achieved with Sunred® (at a dose of 4 L ha−1) and Ethrel® Top (250 ppm plus glycerol at 1%), each applied at veraison and 10 days later. The different applications had varying effects on productivity and qualitative parameters. Only Sunred® improved the accumulation of anthocyanin and the overall acceptability of table grapes by consumers. The obtained results clearly demonstrate that applying Sunred® can improve the yield and qualitative parameters of the red table grape variety ‘Crimson Seedless’, indicating that this biostimulant could be a viable alternative to the most widely used plant growth regulator, ethephon.

Potential of non-<i>Saccharomyces</i> yeast for improving the aroma and sensory profile of Prokupac red wine

This work aimed to analyse the effect of non-Saccharomyces yeasts on the volatile composition, aromatic profile and sensory properties of wine made from autochthonous Serbian grape variety Prokupac (Vitis vinifera). Fermentation was performed with two commercial yeasts, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Torulaspora delbrueckii, in pure and sequential fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The standard analysis of produced wines indicated that the application of both non-Saccharomyces yeast (in pure or in sequential fermentation) significantly reduces the content of alcohol when compared to the control. The use of M. pulcherrima in both pure and sequential fermentation resulted in a higher content of different groups of polyphenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids or better colour characteristics compared to the wines obtained in fermentations with T. delbrueckii. HS-SPME GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 27 different compounds in the wine samples, with higher alcohols and ethyl esters being the most dominant. It was proven that the presence of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the initial stage of fermentation with later inoculation with S. cerevisiae contributes to increased complexity of the wine, as well as increased higher alcohol content and total extracts. Wines produced from sequential fermentation with T. delbrueckii showed floral and spice attributes, probably due to 1-pentanol and 2-phenylethanol detected in the wine, as well as to the large amount of ethyl acetate. The use of M. pulcherrima in pure fermentation resulted in wines with the lowest sensorial characteristics (i.e., lacking fruity and floral aroma) probably due to the lowest relative contribution of ethyl esters. The control wine in this study (from pure fermentation with S. cerevisie), had the most intense ‘red berries’ and ‘black berries’ note and low intensity of spices or vegetable aroma, which may be explained by the highest relative contribution of ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate. The PCA results also clearly differentiated the analysed samples produced in the sequential, pure and control fermentation trials, leading to the conclusion that the aromatic profile of Prokupac wines produced in sequential fermentation was more complex compared to the wines produced in pure fermentation.

The acute effect of cocoa and red-berries on visual acuity and cone-mediated dark adaptation in healthy eyes

• This study examines the acute effect of cocoa and red-berries polyphenols on retinal functions such as visual acuity (VA) and cone-mediated dark adaptation in healthy eyes. • Photopic visual acuity improved significantly after cocoa ingestion. • Mesopic or low luminance VA and dark adaptation was not affected by any of the two polyphenol diets. • The improvement in photopic visual acuity could be attributed to flavanols and Theobromine. The retina is a highly vascularized tissue with a high metabolic and oxygen demand responsible for human vision. Considering that the polyphenolic flavanols and anthocyanins have been shown to be beneficial for endothelial function and cerebral blood-flow, an acute randomized and controlled crossover trial with two different sources of polyphenols, anthocyanins from red-berries and flavanols from cocoa, was designed to better understand the effect of polyphenols on visual acuity (VA) and cone-mediated dark adaptation (DA). Thirty-seven healthy subjects (22.1 ± 2.0 years old) participated in the acute intervention for three times (red-berries, cocoa or vehicle-control) with a washout period of two weeks in-between. VA under photopic and low luminance (mesopic) conditions, DA or dynamic of recovery of contrast threshold (CT) following near-total photopigment bleach for 5 min, urine total polyphenols, theobromine and antioxidant power were measured in the three study-arms after 2-hours ingestion of the study-food. 3-hours postprandial urine showed higher levels of total polyphenols after ingestion of cocoa flavanols or red-berries anthocyanins in comparison with the vehicle-control and higher levels of theobromine only for the cocoa group. There was an increase in photopic VA with cocoa flavanols that with red-berries anthocyanins did not reach statistical significance. Both, cocoa and red berries, failed to improve mesopic VA and the cone time constant for contrast recovery and final CT of DA.

Evaluation of Anti-inflammatory and Anti-cancer Activity of Calcium Phosphate Encapsulated Resveratrol in Mouse Skin Cancer Model

Resveratrol, a non-flavonoid phenolic phytochemical present in red grapes and berries, has been reported to have significant health benefits. Resveratrol is known for its chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects in multiple cancers as well as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. But its higher lipophilicity, poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability remains a challenge for its usage as an effective chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent. To overcome this,we have prepared a biocompatible calcium phosphate encapsulated resveratrol (Nanoresveratrol; NRV) and studied its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities in the present study.Nanoresveratrol, unlike resveratrol, readily dispersed in aqueous media and showed a sustained release. Nanoresveratrol (NRV) and resveratrol (RV) showed comparable antioxidant activities. The anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of nanoresveratrol were studied for its inhibitory effect on 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced/12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) promoted skin inflammation and tumorigenesis mouse model. Nanoresveratrol showed a significant decrease of TPA-induced skin edema, ODC activity and thymidine incorporation when compared to resveratrol. Nanoresveratrol also inhibited chemical-induced tumorigenesis.Overall, the study results support that nanoresveratrol may represent a potential anti-cancer agent and warrants further investigations for the treatment of skin cancer.

Future CO2 , warming and water deficit impact white and red Tempranillo grapevine: Photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 and biomass allocation.

Due to the CO2 greenhouse effect, elevated atmospheric concentration leads to higher temperatures, accompanied by episodes of less water availability in semiarid and arid areas or drought periods. Studies investigating these three factors (CO2 , temperature and water availability) simultaneously in grapevine are scarce. The present work aims to analyze the combined effects of high CO2 (700 ppm), high temperature (ambient +4°C) and drought on the photosynthetic activity, biomass allocation, leaf non-structural carbon composition, and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio in grapevine. Two grapevine cultivars, red berry Tempranillo and white berry Tempranillo, were used, the latter being a natural, spontaneous mutant of the red cultivar. The experiment was performed on fruit-bearing cuttings during a 3-month period, from June (fruit set) to August (maturity). The plants were grown in research-oriented facilities, temperature-gradient greenhouses, where temperature, CO2 , and water supply can be modified in a combined way. Drought had the strongest effect on biomass accumulation compared to the other environmental variables, and root biomass allocation was increased under water deficit. CO2 and temperature effects were smaller and depended on cultivar, and on interactions with the other factors. Acclimation effects were observed on both cultivars as photosynthetic rates under high atmospheric CO2 were reduced by long-term exposition to elevated CO2 . Exposure to such high CO2 resulted in increased starch concentration and reduced C/N ratio in leaves. A correlation between the intensity of the reduction in photosynthetic rates and the accumulation of starch in the leaves was found after prolonged exposure to elevated CO2 .

Application of Red Currant Berries as a Basis of Food Ice

Application of Red Currant Berries as a Basis of Food Ice

Whitening and inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammation properties of the biotransformed green ginseng berry of new cultivar K1, ginsenoside Rg2 enriched, on B16 and LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

BackgroundMain bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions of ripened red ginseng berry (Panax ginseng Meyer) have been frequently reported. Yet, the research gap targeting the beneficial activities of transformed green ginseng berries has not reported elsewhere. MethodsGinsenosides of new green berry cultivar K-1 (GK-1) were identified by HPLC-QTOF/MS. Ginsenosides bioconversion in GK-1 by bgp1 enzyme was confirmed with HPLC and TLC. Then, mechanisms of GK-1 and β-glucosidase (bgp1) biotransformed GK-1 (BGK-1) were determined by Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western blot. ResultsGK-1 possesses highest ginsenosides especially ginsenoside-Re amongst seven ginseng cultivars including (Chunpoong, Huangsuk, Kumpoong, K-1, Honkaejong, Gopoong, and Yunpoong). Ginseng root’s biomass is not affected with the harvest of GK-1 at 3 weeks after flowering period. Then, Re is bio-converted into a promising pharmaceutical effect of Rg2 via bgp1. According to the results of cell assays, BGK-1 shows decrease of tyrosinase and melanin content in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone challenged-murine melanoma B16 cells. BGK-1 which is comparatively more effective than GK-1 extract shows significant suppression of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and inflammatory target genes, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. ConclusionThese results reported effective whitening and anti-inflammatory of BGK-1 as compared to GK-1.

First Report of Anthracnose on Jerusalem Cherry Caused by Colletotrichum liaoningense in Shandong, China.

Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum), which belongs to the genus Solanum and the family Solanaceae, possesses high ornamental value and is widely cultivated as an indoor ornament due to its bright red berries at maturity (Xu et al., 2018). In September 2019, leaf spot was detected on jerusalem cherry plants in Yuxiu Park, Shizhong district, Jinan, Shandong Province. Field surveys were done in a 1/15 ha park. Disease incidence was estimated at approximately 18% across the survey area. Foliar symptoms began as small white spots. As the disease progressed, lesions expanded and merged, and developed into large irregular white spots, with pale grey edge. At last, lesions were densely distributed throughout the leaves. To isolate the pathogen, twenty leaf tissues (5 × 5 mm) were cut from the border between diseased and healthy tissue, surface disinfected in 75% alcohol for 15 s, soaked in 0.1% mercuric chloride for 1 min, washed with sterile distilled water three times, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C. Nineteen fungal isolates were obtained and were single-spored to obtain pure cultures. The colony of LCL7, a representative isolate, on PDA was initially white to orange, but turned black after 3 to 4 days incubation with black conidial masses. Conidia were single-celled, hyaline, straight, cylindrical, apex obtuse, and ranged from 13.4 to 18.3 × 3.2 to 4.9 μm (n = 50) （Diao et al., 2017）. To validate the species identification, rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (White et al., 1990), and the partial sequences of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), β-tubulin (TUB2), and chitin synthase (CHS-1) (Damm et al., 2019; He et al., 2019), were amplified and sequenced. The ITS, GAPDH, ACT, TUB2, and CHS-1 sequences of isolate LCL7 were submitted to GenBank (MW221320, MW227217, MW227218, MW227219, and MW266988, respectively). ITS, ACT, TUB2, and CHS-1 BLAST showed 99-100% homology with sequences of Colletotrichum liaoningense (ITS, 100% to MH636504; ACT, 100% to MH622582; TUB2, 99.56% to MH622714, CHS-1, 99.33% to MH622446, respectively), although GAPDH showed 93.98% homology with sequence MH681383 (234/249bp). Neighbor-joining tree based on concatenated sequences of the five genes was constructed using MEGA7.0. The results showed the isolate was closely related to C. liaoningense. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the isolate LCL7 was identified as C. liaoningense. Pathogenicity tests were performed by spraying a conidial suspension (1 × 105 conidia/mL) on ten two-year-old healthy jerusalem cherry plants. Ten other plants with sterile water served as controls. All samples were incubated in a growth chamber at 25±2°C and transparent plastic bags to keep relative humidity high for 2 days. All inoculated plants showed symptoms similar to those observed in the field after 21 days, but no disease occurred on control plants. The same fungus was successfully reisolated from inoculated leaves and reidentified based on morphology and molecular characteristics, and the fungus was not isolated from the control plants, thus confirming Koch's postulates. Pathogenicity tests were repeated twice. C. liaoningense can cause anthracnose in chili and mango in China (Diao et al., 2017; Li et al., 2019).To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose on jerusalem cherry caused by C. liaoningense in China, which influences ornamental value and reduces market value. Identification of the causes of the disease will help develop effective strategies for managing this disease.

Proportion of ripe fruit weight and volume to green coffee: Differences in 43 genotypes of Coffea canephora

AbstractThe processing yield or performance, which includes drying and depulping of coffee fruits, can be calculated as the relationship between the volume of ripe coffee fruits and green coffee weight and is a relevant characteristic for the development of new cultivars. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the processing performance of 42 genotypes and one population of Coffea canephora. The treatments consisted of 42 C. canephora genotypes propagated by cuttings and one seed‐derived population arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. The genotypes were harvested when 80% of the fruits were in the ripe stage (red berries). We evaluated the relationship of the volume to weight of ripe fruit (ripe fruit volume [RFV]/ripe fruit weight [RFW]), the percentage of seed per fruit (% of seeds), the yield (in liters of ripe coffee) required to produce a 60‐kg bag of green coffee, and the relationship between RFW and dry green bean weight (RFW/dry seed weight [DSW]). The results were subjected to ANOVA, and the means were grouped by the Scott–Knott test (p ≤ .05). The mean yield of the evaluated genotypes was 347.57 L bag–1 of green coffee (between 294.01 and 439.72 L bag–1). A lower seed per fruit percentage identifies genotypes with a lower yield and higher RFW/DSW ratio. The genotypes Z21, 700, AD1, LB1, Emcapa 143, and AP required less than 315 L of ripe coffee to produce one 60‐kg bag of green coffee beans.

The Potential Effect of β-Ionone and β-Damascenone on Sensory Perception of Pinot Noir Wine Aroma.

Volatile compounds are responsible for driving the aroma of wine. Because of their low perception thresholds, norisoprenoids may play an important role in wine aroma. Studies have shown that β-damascenone may act as an aroma enhancing compound. However, the direct impact on wine aroma is unclear. Our study examined the direct impact of β-ionone and β-damascenone on the aroma sensory perception of Pinot noir wines. Triangle tests were used to determine if assessors could distinguish between wines with varying concentrations of β-ionone and β-damascenone in three different Pinot noir wine matrixes. Descriptive analysis was performed on these treatments, perceived as different in triangle tests. Results show that β-ionone acts as a significant contributor to aromas in Pinot noir wine, as individuals could differentiate both the low and high concentration wines from the control. How β-ionone impacted wine aroma depends on the wine matrix, as different aroma descriptors were affected based on the model wine used, resulting in floral, red berry or dark berry aromas. The effect of β-damascenone on Pinot noir aroma was less clear, as perception seems to be heavily influenced by wine matrix composition. This study contributes to our understanding of the complex chemical causation of fruity aromas in Pinot noir wine.

The management and financial implications of variable responses to grapevine leafroll disease

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is a worldwide pathogen of Vitis negatively affecting wine production. In red berry cultivars grown in New Zealand, the foliar changes to GLRaV-3-infected vines inform decisions on vine removal (roguing). However, roguing does not always contain GLRaV-3 spread in the presence of an insect vector like the mealybug, Pseudococcus calceolariae. Virus incidence and mealybug abundance data collected annually over 7 years were modelled under differing scenarios to ascertain support for roguing. In a simulated 1 ha vineyard planted in 2500 mature Merlot vines, simulations over 20 years evaluated the effectiveness of roguing, ‘rogue 1 + 2’ (concurrent roguing of symptomatic plus both within-row neighbouring vines), inefficient roguing (50% of symptomatic vines rogued), and ‘no-action’. The model used variable initial GLRaV-3 incidence (0.4, 5, 10, 15 and 20%), and low, median and high vector densities (6, 26 and 75 mealybugs per 100 vine leaves, respectively). Roguing was the optimal response to GLRaV-3, independent of the initial incidence, but results were vector density dependent. At a low vector density, roguing relative to the other responses tested, sustained the lowest annual GLRaV-3 incidence, the least need to plant replacement vines and the lowest estimated average annual costs plus loss of income. At median and high vector densities, roguing remained the most favourable response but virus control was less effective and the costs incurred were higher. Thus, for vineyards affected by GLRaV-3, achieving economic sustainability relies on integrating efficient roguing with effective vector management.

Comparison of Different Signal Peptides for the Efficient Secretion of the Sweet-Tasting Plant Protein Brazzein in Pichia pastoris

Brazzein is a small sweet-tasting protein found in the red berries of a West African evergreen shrub, Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon. Brazzein is highly soluble and stable over a large pH range and at high temperatures, which are characteristics that suggest its use as a natural sweetener. However, Pentadiplandra brazzeana culture is difficult at a large scale, limiting the natural source of brazzein. Heterologous expression of brazzein has been established in numerous systems, including bacteria, yeast, and transgenic plants. Brazzein requires four disulfide bonds to be active in eliciting an intense sweet taste, and the yeast Pichia pastoris appears to be one of the best options for obtaining functional brazzein in high quantities. Employing yeast secretion in the culture medium allows us to obtain fully active brazzein and facilitate purification later. To increase yeast secretion, we compared seven different signal peptides to successfully achieve brazzein secretion using the yeast P. pastoris. The brazzein proteins corresponding to these signal peptides elicited activation of the sweet taste receptor functionally expressed in a cellular assay. Among these tested signal peptides, three resulted in the secretion of brazzein at high levels.