Soluble Sugars Research Articles

Physiological Indices of Five Hybrid Larch Seedlings Under Low-Temperature Stress

Larch is a cold-temperate tree species native to the northern hemisphere and tolerant to low temperatures. It is one of the most significant timber species in Northeast China. This study examined growth changes in hybrid larch seedlings from five lines to explore the physiological responses of these seedlings to low-temperature stress. Using 8-month-old hybrids of larch seedlings, we subjected the plants to cold stress at 4 °C and freezing stress at −20 °C over three periods of 6, 12, and 24 h, and treatment at 25 °C was used as a control. Results showed that significant correlations were found among the growth indicators, with larch line 1306 having the lowest incremental growth indicators, the largest root-to-crown ratio, and better cold tolerance than the other larch lines. The levels of soluble sugars (SSs), soluble proteins (SPs), malondialdehyde (MDA), and relative electrolyte leakage (REC) increased significantly in all lines under low-temperature stress. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) showed variation over time. Significant correlations were found between MDA and REL, SS, SR, Pro, CAT, and SOD in most of the lines; no significant correlation was found between MDA and the other indices in lines 1301 and 1309; and significant correlations were found between most of the physiological indices in line 1306.

Common soluble carbohydrates affect the growth, survival, and fatty acid profile of black soldier fly larvae Hermetia illucens (Stratiomyidae).

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L. 1758), is an omnivorous saprophagous insect with a high potential for valorizing organic by-products rich in carbohydrates. Among carbohydrates, H. illucens relies on soluble sugars for the growth and storage lipid synthesis. This study aimed to assess the impact of common soluble sugars on the development, survival, and fatty acid composition of H. illucens. Monosaccharides and disaccharides were individually incorporated into a chicken feed diet. Cellulose was used as a control. Larvae fed glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose grew faster than control larvae. In contrast, lactose exhibited anti-nutritional effects on larvae, slowing down growth and reducing final individual weight. However, all soluble sugars produced larvae fatter than the control diet. Notably, the tested sugars shaped the fatty acid profile. Maltose and sucrose increased saturated fatty acid content compared to cellulose. Conversely, lactose increased the bioaccumulation of dietary unsaturated fatty acids. This study is the first to demonstrate the effect of soluble sugars on the fatty acid profile of H. illucens larvae. Our findings highlight that the tested carbohydrates have significant effects on black soldier fly fatty acid composition and can thus determine their final applications.

Nondestructive Detection of Litchi Stem Borers Using Multi-Sensor Data Fusion

To enhance lychee quality assessment and address inconsistencies in post-harvest pest detection, this study presents a multi-source fusion approach combining hyperspectral imaging, X-ray imaging, and visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy. Traditional single-sensor methods are limited in detecting pest damage, particularly in lychees with complex skins, as they often fail to capture both external and internal fruit characteristics. By integrating multiple sensors, our approach overcomes these limitations, offering a more accurate and robust detection system. Significant differences were observed between pest-free and infested lychees. Pest-free lychees exhibited higher hardness, soluble sugars (11% higher in flesh, 7% higher in peel), vitamin C (50% higher in flesh, 2% higher in peel), polyphenols, anthocyanins, and ORAC values (26%, 9%, and 14% higher, respectively). The Vis/NIR data processed with SG+SNV+CARS yielded a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model with an R2 of 0.82, an RMSE of 0.18, and accuracy of 89.22%. The hyperspectral model, using SG+MSC+SPA, achieved an R2 of 0.69, an RMSE of 0.23, and 81.74% accuracy, while the X-ray method with support vector regression (SVR) reached an R2 of 0.69, an RMSE of 0.22, and 76.25% accuracy. Through feature-level fusion, Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV), and dimensionality reduction using PCA, we optimized hyperparameters and developed a Random Forest model. This model achieved 92.39% accuracy in pest detection, outperforming the individual methods by 3.17%, 10.25%, and 16.14%, respectively. The multi-source fusion approach also improved the overall accuracy by 4.79%, highlighting the critical role of sensor fusion in enhancing pest detection and supporting the development of automated non-destructive systems for lychee stem borer detection.

Transcriptome profiling uncovers differentially expressed genes linked to nutritional quality in vegetable soybean.

Vegetative soybean (maodou or edamame) serves as a nutrient-rich food source with significant potential for mitigating global nutritional deficiencies. This study undertook a thorough examination of the nutritional profiles and transcriptomic landscapes of six soybean cultivars, including three common cultivars (Heinong551, Heinong562, and Heinong63) and three fresh maodou cultivars (Heinong527, HeinongXS4, and HeinongXS5). Nutrient analysis of the seeds disclosed notable differences in the levels of protein, fat, soluble sugars, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc across the cultivars. Through comparative transcriptome profiling and RNA sequencing, distinct variations in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between fresh and traditional maodou cultivars. Functional enrichment analyses underscored the involvement of DEGs in critical biological processes, such as nutrient biosynthesis, seed development, and stress responses. Additionally, association studies demonstrated robust correlations between specific DEG expression patterns and seed nutrient compositions across the different cultivars. Sankey diagrams illustrated that DEGs are strongly linked with seed quality traits, revealing potential molecular determinants that govern variations in nutritional content. The identified DEGs and their relationships with nutritional profiles offer valuable insights for breeding programs focused on developing cultivars with improved nutritional quality, tailored to specific dietary needs or industrial applications.

Metabolite quantification data based on 1H-NMR profiling of eggplant or pepper fruit during its development.

The primary metabolite contents of ripe fruits result from complex regulations during their development. For Solanaceae, these regulations have been widely studied in tomato. The fruit metabolite contents of other fruit species, such as pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), constitute a valuable resource for the community to study the regulation of fruit metabolism and identify common or species-dependent regulations. This dataset about major polar metabolites is part of a larger project that integrates other omics data for pepper and eggplant, and other fruit species for metabolomics and other omics. We provide quantitative metabolite data of pepper and eggplant fruit along development. We sampled pepper and eggplant fruit cultivated in a tunnel or a greenhouse at 10 or 11 stages from anthesis to ripe fruit. We used proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) metabolomic profiling of polar extracts to quantify the major metabolites and expressed the data in µmol per g fresh weight. Twenty-four metabolites were determined in pepper and 27 in eggplant. Nineteen common metabolites were quantified in both fruit species including three soluble sugars and one sugar-alcohol, five organic acids and nine free amino acids. These data can be combined with similar quantitative data on other species or complemented with other omics data to perform cross-species or cross-omics comparisons.

Overexpression of vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase from a recretohalophyte Reaumuria trigyna enhances vegetative growth and salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Reaumuria trigyna, a wild and endangered salt-secreting small shrub, is distributed in arid and semi-arid areas of Inner Mongolia, China. An H+-pyrophosphatase gene (RtVP1) was isolated from R. trigyna according to transcriptomic data, which encoded a plasma membrane and tonoplast-localized protein. RtVP1 was quickly upregulated by NaCl and exogenous abscisic acid treatment and rescued the sucrose deficiency sensitive phenotype of the AtVP1 mutant (avp1). Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing RtVP1 exhibited a higher leaf area, plant height, fresh weight, root length, and soluble carbohydrate accumulation compared to the wild type (WT) under normal conditions. RtVP1 overexpression increased the seed germination rate and decreased the reduction rate of fresh weight, root length, and chlorophyll content in transgenic plants under salt stress. Catalase enzyme activity, proline content, relative water content, and soluble sugar content were significantly increased in transgenic Arabidopsis under salt stresses, but the malondialdehyde content was dramatically decreased. More K+ and less Na+ were accumulated in transgenic Arabidopsis leaves, resulting in a relatively lower Na+/K+ ratio. In transgenic Arabidopsis roots, K+ was unchanged, but Na+ and the Na+/K+ ratios were reduced compared to those in WT. More Na+ and K+ were accumulated in the intracellular of transgenic yeast, and the Na+/K+ ratio was significantly reduced compared to the control. These results showed that R. trigyna RtVP1 promotes the vegetative growth of plants, mainly by regulating carbohydrate metabolism, and confers salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis by maintaining Na+/K+ homeostasis and enhancing the antioxidant and osmotic regulatory capacity. These results indicated that RtVP1 can serve as an important candidate gene for genetic improvement of crop yield and salt tolerance.

Physiological changes in shrub species due to different sources of dust pollution in an urban environment.

Plants effectively filter ambient air by adsorbing particulate matter. The correct selection of landscape plants can exert greater dust retention benefits in different polluted areas. However, few studies have focused on the dust retention ability and related physiological responses of plants under continuous dust pollution from different dust sources. Here, we assessed the particle retention dynamics and plant physiology (chlorophyll content, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, and peroxidase activity) of six shrubs (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea, Ligustrum vicaryi, Rosa multiflora, Sorbaria sorbifolia, Swida alba, and Syzyga oblata) under continuous dust pollution from different dust sources (industrial sources: area below the direction of the coal-fired thermal power plant in Chengyang District, Qingdao, China; traffic sources: both sides of the road in each direction at the intersection of Great Wall Road and Zhengyang Road, Chengyang District, Qingdao, China; clean sources: Qingdao Agricultural University Campus, Qingdao Olympic Sculpture Park). The results showed that R. multiflora had the highest dust retention per unit leaf area of 3.27 ± 0.018g·m-2 and 2.886 ± 0.02g·m-2 in the experimental treatments of fuel source dust and clean source dust, respectively. The chlorophyll content of the tested shrubs significantly decreased due to the influence of dust treatment time, the range of cellular osmoregulatory substances (soluble sugars, soluble proteins, proline) tended to first increase and then decrease, and the antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase) tended to increase and then decrease after continuous dust treatment. The greatest physiological changes were observed in plants within the industrial dust treatment area. The peroxidase activity and chlorophyll could be used as sensitive indicators of dust pollution in plants. R. multiflora showed better resistance to dust and had a greater dust retention capacity than other shrubs, making it more suitable for planting as a greening tree in industrial and traffic-polluted areas. S. alba and S. sorbifolia are sensitive to dust pollution, so they can be used as sensitive tree species to indicate atmospheric dust pollution. Our results may help design a feasible approach for urban shrub greening.

Elucidating the protective role of manganese seed priming in mitigating lead-induced oxidative stress: enhancements in growth, grain yield, and antioxidant activities of wheat.

Lead (Pb) is known to be extremely toxic to plants and awfully affects growth and productivity by interacting with morphological, biochemical, and physiological processes. Micronutrients are considered to reduce ion toxicity and modify various physiological processes involved in oxidative stress tolerance in plants. Hence, the limited literature about the application of micronutrients, particularly manganese (Mn), under lead stress thus demands more investigations. To sort out the role of priming treatments of Mn (1.0 and 0.1mg/L) in lead stress (200mg/kg) induced oxidative stress tolerance in wheat cultivars (Anaj-17 and Akbar-19), current experiment was designed. The experiment was arranged with completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. The results explored the positive role of Mn priming in strengthening the antioxidant system with increased activities of antioxidants under Pb stress. Mn priming level (0.1mg/L) significantly increased the germination percentage, germination percentage, growth traits, grain yield per plant, shoot P, shoot Ca2+, and shoot K+ while decreasing the MDA and H2O2 levels, of Anaj-17 and Akbar-19 under Pb stress (200mg/kg). Seed priming levels of Mn further upgraded the antioxidant enzymatic activities and organic osmolytes such as proline, total phenolics, flavonoids, total soluble sugars, and glycine betaine, under Pb stress. Conclusively, the 0.1mg/L level of Mn priming and Akbar-19 cultivar has proven superior in lead detoxification under Pb-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, the outcomes revealed more accumulation of Pb in the roots of wheat than in the shoots of both wheat cultivars and emphasized the use of lower Mn levels of 0.1mg/L as the best strategy in alleviating the toxic impacts of lead in wheat. However, the conduct of large field trials is a necessity of current scenario to study the molecular aspects and associated genes contributing Pb stress tolerance with priming application of Mn and other micronutrients.

Comprehensive utilization of Aspergillus niger waste mycelium based on physically induced autolysis: Preparation of chitosan and alternative nitrogen source

In industrial fermentation of citric acid, vast quantities of mycelium from Aspergillus niger (MAN) are produced, with an annual output of 20 million tons in China alone. The disposal of waste MAN poses a significant challenge and signifies a missed opportunity for resource recovery. In this study, physically induced autolysis (PIA) was employed to utilize the MAN proteins and chitosan. The results indicated abundant soluble proteins and sugars were released into the supernatant, while the cell fragments can be used to prepare chitosan. Under optimized autolytic conditions, the rate of total protein utilization of MAN was 78.7 %, and the rate of reserved chitin in the cell fragment was 93.8 %, outperforming other techniques. These findings were consistently reproducible in larger-scale experiments. Chitosan was prepared from cell fragments that eliminated the need for acid treatment and reduced alkali utilization by 50–67 %, thanks to PIA's effective removal of proteins from cell fragments. The rate of total sugar utilization, including both the content of the soluble sugars from autolysate and prepared chitosan, was 75.42 % of the total sugar of MAN. Additionally, the autolysate was proved to be an alternative nitrogen source in the fermentation media for microbial production of 2, 3-butanediol and citric acid, yielding concentrations comparable or superior to traditional sources. Thus, our findings not only achieved high component utilization rates but also facilitated environmentally friendly chitosan preparation, indicating the potential for innovative approaches to convert waste mycelium into valuable resources and advance the industry towards more efficient practices.

ZmCCD8 regulates sugar and amino acid accumulation in maize kernels via strigolactone signalling.

How carbon (sucrose) and nitrogen (amino acid) accumulation is coordinatively controlled in cereal grains remains largely enigmatic. We found that overexpression of the strigolactone (SL) biosynthesis gene CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 8 (CCD8) resulted in greater ear diameter and enhanced sucrose and amino acid accumulation in maize kernels. Loss of ZmCCD8 function reduced kernel growth with lower sugar and amino acid concentrations. Transcriptomic analysis showed down-regulation of the transcription factors ZmMYB42 and ZmMYB63 in ZmCCD8 overexpression alleles and up-regulation in zmccd8 null alleles. Importantly, ZmMYB42 and ZmMYB63 were negatively regulated by the SL signalling component UNBRANCHED 3, and repressed expression of the sucrose transporters ZmSWEET10 and ZmSWEET13c and the lysine/histidine transporter ZmLHT14. Consequently, null alleles of ZmMYB42 or ZmMYB63 promoted accumulation of soluble sugars and free amino acids in maize kernels, whereas ZmLHT14 overexpression enhanced amino acid accumulation in kernels. Moreover, overexpression of the SL receptor DWARF 14B resulted in more sucrose and amino acid accumulation in kernels, down-regulation of ZmMYB42 and ZmMYB63 expression, and up-regulation of ZmSWEETs and ZmLHT14 transcription. Together, we uncover a distinct SL signalling pathway that regulates sucrose and amino acid accumulation in kernels. Significant association of two SNPs in the 5' upstream region of ZmCCD8 with ear and cob diameter implicates its potential in breeding toward higher yield and nitrogen efficiency.

Effects of pretreatment in a temporary immersion bioreactor on organogenesis efficacy of <i>Lilium candidum</i> L. bulbscales

Our experiment was conducted in two stages, i.e., pretreatment (first stage) and regeneration (second stage). The first stage was carried out in a liquid Murashige and Skoog basal medium (5 µM BAP and 0.05 µM NAA) in a bioreactor with a RITA temporary immersion system under the light of a fluorescent lamp. Explants (bulbscales) were immersed in the medium once a day for 15 minutes (RITA 1×15) or three times a day for 1 (RITA 3×1), 5 (RITA 3×5), and 15 minutes (RITA 3×15) for one to six weeks. For regeneration, the explants were transferred onto a solid medium of the same composition for another six weeks. The bulbscales not exposed to the liquid medium were used as a control. Biomass weight, biomass growth index, number and percentage of dry matter of bulblets, and the content of soluble sugars in the bulblets and in the liquid medium were examined. The bulblets were formed in all combinations from the third week of the culture, and their number increased in the RITA 3×15 combination for both the first and the second stages of the experiment. After the longest, 6-week pretreatment, more bulblets were obtained than in the control. Their fresh weight after six weeks of regeneration was positively associated with extended pretreatment time. This was in contrast with the dry weight of the bulblets, which decreased in the second stage of the experiment along with the extension of its first stage. Prolonged contact of the explants with the liquid medium during the pretreatment resulted in a higher content of soluble sugars in the bulblets at both stages of the experiment. The content of soluble sugars in the liquid medium decreased over time in all tested combinations. After six weeks of bioreactor culture, the lowest level of soluble sugars was observed in the RITA 3×15 combination.

Climate-Smart Drip Irrigation with Fertilizer Coupling Strategies to Improve Tomato Yield, Quality, Resources Use Efficiency and Mitigate Greenhouse Gases Emissions

Background: Integrated water and fertilizer management is important for promoting the sustainable development of agriculture. Climate-smart drip irrigation with fertilizer coupling strategies plays an important role to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring food production, and alleviating water scarcity and excessive use of fertilizers. Methods: The greenhouse experiment consists of three drip irrigation treatments which include D1: drip irrigation (100 mm); D2: drip irrigation (200 mm); D3: drip irrigation (300 mm) under three different fertilizer management practices N1: nitrogen level (150 kg N ha−1); N2: nitrogen level (300 kg N ha−1); N3: nitrogen level (450 kg N ha−1). Results: The results showed that significantly improved soil moisture contents, quality and tomato yield, while reduced (38.6%) greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) under the D3N3 treatment. The D2 and D3 drip irrigation treatments with 450 kg nitrogen ha−1 considerably improved NH4+-N contents, and NO3−-N contents at the fruit formation stage. The improve in net primary productivity (NPP), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), evapotranspiration (ET), and ecosystem crop water productivity (CWPeco) through D3N3 treatment is higher. The D3N3 treatment improved (28.2%) the net global warming potential (GWP), but reduced GHGI, due to improved (18.4%) tomato yield. The D3N3 treatment had significantly greater irrigation water productivity (IWP) (42.8%), total soluble sugar (TSS) (32.9%), vitamin C content (VC) (39.2%), soluble sugar content (SSC) (44.2%), lycopene content (41.3%) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) (52.4%), as compared to D1N1 treatment. Conclusions: Therefore, in greenhouse experiments, the D3N3 may be an effective water-saving and fertilizer management approach, which can improve WUE, tomato yield, and quality while reducing the effect of global warming.

ABA Affects Distinctive Rice Caryopses Physicochemical Properties on Different Branches

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important regulatory role in the grain filling process, which in turn will affect the final yield and quality of rice. The ABA biosynthesis genes of OsNCED3 and degradation gene OsABA8ox3 affect the ABA content, and then further regulate the ABA signaling. During the development of rice panicle, compared with primary grains (superior grains) growing on primary branches, secondary grains (inferior grains) growing on secondary branches exhibit characteristics. However, little is reported on the physicochemical characteristics of starch between superior and inferior grains in ABA related transgenic lines. In this study, OsNCED3 and OsABA8ox3 transgenic plants were used as materials. The results showed that compared with the WT, the OsNCED3-RNAi lines on grain weight was consistent with the trend of superior and inferior grains, while the OsABA8ox3-RNAi lines affected superior or inferior grains. The total starch and soluble sugar content of grains decreased in both OsNCED3-RNAi and OsABA8ox3-RNAi lines, and the total starch content of superior and inferior grains in OsABA8ox3-RNAi lines decreased. The starch granule size distribution of all samples showed a bimodal and increased proportion of starch grains with large granule size, in which the influence on inferior grains was greater than that of superior grains, which eventually led to a significant increase in their average granule size. The apparent amylose content of inferior grains increased significantly in most lines. The swelling power of the superior grains decreased significantly, while that of the inferior grains increased significantly. Fourier analysis showed that the order degree of starch granule surface decreased in the superior grains of the RNAi line, while it increased in the inferior grains of the OsABA8ox3-RNAi line but decreased in the OsNCED3-RNAi lines. In the superior grains, the relative crystallinity of starch decreased in the OsNCED3-RNAi lines, but remained unchanged or increased in the OsABA8ox3-RNAi line. In inferior grains, the relative crystallinity of starch decreased in the ABA synthesis RNAi line, but increased in the OsABA8ox3-RNAi line. In summary, the influence of ABA on the physicochemical properties of inferior grains is greater than that of superior grains.

Comparative Analysis of Photosynthetic Traits, Yield, and Fruit Quality Among Different Chestnut Cultivars

This study aimed to compare the photosynthetic physiological traits, fruiting characteristics, and fruit quality of four different chestnut cultivars. The cultivars studied were ‘Yanshanzaofeng’ (YS), ‘Guangdedahongpao’ (GD), ‘Chang’anhuijianli’ (CA), and ‘Guizhouyouli’ (GZ). Leaf functional traits, photosynthetic activity, fruit setting characteristics, and both external and internal fruit quality indicators were measured. The results indicated significant differences in leaf traits among cultivars. Cultivar GD exhibited the largest leaf area and dry matter content, while cultivar GZ had the smallest. The photosynthetic rate (Pn) followed a bimodal curve, with an obvious ‘lunch break’ caused by stomatal limitations. Cultivar GD had the highest Pn, followed by CA, YS, and GZ. The water use efficiency (WUE) and CO2 utilization of cultivar CA were notably superior, indicating its suitability for arid conditions. In terms of yield, cultivar GD had the highest bur, nut weight, and plant yield, followed by CA, YS, and GZ. The phenotypic quality of the fruit was also superior in cultivar GD. However, cultivar YS had the highest amylopectin and soluble sugar content, and cultivar GD had the greatest amylose, total starch, and fat content. Cultivars CA and YS exhibited better overall fruit quality than GZ. Correlation analysis revealed that single bur weight, single nut weight, and single plant yield all exhibited highly significant or significant positive correlations with Pn, stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and the transpiration rate (Tr). The longitudinal diameter of burs showed a significant positive correlation with vitamin C (Vc), Pn, and Gs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. Additionally, both the transverse and longitudinal diameters of nuts were significantly positively associated with Pn and Ci. Furthermore, the total starch content and water content of nuts demonstrated a significant positive correlation with Pn. In conclusion, cultivar GD was found to be ideal for high-yield starch production, while cultivar YS offers superior sweet and waxy nut qualities. Cultivar CA presents a balance of photosynthetic capacity, yield, and quality, making it the second-best candidate. Cultivar GZ is unsuitable for large-scale cultivation.

Investigating drought tolerance in four Argania spinosa provenances through morpho-physio-biochemical traits

ABSTRACT Drought stress significantly threatens plant ecosystems, particularly amid climate change. Understanding the mechanisms of plant resilience is essential for developing strategies to mitigate water scarcity effects on agroforestry. This study evaluated morphological, physiological and biochemical traits in Argania spinosa seedlings from four provenances (Berkane (BRK), Essaouira (ESS), Agadir (AGD) and Bouizakarne (BZK)) subjected to severe drought for three weeks. The results showed significant inter-provenance variation in the traits examined. Root dry biomass increased markedly across all provenances, with the highest increase observed in BZK (117.9%). Leaf water potential significantly decreased under drought stress, but relative water content (RWC) remained stable. Proline accumulation was significant in stressed seedlings, especially in ESS (163.4%), while total soluble sugars significantly increased only in BRK (26.6%). All provenances showed a significant reduction in chlorophyll a and b, except for BRK. Correlations among all studied traits varied significantly in both number and significance between drought stress and non-stress conditions. Canonical discriminant analysis revealed distinct separation among the provenances, indicating intra-species variability in drought responses. Key traits like dry biomass, collar diameter, basic leaf water potential, RWC and proline were identified as important indicators of drought tolerance, suggesting their utility in selecting the most resilient A. spinosa provenance.

Multifunctional Transcription Factor YABBY6 Regulates Morphogenesis, Drought and Cold Stress Responses in Rice

The roles of plant-specific transcription factor family YABBY may vary among different members. OsYABBY6 is a rice YABBY gene, whose function is not well elucidated so far. In this paper, we show that OsYABBY6 is a nucleus-localized protein with transcriptional activation activity. OsYABBY6 is predominantly expressed in the palea and lemma, as well as in the sheath, culm and node. OsYABBY6 RNA interference (RNAi) plants exhibited altered plant height and larger grain size. Under cold treatment, OsYABBY6 overexpression (OE) plants had up-regulated expression of cold responsive genes, and accumulated less reactive oxygen species but more proline compared to wild type, resulting in improved cold tolerance. On the other hand, RNAi plants showed enhanced drought tolerance compared to the wild type by slower water loss, less reactive oxygen species but more proline and soluble sugar accumulation. In addition, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) level was reduced in OsYABBY6 RNAi plants, and RNAi and OE plants were more and less sensitive to ABA treatment, respectively. Accordingly, we deduce that OsYABBY6 positively regulates cold response but negatively regulates drought response through different pathways. Our study reveals the crucial roles of OsYABBY6 in plant architecture and grain development, as well as in abiotic stress response, providing new insights into the functions of YABBYs in rice.

Effect of fermentation temperature on the non-volatile components and in vitro hypoglycemic activity of Jinxuan black tea

Fermentation significantly influences the chemical composition of black tea, yet the effects of different fermentation temperatures on non-volatile components and their in vitro hypoglycemic activity are insufficiently studied. This research investigates how varying temperatures (20, 25, and 30°C) affect the bioactive profile and the inhibitory activity of Jinxuan black tea against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Our results show that lower fermentation temperatures (20°C) lead to elevated levels of key bioactive compounds, including tea polyphenols (9.24%), soluble sugars (8.24%), thearubigins (7.17%), and theasinesin A (0.15%). These compounds correlate strongly with enhanced α-glucosidase inhibition (R = 0.76–0.97). Non-targeted metabolomic analysis revealed that 36 differential metabolites, including catechins, exhibited altered levels with increasing fermentation temperature. Notably, tea fermented at 20°C exhibited superior hypoglycemic activity, with α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 14.00 ± 1.00 μg/ml) significantly outperforming α-amylase inhibition (IC50 = 2.48 ± 0.28 mg/ml). The findings of this research underscore the importance of fermentation temperature in optimizing the bioactive profile of black tea. It is proposed that recommendations for future processing or formulation should emphasize the use of lower fermentation temperatures, aimed at augmenting the health benefits linked to higher polyphenol content and stronger hypoglycemic activity.

Combined Effects of Magnetized Irrigation and Water Source on Italian Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. ramosa Hort.) Growth and Gene Expression

Agricultural water scarcity has become a global issue. Optimizing irrigation water quality and effectively utilizing non-conventional water resources are essential strategies to alleviate pressure on agricultural water use and achieve sustainable development. This study employed Italian lettuce as the test crop to explore the effects of magnetization treatment (M) at a magnetic field strength of 0.2 T and various irrigation water sources (T) on its growth. The following six treatments were established: fresh water irrigation (M0T1), recycled water irrigation (M0T2), saline water irrigation (M0T3), magnetized fresh water irrigation (M1T1), magnetized recycled water irrigation (M1T2), and magnetized saline water irrigation (M1T3). The results showed that the magnetization treatment increased the electrical conductivity (EC), power of hydrogen (pH), and dissolved oxygen (DO) of the three water sources compared to the non-magnetized treatment. Furthermore, magnetized irrigation with fresh water, recycled water, and saline water increased the contents of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in lettuce. It also led to increases in the contents of soluble proteins (by 9.27% to 22.25%), soluble sugars (by 13.45% to 20.50%), and vitamin C (VitC) (by 4.18% to 19.33%) in lettuce. Additionally, it enhanced the above-ground fresh weight of lettuce (by 9.36% to 8.81%) and water productivity (WPc) (by 5.85% to 10.40%), while reducing water consumption. Among these treatments, magnetized fresh water irrigation was the most effective in improving quality, fresh weight, and WPc, followed by magnetized recycled water. Gene expression analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were primarily enriched in metabolic pathways such as the MAPK signaling pathway—plant, phytohormone signaling, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. In summary, magnetized irrigation significantly enhanced DO levels in irrigation water, along with the fresh weight, quality, and WPc of lettuce, demonstrating its effectiveness as an efficient method for agricultural irrigation.

Genetic and QTL analysis of sugars and acids content in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Abstract Sweet cherry is very appreciated by consumers because of its attractive appearance and taste, which is determined by the balanced sweet-sour flavor. In this work, the genetics of soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), sugars and organic acids was investigated in sweet cherry to facilitate breeding improvement for fruit quality. The fruits of five sweet cherry populations (N = 372), three F1 and two F2, were sampled over two years to evaluate SSC, TA, and the content of individual sugars (glucose, fructose, sorbitol, and sucrose) and organic acids (malic, quinic, oxalic, citric and shikimic) by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Glucose, followed by fructose, was the most abundant sugar, while malic acid was the predominant acid. Sorbitol and malic acid were the most stable compounds between years, and had the highest heritability, being also the best correlated to SSC and TA respectively, revealing their relevance for breeding. Significantly positive correlations were observed among sugars and SSC, and acids and TA, but high interannual variability between years was observed for all traits. QTL mapping for SSC, sugars, TA, and organic acids was performed using a multi-family approach with FlexQTL™. Twenty QTLs were detected consistently during the two phenotyped years, and several relevant regions with overlapping QTLs for sugars and acids were also identified. The results confirmed major stable SSC and TA QTLs on the linkage groups 4 and 6, respectively. Within the main LG4 SSC QTL region, where maturity and fruit development time QTLs have been previously detected, three stable sugar (glucose, sorbitol, and sucrose) and two acid (quinic, shikimic) QTLs were also identified, suggesting a pleiotropic effect of ripening date on the content of these compounds. The major malic acid QTL overlapped with TA QTL on LG6, thus TA QTL mapping in LG6 may correspond to malic acid QTLs. Haplotype analyses of major SSC and sugars QTL in LG4, and TA and malic acid in LG6 revealed haplotypes of breeding interest. Several candidate genes previously identified in other Prunus fruit species, like peach, were found to collocate with the QTLs detected herein. This work reports QTLs regions and haplotypes of sugar and acid content in a Prunus non-climacteric stone fruit for the first time.

Variation of six local poplar clones in growth and eco-physiological traits in two types of arid valleys

Abstract Six clones of native poplars were used in a field trial to investigate variations in survival, growth, and adaptation to arid-warm and arid-hot valleys. In the arid-hot valley, clone Y1-2 exhibited the highest survival rate and growth condition, surpassing other clones, while clones B7-4 and P3-6 demonstrated superior survival and growth performance in the arid-warm valley. Clone B7-4 displayed the highest soluble sugar content in leaves across both habitats. SOD and APX activities, along with MDA content in leaves, were higher in the arid-hot valley for all clones compared to the arid-warm valley. Long-term water use efficiency, as indicated by δ13C in leaves, was significantly higher for all clones in the arid-hot valley, particularly for H1-6, T3-2, and P3-6. Increases in upper epidermis thickness were observed in clones E1, B7-4, and P3-6, while Y1-2 exhibited a higher palisade parenchyma thickness (PT) in the arid-hot valley compared to the arid-warm valley. Vein densities were higher in leaves of clones E-1, B7-4, Y1-2, and P3-6 in both valleys compared to other clones, with B7-4 showing a significant increase in mean vein width in the arid-hot valley. In conclusion, the superior growth performance of clone B7-4 in the arid-warm valley may be attributed to its stronger osmotic adjustment and higher capacity to maintain water transportation through venation. The exceptional performance of clone Y1-2 in the arid-hot valley may be associated with its compact arrangement of PT, as well as its stronger capacity for hydraulic transport and antioxidant resistance in leaves.