Young Fruit Research Articles

Comparative Studies on the Fruit Yield of two Capsicum Varieties at Physiological Maturity

A study was carried out at the Busia Agricultural Training Center (A.T.C), Western Kenya in 2019 to compare the fruit yields of two capsicum varieties from Syngenta seed company at the physiological maturity stages of red and yellow colors. Commandant F1 (red) and Admiral F1 (yellow) capsicum varieties were established under greenhouse conditions in two experimental beds measuring 0.7m by 13.5m. No controls were planted. Drip irrigation system was used with a plant-to-plant and inter-row spacing of 30cm and 40cm, respectively. Both of the two varieties were planted at the same time and subjected the same fertilizer treatments, pest and disease control measures, cultural practices and moisture supply. Data was collected on growth parameters (number of vegetative branches, flower buds and flowers) and yield components (number of fruits and harvest weight). Independent sample t-test was used to compare parameters (number of flowers, flower buds, fruits and the number of branches) for the two colored capsicum varieties, at a probability of p≤0.05. Further analysis involved finding weight and harvest averages for the two varieties. All analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics, version 23. The red-coloured variety produced an average of 9.36 buds per plant compared to 5.2 for the yellow cultivar (p=0.01). Significant differences in the average yield potential of the yellow and red varieties (calculated as flowers, buds, and young fruits) were found between the red and yellow varieties (p=0.02). The red variety had a higher yield potential (19.52) than the yellow one (13.46). Within-variety weight comparison showed that the yellow variety lost a significant amount of fruit mass between the second and third harvest (0.122kg or 61%) compared to the red variety which lost 0.099kg or 58%. Keywords: Capsicum; Fruit yield; Physiological maturity; Variety; Red; Yellow

Effect of NPK Fertilization Method on the Physiology and Fruit Products of Myristica fragrans in North Maluku, Indonesia

Aims: The objective of this study was to determine the optimal fertilizing method and NPK fertilizer dosage for plant physiology and nutmeg yield.
 Study Design: The experimental design was a completely randomized block design (CRBD) in a 4x3 factorial arrangement with three replicates. The first factor was four NPK fertilizer doses: 1, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5kg NPK (15:15:15)/tree/year. The second factor was the manner of fertilizer application: (1) fertilized in spot, (2) fertilized in-furrow trenches trunked and (3) fertilized in hole.
 Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in Tobelo North Halmahera (1°44'45.3"-1°44'54.4" N, 127°59'54.4"-127°59'53.2" E), North Maluku, Indonesia from January 2019 to May 2020.
 Methodology: The nutmeg trees used was 30 years old. The population of trees plants in the study area was 40 trees. Observation parameters on leaves are chlorophyll a, b and total, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), N, P, K, proline content, number of young and old fruits.
 Results: The fertilization treatment with the fertilizer application method into the crack/hole fertilizer with a dose of 2.5 kg NPK significantly produced high levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll of leaves and old fruit. The number of old fruits is positively correlated with chlorophyll a content (0.615*), chlorophyll b (0.663*), total chlorophyll (0.634*) and number of young fruits (0.748 **). The application of fertilizer hole produces plants that recover quickly from drought stress, as evidenced by the highest proline content.
 Conclusion: NPK fertilization using the hole method and at doses of 2.0-2.5 kg/tree/year are recommended for improving plant physiology and yield.

Changes in the nutritional composition of okra fruit and seed during early development

This study investigated the changes in nutrient content of the fruit and seed of Okra or Lady Finger during development and maturation. Okra flowers were tagged at flower opening or anthesis. Sample fruits (technically called capsules) that developed from the tagged flowers were collected at random at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 days after anthesis (DAA). The pericarp and seed samples were oven-dried and ground to a powdered form and analyzed for chlorophyll, sugar, starch, crude protein and crude fiber content using standard procedures. Chlorophyll and crude fiber content were strongly positively correlated with fruit age, being lowest in the pericarp of young fruits and highest in older fruits. Sugar, starch and protein content were all negatively correlated with fruit age. They were highest in the pericarp of young 3-day old fruits and steadily decreased with maturity, reaching lowest levels at day 24. In the seeds, protein and starch contents were weakly correlated with fruit maturity. Throughout seed development, sugar remained relatively low while starch and protein content remained high. Based on the results, okra fruits are best harvested as fresh green vegetable at 9 DAA. At this stage, the fruits are succulent, less fibrous and are rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Although much younger fruits also have high nutrient content, they are too small in size, so harvesting them at this stage would not be practical and profitable.

MiR156/157 Targets SPLs to Regulate Flowering Transition, Plant Architecture and Flower Organ Size in Petunia.

miR156/157 plays multiple pivotal roles during plant growth and development. In this study, we identified 11 miR156- and 5 miR157-encoding loci from the genome of Petunia axillaris and Petunia inflata, designated as PaMIR0156/157s and PiMIR0156/157s, respectively. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that PhmiR156/157 was expressed predominantly in cotyledons, germinating seeds, flower buds, young fruits and seedlings. PhmiR156/157 levels declined in shoot apical buds and leaves of petunia before flowering as the plant ages; moreover, the temporal expression patterns of most miR156/157-targeted PhSPLs were complementary to that of PhmiR156/157. Ectopic expression of PhMIR0157a in Arabidopsis and petunia resulted in delayed flowering, dwarf plant stature, increased branches and reduced organ size. However, PhMIR0156f-overexpressing Arabidopsis and petunia plants showed only delayed flowering. In addition, downregulation of PhmiR156/157 level by overexpressing STTM156/157 led to taller plants with less branches, longer internodes and precocious flowering. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that PhmiR156/157 modulates these traits mainly by downregulating their PhSPL targets and subsequently decreasing the expression of flowering regulatory genes. Our results demonstrate that the PhmiR156/157-PhSPL module has conserved but also divergent functions in growth and development, which will help us decipher the genetic basis for the improvement of flower transition, plant architecture and organ development in petunia.

Antifungal effect of the cumulative application of biostimulant and fertilizers on young cocoa fruits rot at Tafissou site, Centre-East of Côte d'Ivoire

The use of biostimulants as an alternative way to chemical, often toxic, remains one of the best approaches to control cocoa black pod disease caused by Phytophthora spp. This study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of biostimulant’s applications number and the cumulative action in case of applying previously fertilizers. The experimental design consisted of a Fischer block with six treatments (T01, T02, T1, T2, T3 and T4) and repeated three times. This design was replicated on two sites, one with previous fertilizer (DAE) and the other without previous fertilizer (DSE). Observations were made monthly on each test tree. The biostimulant Banzai was applied for 3 or 4 consecutive months depending on the treatment at each site. The data collected included the total number of cherelles produced and the number of rotten cherelles. From these, data were deduced the rates of healthy cherelles on which the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare treatments between them and between sites. The results showed that four applications of the biostimulant with fertilizer provided better control than three applications without fertilizer. The results also showed that the majority of treatments at the DAE site were more effective than treatments at the DSE site. In conclusion, four applications Banzai coupled with fertilizer have achieved the best rates of healthy cherelles whatever the site. Regarding the cumulative effect of the previous fertilizer with Banzai, treatments of the site with the previous fertilizer were still better than the treatment site without fertilizer.

Flavone-Rich Fractions and Extracts from Oroxylum indicum and Their Antibacterial Activities against Clinically Isolated Zoonotic Bacteria and Free Radical Scavenging Effects.

Oroxylum indicum extracts from the seeds collected from Lampang and Pattani provinces in Thailand, and young fruits and flowers exhibited in vitro display antioxidant and antibacterial activities against clinically isolated zoonotic bacteria including Staphylococcus intermedius, Streptococcus suis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, β-hemolytic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The orange crystals and yellow precipitates were obtained from the preparation processes of the seed extracts. The orange-red crystals from the seeds collected from Lampang province exhibited strong in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging effects (EC50 value = 25.99 ± 3.30 μg/mL) and antibacterial effects on S. intermedius and β-hemolytic E. coli while the yellow precipitate from the same source exhibited only antioxidant activity. Quantitative analysis of phytochemicals in O. indicum samples by spectrophotometric and HPLC techniques showed that they contained different amounts of total phenolic, total flavonoid and three major flavones; baicalin, baicalein and chrysin contents. Young fruit extract, which contained low amounts of flavone contents, still promoted antibacterial effects against the tested bacteria with IC50 values lower than 1 mg/mL and MIC values between 4 to 10 mg/mL in S. intermedius, S. aureus and S suis while higher IC50 and MIC values against P. aeruginosa and β-hemolytic E. coli were found. From scanning electron microscopy, the extract of the young fruit of O. indicum promoted morphological changes in the bacterial cells by disrupting the bacterial cell walls, inducing leakage of the cellular content, and generating the abnormal accumulation of cells. The mechanism of action of the extract for this antibacterial effect may be the disruption of the cell membrane and abnormal cell aggregations. Regression analysis of the results suggests the correlation between total phenolic and total flavonoid contents and antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Baicalin was found to have a high correlation with an inhibitory effect against β-hemolytic E. coli while three unidentified peaks, which could be flavones, showed high correlations with an inhibitory effect against S. intermedius, S. suis, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.

Effects of different harvesting times and processing methods on the quality of cultivated Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don.

Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don is the major source plants of traditional Chinese medicine Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus (FCB). Domestication, introduction, and cultivation is an important strategy to alleviate the shortage of endangered medicinal plants of F. cirrhosa. However, until now, the yield and quality changes of FCB in different harvest periods and drying treatments after harvest were not well understood. Therefore, in this paper, we investigated the yield and quality of cultivated F. cirrhosa at different harvest periods and postharvest processing methods. The results showed that dry weight per bulb ranged from 0.8913 to 1.4681 g and reached the highest at the wilting stage. The soluble sugar content ranged from 0.075% to 0.127% and reached the highest at the wilting stage. The content of total alkaloids ranged from 0.088% to 0.218% and reached the highest at the late‐flowering stage. The contents of peimisine, sipeimine, peimine, and peiminine were 0.01178%‐0.02615%, 0%–0.01713%, 0%–0.00745%, and 0%–0.00621% and reached the highest at the late‐flowering period, wilting period, young fruit period, and initial flowering period, respectively. For the two different postharvest processing methods, the contents of total alkaloids and the 16 main characteristic peaks did not exhibit significant differences. Still, the alkaloid contents of the oven drying after washing were slightly higher than the sun drying. In conclusion, the best harvest period is the wilting period of F. cirrhosa, and oven drying after washing is more beneficial to ensure the quality of FCB and improve productivity.

The Transcriptome in Transition: Global Gene Expression Profiles of Young Adult Fruit Flies Depend More Strongly on Developmental Than Adult Diet

Developmental diet is known to exert long-term effects on adult phenotypes in many animal species as well as disease risk in humans, purportedly mediated through long-term changes in gene expression. However, there are few studies linking developmental diet to adult gene expression. Here, we use a full-factorial design to address how three different larval and adult diets interact to affect gene expression in 1-day-old adult fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) of both sexes. We found that the largest contributor to transcriptional variation in young adult flies is larval, and not adult diet, particularly in females. We further characterized gene expression variation by applying weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify modules of co-expressed genes. In adult female flies, the caloric content of the larval diet associated with two strongly negatively correlated modules, one of which was highly enriched for reproduction-related processes. This suggests that gene expression in young adult female flies is in large part related to investment into reproduction-related processes, and that the level of expression is affected by dietary conditions during development. In males, most modules had expression patterns independent of developmental or adult diet. However, the modules that did correlate with larval and/or adult dietary regimes related primarily to nutrient sensing and metabolic functions, and contained genes highly expressed in the gut and fat body. The gut and fat body are among the most important nutrient sensing tissues, and are also the only tissues known to avoid histolysis during pupation. This suggests that correlations between larval diet and gene expression in male flies may be mediated by the carry-over of these tissues into young adulthood. Our results show that developmental diet can have profound effects on gene expression in early life and warrant future research into how they correlate with actual fitness related traits in early adulthood.

Toxicity of Mangifera Indica aqueous stem bark extract evaluated in drosophila melanogaster used as model organism

Mangifera indica has been used for treating health complications with little data on its toxicological impact on survival, geotaxis, reproduction, and the antioxidant system. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were estimated. The ingestion method of exposure (extract was mixed in flies' food) was used. Each concentration was administered per 10g fruit flies diet. 7-day LC50 was determined by exposing 50 flies for 7 days to Mangifera indica concentration ranging from 100mg extract/10g diet to 2000mg extract/10g diet. 28 days survival assay was performed by exposing 50 fruit flies each to 25mg extract/10g diet, 50mg extract/10 diet g, and 100mg extract/10g diet for 28 days. A 6-day short term exposure was also conducted to assess Mangifera indica toxic effect on climbing activity, survival, reproduction, and antioxidant system in Drosophila melanogaster. Total phenol and flavonoid content were 0.226±0.02 and 0.027±0.05mg/g dry weight of the extract, respectively. There was a significant mortality rate (P<0.05), and the 7-day LC50 was 353mg extract/10g diet. At 25mg extract/10g diet 50mg extract/10g diet and 100mg extract/10g diet, the survival-rate of fruit flies significantly dropped (P<0.05) with arise in Mangifera indica concentration. Short-term exposure also showed a significant reduction (P<0.05) in GST-activity, survival-rate, and emergence of young fruit flies with an increase in concentration. Total thiol, locomotor, AChE, and CAT activities decreased non-significantly (P>0.05). The significant adverse effect of Mangifera indica extract as seen in the decrease in survival rate, the emergence of young flies, climbing, and antioxidant activities of fruit flies suggests its cautious application and use in herbal medicine.

Antioxidant Activity Test of Chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz) Ethanol Extract using DPPH Method

The chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz) is thought to have excellent antioxidant activity. Fresh chayote has been used empirically by the public as an antihypertensive and to reduce cholesterol levels. This is because chayote contains several vitamins including vitamin A, B, C, and several secondary metabolites. The antioxidant activity found in chayote can prevent the oxidation of a molecule thus stopping the free radical chain reaction and maintaining the working system in the body. This study aims to determine what secondary metabolites are contained in the ethanol extract of chayote and to determine their antioxidant activity. The chayote used is young and old. The research stages were extraction by maceration method, phytochemical screening, determination of functional groups using the FT-IR method, and testing for antioxidant activity using the DPPH method (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl). The results of the phytochemical screening of the chayote’s ethanol extract contained chemical compounds of the alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and glycosides. The FT-IR results of the chayote extract showed the presence of functional groups O-H, C-H, C-N, C = C, C≡C, and C-O. The results of the examination of antioxidant activity using the DPPH method for the ethanol extract of young and old chayote fruit obtained IC50 values of 1281.1 and 847.5 µg/ml.

Chilling and Heat Accumulation of Fruit and Nut Trees and Flower Bud Vulnerability to Early Spring Low Temperatures in New Mexico: Meteorological Approach

Fruit and nut trees production is an important activity across the southwest United States and this production is greatly impacted by the local climate. Temperature is the main environmental factor influencing the growth and the productivity of the fruit and nut trees as it affects the trees’ physiology and the vulnerability of flower bud, flowers, and young fruit and nut to the low temperatures or spring frost. The objective of the present study is to estimate the chilling and heat accumulation of fruit and nut trees across New Mexico. Three study sites as Fabian Garcia, Los Lunas, and Farmington were considered and climate variables were collected at hourly time step. The Utah model and the Dynamic model were used to estimate the accumulated chilling while the Forcing model was used for the heat accumulation. The possible fruit and nut trees endodormancy and ecodormancy periods were also determined at the study sites. The results obtained chilling hours of 715 ± 86.60 h at Fabian Garcia, 729.53 ± 41.71 h at Los Lunas, and 828.95 ± 83.73 h at Farmington using the Utah model. The accumulated chill portions during trees’ endodormancy was 3.12 ± 3.05 CP at Fabian Garcia, 42.23 ± 5.08 CP at Los Lunas, and 56.14 ± 1.84 CP at Farmington. The accumulated heat was 8735.52 ± 1650.91 GDH at Fabian Garcia, 7695.43 ± 212.90 GDH at Los Lunas, and 5984.69 ± 2353.20 GDH at Farmington. The fruit and nut trees are at no risk of bud flowers vulnerability at Fabian Garcia while they are under high risk of bud flowers and or young fruit and nut vulnerability to low temperatures early spring as hourly temperature can still drop below 0 °C in April at the end of ecodormancy and flower blooming and young fruits and nuts development stage at Los Lunas and Farmington. Severe weather, especially frost conditions during winter and early spring, can be a significant threat to sustainable nut and fruit production in the northern New Mexico while high chilling requirement fruit and nut trees might not meet chill requirements in the southern New Mexico.

Activity and dietary budgets of Tufted grey langurs (Semnopithecus priam priam)

We collected the data of the activity budget and diet for a group of Tufted grey langurs Semnopithecus priam priam (TGL) in Pothigaiadi rural village from 2019 to 2020. This population is unstudied, and is near the eastern boundary of the species range adjacent to the Kalakad-Mundanthuarai Tiger Reserve (KMTR). We calculated the seasonal activity budget and diet composition by scan sampling from 96 full-day observations (dry season: 32, southwest monsoon: 32, and northeast monsoon: 32 days). During scan sampling, we recorded behavioural activities, and the food items and species consumed. TGL consumed 95 species of food plant, including trees and shrubs of 29 families. The food species varied seasonally. The annual activity budget of TGL is 31.88% social interaction, 23.57% resting, 23.27% feeding, 13.84% locomotion, 5.65% other activities, and 1.80% conflict. The overall diet of TGL consisted of 62.90% leaves, 7.81% mature fruits, 6.18% flowers, 5.85% tender leaves, 4.89% young fruits, 4.04% bark, 3.89% mud, 3.59% insects, and 0.85% water. The seasonal activity budget and diet composition of the TGL is discussed.

Using a red‐fleshed and six varieties of thinned young apple to make juice and their phytochemicals characterization

Finding an environmentally friendly way to utilize thinned young apple (TYA) fruits is of great interest in food industry since they were found rich in functional phytochemicals. Making TYA juice is an excellent way but very limited knowledge has been acquired. The juice-making procedures optimization of a red-fleshed and six varieties of TYA fruits were performed with/without steam sterilization before juicing, and the color index, phytochemicals particularly including phenolics and aromas were detailed characterized. Results showed that steaming sterilization of seven TYA were observed conducive to color stability and maintenance, higher sugar contents, comparable acid contents, but lower juice yield and total polyphenol in TYA juices. Moreover, similar polyphenol profiles were detected. Typical 22 aroma compounds were characterized with different profiles and trends in TYA juices. All these findings provide scientific basis for TYA juice making, and demonstrated that TYAs are of great value to develop seasoning juice products. Practical application Fruit thinning is a necessary measure to improve fruit quality in apple production. Thinned young apples can expand the fruit gap through thinning, which is convenient for fruit expansion.The abandoned TYAs in the orchard are posing a risk of environmental pollution, or become host of pathogens to accelerate the spread of fruit diseases. Moreover, discarding the TYAs is a waste of agricultural and food resource since the content of total extractable polyphenols in TYAs is as high as 10 times that in ripe apples. More optimization of processing techniques such as making juice were suggested to improve TYA utilization including the extraction of polyphenols, polysaccharides, and aromas. More food or cosmetics products are expected to be developed based on the TYA juices to improve the commercial value and find an environmentally friendly way to make use of the thinned young fruit.

Citrulluside H and citrulluside T from young watermelon fruit attenuate ultraviolet B radiation-induced matrix metalloproteinase expression through the scavenging of generated reactive oxygen species in human dermal fibroblasts.

Prolonged exposure to UV radiation disrupts the oxidative stress defense systems; in the absence of adequate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging mechanisms, the ROS produced cause oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Thus, ROS elimination can protect against photoaging and possibly skin cancer. We recently isolated two novel phenolic glycosides (citrulluside H and citrulluside T) with antioxidative activity from young watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruits. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of these compounds against UV-B-induced photodamage in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). NHDFs were exposed to UV-B irradiation at 25mJ/cm2 . Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-3 mRNA levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. MMP protein expression, as well as MAPK and NF-κB signaling, was investigated by Western blot analysis. Activation protein-1 (AP-1) transcriptional activity was determined using a luciferase reporter assay. Intracellular ROS levels were measured using the CellROX™ Deep Red Reagent. Citrulluside H and citrulluside T significantly downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3, which are associated with the onset of skin wrinkle formation. Importantly, inhibition of UV-B-induced MMP expression in NHDFs by citrulluside H and citrulluside T was primarily due to the attenuation of MAPK/AP-1 and NF-κB signaling via scavenging of the generated ROS. Our findings delineated both citrulluside H and citrulluside T as potential agents for alleviating UV-induced skin photoaging.

High-spatiotemporal-resolution transcriptomes provide insights into fruit development and ripening in Citrus sinensis.

SummaryCitrus fruit has a unique structure with soft leathery peel and pulp containing vascular bundles and several segments with many juice sacs. The function and morphology of each fruit tissue are different. Therefore, analysis at the organ‐wide or mixed‐tissue level inevitably obscures many tissue‐specific phenomena. High‐throughput RNA sequencing was used to profile Citrus sinensis fruit development based on four fruit tissue types and six development stages from young fruits to ripe fruits. Using a coexpression network analysis, modules of coexpressed genes and hub genes of tissue‐specific networks were identified. Of particular, importance is the discovery of the regulatory network of phytohormones during citrus fruit development and ripening. A model was proposed to illustrate how ABF2 mediates the ABA signalling involved in sucrose transport, chlorophyll degradation, auxin homoeostasis, carotenoid and ABA biosynthesis, and cell wall metabolism during citrus fruit development. Moreover, we depicted the detailed spatiotemporal expression patterns of the genes involved in sucrose and citric acid metabolism in citrus fruit and identified several key genes that may play crucial roles in sucrose and citric acid accumulation in the juice sac, such as SWEET15 and CsPH8. The high spatial and temporal resolution of our data provides important insights into the molecular networks underlying citrus fruit development and ripening.

Molecular cloning and characterization of three CoIDA genes in Camellia oleifera

The INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) controls floral organ abscission in plants. IDA belongs to IDA-LIKE (IDL) gene family that is involved in regulation of Arabidopsis development. Herein, we identified three genes, CoIDA1, CoIDA2 and CoIDA3 in Camellia oleifera (Camellia oleifera Abel. cv. Huashuo) and suggested their involvement in the regulation of fruits abscission. The full-length cDNA sequences of CoIDA1, CoIDA2 and CoIDA3 were of 207 bp, 276 bp and 273 bp, encoding proteins of 68, 91 and 90 amino acids, respectively. These CoIDA genes were single exon genes (SEGs) with a conserved extended PIP motif (EPIP) at C-terminal that has been implicated to play an important role in governing protein function for enhanced flower abortion rate. The highest expression of CoIDA1 was in young peduncles and the lowest in young fruits. However, the highest expressions of CoIDA2 and CoIDA3 were both in young roots, and the lowest in young fruits. The expressions of CoIDA1 and CoIDA2 significantly increased in abscission zones (AZs) of both abnormal fruits (AF) and ethephon treated fruits (ETH-F) with respect to normal fruits (NF), which suggest that CoIDA1 and CoIDA2 genes are related to fruits abscission in C. oleifera. This study provided a preliminary understanding about CoIDA genes which could lead to their detailed functional analysis and utilization for improving C. oleifera yield potential.

Herbalogical study on historical evolution of Juhong and Huajuhong

In ancient times, there were two types of &quot;Juhong&quot; came from the tangerines(Citrus reticulata) and the pomelos(C. grandis and its cultivars), which corresponded to Juhong and Huajuhong recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia respectively. In different periods, Juhong basically came from the same species and the same medicinal parts, but there were also some differences. This article sorted out the ancient and modern literature, under the guidance of &quot;Succession theory of Medicinal materials varieties&quot; and &quot;Change theory of Medicinal materials varieties&quot;(XIE Zong-wan), and combined with field investigation, the evolution and reasons of the original plants and medicinal parts of Juhong were analyzed. In the Han Dynasty and before, the peel of tangerines and pomelos were both used as medicine. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the way tangerine peel was used was dried and aged, and then &quot;soaked in hot water and scraped off the mesocarp&quot;, which had the essence of only using exocarp as medicine of Juhong already, and its original plant was C. reticalata. In the Song Dynasty, the name of &quot;Juhong&quot; and its medicinal usage were recorded in book on materia medica, and the species and medicinal parts of tangerine were inherited from the previous dynasties. The way tangerine peel was used was only dried and aged without removing the mesocarp. The medicinal material obtained by the way was called Chenpi(dried and aged tangerine peel). The item &quot;Juhong&quot; listing as a separate medicinal material was first recorded in the Collected Discussions from Materia Medica(Bencao Huiyan) in the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the Dao-di habitat of Juhong was recorded as Guangdong province in most books on materia medica, and the original plants probably were C. reticalata and C. grandis 'Tomentosa'(Huazhou pomelo, a special cultivated species of C. grandis produced in Huazhou, Guangdong, which was recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as &quot;Huajuhong&quot;), according to the records in the local chronicles. During the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the original plants of Juhong were C. reticalata and C. grandis 'Tomentosa'. Of the two, the latter one was considered as the better. As far the medicinal part, it was still the exocarp, while the whole young fruit of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' began to be used as medicine. After the founding of The People's Republic of China, the exocarps of Citrus reticalata, C. grandis and C. grandis 'Tomentosa' were listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia under &quot;Juhong&quot;. From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Republic of China, C. grandis exocarp was a fake of Juhong. Therefore, it was contradictory to historical records that C. grandis exocarp was listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as Huajuhong. Juhong had been divided into two types as &quot;Juhong&quot; and &quot;Huajuhong&quot; since 1985. The medicinal part of Huajuhong was only the exocarp of immature and nearly mature fruits, but not the whole young fruit, the actual mainstream medicinal part of Huajuhong. The results are helpful to clarify the historical evolution of species and medicinal parts of Juhong and Huajuhong. It is suggested that in the next edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, only C. grandis 'Tomentosa' should be included as the original plant of Huajuhong, and C. grandis should be deleted, and the young fruit should be added in the medicinal parts besides the exocarp of immature and nearly mature fruit.

Effects of metamitron on fruit set and photosynthetic biological characteristics of apples.

With dwarfing interstock Fuji apples as the test materials and water treatment as the control (CK), we examined the fruit thinning effect and its influences on leaves' photosynthesis by spraying 200, 300, and 400 mg·L-1 metamitron during the young fruit period to solve artificial fruit thinning problems (time-consuming, much labor, and low efficiency). The results showed that metamitron application could significantly reduce the inflorescence and flowers' fruit-setting rate by 16.5%-22.8% and 50.9%-53.9%, respectively. The treatment of 300 mg·L-1 metamitron had the strongest fruit thinning effect, with a single fruit rate of 46.6% and a double fruit rate of 18.3%. As a photosynthesis inhibitor, metamitron application reduced the chlorophyll content of leaves and strongly affected photosynthesis. The inhibitory effect on chlorophyll content disappeared after 15 days of the treatment, while that on the net photosynthetic rate disappeared gradually after 11 days of the treatment. The application of metamitron significantly reduced the maximum quantum yield of PSⅡ reaction center (Fv/Fm), actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSⅡ), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ), with such inhibitory effect having been lasted for 15 days. OJIP analysis showed that metamitron caused damage to the apple leaves' oxygen-evolving complex, especially limiting the transfer of electrons in the PSⅡ reaction center from QA to QB. Metamitron treatment increased Wk, and significantly decreased ψo, RC/CSm, and PIabs. Besides, 300 mg·L-1 metamitron had the most significant effect. Our results showed that metamitron destroyed the structure of the PSⅡ reaction center of apple leaves and hindered the transfer of electrons from the donor to the receptor of PSⅡ. Consequently, the photosynthetic rate was affected, and the young fruits fell off due to the lack of accumulation of photosynthetic products.

Lantana camara ethanolic leaves extracts exhibit anti-aging properties in Drosophila melanogaster: survival-rate and life span studies.

In this article, we aimed to investigate the anti-aging activity of Lantana camara ethanolic leaves-extract in Drosophila melanogaster: survival and longevity (life span). L. camara leaves were collected and washed thoroughly of sand particles, air-dried, ground, and extracted by the maceration method using ethanol as a solvent. Phytochemical screening was carried out. 168-hour LC50 was determined by exposing fruit flies to concentrations ranging from 5 to 5000mg/10g diet for 7-days. Twenty-eight-day survival and longevity studies were carried out by administering L. camara ethanolic leaves extract at 5, 10, and 20mg/10g diet to 1-3days old fruit flies. Each concentration was replicated four times with 50 fruit flies each. The emergence rate of young fruit flies from eggs laid by fruit flies administered L. camara leaves-extracts were also carried out. The total yield of the extraction was determined to be 18%. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, Flavonoids, Phenol, steroids, cardiac glycosides, and carbohydrates. 168-hour LC50 of L. camara was also determined to be 1135mg/10g diet. L. camara significantly prolonged (P<0.05) survival rate and extended (P<0.05) D. melanogaster life span compared with control. L. camara significantly increased (P<0.05) emergence rate of young fruit flies from eggs laid by fruit flies administered L. camara ethanolic leaves extracts. From the experimental results, it can be concluded that the ethanol extract of L. camara leaves extended the life span of D. melanogaster at these concentrations. Due to similarities of conserved genes between humans and fruit flies, the use of L. camara ethanolic leaves extract at these concentrations is safe and may be recommended as herbal medicine in humans.

Piper nigrum CYP719A37 Catalyzes the Decisive Methylenedioxy Bridge Formation in Piperine Biosynthesis.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is among the world’s most popular spices. Its pungent principle, piperine, has already been identified 200 years ago, yet the biosynthesis of piperine in black pepper remains largely enigmatic. In this report we analyzed the characteristic methylenedioxy bridge formation of the aromatic part of piperine by a combination of RNA-sequencing, functional expression in yeast, and LC-MS based analysis of substrate and product profiles. We identified a single cytochrome P450 transcript, specifically expressed in black pepper immature fruits. The corresponding gene was functionally expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and characterized for substrate specificity with a series of putative aromatic precursors with an aromatic vanilloid structure. Methylenedioxy bridge formation was only detected when feruperic acid (5-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2,4-pentadienoic acid) was used as a substrate, and the corresponding product was identified as piperic acid. Two alternative precursors, ferulic acid and feruperine, were not accepted. Our data provide experimental evidence that formation of the piperine methylenedioxy bridge takes place in young black pepper fruits after a currently hypothetical chain elongation of ferulic acid and before the formation of the amide bond. The partially characterized enzyme was classified as CYP719A37 and is discussed in terms of specificity, storage, and phylogenetic origin of CYP719 catalyzed reactions in magnoliids and eudicots.