Assessment and Partial Characterization of Candidate Genes in Dihydrochalcone and Arbutin Biosynthesis in an Apple-Pear Hybrid by De Novo Transcriptome Assembly.

Apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.) and pears (Pyrus communis L.) are valuable crops closely related within the Rosaceae family with reported nutraceutical properties derived from secondary metabolites including phloridzin and arbutin, which are distinctive phenolic metabolites characterizing apples and pears, respectively. Here, we generated a de novo transcriptome assembly of an intergeneric hybrid between apple and pear, accumulating intermediate levels of phloridzin and arbutin. Combining RNA-seq, in silico functional annotation prediction, targeted gene expression analysis, and expression-metabolite correlations, we identified candidate genes for functional characterization, resulting in the identification of active arbutin synthases in the hybrid and parental genotypes. Despite exhibiting an active arbutin synthase in vitro, the natural lack of arbutin in apples is reasoned by the absence of the substrate and broad substrate specificity. Altogether, our study serves as the basis for future assessment of potential physiological roles of identified genes by genome editing of hybrids and pears.

Skin irritation assessment and potential mechanism of Capparis spinosa L. fruits.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In China, Capparis spinosa L. fruits (CSF) are often used topically in Uyghur folk medicine in treating rheumatic diseases with remarkable efficacy. However, it has noticed severe skin irritation after a short time application with high dose of CSF, which limited long-term clinical use. To date, there is almost no research related to skin irritation of CSF. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was intended to perform the first systematic assessment of morphological and histological changes in skin after stimulation with CSF. Furthermore, potential irritant components in CSF and related mechanisms were explored by in vitro transdermal techniques, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Skin changes after single and multiple stimulations with CSF were observed and subjected to skin irritation response scoring, irritation strength assessment, and histopathological analysis. In addition, in vitro transdermal technology, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation were used to further exploit underlying skin irritant components and possible mechanisms of action. RESULTS: CSF induced significant morphological (erythema and edema) and histological (epidermal thickening and inflammatory infiltration) changes in skin of mice, which were similar to the clinical presentation of irritation contact dermatitis (ICD). The ethyl acetate fraction of CSF (CFEAF) was the main source of CSF-induced skin irritation. Kaempferol, flazin, and gallic acid were potential major irritant compounds. Moreover, CFEAF, kaempferol, flazin, and gallic acid could increase the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) to promote skin inflammation. The potential mechanism of CSF-induced skin irritation may be activation of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, including phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 (p65) and nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor alpha (IκBα). CONCLUSION: Kaempferol, flazin, and gallic acid are potential skin irritant components from CSF. Altogether, they induce skin irritation responses through promoting the release of the inflammatory factors TNF-α and ICAM-1, as well as activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, IL-17A may be an important pro-inflammatory factor in skin irritation.

Molecular identification and safety assessment of the potential probiotic strain Bacillus paralicheniformis HMPM220325 isolated from artisanal fruit dairy products.

Bacillus probiotics exhibit considerable economic potential owing to their heightened resilience to external stressors and relatively lower costs related to production and preservation. Although Bacillus paralicheniformis has been acknowledged as a plant-promoting bacterium for a long time, understanding its potential as a probiotic is still in its nascent stages. In this study, the safety and probiotic characteristics of a strain of HMPM220325, isolated from artisanal fruit dairy products, were examined through whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic analysis. The whole genome of HMPM220325 was analyzed for antimicrobial resistance genes, pathogenicity factors, and genes associated with probiotic traits including stress resistance, spore formation, gut adhesion, competitive exclusion of pathogens, bacteriocin expression, and carbohydrate metabolism related to prebiotic utilization. Also, wet lab experiments were conducted for the characterization of probiotics. The identification of the organism as B. paralicheniformis was verified. Its safety was assessed through in silico analysis, the haemolytic activity test, and the acute oral toxicity test. B. paralicheniformis HMPM220325 demonstrated its ability to survive in the pH range of 4-10 and bile salt concentrations of 0-0.9% (w/v), tolerate temperatures between 20 and 60 °C, and exhibit a robust antioxidant capacity. Moreover, B. paralicheniformis HMPM220325 demonstrated a moderate level of hydrophobicity, had the ability to form biofilms, achieved a self-aggregation rate of 51.77 ± 1.01% within 6 hours, and successfully colonized the mouse intestine for a duration of up to 17 days. Additionally, the genome of B. paralicheniformis HMPM220325 contains three gene clusters associated with the biosynthesis of bacteriocins and exhibits co-aggregation with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The findings of the genomic analysis align with those obtained from the experimental investigation, thereby substantiating the potential of B. paralicheniformis HMPM220325 as a probiotic suitable for incorporation in dairy functional foods and feed applications.

Assessment of In Vitro Airway Smooth Muscle Relaxant Activity of Rhus coriaria L. Fruit Ethanolic Extract and Its Possible Mechanisms.

Rhus coriaria L. (Anacardiaceae), also known as Sumac, is commonly used as a spice, flavoring agent, and as a traditional medicinal herb. This includes also the traditional use for treating asthma, catarrh, and common colds. The accumulating evidence supports its cardioprotective, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, anticancer, gastroprotective, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and respiratory effects. However, there are no previous studies that have shown its effects and mechanism in the airway smooth muscle tone, and therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the in vitro pharmacological action of R. coriaria L. extract (RCE) on the rat isolated tracheal and bronchial preparations by exploring its relaxant activity and mechanism of action. The direct relaxant effect of RCE (0.1-0.7 mg/mL) was tested in the rat bronchi and trachea rings precontracted by carbachol (CCh). In addition, the pretreatment with RCE (1 mg/mL) was tested on the bronchial and tracheal reactivity induced by CCh, potassium chloride (KCl), or CaCl2. In addition, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), respectively, were used for exploring the mechanisms of RCE-induced relaxation and reduction of reactivity. Our findings demonstrated that RCE induced a concentration-dependent relaxation and a significant reduction of reactivity, significantly reduced with either indomethacin or L-NAME. In addition, RCE decreased the responsiveness to KCl and affected the extracellular Ca2+-induced contraction in the tissues with added CCh or KCl in Ca2+-free Krebs-Henseleit solution. In summary, we have shown that RCE displayed relaxant activities in the in vitro airway smooth muscles, and the possible mechanisms seems to involve the prostaglandin, nitric oxide, and Ca2+ pathways. Taken together, our findings indicate the potential role of RCE in the treatment of respiratory diseases with limited airflow, or obstructive respiratory diseases, and could justify its traditional use in the respiratory diseases.

Assessment of 'Cabernet Sauvignon' Grape Quality Half-Véraison to Maturity for Grapevines Grown in Different Regions.

Grapes are widely cultivated around the world and their quality has distinct regional characteristics. In this study, the qualitative characteristics of the 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grape variety in seven regions, from half-véraison to maturity, were analyzed comprehensively at physiological and transcriptional levels. The results indicated that the quality traits of 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapes in different regions were significantly different with obvious regionality. Total phenols, anthocyanins, and titratable acids were the main factors of the regionality of berry quality, which were very sensitive to changes in the environment. It should be noted that the changes in titrating acids and total anthocyanin of berries vary greatly from half-véraison to maturity between regions. Moreover, the transcriptional analysis showed that the co-expressed genes between regions characterized the core transcriptome of berry development, while the unique genes of each region reflected the regionality of berries. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between half-véraison and maturity can be used to demonstrate that the environment of the regions could promote or inhibit gene expression. The functional enrichment suggested that these DEGs help to understand the interpretation of the plasticity of the quality composition of grapes according to the environment. Taken together, the information generated by this study could contribute to the development of viticultural practices aimed at making better use of native varieties for the development of wines with regional characteristics.

Yield, quality and physiological variation of strawberry in response to irrigation regimes and exogenous proline with a cost benefit analysis.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) production is a major aspect of the agricultural economy in Turkey's Mediterranean region, offering high rates of employment and farm revenue. The effects of treatment of the exogenous amino acid on yield, quality, and physiological diversity for strawberry production was analyzed considering the economic aspects. To achieve this, 4 different irrigation regimes (IR (irrigation) 125, IR100, IR75, IR50) with proline treatment was tested. The total berry yield, photosynthesis and leaf water potential (LWP) significantly decreased as irrigation application rates declined. The IR125 treatment with proline (PIR125) produced the highest overall berry production. The use of proline significantly increased berry production by 23%. Exogenous proline generated 3.5 kg/1 m3 greater yields than control in terms of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Under the IR50 conditions, the treatment of proline yielded a 32% higher than the control. Moreover, proline significantly increased fruit soluble solids content (SSC) by 6.4%. The production system achieves the highest cost-benefit ratio (CBR) under PIR125 whereas the lowest cost-benefit ratio under IR50. When each scenario was considered at individually, it was evident that the more water used the more efficient high tunnel strawberry production. The fact that proline generated an increase in CBR in all four irrigation regimes proves this amino acid's economic effectiveness. As a result, PIR125 is recommended for the highest efficiency and CBR in Mediterranean environment. However, it has been discovered that using proline to alleviate this problem in areas where water is limited could be quite helpful.

Towards smart and sustainable development of modern berry cultivars in Europe.

Fresh berries are a popular and important component of the human diet. The demand for high-quality berries and sustainable production methods is increasing globally, challenging breeders to develop modern berry cultivars that fulfill all desired characteristics. Since 1994, research projects have characterized genetic resources, developed modern tools for high-throughput screening, and published data in publicly available repositories. However, the key findings of different disciplines are rarely linked together, and only a limited range of traits and genotypes has been investigated. The Horizon2020 project BreedingValue will address these challenges by studying a broader panel of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry genotypes in detail, in order to recover the lost genetic diversity that has limited the aroma and flavor intensity of recent cultivars. We will combine metabolic analysis with sensory panel tests and surveys to identify the key components of taste, flavor and aroma in berries across Europe, leading to a high-resolution map of quality requirements for future berry cultivars. Traits linked to berry yields and the effect of environmental stress will be investigated using modern image analysis methods and modeling. We will also use genetic analysis to determine the genetic basis of complex traits for the development and optimization of modern breeding technologies, such as molecular marker arrays, genomic selection and genome-wide association studies. Finally, the results, raw data and metadata will be made publicly available on the open platform Germinate in order to meet FAIR data principles and provide the basis for sustainable research in the future.

Pitaya Genome and Multiomics Database (PGMD): A Comprehensive and Integrative Resource of Selenicereus undatus.

Pitaya (Selenicereus) is a kind of novel fruit with a delicious taste and superior horticulture ornamental value. The potential economic impact of the pitaya lies in its diverse uses not only as agricultural produce and processed foods but also in industrial and medicinal products. It is also an excellent plant material for basic and applied biological research. A comprehensive database of pitaya would facilitate studies of pitaya and the other Cactaceae plant species. Here, we constructed pitaya genome and multiomics database, which is a collection of the most updated and high-quality pitaya genomic assemblies. The database contains various information such as genomic variation, gene expression, miRNA profiles, metabolite and proteomic data from various tissues and fruit developmental stages of different pitaya cultivars. In PGMD, we also uploaded videos on the flowering process and planting tutorials for practical usage of pitaya. Overall, these valuable data provided in the PGMD will significantly facilitate future studies on population genetics, molecular breeding and function research of pitaya.

A comprehensive strategy integrating metabolomics with multiple chemometric for discovery of function related active markers for assessment of foodstuffs: A case of hawthorn (Crataegus cuneata) fruits.

There is a growing demand for functional foodstuffs naturally rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds associated with putative health benefits. This study followed a strategy integrating metabolomic with chemometric to identify quality markers that can be used to distinguish function related bioactivity of fruits, using hawthorn (Crataegus cuneata) fruit as an example. The integrated strategy was reduced to characterization of metabolic processes and discovered potential bioactive ingredients that were further investigated for functionalities. This comprehensive process provided guidance for discovery of function-related active markers for assessment of foodstuffs.

Assessment of chemical constitution and aroma properties of kiwi wines obtained from pure and mixed fermentation with Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

BACKGROUND: To improve the aroma of kiwi wine through the utilization of Wickerhamomyces anomalus, kiwi juice was fermented using a selected W. anomalus strain in pure culture and mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which was inoculated simultaneously and sequentially. The physicochemical indices, volatile compounds and aroma properties of the kiwi wines were assessed. RESULTS: The study suggested that the ethanol, color indices and organic acids of the wines were closely related to the method of inoculation. Compared with the pure S. cerevisiae fermentation, the mixed fermentations produced more varieties and concentrations of volatiles. The sequential fermentations increased the concentrations of esters and terpenes, improving the flower and sweet fruit notes of the wines. The simultaneous inoculation enhanced the contents of esters and aldehydes, intensifying the flower, sweet and sour fruit of the wines. Partial least-squares regression analysis showed that esters and terpenes contributed greatly to the flower and sweet fruit aroma, whereas aldehydes were the major contributors to the sour note. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, the mixed fermentations not only enriched the types and concentrations of volatiles, but also had better sensory properties. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prevalence and Management of Alkyl-Methoxypyrazines in a Changing Climate: Viticultural and Oenological Considerations.

Alkyl-methoxypyrazines are an important class of odor-active molecules that contribute green, 'unripe' characters to wine and are considered undesirable in most wine styles. They are naturally occurring grape metabolites in many cultivars, but can also be derived from some Coccinellidae species when these 'ladybugs' are inadvertently introduced into the must during harvesting operations. The projected impacts of climate change are discussed, and we conclude that these include an altered alkyl-methoxypyrazine composition in grapes and wines in many wine regions. Thus, a careful consideration of how to manage them in both the vineyard and winery is important and timely. This review brings together the relevant literatures on viticultural and oenological interventions aimed at mitigating alkyl-methoxypyrazine loads, and makes recommendations on their management with an aim to maintaining wine quality under a changing and challenging climate.

Effect of information about mandarin internal maturity on consumer hedonic and sensory expectations: a cross-cultural study in Spain and Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Under certain climate conditions, citrus fruit may reach optimum internal maturity while the rind is still green. It is therefore customary to enhance skin colour changes by submitting early citrus varieties to ethylene degreening treatment, which implies a cost and may result in external disorders. In this study, the effect on consumer expectations (sensory and hedonic) of providing them with information about the internal maturity of non-degreened mandarins (greenish-coloured rind) was evaluated. RESULTS: Mandarins with three different external colour indices (CI), CI = -6, CI = +1 and CI = +5, and three ways of conveying information, were investigated: (i) No information (NoInfo), (ii) The text 'Mandarins ready to eat' (Text) and (iii) Text + Visualisation of mandarin flesh (orange-coloured in all cases) (Text+Flesh). Consumer expected liking, purchase intention and sensory expectations were markedly affected after receiving the different information types. The greatest effect was detected when Text+Flesh information was provided. Rind mandarin colour was also a determinant factor of how consumer expectations were modified by the received information. Moreover, our results revealed some differences among Spanish and Mexican consumers, since maturity information had a stronger effect on hedonic expectations of Mexican consumers. CONCLUSIONS: When mandarins reach CI = +5 (pale orange-coloured rind with small areas still green), letting consumers know that mandarins are ready to eat by means of Text+Flesh information may be a non-cost strategy to avoid degreening treatment or to shorten its length. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Residual behavior and dietary intake risk assessment of flonicamid, dinotefuran and its metabolites on peach trees.

BACKGROUND: Flonicamid and dinotefuran are widely applied to control pests and diseases in various economic crops arousing much public concerns about the potential risk to human health. In this study, the multi-determination and residual behavior of flonicamid-dinotefuran mixture on peach trees were investigated. The chronic risk of long-term dietary intake for Chinese consumers was evaluated. RESULTS: An optimized QuEChERS method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis for simultaneous determination of flonicamid, dinotefuran and its metabolites was established to analyze the residual dissipation and terminal residues in peach matrices. The results demonstrated that (i) a satisfactory linearity relationship with the detector response and the correlation coefficient R2 > 0.999, the average recoveries of these four analytes ranged from 94 to 108%, the relative standard deviation was between 1.0% and 8.8%, and the limit of the quantitation was 0.02 mg kg-1 ; (ii) the dissipation behaviors of flonicamid and dinotefuran followed with the first-order dynamic kinetics model, and the half-lives were 6.9-12.4 days and 8.1-15.1 days, respectively; (iii) the recommended preharvest interval (PHI) was 21 days, the risk quotient (RQ) values of flonicamid and dinotefuran were 16.6 and 20.7%, respectively, which were significantly less than 100%. CONCLUSION: The established analytical method met the detection requirement in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. Additionally, the results indicated that the potential dietary intake risk of the flonicamid-dinotefuran mixture on peach trees was negligible. This work can be utilized in the safe and responsible use of flonicamid-dinotefuran mixture and provide guidance for establishing its maximum residue limit (MRL) in China. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative profiling and natural variation of polymethoxylated flavones in various citrus germplasms.

Citrus fruits are the main dietary source of polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) with significant effects on consumer health. In this study, eleven main PMFs were evaluated in the fruit flavedo or leaves of 116 citrus accessions via UPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS combined with HPLC-DAD analysis, which revealed significant species-specific and spatiotemporal characteristics. All Citrus reticulata and their natural or artificial hybrids were found to have detectable PMFs, especially in the fruit flavedo of the wild or early-cultivated mandarins at early fruit development stages. However, PMFs were not detected in citrons, pummelos, kumquats, trifoliata oranges, papedas, Chinese box oranges and 'Mangshanyegan'. The results enlightened that PMF accumulation only in mandarins and mandarin hybrids is a phenotype inherited from mandarin ancestors. This study provides a comprehensive PMF profile in various citrus germplasms and will benefit future functional citrus breeding practices aimed at designing plants rich in total or specific PMFs for health benefits.

Simultaneous determination and dietary risk assessment of clethodim and its metabolites in different fruits and vegetables.

Clethodim is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture and, after field application, is metabolised to several metabolites. The potential toxicological negative effects of these compounds are poorly understood. Thus, recently, within the risk assessment framework, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed to include the minor metabolites in the definition of clethodim residue. In this work, an easy to use and reliable UHPLC method coupled with a triple quadrupole MS/MS was developed and validated for the detection and quantification of the herbicide clethodim and related metabolites clethodim sulphone, clethodim sulphoxide, metabolites M17R and M18R in apple, grape, olive and rice. The five analytes were extracted by using a modified QuEChERS procedure, while the active ingredients were determined in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) ion-switching mode. The proposed method showed calibration curve linearity with r2 ≥ 0.990 for all active ingredients (a.is.) both in solvent and matrix extracts. Limits of quantitation (LOQ) of the five compounds ranged from 9.44 µg/kg for M17R in olive extract to 11.01 µg/kg for clethodim in apple extract. Recoveries values ranged from 86% to 119% at two concentration levels (LOQ and 10xLOQ), while the intraday and interday precisions of the method were both below 10% in all cases. The method was successfully used for the quantification of the five a.is. in different food matrices. Furthermore, chronic dietary risk was investigated using a hazard quotients (HQ) method based on European dietary habits. The chronic dietary exposure risk quotients ranged from 1.0 × 10-5 (lower bound scenario) to 2.7 × 10-4 (upper bound scenario) which were significantly lower than 1. Data obtained indicate that the dietary exposure risks were acceptable for clethodim and its major and minor metabolites applied in apple, table grape, rice and table olive.

Liver Damage Produced by Malnutrition is Improved by Dietary Supplementation in Mice: Assessment of a Supplement Based on Buriti (A Cerrado Fruit) and Dairy By-products.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition induced by dietary restriction produces several metabolic changes that affect body weight, the digestive system, and annex organs, including the liver. Malnutrition generates an inflammatory state and increases oxidative stress. The liver is one of the body vital organs, becoming necessary to analyze the impact of food supplementation on the repair of possible changes that may occur in this organ due to malnutrition. AIMS: To evaluate the effects of a low-cost supplementation derived from Buriti and dairy byproducts on liver recovery in malnourished mice, focusing on the expression of oxidative stressrelated genes, as well as biochemical and histological parameters. METHODS: Swiss mice were divided into six groups and submitted to two treatment phases: food restriction, for malnutrition onset; and renutrition, with mice being fed with different diets. RESULTS: Our results indicate that dietary supplementation was successful in recovering liver damage caused by malnutrition in animal models. The new supplement has been shown to recover liver damage with similar or superior results compared to the commercial reference supplement on the market. CONCLUSION: Our work presents a new composition of low cost food supplement based on buriti and dairy by-products, proven to be effective in the malnutrition treatment of malnutrition. The improvements were proven through the recovery of body weight, reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Assessment of bioaccessible and dialyzable fractions of nickel in food products and their impact on the chronic exposure of Belgian population to nickel.

This study aimed to investigate bioaccessible/dialyzable fractions of nickel in selected foods and to clarify the impact of the food digestion/absorption on the final exposure of consumers to nickel. In vitro gastrointestinal incubation experiments were conducted to estimate the bioaccessibility of nickel in different foods. For estimation of a dialyzable fraction, dialysis filtration was conducted. Highest bioaccessibility (99.6%) was observed for wheat-based breakfast cereals. Lowest bioaccessibilities was observed for dried-fruits (on average 20.4%). Highest (61.5%) and lowest (24.5%) dialyzable fractions were observed for wheat-based breakfast cereal and chocolate respectively. Bioaccessible/dialyzable fractions based exposure assessments were highlighted the overestimation of exposures calculated based on total nickel concentrations in foods. This is particularly important when exposure values were compared with toxicological thresholds in a risk characterization study. When threshold values have been obtained through animal studies in which nickel was dosed at 100% accessibility/availability, e.g. nickel salts this is even more important.

Flavonoids from the peels of Citrus unshiu Markov. and their inhibitory effects on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through the downregulation of c-Fos signaling in vitro.

Phytochemical investigation of Citrus unshiu peels led to the isolation of eight new flavonols (7-9, 11-15) and sixteen known compounds (1-6, 10, 16-24). Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic analysis (1D, 2D NMR, and HR-MS). Besides, all isolated compounds (1-24) were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on receptor activator of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in BMMs. Among them, dimethylmikanin (1), quercetogetin (2), 3,3',4',5,7,8-hexamethoxyflavone (3), 3-methoxynobiletin (4) showed a significant inhibitory effect on RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation at a concentration of 10 µM. Moreover, 3-methoxynobiletin (4) suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by decreasing the number of osteoclasts and osteoclast actin-ring formation in a dose-dependent manner without causing any cytotoxic effects on BMMs. At the molecular level, 3-methoxynobiletin (4) inhibited RANKL-induced c-Fos expression and subsequently NFATc1 activation, as well as the expression of osteoclastogenesis-related marker genes c-Src and CtsK. These findings suggested that 3-methoxynobiletin (4) attenuated osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting RANKL-mediated c-Fos signaling and that it may have therapeutic potential for treating or preventing bone resorption-related diseases, such as osteoporosis.

Assessment of organic acid accumulation and its related genes in peach.

Fruit acidity is an important determinant of peach organoleptic quality, but its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Measurement of organic acids in ripe fruits of seventy-five peach cultivars revealed the predominant components malate and citrate, accompanied by quinate. Organic acid accumulation increased at early stages of fruit growth, but exhibited a more dramatic reduction in low-acid cultivar during later stages of fruit development compared to high-acid cultivars. Low-acid cultivars showed citrate degradation and less transport of malate into the vacuole due to up- and down-regulation of a GABA pathway gene GAD and a malate transporter gene ALMT9, respectively. The NAD-MDH1 gene might control the rate-limiting step in malate synthesis, while three genes, PDK, PK, and ADH, could affect citrate synthesis through the pyruvate-to-acetyl-CoA-to-citrate pathway. Altogether, these results suggested that malate accumulation is controlled at the level of metabolism and vacuolar storage, while metabolism is crucial for citrate accumulation in peach.

Valorisation of kitul, an overlooked food plant: Phenolic profiling of fruits and inflorescences and assessment of their effects on diabetes-related targets.

Caryota urens L. has long been valued as a traditional food, the edible fruits being eaten raw and the inflorescences commonly used on sweet sap and flour production. In the current work, the phenolic profile of methanol extracts obtained from the inflorescences and fruits was unveiled for the first time, nine caffeic acid derivatives being identified and quantified. Since kitul products have been reported for their antidiabetic properties, extracts radical scavenging activity and α-amylase, α-glucosidase and aldose reductase inhibitory activity were assessed. The inflorescences' extract was particularly active against yeast α-glucosidase (IC50 = 1.53 µg/mL), acting through a non-competitive inhibitory mechanism. This activity was also observed in enzyme-enriched homogenates obtained from human Caco-2 cells (IC50 = 64.75 µg/mL). Additionally, the extract obtained from the inflorescences showed no cytotoxicity on HepG2, AGS and Caco-2 cell lines. Our data suggest that C. urens inflorescences can support the development of new functional foods with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.