Oviposition biology, behavior, and avocado cultivar preferences of Heilipus lauri Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Heilipus lauri is a specialist avocado seed feeding weevil native to parts of México and is an invasive pest in Colombia. This weevil is considered an incursion risk because possible unintended introductions into areas outside of its native range can result in establishment, which threatens avocado production in invaded regions. Despite being a well-recognized pest of avocados, relatively little is known about oviposition biology, behavior, and cultivar preferences of this weevil. Field studies in commercial Hass avocado orchards in México and laboratory studies in a quarantine facility in California (USA) indicated that H. lauri prefers to oviposit into middle and bottom thirds of fruit. In the laboratory, an average of 1.7 eggs (range 1-6 eggs) are laid over a 24-h period in oviposition chambers by individual females. Conspecifics add eggs to these clutches, with up to 17 eggs being recorded in 1 oviposition chamber. This finding suggests that H. lauri does not use an oviposition deterring pheromone. Female weevils readily oviposit in artificial holes representing mechanical wounds on fruit. In comparison to the commercially dominant Hass variety, fruit from Lamb Hass and G22, a native Guatemalan variety, and to a lesser extent Gem, may be less preferred for oviposition when females have a choice of fruit in which to oviposit. Videography studies indicated that H. lauri exhibits predominantly diurnal activity with respect to oviposition behaviors, feeding, and walking.

Mix and manage: Cultivar mixtures can maintain yield under high wheat blast disease pressure.

Originating in South America, wheat blast disease has spread to both Asia and Africa and is considered a significant threat to food security. Bangladesh experienced the first outbreak of wheat blast outside of the Americas in 2016. Shortly thereafter, the blast-resistant variety BARI Gom 33 was released. Seeds of this variety are however not as widely available as required, although the disease threat remains. While varietal mixtures have been shown to mitigate some symptoms and yield losses associated with other fungal diseases in wheat, there is a complete research gap on this topic as it pertains to wheat blast. As such, we evaluated the potential of using BARI Gom 33 as a component of a variety mixture under high disease pressure in Bangladesh. During three cropping seasons, blast symptoms and yield were determined in a field experiment for the highly blast-susceptible variety BARI Gom 26, the moderately susceptible BARI Gom 30, the resistant BARI Gom 33, and seven mixture combinations of the three varieties using artificial inoculation to increase disease pressure. In addition to wheat blast, Bipolaris leaf blight (BpLB) symptoms were observed and evaluated. While yields of the susceptible varieties were severely affected by blast even after fungicide application, disease-inflicted yield loss without fungicide was only 15% for sole BARI Gom 33 and did not differ significantly from yield losses in BARI Gom 33 and BARI Gom 30 mixtures. Furthermore, in the mixture containing 67% BARI Gom 33 and 33% BARI Gom 30, blast incidence and severity were reduced by 25% and 16%, respectively, in comparison to weighted values in sole stands. Conversely, mixing varieties tended to increase the symptoms of BpLB. Under high wheat blast pressure, fungicide protection against blast was relatively weak, underscoring the importance of resistant varieties. Although variety mixtures did not increase yield, the yield advantage of BARI Gom 33 was maintained when its seeds were mixed with the less resistant BARI Gom 30. This study confirms recommendations that farmers should use BARI Gom 33 as a first line of defense against wheat blast in Bangladesh. Yet where farmers cannot access sufficient BARI Gom 33 seed for planting, our data suggest that agricultural extension services can recommend this variety with non-resistant cultivars as interim strategy without significant risk of yield loss.

Feeding behavior, life-history traits, and settling preference of Aulacorthum solani (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on resistant and susceptible soybeans.

Foxglove aphid, Aulacorthum solani Kaltenbach (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a major pest worldwide. It can infest various crops, including soybean, and reduce yields. The use of insect-resistant cultivars can effectively manage pests. Dowling is a soybean cultivar that can control Aphis glycines through antibiosis and antixenosis. In this study, we investigated the feeding behavior of A. solani using electropenetrography (EPG), and its life-history traits using an age-stage, two-sex life table, and its settling preferences on Dowling (resistant) and Heinong 51 (HN51, susceptible) soybean cultivars. The Dowling cultivar showed strong antibiosis against A. solani. Aphids feeding on Dowling exhibited significantly reduced survival, fecundity, and longevity, and increased nymph duration. Moreover, Dowling had negative impacts on the demographic parameters of the aphids. The number of A. solani individuals was significantly less on Dowling than on HN51, indicating the antixenotic effects of Dowling. As shown using EPG, the mechanical blocking wave (F) of A. solani was significantly longer after feeding on Dowling than after feeding on HN51, indicating that Dowling has a higher mechanical resistance. In conclusion, Dowling exhibited strong resistance to A. solani. These results are beneficial for integrated pest management in soybean fields and breeding programs.

Leaf-whorl inoculation with Sporisorium reilianum may overcome field resistance of maize.

Maize yield is threatened by increasing incidences of head smut disease caused by Sporisorium reilianum. To help breeders identify S. reilianum-resistant maize lines, the availability of efficient screening systems would be an advantage. Here we assessed maize lines with distinct levels of field resistance against head smut disease in greenhouse experiments using two different inoculation techniques. Addition of mixtures of mating-compatible sporidia to the soil at seedling stage of the plant did not lead to plant disease, and we could detect only marginal amounts of fungal DNA in apical meristems at eighteen days after sowing. Inoculation of the maize lines by leaf-whorl inoculation led to both high disease incidence and prominent levels of fungal DNA in apical meristems in all tested maize lines regardless of their field resistance levels. Thus, S. reilianum entering the plant via the leaf whorl can escape existing resistance mechanisms of currently known field-resistant maize lines. Since field-resistant lines are also resistant to inoculation via teliospore-contaminated soil, we propose teliospore addition to seeds at the time of sowing (rather than leaf-whorl inoculation of seedlings) combined with quantitative detection of fungal DNA in apical meristems, as an efficient screening procedure to discover field-resistant lines. However, screening maize plants for resistance against the leaf-whorl inoculation method might be promising for the discovery of novel resistance mechanisms needed to develop durably resistant maize lines.

Editing of the MeSWEET10a promoter yields bacterial blight resistance in cassava cultivar SC8.

Cassava starch is a widely used raw material for industrial production and food source for people. However, cassava bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis (Xam) results in severe yield losses and is the most destructive bacterial disease in all worldwide cassava-growing regions. Xam11 is a highly pathogenic subspecies from China that infects the Chinese local cassava South China No. 8 (SC8) cultivar with marked symptoms. This study showed that the transcription activator-like effector TALE20Xam11 of Xam11 strain regulates the expression of disease-susceptibility gene MeSWEET10a by binding to the EBETALE20 region of the MeSWEET10a promoter in cassava cultivar SC8. CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutations of the EBETALE20 region resulted in a significant reduction in MeSWEET10a expression after infection by Xam11, correlating with reduced disease symptoms, smaller lesion sizes and decreased bacterial proliferation compared with the wild type. Importantly, the edited plants maintained normal growth, development and yield characteristics under greenhouse conditions. The results lay a research foundation for breeding resistant cassava cultivar SC8 to bacterial blight.

From Waste to Health: Olive Mill Wastewater for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

Waste from the agri-food chain represents a valuable reservoir of organic compounds with health-promoting properties. Momast Plus 30 Bio (MP30B) is a derivative obtained from olive-oil wastewater. Its enrichment in hydroxytyrosol (HT) via a patented technique has paved the way for its potential application as a dietary supplement in preventing cardiovascular diseases. MP30B demonstrates no significant alteration in cardiac and vascular parameters in "ex vivo" studies. However, it exhibits a strong ability to remove reactive oxygen species and exerts anti-inflammatory effects, notably reducing the concentration of iNOS and mitigating heart infections in "in vitro" experiments. Furthermore, MP30B slightly decreases the stiffness of the "ex vivo" thoracic aorta, potentially resulting in lowered arterial pressure and enhanced energy transfer to a normal ventricle. Based on these findings, we posit MP30B as a promising extract for cardiovascular disease prevention, and its specific antibacterial properties suggest its utility in preventing cardiac infections.

Valorization of hydro-distillate of fruit peels of Citrus paradisi macfad. Cultivar. Foster: Chemical profiling, antioxidant evaluation and in vitro and in silico enzyme inhibition studies.

The major commercial crops in Pakistan are citrus fruit trees, which are farmed extensively and serve as the country's principal source of foreign exchange. A local citrus plant, Citrus paradisi, variety Foster is famous for its valuable fruit and fruit juice, however, tons of peels of this fruit are thrown as waste, which otherwise can be utilized in formulating nutraceutical and cosmetics. In the present study, essential oil of fruit peels was obtained through hydro-distillation, which was then analyzed through GC-MS analysis and studied for its antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential. GCMS analysis revealed the presence of several components; major were found to be limonene, α-terpineol, caryophyllene, δ-amorphene, elemol, γ-eudesoml, nootkatone and di-isooctyl phthalate. Although, the oil showed weak free radical inhibition, it was potentially active in CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating antioxidant assays. The oil also exhibited anti-glucosidase, anti-amylase activities and also exhibited potent inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, which makes it strong candidate for nutraceuticals and skin care products. The docking studies also substantiate our results and caryophyllene, γ-eudesoml and nootkatone showed good binding affinity α-glucosidase and α-amylase and all tested compounds showed the higher binding affinity towards the enzyme tyrosinase.

Over a century of pear breeding at the USDA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has performed European pear (Pyrus communis L.) scion breeding for over a century. The breeding program started in the early 1900s by Merton B. Waite in the Washington D.C. area and the program's main goal was to develop host resistance to the devastating disease fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora. Most of the historic European pear cultivars being produced in the U.S. were susceptible to fire blight, prompting a need to breed for resistance. More than six generations of USDA breeders have continued this effort to breed disease-resistant European pears. Along with fire blight resistance, the pear breeding programs sought improved fruit quality, cold hardiness, and resistance to psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola Foërster), a significant insect pest of pear. Herein, we discuss the history of the program through each generation of breeder(s). We also present breeding aims, parental selection, and releases. In total, the program has released ten named pear varieties between 1938 and 2022.

Effects of Cultivar Factors on Fermentation Characteristics and Volatile Organic Components of Strawberry Wine.

Strawberry wine production is a considerable approach to solve the problem of the Chinese concentrated harvesting period and the short shelf life of strawberries, but the appropriative strawberry cultivars for fermentation are still undecided. In this study, the strawberry juice and wines of four typical strawberry cultivars named Akihime (ZJ), Sweet Charlie (TCL), Snow White (BX), and Tongzhougongzhu (TZ) were thoroughly characterized for their physicochemical indicators, bioactive compounds, and volatile organic components (VOCs) to determine the optimal strawberry cultivars for winemaking. The results showed that there were significant differences in the total sugar content, pH, total acid, and other physicochemical indexes in the strawberry juice of different cultivars, which further affected the physicochemical indexes of fermented strawberry wine. Moreover, the content of polyphenols, total flavonoids, vitamin C, and color varied among the four strawberry cultivars. A total of 42 VOCs were detected in the strawberry juice and wines using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and 3-methyl-1-butanol, linalool, trans-2-pinanol, hexanoic acid, and hexanoic acid ethyl ester were the differential VOCs to identify the strawberry wine samples of different cultivars. Overall, strawberry cultivar ZJ had a relatively high VOC and bioactive compound content, indicating that it is the most suitable cultivar for strawberry wine fermentation. In addition to determining the relatively superior fermentation characteristics of cultivar ZJ, the results may provide a theoretical basis for the raw material quality control and quality improvement of strawberry wine.

The effect of terroir on volatilome fingerprinting and qualitative attributes of non-irrigated grapes reveals differences on glycosylated aroma compounds.

BACKGROUND: 'Xynisteri' is considered as the reference white grape cultivar in Cyprus with remarkable adaptation to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions and appreciable oenological properties that renders it as an appropriate cultivar for studies within a global context due to climate change. To this aim, two distinct non-irrigated plots with different climatic conditions, soil properties and levels of rainfall were selected; Koilani [KO, altitude 800 m, 76% calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content, pH 7.97, average temperature: 16.5 °C, rainfall: 229 mm] and Kyperounda (KY, altitude 1200 m, CaCO3-free soil, pH 6.47, average temperature: 14.9 °C, rainfall: 658 mm). An array of physiological, biochemical and qualitative indices during successive developmental stages (BBCH 75-89) were determined. During the advanced on-vine developmental stages (BBCH 85-89), the aromatic profile of grapes was assessed with the employment of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Such analysis was complemented with non-destructive chemometric analyses. RESULTS: Berry ripening process substantially differed on the examined plots; BBCH 89 stage reached at 267 and 303 Julian days for KO and KY, respectively. Results indicated that berry weight, soluble solids content (SSC) and α-amino nitrogen were higher in KO than in KY, with exception made for ammonium nitrogen content. A total of 75 compounds, including aliphatic alcohols, benzenic compounds, phenols, vanillins, monoterpenes and C13-norisoprenoids were identified and quantified. The variations of mesoclimatic conditions affected the volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles at the fully-ripe stage, showing a considerable rise in glycosylated aroma compounds, especially monoterpenes and benzenic compounds. In particular, the higher amount of glycosylated aroma compounds were obtained in KY berries up to mid-ripe, whereas KO showed higher glycosylated aroma compounds at fully-ripe stage. Results reported herein indicate that aroma profile of 'Xynisteri' grapes varied substantially in the examined terroirs. Interestingly, the limited rainfall in KΟ non-irrigated vine did not compromise qualitative and aromatic properties of berries. CONCLUSIONS: The present study aimed at dissecting the impact of terroir on bush-trained, non-irrigated grapevines of a cultivar appropriate for extreme climate change scenarios. The volatilome fingerprint was highly variable among the examined plots; such results can be further exploited at vinification level towards production of single vineyard premium end products. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of the genetic parameters of soybean genotypes for precocity and productivity in the various cultivation conditions.

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) plays a crucial role in the advancement of agriculture in Kazakhstan, serving as a promising food crop and feed source. The primary challenge in boosting soybean production in Northern Kazakhstan lies in the absence of soybean cultivars suited to the region's conditions. As such, the foremost focus of breeding initiatives should be on creating soybean varieties that possess both early maturity and satisfactory yield potential. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of maturity time (MT) on both the yield formation and the adaptive characteristics of soybean varieties from different origins. This evaluation was conducted by analyzing the outcomes of their testing under diverse cultivation conditions in the northern region of Kazakhstan. The soybean cultivars that were examined, originating from various sources, were classified into three primary groups. These groups varied in terms of their growing season duration as well as their yield levels. The way the alleles of the E1-E4 flowering genes were spread out in the identified clusters showed that for soybean varieties where recessive alleles of the E1-E4 genes build up, the growing season usually shorter. Cultivars of Chinese, Russian, and domestic selections isolated as a result of the research were good initial material for use in local breeding programs. Within the framework of the clusters, an environmental assessment of soybean accessions was carried out, which made it possible to determine their degree of plasticity and, in general, their adaptive potential in the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. The best cultivars were the Chinese selection 'Dongnong 63' and the Russian selection 'SIBNIIK 315'. Hence, the present study successfully discovered soybean cultivars that possess exceptional adaptability and flexibility. These cultivars hold significant potential for cultivation and practical use in the specific environmental circumstances of northern Kazakhstan.

Inter- and Intra-Pathogen Interactions Emanating from Coinfection with Different Fungal and Viral strains in Canola Cultivars with Differing Host Resistances.

Few recent investigations examine coinfection interactions between fungal and viral plant pathogens. Here, we investigated coinfections between Leptosphaeria maculans and turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) in canola (Brassica napus). Different combinations of L. maculans isolate P11 and resistance breaking isolates L. maculans UWA192 and TuMV 12.1, were inoculated to three cultivars with differing pathogen resistances/susceptibilities. They were inoculated first to entire or half cotyledons 10-12 days after emergence, and second to opposite entire or half cotyledons on the same day (day 0) or 3 or 7 days afterwards. The parameters measured were L. maculans cotyledon disease index (%CDI), and TuMV systemically infected leaf symptom intensity (SI) and virus concentration (VC). Except when both day 0 inoculations were with isolate UWA192, %CDI values were supressed strongly or only weakly when isolates P11 and/or UWA192 were inoculated to plants with L. maculans single gene resistance (SGR) or polygenic resistance, respectively. However, except when isolate P11 was inoculated first and UWA192 second, these values declined after inoculation day 0 when SGR was absent. TuMV infection suppressed %CDI values, although this decrease was usually smaller following day 0 half cotyledon inoculations. When TuMV temperature sensitive extreme resistance was present and both inoculations were with TuMV, SI and VC values diminished greatly. However, the extent of this decrease was reduced when second inoculations were with L. maculans. SI and VC values were also smaller when SGR was present and second inoculations were with L. maculans. When L. maculans resistance was lacking, SI and VC values were smaller when second inoculations to entire cotyledons were with L. maculans rather than TuMV. This also occurred after second half cotyledon inoculations with isolate P11 but not isolate UWA192. Therefore, diverse inter- or intra-pathogen interactions developed depending upon host resistance, isolate combination, cotyledon inoculation approach and second inoculation timing.

Genome-wide association study of bacterial blight resistance in soybean.

Bacterial blight caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycines (Psg) is a widespread foliar disease. Although four Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea (Rpg) 1 ~ 4 (Rpg1~4) genes that have been observed to segregate in a Mendelian pattern have been reported to confer resistance to Psg in soybean, the genetic basis of quantitative resistance to bacterial blight in soybean remains unclear. In the present study, the Psg resistance of two soybean association panels consisting of 573 and 213 lines, respectively, were phenotyped in multiple environments in 2014 - 2016. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) were performed using 2 models FarmCPU and BLINK to identify Psg resistance loci. A total of 40 soybean varieties with high level of Psg resistance were identified, and 14 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected on 12 soybean chromosomes. These QTLs were identified for the first time. The majority of the QTLs were only detected in one or the other association panels, while qRPG-18-1 was detected in both association panels for at least one growing season. A total of 46 candidate Psg resistance genes were identified from the qRpg_13_1, qRPG-15-1, and qRPG-18-1 loci based on gene function annotation. In addition, we found the genomic region covering rpg1-b and rpg1-r harbored the synteny with a genomic region on chromosome 15, and identified 16 nucleotide binding site - leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) genes as the candidate Psg resistance genes from the synteny blocks. This study provides new information for dissecting the genetic control of Psg resistance in soybean.

Synergetic effect of Accentuated Cut Edges (ACE) and macerating enzymes on the phenolic composition of Marquette red wines.

One of the challenges of cold-hardy grape cultivars is their typical low content of tannins, alongside the presence of anthocyanin diglucoside and high acidity, which can lead to unbalanced red wines. This study hypothesized that the combination of Accentuated Cut Edges (ACE) and macerating enzymes would improve phenolics extraction from grape skins after disruption. The effects of those two winemaking techniques, either used separately or together, on red wine quality characteristics were investigated at crushing, bottling, and after six or nine months of aging. Overall, the combination of treatments improved the concentration of monomeric phenolics (20 %) and tannins (21 %) after nine months of aging. ACE or enzyme treatment separately applied had little impact on phenolics extraction in finished wines. This study exhibited a potential strategy to modify phenolics profile through the synergistic effect of ACE and macerating enzymes by causing cellular breakdown in a cold-hardy red grape cultivar.

Temperature and solar irradiation effects on secondary metabolism during ripening of field-grown everbearing strawberries.

The garden strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) is cultivated and consumed worldwide because of the pleasant flavor and health-promoting phytochemicals of its false fruits. Monocrop cultivars produce fully ripe strawberries in about one month post-anthesis throughout the spring, while everbearing cultivars undergo additional strawberry production in autumn. In this work, we evaluated the impact of different season-dependent environmental conditions on the ripening program of an everbearing field-gown strawberry variety from autumn 2015 to spring 2016. We combined ad hoc sampling and environmental data collection with LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics to dissect the effects of cumulative temperature and solar irradiation on fruit quality parameters and secondary metabolism during ripening. Different dynamics in specific sub-groups of metabolites were observed in strawberries experiencing distinct amounts of cumulative temperature and solar irradiation during spring and autumn. The integration of statistical analyses on collected data revealed that solar irradiation mainly affected fruit fresh weight and organic acid levels, whereas temperature had a more selective effect on the accumulation of specific flavonols, anthocyanins, and soluble sugar. These findings are of suitable interest to design further approaches for the study of the complex interactions among environmental conditions and ripening in strawberries grown in a real-world scenario.

Meeting the challenge of varietal and geographical authentication of hazelnuts through lipid metabolite fingerprinting.

Hazelnuts are high-quality products with significant economic importance in many European countries. Their market price depends on their qualitative characteristics, which are driven by cultivar and geographical origin, making hazelnuts susceptible to fraud. This study systematically compared two lipidomic fingerprinting strategies for the simultaneous authentication of hazelnut cultivar and provenance, based on the analysis of the unsaponifiable fraction (UF) and triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with chemometrics. PLS-DA classification models were developed using a large sample set with high natural variability (n = 309) to discriminate hazelnuts by cultivar and origin. External validation results demonstrated the suitability of the UF fingerprint as a hazelnut authentication tool, both tested models showing a high efficiency (>94 %). The correct classification rate of the TAG fingerprinting method was lower (>80 %), but due to its faster analysis time, it is recommended as a complementary screening tool to UF fingerprinting.

Cooking effect on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

The present review assessed the effect of heat processing on red peppers' (Capsicum annum L.) bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. The Google Scholar and Scopus databases were used to search the existing literature. Out of 422 articles accessed based on the inclusion and exclusion criterias included, only 15 studies were qualified for detailed review. The studies examined effects of processing on red hot peppers' bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. Information on type of heat applied for individual processes and the conditions used, countries in which the studies were carried out and effect of heat processing's were assessed. The review showed many studies were incomprehensive to details of processing condition constraining the validity of the results obtained from various cooking effects on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. Further studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of the heat processing conditions and factors that influence the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of red peppers are needed.

Comparison of Nutritional Quality and Functional Active Substances in Different Parts of Eight Lotus Seed Cultivars.

In this study, "Honghu White Lotus", "Red Lotus (HH)", "Hunan Cunshan Lotus (CS)", "Wuyi Xuanlian", "Space Lotus 36", "Fujian Jianning White Lotus (JB)", "Jiangsu Yangzhou Lotus (JY)", and "Suzhou Dongshan Lotus" were selected as experimental subjects. The lotus seed flesh and lotus plumule of each cultivar were selected for nutritional quality and functional active substance analyses. Comparing different cultivars of lotus seeds, the protein and crude fat contents of JY flesh were the highest at 65.59 mg/g and 13%, respectively. The VC content of JB flesh and lotus plumule is the highest at 41.56 mg/g and 204.29 mg/g, respectively. JB flesh has the lowest soluble sugar content, at 17.87 mg/g, while HB's lotus plumule and flesh have the highest content, at 33.67 mg/g and 29.62 mg/g, respectively. There was no significant difference in the crude fat content of the flesh and lotus plumule among the eight cultivars. TK flesh and lotus plumule have the highest amylose content, at 23.67 mg/g and 76.81 mg/g, respectively. Among them, the total starch content of JB (476.17 mg/g) was relatively high, whereas its amylose content was only 26.09 mg/g. Lower amylose content makes it less prone to aging. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the JY lotus plumule were the highest, at 18.64 and 21.04 mg/g, respectively. The alkaloid content of CS, HH, and JY was relatively high at 20.01, 19.29, and 18.68 mg/g, respectively. These can provide a consultation for the estimation and processing of the nutritional quality of different lotus seeds.

In vitro antifungal activity and in vivo edible coating efficacy of insect-derived chitosan against Botrytis cinerea in strawberry.

Strawberry is a perishable fruit, susceptible to development of rot by a range of fungi, in particular Botrytis cinerea. Chitosan represents an alternative to agrochemicals for improving shelf-life and fighting fungal pathogens. A chitosan-based coating derived from pupal exuviae of Hermetia illucens has been recently formulated for improving shelf-life of strawberry stored at 4 °C and mixed condition (4 °C and room temperature). The effects of a decolored (PEDEC) and not decolored (PEND) chitosan from the black soldier fly were evaluated and compared with commercial chitosans from crustaceans (CCs), in vitro and in vivo. An inhibition/reduction of fungal growth and a disturbance of normal fungal morphology were observed, being MIC of 0.5 mg mL-1 and 1 mg mL-1 and growth inhibition of 70 % and 4% for PEND and PEDEC, respectively. Both edible coatings distributed via aerograph showed equal or better potential application than CCs in controlling B. cinerea in strawberry post-harvest treated. Different effects for chitosans depended on their different molecular weight and deacetylation degree distributions, and the presence or absence of melanin pigments in their structure. PEND could act directly against the fungus, with effects predominantly associated with fungitoxic properties; PEDEC might principally provide viable alternatives, such as the elicitation of biochemical defense responses in fruits, for example through total phenols, in particular the flavonoids.

Functional properties of starch cultivars of two Andean grains grown in Bolivia: Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule).

The functional properties of Andean grain starches of two species, amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), three cultivars each, were studied. The study focused on chemical composition, pasting properties, thermal properties, water solubility index (WSI), swelling power (SP), and granule morphology. All amaranth starches were waxy starches, with amylose content less than 5 %, which had some differences in chemical composition (p < 0.05). The pasting properties differed between the species, canihua showed more resistance, than amaranth, to heat and shear stress (higher cool paste (CPV) and lower breakdown (BD), ranged between 1250 and 1600 cP and -30 - 10 cP respectively. The amaranth starches presented only similar CPV with 800-1000 cP, while canihua cultivars presented similar PT and BD, and both species presented similar PV, around 1000 cP. Thermal properties (To, Tp, Tc, ΔH, and ΔT) differed among cultivars and species. These differences could be related to the homogeneity molecular structure and content of amylose in canihua cultivars and possibly to genotype factor. Polygonal shapes were the predominant shape of starch granules, ranged 1.0-1.4 µm and 0.8-0.9 µm, for amaranth and canihua starches respectively. Amaranth starches swelled quickly to disintegrate partially at the end, contrary to canihua starches. The thermal and pasting properties were correlated between them. SB, CPV, HPV, CS, were correlated to the content of amylose in canihua starches. One amaranth cultivar was significantly different from the others. Thus, according the functional properties differenced both species and some cultivars in each species. Additionally, the amaranth starch has the potential to be used in the food industry where heat and stress are applied such as extrusion, while canihua starches can be used in desserts or in cosmetic uses, based on their functional properties.