The journey of prochloraz pesticide in Citrus sinensis: Residual distribution, impact on transcriptomic profiling and reduction by plasma-activated water.

Prochloraz (PTIC) is a hazardous fungicide used worldwide on agricultural produce despite concerns about potential impacts on human health and environmental pollution. The residue of PTIC and its metabolite 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) in fresh produce has largely not been clarified. Herein, we address this research gap by examining residues of PTIC and 2,4,6-TCP in fruit of Citrus sinensis through a typical storage period. PTIC residue in the exocarp and mesocarp peaked on days 7 and 14, respectively, while 2,4,6-TCP residue gradually increased throughout storage period. Based upon gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and RNA-sequencing analysis, we reported the potential impact of residual PTIC on endogenous terpene production, and identified 11 DEGs encoding enzymes involved in terpene biosynthesis in Citrus sinensis. Additionally, we investigated both the reduction efficacy (max: 58.93%) of plasma-activated water in citrus exocarp and the minimal impact on quality attributes of citrus mesocarp. The present study not only sheds light on the residual distribution of PTIC and its impact on endogenous metabolism in Citrus sinensis, but also further provides theoretical basis for potential approaches for efficiently reducing or eliminating pesticide residues.

Ongoings in the apple watercore: First evidence from proteomic and metabolomic analysis.

The presence of watercored fruit with translucent mesocarp has attracted immense attention due to its unique morphology and taste, however, the metabolic reconstruction between watercored and non-watercored tissues remain elusive. Herein, the combined proteomic and metabolomic approach was carried out to characterize the protein abundance and metabolic profile in watercored apple. Results demonstrated that carbohydrate metabolism was prioritized enriched in watercored apple, including highly accumulated sucrose and sugar alcohols, and the increased level of transcription factor WHIRLY2 (WHY2), which is required in sugar reallocation. More than 50% overlap of differently abundant proteins involved in calcium ion binding, starch and sucrose metabolism implied the involvement of calcium signaling in watercore development. Moreover, significantly lower calcium content was detected in watercored apples. Sucrose synthase (SUSY) protein, which is involved both in calcium ion binding and sugar metabolism, was the potential basis of apple watercore development, which provided a likely candidate in regulation of apparent quality.

Effect of advanced/hybrid oxidation process involving ultrasonication and ultraviolet radiation (sonophotolysis) on anthocyanin stability: Degradation kinetics and mechanism.

The hybrid oxidation effect of ultrasonics (US) and ultraviolet light (UV-A) on Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) stability were examined. For comparison, sonolysis and photolysis experiments were also conducted. The results showed that under hybrid sonophotolysis and sonolysis treatment, C3G degradation undergoes zero-order kinetics, while under photolysis, first-order degradation kinetic prevailed. The degradation rate increases with the increase in US power, with the lowest, was recorded as 0.70 µg/ml/h (14 W/L) and 0.77 µg/ml/h (28 W/L), and highest as 0.80 µg/ml/h (42 W/L). Similarly, the degradation ability of UV photolysis at 400 µW/cm2 was weak, which increased with increasing UV power (600 µW/cm2). Overall the sonophotolysis degradation rate was significantly higher than that of the individual effect. With the addition of gallic acid (GA), the degradation of C3G was found lower under sonophotolysis; thus, it could be used as a natural protective agent for C3G during food processing.