Assessment of growth, and ion uptake of plant species, Conocarpus erectus and Dodonaea viscosa, on industrial solid waste.

Present study assessed the growth of two plant species and ion uptake by them grown on different proportion of industrial solid waste and garden soil. The industrial waste having high concentration of chemicals were used with garden soil at different proportion i.e. 0% (T0), 5% (T1), 10% (T2), 15% (T3) and 20% (T4). Two species namely Conocarpus erectus (alien plant) and Dodonaea viscosa (indigenous) were used as test plants in pot study. Different parameters including growth, physiology, and anatomy of plants and concentration of cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) in the plant shoot and root were measured at different time duration (initial, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th month). The key objective of the study was to use these plants to establish their plantations on the barren lands where industrial solid wastes were being disposed of. C. erectus showed better growth than D. viscosa, as well as more uptake of ions. A significant increase in plant growth was observed in fourth month in T1, where plant height reached 24.5% and 46% for C. erectus and D. viscosa, respectively. At harvest, in C. erectus, no significant difference in the fresh (65-78 g) and dry weight (24-30 g) of the shoot was observed across treatments compared to the control. In D. viscosa, at the time of harvest, the fresh and dry weights of the root and shoot showed a strong, significantly decreasing pattern across T1, T2, and T3, leading to the death of the plant at T3 and T4. Further, optimum ratio of waste soil to garden soil was found as 10:90 and 20:80 to establish the plantations of D. viscosa and C. erectus, respectively in areas where such solid waste from industries are disposed. Findings can be used for the restoration of such solid waste for the sustainable management of industrial areas and their associated ecosystems.

The yellowhorn MYB transcription factor MYB30 is required for wax accumulation and drought tolerance.

Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge) is an economically important tree species in northern China, mainly distributed in arid and semi-arid areas where water resources are scarce. Drought affects its yield and the expansion of its suitable growth area. It was found that the wax content in yellowhorn leaves varied significantly among different germplasms, which had a strong correlation with the drought resistance of yellowhorn. In this study, XsMYB30 was isolated from 'Zhongshi 4' of yellowhorn, a new highly waxy variety. DAP-Seq technology revealed that the pathways associated with fatty acids were significantly enriched in the target genes of XsMYB30. Moreover, the results of electrophoretic mobility shift assay, yeast one hybrid assay and dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that XsMYB30 could directly and specifically bind with the promoters of genes involved in wax biosynthesis (XsFAR4, XsCER1 and XsKCS1), lipid transfer (XsLTPG1 and XsLTP1) and fatty acid synthesis (XsKASIII), thus enhancing their expression. In addition, the overexpression of XsMYB30 in poplar promoted the expression levels of these target genes and increased the wax deposition on poplar leaves leading to a notable improvement in the plant's ability to withstand drought. These findings indicate that XsMYB30 is an important regulatory factor in cuticular wax biosynthesis and the drought resistance of yellowhorn.

3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase 7 from Xanthoceras sorbifolium seeds is a crucial regulatory enzyme for nervonic acid biosynthesis.

Nervonic acid (C24:1) is a very-long-chain fatty acid that plays an imperative role in human brain development and other health benefits. In plants, 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) is the key rate-limiting enzyme for C24:1 biosynthesis. Xanthoceras sorbifolium is a valuable oil-producing economic woody species with abundant C24:1 in seed oils, but the key KCS gene responsible for C24:1 accumulation remains unknown. In this work, a correlation analysis between the transcript profiles of KCS and dynamic change of C24:1 content in developing seeds of X. sorbifolium were conducted to screen out three members of KCS, namely XsKCS4, XsKCS7 and XsKCS8, potentially involved in C24:1 biosynthesis. Of which, the XsKCS7 was highly expressed in developing seeds, while XsKCS4 and XsKCS8 displayed the highest expression in fruits and flowers, respectively. Overexpression of XsKCS4, XsKCS7 and XsKCS8 in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plant Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that only XsKCS7 possessed the ability to facilitate the biosynthesis of C24:1. These findings collectively suggested that XsKCS7 played a crucial role in specific regulation of C24:1 biosynthesis in X. sorbifolium seeds.

DNP and ATP modulate the pulp softening and breakdown in fresh longan by acting on the antioxidant system and the metabolisms of membrane lipids and cell wall polysaccharides.

Compared to the control longan, DNP treatment elevated pulp breakdown index, reduced the values of pulp firmness, CSP, ISP, cellulose, and hemicellulose by enhancing the activities of PE, PG, Cx, XET, and ß-Gal. Additionally, DNP treatment increased the levels of PLD, lipase, LOX, PA, and SFA, and decreased the values of PC, PI, USFA, U/S, and IUFA, displaying higher cell membrane permeability and more severe cell membrane damage in longan pulp. Furthermore, DNP treatment weakened the levels of SOD, CAT, APX, AsA, GSH, TP, and TF, thereby exacerbating ROS outbreak and MDA production. These results indicate that DNP treatment destroyed the antioxidant system to cause ROS eruption. This disruption further disturbed the metabolisms of membrane lipids and cell wall polysaccharides, leading to the breakdown of cell membrane and cell wall, and eventually aggravated longan pulp softening and breakdown. However, ATP treatment exhibited the opposite effects of DNP treatment.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the GAD family reveal their involved in embryogenesis and hormones responses in Dimocarpus longan Lour.

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is involved in GABA metabolism and plays an essential regulatory role in plant growth, abiotic stresses, and hormone response. This study investigated the expression mechanism of the GAD family during longan early somatic embryogenesis (SE) and identified 6 GAD genes based on the longan genome. Homology analysis indicated that DlGAD genes had a closer relationship with dicotyledonous plants. The analysis of cis-acting elements in the promoter region suggests that the GAD genes were associated with various stress responses and hormones. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and the qRT-PCR data indicated that most DlGAD genes were highly expressed in the incomplete compact pro-embryogenic cultures (ICpEC) and upregulated in longan embryogenic callus (EC) after treatments with 2,4-D, high temperature (35 °C), IAA, and ABA. Moreover, the RNA-Seq analysis also revealed that DlGADs exhibit different expression patterns in various tissues and organs. The subcellular localization results showed that DlGAD5 was localized in the cytoplasm, suggesting that it played a role in the cytoplasm. Transient overexpression of DlGAD5 enhanced the expression levels of DlGADs and increased the activity of glutamate decarboxylase in longan embryogenic callus (EC), while the content of glutamic acid decreased. Thus, the DlGAD gene can play an important role in the early somatic embryogenesis of longan by responding to hormones such as IAA and ABA. DlGAD5 can affect the growth and development of longan by stimulating the expression of the DlGAD gene family, thereby increasing the GAD activity in the early SE of longan, participating in hormone synthesis and signaling pathways.

Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Potential Regulation of Flavonoids in the Production of Embryogenic Cultures during Early Somatic Embryogenesis of Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.).

Embryogenic cultures of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) contain various metabolites with pharmacological properties that may function in the regulation of somatic embryogenesis (SE). In this study, based on widely targeted metabolomics, 501 metabolites were obtained from the embryogenic calli, incomplete compact proembryogenic cultures, and globular embryos during early SE of longan, among which 41 flavonoids were differentially accumulated during the SE. Using RNA sequencing, 36 flavonoid-biosynthesis-related genes and 43 MYB and 52 bHLH transcription factors were identified as differentially expressed genes. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis revealed that the flavonoid metabolism-related pathways were significantly enriched during the early SE. These results suggested that the changes in flavonoid levels in the embryogenic cultures of longan were mediated by MYBs and bHLHs via regulating flavonoid-biosynthesis-related genes, thus potentially regulating early SE. The identified metabolites in the embryogenic cultures of longan can be used to develop pharmaceutical ingredients.

Bioavailability and Antioxidant Activity of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) Peel Polyphenols during in Vitro Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion, Caco-2 Monolayer Cell Model Application, and Colonic Fermentation.

The bioavailability of rambutan peel polyphenols (RPPs) was studied via in vitro simulated digestion, a Caco-2 monolayer cell model, and colonic fermentation. Total phenolic content of RPPs decreased with the progress of the simulated digestion. A total of 38 phenolic compounds were identified during the digestion and colonic fermentation, of which 12 new metabolites were found during colonic fermentation. The possible biotransformation pathways were inferred. Geraniin was transformed into corilagin, ellagic acid, and gallic acid during the digestion and colonic fermentation. Ellagic acid could be further transformed into urolithin under the action of intestinal microbiota. The transformation of ellagitannins could be beneficial to transport on Caco-2 monolayer cell. The antioxidant capacity of RPPs increased with the progress of gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, RPPs could increase the yield of short-chain fatty acids, decrease the pH value, promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibit the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli/Shigella during colonic fermentation.

Genome-wide high-throughput chromosome conformation capture analysis reveals hierarchical chromatin interactions during early somatic embryogenesis.

Somatic embryogenesis (SE), like zygotic embryo development, is a progressive process. Early SE is the beginning of a switch from a somatic to an embryogenic state and is an important stage for initiating chromatin reprogramming of SE. Previous studies suggest that changes in chromatin accessibility occur during early SE, although information on the 3D structure of chromatin is not yet available. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of longan (Dimocarpus longan) using PacBio combined with high-through chromosome conformation capture scaffolding, which resulted in a 446 Mb genome assembly anchored onto 15 scaffolds. During early SE, chromatin was concentrated and then decondensed, and a large number of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) were enriched in the local chromatin interaction region, suggesting LTR-RTs were involved in chromatin reorganization. Early SE was accompanied by the transformation from A to B compartments, and the interactions between B compartments were enhanced. Results from chromatin accessibility, monomethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me1) modification, and transcription analyses further revealed a gene regulatory network for cell wall thickening during SE. Particularly, we found that the H3K4me1 differential peak binding motif showed abnormal activation of ethylene response factor transcription factors and participation in SE. The chromosome-level genomic and multiomics analyses revealed the 3D conformation of chromatin during early SE, providing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying cell wall thickening and the potential regulatory networks of TFs during early SE in D. longan. These results provide additional clues for revealing the molecular mechanisms of plant SE.

Transcriptome profiling of Nephelium lappaceum: Sodium nitroprusside-induced delays of postharvest browning.

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as a nitric oxide donor, is widely used in postharvest fruit physiology and metabolism. Our previous study has indicated that SNP plays a crucial role in postharvest browning control of rambutan, but the molecular mechanism underlying this process is still unclear. In this research, we investigated the gene expression and function of postharvest rambutan in response to SNP during browning. We found 7336 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), among which 2206 were upregulated and 5130 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed, and the real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data were consistent with transcriptome data. The DEGs relevant to rambutan pericarp browning were mainly involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, phenolic oxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and energy supply. It was shown that SNP regulated the synthesis and degradation of anthocyanins, accumulation of phenols, level of ROS and energy metabolism to suppress the postharvest browning of rambutan. Also, one WRKY transcription factor involved in ROS metabolism was observed to be differentially regulated. These findings add to our insights into the molecular mechanisms of the SNP-induced browning delays of rambutan, which has implications for subsequent studies on molecular mechanisms of fruit browning.

Integrated proteome and acetylome analyses provide novel insights into early somatic embryogenesis of Dimocarpus longan.

Longan (Dimocarpus longan) is a precious subtropical fruit with high nutritional value. The somatic embryogenesis (SE) affects the quality and yield of fruit. Apart from clonal propagation, SE has extensive applications in genetic improvement and mutation. Thus, understanding the molecular basis of embryogenesis in longan will help to develop strategies for mass production of quality planting material. Lysine acetylation (Kac) plays an important role in diverse cellular processes, but limited knowledge is available regarding acetylation modifications in plant early SE. In this study, the proteome and acetylome of longan embryogenic callus (ECs) and globular embryos (GEs) were investigated. In total, 7232 proteins and 14,597 Kac sites were identified, and this resulted in the discovery of 1178 differentially expressed proteins and 669 differentially expressed acetylated proteins. KEGG and GO analysis showed that glucose metabolism, carbon metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways were influenced by Kac modification. Furthermore, sodium butyrate (Sb, a deacetylase inhibitor) led to reduced the proliferation and delayed the differentiation of ECs by regulating the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) andindole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Our study provides a comprehensive proteomic and acetylomic analysis to aid in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in early SE, representing a potential tool for genetic improvement of longan.

Riboflavin mediates m6A modification targeted by miR408, promoting early somatic embryogenesis in longan.

Plant somatic embryogenesis (SE) is an in vitro biological process wherein bipolar structures are induced to form somatic cells and regenerate into whole plants. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an essential player in plant SE. However, the mechanism of microRNA408 (miR408) in SE remains elusive. Here, we used stable transgenic technology in longan (Dimocarpus longan) embryogenic calli to verify the mechanism by which miR408 promotes cell division and differentiation of longan early SE. dlo-miR408-3p regulated riboflavin biosynthesis by targeting nudix hydrolase 23 (DlNUDT23), a previously unidentified gene mediating N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and influencing RNA homeostasis and cell cycle gene expression during longan early SE. We showed that DlMIR408 overexpression (DlMIR408-OE) promoted 21-nt miRNA biosynthesis. In DlMIR408-OE cell lines, dlo-miR408-3p targeted and downregulated DlNUDT23, promoted riboflavin biosynthesis, decreased flavin mononucleotide (FMN) accumulation, promoted m6A level, and influenced miRNA homeostasis. DNA replication, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were also closely associated with riboflavin metabolism. In a riboflavin feeding assay, dlo-miR408-3p and pre-miR408 were upregulated and DlNUDT23 was downregulated, increasing the m6A level and cell division and differentiation in longan globular embryos. When riboflavin biosynthesis was inhibited, dlo-miR408-3p was downregulated and DlNUDT23 was upregulated, which decreased m6A modification and inhibited cell division but did not inhibit cell differentiation. FMN artificial demethylated m6A modification affected the homeostasis of precursor miRNA and miRNA. Our results revealed a mechanism underlying dlo-miR408-3p-activated riboflavin biosynthesis in which DlNUDT23 is targeted, m6A modification is dynamically mediated, and cell division is affected, promoting early SE in plants.

DNP and ATP regulate the breakdown occurrence in the pulp of Phomopsis longanae Chi-infected longan fruit through modulating the metabolism of membrane lipid.

This study aimed to illustrate how DNP and ATP affected the pulp breakdown occurrence in P. longanae-infected longan and their relationship with the membrane lipid metabolism. Compared with P. longanae-inoculated samples, the pulp of DNP-treated P. longanae-infected longan exhibited higher cellular membrane permeability, breakdown index, activities of PI-PLC, PLD, PC-PLC, LOX, and lipase, and values of SFAs, PA, and DAG, while lower levels of PI, PC, USFAs, IUFA and U/S. However, the opposite findings were observed in ATP-treated P. longanae-infected longan. The data manifested that DNP-increased the pulp breakdown occurrence in P. longanae-inoculated samples was due to the elevated MLDEs activities that reduced the contents of phospholipids (PI, PC) and USFAs, disrupting the cell membrane structures. Nevertheless, ATP decreased the pulp breakdown occurrence in P. longanae-inoculated samples, which was ascribed to the reduced MLDEs activities that raised phospholipids (PI, PC) and USFAs contents, thus maintaining the cell membrane structures.

Comparison between two cultivars of longan fruit cv. 'Dongbi' and 'Fuyan' in the metabolisms of lipid and energy and its relation to pulp breakdown.

This work studied the difference in pulp breakdown between two cultivars of longan cv. 'Dongbi' and 'Fuyan' from the aspect of metabolisms of lipid and energy. The results reflected that, compared to 'Fuyan' longan, 'Dongbi' longan had higher levels of energy charge, U/S and IUFA, and higher amounts of USFA, PC, PI, ATP and ADP. Moreover, 'Dongbi' longan exhibited lower levels of SFA, PA, AMP and cell membrane permeability. Also, lower PLD, LOX and lipase activities, but higher ATPase activity, lower pulp breakdown index, and better pulp appearance were exhibited in 'Dongbi' longan. These data revealed that the mitigated pulp breakdown in 'Dongbi' longan was due to the comprehensive coordination of metabolisms in lipid and energy through maintaining a higher level of energy, a higher unsaturation degree of fatty acids, delaying the degradation of phospholipids, and better retaining the membrane structural integrity of microsome and entire cell.

High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Novel microRNAs Involved in the Continuous Flowering Trait of Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.).

A major determinant of fruit production in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is the difficulty of blossoming. In this study, high-throughput microRNA sequencing (miRNA-Seq) was carried out to compare differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and their target genes between a continuous flowering cultivar 'Sijimi' (SJ), and a unique cultivar 'Lidongben' (LD), which blossoms only once in the season. Over the course of our study, 1662 known miRNAs and 235 novel miRNAs were identified and 13,334 genes were predicted to be the target of 1868 miRNAs. One conserved miRNA and 29 new novel miRNAs were identified as differently expressed; among them, 16 were upregulated and 14 were downregulated. Through the KEGG pathway and cluster analysis of DEmiRNA target genes, three critical regulatory pathways, plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, and photosynthesis-antenna protein, were discovered to be strongly associated with the continuous flowering trait of the SJ. The integrated correlation analysis of DEmiRNAs and their target mRNAs revealed fourteen important flowering-related genes, including COP1-like, Casein kinase II, and TCP20. These fourteen flowering-related genes were targeted by five miRNAs, which were novel-miR137, novel-miR76, novel-miR101, novel-miR37, and csi-miR3954, suggesting these miRNAs might play vital regulatory roles in flower regulation in longan. Furthermore, novel-miR137 was cloned based on small RNA sequencing data analysis. The pSAK277-miR137 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed delayed flowering phenotypes. This study provides new insight into molecular regulation mechanisms of longan flowering.

[Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge flower extract inhibits benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the inhibitory effect of the extract of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge flower against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and explore its possible mechanism. METHODS: MTT assay was used to examine the effect of the extract of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge flower on proliferation of benign prostatic hyperplasia cells (BPH-1), and cell apoptosis and cell cycle changes following the treatment were analyzed using annexin V/PI double staining and flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, PI3K and AKT in the treated cells were detected using Western blotting. A rat model of BPH established by subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate was treated with the flower extract for 28 days, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue were observed with HE staining. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase3 and PI3K/AKT in the prostate tissue were detected with Western blotting. RESULTS: Within the concentration range of 125-1000 µg/mL, the flower extract of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge significantly inhibited the proliferation of BPH-1 cells and caused obvious cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase; the apoptotic rate of the cells was positively correlated with the concentration of the flower extract (P < 0.05). Bcl-2, p-PI3K and p-AKT expression levels were significantly down-regulated and Bax and caspase-3 expression levels were significantly increased in the cells after treatment with the flowers extract (P < 0.05). In the rat models of BPH, the rats treated with the flowers extract at moderate and high doses showed obviously decreased expressions of p-AKT and Bcl-2 and an increased expression of Bax in the prostate tissue; a significantly lowered p-AKT expression was observed in the prostate tissue of rats receiving the low-dose treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The flower extract of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge has a inhibitory effect on BPH both in vitro and in rats, suggesting its potential value in the development of medicinal plant preparations for treatment of BPH.

Switch from symplasmic to aspoplasmic phloem unloading in Xanthoceras sorbifolia fruit and sucrose influx XsSWEET10 as a key candidate for Sugar transport.

The process of phloem unloading and post-unloading transport of photoassimilate is critical to crop output. Xanthoceras sorbifolia is a woody oil species with great biomass energy prospects in China; however, underproduction of seeds seriously restricts its development. Here, our cytological studies by ultrastructural observation revealed that the sieve element-companion cell complex in carpellary bundle was symplasmically interconnected with surrounding parenchyma cells at the early and late fruit developmental stages, whereas it was symplasmically isolated at middle stage. Consistently, real-time imaging showed that fluorescent tracer 6(5)carboxyfluorescein was confined to phloem strands at middle stage but released into surrounding parenchymal cells at early and late stages. Enzymatic assay showed that sucrose synthase act as the key enzyme catalyzing the progress of Suc degradation post-unloading pathway whether in pericarp or in seed, while vacuolar acid invertase and neutral invertase play compensation roles in sucrose decomposition. Sugar transporter XsSWEET10 had a high expression profile in fruit, especially at middle stage. XsSWEET10 is a plasma membrane-localized protein and heterologous expression in SUC2-deficient yeast strain SUSY7/ura3 confirmed its ability to uptake sucrose. These findings approved the transition from symplasmic to apoplasmic phloem unloading in Xanthoceras sorbifolia fruit and XsSWEET10 as a key candidate in sugar transport.

Small RNA profiling for identification of microRNAs involved in regulation of seed development and lipid biosynthesis in yellowhorn.

BACKGROUND: Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), an endemic woody oil-bearing tree, has become economically important and is widely cultivated in northern China for bioactive oil production. However, the regulatory mechanisms of seed development and lipid biosynthesis affecting oil production in yellowhorn are still elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in diverse aspects of biological and metabolic processes in seeds, especially in seed development and lipid metabolism. It is still unknown how the miRNAs regulate the seed development and lipid biosynthesis in yellowhorn. RESULTS: Here, based on investigations of differences in the seed growth tendency and embryo oil content between high-oil-content and low-oil-content lines, we constructed small RNA libraries from yellowhorn embryos at four seed development stages of the two lines and then profiled small RNA expression using high-throughput sequencing. A total of 249 known miRNAs from 46 families and 88 novel miRNAs were identified. Furthermore, by pairwise comparisons among the four seed development stages in each line, we found that 64 miRNAs (53 known and 11 novel miRNAs) were differentially expressed in the two lines. Across the two lines, 15, 11, 10, and 7 differentially expressed miRNAs were detected at 40, 54, 68, and 81 days after anthesis, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis was used to predict a total of 2654 target genes for 141 differentially expressed miRNAs (120 known and 21 novel miRNAs). Most of these genes were involved in the fatty acid biosynthetic process, regulation of transcription, nucleus, and response to auxin. Using quantitative real-time PCR and an integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression, miRNA-target regulatory modules that may be involved in yellowhorn seed size, weight, and lipid biosynthesis were identified, such as miR172b-ARF2 (auxin response factor 2), miR7760-p3_1-AGL61 (AGAMOUS-LIKE 61), miR319p_1-FAD2-2 (omega-6 fatty acid desaturase 2-2), miR5647-p3_1-DGAT1 (diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1), and miR7760-p5_1-MED15A (Mediator subunit 15a). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insights into the important regulatory roles of miRNAs in the seed development and lipid biosynthesis in yellowhorn. Our results will be valuable for dissecting the post-transcriptional and transcriptional regulation of seed development and lipid biosynthesis, as well as improving yellowhorn in northern China.

Enhancement of phenolics content and biological activities of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) treated with thermal and ageing process.

This study is the first to compare the chemical compositions and biological activities of a conventional dried Dimocarpus longan with a novel black D. longan that underwent a thermal ageing process. Pericarp, aril, and seed of both D. longan were macerated in 95% v/v ethanol. Their chemical compositions were investigated using a Folin-Ciocalteu assay, aluminum chloride assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in terms of radical scavenging and iron (III) reduction capacity. An enzyme inhibition assay was used to evaluate the hyaluronidase inhibition. Inflammatory cytokine secretion was evaluated with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After being exposed to a heating and ageing procedure, gallic acid and ellagic acid content were increased tenfold, while the corilagin content was doubled. Black D. longan seed extract was the most potent anti-hyaluronidase and antioxidant with the strongest free radical scavenging and reduction power, while black D. longan aril extract resulted in the highest inhibition of inflammatory cytokine secretion. Black D. longan contained more biologically active compounds and possessed more potent biological activities than conventional dried D. longan. Therefore, thermal ageing treatment is suggested for producing black D. longan, for which seed extract is suggested as a cosmeceutical active ingredient and aril extract for anti-inflammation.

Mineral Content, Antioxidant Activity and Essential Oil of Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Radlk. Leaves: Plant from South American Biodiversity.

Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Radlk. (Sapindaceae) is an edible plant from the South American biodiversity that is a potential source of bioactive compounds. The mineral content and antioxidant activity of Allophylus edulis leaves were investigated, as well as the composition and the antioxidant activity of the essential oil. The mineral content was determined by ICP - OES and the antioxidant assays were assessed by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS. Calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, and magnesium were the main minerals found in A. edulis leaves. Of the toxic metals that were present, a low level of aluminum was detected. The essential oil of A. edulis has (E)-nerolidol as major compound and both, the leaves, and the essential oil isolated from the leaves have antioxidant potential. These findings could provide a framework for developing new food and non-food products with A. edulis leaves.

The role of cell wall polysaccharides disassembly in Lasiodiplodia theobromae-induced disease occurrence and softening of fresh longan fruit.

Cell wall polysaccharides in fruits act a pivotal role in their resistance to fungal invasion. Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl. is a primary pathogenic fungus causing the spoilage of fresh longan fruit. In this study, the influences of L. theobromae inoculation on the disassembly of cell wall polysaccharides in pericarp of fresh longans and its association with L. theobromae-induced disease and softening development were investigated. In contrast to the control, samples with L. theobromae infection showed more severe disease development, lower firmness, lower amounts of cell wall materials, covalent-soluble pectin, ionic-soluble pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose, whereas higher value of water-soluble pectin, higher activities of cell wall polysaccharide-disassembling enzymes (cellulase, ß-galactosidase, polygalacturonase and pectinesterase). These findings revealed that cell wall polysaccharides disassembly induced by enzymatic manipulation was an essential pathway for L. theobromae to infect harvested longans, and thus led to the disease occurrence and fruit softening.