Increased fruit and vegetable consumption prevents dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is often associated with impaired immune responses, including enlarged spleen, increased inflammation, and impaired T cell-mediated function, which may lead to increased susceptibility to infections. Bioactive compounds found in various fruits and vegetables (F&V) have been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. However, few prospective studies have examined the effects of F&V on preventing obesity-associated dysregulation of immune and inflammatory responses. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of different levels of a mixture of F&V incorporated in a high-fat diet (HFD) on immune function changes in a diet-induced obesity animal model. METHODS: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of five groups (n = 12/group): matched low-fat control (LF, 10% kcal fat) or high-fat diet (HFD, 45% kcal fat) supplemented with 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% (wt/wt) freeze-dried powder of the most consumed F&V (human equivalent of 0, 3, 5-7, 8-9 servings/d, respectively) for 20 weeks. Spleen weight was recorded, and the immunophenotype of splenocytes was evaluated by flow cytometry. Ex vivo splenic lymphocyte proliferation was assessed by thymidine incorporation and serum cytokines were measured by Meso Scale Discovery. RESULTS: Mice fed the HFD had significantly higher spleen weight, decreased splenic CD8+ lymphocytes, suppressed T lymphocyte proliferation, and reduced serum IL-1ß and IFN-γ levels compared to those fed the LF diet. Feeding mice with the HFD supplemented with 10% or 15% F&V restored HFD-associated changes of these affected biomarkers compared to those fed HFD only. Further, a significant correlation was found between immunological markers and F&V level. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that increased consumption of F&V has beneficial effects in preventing HFD-associated dysregulation of immune function.

Comparative adult preference-larval performance relationship between a specialist and a generalist tephritid: Implication for predicting field host-range.

Phytophagous insects differ in their degree of specialization to their host plants. It ranges from monophagous or oligophagous species that can only develop on a single host plant, or family of host plants, to extremely polyphagous species that can develop on plants from many distinct botanical families. The aim of this study was to compare the larval performance and adult preference of a highly generalist species, the Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) and a highly specialist species, the breadfruit fruit fly (B. umbrosa) among several fruits covering both species' host range. (i) larval performance was tested on 16 fruit species, and (ii) a female preference was tested on a subset of five fruit species. In addition, (iii) a field survey was carried out on 11 fruit species. B. umbrosa infested only Artocarpus fruits in the field. Accordingly, B. umbrosa larvae survived and developed only on fruits belonging to the Artocarpus genus. Female B. umbrosa did not lay their eggs on non-Artocarpus fruits, except Terminalia catappa. Female B. tryoni, on the other hand, made little selection between the fruits tested, and its larvae developed on 13 of the 16 fruit species tested. The larval performance of both species, adjusted when tested by female preference, predicted in large part the fruit infestation in the field. These data are essential to better estimate invasion risk where the species are not established.

First Report of Strawberry Anthracnose Crown Rot Caused by Colletotrichum siamense in New England.

In the summer of 2023, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station was contacted by a farm in southern Connecticut due to reports of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) plants showing signs of severe wilting and crown rot across multiple fields, covering ~20 hectares. Cut crowns from diseased plants had marbled red and white lesions typically associated with anthracnose crown rot (ACR). Symptomatic plants were collected from five June-bearing cultivars (cvs. AC Valley Sunset, Lyla, Dickens, and Allstar) spanning four non-adjacent fields with incidence ranging from 5-90% and severity ranging mild wilting in low incidence fields to severe wilting/mortality in high incidence fields. Internal tissue from diseased crowns was surface sterilized in 0.6% NaOCL for 3 minutes, rinsed with sterile water, and plated on potato dextrose agar. After one-week, hyphal tips of fungi were transferred to fresh plates which formed dense mycelial mats of fluffy, greyish-white hyphae. Orange spore masses formed near the center of the colonies, each of which contained numerous cylindrical and fusiform straight conidia, matching spores within the genus Colletotrichum (De Silva et al. 2019). Average conidia (n=192) length was 15.7 ± 1.6 µm and width was 5.4 ± 0.7 µm. Fungi matching this morphology were isolated from 83% of the collected symptomatic crowns and hyphae were collected from two isolates, CT5-1 and CT23-1, for DNA extraction using the GeneJET Plant Genomic DNA Purification Kit. PCR was performed using primers targeting actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), ß-tubulin (TUB2), GAPDH (gpdA), and ITS, followed by Sanger sequencing, which yielded identical sequences for both isolates (CT5-1 Accessions numbers: PP002078-81, OR999066)(Carbone and Kohn 1999; Hassan et al. 2018; Templeton et al. 1992). These were combined with sequences from fourteen Colletotrichum genomes, all of which were aligned, trimmed, and concatenated using Mega11 (Tamura, Stecher, and Kumar 2021). Model selection was conducted using IQ-TREE and selected parameters were used to generate maximum-likelihood trees from all five loci individually and the concatenated sequence, all of which placed the isolates in a high confidence cluster with Colletotrichum siamense (Nguyen et al. 2015). To confirm the pathogenicity of the pathogen, strawberry plants (cv. Jewel) (n=5) five weeks after bare root transplant were infected. The base of each crown was penetrated 5 mm deep with a sterile 20 µL pipette tip and then inoculated with 10 µL of spores at a concentration of 106 spores/mL. Control plants (n=5) were inoculated with 10 µL of sterile water. Plants were maintained at 30°C day (16-hour)/20°C night (8-hour) in a growth chamber and assessed after 14-days. Four of the five inoculated plants had visible wilt symptoms and bisected crowns revealed the marbled red and white lesions typifying ACR. Control plants had no clear wilting and bisected crowns were visibly healthy. C. siamense re-isolated from infected tissue presented with identical hyphal /spore morphology and ITS/Tub2 were re-amplified and sequenced, yielding identical sequences to CT5-1. Plant inoculations with the same variety were repeated, yielding identical symptom development and crown lesions. C. siamense has been a dominant source of ACR throughout the southeastern US but has not previously been a major problem in the Northeast. Given the extent of the field infection, it is likely that these isolates can survive the colder winter temperatures of New England, but further experimentation is necessary to determine the extent of the pathogen's winter hardiness.

Metal-Organic Framework Based on Ratiometric dual-Fluorescent Sensor Using for Accurate Quantification and on-Site Visual Detection of Ascorbic Acid.

Ascorbic acid is very important to the metabolic process of the body, but excessive intake can lead to diarrhea, kidney calculi and stomach cramps. However, complicated production procedures and harsh experimental settings limit many detection methods, and a simpler and more accurate measurement method is needed. In this study, a smartphone-assisted ratiometric fluorescence sensor was developed for the portable analysis of ascorbic acid. Leveraging the catalytic properties of MIL-53(Fe) to expedite the conversion of H2O2 into hydroxyl radicals, thereby facilitating the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine and terephthalic acid bridging ligand. The sensor showcased exceptional sensitivity in detecting ascorbic acid within a linear range of 0.3-100 µM, boasting an impressive limit of detection at 0.15 µM. Furthermore, through the utilization of color extraction RGB values captured by smartphones, accurate detection of ascorbic acid was achieved with a detection limit of 0.4 µM. Real fruit samples exhibited robust spiked recovery rates ranging from 91 to 119%, accompanied by relative standard deviations ≤ 4.7%. The MIL-53(Fe) nanozyme-based smartphone-assisted ratiometric fluorescence sensor offers an ascorbic acid fluorescence detection device that is visible, accurate, sensitive, and reasonably priced.

Research Progress and Biosynthetic Mechanisms of Nutritional Compounds Obtained from Various Organs During the Developmental Stages of a Medicinal Plant (Chinese Jujube).

The fruit of the jujube tree is high in nutrients and has various health benefits. China is a major producer of jujube, and it is now cultivated all around the world. Numerous studies have demonstrated the nutritional value and potential health advantages of bioactive compounds found in the jujube tree. Furthermore, the jujube tree has a remarkable 7000-year agricultural history. The jujube plant has developed a rich gene pool, making it a valuable resource for germplasm. Different studies have focused on the developmental stages of jujube fruits to identify the optimal time for harvest and to assess the changes in their bioactive natural compounds or products during the process of development but the molecular mechanism underlying the production of bioactive natural products in Z. jujuba is still poorly understood. Moreover, the potential differential expressed genes (DEGs) identified as responsible for the synthesis of these compounds should be further functionally verified. It has been noticed that the contents of total flavonoids, total phenolic, and vitamin C increase significantly during the ripening process, while the contents of soluble sugars and organic acids decrease gradually. In this review, we have also scrutinized the challenges that hinder the utilization of jujube fruit resources and suggested potential areas for further research. As such, our review serves as a valuable resource for the future development of jujube-based nutritional compounds and the incorporation of their nutritional elements into the functional foods industry.

Determination of trace elements content of fruits from Tehran's market using ICP- OES method: a risk assessment study.

For the first time in Iran, in this study, the amount of 19 trace elements in some types of commonly consumed Iranian fruits (in their peel and pulp) was evaluated by ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry) method. Based on the outcomes, the highest and lowest average detected elements in all fruits samples were related to (Al) aluminum (1842.18) and (V) vanadium (0.28) ppm, respectively. Mercury (Hg) and antimony (Sb) were not detected (ND) in any samples. Also, the maximum mean of elements in quince, lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, orange south, orange north and tangerine samples was related to(Fe) iron (2048.32 ppm), (Zn)zinc(753.45 ppm), Fe (1056.33 ppm), Al (9794.41 ppm), Zn (717.78 ppm), Fe (1334.87 ppm) and Fe (974.93 ppm), respectively. Furthermore, our outcomes revealed, the highest mean of elements in kiwi peel, kiwi pulp, orange North peel, orange North pulp, orange South peel, orange South pulp, quince peel, quince pulp, grapefruit peel, grapefruit pulp, lemon peel, lemon pulp, tangerine peel and tangerine pulp was related to Al (17967.79 ppm), Al (1621.03 ppm), Fe (1350.01 ppm), Al (1457.66 ppm), Zn (934.71 ppm), Fe (728.06 ppm), Fe (2768.11 ppm), Fe (1328.54 ppm), Zn (1008.54 ppm), Fe (1198.00 ppm), Zn (683.35 ppm), Zn (823.55 ppm), Fe (1182.59 ppm), and Fe (767.27 ppm), respectively. Based on the Monte Carlo simulation results, the THQ (target hazard quotient) and ILCR (Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk) related to exposure to heavy metals via fruits for adults and children showed that there is no significant non-carcinogenic risk (THQ < 1) and carcinogenic risk (ILCR < 1E-4) for adults and children.

Stress response in tomato as influenced by repeated waterlogging.

Introduction: Plants respond to water stress with a variety of physiological and biochemical changes, but their response varies among species, varieties and cultivars. Waterlogging in tomato reduces plant growth, degrade chlorophyll and increase concentration of oxidative parameters. Priming can alleviate stress in plants caused by waterlogging enabling plants to be more tolerant to an additional stress in the current or even subsequent generation. The aim of this study was to evaluate tomato genotypes for their sensitivity to waterlogging stress applied during early vegetative growth and at full flowering stage. Materials and methods: The study included two local genotypes, Trebinjski sitni (GB1126) and Zuti (GB1129), and the reference variety Novosadski jabucar (NJ), which is the variety most commonly used in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The activity of class III peroxidase (POX), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured spectrophotometrically, and for quantification of individual phenolic compounds, targeted approach was adopted, using UHPLC/DAD/(-)HESI-MS2 instrument (Dionex UltiMate 3000 UHPLC system with a DAD detector, configured with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer TSQ Quantum Access Max (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Germany)). Results and discussion: Oxidative parameters (H2O2 and MDA) exhibited an increase in content in leaves of tomato plants that underwent waterlogging stress compared to control plants. Moreover, oxidative parameters showed positive correlation with proteins and phenolics content. The obtained correlations can indicate that one of the response strategies of tomato plants to waterlogging is the increased synthesis of proteins and phenolic compounds. The POX activity was not correlated with other parameters except with the polyphenols. A positive correlation was shown between POX activity and the content of phenolic compounds, indicating their independent roles in the removal of ROS. Changes in the phenolic profiles after the exposure of plants to waterlogging stress are recorded, and these changes were more severe in leaves and fruits of GB1129 and NJ genotypes than in GB1126. Thus, genotype GB1126 is the most efficient in maintaining the phenolic profiles of leaves and fruits, and therefore of the nutritive and organoleptic qualities of fruits following the exposure to waterlogging. Also, genotype GB1126 exhibited the ability to maintain the content of oxidative parameters during waterlogging at certain growth stages, implying certain waterlogging tolerance. Conclusion: Waterlogging triggered stress memory but not at all growth stages. The most pronounced stress memory was obtained in fruit samples in the phase of full fruit maturity on the 1st truss. This study shed light on the defense mechanisms of tomato plants to repeated waterlogging stress from the perspectives of the changes in the composition of major phenolics, and pointed to the 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and rutin as the chemical markers of the waterlogging stress tolerance in tomato. However, it remains to be determined whether this modulation has a positive or negative effect on the overall plant metabolism. Further investigations are needed to fully elucidate the benefits of waterlogging pretreatment in this context.

First report of Gnomoniopsis castaneae associated with branch dieback on chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) in Southern Chile.

European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) currently reaches 1,470 ha, distributed from the Maule region to the Los Rios region in Chile. Almost 3000 tons of fruit have been exported in the last three years. A survey was carried out in January 2023 in an eight-year-old orchard located in Vilcún (38°34'46.22"S 72° 9'58.61"O), Araucanía Region. Chestnut trees with branch die back and reduced growth and vigor were detected. The incidence in the orchard was 3% (6 out of 200 trees) estimated by visual observation. Cross and longitudinal sections of the woody trunk of two trees were collected and examined, and an internal dark-brown discoloration to partial necrosis lesion was observed. To identify the causal agent, small pieces of wood from the edge of the symptomatic area were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol, rinsed twice with sterile distilled water, blotted on dry sterile filter paper, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 22°C. Fungal colonies were consistently isolated, and after 5 days, pure cultures were obtained by transferring mycelium to new PDA plates, preliminarily identified as Gnomoniopsis sp. (Visentin et al. 2012, Shuttleworth 2012). All cultures exhibited characteristics consistent with the description of G. castaneae (Syn. G. smithogilvyi), such as concentric development of greyish-brown mycelium, abundant stroma, hyaline conidia of 7.2 ±0.54 (6.1-8.1) X 2.3 ±0.26 (1.5-2.9) µm (n= 30), mainly biguttulate and fusoid. Total DNA was extracted, rDNA amplified using ITS1/ITS4 primers (White et al. 1990), and the fragment was Sanger sequenced and the sequence was deposited in GenBank (OR665735). BLAST analysis revealed a 99% identity to G. castaneae (MH384925). In addition, the DNA of the isolate was evaluated in a species-specific multiplex PCR (Silva-Campos et al. 2022), and the amplicons were electrophoretically separated, giving a similar band profile to G. smithogilvyi RGM 2903 and RGM 2904 strain from Chilean Collection of Microbial Genetic Resources. Pathogenicity of G. castaneae isolate (CV-11) was tested on ten replicates of 3-year-old C. sativa plants. Two wounds were made on the same season growing shoot and two on the previous season shoot. Longitudinal wounds (5 mm long, 4 mm wide and 2 mm depth) were made using a scalpel without removing the outer bark to inoculate the plants. Each wound was inoculated with a 5-mm mycelium plug, covered with the outer bark, and wrapped with Parafilm. Plugs of PDA were placed onto the wounds of two plants as control. The plants were kept in a growth chamber (22 ±1 0C and 90± 5% RH). All plants showed dark brown cankers measuring 20 to 40 mm long two weeks after inoculation. Also, most plants inoculated in the same season shoot presented wilted and chlorotic foliage. Mature conidiomata with cirri developed in most of the cankers. No symptoms were observed in the control. Fungal colonies of G. castaneae were reisolated on PDA from all inoculated chestnut plants and were not recovered from the controls. Recently, G. smithogilvyi has been identified as the causal agent of brown rot on chestnut nuts in Chile (Cisterna Oyarce et al. 2022); however, in several countries, it has also been associated as the causal agent of cankers in branch and stem of chestnut, as well as an endophyte in different hardwood species. Future studies on the incidence of this pathogen and its impact on chestnut yield should be carried out in the producing regions because it represents an emerging threat to Chilean chestnut production.

First Report of Beet Western Yellows Virus Infecting Vasconcellea x heilbornii (Caricaceae) in Ecuador.

Vasconcellea x heilbornii, known as babaco, is a hybrid native to Ecuador grown in small orchards in sub-tropical highland regions. Over the last decade, several viruses have been identified in babaco using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) (Cornejo-Franco et al. 2020, (Reyes-Proaño et al. 2023). In 2021, total RNA from a babaco plant showing distinctive leaf yellowing was extracted using the PureLink RNA Mini Kit (Thermo Fischer Scientific, USA) and subjected to HTS on an Illumina NovaSeq6000 system as 150 paired-end reads (Macrogen Inc., South Korea). Library construction was done using the TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Sample kit with Plant Ribo-Zero, as described (Villamor et al. 2022). Reads were processed using BBDuk and de novo assembled using SPAdes 3.15. both implemented in Geneious 2022. Contig analysis was done by BLASTx using the NCBI viral sequence database (as of November 2022). HTS generated 54 million reads, of which 12% assembled into contigs corresponding to genomes of previously reported babaco viruses including babaco virus Q (BabVQ), babaco nucleorhabdovirus 1 (BabRV1) and babaco ilarvirus 1 (BabIV1). Interestingly, 144 reads (0.0003%) assembled into seven contigs ranging from 100 to 480 nucleotides (nt) in length. These contigs showed homology, with 97% amino acid (aa) identity (100% query coverage), to regions of the RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (RdRp) of beet western yellows virus (BWYV, Acc. No. NC_004756), a member of the Polerovirus genus. To confirm the occurrence of BWYV in babaco, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was extracted from 15 g of leaf tissue from the original sample as described (Dodds et al. 1984) and used as template for reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR using overlapping primers designed to span all short contigs. RT-PCR amplified fragments were cloned into a pGEM®T-easy vector (Promega, USA) and sequenced by the Sanger method (Macrogen Inc., South Korea). The sequences were assembled into a single 2.7 kbp BWYV genome fragment comprising the complete protein 1 (P1) and partial RdRp gene (GenBank Acc. No. PP480670). Sequence alignments between the partially sequenced genome of the babaco isolate and its corresponding fragment from the closest BWYV isolate (NC_004756) revealed 94% and 97% identities at the nt and aa levels, respectively. To assess the prevalence of BWYV in babaco, 30 leaf samples showing yellowing symptoms from Pichincha (n=15) and Azuay (n=15) provinces were tested by RT-PCR using total RNA. Total RNA extraction and reverse transcription were done using the methodology described by Halgren et al. (2007). For RT-PCR, the primer set BWYV_Bab_F: 5'-CAGTGTCCTCCAAGTGCAACAT-3' / BWYV_Bab_R: 5'GGTTCCTTCCCAGTTTGGTGGT-3', which amplifies a 235 nt-long P1 region, was used. Three RT-PCR products from each positive sample were purified using the GeneJET PCR clean-up kit (Thermo Scientific, USA) and sequenced. BWYV was confirmed in 9 out of 15 samples (60%) from Pichincha, and in 10 out of 15 samples (64%) from Azuay. Samples were also tested for additional babaco viruses as described (Reyes-Proaño et al. 2023). All BWYV-infected plants turned out positive for papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), babaco mosaic virus (BabMV), BabVQ, and BabIV1. Hence, the impact of BWYV infection on babaco plants in single and mixed infections warrants further investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of BWYV in a crop in Ecuador, and the first time it has been found in a Caricaceae species.

First report of Erwinia papayae associated with papaya mushy canker disease in Guam.

Carica papaya (papaya) in Guam, USA may experience soft rot symptoms, often referred to as mushy canker disease. Disease symptoms first appear as expanding water-soaked dark-green stem lesions or leaf spotting with chlorotic halos. Defoliation at petiole-stem junctions and crown necrosis leads to plant death. Papaya diseases caused by Erwinia spp. are documented in nearby tropic regions such as the Northern Mariana Islands (Trujillo and Schroth 1982), the Philippines (Dela Cueva et al. 2017), Japan (Hanagasaki et al. 2020), and Indonesia (Suharjo et al., 2021). The pathogen was isolated from symptomatic papaya stem sections (cv. Red Lady) from a nursery at the University of Guam Agriculture and Life Sciences building in April 2023. Approximately 20% of seedlings collapsed from stem soft rot, with nearly all plants showing varying degrees of water-soaked lesions on leaves or stems. Stem tissue from lesion margins was excised, surface sterilized with 70% EtOH, and macerated in sterile water. Macerate was plated onto nutrient agar (NA) and incubated at 28°C, yielding colonies that were clear to white in color, smooth, circular and mucoid on NA plates for five suspect isolates (JGD231-235). Strains produced blue diffusible pigment on King's B (KB) media, were Gram-negative rods, and exhibited swimming motility on semi-solid (0.5% agar) NA plates. Crown stab inoculation of ten papaya plants (cv. Red Lady) with isolates resulted in mushy canker symptoms within seven days, while negative control plants stabbed with a sterile probe remained asymptomatic. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by drench-inoculating spontaneous rifampicin-resistant (100µg/ml) mutants, JGD233r and JGD235r, onto ten papaya plants (cv. Solo Sunrise). Nine days post-inoculation, bacterial strains were recovered from symptomatic stem tissue macerate plated on rifampicin (100µg/ml) NA and incubated at 28°C. No symptoms or bacterial cells were recovered from the tissue of negative control plants. Cell morphology, culture phenotypes, and disease symptoms suggested the isolates were Erwinia spp., and blue pigment production on KB further suggested E. papayae (Gardan et al. 2004). Partial 16S rDNA sequences of Guam strains JGD231-235 (sequenced using PCR forward primer 5' - AGAGTTTGATCMTGGCTCAG - 3' and reverse primer 5' - GGTTACCTTGTTACGACTT - 3', GENEWIZ (South Plainfield, NJ)) were deposited into GenBank (OR577627- 631). Highest NCBI BLAST results for all strains showed a 16S rDNA sequence identity of 98.17-98.91% with those of Erwinia sp. I-leaf (LC590218) and E. mallotivora BT-MARDI (HQ456230). A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on concatenated partial atpD, infB, and rpoB sequences of strains JGD232 (PP669340, PP669346, PP669343), JGD233 (PP669341, PP669347, PP669344), and JGD235 (PP669342, PP669348, PP669345) (Brady et al. 2008) constructed using MEGA11 (Tamura et al. 2021) showed all strains formed a monophyletic group with Erwinia sp. I-leaf (Hanagasaki et al. 2020) and E. papayae NCPPB 4294T (Gardan et al. 2004), supported with 98% bootstrap. This note documents the first occurrence of E. papayae as a papaya pathogen in Guam. Papaya cultivation supports sustainable food security for Guam (Bevacqua and Sayama 2023), and Erwinia spp. pathogens threaten papaya on other Pacific islands like Hawaii. These findings convey the need for effective quarantine practices, local disease management, and further research on this pathogen.

Eugenia calycina and Eugenia stigmatosa as Promising Sources of Antioxidant Phenolic Compounds.

In this study, Eugenia calycina and Eugenia stigmatosa, native Brazilian berries, were explored regarding their proximal composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activities. The edible parts of both fruits presented a low content of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, resulting in a low caloric value (<70 kcal/100 g fw). E. stigmatosa fruit showed a high total fiber content (3.26 g/100 g fw), qualifying it as a source of dietary fiber. The sugar profile was mainly monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, and rhamnose). Significant contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, monomeric anthocyanins and, condensed tannins, were observed in both fruits. E. calycina contains a high level of anthocyanins, primarily cyanidin-3-glucoside (242.97 µg/g). Other phenolic compounds were also found, the main ones being rutin and ellagic acid. In contrast, E. stigmatosa is mainly composed of rutin and gallic acid. Furthermore, these fruits showed expressive antioxidant activity, evidenced by ORAC, FRAP, and ABTS. These Eugenia fruits are promising sources of bioactive compounds and have a low caloric and high dietary fiber content, making them interesting options for inclusion in a balanced diet, contributing to the promotion of health and the valorization and conservation of Brazilian biodiversity.

Characterization and identification of the key volatile and non-volatile substances of Vangueria madagascariensis J.F. Gmel fruits (Kirkir) and exploration of their binding interactions with olfactory and taste receptors using computational chemistry methodology.

Profiling of metabolites that contribute to the taste and odor of fruit products is important to produce the desired products. In this study, volatile and non-volatile compounds were analyzed using SPME/GC-MS and UHPLC-Q-Exactive-orbitrap-MS/MS, respectively. A total of 59 volatiles (including alcohols, aldehydes, acids, terpenes, ketones, phenols, and hydrocarbons et al.) and 18 non-volatiles (including phenolic acids, flavones, flavonoids, glucosides, phenols, and quinic acid derivatives et al.) were detected in dried Kirkir fruits. The binding interactions between the key volatiles and the detected non-volatiles with taste and olfactory receptors were also evaluated. Based on the molecular docking, 11 volatile compounds may contribute to the overall odor, while 16 non-volatile compounds may contribute to the taste of the Kirkir fruits. In conclusion, in silico studies can serve as a powerful technique for understanding mechanisms of interaction and predicting the key phytochemicals that contribute to the odor and taste of fruits.

Effect of Various Fruit Extracts on Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) and Kallikrein (KLK) Activities.

Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and causes widespread morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this work was to screen the fruit with high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and kallikrein (KLK) promotion activity by three different extraction methods from 22 kinds of fruits. Results showed that the aqueous extracts of fresh kiwifruit significantly inhibited ACE activity (47.71%), whereas the KLK activity was also inhibited (4.56%). This indicated that the substances inhibiting ACE activity existed in kiwifruit might be small molecular substances such as polyphenols. The nonpolar substance existed in the ethanol extracts of grape inhibited ACE activity significantly. The enzymatic hydrolysates of red grape significantly promoted KLK activity, whereas its ethanol extracts significantly inhibited KLK activity. This results suggested that the components that lower blood pressure and raise blood pressure are generally presented in the same fruit, the former are mostly water-soluble substances, while the latter are generally alcohol-soluble substances. If certain or individual components can be isolated from edible fruits, they may significantly affect blood pressure in humans.

The association between maternal fruit consumption before and during pregnancy and fetal growth: The Lanzhou birth cohort study.

Background: The association between maternal fruit consumption and fetal growth remains inconsistent. The current study aimed to determine whether maternal fruit consumption was associated with low birth weight (LBW) or small for gestational age (SGA) babies. Methods: A large birth cohort study was conducted in Lanzhou, China, from 2010 to 2012 and included 10,076 pregnant women at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of pregnancy for analysis. Fruit consumption in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of pregnancy was measured by a self-designed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and divided into three groups: 1) inadequate fruit consumption: <200 g/d for the1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester; 2) adequate fruit consumption: 200-350 g/d for the 1st trimester or 200-400 g/d for the 2nd and 3rd trimester; 3) excessive fruit consumption: >350 g/d for the 1st trimester or > 400 g/d for the 2nd and 3rd trimester. A case-control study was used to analyze the association between fruit intake during pregnancy and low birth weight infants. Results: Compared to adequate fruit consumption, excessive fruit consumption throughout each trimester of pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of LBW, with an odds ratio (OR) ranging from 0.70 to 0.79 (95 % confidence interval, CI: 0.57-0.98); while inadequate fruit consumption was associated with a higher risk of infant LBW, with an OR ranging from 1.26 to 1.36 (95%CI: 1.04-1.66). After stratifying by mother's pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), the results were similar among women with underweight BMI. No significance was found between fruit consumption and SGA in the general population. Still, stratified analyses showed that inadequate fruit consumption was associated with an increased risk of SGA in underweight mothers, with an OR ranging from 1.66 to 1.79 (95%CI: 1.13-2.64). Conclusions: Fruit consumption during pregnancy reduces the risk of LBW in Chinese women, especially in women with low pre-pregnancy BMI.

Characterization and fungicide sensitivity of Gnomoniopsis fructicola causing Gnomonia Leaf Blotch of strawberry in the Carolinas.

Emerging fungal pathogens have always been an issue of concern in southeastern U.S. strawberry production. In 2023, an unusual outbreak of Gnomonia leaf blotch occurred at one North Carolina (NC) and multiple South Carolina (SC) strawberry farms and marked the first report of its occurrence in SC. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of isolates from multiple locations identified the fungus Gnomoniopsis fructicola as the causal agent. In vitro germination of G. fructicola progressed slowly and remained less than 40% even after 24 h of incubation. Similarly, germ tube growth was slow compared to other pathogens. Slow symptom development on strawberry leaves of young strawberry plants grown in the greenhouse started 5 weeks after inoculation. Once the pathogen established on greenhouse plants, leaf necrosis forming blotches was observed. The baseline sensitivity of G. fructicola isolates to commonly used chemical classes of fungicides was assessed. Propiconazole, cyprodinil, pyraclostrobin, and fludioxonil were highly effective in mycelial growth assays with EC50 values < 0.01 µg/ml. Iprodione and thiophanate-methyl were also effective with EC50 values ranging from 0.05 to 1.38 and 2.01 to 23.96 µg/ml, respectively. Fluopyram and fenhexamid were ineffective with EC50 values >100 µg/ml. Based on conversations with the producers, the disease outbreak was linked to transplants from the same nursery source. This study reports for the first time the presence of Gnomonia leaf blotch in South Carolina and provides valuable insights into chemical management options for G. fructicola.

Association of Quantity and Diversity of Different Types of Fruit Intake with New-Onset Kidney Stones.

SCOPE: This study aims to assess the association between intake of different types of fruit (citrus, pomes, tropical fruits, berries, gourds, drupes, dried fruits, and other fruits), the intake diversity of fruit types, and risk of new-onset kidney stones in general population. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 205 896 participants with at least one completed 24-h dietary recall from the UK Biobank are included. During a median follow-up of 11.6 years, 2074 cases of kidney stones are documented. Compared with nonconsumers, participants with higher intake of citrus (50-<100 g day-1; hazards ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.91; ≥100 g day-1; HR = 0.75; 95%CI, 0.63-0.89), pomes (≥100 g day-1; HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.77-0.96), or tropical fruits (50-<100 g day-1; HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.75-0.99; ≥100 g day-1; HR = 0.88; 95%CI, 0.79-0.99) have a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones. However, there is no significant association of intake of berries, gourds, drupes, dried fruits, and other fruits with kidney stones. A higher fruit variety score is significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones (per 1-score increment, HR = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.81-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Higher intake of citruses (≥50 g day-1), pomes (≥100 g day-1), and tropical fruits (≥50 g day-1), as well as increasing diversity of intake of these three fruits, are associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones.

First report of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae race 1 causing Fusarium wilt of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

In the summer of 2023, within the Alentejo region (Portugal), a new occurrence of a plant disease of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cv. 'Monterey' was observed in a Spring commercial planting. Symptoms consisted of foliar wilting, drying of older leaves, deformed and highly chlorotic leaflets, crown discoloration, plant stunting, and in some cases death. Several outbreak foci, covering nearly half a hectare, were observed within the affected farm, with almost 80% of the plants showing symptoms. Four samples,of 6 plants, were collected from 4 locations within the field. Petiole sections (1 cm) were rinsed with 0.1% Tween 20, submersed in 70% EtOH for 20 s followed by 60 s in 1% NaOCL, and then placed on Komada's medium (Komada, 1975). After incubation at room temperature in the dark for a week, white-colored fluffy mycelia grew profusely from the petioles of all samples. Colony morphology and non-septate, ellipsoidal microconidia (5.7-12.4×2.5-4.3 µm) borne on monophialides, exhibited a resemblance to Fusarium oxysporum (Leslie and Summerell, 2006). Ten single strains were obtained from different plants by single hyphal tip isolation. For molecular confirmation, a portion of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α) was amplified by PCR using EF1/EF2 primers (O'Donnell et al., 1998). Additionally, the RNA polymerase subunit RPB2 was amplified as two contiguous fragments via primers and protocols described by O'Donnell et al., 2021. Amplicons were sequenced (GenBank Accession Nos. PP426617 - 426626, PQ058494 - 058513). Using Fusarium-ID and Fusarioid-ID databases, EF1α and RPB2 sequences were found to be more than 99% identical to published F. oxysporum type isolates and Fusarium sp. isolates in the F. oxysporum species complex (Crous et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2022). A specific F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae (Fof) qPCR assay (Burkhardt et al., 2019) was used to determine if these isolates could be Fof race 1. A Fof race 1 isolate (MAFF305558), negative controls, and water controls were included. All ten isolates and the Fof race 1 control were positive (Ct < 30), while other Fusarium spp. used as negative controls and the water controls did not amplify. Two isolates (F.200 and F.202) and MAFF305558 (positive control) were included in a pathogenicity test on two strawberry cultivars, 'Monterey' (susceptible to race 1) and 'Fronteras' (resistant to race 1) (Dilla-Ermita et al., 2023). Each isolate was included in two independent trials. In each trial, 5 plants per cultivar were inoculated by dipping roots for 10 min in 5 × 106 conidia/mL of 0.1% water agar (WA) or in sterile 0.1% WA for the negative control plants. Each plant was then planted in a pot filled with peat. Pots were placed randomly in random positions in a growth chamber at 28/20°C and 12h photoperiod. After 8 - 10 weeks, the control plants and 'Fronteras' plants remained healthy, while the inoculated plants cv. 'Monterey' were severely wilted and/or dead. Fusarium oxysporum was re-isolated from all symptomatic plants. Recovered isolates were confirmed to be the same as the inoculated ones using the Fof-qPCR, including the same controls as above. This is the first report of Fof race 1 in the Iberian Peninsula. Given that the land was not previously used for strawberry, it is highly probable that the pathogen was introduced with the planting material originated from a Spanish nursery. In conclusion, it is imperative to implement more severe control measures in nurseries to avoid the spread of this race.

Review on the extension of shelf life for fruits and vegetables using natural preservatives.

Fruits and vegetables are important for the nutrition and health of individuals. They are highly perishable in nature because of their susceptibility to microbial growth. Foodborne pathogens create a significant problem for consumers, food businesses, and food safety. Postharvest factors, including transportation, environment, and preservation techniques, cause a reduction in product quality. The present world is using synthetic preservatives, which have negative impacts on consumer health. Food safety and demand for healthy foods among consumers, the scientific community, and the food industry resulted in the exploitation of natural preservatives, which play an important role in their effectiveness, prolonged shelf life, and safety. Natural preservatives include plants, animals, and microbiological sources with polymers to extend shelf life, improve quality, and enhance food safety. This review specifically focuses on mechanism of action of natural preservatives, spoilage of fruit and vegetables, the importance of edible film and coating on fruits and vegetables.