Pre-germination treatments of melon seeds for the production of seedlings irrigated with biosaline water / Tratamentos pré-germinativos de sementes de melão para a produção de mudas irrigadas com água biossalina

Abstract Melon production in the Brazilian semi-arid region is subject to the use of marginal waters with high salinity. However, the use of regulators and bioactivators in seed treatment can mitigate the harmful effects of salts in irrigation water. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of pre-germination treatments with plant regulators and bioactivator in melon seeds for the production of seedlings irrigated with biosaline water from fish farming effluent. For this, two trials with the Goldex and Grand Prix hybrids were carried out separately. A completely randomized design was used in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme (pre-germination treatments × water dilutions). In addition to the control, the seeds were treated with salicylic and gibberellic acids and thiamethoxam. The waters used for irrigation were local-supply water, fish farming effluent (biosaline water) and these diluted to 50%. Physiological and biochemical analyses were performed for fourteen days. Biosaline water (5.0 dS m-1) did not affect the emergence of Goldex melon seedlings, but compromised the establishment of the Grand Prix cultivar. Seed pre-treatments with salicylic and gibberellic acids attenuate the effects of water salinity and promote growth modulations, resulting in more vigorous melon seedlings.

Resumo A produção de meloeiro no semiárido brasileiro está sujeita a utilização de águas marginais com salinidade elevada. Entretanto, a utilização de reguladores e bioativadores no tratamento de sementes podem mitigar os efeitos nocivos dos sais na água de irrigação. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de tratamentos pré-germinativos com fitorreguladores e bioativador em sementes de melão para a produção de mudas irrigadas com água biossalina de efluente de piscicultura. Para isso, dois ensaios com os híbridos Goldex e Grand Prix foram realizados separadamente. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 4 × 3 (tratamentos pré-germinativos × diluições de água). Além do controle, as sementes foram tratadas com os ácidos salicílico e giberélico, e tiametoxam. As águas utilizadas para irrigação foram a de abastecimento local, efluente de piscicultura (água biossalina) e estas diluídas a 50%. Durante quatorze dias foram realizadas as análises fisiológicas e bioquímicas. A água biossalina (5,0 dS m-1) não afetou a emergência de plântulas de meloeiro Goldex, mas prejudicou o estabelecimento da cultivar Grand Prix. Os pré-tratamentos de sementes com os ácidos salicílico e giberélico atenuam os efeitos da salinidade da água e promovem modulações no crescimento, proporcionando mudas de meloeiro mais vigorosas.

Two Outbreaks of Foodborne Gastrointestinal Infection Linked to Consumption of Imported Melons, United Kingdom, March to August 2021.

The aim of this study was to describe two foodborne outbreaks caused by contaminated imported melon and make recommendations for future practice. Between March and July 2021, there was an outbreak of 113 cases of Salmonella Braenderup in the UK (62% female, median age 61 years, 33% hospitalized). Analytical epidemiological studies identified Galia melons as the vehicle of infection (OR 671.9, 95% CI 39.0-58,074.0, p < 0.001). Subsequently, the outbreak strain was isolated from two samples of Galia melon imported from Latin America. In July and August 2021, there was an outbreak of 17 cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 in the UK (53% female, median age 21 years, 35% were hospitalized). Review of the STEC surveillance questionnaire data, followed by the analysis of responses from a modified hypothesis-generating questionnaire, implicated eating precut watermelon from retailer B sourced from Europe as the vehicle of infection. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal pathogens caused by contaminated food of nonanimal origin are a global public health concern. Given the difficulty in removing pathogens from the flesh of ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables, public health interventions should target all steps of the food chain prior to consumption, from cultivation on the farm to processing/packing and distribution.

Identification and analysis of miRNAs differentially expressed in male and female Trichosanthes kirilowii maxim.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (TK) is a dioecious plant in the Cucurbitaceae family of which different sexes have separate medicinal uses. We used Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology to sequence miRNAs from male and female flower buds of TK. We performed bioinformatics analysis, miRNA identification, and target gene prediction on the data obtained from sequencing, and association analysis was performed in combination with the results of a previous transcriptome sequencing study. As a result, there were 80 differentially expressed miRNAs (DESs) between the female and male plants (48 upregulated and 32 downregulated in female plants). Moreover, 27 novel miRNAs in DESs were predicted to have 282 target genes, and 51 known miRNAs were predicted to have 3418 target genes. By establishing a regulatory network between miRNAs and target genes, 12 core genes were screened, including 7 miRNAs and 5 target genes. Among them, tkmiR157a-5p, tkmiR156c, tkmiR156_2, and tkmiR156k_2 jointly target the regulation of tkSPL18 and tkSPL13B. These two target genes are specifically expressed in male and female plants, respectively, and are involved in the biosynthesis process of BR, which is closely related to the sex differentiation process of TK. The identification of these miRNAs will provide a reference for the analysis of the sex differentiation mechanism of TK.

Expression patterns of ABCE model genes during flower development of melon (Cucumis melo L.).

In production, most cultivars of melon are andromonoecious and characterized by carrying both male and bisexual flowers on the same plant. In this study, four A-class genes (CmAP1a, CmAP1b, CmAP2a and CmAP2b), two B-class genes (CmAP3 and CmPI), two C-class genes (CmAGa and CmAGb) and four E-class genes (CmSEP1,2,3,4) were identified in melon. However, no D-class gene of melon was identified. The conserved domains of ABCE function proteins showed relatively high similarity between Arabidopsis and melon. The expression patterns of ABCE homeotic genes in different flower buds of melon suggested that transcripts of CmAP1a, CmPI and CmSEP1 in bisexual buds were significantly lower than that in male flower buds, while the expression levels of CmAGa, CmAGb and CmSEP4 in bisexual flower buds were significantly higher than that in male flower buds. There was no significant difference in expression levels of other ABCE model genes between male buds and bisexual buds. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was performed in different floral organs of bisexual flowers in melon. For A class genes, CmAP1a and CmAP1b showed the highest accumulation in sepals than petals, stamens and pistil, while CmAP2a and CmAP2b revealed the highest expression in pistil than other three floral organs. For B class genes, CmAP3 and CmPI were highly accumulated in petals and stamens though CmAP3 also showed abundant accumulation in pistil. For C class genes, the expression levels of CmAGa and CmAGb were higher in stamens and pistil than that in sepals and petals. For E class genes, CmSEP1 showed higher expression level in sepals and petals than stamens and pistil. CmSEP2, CmSEP3 and CmSEP4 showed the highest accumulation in pistil than other floral organs. These results provided a theoretical basis for studying the function of ABCE homeotic genes in floral organs development of melon.

Genome-Wide Identification of BES1 Gene Family in Six Cucurbitaceae Species and Its Expression Analysis in Cucurbita moschata.

The BES1 (BRI1-EMSSUPPRESSOR1) gene family play a vital role in the BR (brassinosteroid) signaling pathway, which is involved in the growth and development, biotic, abiotic, and hormone stress response in many plants. However, there are few reports of BES1 in Cucurbita moschata. In this study, 50 BES1 genes were identified in six Cucurbitaceae species by genome-wide analysis, which could be classified into 3 groups according to their gene structural features and motif compositions, and 13 CmoBES1 genes in Cucurbita moschata were mapped on 10 chromosomes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the CmoBES1 genes displayed differential expression under different abiotic stress and hormone treatments. Subcellular localization showed that the most of CmoBES1 proteins localized in nucleus and cytoplasm, and transactivation assay indicated 9 CmoBES1 proteins played roles as transcription factors. Our analysis of BES1s diversity, localization, and expression in Curcubitaceae contributes to the better understanding of the essential roles of these transcription factors in plants.

Fruit Extract of Sechium chinantlense (Lira & F. Chiang) Induces Apoptosis in the Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cell Line.

Sechium edule (Cucurbitaceae) is a commercial species of chayote and is just one of several species in the genus Sechium, whose extracts inhibit proliferation in tumor cell lines. The capacity of the wild species Sechium chinantlense (SCH) as an antitumor agent is unknown, as is the mechanism of action. In the present study, HeLa cervical cancer and HaCaT normal cell lines were treated with SCH and cell proliferation was inhibited in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner similar to the effect of the antineoplastic agent cisplatin (Cis). Additionally, SCH arrested cell cycle progression but only in HeLa cells and induced apoptosis, as shown by phosphatidylserine translocation and caspase-3 activation, while Cis did so in both cell lines. Exploration of the mechanism of action of SCH in HeLa cells suggests that apoptosis was mediated by the intrinsic signaling pathway since there was no activation of caspase-8, but there was a release of cytochrome-c. These findings suggest that the SCH extract has the potential to selectively kill tumor cells by promoting apoptosis, without harming nontumor cells.

Chitosan enhances antibacterial efficacy of 405 nm light-emitting diode illumination against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. on fresh-cut melon.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of chitosan on the antibacterial efficacy of 405 nm LED illumination against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut melons. The antibacterial efficacy of LED illumination (a total dose of 1.3 kJ/cm2) with or without chitosan (0.5 and 1.0 %) against these three pathogens was determined at 4 and 10 °C, respectively. Non-illuminated and chitosan-treated fruits were stored in the dark for 36 h under the same temperature. Color changes, ascorbic acid content, and total flavonoid content of illuminated and non-illuminated fruits were also analyzed. The results showed that the populations of all three pathogens on the non-illuminated and chitosan-treated fruits remained unchanged during storage. Regardless of bacterial species and chitosan concentrations, LED illumination in combination with chitosan greatly reduced the bacterial populations by 1.5 - 3.5 log/cm2, which was greater than LED illumination alone. Among the three pathogens, L. monocytogenes was the most susceptible to chitosan-mediated LED illumination. However, the whiteness index of illuminated fruits significantly increased by 1.3-fold compared to that of non-illuminated fruits, regardless of the presence of chitosan. Unlike color, no significant difference was observed in ascorbic acid and total flavonoid contents between illuminated and non-illuminated fruits. Although the fruit color was changed by LED illumination, these results indicate that adding chitosan could enhance the antibacterial efficacy of 405 nm LED illumination against major foodborne pathogens on fresh-cut melons without changing nutritional quality.

Efficient snailase-based production of mogrol from Luo Han Guo extract in an aqueous-organic system.

To solve the insufficient availability of mogrol, an 11α-hydroxy aglycone of mogrosides in Siraitia grosvenorii, snailase was employed as the enzyme to completely deglycosylate LHG extract containing 50% mogroside V. Other commonly used glycosidases performed less efficiently. Response surface methodology was conducted to optimize the productivity of mogrol, which peaked at 74.7% in an aqueous reaction. In view of the differences in water-solubility between mogrol and LHG extract, we employed an aqueous-organic system for the snailase-catalyzed reaction. Of five tested organic solvents, toluene performed best and was relatively well tolerated by snailase. After optimization, biphasic medium containing 30% toluene (v/v) could produce a high-quality mogrol (98.1% purity) at a 0.5 L scale with a production rate of 93.2% within 20 h. This toluene-aqueous biphasic system would not only provide sufficient mogrol to construct future synthetic biology systems for the preparation of mogrosides, but also facilitate the development of mogrol-based medicines.

Effects of foliar fertilizer application on the growth and fruit quality of commercial melon varieties grown in a soilless culture system.

Several factors influence the quality of melon fruits and foliar fertilizer application is one method for improving their quality. The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the response of commercial melon varieties to a soilless culture system in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand, and (2) to evaluate the quality of melon fruit under various foliar fertilizer treatments. The experiment was arranged as a completely randomized block design with four replications. Eight commercial melon varieties, including four orange pulp melons (Sandee, Baramee, Sanwan, and Melon cat 697) and four green pulp melons (Kissme, Snowgreen, Melon Princess, and Kimoji), were used in this study. At 1-5 weeks after planting, the growth of the melons was measured using agronomic traits. Four foliar fertilizers (distilled water, micronutrients, secondary nutrients + micronutrients, and amino acid + micronutrients) were sprayed on the melon leaves at 1-5 weeks after pollination, and the growth of the melons, using fruit traits, was recorded. After harvesting, the melons were assessed for the quality of the fruit. This study was conducted at the School of Agricultural Technology and Food Industry's greenhouse and the Food Chemistry Laboratory of the Center for Scientific and Technological Equipment, Walailak University. In nearly all of the observed growth weeks, the data demonstrate that most agronomic and fruit traits were significantly different between the melon varieties. Sandee, Baramee, Melon cat 697, and Melon Princess are recommended for planting under Nakhon Si Thammarat's climate, based on fruit size and quality. Foliar fertilizer application impacted the shape, skin color, and quality of the melon. Melons treated with micronutrients, secondary nutrients and micronutrients, and amino acids and micronutrients exhibited better measures of fruit quality than those treated with non-foliar treatments. There was also an interaction observed between melon variety and foliar fertilizer application. Based on measures of fruit quality, Baramee, Melon cat 697, Kissme, and Melon Princess were more responsive to foliar fertilizer application than other melon varieties tested.

A chromosome-level reference genome of the wax gourd (Benincasa hispida).

The wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), the only species in the genus Benincasa, is an important crop native to Asia that has been widely planted for multi-purpose uses. The first wax gourd draft genome was published three years ago, but it was incomplete and highly-fragmented due to data and technical limitations. Herein, we report a new chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of B. hispida. We generated 974.87 Mb of unitigs with N50 size of 2.43 Mb via a hybrid assembly strategy by using PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads. We then joined them into scaffolds with Hi-C data, resulting 1862 scaffolds with a total length of 975.62 Mb, and 94.92% of the length (926.05 Mb) is contained in the 12 largest scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes of B. hispida. We predicted 37,092 protein-coding genes, and 85.05% of them were functionally annotated. This chromosome-level reference genome provides significant improvement to the earlier version of draft genome and would be valuable resource for research and molecular breeding of the wax gourd.

A recessive gene Cmpmr2F confers powdery mildew resistance in melon (Cucumis melo L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Identified a recessive gene (Cmpmr2F) associated with resistance to infection by the powdery mildew causing agent Podosphaera xanthii race 2F. Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of melon, which significantly reduces the crop yield and quality. Multiple studies are being performed for in-depth genetic understandings of PM-susceptibility or -resistance mechanisms in melon plants, but the holistic knowledge of the precise genetic basis of PM-resistance is unexplored. In this study, we characterized the recessive gene "Cmpmr2F" and found its association with resistance against the PM causative agent "Podosphaera xanthii race 2F." Fine genetic mapping revealed the major-effect region of a 26.25-kb interval on chromosome 12, which harbored the Cmpmr2F gene corresponding to the MELO3C002403, encoding allantoate amidohydrolase. The functional gene annotation, expression pattern, and sequence alignment analyses were carried out using two contrast parent lines of melon "X055" PM-susceptible and "PI 124112" PM-resistant. Further, gene silencing of Cmpmr2F using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) significantly increased PM-resistance in the susceptible plant. In contrast to the previously reported studies, we identified that Cmpmr2F-silenced plants showed no impairment in growth due to less apparent negative effects in silenced melon plants. So, it is believed that the Cmpmr2F gene has great potential for further breeding studies to increase the P. xanthii race 2F resistance in melon. In short, our study provides new genetic resources and a solid foundation for further functional analysis of PM-resistance genes in melon, as well as powerful molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding aimed at developing new melon varieties resistant to PM infection.

Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Herpetospermum pedunculosum (Cucurbitaceae).

This study presents a chromosome-level reference genome assembly of a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant, Herpetospermum pedunculosum belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Following a combined PacBio high-fidelity sequencing and Hi-C analysis, a final H. pedunculosum genome assembly, 804.11 Mb in length was obtained, 90.45% of which was anchored into ten pseudochromosomes with a contig N50 of 24.39 Mb. In addition, 579.55 Mb repetitive sequences and 23,924 high-confidence protein-coding genes were annotated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that H. pedunculosum was sister to a clade formed by cucumber, zucchini, and wax gourd. Further whole-genome duplication analysis revealed no recent polyploidization event in the H. pedunculosum genome. The high-quality H. pedunculosum genome presented here will be highly useful in investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of its active compounds and adaptation strategies to the extreme environment. It will also provide great insights into comparative genomic studies of Cucurbitaceae and flowering plants.

Subunit association, and thermal and chemical unfolding of Cucurbitaceae phloem exudate lectins. A review.

Detailed characterization of protein (un)folding intermediates is crucial for understanding the (un)folding pathway, aggregation, stability and their functional properties. In recent years, stress-inducible lectins are being investigated with much interest. In plants phloem proteins PP1 and PP2 are major components of the phloem fluid. While PP1 is a structural protein, PP2 exhibits lectin activity, and was proposed to play key roles in wound sealing, anti-pathogenic activity, and transportation of various molecules including RNA within the plant. Cucurbitaceae fruits contain high concentrations of PP2 lectins, which recognize chitooligosaccharides with high specificity. Although the presence of PP2 lectins in the phloem exudate of Cucurbitaceae species was documented over 40 years ago, so far only a few proteins from this family have been purified and characterized in detail. This review summarizes the results of biophysical studies aimed at investigating the oligomeric status of these lectins, their thermal stability, structural perturbations caused by changes in pH and addition of chaotropic agents and characterization of intermediates observed in the unfolding process. The implications of these results in the functional roles played by PP2 type lectins in their native environment are discussed. Finally, perspectives for future biophysical research on these proteins are given.

Genetic diversity analysis and variety identification using SSR and SNP markers in melon.

Melon is an important horticultural crop with a pleasant aromatic flavor and abundance of health-promoting substances. Numerous melon varieties have been cultivated worldwide in recent years, but the high number of varieties and the high similarity between them poses a major challenge for variety evaluation, discrimination, as well as innovation in breeding. Recently, simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two robust molecular markers, have been utilized as a rapid and reliable method for variety identification. To elucidate the genetic structure and diversity of melon varieties, we screened out 136 perfect SSRs and 164 perfect SNPs from the resequencing data of 149 accessions, including the most representative lines worldwide. This study established the DNA fingerprint of 259 widely-cultivated melon varieties in China using Target-seq technology. All melon varieties were classified into five subgruops, including ssp. agrestis, ssp. melo, muskmelon and two subgroups of foreign individuals. Compared with ssp. melo, the ssp. agrestis varieties might be exposed to a high risk of genetic erosion due to their extremely narrow genetic background. Increasing the gene exchange between ssp. melo and ssp. agrestis is therefore necessary in the breeding procedure. In addition, analysis of the DNA fingerprints of the 259 melon varieties showed a good linear correlation (R2 = 0.9722) between the SSR genotyping and SNP genotyping methods in variety identification. The pedigree analysis based on the DNA fingerprint of 'Jingyu' and 'Jingmi' series melon varieties was consistent with their breeding history. Based on the SNP index analysis, ssp. agrestis had low gene exchange with ssp. melo in chromosome 4, 7, 10, 11and 12, two specific SNP loci were verified to distinguish ssp. agrestis and ssp. melon varieties. Finally, 23 SSRs and 40 SNPs were selected as the core sets of markers for application in variety identification, which could be efficiently applied to variety authentication, variety monitoring, as well as the protection of intellectual property rights in melon.

Ultrasonic treatment maintains the flavor of the melon juice.

Thermal treatment usually leads to the flavor deterioration of melon juice. This study was initiated to evaluate the retention effect of ultrasonic (US) and ultra-high pressure (UHP) on volatile components of melon juice by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The electronic nose, electronic tongue, and GC-IMS analysis showed that US was much better way to contain the flavor of melon juice than UHP was does. The correlation coefficient between the US and the control was as high as 0.99. The concentration of characteristic aroma components in melon juice after ultrasonic treatment was 2.77 times and 3.02 times higher than that in the control and UHP, respectively. Moreover, the US treatment gave no significant difference in the total soluble solids, pH, and color of the juice. And it dramatically enhanced the flavor profile of melon juice.

Visible-Light-Driven Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots for the Management of Bacterial Fruit Blotch Disease and the Improvement of Melon Seedlings Growth.

Bacterial fruit blotch is one of the most destructing diseases of melon producing-regions. Here, zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs) were synthesized, and their antibacterial activity against Acidovorax citrulli was investigated. The results indicated that the obtained ZnO QDs displayed 5.7-fold higher antibacterial activity than a commercial Zn-based bactericide (zinc thiazole). Interestingly, the antibacterial activity of ZnO QDs irradiated with light was 1.8 times higher than that of the dark-treated group. It was because ZnO QDs could induce the generation of hydroxyl radicals and then up-regulate the expression of oxidative stress-related genes, finally leading to the loss of cell membrane integrity. A pot experiment demonstrated that foliar application of ZnO QDs significantly reduced the bacterial fruit blotch disease incidence (32.0%). Furthermore, the supply of ZnO QDs could improve the growth of infected melon seedlings by activating the antioxidant defense system. This work provides a promising light-activated quantum-bactericide for the management of pathogenic bacterial infections in melon crop protection.

Optimized biotransformation of acid-treated water melon peel hydrolyzate into ethanol / Biotransformação otimizada de hidrolisado de casca de melancia tratada com ácido em etanol

Abstract Today, global focus of research is to explore the solution of energy crisis and environmental pollution. Like other agricultural countries, bulk quantities of watermelon peels (WMP) are disposed-off in environment as waste in Pakistan and appropriate management of this waste is the need of hour to save environment from pollution. The work emphasizes the role of ethanologenic yeasts to utilize significant sugars present in WMP for low-cost bioethanol fermentation. Dilute hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of WMP was carried out on optimized conditions employing RSM (response surface methodology) following central composite design (CCD). This experimental design is based on optimization of ethanologenesis involving some key independent parameters such as WMP hydrolysate and synthetic media ratio (X1), incubation temperature (X2) and incubation temperature (X3) for maximal ethanol yield exploiting standard (Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7) as well as experimental (Metchnikowia cibodasensisY34) yeasts. The results revealed that maximal ethanol yields obtained from S. cerevisiae K7 was 0.36±0.02 g/g of reducing sugars whereas M. cibodasensisY34, yielded 0.40±0.01 g ethanol/g of reducing sugars. The yeast isolate M. cibodasensisY34 appeared as promising ethanologen and embodies prospective potential for fermentative valorization of WMP-to-bioethanol.

Resumo Hoje, o foco global da pesquisa é explorar a solução da crise energética e da poluição ambiental. Como em outros países agrícolas, grandes quantidades de cascas de melancia (WMP) são descartadas como resíduos no meio ambiente no Paquistão, mas a gestão adequada desses resíduos é a mais recente solução para salvar o meio ambiente da poluição. O trabalho enfatiza o papel das leveduras etanologênicas para utilizar açúcares significativos presentes no WMP para fermentação de bioetanol de baixo custo. A hidrólise de ácido clorídrico diluído de WMP foi realizada em condições otimizadas empregando RSM (metodologia de superfície de resposta) e seguindo o projeto de composto central (CCD). Este projeto experimental é baseado na otimização da etanologenesis envolvendo alguns parâmetros independentes importantes, como hidrolisado de WMP e razão de meio sintético (X1), temperatura de incubação (X2) e temperatura de incubação (X3) para rendimento máximo de etanol explorando o padrão (Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7) também como leveduras experimentais (Metchnikowia cibodasensis Y34). Os resultados revelaram que os rendimentos máximos de etanol obtidos a partir de S. cerevisiae K7 foi de 0,36 ± 0,02 g / g de açúcares redutores, enquanto M. cibodasensis Y34 rendeu 0,40 ± 0,01 g de etanol / g de açúcares redutores. O isolado de levedura M. cibodasensis Y34 apareceu como um etanologeno promissor e incorpora um potencial prospectivo para a valorização fermentativa de WMP em bioetanol.

Cytotoxicity and maternal toxicity attributed to exposure to Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) dry leaf extract.

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), popularly known as "bitter melon" or "bitter gourd," is a climbing plant well-adapted to tropical countries. This plant is used traditionally to treat several conditions including diabetes mellitus, inflammation, liver dysfunctions, and cancer. Given the widespread ethnopharmacological use, this study aimed to examine the cytogenetic, maternal, and developmental toxicity attributed to exposure to dry extract of M. charantia leaves using Allium cepa and Wistar rats as test models. First, phytochemical characterization of the dry extract by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses was performed. Then, Allium cepa roots were exposed to three different concentrations of the dry extract (0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg/ml) to determine the mitotic index, frequency of chromosomal aberrations, and nuclear abnormalities. In addition, pregnant Wistar rats were administered either 500; 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg dry extract during the gestational period (GD) days 6-15, and subsequently possible toxic effect on the dams and fetuses were recorded. HPLC analyses confirmed rutin as the main secondary metabolite present in the dry extract. In the Allium cepa test, the dry extract was cytotoxic. In Wistar rats, dry extract administration reduced water and feed intake and mean body mass gain, indicating maternal toxicity during the organogenesis period. However, the dry extract did not markedly affect reproductive outcome parameters evaluated. Regarding developmental toxicity assessment, the dry extract treatment did not significantly alter number of skeletal malformations in the offspring. Data demonstrated that the dry extract of M. charantia leaves presents cytotoxicity and low maternal toxicity, indicating indiscriminate use needs to be avoided.

Beta-galactosidase gene family genome-wide identification and expression analysis of members related to fruit softening in melon (Cucumis melo L.).

BACKGROUND: Texture quality is impotent for melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruit. ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal, EC 3.2.1.23) is an important cell wall glycosyl hydrolase involved in fruit softening, However, the ß-Gal gene (BGALs) family hasn't been identified genome-wide in melon. Thus, it's necessary to conduct an in-depth bioinformatic analysis on melon BGALs family and to seek out the key members who participated in melon fruit softening. RESULTS: A total of 21 BGALs members designated as CmBGAL1-CmBGAL21 were identified genome-wide in melon, clustered into A-G seven clades. Among them, three duplications CmBGAL1:CmBGAL3, CmBGAL19:CmBGAL21, and CmBGAL20:CmBGAL21 happened. For conserved domains, besides the Glyco_hydro_35 domain (PF01301), all the members also contained the GHD domain (PF17834) except for CmBGAL12, and the Gal_Lectin (PF02140) domain existed in most CmBGALs at the C-termini. Motifs, protein secondary and tertiary structure analysis showed that the CmBGAL12 is a unique member. Moreover, protein-protein association network analysis showed that the CmBGAL12 is the only node protein. Furthermore, spatiotemporal expression pattern analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) suggested that most of CmBGALs expressed in tissues with vigorous cell wall remodeling/disassembly. In addition, cis-acting regulatory elements analysis in promoters inferred that CmBGALs might participate in diverse responsiveness to phytohormone, biotic and abiotic signaling. CONCLUSIONS: A novel clade of CmBGAL members (Clade F) related to melon fruit softening was discovered, since their expression showed a specific surge in the mature fruit of 'HPM' with mealy texture (softening sharply), but not in 'HDB' with crisp texture (softening bluntly). The homologous CmBGAL7-11 in Clade F exhibited identical spatiotemporal expression patterns may multiple genes leading to melon fruit softening.

Anti-atherogenic and cardio-protective properties of sweet melon (Cucumis melo. L. Inodorus) seed extract on high fat diet induced obesity in male wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Cucumis melon is a medicinal plant with multiple pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and diuretic effects. An increasing body of scientific evidence established the anti-diabetic/anti-obesity effects of Cucumis melo in humans, mice, and hamster models. However, there are no tangible reports on its ability to prevent cardiovascular complications following diet-induced obesity. The anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective effects of the Methanolic extract of Cucumis melo. L. Inodorus seeds on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats was assessed in this study.  METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, (n = 8/group); i.e., Normal (N), HFD, HFD + 50 mg/kg b.w. of MCMs (Methanolic extract of Cucumis melon seeds), HFD + 100 mg/Kg b.w. of MCMs and HFD + 200 mg/kg b.w. of MCMs. The experimental animals were anaesthetized and sacrificed after 10 weeks, and blood samples and heart tissue were collected for further analysis. Using the Graph Pad Prism version 5.0, the results expressed as Mean ± SD was tested using the one-way ANOVA to show intergroup differences, followed by Bonferonni 's post hoc test. The level of significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: MCMs significantly (P < 0.05) reduced body weight, adiposity index, total fat mass, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and total cholesterol (TC) compared with the HFD obese groups MCMs caused a significant reduction in the body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and total cholesterol (TC) when compared to the animals in HFD obese groups. Also, the Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), Castelli index and, malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in MCMs treated groups compared to the HFD obese group. The catalase, protein, and HDL levels were significantly increased in MCMs treated groups compared to HFD-obese animals. Expression of nitric oxide in the form of nitrite in the heart tissue significantly increased in the MCMs treated compared to the HFD-obese rats, with the majority of the positive results recorded at 100 mg/Kg b.w. of MCMs. CONCLUSIONS: MCMs have anti-atherogenic and Cardio-protective properties on High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Male rats via an antioxidant and nitric oxide-dependent mechanism. Further study is recommended to evaluate the molecular mechanisms to which these anti-atherogenic and cardio-protective actions can be attributed and exploit the GCMS result in the development of drug candidates.