Search Results (26)

Background/Objectives: Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is widely cultivated for its fruit, while its aerial by-products remain largely underexploited despite increasing interest in plant-derived bioactive compounds and sustainable food systems. This study comprehensively investigates and compares the phenolic composition and in vitro bioactivities of loquat leaves and flowers to support their potential valorisation as functional ingredients. Methods: Extractable and non-extractable polyphenolic fractions were obtained and quantified, and the extractable fraction was further characterised using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS. In vitro bioactivity assessment included antioxidant capacity (FRAP and ABTS), glucose dialysis retardation index, and α-glucosidase inhibition. Results: Flowers contained significantly higher levels of both extractable and non-extractable polyphenols than leaves. Qualitative and semi-quantitative phenolic profiling, including multivariate analysis, revealed clear compositional differences between the two organs. Flowers showed a higher relative abundance of phenolic acids, as well as the presence of several compounds absent in leaves, such as kaempferol, naringenin-3-O-glucoside, and three glycosilated anthocyanins. Flower-derived fractions exhibited consistently higher antioxidant activity across all phenolic fractions than leaf-derived fractions, in agreement with their greater polyphenol content. Regarding antidiabetic activity, leaf samples showed a modest capacity to delay glucose diffusion, whereas this effect was not observed in flowers. In contrast, flower extracts displayed a strong inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase, exceeding that of the reference inhibitor acarbose, while this activity was not detectable in leaf extracts under the experimental conditions. Conclusions: These findings support the revalorisation of loquat by-products, particularly flowers, as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in functional foods and health-related products. Full article

To address the challenges faced by loquat detection algorithms in orchard settings—including complex backgrounds, severe branch and leaf occlusion, and inaccurate identification of densely clustered fruits—which lead to high computational complexity, insufficient real-time performance, and limited recognition accuracy, this study proposed a lightweight detection model based on the YOLO-MCS architecture. First, to address fruit occlusion by branches and leaves, the backbone network adopts the lightweight EfficientNet-b0 architecture. Leveraging its composite model scaling feature, this significantly reduces computational costs while balancing speed and accuracy. Second, to deal with inaccurate recognition of densely clustered fruits, the C2f module is enhanced. Spatial Channel Reconstruction Convolution (SCConv) optimizes and reconstructs the bottleneck structure of the C2f module, accelerating inference while improving the model’s multi-scale feature extraction capabilities. Finally, to overcome interference from complex natural backgrounds in loquat fruit detection, this study introduces the SimAm module during the initial detection phase. Its feature recalibration strategy enhances the model’s ability to focus on target regions. According to the experimental results, the improved YOLO-MCS model outperformed the original YOLOv8 model in terms of Precision (P) and mean Average Precision (mAP) by 1.3% and 2.2%, respectively. Additionally, the model reduced GFLOPs computation by 34.1% and Params by 43.3%. Furthermore, in tests under complex weather conditions and with interference factors such as leaf occlusion, branch occlusion, and fruit mutual occlusion, the YOLO-MCS model demonstrated significant robustness, achieving mAP of 89.9% in the loquat recognition task. The exceptional performance serves as a robust technical base on the development and research of intelligent systems for harvesting loquats. Full article

Branching traits play a critical role in shaping the tree structure of fruit crops and directly influence both yield and fruit quality. Effective and well-managed branching is crucial for maximizing productivity. However, loquat trees typically exhibit weak branching ability, characterized by fewer and longer bearing shoots, along with terminal flower buds, which collectively result in lower yields per unit area. Despite their significance, research on branching characteristics in loquat remains limited. To clarify the factors influencing branching and to provide a rational and effective direction for improving the inherently weak branching performance of current loquat cultivars, we selected the loquat varieties ‘Dawuxing’ and ‘Chunhua 1’, which exhibit significant differences in leaf and branch growth. Compared to ‘Dawuxing’, ‘Chunhua 1’ has longer branches, wider stem and leaf angles, fewer lateral branches, and a looser leaf cell structure. Transcriptome analysis of terminal buds at different developmental stages revealed that differentially expressed genes in the terminal buds of central branches from the spring and summer shoots of the two cultivars were enriched in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway. Hormone-targeted metabolomics identified significant differences in the levels of abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, jasmonic acid, and strigolactones in the terminal buds of both cultivars. Through integrated analysis, two candidate genes were identified as potential regulators of branching differences between the two cultivars: EVM0025028 (EjSAPK1), SnRK2 gene a core component of the abscisic acid signaling pathway, and EVM0040331 (EjRMS3), a D14 gene involved in encoding a strigolactone receptor. These findings provide valuable genetic resources for future research on branching regulation in Eriobotrya species and offer a theoretical foundation for enhancing branching management in loquat cultivation. Full article

Triploid loquat (Eriobotrya japonica, 2n = 3x = 51) produces seedless fruit and holds significant breeding value. However, the scarcity of tetraploids hinders large-scale triploid propagation. Notably, spontaneous tetraploidization occurs in certain triploid progenies, offering a viable approach to enrich tetraploid germplasm. In this study, open-pollinated offspring (n = 385) from white-fleshed triploid cultivars ‘Wuhe Zaoyu’ and ‘Huayu Wuhe 1’, as well as lines Q16 and Q21, were analyzed using flow cytometry for ploidy identification and molecular markers for flesh color genotyping. Ploidy analysis of open-pollinated progeny from ‘Huayu Wuhe 1’, Q16 and Q21 revealed the presence of diploids, triploids, tetraploids and aneuploids, with tetraploids being the most abundant (36–68%). In ‘Huayu Wuhe 1’ progeny, polyploids exhibited greater leaf thickness and plant height than diploids and aneuploids. Molecular marker analysis revealed that among the 172 tetraploid progeny, two flesh color genotypes were identified: heterozygous red-fleshed (24%) and white-fleshed (76%). qPCR-based allele quantification revealed that the alleles of tetraploids with heterozygous red-fleshed genotypes were Aaaa or AAaa genotypes. These findings confirm that triploid progeny can serve as an effective source of tetraploids, supporting future breeding efforts for seedless triploids. The formation of these tetraploids is possibly through 2n gametes from either diploid or triploid plants. Full article

Postharvest diseases caused by various fungal pathogens pose a significant threat to fruit quality, storage, and market value, making their identification and biological characterization essential for effective management strategies. This study examines the morphological and phylogenetic characteristics of Alternaria, Botryosphaeria, Pestalotiopsis, and Trichothecium species associated with loquat fruit rot in Yunnan, China. In May 2023, fruit rot of loquat in Yunnan, China, was classified into four types: ring rot, brown spot, black spot, and soft rot, with incidence rates of 4%, 6%, 6%, and 12%, respectively. Based on morphological features and molecular approaches, two strains of Botryosphaeria were identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea, which causes ring rot. Three strains of Trichothecium were identified as Trichothecium roseum, which is responsible for the brown spots. Three strains of Alternaria were identified as Alternaria alternata, which led to the appearance of black spots on the leaves. Similarly, two strains of Pestalotiopsis were identified as Pestalotiopsis kenyana, which causes soft rot. All identified species were verified to induce harvest loquat fruit rot by validating Koch’s postulates. This is the novel report of B. dothidea, T. roseum, and P. kenyana inducing postharvest fruit rot on loquat in Yunnan, China, and globally. It is also the first evidence that A. alternata causes postharvest fruit rot and gray leaf spot on loquat in Yunnan, China. The virulence differed among species, even within isolates of the same species. Additionally, the effect of temperature on the pathogenicity of A. alternata on loquat leaves was more than humidity. These findings enhance our understanding of the fungal pathogens affecting loquat fruit in the study area and highlight the importance of effective management strategies to minimize fruit rot. Further research is needed to investigate the ecological impacts of these species and potential control measures in agricultural practices. Full article

Loquat leaf extract (LLE) was added to guar gum and pullulan as an environmentally friendly packaging film (GPE) to preserve Chinese water chestnuts (CWCs). The effect of the amount of LLE on the guar gum/pullulan composite film was investigated. The optimal amount of LLE was 4% (GPE4), with lower water vapor permeability (WVP) and greater mechanical strength, antioxidant, and comparable antibacterial performance than many pullulan-based films. Upon packing the CWCs for 4 days, the weight loss rate of GPE4 was only 1.80 ± 0.05%. For GPE4, the POD activity, the soluble solid content, and the vitamin C (Vc) content of the CWCs were 21.61%, 36.16%, and 26.22% higher than those of the control sample, respectively. More importantly, GPE4 was effective in preserving the quality of CWCs after 4 days of storage, better or at least comparable to non-biodegradable plastic wrapping (PE). Therefore, it can be concluded that GPE films hold significant promise as a sustainable alternative packaging material for preserving fruit-based foods like CWCs, potentially replacing PE in the future. Full article

Loquat leaves exhibiting obvious yellowing, blistering, mosaic, leaf upward cupping, crinkle, and leaf narrowing were identified in Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province, China. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) with the ribo-depleted cDNA library was employed to identify the virome in the loquat samples; only tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) were identified in the transcriptome data. The complete genome sequence of ToMV and CEVd were obtained from the loquat leaves. The full-length genome of the ToMV-loquat is 6376 nt and comprises four open reading frames (ORFs) encoding 183 kDa protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), movement protein (MP), and coat protein (CP), respectively. A pairwise identity analysis showed that the complete sequence of the ToMV-loquat had a nucleotide identity between 98.5 and 99.3% with other ToMV isolates. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that ToMV-loquat was more closely related to ToMV-IFA9 (GenBank No. ON156781). A CEVd sequence with 361 nt in length was amplified based on the HTS contigs, sequence alignment indicated CEVd-loquat had the highest identity with the strain of CEVd-Balad (GenBank No. PP869624), phylogenetic analysis showed that CEVd-loquat was more closely related to CEVd-lettuce (GenBank No. ON993891). This significant discovery marks the first documentation and characterization of ToMV and CEVd infecting loquat plants, shedding light on potential threats to loquat cultivation and providing insights for disease management strategies. Full article

The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica L.) is a special evergreen tree, and its fruit is of high medical and health value as well as having stable market demand around the world. In recent years, research on the accumulation of nutrients in loquat fruit, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, has become a hotspot. The SBP-box gene family encodes transcription factors involved in plant growth and development. However, there has been no report on the SBP-box gene family in the loquat genome and their functions in carotenoid biosynthesis and fruit ripening. In this study, we identified 28 EjSBP genes in the loquat genome, which were unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes. We also systematically investigated the phylogenetic relationship, collinearity, gene structure, conserved motifs, and cis-elements of EjSBP proteins. Most EjSBP genes showed high expression in the root, stem, leaf, and inflorescence, while only five EjSBP genes were highly expressed in the fruit. Gene expression analysis revealed eight differentially expressed EjSBP genes between yellow- and white-fleshed fruits, suggesting that the EjSBP genes play important roles in loquat fruit development at the breaker stage. Notably, EjSBP01 and EjSBP19 exhibited completely opposite expression patterns between white- and yellow-fleshed fruits during fruit development, and showed a close relationship with SlCnr involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and fruit ripening, indicating that these two genes may participate in the synthesis and accumulation of carotenoids in loquat fruit. In summary, this study provides comprehensive information about the SBP-box gene family in the loquat, and identified two EjSBP genes as candidates involved in carotenoid synthesis and accumulation during loquat fruit development. Full article

Lead (Pb) is a non-essential element; however, plants uptake it from soils rich in Pb. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an important legume crop, and Pb toxicity exerts negative impacts on its growth and yield. This study investigated the role of foliar-applied loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) leaf extract in improving the morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of soybean plants under Pb toxicity. Soybean plants were exposed to four Pb concentrations (0, 200, 400, and 800 µg/L) and supplemented with 0% or 5% loquat leaf aqueous extract (EJLE). Data relating to pigments, proline, total soluble sugars, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), non-enzymatic antioxidant, i.e., [ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), total phenolic contents (TPC), and total flavonoids content (TFC)] and enzymatic antioxidant, i.e., [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR)] were recorded. Total chlorophyll contents and carotenoids were significantly decreased by Pb stress, while lycopene and anthocyanin contents were increased. Similarly, proline, total soluble sugars, MDA, H₂O₂, AsA, GSH, TPC, TFC, SOD, CAT, POD, APX, and GR were increased under Pb stress. Foliar spray of EJLE lowered MDA and H₂O₂ accumulation and increased the contents of chlorophylls, carotenoids, lycopene, anthocyanins, proline, total soluble sugars, and the antioxidant system. The increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes lowered the adverse effects of Pb stress in soybean. Similarly, the application of EJLE lowered Pb accumulation in different plant parts compared to those receiving no EJLE. It is concluded that EJLE can improve the Pb tolerance of soybean plants by enhancing morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits. However, the actual mechanisms behind these improvements warrant further investigation. Full article

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) leaf extract exhibits bioactive properties against a variety of diseases. However, it remains unclear whether loquat leaf extract can protect myoblasts from oxidative damage. To investigate the protective effect of loquat leaf ethanol extract (LE) against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress in C2C12 murine myoblasts and the effect of LE on cellular differentiation in C2C12 cells. LE inhibited H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity and reduced both the expression level of γ-H2AX and reactive oxygen species formation. LE also inhibited H₂O₂-induced apoptosis, which resulted in the upregulation of B-cell lymphoma 2 and pro-caspase-3 and inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and the dysfunction of mitochondria under H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress, which inhibited the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Moreover, LE upregulated p-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), p-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 in H₂O₂-treated C2C12 cells. In addition, LE promoted the differentiation of C2C12 cells into myotubes and increased the expression levels of myogenic proteins, myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD) and myogenin. These findings suggest that LE may be a promising therapeutic candidate for treating oxidative stress-mediated myoblast injury and enhancing cellular differentiation of C2C12 murine myoblasts into myotubes. Full article

Previous studies indicated that extensive genetic variations could be generated due to polyploidy, which is considered to be closely associated with the manifestation of polyploid heterosis. Our previous studies confirmed that triploid loquats demonstrated significant heterosis, other than the ploidy effect, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This study aimed to overcome the narrow genetic distance of loquats, increase the genetic variation level of triploid loquats, and systematically illuminate the heterosis mechanisms of triploid loquats derived from two cross combinations. Here, inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were adopted for evaluating the genetic diversity, and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to investigate gene expression as well as pathway changes in the triploids. We found that extensive genetic variations were produced during the formation of triploid loquats. The polymorphism ratios of ISSRs and SSRs were 43.75% and 19.32%, respectively, and almost all their markers had a PIC value higher than 0.5, suggesting that both ISSRs and SSRs could work well in loquat assisted breeding. Furthermore, our results revealed that by broadening the genetic distance between the parents, genetic variations in triploids could be promoted. Additionally, RNA-Seq results suggested that numerous genes differentially expressed between the triploids and parents were screened out. Moreover, KEGG analyses revealed that “photosynthetic efficiency” and “glyco-metabolism” were significantly changed in triploid loquats compared with the parents, which was consistent with the results of physiological indicator analyses, leaf micro-structure observations, and qRT-PCR validation. Collectively, our results suggested that extensive genetic variations occurred in the triploids and that the changes in the “photosynthetic efficiency” as well as “glyco-metabolism” of triploids might have further resulted in heterosis manifestation in the triploid loquats. Full article

SWEETs (sugars will eventually be exported transporters) have various physiological and biochemical roles in plant growth, including pollen development, seed nourishment, nectar secretion, and longer-distance sugar transportation. The SWEET genes were identified in various plant species, but they have not yet been thoroughly characterized. Here, we discovered 21 putative SWEET genes from the Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. genome. For further elucidation, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was utilized to determine the physicochemical properties, gene organization, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory elements, gene duplication, and phylogenetic relationships of EjSWEET genes. Most of the SWEET proteins were predicted to be located on the plasma membrane or vacuole. Gene organization and motif analysis showed that the numbers of exons and motifs in each gene ranged strikingly, between 5 and 6 and between 5 and 8, respectively. Synteny analysis showed that the tandem or segmental duplication played a dynamic role in the evolution of SWEET genes in loquat. Likewise, we analyzed the expression patterns of EjSWEET genes in the root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit of loquat. Some genes exhibited varying expression in loquat tissues, indicating their potential roles in plant development. The relative expression levels of EjSWEET1, EjSWEET3, and EjSWEET16 were noticeably higher in ripened fruits, suggesting their possible role in the transportation and unloading of sugars in fruits. The present study provides initial genome-wide identification and characterization of the SWEET gene family in loquat and lays the foundation for their further functional analysis. Full article

Phosphorus (P) fractionation is the validation of the nature, solubility and relative bioavailability of P. A sequential P extraction was used to determine the distribution of plant-available P fractions in soils. The relationships of these P fractions to soil properties and foliar P contents were also determined. Results of this study showed substantial differences in soil properties among orchards. Higher amounts of soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and major plant nutrients were found under orchard soils when compared with control soil. Most of the soil variables varied among orchard species as loquat > citrus > guava. The orchard soil exhibited a slightly higher soil pH. Overall, the P fractions were higher in all types of orchard soils and lowered in the control soils. Among tree species, P fractions in soils were achieved as loquat > citrus > guava. The extracting agents differed for P in the order residual P > HCl-P > NaOH-P > NaHCO₃-P > H₂O-P. Mostly higher amounts of the P fractions were achieved in the topsoil. The average amount of extractable P was found significantly higher in those soils of fruit orchards where the total amount of P was actually higher. The higher r² values between P fractions versus SOM, clay and CEC of soils predicted a strong interrelationship among these soil variables. Leaf N contents of loquat and guava trees were consistently higher, and leaf P contents varied as loquat > citrus > guava. Potassium and Ca contents were higher in citrus than in the other two species. Micronutrients were found as Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu in the leaves. Regression models indicated a sufficient relationship between Hedley P fractions and the foliar P contents in tree species. This study indicates that the above soil properties can be used to ascertain soil P fractions, and that can influence the bioavailability of P from orchard soils. Full article

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) genes have multiple potential roles in plant metabolism such as regulation and accumulation of organic acids in fruits, movement of guard cells and stress tolerance, etc. However, the systematic identification and characterization of PEPC genes in Rosaceae species i.e., loquat, apple, peach, strawberry, and pear are yet to be performed. In present study, 27 putative PEPC genes (loquat 4, apple 6, peach 3, strawberry 9, and pear 5) were identified. To further investigate the role of those PEPC genes, comprehensive bioinformatics and expression analysis were performed. In bioinformatic analysis, the physiochemical properties, conserved domains, gene structure, conserved motif, phylogenetic and syntenic analysis of PEPC genes were performed. The result revealed that the PEPcase superfamily domain was conserved in all examined PEPC proteins. Most of the PEPC proteins were predicted to be localized in cytonuclear. Genomic structural and motif analysis showed that the exon and motif number of each PEPC gene ranged dramatically, from 8 to 20, and 7 to 10, respectively. Syntenic analysis indicated that the segmental or whole-genome duplication played a vital role in extension of PEPC gene family in Rosacea species. The K_a and K_s values of duplicated genes depicted that PEPC genes have undergone a strong purifying selection. Furthermore, the expression analysis of PEPC genes in root, mature leaf, stem, full-bloom flower, and ripened fruit of loquat, apple, peach, strawberry, and pear was performed. Some genes were differentially expressed in aforementioned plant tissues, signifying their role in plant metabolism. This study provides the first genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression profiling of PEPC gene family in Rosaceae species, and provides the foundation for further functional analysis. Full article

Quercetin (Qu) is one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. High concentrations of Qu can easily cause adverse effects and induce inflammation, joint pain and stiffness. In this study, Heme was used as a sensitive element and deposited and formed nanorods on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the detection of Qu. The Heme/GCE sensor was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Under optimized conditions, the developed sensor presented a linear concentration ranging from 0.1 to 700 μmol·L⁻¹ according to the CV and DPV methods. The detection limit for the sensor was 0.134 μmol·L⁻¹ and its sensitivity was 0.12 μA·μM⁻¹·cm⁻², which were obtained from CV analysis. Through DPV analysis we obtained a detection limit of 0.063 μmol·L⁻¹ and a sensitivity of 0.09 μA·μM⁻¹·cm⁻². Finally, this sensor was used to detect the Qu concentration in loquat leaf powder extract, with recovery between 98.55–102.89% and total R.S.D. lower than 3.70%. The constructed electrochemical sensor showed good anti-interference, repeatability and stability, indicating that it is also usable for the rapid detection of Qu in actual samples. Full article