Search Results (8)

In this study, the invasive orange spiny whitefly (“OSW”; Aleurocanthus spiniferus) and a species of Encarsia parasitising its puparia were studied in three different areas of the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy): a pear orchard in Bomporto, an organic pear orchard in Carpi, and the semi-natural botanical garden “La Pica” in San Felice sul Panaro. The material of both species was collected for taxonomic and molecular studies. The abundance of OSW and parasitoid activity were surveyed in whitefly puparia, with a focus on the botanical garden. A total of 1800 leaves of Malus domestica, Pyrus communis and Vitis vinifera were sampled to assess whitefly infestation. The results showed a significant variation in the abundance of A. spiniferus puparia, with the highest infestation observed in V. vinifera. Morphological and molecular analyses, including mitochondrial COI and rRNA 16S for whiteflies and COI and 28S for parasitoids, confirmed the identity of A. spiniferus and identified the parasitoid as Encarsia nipponica. Molecular data also revealed the presence of three haplotypes of A. spiniferus, including a haplotype from China, new to Europe. The parasitisation rate by E. nipponica was low (0.015%). Our results provide the first European record of E. nipponica and new genetic data on the invasion pathways of A. spiniferus. Collectively, these findings offer a critical baseline for monitoring their ecological interactions and developing future pest management strategies. Full article

In this study, 53 pear genotypes were evaluated, including 19 Asian varieties, 7 botanical species and 13 new interspecific hybrids. The ploidy level and nuclear DNA content were determined by flow cytometry. In addition, the morphological traits and their possible correlations with the genome size were analyzed. One triploid genotype was found. The Asian varieties had a lower average genome size (553.4 Mbp) than the European varieties (564.1 Mbp). The average nuclear DNA content was 1.14 pg/2C for the diploid genotypes and 1.77 pg/2C DNA for the triploids. The Asian varieties had significantly larger leaves than the European ones. Pyrus calleryana had the smallest flowers and P. Caucasica the largest, but the varieties showed no significant differences in flower size. The pollen grain size ranged from 37.7 to 59.0 μm. However, there were no significant correlations between the genotype groups or genome sizes. The Asian cultivars had, on average, smaller stomata (28.4 μm) than the European cultivars (31.6 μm). The largest stomata size was measured for the triploid genotypes (37.9 μm). There was a positive correlation between the genome size and stomatal length and a negative correlation between the genome size and leaf length, leaf width and flower diameter. Full article

Illicium verum, commonly known as star anise, represents one of the notable botanical species and is recognized for its rich reservoir of diverse bioactive compounds. Beyond its culinary application as a spice, this plant has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine. Given the contemporary emphasis on incorporating natural resources into food production, particularly essential oils, to enhance sensory attributes and extend shelf life, our study seeks to elucidate the chemical composition and evaluate the antibacterial (in vitro, in situ) and insecticidal properties of Illicium verum essential oil (IVEO). Also, microbiological analyses of pumpkin sous vide treated with IVEO after inoculation of Salmonella enterica were evaluated after 1 and 7 days of study. GC/MS analysis revealed a significantly high amount of (E)-anethole (88.4%) in the investigated EO. The disc diffusion method shows that the antibacterial activity of the IVEO ranged from 5.33 (Streptococcus constellatus) to 10.33 mm (Citrobacter freundii). The lowest minimal inhibition concentration was found against E. coli and the minimum biofilm inhibition concertation was found against S. enterica. In the vapor phase, the best antimicrobial activity was found against E. coli in the pears model and against S. sonei in the beetroot model. The application of the sous vide method in combination with IVEO application decreased the number of microbial counts and eliminated the growth of S. enterica. The most isolated microbiota identified from the sous vide pumpkin were Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, and Ralstonia picketii. Modifications to the protein composition of biofilm-forming bacteria S. enterica were suggested by the MALDI TOF MS instigations. The IVEO showed insecticidal potential against Harmonia axyridis. Thanks to the properties of IVEO, our results suggest it can be used in the food industry as a natural supplement to extend the shelf life of foods and as a natural insecticide. Full article

Polyphenolic compounds are vital components of plants. However, their analysis is particularly difficult and challenging due to their similar chemical and structural properties. In this study, we developed a simple and reproducible HPLC-DAD protocol for determining nineteen pharmacologically important polyphenols in plant-based food samples, including fruits (apple, banana, grapefruit, peach, grapes, plum, and pear), vegetables (onion, cabbage, capsicum, garlic, lemon, tomato, potato, and spinach), and other edible items (corn, kidney beans, green tea, black tea, and turmeric). The reference standards were pooled into four different groups based on logP values and expected retention time to avoid compound co-elution. These developed methods will be useful for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biologically important polyphenolic compounds in various food samples and botanicals. Full article

The Opuntia genus is widely recognized as a significant member of the Cactaceae family. The eastern Moroccan prickly pear’s wild ecotype is renowned for its production of fruits of superior quality, which are in high demand. Nonetheless, the white cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae) has emerged as a significant hazard to the persistence of the indigenous wild prickly pear population in the majority of the country’s territories. Conventional plant propagation techniques may facilitate the transmission of pathogens to successive generations and thus fail to satisfy market requirements. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to develop a rapid and efficient protocol for large-scale production of the eastern Moroccan wild ecotype using axillary buds as the starting material. Sterilization of the starting material is a crucial but challenging step in this species, as the meristem is located just beneath the spine. The protocol developed for this study produced moderately satisfactory results, with 20 to 30% contamination in each experiment. The obtained shoots were incubated on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with varying concentrations of BAP (0, 1.5, 3, 5, and 7.5 mg/L). The treatment with BAP at 5 mg/L exhibited a statistically significant increase in the average number of regenerated shoots per explant (19.42). The effect of kinetin on the rooting of prickly pear was evaluated by transferring the shoots to a MS medium supplemented with varying concentrations of kinetin (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 mg/L). The use of kinetin increased the number and length of roots while also shortening the root development period from 21 days to 10 days. The best results were obtained at a concentration of 1.5 mg/L of kinetin. Furthermore, satisfactory acclimatization of plants was achieved by using plastic containers with a gradually increasing opening of the lids. The outcomes of this experimentation have significant potential to facilitate the preservation of this botanical variety, reduce the risk of white cochineal infestation, and address the need for superior quality fruit supply in the market. Full article

The cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (OFI) belongs to the Cactaceae family, which contains about 130 genera and nearly 1600 species. This review aims to evaluate this plant from several perspectives, namely, botanic, physicochemical, nutritional, and medicinal properties, as well as agro-industrial use. The botanical aspects and morphological characteristics of OFI enable genetic variability, ecological adaptation, and broad geographic distribution. Due to its physicochemical and nutritional composition, it has several medicinal properties appropriate (or suitable) for several industries, such as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics. Its fruit, the prickly pear (PP), has potential agro-industrial expansion through the application of different conservation and transformation methods, making it possible to obtain a variety of products. The PP is a source of several nutrients and is an effective system to produce varied foods, which have several advantages from a nutritional, sensory, economic, and shelf-life point of view. Full article

A RT–PCR assay developed to amplify the full coat protein (CP) gene of apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) was evaluated using 180 Greek apple and pear samples and showed a broad detection range. This method was used to investigate the presence of ASPV in quince in Greece and showed a high incidence of 52%. The sequences of 14 isolates from various hosts with a distinct RFLP profile were determined. ASPV population genetics and the factors driving ASPV evolution were analyzed using the Greek ASPV sequences, novel sequences from Brazilian apple trees and Chinese botanical Pyrus species, and homologous sequences retrieved from GenBank. Fourteen variant types of Greek, Brazilian and botanical isolates, which differ in CP gene length and presence of indels, were identified. In addition, these analyses showed high intra- and inter-group variation among isolates from different countries and hosts, indicating the significant variability present in ASPV. Recombination events were detected in four isolates originating from Greek pear and quince and two from Brazilian apples. In a phylogenetic analysis, there was a tendency for isolates to cluster together based on CP gene length, the isolation host, and the detection method applied. Although there was no strict clustering based on geographical origin, most isolates from a given country tended to regroup in specific clusters. Interestingly, it was found that the phylogeny was correlated to the type, position, and pattern of indels, which represent hallmarks of specific lineages and indicate their possible role in virus diversification, rather than the CP size itself. Evidence of recombination between isolates from botanical and cultivated species and the clustering of isolates from botanical species and isolates from cultivated species suggest the existence of a possible undetermined transmission mechanism allowing the exchange of ASPV isolates between the cultivated and wild/ornamental hosts. Full article

The concentrations of 19 chemical elements have been determined in 36 honey samples of different botanical (wildflower, eucalyptus, eucalyptus red flowers, prickly pears, lemon blossom, thyme, almond, rosemary and jujube) honeys from the three geographical areas of Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid, Nabeul and Sfax) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The aim of this work was to use the multielement analysis together with chemometric tools to verify the botanical and the geographical origin of honeys. The correlation on the basis of mineral element content between the honey samples and their botanical and/or geographical origins was in some measure achieved. The data collected on the samples were also used to evaluate the nutritional quality and the potential health risks associated with elements via consumption of the Tunisian honey. According to the results obtained, the intake of essential elements was small, and the potential health risks associated with toxic or potentially toxic elements via consumption of this food were overall insignificant. Full article