Search Results (235)

Clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae has greatly affected the quality and yield of Chinese cabbage. Excavating the key resistance genes and verifying their function is important for clarifying disease resistance mechanisms. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology has been widely used in gene function research. However, the VIGS system specifically designed for the functional analysis of clubroot resistance genes is currently unavailable. In this study, it was found that the vacuum infiltration VIGS method is more effective for gene silencing than the seed soaking method. When seedlings were VIGS-treated using vacuum infiltration for 10 min, genes were effectively silenced on the 6th-35th days (d) after treatment, ensuring high seedling survival rate and plant transformation rate. To investigate the optimal inoculation time with P. brassicae, plants were inoculated 3, 6, 9, and 15 d after VIGS treatment. Results showed that the difference of clubroot resistance between gene-silenced and control plants was most significant when plants were inoculated 6 d after VIGS treatment. This result suggests that, when the target gene began to silence (6 d after VIGS), immediate inoculation with P. brassicae should be suitable for the functional study of clubroot-resistance genes. Full article

Skin aging is driven largely by oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, processes closely linked to cellular senescence and declining NRF2 activity. Numerous dietary phytochemicals—such as curcumin (from turmeric), resveratrol (from grapes), sulforaphane (from cruciferous vegetables), zerumbone, and salvianolic acid B—abundant in fruits, vegetables, herbs, and traditional food sources, exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which these compounds mitigate skin aging, primarily through modulating the NRF2 signaling pathway. We further integrate insights from clinical trials of NRF2-targeting agents to inform the translational potential of these dietary bioactives. Molecular docking analyses confirm that these food-derived compounds interact directly with the KEAP1-NRF2 complex, promoting NRF2 activation. Transcriptomic analyses of skin-related datasets (GSE35160, GSE71910, GSE185129) further validate the downregulation of key NRF2-regulated cytoprotective genes (e.g., FTH1, FTL, HMOX1, SLC7A11) involved in antioxidant defense and the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Based on this mechanistic foundation, we discuss the translational potential of these food-derived bioactives and the rationale for their future incorporation into skin-health-promoting nutraceuticals. We highlight how these food-derived phenolics and other bioactives may be incorporated into functional foods or nutraceuticals to support skin health from within, offering a dietary strategy to delay aging. We acknowledge that key translational challenges, such as oral bioavailability and optimal formulation, require further investigation. Further research is warranted to bridge these mechanistic insights into effective human applications. Full article

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease mainly characterized by inflammation and pain. Some promising approaches are aimed at combating the general mechanisms of osteoarthritis development and progression by targeting specific molecules. Although scientific and clinical communities remain skeptical regarding the efficacy of nutrition in managing human diseases, several products have been recognized as capable of improving health conditions and counteracting specific chronic and inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis. The aim of this narrative review is to present the results obtained by a search through electronic databases on the effect of glucosinolates and their breakdown products, in particular isothiocyanates, in both the prevention and complementary therapy for osteoarthritis. Even if we found a few studies on this topic, some preclinical studies demonstrated an active role of these compounds in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. A beneficial effect of a diet rich in glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate derivative, has been associated with a lower risk of developing osteoarthritis in a proof-of-principle trial. To further advance this topic, it is essential to conduct additional preclinical studies to address existing research gaps, alongside more rigorous clinical investigations, especially long-term randomized controlled trials. These efforts should focus on determining the most effective type of glucosinolate and relative metabolites in counteracting osteoarthritis progression and identifying their dose–response behavior to assess both benefits and side effects associated with their oral intake. Full article

Plutella xylostella, a major pest of cruciferous vegetables, depends predominantly on chemoreception to locate host plants. Legs are crucial in insect chemical perception, particularly during close-range and contact chemoreception. However, the molecular basis underlying the chemosensory repertoire in P. xylostella legs remains elusive. To address this, we sequenced chemosensory-related genes in diamondback moth legs. Sequencing identified 32 odorant binding protein (OBP), 18 chemosensory protein (CSP), 26 odorant receptor (OR), 20 gustatory receptor (GR), 15 ionotropic receptor (IR), and 3 sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMP) genes. Comparative analysis with antennal transcriptome data revealed three CSPs, seven ORs, and two GRs newly identified in the legs. Transcriptome analysis showed higher fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads values for CSPs than for other chemosensory-related gene families. Furthermore, qRT-PCR confirmed the highest expression of PxylCSP9 in the legs, suggesting its role in perceiving external compounds. Fluorescent binding assays revealed high binding affinity of PxylCSP9 for several host plant semiochemicals. Molecular docking predicted a hydrophobic binding pocket in PxylCSP9 with Met11, Leu13, and Leu43 frequently participating in ligand interactions. Our findings indicate that leg-enriched PxylCSP9 is pivotal for host plant recognition during close-range chemoreception, suggesting its potential as a molecular target for precision management through behavior-based strategies. Full article

Labor shortages in seedling nurseries, particularly in manual inspection and replanting, hinder operational efficiency despite advancements in automation. This study aims to develop a cost-effective, GPU-free machine vision system to automate the detection of deficient seedlings in plug trays, specifically for small-scale nursery operations. The proposed Deficiency Detection and Replanting Positioning (DDRP) machine integrates low-cost components including an Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435, Raspberry Pi 4B, stepper motors, and a programmable logic controller (PLC). It utilizes OpenCV’s Haar cascade algorithm, HSV color space conversion, and Otsu thresholding to enable real-time image processing without GPU acceleration. The proposed Deficiency Detection and Replanting Positioning (DDRP) machine integrates low-cost components including an Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435, Raspberry Pi 4B, stepper motors, and a programmable logic controller (PLC). It utilizes OpenCV’s Haar cascade algorithm, HSV color space conversion, and Otsu thresholding to enable real-time image processing without GPU acceleration. Under controlled laboratory conditions, the DDRP-Machine achieved high detection accuracy (96.0–98.7%) and precision rates (82.14–83.78%). Benchmarking against deep-learning models such as YOLOv5x and Mask R-CNN showed comparable performance, while requiring only one-third to one-fifth of the cost and avoiding complex infrastructure. The Batch Detection (BD) mode significantly reduced processing time compared to Continuous Detection (CD), enhancing real-time applicability. The DDRP-Machine demonstrates strong potential to improve seedling inspection efficiency and reduce labor dependency in nursery operations. Its modular design and minimal hardware requirements make it a practical and scalable solution for resource-limited environments. This study offers a viable pathway for small-scale farms to adopt intelligent automation without the financial burden of high-end AI systems. Future enhancements, adaptive lighting and self-learning capabilities, will further improve field robustness and including broaden its applicability across diverse nursery conditions. Full article

Background: Broccoli contains diverse phytochemicals, including glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, with potential nutritional and bioactive properties. Accurate metabolite profiling requires optimized sample preparation and comprehensive databases. Methods: A rapid enzymatic deactivation method with 70% methanol, implemented prior to cryogrinding, was evaluated for processing freeze-dried and fresh broccoli florets, which were compared as plant materials. A widely targeted, organ-resolved metabolite database was constructed by integrating over 612 reported phytochemicals with glucosinolate degradation products. LC-HRMS combined with MS-DIAL and GNPS was employed for metabolite detection and annotation. Results: Freeze-dried samples yielded nearly twice the number of glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, and nitriles compared with standard-processed fresh tissue. Methanol pre-treatment preserved metabolite integrity in fresh samples, achieving comparable sensitivity to freeze-dried material. Using the integrated database, 998 metabolites were identified or tentatively characterized, including amino acids, carboxylic acids, phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, and glucosinolate derivatives. Cross-platform reproducibility was improved and false positives reduced. Conclusions: Optimized sample preparation combined with a curated metabolite database enables high-confidence, comprehensive profiling of broccoli florets phytochemicals. The resulting dataset provides a valuable reference for studies on genotype–environment interactions, nutritional quality, and functional bioactivity of cruciferous vegetables. Full article

Background and Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is closely associated with gut dysbiosis, and sulforaphane (SFN), a bioactive compound found in cruciferous vegetables, may help to mitigate this condition. Methods: These are secondary exploratory analyses from a previous study that included 16 patients with CKD (stages 3 to 5). The patients were divided into two groups: the Sulforaphane (SFN) group (400 mcg/day of SFN) and the placebo group, both of which received treatment for four weeks. Fecal DNA extraction was performed, and amplicon sequencing was conducted on an Illumina MiSeq V3 platform. The sequence data were analyzed using the QIIME 2 software package. Plasma uremic toxin concentrations (indoxyl sulfate, IS, and p-cresyl sulfate, pCS) were measured by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Results: No significant differences were observed in the gut microbiota alpha microbial richness and diversity after supplementation. However, supplementation with SFN altered the taxonomic composition and resulted in changes to the complexity of the microbial network. A distinct set of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) was observed post-supplementation with SFN, dominated by genera such as Megamonas, Sphingobium, Clostridia, and Hungatella, indicating a treatment-specific microbial signature. The placebo group showed significant increases in IS and pCS, whereas the SFN group presented non-significant changes. Conclusions: SFN supplementation for one month did not significantly alter microbial diversity or uremic toxin levels in non-dialysis CKD patients; however, it led to changes in microbial composition and network complexity, suggesting a modulatory effect on specific microbial interactions. Full article

Sulforaphane, a natural isothiocyanate predominantly found in cruciferous vegetables, has shown potential in preventing and treating Helicobacter pylori infection. However, the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study employed high-coverage metabolomics and lipidomics methods to comprehensively investigate the effects of sulforaphane on the serum and liver metabolic profiles of H. pylori-infected mice. Metabolomics and lipidomics analysis revealed that H. pylori infection disrupted multiple metabolic pathways, leading to perturbations in amino acids, fatty acids, bile acids, and various lipid species. Sulforaphane treatment can ameliorate these disruptions, notably reversing alterations in serum glycerophospholipids and restoring hepatic levels of amino acids, bile acids, glycerophospholipids, ceramides, and peptides. Key metabolic pathways implicated included glutathione metabolism and glycine and serine metabolism, which are associated with antioxidant defense and host resistance to pathogenic infections. These findings offer a comprehensive metabolic basis for understanding the therapeutic effects of sulforaphane against H. pylori infection. Full article

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a naturally occurring, pungent compound abundant in cruciferous vegetables and functions as a repellent for various organisms. The antibacterial effect of AITC against various bacteria has been reported, but there are no reports on the effect on Streptococcus mutans, a major bacterium contributing to dental caries. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect and mechanism of AITC on the survival and growth of S. mutans. AITC showed an antibacterial effect in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, bacterial growth was delayed in the presence of AITC, and there were almost no bacteria in the presence of 0.1% AITC. In a biofilm assay, the amount of biofilm formation with 0.1% AITC was significantly decreased compared to the control. RNA sequencing analysis showed that the expression of 39 genes (27 up-regulation and 12 down-regulation) and 38 genes (24 up-regulation and 14 down-regulation) of S. mutans was changed during the survival and the growth, respectively, in the presence of AITC compared with the absence of AITC. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed that AITC mainly interacted with genes of unknown function in S. mutans. These results suggest that AITC may inhibit cariogenicity of S. mutans through a novel mechanism. Full article

Cruciferous vegetables are popular in Asian dishes. However, striped flea beetles prefer to feed on leaves, which can damage the appearance of crops and reduce their economic value. Due to the lack of pest monitoring, the occurrence of pests is often irregular and unpredictable. Regular and quantitative spraying of pesticides for pest control is an alternative method. Nevertheless, this requires manual execution and is inefficient. This paper presents a system powered by solar energy, utilizing batteries and supercapacitors for energy storage to support the implementation of edge AI devices in outdoor environments. Raspberry Pi is utilized for artificial intelligence image recognition and the Internet of Things (IoT). YOLOv5 is implemented on the edge device, Raspberry Pi, for detecting striped flea beetles, and StyleGAN3 is also utilized for data augmentation in the proposed system. The recognition accuracy reaches 85.4%, and the results are transmitted to the server through a 4G network. The experimental results indicate that the system can operate effectively for an extended period. This system enhances sustainability and reliability and greatly improves the practicality of deploying smart pest detection technology in remote or resource-limited agricultural areas. In subsequent applications, drones can plan routes for pesticide spraying based on the distribution of pests. Full article

We investigated the genetic and environmental variables determining the glucosinolate (GSL) content of cruciferous vegetables and the implications for cancer prevention. The enzyme myrosinase hydrolyzes GSLs, which are sulfur-containing chemicals found mostly in cruciferous vegetables, producing isothiocyanates (ITCs), which are physiologically active molecules. GSL breakdown products have considerable anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory capabilities, making them vital to human health. The review dives into genetic heterogeneity among cruciferous species, the importance of individual genes in GSL manufacturing, and breeding techniques for increasing GSL content. It also examines how environmental variables like soil type, pH, plant, nutrient availability, and temperature affect GSL levels. This report also covers the function of GSLs in plant defense, their bioavailability in humans, and their mechanisms in cancer prevention, emphasizing the chemicals’ potential for lowering cancer risk through cruciferous vegetable consumption. The findings highlight the necessity of optimizing both genetic and environmental variables required to increase the nutritional content and medicinal potential of cruciferous vegetables. Full article

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a highly challenging malignancy to treat, with a high mortality rate and limited therapeutic options. Despite advances in cancer research, the prognosis for patients diagnosed with PDA is often poor due to late-stage detection and resistance to conventional therapies. Consequently, there is growing interest in the potential of bioactive compounds as alternative or adjuvant treatments, given their ability to target multiple aspects of cancer biology, offering a more holistic approach to treatment. In the context of PDA, certain bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols (found in fruits, vegetables, and tea), flavonoids, carotenoids and compounds in cruciferous vegetables, have shown potential in inhibiting cancer cell growth, reducing inflammation, and promoting cancer cell apoptosis. This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms, by which these bioactive compounds exert their effects, modulating the oxidative stress, influencing inflammatory pathways and regulating cell survival and death. It also highlights current clinical trials that are paving the way toward incorporating these natural agents into mainstream treatment strategies, with the goal of boosting the efficacy of conventional therapies for PDA. Full article

Conventional pesticides and fertilizers are frequently linked to high resource consumption, environmental damage, and poor nutrient usage efficiency in the production of broccoli. Nanofertilizers (e.g., iron, copper, zinc oxide, and boron NMs) and pesticide nanoparticles (NPs) are examples of nanotechnology that is mainly related to broccoli production. These technologies can increase the efficiency of nutrient uptake and utilization as well as broccoli’s resistance to drought, heavy metal stress, saline and alkaline stress, and other conditions. Through accurate fertilization and dosing, nanotechnology can reduce environmental contamination and the need for traditional chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Crops with nanomaterials have higher micronutrient content and better nutritional quality. This study examines the use of nanotechnology in the production of broccoli, which could improve crop yield and quality. However, much research is still required to determine how nanomaterials affect the environment and whether or not they might be hazardous to broccoli because of their minuscule particle size and unique physical and chemical characteristics. Researchers and agricultural professionals both within and outside the field of nanobiotechnology will be able to choose the right nanoparticles for broccoli production with the help of the information presented in this paper. The use of nanotechnology can reduce production costs and support sustainable agricultural growth. Additionally, it opens up new possibilities for the future production, transportation, and storage of cruciferous vegetables. Full article

Sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural isothiocyanate compound with multiple bioactive effects, abundantly found in cruciferous vegetables. SFN and cadmium (Cd) were limited in their application as chemotherapeutic agents due to insufficient cellular uptake, low bioavailability, and high systemic toxicity, respectively. In this study, mPEG-PLGA nanoparticles were used as a carrier to load Cd-γ-PGA conjugates and SFN, enabling favorable drug release under acidic microenvironments with excellent pH responsiveness. The NP-Cd-SFN nanoparticles exhibited a particle size of 102.1 nm, a zeta potential of -14.48 mV, and a PDI value of 0.257. These characteristics contribute to the nanoparticles’ prolonged circulation in the bloodstream and their ability to passively target tumors. Compared to the single-dose groups and the combined Cd + SFN group, the NP-Cd-SFN group significantly reduced the viability of HepG2 cells and increased their apoptosis rate by inducing mitochondrial oxidative stress and promoting cell apoptosis. Overall, the addition of SFN and the encapsulation of mPEG-PLGA enhanced the therapeutic effects of Cd on HepG2 cells. Full article

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are sulfur-containing compounds predominantly found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts, and are recognized for their health-promoting properties. Upon consumption, GSLs undergo hydrolysis by the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in bioactive compounds like isothiocyanates and specific indole glucosinolate degradation products, such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM), which contribute to a range of health benefits, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects. This review explores the structure, metabolism, and bioavailability of GSLs. Recent evidence supports the protective role of GSLs in chronic diseases, with mechanisms including the modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and detoxification pathways. Furthermore, the innovative strategies to enhance GSL bioactivity, such as biofortification, genetic introgression, and optimized food processing methods, have been examined. These approaches seek to increase GSL content in edible plants, thereby maximizing their health benefits. This comprehensive review provides insights into dietary recommendations, the impact of food preparation, and recent advances in GSL bioavailability enhancement, highlighting the significant potential of these bioactive compounds in promoting human health and preventing chronic diseases. Full article