Search Results (11,165)

Hexavalent chromium, a widespread heavy metal, induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway through Bax (pro-apoptotic) and Bcl2 (anti-apoptotic) proteins. Hypericum perforatum, rich in antioxidants, can neutralise free radicals. This study investigated the effects of CrVI on the pancreas and the protective role of Hypericum perforatum. Five groups of animals were used: control, Cr (CrVI for 3 months), CrH (CrVI + 2.5% Hypericum perforatum extract made from flowers, for 3 months), Cr2 (CrVI for 3 months + distilled water for 1 month), and CrH2 (CrVI for 3 months + Hypericum perforatum extract for 1 month). Samples were collected for histological analysis, gene expression (qRT-PCR), and blood glucose level analysis. CrVI exposure (Cr, Cr2) caused pancreatic damage: oedema, reduced islet size, endocrine cell vacuolisation, and endothelial swelling. Lesions were milder in CrH, while CrH2 resembled the control group. The Bax/Bcl2 ratio increased under CrVI (highest in Cr2), indicating apoptosis, but decreased toward control values in CrH and CrH2. Blood glucose levels confirmed these findings. CrVI proved toxic to the endocrine pancreas, inducing structural and molecular alterations that impaired carbohydrate metabolism. Administration of Hypericum perforatum extract reduced these effects, confirming its antioxidant action and potential as a protective agent against CrVI-induced oxidative stress. Full article

Precision-targeted pollination places strict demands on flower organ detection in field environments. In field conditions, pistil detection in Siraitia grosvenorii remains difficult because the targets are small, often occluded, and require accurate localization under lightweight model constraints. To address these challenges, we develop an improved YOLOv11n-based method for Siraitia grosvenorii pistil detection in precision pollination tasks. The model incorporates SCConv, CoordAtt, and SimAM to improve feature extraction and foreground discrimination for small pistil targets in complex backgrounds. The main contribution of this work lies in task-oriented module integration and lightweight optimization for tiny pistil detection, rather than in proposing a new generic detection operator. Experiments on the self-built dataset show that the improved model achieves 82.17% mAP@0.5, 40.38% mAP@0.5:0.95, and 86.20% precision, improving upon the YOLOv11n baseline by 2.92, 2.28, and 9.84 percentage points, respectively. Recall decreases from 78.46% to 76.50%, suggesting a precision-oriented trade-off in the current setting. With only 2.89 M parameters and 7.22 GFLOPs, the model maintains a lightweight architecture while achieving improved detection performance for targeted pollination tasks. These findings support the feasibility of the proposed method for Siraitia grosvenorii pistil detection in intelligent pollination applications. Full article

The corrosion protection of copper in acidic urban rain environments was studied using self-assembled hydrophobic layers (SAHLs) based on stearic acid (SA), with and without rosehip seed oil (RH). The limited durability of fatty acid-based self-assembled layers under acidic conditions was addressed by correlating surface wettability, morphology, and electrochemical behaviour. Contact angle and SEM analyses showed that SA alone forms a moderately hydrophobic but structurally irregular layer, whereas the addition of 2.0 wt.% RH produces a hierarchical micro/nanostructure with near-superhydrophobic characteristics (CA ≈ 149°). Electrochemical measurements in simulated acid rain solutions (pH 5, 3, and 1) revealed a strong pH dependence of protective performance. While SA-derived layers provided effective protection at pH 5, they deteriorated at lower pH due to protonation of carboxylate anchoring groups and electrolyte ingress. In contrast, SAHLs containing 2.0 wt.% RH maintained polarisation resistance in the MΩ cm² range and inhibition efficiencies above 99% at pH 3, and remained effective even at pH 1. Long-term EIS results indicate a predominantly diffusion-controlled, barrier-type inhibition mechanism associated with defects sealing and interfacial reorganisation. Notably, the rosehip seed oil used is a commercially available, bio-based material with expired shelf life, highlighting the potential of waste-derived resources for sustainable corrosion protection. Full article

Camellia japonica is a widely cultivated woody ornamental plant. However, current studies mostly focus on the onset of flowering, neglecting the overall flowering time distribution patterns of the blooming process. In this study, we used uniform 5-year-old potted cuttings of C. japonica ‘Jinjiang Mudan’ to evaluate six candidate distribution models, including normal, log-normal, skew-normal, gamma, Weibull, and exponential, to model flowering time distribution. These candidates were compared to obtain an optimal distribution model using three-fold cross-validation, six evaluation indicators, and three goodness-of-fit tests in the control. The optimal distribution model was used to compare and analyze the different effects of the control, shading, and exogenous hormone treatments. The results showed that the skew-normal distribution model emerged as the most suitable distribution model among the six candidates and captured the flowering time distribution characteristics effectively in all treatments. Shading treatments were found to delay and extend the flowering period, with moderate treatments (50% and 70% shading) demonstrating better performance, extending the flowering period by approximately 40%. In terms of exogenous hormone treatments, BG (a mixture of the 6-BA and GA₃) concentrations could prolong and delay the flowering period. Lower concentrations (100 and 250 mg L⁻¹) of 6-BA and GA₃ were effective in extending the flowering period, with BA250 exhibiting the most pronounced effect, delaying flowering onset by approximately 12% and extending the flowering period by approximately 17%. Considering that this study is based on single-location and single-season trials, these findings provide a valuable methodological resource for quantifying and predicting flowering time distribution in C. japonica, other ornamentals, and crops. Full article

Plant volatiles are critical mediators of insect–plant interactions, guiding natural enemies to specific habitats and prey. The flower bug, Orius maxidentex Ghauri (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), is a generalist predator that exhibits a specialized ecological association with the weed Celosia argentea L. (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae), utilizing the plant as a primary floral niche in Hainan Island. In this study, the attractiveness of C. argentea floral volatiles to O. maxidentex was confirmed using a Y-tube olfactometer. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was utilized to identify six compounds in the floral volatiles: 1,3-diethenylbenzene, trans-cinnamaldehyde, β-bisabolene, methyl salicylate, 3-ethylbenzaldehyde, and nonanal. Electroantennogram (EAG) assays revealed that O. maxidentex antennae showed significant physiological responses to these compounds, and the EAG relative values were positively correlated with concentration gradients. Furthermore, O. maxidentex exhibited significant orientation responses to 1,3-diethenylbenzene, trans-cinnamaldehyde, β-bisabolene, and methyl salicylate, whereas no behavioral response was observed for 3-ethylbenzaldehyde or nonanal. Further tests revealed that β-bisabolene elicited the highest attractiveness, comparable to a synthetic blend formulated to mimic the natural release ratio of the active semiochemicals. These findings reveal the hidden chemical cues mediating the interaction between a predator and its preferred habitat. Understanding this mechanism not only helps explain insect adaptation but also offers new strategies for using these plant volatiles to influence the behavior of this specific predator, potentially enhancing its targeted recruitment in agroecosystems. Full article

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are promising eco-friendly alternatives to traditional solvents for extracting phenolic compounds from plant materials. However, their effectiveness depends on both solvent composition and the botanical matrix. This study examined water, ethanol, and choline chloride–urea (CCU) and choline chloride–glycerol (CCG) systems containing 30% or 60% NADES for the extraction of anthocyanins, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS) from cornflower, safflower, and pomegranate flowers. Pomegranate flowers exhibited the highest levels of anthocyanins, total phenolics, and antioxidants, while safflower showed the highest total flavonoid content. Overall, the 60% NADES formulations delivered the best extraction results, whereas ethanol had the lowest overall efficiency. A combined heatmap analyzing all responses identified 60% CCU and 60% CCG as the most effective solvents across all tested materials. Anthocyanin stability in pomegranate flower extracts was further evaluated over 8 weeks at 4 and 20 °C. First-order kinetic analysis revealed that ethanol and 60% CCG maintained the highest anthocyanin stability, whereas 60% CCU exhibited the lowest stability, especially at 20 °C. These findings support the use of NADES as efficient solvents for floral bioactives, while indicating that the highest extraction yield does not necessarily correlate with the best storage stability. Full article

The development of rice flowers and panicles critically affects grain yield and quality. LEAFY HULL STERILE1/OsMADS1, a grass-specific SEPALLATA-like MADS-box transcription factor, is essential for rice floral development and floral meristem activity maintenance. However, the mechanism through which OsMADS1 interacts with other genes to regulate floral organ identity and meristem determinacy remains unclear. In this study, we first generated OsMADS1 knockout mutants using CRISPR/Cas9. The mutant florets exhibited obvious morphological defects, which were categorized into five phenotypic classes. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified two OsMADS1-interacting proteins: OsMADS22, an STMADS11-like protein, and OsYABBY5, a YABBY transcription factor. Their physical interactions were validated both in vitro and in vivo, and were important for floral organ specification and meristem maintenance. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that OsMADS1 regulates numerous genes involved in hormone signaling and panicle/flower development. Furthermore, OsMADS1 acts together with OsMADS22 and OsYABBY5 to modulate the expression of the downstream target OsMADS55, thereby controlling rice spikelet development. Together, our results reveal that OsMADS1 executes diverse regulatory functions in floral organ specification and meristem identity by interacting with multiple developmental regulators, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of plant flower development. Full article

Yield is a complex trait influenced by multiple components and their genetic behavior. Therefore, this study was designed to understand the complex nature of yield by uncovering relationships among traits and estimating the genetic parameters of lentil germplasm. One hundred and ninety-two lentil (Lens culinaris) germplasm samples were evaluated at Jamma and Enewari (field experiment) and at Debre Birehan agricultural research center (pot experiment) in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, in 2024 and 2025. An alpha lattice design was used for both set of experiment, and data on 12 agronomic traits were collected. Genetic parameter estimations, correlation, path, principal component and cluster analyses were performed in R. The results revealed substantial phenotypic and genetic variation among the evaluated germplasm, with high broad-sense heritability for flowering, maturity, and seed size traits, and moderate heritability for seeds per plant, plant height, harvest index, and yield. Yield exhibited a strong phenotypic correlation with harvest index (r = 0.78 in field and r = 0.95 in pots), biomass (r = 0.77 in the field and r = 0.78 in pots), seeds per plant (r = 0.42 in the field and r = 0.60 in pots), and podding (r = 0.45 in the field and r = 0.69 in pots). Similarly, genotypic correlations were high with harvest index (r = 0.83 in the field and r = 0.96 in pots), biomass (r = 0.75 in the field and r = 0.80 in pots), seeds per plant (r = 0.0.59 in the field and r = 0.58 in pots), and podding (r = 0.39 in the field and r = 0.68 in pot), and both their direct and indirect effects on yield were significantly high. Therefore, indirect selection through traits such as pods per plant, harvest index, biomass, and seeds per plant would be more effective and reliable for improving seed yield than direct selection for yield itself as this is highly affected by environmental variations. Full article

The perennial grass timothy (Phleum pratense) is an important forage crop in cold temperate regions. It forms three types of tillers: vegetative (VEG), generative (GEN), and non-flowering elongated (ELONG). To understand the influence of plant development and tiller formation on biomass production and the diversity in these traits, a total of 246 wild and domesticated accessions of timothy and the related species, P. nodosum and P. alpinum, were investigated. The length of different plant developmental stages and the formation of different tiller types were studied to test the hypotheses: (1) the proportion (%) of different tiller types affects biomass and is influenced by the lengths of the different plant developmental stages, (2) domestication and breeding have affected the length of developmental stages and proportions of tiller types. While timothy cultivars did not differ significantly from wild accessions in biomass, wild accessions had higher VEG%, which increased with latitude of accession origin. P. nodosum cultivars produced the highest number of ELONG of all accessions and species, and the ELONG% showed a strong positive correlation with biomass. Timothy cultivars showed later emergence and tillering, and reached stem elongation and heading earlier than wild accessions, suggesting that delayed tillering, but an overall faster development, has been favoured during breeding. The time between tillering and stem elongation showed a positive correlation with VEG%. This study reveals large diversity in developmental and tiller traits among accessions, reflecting differences in their domestication and breeding history, and highlighting the importance of considering early developmental traits and ELONG formation for yield and quality in further pre-breeding research. Full article

RNA interference (RNAi) provides a sequence-specific strategy for pest management, but efficient and stable double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery remains a key challenge. Here, we established a plant-probiotic-based gene silencing system using the endophytic fungus Fusarium commune G3-29 as a dsRNA delivery vector against western flower thrips (WFTs, Frankliniella occidentalis). Recombinant G3-29 strains expressing dsRNA targeting the essential WFT genes ACT and SNF were constructed and confirmed to colonize kidney bean leaves without pathogenicity. Bioassays showed that feeding on leaves colonized by dsRNA-expressing G3-29 significantly decreased survival and downregulated target gene expression in both WFT larvae and adults. Within 4 days, survival of both larvae and adults fell below 10%. In larvae, target gene expression decreased by 63% (ACT) and 33% (SNF), while in adults, reductions of 74% (ACT) and 65% (SNF) were observed. In contrast, in vitro-synthesized dsRNA failed to induce significant gene silencing or mortality in larvae, and its control efficacy against adults was also inferior to that of endophytic fungus-mediated dsRNA delivery. Our findings establish endophytic fungus F. commune G3-29 as an effective and sustainable dsRNA delivery vehicle for RNAi-based pest control, offering distinct advantages over existing strategies such as HIGS and SIGS. This approach provides a promising new direction for managing WFTs and other insect pests. Full article

This study evaluates the potential of marc, a by-product of clitoria (Clitoria ternatea L.) and borage (Borago officinalis L.) infusions, as a preliminary step toward their subsequent conversion into functional food ingredients. After infusion, the marc was collected and processed by carrier-assisted crushing, aqueous maceration, and subsequent separation into extract and residue fractions. The impact of flower pretreatment by milling and marc matrix modification by inulin and maltodextrin was studied on the physical (dry matter (DM), water activity, color), chemical (total phenolic content (TPC), sum of individual phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity), and solubility of the microencapsulated fractions. Inulin-formulated powders derived from intact flowers’ marc were characterized by higher dry matter, decreased water activity, and improved chemical profiles. Under these conditions, clitoria by-products exhibited mean dry matter 94.17 ± 0.20%, water activity 0.301 ± 0.003, TPC 3.285 ± 0.052 mg GAE/g DM, sum of individual phenolic compounds 6.267 ± 0.103 mg/g DM, and ABTS-determined antioxidant capacity 0.100 ± 0.001 mmol Trolox/g DM. For borage by-products under identical conditions, dry matter content (−1.60%), water activity (−12.62%), TPC (−39.82%), sum of individual phenolic compounds (−67.55%), and antioxidant capacity (−65.00%) were lower compared with clitoria by-products. An efficient extraction and stabilization approach can open opportunities for upcycling post-extraction herbal residues into high-value food ingredients. Full article

The necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum compromises the physiological and anatomical integrity of cotton, leading to substantial economic losses due to rapid tissue necrosis, stem blight, boll rot, and leaf wilting. In this context, the use of endophytic microorganisms emerges as a promising strategy for the biocontrol of white mold. This study tested the hypothesis that endophytic fungal strains isolated from the roots of Butia purpurascens, a palm tree endemic to the Cerrado biome, could mitigate disease symptoms in Gossypium hirsutum L. To evaluate this, cotton plants were subjected to biotic stress imposed by S. sclerotiorum to assess the effectiveness of seven fungal strains in attenuating disease. The impact of the pathogen was monitored through growth variables, gas exchange, leaf temperature, chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant enzyme activity, proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the incidence of rot in petioles, leaves, and flower buds. Overall, inoculation with endophytic fungi significantly alleviated the effects of the phytopathogen, promoting vegetative growth and optimizing physiological performance. Treated plants exhibited alleviated stress in primary photochemistry, reduced non-photochemical energy dissipation, and stable carbon fixation. Additionally, efficient modulation of the antioxidant system and preservation of anatomical structures were observed, minimizing the severe symptoms of white mold. Notably, the non-pathogenic strains BP10EF (Gibberella moniliformis), BP16EF (Penicillium purpurogenum), and BP33EF (Hamigera insecticola) acted as potent physiological modulators, yielding responses similar to those of healthy plants. These results highlight the biotechnological potential of these endophytic strains, which can be explored as both growth promoters and resistance inducers in cotton against white mold. Full article

Background/Objectives: The orchid Dendrobium devonianum Paxt., valued for its ornamental and medicinal properties, is widely used in horticulture, medicine, and food industries. Methods: This study investigated dynamic changes in aroma-active volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and associated gene expression in D. devonianum flowers across four developmental stages (bud, half bloom, full bloom, and aging) using headspace solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and transcriptome analysis. Results: Floral VOCs, particularly volatile terpenoids and esters, were most abundant at full bloom. Among the 664 VOCs identified, α-hemelene, β-bisabolene, δ-naphthalene, perillyl alcohol, L-perillyl alcohol, terpinen-4-ol, 2-(4-methylphenyl)propan-2-ol, cis-3-hexenyl butyrate, and α-pinene were likely to contribute to floral scent. Terpene biosynthesis pathways played a pivotal role in floral fragrance formation. A comprehensive terpenoid biosynthesis pathway for D. devonianum floral scent was proposed, and eight genes encoding key regulatory enzymes were identified. Conclusions: These results provide new insights into terpenoid metabolism in Dendrobium and may guide future research on the utilization of floral scent. Full article

The starch and moisture content of saffron corms are critical indicators of their flowering potential and yield. This study investigated the use of rapid, minimally invasive VNIR reflectance spectroscopy measurement to assess these parameters. The measurements were used to develop predictive models through four machine learning algorithms (PLSR, RF, SVR, and GPR). Spectral data were obtained from 130 fresh corm samples. Wavelength analysis identified key starch-sensitive intervals (~930–1000 nm and ~1150–1220 nm) and a broad moisture-sensitive region (~900–1350 nm). Among the evaluated models, the combination of the multiplicative scatter correction pre-processing method and Gaussian process regression (MSC-GPR) demonstrated the optimal predictive performance for water content (R² = 0.92, RMSE = 0.71%, RPD = 4.56, RPIQ = 5.37), and the combination of the MSC method and partial least squares regression (PLSR-MSC) demonstrated moderate performance for starch content (R² = 0.73, RMSE = 28.7 mg g⁻¹, RPD = 2.14, RPIQ = 2.81, dry weight). These results demonstrate the viability of VNIR spectroscopy as a minimally invasive tool for the pre-planting assessment of saffron corm quality under laboratory conditions. The method provides a laboratory-based framework for corm screening and selection, with potential for future adaptation to field settings using portable spectrometers following expanded calibrations and advanced modeling techniques. Full article

A large proportion of global peanut cultivation occurs in arid and semiarid environments, where water scarcity poses a major limitation to productivity. Climate change further intensifies this challenge by causing irregular rainfall patterns. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and yield responses of peanut genotypes under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. Seven genotypes, five drought-tolerant (C76-16, Line-8, PI 502120, AU-NPL-17 and AU16-28) and two drought-sensitive (Valencia-C and AP-3) were evaluated under two irrigation regimes across consecutive years (2024 and 2025). Seven yield-associated traits (number of pods per plant, pod length, pod width, pod yield per plant, seed weight, hundred-seed weight and pod yield per plot) along with three physiological traits (stomatal conductance, photosynthetic efficiency and leaf temperature) were measured at three growth stages. Drought stress caused a significant reduction in almost all traits, including pod yield per plot (42–44%) and hundred-seed weight (24–38%). Stomatal conductance showed the greatest reduction at all stages, especially during flowering (31–80%) and pod filling (45–74%) stages. Correlation analysis revealed that yield-related traits were negatively correlated with stomatal conductance at pod-filling under water-stress conditions. Genotypes such as PI 502120, AU-NPL-17 and C76-16 maintained higher yields with less reduction under water-stressed conditions. This study also confirmed that Line-8 employs a water-saver strategy, whereas PI 502120 uses a water-spender mechanism to cope with water stress. Additionally, findings showed that the flowering and pod-filling stages are more severely affected physiologically by drought stress, which likely contributed to the observed yield reduction. Full article