Search Results (614)

Yellow passion fruit production is frequently limited by water scarcity, necessitating biotechnological strategies to ensure seedling quality. This study investigated the synergistic effects of Bacillus aryabhattai (Auras^®) and silicon (Si) as mitigators of water deficit in Passiflora edulis seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in Catolé do Rocha, PB, Brazil, using 4 dm³ plastic bags. A randomized block design was used with a 4 × 3 + 2 factorial scheme, testing four available water contents (AWC: 50, 60, 70, and 80%) combined with three mitigation strategies (Auras, Si, and Auras + Si), plus two additional controls (50% and 100% AWC). Water deficit severely compromised growth and soil biological activity; however, mitigation treatments significantly improved physiological and biochemical responses. When applied separately, B. aryabhattai inoculation enhanced the accumulation of photoprotective pigments (carotenoids) and secondary metabolites (flavonoids and anthocyanins) under severe drought, while individual Si application provided homeostatic stability to plant biomass, maintaining dry matter production at levels comparable to moderate irrigation. The Auras + Si combination was the most effective, promoting the highest membrane stability, pigment maintenance, and vigorous growth even under 50% AWC. Furthermore, this interaction optimized soil microbial biomass and reduced the metabolic quotient by 56.7% compared to the stress control. These findings demonstrate that the combined application of B. aryabhattai and Si effectively mitigates the negative impacts of water scarcity on the initial development of passion fruit seedlings and soil microbial activity. Full article

Citrus fruit quality traits are governed by canopy position, harvest maturity, and cultivar, influencing nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) is recognized for its antioxidant-rich, health-promoting properties; however, limited information exists on how canopy microclimate interacts with developmental stages to affect nutritional-quality attributes. In a two-year study, four grapefruit cultivars (Rio Red, Star Ruby, Shamber, and Flame) were evaluated to determine the effects of canopy position (outer vs. inner) and harvest time on biochemical characteristics, antioxidant potential, and pigment accumulation under subtropical conditions in Pakistan. Fruits were collected monthly from August to December (6–10 months after anthesis; MAA). The results demonstrated that canopy position and harvest time had pronounced effects on fruit quality. Outer canopy fruits presented higher total soluble solids, ripening index, sugars, pigment accumulation, and antioxidant compounds across development stages. Fruit quality improved with maturity, and peaked in mid-December with maximal total soluble solids, ripening index, sugars, and pigment content accumulation. Overall, all the cultivars showed similar profiles in the change in fruit quality traits during growth and development. Rio Red and Star Ruby outperformed Shamber and Flame across most traits, highlighting cultivar-specific differences in metabolite accumulation. Together, canopy microclimate, harvest maturity, and cultivar are key determinants of bioactive–nutritional quality traits in grapefruit. In practice, managing canopy exposure and harvest windows with cultivar choice enhances health-promoting metabolites and nutritional quality, with added gains in commercial value and tree productivity. Full article

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a key fruit crop affected by abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, and temperature extremes. The Regulator of Chromosome Condensation 1 (RCC1) family, involved in regulating Ran GTPase activation, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and chromatin organization, has not been comprehensively characterized in grapevine. In this study, we identified 26 VvRCC1 genes, which were classified into five phylogenetic groups, and analyzed their distribution across the grapevine genome. These genes exhibited significant diversity in physicochemical properties, suggesting functional divergence. Expression profiling revealed distinct spatiotemporal patterns, indicating roles in both vegetative growth and reproductive development. Notably, several VvRCC1 genes showed differential responses to salinity, drought, and heat stress. Importantly, VvRCC1-17, identified as UVR8, was shown to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis under UV-B exposure. OE-VvUVR8 transgenic grape calli exhibited increased anthocyanin accumulation, reflected in a distinct red coloration compared to wild-type calli. This finding links UVR8 to light signaling and pigmentation pathways in grapevine, providing the first comprehensive analysis of the RCC1 gene family in grapevine and highlighting VvRCC1-17 (UVR8) as a key regulator of UV-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms of stress adaptation and pigment regulation. Full article

Fruit coloration is a key determinant of tomato quality, yet how light and temperature interact to regulate pigmentation during ripening remains unclear. Using a semi-in-fruit experimental system, we demonstrate that while high light accelerates chlorophyll degradation and lycopene accumulation at 25 °C, supra-optimal temperature (40 °C) completely abolishes lycopene biosynthesis irrespective of light conditions, primarily through transcriptional suppression of SlPSY1 and SlGGPS2. Elevated postharvest temperatures (≥30 °C) not only change the carotenoid composition but also reduce the antioxidant capacity and vitamin C content in fruit. Temperature-switch experiments revealed a critical developmental window, days 2–4 after ethylene treatment, during which temperature exerts dominant control over carotenoid metabolism. Exposure to high temperature within this window irreversibly shifts pigment accumulation from lycopene to yellow/orange carotenoids. These findings identify a temporally precise regulatory nexus integrating environmental signals with the ripening program, offering a framework for targeted temperature management to optimize tomato color and nutritional quality. Full article

Genetic diversity analysis can contribute to comparing the relationships between different germplasm resources. Self-recombination is one of the main strategies for the innovation of germplasm resources. In this study, a total of 588 accessions, including two parents and their 586 F_2:4 recombinant individuals originated via the single seed descent (SSD) method, were used to explore the genetic diversity of 17 phenotypic traits. The results indicated that most traits of the recombinants represented continuous distribution and transgressive segregation, with their minimum and maximum values exceeding the parental ranges. Correlation analysis shows that 17 phenotypic traits could be roughly divided into three clusters. There was a significant correlation between traits in the same cluster, such as primary stem height, plant height, and plant canopy diameter in Cluster I; transverse diameter of fruit, fruit shape of apex, node pubescence density, and lamina transverse section morphology in Cluster II; and internode anthocyanin pigmentation, immature fruit color, and leaf color in Cluster III, respectively. The 586 recombinant individuals and two parents were generally clustered into three groups, Group I, Group II, and Group III, which contained 320, 226, and 42 recombinants, respectively. In addition, six principal components were extracted from the 17 phenotypic traits, which could explain 62.97% of the cumulative variance contribution. Importantly, ten recombinants with both purple and long fruit were screened as breeding materials. Overall, this study provides useful information and breeding materials for the utilization and innovation of pepper germplasm resources as well as genetic improvement of pepper. Full article

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a rich source of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins and polyphenols, which contribute to fruit quality and nutritional value. However, their distribution across tissues (flesh and skin) and stability under different postharvest freezing treatments remain poorly understood. This study characterized the phenolic profiles of 14 sweet cherry genotypes in different tissues (whole fruit, flesh, and skin) and assessed the effects of freezing storage conditions on compound stability using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results revealed pronounced tissue-specific patterns: most phenolic compounds, particularly total anthocyanins, neochlorogenic acid, rutin, and chlorogenic acid, were more than twofold higher in the skin than in the flesh. Substantial genotype-dependent variability was observed, with certain cultivars exhibiting markedly higher phenolic concentrations. Immediate freezing in liquid nitrogen preserved significantly higher levels of phenolics compared to delayed freezing at −70 °C, where several compounds showed considerable degradation, especially in separated flesh samples. Anthocyanin content increased strongly with pigmentation intensity, with darker-coloured genotypes showing up to a 50-fold higher concentration than lighter-coloured types. Molecular analysis identified MYB-associated polymorphisms corresponding to differences in phenolic accumulation and fruit pigmentation. These findings demonstrate that genotype and tissue type are key determinants of phenolic composition, while immediate postharvest freezing is essential for preserving bioactive compounds. The combined biochemical and molecular approach provides novel insight into the regulation and stability of phenolic compounds in sweet cherry and supports the selection of cultivars with enhanced nutritional quality and improved postharvest performance. Full article

Carotenoids are an important class of natural compounds, essential for human nutrition, acting in plants as pigments and apocarotenoid precursors. Tomato is a key model for carotenoid metabolism, as genetic variation strongly affects carotenoid composition during fruit ripening. To date, most of the enzymes involved in the carotenoid pathway were mainly characterized by linking gain- or loss-of-function phenotypes to their genetic basis (e.g., mutation in a single gene), with limited integration into pathway-wide analyses. Here we report an extensive biochemical and molecular characterization of a collection of tomato carotenoid mutants—apricot (at), yellow flesh (r), tangerine (t), Delta (Del) and Beta (B)—throughout three different stages of fruit ripening (mature green, breaker, red ripe). Using correlation-based integrative analyses, we integrated targeted isoprenoid metabolomics (carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocochromanols, quinones, abscisic acid) with gene expression profiling and correlation-based analyses. The pronounced, stage-dependent remodeling of the isoprenoid profiles exceeded the expected changes in substrates/products and was accompanied by significant transcriptional changes, largely independent of the position of the mutated step in the pathway. This integration highlighted metabolite/transcript regulatory links and the central role of lycopene cyclization in isoprenoid metabolism rewiring, thus improving our understanding of mechanisms controlling their accumulation during tomato fruit ripening. Full article

Phyllobilins are chlorophyll metabolites that belong to bilin-type linear tetrapyrroles. Chlorophyll, the omnipresent green pigment from algae to higher plants, is essential for life on Earth, underscoring the significance of its metabolites among phytochemicals. Once largely overlooked, phyllobilins are now gaining recognition for their widespread presence in the human diet through the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This, together with their favorable bioavailability, has heightened the importance of elucidating their bioactive properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated their antioxidant and anticancer activities in vitro, as well as their ability to target actin. The anti-inflammatory effects of phyllobilins have also been demonstrated by evaluating their ability to inhibit the COX-2 pathway or attenuate the activation of the tryptophan–kynurenine pathway. The objective of this review is to highlight the value of phyllobilins by compiling current knowledge, with a particular emphasis on their bioactivity and potential impact on human health. Full article

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus), also referred to as pitaya, is an exotic fruit rich in macro- and micro-nutrients, including powerful natural antioxidants, that brings numerous benefits to human health, mostly for the control and management of the oxidative stress. Therefore, it has a great potential for industrial exploitation aimed at maximizing the extraction of its high-value bioactive compounds, specifically betacyanins (red pigments) and phenolics, for the production of functional foods, beverages, and health products. This aim of this study was to evaluate the production of high-quality concentrated red dragon fruit juice by using an integrated membrane system based on a combination of ultrafiltration (UF) and osmotic distillation (OD) processes capable of effective, but still mild concentration of valuable juice. Specifically, after juice extraction, the raw juice was preliminarily clarified by UF and then concentrated by OD up to 41 and 50 °Brix using dehydrate calcium chloride brine as the osmotic agent. The performance of UF and OD membranes was investigated under selected operating and hydrodynamic conditions. In addition, the impact of the integrated process on the quality of clarified and concentrated juices was assessed in terms of physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity. Physicochemical parameters and antioxidant activity were largely preserved after concentration, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed process in maintaining the nutritional, organoleptic, and nutraceutical properties of the juice. Full article

This paper systematically reviews the research progress on the physiological functions, gene cloning, classification basis, and expression regulation mechanisms of laccase in edible and medicinal fungi. Laccase is a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase widely distributed in these fungi, characterized by broad-spectrum substrate catalytic activity and redox properties. It plays a central role in lignin degradation, pigment synthesis, and environmental pollutant treatment. Regarding gene cloning, researchers have successfully isolated and identified laccase genes from multiple species using techniques such as transcriptome sequencing, RACE amplification, and gene knockout. Expression regulation studies have revealed that laccase genes exhibit stage-specific expression patterns during mycelial growth, fruiting body development, and lignin degradation. In recent years, breakthroughs in genomics, transcriptomics, and gene editing technologies have greatly advanced research into the cloning, classification, and regulatory mechanisms of laccase genes. This article systematically reviews the diversity, clonal classification, and regulatory mechanisms of these genes, aiming to provide a reference for further research and industrial development of laccase in edible and medicinal fungi. Full article

The availability of water is a limiting factor for the growth and productivity of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims). The use of bioregulators has been investigated as a strategy to mitigate the effects of abiotic stress. Different concentrations of SNP were evaluated on growth, gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, and enzymatic activity in Passiflora edulis seedlings under different water conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, with two irrigation conditions (80 and 30% of field capacity), combined with three concentrations of SNP (50, 100 and 250 µM) and water (control), with five replications. Water deficit reduced morphological, physiological, and enzymatic parameters. The application of SNP increased root fresh mass (23.56 g at the 100 µM dose) and leaf dry mass (8.21 g at 250 µM SNP), with increases of 24.52% and 30.52% compared to the values obtained under the 50 µM dose, respectively. The highest number of leaves (14) and leaf area (1183.3 cm²) was observed at 250 µM SNP, corresponding to increases of 7.70% and 17.27%, respectively, compared to plants without SNP application. Water deficit reduced growth, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and enzymatic activity. SNP promotes improvements in growth; however, it does not mitigate water deficit effects in Passiflora edulis seedlings. Full article

Citrus bud mutants provide valuable genetic resources for breeding early-ripening cultivars with improved fruit quality. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying early ripening traits remain poorly understood. To elucidate the physiological basis for the early-ripening phenotype of the bud mutant ‘Longhuihong’ navel orange, fruit development was systematically monitored from 60 to 240 days after full bloom over two consecutive growing seasons, with the maternal cultivar ‘Newhall’ serving as a control. The results demonstrate that the precocity of ‘Longhuihong’ arises from the coordinated optimization of multiple fruit quality traits in this cultivar. The mutant exhibited enhanced fruit growth potential, with an average increase of 12.07–15.92% in single fruit weight. Peel coloration was significantly accelerated, as reflected by the faster coloring rate. Internal quality development followed a distinct pattern, characterized by high sugar accumulation, rapid acid degradation, and elevated vitamin C content. Notably, citric acid metabolism in ‘Longhuihong’ displayed a unique biphasic profile: substantial accumulation in the early stage, followed by rapid degradation in the later stage, which advanced the peak of the TSS/TA ratio by approximately 15 days. Principal component analysis further confirmed that the early ripening trait represents a systemic and integrated advancement in fruit size, sugar–acid balance, and peel pigmentation. Collectively, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying precocity in ‘Longhuihong’ and offer key indices for breeding high-quality, early-ripening citrus cultivars. Full article

Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is an allo-octoploid for which the genetic basis of fruit appearance traits has not been comprehensively elucidated. This study investigated the genetic architecture of fruit color and morphological traits using integrated digital phenotyping and genome-wide association analysis of a core collection of diverse strawberry germplasm maintained for Korean breeding programs. A 108-accession core collection was assembled, genotyped, and phenotyped for 12 fruit quality traits. Population structure analysis identified K = 10 genetic clusters, and a Mantel test confirmed significant genotype–phenotype correspondence (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using BLINK and MLMM identified 15 significant marker–trait associations across six traits. Pleiotropic loci on chromosomes 15 (4C) and 22 (6B) were consistently associated with fruit lightness (L*) and red channel intensity (R) in both models, and the 6B locus explained approximately 18% of the phenotypic variance for each trait. Gene Ontology enrichment implicated transcriptional regulation, SUMOylation, and plastid-to-chromoplast transition, suggesting that the identified loci influenced fruit coloration through cellular regulatory mechanisms rather than direct pigment biosynthesis. These findings provide a genomic foundation for dual-trait marker-assisted selection targeting light and vividly red fruits for strawberry breeding. Full article

Spoilage date palm fruits are produced in large quantities and represent an underutilized agrowaste resource. Their high sugar content and balanced nutrient composition make them promising candidates for microbial bioprocessing. This study explored their potential as a low-cost substrate for Talaromyces atroroseus QA2602 (PZ091940) to simultaneously produce biodiesel grade lipids, natural pigments, and fungal chitosan within an integrated biorefinery approach. Spoiled date fruits were chemically characterized and applied at varying concentrations to cultivate T. atroroseus QA2602 (PZ091940). Thermal and thermo-chemical pretreatments were tested to enhance sugar availability. Lipid accumulation, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profiles, pigment production, and pigment stability were assessed. Biodiesel quality was estimated from FAME composition. De-oiled fungal biomass wastes were further processed to extract and characterize chitosan, and pigment–chitosan composites were evaluated for antioxidant activity. Optimal lipid and pigment production by T. atroroseus occurred at moderate concentration of spoiled date fruit substrate used in the culture medium, while dilute acid pretreatment of spoiled date fruits at high temperature resulted in the highest reducing sugar release from the substrate, which subsequently enhanced fungal biomass formation. The resulting C16–C18 rich oil displayed fuel properties consistent with high quality biodiesel. Pigments exhibited strong pH and thermal stability, along with potent antioxidant activity. De-oiled biomass produced chitosan with a high degree of deacetylation, and the pigment–chitosan composite showed enhanced antioxidant capacity. Rotted date fruits provide an effective, sustainable feedstock enabling the co-production of biodiesel, pigments, and chitosan by Talaromyces atroroseus QA2602 (PZ091940), supporting their integration into circular bioeconomy frameworks. Full article

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) quality is defined by integrated sensory and nutritional traits, including sugar–acid balance, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pigment-related attributes, and bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid and phenolics. These traits emerge from coordinated regulation of carbon allocation, mineral nutrition, ripening metabolism, and stress- and defense-related signaling pathways, which are strongly modulated by environmental conditions. Sustainable biological inputs are increasingly explored as tools to influence these regulatory networks; however, evidence linking such interventions to reproducible fruit quality outcomes in Passiflora remains fragmented. This review first synthesizes current knowledge on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying passion fruit quality formation and maintenance, and then discusses how biofertilizers; microbial inoculants (including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria—PGPR and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi—AMF); fungal-derived elicitors such as chitosan and chitooligosaccharides; and complementary postharvest biological strategies may modulate these processes. Emphasis is placed on traits beyond yield, including sugar–acid balance, aroma and VOC profiles, color, nutritional quality, texture, and shelf life. By integrating genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and microbiome-based evidence, we examine how environmental modulation and key signaling pathways intersect with metabolic networks underlying fruit quality. Available studies indicate that responses to biological inputs are context-dependent and often non-linear. Key knowledge gaps and priorities for mechanism-informed sustainable management of passion fruit quality are identified. Full article