Search Results (8,512)

Addressing technical challenges such as inaccurate appearance detection, inaccurate weight estimation, and low automation levels in passion fruit sorting under postharvest conveyor-line conditions, this study proposes an intelligent detection and grading model, YOLOv11n-ACH, based on an improved YOLOv11n. By integrating the Hybrid Inverted Block (HIB) module, the ASF-YOLO scale fusion mechanism, and the Convolutional Attention Fusion Mechanism (CAFM), the model effectively mitigates severe fruit occlusion and background interference caused by conveyor surfaces, residual plant material, and illumination variation. Consequently, the high-precision metric mAP@50-95 reaches 99.4%, representing an increase of 3.9 percentage points over the baseline model. Building upon this foundation, a real-time grading and counting system incorporating a confidence-priority frame-selection mechanism was constructed by combining the ByteTrack multi-object tracking algorithm with horizontal dynamic scale calibration technology. The study establishes a multivariate linear regression mass-estimation model based on morphological features (R² = 0.9617). The regression model was developed using 500 fruits, and its performance was independently evaluated using a second, non-overlapping cohort of 500 fruits collected from the same orchard. Using 12 horizontal calibration points, a cubic spline interpolation function was constructed to compensate for horizontal position-dependent variation in the pixel-to-physical scale under the tested fixed imaging configuration. In the independent mass-validation cohort, the system achieved an MAE of 2.54 g, an RMSE of 3.21 g, and an MARE of 5.65%. A third, non-overlapping cohort of 1568 fruits was used for end-to-end passage-level counting and operational grading evaluation. This lightweight solution provides an engineering approach for passion-fruit sorting under the tested postharvest conveyor-line conditions. Full article

Cell-wall polysaccharide O-acetylation contributes to cell-wall assembly, organ development, and plant–pathogen interactions, but the cucumber TBL gene family remains poorly characterized. Here, 37 CsTBL genes were identified genome-wide and analyzed using phylogenetic, syntenic, conserved-motif, gene-structure, promoter, protein-structure, Gene Ontology, and transcriptome approaches, followed by RT-qPCR analysis after powdery mildew inoculation. All CsTBL proteins contained the conserved GDS and DxxH motifs, whereas accessory motifs and predicted structural features varied among clades. Intraspecific analysis identified dispersed, WGD/segmental, and tandem duplication categories, and cross-species synteny was more extensive with melon than with Arabidopsis. Homology-derived annotations associated CsTBL genes with cell-wall polysaccharide metabolism, Golgi/endomembrane compartments, and O-acetyltransferase activity, including six genes assigned to xylan O-acetyltransferase-related annotations. Expression profiling revealed tissue- and developmental-stage-dependent patterns, whereas the publicly available powdery mildew RNA-seq dataset provided descriptive temporal expression profiles in Podosphaera xanthii-inoculated samples. Independent RT-qPCR analysis using time-matched mock controls revealed distinct post-inoculation responses among six selected genes. Relative to the corresponding mock controls, CsTBL2 was consistently repressed; CsTBL15 showed transient induction at 1 dpi followed by repression; CsTBL24 exhibited a biphasic response; CsTBL25 was induced at all sampled post-inoculation time points; CsTBL26 showed progressive induction; and CsTBL30 reached its highest observed expression level at 3 dpi. Integrated functional annotation and expression evidence highlighted CsTBL26 as a priority candidate for further functional characterization, while CsTBL24 and CsTBL25 represented fruit-associated candidates with distinct powdery mildew responses; CsTBL30 remained an additional strongly infection-responsive candidate. These findings provide an evolutionary and expression-based framework for the functional characterization of the cucumber TBL gene family. Full article

Salinity constrains tropical fruit production, yet the physiological and metabolic responses of Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa to salt stress and glycine betaine (GB) remain insufficiently characterized. Passion fruit seedlings were evaluated in a completely randomized 2 × 3 factorial design with two GB treatments (0 and 100 mM), three salinity levels (0, 1.6, and 3.2 dS m⁻¹), and five biological replicates per combination. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test at 5% was used where applicable. Leaf water potential, SPAD, detached-leaf water loss, and GC–MS-based metabolite profiles were assessed. At 3.2 dS m⁻¹, plants without GB exhibited the most negative leaf water potential, whereas GB maintained a significantly less negative value. SPAD remained relatively stable, while detached-leaf water-loss patterns varied among treatments. Metabolomic profiling revealed changes in sugars, amino acids, and organic acids. Under the higher salinity treatment, GB was associated with higher levels of glucose, sucrose, glycine, proline, citric acid, malic acid, and succinic acid, together with a distinct PCA profile. These findings indicate that GB partially alleviated effects of the higher salinity treatment by improving plant water status and modifying primary metabolism. Full article

Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (chayote), a neglected and underutilized Cucurbitaceae crop widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, has drawn growing interest as a source of health-promoting food components. This review critically synthesizes studies published between 2000 and 2026 on its botanical features, genome characterization, nutritional value, phytochemistry, bioactivities, safety, and food-industry applications, based on literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library. Different plant parts (fruits, leaves, seeds, tuberous roots, and peels) contain diverse bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, cucurbitacins, pectin polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Reported bioactivities include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antiproliferative, and geroprotective effects, mediated in part through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signaling and sirtuin (SIRT1/3/5/6) upregulation. Notably, a systematic meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in serum glucose (MD = −20.56; 95% CI: −29.35 to −11.77) and HbA1c following three months of chayote intake in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Industrially, chayote has been developed into fermented products, starch- and peel-derived bioactive films, ultrasound-extracted pectin, α-amylase inhibitory seed protein isolates, and probiotic encapsulation systems. Recent genomic work has further revealed a chromosome-level genome assembly, whole-genome duplication events, and a domestication history tracing to Mexico’s Oaxaca region. Collectively, this evidence positions chayote as a promising underutilized resource for food, nutraceutical, and biomedical use, while highlighting key gaps: the need for standardized clinical trials, bioavailability studies, and comprehensive safety evaluation. Full article

Ziziphus jujuba Mill. is an important economic tree species in China with nutritional, ecological and ornamental values, and its fruits show abundant variations in size and shape. Phytohormones regulate fruit morphogenesis, yet the spatial distribution characteristics of endogenous phytohormones in jujube fruits with different shapes remain unclear. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) was applied to explore the spatial distribution patterns of phytohormones in round, constricted and long jujube fruits. The results indicated that phytohormones were uniformly distributed in the flesh and pericarp of round and constricted fruits. Certain auxins and gibberellins were undetectable in the outer pericarp of long fruits, while one cytokinin was predominantly accumulated at the fruit base. The differential distribution of phytohormones is likely a potential factor triggering jujube fruit morphological differentiation. This study clarifies the spatial variation in endogenous phytohormones, helping elucidate the regulatory mechanism of jujube fruit shape. Full article

Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. is a medicinal plant known for its diverse phytochemical composition; however, information on the lipophilic constituents of its different organs remains limited. This study aimed to characterize the lipophilic composition and associated bioactivities of n-hexane extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction from leaves, flowers, fruit pulp, and seeds of M. aquifolium. The extracts were analyzed using GC–FID/MS of silylated extracts, FAME–GC, MSD–SPME, and UHPLC–HRMS/MS, and were evaluated for antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activities. Nonacosan-10-ol was identified as the predominant constituent in fruit pulp and flower extracts, whereas α-linolenic acid was the major fatty acid in leaves and seeds. Chlorogenic acid was detected as the major phenolic compound in all n-hexane extracts, and 3-hydroxytyrosol was also identified in the lipophilic extracts. The flower extract exhibited notable α-amylase inhibitory activity together with the highest CUPRAC and TEAC values, while the seed extract showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity. The leaf extract demonstrated the highest ORAC value and β-carotene bleaching inhibition. These findings reveal substantial differences in the lipophilic composition and bioactivity profiles among M. aquifolium organs and provide new insights into the valorization of different plant parts as sources of bioactive lipophilic constituents. Full article

Banana is a typical climacteric fruit that rapidly undergoes ripening, peel browning, softening, moisture loss, and fungal decay during postharvest storage, leading to severe quality deterioration and a shortened shelf life. In this study, a sodium alginate (SA)-based edible coating enriched with Isodon serra extract (IE) and Plinia cauliflora (jaboticaba) leaf extract (JE) was developed and evaluated for its antioxidant, antifungal, and preservation effects on banana fruit. The two extracts exhibited distinct functional properties: IE showed strong inhibitory activity against Colletotrichum musae, whereas JE displayed superior radical scavenging capacity. When incorporated into the coating system, this functional complementarity translated into improved preservation performance. The composite coating (SA-IE-JE) effectively suppressed anthracnose development, reduced peel browning, and delayed ripening progression, as evidenced by an 11.8% reduction in fruit weight loss (11.48% vs. 13.01%), an 11.6% decrease in MDA accumulation (89.96 vs. 101.75), a 51.3% reduction in PPO activity (526 U/g vs. 1080 U/g), sustained TPC, and a slower increase in total soluble solids after 5 days of storage. All coating treatments improved postharvest quality compared with the uncoated control, while SA-IE and SA-IE-JE generally showed stronger preservation effects than SA alone. In particular, SA-IE-JE was more effective in reducing peel browning, delaying the increase in PPO activity, and suppressing anthracnose lesion expansion. These findings highlight that SA coating supplemented with IE and JE can serve as a promising, environmentally friendly strategy for maintaining banana quality and reducing postharvest disease. Our study provides a potential basis for the development of plant-extract-enriched edible coatings for banana preservation. Full article

Fungal pathogens, such as Fusarium spp. and Alternaria spp., cause substantial yield losses worldwide through root and fruit rot, wilting, and leaf and fruit spots, and increasing restrictions on chemical pesticides have intensified interest in sustainable alternatives such as essential oils, plant extracts, and microbial biocontrol agents. However, these three treatment categories are rarely compared directly under identical experimental conditions, which limits conclusions about their relative efficacy. This study directly compared, for the first time under the same in vitro conditions, the antifungal activity of peppermint and thyme essential oils, clove and rosemary plant extracts, and three commercial biological products (Mycostop, Asir Fruit, Aegis) against Fusarium avenaceum and Alternaria alternata using the agar incorporation method, with fungicidal versus fungistatic activity determined by reinoculation. Most treatments inhibited mycelial growth of both pathogens relative to the untreated control, although a few treatments (Asir Fruit at early DAI and lowest-concentration thyme EO) showed no inhibition or even slight stimulation of A. alternata growth. At 7 days after inoculation, thyme essential oil (1000 µL/L) and clove plant extract at all concentrations tested completely inhibited both pathogens, and reinoculation confirmed that clove extract alone was fungicidal, likely reflecting its high eugenol content and consequent irreversible membrane damage; all other treatments were fungistatic, consistent with reversible effects on membrane permeability. Peppermint essential oil (2000 µL/L) inhibited F. avenaceum and A. alternata by 96% and 73%, respectively, while rosemary extract was comparatively weaker (57% and 21%). Among the commercial products, Mycostop, which contains Streptomyces griseoviridis, was the most effective, plausibly reflecting sustained antagonistic activity beyond metabolite secretion alone. These findings indicate that clove extract and thyme oil match or exceed commercial biocontrol products in vitro and warrant evaluation under greenhouse and field conditions as candidates for integrated disease management. Full article

The effects of biostimulants on raspberry remain insufficiently understood, particularly in relation to cultivar-specific responses and the potential of remote sensing for treatment evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of foliar-applied biostimulants on yield and physiological responses of two floricane raspberry cultivars, Glen Ample and Przehyba, using UAV-based multispectral imaging under field conditions. Five treatment variants were tested, including a control and four biostimulant formulations based on animal-derived amino acids, plant-derived amino acids, seaweed extract, and seaweed extract combined with animal-derived amino acids. Biostimulant application significantly affected yield and fruit number per plant, whereas fruit weight remained unchanged. The highest yield values per plant regardless of cultivar were associated with treatments based on plant-derived amino acids (2578.78 g) and seaweed-containing (2483.36–2544.49 g) formulations, while the lowest values were recorded in the control (2335.66 g) and after the application of animal-derived amino acids (2351.80 g). Multispectral analysis revealed treatment-dependent temporal changes in vegetation indices, with clearer trends emerging after aggregation of relative percentage changes across measurement intervals. These results indicate that biostimulant effectiveness in floricane raspberry is strongly dependent on cultivar, formulation type, and temporal context. UAV-based multispectral imaging proved to be a promising non-destructive tool for tracking physiological responses to biostimulation under field conditions. Full article

Floricultural residues represent a substantial and largely unvalorised organic stream in Europe, yet their anaerobic digestion has received limited attention. This study benchmarked the biochemical methane potential and degradation kinetics of Gerbera spp. flower residues (FRs), non-marketable apples (AW) and pig slurry (PS) under mesophilic batch conditions in mono-digestion and in five co-digestion mixtures. Mono-digestion yielded 362.5 ± 4.1 mL_CH4·g_VS⁻¹ for FR, constrained by lignocellulosic recalcitrance and a high extractive content, and 320.9 ± 39.2 mL_CH4·g_VS⁻¹ for AW, whose dispersion reflects the heterogeneity of non-marketable fruit; PS yielded 437.7 ± 2.6 mL_CH4·g_VS⁻¹ and supplied the alkalinity that both plant residues lacked. The highest yield was obtained for the ternary mixture COAD_5 (0.30 PS, 0.45 AW, 0.25 FR on a VS basis), reaching 472.8 ± 8.6 mL_CH4·g_VS⁻¹. This corresponds to a 29.1% increase over the theoretical additive potential (synergy index: 1.29 ± 0.07) and a gain of 8.0% over pig slurry mono-digestion. Once uncertainties were propagated, demonstrable synergy was confined to COAD_5 and to the binary mixture COAD_4. All treatments remained stable, with final pH between 7.40 and 7.86 and VFA-to-alkalinity ratios below 0.11. Kinetic modelling distinguished two regimes: first-order behaviour for the hydrolysis-limited and slurry-dominated substrates, and Modified Gompertz behaviour for the sugar-rich mixtures. Applied to the project site, these yields correspond to a preliminary gross scenario of the order of 481,000 Nm³ CH₄·yr⁻¹. The results establish that floricultural residues can be integrated into livestock-based anaerobic digestion without compromising process stability. Full article

Fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) from large-scale retail is an abundant, relatively homogeneous feedstock for black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae, an alternative to composting. This study assessed, by life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental performance of a pilot plant producing 15-day-old larvae as animal protein and tested whether the additive conditioning of the FVW changes that performance. Three substrates were compared (FVW with 20% bakery waste, 20% bran, and 2% sawdust, respectively) using climate change (GWP100a, IPCC 2007), economic allocation, Monte Carlo simulation, and transport distance sensitivity. The scenario ranking depended on the functional unit: per Mg of waste, the sawdust substrate was lowest (39.75 kg CO₂eq), whereas, per kg of protein, the bran substrate was best (8.87 kg CO₂eq, ~66% below bakery waste). Electricity, additive, and starter diet dominated the footprint. The conditioning additive, not the waste itself, governed sustainability; the bran–bakery waste difference was statistically discernible. Full article

The Jiahu site (ca. 9000–7500 cal. BP) in the Huai River valley has yielded the earliest reported evidence of fermented alcoholic beverages in China. Previous chemical residue analyses interpreted these beverages as a mixture of rice, honey, and fruit, differing markedly from brewing traditions documented at other Neolithic sites in China. To reassess Jiahu brewing practices, we analyzed microfossils preserved in residues from 16 pottery sherds. The residues contained abundant starch granules, phytoliths, and fungal remains, including Monascus cleistothecia, hyphae, and yeast cells, together with starch damage patterns resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis, mashing, and cooking-induced gelatinization. Plant remains included rice, Panicoideae and Triticeae cereals, Job’s tears, foxnut, underground storage organs (USOs), and other taxa. Rice starches and Monascus remains were the most ubiquitous components, indicating that rice and Monascus formed the basis of qu-based brewing, while evidence consistent with malt saccharification was also identified. Together with previous chemical analyses, these findings suggest that Jiahu brewing relied primarily on qu-based saccharification, with contributions from malt-based processing, while honey and fruits may have supplied additional fermentable sugars. Integrating chemical and microfossil evidence provides a robust framework for reconstructing ancient brewing technologies. Full article

The Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) gene family plays vital roles in plant growth, development, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Previous work has demonstrated that tomato SlBAG9, a group II BAG member, negatively regulates plant thermotolerance. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing SlBAG9 expression remain poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized the authentic 1486 bp full-length promoter (P1) of SlBAG9 from the tomato genome. Building upon our previous transcript-level observations, we provide here a detailed functional characterization of this promoter at the cellular and tissue level. In silico analysis identified several key cis-acting regulatory elements, including abscisic acid-responsive elements (ABRE), anaerobic response elements (ARE), and a heat shock element (HSE1). We used stable transgenic tomato plants carrying SlBAG9pro::GUS to verify that the full-length promoter was capable of driving the expression of β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) in transgenic tomato plants, showing GUS staining was detectable in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, with the highest activity in red-ripe fruits. Notably, GUS activity was significantly upregulated by high temperature (HT) but not by PEG, NaCl, ABA, or cold treatments. To further dissect the HT-responsive regulatory module, we generated three 5′-terminal deletion fragments (−386 bp, P2; −239 bp, P3; and −113 bp, P4) and fused them to GUS. Under HT stress, the smallest deletion P4 showed negligible GUS activity, whereas P1, P2, and P3 retained significant activity. Furthermore, site-directed deletion of the HSE1 element in the full-length context (MU-P1) abolished HT inducibility, confirming that HSE1 serves as a critical positive HT-responsive element. Collectively, these findings confirm and extend our observations that SlBAG9 is a stress-responsive gene, and the characterized HSE1-dependent promoter module represents a promising candidate for genetic engineering aimed at enhancing thermotolerance in crops. Full article

Anthocyanins are water-soluble plant pigments. They give many plants, fruits, vegetables, and cereal kernels their red, purple, and blue colors. This research aims to reveal the biological properties of peonidin as an anthocyanin. To comprehend the antioxidant capabilities of peonidin, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS^•+), N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride radical (DMPD^•+), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH^•) scavenging, Fe³⁺-2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ), and Cu²⁺ reducing assays were recorded. The IC₅₀ values for peonidin against ABTS^•+, DMPD^•+ and DPPH^• scavenging capabilities were determined to compare with standard antioxidants. ABTS^•+ radical scavenging activity of peonidin had an IC₅₀ value of 15.40 μg/mL, while the IC₅₀ values for BHA, BHT, Trolox, and α-Tocopherol were 12.82, 11.78, 12.67, and 10.83 μg/mL, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity of peonidin had an IC₅₀ value of 41.63 μg/mL, while the IC₅₀ values for BHA, BHT, Trolox, and α-Tocopherol were 8.45, 23.10, 6.30, and 18.73 μg/mL, respectively. Enzyme inhibition was studied to investigate the effects of peonidin. The K_i values of peonidin were 114.33, 63.02, 2.99, 9.76, and 15.14 nM toward hCA I, hCA II, AChE, BChE, and α-glycosidase enzymes, respectively. Furthermore, peonidin’s interactions with target enzymes BChE, hCA I, hCA II, AChE, and α-glycosidase were investigated by molecular docking. The results suggest that antioxidant-rich peonidin is a plant-based compound with potential use in the treatment of glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. Full article

Hypertension is the most common comorbidity in chronic kidney disease (CKD), affecting roughly 80–85% of patients overall and an even higher proportion in nondialysis CKD G3–G5. This narrative review examines whether, and under what clinical conditions, fruits, vegetables, and legumes can be used safely in adults with hypertensive CKD, especially nondialysis CKD G3–G5, as well as moderate to severe loss of kidney function, paying close attention to the gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, gut-derived uremic toxins, potassium bioavailability, and modifiable clinical risk factors. The clinical effect of plant foods on serum potassium cannot be predicted from total potassium content alone. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2024 guidelines explicitly advise individualized potassium management and emphasize limiting foods rich in bioavailable potassium, especially processed foods, rather than reflexively restricting fruits and vegetables. Across CKD studies, the association between dietary potassium and serum potassium is weak or inconsistent, and the risk of hyperkalemia is modified by kidney function, bowel function, metabolic acidosis, diabetes and hyperglycemia, medications, food processing, and the food matrix itself. Potassium bioavailability varies substantially according to the food matrix, preparation method, portion size, and processing method; some minimally processed plant foods may provide less readily absorbable potassium than potassium-rich processed foods, juices, or potassium additives. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes also provide fiber, resistant starch, and polyphenols that can support saccharolytic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid production, bowel transit, and lower concentrations of some gut-derived uremic toxins. However, blood-pressure and kidney-outcome benefits in CKD are supported more strongly by observational and selected alkali-diet trials than by large microbiome-focused randomized studies. In hypertensive CKD, fruits, vegetables, and legumes should not be universally restricted simply because they contain potassium. A safer and more evidence-aligned strategy is individualized, food-source-aware prescribing that prioritizes minimally processed plant foods, accounts for preparation method and portion size, corrects constipation and acidosis, reviews potassium-raising medications and additives, and monitors serum potassium according to baseline risk. Full article