Search Results (3,387)

This study evaluated the effects of various LED spectra—white (W), red and blue (RB), W plus far-red (FR), and RB plus FR—on the growth, fruit quality, and phytochemical accumulation of greenhouse-grown hydroponic watermelon. Watermelons were cultivated with controlled temperature and humidity and subjected to four LED treatments at an equivalent PPFD of 200 ± 3 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ and a 15 h light period for 43 days, with sunlight as a control. The photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were significantly higher in the RB LEDs than in all other treatments. Fv/Fm and PIABS exhibited time-dependent differences among treatments after 13:00, with all LED treatments showing higher values than the control, except for the Fv/Fm of RB LEDs. SPAD, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents were the highest in the RB LEDs, and 40%, 30%, and 19% higher than those in the control group, respectively. Growth characteristics, such as plant height and node and leaf number, were highest in the control group and were significantly higher than the RB LEDs. Petiole length tended to increase in LEDs treated with FR. Sweetness was the highest in W LEDs. Therefore, supplemental LED lighting can potentially improve the production and fruit quality of greenhouse watermelons. Full article

Olive tree cultivation occupies a central place in Algerian agriculture and is of considerable economic and cultural importance. Several production factors strongly influence the quality of olive oil. Among the determinants of this quality, the vegetative growth of the olive tree plays a crucial role, as it controls photosynthetic capacity, the distribution of assimilates, and fruit filling. These physiological mechanisms directly influence oil percentage, as well as fatty acid and phenolic compound compositions, and consequently, sensory characteristics such as bitterness and pungency. This study examines the quantitative relationships between vegetative growth, chemical parameters, and sensory attribute interactions that are still poorly understood using seven representative olive cultivars: local varieties (Chemlal, Bouchouk Lafayette, Blanquette de Guelma, Sigoise, and Limli) and European varieties (Frantoio and Belgentéroise). Vegetative growth was characterized by the average shoot length; fruit oil content was expressed as a percentage on a dry basis, and fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography after derivatization. The total polyphenol content was determined by spectrophotometry and expressed as concentration, and oxidative stability was measured using the Rancimat method. Sensory analysis was conducted by a trained panel in accordance with international recommendations. The results indicate substantial positive correlations between vegetative growth parameters, oil concentration, olive oil composition, and those sensory attributes related to polyphenols, for all varieties studied. This functional consistency suggests that improvement in one parameter is generally associated with improvement in others. The Algerian variety Chemlal stands out for its optimal performance profile in agronomic, chemical, and sensory aspects compared to the other varieties. These preliminary results suggest that optimizing oil characteristics is directly linked to the physiological and biochemical performance of the olive tree, thus confirming the relevance of a systems approach in the selection and management of olive varieties. Full article

Blackberry cultivars typically exhibit high fruit antioxidant levels but poor drought tolerance compared with their wild Rubus relatives. Few studies have employed wild Rubus species in hybridization programs aimed at improving drought tolerance and fruit quality in cultivated blackberries. In this study, we comprehensively assessed growth traits, fruit characteristics, and drought tolerance in 108 F₁ progenies derived from a cross between the cultivated blackberry ‘Prime-Ark^® Freedom’ and the wild species Rubus chingii. Correlation analysis of fruit morphological traits indicated significant positive associations among single fruit weight, fruit thickness, and fruit diameter, reflecting coordinated fruit development. Among the nutritional quality traits evaluated, both anthocyanin and total phenolic contents exhibited transgressive segregation. Specifically, 47.78% of the progeny demonstrated higher anthocyanin content, and 45.56% exhibited greater total phenolic content than the higher-performing parent. The corresponding genetic transmission ability (Ta) reached 139.23% and 101.24% for these traits, respectively, indicating pronounced additive genetic effects and high heritability. After a 7-day drought treatment, the hybrid progenies exhibited significant heterosis in catalase (CAT) activity, with 24.07% exceeding the higher-parent value. In contrast, proline content exhibited high broad-sense heritability (H² = 0.990) and considerable genetic variation. Under drought stress, all chlorophyll components were strongly positively correlated. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we established comprehensive evaluation models for fruit quality and drought tolerance. Based on these models, seven accessions—H3, H4, H8, H10, H11, H14, and H25—were identified as superior in both drought tolerance and fruit quality. This study provides an integrated evaluation framework for selecting drought-tolerant and high-quality genotypes from interspecific hybrid progenies in blackberry, offering a theoretical basis for utilizing wild Rubus resources in breeding improved cultivars. Full article

Under conditions of limited irrigation and excessive fertilizer application in the arid regions of Xinjiang, it is essential to adopt well-coordinated strategies to improve yield and crop water productivity (WP). In this study, a comparative experiment was conducted with three irrigation levels, T1 (100% crop evapotranspiration, ET_c), T2 (75% ET_c), and T3 (50% ET_c), combined with three potassium application rates, K1 (540 kg ha⁻¹), K2 (360 kg ha⁻¹), and K3 (180 kg ha⁻¹). The objective was to investigate their effects on the yield, quality, and economic benefits of jujube trees. Limited irrigation amounts significantly affected the photosynthetic characteristics, growth parameters, and ET_c of jujube trees, whereas potassium fertilizer levels primarily regulated fruit development and yield formation. Compared with full irrigation, mild deficit irrigation caused a moderate yield reduction but significantly enhanced economic returns due to the improved water productivity and fruit quality. In contrast, severe water deficit led to substantial decreases in growth parameters and economic benefits by 12.87–45.70% and 81.69%, respectively. Potassium application demonstrated a significant threshold effect, with the K2 treatment showing greater improvements in fruit quality indices, including reducing sugars, vitamin C, and other key quality parameters, compared to the K3 treatment. Based on hierarchical–grey relational analysis, the combination of 75% ET_c and 300 kg K ha⁻¹ was identified as the optimal water–potassium management strategy. The net profit was 29,199 CNY. The benefit–cost ratio increased to 3.63, and the WP improved by 16.17% compared to full irrigation. Thus, this study provides an important theoretical basis and technical support for water-saving and quality-improving cultivation of jujube trees in arid regions. Full article

Fermented foods are produced through controlled microbial activity and are valued for their extended shelf life, sensory attributes, and potential health benefits. This study examined the effects of production methods on microbial ecology by comparing microbial community structure, Shannon diversity, and pH changes in traditional and commercially produced Korean fermented foods. Cabbage and radish kimchi were fermented for four weeks to assess microbial succession and physicochemical changes, and additional fermented foods, including soy sauce, soybean paste, pepper paste, fruit vinegar, yogurt, and aged kimchi, were compared according to production method. Microbial communities were analyzed using amplicon sequencing targeting the V3–V4 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Traditionally produced cabbage kimchi exhibited high microbial diversity at the early fermentation stage, initially dominated by Weissella and Leuconostoc, followed by a gradual shift toward lactic acid bacteria dominance at later stages. In contrast, commercially produced cabbage kimchi maintained a simplified microbial community dominated by a limited number of lactic acid bacteria throughout fermentation. Radish kimchi showed production-method-dependent patterns, with the rapid dominance of lactic acid bacteria during traditional fermentation and partial recovery of microbial diversity during commercial fermentation. Shannon diversity was consistently higher in traditionally produced kimchi during fermentation. In contrast, commercially produced kimchi exhibited more rapid acidification. Across other fermented foods, traditionally produced soy-based products exhibited complex microbial communities dominated by Bacillus spp., whereas commercially produced products were characterized by yeast-dominant profiles. Fruit vinegar and yogurt showed low microbial diversity regardless of the production method. These findings demonstrate the importance of production strategies in shaping microbial ecology, fermentation dynamics, and resulting product characteristics across various Korean fermented foods. Full article

In recent years, phosphorus (P) nanoparticles have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional fertilizers. This study evaluated zeolite-fixed hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) for greenhouse tomato cultivation, comparing their efficiency with phosphate rock (positive P input) and quartz sand (negative P Carrier). Material characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and zeta potential analysis revealed that zeolite was identified predominantly as clinoptilolite, phosphate rock as phosphate-bearing aluminosilicates, and quartz sand as crystalline quartz; in all cases, the materials exhibited negatively charged surfaces. Hybrid fertilizers were formed through electrostatic interactions between zeolite and nHAP, confirming the successful development of a zeolite-based carrier for nanohydroxyapatite delivery. Application of 0.01 g·L⁻¹ nHAP increased the effective quantum yield of Photosystem II by 0.64 compared to the control at midday. Fruit firmness showed no significant differences among treatments. The highest sugar and soluble solids content was observed with 0.1 g·L⁻¹ nHAP (6.84 °Brix), whereas the 1 g·L⁻¹ treatment enhanced pigment concentrations, reaching 5.9 mg·g⁻¹/g chlorophyll a, 2.92 mg·g⁻¹ chlorophyll b, and 2.82 mg·g⁻¹ carotenoids. The 0.01 g·L⁻¹ dose of nHAP maintained quality characteristics and marginally increased yield; however, yield decreased at higher nHAP concentrations, opening new research opportunities to optimize this nanofertilizer. Full article

Background/Objectives: Functional foods are widely discussed in nutrition research, yet their consumption is rarely quantified using a standardized, food-based metric. We developed the Functional Food Consumption Index (FunFoCI) and conducted an initial evaluation of its performance in adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 500 adults (≥18 years, 286 women, 214 men) were assessed using a 210-item quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 3 day food record (FR). Candidate index foods were evaluated by five experts, using a 4-point Likert scale to establish content validity, and the finalized FunFoCI comprised 100 foods across nine groups: fruits; vegetables; whole grains; legumes; nuts and oilseeds; fermented foods and products; animal-based foods; functional oils; and spices, herbal teas, and functional beverages. FunFoCI scoring used a sample distribution-based percentile approach, including modifications for zero-inflated or sparsely consumed items, followed by group-level normalization (0–1), equal weighting across nine groups, and rescaling to 0–100. FR data were used to examine the between-method feasibility of the scoring approach. The convergent validity was assessed via correlation analyses, with the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) derived from both FFQ and FR data, and additional correlation analyses and robustness checks were conducted to examine associations among key study variables. Known group patterns were examined across sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric characteristics. Results: Content evaluation supported index coverage (S-CVI/Ave = 0.912; S-CVI/UA = 0.877; mean modified kappa = 0.899). The mean FunFoCI total scores were 32.68 ± 11.92 (FFQ) and 13.29 ± 4.65 (FR). Participants were classified into low (32.8%, n = 164), moderate (33.0%, n = 165), and high (34.2%, n = 171) FunFoCI categories. FunFoCI correlated with FFQ-derived DQI-I and HEI-2015 (r = 0.367 and r = 0.368; both p < 0.001), and both indices increased across ascending FunFoCI total scores (p < 0.001). The FFQ-derived FunFoCI total score was correlated with the FR-derived FunFoCI score (r = 0.294; p < 0.001). FunFoCI scores showed differences across participant sociodemographic, lifestyle and anthropometric characteristics. Conclusions: FunFoCI is a newly developed, expert-reviewed, food-based index with transparent, sample distribution-based scoring and normalized aggregation. Its initial evaluation supports its use for the standardized quantification of relative functional food consumption in adults, while further studies should assess the reliability and external validation criteria in other populations and study designs. Full article

The extensive diversification of flower shape and organs underpins the adaptive success of angiosperms. Despite substantial knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling flower induction and development, few studies have quantified the variability in floral traits within species or explored their correlation with other reproductive traits. In cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), human selection has driven fruit diversification in terms of size and shape. In the present study, 48 landraces representing tomato diversity in reproduction-related characteristics were phenotyped for 18 flower structural or dimensional traits. Flower traits exhibited lower coefficients of variation compared to other reproductive traits, though organ numbers showed high heritability values. Flower organ number and size were tightly correlated, but the correlation between dimensional traits was weaker. This likely reflects the selective pressures on pistil traits during domestication, including specific mutations affecting carpel number and ovary morphology. While ovary and fruit size were positively correlated, no relationship was found between ovule and seed size, suggesting that genes related to seed size generally act after fruit set. The collection was genotyped at the Fasciated (Fas) locus, and 13 floral traits were significantly different in fas mutants. The phenotypic variability described in this study could help breeders select for more fertile flowers and assist reproductive biologists in linking genes to flower development. Full article

Lasiosphaera calvatia (LC), referring to the dry fruiting bodies of certain puffball fungi, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Documented in the Mingyi Bielu, its traditional medicinal properties encompass clearing heat, detoxification, reducing swelling, and stopping bleeding. Modern applications include promoting wound healing, anti-cancer therapy, lowering blood sugar, relieving coughs, and combating HIV, among others. This comprehensive review explores the evolving scientific understanding of LC, covering its botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control. A wide range of chemical components, including steroids, phenolics, volatile compounds, amino acids, polysaccharides, and polypeptides, have been isolated and identified using diverse analytical techniques. Among these, sterols (particularly ergosterol derivatives), polysaccharides, and polypeptides are considered the major bioactive constituents. The active ingredients of LC are associated with relatively few side effects, a characteristic that supports its use in pediatric populations and underscores its significant research potential. These findings validate the traditional uses of LC and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources utilized in this study encompass Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI site, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and doctoral and master’s theses. Full article

Dietary fiber (DF) has a profound influence on human health mainly by modulating the gut microbiota. This review provides an overview of DF derived from cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, fungi, and seaweeds, specifically addressing the relationship between microbial utilization and source-specific structural characteristics (such as linking patterns, conformation, solubility, and fermentability). Due to these structural properties, different DFs display selective microbial responses that favor fermentation and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These microbial responses and fermentation-derived metabolites associated with DF intake may contribute to reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic disorders. This review does not address the trial heterogeneity, dose response, safety, and conflicting evidence, and much of the available evidence is largely observational and heterogeneous. Future studies should focus on dose–response trials of defined DF structures with standardized microbiome and metabolomic endpoints, including validation in human interventions. This review summarizes the DF source and structure, selective changes in the microbiota across various study types, including in vitro, animal models, and human studies, and how these relate to overall health. Full article

In the current work, a novel heat pump drying system with precise control of temperature and humidity of drying medium was developed and the impacts of drying temperature and humidity on the drying characteristics of apple slices and energy consumption of drying system were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the temperature and relative humidity (RH) of drying medium have a significant impact on drying efficiency and operating performance. During the first hour of the drying process, the heat pump drying of apple slices exhibited the highest drying rate throughout the entire process at a temperature of 40~50 °C and a relative humidity of 30~60%. And then the apple slices drying was in a falling-rate drying stage. When the relative humidity of the drying medium exceeded 50%, the final moisture content of the material increased significantly and exceeded 20% (dry basis, d.b.). Increased air medium temperature and humidity enhance the dehumidification rate of the evaporator. When the drying temperature was maintained at 40–60 °C, the condensation rate at 60% RH was 3.5–10 times that at 30% RH. The increased dehumidification rate significantly promoted the energy efficiency. The specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) was 2.53 kg/(kW·h) at 60 °C and 60% RH, which is 3.4 times that at 30% RH. It was appropriate to adopt high-temperature and high-humidity conditions in the early drying stage to improve drying energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the relative humidity should be reduced to promote moisture removal from the material in the late drying stage. The obtained results provided theoretical methods for the energy-saving control of heat pump drying for fruits. Full article

This study elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of girdling on leaf senescence and fruit quality in ‘Jinyan’ kiwifruit, providing a theoretical basis for high-yield and high-quality cultivation. Ten-year-old vines were subjected to single (5 mm, 9 mm) and double (5 mm, 9 mm) girdling treatments at two distinct stages: peak flowering stage (Group A) and 10 days post-anthesis (Group B). Physiological markers, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzyme activities, were monitored at 10, 35, and 70 days post-treatment and integrated with fruit quality metrics using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Physiologically, girdling induced a transient oxidative burst, characterized by increased ROS accumulation proportional to girdling intensity. This triggered a robust antioxidant defense response, where superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) activities peaked at 35 days, effectively mitigating oxidative damage (MDA) during the healing phase. Concurrently, metabolic substrates (soluble protein, starch, and sugar) were significantly enriched in leaves. Agronomically, all treatments enhanced fruit yield, single-fruit weight, and soluble solids content (SSC). Notably, double girdling treatments specifically promoted fruit elongation and dry matter accumulation. Comprehensive evaluation identified distinct optimal strategies: while moderate single girdling (A2) was superior during flowering, double girdling (B3, B4) proved most effective post-anthesis. Ultimately, double girdling performed 10 days post-anthesis emerged as the optimal regimen, effectively balancing source-sink relationships to maximize both physiological function and fruit quality. Full article

Fruit size and weight are valuable characteristics for cherry breeders, mainly because of their higher market price. Several molecular markers have been developed in recent years and have been correlated with fruit weight. In cherries, FW_G2a was identified as a promising hotspot for fruit size and weight characteristics. Two markers flanking that region were taken into consideration in this study. The local sweet and sour cherry collection in Érd, Hungary, was analyzed using molecular markers to identify possible correlations between the markers and phenotypes. The duration of phenotypic observations varied from 3 years in sour cherry to 5 years in sweet cherry. In our study, we observed correlations between fruit size and weight and the molecular markers of our germplasm collection. We confirmed the previously published association of haplotypes 190–255 and 192–233 with large and small fruit size, respectively, in sweet cherry. Individual alleles of both markers were identified, showing moderate to strong correlations with large and small fruit size in sweet cherry. In tetraploid sour cherry, a higher number of unique allelic combinations were found due to the higher level of ploidy compared to sweet cherry. Individual alleles were detected with moderate positive correlations with fruit size, while one allele showed a strong negative correlation with fruit dimension-related traits. These markers were found to be useful for the characterization of fruit size characteristics, for population selection and for the differentiation of the Hungarian germplasm collection. Full article

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and physicochemically characterize two natural O/W cosmetic cream prototypes (LC1, LC2) containing 5% (w/w) of a Vaccinium vitis-idaea (lingonberry) fruit extract (LE) together with their corresponding blank formulations (LC1-BL, LC2-BL). The extract was obtained by hydroalcoholic maceration followed by solvent removal and was characterized for total phenolic, flavonoid, and monomeric anthocyanin content. Its antioxidant capacity was evaluated using DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC, and ABTS assays. The phenolic profile was further explored by HPLC–DAD–ESI(+), enabling tentative identification of phenolic subclasses previously reported in the literature to be associated with antioxidant properties. The prepared creams were evaluated for qualitative organoleptic properties, pH, texture (hardness, adhesiveness, and spreadability), viscosity, and accelerated conditions of stability. All formulations were stable, and no phase separation occurred; however, the addition of the extract modified their color and odor and decreased the pH to values within the physiological skin pH range. An in-silico safety evaluation of the constituents (MoS and TTC) found a good toxicological profile at concentrations employed. Overall, the results support the feasibility of incorporating lingonberry fruit extract into O/W cosmetic cream systems and demonstrate that appropriate formulation design allows the development of stable products with defined physicochemical and mechanical characteristics. Full article

The high penetration of photovoltaic and wind power introduces strong non-stationarity and multi-scale fluctuations into power system load profiles, challenging the accuracy of short-term load forecasting (STLF). To address this, we propose a hybrid forecasting framework, IMVMD-XLSTM, which synergistically integrates an optimized multivariate decomposition with an advanced neural network. First, to address the critical issue that MVMD performance is highly sensitive to its parameter settings, which impacts decomposition quality, a multi-strategy Improved Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm (IFOA) is developed to task-oriented adaptively tune the key parameters of MVMD, forming an Improved MVMD (IMVMD). This optimization aims to ensure decomposition stability and maximize the relevance for the subsequent forecasting task. Second, to fully leverage the characteristics of the frequency-aligned, multi-channel sub-sequences generated by IMVMD, an Extended LSTM (XLSTM) network is designed. Its serially arranged BisLSTM and mLSTM units are specifically tailored to capture the bidirectional long-term dependencies within each stable sub-sequence and the complex high-dimensional interactions across the aligned sub-sequences, respectively. Evaluated on 15 min resolution data from the Austrian grid, the proposed IMVMD-XLSTM framework achieves a day-ahead forecasting Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 2.45% (±1.41%). This study provides a verifiable and effective solution that couples data-adaptive signal processing with a purpose-built neural architecture to enhance forecasting reliability in renewable-rich power systems. Full article