Search Results (20)

Anthocyanin stability substantially determines the postharvest storage quality of red Huajiao (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.). Herein, the composition of red Huajiao anthocyanins (RHAs) was characterized, and the copigmentation performance of seven phenolic compounds with RHAs was comparatively evaluated, together with verifying their practical efficacy in maintaining the overall quality of red Huajiao during frozen storage. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis identified ten anthocyanin monomers in RHAs, among which delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside (D3,5G, 28.23%), and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (D3G, 14.86%) were verified as the predominant monomers. Naringin (NA) exhibited an optimal copigmentation effect, achieving a maximum color enhancement rate of 19.46% at a 1:40 molar ratio and a pH of 3.0 at 20 °C, while thermodynamic tests verified the excellent stability of the naringin–RHA complex. The copigmentation interactions between RHAs and copigments were largely attributed to hydrogen bonds, π–π stacking, and alkyl hydrophobic interactions. Considering practical application cost and flavor compatibility, chlorogenic acid (CGA) was selected as the preferred alternative copigment. Frozen storage tests suggested that soaking pretreatment with 10 mmol/L CGA effectively delayed color fading and maintained the integrity of the oil gland and the good sensory quality and color attributes of red Hujiao, with no adverse impacts on its inherent flavor and numbing components. Collectively, phenolic-mediated intermolecular copigmentation represents an efficient technical means for stabilizing color and maintaining the commercial quality of postharvest red Huajiao during frozen storage. Full article

Huajiao seed oil is a high-quality edible vegetable oil that is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Because of this characteristic, it exhibits poor stability and is prone to oxidation. However, storage methods significantly influence oxidative stability. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of temperature (4, 25, and 37 °C), light exposure, and packaging materials (glass bottle, PET bottle, and iron can) on the quality of Huajiao seed oil during storage. The results demonstrate that low temperature effectively retarded the increase in acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, and the content of secondary oxidation products. It also slowed down the degradation of squalene and α-tocopherols. Prolonged light exposure accelerated the oxidative rancidity of Huajiao seed oil. Oil stored in glass bottles exhibited a lower degree of oxidation than that stored in PET bottles or iron cans, and when stored under conditions of 4 °C/glass bottle/darkness, it had a shelf life of up to 7.34 months. The main volatile compounds generated in Huajiao seed oil during storage were aldehydes and acids. Full article

Zanthoxylum species, commonly known as Sichuan pepper, are valued as food ingredients for their unique aroma and pungency. However, a comprehensive understanding of their lipid composition, which may serve as both flavor precursors and nutritional components, remains limited. In this study, we performed a comparative lipidomic analysis of three economically important Zanthoxylum species (Z. bungeanum, Z. schinifolium, and Z. armatum) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Fatty acids were concurrently analyzed by gas chromatography. A total of 315 lipid molecules were identified and categorized into 53 fatty acyls, 132 glycerolipids, 50 glycerophospholipids, 46 sphingolipids, and 34 sterol lipids. Triacylglycerols (22.84–54.25%) and free fatty acids (28.07–39.61%) were the most abundant lipid subclasses. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed 44 significantly different lipid molecules among the species, and pathway enrichment analysis indicated glycerolipid metabolism as the most significantly altered pathway. Furthermore, fatty acid profiling showed a nutritionally balanced n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio (1.04–1.12). These species-specific lipid signatures not only provide a basis for varietal authentication but also highlight the potential of Zanthoxylum lipids in shaping flavor profiles and contributing to nutritional value, supporting their diversified application in food products. Full article

Transposable elements (TEs) play important roles in physiological processes, but their function in tail development remains poorly characterized. To explore their potential regulatory roles, we systematically analyzed the expression patterns of TEs during different fetal developmental stages of the sheep tail. Using RNA-seq data and the TEtranscripts pipeline, we identified differentially expressed TEs. Our key findings are as follows: (i) SINE/MIR, L1, and BovB elements exhibited significant stage-specific expression. (ii) The number of differentially expressed TEs was dynamic, with 2129 identified between stages E40–45 and E55–60, and 5554 between E55–60 and E70–75. (iii) These TEs were primarily located in intergenic regions, introns, and 3′UTRs, and their expression trends were highly consistent with those of adjacent differentially expressed genes. (iv) Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that TEs and their correlated genes between E40–45 and E55–60 were predominantly involved in tail elongation, while the comparison between E55–60 and E70–75 highlighted pathways related to tail fat formation. Furthermore, we identified specific candidate TEs associated with vertebra formation and fat deposition. This study provides novel insights into the role of TEs in shaping tail phenotypes and offers valuable information for sheep breeding programs. Full article

This study establishes a covalently anchored wettability alteration strategy for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) using perfluorinated siloxane (CQ), addressing limitations of conventional modifiers reliant on unstable physical adsorption. Instead, CQ forms irreversible chemical bonds with rock surfaces via Si-O-Si linkages (verified by FT-IR/EDS), imparting durable amphiphobicity with water and oil contact angles of 135° and 116°, respectively. This modification exhibits exceptional stability: increasing salinity from 2536 to 10,659 mg/L reduced angles by only 6° (water) and 4° (oil), while 70 °C aging in aqueous/oleic phases preserved amphiphobicity without reversion—supported by >300 °C thermal decomposition in TGA; confirming chemical bonding durability. Mechanistic analysis identifies dual EOR pathways: amphiphobic surfaces lower rolling angles, surface free energy (SFE), and fluid adhesion to facilitate pore migration, while CQ intrinsically reduces oil-water interfacial tension (IFT). Core displacement experiments showed that injecting 0.05 wt% CQ followed by secondary waterflooding yielded an additional 10–18% increase in oil recovery. This improvement is attributed to enhanced mobilization of residual oil, with greater EOR efficacy observed in smaller pore throats. Field trials at the Huabei Oilfield validated practical applicability: Production rates of test wells C-9 and C-17 increased several-fold, accompanied by reduced water cuts. Integrating fundamental research, laboratory experiments, and field validation, this work systematically demonstrates a wettability-alteration-based EOR method and offers important technical insights for analogous reservoir development. Full article

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (huajiao) and Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (tengjiao), also known as Sichuan pepper, is a popular spice owing to its unique aroma and taste. Fried pepper oils are liquid condiments with unique flavors extracted from the pericarps of huajiao and tengjiao. To investigate the volatile profiles of the two different fried pepper oils, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed. The results revealed that D-limonene, linalyl acetate, linalool, myrcene, and ocimene significantly contributed to the overall flavor of huajiao oils. In addition, linalool, D-limonene, sabinene, myrcene, and linalyl acetate were identified as the main odorants in tengjiao oils. Finally, a characteristic chromatogram for the volatile compounds of each oil was established through the Similarity Evaluation System for the Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the similarity thresholds of huajiao oils and tengjiao oils were 0.984 and 0.998, respectively. Linalool, sabinene, and linalyl acetate were markers for distinguishing between ZAOV samples and ZAOC samples. And germacrene D, linalool, sabinene, linalyl acetate, and β-myrcene were markers for distinguishing ZBOV samples from ZBOC samples. Full article

Thermal condition affects the development and growth of ectotherms. The stenothermic honeybee brood, particularly the prepupae, are sensitive to low rearing temperature. The fat body plays important roles in energy reserve and metabolism during the honeybee brood development. To date, the fat body metabolic changes in prepupae responding to cold stress have not been completely understood. In this study, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)-based non-target metabolome was analyzed between the cold-treated (CT, 20 °C, 36 h) and control (CK, 35 °C) fat body in prepupal honeybees. The fat body metabolomic data showed that the levels of 1860 and 254 metabolites were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in cold-stressed prepupae. These altered metabolites, glutamine, glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and oxidized glutathione, were significantly enriched into glutamine metabolism and glutathione metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the expression levels of glutamine metabolism-related genes, glutaminase (GLS), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT-1 and GGT-7), were significantly decreased in cold-exposed prepupae compared with the control groups. Meanwhile, the oxidized glutathione (GSSG), but not the reduced glutathione (GSH) content, was increased in the cold-exposed group compared with controls. Collectively, our data revealed the fat body metabolomic changes in larva-to-pupa transition when exposed to cold stress. Our data provided new insights into stenothermic honeybee sensitivity to cold, characterized by perturbation of glutamine metabolism and oxidative stress. Full article

The advances in research on the explosion load characteristics of the fuel–air mixture in vented chambers are reviewed herein. The vented explosion loads are classified into three typical types based on this comprehensive literature research. These models are the accumulation load model, attenuation load model, and interval jump load model. The characteristics of the three different typical vented explosion load models are analyzed using Fluidy-Ventex. The research results show that overpressure is largely determined by methane concentrations and vented pressure. The turbulent strength increased from the original 0.0001 J/kg to 1.73 J/kg, which was an increase of 17,300 times, after venting in the case of a 10.5 v/v methane concentration and 0.3 kPa vented pressure. When the vented pressure increased to 7.3 kPa, the turbulent strength increased to 62.2 J/kg, and the overpressure peak correspondingly increased from 69 kPa to 125 kPa. In the case of the interval jump load model, the explosion overpressure peak tends to ascend when the intensity of the fluid disturbance rises due to the venting pressure increasing at a constant initial gas concentration. When the venting pressure reaches tens of kPa, the pressure differential increases sharply on both sides of the relief port, and a large amount of combustible gas is released. Therefore, there is an insufficient amount of indoor combustible gas, severe combustion is difficult to maintain, and the explosion load mode becomes the attenuation load model. Full article

Dickeya dadantii is a common pathogen of bacterial soft rot on a wide range of plants, including several crops. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of the D. dadantii type strain DSM18020^T. The genome was assembled using PacBio technology, resulting in a 4,997,541 bp circular chromosome with a G+C content of 56.5%. Our sequence analyses predicted 4277 protein-encoding genes, including several associated with known bacterial virulence factors and secondary metabolites. Comparative genomics analysis between Dickeya revealed that the category of ‘metabolism’ is the most important in both the core and accessory genomes, while the category of ‘information storage and processing’ is the most dominant in unique genomes. These findings will not only help us to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of D. dadantii DSM18020^T, but also provide us with useful information for new control strategies against this phytopathogen. Full article

Green huajiao has a unique flavor and is widely used in cooking as an edible spice. In this study, the intensity of overall aroma and aroma attributes of seven green huajiao samples from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions were evaluated using a dynamic dilution olfactometer and ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) technology. The volatile compounds and major aroma components were determined by GC-MS in combination with odor activity value (OAV) analysis. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was further used to identify the key aromas contributing to the aroma sensory attributes. Seven green huajiao samples were categorized into three groups: (1) huajiao samples from Liangshan have a strong intensity of pungent, floral and herbal aromas and a medium-high intensity of sweet aroma, and the key contributing aroma compounds were α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, myrcene, ocimene and linalool; (2) huajiao samples from Panzhihua and Hongya have a strong intensity of citrusy, lemony and minty aromas, and the key contributing aroma compound was linalool; and (3) the huajiao sample from the Chongqing region was categorized into a separate group and was characterized by a medium-high intensity of green, minty and sweet aromas, and the main aroma compounds are ocimene, citronellal and α-terpineol. These results provide useful basic data for evaluating the aroma quality and analyzing the key aroma characteristics of green huajiao in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions. Full article

Multiple varieties of flaxseeds have been identified in the world, yet the relationship between these varieties, their agronomic traits, and their seeds’ quality remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the level of lignan, vitamins and carotenoids in 40 selected flaxseed varieties, and the relationship between varieties, agronomic traits, and seed quality was investigated. In this study, notably, fiber flax variety No. 225 exhibited the highest lignan content among all tested seeds. Additionally, oil variety No. 167 demonstrated the highest level of α-tocotrienol (α-T3), β-tocopherol (β-T), γ-tocotrienol (γ-T3), and β-carotene (β-Car.). Conversely, intermediate flax variety No. 16 displayed the highest content of α-tocopherol (α-T), but lowest content of lutein (Lut.), zeaxanthin (Zea.), β-carotene (β-Car.), and total carotenoids (Total Car.). Furthermore, a correlation was observed between petal color with the lignan, while a strong correlation has been explored in seed yield, seed type, plant natural height, and fiber content in straw. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to elucidate the internal relationship between varieties with compositions. Full article

The Yili goose is the only indigenous goose breed that originates from Anser anser in China, known for its adaptability, strong flying ability, and tender meat with a low body lipid content. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid and glucose metabolism, including the intake, secretion, transportation, and storage of fatty acids (FAs). In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology was performed to analyze the liver differentially expressed genes of Yili geese and their hybrid geese to investigate differences in liver lipid and glucose metabolism. A total of 452 differentially expressed genes (Q-value < 0.05) were identified. Notably, in KEGG enrichment analysis, four pathways (Q-value < 0.05) were enriched to be associated with lipid and glucose metabolism, including the metabolic pathway, PI3K–Akt signaling pathway, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and steroid biosynthesis. This study provides insights into potential candidate genes and metabolic pathways that affect the liver lipid metabolism of Yili goose. These findings provide a better understanding of animal liver lipid deposition and metabolism. Full article

Trace metal pollution in farmland threatens the health of both crops and humans. Restoring these polluted farmlands safely and utilizing them to elevate farmers‘ incomes are extremely needed. Phytoremediation is a promising method for metal extracting but its popularization is limited by both its low efficiency and the low economic value of the plants used. Herein, a field study was conducted to investigate the potential of using a rotation with the hyperaccumulator of Sedum plumbizincicola and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) for combined heavy-metal-contaminated farmland remediation. Results showed that the kenaf obtained an aerial biomass of up to 21 Mg ha⁻¹ under combined heavy metal contaminations, which was significantly higher than that for S. plumbizincicola (<8 Mg ha⁻¹). However, the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in S. plumbizincicola were at least 100, 2, 8, and 75 fold higher than that for kenaf, respectively. The removal of Cd, Pb, and Zn for S. plumbizincicola can be more than 3800, 720, and 104,347 g ha⁻¹, which was at least 38, 3, and 27 times higher than that for kenaf, respectively. Finally, the removal of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by rotation of the two crops was increased by 7.88%, 126%, 33.5%, and 4.39%, respectively, compared with the S. plumbizincicola monoculture. Hence, the rotation with kenaf and S. plumbizincicola can not only remove more heavy metals from the contaminated soil and accelerate the phytoremediation pace, but also can supply a large number of raw materials for industrial applications. Full article

The present large-scale emerging industry evolves into a form of an open system with blurring boundaries. However, when complex structures with numerous nodes and connections encounter an open system with blurring boundaries, it becomes much more challenging to effectively depict the structure of an emerging industry, which is the precondition for robustness evaluation. Therefore, this study proposes a novel framework based on a data-driven percolation process and complex network theory to depict the network skeleton and thus evaluate the structural robustness of large-scale emerging industries. The empirical data we used are actual firm-level transaction data in the Chinese new energy vehicle industry in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We applied our method to explore the transformation of structural robustness in the Chinese new energy vehicle industry in pre-COVID (2019), under-COVID (2020), and post-COVID (2021) eras. We unveil that the Chinese new energy vehicle industry became more robust against random attacks in the post-COVID era than in pre-COVID. Full article

In China, Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim, known as “Huajiao,” has a pleasant, fragrant flavor and several therapeutic properties. The nutritional content of plants is necessary for their defense response to insects. In this study, we analyzed the effects of soil fertilization treatments such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and special compound fertilizer for pepper (HZ) on the different growth parameters and expression of insect-defense-response genes in Z. bungeanum. The results show that the height and weight of prickly ash significantly differed after the application of fertilizers with different concentrations. Additionally, seedlings that were treated with low concentrations of nutrient fertilizers (N1, P1, K1, Ca1, and HZ1) were significantly higher, and they were selected for transcriptome analysis. According to transcriptomic analysis, a total of 65,566 unigenes were discovered, among which 61,379 corresponded to annotated protein-coding genes and 4187 to transcripts of novel protein-coding genes. A total of 294 unigenes were detected as candidate genes for regulating the defense response to insects, including 204 protease inhibitors, 29 plant lectins, and 61 other defense response genes. Additionally, trypsin inhibitors, cystatin, phytepsin, metalloproteinase, MMP, caffeic acid, resveratrol, and thiol proteinase inhibitors, ACA, TDC, and 28 BES1 were enriched in Z. bungeanum. Specifically, the leaves of Z. bungeanum that were treated with Ca and HZ fertilizations were dominated by the protease inhibitors. In addition, the type of fertilizer significantly affects gene expression in plants. The functional annotations were predicted by the number of differentially expressed genes and classified by GO and KEGG ontology enrichment analysis. Moreover, according to the GO database, biological processes were the largest group and contained a high frequency of differentially expressed genes. According to KEGG pathway results, significantly enriched genes belonged to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolisms, amino acid metabolism, and folding, sorting, and degradation. Overall, it was found that the type of fertilizer with low concentrations had an effect on Z. bungeanum’s primary and secondary metabolism, and these findings provided grounds for further research in forest protection science. Full article