Search Results (2,456)

Capsicum chinense Jacq. is an economically important chili pepper species characterized by a high capsaicinoid content, which contributes to its growing relevance in the food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural sectors. Although the chemistry and biological properties of capsaicinoids have been extensively investigated, available information remains fragmented, and no review has comprehensively integrated their botanical aspects, chemistry, biosynthesis, and insecticidal potential. This review provides an integrated overview of the major capsaicinoids of C. chinense, particularly capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin, focusing on their chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways, structure–activity relationships, and insecticidal properties and mechanisms. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between chemical structure and biological activity, as well as on the role of capsaicinoids as natural defense compounds and their insecticidal potential. Current evidence indicates that capsaicinoids exhibit insecticidal, repellent, and antifeedant activities through multiple mechanisms, including membrane disruption, oxidative stress induction, and interference with ion transport and neuronal signaling. Despite these promising findings, further field validation, methodological standardization, and optimized formulations are required. Overall, this review integrates the currently dispersed evidence on C. chinense capsaicinoids and highlights their potential as bioactive compounds for the development of more sustainable botanical insecticides. Full article

Plant Unconventional Prefoldin RPB5 Interactor (URI) proteins are key functional factors regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses, playing important roles in root morphogenesis, gravitropism regulation, and environmental stress signaling pathways. To investigate the biological function of the pepper URI gene, we identified the pepper URI homolog (CaURI) through sequence alignment and performed functional characterization using multiple molecular approaches. The pepper URI gene successfully rescued the shortened root length and impaired the root gravitropism phenotypes of the Arabidopsis uri-1 mutant. Subcellular localization revealed that the pepper URI protein was localized in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of pepper URI in Arabidopsis significantly inhibited root and hypocotyl elongation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the expression patterns of many genes involved in growth and development were significantly altered in the CaURI-overexpressing Arabidopsis. Silencing of the endogenous pepper URI gene led to a marked reduction in plant height, and this dwarf phenotype was further aggravated under heat stress conditions. This work enriches the functional framework of the plant URI gene family and provides valuable genetic resources and a theoretical basis for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying pepper growth regulation and heat tolerance. Full article

Brackish water utilization provides an alternative strategy for alleviating freshwater scarcity in arid agricultural regions; however, the synergistic regulation of salinity, irrigation, and nitrogen management remains unclear. A two-year field experiment was conducted in 2025 and 2026 to investigate the effects of water–nitrogen–salinity interactions on growth, yield formation, resource use efficiency, and fruit quality of pigment pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under arid conditions in Xinjiang, China. An L9(3³) orthogonal experimental design was adopted with three levels of brackish water salinity, irrigation amount, and nitrogen application rate. The comprehensive production performance of different management strategies was further evaluated using a combined weighting Cloud–TOPSIS approach. The results showed that water–nitrogen–salinity interactions significantly regulated pigment pepper growth, yield formation, and resource utilization, with consistent responses observed across the two experimental years. Increasing irrigation water salinity reduced leaf chlorophyll content (CHL) and nitrogen balance index (NBI), whereas flavonoid content (FLAV) exhibited an increasing trend under moderate salinity stress. Low-salinity irrigation combined with appropriate water and nitrogen inputs maintained higher photosynthetic capacity and nitrogen nutritional status. Yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) were jointly affected by salinity, irrigation, and nitrogen supply. Excessive salinity significantly reduced crop productivity, while optimized irrigation and nitrogen management alleviated salt stress effects. The T2 treatment (1 g L⁻¹ salinity, 2400 m³ ha⁻¹ irrigation, and 300 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen application) achieved the highest yield and maintained favorable WUE and PFPN values in both years. Fruit quality responses demonstrated that moderate salinity promoted capsaicinoid accumulation, whereas excessive salinity restricted biomass production and quality improvement. Correlation analysis revealed that photosynthetic nitrogen metabolism indicators were closely associated with yield formation, while flavonoid accumulation showed stronger relationships with quality attributes. The Cloud–TOPSIS evaluation identified T2 as the optimal management strategy under the experimental conditions by balancing yield, quality, and resource use efficiency. These findings indicate that coordinated regulation of irrigation water salinity, water supply, and nitrogen input is essential for achieving efficient brackish water utilization and sustainable pigment pepper production in arid regions. Full article

Existing studies on selective pepper harvesting commonly use the pedicel as the picking target. However, for Hang pepper, dense branches and leaves cause severe fruit stem occlusion, resulting in a low harvesting success rate. To address this limitation, an end-effector that uses the fruit body as the picking target was designed in this study. Physical property tests of Hang pepper were first conducted. In radial compression tests, a post-release deformation of less than 5% was used as the criterion for low-damage clamping. The maximum allowable clamping force was determined to be 3.5 N, under which the maximum fruit compression ratio was 10%. The maximum cutting force required to shear the pedicel was 15.03 N. Based on these results, a harvesting strategy consisting of fruit clamping, fruit pull-down, and pedicel cutting was proposed. A five-bar linkage was adopted as the main mechanism of the end-effector, and its kinematic and mechanical models were established. Taking the minimum driving torque as the optimization objective, a genetic algorithm was used to optimize the linkage dimensions. The optimized driving torque was 0.801 N m, and a calculation method relating the target fruit diameter to the servo rotation angle was established. Harvesting experiments under prescribed target diameters showed a harvesting success rate of 95%, and the single-fruit harvesting time was 5.1 s, demonstrating the excellent harvesting capability of the proposed end-effector. Full article

Architectural heritage interventions often preserve visual form while leaving acoustic memory and everyday sound practices outside the design brief. This article positions soundscape as an architectural material for heritage media architecture and tests it through Sanggar Kungfu Kapasan, a historic Chinese-diaspora kampung in Surabaya, Indonesia. The research combined contextual and soundmark mapping, Pepper’s Ghost prototyping, architectural translation of a semi-transparent virtual layer, and comparative evaluation using 2D visualization and immersive VR. After deduplication, 37 participants evaluated the 2D material, 31 evaluated VR, and 24 completed both modes for within-subject analysis. VR significantly improved perceived physical quality (Δ = +0.46, p = 0.0007, d_z = 0.80), communication quality (Δ = +0.42, p = 0.0218, d_z = 0.50), and overall evaluation (Δ = +0.20, p = 0.0285, d_z = 0.48). Sound-specific VR ratings were positive for place-meaning support (M = 5.87) and scene formation (M = 5.65), and the soundscape design index correlated with communication quality (r = 0.47, p = 0.007). The findings show that soundscape strengthens narrative legibility and architectural fit when deliberately coordinated with visual layering, scene sequencing, and cultural context. The study contributes a soundscape-informed, feng shui-readable workflow for pre-installation evaluation of multisensory heritage interventions. Because the respondent pool was predominantly composed of architecture students, the results are interpreted as a preliminary design-user evaluation rather than community validation. Full article

Szechuan pepper pungency is traditionally assessed by subjective sensory panels or laboratory instruments, hindering on-site detection. Perceived numbing sensation does not always correspond directly to alkylamide content because multiple electroactive constituents, including polyphenols and sanshools, may contribute to the overall sensory response. Chromatographic methods quantify individual compounds but may not fully reflect integrated human pungency perception. Electrochemical detection bypasses separation, as the voltammetric response integrates oxidative signals from multiple electroactive species. We developed a portable electrochemical system with a custom programmable-gain potentiostat, three-electrode detector, and STM32-controlled software for differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurement. Coupled with machine learning, it assessed Zanthoxylum bungeanum (red peppers) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium (green peppers). Fifteen replicate scans from each of 22 origins yielded 330 DPV curves calibrated against general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) scores from a trained panel. An artificial neural network (ANN) achieved R² = 0.937 for red peppers, while principal component analysis–support vector regression (PCA–SVR) achieved R² = 0.860 for green peppers. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) identified three characteristic potential intervals for each type: 0.17–0.21, 0.57–0.62, and 0.69–0.80 V for red peppers, and 0.24–0.27, 0.56–0.68, and 0.69–0.77 V for green peppers. These intervals indicate that pungency-related electrochemical information is distributed across multiple potential regions. The system shows potential for rapid and objective quality assessment of Szechuan pepper. Full article

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a foundational capability for autonomous navigation in unknown environments. Its performance is strongly coupled to the type, quality, and reliability of available localization and perception sensor data, limiting the portability of navigation systems across heterogeneous mobile robot platforms. This paper presents an adaptive navigation framework designed to support portability across heterogeneous mobile robot platforms by decoupling localization providers from platform-specific localization and perception sensing configurations. A sensor abstraction layer normalizes heterogeneous and low-fidelity sensor localization and perception inputs into a unified representation, enabling structured operational modes constructed according to available sensing modalities, computational constraints, and environmental characteristics. A learning-based performance prediction module is further designed to estimate impending SLAM degradation and support proactive mode switching. Due to middleware constraints within the Pepper NAOqi stack, this predictive component was not deployed during experimental evaluation and remains part of the proposed architecture for future validation. Experimental results on real indoor navigation tasks demonstrate improved robustness and adaptive performance compared with fixed SLAM configurations without manual retuning. Full article

Olfactory enrichment is recommended for captive felids, but systematic evidence on practical implementation in multiple species and institutions is limited. We evaluated a simple, keeper-safe scent diffuser delivering spice-based odours to captive lions (Panthera leo), tigers (Panthera tigris), jaguars (Panthera onca), leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and pumas (Puma concolor) at two zoological institutions in Johannesburg, South Africa. Behaviour was recorded during baseline and scent-exposure conditions in 23 individuals. Behavioural diversity (number of distinct behaviours per 15-min session) was the primary outcome. Engagement duration, latency to approach and individual response consistency were also quantified. Animals were exposed to a compound spice blend and four component spices (coriander, paprika, black pepper and garlic) and subsequently to decreasing concentrations of their most preferred scent. Behavioural diversity increased significantly during scent exposure at both institutions (1.9 times greater at Lory Park and 1.8 times greater at Johannesburg Zoo), with large effect sizes at both sites (Cohen’s d ≥ 1.2). Spice type did not significantly affect behavioural diversity, but individual animals showed consistent engagement preferences, approach latencies and response profiles during repeated exposures. Full odour concentrations showed significantly longer engagement durations than low concentrations at both institutions (approximately twofold at Lory Park and threefold at Johannesburg Zoo), but behavioural diversity did not differ significantly between concentration levels. No significant species differences were detected, indicating that assessment by individuals is more informative than species level predictions for enrichment planning. Spice-based diffusers provide a practical, low-cost enrichment tool suitable for multi-institutional implementation. Moreover, enrichment programmes should be evaluated and tailored at the individual animal level. Full article

Since arable-land availability is limited worldwide, research on other sustainable practices to improve crop productivity is needed. Seaweed extracts are known for their crop growth- and yield-promoting properties and as a sustainable solution. The application of three seaweed extract brands (Acadian, Afrikelp, and Kelpak) was tested on three crops under field (common bean) and screen-house (bell pepper and tomato) conditions for two consecutive seasons/crops. The study was conducted as an RCBD with five blocks using a drip irrigation system. The three seaweed extracts + water-only (control) treatments were randomly distributed in each block. The extracts were applied to the foliage five times in each growing season at a 1:75 extract/water dilution rate and all crops received N-P-K fertilizer based on the recommended rates for each crop. Analysis of variance and Tukey’s mean separation were conducted on the collected data. All three extracts significantly outperformed the control across all crops and seasons. For bush bean, seaweed treatments significantly increased SPAD, yield, and protein content, with the treatment order Afrikelp > Acadian ≥ Kelpak > Control. For tomato, significant improvements were observed in SPAD, yield, and fruit weight, with yield increases driven primarily by fruit count and average; the treatment order was Afrikelp > Kelpak ≥ Acadian > Control. For bell pepper, SPAD, yield, and BRIX were significantly increased, with the treatment order Afrikelp > Kelpak > Acadian > Control. Overall, Afrikelp consistently produced the highest responses across all crops, achieving up to 48.8, 60.3, and 58.6% yield increases for bush bean, tomato, and bell pepper, respectively. The results showed that seaweed extract can serve as a sustainable amendment for crop improvement. Full article

Given the strong association between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and the role of the MHC in antigen presentation potentially driving immunopathology, we performed mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidome analysis to identify MHC class I-bound peptides in PsA. MHC class I expression on circulating immune cells was determined by flow cytometric analysis. MHC class I-bound peptides were isolated via immunoaffinity purification and identified by mass spectrometry in PsA patients and healthy controls. MHC class I expression was increased on circulating immune cells in PsA. MHC class I immunopeptidome analysis revealed a high prevalence of peptides of nine-amino-acid length originating from intracellular source proteins, typical for MHC class I antigen presentation. Analysis of the MHC class I immunopeptidome showed a greater relative abundance of glutamic acid at position 2 in nonamers from PsA patients, but not controls. This finding was further corroborated by an unsupervised clustering analysis showing five different clusters in healthy individuals and six in PsA, with one featuring higher abundance of glutamic acid at position 2. The glutamic acid-containing PEQLRKLFI peptide from the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) was exclusively identified in PsA patients both via MHC class I immunopeptidome analysis and via PEPperMap epitope mapping. In PsA, MHC class I expression is increased on circulating immune cells, and the MHC class I immunopeptidome is perturbed, with disease-related skewing towards greater relative abundance of glutamic acid at position 2 in nonamers and presentation of a unique peptide motif from the putative autoantigen hnRNP A1. Full article

The continuous growth of the global population and the need to ensure food security require the development of sustainable agricultural technologies capable of maintaining crop productivity while reducing environmental impact. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria belonging to the genera Azotobacter and Azospirillum have attracted increasing interest due to their ability to improve plant nutrition and stimulate physiological processes associated with growth and productivity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the commercial biostimulant Azotofertil, based on Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum, on the agrophysiological response of tomato and pepper plants, in comparison with conventional nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three fertilization treatments and three biological replicates for each crop species. Soil pH, cultivable Azotobacter spp. populations, plant height, photosynthetic pigment content, vitamin C content, and total yield were evaluated. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (p < 0.05) and Pearson correlation analysis. The application of Azotofertil significantly increased the abundance of cultivable Azotobacter spp., photosynthetic pigment content, and vitamin C content, while no statistically significant differences were observed for soil pH or plant height. The most pronounced effect was observed for photosynthetic pigment content, which increased by 26% in tomato and by 21% in pepper compared to the control. Full article

Halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria offer a sustainable strategy to improve crop performance under saline conditions. This study evaluated Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul leaf juice was used as an alternative growth medium for Kocuria sediminis AS04, and the bacterium’s ability to alleviate salt stress in chiltepin (Capsicum annuum) was evaluated. The chiltepin seedlings were grown in a specialized chamber and exposed to higher salt levels (200, 400, and 600 mM NaCl) for 10 days. During this time, the protective effect of K. sediminis AS04, which was held in a polymer film, was examined. K. sediminis AS04 grew well in a medium containing 25% agave juice and urea, reaching a density of 1.3 × 10¹⁰ CFU mL⁻¹. Compared with conventional Tryptic Soy Broth, the medium formulated from agave leaf juice and urea could reduce the cost per kilogram of biomass by approximately 4-fold. Under severe salinity stress, plants inoculated with immobilized K. sediminis at 600 mM NaCl exhibited the highest shoot biomass (0.31 g⁻¹ plant), root length (50.7 mm), and proline accumulation (11.25 µmol g⁻¹ fresh weight), whereas uninoculated plants displayed reduced biomass (0.16 g plant⁻¹) and shorter roots (34.5 mm). At 600 mM NaCl, inoculation increased shoot biomass, root length, and plant survival by approximately 94%, 47%, and 200%, respectively, compared with uninoculated seedlings. This method values agro-industrial waste and enhances chiltepin performance under high-salinity conditions. It promotes sustainable production and helps create affordable inoculants for agricultural biotechnology. Full article

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is a rare, X-linked dominant genodermatosis caused by mutations in the IKBKG gene and characterized by sequential cutaneous stages following the lines of Blaschko. The highly inflammatory initial vesiculobullous stage frequently mimics severe neonatal infections, such as herpes simplex or bullous impetigo, leading to potentially dangerous diagnostic delays and unnecessary antimicrobial therapies. The objective of this report is to highlight the utility of multimodal medical imaging and clinico-pathologic correlation in the rapid diagnosis of early-stage IP. We present the case of a full-term female neonate presenting on the third day of life with a rapidly disseminating blistering eruption, initially treated as a widespread infectious process. A multimodal diagnostic approach was applied, incorporating bedside clinico-dermoscopic evaluation of the infant and her mother (who reported a history of early miscarriages), followed by neonatal skin biopsy, immunohistochemistry (S-100, MART-1), and subsequent genetic testing. Dermoscopy of the neonate’s transitional lesions revealed early dermal melanophage accumulation, while maternal evaluation exposed pathognomonic residual Blaschko-linear dyspigmentation featuring a distinct “pepper-like” dermoscopic pattern. Histopathology demonstrated classic eosinophilic spongiosis, intraepidermal vesicles, and early pigment incontinence. Genetic testing confirmed recurrent IKBKG exon 4–10 deletion. Crucially, this rapid diagnosis facilitated immediate targeted ophthalmologic screening, detecting asymptomatic stage 2B retinal vasculopathy. Integrating noninvasive dermoscopy with precise histopathologic correlation offers a rapid, highly effective framework to distinguish early IP from neonatal blistering infections. Timely multimodal imaging is crucial for triggering immediate multidisciplinary screening, effectively preventing severe, irreversible vision-threatening complications. Full article

Pepper fruits contain diverse primary and secondary metabolites, including ascorbic acid, carotenoids, phenolics, and flavonoids, which contribute to nutritional quality, antioxidant capacity, coloration, and consumer acceptance. Chilaca chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a Mexican cultivar valued for its distinctive flavor and pungency, representing a valuable resource for studying fruit quality and sustainable crop improvement. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on growth, physiological responses, antioxidant activity, and fruit quality traits. Twelve treatments in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial designs were evaluated for chlorophyll, soluble solids, biomass, APX and LOX activities, and vitamin C and capsaicin contents at three ripening stages (green, mid-red, and red). Enzyme activities were determined spectrophotometrically, and bioactive compounds were quantified from methanolic fruit extracts. Microbial inoculation primarily improved fruit physiological quality rather than vegetative growth. Biomass and growth traits showed no significant differences among treatments (p > 0.05), whereas biochemical responses exhibited distinct ripening-dependent patterns. APX activity, vitamin C, and capsaicin increased from green to mid-red stages and declined at full ripeness. Bacillus sp.-based treatments (T1 and T2) produced a significant transient increase in LOX activity during mid-ripening, while T7 showed a similar but weaker response. AMF progressively enhanced LOX activity and capsaicin accumulation in green fruits. PGPR effects were strain-dependent, with Bacillus sp. promoting early capsaicin accumulation and A. deleyi favoring higher levels during advanced ripening. Overall, AMF and PGPR differentially regulate antioxidant metabolism, vitamin C accumulation, and capsaicinoid biosynthesis while interacting with mineral fertilization to improve fruit quality. These findings support beneficial microorganisms as sustainable tools for enhancing nutrient-use efficiency and fruit nutritional and functional value without replacing mineral fertilization. Full article

The genus Begomovirus constitutes a group of devastating plant viruses causing significant economic losses in the production of agricultural crops. In the present study, conducted in Yunnan province, China, a novel monopartite begomovirus was identified from Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum crepidioides, tomato, pepper, and common bean, showing severe disease symptoms. The complete genome of the virus shows the typical organization of monopartite begomoviruses and shares the highest nucleotide sequence identity (88.73–88.95%) with crassocephalum yellow vein virus (CraYVV). According to the species criteria of the genus Begomovirus, this virus is a novel Begomovirus species, which has since been named “bidens pilosa leaf crumple virus (BpLCrV)”. Recombination analysis revealed that the novel species is a potential recombinant begomovirus derived from CraYVV and ageratum leaf curl virus (ALCuV), and phylogenetic analysis showed that BpLCrV was clustered with tomato yellow leaf curl Thailand virus (TYLCTHV) from China. We successfully developed a BpLCrV infectious clone. Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation of the BpLCrV infectious clone could effectively infect Nicotiana benthamiana, Nicotiana glutinosa, and Datura stramonium and cause disease symptoms. Thus, in this study, BpLCrV was, for the first time, identified and characterized as a novel begomovirus that infects not only weeds but also different important crops, potentially threatening agricultural production. Full article