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Having different number if genome copies affect transcription and metabolite production of plants. This may be due to different gene transcription and protein expression, but the reasons for this remains poorly known. Here we measured flavonoid content in leaves of three haploid and diploid grafted plants of Ginkgo biloba , a model gymnosperm important economically for its flavonoid content. We reported the first combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the difference in flavonoid content in three haploid ginkgos to investigate the effect of haploidy. Haploids had always smaller leaves and flavonoid content than the diploids. The selected haploid had also generally lower gene dosage than the selected diploid, with 1149 up-regulated (46.8 %) and 1309 down-regulated (53.2 %) among 2452 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Of 686 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) detected, 289 proteins (42.1 %) were upregulated, and 397 proteins (57.9 %) were downregulated in haploids. A particular attention deserves the downregulation of PAL , PAM , FLS , OMT1 hub genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis regulation. Our study confirms the trend of haploids to have lower metabolic contents and points that lower flavonoid content in ginkgo monoploids could be due to reduced dosage of the corresponding regulatory genes and downregulation of genes involved in flavonoid synthesis. • The first multi-omics combined analysis of haploid Ginkgo biloba. • SPT and MYC2 were speculated to be transcription factors broadly involved in the regulation of haploid ginkgo flavonoids. • PAL , PAM , FLS and OTM1 most likely act as hub genes in ginkgo flavonoid regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a representative of gymnosperms, the discovery of natural haploids of Ginkgo biloba L. has opened a new door for its research. Haploid germplasm has always been a research material of interest to researchers because of its special characteristics. However, we do not yet know the special features and mechanisms of haploid ginkgo following this significant discovery. In this study, we conducted a homogenous garden experiment on haploid and diploid ginkgo to explore the differences in growth, physiology and biochemistry between the two. Additionally, a high-depth transcriptome database of both was established to reveal their transcriptional differences. The results showed that haploid ginkgo exhibited weaker growth potential, lower photosynthesis and flavonoid accumulation capacity. Although the up-regulated expression of DEGs in haploid ginkgo reached 46.7% of the total DEGs in the whole transcriptome data, the gene sets of photosynthesis metabolic, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, which were significantly related to these differences, were found to show a significant down-regulated expression trend by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We further found that the major metabolic pathways in the haploid ginkgo transcriptional database were down-regulated in expression compared to the diploid. This study reveals for the first time the phenotypic, growth and physiological differences in haploid ginkgos, and demonstrates their transcriptional patterns based on high-depth transcriptomic data, laying the foundation for subsequent in-depth studies of haploid ginkgos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goji leaves, including Lycium barbarum L. and Lycium chinense Mill. leaves, have been used as traditional Chinese medicine materials for nourishing kidneys and enhancing eyesight but are mostly discarded at present. The nutritional composition of Goji leaves is similar to that of Goji berries even some components are more plentiful in the former, such as flavonoids. This paper firstly reviews the main phytochemicals of Goji leaves. Also, updated information on the biological activities of Goji leaves is narrated. Based on the long use history and existing bioactivity data on Goji leaves, we propose their potential applications in the food industry and encourage further investigation on Goji leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is one of the most important forestry resources and plays essential ecological roles in southern China. A draft nuclear genome sequence is expected to be publicly available in the near future; an explosion of gene expression data related to the unique traits of Moso bamboo will undoubtedly follow. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR ((RT-)qPCR) is a widely used method for gene expression analysis. A necessary prerequisite of exact and reliable data is the accurate choice of reference genes. Result: In this study, 14 candidate reference genes were chosen, and their expression levels were assessed by (RT-)qPCR in a set of six tissue samples (root, stem, mature stem, leaf, flower, and leaf sheath) and at two developmental stages (before and after flowering) in bamboo specimens obtained in three locations. The stability and suitability of the candidate reference genes were validated using the geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper programs. The results showed that TIP41 and NTB were suitable reference genes across all the tissues and at the different developmental stages examined in this study. While the expression of the NTB, TIP41 and UBQ were the mostly stable in different plant tissues samples, the expression of the TIP41, NTB and CAC were ranked the most stable in bamboo plants at various developmental stages. AP2-like gene was further assessed by using the reference genes TIP41 and NTB in comparison to ACT. Significant difference of the expression profile of AP2-like demonstrated the importance of choosing adequate reference genes in bamboo. Conclusion: TIP41 and NTB were found to be homogeneously expressed and were adequate for normalization purposes, showing equivalent transcript levels in different samples. They are therefore the recommended reference genes for measuring gene expression in P. edulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophora alopecuroides (Faboideae) is an endemic species, mainly distributed in northwest China. However, the limited molecular markers range for this species hinders breeding and genetic studies. A total of 20,324 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were identified from 118,197 assembled transcripts and 18 highly polymorphic SSR markers were used to explore the genetic diversity and population structure of S. alopecuroides from 23 different geographical populations. A relatively low genetic diversity was found in S. alopecuroides based on mean values of the number of effective alleles (Ne = 1.81), expected heterozygosity (He = 0.39) and observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.55). The results of AMOVA indicated higher levels of variation within populations than between populations. Bayesian-based cluster analysis, principal coordinates analysis and Neighbor-Joining phylogeny analysis roughly divided all genotypes into four major groups with some admixtures. Meanwhile, geographic barriers would have restricted gene flow between the northern and southern regions (separated by Tianshan Mountains), wherein the two relatively ancestral and independent clusters of S. alopecuroides occur. History trade and migration along the Silk Road would together have promoted the spread of S. alopecuroides from the western to the eastern regions of the northwest plateau in China, resulting in the current genetic diversity and population structure. The transcriptomic SSR markers provide a valuable resource for understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of S. alopecuroides, and will assist effective conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between whey protein isolate (WPI) and saponins plays a key role in regulating and improving foam properties. In this study, the influences of Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge leaves saponins (XLS) on the foaming properties of WPI were characterized. Results revealed that 0.2 or 0.3% XLS could significantly increase the particle size and turbidity, as well as significantly decrease the protein solubility. The spectrum results showed that there was an interaction between WPI and XLS, which caused the change in protein structure and exposed more hydrophobic groups. Importantly, WPI with 0.3% XLS significantly increased the surface hydrophobicity and decreased the surface tension, resulting in better foaming ability and foam stability. Moreover, the rheological determination suggested that WPI with XLS increased both the apparent viscosity and viscoelasticity. The best foaming performance of WPI was achieved with 0.3% XLS at pH 3, along with the formation of the most compact, smallest, and densest bubbles. According to the classification of mixed conditions suggested by principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis, WPI had good scores in the presence of both 0.2% and 0.3% XLS at pH 3, suggesting that XLS is a promising acidic foam additive applied to WPI food foam. • Both pH and XLS can change the interface properties of WPI. • XLS improved both foaming ability and stability of WPI. • XLS improved rheological properties of WPI by change the state of water. • Quantative associations between foam and physicochemical properties were studied. • WPI-XLS dispersions can be used for the development of acidic food foam in dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Non-thermal plasma induced the structural unfolding of WPI (whey protein isolate). • Non-thermal plasma enhanced the binding affinity of WPI to GR 1 (Ginsenoside Rg 1). • Non-thermal plasma improved the antioxidant activity of WPI-GR 1 complexes. • The complexes were used to stabilize soybean oil-in-water emulsions. • Non-thermal plasma treated WPI-GR 1 complexes formed emulsions with smaller droplets. Molecular interaction forces regulate the interfacial properties of oil-in-water emulsion and play a key role in the rheology and stability of the emulsion in the food industry. In this study, the effects of non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment on the structural and functional properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and its binding interaction with ginsenoside Rg 1 (GR 1) were investigated. The results based on surface hydrophobicity, infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy test showed that the NTP treatment induced the unfolding of the structure of WPI and promoted the binding affinity between WPI and GR 1. By comparing with untreated WPI (an α-helix content of 19.63 % and a β-sheet content of 31.66 %), there was a greater decrease in α-helix content and an increase in β-sheet content of WPI in N 20 -WPI (α-helix = 9.63 %, β-sheet = 39.63 %) and N 20 -WPI-GR 1 (α-helix = 4.98 %, β-sheet = 48.66 %) groups. Importantly, the NTP treatment increased the interfacial adsorption and antioxidant capacity of the WPI-GR1 complexes, which contributed to the improvement of the rheological properties and oxidation stability of the emulsion. As a result, the NTP treatment could markedly improve the rheological and antioxidative properties of the WPI-GR 1 complexes and the NTP-treated WPI-GR 1 emulsions was more stable than that untreated. The present research indicated that NTP-treated formation of protein-saponin complexes could enhance the functional properties of the proteins, thus expanding their application as functional ingradients in nutritionally fortified food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of agro-industrial residues is an interesting issue contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection. Lycium barbarum leaves (LBL) are agro-industrial residues of the L. barabrum berry cultivation and seriously underutilized, leading to resource waste and environmental pollution. In this study, we prepared cost-effective enzyme cocktails with high xylanase activity from a novel soil-derived fungal strain Aspergillus costaricensis LS18. The xylanase activity of these on-site produced enzyme cocktails was 3.49 ± 0.55 U/mL. Through the hydrolysis using the enzyme cocktails with 6% substrate loading at 45 °C for 12 h, 86.57 ± 1.81% of total reducing sugars (RS) from LBL was released. The concentration of RS in the hydrolysates reached 8.17 ± 0.33 mg/mL. In this study, LBL were added values by two mutually independent bioprocess ways. On the one hand, LBL were used as the only nutrients in the medium for the on-site production of enzyme cocktails by fermentation. On the other hand, through hydrolysis using this enzyme cocktail, LBL biomass was efficiently hydrolyzed and fermentable monosugars were gained. This study could benefit to the exploitation of LBL resources and provide the references for utilization of other agro-industrial residues. [Display omitted] • Composition and enzymolysis characteristics of LBL were investigated. • A novel high-producing xylanase fungal strain LS18 was isolated from ancient forest soil. • Underutilized LBL and LS18 were employed for preparation of cost-effective enzyme cocktail. • LBL were efficiently hydrolyzed by self-prepared enzyme cocktails. • A new protocol of cost-effective conversion of biomass into fermentable sugar was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Plant Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge (X. sorbifolia) has a long history of medicinal use as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine to deal with sterilizing, killing sperm, stabilizing capillary, hemostasis, lowering cholesterol, rheumatism, and pediatric enuresis. Additionally, X. sorbifolia is an oil crop for the production of edible oil due to the health-promotion effect. In recent years, X. sorbifolia has attracted worldwide attention as an important economic crop with low investment and high-income potential. This review aims to provide a comprehensive appraisal of X. sorbifolia , including the traditional uses, nutrients, phytochemical data, biological activities, and current applications. The natural compounds of X. sorbifolia and potential utilization in pharmacology are highlighted. The aim of this review is to inspire the research enthusiasm to X. sorbifolia and promote the comprehensive utilization of X. sorbifolia. The research information of X. sorbifolia was collected via Elsevier, American Chemical Society (ACS), PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu scholar, and Google scholar. Additionally, some information was collected from Ph.D. and Master's dissertations, as well as local books. The identification of approximately 195 major phytochemical compounds from different parts of X. sorbifolia is presented in this review, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, lignans, meroterpenoids, monoterpene, alkaloids, and sterol. Among them, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids are the major compounds. Extracts from X. sorbifolia exhibited a wide range of biological activities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-adipogenesis, anti-obesity, anti-HIV, gastroprotective, immunoregulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities. Modern pharmacological studies have been well supported and clarified the traditional medicinal uses of X. sorbifolia , which brought a promising prospect for the pharmaceutical value of this plant. However, the related mechanisms between the structure and pharmacological effects were seldom reported. Also, at present, effective and in-depth research on X. sorbifolia is still relatively lacking. Moreover, there is little research on toxicological experiments. Further clinical trials should also be performed to accelerate the drug research and development. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo juice is a traditional Chinese drink and herbal medicine, and bamboo juice oral liquids are widely sold for the treatment of cough and phlegm in China. In this study, 26 main compounds of bamboo juice (Phyllostachys edulis) were separated, precisely identified, and qualitative analysis using NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and quantitative analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer), respectively. Potentially harmful levels of added excessive preservatives, including benzoic acid, ethylparaben, and sorbic acid, were found in bamboo juice oral liquid. Carbohydrates were determined to be the major components of bamboo juice, with contents as high as 191.13 g L−1, far higher than those of other compounds. The result indicated that the cough relief activity of bamboo juice oral liquid may be related to their high levels of added preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]