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The health effects of 100% fruit and vegetable juices (FVJ) represent a controversial topic. FVJ contain notable amounts of free sugars, but also vitamins, minerals, and secondary compounds with proven biological activities like (poly)phenols and carotenoids. The review aimed to shed light on the potential impact of 100% FVJ on human subject health, comprehensively assessing the role each type of juice may have in specific health outcomes for a particular target population, as reported in dietary interventions. The effects of a wide range of FVJ (orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon, apple, white, red, and Concord grapes, pomegranate, cranberry, chokeberry, blueberry, other minor berries, sweet and tart cherry, plum, tomato, carrot, beetroot, and watermelon, among others) were evaluated on a series of outcomes (anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure and vascular function, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, cognitive function, exercise performance, gut microbiota composition and bacterial infections), providing a thorough picture of the contribution of each FVJ to a health outcome. Some juices demonstrated their ability to exert potential preventive effects on some outcomes while others on other health outcomes, emphasising how the differential composition in bioactive compounds defines juice effects. Research gaps and future prospects were discussed. Although 100% FVJ appear to have beneficial effects on some cardiometabolic health outcomes, cognition and exercise performance, or neutral effects on anthropometric parameters and body composition, further efforts are needed to better understand the impact of 100% FVJ on human subject health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the leafhopper genus Idioscopus Baker are described from China: Idioscopus bihamulus sp. nov. and I. ventrispinus sp. nov., the latter recorded on a species of Myrica L. (Myricaceae) as its host plant. A key and checklist to species of the genus from China are provided and Idioscopus taiwanus Huang & Maldonado-Capriles, 1992 is placed as a junior synonym of Idioscopus clypealis (Lethierry, 1889), syn. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harvest period of bayberry fruit cultivated in the open field is short and often suffers from continuous cloudy and rainy days, leading to a decrease in yield and a decline in fruit quality. However, cultivating bayberries in greenhouses could avoid the harm due to rain, improve fruit quality and prolong the supply period, thus significantly increasing economic returns. Bayberry fruit quality, assessed by single fruit weight, vertical and horizontal diameters, soluble solids content and sugar-acid ratios, was significantly superior in fruit produced under greenhouse conditions than in fruit produced in the open field. Analysis of the soluble sugar components and the related enzyme activities indicated that the sucrose accumulation and metabolism of bayberry fruit were significantly improved by greenhouse cultivation, possibly owing to differences in sucrose-phosphate synthase and acid invertase activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is an extremely toxic heavy metal that can originate from industrial activities and accumulate in agricultural soils. This study investigates the potential of biologically synthesized silicon oxide nanoparticles (Bio-SiNPs) in alleviating Cd toxicity in bayberry plants. Bio-SiNPs were synthesized using the bacterial strain Chryseobacterium sp. RTN3 and thoroughly characterized using advanced techniques. A pot experiment results demonstrated that Cd stress substantially reduced leaves biomass, photosynthesis efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activity, and induced oxidative damage in bayberry (Myrica rubra) plants. However, Bio-SiNPs application at 200 mg kg -1 significantly enhanced plant biomass, chlorophyll content (26.4 %), net photosynthetic rate (8.6 %), antioxidant enzyme levels, and mitigated reactive oxygen species production under Cd stress. Bio-SiNPs modulated key stress-related phytohormones by increasing salicylic acid (13.2 %) and abscisic acid (13.7 %) contents in plants. Bio-SiNPs augmented Si deposition on root surfaces, preserving normal ultrastructure in leaf cells. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that Bio-SiNPs treatment favorably reshaped structure and abundance of specific bacterial groups (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota) in the rhizosphere. Notably, Bio-SiNPs application significantly modulated the key metabolites (phenylacetaldehyde, glycitein, maslinic acid and methylmalonic acid) under both normal and Cd stress conditions. Overall, this study highlights that bio-nanoremediation using Bio-SiNPs enhances tolerance to Cd stress in bayberry plants by beneficially modulating biochemical, microbial, and metabolic attributes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Here, we examined the phytochemical profiles, antioxidant activity (AA), and antiproliferative activity (APA) of four Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) pulp extracts. They were found to be rich in total phenolics content (TPC; 186.45 ± 5.42 to 498.94 ± 8.25 mg of gallic acid equiv./100 g FW) and total flavonoids content (TFC; 126.28 ± 4.18 to 194.35 ± 12.03 mg of catechin equiv./100 g FW). For all varieties, the free flavonoid/phenolic/anthocyanin contents were higher than that the bound fractions. Wild pink bayberry (WPB) displayed the highest values of TPC and TFC, and also showed the highest total antioxidant activity (TAA) as revealed by peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) (451.47 ± 8.01 µmol Vit. C equiv./100 g FW), and free cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) (184.99 ± 6.11 µmol quercetin equiv./100 g FW, no PBS wash; 117.78 ± 2.34 µmol quercetin equiv./100 g FW, PBS wash) assays. Bayberry extracts had a marked reduction in the APA of HepG2 cells, and WPB exhibited the lowest EC50 (8.50 ± 0.83 mg/ml) value, which was probably associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Practical Application: Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) fruit is rich in natural phenolic compounds, which might be a functional ingredient in food and nutraceutical products. Our findings would provide a logical strategy to promote the comprehensive utilization of phenolics in bayberry fruit with both health and economy benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on isolating and characterising autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from spontaneously fermented Chinese bayberry (CB) and their potential application in CB wine fermentation in co-inoculation with yeast starter cultures. Numerous LAB, including Lactiplantibacillus (Lp.) plantarum (9), Limosilactobacillus (Lb.) fermentum (6), Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis (3), Enterococcus (Ec.) hirae (1), Leuconostoc (Le.) mesenteroides (1), and Weissella (Ws.) cibaria (1), were isolated and identified. The isolated strains Lp. plantarum ZFM710 and ZFM715, together with Lb. fermentum ZFM720 and ZFM722, adapted well to unfavourable fermentation environment, including ethanol, osmolality, and acidity stresses, were selected for producing CB wine by co-inoculation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During fermentation, the presence of LAB promoted the development of S. cerevisiae, while the population dynamics of LAB in different groups at different stages showed strain-specific differences. Fermentation trials involving LAB yielded a lower ethanol concentration except for Lp. plantarum ZFM715. Compared to the pure S. cerevisiae fermented sample, the addition of LAB led to a clear modulation in organic acid composition. Lb. fermentum strains in co-fermentation led to significant decreases in each classified group of aroma compounds, while Lp. plantarum ZFM715 significantly increased the complexity and intensity of aroma compounds, as well as the intensities of fruity and floral notes. The study selects interesting strains for the design of starter cultures for use in CB wine production, underlining the interest in the selection of autochthonous LAB in fruit wines, with the aim of improving the adaptation of bacteria to specific environmental conditions and shaping the unique traits of the finished products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background.: The management and control of malaria has become gradually challenging due to the spread of drug-resistant parasites, lack of effective vaccine, and the resistance of vector to insecticides. Consequently, novel agents are urgently needed from different sources including from medicinal plants. In Ethiopia and Uganda, Myrica salicifolia root is traditionally claimed for the treatment of malaria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo antimalarial activity of root crude extract of M salicifolia. Methods.: The parasite, Plasmodium berghei was used in this study since it is an appropriate parasite that is most commonly used because of its higher accessibility. A 4-day suppressive test was employed to evaluate the antimalarial effect of crude extract against early infection. The curative and prophylactic effect of the crude extract was further tested by Rane's test and residual infection procedure. Parasitemia, survival time, packed cell volume, body weight, and rectal temperature of mice were used as evaluation parameters. Windows SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data and analysis of variance followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference to compare results between groups. Results.: The root crude extract of M salicifolia significantly (P <.05-.0001) suppressed parasitemia. The crude extract exhibited a chemosuppression of 40.90. Conclusion.: The development of new antimalarial agents and the finding supports the traditional claims and previous in vitro studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myrica esculenta is an important dioecious medicinal tree species of the Himalayan region. The role of floral morphology and pollen flow between the sexes in M. esculenta is unknown. Therefore, a study on floral morphology, pollen production, germination and pollen dispersal in M. esculenta was undertaken in a Himalayan temperate forest during 2015–2016 for one reproductive season. Pollen production and dispersion were observed in two habitat conditions, viz. tree outside forest (TOF) and natural forest (NF). Pollen flow was observed by exposing jelly-coated slides at geometrically increasing distances under two habitat conditions, i.e. TOF and NF. The pollen production per tree was significantly higher in TOF conditions (two times more than the NF). The total pollen production in the trees of outside forest was 3.10 × 1011 ± 0.58 × 1011 pollen per tree which was 1.60 × 1011 ± 0.42 × 1011 pollen per tree in natural forest condition. The fruit set was 6% more in TOF condition than the NF, indicating pollen limitation fecundity in M. esculenta. Pollen dispersal strongly differed between TOF and NF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, designing smart membranes with multifunctional effectiveness is crucial to food freshness monitoring and retention. Herein, an active colorimetric Janus bilayer membrane with directional water transport (DWT) performance is constructed by electrospinning, which comprises a hydrophilic layer of silk fibroin-bayberry anthocyanins (SF-BAs) and a hydrophobic layer of polycaprolactone-eucalyptus oil (PCL-EO). The entities of BAs and EO are well dispersed in the fiber matrix by hydrogen bonds and physical interactions, respectively. BAs endow the membrane colorimetric response and antioxidant activity, and EO contributes to the antibacterial activity while DWT performance is generated from the asymmetric wettability of the two layers. The bilayer membrane has an accumulative one-way transport index of 1077%, an overall moisture management capacity of 0.76 and a water evaporation rate of 0.48 g h -1 . Moreover, the release of BAs and EO was predominantly controlled by Fickian diffusion. As a pH-sensing indicator, PCL-EO@SF-BAs is highly sensitive to external pH stimuli and the response is reversible. In addition to freshness monitoring, PCL-EO@SF-BAs can extend the shelf-life of pork beyond 100% at 4 °C. Also, it can extend the shelf life of shrimp by approximately 70% at 25 °C with the synergistic effect of antibacterial activity and the DWT performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the postharvest storage of Chinese bayberry, microbial loads and exogenous contaminants pose significant challenges, leading to rapid decay and deterioration in quality. This study introduced a synergistic approach, combining ultrasonics and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (US + SAEW), to enhance the postharvest storage quality of Chinese bayberry. This approach was benchmarked against conventional water washing (CW), standalone ultrasonic (US), and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) processing. Notably, compared to CW, the US + SAEW method enhanced iprodione and procymidone removal rates by 69.62 % and 72.45 % respectively, improved dirt removal efficiency by 122.87 %, repelled drosophila melanogaster larvae by 58.33 %, and curtailed total bacterial, mold & yeast growth by 78.18 % and 83.09 %. Furthermore, it postponed the appearance of sample decay by 6 days, compared to 4 days for both US and SAEW alone. From a physicochemical perspective, compared to CW-treated samples, US + SAEW processing mitigated weight loss and color deviations, retained hardness, amplified the sugar-acid ratio, augmented activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes, suppressed polyphenol oxidase activity and malondialdehyde synthesis, and preserved total phenolic, anthocyanin, and antioxidant levels. These findings underscore the potential of US + SAEW as a strategic tool to preserve the quality of Chinese bayberry during postharvest storage., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bayberry juice is favored for its unique taste and flavor, while heat sterilization tends to reduce the aroma quality during processing, which limits its acceptability to consumers. To address this issue, we use exogenous polyphenols to regulate flavor compounds to improve the product quality. Total 13 differential key aroma-active compounds were identified between fresh bayberry juice (FBJ) and heat-sterilized bayberry juice (HBJ) using aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and odor activity values (OAVs). Further, eight polyphenols were added to investigate their influences on the aroma quality of HBJ respectively. The results showed that all tested polyphenols could maintain the aroma profile of HBJ closer to FBJ and improve the odor preference of HBJ, among which resveratrol and daidzein were most effective. Their aroma molecular regulatory mechanism involved enhancing the characteristic aroma of bayberry and reducing the certain off-flavored compounds produced by heat sterilization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Key message: The population of M. esculenta tends to deviate from the equilibrium of expected 1:1 primary sex ratio predicted by Fisherian theory. Populations of dioecious plants may often exhibit biased sex ratios, which generally favour males. A study on reproductive potential, i.e., pollen production and female flower production, and reproductive success in Myricaesculenta was assessed in three diameter (diameter at breast height: dbh at 1.37 m) classes, i.e., small (10–20 cm), medium (20–30 cm), and large (30–40 cm). Population structure and sex ratio was determined in transects in four major associations of Myricaesculenta, i.e., (i) with mixed Oak-Rhododendron forest (ii) with Chir Pine–Oak forest, (iii) with pure Oak forest, and (iv) with pure Deodar forest. The sex ratio of trees was male-biased. Male frequency was higher in lower diameter classes and maximum on resource-poor site. More female individuals were recorded in higher-diameter classes and resource rich location, indicating that the total reproductive cost in M. esculenta is greater in female trees than that of the male trees. The population of M.esculenta tends to deviate from the equilibrium of expected 1:1 primary sex ratio predicted by Fisherian theory. The male trees demonstrated greater survival, especially in resource-poor conditions, which was reflected strongly biased sex ratios within the lower size classes. The study would be helpful for formulating appropriate silvicultural and genetic management strategies for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • High temperature and high light intensity induced bayberry photoinhibition. • D1 protein, Deg and FtsH proteases were destroyed by these stresses. • Photosystem II dysfunction was the main cause of photoinhibition. • Bayberry cultivar 'Dongkui' was more resistant to these stresses than 'Tanmei'. Abstract High temperature and high light intensity have negative effects on photosynthetic capacity. Bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) photosynthesis is prone to decline under these stresses; however, the mechanisms underlying the low capacity of bayberry photosynthesis induced by these stresses remain largely unknown. The responses of two bayberry cultivars, 'Dongkui' and 'Tanmei', to stress were studied. At the optimum temperature (25 °C), high light intensity of 1500 μmol m−2s−1 (HL1500) strikingly decreased the values of effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ PS II), maximal quantum yield of PS II, photochemical quenching, and induced increases in non-photochemical quenching compared to the values of these fluorescence parameters at low light intensity of 500 μmol m−2s−1, while medium light intensity had less effect. Combining high temperature of 40 °C (HT40) and high light intensities (HL1500) enhanced this negative effect. Thus, both HT40 and HL1500 induced bayberry photoinhibition. Changes in the amounts of D1 protein and the proteases Deg1 and FtsH, as well as inhibitor experiments, suggested that D1 turnover was disrupted by both HT40 and HL1500. Analysis of the physiological changes in response to the above stresses implied that 'Dongkui' was more resistant than 'Tanmei' to both HT40 and HL1500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • L ∗, a ∗, b ∗, anthocyanin, total phenol and flavonoids decreased at all temperatures. • 5-HMF and browning index kept constant at 4 and 25 °C while increased at 37 °C. • The degradation of anthocyanin followed a first-order kinetic model. • No furfurals and ascorbic acid were detected at all temperatures during storage. • Wines stored at a higher temperature showed higher polymeric pigments. Abstract The color changes of Chinese bayberry wines during storage is a wide and urgent problem and its mechanism is still not clear. The changes of composition and color parameters of Chinese bayberry wines were studied during 70 days of storage in the dark at three different temperatures (4, 25 and 37 °C). The L ∗, a ∗, b ∗, anthocyanins, total phenols, and total flavonoids decreased along with the increase of polymeric pigments at all temperatures while 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and browning index increased only at 37 °C. The degradation of anthocyanins followed a first-order kinetic model. No furfurals and ascorbic acid were detected at all temperatures during storage. Wines stored at higher temperature showed higher polymeric pigments. The result probably indicated phenols especially anthocyanins and polymeric pigments seem to be main factors than Maillard reaction in the color changes of Chinese bayberry wines during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Myrica esculenta is a socio-economically important but underutilized keystone species of lesser Himalayas. The population of M. esculenta is declining in lesser Himalayas due to change in male-female ratio, habitat fragmentation, invasion by chir pine, over-exploitation, and an ever-increasing human population – with an increasing demand of land for agriculture, industries, and urbanization. The shrinking habitat along with unknown genetic diversity may hinder the application of conservation and genetic improvement of this species. The present research work was carried out to map the geographical distribution and predict the potential occurrence of M. esculenta in Uttarakhand, India. The Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (RS & GIS) based technology is utilized for prediction modeling and eco-distribution mapping. In total, 1022 species occurrence geospatial data were recorded for M. esculenta. The field surveys provided wide-range of slope, aspect and elevation of the species. The well distributed geo-coordinates (30.52%) were used in the Maxent model for predicting the distribution. Digital Image Processing (DIP) was done through geo-model tools. The results of Maxent model was found to be highly accurate with a statistically highly significant AUC value of 0.913 ± 0.020. The Jackknife test revealed temperature seasonality (Bio 4), mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio 8), slope and precipitation of driest month (Bio 14) contributed significantly in predicting the distribution. The eco-distribution map, prepared using the LANDSAT-8 satellite imagery, showed 477.26 km2 geographical area under M. esculenta distribution. Within the total area, 111.17, 260.52 and 105.57 km2 were observed under very dense, moderately dense and open forest, respectively. The potential distribution area calculated in ASTER – GDEM satellite image was 2017.14 km2. The satellite-based distribution map would be useful for forest departments, scientists, and researchers to locate actual M. esculenta distribution sites for future in situ and ex situ conservation. This approach could be promising in overlaying genetic diversity values over the map and could be effectively utilized in M. esculenta conservation, restoration and management programmes. The present study provides the first eco-distribution map and generated base-line data of M. esculenta in Uttarakhand, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we determined and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of four species of Idiocerinae (Liocratus salicis, Idioscopus myrica, Populicerus populi and Parocerus laurifoliae) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). The Idiocerinae mitogenomes ranged in size from 15,287 (Idioscopus nitidulus) to 16,811 bp (Parocerus laurifoliae). The mitogenomes were highly conserved regarding gene content, gene size, gene order, base composition, codon usage of protein-coding genes, and secondary RNA structures, which were similar to those of other leafhoppers. Most protein-coding genes began with ATN and ended with either TAA or TAG. The secondary structure of the 16S RNA contained six domains with 42 helices, and the 12S RNA comprised three domains with 24 helices. Additionally, a multicopy of tRNA-Ile (AAT) (76 bp) was observed in Liocratus salicis , located between the control region and tRNA-I-tRNA-Q-tRNA-M. Phylogenetic analyses showed that each subfamily was recovered as monophyletic within Cicadellidae, and Deltocephalinae species constituted one clade and tended to be placed at the basal position of the tree as the sister group to the other leafhopper subfamilies. The Megophthalminae, Idiocerinae, and the treehoppers always formed a clade with high support values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photosynthesis was investigated 30 d after Pb treatment in Myrica rubra seedlings. The Pb treatment resulted in significantly increased Pb concentrations in shoots. Low Pb concentration exposure (≤2 mM) reduced the net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and stomatal conductance (gs) without affecting the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), chlorophyll (Chl) content, and Chl fluorescence parameters. At 10 d after severe Pb treatment (≥4 mM), PN was inhibited and accompanied by Chl damage, while at 30 d, the inhibition of PN was followed by an increase of Ci and a decrease of gs, E, Chl content, and Chl fluorescence parameters. M. rubra showed a promising prospect for use in the soil phytoremediation, when Pb concentration is low, but the remediation efficiency of M. rubra is limited if Pb exceeds 2 mM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) is a typical fruit tree grown in the hilly region of Southern China. The fruit is sensitive to storage and transportation conditions and presents a major problem in its commercialization. The present study was conducted to investigate the regulation of gene expression involved in plant hormone signaling pathway in the Chinese bayberry with different treatments of heat and 1-methylcyclopene (1-MCP) during postharvest storage. In one treatment group (HM group), we exposed Chinese bayberry fruit to 48 °C for 10 min and then sealed them in a desiccator with 5 μl·L-1 of 1-MCP for 24 h at 20 °C, followed by storage at 10 °C. Another group (CK group) was directly stored at 10 °C without any prior treatment. Samples of fruit were collected every three days, at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 d (CK3, CK6, CK9, CK12 and CK15; and HM3, HM6, HM9, HM12, and HM15, respectively). The decay index of fruits in the CK group increased after six days of storage but did not increase until nine days of storage in the HM group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the CK group was shown a downtrend during storage, and almost no fluctuation from six days. In the HM group, SOD activity increased after three days, but decreased sharply after six days storage. Besides, peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were shown the similar trend during the storage, both of them first increased and then decreased form the six days of storage. These physiological data indicated that the sixth day is a crucial time during the storage of Chinese bayberry treated with heat and 1-MCP. Therefore, the transcriptome libraries were constructed from CK0, CK6, HM6 group, respectively. The analysis of top 20 KEGG pathways showed that most differentially expressed genes were involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, particularly flavonoids and flavanols biosynthesis, in CK0 vs. CK6 and CK0 vs. HM6. However, the top three KEGG pathways in CK6 vs. HM6 were the ribosome, RNA transport and endocytosis during the storage. Expression of six ethylene receptor (ETR) genes and four ethylene-responsive transcription factor (ERF) genes were activated at transcriptional level during the postharvest stage and were decreased by heat and 1-MCP treatment, and serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (CTR1) was also repressed by treatment. Abscisic acid (ABA) -responsive element binding factor (ABF) gene, auxin-responsive GH3 gene and transcription factor MYC2 gene also showed similar expression pattern with ethylene pathway genes. These results might improve our understanding of the mechanisms of heat and 1-MCP inhibition of fruit postharvest physiology and prolongation of fruit shelf life. Highlights • ETR, ERF and CTR1 were repressed by heat and 1-MCP treatment. • ABF, GH3 and MYC2 were shown the similar expression pattern with ethylene pathway genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial plants, due to their sessile nature, are highly exposed to environmental pressure and therefore need to produce very effective molecules that enable them to survive all the threats. Myrica and Morella (Myricaceae) are taxonomically close genera, which include species of trees or shrubs with edible fruits that exhibit relevant uses in traditional medicine. For instance, in Chinese or Japanese folk medicine, they are used to treat diarrhea, digestive problems, headache, burns, and skin diseases. A wide array of compounds isolated from different parts of Myrica and/or Morella species possess several biological activities, like anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and cardio-/neuro-/hepatoprotective activities, both in vitro and in vivo, with myricanol, myricitrin, quercitrin, and betulin being the most promising. There are still many other compounds isolated from both genera whose biological activities have not been evaluated, which represents an excellent opportunity to discover new applications for those compounds and valorize Morella/Myrica species.

Oxidative stress is one of the risk factors for the development of several chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidants are therefore highly sought and can be seen as a type of preventive medicine against several diseases. Myrica and Morella genus (Myricaceae) are taxonomically very close and their species are trees or shrubs with edible fruits that exhibit relevant uses in traditional medicine, for instance in Chinese or Japanese folk medicine they are used to treat diarrhea, digestive problems, headache, burns and skin diseases. Nearly 36 compounds were isolated from different morphological parts of Myrica and/or Morella species and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities evaluated. Thirteen of these compounds exhibit greater effects than the positive controls used. Adenodimerin A was the most active compound reported (in a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay EC50= 7.9 ± 0.3 µM). These results are just one aspect of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory evaluations reported regarding Myrica and Morella species, so a comprehensive overview on the current status, highlighting the antioxidant health promoting effect of these species, their key antioxidant compounds as well as the compounds with protective effects against oxidative stress related diseases such as inflammation, is relevant.

Myanmar has a rich pool of, but less known, medicinal plants with traditional knowledge. In this study, we aimed to investigate the inhibitory activity of traditional Myanmar medicinal plants against the type III secretion system (T3SS) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium UK-1 χ8956 and the intestinal disease-caused by microbes including S. enterica serovar Typhimurium UK-1 χ8956, Proteusbacillus vulgaris CPCC 160013, Escherichia coli CICC 10003, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. The EtOH extracts of 93 samples were used to screen the inhibitory activities against the secretion of T3SS effector proteins SipA/B/C/D of S. enterica and the antibacterial activity against S. enterica, P. vulgaris, E. coli, and S. aureus. Out of 71 crude drugs traditionally used, 18 were proofed to be effective either on the growth inhibition of tested bacteria and/or as inhibitors for the T3SS. The EtOH extracts of five plants, Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Wight & Arn. (My7), Myrica nagi Thunb. (My11), Terminalia citrina Roxb. ex Fleming (My21), Thymus vulgaris L. (My49), and Cinnamomum bejolghota (Buch.-Ham.) Sweet (My104), showed potent inhibitory activities against the secretion of T3SS proteins SipA/B/C/D of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium UK-1 χ 8956. Mansonia gagei J.R.Drumm (My3) and Mesua ferrea (Roxb.) L. (My10) showed strong antibacterial activities against P. vulgaris and S. aureus. This study provided the first scientific evidence of T3SS prohibiting and antibacterial properties for the traditional knowledge in Myanmar of using plants as medicines for treating infections and gastrointestinal disease. Further researches are proposed to discover the active chemical compounds and mechanism of L. scandens (Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Wight & Arn, M. nagi Thunb., T. citrina Roxb. ex Fleming, T. vulgaris L., and C. bejolghota (Buch.-Ham.) Sweet as antivirulence drugs and the potential of M. gagei J.R.Drumm and M. ferrea L. as new broad spectrum plant antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully elucidate molecular mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis in Chinese bayberry, transcriptomes of two genotypes with different colours, white cultivar (Shuijing, SJ) and red cultivar (Biqi, BQ), were compared. During fruit development, ‘BQ’ exhibited substantial increase of total anthocyanins content together with dramatic decrease of total soluble proanthocyanidins (PAs) content, while ‘SJ’ displayed decrease of total soluble PAs levels but failed to accumulate anthocyanin. Based on the sequencing results, 124,265 unigenes were generated with an average length of 708 bp. All genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and glycosylation were identified and their expression patterns were in accordance with total anthocyanin accumulation in developing fruits of ‘BQ’ and ‘SJ’. Expression levels of leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) and anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) were down-regulated in ‘SJ’ in agreement with the decrease in PAs, while an opposite trend was observed in ‘BQ’. The higher expression levels of LAR and ANR in ‘BQ’ may be an important reason for the higher levels of total soluble PAs as compared to ‘SJ’. Phylogenetic analysis showed that seven MYBs could be identified as putative homologues of PA-specific regulator and exhibited considerable genotypic and temporal specificity of expression. In addition, three WD40 genes in Chinese bayberry clustered with the WD40s related to flavonoid biosynthesis in other species. Finally, RNA-Seq data was validated by using qRT-PCR analysis with a high correlation, suggesting that the RNA-Seq data here are credible. These results provide new insights into the regulation of the complex branching pathway leading to various flavonoid compounds biosynthesis in bayberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirophysalis trinodis and Polycladia myrica, two brown seaweeds present on the southeast coast of Iran, were evaluated for their nutritional and functional properties after drying. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of crude polysaccharides revealed the characteristic absorption bands of phenol, O-H, C-H, C-O-S, C-O, C=O, C-H groups, and ß-glycosidic linkages from cellulose, with the sulfate contents estimated as 4.89 ± 0.11% and 6.96 ± 0.05% of SO4-2. Results of nutritional profiles revealed all of the essential amino acids, especially methionine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, threonine, valine, phenyl alanine, and arginine. In addition, important fatty acids such as linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid were found in high amounts. The other nutritional components present in high amounts were proline and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc. The antibacterial activity was weak, but the result of antioxidant activities (hydroxyl and superoxide radicals scavenging and ferrous-ion chelating ability) of crude polysaccharides was considerable. In general, the findings of this study recommend that S. trinodis and P. myrica dried seaweeds have a potent nutritional value and might be used as a valuable source of nutrient supplements for humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myricetin is a flavonoids compound extracted from edible myrica rubra. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Myricetin on colonic chronic inflammation and inflammation-driven tumorigenesis in mice. Myricetin was administrated by gavage for 4 consecutive weeks. Mice were sacrificed and the number of colonic polyps was counted. Myricetin significantly inhibited AOM/DSS-induced colitis and colorectal tumorigenesis. Myricetin prevented the incidence of colorectal tumorigenesis and reduced the size of colorectal polyps. Histopathologic analysis showed that Myricetin could attenuate the degree of colonic inflammation and colorectal tumorigenesis. Further analysis showed that Myricetin strongly reduced the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), PCNA and Cyclin D1 in the colonic tissues as analyzed by the assays of immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting and Q-RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that Myricetin possesses the biological activities of chemoprevention colonic chronic inflammation and inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. We suggest that Myricetin could be developed as a promising chemopreventive drug for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commonly used removal processes for heavy metals from contaminated wastewater and cited in the literature are chemical precipitation, electrowinning, carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, preconcentrations, biosorption, phytoremediation etc. Among these, biosorption is comparatively efficient, low cost, economical and reliable process. Actually, the reliability of the process is depending on the choice of local biosorbents and their abundant availability. The waste plant leaves of Kafal were collected from the region of Kumaun hills of India. The paper explains that the Kafal leaf powder is a good biosorbent for the removal of Cu (II) ions from contaminated wastewater under batch study. The experimental data indicate that high removal efficiency is obtained at optimized conditions viz. higher pH, lower metal ion concentrations, moderate higher temperatures and higher dosage of biosorbents. The biosorption efficiency is recorded 88.98% at pH 6, 48.99% at contact time 70 minutes and 40.01% at a higher dosage of biosorbent. The regression value is indicating that the order for all used isotherms model is Langmuir> Freundlich > Temkin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the inhibitory effects of samples extracted by different solvents from bayberry on eight common foodborne pathogens and investigated the main bacteriostatic components of bayberry extracts using ultraviolet and ultraperformance liquid chromatographic-electrospray mass spectrometry. Among the different solvent extracts, the water-extracted sample (BE1) had the greatest average inhibition zone diameter for the tested foodborne pathogens, which reached 22.1 mm. Among them, Salmonella paratyphi, Listeria innocua, and Listeria monocytogenes were most sensitive to BE1, and the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration value was 2.07 mg/mL. The polyphenol content in BE1 was the highest at 24.11 mg/mL. In addition, the main bacteriostatic component in BE1 was identified as cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. As natural antimicrobial agents, the antimicrobial compounds in berries are likely to have many important applications in food and medical industries in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myrica esculenta (Myricaceae) commonly known as box berry or kaphal is an important Indian medicinal plant. It is found in foothill tracks of Eastern Himalayas, Meghalaya, Nepal, China and Pakistan. Local tribes mainly use its fruits to prepare pickle and refreshing drinks. Traditionally, the bark has been used for the treatment of cough, asthma, fever, chronic bronchitis, diarrhoea, rheumatism and inflammation; roots have been used in bronchitis, asthma, cholera and flowers claimed to treat earache, diarrhoea, paralysis. Phytochemical studies of the different parts of plant revealed the presence of various bioactive phytoconstituents such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, glycosides, triterpenoids and volatile oils. The plant is also reported to have innumerable significant pharmacological activities like analgesic, anxiolytic, antiallergic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antiulcer, antioxidant and antiinflammatory evaluated by using various animal models. The objective of the present review article is to compile all the relevant published information regarding traditional uses, phytochemistry and therapeutic potential of M. esculenta. For this purpose various databases and books were examined. The review clearly demonstrates the importance of this plant in ethnomedicine and its immense potential in modern medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Box myrtle (Myrica nagi) belongs to family Myricaceae is a sub-temperate tree found throughout the mid-Himalayas at an elevation of 1300 to 2100 meters above mean sea level. Its fruits are known for their ravishing taste and have been reported as rich source of anti-oxidants like phenols and anthocyanins. In the present study drink was prepared from box myrtle juice and quality evaluation was carried out during six months of storage of fruit drink. Different combinations of juice (8%, 10%, 12%, 14% and 16 %) and sugar syrup/TSS (Total soluble solids) (12oB and 15oB) were tried to standardize proper combination for drink. The drink prepared by following the best selected recipe (14 % juice and 12 oB TSS) was packed in glass and PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles and stored for six months under ambient and refrigerated temperature conditions. Drink could be safely stored for a period of six months under both the storage conditions without much change in various quality characteristics. Various physico-chemical characteristics increased/decreased like TSS (12.05 to 12.48oB), reducing sugars (7.80 to 8.69 %), titratable acidity (0.30 to 0.27 %), ascorbic acid (1.09 to 0.47 mg/100 g), total phenols (27.35 to 19.11 mg/100 g) and anthocyanins (6.14 to 3.69 mg/100 g).However, the changes in the quality characteristics of the drink were slower in refrigerated storage conditions as compared to ambient conditions. Both the packaging materials viz. PET and glass bottles were found suitable, with comparatively less changes occurring in glass bottles stored under refrigerated conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Reducing spoilage and prolonging the shelf-life of food materials are both critically important in the food industry. Among the many available preservatives, ethanol has been widely used for the storage of fruits and vegetables. Although a few ethanol emitters are available in the form of antimicrobial packaging, these ethanol emitters demonstrate high volatility, uncontrolled release and other disadvantages, and so the practical applications are limited. RESULTS A novel ethanol gel with a controlled release rate was prepared by a gelatification reaction between ethanol and sodium stearate to overcome the disadvantage of conventional ethanol emitters. The hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness of developed ethanol gels increased, whereas the springiness decreased along with an increase in the sodium stearate concentration. The release rate of ethanol in the gels was controlled by the concentration of sodium stearate, in which a first-order release kinetic was observed. The release rate constant ( k) of the gels with 12.5, 37.5, 62.5 g kg−1 of sodium stearate was 0.58 ± 0.029, 0.49 ± 0.035 and 0.41 ± 0.021 h−1, respectively, at 25 °C. The application of the controlled release ethanol emitter with respect to the storage of Chinese bayberry fruit demonstrated its ability to reduce the decay rate, maintain firmness and inhibit increased malondialdehyde content at 4 °C. CONCLUSION In terms of practical applications, an appropriate sodium stearate content can be selected in accordance with the storage period, aiming to achieve precise storage goals. Therefore, the ethanol emitter has potential application prospects as an active packaging for Chinese bayberry fruit, as well as for other perishable products. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been a periodic bird-strike problem at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA), New York, New York, causing runway closures, flight delays, and damage to aircraft following the ingestion of bird flocks into engines. We examined 65 tree swallows collected at JFKIA in October 2001 to determine food sources that were attracting the birds to the airport. Digestive tracts of all 65 specimens contained northern bayberry fruits (Myrica pensylvanica), averaging 15.6 fruits per bird or 3.4% of the bird’s body mass in specimens where the entire tract was dissected. Bayberry fruits are a highly attractive food source for tree swallows, especially during fall migration when insects are limited. Beginning late in 2001, a bayberry removal program was instituted at JFKIA. We examined tree swallow strike reports from JFKIA before and after this program began and found a 75% reduction in the number of strikes after removal of bayberry bushes. Removal of bayberry from coastal airports like JFKIA may facilitate the dispersal of tree swallow flocks that use airports as resting sites during their migration and may reduce the risk to birds and dangerous encounters with aircraft, thus limiting problems caused by runway closures and flight delays.

The chemical profile of Myrica rubra (a native species in China) leaf extract was investigated by UPLC-PDA-HRMS, and the neuroprotective activity of two characteristic constituents, myricanol and myricetrin, was evaluated with N2a cells using H2O2-inducedoxidative challenge through a series of methods, e.g., MTT assay, ROS assay and [Ca2+]i assay. Among the 188 constituents detected in the extract of Myrica rubra leaf, 116 were identified definitely or tentatively by the comprehensive utilization of precise molecular weight and abundant multistage fragmentation information obtained by quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry. In addition, 14 potential new compounds were reported for the first time. This work established an example for the research of microconstituents in a complex analyte and revealed that suppression of H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in N2a cells was achieved by the pretreatment with myricanol. The evidence suggested myricanol may potentially serve as a remedy for prevention and therapy of neurodegenerative diseases induced by oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different Chinese bayberry leaves proanthocyanidins (BLPs) extracts were prepared by a normal extraction method, Sephadex LH-20 column purification (SPBLPs) and ultrasound degradation (UDBLPs). Their peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) and anti-lipid oxidation activity were evaluated. SPBLPs had a high PSC value at 23000.4 ± 398.5 mg of vitamin C equivalent/100 g. An emulsion model containing cholesterol and linoleic acid was used to evaluate the anti-lipid oxidation ability of BLPs. The inhibition rates of 7-ketocholesterol for the UDBLPs and SPBLPs at 40 μg/mL were 83.8 ± 0.6% and 88.5 ± 0.4% respectively, which were equivalent to that of artificial antioxidant BHT or TBHQ at 20 μg/mL. SPBLPs exhibited great antioxidant activity in prevention of lipid oxidation. The prevention of linoleic acid oxidation was highly correlated to the total phenolic contents (TPC), while the correlation of the inhibition of cholesterol oxidation and the proanthocyanidins contents was higher than that of the TPC. Overall, UDBLPs or SPBLPs could be a natural antioxidant applied for health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myrica rubraSieb. et Zucc. is a valuable fruit tree that is used in Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese traditional medicine. We investigated the anti-inflammatory activity ofM. rubraleaves extracted with four different solvents. Total phenolics were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Extracts were investigated for their inhibitory activity toward the pro-inflammatory enzymes cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 (COX-1, COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). The ethanol extract ofM. rubraleaves demonstrated a strong inhibition of prostaglandin E2(PGE2) biosynthesis catalyzed by both COX-1 (93.42%) and COX-2 (75.71%) and leukotriene B4(LTB4) formation catalyzed by 5-LOX (82.72%). Further we identified selective COX-1 inhibition by then-butanol and aqueous fractions of the ethanol extract (with an IC50for COX-1 inhibition of 1.07 and 0.71 µg mL−1,respectively) and dual 5-LOX/COX inhibition by the ethyl acetate fraction (with an IC50of 3.29 for COX-1, 2.54 for COX-2 and 8.30 µg mL−1for 5-LOX). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the dynamic differences in transcriptome and gene expression in chinese bayberry flowers of different sex types, the female 'Fugong-1' (WT) and its monoecious mutant (MT) were used as experimental materials. Using Illumina HiSeqTM 2500, flowers at the inflorescence germination, inflorescence elongation, and initial flowering stages were sequenced by RNA-seq technology and 6 libraries were obtained. After sequence assemble, 84,945 unigenes greater than 200 bp were found and the total length was 71.66 Mb. Transcriptomic expression analysis of the six libraries indicated that there was only 297 genes showed different expression at the inflorescence germination stage between MT andWT, the difference of which was the minimum. At the elongation stage and the initial flowering stage, such numbers increased to 787 and 2722, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis revealed that the enriched differentially expressed genes (DEGs) included those related with transcription in DNA-templated (GO: 0006355), pollen exine formation (GO: 0010584), plasma membrane (GO: 0005886), sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor activity (GO: 0003700), and 2-alkenal reductase [NAD(P)] activity (GO: 0032440)GOcategories, etc. Among these processes, pollen exine formation plays an important role in pollen cell wall synthesis and sporopollen participates in the biosynthesis of sporopollenin. High expression levels of these related genes were closely related to the MT's male flower traits during the initial flowering stage, which resulted in the male characteristics in MT flower. This study provides important foundation for further mining important genes and regulating factors controlling the sex differentiation of flowers in chinese bayberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to differentiate the flavor (taste and odor) profiles of 11 Chinese bayberry cultivars ( Myrica rubra ). The physicochemical analysis for taste indicated the bayberry cultivars were quite different in soluble sugars, organic acids, color, total phenolics and anthocyanin contents. Sucrose was the main soluble sugar in bayberry fruit. Principal component analysis (PCA) of physicochemical properties indicated bayberries could be divided into 5 groups, and the Bi qi cultivar contained the highest brix/acid ratio demonstrating the sweetest taste. PCA of aroma-active profile for odor (analyzed by SPME–GC–MS–O) indicated bayberries could be divided into 3 groups: α-pinene (“pine” odor) for group 1 (four cultivars), β-caryophyllene and isocaryophyllene (“woody” odor) for group 2 (six cultivars), and ethyl acetate (“overripe” odor) for group 3 (one cultivar). Our research on the physicochemical and active-aroma of 11 bayberry cultivars will help to select suitable cultivars to increase consumer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is highly associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer and has drawn great attention. Natural products suggest a potential role in prevention of these disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties of Chinese bayberry leaves (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) flavonoids (BLF) comprehensively through the combination of in vitro digestion, chemical and cellular antioxidant assays. Based on the LC/MS data, the major flavonoids of BLF were myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside. BLF owned strong chemical and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) with its CAA value at 4253.884 ± 435.366 μmol of QE/100 g DW. After the in vitro digestion, the total flavonoids content, myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Lower levels of the total flavonoid content and cellular uptake of myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside might contribute to the lower CAA value of digested BLF (DBLF). However, DBLF still owns considerable chemical antioxidant activities and CAA compared with many plants. Furthermore, both BLF and DBLF exhibited dose-dependent relationship against HepG2 proliferation. Taken together, BLF has a great potential to be developed as a natural antioxidant for promoting public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, non-thermal plasma-activated water (PAW) became a relatively new concept developed in the food industry. The effects of PAW on fruit decay, microbial loads, and quality of postharvest Chinese bayberry were investigated. Chinese bayberries were treated by PAW for 0.5, 2, or 5 min and then stored at 3 °C for 8 days. Experimental results show that all PAW treatments could reduce fruit decay by around 50 % compared to control at the end of storage. There was no dose-effect relationship between PAW treatment time and fruit decay. Meanwhile, a 0.5-min PAW treatment could remarkably decrease microbial population on Chinese bayberries during storage, and the maximum reductions reached around 1.1 log CFU/g both for bacteria and fungi at the end day of storage. Scanning electron microscopy results reveal that PAW could significantly change the morphology of microbial cells on Chinese bayberries. Moreover, physicochemical properties analysis of PAW demonstrates that the microbial inactivation of PAW is mainly attributed to the combined action of high oxidation reduction potential and low pH. Additionally, PAW-treated fruits exhibited markedly higher firmness, color index of red grapes, and total soluble solids than the control did at the eighth day. These results indicate that PAW might be a promising strategy to control fruit decay and maintain quality of Chinese bayberry during postharvest storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]