Lycium genus (Goji berry) is recognized as a good source of homology of medicine and food, with various nutrients and phytochemicals. Lately, numerous studies have focused on the chemical ...constituents and biological functions of the L. barbarum L., covering phytochemical and pharmacological aspects. We aim to provide exclusive data on the nutrients of L. barbarum L. fruits and phytochemicals, including their structural characterization, the evolution of extraction, and purification processes of different phytochemicals of L. barbarum L. fruit while placing greater emphasis on their wide-ranging health effects. This review also profitably offers innovative approaches for the food industry and industrial applications of L. barbarum L. and addresses some current situations and problems in the development of L. barbarum L. in deep processing products, which can provide clues for the sustainable development of L. barbarum L. industry.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was a major public health problem worldwide. Renal fibrosis, especially tubulointerstitial fibrosis, is final manifestation of CKD. Many studies have demonstrated that ...TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway plays a crucial role in renal fibrosis. Therefore, targeted inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway can be used as a potential therapeutic measure for tubulointerstitial fibrosis. At present, a variety of targeting TGF-β1 and its downstream Smad proteins have attracted attention. Natural products used as potential therapeutic strategies for tubulointerstitial fibrosis have the characteristics of acting on multiple targets by multiple components and few side effects. With the continuous research and technique development, more and more molecular mechanisms of natural products have been revealed, and there are many natural products that inhibited tubulointerstitial fibrosis
TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. This review summarized the role of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in tubulointerstitial fibrosis and natural products against tubulointerstitial fibrosis by targeting TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Additionally, many challenges and opportunities are presented for inhibiting renal fibrosis in the future.
Adsorption and photocatalytic degradation are effective strategies to purify the wastewater caused by organic dyes. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) powders are prepared from melamine ...with a thermal decomposition method, which are applied to synthesize the direct Z-scheme g-C3N4-ZnO@graphene aerogel (g-C3N4-ZnO@GA) heterojunctions with a hydrothermal self-assembly combined with freeze-drying. As adsorbents and photocatalysts, the heterojunctions exhibit superior adsorption capacity and catalytic activity for the elimination of organic pollutants irradiated by UV and visible light. Among all the materials, g-C3N4-ZnO@GA(30%) displays the best purification efficiencies of rhodamine B (RhB) under both UV and visible light illumination, reaching 81.0% and 82.7%, respectively, because of its hierarchical porous structure and the synergistic effect among the components. More importantly, g-C3N4-ZnO@GA(30%) possesses good reusability, which can keep 87.1% of the initial activity after four cycles. What's more, the heterojunctions also demonstrate high removal efficiency for other organic dyes, such as methyl orange (MO), demonstrating their promising application in environmental remediation. Finally, based on the experimental investigations, a reasonable photocatalytic mechanism is proposed and analyzed. The present work provides a promising way to construct the direct Z-scheme porous heterojunctions for elimination of environmental pollutants.
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•The direct Z-scheme g-C3N4-ZnO@GA heterojunctions are facilely constructed.•They possess superior removal performance for various organic pollutants.•A reasonable photocatalytic mechanism is proposed and analyzed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•15NH4+-fed tea plants accumulate more 15N than 15NO3−-fed plants.•Tea plants maintain a balanced concentration of NH4+ in tea leaves.•Genes involved in primary N assimilation is related to the lower ...assimilation of NO3−-than NH4+.•Balancing of NH4+ in tea leaves was obtained through theanine and catechins metabolism.
Physiological effects of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) on tea have confirmed that tea plants prefer NH4+ as the dominant nitrogen (N) source. To investigate the possible explanations for this preference, studies of 15NH4+ and 15NO3− assimilation using hydroponically grown tea plants were conducted. During the time course of 15NH4+ and 15NO3− assimilation, the absorption of 15N from 15NH4+ was more rapid than that from 15NO3−, as there was a more efficient expression pattern of NH4+ transporters compared with that of NO3− transporters. 15NH4+-fed tea plants accumulated more 15N than 15NO3− fed plants, which was demonstrated by that genes related to primary N assimilation, like CsNR, CsNiR, CsGDH and CsGOGAT, were more affected by 15NH4+ than 15NO3−. Markedly higher NH4+ concentrations were observed in 15NH4+-fed tea roots in comparison with NO3− treatment, whereas tea plants maintained a balanced concentration of NH4+ in tea leaves under both these two N forms. This maintenance was achieved through the increased expression of genes involved in theanine biosynthesis and the inhibition of genes related to catechins derived from phenylpropanoid pathway. The current results suggest that efficient NH4+ transportation, assimilation, and reutilization enables tea plant as an ammonium preferring plant species.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In lineages of allopolyploid origin, sets of homoeologous chromosomes may coexist that differ in gene content and syntenic structure. Presence or absence of genes and microsynteny along chromosomal ...blocks can serve to differentiate subgenomes and to infer phylogenies. We here apply genome-structural data to infer relationships in an ancient allopolyploid lineage, the walnut family (Juglandaceae), by using seven chromosome-level genomes, two of them newly assembled. Microsynteny and gene-content analyses yield identical topologies that place Platycarya with Engelhardia as did a 1980s morphological-cladistic study. DNA-alignment-based topologies here and in numerous earlier studies instead group Platycarya with Carya and Juglans, perhaps misled by past hybridization. All available data support a hybrid origin of Juglandaceae from extinct or unsampled progenitors nested within, or sister to, Myricaceae. Rhoiptelea chiliantha, sister to all other Juglandaceae, contains proportionally more DNA repair genes and appears to evolve at a rate 2.6- to 3.5-times slower than the remaining species.
Turpiniae Folium, the dried leaves of Turpinia arguta Seem., is a kind of historic traditional Chinese medicine. Here, based on our previous study, we extracted the Turpiniae Folium polysaccharides ...(TFP) and isolated three polysaccharide fractions from TFP. Then, TFP and one of the major polysaccharide fractions (TFP‐1a) were identified through HPLC, HPGPC, and ATR‐FTIR. Furthermore, the evaluations of their antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory activities and inhibitory effect on angiotensin II‐induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSCMs) proliferation in vitro were conducted. Both TFP and TFP‐1a showed strong hydroxyl radical scavenging, DPPH radical scavenging, and Fe2+ chelating activities, and exerted strong anti‐inflammatory activity. Moreover, TFP and TFP‐1a also possessed a strong inhibitory effect on Ang II‐induced VSCMs proliferation. On these premises, we inferred that TFP and TFP‐1a could be potential and promising natural antioxidants, anti‐inflammatory agents, and implicated to treat cardiovascular disease.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Nitrogen (N) plays an important role in the formation of tea quality-related compounds, like amino acids and flavor/aroma origin compounds. Lipids, which have been reported to be affected by N ...deficiency, are precursors to the generation of flavor/aroma origin compounds in tea plant. However, there is no literature about the lipid profiles of tea plant affected by N fertilization. Hence, we hypothesize that the biosynthesis of flavor-related compounds in tea was affected by N through its regulation of lipid metabolism.
In this study, mature leaves and new shoots of tea plant grown under three N levels at the rates of 0, 285 and 474 kg/ha were applied for ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) based lipidomic analysis. Totally, 178 lipid species were identified. The results showed that the composition of lipid compounds in mature leaves and new shoots varied dramatically, which was also affected by N levels. The higher content of the storage lipid TAG and higher carbon (C)/N ratio in mature leaves than that of new shoots in tea plants grown under low N level (0 kg/ha) suggested that tea plants could remobilize the C stored in TAG to maintain their C/N balance and help to improve the quality of tea. N fertilization resulted in a higher content of the compounds 36:6 MGDG and 36:6 DGDG. Since these compounds contain linolenic acid (18:3), a precursor to the formation of aroma origin compounds, we suggested their increase could contribute to the quality of tea.
Taken together, the present work indicated that appropriate application of N fertilizer could balance the lipid metabolism and the formation of flavor/aroma origin compounds, which help to improve the quality of tea. Moreover, excess N fertilization might deteriorate the aroma quality of made tea due to increases of precursors leading to grassy odor.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and aims
NaHS, a donor of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is emerging as a potential signaling molecule, may regulate various physiological processes in plants. However, how soybean (Glycine ...max L.) responds to NaHS and rhizobia (Sinorhizobium fredii) inoculation remains unclear.
Methods
We explored the effects of NaHS and rhizobia on the growth rate, nodules, nitrogenase activities (NA), chlorophyll content, soluble protein content, photosynthesis (Pn), chlorophyll fluorescent parameters, endogenous H2S accumulation, l/d‐cysteine desulfhydrase (GmLCD and GmDCD) gene expression, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) contents, and nutrient resorption.
Results
The results showed that rhizobia significantly increased the shoot, root, total dry weight, and growth rate, and NaHS promoted nodule numbers and NA in soybean. Moreover, chlorophyll content, soluble protein content, Pn, endogenous H2S accumulation, and GmLCD and GmDCD gene expression levels were promoted by NaHS and rhizobia. In addition, during all growth stages of soybean, the levels of N, P, and K and the N:P ratio in different tissues were affected by NaHS and rhizobia. Additionally, NaHS and rhizobia also significantly enhanced N resorption efficiency (NRE) and K resorption efficiency (KRE), but decreased P resorption efficiency (PRE).
Conclusion
Therefore, NaHS and rhizobia regulated the growth rate, nutrient stoichiometry, and nutrient resorption efficiency of soybean. These findings provide information that will be useful for predicting how NaHS and rhizobia lead to variations in nutrient uptake and nutrient conservation strategies.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Background
Persian walnut,
Juglans regia
, occurs naturally from Greece to western China, while its closest relative, the iron walnut,
Juglans sigillata
, is endemic in southwest China; both ...species are cultivated for their nuts and wood. Here, we infer their demographic histories and the time and direction of possible hybridization and introgression between them.
Results
We use whole-genome resequencing data, different population-genetic approaches (PSMC and GONE), and isolation-with-migration models (IMa3) on individuals from Europe, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and China. IMa3 analyses indicate that the two species diverged from each other by 0.85 million years ago, with unidirectional gene flow from eastern
J. regia
and its ancestor into
J. sigillata
, including the shell-thickness gene. Within
J. regia
, a western group, located from Europe to Iran, and an eastern group with individuals from northern China, experienced dramatically declining population sizes about 80 generations ago (roughly 2400 to 4000 years), followed by an expansion at about 40 generations, while
J. sigillata
had a constant population size from about 100 to 20 generations ago, followed by a rapid decline.
Conclusions
Both
J. regia
and
J. sigillata
appear to have suffered sudden population declines during their domestication, suggesting that the bottleneck scenario of plant domestication may well apply in at least some perennial crop species. Introgression from introduced
J. regia
appears to have played a role in the domestication of
J. sigillata.
SUMMARY
Ghost introgression, or the transfer of genetic material from extinct or unsampled lineages to sampled species, has attracted much attention. However, conclusive evidence for ghost ...introgression, especially in plant species, remains scarce. Here, we newly assembled chromosome‐level genomes for both Carya sinensis and Carya cathayensis, and additionally re‐sequenced the whole genomes of 43 C. sinensis individuals as well as 11 individuals representing 11 diploid hickory species. These genomic datasets were used to investigate the reticulation and bifurcation patterns within the genus Carya (Juglandaceae), with a particular focus on the beaked hickory C. sinensis. By combining the D‐statistic and BPP methods, we obtained compelling evidence that supports the occurrence of ghost introgression in C. sinensis from an extinct ancestral hickory lineage. This conclusion was reinforced through the phylogenetic network analysis and a genome scan method VolcanoFinder, the latter of which can detect signatures of adaptive introgression from unknown donors. Our results not only dispel certain misconceptions about the phylogenetic history of C. sinensis but also further refine our understanding of Carya's biogeography via divergence estimates. Moreover, the successful integration of the D‐statistic and BPP methods demonstrates their efficacy in facilitating a more precise identification of introgression types.
Significance Statement
Hybridization and introgression are widely recognized as significant factors in plant evolution, but the possibility of carrying ancient traits from ancestors that are now extinct (i.e., ghost introgression) has been mostly overlooked in plants. In this study, we employed whole‐genome sequencing datasets using a new combined method to spot this for the first time in hickory trees and anticipate more ghost introgression events to be discovered following this methodology.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK