Comparative analysis of quality and nutritional traits from Lonicera caerulea (Honeyberry) cultivars and other berries grown in Scotland

Lonicera caeruleabrix is a perennial shrub native to North America, Europe and Asia. It produces dark blue berries known as honeyberries or haskap berries which are produced commercially in several territories including Canada, Japan, Russia and Poland. Plants are suited to UK environments, but it is yet to be widely commercially developed in the UK. In the present work, quality and nutritional traits of six honeyberry cultivars grown in Scotland were compared with other commonly grown berry fruits (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, blackcurrant) to aid the identification of environmentally stable, high-quality honeyberry cultivars suitable for UK cultivation. Differences were observed in fruit quality variables (soluble solids, titratable acidity and Brix/acid ratios) between honeyberry cultivars. Three of six cultivars examined exhibited notable variation in soluble solids dependent on harvest year with ‘Aurora’ and ‘Strawberry Sensation’ having consistently high ^oBrix values. Titratable acidity exhibited cultivar differences and there was limited variation over harvest years. ‘Aurora’ exhibited consistently high ^oBrix/titratable acidity ratio reflected by high glucose and fructose content. Honeyberry fruit had good nutritional profile relative to other soft fruits with higher polyphenol and anthocyanin content than strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry, manifested in greater antioxidant capacity. The major anthocyanins in aqueous honeyberry fruit extracts were cyanidin, pelargonidin and peonidin glycosides. These findings indicate that L. caerulea represents a crop suitable for UK cultivation capable of producing high quality fruit with a valuable nutritional profile relative to other soft fruits. Cultivars exhibit significant differences in fruit quality and nutritional profile as well as harvest consistency and growers should consider this when establishing new plantations.     

Effect of methyl jasmonate in combination with carbohydrates on gene expression of PR proteins, stilbene and anthocyanin accumulation in grapevine cell cultures.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is subject to a number of diseases which affect yield and wine quality. After veraison, berries become strongly susceptible to pathogens due to different physiological changes including the accumulation of glucose and fructose, on the one hand, and to the decrease of anti-microbial compounds called stilbenes, on the other. To obtain berry protection, pesticides are excessively used leading to important cost to the grower and to undesirable environmental impact of the residues, especially in grape, soil and water. As a consequence, alternative strategies have to be developed. Exogenously applied biotic elicitors induce defense responses. We studied the effects of methyl jasmonate in combination with sucrose on defense-related gene expression, stilbene and anthocyanin production in grapevine cell suspensions. The methyl jasmonate/sucrose treatment was effective in stimulating phenylalanine ammonia lyase, chalcone synthase, stilbene synthase, UDP-glucose: flavonoid-O-glucosyltransferase, proteinase inhibitor and chitinase gene expression, and triggered accumulation of both piceids and anthocyanins in cells, and trans-resveratrol and piceids in the extracellular medium. Methyl jasmonate treatment might be an efficient natural strategy to protect grapevine berries in vineyard.     

Berry fruits as a source of biologically active compounds: the case of Lonicera caerulea

Background: Lonicera caerulea L. (blueberry honeysuckle, Caprifoliaceae) is a traditional crop in northern Russia, China, and Japan. Its fruits are little known as edible berries in North America and Europe. This review deals with the botany and chemical composition of L. caerulea and the biological activity of its main constituents, focusing on the potential health benefits of the berries. Methods and Results: PubMed, Science Direct and ISI Web of Knowledge(SM) databases were used for this paper. Literature sources include the period 1935-2007. L. caerulea berries a are rich source of phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids as well as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and other flavonoids, which display potential health promoting effects. Chemopreventive, antimicrobial, anti-adherence and antioxidant benefits, among others are described for these compounds. Conclusions: The potential of L. caerulea berries to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer seems to be related above all to their phenolic content.     

Comparison of antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds of berries, chokecherry and seabuckthorn

Antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds (phenolic acids and anthocyanins) of four berry fruits (strawberry, Saskatoon berry, raspberry and wild blueberry), chokecherry and seabuckthorn were compared in the present study. Total phenolic content and total anthocyanin content ranged from 22.83 to 131.88 g/kg and 3.51 to 13.13 g/kg, respectively. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity ranged from 29.97 to 78.86%. Chokecherry had the highest antioxidant capacity when compared with berry fruits and seabuckthorn. The highest caffeic acid, gallic acid and trans-cinnamic acid levels were found in chokecherry (6455 mg/kg), raspberry (1129 mg/kg) and strawberry (566 mg/kg), respectively. Caffeic acid was also the major phenolic acid in Saskatoon berry (2088 mg/kg) and wild blueberry (1473 mg/kg). The findings that chokecherry has very high antioxidant capacity and caffeic acid levels, are useful for developing novel value-added antioxidant products and also provide evidence essential for breeding novel cultivars of fruit plants with strong natural antioxidants.     

Bee visit rates vary with floral morphology among highbush blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

As the human population has increased, so too has the demand for biotically pollinated crops. Bees (Apoidea) are essential for pollen transfer and fruit production in many crops, and their visit patterns can be influenced by floral morphology. Here, we considered the role of floral morphology on visit rates and behaviour of managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) and wild bumble bees (genus Bombus), for four highbush blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). We measured five floral traits for each cultivar, finding significant variation among cultivars. Corolla throat diameter may be the main morphological determinant of visit rates of honey bees, which is significantly higher on the wider flowers of cv. ‘Duke’ than on ‘Bluecrop’ or ‘Draper’. Honey bees also visited cv. ‘Duke’ legitimately but were frequent nectar robbers on the long, narrow flowers of cv. ‘Bluecrop’. Bumble bees were infrequent (and absent on cv. ‘Draper’) but all observed visits were legitimate. Crop yield was highest for the cultivar with the highest combined (honey bee + bumble bee) visit rate, suggesting that aspects of floral morphology that affect pollinator visit patterns should be considered in crop breeding initiatives.     

石榴果色合成相关基因CHS和CHI的表达特性分析

花色苷是类黄酮家族中重要的一类次生代谢产物,对果实呈色起重要作用。CHS (查尔酮合成酶)和CHI (查尔酮异构酶)为花色苷合成提供了前体物质,是花色苷合成所不可或缺的。利用RT-PCR和RACE方法,本研究从石榴果皮中克隆了与花色苷合成相关的CHS基因和CHI基因的cDNA全长,同时采用qRT-PCR研究了这两个基因在三个不同色泽石榴品种‘红宝石’、‘水晶甜’、‘墨石榴’发育期内的表达模式,并分析了果皮花色苷含量变化与基因转录水平的关系。结果表明,石榴中CHS和CHI基因cDNA全长分别为1 197 bp和693 bp,分别编码398和230个氨基酸,命名为PgCHS和PgCHI,在GenBank中的登录号分别为KF841615和KF841616。在氨基酸水平上,Pg CHS与荔枝、葡萄、山竹等果树的同源性达到90%以上。Pg CHI与果树中龙眼、梨、美洲葡萄、桑树等同源性达到70%以上。qRT-PCR结果显示,CHS和CHI基因的表达模式随色泽发育期和品种不同而有差异。在‘红宝石’石榴中,该两个基因都有前期和后期两个表达高峰期;而‘水晶甜’石榴中这两个基因的表达高峰期均出现在中后期;‘墨石榴’发育初期时CHS和CHI的表达量最高,以后的表达量都较低。同一品种内,CHS和CHI的表达具有协同性,两者的协同性表达有利于花色苷及其他类黄酮相关产物的合成。3个品种中CHS和CHI基因的表达与花色苷的积累并不一致。     

Content of different groups of phenolic compounds in microshoots of Juglans regia cultivars and studies on antioxidant activity

Phenolic and other compounds were extracted from micropropagated axillary shoots (microshoots) of the walnut (Juglans regia L.) cultivars ‘Chandler’, ‘Howard’, ‘Kerman’, ‘Sunland’, and ‘Z₆₃’. Among cultivars, microshoots showed differences in phenolic compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins. All cultivars contained the phenolics acids chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid; the naphthoquinone juglone; and the flavonoid quercetin. The phenolic acids syringic acid and vanillin were present only in microshoots of ‘Howard’. Microshoot extracts had different antioxidant activity with ‘Kerman’ the highest and ‘Chandler’ the lowest in each of three antioxidant assays: the phosphomolybdenum assay (PPM), reducing power assay, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-scavenging effect. There was a strong linear relationship between total phenolic compound content of microshoots and increasing antioxidant activity.     

A Comparison of Some Serological and Biological Properties of Seven Isolates of Tobacco Ringspot Virus

Seven isolates of tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV) from grape, cherry, two cultivars of blueberry, tobacco, soybean and watermelon were compared in this study. The most virulent isolate was from‘Jersey’blueberry and the least virulent isolate was from soybean. The‘Jersey’blueberry isolate and the watermelon isolate could be distinguished serologically from all other isolates. The‘Jersey’blueberry isolate was different in electrophoretic mobility from the soybean and tobacco isolates. A unique technique for comparing the in vitro translation products of three of the TRSV isolates is described.     

ABA信号通路对葡萄果皮花青苷生物合成的调控机制研究

以‘红巴拉多’葡萄为试验材料,在转色前期(约花后6周)用300 mg/L的ABA对果穗进行处理,以清水处理为对照;测定不同发育时期葡萄果实的单果重、可滴定酸、可溶性固性物等生理指标,同时测定果皮中总花青苷及ABA含量;检测不同发育时期果皮中ABA信号通路和花青苷生物合成相关基因表达量,克隆6个与花青苷生物合成相关基因的启动子,并预测启动子中的顺式作用元件,在转录调控水平上探讨ABA信号通路对葡萄果皮花青苷生物合成的调控作用。结果表明:(1)ABA处理的葡萄果实可溶性固形物含量明显提高、可滴定酸含量下降。(2)ABA处理显著提高了‘红巴拉多’葡萄果皮的着色水平以及总花青苷和ABA含量。(3)ABA处理后,9个ABA信号通路基因以及6个花青苷生物合成相关基因表达水平明显提高。(4)6个花青苷生物合成相关基因的启动子序列中均含有多个与ABA响应相关的ABRE作用元件。研究发现,9个ABA信号通路基因可能在葡萄果皮着色中发挥着重要作用,其中2个VvABFs转录因子可能直接作用于含有ABRE元件的花青苷生物合成相关基因的启动子序列,推测可通过调控这些基因的转录水平来调控葡萄果皮花青苷的积累。     

Inheritance and quantitative trait loci analyses of the anthocyanins and catechins of Camellia sinensis cultivar ‘Ziyan’ with dark-purple leaves

Owing to the potential health benefits, anthocyanin-rich teas (Camellia sinensis) have attracted interest over the past decade. Previously, we developed the cultivar ‘Ziyan,’ which has dark-purple leaves because of the accumulation of a high amount of anthocyanins. In this study, we performed a genetic analysis of this anthocyanin-rich tea cultivar and 176 of its naturally pollinated offspring. For two consecutive years, we quantified the anthocyanins and catechins of ‘Ziyan’ and the offspring population. While >60% of the offspring accumulated less than half of the amount of anthocyanins of ‘Ziyan,’ 17 (2018) and 15 (2019) individuals exceeded ‘Ziyan’ in anthocyanin content. A negative correlation between anthocyanin and total catechin content (r = −0.59, P < 0.001) was observed. The population was genotyped with 131 SSR markers spanning all linkage groups of the C. sinensis genome. Kruskal-Wallis tests identified 10 markers significantly associated with anthocyanins, catechins and their ratios in both years. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses using the interval mapping method detected 13 QTLs, suggesting the dark-purple trait of ‘Ziyan’ is because of the pyramiding of anthocyanin-promoting alleles on at least five linkage groups. Two genetic loci reversely related to anthocyanin and total catechin contents were identified. This study provides valuable information for genetic improvement of purple tea cultivars and for fine-mapping related genes.     

Flower color diversity revealed by differential expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes and flavonoid accumulation in herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.)

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is an important ornamental plant which contains different flower colors. In this paper, eight genes encoding phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-o-glucosyltransferase (UF3GT) were isolated. Moreover, the expression patterns of these eight genes and UF5GT in the flowers were investigated in three cultivars, that is, ‘Hongyanzhenghui’, ‘Yulouhongxing’ and ‘Huangjinlun’ with purplish-red, white and yellow flower respectively. Furthermore, flavonoid accumulation in the flowers was also analyzed. The results showed that in different organs, most of genes expressed higher in flowers than in other organs. During the development of flowers, all genes could be divided into four groups. The first group (PlPAL) was highly expressed in S1 and S4. The second group (PlCHS and PlCHI) was at a high expression level throughout the whole developmental stages. The third group (PlF3H, PlF3′H, PlDFR, PlANS and PlUF5GT) gradually decreased with the development of flowers. The fourth group (PlUF3GT) gradually increased during the flower development. In addition, anthoxanthins and anthocyanins were detected in ‘Hongyanzhenghui’ and ‘Yulouhongxing’, chalcones and anthoxanthins were found in ‘Huangjinlun’. When different color flowers were concerned, low expression level of PlCHI induced most of the substrate accumulation in the form of chalcones and displaying yellow, changing a small part of substrates to anthoxanthins, and there was no anthocyanin synthesis in ‘Huangjinlun’ because of low expression level of DFR. In ‘Yulouhongxing’, massive expressions of upstream genes and low expression of DFR caused synthesis of a great deal of anthoxanthins and a small amount of colorless anthocyanins. In ‘Hongyanzhenghui’, a large number of colored anthocyanins were changed from anthoxanthins because of PlDFR, PlANS and PlUF3GT high expressions. These results would provide us a theoretical basis to understand the formation of P. lactiflora flower colors.     

Differential gene expression analysis of ‘Granny Smith’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) during fruit skin coloration

‘Granny Smith’ apples growing under normal sunlight develop green skin, whereas the peel turns red due to anthocyanin accumulation after the removal of a bagging treatment. Two anthocyanins, Cyanidin 3-O-galactoside (cy3-gal) and Cyanidin 3-O-arabinoside (cy3-ara), were detected in the red ‘Granny Smith’ apple peels, and cy3-gal was determined to be chiefly responsible for the red color. The content of cy3-gal was more than 98% of the total anthocyanin in the red ‘Granny Smith’ peels. To better understand the molecular basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis in ‘Granny Smith’ apples, we performed a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (MdCHS, MdF3H, MdDFR, MdANS, MdUFGT, and MdMYB1). Our results indicate that the expression of these genes (except MdCHS) was associated with increased anthocyanin accumulation in the skin of ‘Granny Smith’ apples. Four selected genes obtained from the ‘Granny Smith’ skin cDNA library, phytoene synthase (PSY), WD40 repeat protein, polygalacturonase (PG), and galactosidase (GAL), were also confirmed by qRT-PCR. We found that these genes were differently expressed during ‘Granny Smith’ apple skin coloration, suggesting that they are directly or indirectly involved in pigment accumulation. In conclusion, anthocyanin biosynthesis in ‘Granny Smith’ apples is the result of interactions between multiple enzymes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, and the coloring mechanism of ‘Granny Smith’ apples may be similar to that of red-skinned cultivars.     

The expression level of anthocyanidin synthase determines the anthocyanin content of crabapple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus</Emphasis> sp.) petals

In addition to contributing to the coloration of plant organs and their defense against herbivores, the consumption of anthocyanins in the human diet has a number of health benefits. Crabapple (Malus sp.) represents a valuable experimental model system to research the mechanisms and regulation of anthocyanin accumulation, in part due to the often vivid and varied petal and leaf coloration that is exhibited by various cultivars. The enzyme anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) plays a pivotal role in anthocyanin biosynthesis; however, the relationship between ANS expression and petal pigmentation has yet to be established in crabapple. To illuminate the mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in crabapple petals, we evaluated the expression of two crabapple ANS allelic genes (McANS-1 and McANS-2) and the levels of anthocyanins in petals from cultivars with dark red (‘Royalty’) and white (‘Flame’) petals, as well as another (‘Radiant’) whose petals have an intermediate pink color. We determined that the expression of McANS in the three cultivars correlated with the variation of anthocyanin accumulation during different petal developmental stages. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants constitutively overexpressing one of the two McANS genes, McANS-1, had showed elevated anthocyanin accumulation and a deeper red coloration in their petals than those from untransformed control lines. In conclusion, we propose that McANS are responsible for anthocyanin accumulation during petal coloration in different crabapple cultivars.     

Expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in relation to anthocyanin,proanthocyanidin, and flavonol levels during bilberry fruit development

The production of anthocyanins in fruit tissues is highly controlled at the developmental level. We have studied the expression of flavonoid biosynthesis genes during the development of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) fruit in relation to the accumulation of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols in wild berries and in color mutants of bilberry. The cDNA fragments of five genes from the flavonoid pathway, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chalcone synthase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, and anthocyanidin synthase, were isolated from bilberry using the polymerase chain reaction technique, sequenced, and labeled with a digoxigenin-dUTP label. These homologous probes were used for determining the expression of the flavonoid pathway genes in bilberries. The contents of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols in ripening bilberries were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector and were identified using a mass spectrometry interface. Our results demonstrate a correlation between anthocyanin accumulation and expression of the flavonoid pathway genes during the ripening of berries. At the early stages of berry development, procyanidins and quercetin were the major flavonoids, but the levels decreased dramatically during the progress of ripening. During the later stages of ripening, the content of anthocyanins increased strongly and they were the major flavonoids in the ripe berry. The expression of flavonoid pathway genes in the color mutants of bilberry was reduced. A connection between flavonol and anthocyanin synthesis in bilberry was detected in this study and also in previous data collected from flavonol and anthocyanin analyses from other fruits. In accordance with this, models for the connection between flavonol and anthocyanin syntheses in fruit tissues are presented.     

Myrtus communis berry color morphs: a comparative analysis of essential oils, fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities

Extracts of mature dark blue and white berries from two Tunisian Myrtus communis morphs growing at the same site were assessed for their essential‐oil and fatty‐acid compositions, phenolic contents, and antioxidant activities. The GC and GC/MS analyses of the essential oils allowed the identification of 33 constituents. The oils from the dark blue fruits showed high percentages of α‐pinene (11.1%), linalool (11.6%), α‐terpineol (15.7%), methyl eugenol (6.2%), and geraniol (3.7%). Myrtenyl acetate (20.3%) was found to be the major compound in the oils from white berries. GC Analysis of the pericarp and seed fatty acids showed that the polyunsaturated fatty acids constituted the major fraction (54.3–78.1%). The highest percentages of linoleic acid (78.0%) and oleic acid (20.0%) were observed in the seeds and the pericarps of the white fruits, respectively. The total phenol, flavonoid, and flavonol contents and the concentration of the eight anthocyanins, identified by HPLC analysis, were significantly higher in the dark blue fruits. All extracts showed a substantial antioxidant activity, assessed by the free radical‐scavenging activity and the ferric reducing power, with the dark blue fruit extracts being more effective.     

Effects of simulated drought stress on carotenoid contents and expression of related genes in carrot taproots

Carotenoids are liposoluble pigments found in plant chromoplasts that are responsible for the yellow, orange, and red colors of carrot taproots. Drought is one of the main stress factors affecting carrot growth. Carotenoids play important roles in drought resistance in higher plants. In the present work, the carotenoid contents in three different-colored carrot cultivars, ‘Kurodagosun’ (orange), ‘Benhongjinshi’ (red), and ‘Qitouhuang’ (yellow), were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) after 15% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 treatment. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was then used to determine the expression levels of carotenoid synthesis- and degradation-related genes. Increases in β-carotene content in ‘Qitouhuang’ taproots under drought stress were found to be related to the expression levels of DcPSY2 and DcLCYB. Increases in lutein and decreases in α-carotene content in ‘Qitouhuang’ and ‘Kurodagosun’ under PEG treatment may be related to the expression levels of DcCYP97A3, DcCHXE, and DcCHXB1. The expression levels of DcNCED1 and DcNCED2 in the three cultivars significantly increased, thus suggesting that NCED genes could respond to drought stress. Analysis of the growth status and carotenoid contents of carrots under PEG treatment indicated that the orange cultivar ‘Kurodagosun’ has better adaptability to drought stress than the other cultivars and that β-carotene and lutein may be involved in the stress resistance process of carrot.