Carbohydrate metabolism in Musa paradisiaca

Considerable variations exist in the content of glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch and protein and in the activities of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism between different parts of the banana plant (Musa paradisiaca). Sucrose synthetase is present in the highest concentration in rootstock and fruit pulp, and sucrose phosphate synthetase in the pseudostem. The highest ratio of the activity of sucrose phosphate synthetase to sucrose synthetase is found in leaves. Acid invertase is present in leaves, leaf-sheath and fruit pulp and is not demonstrable in rootstock and pseudostem. Neutral invertase activity is high in pseudostem and leaf-sheath. Starch phosphorylase is largely concentrated in fruit pulp and rootstock. The maximum activity of ATP:d-phosphoglucose (ADPG) pyrophosphorylase is found in rootstock. β-Amylase is not demonstrable in rootstock and is largely concentrated in leaf-sheath. Hexokinase is most active in rootstock and the lowest in leaves. Acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity is highest in fruit pulp and pseudostem. Glucosephosphate isomerase is most active in the rootstock and lowest in the leaves.     

Characteristics of fleshy fruits in southeast Alaska: phylogenetic comparison with fruits from Illinois

Over 30 species of fleshy-fruited plants are found in southeast Alaska. In this paper we examine traits such as plant growth form, phenology, fruit color, seed load, pulp dry weight, and pulp nutrient content and compare them with those of fruits from central Illinois. Two comparative methods (continuous time Markov model and phylo-Anova) were used to compare both qualitative and quantitative traits between the two regions. Although fleshy-fruited plants from SE Alaska appear to be predominantly shrubs or herbs in contrast to central Illinois, where trees and vines tend to be more common, no significant differences among growth forms were found when accounting for plant phylogeny. In SE Alaska, most fruits mature in August and September, whereas most fruits mature later in the autumn in Illinois. Red fruits are more common in Alaska than in Illinois, where blue-black fruits predominate. Alaskan fruits have a significantly greater seed load than fruits in Illinois, while pulp dry weight does not differ between the two regions. Although the proportion of sugars and lipids in the pulp was not statistically different between the two regions, total reward of the pulp (estimated as the absolute amount of sugars plus twice the amount of lipids, as lipids provide about twice the energy of sugars) was greater in Alaskan than in Illinois fruits. Neither phylogenetic constraints nor selection by frugivores appear to account fully for the regional distribution of fruit characteristics.     

Lipid biosynthesis, oxidative enzyme activities and cellular changes in growing olive fruit

Fruit of Olea europea L. was examined by light and electron microscopy to determine whether commencement of lipid accumulation depended upon the fruit achieving structural maturity. Maturation of fruit develops progressively from the smallest changes towards the largest in cellular structures. Important metabolic and structural changes have been observed: oil body formation, changes in the structural and reserve lipid biosynthesis and in the fatty acid of total lipid content, as well as in G6PDH and LOX activities. The labelling of fruit lipids by previously incubating the leaves with (1-14C)-acetate and (1,5-14C)-citrate or by putting the labelled substrates directly on the fruit surface, shows a 14C assimilate derived from acetate greater than that from citrate; the incorporation of the latter is higher in the methanol-water fractions. At the beginning of fruit development the lipid biosynthesis with both substrates is greater in polar lipids; on the contrary, the incorporation of 14C into neutral lipids increases during fruit maturation. Additionally, a maximum of substrate export from leaves to fruit coincides with an increase in the lipoxygenase and, above all, in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. The transported 14C from leaves begins its activity before the small oil bodies close to the tonoplast can be observed in the fruit, and well before the beginning of maturation. The results suggest that structural development and some other rate controlling metabolic steps can govern the initiation of lipid accumulation in olive fruit.     

Volatile constituents and fatty acid composition of lipids in Durio zibethinus

The predominating flavour compounds in the fruit pulp of Durio zibethinus were hydrogen sulfide, ethyl hydrodisulfide and several dialkyl polysulfides, particularly (C₂H₅)₂S_n, where n = 2 or 3. Ethyl acetate, 1,1-diethoxyethane and ethyl 2-methylbutanoate contribute to an additional fruity odour note. Hydrodisulfides are probably the precursors of the dialkyl sulfides. In the pericarp and seed no volatile sulfur compounds could be detected. The fatty acid composition of the lipids in pericarp, pulp and seed depended on the origin and/or harvest season of the fruit. The main components were oleic and palmitic acids or arachidic acid together with appreciable quantities of palmitoleic, stearic, linoleic and linolenic acids.     

Fruit traits of vertebrate-dispersed alien plants: smaller seeds and more pulp sugar than indigenous species

Vertebrates play a major role in dispersing seeds of fleshy-fruited alien plants. However, we know little of how the traits of alien fleshy fruits compare with indigenous fleshy fruits, and how these differences might contribute to invasion success. In this study, we characterised up to 38 fruit morphology, pulp nutrient and phenology traits of an assemblage of 34 vertebrate-dispersed alien species in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. Most alien fruits were small (81% < 15 mm in mean width), and had watery fruit pulps that were high in sugars and low in nitrogen and lipids. When compared to indigenous species, alien fruits had significantly smaller seeds. Further, alien fruit pulps contained more sugar and more variable (and probably greater) nitrogen per pulp wet weight, and species tended to have longer fruiting seasons than indigenous species. Our analyses suggest that fruit traits could be important in determining invasiveness and could be used to improve pre- and post-border weed risk assessment.     

Modeling dietary selectivity by Bornean orangutans: Evidence for integration of multiple criteria in fruit selection

Food patch visitation was compared to the availability of fruit patches of different species during 2 years in a Bornean lowland forest to examine orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) diet selectivity. Feeding on both the pulp and the seeds of nonfig fruit varied directly with fruit patch availability, demonstrating preference for these foods over fig fruit or other plant parts (bark or leaves). Factors determining fruit selectivity rank were examined through multiple regression analysis. Modeling selectivity for 52 chemically unprotected primate-fruit pulp species revealed strong preferences for species of (i) large crop size (numbers of fruits ripening in an individual patch), (ii) high pulp weight/fruit, and (iii) high pulp mass per swallowed unit of pulp + seed, demonstrating orangutan sensitivity especially to patch size (g of pulp or total energy/patch) and perhaps to fruit handling time. Modeling selectivity for 18 fig species showed that 4 factors significantly influenced fig species rank: crop size, pulp weight/fruit, and 2 chemical variables, percentage digestible carbohydrate and percentage phenolic compounds in the fig fruit pulp. The selectivity rank based on the overall nutrient gain from feeding in the fruit patch (the product of the first 3 variables) is proportionally depressed by the percentage tannin content, demonstrating that orangutans integrate values for these variables in selecting fig patches. The conclusions from these results and from analysis of selectivity for seeds and for other fruit types are that orangutan foraging decisions are strongly influenced by the meal size expected from a feeding visit (i.e., by patch size), that tannins and other toxins deter feeding, and that the energy content, rather than the protein content, of foods is important in diet selection. The foraging strategy of orangutans is interpreted relative to these results and to Bornean fruiting phenology. By integrating spatial, morphometric, and chemical variables in analysis, this study is the first to demonstrate the application of foraging theory to separate out the key variables that determine diet selection in a primate. Multivariate analysis should routinely be applied to such data to distinguish among the many covarying attributes of food items and patches; inferences drawn in previous studies of primate diet selection, which ignore key spatial and morphological variables and rely on univariate correlations, are therefore suspect.     

Carotenoids in pulp,peel and leaves of Persea americana

A complex pattern of chloroplast pigments was found to be common to pulp, peel and leaves of avocado. This is explained by the presence of chlorophyll in the ripe fruit and its peel. Two chromoplast-specific pigments were found in ripe pulp and are tentatively identified as α-citraurin and mimulaxanthin. The identity of the latter and of neochrome, was established inter alia by the MS. The xanthophylls occur esterified to a major extent in pulp but entirely free in peel. The coexistence of chloroplast and chromoplast pigments in avocado fruit make this a suitable object for the ultrastructural studies of the origin of the chromoplasts.     

柑橘果实生长发育过程中果实不同部位的4种内源激素含量变化的研究

以单性结实的国庆1号温州蜜柑和自花结实的华农本地早橘为材料,研究了果实生长发育过程中果实不同部位的吲哚乙酸(IAA)、脱落酸(ABA)、赤霉素(GA1/3)和玉米素核苷(ZR)含量的变化。结果表明:(1)国庆1号果皮IAA、GA1/3和ZR含量在幼果阶段均相对较高,随后果皮和果肉IAA含量均趋下降,而在果实膨大期内果肉ABA和果皮、果肉GA1/3、ZR含量均出现上升峰值,果实成熟采收时果皮和果肉ABA含量均明显回升。(2)华农本地早种子、果皮和果肉IAA及其种子ABA含量均在果实膨大期内出现明显峰值,在幼果阶段至果实膨大初期内种子GA1/3和ZR含量均居较高并出现明显上升,对应的果皮、果肉4种内源激素水平均相对较低且变幅小。还就两结实类型柑橘果实生长发育与其内源IAA、ABA、GA1/3和ZR含量动态的关系进行了讨论。     

Changes in fatty acid composition of the lipid classes in developing oil palm mesocarp

During fruit development of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil deposition in the mesocarp startedca12–13 weeks after flowering (WAF) and continued until the fruit ripened at 20 WAF. Over the next 1–2 weeks oil continued to be deposited but the fruit became loose and readily detached from the bunch. The lipids extracted at this stage contained over 50 % free fatty acids andca6%, polar lipids. The major fatty acids in the storage triacylglycerols were 16:0,18:1 and 18:2. The fatty acid composition of the neutral lipid classes and polar lipids during oil deposition were similar except that the latter also contained a high proportion of 18:3. Longer chain acids (20:3 and 22:0) were detected in certain lipid classes at 8 and 12 WAF.     

Gene expression profiles in human HepG2 cells treated with extracts of the Tamarindus indica fruit pulp

Tamarindus indicaL. (T. indica) or locally known as asam jawa belongs to the family of Leguminosae. The fruit pulp had been reported to have antioxidant activities and possess hypolipidaemic effects. In this study, we attempted to investigate the gene expression patterns in human hepatoma HepG2 cell line in response to treatment with low concentration of the fruit pulp extracts. Microarray analysis using Affymetrix Human Genome 1.0 S.T arrays was used in the study. Microarray data were validated using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR. Amongst the significantly up-regulated genes were those that code for the metallothioneins (MT1M, MT1F, MT1X) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTA1, GSTA2, GST02) that are involved in stress response. APOA4, APOA5, ABCG5 and MTTP genes were also significantly regulated that could be linked to hypolipidaemic activities of the T. indica fruit pulp.     

Selenium accumulation, distribution, and speciation in spineless prickly pear cactus: a drought- and salt-tolerant, selenium-enriched nutraceutical fruit crop for biofortified foods

The organ-specific accumulation, spatial distribution, and chemical speciation of selenium (Se) were previously unknown for any species of cactus. We investigated Se in Opuntia ficus-indica using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, microfocused x-ray fluorescence elemental and chemical mapping (μXRF), Se K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). μXRF showed Se concentrated inside small conic, vestigial leaves (cladode tips), the cladode vasculature, and the seed embryos. Se K-edge XANES demonstrated that approximately 96% of total Se in cladode, fruit juice, fruit pulp, and seed is carbon-Se-carbon (C-Se-C). Micro and bulk XANES analysis showed that cladode tips contained both selenate and C-Se-C forms. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry quantification of Se in high-performance liquid chromatography fractions followed by LC-MS structural identification showed selenocystathionine-to-selenomethionine (SeMet) ratios of 75:25, 71:29, and 32:68, respectively in cladode, fruit, and seed. Enzymatic digestions and subsequent analysis confirmed that Se was mainly present in a "free" nonproteinaceous form inside cladode and fruit, while in the seed, Se was incorporated into proteins associated with lipids. μXRF chemical mapping illuminated the specific location of Se reduction and assimilation from selenate accumulated in the cladode tips into the two LC-MS-identified C-Se-C forms before they were transported into the cladode mesophyll. We conclude that Opuntia is a secondary Se-accumulating plant whose fruit and cladode contain mostly free selenocystathionine and SeMet, while seeds contain mainly SeMet in protein. When eaten, the organic Se forms in Opuntia fruit, cladode, and seed may improve health, increase Se mineral nutrition, and help prevent multiple human cancers.     

Photosynthetic characteristics and quality of five passion fruit varieties under field conditions

Due to photosynthetic mechanisms respond very quickly to most stressors and due to strong concerns regarding the impact of climate change on future plant productivity, the purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of in vivo photosynthetic efficiencies and fruit quality of five cultivars of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Degener). The experiments were conducted in the northern region of Espírito Santo State using cultivars FB 200, FB 300, BRS Gigante Amarelo, BRS Sol do Cerrado, and BRS Ouro Vermelho. Analyses were performed 6 months after planting, when the plants were beginning reproduction and were repeated two times during the next 4 months until fruit ripening. Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient, total chlorophyll content, and gas exchange were measured in the leaves. Physical and chemical fruit attributes were also assessed. The lowest fluorescence rates were identified in the FB 300, BRS Sol do Cerrado, and BRS Ouro Vermelho cultivars, which exhibited better capacities for quinone A (Q_A) reoxidation and better electron transfer efficiencies from Photosystem II to Photosystem I acceptors. Better photochemical performances (PI_total) and CO₂ assimilations (A) resulted in higher fruit pulp yields, demonstrating the superior quality of the FB 300, BRS Sol do Cerrado, and BRS Ouro Vermelho cultivars.     

Three chloroplast membrane models corresponding to different photosynthetic potentialities in the same plant

The biochemical characteristics and photosynthetic activities of chloroplast membranes of the two regions of the green tomato fruit were compared to those of the leaves which were taken as controls. Membranes may have qualitatively (and even quantitatively) identical components, such as lipids and chlorophylls, and yet have different photosynthetic abilities. Three models then are proposed.Abbreviations NL neutral lipids - PL phospholipids - MGDG monogalactosyldiacylglycerol - DGDG digalactosyldiacylglycerol - DCMU 3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-Dimethylurea     

The persistence of ripe fleshy fruits in the presence and absence of frugivores

A trade-off between antimicrobial defences and palatability to dispersers may place limits on fruit persistence in nature. The retention times of ripe fruits on 34 wild plant species under natural conditions (unbagged persistence) and when fruits had been bagged with nylon mesh to exclude frugivores (bagged persistence) were compared in Hong Kong, China (22°N). Bagged persistence is a measure of the effectiveness of fruit defence while unbagged persistence is an inverse measure of attractiveness to vertebrate frugivores. Bagged fruits persisted significantly longer than unbagged fruits in 30 species, with half the species tested persisting for more than 2 months. There was a significant positive relationship between the median persistence times of bagged and unbagged fruits, suggesting that species with a high resistance to microbial infection are also less attractive to frugivores. Both bagged and unbagged fruits persisted significantly longer at lower temperatures. There was a significant positive relationship between bagged persistence time and fibre content of the fruit pulp, but no significant relationships between unbagged persistence and the six fruit traits tested (diameter, pulp as a percentage of fruit fresh weight, and lipid, total soluble carbohydrate, nitrogen and fibre as percentages of pulp dry weight). Mechanical damage significantly decreased the bagged persistence time for half of the species. Although some fruits decayed or dried up while attached to the plant, fruits of 53% of the species remained visually attractive until they fell off.     

Inhibition of ethylene evolution in papaya pulp tissue by benzyl isothiocyanate

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) pulp tissue disks in an incubation medium composed of 0.4 m sucrose evolve ethylene at an optimum pH of 5.25 at 30 C. Disks of young preclimacteric fruit evolve the gas linearly with fruit age until fruit age reaches 4 months. Disks from 5-month-old postclimacteric fruit produce approximately 5-fold more ethylene than disks from 4-month-old fruit. Ethylene evolution by unaged papaya disks is inhibited potently by benzyl isothiocyanate. The compound inhibits production of ethylene by approximately 60% at a concentration of 0.046 mm. However, in aged papaya disks benzyl isothiocyanate causes no inhibition of ethylene production indicating that the compound inhibits the induction of the ethylene-producing system rather than the evolution of the gas per se. Even at a 2-fold higher concentration benzyl isothiocyanate has no effect on respiration of unaged papaya disks. It is proposed that benzyl isothiocyanate may act as an endogenous regulator of ethylene evolution in papaya fruit.     

N,beta-D-Glucopyranosyl vincosamide, a light regulated indole alkaloid from the shoots of Psychotria leiocarpa

From leaves of Psychotria leiocarpa, an indole alkaloid was isolated to which the structure N,beta-D-glucopyranosyl vincosamide (1) was assigned. This represents the first report of an N-glycosylated monoterpenoid indole alkaloid. In field-grown plants highest amounts of 1 were found in the leaves (2.5% of dry wt) and fruit pulp (1.5% dry wt). Lower amounts were found in the stems (0.2% dry wt) and the seeds (0.1% of dry wt), whereas the alkaloid was not detected in the roots. The accumulation of 1 in aseptic seedlings was also restricted to the shoots and increased with plant age and light exposure, independent of the supply of sucrose in the culture medium.