Study the effects of drying processes on chemical compositions in daylily flowers using flow injection mass spectrometric fingerprinting method and chemometrics

Study on the material basis and mechanism of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni on sleep-improvement using Drosophila activity monitoring, metabolomic, targeted screening and transcriptomic

Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni, HC) is an edible plant and is traditionally considered with potential to improve sleep. Herein, based on the Drosophila activity monitoring, metabolome, targeted screening and transcriptome, the material basis and mechanism of HC on sleep-improvement was investigated. The results showed that the aqueous extracts of HC (HAE) as well as the ethanol extracts (HEE) all prolonged the total sleep time of insomnia fruit flies, especially HEE-60 and HEE-95 exhibited more significant effects. In addition, 539 of 728 found metabolites were screened as potential sleep-improved metabolites, and quercetin, linoleic acid, phenethyl caffeate, L-methionine and γ-aminobutyric acid were considered as core active metabolites. Meanwhile, 368 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were revealed by transcriptomics analysis, and the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction was deduced as the main pathway by KEGG pathway enrichment. Furthermore, nine DEGs located in this pathway, namely betaTry, deltaTry, gammaTry, epsilonTry, etaTry, iotaTry, lambdaTry, kappaTry and CG30031 were proven being up-regulated. All these results contribute to the development of HC-related functional foods.

Economically viable flower drying techniques to sustain flower industry amid COVID-19 pandemic

Imposing lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected flower cultivation and their trades. Flower plants are very sensitive to the harvesting, and any unexpected delay may cause great loss (~ 50-60%) to the farmers. In 2018-2019, the worth of total production of floriculture products was ~ Rs 571.38 crore. During lockdown, the availability of human laborers and restricted transport has disrupted the supply of flowers to the market. Hence, some alternative options are suggested here for the farmers, for example, conversion of decorative flowers (e.g., anthurium, China aster, globe amaranthus, sweet-william, anemone, sea lavender, etc.) and inflorescence (e.g., Michaelmas daisy, zinnia, statice, ferns, aspidistra, eucalyptus, magnolia, etc.) can also be into value-added products through drying and dehydration technologies. Many dehydration methods such as hot air oven, solar drying, press drying, freeze-drying, embedded drying, glycerine drying, and microwave oven drying polyester drying can be used for flower drying at room temperature (~ 25 °C). These floral and foliage dehydration techniques are quite simple, which can also be operated by unskilled persons. Moreover, it will generate self-employment for the youth and women along with increased revenue than selling fresh flowers. In this review, different techniques of flower drying have been discussed in detail along with the influencing factors, efficiency, economic feasibility, flower waste management and sustainability. Further, it has also been suggested how these techniques could be useful for farmers, researchers, and traders to create value-added products? Hence, the present paper could be very interesting for the flower growers, retailers, students, as well as floricultural scientists who are involved in flower production worldwide.

Graphical Abstract

Study on the Detection Method for Daylily Based on YOLOv5 under Complex Field Environments

Intelligent detection is vital for achieving the intelligent picking operation of daylily, but complex field environments pose challenges due to branch occlusion, overlapping plants, and uneven lighting. To address these challenges, this study selected an intelligent detection model based on YOLOv5s for daylily, the depth and width parameters of the YOLOv5s network were optimized, with Ghost, Transformer, and MobileNetv3 lightweight networks used to optimize the CSPDarknet backbone network of YOLOv5s, continuously improving the model's performance. The experimental results show that the original YOLOv5s model increased mean average precision (mAP) by 49%, 44%, and 24.9% compared to YOLOv4, SSD, and Faster R-CNN models, optimizing the depth and width parameters of the network increased the mAP of the original YOLOv5s model by 7.7%, and the YOLOv5s model with Transformer as the backbone network increased the mAP by 0.2% and the inference speed by 69% compared to the model after network parameter optimization. The optimized YOLOv5s model provided precision, recall rate, mAP, and inference speed of 81.4%, 74.4%, 78.1%, and 93 frames per second (FPS), which can achieve accurate and fast detection of daylily in complex field environments. The research results can provide data and experimental references for developing intelligent picking equipment for daylily.

Study on Anti-Constipation Effects of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni through a Novel Strategy of Network Pharmacology Screening

Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni) is an edible plant widely distributed worldwide, especially in Asia. It has traditionally been considered a potential anti-constipation vegetable. This study aimed to investigate the anti-constipation effects of daylily from the perspective of gastro-intestinal transit, defecation parameters, short-chain organic acids, gut microbiome, transcriptomes and network pharmacology. The results show that dried daylily (DHC) intake accelerated the defecation frequency of mice, while it did not significantly alter the levels of short-chain organic acids in the cecum. The 16S rRNA sequencing showed that DHC elevated the abundance of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium and Flavonifractor, while it reduced the level of pathogens (such as Helicobacter and Vibrio). Furthermore, a transcriptomics analysis revealed 736 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after DHC treatment, which are mainly enriched in the olfactory transduction pathway. The integration of transcriptomes and network pharmacology revealed seven overlapping targets (Alb, Drd2, Igf2, Pon1, Tshr, Mc2r and Nalcn). A qPCR analysis further showed that DHC reduced the expression of Alb, Pon1 and Cnr1 in the colon of constipated mice. Our findings provide a novel insight into the anti-constipation effects of DHC.

Photolysis and cytotoxicity of the potentially toxic composition of daylily flower: colchicine

The photolysis of colchicine under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation was studied by ultraviolet (UV) scanning and HPLC-MS. The photoproduct was proposed and the cytotoxicity change before and after irradiation was investigated. Results showed that both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation could effectively degrade colchicine into deacetamido-lumicolchicine. The process conformed to first-order kinetics, in which a high degradation rate (K = 0.5862 h^− 1) was observed when colchicine was dissolved in ethanol and irradiated by UV light. Cell viability and cell cycle studies proved that a photolysis treatment of colchicine could weaken the cytotoxicity effectively. Colchicine inhibited the division of BRL 3 A cells in G2/M phase with an IC₅₀ value of 0.48 µg/mL, while the toxic effect could be reduced significantly with IC₅₀ 2.1 µg/mL when colchicine was exposed to UV irradiation. Results are beneficial to the toxicity elimination of colchicine in the processing of daylily flower in food industry, and can also provide photochemistry reference for colchicine-related studies.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Nontargeted and Targeted Analytical Approaches in Fingerprinting and Metabolomics of Food and Agricultural Research

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques have been extensively applied in food and agricultural research. This review aims to address the advances and applications of MS-based analytical strategies in nontargeted and targeted analysis and summarizes the recent publications of MS-based techniques, including flow injection MS fingerprinting, chromatography-tandem MS metabolomics, direct analysis using ambient mass spectrometry, as well as development in MS data deconvolution software packages and databases for metabolomic studies. Various nontargeted and targeted approaches are employed in marker compounds identification, material adulteration detection, and the analysis of specific classes of secondary metabolites. In the newly emerged applications, the recent advances in computer tools for the fast deconvolution of MS data in targeted secondary metabolite analysis are highlighted.

Study on Extraction and Antioxidant Activity of Flavonoids from Hemerocallis fulva (Daylily) Leaves

Hemerocallis fulva is a medical and edible plant. In this study, we optimized the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process of extracting flavonoids from Hemerocallis fulva leaves by single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum extraction conditions generating the maximal total flavonoids content was as follows: 70.6% ethanol concentration; 43.9:1 mL/g solvent to sample ratio; 61.7 °C extraction temperature. Under the optimized extraction conditions, the total flavonoid content (TFC) in eight Hemerocallis fulva varieties were determined, and H. fulva (L.) L. var. kwanso Regel had the highest TFC. The cytotoxicity of the extract was studied using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8 assay). When the concentration was less than 1.25 mg/mL, the extract had no significant cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells. The antioxidant activity was measured via chemical antioxidant activity methods in vitro and via cellular antioxidant activity methods. The results indicated that the extract had a strong ABTS and •OH radical scavenging activity. Additionally, the extract had an excellent protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative damage at a concentration of 1.25 mg/mL, which could effectively reduce the level of ROS to 106.681 ± 9.733% (p < 0.001), compared with the 163.995 ± 6.308% of the H2O2 group. We identified five flavonoids in the extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Infrared spectroscopy indicated that the extract contained the structure of flavonoids. The results showed that the extract of Hemerocallis fulva leaves had excellent biocompatibility and antioxidant activity, and could be used as a cheap and potential source of antioxidants in the food, cosmetics, and medicine industries.

High efficient freeze-drying technology in food industry

Freeze-drying technology is an interdisciplinary and complex technology, combined with freezing and vacuum drying, It has become an important technology for heat-sensitive drugs and food preservation. Freeze-dried foods are classified into meat, vegetables, fruits, fungus, and micro-powders, etc. In this paper, the definition, principle, steps, advantages and disadvantages of freeze-drying are summarized, and the research progress of freeze-drying in food industry in recent years is reviewed, including the technological parameters and influencing factors.

Phenolic Composition and Skin-Related Properties of the Aerial Parts Extract of Different Hemerocallis Cultivars

Hemerocallis plants are important vegetables with nutritional and health value, especially in eastern Asia, where they have been used as medicines to cure disease such as depression and inflammation for thousands of years. The present study concerns the determination of flavonoids and phenolic acids, as well as antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial properties of taxa cultivated in Poland. For chemical composition estimation, LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis and spectrophotometric assays were performed. The results show the presence of sixteen compounds in all analyzed species. Among the investigated cultivars, it was found that H. “Chicago Apache” and H. fulva var. kwanso have the highest total phenolic acid and flavonoid content. The most abundant compounds in all analyzed extracts were chlorogenic acid (209.8 to 1010.0 µg/g of DE) and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (114.7 to 1049.7 µg/g of DE). The studied extracts exhibited moderate to high skin-related activities. These properties were correlated with a high concentration of polyphenols. The present study demonstrated that Hemerocallis cultivars contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds with good skin-related activities and could be interesting as novel sources of bioactive agents for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.

The numerical classification and grading standards of daylily (Hemerocallis) flower color

This study collected 183 Hemerocallis varieties to conduct numerical classification of flower color and provide valuable baseline data and foundational theory for normalization and precision of Hemerocallis. The color CIELab phenotypes were collected via colorimeter (CR-10 Plus), which separately measured three sepal and petal parts (throat, eye and limb). The colors of experimental samples were artificially named by the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (RHSCC). All the data were analyzed using R software. The results showed that the throat was predominantly green-yellow, light yellow and yellow; green-yellow accounted for the largest proportion of sepals (67.76%) and petals (69.40%). The eye was more abundant, and there were significant differences between sepals and petals. The limb was clustered into five color groups (orange, yellow, pink, red and purple); the yellow group had the most varieties for both sepals and petals, containing 57.38% and 55.74%, respectively. Both sepals and petals had significant differences (p<0.0001) in color (△E), redness (a*) and color angle (h) for the throat, eye and limb. However, the difference in CIELab phenotypes between the eye and limb were not significant. According to “Dual Classification”, the color classification standard was proposed as a 3-level standard. The color of sepal and petal consistency served as the first standard, and the color of limb was the second standard. The color pattern types of pure, gradual change, watermark and eye spot, served as the third standard. It has been proposed that all the 183 experimental varieties were divided into two categories, five groups and finally four types. This study provides a classification basis and reference for numeric and standardized color phenotype description for Hemerocallis.

High-throughput simultaneous quantitation of multi-analytes in tobacco by flow injection coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry

The high-throughput screening by flow injection coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HTS-FIA-HRMS) is a powerful technique that enables the identification of several types of samples in a short period of time, either with qualitative or quantitative purposes. Sensory attributes of tobacco are affected by its chemical composition, and it is very important to quantify multi-analytes in a high-throughput methodology. HTS-FIA-HRMS coupled to multivariate analysis was used to create calibration models for 27 analytes, or group of compounds, of tobacco sensory interest. The models were validated by different approaches, including permutation test to avoid overfitting, evaluation of the equipment repeatability by control samples, reproducibility comparison of results from two different equipment and analysts, and with a blind test analysis. All tests demonstrated a good response to the proposed method. No statistical difference between the errors of both equipment was observed, with less than 7% error from the control samples, and a blind test error between 5.96% and 20.10%. The partial least squares (O-PLS) regression models were applied to 815 samples, and a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed from the predicted concentration values, aiming at the non-supervised classification based on tobacco type. We expect that this proposed methodology shows not only the applicability in tobacco samples, but also demonstrates a guideline to an efficient performance of multi-analytes target analysis using the flow injection mass spectrometry with reliable and robust validation steps.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis reveals dynamic changes during daylily flower senescence

Sugar-related metabolic biological processes and metabolic pathways as well as invertase, protease, and ribosomal proteins may be critical regulators controlling the circadian rhythm and ephemeral properties of daylily flowers. Daylily is a familiar perennial flower. The daylily flower opens at dawn and withers away at night. Flower longevity in almost all daylily varieties from opening to fading is less than 24 h. In the past decades, the physiological changes and genetic responses to senescence in daylily flowers have been reported. However, the main metabolic pathways and biological processes involved in daylily flower senescence and the proteins involved in premature senility of daylily flowers are poorly understood. Herein, we identified differences between the proteomes of four developmental stages (s1-s4) of daylily flowers using iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic methods. A total of 445 proteins (containing at least two unique peptides) were identified, and differentially expressed proteins (upregulation ≥ 1.5 or downregulation ≤ 0.67, P value ≤ 0.05) were detected between these stages in the following numbers: 58 (s2/s1), 59 (s3/s1), 31 (s3/s2), 64 (s4/s1), 52 (s4/s2), and 29 (s4/s3). Protein functions and classifications were analyzed based on GO, KEGG, and COG, and expressive hierarchical cluster analysis and functional enrichment analysis for differentially expressed proteins were carried out. A comparison of the late stages (s3 and s4) with the early stage (s1) revealed that the sugar (hexose, monosaccharide, and glucose) metabolic process GO category was the most enriched, and sugar (galactose, pentose, starch, and sucrose) metabolism pathways constituted the most enriched KEGG category. Finally, the potential research value of invertase, protease, and ribosomal proteins for revealing the mechanism underlying the circadian rhythm and ephemeral properties of daylily flowers are discussed. These data and analyses provide new insight into the senescence mechanism of daylily flowers.