The Influence of Ripeness on the Phenolic Content, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne)

Combining ability analysis of Cucurbita moschata D. in Côte d'Ivoire and classification of promising lines based on their gca effects

Cucurbita moschata varieties grown in Africa have very low yield. They have been neglected, and totally ignored in agricultural research programs. However, interest in their fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves is growing nowadays due to their nutritional and medicinal potentials. That growing interest has prompted plant breeders and agronomists to develop research programs for their improvement. A complete diallel cross analysis of four parental lines, Long, Zouan-H, Oval, and Soubre and their twelve F1 hybrids, was carried out in a farming environment at the University Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The four parental lines and the F1 hybrids were evaluated for their general performances, combining abilities, potency ratio and heterosis effects. The investigated traits included plant height, and eleven fruit- and seed-related characters. The analysis of variance showed significant differences for all traits studied. In addition, the diallel model yielded highly significant gca effects of the female parents. The gca effects of the male parents were significant for all traits except plant height, length of the fruit, width of the fruit and length of the seed. Highly significant sca effects were observed in the crosses for all the traits. Strong maternal effects were observed for the weight and diameter of the fruit, weight of the pulp, number of seeds per fruit, weight of the fresh seeds and 100-seed weight. The general predictive ratio approached the value 1 for all the traits except weight of the fresh seed and width of the dry seed. Most of the characters under this study are predominantly determined by the effects of additive genes. But, weight of the fresh seed and width of the dry seed may be controlled by non-additive genes. Mid-parent heterosis was significant for all measured traits in the crosses, except the length of the fruit. And better-parent heterosis was significant for all traits except plant height, number of fruits per plant and length of the fruit. Gene expression is described by a super-dominance for many traits, and partial dominance for some other traits in all twelve F1 hybrids. Classification of the parental lines based on the effects of their general combining ability grouped the Soubre lines as promising contributors to fruit yield. The parental lines Long and Oval formed another group likely on the basis of the small size of their fruits, the small pulps, the smaller number of fruits per plant and the large number of seeds per fruit. However, Long would be a candidate parent for the development of cultivars with longer vegetative growth. The parental line Zouan-H formed the third group and it was mostly characterized by its large number of seeds per fruit and relatively large fruits.

Chemical composition and biological activities of Cucurbita okeechobeensis extracts from its aerial parts, seeds, and fruit shells

The Cucurbita genus has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems across different countries. In this study, we aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant properties, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic effects of methanol and aqueous extracts obtained from the aerial parts, seeds, and fruit shells of Cucurbita okeechobeensis. Antioxidant properties were assessed using various chemical methods, including radical quenching (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (CUPRAC and FRAP), metal chelation, and phosphomolybdenum assays. The extracts' enzyme inhibitory effects were tested against cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase, whereas different cancer cell lines were used for the cytotoxicity study. The chemical composition, evaluated by HPLC-ESI-MSn, showed that the most abundant compounds were flavonoids (mainly quercetin glycosides) followed by phenolic acids (mostly caffeic acid derivatives). The aerial parts displayed stronger antioxidant ability than the seed and fruit shells, in agreement with the highest content in phytochemicals. In addition, the methanol extracts presented the highest bioactivity and content in phytochemicals; among them, the extract of the aerial part exhibited significant cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines and induced apoptosis. Overall, our results suggest that C. okeechobeensis is a valuable source of bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

The influence of ripening on the nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of New Zealand damson plums

The current study pioneers a comprehensive exploration into the influence of ripening stages on the nutritional composition and antioxidant attributes of the New Zealand damson plums (Prunus domestica ssp. Insititia). Sampled at early-, mid-, and late-ripening stages from randomly selected plum trees, the investigation unveiled notable significant (p < .05) declines in multiple parameters as ripening progressed. Noteworthy reductions in dry matter (from 21% to 19.33%), stone weight (from 30.23% to 24.30%), total dietary fiber (from 3.15% to 2.5%), energy content (from 280 to 263 kJ/100 g), vitamin D3 (from 1.67 to 1.53 μg/100 g), vitamin A (from 4.2 to 3.87 μg/100 g), and specific minerals (e.g., Ca, Mg, and P) emerged as a hallmark of this progression. Additionally, plums harvested at the advanced ripening stage exhibited heightened moisture content in contrast to their early-stage counterparts. Conversely, ash, protein, carbohydrates, total sugar, and minerals (including K, Na, Zn, and Se) demonstrated no significant alteration (p > .05) across ripening stages. Remarkably, damson plums that were harvested at the end of the ripening stage displayed reduced phenolic content and total antioxidant activity compared to those acquired at the early-mid ripening phase. This research collectively highlights the substantive impact of harvesting time and ripening stage on the nutritional and antioxidant profiles of damson plums cultivated in New Zealand.

Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids and Polyphenols in Organic Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata): Impact of Industrial Freezing Process

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is recognized as a functional food due to its abundant content of health-promoting compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of industrial freezing stages on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and polyphenols in organic Butternut squash supplied for baby food. Identification and quantification of bioactive compounds were carried out using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA, respectively. The results revealed that industrial freezing of squash did not cause a significant change in bioaccessibility of α- and β-carotene. On the other hand, frozen squash was found to contain higher levels of bioaccessible epicatechin (main flavonoid) (117.5 mg/kg) and syringic acid (main phenolic acid) (32.0 mg/kg) compared to fresh internal fruit. Moreover, the levels of bioaccessible epicatechin and syringic acid were found to be the highest in discarded pomace and seed sample (454.0 and 132.4 mg/kg, respectively). Overall, this study emphasized that industrial freezing could be an effective strategy for preserving carotenoid bioaccessibility in organic Butternut squash, while also enhancing the levels of bioaccessible polyphenols. In addition, we also demonstrated that pomace and seed, which are discarded as waste, have significant potential to be utilized as a food source rich in bioactive compounds.

The antioxidant role of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed extract against acute reproductive toxicity by uranyl acetate in male rats

Objective

The main goal of the study was to find whether pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) extract has any preventive or antioxidant properties against acute uranyl acetate (UA)-induced reproductive cytotoxicity.

Material and Methods

Four groups each, including 10 adult male rats, were randomly assigned. (GI): the control group was given 1 ml of purified water orally for 30 days. (GII): Rats were given orally, a single dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. UA (GIII): Rats consumed 40 mg/kg b.w. of pumpkin seed extract (PSE) orally every day for 30 days. (GIV): Rats received a single dose (150 mg/kg b.w.) of UA plus a daily oral dose of PSE (40 mg/kg b.w.) for 30 days. Animal sacrifice was used for oxidative stress and histopathological study.

Results

Showed significantly (p ≥ 0.001) elevated malondialdehyde levels in the GII group (6.19 ± 0.4), while GIII and GIV showed no significant differences. Glutathione peroxidase showed a significant (p ≥ 0.001) decrease (2.55 ± 0.2) in the GII group, while in groups (GIII and GIV), it showed a significant (p ≥ 0.001) increase (4.61 ± 0.16, 4.28 ± 0.032), respectively. The histopathological study for GII groups showed sloughing of epithelial cells lining the seminiferous tubules with a decrease in the number of spermatozoa in some tubules. Many sections revealed hyperplasia of the epithelial cells lining the seminiferous tubules with necrosis. The GIII and GIV groups showed normal histological structures with an increase in spermatogenesis in the testes and epididymis tissues.

Conclusion

We concluded that UA causes oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in the rat reproductive system. Pumpkin extract plays a role in improving the activity of the reproductive system.

The Effect of Ripening Stages on the Accumulation of Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity of the Fruit Extracts of Solanum Species

The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of the ripening stage on the accumulation of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in fruits of Solanum species. The experiment included two factors: I-four different Solanum species (S. melanocerasum, S. nigrum, S. villosum, and S. retroflexum) and II-three ripening stages. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the individual phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), and the spectrophotometric method was applied to determine antioxidant activity. The results revealed that the accumulation of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in fruits of Solanum species depends on the stage of ripening and species. All studied Solanum species fruits had the highest content of total phenolic acid at ripening stage III and the greatest antioxidant activity at ripening stage I. Fully ripe fruits of S. melanocerasum contained significantly more total flavonoids, whereas S. nigrum contained significantly more total phenolic acids than other investigated Solanum species fruits. The significantly highest antioxidant activity was found in S. melanocerasum fruits at ripening stage I.

Evaluation of Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Fruit Pulp Extracts of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne and Cucurbita maxima Duchesne

Objective

To evaluate and compare the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of fruit pulp extracts from Cucurbita moschata (PCMOS) and Cucurbita maxima (PCMAX).

Methods

The antidiabetic activity was carried out in vivo by orally and daily giving the extracts at a dose of 500 mg/kg·b.w. to the streptozotocin-induced diabetic male albino Wistar rats for six weeks. After the period of administration, blood glucose levels, body weight, serum insulin, morphology of islets of Langerhans, biochemical parameters, and haematological values of the rats were determined. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity was carried out in vitro by determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power.

Results

PCMAX significantly (p < 0.05) reduced blood glucose levels but increased the body weight, serum insulin levels, size and number of islets of Langerhans, and β-cell number of the treated diabetic rats more than PCMOS did. However, they did not alter biochemical parameters and haematological values of the treated diabetic rats. PCMAX possessed total phenolic and flavonoid contents and showed DPPH scavenging and FRAP reducing antioxidant power more significantly (p < 0.05) than PCMOS.

Conclusions

According to the obtained results, it is indicated that PCMOS and PCMAX possess antidiabetic and antioxidant activities. PCMAX possesses more potent antidiabetic and antioxidant activities than PCMOS. These are probably due to PCMAX providing polysaccharide and total phenolic and flavonoid contents more than PCMOS.

Rootstock identity in melon-pumpkin graft combinations determines fruit metabolite profile

Grafting has the potential to improve melon fruit yield and quality, but it is currently held that a lack of compatibility between the rootstock and scion compromises such an effect. To throw light on this subject, we studied melon-pumpkin graft combinations with different levels of compatibility to assess to the effect of the rootstock identity on melon fruit yield and quality, including total fruit ortho-diphenols, total flavonoids, and primary fruit metabolites. Melon cv. 'Kiran' (Ki) was grafted onto three pumpkin rootstocks, 'TZ-148' (TZ), 'Shimshon' (Sh), and '53006' (r53), characterized by high, moderate, and low compatibility, respectively. The non-grafted melon cultivar Ki was used as the control. The incompatible combination Ki/r53 gave the lowest fruit yield and the lowest average fruit weight. In that combination, the content of total ortho-diphenols increased vs. Ki and Ki/TZ and that of total flavonoids decreased vs. Ki/Sh. In addition, concentrations of the amino acids, glutamate, methionine, valine, alanine, glycine, and serine, increased in the pulp of the two compatible combinations, i.e., Ki/TZ and Ki/Sh, suggesting that rootstock identity and compatibility with melon Ki scion modulated amino acid synthesis. Our results show an association between rootstock identity (and level of compatibility with the scion) and an enhancement of fruit nutritional values, i.e., high concentrations of organic acids (determined as citrate, malate, fumarate, and succinate) and soluble carbohydrates (sucrose) were recorded in the pulp of the two compatible combinations, i.e., Ki/TZ and Ki/Sh.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in Cucurbita ficifolia fruits, an underrated fruit

The fruits and seeds of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché are sources of minerals, vitamins, and functional compounds with nutraceutical and preventive potential against cardiovascular diseases and diseases derived from eating disorders. C. ficifolia is native from Mesoamerica and is currently cultivated in temperate zones from Mexico to South America and Asia. This study evaluated the fruit mesocarps of C. ficifolia for physicochemical parameters, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compound contents in a collection of farmers' landraces. Germplasm is cultivated by traditional farmers in the temperate zones of two municipalities from Oaxaca, Mexico. The results show that the content of soluble solid contents (SSC), pH, total sugars (TS), and flavonoids are influenced by the fruit geographical origin (municipalities) and implicitly by their agroecological cultivation conditions (Huamelúlpam: SSC = 6.22 °Brix, pH = 5.44, TS = 0.52 mg G g-1, flavonoids = 1.24 mg CE g-1; Yanhuitlán: SSC = 6.69, pH = 5.33, TS = 0.55, flavonoids = 1.30). Among populations preserved by traditional farmers, significant differences, and wide variability were found for all parameters evaluated (Huamelúlpam: SSC = 4.9-7.3, pH = 5.5-5.8, TS = 0.4-0.7, protein = 5.8-11.4, polyphenols = 1.9-4.8, flavonoids = 1.0-1.5, DPPH = 4.3-10.6, and FRAP = 4.8-11.8; Yanhuitlán: SSC = 4.3-8.9, pH = 4.8-5.6, TS = 0.4-0.7, protein = 5.0-15.3, polyphenols = 1.9-4.9, flavonoids = 0.8-1.9, DPPH = 5.3-10.5, and FRAP = 4.5-12.6). Eight compounds were identified by UPLC-MS: L-phenylalanine, an amino acid that is regularly associated with proteins; vanillin, a phenolic aldehyde with its functional groups including aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether; and six phenolic acids: 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and salicylic acid, all with potential health effects. The C. ficifolia fruit mesocarp has bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity with the potential to both improve diet and to obtain other benefits against nontransmissible diseases derived from food and its associated risk factors.

Biological Activity of Pumpkin Byproducts: Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties

Pumpkin fruits are widely appreciated and consumed worldwide. In addition to their balanced nutritional profile, pumpkin species also present valuable bioactive compounds that confer biological and pharmacological properties to them. However, the seeds, peels, and fibrous strands resulting from pumpkin processing are still poorly explored by the food industry. The current study used those fruit components from the genotypes of pumpkin that are economically significant in Portugal and Algeria to produce bioactive extracts. In order to support their usage as preservatives, their phenolic content (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) and antioxidant (OxHLIA and TBARS) and antimicrobial properties (against eight bacterial and two fungal strains) were assessed. In terms of phenolic profile, the peel of the Portuguese 'Common Pumpkin' showed the most diversified profile and also the highest concentration of total phenolic compounds, with considerable concentrations of (-)-epicatechin. Regarding the antioxidant capacity, the seeds of 'Butternut Squash' from both countries stood out, while the fibrous strands of Portuguese 'Butternut Squash' and the seeds of Algerian 'Gold Nugget Pumpkin' revealed the strongest antimicrobial activity. The bioactive compounds identified in the pumpkin byproducts may validate their enormous potential as a source of bio-based preservatives that may enhance consumers' health and promote a circular economy.

Phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory evaluation of Algerian Ruta graveolens L

Plants constitute a valuable source of natural antioxidants such as polyphenols and are responsible for exhibiting many biologically significant functions. Ruta species including Ruta chalepensis L. and Ruta graveolens L are widespread species in Algeria and are used as medicinal plants to treat various diseases; however, so far, most of the conducted studies focused on analyzing alkaloids and essential oils mostly on R. chalepensis. The aim of the present research is to investigate the phenolic profile of the aerial parts of Ruta graveolens. L from Algeria and assess its in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The total polyphenols and flavonoids were assessed using colorimetric methods, and the individual polyphenols were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH and β-carotene tests, and the anti-inflammatory activity with inhibition of bovine serum albumin denaturation and HRBC membrane stabilization methods. The results showed that Ruta graveolens extract is rich in phenolic compounds with a total phenol and flavonoid contents of 41.63±0.394 mg GAE/gE and 13.97±0.33 mg EQ/gE, respectively. Nine phenolic compounds were determined, including three phenolic acids and six flavonoids. Rutin was the major phenolic compound in Ruta graveolens (464.95 µg/g), followed by syringic acid (179.74 µg/g), and naringenin (109.78 µg/g). R. graveolens phenolic extract also showed good antioxidant activity with values of 0.77 mM TE/g DW and 0.37 mM β-CE/ g DW with DPPH and β-carotene tests, respectively. For the anti-inflammatory activity, the highest tested concentration (200 μg/mL) gave 50.61% of inhibition of the denaturation of albumin and 44.12% of membrane stabilization.

Polyphenols: Bioavailability, Microbiome Interactions and Cellular Effects on Health in Humans and Animals

Polyphenolic compounds have a variety of functions in plants including protecting them from a range of abiotic and biotic stresses such as pathogenic infections, ionising radiation and as signalling molecules. They are common constituents of human and animal diets, undergoing extensive metabolism by gut microbiota in many cases prior to entering circulation. They are linked to a range of positive health effects, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and disease-specific activities but the relationships between polyphenol bio-transformation products and their interactions in vivo are less well understood. Here we review the state of knowledge in this area, specifically what happens to dietary polyphenols after ingestion and how this is linked to health effects in humans and animals; paying particular attention to farm animals and pigs. We focus on the chemical transformation of polyphenols after ingestion, through microbial transformation, conjugation, absorption, entry into circulation and uptake by cells and tissues, focusing on recent findings in relation to bone. We review what is known about how these processes affect polyphenol bioactivity, highlighting gaps in knowledge. The implications of extending the use of polyphenols to treat specific pathogenic infections and other illnesses is explored.

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds extracted from Cucurbita moschata pumpkin waste: The multi-objective optimization study

AIM

Artificial neural network (ANN) development to find optimal carriers (pea protein-P, maltodextrin-M, and inulin-I) mixture for encapsulation of pumpkin waste bioactives (β-carotene and phenolics).

METHODS

Freeze-drying encapsulation and encapsulates characterisation in terms of bioactives contents and encapsulation efficiencies, water activity, hygroscopicity, densities, flowability, cohesiveness, particle size (laser diffraction), solubility, color (CIELab), morphological (SEM), stability and release properties.

RESULTS

Optimal encapsulates, OE-T (with highest total bioactives contents; P, M, and I of 53.9, 46.1, and 0%w/w) and OE-EE (with highest bioactives encapsulation efficiencies; P, M, and I of 45.5, 32.0, and 22.5%w/w) had particle diameters of 94.561 ± 1.341µm and 90.206 ± 0.571µm, span of 1.777 ± 0.094 and 1.588 ± 0.089, highest release at pH 7.4 of phenolics of 71.03%w/w after 72h and 66.22%w/w after 48h, and β-carotene of 43.67%w/w after 8h and 48.62%w/w after 6h, respectively.

CONCLUSION

ANN model for prediction of encapsulates' preparation, showed good anticipation properties (with gained determination coefficients of 1.000).

Effects of Maturity and Thermal Treatment on Phenolic Profiles and In Vitro Health-Related Properties of Sacha Inchi Leaves

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) has been adopted as a novel economic crop with well-studied nutritional and bioactive benefits for human health. Sacha inchi seeds and oil have high commercial value but scant research has focused on its leaves. This study investigated and compared phenolic compositions, antioxidant potentials and in vitro health-related properties of both young and mature sacha inchi leaves after freeze-drying and oven-drying processes. Results showed that p-coumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid and gallic acid were predominantly detected in both young and mature leaves that also exhibited similar total phenolic contents (TPCs), while higher TPCs were detected in freeze-dried than in oven-dried leaves. Mature leaves exhibited higher antioxidant potential than young leaves after freeze-drying, while the opposite results were observed for oven-drying. Overall in vitro health-related activities were higher in mature leaves compared to young leaves regardless of the drying process. Knowledge gained from this study can be used to encourage prospective utilization of sacha inchi leaves as a source of health-promoting compounds. This, in turn, will increase the commercial value of the leaves and provide a wider market variety of sacha inchi products.

Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Fruit Juice and Fruit Fermented Beverages and Their Consumer Acceptance

Recent social, economic, and technological evolutions have impacted consumption habits. The new consumer is more rational, more connected and demanding with products, more concerned with the management of the family budget, with the health, origin, and sustainability of food. The food industry over the last few years has shown remarkable technological and scientific evolution, with an impact on the development and innovation of new products using non-thermal processing. Non-thermal processing technologies involve methods by which fruit juices receive microbiological inactivation and enzymatic denaturation with or without the direct application of low heat, thereby lessening the adverse effects on the nutritional, bioactive, and flavor compounds of the treated fruit juices, extending their shelf-life. The recognition of the nutritional and protective values of fruit juices and fermented fruit beverages is evident and is attributed to the presence of different bioactive compounds, protecting against chronic and metabolic diseases. Fermentation maintains the fruit's safety, nutrition, and shelf life and the development of new products. This review aims to summarize the chemical and sensory characteristics of fruit juices and fermented fruit drinks, the fermentation process, its benefits, and its effects.

Variability in the Beneficial Effects of Phenolic Compounds: A Review

When analysing the beneficial effects of phenolic compounds, several factors that exert a clear influence should be taken into account. The content of phenolic compounds in foods is highly variable, directly affecting individual dietary intake. Once ingested, these compounds have a greater or lesser bioaccessibility, defined as the amount available for absorption in the intestine after digestion, and a certain bioavailability, defined as the proportion of the molecule that is available after digestion, absorption and metabolism. Among the external factors that modify the content of phenolic compounds in food are the variety, the cultivation technique and the climate. Regarding functional foods, it is important to take into account the role of the selected food matrix, such as dairy matrices, liquid or solid matrices. It is also essential to consider the interactions between phenolic compounds as well as the interplay that occurs between these and several other components of the diet (macro- and micronutrients) at absorption, metabolism and mechanism of action levels. Furthermore, there is a great inter-individual variability in terms of phase II metabolism of these compounds, composition of the microbiota, and metabolic state or metabotype to which the subject belongs. All these factors introduce variability in the responses observed after ingestion of foods or nutraceuticals containing phenolic compounds.

Antibiotic Isoflavonoids, Anthraquinones, and Pterocarpanoids from Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L.) Seeds against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Cajanus cajan L. (pigeon pea, locally known in the Philippines as kadios) seed is a functional food with health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value. C. cajan seeds contain highly diverse secondary metabolites with enriched beneficial properties, such as antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. However, the antibacterial activities of secondary metabolites from Philippine-grown C. cajan, against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus have not been thoroughly described. Here, we investigated the in vitro antibacterial properties of C. cajan seed against multidrug-resistant S. aureus ATCC BAA-44 (MDRSA) and three other S. aureus strains (S. aureus ATCC 25923, S. aureus ATCC 6538, and coagulase-negative S. aureus) and, subsequently, identified the antibiotic markers against S. aureus strains using mass spectrometry. Secondary metabolites from C. cajan seeds were extracted using acetone, methanol, or 95% ethanol. Antibacterial screening revealed antibiotic activity for the C. cajan acetone extract. Bioassay-guided purification of the C. cajan acetone extract afforded three semi-pure high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractions exhibiting 32–64 µg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against MDRSA. Chemical profiling of these fractions using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) identified six compounds that are antibacterial against MDRSA. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), MS/MS, and dereplication using Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS)™, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Library identified the metabolites as rhein, formononetin, laccaic acid D, crotafuran E, ayamenin A, and biochanin A. These isoflavonoids, anthraquinones, and pterocarpanoids from C. cajan seeds are potential bioactive compounds against S. aureus, including the multidrug-resistant strains.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) Gene Family in Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Rootstock under Drought Stress Suggested the Potential Role of these Chaperones in Stress Tolerance

Heat shock protein 70s (HSP70s) are highly conserved proteins that are involved in stress responses. These chaperones play pivotal roles in protein folding, removing the extra amounts of oxidized proteins, preventing protein denaturation, and improving the antioxidant system activities. This conserved family has been characterized in several crops under drought stress conditions. However, there is no study on HSP70s in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata). Therefore, we performed a comprehensive analysis of this gene family, including phylogenetic relationship, motif and gene structure analysis, gene duplication, collinearity, and promoter analysis. In this research, we found 21 HSP70s that were classified into five groups (from A to E). These genes were mostly localized in the cytoplasm, chloroplast, mitochondria, nucleus, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We could observe more similarity in closely linked subfamilies in terms of motifs, the number of introns/exons, and the corresponding cellular compartments. According to the collinearity analysis, gene duplication had occurred as a result of purifying selection. The results showed that the occurrence of gene duplication for all nine gene pairs was due to segmental duplication (SD). Synteny analysis revealed a closer relationship between pumpkin and cucumber than pumpkin and Arabidopsis. Promoter analysis showed the presence of various cis-regulatory elements in the up-stream region of the HSP70 genes, such as hormones and stress-responsive elements, indicating a potential role of this gene family in stress tolerance. We furtherly performed the gene expression analysis of the HSP70s in pumpkin under progressive drought stress. Pumpkin is widely used as a rootstock to improve stress tolerance, as well as fruit quality of cucumber scion. Since stress-responsive mobile molecules translocate through vascular tissue from roots to the whole plant body, we used the xylem of grafted materials to study the expression patterns of the HSP70 (potentially mobile) gene family. The results indicated that all CmoHSP70s had very low expression levels at 4 days after stress (DAS). However, the genes showed different expression patterns by progressing he drought period. For example, the expression of CmoHSP70-4 (in subgroup E) and CmoHSP70-14 (in subgroup C) sharply increased at 6 and 11 DAS, respectively. However, the expression of all genes belonging to subgroup A did not change significantly in response to drought stress. These findings indicated the diverse roles of this gene family under drought stress and provided valuable information for further investigation on the function of this gene family, especially under stressful conditions.

Valorization of Taiwan's Citrus depressa Hayata peels as a source of nobiletin and tangeretin using simple ultrasonic-assisted extraction

As the highest yield crop worldwide, citrus peels that possess bioactive compounds were discarded as a futile by-product. Ultrasonication with environmentally friendly solvent (50% ethanol and ddH₂O) were used in the present study to extract flavonoids from Citrus depressa Hayata peels with extraction period and fruit maturity as other variables. DPPH scavenging activity was investigated. Qualitative flavonoid content analysis was done by UV/Vis and FTIR-ATR spectra. Quantification of flavonoid using LC-MS/MS found that solvent type, fruit maturity, and ultrasonication period significantly affect the extracted flavonoid yield (p < 0.05). Extraction using 50% ethanol showed a higher yield than ddH₂O. Flavonoid content was also higher in unripe than ripe samples. Nobiletin, tangeretin, and rutin were dominant among the identified compounds in all sample treatments. Flavonoid content in Citrus depressa Hayata extract was found to negatively correlate to DPPH scavenging activity, which needs further research to identify other bioactivities of these flavonoids.

•

Utilization of simple ultrasonication method with less preparation to extract flavonoids from Citrus depressa Hayata peels.

•

Fruit maturity, extraction time and solvent preference significantly affect the yield of extracted flavonoid.

•

Environmentally friendly solvent for extraction, deliver a comparable yield of flavonoid compounds to other methods.

•

The negative correlation of extracted flavonoid to DPPH scavenging activity.