Search

NAC proteins play an essential role in the growth and development of litchi, especially during reproductive development. However, a comprehensive analysis of the litchi NAC gene family is currently absent. Based on information from the litchi genome, we found that the 112 NAC genes of litchi show an uneven distribution on the chromosomes. Phylogenetic and conserved structural domain analyses indicated that different types of variability were exhibited in the family of litchi NACs (LcNACs). Gene covariance analysis showed that the LcNACs showed better similarity in the same genus than with Arabidopsis. We further investigated the differential expression patterns of LcNACs in buds and rudimentary leaves of litchi. qRT-PCR results implied that they were involved in the process. Profiling of LcNAC promoter elements in litchi showed that they were extensively involved in light response, phytohormone regulation, abiotic stress response, and plant growth and development processes. This study provides new insights into the identification, structural characterization, tissue-specific expression analysis, and promoter response elements of LcNACs. It reveals the characteristics of the LcNACs and lays the foundation for the subsequent understanding of its biological functions and molecular regulatory mechanisms.

The pericarp browning and postharvest microbiological decay of litchi fruit (Litchi chinensis Sonn cv Kwai Mai) significantly reduce its commercial potential in the fresh market. In this study, different combinations of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were applied at 5 ± 1 °C based on the use of natural gases that are innocuous to human health and an alternative to commercially adopted sulfur dioxide (SO2) treatment. The results showed that control fruits, after 6 days of storage, begin to show the first symptoms of decay, revealed by the appearance of lesions and microbial infections determined by total mesophilic microorganisms and molds. This is not the case in the MAP-treated fruits and the MAP 3-treated (5% O2 + 20% CO2 + 75% N2) fruits that show the best results. The control fruits, moreover, turned completely brown by the end of the storage period. The MAP 3 treatment was the most effective in preventing browning and the loss of the red pericarp color and vitamin content and in maintaining acceptable SSC/TA levels and flavor. In addition, a microbiological analysis revealed that all the MAP-treated litchi fruits did not harbor undesirable microorganisms during the entire cold storage period. In conclusion, the MAP 3 conditions delayed pericarp browning and maintained the better organoleptic quality of litchi fruits.

Sucrose synthase (SUS, EC 2.4.1.13) is widely considered as a key enzyme involved in plant sucrose metabolism, and the gene family encoding different SUS isozymes has been identified and characterized in several plant species. However, to date scant information about the SUS genes is available in Litchi chinensis Sonn. Here, we identified five SUS genes in litchi. These LcSUSs shared high levels of similarity in both nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Their gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, and expression profiles were characterized. Gene structure analysis indicated that the LcSUSs have similar exon-intron structures. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the five members could be classified into three groups (LcSUS1 and LcSUS2 in SUS II, LcSUS4 and LcSUS5 in SUS III, and LcSUS3 in SUS I), demonstrating evolutionary conservation in the SUS family across litchi and other plant species. The expression levels of LcSUSs were investigated via real-time PCR in various tissues and different developmental stages of aril. For tissues and organs, LcSUSs exhibited distinct but partially redundant expression profiles in litchi, being predominantly expressed in young leaves (sink). During aril development, the expression pattern of LcSUS1 was consistent with the trend of sugar accumulation, indicating it may play important roles in determination of sink strength in aril. Moreover, transcript levels of LcSUS2, LcSUS4, and LcSUS5 varied between cultivars with different hexose/sucrose ratios, which may regulate the sugar composition in aril. Our results provide insights into physiological functions of SUS genes in litchi, especially roles in regulating sugar accumulation in aril.

Litchi chinensis Sonn is widely cultivated in subtropical regions and has an important economic value. A high-density genetic map is a valuable tool for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) and marker-assisted breeding programs. In this study, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based high-density linkage map was constructed by a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) protocol using an F1 population of 178 progenies between two commercial litchi cultivars, ‘Ziniangxi’ (dwarf) and ‘Feizixiao’ (vigorous). The genetic map consisted of 3027 SNP markers with a total length of 1711.97 cM in 15 linkage groups (LGs) and an average marker distance of 0.57 cM. Based on this high-density linkage map and three years of phenotyping, a total of 37 QTLs were detected for eight dwarf-related traits, including length of new branch (LNB), diameter of new branch (DNB), length of common petiole (LCP), diameter of common petiole (DCP), length of internode (LI), length of single leaf (LSL), width of single leaf (WSL), and plant height (PH). These QTLs could explain 8.0 to 14.7% (mean=9.7%) of the phenotypic variation. Among them, several QTL clusters were observed, particularly on LG04 and LG11, which might show enrichment for genes regulating the dwarf-related traits in litchi. There were 126 candidate genes identified within the QTL regions, 55 of which are differentially expressed genes by RNA-seq analysis between ‘Ziniangxi’ and ‘Feizixiao’. These DEGs were found to participate in the regulation of cell development, material transportation, signal transduction, and plant morphogenesis, so they might play important roles in regulating plant dwarf-related traits. The high-density genetic map and QTLs identification related to dwarf traits can provide a valuable genetic resource and a basis for marker-assisted selection and genomic studies of litchi.

Background Litchi is a well-known subtropical fruit crop. However, irregular bearing attributed to unstable flowering is a major ongoing problem for the development of the litchi industry. In a previous study, our laboratory proved that litchi flowering was induced by low temperature and that a FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homologue gene named LcFT1 played a pivotal role in this process. The present study aimed to understand the natural variation in FT among litchi germplasm resources and designed markers to verify easy- and difficult-flowering litchi germplasms. A grafting experiment was also carried out to explore whether it could shorten the seedling stage of litchi seedlings. Results Two types of LcFT1 promoter existed in different litchi germplasm resources, and we named them the ‘easy-flowering type of LcFT1 promoter’ and ‘difficult-flowering type of LcFT1 promoter’, which resulted in three different LcFT1 genotypes of litchi germplasm resources, including the homozygous easy-flowering type of the LcFT1 genotype, homozygous difficult-flowering type of the LcFT1 genotype and heterozygous LcFT1 genotype of litchi germplasm resources. The homozygous easy-flowering type of the LcFT1 genotype and heterozygous LcFT1 genotype of the litchi germplasm resources completed their floral induction more easily than the homozygous difficult-flowering type of the LcFT1 genotype of litchi germplasm resources. Herein, we designed two kinds of efficient molecular markers based on the difference in LcFT1 promoter sequences and applied them to identify of the easy- and difficult-flowering litchi germplasm resources. These two kinds of molecular markers were capable of clearly distinguishing the easy- from difficult-flowering litchi germplasm resources at the seedling stage and provided the same results. Meanwhile, grafting the scion of seedlings to the annual branches of adult litchi trees could significantly shorten the seedling stage. Conclusions Understanding the flowering characteristics of litchi germplasm resources is essential for easy-flowering litchi breeding. In the present study, molecular markers provide a rapid and accurate approach for identifying the flowering characteristics. The application of these molecular markers not only significantly shortened the artificial crossbreeding cycle of easy-flowering litchi cultivars but also greatly saved manpower, material resources and land.

The sugar contents of ‘Feizixiao’ litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) decrease at full maturity; calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) foliar fertilizer can resolve this “sugar receding”. To investigate the physiological mechanism of Ca and Mg foliar fertilizer used to resolve the “sugar receding” phenomenon in ‘Feizixiao’ litchi pulp, 16-year-old litchi trees were treated with 0.3% CaCl2 + 0.3% MgCl2 foliar spraying or water as a control. We determined the pulp sugar content over a two-year period in 2020 and 2021. Pulp total RNA was extracted for transcriptome sequencing in 2020, and the expression pattern of 10 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was verified by real-time PCR in 2020 and 2021. The results showed that the fertilizer treatment significantly increased pulp fructose and total soluble sugar contents at maturity in both years. According to Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis, there were 155 DEGs divided into 35 GO categories, among which 49 DEGs were divided into 49 pathways according to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. We isolated sugar-metabolism-related enzyme genes, including sucrose synthase (SS), acid invertase (AI), neutral invertase (NI), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), and hexokinase (HK). All sucrose-metabolism-related enzyme (NI, AI, SS, SPS) genes were downregulated, and six of the seven HK genes were downregulated. The expression patterns of the 10 DEGs were verified by real-time PCR, which showed significant linear relationships (r2020 = 0.9127, r2021 = 0.8705). In conclusion, the fertilizer treatment inhibited the synthesis of sucrose and phosphorylation of hexose by downregulating the expression of the SS, SPS, and HK genes, thus increasing the fructose and total soluble sugar contents in ‘Feizixiao’ litchi.

The present study used Litchi chinensis peel extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This technique is eco-friendly and can be performed in a single step; thus, it has attracted great attention for NPs biosynthesis. Herein, we biosynthesized AgNPs with L. chinensis peel extract and examined their anticoccidial activity in rabbit hepatic coccidiosis induced by E. stiedae infection. Thirty-five rabbits were allocated into seven groups: a healthy group (G1), an infected control group (G2), four groups infected before treatment with 10 mg/kg L. chinensis peel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs (G3, G5) or 50 mg/kg amprolium (G4, G6), and rabbits infected after two weeks of pretreatment with 10 mg/kg L. chinensis eel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs (G7). In this study, both pre-and post-treatment with AgNPs produced a substantial reduction in fecal oocyst output, liver enzyme levels, and histopathological hepatic lesions relative to the infected group. In conclusion, L. chinensis peel extract-prepared AgNPs should be considered harmless and efficient in the cure of hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits.

RESUMO Este trabalho teve por objetivo relatar pela primeira vez a ocorrência dos ácaros Amblyseiella setosa Muma (Phytoseiidae) e Tuckerella pavoniformis (Ewing) (Tuckerellidae) no Brasil. Os ácaros foram coletados em folhas de lichieira, oriundos dos Municípios de Atibaia e Campinas, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. ABSTRACT The article reports for the first time the occurrence of mites Amblyseiella setosa Muma (Phytoseiidae) and Tuckerella pavoniformis (Ewing) (Tuckerellidae) in Brazil. The specimens were collected in litchi leaves from Atibaia and Campinas, the counties of state of São Paulo, Brazil.

The seeds of fruits which are thrown away as waste can be used in medicinal and therapeutic purposes. The goal of this investigation was to find out antibacterial and cytotoxic potentialities of crude acetone and ethanol extracts of seeds of four common summer fruits, purchased from Khulna region, Bangladesh: Litchi chinensis (Lychee), Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm), Syzigum cumini (Black Plum) and Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit). Extracts were screened for their antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion method, followed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determination by colorimetric broth macro dilution method and plating method. The highest antibacterial activity was found from acetone extract of S. cumini against Salmonella typhi where zone of inhibition was 19.67±0.27 mm along with MIC 0.0585 mg/ml and MBC 0.2344 mg/ml. Acetone extract of S. cumini was found to have bactericidal effect on all microorganisms except bacteriostatic on E. coli and S. paratyphi and ethanol extract showed bactericidal effect on all the microorganisms tested. The cytotoxic activity was determined by brine shrimp lethality assay. Among all seed samples, P. dactylifera exerted relatively better cytotoxicity where LC50 value is below 100 µg/ml. The rest of the samples showed relatively less toxicity as LC50 value more than 100 µg/ml. Among all the seed samples, S. cumini showed most potential antibacterial activity with less cytotoxicity. Overall, the findings of the study endorse antibacterial activity of examined seed extracts with moderate cytotoxic activity, suggesting the isolation of active compounds thorough bioassays. [ J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther 2020; 3(3.000): 194-203]

Fruit coproducts fruit, made of peels, seeds and pulp, discarded during the industrial processing, contain lots of health beneficial compounds, however, high moisture content limits its use. Drying is a low cost and great potential alternative for using. This study aimed to evaluate the phenolic compounds content, in vitro antioxidant capacity and total carotenoid, anthocyanins and vitamin C contents of pineapple (Ananas comosus), banana (Musa sp.), lychee (Litchi chinensis) and papaya (Carica papaya) peels, fresh and oven dried at 55 °C. Phenolic compounds, total carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C contents and the antioxidant capacity of flours, were also significantly higher, indicating that the drying process promoted the concentration of these components, and constitute an excellent alternative to use these coproducts as a source of nutrients.

Background Litchi chinensis Sonn. is an economically important fruit tree in tropical and subtropical regions. However, litchi functional genomics is severely hindered due to its recalcitrance to regeneration and stable transformation. Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transgenic system provide an alternative to study functional genomics in woody plants. However, the hairy root transgenic system has not been established in litchi. Results In this study, we report a rapid and highly efficient A. rhizogenes-mediated co-transformation system in L. chinensis using Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene as a marker. Both leaf discs and stem segments of L. chinensis cv. ‘Fenhongguiwei’ seedlings were able to induce transgenic hairy roots. The optimal procedure involved the use of stem segments as explants, infection by A. rhizogenes strain MSU440 at optical density (OD600) of 0.7 for 10 min and co-cultivation for 3 days, with a co-transformation efficiency of 9.33%. Furthermore, the hairy root transgenic system was successfully used to validate the function of the key anthocyanin regulatory gene LcMYB1 in litchi. Over-expression of LcMYB1 produced red hairy roots, which accumulated higher contents of anthocyanins, proanthocyanins, and flavonols. Additionally, the genes involving in the flavonoid pathway were strongly activated in the red hairy roots. Conclusion We first established a rapid and efficient transformation system for the study of gene function in hairy roots of litchi using A. rhizogenes strain MSU440 by optimizing parameters. This hairy root transgenic system was effective for gene function analysis in litchi using the key anthocyanin regulator gene LcMYB1 as an example.

Submitted by azevedo@ufp.pt (azevedo@ufp.pt) on 2021-11-26T16:46:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PPG_39962.pdf: 1759834 bytes, checksum: 97f2b0c0362e83c31cf9b15e99bcc2c7 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by azevedo@ufp.pt (azevedo@ufp.pt) on 2021-11-26T16:48:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PPG_39962.pdf: 1759834 bytes, checksum: 97f2b0c0362e83c31cf9b15e99bcc2c7 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-26T16:48:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PPG_39962.pdf: 1759834 bytes, checksum: 97f2b0c0362e83c31cf9b15e99bcc2c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-07-23

Background SWEETs (Sugar Will Eventually be Exported transporters) function as sugar efflux transporters that perform diverse physiological functions, including phloem loading, nectar secretion, seed filling, and pathogen nutrition. The SWEET gene family has been identified and characterized in a number of plant species, but little is known about in Litchi chinensis, which is an important evergreen fruit crop. Results In this study, 16 LcSWEET genes were identified and nominated according to its homologous genes in Arabidopsis and grapevine. Multiple sequence alignment showed that the 7 alpha-helical transmembrane domains (7-TMs) were basically conserved in LcSWEETs. The LcSWEETs were divided into four clades (Clade I to Clade IV) by phylogenetic tree analysis. A total of 8 predicted motifs were detected in the litchi LcSWEET genes. The 16 LcSWEET genes were unevenly distributed in 9 chromosomes and there was one pairs of segmental duplicated events by synteny analysis. The expression patterns of the 16 LcSWEET genes showed higher expression levels in reproductive organs. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of LcSWEET2a and LcSWEET3b indicated they play central roles during early seed development. Conclusions The litchi genome contained 16 SWEET genes, and most of the genes were expressed in different tissues. Gene expression suggested that LcSWEETs played important roles in the growth and development of litchi fruits. Genes that regulate early seed development were preliminarily identified. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the SWEET gene family in litchi, laying a strong foundation for further functional studies of LcSWEET genes and improvement of litchi fruits.

A study of the pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of a protein from the seed of Litchi chinensis was carried out. Protein was isolated by 70 % ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by dialysis. Lipase inhibitory activity of the protein was evaluated using both synthetic (p-nitrophenyl palmitate) and natural (olive oil) substrates. Protein at the final concentration of 100 µg/mL was able to inhibit 68.2 % pancreatic lipase on synthetic substrate and 60.0 % on natural substrate. Proteinaceous nature of the inhibitor was determined using trypsinization assay. Pancreatic lipase inhibitory protein was sensitive to 0.05 % trypsin treatment with the loss of 61.9 % activity. IC50 of this proteinaceous pancreatic lipase inhibitor was 73.1 µg/mL using synthetic substrate. This inhibitory protein was sensitive to pH, with the highest inhibitory activity at pH=8.0 and the lowest at pH=3.0. Protein was further analyzed using 10 % non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and, interestingly, it showed the presence of a single band of (61±2) kDa when stained with Coomassie brilliant blue. The isolated protein was finally crystallized to see its homogeneity by batch crystallization method. Crystals were well formed with distinct edges. The isolated protein showed good pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity.

Introduction – Determining the host status of fruit species for a given fruit fly species is essential to decide on its risk for the international trade of fresh fruits. This study aims to determine if Bactrocera dorsalis, the Oriental fruit fly, can infest fruits of four commercial species grown for exportation: Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus hystrix, Passiflora edulis and Litchi chinensis in La Réunion. Materials and methods – Fruits of C. aurantifolia, C. hystrix, P. edulis and L. chinensis were collected in the field to determine their natural infestation rates (natural hosts) and laboratory experiments were carried out to study insects' ability to oviposit and develop in the fruits (conditional hosts). Results and discussion – The two tested Citrus species were neither natural nor conditional hosts for B. dorsalis. Passiflora edulis was a conditional host for B. dorsalis on Réunion Island, as we observed infestations only in experimental conditions. Infestations in experimental and natural conditions by B. dorsalis were observed for L. chinensis. Conclusion – Our findings provided background information on the host status for B. dorsalis for four major fruits candidates for exportation from La Réunion. The risk for export is weak for tested Citrus species because they were neither natural nor conditional hosts for B. dorsalis. On the contrary, the risk for export is not null for L. chinensis and P. edulis, which present infestation by B. dorsalis either in field-collected fruit or in unperforated fruit in the laboratory. As infestations can be difficult to distinguish, post-harvest treatments should be considered to limit the risks.

In recent years, the cultivation of tropical fruit crops has increased in the Mediterranean basin, especially in southern Italy. In surveys conducted from 2014 to 2019 woody canker and shoot blight were observed on mango plants (cvs. Kent, Keitt, Sensation, Osteen, and Kensington Pride) and litchi plants (cvs. Way Chee and Kwai Mai Pink) cultivated in Sicily. Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae were consistently isolated from symptomatic samples. Morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenies using three genomic loci (a portion of translation elongation factor 1-α gene, a portion of the β-tubulin gene, and an internal transcribed spacer) identified these fungi as Neofusicoccum parvum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diaporthe foeniculina, and Diaporthe baccae on mango and Diaporthe foeniculina and Diaporthe rudis on litchi. Pathogenicity tests on healthy mango (cv. Kensington Pride) and litchi (cv. Way Chee) plants demonstrated the pathogenicity of the isolates used in the study, and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled for all pathogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae, B. dothidea, and Diaporthe species on mango in Italy and the first report worldwide of woody canker and shoot blight caused by D. foeniculina and D. rudis on litchi plants.

Objetivo: avaliar os parâmetros morfométricos e a quantidade de tecidos adiposos de ratos alimentados com resíduos da lichia. Métodos: na etapa 1, os animais foram divididos em grupo C (controle) e grupo H (dieta hipercalórica); enquanto, na etapa 2, os animais do grupo C permaneceram neste grupo, e os demais foram divididos no grupo H, grupo HCL (10% de farinha da casca de lichia), e o grupo HSL (10% de farinha da semente de lichia). Avaliaram-se os Índices de Massa Corporal (IMC) e de Lee; o consumo alimentar, o Coeficiente de Eficiência Alimentar e a Digestibilidade Aparente; os Índices Hepato-Somático, de Gordura Visceral e de Gordura Epididimal. Compararam-se os dados pelo Teste de Tukey a 5%. Resultados: não houve diferença estatística quanto o peso corporal, o IMC, o consumo alimentar, e o Índice Hepato-Somático. O grupo HCL não diferiu do grupo C quanto ao Coeficiente de Eficiência Alimentar e à quantidade dos tecidos adiposos (visceral e epididimal). Os grupos que receberam as farinhas de lichia não diferiram do grupo C quanto ao ganho de peso e ao Índice de Lee; entretanto, apresentaram menor Índice de Gordura Epididimal que o grupo H e maior que o grupo C, embora o grupo controle (C) apresentasse menor Digestibilidade Aparente das dietas nas duas avaliações. Conclusão: a farinha da casca de lichia apresentou os melhores resultados, uma vez que não diferiu do grupo controle (C) para alguns parâmetros morfométricos e a quantidade dos tecidos adiposos, sugerindo que as fibras e os polifenóis dessa farinha promoveram os efeitos identificados neste estudo.

This work follows an ethnobotanical study that took place in the island of Mayotte (France), which pointed out the potential properties of Litchi chinensis Sonn. roots when used to enhance skin health and appearance. Through in vitro testing of a crude methanolic extract, high anti-tyrosinase (skin whitening effect) and antioxidant activities (skin soothing effect) could be measured. HPLC successive bio-guided fractionation steps allowed the purification of one of the compounds responsible for the biological activities. The isolated compound was characterized by UV, IR, MS and 2D-NMR, revealing, for the first time in Litchi chinensis Sonn. roots, an A-type proanthocyanidin and thus revealing a consensus among the traditional use shown by the ethnobotanical study, in vitro biological activities and chemical characterization.

Litchi represents an economically important crop in South Africa – however, the local industry is based on only five cultivars. In order to expand the gene pool and to extend the harvest season, new cultivars have been imported. Currently, cultivars are identified based on morphological characteristics, but these are not always reliable. Molecular markers provide a tool to supplement morphological characterisation, particularly in cases in which confusion exists. The present study reports on the application of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers in litchi for assessment of genetic relationships and molecular characterisation. The results provide evidence for separation of cultivars based on maturation period and fruit characteristics. The SRAP markers provide a tool for molecular characterisation that can be readily used by researchers with limited budgets, which is common in many developing countries. Significance: We report on the application of SRAP markers as a tool for litchi breeders in resource constrained countries. The tested molecular markers allowed for genotyping (molecular characterisation) of litchi cultivars and selections. The markers also revealed relationships between genetic and morphological (phenotypic) characteristics.

Objective: To synthesize and isolate silver and gold nanoparticles from Litchi chinensis leaf methanolic extract, and to evaluate its comparative biological activities including muscles relaxant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal. Methods: The gold and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by dissolving methanolic extract in gold chloride and silver nitrate solution separately which were confirmed by colour change and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and pellets were collected through centrifugation. Biological activities of the extract were conducted on BALB/c mice through various standard methods and the data were subjected to One-way ANOVA. Results: The colorless gold chloride solution changed to purple soon after the addition of plant extract, demonstrating that the reaction took place and gold ions were reduced to gold nanoparticles, while colorless silver nitrate solution changed to light and dark brown that was indicative of silver nanoparticles. The muscles relaxant activity showed that silver nanoparticles were more effective than gold nanoparticles and methanolic extract in traction test. The analgesic activity showed that silver and gold nanoparticles showed highest percentage decrease in acetic acid induced writhing at the doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg b.w. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was produced by gold nanoparticles followed by silver nanoparticles, while low activity was observed in methanolic leaf extract. Only the crude methanolic extract showed significant antidiarrheal activity as compared to the standard drug atropine sulphate, while antidiarrheal activities of gold and silver nanoparticles were non-significant. Conclusions: The present work concludes that isolated silver and gold nanoparticles from leaf methanolic extract shows strong muscles relaxant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities while crude methanolic extract possesses good antidiarrheal activity.

Litchi chinensis Sonn. is an important evergreen fruit crop cultivated in the tropical and subtropical regions. The edible portion of litchi fruit is the aril, which contains a high concentration of sucrose, glucose, and fructose. In this study, we review various aspects of sugar transport, metabolism, and signaling during fruit development in litchi. We begin by detailing the sugar transport and accumulation during aril development, and the biosynthesis of quebrachitol as a transportable photosynthate is discussed. We then document sugar metabolism in litchi fruit. We focus on the links between sugar signaling and seed development as well as fruit abscission. Finally, we outline future directions for research on sugar metabolism and signaling to improve fruit yield and quality.

Postharvest litchi fruit is highly perishable and vulnerable to pericarp browning (PB), which affects marketability. In this study, the effect of vacuum infiltrated methyl jasmonate (0, 1, or 2 mM) on the quality of fresh cold stored (7 ± 1 °C and RH 85–90%) litchi. The MeJA effectively reduced PB and increased storage life up to 16 d by retaining higher fruit weight, soluble solids, acidity, and anthocyanin contents. MeJA (2 mM) treated fruits maintained higher levels of phenols, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide), membrane permeability, lipid peroxidation, and quinone was downregulated. The MeJA treatment also reduced the activity of PPO and POD as well as maintained higher PAL activity with delayed PB in litchi. Therefore, the MeJA infiltration (2 mM) could be suggested to enhance the storability of litchi fruits during cold storage.

We report the involvement of quebrachitol in photosynthate transport and stress response, and characterize an inositol methyltransferase gene involved in the biosynthesis of bornesitol, the methylated intermediate of quebrachitol., Although methylated cyclitols constitute a major proportion of the carbohydrates in many plant species, their physiological roles and biosynthetic pathway are largely unknown. Quebrachitol (2-O-methyl-chiro-inositol) is one of the major methylated cyclitols in some plant species. In litchi, quebrachitol represents approximately 50% of soluble sugars in mature leaves and 40% of the total sugars in phloem exudate. In the present study, we identified bornesitol as a transient methylated intermediate of quebrachitol and measured the concentrations of methyl-inositols in different tissues and in tissues subjected to different treatments. 14CO2 feeding and phloem exudate experiments demonstrated that quebrachitol is one of the transportable photosynthates. In contrast to other plant species, the biosynthesis of quebrachitol in litchi is not associated with osmotic stress. High quebrachitol concentrations in tissues of the woody plant litchi might represent a unique carbon metabolic strategy that maintains osmolality under reduced-sucrose conditions. The presence of bornesitol but not ononitol in the leaves indicates a different biosynthetic pathway with pinitol. The biosynthesis of quebrachitol involves the methylation of myo-inositol and the subsequent epimerization of bornesitol. An inositol methyltransferase gene (LcIMT1) responsible for bornesitol biosynthesis was isolated and characterized for the first time, and the biosynthesis pathways of methyl-inositols are discussed.

Background Maturation of litchi (Litchi chinensis) fruit is characterized by dramatic changes in pigments in the pericarp and flavor compounds in the aril. Among them, the biosynthesis of anthocyanins is most noticeable. Previous studies showed that LcMYB1 and LcbHLH transcription factors participated in regulating the anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi. However, the roles of other MYB factors remain unclear. Results In this study, we cloned and characterized the function of LcMYB5, a novel R2R3-MYB identified from litchi transcriptome. Although LcMYB5 was constitutively expressed in litchi tissues and its expressions was not correlated with tissue coloration, overexpression of LcMYB5 resulted in enhanced biosynthesis of anthocyanins in tobacco and petunia concurrent with the up-regulation of their endogenous bHLHs and key structural genes in anthocyanin precursor biosynthesis. These results indicate that LcMYB5 is an R2R3 transcriptional factor regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis either by directly activating the expression of key structural genes such as DFR or by indirectly up regulating the expressions of endogenous bHLH regulators. More interestingly, the pH values in petals and leaves from transgenic lines were significant lower than those in both untransformed tobacco and petunia, indicating LcMYB5 is also associated with pH regulation. The expressions of LcMYB5 and its bHLH partner LcbHLH1 were consistent with the expression of putative tissue acidification gene LcPH1, and the changes in malic acid provided further evidence for the close relationship between LcMYB5 and tissue acidification. Conclusions Taking together, our study indicated that LcMYB5 is involved in not only anthocyanin biosynthesis but also tissue acidification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-019-1658-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

U radu je ispitana inhibicija lipaze (enzima kojega luči gušterača) pomoću proteina izoliranog iz sjemenki azijske trešnje (Litchi chinensis). Protein je izoliran taloženjem pomoću amonijevog sulfata i dijalizom. Inhibicija lipaze u prisutnosti proteina ispitana je na sintetičkom (pnitrofenil palmitat) i prirodnom (maslinovo ulje) supstratu. Protein je pri koncentraciji od 100 ug/mL inhibirao 68,2 % lipaze na sintetičkom i 60,0 % na prirodnom supstratu. Svojstva inhibitora ispitana su tripsinizacijom. Protein je bio osjetljiv na dodatak 0.05 % tripsina, pri čemu je izgubio 61,9 % aktivnosti. Njegova IGO vrijednost na sintetičkom supstratu bila je 73,1 gg/mL. Također je bio osjetljiv na promjenu pH-vrijednosti, te je najveću aktivnost imao pri pH=8,0, a najmanju pri pH=3,0. Osim toga, protein je ispitan pomoću poliakrilamidne gel elektroforeze u nereducirajućim uvjetima uporabom 10 %-tne otopine natrijevog dodecil sulfata. Nakon obrade bojilom Coomassie brilliant blue zamijećena je prisutnost samo jedne proteinske vrpce od (61±2) kDa. Izolirani je protein naposljetku kristaliziran šaržnom kristalizacijom radi ispitivanja njegove homogenosti. Kristali su bili dobro formirani, s jasno definiranim rubovima. Protein je pokazao dobru aktivnost inhibicije lipaze., A study of the pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of a protein from the seed of Litchi chinensis was carried out. Protein was isolated by 70 % ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by dialysis. Lipase inhibitory activity of the protein was evaluated using both synthetic (p-nitrophenyl palmitate) and natural (olive oil) substrates. Protein at the final concentration of 100 μg/mL was able to inhibit 68.2 % pancreatic lipase on synthetic substrate and 60.0 % on natural substrate. Proteinaceous nature of the inhibitor was determined using trypsinization assay. Pancreatic lipase inhibitory protein was sensitive to 0.05 % trypsin treatment with the loss of 61.9 % activity. IC50 of this proteinaceous pancreatic lipase inhibitor was 73.1 μg/mL using synthetic substrate. This inhibitory protein was sensitive to pH, with the highest inhibitory activity at pH=8.0 and the lowest at pH=3.0. Protein was further analyzed using 10 % non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and, interestingly, it showed the presence of a single band of (61±2) kDa when stained with Coomassie brilliant blue. The isolated protein was finally crystallized to see its homogeneity by batch crystallization method. Crystals were well formed with distinct edges. The isolated protein showed good pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity.

A new and very occasional pest of lychee trees (Litchi chinensis) was recently identified from New Caledonia—the endemic weevil Acanthopygus griseus Montrouzier, 1861 (Coleoptera: Anthribidae). This is the first report of an anthribid weevil causing significant damage to living trees.

A lichia e umas das frutas exoticas mais populares no Brasil e apresenta potencial tanto in natura quanto industrial. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influencia do numero de foliolos em estacas herbaceas de lichieira tratadas com acido indolbutirico (1000mgL-1). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com 4 repeticoes e 10 estacas por parcela experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram em estacas com zero (0), um (1), dois (2), tres (3) e quatro (4) foliolos. Apos 180 dias, as porcentagens de enraizamento e sobrevivencia,bem como o numero e comprimento de raizes foram avaliados. Os dados foram submetidos a analise de regressao polinomial. O aumento no numero de foliolos foi vantajoso para todas as variaveis avaliadas, com um correspondente aumento na sobrevivencia, enraizamento das estacas e numero e comprimento das raizes. A estaquia de ramos herbaceos da lichieira e viavel, desde que pelo menos quatro foliolos sejam mantidos na estaca.

Summary During a nematode biodiversity survey from 2012 to 2014 in Shenzhen, China, ten nematode populations (SZX1301–SZX1310) of Xiphinema were recovered from rhizosphere of different plants, namely Acacia mangium (SZX1306), A. confuse (SZX1309), Blechnum orientale (SZX1301, SZX1302, SZX1307, SZX1308), Litchi chinensis (SZX1304, SZX1310) in Tianxinshan and Gleichenia linearis (SZX1303, SZX1305) in Yangmeikeng environmental monitoring sites. Morphological and molecular profiles of these populations were determined. Three species of Xiphinema, i.e., X. hunanienseWang & Wu, 1992, X. brasilienseLordello, 1951 and X. americanum Cobb, 1913 sensu lato were identified using morphological characters and molecular data of partial 18S and 28S D2–D3 rDNA expansion segments. Four populations (SZX1301–SZX1304) were X. hunaniense, one population (SZX1305) X. brasiliense, and five populations (SZX1306–SZX1310) X. americanum s.l.. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of the 28S rDNA D2–D3 expansion segment revealed these three species are all distinct species and supported a close relationship with their corresponding species. This is the first report of X. hunaniense, X. brasiliense and X. americanum s.l. in their hosts except for L. chinensis.

The lychee erinose mite (LEM), Aceria litchii (Keifer) is a serious pest of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). LEM causes a type of gall called &lsquo, erineum&rsquo, (abnormal felty growth of trichomes from the epidermis), where it feeds, reproduces and protects itself from biotic and abiotic adversities. In February of 2018, LEM was found in a commercial lychee orchard on Pine Island, Florida. Infestations were recorded on young leaves, stems, and inflorescences of approximately 30 young trees (1.5&ndash, 3.0 yrs.) of three lychee varieties presenting abundant new growth. Although LEM is present in Hawaii, this mite is a prioritized quarantine pest in the continental USA and its territories. Florida LEM specimens showed small morphological differences from the original taxonomic descriptions of Keifer (1943) and Huang (2008). The observed differences are probably an artifact of the drawings in the original descriptions. Molecular comparisons were conducted on the DNA of LEM specimens from India, Hawaii, Brazil, Taiwan, Australia and Florida. The amplified COI fragment showed very low nucleotide variation among the locations and thus, could be used for accurate LEM identification. The ITS1 sequences and partial 5.8S fragments displayed no nucleotide differences for specimens from any of the locations except Australia. Consistent differences were observed in the ITS2 and 28S fragments. The ITS1-ITS2 concatenated phylogeny yielded two lineages, with Australia in one group and Hawaii, India, Brazil, Florida and Taiwan in another. Specimens from Taiwan and Florida present identical ITS and rDNA segments, suggesting a common origin, however, analysis of additional sequences is needed to confirm the origin of the Florida population.

A novel complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of whitefly species, collected from Litchi chinensis at Fujian province of China (hereafter whitefly_Litchi chinensis _China) (GenBank accession number: MH999477), was described in this study. The mitogenome of whitefly_Litchi chinensis _China is 15,360 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 21 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs and a non-coding AT-rich region (D-loop). The arrangement of mitochondrial genes of whitefly_Litchi chinensis_China are identical with Aleurochiton aceris, but remarkably different from the mitogenomes of the other whitefly genus. Most protein-coding genes (PCGs) start with ATN, except for nad2, cox2 and atp6 genes starting with TTG, GTG, and TTG, respectively; 10 of the 13 PCGs use the typical stop codon TAN, whereas cox1, and cox2 stop with a single T. Phylogenetic analyses based on 13 PCGs support the close relationship of the sample with Aleurochiton aceris, which would provide us further insights on the taxonomy and phylogeny of Aleyrodidae.

Litchi chinensis Sonnerat is a tropical tree whose fruits contain significant amounts of bioactive polyphenols. Litchi cultivation has recently spread in Sicily where the climate conditions are particularly favorable for this crop. Recent findings have shown that Litchi extracts display anti-tumor and pro-apoptotic effects in vitro, but the precise underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we report for the first time the effects of Sicilian litchi fruit extracts on colon cancer cells. The results indicated that litchi exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp fractions reduce the viability and clonogenic growth of HT29 cells. These effects were due to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase followed by caspase-dependent cell death. Interestingly, litchi exocarp and endocarp triggered a precocious autophagic response (16&ndash, 24 h), which was accompanied by an increase in the level of autophagy related 1/autophagy activating kinase 1 (ATG1/ULK1), beclin-1, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II and p62 proteins. Autophagy inhibition by bafilomycin A1 or beclin-1 silencing increased cell death, thus suggesting that autophagy was initially triggered as a pro-survival response. Significant effects of Litchi extracts were also observed in other colon cancer cells, including HCT116 and Caco-2 cells. On the other hand, differentiated Caco-2 cells, a model of human enterocytes, appeared to be insensitive to the extracts at the same treatment conditions. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography&ndash, Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole-Time-Of-Flight HPLC/ESI/Q-TOF evidenced the presence of some polyphenolic compounds, specifically in exocarp and endocarp extracts, that can account for the observed biological effects. The results obtained suggest a potential therapeutic efficacy of polyphenolic compounds purified from Sicilian Litchi fractions for the treatment of colon cancer. Moreover, our findings indicate that modulation of autophagy can represent a tool to improve the effectiveness of these agents and potentiate the anti-tumor response of colon cancer cells.

The adsorption results of Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions on Litchi chinensis have been optimized by the Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology. Three experimental parameters (dose, temperature, and pH) were chosen as independent variables. The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption was obtained at the initial pH of 2. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the results was successfully used to check the significance of the independent variables and their interactions. The three-dimensional (3D) response surface plots were used to study the interactive effects of the independent variables on % Cr(VI) removal. These figures successfully interpret the effect of interaction between pH (0.1–1.0), adsorbent dose (0.1–1.0 g.) and temperature (0–50 °C). The second-order polynomial equation was generated for the response. A statistical hypothesis test was conducted to critically analyze the experimental data by applying t test, paired t test, and Chi-square test. The comparison of t-calculated and t-tabulated values showed that the results were in favour of the conducted experiment.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-21T11:22:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCO TÚLLIO LIMA DUARTE - TESE (PPGEP) 2018.pdf: 2250276 bytes, checksum: fbe9c7f829118eade9f7ed9fba1f9644 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T11:22:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCO TÚLLIO LIMA DUARTE - TESE (PPGEP) 2018.pdf: 2250276 bytes, checksum: fbe9c7f829118eade9f7ed9fba1f9644 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02 A lichia (Litchi chinensis) é um fruto nativo da Ásia, sendo considerada a rainha das frutas. No Brasil, sua introdução se deu como planta ornamental e somente a partir da década de 70, teve seu consumo ampliado. Devido ao seu elevado valor comercial, curto período de safra e alta perecibilidade, uma das estratégias de ampliação da sua oferta é a sua desidratação e posterior uso do pó em bebidas lácteas probióticas. Dessa forma, objetivou-se no presente estudo a produção de lichia em pó através da liofilização, avaliando a estabilidade do pó durante o armazenamento e a elaboração de uma bebida láctea probiótica. Foram elaboradas três formulações de maltodextrina, nas concentrações de 15, 20 e 25%. Essas formulações foram previamente caracterizadas, juntamente com a polpa integral, foram avaliados seus comportamentos reológicos e em seguida, liofilizadas na temperatura de –40 °C durante 48 h. Após a caracterização dos pós, a melhor amostra foi submetida a análises de isotermas de adsorção de água, nas temperaturas de 30 e 40°C, analisada em microscopia eletrônica de varredura e armazenada em embalagens laminadas por 60 dias, nas temperaturas de 20, 30 e 40°C, quando foram monitoradas a cada 10 dias suas características, físicas, químicas e físicoquímicas. Adicionalmente, foram processadas bebidas lácteas fermentadas isentas de pó de lichia e nas concentrações de 7, 9 e 11% do pó, que foram caracterizadas quanto aos parâmetros físicos, químicos e físico-químicos. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que as polpas formuladas e desidratadas sofreram alterações quanto aos parâmetros avaliados em todas as amostras, em função da concentração da maltodextrina. A polpa integral e as diferentes formulações exibiram comportamento reológico típico de polpas de frutas, classificando-se como fluido não-newtoniano, de caráter pseudoplástico, cujo melhor ajuste matemático foi com o modelo de Mizrahi-Berk. O processo de liofilização refletiu em alterações dos parâmetros analisados, tendo o pó adicionado de 25% de maltodextrina exibido as melhores características dentre amostras avaliadas. A análise das isotermas de adsorção de água foram determinadas como tipo III e o melhor modelo matemático para descrição dos dados experimentais foi o de GAB, por exibir maiores valores de R2 e menores índices de erros médios relativos. Quanto à análise da microscopia eletrônica, foi constatado que o pó da lichia exibiu estruturas amorfas e aglomerado de partículas, com rugosidades acentuadas e grande porosidade. Durante o período de armazenamento, a maioria dos parâmetros físicos, químicos e físicoquímicos foram alterados, principalmente em função da temperatura de exposição e as bebidas lácteas probióticas demonstraram diferenças significativas em função da elevação da concentração do pó de lichia adicionado como saborizante. The lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a fruit native to Asia, being considered the queen of the fruit. In Brazil, its introduction was given as an ornamental plant and only from the decade of 70, had its consumption expanded. Due to its high commercial value, short harvest period and high perishability, one of the strategies to expand their offer is your dehydration and subsequent use of powder in probiotic dairy drinks. Thus, the objective of the present study verified the production of lychee powder by lyophilization, evaluating the stability of powder during storage and prepares a probiotic milk drink. In this way, were drawn up three formulations, added maltodextrin, at concentrations of 15, 20 and 25%. These formulations were previously characterized, along with the integral pulp, evaluated their rheological behavior and then freeze at a temperature of - 40 °C for 48 h. The powders obtained were subsequently characterized and the best sample, subjected to analyzes of adsorption isotherms of water at temperatures of 30 and 40 °C, analyzed in scanning electron microscopy and stored in laminated packaging by 60 days at temperatures of 20, 30 and 40 °C, when were monitored every 10 days, its characteristics, physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties. In addition, were processed fermented dairy drinks free of powder of lychee and at concentrations of 7, 9 and 11% of powder, which were characterized according to the physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties. The results obtained showed that the dehydrated pulps formulated and suffered changes regarding the parameters evaluated in all samples, depending on the concentration of maltodextrin. The integral pulp and the different formulations exhibited rheological behavior typical of fruit pulps, classifying it as non- Newtonian fluid, pseudoplastic character, whose best fit was with the mathematical model of Mizrahi-Berk. The lyophilization process reflected in changes of the parameters analyzed, taking the powder added to 25%maltodextrin displayed the best characteristics among samples. The analysis of adsorption isotherms of water were determined as type III and the best mathematical model for description of the experimental data was the GAB, to display larger values of R2 and lower rates of errors average. Regarding the analysis of electronic microscopy, it was noticed that the powder of the lychee exhibited amorphous structures and particleboard, with pronounced roughness and high porosity. During the storage period, most of the physical, chemical and physico-chemical parameters were altered, mainly in function of the temperature of exposure and the probiotic dairy drinks have demonstrated significant differences depending on the elevation of the concentration of powder of lychee added as flavor.

Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae) é uma das principais pragas que ocorrem na cultura da lichia no mundo. O controle desse ácaro nos principais países produtores dessa fruta é realizado através da aplicação de acaricidas e poda. No entanto, não há nenhum acaricida registrado no Brasil para o controle de A. litchii e a poda é considerada por muitos produtores um manejo dispendioso. Além disso, o controle químico é frequentemente ineficaz contra muitos ácaros eriofídeos, pelo fato de os mesmos viverem sob estruturas da planta que os protegem. Isso tudo reforça a pesquisa de práticas alternativas de controle e que sejam sustentáveis a longo prazo, como por exemplo, o controle biológico, que consiste no uso de inimigos naturais para reduzir a densidade populacional de espécies praga. Diante disso, inicialmente, foi realizado um levantamento em pomares de lichia buscando-se espécies de inimigos naturais com potencial para controle de A. litchii. Posteriormente, duas novas espécies da família Iolinidae, encontradas durante o levantamento de campo, foram descritas e ilustradas. Em seguida, foram selecionadas duas espécies de ácaros da família Phytoseiidae encontradas durante o levantamento de campo, Phytoseius intermedius Evans & MacFarlane e Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant), para investigar sua capacidade em controlar A. litchii sob condições de campo. Além disso, foi investigado se a suplementação da população de A. herbicolus com alimento alternativo (pólen de taboa) poderia aumentá-la e melhorar o controle de A. litchii. Foi observado que a maioria das espécies coletadas no levantamento de campo pertenceram a famílias de ácaros constituídas predominantemente de predadores. A família Phytoseiidae foi a mais diversa, com um total de 11 espécies. As duas novas espécies descritas da família Iolinidae foram Pausia litchiae n. sp. e Pseudopronematulus nadirae n. sp.. Adicionalmente, foi demonstrado que a incidência de erinea nas plantas de lichia aumentou durante todo o experimento em todos os tratamentos. Como também, a adição de pólen não proporcionou maior crescimento para a população de A. herbicolus em plantas de lichia. Em conclusão, esses resultados mostraram a grande diversidade da comunidade de artrópodes encontrada associada às erinea induzidas por A. litchii, com destaque para o grande número de espécies de ácaros predadores, incluindo a descrição das novas espécies de ácaros da família Iolinidae. Além disso, observamos que os ácaros predadores P. intermedius e A. herbicolus apresentaram limitações para controlar o aumento da incidência de erinea induzidas por A. litchii. Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae) is considered one of the main pests of the litchi crop through the world. The control of this pest mite in the main production areas is done by pruning of the infested branches and application of pesticides. However, there is no pesticide registered in Brazil for control of this mite in the litchi crop and pruning is considered expensive by many growers. In addition, pesticides are often inefficient against most eriophyid mites since they frequently live under protective structures of the plant. This all reinforces the need of research for alternative control practices that are sustainable in the long term, such as biological control, which consists of the use of natural enemies to reduce the population density of pest species. Given this, initially, surveys were carried out in litchi orchards seeking natural enemy species with potential to control A. litchii. Later, two new species of the Iolinidae family, which were found during these survey, were described and illustrated. Then, two species from the Phytoseiidae family collected during the field survey were selected, Phytoseius intermedius Evans & MacFarlane and Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant), and the ability of these predators to control A. litchii in litchi plants was investigated under field conditions. Moreover, it was investigated whether the supplementation of the A. herbicolus population with alternative food (cattail pollen) could improve the control of A. litchii. Most of the mite species found belong to families that were predominantly predators. Phytoseiidae was the most diverse family of mites, with a total of 11 species. The two new species described and illustrated in the Iolinidae family were Pausia litchiae n. sp. and Pseudopronematulus nadirae n. sp.. Moreover, it was shown that the incidence of erinea on plants increased throughout the experiment on all treatments. In the same way, the pollen addition did not provide greater population growth for A. herbicolus on the litchi plants. In conclusion, these results showed the arthropod diversity found associated with the erinea induced by A. litchii, highlighting the large number of predatory mites. Furthermore, the description of the new species of mites in the Iolinidae family was also shown. In addition, it was observed that P. intermedius and A. herbicolus presented limitations to control the increase of the incidence of erinea induced by A. litchii.

Fruit thinning is the removal of fruitlets in heavy fruit set situations and aims to increase salable fruit sizes, avoid branch breakdown, reduce harvesting costs, and promote a balance between the vegetative and reproductive growth of plants. Furthermore, this procedure may improve coloring, increase soluble solids, and maintain plant vigor. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fruit thinning in five varieties of lychee (Bengal, American, Mauritius, Sweet Cliff, and WB4), in the conditions of Jaboticabal – São Paulo state (Brazil). The experimental design was a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments and seven replications of three plants each. Treatments consisted of fruit thinning intensities characterized by the number of fruit left on terminal branch panicles, being T1: 3 fruits/branch; T2: 6 fruits /branch; T3: 9 fruit/branch; T4: 12 fruits/branch; T5: no thinning (control plot). Evaluations were made through a colorimetric assay on ripe fruits, besides a physical and chemical analysis for each variety. The treatments affected the response of varieties on each studied variable. The variety ‘Mauritius’ showed interesting physical and chemical characteristics for the consumer market. O raleio consiste na retirada do excesso de frutos e tem como objetivo aumentar o tamanho de frutos comercializáveis, evitar a quebra de ramos, reduzir os custos da colheita e promover um equilíbrio entre a fase vegetativa e a reprodutiva da planta. Além disso, este procedimento pode promover a melhora de coloração, aumento do teor de sólidos solúveis e manter o vigor da planta. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos do raleio de frutos em cinco variedades de lichieira (Bengal, Americana, Mauritius, Sweft Cliff e WB4), para as condições do município de Jaboticabal – São Paulo. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado (DIC), com 5 tratamentos e 7 repetições, sendo três plantas por repetição. Os tratamentos utilizados foram as intensidades de raleio caracterizadas pelo número de frutos deixados nas panículas do ramo terminal, sendo T1: 3 frutos/ramo; T2: 6 frutos/ramo; T3: 9 frutos/ramo; T4: 12 frutos/ramo; T5: sem raleio (controle). As avaliações foram por meio da colorimetria dos frutos maduros, análises físicas e químicas para cada uma das variedades estudadas. Os tratamentos influenciaram a resposta das variedades em relação às variáveis analisadas. A ‘Mauritius’ apresenta características físicas e químicas interessantes, atendendo as exigências do mercado consumidor.

It was evaluated the phenological development of litchi fruit in two different climatic conditions in Brazil, one in the Casa Branca- SP and another in Monte Belo-MG. Evaluations were made fortnightly, starting from the fruit set and continuing until the physiological maturity of the respective sites. The following evaluations were assessed: number of fruits per inflorescence, the longitudinal and transversal diameter, fresh and dry fruits, total soluble solids and titratable acidity of the fruit. The abscission of fruits in the Casa Branca was constant up to 28 days of fixation, with a loss of approximately 46% of the fruit. Monte Belo loss was constant throughout the period of evaluation, without stabilization of this parameter. The dry matter accumulation at the beginning of the evaluations was slow in both places, accelerating respectively after 28 and 27 days of fixation. At physiological maturity, Casa Branca plants had an average of 10 fruits per inflorescence more than Monte Belo plants. In both locations, the fruits took about 12 weeks after fruit set to reach the physiological maturity., Avaliou-se o desenvolvimento fenológico de frutos da lichieira em duas regiões diferentes do Brasil, sendo uma em Casa Branca-SP e outra em Monte Belo-MG. As avaliações foram realizadas quinzenalmente, tendo início a partir do vingamento dos frutos e seguindo até o ponto de maturação fisiológica dos respectivos locais. Foram realizadas as seguintes avaliações: número de frutos por inflorescência, diâmetro longitudinal e transversal, matéria fresca e seca dos frutos, teor de sólidos solúveis e acidez titulável dos frutos. A abscisão dos frutos em Casa Branca foi constante até 28 dias do vingamento, com perda de aproximadamente 46% dos frutos. Em Monte Belo a perda foi constante durante todo o período de avaliação, sem que houvesse estabilização deste parâmetro. A acumulação de matéria seca no início das avaliações foi lenta em ambos os locais, passando a acelerar respectivamente após os 28 e 27 dias do vingamento. No ponto de maturação fisiológica, as plantas de Casa Branca apresentaram um número médio de 10 frutos por inflorescência a mais do que as plantas de Monte Belo. Em ambos os locais, os frutos levaram cerca de 12 semanas após o vingamento para chegarem ao estádio de maturação fisiológica.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important subtropical fruit in southern China and the fruit pericarp has attractive red skin at maturity, which is provided by anthocyanins accumulation. To understand the anthocyanin biosynthesis at post-transcriptional level, we investigated the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) during fruit coloring. In the present study, four small RNA libraries and a mixed degradome library from pericarps of ‘Feizixiao’ litchi at different developmental phases were constructed and sequenced by Solexa technology. A total of 78 conserved miRNAs belonging to 35 miRNA families and 41 novel miRNAs were identified via high-throughput sequencing, and 129 genes were identified as their targets by the recently developed degradome sequencing. miR156a and a novel microRNA (NEW41) were found to be differentially expressed during fruit coloring, indicating they might affect anthocyanin biosynthesis through their target genes in litchi. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the expression changes of miR156a and the novel microRNA (NEW41) were inversely correlated with the expression profiles of their target genes LcSPL1/2 and LcCHI, respectively, suggesting regulatory roles of these miRNAs during anthocyanin biosynthesis. The target genes of miR156a, LcSPL1/2, encode transcription factors, as evidenced by a localization in the nucleus, that might play roles in the regulation of transcription. To further explore the relationship of LcSPL1/2 with the anthocyanin regulatory genes, yeast two-hybrid and BiFC analyses showed that LcSPL1 proteins could interact with LcMYB1, which is the key regulatory gene in anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi. This study represents a comprehensive expression profiling of miRNAs in anthocyanin biosynthesis during litchi fruit maturity and confirmed that the miR156- SPLs module was conserved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi.

The pericarp of Litchi chinensis was reported to be a rich source of antioxidants. This study aimed to identify the chemical structures present in litchi pericarp with antioxidant activity. Four lignans, (+)-isolariciresinol 9-O-α- l -arabinopyranoside (1), burselignan 9-O-α- l -arabinopyranoside (2), (−)-secoisolariciresinol 9-O-α- l -arabinopyranoside (3), and sisymbrifolin (4), a chromane, 2α-methoxychroman-3α,5,7-triol (5), a benzophenone, garcimangosone D (6), and two sesquiterpenes, β- d -glucopyranosyldihydrophaseate (7) and citroside A (8) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1–3, 5, and 7 were new metabolites and the others were reported from this species for the first time. Among them, compounds 1–5 showed moderate antioxidant activity in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays.

Seeds aqueous extracts from Litchi chinensis and Nephelium lappaceum were investigated for antibacterial activity by disc diffusion method and protein profile. Both seed aqueous extracts show moderate inhibition against pathogenic bacteria, both gram positive including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Bacilllus subtillis and gram negative bacteria including Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Overall analysis of the antibacterial activity of tested samples revealed that the highest inhibitory activity was produced by Litchi chinensis (15 ± 0.55 mm) against S. pyogenes . Tris glycine SDS PAGE revealed major protein band approximately 15.5 kDa and 22-kDa. Protein contents of Seeds of Litchi chinensis and Nephelium lappaceum were approximately 7.5 and 13.5 mg/g, respectively.

The litchi erineum mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) is found in all producing regions attacking leaves and flowers of litchi plants. The mite attack young leaves and causes the erinea on leaf surface, which later become brown galls with velvety appearance. Severe attacks can cause leaf drop and destruction of branches end directly production affecting. In 2009 year it was registered a heavy infestation of the pest on litchi plants (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) in the municipality of Casa Branca, São Paulo, Brazil (21°27’O; 47°02’S; 679 m altitude). In June, many galls caused by mite infestation showed a mycelium of white coloration and many eriophyid dead. The fungus was identified as Hirsutella thompsonii (Fischer). The results suggest that galls may facilitate the fungus development and its permanence on the plants. Thus, the possibility of mite biological control with H. thompsonii should be investigated.O ácaro-da-erinose-da-lichia Aceria litchii (Keifer) é encontrado em todas as regiões produtoras atacando folhas e inflorescências de plantas de lichia. O ataque de A. litchii em folhas jovens causa a produção de eríneos na superfície inferior, que posteriormente se transformam em galhas de coloração marrom e aparência aveludada. Ataques severos podem provocar queda de folhas e destruição dos ponteiros afetando diretamente a produção. No ano de 2009 foi registrada uma grande infestação da praga em plantas de lichia (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) no município de Casa Branca, São Paulo – Brasil (21°27´O; 47°02´S; 679 metros de altitude). No mês de junho, muitas galhas provocadas pela infestação do ácaro apresentavam um micélio de coloração branca e muitos eriofídeos mortos. O fungo foi identificado como Hirsutella thompsonii (Fischer). Os resultados sugerem que as galhas podem facilitar o desenvolvimento do fungo e a sua permanência nas plantas. Dessa forma, a possibilidade do controle biológico de A. litchii com H. thompsonii deve ser investigada.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important subtropical fruit in southern China and the fruit pericarp has attractive red skin at maturity, which is provided by anthocyanins accumulation. To understand the anthocyanin biosynthesis at post-transcriptional level, we investigated the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) during fruit coloring. In the present study, four small RNA libraries and a mixed degradome library from pericarps of ‘Feizixiao’ litchi at different developmental phases were constructed and sequenced by Solexa technology. A total of 78 conserved miRNAs belonging to 35 miRNA families and 41 novel miRNAs were identified via high-throughput sequencing, and 129 genes were identified as their targets by the recently developed degradome sequencing. miR156a and a novel microRNA (NEW41) were found to be differentially expressed during fruit coloring, indicating they might affect anthocyanin biosynthesis through their target genes in litchi. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the expression changes of miR156a and the novel microRNA (NEW41) were inversely correlated with the expression profiles of their target genes LcSPL1/2 and LcCHI, respectively, suggesting regulatory roles of these miRNAs during anthocyanin biosynthesis. The target genes of miR156a, LcSPL1/2, encode transcription factors, as evidenced by a localization in the nucleus, that might play roles in the regulation of transcription. To further explore the relationship of LcSPL1/2 with the anthocyanin regulatory genes, yeast two-hybrid and BiFC analyses showed that LcSPL1 proteins could interact with LcMYB1, which is the key regulatory gene in anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi. This study represents a comprehensive expression profiling of miRNAs in anthocyanin biosynthesis during litchi fruit maturity and confirmed that the miR156- SPLs module was conserved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi.

Lychee is one of the most popular exotic fruits in Brazil, and has both in natura and industrial potential. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the number of leaflets on lychee herbaceous cuttings treated with the indolebutyric acid (1000mg L-1). The experimental design was completely randomized, with 4 replications and 10 cuttings per experimental plot. Treatments consisted of cuttings with zero (0), one (1), two (2), three (3), and four (4) leaflets. After 180 days, the rooting and survival percentages and the number and length of roots were evaluated. The data were subjected to polynomial regression analysis. The increase in the number of leaflets was advantageus for all studied variables, with an increase in the survival, rooting of cuttings, and number and length of roots. The herbaceous cuttings of lychee tree are viable, provided that at least four leaflets remain in the herbaceous cutting. RESUMO: A lichia é umas das frutas exóticas mais populares no Brasil e apresenta potencial tanto in natura quanto industrial. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do número de folíolos em estacas herbáceas de lichieira tratadas com ácido indolbutírico (1000mgL-1). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com 4 repetições e 10 estacas por parcela experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram em estacas com zero (0), um (1), dois (2), três (3) e quatro (4) folíolos. Após 180 dias, as porcentagens de enraizamento e sobrevivência,bem como o número e comprimento de raízes foram avaliados. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de regressão polinomial. O aumento no número de folíolos foi vantajoso para todas as variáveis avaliadas, com um correspondente aumento na sobrevivência, enraizamento das estacas e número e comprimento das raízes. A estaquia de ramos herbáceos da lichieira é viável, desde que pelo menos quatro folíolos sejam mantidos na estaca.

The fruits of Litchi chinensis Sonn., Sapindaceae, are renowned for their biological activities. However, their leaves are poorly explored, although they represent an important source of vegetable raw material with biological properties as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive. An HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of epicatechin and procyanidin A2 in the leaf hydroethanolic extract of L. chinensis. The markers and other unidentified components were separated on a Luna Phenomenex C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water pH 3.0 (with sulfuric acid), in a gradient run; at 1.0 ml min−1, 30 °C and 278 nm for detection. The method was linear over an epicatechin and procyanidin A2 concentration range of 10–100 μg ml−1. The Limit of Quantification for epicatechin and procyanidin A2 were 1.7 and 2 μg ml−1, respectively. The Relative Standard Deviation (%) values for markers (intra- and inter-day precision studies) were

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agronomia, 2016. O baixo percentual no vingamento de frutos é um dos principais problemas nos cultivos de Lichia no Brasil. Portanto, foram desenvolvidos trabalhos com o objetivo de avaliar a resposta da lichieira ao uso da aplicação de auxina e ureia via foliar na fixação e tamanho de frutos, visando melhoras tanto na fixação quanto no calibre de frutos. Os experimentos foram implantados em um pomar comercial, localizado na fazenda Paraíso, município do Rio Paranaíba-MG. Foi utilizado um delineamento em blocos casualizados (DBC), dividido em 3 ensaios com 12 plantas, um total de 36 plantas, em cada teste uma massa de frutos de 2g, 4g e 6g, em cada massa quatro doses 0, 20, 40 e 60 mg.dm-3 de auxina sintética (3,5,6 TPA) e 3 repetições. Foram selecionadas plantas de lichieira cultivar “Bengal”, uniformes de acordo com porte, potencial produtivo, estádio de florescimento, condição fitossanitária e nutricional, clones, oriundas da técnica de alporquia, com idade aproximada de 12 anos, plantadas em espaçamento 8 X 6m totalizando (208 plantas/ha). As aplicações foram feitas na forma de pulverização, com o auxílio de uma bomba costal e o volume de calda aplicado foi de 5 litros / plantas. Foram avaliados: diâmetro (mm) e número de frutos por panícula. As avaliações foram realizadas semanalmente no período compreendido entre a 4ª semana após a antese e se estendeu até o ponto de colheita comercial. No segundo experimento o delineamento experimental adotado foi (DBC) em arranjo fatorial 12x4, dividido em 12 avaliações, quatro quadrantes (Oeste, Norte, Leste e Sul) com três repetições. Foram selecionadas 9 plantas de lichieira, levando em consideração todos os fatores anteriormente citados. No terceiro experimento utilizou-se o DBC, com10 plantas por bloco e seis repetições. Cada bloco recebeu cinco doses de ureia, 00 (testemunha); 60; 120; 180 e 240 gramas por plantas (g de ureia.plantas-1). Foram selecionadas 60 plantas de lichieira cultivar Bengal, respeitando a uniformidade de acordo com porte, potencial produtivo, estádio de florescimento, condição fitossanitária e nutricional. Os dados coletados foram submetidos à análise de variância para avaliação da significância do efeito dos tratamentos por meio do teste de F. As medidas encontradas foram comparadas entre si, pelo teste de Scott-Knott ou Tukey, ao nível de 5% de probabilidade e regressão para doses de nitrogênio, através do software SISVAR. As aplicações com auxina sintética (3,5,6 TPA), de maneira geral resultaram no aumento significativo do diâmetro de frutos em 17,5% e 144,6% para o número de frutos, quando comparado com as testemunhas. Em relação a interferência solar para crescimento do fruto o melhor quadrante é oeste com diâmetro médio 13,30; 8,67 e 5,13% superior aos quadrantes norte, sul e leste respectivamente. Para fixação dos frutos o quadrante leste com 128,46; 42,62 e 40,16% superior aos quadrantes norte, oeste e sul respectivamente. Para o uso de ureia com aplicação via foliar a dose de 120g de ureia.planta-1 mostrou significativamente superior em todas as variáveis analisadas. Foi observado para fixação de frutos na colheita incremento superior a 100% comparado à testemunha, além de aumentar o número de frutos de maior calibre. Low percentage in fruit set is a major trouble in litchi cultivation in Brazil. Therefore, we have carried out studies in order to evaluate the response of litchi to foliar applications of exogenous auxin and urea in fruit set and size, aiming for improvements in both aspects. Three experiments were implemented in a commercial orchard located at Paraíso farm, in Rio Paranaíba - MG municipality. Randomized block design (RBD) divided into 3 trials with 12 plants with a total of 36 plants, in each trial a fruit mass of 2g, 4g and 6g, and in each mass four doses 0, 20 , 40 and 60 mg.dm-³ of synthetic auxin (3,5,6 TPA) with 3 repetitions were used. Litchi plants of ‘Bengal’ cultivar were selected according to similarities in their size, productive potential, flowering stage, plant health and nutritional status. They were clones from the air layering technique with approximately 12 years old, planted in a spacing of 8 x 6 m, totaling 208 plants per hectare. Applications were made with the aid of a backpack sprayer and a spray volume of 5 liters per plant was used. We evaluated the diameter (mm) and number of fruit per panicle. Evaluations were performed weekly starting from the 4th week after anthesis until the commercial harvest point. The second experiment also had a randomized block design (RBD) in a factorial arrangement (12x4), divided into 12 evaluations: four quadrants (West, North, East and South) with three replications. We selected 9 plants of litchi, taking into account all of the aforementioned factors. In the third experiment we also used RBD, with 10 plants per block and six replications. Each block received five doses of urea: 00 (control); 60; 120; 180 and 240 grams of urea per plant. We selected 60 litchi plants of cultivar 'Bengal', also in accordance to their uniformity of size, productive potential, flowering stage, plant health and nutritional condition. Data was subjected to analysis of variance to assess the significance of the effect of treatments by means of an F test. Measures were compared by either the Scott-Knott or Tukey test at 5% probability, with a regression for nitrogen by means of SISVAR software. In general, applications of synthetic auxin (3,5,6 TPA) resulted in significant increase in fruit diameter by 17.5% and 144.6% in the number of fruit compared to control. Concerning the solar interference in fruit growth, the best quadrant is the West one, with an average diameter of 13.30%, 8.67% and 5.13% higher than the North, South and East quadrants, respectively. For fruit set, however, the East quadrant was superior, being 128.46%, 42.62% and 40.16% higher than the North, West and South quadrants, respectively. For foliar application of urea, the dose of 120 g ureia.plant-1 was significantly better for all the variables analyzed. Thus, during harvest it was observed that fruit set had increased by more than 100% compared to the control group, besides having increased the number of fruit of greater caliber.

A lichieira (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) é uma planta da família das Sapindáceas, perfeitamente adaptada às condições climáticas brasileiras e pouco estudada quanto à composição química de seus frutos, sobretudo das frações casca e semente, frequentemente descartadas pela indústria e consumidores. Objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar os constituintes químicos das frações casca, polpa e semente in natura, e da casca e semente submetidas à secagem a 45ºC. Cada fração foi avaliada em sete repetições (de 20 frutos), quanto à massa e à proporção de cada fração em relação ao fruto inteiro, à composição centesimal, ao valor energético total (VET) e aos parâmetros químicos e fisico-químicos: sólidos solúveis, pH e acidez titulável. As frações casca e semente de lichia, juntas, representam cerca de 50% da massa do fruto. A casca e a semente da lichia apresentam elevados VETs e teores de carboidratos. A casca possui os maiores teores de fibra (bruta e alimentar), lipídeos, cinzas e proteínas, e a polpa apresenta maior acidez, menor pH e maiores teores de sólidos solúveis. A secagem aumentou o pH da semente e os teores de sólidos solúveis da casca e semente. As frações de lichia apresentaram elevados potenciais energéticos e nutricionais, podendo ser aproveitadas como fonte alternativa de nutrientes, desde que não apresentem fatores antinutricionais em quantidades prejudiciais ao organismo. The litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a plant of the family Sapindacea, perfectly adapted to Brazilian climatic conditions and little studied in relation to the chemical composition of its fruits, especially the skin and seed fractions which are usually discarded by industry and consumers. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical constituents of the fresh fractions of the skin, pulp and seed, and of the drying fractions of the seed and skin at 45°C. Each fraction was evaluated in seven replicates (20 fruits), in which the weight and the proportion of each fraction, centesimal composition, total energy value (TEV), soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity. The skin and seed fractions of litchi together represent almost 50% of the weight of the fruit and have high levels of carbohydrates and TEV. The skin has the highest fiber content (crude and food), lipids, ash and protein. The pulp has higher acidity, lower pH and higher soluble solids content. The drying process increased the pH of the seed and the soluble solids content in the skin and seed. The litchi fractions have high energetic and nutritional levels, they can be utilized as an alternative source of nutrients as long as they do not have antinutritional factors in quantities that might be harmful to the body.

A lichieira (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) é uma planta da família das Sapindáceas, perfeitamente adaptada às condições climáticas brasileiras e pouco estudada quanto à composição química de seus frutos, sobretudo das frações casca e semente, frequentemente descartadas pela indústria e consumidores. Objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar os constituintes químicos das frações casca, polpa e semente in natura, e da casca e semente submetidas à secagem a 45ºC. Cada fração foi avaliada em sete repetições (de 20 frutos), quanto à massa e à proporção de cada fração em relação ao fruto inteiro, à composição centesimal, ao valor energético total (VET) e aos parâmetros químicos e fisico-químicos: sólidos solúveis, pH e acidez titulável. As frações casca e semente de lichia, juntas, representam cerca de 50% da massa do fruto. A casca e a semente da lichia apresentam elevados VETs e teores de carboidratos. A casca possui os maiores teores de fibra (bruta e alimentar), lipídeos, cinzas e proteínas, e a polpa apresenta maior acidez, menor pH e maiores teores de sólidos solúveis. A secagem aumentou o pH da semente e os teores de sólidos solúveis da casca e semente. As frações de lichia apresentaram elevados potenciais energéticos e nutricionais, podendo ser aproveitadas como fonte alternativa de nutrientes, desde que não apresentem fatores antinutricionais em quantidades prejudiciais ao organismo.The litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a plant of the family Sapindacea, perfectly adapted to Brazilian climatic conditions and little studied in relation to the chemical composition of its fruits, especially the skin and seed fractions which are usually discarded by industry and consumers. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical constituents of the fresh fractions of the skin, pulp and seed, and of the drying fractions of the seed and skin at 45°C. Each fraction was evaluated in seven replicates (20 fruits), in which the weight and the proportion of each fraction, centesimal composition, total energy value (TEV), soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity. The skin and seed fractions of litchi together represent almost 50% of the weight of the fruit and have high levels of carbohydrates and TEV. The skin has the highest fiber content (crude and food), lipids, ash and protein. The pulp has higher acidity, lower pH and higher soluble solids content. The drying process increased the pH of the seed and the soluble solids content in the skin and seed. The litchi fractions have high energetic and nutritional levels, they can be utilized as an alternative source of nutrients as long as they do not have antinutritional factors in quantities that might be harmful to the body.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a fruit crop with a clear niche for expansion in countries with subtropical climates. One of the main limitations for breeding purposes and optimum germplasm management in this species is the confusion in cultivar denomination among different producing countries and germplasm collections worldwide. Litchi cultivar identification is still mainly based on morphological characters, and homonymies and synonymies are very frequent. To address this gap, a molecular study was conducted to characterize litchi accessions from two of the main litchi-producing regions for the export market, Mauritius and Reunion, and to compare them to those obtained from litchi cultivars from different origins conserved in a germplasm collection in Spain. Eleven simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were used to characterize molecular polymorphisms among 88 litchi accessions conserved in Mauritius, Reunion, and Spain. A total of 67 amplification fragments were detected with those 11 SSRs, with an average of 6.1 bands/SSR. Three primer pairs seemed to amplify more than one locus. The mean expected and observed heterozygosities over the eight single locus SSRs averaged 0.53 and 0.61, respectively. The total value for the probability of identity was 9.78 × 10−4. Molecular characterization revealed the existence of 42 different genetic profiles. Several synonymies and homonymies in litchi cultivar nomenclature both within and across geographical regions were found. This comparative study provides the basis for the standardization of litchi cultivar nomenclature over the studied regions and in other litchi-producing countries.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:48:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0100-29452011000500048.pdf: 1938988 bytes, checksum: 19ec791959fcee98c8b7392e2628820e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:48:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0100-29452011000500048.pdf: 1938988 bytes, checksum: 19ec791959fcee98c8b7392e2628820e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T18:00:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-29452011000500048.pdf: 1938988 bytes, checksum: 19ec791959fcee98c8b7392e2628820e (MD5) S0100-29452011000500048.pdf.txt: 24362 bytes, checksum: 00045032930c567fefb9fa6e77235a55 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T13:17:52Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-29452011000500048.pdf: 1938988 bytes, checksum: 19ec791959fcee98c8b7392e2628820e (MD5) S0100-29452011000500048.pdf.txt: 24362 bytes, checksum: 00045032930c567fefb9fa6e77235a55 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T13:17:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0100-29452011000500048.pdf: 1938988 bytes, checksum: 19ec791959fcee98c8b7392e2628820e (MD5) S0100-29452011000500048.pdf.txt: 24362 bytes, checksum: 00045032930c567fefb9fa6e77235a55 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Objetivou-se avaliar a efetividade da atmosfera modificada, através de embalagens plásticas e coberturas de quitosana, na conservação pós-colheita de lichias. O delineamento estatístico foi o inteiramente casualizado, disposto em esquema fatorial 5 x 7, com 3 repetições, onde o primeiro fator corresponde aos tratamentos: Testemunha; Bandejas rígidas de poliestireno revestidas com filme poliolefínico de 0,015mm (PD955); Bandejas rígidas de polietileno tereftalato (PET); Bandejas de poliestireno recobertas com filme de cloreto de polivinila (PVC) de 0,014mm; e Imersão em quitosana a 0,5%. O segundo fator foi o tempo de armazenamento, 0 (inicial); 4; 8; 12; 16; 20 e 24 dias, a 5 ºC (94 %UR). Cada parcela foi composta por 8 frutos, sendo que os tratados com quitosana foram contidos em bandejas rígidas de poliestireno, sem filme. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a proteção com filmes plásticos reduziu significativamente a perda de massa por lichias mantidas sob refrigeração, com redução na intensidade do escurecimento dos frutos. O tratamento com quitosana a 0,5%, em ácido tartárico a 10%, pH 0,8, mostrou-se efetivo na manutenção da coloração vermelha e na prevenção ao escurecimento, conservando a aparência dos frutos. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified atmosphere, by the use of plastic covers packaging and chitosan coverage in lychee postharvest storage. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 5 x 7, with 3 replications, where the first factor corresponds to the treatments: control; rigid polystyrene trays (22.4cm x 14.8cm) coated with a 0.015mm (PD955) polyolefin film (PF); 500ml transparent rigid polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays with lid; polystyrene trays covered with 0.014mm polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film; and immersion in 0.5% chitosan. The second factor was the storage time, 0 (initial), 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 days at 5 ° C, 94% RH. Each plot consisted of eight fruits, and those treated with chitosan were placed in rigid polystyrene trays without film. The results showed that the modified atmosphere reduced significantly the mass loss of fruits stored under refrigeration, especially with PVC film. Chitosan 0.5% proved to be more effective in maintaining the red color and preventing browning, keeping the fruits more attractive. UESB UNESP FCAV Departamento de Tecnologia UNESP FCAV Departamento de Tecnologia

Um dos maiores problemas na pós-colheita da lichia é o escurecimento do pericarpo, cuja cor vermelha se torna totalmente escurecida em 48 horas, sob 25 ºC. Tecnologias que possam controlar o escurecimento do pericarpo são valiosas, e é o foco principal da pesquisa na área de pós-colheita. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a vida útil de lichias 'Bengal', armazenadas a 20 ºC e 82 %UR após o tratamento hidrotérmico e/ou imersão em solução de HCl. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4 x 7, com 3 repetições, onde o primeiro fator correspondeu aos tratamentos: testemunha; imersão em HCl a 1%, por 6 minutos; tratamento hidrotérmico, com imersão em água a 52 ºC por 1 minuto, seguido de resfriamento em água a 10 ºC, por 6 minutos; e tratamento hidrotérmico, seguido de resfriamento em HCl a 1%, a 10 ºC, por 6 minutos. O segundo fator foram os períodos de armazenamento: 0; 1; 2; 3;6; 9 e 12 dias. A combinação entre tratamento hidrotérmico (52 ºC por 1 minuto) e resfriamento em HCl a 1% permite conservar a coloração das lichias 'Bengal' por até dois dias. Mesmo assim há escurecimento em 25% da superfície.One of the biggest problems in postharvest litchi pericarp browning is, the color red becomes totally dark in 48 hours at 25 º C. Technologies that can control the browning of the pericarp are valuable, and is the main focus of research in post-harvest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shelf life of lychee 'Bengal', stored at 20 ° C and 82% RH after the hydrothermal treatment and/or immersion in HCl solution. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 4 x 7, with three replications, where the first factor was the treatment: control, immersion in HCl 1%, for 6 minutes; hydrothermal treatment, soaking in water at 52 ° C for 1 minutes, followed by immersion in water at 10 º C for 6 minutes, and hydrothermal treatment and subsequent cooling in 1% HCl, 10 ° C for 6 minutes. The second factor was the storage periods: 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. The combination of hydrothermal treatment (52 ° C for 1 min) and cooling in HCl 1% allowed to retain the color of lychee 'Bengal' for up to two days. Yet there are browning in 25% of the surface.