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Plant secondary metabolites have great applications in the nutritional and cosmetic aspects of human health. Terpenes, and in particular bioactive diterpenoids, represent an important group of compounds found in Salvia species. Their production in plants is often limited, and chemical synthesis is often not economically feasible. Biotechnological approaches using plant cell and tissue cultures can be routinely established under sterile conditions from explants for biomass production and the extraction of secondary metabolites. The biosynthesis and accumulation of bioactive diterpenoids in vitro in Salvia cells and tissues can be enhanced by strain improvement, techniques to select high-producing cell lines, optimisation of the growth medium, use of specific precursors or elicitors, induction of their release into the culture medium, and the overexpression of genes. This review analyses the biotechnological techniques applied to the in vitro culture of Salvia cells and tissues to enhance the production and accumulation of bioactive diterpenoids and summarises their biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in functional foods is driven by the exploration of new foods with positive health effects. Pleasant sensory features are essential for consumer acceptance. In this work, we investigated the composition of the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and aroma profiles of four edible flowers: Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Dianthus chinensis L., Fuchsia regia (Vand. ex Vell.) Munz., and Viola cornuta L. For the first time, we quantified the water-soluble group of B vitamins. Significant variations in the content of soluble sugars, vitamins, and secondary metabolites were observed. V. cornuta showed the highest concentration of vitamin C and carotenoids, while C. moschata had the highest content of vitamin B and flavonoids. F. regia stood out for its exceptionally high content of total phenolics, while D. chinensis surpassed the other flowers in soluble sugar content. The aroma profile analysis revealed a diverse array of volatile organic compounds, with each species having its own unique composition. C. moschata was characterized by p-dimethoxybenzene and D. chinensis by non-terpene compounds; F. regia displayed high amounts of decanal and nonanal, while V. cornuta was rich in myrcene and α-farnesene. These findings provide valuable insights into the secondary metabolites and aroma profiles of these flowers, enhancing our understanding of their bioactive compounds and potential health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-harvest techniques are the most critical point to ensure the quality of edible flowers (EFs) and to keep the bioactive metabolites available for human nutrition. The different species of EFs also represent a problem in improving their consumption with safety. The present study focused on the description of the effects of the commonly used drying treatments in the phytonutritional composition of four species of EFs, Callianthe megapotamica, Callianthe striata, Nemesia strumosa and Salvia elegans. The bioactive metabolites and antioxidant activity were determined after freeze-drying (FD) and hot-air-drying (HA) treatments in comparison to fresh flowers. All EFs showed different mineral/trace compositions with potassium as the main element and 70–86% water loss. Both post-harvest treatments increased all the metabolites and antioxidant activity in each species. C. striata with FD treatment had the highest content of primary and secondary metabolites. N. strumosa has the highest ascorbic acid content with the HA treatment. All species had significant antioxidant activity, increasing with FD for C. striata while HA is more recommended for the other species. The post-harvest techniques are able to preserve and increase the bioactive metabolites and must be chosen according to each EF species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agastache aurantiaca 'Sunset Yellow' and A. mexicana 'Sangria' are aromatic plants with edible flowers characterized with good flavors, nutritional values and pleasant aromas. The aim of this study was to establish a successful protocol to ensure fast shoot propagation, rooting and in vivo acclimatization to obtain many vigorous plants for edible flower production. Micropropagation was tested with an agarized Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium enriched with different 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) levels. In vitro rooting trials were carried out using a half-strength MS medium comparing the traditional jar method with an agarized medium and the temporary immersion system (TIS) bioreactor with a liquid medium. After acclimatization in a greenhouse, the survival of plants and their development were recorded. Microscopical analyses were performed on both in-jar and in-TIS leaves at rooting stages and compared with in vivo leaves. In both species, the greatest number of new shoots was noted at 2.22 µM and 3.33 µM of BAP. In TIS, rooting started earlier, resulting in larger plants with more roots and longer roots than in the jar substrate. Any anatomical difference was observed in leaves collected from the jar and TIS during the rooting stage. The best acclimatization performances were recorded in plants coming from the TIS bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) is an economically important aromatic herb; in Italy, approximately 1000 ha of "Genovese-type" basil are grown annually in greenhouses and open fields and are subjected to Downy Mildew (DM) disease, caused by Peronospora belbahrii, leading to huge crop losses. Mutation of the Susceptibility (S) gene DMR6 (Downy Mildew Resistant 6) has been proven to confer a broad-spectrum resistance to DM. In this work, an effective Genome Editing (GE) approach mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in O. basilicum 'Italiko', the élite cultivar used to produce "Pesto Genovese D.O.P", was developed. A highly efficient genetic transformation method mediated by A. tumefaciens has been optimized from cotyledonary nodes, obtaining 82.2% of regenerated shoots, 84.6% of which resulted in Cas9+ plants. Eleven T0 lines presented different type of mutations in ObDMR6; 60% were indel frameshift mutations with knock-out of ObDMR6 of 'FT Italiko'. Analysis of six T1 transgene-free seedlings revealed that the mutations of T0 plants were inherited and segregated. Based on infection trials conducted on T0 plants, clone 22B showed a very low percentage of disease incidence after 14 days post infection. The aromatic profile of all in vitro edited plants was also reported; all of them showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the major fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.; Fam. Lamiaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with a high economic value used in folk medicine, pharmacology, and food production. In Italy, most of the varieties are used to produce the famous "pesto" sauce; however, almost all of them are susceptible to basil downy mildew (BDM) disease, strongly decreasing the growth of the fresh leaves and the survival of the whole plant. Nowadays, CRISPR/Cas9 technology is recognized to be a prominent way to enhance basil genetic breeding. In this work, we present an optimized protocol for in vitro direct regeneration of an elite cultivar, which is the major limiting factor for the transformation of O. basilicum. Regeneration has been obtained from different explants (leaves, cotyledons, cotyledonary nodes); the highest frequency has been obtained from cotyledonary nodes of seedlings germinated on MS medium containing TDZ. This protocol may be used for biotechnological applications as genome editing techniques to obtain basil-downy-mildew-disease-resistant clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nemo's Garden® project is an alternative production system for areas with scarce cultivable land but significant presence of water; thus, it is an interesting intervention to address the climate crisis. This work aimed to evaluate the micromorphological, biochemical, and phytochemical characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni grown underwater compared to the terrestrial specimens. The micromorphological analyses, performed on the leaves using light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, evidenced a general uniformity of the trichome morphotype and distribution pattern. The histochemical investigation indicated the simultaneous presence of terpenes and polyphenols in the trichome secreted material from the underwater samples and a prevailing polyphenolic content in the terrestrial specimens; this was also confirmed by biochemical analyses (26.6 mg GAE/g DW). The characterization of non-volatile components, performed using HPLC–MS, showed similar chemical profiles in all the samples, which were characterized by phenolic compounds and steviol glycosides. The volatile compounds, evaluated using HS-SPME coupled with GC–MS, showed sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as the main class in all the analyzed samples (80.1–93.9%). However, the control plants were characterized by a higher content of monoterpene hydrocarbons (12.1%). The underwater biosphere environment did not alter S. rebaudiana micro-morphological characters, although slight qualitative changes were evidenced for the compounds produced as a response to the growth conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers (EFs) are currently consumed as fresh products, but their shelf life can be extended by a suitable drying technique, avoiding the loss of visual quality and valuable nutraceutical properties. Begonia cucullata Willd is a common ornamental bedding plant, and its leaves and flowers are edible. In this work, B. cucullata red flowers were freeze-dried (FD) and hot-air dried (HAD) at different temperatures. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first one comparing different drying methodologies and different temperatures involving sensory characterization of EFs; therefore, a codified method for the description of the sensory profile of both fresh and dried B. cucullata was developed and validated. Phytochemical analyses highlighted the better preservation of antioxidant compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) for flowers dried at 60–70 °C. Visual quality was strongly affected by the drying treatments; in particular the color of the HAD samples significantly turned darker, whereas the FD samples exhibited a marked loss of pigmentation. Although all drying conditions led to a reduction in the hedonic indices if compared with fresh flowers, the best results in terms of organoleptic properties were obtained when the drying temperature was set to 60 or 70 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mertensia maritima is a commercially interesting herb with edible leaves and flowers, characterized by oyster flavor and taste. Plant propagation and traditional cultivation are challenging for this species. Therefore, the main purpose of the present study was to establish successful protocols aimed at ensuring oyster plant shoot propagation, rooting and in vivo acclimatization. Both micropropagation and rooting were tested, comparing the traditional in vitro solid substrate in jar vs. the liquid culture in a temporary immersion system (TIS) bioreactor (Plantform™). A Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium added with 4-µM thidiazuron (TDZ) and 1-µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was employed for micropropagation, while a half-strength MS medium supplemented with 4-µM indole−3-butyric acid (IBA) was used for rooting. Different acclimatization conditions in the greenhouse or in growth chamber were tested. Morphometric and microscopical analyses were performed on the oyster plant leaves at the propagation, rooting and acclimatization stages both in a jar and in a TIS. Micropropagation in a TIS allowed to obtain large shoots, while a great number of shoots was observed in the jar. M. maritima shoots rooted in TIS produced more developed roots, leaves with more developed waxy glands and well-formed stomata; moreover, the plants coming from the TIS showed the best acclimatization performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agastache spp. are used as ornamental plants for their pleasant aroma and the different colors of flowers. Nowadays, their edible flowers have become attractive for their nutraceutical properties. Post-harvest treatment appears as a crucial point to avoid impairment of the nutraceutical compounds and aroma, so different treatments were tested to analyze their effect on the bioactive metabolites and volatilome. Results indicated that freeze-drying was the best solution to prolong the shelf life of these flowers. The use of high temperatures (50, 60, 70 ◦C) led to altered the composition of antioxidant compounds (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids). Air-drying at 30 ◦C was a reasonable method, even though time consuming. Concerning the aroma profile, all samples were dominated by oxygenated monoterpene compounds. Pulegone was the main or one of the major constituents of all samples together with p-menthone. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry results showed a correlation between the temperature and the number of identified compounds. Both fresh and freeze-dried samples evidenced a lesser number (10 and 19, respectively); when the temperature raised, the number of identified constituents increased. Statistical analyses highlighted significant differences between almost all aromatic compounds, even if both Principal Component and Hierarchical Cluster analyses differed at 60 and 70 ◦C and from the other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers are niche horticultural products, routinely used as cooking ingredients in the food industry. Currently, new species are required with the aim of enlarging the number of species with a long shelf-life, healthy nutraceutical compounds, and new fragrance and tastes. Ageratum houstonianum Mill, Tagetes lemmonii A. Gray, Salvia dorisiana Standl, and Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L'Hér "Lemon" were selected for their different morphological characteristics and color. Fresh flowers were analyzed to characterize their phytonutritional content and aroma profile. Postharvest was determined up to 6 days of cold storage at 4°C in transparent polypropylene boxes. Visual quality and cellular membrane damage were observed. The relative content of different antioxidant constituents (e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid), nutritional compounds (soluble sugars, crude proteins), the antioxidant scavenging activity, and the volatile profile were determined and correlated to the quality of shelf-life of the different species. The yellow T. lemmonii freshly picked flowers showed the highest ascorbic acid and flavonoids content, which was maintained during the cold storage, as well as the best visual quality. Limited changes in metabolites were detected in the light blue A. houstonianum during postharvest, although the visual quality is severely compromised. Magenta S. dorisiana and light pink P. odoratissimum showed similar changes in antioxidant constituents during cold storage. For the first time, the volatile compounds have been identified in the four species. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons are the main class in fresh flowers of A. houstonianum , S. dorisiana , and P. odoratissimum , while monoterpene hydrocarbons are abundant in T. lemmonii. The cold storage influenced mainly P. odoratissimum and S. dorisiana flavor initially dominated by the increase in total monoterpenes at 6 days, reaching a relative content of 90%. Both A. houstonianum and T. lemmonii conserved the prevalence of the same class of constituents in all the analyzed conditions, even though the cold storage influenced the major compound abundance. On the basis of the results, T. lemmonii was the most interesting species with the longest shelf-life due to its phytonutritional and aromatic constituents. Results indicated the peculiar metabolic and physiological attitude of flowers species to cold storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) from Salvia dolomitica and Salvia somalensis, widely employed in the cosmetic and perfume industry, were analyzed for composition and tested against bacterial and fungal pathogens isolated from clinical and environmental specimens. The analyses were carried out against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pseudointermedius, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus canis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Mucor sp. and Trichothecium roseum. Both EOs showed similar percentages of total monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The main constituents were 1,8-cineole and b-caryophyllene in S. dolomitica and bornyl acetate and camphor in S. somalensis. The selected EOs have no relevant antifungal or antibacterial activities if compared to conventional drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia wagneriana Polak is a tropical species native to Central America, well adapted to grow in the Mediterranean basin for garden decoration. Micropropagation has been assessed from axillary shoots of adult plants using a Murashige and Skoog basal medium, with the addition of 1.33-μM 6-benzylaminopurine for shoot proliferation; the subsequent rooting phase occurred in plant growth regulator-free medium. The plants were successfully acclimatised with high survival frequency. Hairy roots were induced after co-cultivation of leaf lamina and petiole fragments with Agrobacterium rhizogenes and confirmed by PCR. The establishment and proliferation of the selected HRD3 line were obtained in hormone-free liquid medium and the production of rosmarinic acid (RA) was evaluated after elicitation. The analysis of RA was performed by LC-ESI-DAD-MS in the hydroalcoholic extracts. The addition of casein hydrolysate increased the RA production, whereas no enrichment was observed after the elicitation with jasmonic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asexual propagation in Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob), species of economic value, is difficult because of adventitious rooting recalcitrance. In Pinus radiata adventitious rooting of hypocotyl cuttings is enhanced by two urea-derivatives, 1,3-di(benzo[ d]oxazol-5-yl)urea (5-BDPU) and 1,3-di(benzo[ d]oxazol-6-yl)urea (6-BDPU), combined with exogenous indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The research was aimed to define the role of these urea-derivatives in adventitious root (AR) formation of carob, and to identify morphogenic roles induced in carob, but also in pine, a distantly-related forest species. In carob, 5-BDPU (10 μM) highly promoted AR formation in combination with IBA (1 μM) when applied for 3 days, followed by a transfer onto hormone free medium (HF) up to culture end (4 weeks). IBA alone (1 μM) was more effective than IBA + kinetin (Kin, 10 nM), whereas Kin alone and 5-BDPU alone were not AR-inductive. The histological analysis showed that the cambial cells initiated the ARs, and similar numbers of AR-primordia were visible at day 12, independently of the AR-inductive treatment (i.e., IBA, IBA + 5-BDPU, IBA + Kin). No cutting treated with Kin alone, and rare HF (±5-BDPU)-treated ones, showed AR-primordia at day 12. The number of AR-forming explants increased under IBA + 5-BDPU. By contrast, the cambial cells were stimulated to initiate deuteroxylem instead of ARs under 5-BDPU alone. The histological analysis in pine microcuttings treated with IBA and/or 5-BDPU at the same concentrations confirmed that 5-BDPU applied alone enhanced xylogenesis, highlighting that this urea-derivative exhibits a dual morphogenic role being involved in the switching between adventitious rooting and xylogenesis depending on the presence of exogenous auxin in both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quorum-sensing (QS) is a regulatory mechanism in bacterial communication, important for pathogenesis control. The search for small molecules active as quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSI) that can synergize with antibiotics is considered a good strategy to counteract the problem of antibiotic resistance. Here the antimicrobial labdane diterpenoids sclareol (1) and manool (2) extracted from Salvia tingitana were considered as potential QSI against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Only sclareol showed synergistic activity with clindamycin. The quantification of these compounds by LC–MS analysis in the organs and in the calli of S. tingitana showed that sclareol is most abundant in the flower spikes and is produced by calli, while manool is the major labdane of the roots, and is abundant also in the leaves. Other metabolites of the roots were abietane diterpenoids, common in Salvia species, and pentacyclic triterpenoids, bearing a γ-lactone moiety, previously undescribed in Salvia. Docking simulations suggested that 1 and 2 bind to key residues, involved in direct interactions with DNA. They may prevent accessory gene regulator A (AgrA) binding to DNA or AgrA activation upon phosphorylation, to suppress virulence factor expression. The antimicrobial activity of these two compounds probably achieves preventing upregulation of the accessory gene regulator (agr)-regulated genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia corrugata Vahl. is an interesting source of abietane and abeo-abietane compounds that showed antibacterial, antitumor, and cytotoxic activities. The aim of the study was to obtain transformed roots of S. corrugata and to evaluate the production of terpenoids in comparison with in vivo root production. Hairy roots were initiated from leaf explants by infection with ATCC 15834 Agrobacterium rhizogenes onto hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) solid medium. Transformation was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of rolC and virC1 genes. The biomass production was obtained in hormone-free liquid MS medium using Temporary Immersion System bioreactor RITA®. The chromatographic separation of the methanolic extract of the untransformed roots afforded horminone, ferruginol, 7-O-acetylhorminone and 7-O-methylhorminone. Agastol and ferruginol were isolated and quantified from the hairy roots. The amount of these metabolites indicated that the hairy roots of S. corrugata can be considered a source of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective study addresses the main causes of adverse reactions to foods in humans, by taking into account the main allergic reactions that may occur as a result of food ingestion, as well the main allergens present in food and how their allergenicity change as a result of food preparation. In addition, European legislation on food labeling and novel foods was taken into account. The case study of this perspective is on the potential allergenicity of edible flowers as well as evidence of phytochemistry and toxic compounds and the risk associated with their ingestion. Regarding edible flowers, a key issue to address is if they are safe to consume or not. In the framework of the project "Innovative activities for the development of the cross-border supply chain of the edible flower" (ANTEA), we considered 62 different species and varieties of edible flowers. The results obtained by consulting two databases on allergens, COMPRISE and Allergen Nomenclature, marked two alerts for two species of edible flowers selected in the project. Moreover, based on edible flower consumption, about ten grams per serving, and on their protein content, we can also state that the risk of allergic reactions due to edible flower ingestion is very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of edible flowers in cooking dates back to ancient times, but recently it is gaining success among the consumers, increasingly attentive to healthy and sustainable foods of high quality, without neglecting taste, flavour, and visual appeal. The present study aims to deepen the knowledge regarding the mineral composition of edible flowers, an aspect not widely investigated in scientific literature. The concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn have been determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) in flowers belonging to a wide variety of species. The study highlights that some floral species are characterized by significantly higher concentrations of certain trace elements, e.g., the flowers of Acmella oleracea for Mn, those of basil (Ocimum basilicum) and of pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata and C. pepo) for Cu and Sr, and those of orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) for Ni. Potentially toxic elements are present at low concentrations, often below the limit of the detection for Cd, Co, Ni, V. In all samples, Cd and Pb are well below the maximum permitted levels in foodstuffs. It can be concluded that the edible flowers analyzed can be considered a good source of essential elements and do not present risks for the consumer health as for the mineral composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers are consumed for their appearance, colours, nutritional and healthy properties, but the use is limited by the actual number of the species. Seven edible flowers of the Lamiaceae family (Ocimeae and Mentheae tribes) were investigated: Monarda didyma 'Fireball', Nepeta × faassenii 'Six Hills Giant', Ocimum basilicum 'Blue Spice', O. basilicum 'Cinnamon', Ocimum × citriodorum, Salvia discolor, and Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'. Total soluble sugars, proteins, polyphenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity were detected. The species of the Mentheae tribe contained higher sugar content than Ocimeae flowers, the opposite with regard to protein content. Ocimeae tribe flowers showed high polyphenols and carotenoids content. The Ocimeae tribe together with two specie of the Mentheae tribe showed an aroma profile dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (58.0% in S. discolor to 77.9% in Ocimum × citriodorum). Oxygenated monoterpenes prevailed in Nepeta and Monarda, also present in the essential oil of this latter species (84.5%). By contrast, Nepeta and S. discolor evidenced non-terpenes as the principal class (41.2% and 77.5%, respectively), while the oxygenated sesquiterpene was the main one in S. microphylla. The two varieties of Ocimum spp. showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the main class of volatiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatilomes emitted from edible flowers of two species of Agastache (A. aurantiaca (A.Gray) Lint & Epling, and A. mexicana (Kunth) Lint & Epling) and from two hybrids (Agastache 'Arcado Pink' and Agastache 'Blue Boa') were investigated using a solid-phase microextraction technique as well as the extraction of its essential oils. Oxygenated monoterpenes were almost always the predominant class (>85%) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in each sample of A. aurantiaca, A. 'Blue Boa' and A. mexicana, with the exception of A. 'Arcado Pink' (38.6%). Pulegone was the main compound in A. aurantiaca (76.7%) and A. 'Blue Boa' (82.4%), while geranyl acetate (37.5%) followed by geraniol (16%) and geranial (17%) were the principal ones in A. mexicana. The essential oil composition showed the same behavior as the VOCs both for the main class as well as the major constituent (pulegone) with the same exception for A. mexicana. Total soluble sugars, secondary metabolites (polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) and antioxidant activity were also investigated to emphasize the nutraceutical properties of these edible flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is an evergreen plant, a member of the Lamiaceae family. It is distributed throughout the Mediterranean, where it is used primarily as a spice herb for culinary purposes. In the present study 18 wild populations of rosemary distributed throughout the Tyrrenian Sea and its vicinity were tested for chemical profile. The populations were initially cultivated for 2 years under homogenous environmental conditions to minimize the potential effect of geographic surroundings on volatile composition (phenotype) that masked the true genotypic differences. A total of 58 compounds, representing 95.5–98.7% of the volatiles were detected. Volatile compounds were grouped into 27 oxygenated monoterpenes, 18 sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, 10 monoterpene hydrocarbons, 1 oxygenated sesquiterpene, and 2 miscellaneous compounds. Sesquiterpenes and oxygenated terpenes were the main constituents in the rosemary oil. PCA and UPGMA dendrogram identified three chemotypes designated ‘chemotype A’ dominated by 1,8-cineole and β-pinene; ‘chemotype B’ dominated by α-pinene and verbenone and ‘chemotype C’, dominated by camphor and myrcene. The variability of volatiles in the 18 populations was moderately correlated (0.48 ≤ r ≤ 0.75) to geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude), suggesting that once environmental effects are removed genetics and origin are the key factors in chemotype variation in rosemary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Helichrysum Miller is a source of many bioactive metabolites commonly used in traditional medicine. In particular, Helichrysum petiolare Hilliard & B.L. Burtt shows activities as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and in the control of anxiety disorder. Biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites is a defense mechanism of plants and it is strictly influenced by the surrounding environmental conditions. In this study, drought was imposed on H. petiolare (HEL008 clone CREA-Sanremo collection) to understand the effect of water stress on the dynamics of plant biomass and secondary metabolites production, and the morphological and physiological mechanisms involved in plant responses. H. petiolare was cultivated for 34 days under three water regimes: 100% of container capacity (CC, control), 50% CC (moderate water stress), and 0% CC (severe water stress). Plant growth traits, leaf water potential, gas exchange parameters, phenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity changes were determined twice a week, while the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and essential oils (Eos) at the end of the trial. Severe water stress dramatically reduced aerial and root dry weight, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, leaf water potential, water use efficiency (WUE, A / E ), transpiration rate ( E ), stomatal conductance ( gs ), net photosynthetic rate ( A ) and antioxidant activity. Moderate water stress induced only slight changes and led to an increase of WUE at the end of the experiment. The total amount of VOCs and Eos was not affected by water stress while their quality changed. Moderate water stress increased the main constituents of both VOCs, i.e. the monoterpene hydrocarbons, and Eos, i.e., the oxygenated sesquiterpenes. In conclusion, this H. petiolare cultivation under the applied moderate drought condition could lead to a double benefit i.e., water-saving irrigation practice and high quality metabolite production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU project Nutra-Snack established an integrated scientific and technological framework to introduce conventional and new biotechnologies into the nutraceutical industry. The purpose was to promote novel ready-to-eat snacks enriched with natural antioxidant/radical-scavenging compounds. Enhancement of valuable compounds production in plant cells and in vitro cultures were achieved by different elicitation strategies, and exhaustive metabolites profiling obtained by high-resolution analytical techniques. Finally, innovative enzyme-based biosensors were developed for food products functional activity and safety properties assessment. This review provides an overview of the technologies selected, integrated and tested in NUTRA-SNACK and recent literature strengthening integrated approaches in modern food process manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To produce virus-free plants, a simple and original protocol was established by combining several techniques: repeated shoot meristem excision before and during in vitro culture and thermotherapy applied to bulblets in vitro. Lily symptomless virus (LSV) is a major virus that decreases plant growth vigor and the quality of cut flowers, yet infected plants show no distinct symptoms. Stock bulbs of pollenless Asiatic hybrid lily (L. x elegans Thunb) lines ('409' and '599') were used as explant. Shoot meristems were excised and micropropagated. Thermotherapy (42 days at 35 °C) was applied to in vitro growing bulblets and a second meristem cut was then made from heat-treated material. Leaf tissues from bulblets formed before or postheat treatments were analyzed either by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Line '499' produced LSV-free plants without heat treatment, but line '599' produced LSV-free plants only after heat treatment. The virus-free lily bulblets grew vigorously in vitro and acclimatized promptly. It is suggested that thermotherapy given to in vitro growing bulblets effectively eliminated the virus and induced a fast and efficient micropropagation technique for virus-free mother plant stock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nemo's Garden® underwater biospheres are a green, alternative agriculture system. • Underwater basil did not show micromorphological changes of the leaf indumentum. • Relevant differences were detected in the essential oil and head space compositions. • More photosynthetic pigments and polyphenols were produced in the underwater plants. • Basil seems well adapted: studies on other species are needed to evaluate a scale-up. The need for alternative cultivation methods is urgent for regions of the world where cultivable land is scarce: underwater areas are unexploited and vast. Nemo's Garden® Project aims at creating a green and alternative agriculture system: its biospheres are underwater greenhouses, developed for areas where plants growth is difficult in terrestrial conditions, due to climate change. Basil was chosen as model plant to study its phytochemical, physiological, and micromorphological parameters, in comparison with the same plants grown in terrestrial conditions in the Sanremo Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (CREA-Centro di Ricerca Orticoltura e Florovivaismo) greenhouse. While the micromorphological analyses showed no detectable differences between control and biospheres samples, the phytochemical investigations evidenced a switch of the essential oil chemotype from methyl eugenol/linalool to methyl eugenol, respectively. The headspaces were also different: sesquiterpenes dominated the biospheres samples, whereas oxygenated monoterpenes accounted for half the control sample emission. Differences also emerged in the physiological investigation: total chlorophyll, total carotenoids and total polyphenols were present in higher amounts in the biospheres samples, with a 31.52% and 13.3% increase in the antioxidant activity and polyphenols content, respectively. Basil was well adapted in the biosphere environment, whose influence should be studied in different species to assess the viability of an industrial scale-up of the Nemo's Garden®. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, special attention has been given to the nutritional properties of food, and the edible flowers (EFs) represent an uncommon fresh product to characterise, with the aim to explore new species with peculiar aesthetic and the aromatic features. This work investigated some nutritional properties of eight new EFs, such as Begonia boliviensis A.DC. (pink and white varieties), Dahlia pinnata Cav., Salvia farinacea Benth., S. × jamensis J.Compton, S. 'Purple Queen' Tulbaghia simmleri Beauv. 'Alba', T. violacea Harv. 'Alba', chosen for their different colours and corolla morphologies. Primary and secondary metabolites have been determined. The highest protein content was found in T. violacea 'Alba' and D. pinnata . The Salvia species showed the highest soluble sugar content. The two Tulbaghia species were notable for hexose and ascorbic acid content . D. pinnata showed the highest polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoid content, with the highest antiradical activity.

Somatic embryogenesis is, for the main floricultural crops, a promising system for commercial scale-up, providing cloned material to be traded as seedlings. Somatic embryos, having the contemporary presence of root apical meristem and shoot apical meristem, can be readily acclimatized. For Lisianthus it is possible to induce embryogenic callus from leaf fragments of selected genotypes and to obtain embryos either in agarized substrate or in liquid suspension culture. The production of somatic embryos in liquid medium is high and can be modulated in order to synchronize the cycle and the size of the neoformed structures. The possibility to use the liquid substrate with high propagation rates reduces labor costs and could support the costs of eventual automation. In this paper we report a stepwise protocol for somatic embryogenesis in the species Eustoma russellianum.

Bituminaria bituminosa L. is known for producing several compounds with considerable pharmaceutical interest, such as phenylpropanoids, furanocoumarins and pterocarpans. In vitro cultures of seedlings, shoots, and callus have been produced to obtain plant materials useful for the production of these metabolites. The secondary metabolite profile was evaluated by HPLC-DAD. The extracts of all the in vitro material contained the flavonoid daidzein, while plicatin B, erybraedin C and bitucarpin A were found only in the extracts of the in vitro shoots and in wild shoots. The furanocoumarins angelicin and psoralen were found in in vivo and in vitro plants, but in the callus were not detectable. The extracts were also tested for cytotoxic activity in HeLa cell culture; the highest level of cytotoxicity was found in in vitro shoot extracts.