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Lagerstroemia indicais a summer ornamental flowering tree, belonging to the Lythraceae family. Its flower color is a key ornamental characteristic. Recent research indicates that WRKY and bZIP transcription factors play important role in flower color formation. Based on the transcriptome database of L. indica, this study identified 85 LibZIPsand 61 LiWRKYsfrom the L. indicatranscriptome database and analyzed their expression profiles using qRT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis divided LibZIPsinto 11 subfamilies and LiWRKYsinto six subfamilies. Nine LibZIPsand four LiWRKYswere found to have higher expression in colored samples compared to the white sample. LibZIP31, LibZIP65, LibZIP34, LiWRKY16, LiWRKY25, LiWRKY40, and LiWRKY67may play important roles in flower color formation in L. indica. These results provide valuable information for further functional analysis of the bZIP and WRKY genes families in L. indicaand help clarify their roles in flower color formation.

This study investigates the influence of Ca2+on the electrochemical properties and performance of catechin-loaded mung bean protein hydrogels. Our results demonstrate that increasing Ca2+concentration significantly improves the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading rates within the hydrogel, leading to enhanced drug delivery capabilities. Furthermore, we observe that the electrochemical properties, including viscosity and storage modulus (G’), of the mung bean protein hydrogel exhibit an optimal trend, peaking at a Ca2+addition of 10%. Importantly, our hydrogel demonstrates superior slow-release properties in a simulated gastric-intestinal digestion model, particularly when the Ca2+concentration is increased. These findings highlight the essential role of Ca2+in fine-tuning the electrochemical properties of mung bean protein hydrogels and provide valuable insights for the design of efficient drug delivery systems. The novelty of our work lies in the comprehensive investigation of the effects of Ca2+on both the electrochemical properties and slow-release capabilities of mung bean protein gel, as well as the elucidation of their potential applications in drug delivery.

Tectorigenin (Te) is a main active component in the flowers of Pueraria thomsoniiBenth. and the rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis(L.) DC. Previously, we have reported the pharmacokinetic properties of Te in rat plasma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the urinary excretion of Te after oral administration to rats at different dose levels. Using UHPLC/Q-TOFMS, totally 26 metabolites were detected in rat urine after oral administration of Te at dose of 65 and 130 mg/kg. Among them, nine metabolites, Te, tectorigenin-7-O-glucuronide-4′-sulfate (Te-7G-4′S), tectorigenin-7-O-glucuronide (Te-7G), tectorigenin-7-O-sulfate (Te-7S), tectorigenin-4′-O-glucuronide (Te-4′S), isotectorigenin, genistein, irisolidone-7-O-glucuronide (Ir-7G), and irisolidone, were identified by comparing the retention time, UV and MS spectra with those of authentic standards. A UHPLC/Q-TOFMS method for simultaneous quantification and semi-quantification of all the metabolites in urine was developed. The cumulative urinary excretions of Te and the major metabolite Te-7G were 1.99 and 5.80 μmol at 65 mg/kg, 3.05 and 6.48 μmol at 130 mg/kg, accounted for 4.17 % and 15.8, 2.81 and 9.49 % of administrated Te, respectively. The excretion rates of Te-7G, Te-7G-4′S, Ir-7G, and Te reached a maximum between 12 and 24 h after oral dosing at 65 and 130 mg/kg. The cumulative urine excretion rates of Te were 23.1 and 20.1 % within 72 h at 65 and 130 mg/kg, respectively. These results suggested that the glucuronidation was the primary metabolic pathway especially at low dose level.