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The role of agroforest systems in pathogen regulation through structural characteristics such as shade and tree diversity is recognized. However, few studies have examined the importance of these factors on the spread of diseases of associated fruit trees in agroforestry systems, especially cocoa-based agroforestry systems (CBAS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of associated tree diversity and shade rate into CBAS on citrus Phytophthora foot rot disease (PFRD) intensity. The study was carried out in five citrus production basins of Cameroon, contrasted by ecology and rainfall regimes. A set of 33 CBAS plots was mapped and their species composition and vertical structure were determined. Field data were used to reconstruct CBAS in 3D with Shademotion 5.1.47 software. Using static simulations with shadow overlays, shade rate received by each citrus tree was calculated. Subsequently, citrus trees were grouped into three categories according to the shade rate they received: (i) full sun, with shade rate 70%. PFRD intensity was determined by measuring the canker extent relatively to the citrus crown circumference. A significant difference in PFRD intensity was observed between the different shade rates. Citrus trees receiving no shade were significantly more attacked by PFRD than those receiving little shade or dense shade. The antagonistic effect of shade was demonstrated. At the expense of factors related to the specific composition of the CBAS, shade, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall were found to be the main factors explaining PFRD intensity in CBAS. This study shows that microclimatic alterations due to the biodiversity in tropical agroforestry systems contribute to sustainable pest management.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity has conspicuous detrimental effects on citrus production whereas boron (B) has been shown to alleviate its toxicity. Lignin plays a critical role in the cell wall extensibility and root elongation under stressed conditions. Hence, the interaction between B and Al on cell wall structure and lignin-related metabolic pathway was investigated in root of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.) seedlings. The results showed B supply considerably decreased the Al content in root, particularly in cell wall, and reduced Al-induced damage on growth-related parameters and thickness of cell wall. Boron application decreased the hydrogen peroxide (H

We previously discovered that the SPC/Fyn/Rho-kinase (ROK) pathway mediates the Ca

Background: The full impact of the intake of citrus fruits on the risk of depression in individuals with chronic heart failure (HF) is unknown. Here, we examined the associations between the estimated habitual intakes of citrus fruits and depressive symptoms in patients with chronic HF. Methods: We enrolled 150 stable outpatients with chronic HF who had a history of worsening HF. To assess the patients' daily dietary patterns, we used a brief self-administered diet-history questionnaire to calculate the daily consumption of foods and nutrients. To assess the patients' mental state, we used a nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results: Twelve patients (8%) were identified as having moderate-to-severe depression (PHQ-9 score > 10). The patients with PHQ-9 > 10 had lower daily intakes of citrus fruits compared to those with no or mild depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 < 10). The daily intakes of various antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta- carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, all of which are abundant in citrus fruits, were reduced in the patients with PHQ-9 > 10, accompanied by higher serum levels of 8-isoprostane (an oxidative stress marker). A multivariate logistic regression analysis using forward selection showed that a lowered daily intake of citrus fruits was an independent predictor of the comorbidity of moderate-to-severe depression in patients with chronic HF, after adjustment for age, gender, and the hemoglobin value. Conclusions: A lower daily consumption of citrus fruits was associated with higher prevalence of depression in patients with chronic HF. Our findings support the hypothesis that a daily consumption of citrus fruits has a beneficial effect on the prevention and treatment of depression in chronic HF patients. (C)2021 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low pH is an important limiting factor for plant development in the south of China due to problems of acid red soil and boron (B) deficiency. Whereas, there is very limited information on the relationship between media pH and B distribution in plant, the physiological process changed by the interaction of pH and B in citrus growth also unclear. This experiment was conducted on trifoliate rootstock by employing two different concentrations of B (0 or 10 μM B) under three pH levels: pH 4, pH 5, and pH 6. Our results illustrate that low pH inhibite plant growth and cause oxidative stress in the roots, resulting in cell membrane injury. The increase of pH and B addition reduce the accumulation of ROS (O

Along with a water-soluble fraction rich in pectin, the hydrodynamic cavitation of citrus processing waste carried out in water demonstrated directly on semi-industrial scale affords an insoluble fraction consisting of micronized cellulose of low crystallinity ("CytroCell"). Lemon and grapefruit CytroCell respectively consist of 100-500 nm wide cellulose nanorods, and of 500-1000 nm wide ramified microfibrils extending for several μm. These findings establish a technically viable route to low crystallinity micronized cellulose laying in between nano- and microcellulose, using water and electricity only.

Blue mold caused by Penicillium italicum is a severe postharvest disease in citrus fruits. In this study, the fermentation product (FP-E) of Aspergillus aculeatus GC-09, an endophytic fungus isolated from a citrus plant, was found to exhibit antifungal activity against P. italicum with a MIC of 0.3125 mg/mL. The fungus A. aculeatus GC-09 was identified based on the studies of morphology and ITS nucleotide sequence. FP-E significantly inhibited the spore germination and mycelial growth of P. italicum. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results of P. italicum treated with FP-E showed shrunken, distorted and collapsed hyphae and conidiospores, indicative of the cell membrane damage, which was further confirmed by the propidium iodide (PI) fluorescent staining analysis. Consistent with the microscopy observation, FP-E led to the leakage of cellular constituents from P. italicum, which is evident from the increase in electrical conductivity and nucleic acid contents in the mycelial solution incubated with FP-E. In addition, FP-E treatment considerably increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, and reduced the enzyme activities of both catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in P. italicum cells. Furthermore, orange fruits treated with FP-E showed fewer disease symptoms compared to the untreated fruits. These results suggested that the antifungal activity of FP-E might be associated with the disruption of cell membrane integrity, the accumulation of ROS level, and the reduction of the antioxidant enzymes activity of P. italicum. Therefore, A. aculeatus GC-09 might be a potential microbial resource for the biocontrol of citrus postharvest blue mold.

Huanglongbing is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and transmitted by Diaphorina citri. D. citri harbors various insect-specific viruses, including the Diaphorina citri flavi-like virus (DcFLV). The distribution and biological role of DcFLV in its host and the relationship with CLas are unknown. DcFLV was found in various organs of D. citri, including the midgut and salivary glands, where it co-localized with CLas. CLas-infected nymphs had the highest DcFLV titers compared to the infected adults and CLas-free adults and nymphs. DcFLV was vertically transmitted to offspring from female D. citri and was temporarily detected in Citrus macrophylla and grapefruit leaves from greenhouse and field. The incidences of DcFLV and CLas were positively correlated in field-collected D. citri samples, suggesting that DcFLV might be associated with CLas in the vector. These results provide new insights on the interactions between DcFLV, the D. citri, and CLas.

In order to better utilize the citrus pectin (CP) resource, the crude citrus pectin (CCP), obtained from the citrus fruit canning processing waste water, was purified by cellulose DEAE-52 column, providing neutral polysaccharide CP0 and two acidic polysaccharides (CP1 and CP3). CP1 had the highest yield among the three fractions, being 44.29%. The chemical composition, structure and morphology of these pectin components were analyzed. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that arabinose was the most abundant composition in these pectin samples. CCP, CP1 and CP3 were mainly composed of rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) regions. Compared with CP3, CCP and CP1 had longer side chains, which are mainly consisted of arabinose. FT-IR and NMR analysis indicated that α-type glycosidic bonds are the main linkage in the four pectin components. These CP samples were found to possess different conformation, but no triple-helical conformation was observed in all these CP fractions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that CCP, CP1 and CP3 all had irregular sheet-like structures and partly porous structures. The four pectin components showed the characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids and possessed good viscoelasticity. Due to these properties, the pectin might have potential application in food industry as food thickening agent.

Background Citrus essential oil (EO) has been used for mood elevation and sedative hypnotic purposes. However, scientific proofs of its central nervous system (CNS) action remained largely unexplored. This study investigated chemotypes, electrical brain waves and sleep-wake effects of the essential oil from Citrus reticulata in rat model. Methods Chemical contents of citrus EO were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Male Wistar rats implanted with electrodes on the frontal and parietal skulls were used for electroencephalographic (EEG) recording while inhaling the citrus EO (200 μl on cotton wool). Diazepam (10 mg/kg, p.o.) was used as a standard anxiolytic drug. EEG frequency analyses were performed by using Fast Fourier transform. All data were statistical analyzed using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Results GC–MS analysis reveal d -limonene (95.7%) as a major constituent of citrus EO. The EEG results showed that overall EEG patterns of citrus EO effects were relatively similar to that of diazepam. However, significant differences between treatments were seen from sleep-wake analyses. Diazepam significantly increased episode numbers of awake and non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and reduced averaged episode duration. On the other hand, the citrus EO significantly decreased REM sleep latency and increased total time and episode numbers of REM sleep. Conclusion These findings demonstrated unique CNS effects of C. reticulata EO with EEG fingerprints and sleep-wake profiles. The data might be useful for citrus essential oil sub-classification and clinical application.

In the current scenario of energy crises and depleting fossil fuels, there is need of sustainable and cheaper interventions with green technology to address these obstinate glitches. Biodiesel produced from waste, non-edible seed oils is a cleaner, green and alternate source of fuel for diesel engines which can possibly add to circular bioeconomy. In this study, Citrus aurantium a novel, nonedible and waste seed oil (38% w/w) producing feedstock was subjected to biodiesel synthesis using recyclable zirconium oxide nano particles synthesized with Alternanthera pungens aqueous leave extract. Maximum yield of 94% was obtained through optimized reaction parameters of methanol to oil molar ratio 6:1, reaction time 120 min, temperature 87.5 °C and catalyst loading of 0.5 wt% using Response Surface Methodology. Green nano particles of zirconium oxide were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy diffraction X-Ray (EDX) while; physiochemical characterization of synthesized biodiesel was carried through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Gas Chromatography/Mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR 1H and 13C). Fuel properties of methyl ester met international standards of ASTM D-6571, EN 14214 and China GB/T 20828-2007. It was concluded that biodiesel production from Citrus aurantium waste and non-edible seed oil can be efficiently employed for generation of renewable energy which would further provide assistance in transformation of linear economy to circular bioeconomy.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), a potential cancer therapeutic agent, have attracted widespread attention owing to their high bioavailability and remarkable anticancer activity. Nevertheless, the poor water solubility and dispersibility of SeNPs seriously limit their applications. In the present study, we synthesized stable and individual spherical selenium nanoparticles (CL90-Tw-SeNP2) with an average diameter of approximately 79 nm using a polysaccharide extracted from Citrus limon (CL90) and Tween-80 as the decorator and stabilizers. The proportion of selenium in CL90-Tw-SeNP2 was 10.6%. CL90-Tw-SeNP2 possessed high stability and good dispersion in water for more than three months. The subsequent biological assay revealed that CL90-Tw-SeNP2 showed remarkable antitumor effects against HepG2 cells, with an IC50 value of 49.13 μg/mL, by inducing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, an in vivo zebrafish assay to explore possible applications indicated that CL90-Tw-SeNP2 could inhibit the proliferation and migration of tumors and the zebrafish angiogenesis. These results indicated that CL90-Tw-SeNP2 could be a potential agent for cancer treatment, especially against human liver hepatoma cancer.

The genus Phyllosticta includes both endophytic and phytopathogenic species that occur on a broad range of plant hosts, including Citrus. Some pathogenic species cause severe disease, such as Phyllosticta citricarpa, the causal agent of Citrus Black Spot (CBS). In contrast, other species, such as Phyllosticta capitalensis, have an endophytic lifestyle in numerous plant hosts. Carbon utilization capabilities are hypothesized to influence both host range and lifestyle, and are in part determined by the set of Carbohydrate Active Enzyme (CAZyme) encoding genes of a species. In this study, carbon utilization capabilities of five Phyllosticta species were determined, as well as the CAZyme repertoire (CAZome) encoded in their genomes. Little variation was found among species in terms of carbon utilization capabilities and CAZome. However, one of the tested carbon sources, sugar beet pulp (SBP), inhibited growth of the plant pathogens, also when combined with another carbon source, while endophytic species remained unaffected.

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.) essential oil (MEO) reportedly displays excellent antimicrobial properties. In this study, MEO was loaded into chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs). The characteristics, antibacterial properties and benefit in pork preservation of MEO-CSNPs were evaluated. The MEO-CSNPs displayed an excellent encapsulation efficiency (EE) (67.32%–82.35%), the particle size values of 131.3 nm–161.9 nm, and the absolute zeta potential values above 30 mV. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the MEO was incorporated into CSNPs without requiring a chemical reaction, the antibacterial activity of the MEO remained. Furthermore, the damage of MEO-chitosan nanoemulsions (MEO-CSs) to the cell membranes of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) was confirmed by the change of bacterial cell morphology. The anti-biofilm assays verified that the MEO-CSs substantially inhibited biofilm formation and destroyed the mature biofilms. MEO-CSs were also applied to pork, proving a great potential for pork preservation. This study provides a potential approach for developing and utilizing MEO-CSs as natural antimicrobial agents in the food industry.

Hesperidin, a phytoactive compound, is an abundant and economical dietary bioflavonoid possessing numerous biological and medicinal benefits. Several studies have strongly proven the significant chemotherapeutic potential of hesperidin. Therefore, this review aims to bring together the existing studies demonstrating hesperidin as a potential anticancer agent with its mode of action reported in the therapeutic strategies for numerous cancer types. Hesperidin acts via modulating multiple pathways involving cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic and DNA repair in various cancer cells. Hesperidin has been reported to alter several molecular targets related to carcinogenesis, such as reactive nitrogen species, cellular kinases, transcription factors, reactive oxygen species, drug transporters, cell cycle mediators and inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, this review provides significant insights for the potential of hesperidin to be a strong and promising candidate for pharmaceuticals, functional foods, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and geared toward the better management of carcinoma.

A large number of studies have shown that polyphenols can regulate skeletal muscle fiber type transformation through AMPK signal. However, the effects and mechanism of naringin (a natural polyphenol) on muscle fiber type transformation still remains unclear. Thus, we hypothesized that naringin would induce the transformation of skeletal muscle fibers from type II to type I by AMPK signaling. C2C12 myotubes and BALB/c mice models were used to test this hypothesis. We found that naringin significantly increased the protein expression of slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC), myoglobin and troponin I type I slow skeletal (Troponin I-SS) and the activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and significantly decreased fast MyHC protein expression and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, accompanied by the activation of AMPK and the activity of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) in mice and C2C12 myotubes. Further inhibition of AMPK activity by compound C showed that the above effects were significantly inhibited in C2C12 myotubes. In conclusion, naringin promotes the transformation of skeletal muscle fibers from type II to type I through AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway, which not only enriches the nutritional and physiological functions of naringin, but also provides a theoretical basis for the regulation of muscle fiber type transformation by nutritional approaches.

The blossoms of Citrus aurantium are considered for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease because of their fragrant essential oils. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and inhibitory effects of Citrus aurantium extract on the acetylcholinesterase and production of amyloid nanobiofibrils from bovine serum albumin (BSA). The Citrus aurantium petals were harvested from Rasht city in northern IRAN. Chemical composition was investigated by GC-MS. The anti-Alzheimer's effects were evaluated by determining the antioxidant percentage by DPPH method and determining acetylcholinesterase activity. Congored spectroscopy was used for investigation of the inhibitory properties of the extract on the production of amyloid nanobiofibrils, and amyloid fibers was confirmed by electron microscopy. The most abundant ingredients were D-Glucuronic acid (9.53%), D-Limonene (5.54%), Linalool (2.06%), Daphnetin (3.73%), Phthalic acid (0.72%), Octadecenoic acid (3.98%), Hexadecanoic acid (2.13%), Pyrrolidinone (1.17%) and the highest antioxidant capacity was at 8 mg/ml (EC50: 2.36 mg/ml). The extract reduced the Acetylcholinesterase activity less than 47.04% (IC50: 42.8 mg/ml) and amyloid production less than 22% (EC50: 3.135). Citrus aurantium petals with inhibitory properties for the production of amyloid nanobiofibrils, can be used as a beneficial drugs for reducing side effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a highly heterogeneous class of non-protein-encoding transcripts that play an essential regulatory role in diverse biological processes, including stress responses. The severe stunting disease caused by Citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd) poses a major threat to the production of Humulus lupulus (hop) plants. In this study, we systematically investigate the characteristics of the lncRNAs in hop and their role in CBCVd-infection using RNA-sequencing data. Following a stringent filtration criterion, a total of 3598 putative lncRNAs were identified with a high degree of certainty, of which 19% (684) of the lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (DE) in CBCVd-infected hop, which were predicted to be mainly involved in plant-pathogen interactions, kinase cascades, secondary metabolism and phytohormone signal transduction. Besides, several lncRNAs and CBCVd-responsive lncRNAs were identified as the precursor of microRNAs and predicted as endogenous target mimics (eTMs) for hop microRNAs involved in CBCVd-infection.

Background Conscious patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) suffer from pain for various reasons, which can affect their recovery process. Objective The present study compared the effects of aromatherapy with Citrus aurantium and lavender essential oils against placebo for reducing pain in conscious intensive care patients. Design, setting, participants and interventions This study was a parallel randomized placebo-controlled trial. The ICUs of two educational hospitals in Kerman in Southeastern Iran were the study setting. One hundred and fifty conscious intensive care patients were randomly divided into three groups using a stratified block randomization method. Two groups received aromatherapy with essential oils: one with lavender and the other with C. aurantium; these patients received a 30-minute therapy session using their assigned essential oil on the second day of their intensive care stay. The placebo group used 5 drops of normal saline instead of essential oil during their session. Main outcome measures Patient’s pain was assessed using a visual analog scale before the aromatherapy intervention, as well as immediately after and one and three hours after intervention. Results The mean pain score of the lavender group was 40.01 before the aromatherapy intervention and fell to 39.40, 30.60 and 23.68 immediately after the intervention, and at hour one and three post-intervention, respectively. The mean pain score of the C. aurantium group was 45.48 before the intervention and was reduced to 32.34 at three hours after the intervention. The mean pain of the placebo group decreased from 42.80 before the intervention to 35.20 at three hours after the intervention. Pain scores of all groups decreased during the study (P Conclusion The results of this study showed that aromatherapy with lavender essential oil reduced pain in conscious ICU patients. Our data could not justify the use of C. aurantium for reducing pain in this population. Trial registration No. IRCT20170116031972N9 ( https://en.irct.ir/trial/40827 ).

Introduction Citrus hystrix is widely used by Indonesians as a traditional medicine for gastrointestinal diseases, including Salmonella spp. infection. We investigated the antibacterial activity of the ethanolic peel extract of C. hystrix against Salmonella typhimurium. Methods The antibacterial activity was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract was determined at a concentration of 0.625% by agar dilution assay. Later, the in vivo antibacterial activity was examined by the administration of 16 mg of the extract daily for three consecutive days in a mouse model infected with S. typhimurium. Results The bacterial loads of S. typhimurium in the ileum, liver, and spleen decreased after 24 h of administration of the extract (p = 0.00008, p = 0.00084, and p = 0.00003, respectively). Conclusion The ethanolic peel extract of C. hystrix shows antibacterial activity against S. typhimurium, indicating the potential of C. hystrix as an effective treatment for Salmonella spp. infection.

Summary Introduction Experimental studies have shown that the albedo of Tahiti lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) is rich in calcium, but little is known about its bioavailability. Objective Produce flour from the albedo of Tahiti lime, characterizing it and assessing the bioavailability of calcium. Methods Centesimal composition, mineral calcium content, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and physical analysis were performed. Female rats were divided in groups: OVX (ovariectomized) and SHAM (sham-operated). After surgery, the animals were redivided and treated for 60 days: SHAMc: control diet (CD); SHAMa: CD+130 mg of albedo flour/kg body weight (BW); OVXc: CD; OVXa: CD+130 mg of albedo flour/kg BW. Serum biochemical and radiological analysis were performed. Results Albedo flour of Tahiti lime showed a product with low moisture (9.39%), abundant calcium content (0.66%) and moderate antioxidant power (0.89 μg/ml). The results in vivo point towards a positive interference of the albedo in the studied groups. Hepatosomatic index showed that OVXa (3.16±0.56) did not differ from the SHAMc (3.86±0.84) and SHAMa (3.85±0.52), which may indicate that the administration of albedo contributed to the development of the group. The cortical region of femoral medial diaphysis and the medullar region of tibial medial diaphysis were higher (p≤0.05) in the OVXa group when compared to OVXc, the latter being also higher than SHAM groups, suggesting efficacy in preventing dysfunctions related to bone changes. Conclusion The albedo of Tahiti lime showed relevant characteristics and the results from the in vivo experiment are suggestive of effectiveness in preventing dysfunctions related to bone changes.

The properties of pectin extracted from mandarin citrus peels by manosonication extraction (MSp) were systematically studied and compared with pectin obtained by the conventional maceration method (CMp). The yield of MSp (25.5%) was significantly higher than that of CMp (18.3%), while MSp exhibited two Mw fraction distributions. Monosaccharide analysis demonstrated that MSp had more branched RG-I regions (78.3 mol%) than CMp (36.6 mol%) with a high content of arabinose and galactose. The branched-chain morphological characteristics of samples were directly imaged by atomic force microscopy. MSp exhibited a significantly lower degree of methoxylation than CMp by FT-IR and NMR analysis, but X-ray diffraction analysis showed little difference in the level of crystallinity. Moreover, MSp and CMp showed non-Newtonian behaviour, and the increasing order of apparent viscosities was 1.0 w/v% MSp 1.0 w/v% CMp 2.0 w/v% CMp 2.0 w/v% MSp. Thermal analysis and weight loss measurements indicated MSp exhibited greater thermal stability. The results also indicated that both MSp and CMp significantly enhanced the emulsion activity at high concentrations; the emulsions containing 1.5 w/v% pectin showed no phase separation over 21 days, suggesting that MSp could be a potential effective stabiliser in the food and beverage industry.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of liver dysfunction worldwide. Recently, some natural compounds have attracted growing interest in the treatment of NAFLD. In this context, most attention has been paid to natural products derived from fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. Naringenin, a natural flavanone, has been revealed to have pharmacological effects in the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders such as NAFLD. The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effects of naringenin and its possible mechanisms of action in the management of NAFLD and related risk factors. The current systematic review was performed according to the guidelines of the 2015 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statements. We searched PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases up until February 2020. Of 1217 full-text articles assessed, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. The evidence reviewed in the present study indicates that naringenin modulates several biological processes related to NAFLD including energy balance, lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress by different mechanisms. Overall, the favorable effects of naringenin along with its more potency and efficacy, compared with other antioxidants, indicate that naringenin may be a promising therapeutic approach for the management of NAFLD and associated complications. However, due to the lack of clinical trials, future robust human randomized clinical trials that address the effects of naringenin on NAFLD and other liver-related diseases are crucial. Further careful human pharmacokinetic studies are also needed to establish dosage ranges, as well as addressing preliminary safety and tolerability of naringenin, before proceeding to larger-scale endpoint trials.

Caspase-3 is the crucial executor caspase of apoptosis in mammalian cells, which is essential for chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. Although plants have no caspase-3 homologs, PBA1 acts as a plant caspase-3-like enzyme in plant programmed cell death (PCD). PCD occurs during the formation of secretory cavities in Citrus fruits; hence, secretory cavities could be utilized as a new cell biology model for investigating the regulatory mechanisms of plant PCD. To further study the association between PBA1 and PCD during secretory cavity development in Citrus fruits, CgPBA1 was identified in the fruit of Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa'. The temporal and spatial expression of CgPBA1 during secretory cavity development were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization, and the morphological changes in the apoptotic cell nuclei were observed using TUNEL assay and ultra-thin section technology. The results revealed that the full-length cDNA of CgPBA1 contains a 711 bp ORF that encodes a putative protein containing 236 amino acid with a proteasome-β-6 functional domain that belongs to the Ntn hydrolase super family. CgPBA1 was predominantly expressed in the secretory cavities; its expression changes coincided with the morphological changes and DNA fragmentation in apoptotic cell nuclei. The green fluorescent fusion protein of CgPBA1 is also located in the nucleus of tobacco epidermal cells. Based on previous research and the findings of the present study, we speculate that CgPBA1 is a highly functional conserved protein in plants, and it might be involved in nuclear degradation during PCD for secretory cavity formation in C. grandis 'Tomentosa' fruits.

Citrus fruits contain an abundance of nutrients, including vitamins C and B6 and hesperidin, which attribute to its beneficial health effects. Previously, kimchi with Jeju citrus concentrate (CK) elicited anti-obesity effects in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Here, we aimed to investigate whether CK exhibits anti-obesity effects by reducing serum and hepatic lipid concentrations and anti-obesity-associated gene expression in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese C57BL/6N mice. Low-dose CK (LDCK, 50 mg/kg) and high-dose CK (HDCK, 200 mg/kg) were orally administered 3 times per week over 8 weeks with HFD diet. Body weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and tissue weight were measured. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, leptin, and adiponectin concentrations were also assessed. The effect of CK on the lipid profile and lipid accumulation was analyzed. Body and white adipose tissue masses were significantly lower in the LDCK and HDCK groups than in the HFD group. Orally administered CK significantly decreased serum lipid, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels. Hepatic lipid content also decreased in the LDCK and HDCK groups. Serum leptin concentrations decreased, whereas serum adiponectin concentrations increased, confirming the anti-obesity effects of LDCK and HDCK. The decrease of hepatic vacuoles and stained lipid droplets indicated inhibition of lipid accumulation. These results support the hypothesis that CK exhibits anti-obesity effects in vivo by reducing lipid accumulation and by regulating anti-obesity-related genes.

Lemon waste after industrial juice extraction encompasses of valuable bio-components that stimulated the development of novel and biodegradable films. Lemon waste powder (LWP) based nanobiocomposite films were prepared by incorporating different concentrations of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) (3 and 6% w/w) and savory essential oil (SEO) (1.5 and 3% w/w) in order to modify physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties of the films. The fabricated film samples were characterized in terms of FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM and DSC analyses as well as mechanical, water vapor permeability and antimicrobial properties. FTIR and FE-SEM results indicated a good compatibility between LWP matrix and incorporated CNF and SEO. Physical and thermal analysis showed a significant effect of incorporating SEO and CNF on enhancing glass transition temperature, tensile strength and water barrier properties of the film samples. SEM analysis revealed non-uniform dispersion of CNF at higher concentration, while SEO incorporation improved the structure of the films. In addition, the LWP based films significantly showed antimicrobial properties against five food borne pathogens and this effect improved considerably by elevating the SEO loading concentration. In conclusion, LWP based nanobiocomposite films containing 3% CNF and 3% SEO could be introduced as a good candidate for development of active food packaging.

The application of edible coatings is an efficient way to reduce mass loss and to conserve the quality of a coated fresh produce during postharvest storage. In the present research, the impact of carboxymethyl cellulose [CMC (1%] coating was studied on ‘Kinnow’ mandarins during cold storage at 5 ± 1 °C for 30 days. Results showed that CMC treatment substantially suppressed chilling injury symptoms, disease incidence, fresh weight loss, malondialdehyde content, hydrogen peroxide and electrolyte leakage compared with control. The CMC coated ‘Kinnow’ mandarins showed markedly higher ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme activities compared to control. The treatment of ‘Kinnow’ mandarins with CMC also suppressed the increase in total soluble solids, ripening index and showed substantially higher titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics content, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity along with better sensory quality in contrast with uncoated fruits. In conclusion, CMC coating could be an effective approach for the chilling injury reduction and quality maintenance of harvested ‘Kinnow’ mandarin fruits during cold storage.

A facile, efficient and reliable method was designed and established to analyze the plant growth regulators (PGRs) in citrus fruit, based on a simplified dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) using a shaped zirconium-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66-PDMS bead) as the sorbent. In this method, UiO-66-PDMS beads directly extracted the targets from the homogenized and could be easily separated with a tweezer. It avoided the centrifugation or filtration operation required in normal d-SPE, greatly simplifying the d-SPE process. Moreover, the matrix substances were efficiently removed by this d-SPE process. The method showed good linearities (R

Citrus is a genus containing diverse edible species, among them Citrus aurantium L. is widely utilized while short of composition research. Herein, utilizing multiple liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics approaches, we comprehensively characterized its components. We first systematized both LC and MS characteristics of polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), by which 13 PMFs were identified in C. aurantium, and their biosynthesis pathway was further established. Using derivatization-LC-MS targeted metabolomics approaches, 28 carbohydrates and 18 carboxylic acids were firstly found in C. aurantium. Combined with untargeted metabolomics method, total 147 compositions were characterized, among which 92 were firstly reported in C. aurantium. We further obtained their geographical features and sought out principal discriminative compounds. Moreover, typical biofunctions of C. aurantium from diverse regions were speculated using pharmacological platform and partly verified by experiments. The present study provided systematic component information for C. aurantium, which laid the foundation for its further exploitation as functional food.

Citrus fruit is a carotenoid and vitamin-rich food. Here, we investigated the effects of red, blue, and white light-transmittance bagging (LTB) on carotenoid (Car) metabolism during 'Moro' blood orange ripening. A total of 50 carotenoids were identified, and phytoene and violaxanthins were predominant in the pulp, accounting for over 82.12 % of total Cars. Red LTB increased the esterification of xanthophylls easily absorbed by the human body and promoted Car accumulation. The esterification of violaxanthin, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin by caprate (C10), laurate (C12), myristate (C14), palmitic (C16), and oleate (C18) was the main contributor to the observed patterns. CsAt1g54570, a potential xanthophyll esterase, might mediate the esterification of β-cryptoxanthin. Our results shed light on the role of red LTB in enhancing Car esterification and accumulation in citrus pulp and provide a promising method for promoting Car accumulation during citrus production.

Herein, we report an eco-friendly biomass based completely greener microwave assisted synthesis of carbon dots from wild lemon leaves having superior photo-luminescent properties with moderately good quantum yield. The carbon dots synthesized (LLCDs) were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, fluorescent, UV-vis absorption, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The quenching of native fluorescence of LLCDs observed with tetracycline antibiotic was made use to make it as a fluorescent probe. Tetracycline is widely used as a drug to treat various bacterial infections and as a growth promoter in variety of farming fields like aquaculture and feedstock's. The excessive usage of this antibiotic in farming fields caused severe water pollution and micro level detection of tetracycline in water system is highly demanded for the protection of health and environment. Based on the selective interaction of tetracycline with LLCDs, a simple and cost effective analytical method was proposed to detect tetracycline in water with satisfactory parameters. The limit of detection is 0.42 µM with a linear range of 0 to 27. 27 µM. The mechanism of quenching was investigated through various experiments and finally accredited to static quenching. Furthermore, the same method has been practically applied for tetracycline detection in natural water resources with acceptable recoveries ranging from 95.56 % to 101.93 %.

Insoluble dietary fibre from citrus peels (CIDF) was found to have adsorption and inhibitory effect on the activity of pancreatic lipase (PL). CIDF-400 exhibited the greatest adsorption and activity inhibition effect on PL. The fluorescence quenching spectra indicated that CIDF could quench PL through a dynamic quenching process induced by the electrostatic interactions with only one binding site between them. The synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that CIDF might combine with PL to induce the increase in hydrophobicity and the reduction in polarity of tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Try) residues, which further led to the conformational alternations of PL. Moreover, circular dichroism (CD) showed that CIDF altered the secondary structure of PL, decreased α-helical structure content, and increased β-sheet structure content, potentially resulting in PL structure opening and its active site exposure. This study provides new perspectives for the application of CIDFs produced from agricultural waste in regulating lipid metabolism.

Peroxisomes are microbodies involved in the metabolism of fatty acids and hydrogen peroxide (H

Significance Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide and has caused billions of dollars in annual production losses, threatening the entire citrus industry. Despite extensive research efforts, there are still no effective management tools to treat HLB-positive trees or to prevent new infections. Current HLB management strategies include chemical application of insecticides and traditional heat-sensitive antibiotics, which pose threats to humans, animal health, and the environment, and likely generate drug resistant insects and microbes. Here, we identified a novel class of stable antimicrobial peptides (SAMPs) from Australian finger lime and other HLB-tolerant citrus close relatives, which has dual functions of inhibiting CLas growth in HLB-positive trees and activating host immunity to prevent new infections., Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by a vector-transmitted phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is the most devastating citrus disease worldwide. Currently, there are no effective strategies to prevent infection or to cure HLB-positive trees. Here, using comparative analysis between HLB-sensitive citrus cultivars and HLB-tolerant citrus hybrids and relatives, we identified a novel class of stable antimicrobial peptides (SAMPs). The SAMP from Microcitrus australiasica can rapidly kill Liberibacter crescens (Lcr), a culturable Liberibacter strain, and inhibit infections of CLas and CL. solanacearum in plants. In controlled greenhouse trials, SAMP not only effectively reduced CLas titer and disease symptoms in HLB-positive trees but also induced innate immunity to prevent and inhibit infections. Importantly, unlike antibiotics, SAMP is heat stable, making it better suited for field applications. Spray-applied SAMP was taken up by citrus leaves, stayed stable inside the plants for at least a week, and moved systemically through the vascular system where CLas is located. We further demonstrate that SAMP is most effective on α-proteobacteria and causes rapid cytosol leakage and cell lysis. The α-helix-2 domain of SAMP is sufficient to kill Lcr. Future field trials will help determine the efficacy of SAMP in controlling HLB and the ideal mode of application.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most devastating and widespread citrus disease. All commercial citrus varieties are susceptible to the HLB-associated bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which resides in the phloem. The phloem is part of the plant vascular system and is involved in sugar transport. To investigate the plant response to CLas, we enriched for proteins surrounding the phloem in an HLB susceptible sweet orange variety, Washington navel (Citrus sinensis (L) Osbeck). Quantitative proteomics revealed global changes in the citrus proteome after CLas inoculation. Plant metabolism and translation were suppressed, while defense-related proteins such as peroxidases, proteases and protease inhibitors were induced in the vasculature. Transcript accumulation and enzymatic activity of plant peroxidases in CLas infected sweet orange varieties under greenhouse and field conditions were assessed. While peroxidase transcript accumulation was induced in CLas infected sweet orange varieties, peroxidase enzymatic activity varied. Specific serine proteases were upregulated in Washington navel in the presence of CLas based on quantitative proteomics. Subsequent activity-based protein profiling revealed increased activity of two serine proteases, and reduced activity of one protease in two C. sinensis sweet orange varieties under greenhouse and field conditions. The observations in the current study highlight global reprogramming of the citrus vascular proteome and differential regulation of enzyme classes in response to CLas infection. These results open an avenue for further investigation of diverse responses to HLB across different environmental conditions and citrus genotypes.

Citrus canker is a major disease caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. citri. Snakin-1 is an antimicrobial peptide, which was previously shown to be effective against different bacterial and fungal diseases in potato, wheat and lettuce when expressed in transgenic plants. We generated transgenic Citrange Troyer citrus rootstocks constitutively expressing this peptide and 5 different transgenic lines were challenged against virulent X. citri isolates. Challenge assays conducted in vitro using detached leaves and in planta by infiltration revealed a significant reduction of the number and size of canker lesions in some of the transgenic lines.

The hydrogels-metal organic frameworks hybrid materials have received increasing attentions in recent years. The pectin hydrogel (PH) was derived from mandarin orange peels by-products and calcium chloride was applied as a cross-linker for incorporation with Fe-TAC metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for the formation of PHM composite on in situ synthesis method. The synthesized PHM composite was characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD and N2 adsorption-desorption and investigated for the adsorption of anionic species, Cr(VI) as well as cationic species, Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics for Cr(VI)/Pb(II) ions removal followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model and the equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted by Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cr(VI)/Pb(II) ions were 825.97 and 913.88 mg g−1, respectively. High swelling capacity (1500.0%) was also characterized for PHM composite after only 400 min and excellent stability for eight cycles with respect to regeneration with 0.1 mol L−1 HCl. The validity of PHM composite for simultaneous removal from real water matrices were confirmed as Cr(VI) (99.73, 99.87 and 99.87%) and Pb(II) (99.02, 98.55 and 98.55%) from tap water, sea water and industrial wastewater samples, respectively.

Over the decades, several nanoparticles have been developed for biomedical applications, still facile green synthesis derived nanoparticles showed tremendous attraction due to avoid of toxic solvent, ease of synthesis and low cost. Here, facile one pot in situ green synthesis is reported to develop silver nanoparticles with the aid of natural polysaccharide presented in sweet lemon peel waste derived carbon dot (CD) acted as a reducing and stabilizing agent at room temperature. The synthesis of CD and CD based silver nanoparticles (CD@AgNPs) was characterized by FTIR, UV–vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrophotometer, XRD and TEM. CD@AgNPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against E. coli at very low concentration of 5.0 μg/ml. Interestingly, CD showed selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 breast cancer cells with the IC50 of 10 μg/ml while CD@AgNPs demonstrated synergistic effect on cytotoxicity. It is found that the cells death of MCF7 cells mainly occurred through the up-regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, the synthesized CD@AgNPs may show an efficient anticancer agent for targeted breast cancer therapy in future.

There is a growing interest from the worldwide scientific community in formulating edible- biodegradable coatings to replace non-biodegradable and expensive commercial wax-based coatings for preserving postharvest quality attributes of vegetables including tomatoes. Postharvest tomatoes are a suspected vehicle for both Salmonella and Listeria in food poisoning incidents. In this work, the effectiveness of edible nano-emulsion coatings containing sweet orange essential oil and sodium alginate were prepared and characterized, then evaluated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Salmonella and Listeria and simultaneously, examined its coating effect on various quality characteristics of tomatoes at 22 ± 2 °C over a 15 days storage period. DLS (Dynamic light scattering) study revealed stable nanoemulsion formulation with 43.23 nm particle size. The high whiteness index of nanoemulsion has a positive impact on product marketability and desirability. Antibacterial and antibiofilm studies revealed nanoemulsion effectively eradicate both sessile and planktonic forms of Salmonella and Listeria in both single and multi-species culture conditions. Tomatoes coated with edible coating significantly enhanced firmness up to 33%, decreased total mesophilic bacteria including Salmonella and Listeria, and reduced weight loss up to 3 fold lower than uncoated one. Sensory analysis revealed that the use of the edible coating increased the total acceptance scores of tomatoes.

The effect of diet enriched with dried lemon (Citrus limon) peel was fed to Labeo rohita at three different levels (0, 1, 2.5, and 5 g kg−1) for a period of 60 days; the impact of the diet on the hematology, antioxidant activity and immunological reaction and gene expression against Aeromonas sorbia is reported. In both un-challenged and challenged groups treated with 2.5 g and 5 g kg−1 dried lemon peel diets, the enhanced significant changes are: the weight gain and specific growth rate, white blood cell and total protein content, the antioxidants: superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione activities, the respiratory burst, alternative complement pathway, complement C3, and total immunoglobulin M levels. Similarly, the heat shock protein-70 and -90, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, interleukin-1β and −8, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, transforming growth factor beta, and immunoglobulin M were up-regulated significantly. Any dried lemon peel enriched diet increased the phagocytic and lysozyme activities significantly in both groups. In the un-challenged group treated with 0 g kg−1 diet or in both groups treated with 2.5 g kg−1 diet the SR was 100%. These results indicate that in both un-challenged and challenged-treated groups the 2.5 and 5 g kg−1 dried lemon peel enriched diets positively modulate growth rate, physiology, and antioxidant status, innate-adaptive immune response as well as antioxidant and immune related gene expression in L. rohita against A. sorbia.

The anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health condition, and anxiety is considered the sixth cause of disability surpassing diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and osteoarthritis. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic provided an increase in the number of psychiatric diseases diagnosis in all social layers around the world. About 55%-94% of patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders are treated with benzodiazepines, meanwhile benzodiazepines can promote several adverse effects. In this way, alternative therapies, such as essential oils may offer significant benefits in the treatment of patients with anxiety disorders. However, the anxiolytic effect of these essential oils must be proper evaluated appropriate as well as the suitable dosage and side effect need further research.The aim was to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis L.) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) essential oils using the light-dark test in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).Both essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS and the major compounds were identified. The anxiolytic effect was evaluated by light-dark test in adult zebrafish.The results showed that roman chamomile essential oil has anxiolytic effect in adult zebrafish, whereas tangerine essential oil tends to reduce anxiety The major compounds of tangerine essential oil were limonene and γ-terpinene, and the major compounds of roman chamomile were pentadecyl-3-methyl-2-butenoate, hexadecyl-3-methyl-2-butenoate, 1-piperidinol and trans-1-ethyl-3-methyl-cyclopentane.The present study demonstrated that this anxiolytic effect may be attributed to the synergistic effect of the compounds present in roman chamomile essential oil, particularly the major compounds. The roman chamomile essential oil at the highest concentration showed anxiolytic effect. The tangerine essential oil showed a tendency to reduce anxiety, but it was not statistically significative. In addition, roman chamomile and tangerine essential oils did not cause cause alteration in locomotion activity and exploratory ability of the fish.

Background Epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse association between citrus fruit consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. There is, however, a paucity of data concerning effects of blood orange juice (BOJ) intake on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk biomarkers. Objectives We examined short-term effects of BOJ on endothelial function, blood pressure, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers in healthy participants of European origin who were overweight or obese. Methods In a randomized, controlled, single-blind, crossover trial, 15 men and women (age: 28.7 ± 6.5 y; BMI: 28.3 ± 3.1 kg/m2) consumed BOJ or a sugar-matched control drink (CD) (200 mL twice daily) for 2 wk with a washout period of 1 wk. Endothelial function, measured as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) (primary outcome), and the secondary outcomes blood pressure, anthropometric measures, lipid profile, inflammatory markers, markers of vasodilation and vasoconstriction, and urinary flavanone metabolites were evaluated prior to and at the end of each treatment period following an overnight fast. Changes between treatments over time were assessed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results The results demonstrate a significant increase in FMD following BOJ consumption (pre: 8.15% ± 2.92%; post: 10.2% ± 3.31%; P = 0.002) compared with CD (pre: 8.11% ± 2.52%; post: 7.77% ± 2.43%; time × treatment interaction: P = 0.001). Concurrent significant increases in urinary hesperetin-3'-glucuronide and hesperetin-7-glucuronide were observed following BOJ supplementation only (time × treatment interaction: P ≤ 0.01). Baseline blood pressure, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and endothelin-1 were generally within healthy ranges and unaffected by the intervention. Conclusions A 2-wk consumption of BOJ exerted favorable effects on endothelial function in healthy women and men who were overweight or obese, which is likely mediated by the combined actions of anthocyanin and flavanone metabolites on mechanisms that contribute to enhancing NO bioavailability. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03611114.

Background Tangeretin, a flavonoid derived from citrus peel, showed anti-diabetic effects. However, the role of tangeretin on liver, the organ that act as target of insulin and play the central role in maintaining the blood glucose level control, is still largely unknown. The current study was designed to assess the effect of tangeretin on liver insulin sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Methods Primary hepatocytes and mice were treated with different dose of tangeretin, parameters of insulin sensitivity, such as blood glucose levels, serum insulin levels, glucose tolerate test (GTT), insulin tolerate test (ITT), insulin stimulated IR-AKT pathway were analyzed. Results Primary hepatocytes treated with 10/20 μM tangeretin showed up-regulated insulin signaling pathway as well as the glycogen content, while the glucose output were reduced. Intragastric administration of tangeretin (25/50 mg/kg) also ameliorated the liver insulin sensitivity and improved the glucose homeostasis, both in wild type C57 mice and in db/db mice, a diabetic model. Tangeretin treatment dose-dependently suppressed the MEK-ERK1/2 pathway, while forced activation of p-ERK1/2 reversed the insulin sensitized effect of tangeretin. Conclusion These results indicated that tangeretin enhanced the liver insulin sensitivity in vitro and in vivo, through suppressing the MEK-ERK1/2 pathway.

CALB-3, a purified acidic hetero-polysaccharide isolated from Fructus aurantii, has been shown to exert cardioprotective effects in vitro. Recently, we investigated the protective effects of CALB-3 on myocardial injury and its possible mechanisms of action using a rat model of myocardial ischemia. In this study, a myocardial ischemia model was established via intragastric administration of 2 mg/kg isoproterenol (ISO) to male Sprague–Dawley rats (200–220 g) daily for 3 days. We found that pretreatment with CALB-3 (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, i.g.) daily for 21 days prevented ISO-induced myocardial damage, including improvement in electrocardiographic parameters, and decrease in serum cardiac enzymes, heart vacuolation, and TUNEL-positive cells. We used western blotting to identify the underlying mechanisms and determine the possible signal pathways involved. We found that CALB-3 pretreatment prevented apoptosis, increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes, and enhanced the binding of Nrf2 to the antioxidant response element. In addition, CALB-3 activated the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and ERK to increase the cytoprotective effect. Overall, our results show that CALB-3 is a promising polysaccharide for protecting against myocardial injury induced by ISO.

Acetic acid-modified powdered and encapsulated cellulose-based modified citrus peels CPAA and CPAA-A were easily prepared and characterized using FTIR, DRX, BET, SEM, pHPZC and Boehm analysis, to investigate the single and binary adsorption of MB and CV dyes. Many parameters that affect adsorption phenomena were investigated: pH (3–11) of initial dyes solution, contact time, and initial dyes concentration (25–300 mg·L−1). Kinetics modeling shows that the adsorption of MB and CV onto adsorbents was well described by pseudo-first-order. CV and MB adsorption capacities on CPAA-A were respectively 881.36 and 923.07 mg·g−1 found by Langmuir model showing homogeneous and monolayer adsorption of MB and CV. The removal of dyes in the binary system shows that adsorption was slightly or nether affected by the simultaneous presence of the dyes in solution. CPAA-A and CPAA show very high adsorption capacities proving to be very useful in the field of water treatment in single or binary systems.

Bismuth-contained therapies are effective in treating gastric ulcer and eliminating Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Anion polysaccharides ligand could reduce the intake of bismuth, and enhance drug efficacy of bismuth compounds. In this study, pectin-bismuth (PB) was prepared and the changes of PB structure in acidic environment were reported for the first time. The structure of PB was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and TGA, which suggested that combined with bismuth could alter the crystal structure of pectin. XPS confirmed the ionic binding of Bi3+ with carboxyl groups of pectin. The aggregating of PB with different pH level were also investigated, and the influence of pH on PB structure were observed by SEM. Results showed that PB has much larger volume of flocculation in acidic environment compared with bismuth nitrate. Additionally, apparent shear stress (τa) of PB suspension was evaluated. These results revealed the structural characteristics and acid-induced aggregation of pectin-bismuth, and bismuth could aggregate in acidic solution with the gelation of pectin.

Phytocystatins are plant cystatins that are related to several physiological processes regulating endogenous cysteine proteases involved in seed development and germination, programmed cell death and response to stress conditions. In addition, phytocystatins can act in plant defense against exogenous peptidases from herbivorous insects, pathogens and nematodes. Considering that Citrus fruits are important to human nutrition and represent a high value crop in worldwide agriculture, in the present work, we performed the identification of putative cystatins from Citrus sinensis and from Citrus clementine and submitted them to phylogenetic analysis. Six cystatins from each species were identified as orthologous and classified into three well supported phylogenetic groups. Five cystatins representative of the phylogenetic groups were recombinantly expressed and the in vitro studies revealed them to be potent inhibitors against the cysteine peptidases papain, legumain, human cathepsins (B, L, S, K) and a cathepsin B-like from Diaphorina citri (the Asian Citrus psyllid). Our findings provide the C. clementina and C. sinensis cystatins classification and an enzyme-inhibitor interactions profile, which may reflect an evolutionary process of Citrus cystatins related to gene functions as initial germination rates and seedlings development as well associated to plant defense against pathogens, as insects and nematodes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the Fingered citron extract (FCE) microcapsules powders with different formulations of the encapsulation carrier agents [gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), modified starch (MS), and whey protein (WP)], which are obtained through spray drying. Encapsulation yield, encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, hygroscopicity, water activity, density properties, Carr's index, cohesiveness, flowability, porosity, wettability, solubility, color, particle size, thermal behavior, relative crystallinity, and micrographs were analyzed. Moreover, chemical structure of the microcapsule powder was identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Best results were achieved when Fingered citron extract was encapsulated using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch (GMS) formulation as carrier agents, where it had the highest encapsulation yield (89.39%) and encapsulation efficiency (87.20%). Furthermore, it achieved the best result in density properties, flowability, porosity, wettability, and relative crystallinity. These results have shown that using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch formulation was superior for production of the Fingered citron extract microcapsules powders.

Seven indigenous entomopathogenic fungal isolates were identified as promising biocontrol agents of key citrus pests including false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), citrus thrips, Scirtothrips aurantii Faure (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) under laboratory conditions. Even though field trials using the two most virulent isolates (Beauveria bassiana G Ar 17 B3 and Metarhizium anisopliae FCM Ar 23 B3) against soil-dwelling life stages of T. leucotreta were positive, foliar application against citrus mealybugs and thrips, has been disappointing. Thus, the UV sensitivity of the seven initial promising isolates (four B. bassiana and three M. anisopliae) in comparison with two commercial isolates (M. anisopliae ICIPE 69 and B. bassiana PPRI 5339) and their formulated products were investigated in this study. All isolates investigated were highly sensitive to UV radiation, and a 2 h exposure to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation at 0.3 W/m2 killed conidia of all tested isolates. Nonetheless, variability in susceptibility was found amongst isolates after exposure for 1 h. The most virulent M. anisopliae isolate, FCM Ar 23 B3, was the most susceptible to UV radiation with

Nano crystalline cellulose (NCC) has gained attention in the pharmaceutical industry owing to its biodegradable nature and high mechanical properties. In the present work we reported preparation of NCC from cellulose isolated from a bio-waste, its modification and exploration as drug delivery excipient for sustained release of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Cellulose extracted from Citrus limetta albedo was subjected to alkali treatment, bleaching and hydrolysis by sulfuric acid to obtain NCC of particle size ranging from 1 to 10 nm. Further, modification with a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) resulted in NCC-CTAB with enhanced surface area and high aspect ratio which was investigated as sustained release drug delivery system (DDS) for NSAID. Drug loading capacity correlated well with log P value of NSAID. NSAID-loaded NCC-CTAB acted as sustained release DDS over a period of 3hr. The results were confirmed as serum protein protecting and anti-cathepsins activities. CTAB-NSAID interactions have been assessed using CHEM3D.