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Chinese cabbage is the vegetable with the highest yield in China, and treatment procedures produce plenty of waste, while inappropriate treatments, including careless disposal, cause huge resource waste and severe environmental pollution. Chinese cabbage waste enriches nutrients, such as protein, glucosinolates, and minerals, which can be prepared as an excellent feed. However, the characteristics, including unclear nutrient composition, seasonal production and perishable nature, limit the effective development of Chinese cabbage waste forage utilization. Therefore, this paper reviewed the industrial situation of Chinese cabbage, the nutritional characteristics, forage technology and feeding effects of Chinese cabbage waste, and suggested the prospects of the future research tendency of forage utilization, which aimed to provide theoretical and technological references for forage utilization of Chinese cabbage waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The present paper aimed to analyze the effects of sowing date and film mulching on yield and quality of direct seeding winter rapeseed to provide a theoretical basis for suitable sowing and high-yielding cultivation of winter rapeseed in dryland in southwest China. [Method] A two-factor completely randomized block design was adopted to explore the effect of sowing date(20th September, 30th September, 10th October, 20th October, 30th October, 10th November, 20th November) and film mulching (film mulching and no film mulching) on field soil temperature, dry matter accumulation, agronomic characteristics, yield and quality of Chuanyou 36. [Result] Film mulching effectively increased the 0-20 cm soil temperature, dry matter accumulation, plant height, length of main inflorscence and effective pods, thereby increasing rapeseed yield by 3.61%-44.47%, which was more obvious with the delay of sowing date. However, the sowing date delayed longer, dry matter accumulation and agronomic traits of rapeseed decreased significantly. The regression equation showed that the rapeseed yield rose first and then declined with the delay of sowing date, which had a significant polynomial relationship with sowing date. The optimal sowing date for rapeseed was 10th October, which was 2.13%, 47.97%, 74.19% and 136.64% higher than 30th September, 30th October, 10th November and 20th November, respectively. In addition, the delay of sowing date effectively reduced the content of linolenic acid, erucic acid and glucosinolates in rapeseed, but also reduced the oil content, while film mulching effectively decreased the difference in rapeseed quality resulted from the delay of sowing date. [Conclusion] 30th September to 10th October was a suitable sowing date for high yield of direct seeding rapeseed in dry land in southwest China, and a proper delay of the sowing period in combination with film mulching technology was more conducive to achieving goals of high yield, efficiency and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) is a generalist pest of various host plants, whose feeding preference and growth performance mainly depends on the quantity and quality of nutrients and defensive metabolites in host plants. Here, we studied the preference and performance of M. persicae on three major Brassicaceae vegetables in China and measured nutrient (amino acids) and defensive metabolites (glucosinolates) in these plants. We found that M. persicae preferred and performed better on Chinese cabbage than cabbage and radish, which may be due to the relatively higher concentration of amino acids and lower levels of indole glucosinolates in their leaves. The glucosinolates level in cabbage leaves was ten times higher than the other two plants, while the amino acid concentration in radish was only half of the cabbage or Chinese cabbage. The higher concentration of indole glucosinolates in cabbage and lower levels of amino acids in radish may account for the poorer preference and growth of M. persicae on these two plants. These results suggest that both amino acids and glucosinolates in plants may play important roles in the preference and performance of M. persicae, which provide new knowledge for the cultivation and breeding of Brassicaceae vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mustard, which belongs to the family Brassicaceae, is an annual or biennial herb and is considered as one of the most important native vegetables in China. Glucosinolates are important secondary metabolites containing sulfur and nitrogen in plants, which form a network with other metabolic pathways that play important roles in plant growth, development, and interaction with the environment. We studied varied phenotypic and glucosinolate contents of 60 mustard resources collected from various areas of China. The results showed both agronomic traits and glucosinolates varied greatly among mustard resources. We detected nine glucosinolates in mustard resources and the contents of total glucosinolates ranged from 1.2023 to 30.7310 μmol/g. Through the correlation analysis, we preliminarily found a significant negative correlation between leaf color and glucosinolate contents but needed further validation. For mustard resource JC 18-56, we analyzed the glucosinolate contents in different organs of different growth stages. The results indicated a significant difference among organs in both glucosinolates concentration and composition. The contents of glucosinolatess in alabastrums at bolting stage were highest, up to 140.1257 μmol/g dry weight (DW). We found that the main glucosinolates in roots were 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, while in other organs the glucosinolates were sinigrin. The contents of glucosinolatess in different organs of mustard were as follows: alabastrums > seeds > flowers > siliques > leaves > flower stems > stems > roots. This study provides important references for the selection and cultivation of high-quality mustard varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is one of the most common agrometeorological risks in crop production in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. This study aimed to investigate whether glutamic acid (Glu) or poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) biostimulants can improve the thermotolerance of a cool-season Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) crop. Priming with Glu (2.0 mM) or γ-PGA (20 mg·L−1) was conducted at the third leaf stage by applying as daily foliar sprays for 5 days before 5 days of heat stress (45 °C in 16-h light/35 °C in 8-h dark). Coupled with morpho-physiological and biochemical analyses, transcriptomes of Glu or γ-PGA-primed Chinese cabbage under heat stress were examined by RNA-seq analysis. The results showed that the thermotolerance conferred by Glu and γ-PGA priming was associated with the increased parameters of vegetative growth, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence. Compared with the control, the dry weights of plants treated with Glu and γ-PGA increased by 51.52% and 39.39%, respectively. Glu and γ-PGA application also significantly increased the contents of total chlorophyll by 42.21% and 23.12%, and carotenoid by 32.00% and 24.00%, respectively. In addition, Glu- and γ-PGA-primed plants markedly inhibited the levels of malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, and super-oxide anion radical, which was accompanied by enhanced activity levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidase (POD). Enrichment analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) categories within the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) functional clusters of RNA-seq data indicated that the expression levels of the genes for DNA replication, DNA repair system, linoleic acid metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, purine and pyrimidine metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, and plant–pathogen interaction were commonly up-regulated by both Glu and γ-PGA priming. Glu treatment enhanced the expression levels of the genes involved in aliphatic glucosinolate and 2-oxocarboxylic acid, while γ-PGA treatment activated carotenoid cleavage reaction to synthesize abscisic acid. Taken together, both Glu and γ-PGA have great potential for the preadaptation of Chinese cabbage seedlings to heat stress, with Glu being more effective than γ-PGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee) is one of the most popular vegetables in China. However, the loss of the functional ingredients in postharvest flowering Chinese cabbage during storage is still serious, owing to the unclear causes of the metabolic shifts. Herein, benzoic acid, chlorine dioxide, and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) could maintain the quality of postharvest flowering Chinese cabbage, and 1-MCP showed the best effect. Furthermore, transcript-metabolite profiling of the treatments revealed a transcript-metabolite correlation network of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways with a range of 3 to 3662 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and a range of 23 to 37 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). Surprisingly, 1-MCP had the best effect on shelf life among the treatments, although chlorine dioxide could stimulate the expression of four critical differential genes (Bra007142, Bra008792, Bra009358, and Bra027457) involved in delaying flavonoid degradation (hesperetin, chalcone, rutin, baicalein). As a result, our findings will help to improve our understanding of the regulation of flavonoid production in relation to the quality of postharvest flowering Chinese cabbage during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed is the third largest oil crop in the world and the largest oil crop in China. The multi-functional development and utilization of rapeseed is an effective measure for the high-quality development of rapeseed industry in China. In this study, several basic nutrients of eight rapeseed sprouts and five bean sprouts (3–5 varieties each) were determined, including sugar, crude protein, crude fiber, vitamin E, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and glucosinolates. Data analysis revealed that compared with bean sprouts, rapeseed sprouts were nutritionally balanced and were richer in active nutrients such as glucose, magnesium, selenium, vitamin E, and glucosinolate. Moreover, rapeseed sprouts exhibited reasonable amino acid composition and abundant unsaturated fatty acids (accounting for 90.32% of the total fatty acids). All these results indicated the potential of rapeseed sprout as a functional vegetable. Subsequently, three dominant nutrients including vitamin E, glucosinolate, and selenium were investigated in seeds and sprouts of 44 B. napus L. varieties. The results showed that germination raised the ratio of α-tocopherol/γ-tocopherol from 0.53 in seeds to 9.65 in sprouts, greatly increasing the content of α-tocopherol with the strongest antioxidant activity among the eight isomers of vitamin E. Furthermore, germination promoted the conversion and accumulation of glucosinolate components, especially, glucoraphanin with strong anti-cancer activity with its proportion increased from 1.06% in seeds to 1.62% in sprouts. In addition, the contents of selenium, vitamin E, and glucosinolate in rapeseed sprouts were highly correlated with those in seeds. Furthermore, these three dominant nutrients varied greatly within B. napus varieties, indicating the great potential of rapeseed sprouts to be further bio-enhanced. Our findings provide reference for the multi-purpose development and utilization of rapeseed, lay a theoretical foundation for the development of rapeseed sprout into a functional vegetable, and provide a novel breeding direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively annotate miRNAs and their targets in tea plant, Camellia sinensis , we sequenced small and messenger RNAs of 9 samples of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (YK-10), a diploid elite cultivar widely grown in southwest China. In order to identify targets of miRNAs, we sequenced two degradome sequencing profiles from leaves and roots of YK-10, respectively. By analyzing the small RNA-Seq profiles, we newly identified 137 conserved miRNAs and 23 species specific miRNAs in the genome of YK-10, which significantly improved the annotation of miRNAs in tea plant. Approximately 2000 differently expressed genes were identified when comparing RNA-Seq profiles of any two of the three organs selected in the study. Totally, more than 5000 targets of conserved miRNAs were identified in the two degradome profiles. Furthermore, our results suggest that a few miRNAs play roles in the biosynthesis pathways of theanine, caffeine and flavonoid. These results enhance our understanding of small RNA guided gene regulations in different organs of tea plant. • A significantly improved annotation of miRNAs in tea plant. • Deregulated genes and miRNAs in leaves, roots and flowers of tea plants • An enhanced list of miRNA targets in tea plant • miRNAs involve in the biosynthesis of key secondary metabolites in tea plant. • miRNAs shed lights on the evolution and cultivation of tea plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra (Chinese kale) is an important vegetable grown in southern China. This study was aimed at searching for environmentally friendly and affordable approaches to increase the production of medicinally relevant glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in Chinese kale plants. For this purpose, the foliar application of liquiritin at 0 (control), 250, 500 and 750 ppm was tested starting from the four‐leaf stage and repeated every two weeks until plants were two months old. RESULTS: Foliar application of liquiritin in Chinese kale plants significantly increased glucosinolates and total phenolic content, in a dose‐dependent manner. Compared with control plants, 2.3‐ and 1.9‐fold increases in yields of glucosinolates and total phenolic content, respectively, were corroborated in Chinese kale plants treated with 750 ppm of liquiritin. Along with rises in the content of eight different glucosinolates, liquiritin elicitation effectively increased the concentration of glycosilated and acylated flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids. The expression of genes involved in glucosinolate and phenolic biosynthesis was significantly higher in liquiritin‐treated plants as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Liquiritin elicitation is a feasible and environmentally friendly practice for increasing the production of medicinally important glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in Chinese kale, which may improve this plant's value as a nutraceutical food. This study also contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying liquiritin elicitation. This is the first report documenting the use of liquiritin for an elicitation purpose in plants. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavored rapeseed oil (FRO) is a typical hot‐pressed oil and is widely consumed in China due to its strong characteristic flavor and intensive color. In this study, volatile profiles of 33 representative commercial rapeseed oils in China are characterized by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and flash gas chromatography (GC) electronic nose system. 51 volatile compounds are identified and the nitriles (methallyl cyanide and 5‐cyano‐1‐pentene), aldehydes (nonanal, 3‐furaldehyde, and 5‐methyl‐2‐furancarboxaldehyde), alcohols (1,5‐hexadien‐3‐ol, 2‐furanmethanol, and phenylethyl alcohol), and pyrazines (2,5‐dimethyl‐pyrazine and 2,6‐dimethyl‐pyrazine) are the major volatile compounds in FROs. Glucosinolate degradation products account for the highest proportion of these volatiles, which are found to have a positive correlation with the erucic acid content (R2 = 0.796, p < 0.01). FRO from Sichuan province in the southwest of China can be characterized by the obvious distinctions in flash GC electronic nose combined with principal component analysis, which indicates that the flash GC electronic nose can be used as a promising method to identify the origins of FRO. Practical Applications: This work is helpful for expanding the knowledge of volatiles of commercial flavored rapeseed oil. The data can also serve as a basis for the quality assessment of hot‐pressed rapeseed oil. Meanwhile, the flash GC electronic nose combined with principal component analysis can be used as a promising method for the classification of flavor rapeseed oil production areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cruciferous vegetables contain high levels of glucosinolates (GSL) and isothiocyanates (ITC). ITC are known to induce glutathione S-transferases (GST) and thus exert their anticarcinogenic effects. This study explored the combined effects of cruciferous vegetable, GSL and ITC intake and GST polymorphisms on breast cancer risk. A total of 737 breast cancer cases and 756 controls were recruited into this case–control study. OR and 95 % CI were assessed by multivariable logistic regression. Higher cruciferous vegetable, GSL and ITC intakes were inversely associated with breast cancer risk, with adjusted OR of 0·48 (95 % CI 0·35, 0·65), 0·54 (95 % CI 0·40, 0·74) and 0·62 (95 % CI 0·45, 0·84), respectively. Compared with women carrying the GSTP1 rs1695 wild AA genotype and high cruciferous vegetable, GSL or ITC intake, carriers of the AA genotype with low cruciferous vegetable, GSL and ITC intake had greater risk of breast cancer, with adjusted OR of 1·43 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·87), 1·34 (95 % CI 1·02, 1·75) and 1·37 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·80), respectively. Persons with the GSTM1-null genotype and lower intake of cruciferous vegetables, GSL and ITC had higher risk of breast cancer than those with the GSTM1-present genotype and higher intake, with OR of 1·42 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·95), 1·43 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·96) and 1·45 (95 % CI 1·06, 1·98), respectively. Among women possessing the GSTT1-present genotype, low intake of cruciferous vegetables, GSL or ITC was associated with higher risk of breast cancer. But these interactions were non-significant. This study indicated that there were no significant interactions between cruciferous vegetable, GSL or ITC intake and GST polymorphisms on breast cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turnip (Brassica rapa) is an important crop cultivated all over the world. Glucosinolates as the characteristic constituents showed diverse bioactivities, especially for their anti-cancer and hepatoprotective effects. Plenty of investigation has revealed the glucosinolate contents and profiles in various Brassica vegetables (mainly on aerial parts), whereas their detailed comparison between different agroclimatic zones is rarely reported. This study aimed to make a comparison on the total glucosinolate contents (TGCs) and chemical profiles in 59 turnip landraces. The turnip tubers were obtained by collecting the seeds from four agroclimatic zones, Yunnan, Himalayas, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and Xinjiang, around southwest China and sown in Jianshui County. The TGCs in turnip were high (TGCYunnan = 0.463 ± 0.020 mg g−1 d.w., TGCHimalaya = 0.498 ± 0.019 mg g−1 d.w.) in the middle elevation environments, and decreased in both lower elevation (TGCXinjiang = 0.273 ± 0.014 mg g−1 d.w.) and higher elevation (TGCQTP = 0.346 ± 0.021 mg g−1 d.w.) environments, which followed a hump-shaped pattern along the altitudinal gradient. According to the principal component analysis, the 59 investigated landraces were dissected into two clusters, Yunnan-Himalaya environment and Xinjiang-Qinghai Tibetan Plateau environment. Significant correlation was observed between the aboveground biomass and underground biomass (r = 0.653, p < 0.01), leaf length and tuber diameter (r = 0.448, p < 0.01), whereas the TGCs were neither correlated with the aboveground nor the underground biomass. A total of 18 constituents involving ten glucosinolates, three phenylpropanoids, one lignan and four sulfur compounds were characterized based on their MS/MS fragmentation and UV absorption. Gluconasturtiin (7) and glucobrassicanapin (4) were revealed as the main glucosinolates in turnip. The TGCs in turnip varied significantly (one sample t (297) = 34.859, P = 0.00) with different climatic zones, of which warm and humid climate [e.g. Yunnan and Himalaya areas (TGCwarm and humid = 0.467 ± 0.014 mg g−1 d.w.)] is profitable for the accumulation of glucosinolates, as compared to the arid and stressful environment [e.g. QTP and Xinjiang areas (TGCarid and stressful = 0.329 ± 0.014 mg g−1 d.w.)]. This investigation suggested that the glucosinolate profiles were closely related to the genes involved in regulating glucosinolate biosynthesis, herbivore pressure and vegetative growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of supplemental UV-A (385 nm) period and UV-A intensity for 5 days before harvest (DBH) on growth, antioxidants, antioxidant capacity, and glucosinolates contents in Chinese kale ( Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey) were studied in plant factory. In the experiment of the UV-A period, three treatments were designed with 10 W·m -2 UV-A supplement, T1(5 DBH), T2 (10 DBH), and no supplemental UV-A as control. In the experiment of UV-A intensity, four treatments were designed with 5 DBH, control (0 W·m -2 ), 5 w (5 W·m -2 ), 10 w (10 W·m -2 ), and 15 w (15 W·m -2 ). The growth light is as follows: 250 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 ; red light: white light = 2:3; photoperiod: 12/12. The growth and quality of Chinese kale were improved by supplemental UV-A LED. The plant height, stem diameter, and biomass of Chinese kale were the highest in the 5 W·m -2 treatment for 5 DBH. The contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll were only highly increased by 5 W·m -2 UV-A for 5 DBH, while there was no significant difference in the content of carotenoid among all treatments. The contents of soluble sugar and free amino acid were higher only under 10 DBH treatments than in control. The contents of total phenolic and total antioxidant capacity were the highest in 5 W·m -2 treatment for 5 DBH. There was a significant positive correlation between total phenolic content and DPPH and FRAP value. After 5 DBH treatments, the percentages and contents of total aliphatic glucosinolates, sinigrin (SIN), gluconapin (GNA), and glucobrassicanapin (GBN) were highly increased, while the percentages and contents of glucobrassicin (GBS), 4-methoxyglucobrassicin (4-MGBS), and Progoitrin (PRO) were significantly decreased, especially under 10 W·m -2 treatment. Our results show that UV-A LED supplements could improve the growth and quality of Chinese kale, and 5 W·m -2 UV-A LED with 5 DBH might be feasible for Chinese kale growth, and 10 W·m -2 UV-A LED with 5 DBH was better for aliphatic glucosinolates accumulation in Chinese kale.

Although previous studies have investigated the association of cruciferous vegetable consumption with breast cancer risk, few studies focused on the association between bioactive components in cruciferous vegetables, glucosinolates (GSL) and isothiocyanates (ITC), and breast cancer risk. This study aimed to examine the association between consumption of cruciferous vegetables and breast cancer risk according to GSL and ITC contents in a Chinese population. A total of 1485 cases and 1506 controls were recruited into this case–control study from June 2007 to March 2017. Consumption of cruciferous vegetables was assessed using a validated FFQ. Dietary GSL and ITC were computed by using two food composition databases linking GSL and ITC contents in cruciferous vegetables with responses to the FFQ. The OR and 95 % CI were assessed by unconditional logistic regression after adjusting for the potential confounders. Significant inverse associations were found between consumption of cruciferous vegetables, GSL and ITC and breast cancer risk. The adjusted OR comparing the highest with the lowest quartile were 0·51 (95 % CI 0·41, 0·63) for cruciferous vegetables, 0·54 (95 % CI 0·44, 0·67) for GSL and 0·62 (95 % CI 0·50, 0·76) for ITC, respectively. These inverse associations were also observed in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Subgroup analysis by hormone receptor status found inverse associations between cruciferous vegetables, GSL and ITC and both hormone-receptor-positive or hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer. This study indicated that consumption of cruciferous vegetables, GSL and ITC was inversely associated with breast cancer risk among Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) is an economically important vegetable crop throughout the world, especially in Asia. High-quality genome sequences are available for Chinese cabbage, but gene functional studies remain challenging. To promote functional genomic studies of Chinese cabbage, we generated an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutant population of ∼8000 M 2 plants using the double haploid inbred line A03 as the parent. The genome of A03 was sequenced and used as a reference for high-throughput functional characterization of gene mutations at the whole-genome level. A total of 300 M 2 to M 5 EMS mutants were phenotypically screened and then sequenced, revealing 750 629 SNPs and 46 272 InDel mutations that cover 98.27% of all predicted genes in the A03 genome. A forward-genetics approach was successfully used to identify two genes with chloroplast-related functions that are responsible for the yellow leaf mutant trait. A reverse-genetics approach was also used to identify associations between mutations in five genes of the glucosinolate biosynthetic pathway and variations in glucosinolate content of the mutant plants. In addition, we built the Chinese cabbage EMS mutation database (CCEMD, www.bioinformaticslab.cn/EMSmutation/home) to increase the usability of this mutant population resource. In summary, we performed large-scale screening of a heading Chinese cabbage EMS mutant collection at the phenotypic and genotypic levels, which will facilitate gene mining of Chinese cabbage and might also be useful for the study of other Brassica crops., (Copyright © 2022 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The contents of individual and total glucosinolate in Chinese kale (Brassica albograbra Bailey) were determined and analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy. The near infrared calibration mathematics model between total glucosinolate contents and spectral measurement was established based on modified partial least squares. The coefficient of determination of the cross-validation (1-VR), coefficient of determination in prediction and ratio of the standard deviation to the standard error of the cross-validation of the near-infrared spectroscopy calibration equations were 0.92, 0.91, and 3.59 for total glucosinolates; 0.87, 0.82, and 2.78 for gluconapin; 0.93, 0.93, and 3.84 for glucobrassicin; and 0.86, 0.90, and 3.70 for neoglucobrassicin. Near-infrared spectroscopy showed high accuracy in predetermining individual and total glucosinolate contents in Chinese kale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are secondary plant metabolites that occur mainly in the Brassicaceae plants, which are desirable compounds in human foods due to their diverse biological activities. In this study, we developed an integrated data filtering and identification strategy to characterize the GSLs. An in-depth GSLs profiling was performed on 25 commonly Brassicaceae tissues in Jinan, China. By comparison with the reference standards and previous researches, we tentatively identified 47 GSLs including 8 unknown ones. The GSLs profiles of 25 Brassicaceae tissues were established, and 11 markers of GSLs could be used to distinguish the Brassica and Raphanus. This approach enables accurately characterization the GSLs of Brassicaceae tissues, and demonstrates the potential of GSLs profiles for Brassicaceae species discrimination., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), Ethrel (ETH), 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and salicylic acid (SA) treatments on contents of glucosinolates, vitamin C, total phenolics, carotenoids and chlorophyll, as well as antioxidant capacities were investigated in Chinese kale. MeJA treatment induced significant increase in the concentrations of glucobrassicin, neoglucobrassicin and total indole gulcosinolates, while SA treatments led to predominant enhancement of 4-methoxyglucobrassicin and aliphatic glucosinolates. The total phenolic content and the antioxidant capacities were remarkably increased by all the hormone treatments. In addition, the effect of SA treatments varied with different handling methods. Spraying on the aboveground parts is a better SA treatment approach than root irrigation. These results demonstrated that plant hormones, especially the MeJA and SA, significantly increased the contents of main health-promoting compounds, and enhanced the antioxidant capacities of Chinese kale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Roots of three unique Chinese radish cultivars were evaluated as potential sources for anthocyanin-type colourants or value-added products. These cultivars showed high variation in anthocyanins (63.77–160.74mg/100g FW). Seventeen pigments were tentatively identified by mass spectroscopy as pelargonidin-3-sophoroside-5-glucoside derivatives with multiple acylation of hydroxycinnamic acids. A bright colour (CIELab) of radish anthocyanins has been shown at a wide pH range, comparably stable at pH<4.2. Those anthocyanins also showed a remarkable thermal stability, following a zero-order kinetics at pH 2.5 with half-lives of 14.5 or 8.7h at 90 or 100°C, respectively. Additionally, those cultivars varied in glucosinolate contents (59.69–163.91mg/100g FW), whereas their degradation was sensitive to pH and followed a first-order kinetics at pH 5.8 with half-lives of 11.44 or 7.05h at 90 or100°C, respectively. However, the stable pH ranges for anthocyanins and glucosinolates were different: pH<4.2 and pH>3.6, respectively. In a radish juice model (pH 5.8/2.5), thermal degradation of anthocyanins or glucosinolates was associated closely with media pH values. In conclusion, cultivar selection, and thermal and pH conditions during processing or storage should be taken into account for quality, stability, and health benefits of radish derived natural colourants or nutraceutical products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on postharvest characters, antioxidants and glucosinolate contents in bolting stems of Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra Bailey) was investigated. Chinese kale was treated with air (control) and 10μll−1 of 1-MCP for 24h, followed by storage for up to seven days at 20°C. 1-MCP treatment obviously extended the shelf life, delayed weight loss and decreased the rate of softening, chlorophyll degradation and changes in hue angle. In addition, ethylene production was suppressed and the respiration rate declined. Moreover, 1-MCP treatment postponed the decrease of ascorbic acid, carotenoids and glucosinolates. 1-MCP treatment of bolting stems also delayed the accumulation of total phenolics, and maintained a high level of antioxidant capacity. These results demonstrate that 1-MCP treatment is a good practice for extending shelf life, maintaining the appearance and nutrient value, and reducing the loss of health-promoting compounds, particularly antioxidants and glucosinolates in the Chinese kale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epidemiological evidence has suggested that consumption of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables reduces the risk of several types of cancers and chronic degenerative diseases. In particular, broccoli sprouts are a convenient and rich source of the glucosinolate, glucoraphanin, which can release the chemopreventive agent, sulforaphane, an inducer of glutathione S-transferases. Two broccoli sprout-derived beverages, one sulforaphane-rich (SFR) and the other glucoraphanin-rich (GRR), were evaluated for pharmacodynamic action in a crossover clinical trial design. Study participants were recruited from the farming community of He Zuo Township, Qidong, China, previously documented to have a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma with concomitant exposures to aflatoxin and more recently characterized with exposures to substantive levels of airborne pollutants. Fifty healthy participants were randomized into two treatment arms. The study protocol was as follows: a 5 days run-in period, a 7 days administration of beverage, a 5 days washout period and a 7 days administration of the opposite beverage. Urinary excretion of the mercapturic acids of acrolein, crotonaldehyde, ethylene oxide and benzene were measured both pre- and postinterventions using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Statistically significant increases of 20–50% in the levels of excretion of glutathione-derived conjugates of acrolein, crotonaldehyde and benzene were seen in individuals receiving SFR, GRR or both compared with their preintervention baseline values. No significant differences were seen between the effects of SFR versus GRR. Intervention with broccoli sprouts may enhance detoxication of airborne pollutants and attenuate their associated health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glucosinolates (GSLs) have attracted major interest due to the chemopreventive properties of some of their transformation products. GSLs in the seeds and edible parts of Korean Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis) were identified and quantified by LC–ESI–MS and LC–UV. As a result, nine GSLs were identified: progoitrin, glucoraphanin, glucoalyssin, gluconapin, 4-hydroxy-3-indolylmethyl, glucobrassicanapin, glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin. The total GSL levels were 268–198 and 23.0–15.8μmol/g dry weight (DW) for seeds and edible parts, respectively. Gluconapin (197μmol/gDW) was the highest individual GSL in seeds, whereas 4-methoxyglucobrassicin (6.08–4.94μmol/gDW) and glucobrassicanapin (8.18–3.09μmol/gDW) were found in the edible parts. In addition, LC–MS profiles of the nine GSLs identified from Korean Chinese cabbage were subjected to principal components analysis (PCA) to evaluate differences among samples. The metabolome among the four cultivar seed or edible parts was clearly separated by PCA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops of China. The improvement of yield and oil content is presently being emphasized for this crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate combining ability of rapeseed lines to be used in breeding for yield, oil content and other characters. Nine inbred lines used as males were crossed to five recessive genetic male sterile (RGMS) lines used as females in a factorial manner (NCII design) to produce 45 single crosses. The crosses and their parents were tested at Guiyang and Zunyi, Guizhou, China in 2007-2008. The results showed that mean squares for hybrids were significantly different for all characters. The SS ratios of sum of squares due to GCA to sum of squares of hybrids were 0.70, 0.80, 0.88 and 0.82 for seed yield, oil content, days to flowering and days to maturity, respectively, but SCA effects were significant for all characters except for days to maturity. This indicates that both additive and non-additive gene effects were important, but additive gene effects were more predominant for these characters. Males III188, III224, and Q034 gave large positive GCA effects for seed yield. Their respective values were 317.6, 253.1, and 383.5 kg ha-1. Significantly positive GCA effects for oil content were detected for lines III224 and QH303-4A of which the respective GCA effects were 0.66 and 2.31%. The crosses of Qianyou 8A × Q034, QH303-4A × III224, Qianyou 3A × 2365, QH303-4A × 1190, and 24A × III153 gave significant postitive SCA effects of 434.6, 429.9, 427.8, 379.4, and 347.0 kg ha-1 for seed yield, respectively. Therefore, they should be considered as candidates for future hybrid breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofumigation, as an environment-friendly alternative to methyl bromide is gaining attention in sustainable agricultural production systems. Based on the biofumigation suppression of growth of three soil-borne filamentous fungi ( Fusarium sp., F. oxysporum and P. aphanidermatum) , Brassica oleracea var . caulorapa was selected from eight Brassica and other plant species as a potential material for the purpose. Powdered tissues of plants were confined to individual Petri dishes without physical contact with each of the following 28 fungal isolates from 16 hosts: 13 Fusarium spp., two Verticillium dahliae, two Ceratocystis fimbriata, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Gaeumannomyces graminis, Ceratobasidium cornigerum, Rhizotonia cerealis, Phytophthora parasitica, Phytophthora capsici, Botrytis cinerea, two Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Magnaporthe grisea. The level of suppression of growth 7 days after inoculation varied. Based on growth suppression, the 28 isolates were grouped into three clusters by Fuzzy clustering: Cluster I contains F. proliferatum with 20.5% suppression, Cluster II composed of 15 isolates, Fusarium sp., two V. dahliae, two C. fimbriata, B. sorokiniana, C. cornigerum, two R. solani, R. cerealis, S. sclerotiorum, P. parasitica and M. grisea, with 75.2–100% suppression and Cluster III consisted of 12 isolates; five F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. azysporum, F. moniliforme, F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, G. graminis, P. capsici with 40.7–66.2% suppression. Ceratobasidium fimbriata and V. dahliae were more sensitive to biofumigation than S. sclerotiorum and F. culmorum when different amounts of ground powder were used. One gram of powder could suppress the growth of the former two up to 68.6% and 68.7%, but the growth suppression in the latter two by 12.7% and 24.0%, respectively. These results indicated that the amount of plant tissue to be used should be considered depending on target pathogen species. The swollen root of B. oleracea var. botrytis appeared a better material than the leaf for achieving suppression of growth in pathogenic fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We profiled and quantified primary and secondary metabolites in the leaves and roots of xBrassicoraphanus (Baemuchae), Brassica campestris ssp . pekinensis (Chinese cabbage), and Raphanus sativus (radish). We obtained 72 metabolites from leaves and 68 metabolites from both leaves and roots of xBrassicoraphanus , Chinese cabbage, and radish. The metabolic profiles in this study revealed intermediate-level production of most metabolites from different parts of Baemuchae compared with that from different parts of Chinese cabbage and radishes. This was supported by the results of principal component analyses for the detected metabolites, which indicated that the Baemuchae group was located between the Chinese cabbage and radish groups. In particular, several amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan, and methionine) played the main role in phenylpropanoid and glucosinolate biosynthesis and were positively correlated with phenolic compounds, indolic glucosinolates, and aliphatic glucosinolates, respectively, in different parts. Furthermore, analysis of different species revealed the presence of 10 different glucosinolates, 10 phenolics, and 7 carotenoids, and their levels varied in the roots and leaves of the studied species. Among the leaves of the three species, Chinese cabbage had the highest total glucosinolate level, which was 3.14 times higher than the lowest level observed in radish. Baemuchae had the highest total phenolic compound level, which was 2.87 times higher than the lowest level found in Chinese cabbage, and radish had the highest carotenoid level, which was 12.41 times higher than the lowest one observed in Chinese cabbage. In the roots of Baemuchae, Chinese cabbage, and radish, glucosinolate levels did not vary significantly. Chinese cabbage contained the highest total phenolic compound level, which was 2.38 times higher than the lowest level found in radish, and the highest total carotenoid level, which was 2.49 times higher than the lowest level observed in Baemuchae. This metabolomic study provided chemical composition information that can be applied to future breeding strategies and comprehensively described the relationship among metabolites detected in the three plant species.

In order to evaluate the quality of different varieties of Maca(Lepidium meyenii), the main chemical components in Maca were investigated and a method for simultaneous determination of the main chemical components in Maca was established. UPLC-UV-Q-TOF-MS technology and reference materials were used to identify the structures of 19 main components in Maca. Seven compounds with UV absorption and high contents were selected to establish a simultaneous concentration determination method. The method was employed with a Waters Acquity I-Class~(TM) liquid chromatographic system coupled with a PDA detector and a Waters Acquity Cortecs C&#95;(18)~+ column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.6 μm), and acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid water was used as mobile phase(0.45 mL·min~(-1)). The detection wavelength was 195 nm and the column temperature was maintained at 40 ℃. There was efficient separation of seven compounds, p-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate, benzylglucosinolate, N-benzyl-9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienamid, N-benzyl-9Z,12Z-octadecadienamide, N-(3-methoxybenzyl)-hexadecanamide, N-benzyl-hexadecanamide, and N-benzyl-9Z-octadecenamide. The stan-dard calibration curves were good(R~2&gt;0.999). The precision, stability and repeatability were also good. The linearity ranges were 0.197-4.980 μg·mL~(-1) to 193.67-796.8 μg·mL~(-1), and the average recovery rate was 96.71%-103.9%. The average concentration of glucosinolates and macamides in Maca were 1.20% and 0.20%, respectively. Among four kinds of Maca grown in China, the concentration of glucosinolates in yellow Maca and black Maca were relatively high(1.55%), followed by white Maca(0.93%), and purple Maca(0.76%). The concentration of macamides in yellow, purple and white Maca was similar(0.23%-0.29%), however black Maca had significantly lower concentration(0.15%). Peru Maca tested in this study had the lowest concentration of these compounds. This qua-lity evaluation method was fast, accurate, and comprehensively reflects the concentration of the main chemical components in Maca, which provides a useful reference for the quality control and evaluation of Maca.

• The AAEMs were selected as catalysts of oil shale to study the pyrolysis process. • The yield of shale oil and gas improved with the presence of AAEMs during pyrolysis. • The AAEMs promote the release of H 2 and reduce the precipitation of C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6. • Na+ increases the relative content of alkanes in the shale oil and declines alkenes. • The catalysts of Na and Mg reduce the E values of oil shale during pyrolysis. Changji oil shale in Xinjiang Province of China is abundant and characterized by high ash content and low oil content. While, catalytic pyrolysis is an effective method to improve pyrolysis performance. In this paper, CH 3 COONa, (CH 3 COO) 2 Ca and MgO were selected as catalysts of oil shale to investigate the its pyrolysis behavior and pyrolysates characteristics. The results reveal that the three catalysts improve the yields of shale oil and gas. They also promote the release of H 2 and reduce the precipitation of C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 in the pyrolysis gas. And CH 3 COONa and MgO improve the formation of CH 4 , while, CH 3 COONa and (CH 3 COO) 2 Ca enhance the yield of CO. In addition, these catalysts have little influence on the component of the spent shale because of its high ash contents. The existence of CH 3 COONa increases the relative content of alkanes in the shale oil and declines the relative content of alkenes, while (CH 3 COO) 2 Ca and MgO play the opposite role. The presence of AAEMs cations increases H/C ratio and the relative content of short-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons in shale oil, making the shale oil lightened. The catalysts of CH 3 COONa and MgO reduce the activation energy of oil shale during pyrolysis. Because Na+ and Mg2+ as polar centers, change the electron cloud distribution of C C bond. The E values of CJ, CJ + Na and CJ + Ca during pyrolysis fluctuated with the entire conversion rates and CJ + Mg exhibited a constantly increasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]