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As changes occur in climate, abiotic stress to agricultural production is an inevitable threat to farmers’ ability to meet an increasing demand to feed people. Plants have developed a stress tolerance mechanism to reduce the effects of such environmental conditions by engaging various stress-responsive genes. Accordingly, various signal transduction networks are used to fabricate stress tolerance. Engineering of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) could be a choice method for scientists to mitigate abiotic stress because of its widespread role in response to salt, drought, heat, and cold stresses including triggering stomatal regulation and leaf senescence. In addition, it plays a crucial role in seed maturation, seed dormancy, stomatal opening/closure and increases resistance against pathogens through callose depositions and regulates physiological strategies in stress signaling pathways through synchronizing of hormonal crosstalk. The transcriptional regulation can be achieved through ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling cascades. ABAI5 and RD29A genes are regulated in ABA-dependent and independent manners to mitigate stress tolerance. ABA regulatory components (RCARs) including pyrabactin resistance PYR/PYL genes, SnRK2 type protein kinases, transcription factors (WRKY, NAC, AREB1, bZIP, RGL2, and ABRE), reactive oxygen species, jasmonic acid and cytokinin hormones regulate ABA gene action in response to abiotic stresses.

The effects of extraction conditions on the yield of polysaccharides from the fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis (FCS) using a hot compressed water method were investigated. The results showed that an appropriately high temperature (150 °C) and a moderate extraction time (45 min) at a material to water ratio of 1 to 10 g/mL led to a high yield of alcohol precipitation polysaccharide (PA). The purified polysaccharides (CSP-1, CSP-2, and CSP-3) were successfully obtained using a DEAE-52 chromatographic column. Chemical analysis showed that CSP-2 and CSP-3 were homogenous and exhibited characteristics of esterified pectins, whereas CSP-2 mainly consisted of galacturonic acid (GalA), galactose (Gal), arabinose (Ara), rhamnose (Rha), and mannose (Man) with an average molecular weight of 59.1 kDa. Furthermore, CSP-1 possessed stronger antioxidant ability according to DPPH scavenging and reducing power compared with CSP-2 and CSP-3. However, it was weaker with respect to OH scavenging. The technical data presented in this study could help the industry make use of polysaccharides from FCS as a source of pectin for a range of pharmaceutical, culinary, and cosmetic products.

Worldwide, a major loss in agriculture is due to abiotic stresses including cold, ultraviolet radiation, drought, heat, salinity, and flooding. Recently, producing more crop yields without loss in agriculture to feed the increasing population has gained significant importance. However, agricultural areas are facing many abiotic stresses, especially due to global warming, which are produced by human interventions. We evaluate the artificial mechanisms for the development of plants’ internal systems to alleviate the stresses levels and adjust their growth under different severe environmental stress conditions, especially drought, which hold vital importance. Recent findings have revealed that plant hormones such as IAA (auxin), CKs (cytokinins), ET (ethylene), GAs (Gibberellins) and many new groups such as JA (jasmonates), STs (strigolactones) and BRs (brassionosteriods) may provide the evidence to be significant in the metabolic mechanisms in drought tolerance. In this chapter, we briefly evaluate the functions of plant hormones which act as significant components in plant growth and development and produce resistance in drought stress response as well as their production for deliberating tolerance against abiotic stress in genetically modified crops. Similarly, studies also elucidate new findings about the functions of phytohormones in different stress conditions. The present comprehensive study will explain the current progress and prospects with challenges and limitations of plant hormone engineering for producing drought tolerance in plants.

Complete utilization of tigernut tubers, including their use in oil production and use of the meal as a byproduct, is an important aspect in improving their industrial value. However, there are few studies on the use of starch isolated from tiger tuber meals and cakes remaining after oil extraction. In this investigation, starches were isolated from tigernut tubers before and after various oil extraction processes and their structural and functional properties were comparatively investigated. A typical C-type X-ray diffraction pattern was observed for all of the isolated starches. Noticeable decreases in relative crystallinity by XRD and solid state 13C NMR were observed for starches from the cakes of tigernut tubers remaining after oil extraction utilizing a mechanical expeller. The proportion of amorphous phase (PPA) in the starches isolated from meals and cakes was relatively low compared with that of starch isolated from raw tigernut tuber. The branch-chain length distribution of the starches isolated from meals and cakes exhibited a low average chain length of amylopectin. These changes reflect a disruption in the ordered structure of starch granules caused by the various oil extraction processes, which led to significant variability in their functional properties, including paste clarity, freeze-thaw characteristics, thermal transition temperatures, texture, solubility, and swelling power. This investigation provides important information for the complete utilization of tigernut tubers.

Enzyme-assisted extraction is a powerful technology for polysaccharides from plant materials. In the present investigation, the emulsifying properties of Chinese yam polysaccharides extracted by enzyme-assisted methods were determined and compared to the properties of polysaccharide fractions isolated by conventional hot water method. The structural properties of the various polysaccharide fractions were also investigated to understand their relationships with emulsifying properties. Results showed that the polysaccharide fractions extracted by papain hydrolysis exhibited relatively better emulsifying activities and stability. According to particle size distribution and gravitational phase separation experiments, PA12 exhibited the best emulsifying capacity and stability among the various polysaccharide fractions. All of the polysaccharide fractions differed from each other with respect to monosaccharide composition, free amino acid distribution, molecular weight, and flow behavior; these differences influenced the emulsifying properties of the polysaccharide fractions. The results obtained provide important information for choosing appropriate polysaccharide-based emulsifiers for food processing and other applications.

Calmodulin (CaM) is considered as the most significant Ca2+ signaling messenger that mediate various biochemical and physiological reactions. IQ domain (IQD) proteins are plant specific CML/CaM calcium binding which are characterized by domains of 67 amino acids. 50, 50, 94, and 99 IQD genes were detected from G. arboreum (A2), G. raimondii (D5), G. barbadense (AD2) and G. hirsutum (AD1) respectively. Existence of more orthologous genes in cotton species than Arabidopsis, advocated that polyploidization produced new cotton specific orthologous gene clusters. Duplication of gene events depicts that IQD gene family of cotton evolution was under strong purifying selection. G. hirsutum exhibited high level synteny. GarIQD25 exhibited high expression in stem, root, flower, ovule and fiber in G. arboreum. In G. raimondii, GraIQD03 demonstrated upregulation across stem, ovule, fiber and seed. GbaIQD11 and GbaIQD62 exhibited upregulation in fiber development in G. barbadense. GhiIQD69 recognized as main candidate genes for plant parts, floral tissues, fiber and ovule development. Promotor analysis identified cis-regulatory elements were involved in plant growth and development. Overwhelmingly, present study paves the way to better understand the evolution of cotton IQD genes and lays a foundation for future investigation of IQD in cotton.

AimsCalmodulin (CaM) is considered as the most significant Ca+ signaling messenger that mediate various biochemical and physiological reactions. Whereas the calcium level can by provoked by extracellular or intracellular stimuli. CaM is activated by calcium binding proteins (CaMBPs) to regulate physiology of the cell. IQ domain (IQD) proteins are plant specific CML/CaM calcium binding which are characterized by domains of 67 amino acids. MethodsHerein, we accomplished a genome wide comparison and analysis of IQD gene family with in two diploid and tetraploid cotton species. Conserved motifs, gene structure, chromosomal map, evolutionary tree, Ka/Ks distribution, promotor analysis, venn diagram for orthologues genes, and collinearity analysis within genome and between genomes of IQD gene family in four cotton species were performed first time. Expression analysis was performed in four species of cotton from SRA database of NCBI.Results293 nonredundant IQD genes were identified from G. arboreum (A2), G. raimondii (D5), G. barbadense (AD2) and G. hirsutum (AD1) and clustered in the reference genomes from cotton functional genomics database. 50, 50, 94, and 99 IQD genes were detected from G. arboreum, G. raimondii, G. barbadense and G. hirsutum respectively. IQD gene family in four species of cotton elucidated the role of allopolyploid and hybridization during evolutionary cascade of allotetraploid cotton. Comparatively, existence of more orthologous genes in cotton species than Arabidopsis, advocated that polyploidization produced new cotton specific orthologous gene clusters. Duplication of gene events depicts that IQD gene family of cotton evolution was under strong purifying selection. G. hirsutum exhibited high level synteny. Expression analysis revealed that GarIQD18, GarIQD25 and GarIQD50 exhibited up regulated expression trend in ovule and fiber in G. arboreum. GarIQD25 also exhibited high expression in stem, root and flower. In G. raimondii, GraIQD03 demonstrated upregulation expression across stem, ovule, fiber and seed. GbaIQD11 and GbaIQD62 exhibited upregulation fiber development in G. barbadense. GhiIQD69 recognized as main candidate genes for plant parts, floral tissues, fiber and ovule development. Promotor analysis identified cis-regulatory elements which are involved in plant defense and stress response mechanisms. ConclusionsOverwhelmingly, present study paves the way to better understand the evolution of cotton IQD genes and lays a foundation for future investigation of IQD genes in improving abiotic stress tolerance in cotton.

Heat shock transcription factors (HSF) have been demonstrated to play a significant transcriptional regulatory role in plants and considered as an integral part of signal transduction pathways against environmental stresses especially heat stress. Despite of their importance, HSFs have not yet been identified and characterized in all cotton species. In this study, we report the identification of 42, 39, 67, and 79 non-redundant HSF genes from diploid cottons G. arboreum (A2) and G. raimondii (D5), and tetraploid cottons G. barbadense (AD2) and G. hirsutum (AD1) respectively. The chromosome localization of identified HSFs revealed their random distribution on all the 13 chromosomes of A and D genomes of cotton with few regions containing HSFs in clusters. The genes structure and conserved domain analysis revealed the family-specific conservation of intron/exon organization and conserved domains in HSFs. Various abiotic stress-related cis-regulatory elements were identified from the putative promoter regions of cotton HSFs suggesting their possible role in mediating abiotic stress tolerance. The combined phylogenetic analysis of all the cotton HSFs grouped them into three subfamilies; with 145 HSFs belong to class A, 85 to class B, and 17 to class C subfamily. Moreover, a detailed analysis of HSF gene family in four species of cotton elucidated the role of allopolyploid and hybridization during evolutionary cascade of allotetraploid cotton. Comparatively, existence of more orthologous genes in cotton species than Arabidopsis, advocated that polyploidization produced new cotton specific orthologous gene clusters. Phylogenetic, collinearity and multiple synteny analyses exhibited dispersed, segmental, proximal, and tandem gene duplication events in HSF gene family. Duplication of gene events suggests that HSF gene family of cotton evolution was under strong purifying selection. Expression analysis revealed that GarHSF04 were found to be actively involved in PEG and salinity tolerance in G. arboreum. GhiHSF14 upregulated in heat and downregulated in salinity whilst almost illustrated similar behavior under cold and PEG treatments and GhiHSF21 exhibited down regulation almost across all the stresses in G. hirsutum. Overwhelmingly, present study paves the way to better understand the evolution of cotton HSF TFs and lays a foundation for future investigation of HSFs in improving abiotic stress tolerance in cotton.

The lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) of the mesocarp (MS) and near the endocarp (NE) of Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis) fruits were analyzed using three different methods of fractioning: milled wood lignin (MWL), LCC extracted from crude MWL with acetic acid (LCC-AcOH), and Bjorkman LCC. The MWL and LCC fractions were characterized by carbohydrate composition analysis, SEC, FT-IR, Py-GC/MS, thermal analysis and 2D HSQC NMR. Notably, large amounts of arabinose and galactose remained in the Björkman LCC fractions suggesting a chemical bond between the lignin and pectin. MWL and LCC-AcOH fractions showed better thermal stability than the Björkman LCC fractions. The structure of MS lignin was similar to that of NE lignin; however, fractions from the different fractionation methods revealed differences. The MWL fractions were rich in benzyl ether and γ-ester linkages, while the Björkman LCC fractions contained phenyl glycoside and γ-ester linkages, and the LCC-AcOH fractions contained phenyl glycoside and benzyl ether linkages. These findings are helpful in understanding the nature of lignin and LCC in Chinese quince fruits and provide a theoretical support for their potential application.

Corn hulls were abundant and inexpensive byproducts of the corn dry or wet milling processes, but most of them were discarded as agro-wastes. The aim of this study was to extract the dietary fiber by hot-compressed water (HCW) from defatted corn hull and to determine the chemical properties. Results showed that temperature and time played critical roles in extraction efficiency; the maximal yield of dietary fiber A (DFA) extracted by HCW reached 33.0% at 150°C for 60 min. The yield of dietary fiber B (DFB) increased from 2.0% to 56.9% as the temperature increased from 110 to 180°C, while the yield of solid residue (SR) decreased from 88.7% to 27.7%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results demonstrated that C-H, O-H, C=O, COO- occurred in the DFA, SR and DFB. The dietary fiber polysaccharides consisted of arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose and uronic acid.

Chinese quince seed gum (CQSG) is a novel potential viscosifier or stabilizer with good storage stability. In this work, CQSG was extracted from the surface of Chaenomeles sinensis (Chinese quince) seeds, and purified by DEAE-Sepharose Fast-Flow and Sephacryl S-400 HR chromatography; three fractions were obtained (CQSG-1, -2, -3). The main fraction (CQSG-2) was investigated by monosaccharide analysis, methylation and one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments to determine its structure. Results showed that CQSG-2 is composed of arabinose (Ara), glucose (Glu), xylose (Xly), galacturonic acid (Gala) and glucuronic acid (Glua) in a molar ratio of 4.0:0.3:15.2:4.2:3.8. →4-β- d -Xylp-1→ and →2, 4-β- d -Xylp-1→ constitute the backbone in a ratio of 5.9:4.5, and the Arap-1→, α- d -GalpA-1→, →2-α- d -GlcpA-1→, →4-β- d -Glcp-1→, and →2, 3, 5- l -Araf-1→ form the branched chain. The molecular aggregation of CQSG-2 with high molecular weight (Mw) (1.4 × 106 Da) was strong compared with CQSG-1 and CQSG-3. This is the first systematic elucidation of the structure of Chinese quince seed gum, and it provides the basis for developing applications for this gum in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

In this study, three pretreatment processes were evaluated for their effects on the structural features and antioxidant activities of lignins extracted by the acetosolv process from the fruit of Chinese quince. The three pretreatments included dephenolization, sugar removal, and multiple processes (a combination of both dephenolization and sugar removal). The results showed that after sugar removal pretreatment, the carbohydrate content, the molecular weight and S/G value of the lignin fractions decreased. However, after dephenolization pretreatment, the carbohydrate content and the molecular weight of the lignin fractions increased. After sugar removal and dephenolization, there were increases in the temperatures corresponding to the maximal rate of decomposition (DTGmax) in all lignin fractions. The radical scavenging index of lignin after sugar removal pretreatment was higher compared to other pretreatments and no treatment. The results of these tests showed that sugar removal, as a pretreatment, enhanced lignin extraction, yielding pure and highly functional lignins. Additionally, dephenolization or multiple process were beneficial to the acquisition of macromolecular lignins. All the results provided references for the biorefinery of biomass rich in polyphenol and sugar compounds.

In the present study, three polysaccharide fractions, QSMP-1, QSMP-2, and QSMP-3, were isolated and purified from the seed meal of Chinese quince. These fractions' structures were investigated by high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and their antioxidant activities were assessed. The results showed that QSMP-1 is a novel polysaccharide with a backbone mainly composed of →4)-Glcp-(1→, →6)-Glcp-(1→, →6)-Galp-(1→, →2, 3, 4)-Xylp-(1→. The side chains consist of →4)-Arap-(1→, →3, 4)-Arap-(1→, →2)-Galp-(1→, →4)-Manp-(1→, →3)-Galp-(1→, and →3, 6)-Glcp-(1→ with the non-reducing terminals Glcp and Galp. QSMP-1 exhibited effective antioxidant activities by ferrous ion chelation and superoxide anion-scavenging in a dose-dependent manner. These investigations of the polysaccharides from the seed meal of Chinese quince provide a scientific basis for the use of the by-products of quince seed oil processing, particularly as an ingredient in functional foods and medicines.

The objective of the present investigation was to compared the structural and functional properties of starch isolated from fresh raw Chinese yam (FYS) and the Chinese yam after freeze-drying pretreatment (FDS), after hot-air drying pretreatment (HADS), after subcritical dimethyl ether dewaterization pretreatment (SDDS). Freeze-drying (FD) process reduced the short-and long-range molecular order of Chinese yam starch. Hot-air drying (HAD) process promoted the formation of ordered structure of starch granules. SEM images displayed the presence of protein-starch complexes in the HADS and SDDS samples. The FDS had the smallest Mw of amylopectin with 4.09 × 106 g/mol, but the Mw values of amylose molecules for FYS was highest. The branch chain length of amylopectin in HADS had a smaller proportion of short chains and less long chains and higher proportion of long chains compared with other starches. These molecular structure changes caused by the various drying pretreatment processes, resulting in the difference in functional properties including solubility and swelling power, gelatinization parameters, pasting characteristics and rheological properties. This study provided important information for the suitable application of starches isolated from various dried Chinese yam.

BACKGROUND Red pepper seeds account for 450–500 g kg−1 of the total pepper weight and often are ignored. Process optimization and characterization of fragrant oil from roasted red pepper seed extracted by subcritical butane extraction were carried out in this study. RESULTS The optimum conditions of the extraction were: extraction temperature 74.61 °C, time 38.65 min and liquid–solid ratio 30.24:1. The oil had refractive index (25 °C) of 1.471, relative density of 0.900, acid value of 1.421 mg/g oil, iodine value of 127.035 g/100 g, saponification value of 184.060 mg KOH/g, unsaponifiable matter of 12.400 g kg−1, peroxide value of 2.465 meq. O2/kg, and viscosity of 52.094 cP. The main fatty acids in the oil were linoleic acid (72.95%) followed by palmitic acid (11.43%) and oleic acid (10.00%). The oil showed its desirable thermal and oxidative stability. A total of 19 volatile compounds, mostly aldehydes and alkenes were identified from the oil. CONCLUSION The results indicated that the method is appropriate for the preparation of fragrant red pepper seed oil, and the oil is suitable for used as edible oil.

Polysaccharides were extracted from jujube fruit using an efficient, optimized subcritical water extraction process. A maximum crude polysaccharide yield of 7.9% was obtained at an extraction temperature of 140 °C and a time of 60 min. The crude polysaccharides extracted under these conditions were purified. Three polysaccharide fractions, ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, were obtained and their structures were investigated. The three fractions were mainly composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid. ZP3 was further investigated using methylation and NMR spectroscopy, and ZP3 comprised a main chain of (1 → 4)-α-D-GalAp, (1 → 2,4)-α-L-Rhap, with a (1 → 4,6)-α-D-Galp branch. Assays of antioxidant activity showed that ZP3 exhibited a remarkable DPPH capacity and moderate hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, suggesting that it has potential applications as a natural antioxidant in foods and pharmaceuticals.

In this study, three pretreatment processes were evaluated for their effects on the structural features and antioxidant activities of lignins extracted by the acetosolv process from the fruit of Chinese quince. The three pretreatments included dephenolization, sugar removal, and multiple processes (a combination of both dephenolization and sugar removal). The results showed that after sugar removal pretreatment, the carbohydrate content, the molecular weight and S/G value of the lignin fractions decreased. However, after dephenolization pretreatment, the carbohydrate content and the molecular weight of the lignin fractions increased. After sugar removal and dephenolization, there were increases in the temperatures corresponding to the maximal rate of decomposition (DTG

Lignin is an increasingly valuable raw material for industrial, pharmaceutical and the food industries; natural antioxidants are also being used more and more widely. The Chinese quince fruits have an abundance of lignins with antioxidant properties; however, the lignins cannot be isolated by the methods conventionally used on other sources (e.g., wood, straw). In this investigation, multi-enzymatic hydrolytic pretreatments were used to isolate lignins from Chinese quince fruit, and the structures of these multi-enzyme mixture lignin (EML) fractions were then analyzed and compared with conventional cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL). EML fractions are structurally similar to CEL fractions except for an increased S/G ratio, greater number of β-O-4 linkages, higher average molecular weight and decreased thermal stability. The EML-2 fraction in particular seemed most representative of the lignins isolated, and it exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in comparison with CEL and other EML fractions.

Chinese quince seed (CQS) is an underutilized oil source and a potential source of unsaturated fatty acids and α-tocopherol-rich oil. Subcritical fluid (SCF) extraction is executed at lower pressures and temperatures than the pressures and temperatures used in supercritical fluid extraction. However, no studies on the SCF extraction of CQS oil are reported. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of SCF for the extraction of CQS oil and to compare the use of SCF with the classical Soxhlet (CS) and supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) extraction methods. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the extraction conditions: temperature (45-65 °C), time (30-50 min), and solvent/solid ratio (5-15 mL/g). The optimization results showed that the highest yield (27.78%) was obtained at 56.18 °C, 40.20 min, and 12.57 mL/g. The oil extracted by SCF had a higher unsaturated fatty acid content (86.37%-86.75%), higher α-tocopherol content (576.0-847.6 mg/kg), lower acid value (3.97 mg/g), and lower peroxide value (0.02 meq O₂/kg) than extractions using CS and SC-CO2 methods. The SCF-defatted meal of oilseed exhibited the highest nitrogen solubility index (49.64%) and protein dispersibility index (50.80%), demonstrating that SCF extraction was a promising and efficient technique as an alternative to CS and SC-CO2 methods, as very mild operating conditions and an eco-friendly solvent can be used in the process with maximum preservation of the quality of the meal.

Red pepper seeds account for 450-500 g kgThe optimal conditions of extraction were a temperature of 74.61 °C, a time of 68.65 min and a liquid/solid ratio of 30.24:1. The oil had a refractive index (25 °C) of 1.471, a relative density of 0.900, an acid value of 1.421 mg gThe results indicated that the method is appropriate for the preparation of fragrant red pepper seed oil, and the oil is suitable for used as edible oil. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The current knowledge of the transcriptome is limited to understand the exact molecular mechanism of the ion-implantation biological effects on cereals. In order to investigating the overall characteristics of the transcript profiles associated with these puzzling biological effects. We used the Agilent Rice Oligo Microarray （4×44K）Genome Array to learn the molecular mechanism in rice responding to ion-implantation. Rice seeds were implanted by the Nitrogen ion beam and their vigor index was investigated at ten days after germination. Total RNAs was extracted from the rice seedlings at 96 hour after germination and hybridized by the genome genechip. The results of measuring of the vigor index showed that lower-dose implantation of the nitrogen ion beam (6×1017 N+/cm2) promoted the vigor index of the rice seedlings and the higher-dose implantation (9×1017 N+/cm2) damaged the rice seedlings because of the smaller vigor index than the control. The analysis of the genechip array showed that there were 982 transcripts expressed differentially (fold change＞2 and P value＜0.05) including 429 up-regulated transcripts and 553 down-regulated transcripts under the dose3 6×1017 N+/cm2. 30 out of the 553 down-regulated transcripts were involved in 48 pathways. 14 out of these 30 transcripts were associated with more than two interrelated pathways. Os04g0518400 (Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 2 (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5; down-regulated 3.3 folds; p value=0.005) were involved in 7 pathways, Os07g0446800 (Hexokinase; dwon-regulated 2.8 folds; p value =0.006) were involved in 12 pathways, and Os02g0730000 (Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH2a; down-regulated 2.2 folds; p value=0.019) were involved in 13 pathways. These results revealed that down-regulated genes involving important pathways were compatible with the distinct cellular events in response to implantation of low-energy ion beam and supplied the first comprehensive and comparative molecular information for further understanding the mechanism underlying implantation of the low-energy nitrogen ion beam.

Gene differential expression of Kosteletzkya virginica seedlings under salt stress at two time points (2, 24 h) in roots and leaves was analyzed using the cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technique. Polymorphic transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) among control plants and salt-treated plants were grouped into four main differential expression patterns: repression (A), de novo induction (B), up-regulation (C) and down-regulation (D). Among them, 34 differentially expressed gene fragments were homologous to known genes from other species and 4 were sequences with unknown functions. These differentially expressed genes can be classified into four groups according to their putative functions: (1) genes for re-establishing ion homeostasis and protecting the plant from stress damage; (2) genes involved in metabolism or energy and resuming plant growth and development under salt stress; (3) genes involved in regulation of gene expression; (4) genes for signal transduction. Changes of eight differentially expressed genes were confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR.

The process of double fertilization and the characters of embryo and endosperm development in an autotetraploid polyembryonic mutant rice IR36-Shuang were studied with a laser scanning confocal microscopy. Some abnormalities including degenerated ovary, abortive embryo sac, single fertilization, double-ovule and double-embryo and so on. were found during double fertilization and embryo development in IR36-Shuang. The rate of the abnormalities was 46.67% in IR36-Shuang, significantly higher than that in the control, an autotetraploid rice line IR36-4X (33.00%). Cytological and embryonic evidences were provided for seed setting decline and the initiation of additional embryo in IR36-Shuang.

A study of the fragments of DNA irradiated with MeV ions is important for the understanding of the DNA damage mechanism and the subsequent biological effects (induced by heavy ions). In this experiment, the products of calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) irradiated with MeV fluorine ions were analyzed using agarose gel electrophoresis, modified time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the molecular mass of the fragments were concentrated around 831 bp with agarose gel electrophoresis, there was no observable product in the range of 1,000–30,000 ( mlq ) using MALDI-TOF, and small biomolecules were separated from the products. The results of this study indicated that the strand breaks of calf thymus DNA induced by MeV fluorine ions were nonrandom.

In this study, the subcritical butane extraction process of fenugreek seed oil was optimized using response surface methodology with a Box-Behnken design. The optimum conditions for extracted oil from fenugreek seed was as follows: extraction temperature of 43.24 °C , extraction time of 32.80 min, and particle size of 0.26 mm. No significant differences were found between the experimental and predicted values. The physical and chemical properties of the oil showed that the oil could be used as edible oil. Fatty acid composition of oils obtained by subcritical butane under the optimum conditions and by accelerated solvent extraction showed negligible difference. The oils were rich in linoleic acid (42.71%-42.80%), linolenic acid (26.03%-26.15%), and oleic acid (14.24%-14.40%). The results revealed that the proposed method was feasible, and this essay shows the way to exploit fenugreek seeds by subcritical butane extraction under the scope of edible oils.

The authors studied on self oxidation of linoleic acid and the effect of UV irradiation on oxidation of linoleic by Raman spectroscopy. The result reflects that:the intensity of 1 266 cm' which stands for ==CH olenic hydrogen in-plane bend is diminished, and it disappeared at 72 hours after the oxidation beginning. That indicates that double bond was lost or reduced. upsilon(C==C) and the carboxylic acid C==O vibrations are lies in 1 658 cm(-1). The intensity of 1 658 cm(-1) was increased in the beginning and decreased then. At the initial stage in the reaction, rearrangement of carbon chains and the formation of carboxylic acids caused the increasing. Later in the reaction, carboxyl of linoleic acid reacted with the generated hydroxy acids, hydroxy aldehyde. So it decreased. UV irradiation accelerated the oxidation reaction starting, increased the speed of the oxidation reaction. All the result shows that the changes of Raman spectroscopy indicate the changes of bulky group in fatty acid oxidation process and the effect of UV irradiation. It provides an effective research tool for the mechanism of lipid peroxidation reaction.

Mineral oil was selected to protect HeLa cells from water evaporation during low-energy ions implantation in the present paper. Then, HeLa cells having been treated with vacuum and low-energy N+ ions implantation were used to collect ultraviolet absorption spectrum by spectrophotometer. Analytical results indicated that HeLa cells had some characteristic absorption peaks near 202 and 260 nm, respectively. And then the study also found: (1) The spectral intensity increased with the vacuum treatment time. In addition, the effect of vacuum on cellular spectrum was greater than that of mineral oil. (2) The influence of low energy N+ ions on absorption spectrum was far more than that of vacuum. (3) The spectral intensity increased with the implantation dose. According to these results, the effect of low-energy N+ ions implantation and vacuum on tumorous cells (HeLa cells), especially on the molecular configuration and component of tumorous cells (HeLa cells) was discussed. In a word, this study provides a basis for further research on the functionary mechanism of low-energy ions implantation on biomaterial.

LTR-retrotransposons are genetic elements having the direct long terminal repeats (LTRs). It can move via an RNA intermediate within genomes and is an important fraction of eukaryote genomes. Low-energy N(+) ion beam promoted the transcription of the copia-retransposons in those wheat (cv. 'Zhoumai 16', which were radiated and allowed to grow for 24 h and 48 h from the planting. Relative expression ratio of the copia-retransposons was elevated in different degrees (with a max 40 fold) in wheat plants treated with different doses of N(+) beam, comparing to that in the controls. The molecule markers of the IRAP and REMAP to the DNA isolated from the 14-d leaves of wheat plants treated with the low-energy N(+) beam showed that the transposition of some copia-retransposons was re-activated. The enhanced transcription of the copia-retransposons in wheat could weaken or enhance the expression of their nearby genes. The transposition of the retrotransposon in genome can change the primary structure of the functional DNA fragments of chromosomes, and it can also be visualized as the appearance of a new phenotype of plants. In the mid 1980s, the biological effects of low-energy ion beam were recognized and demonstrated experimentally. Hence, it suggests that the enhanced transcription and the re-activated transposition of the retrotransposons are partially attributed to the biological effect of low-energy ion beam.

In the present article, the measurement of intact wheat seeds' protein content with near infrared reflentance spectroscopy(NIRS) was studied. The wavelength range of 1 100-2 498 nm was used. The distinguishability of NIRS machine was 2 nm. Firstly the representative wheat samples with different protein contents were selected and the original spectra of wheat were obtained using NIRS machine. Then through scatter correction and maths treatment, spectrum noise were decreased. Finally regression methods used multiple linear regression, principal component regression and modified partial least squares respectively. The result showed that after optimizing all the factors, the best calibration model of equation was chosen using "first derivative" +"Standard Multiplicative Scatter Correction, SMSC"+"Modified Partial Least Squares, MPLS". RSQ, SECV and 1-VR of the obtained calibration model were 0. 94, 0. 42 and 0. 87 respectively. A set of representative individual wheat samples were uesed to check the model, and prediction coefficient of determination was 0.88. Protein content of wheat could be preidicted quickly and scathelessly by using the NIRS measurement. It was feasible to be used in early generation selection in wheat quality breeding process.

The induced variation mechanism of low energy ion beam implantation into a creature has attracted a great attention. DNA was the target of radiation. XPS analysis of thymine sample implanted by low energy N+ was studied. It was found that the relative content of C, N and O changed in the implanted samples. The content of N and O decreased, while that of C increased. Subtle structure of C, N and O was studied. It was found that the peak location of O(1s) shifted. The peak number of N(1s) changed from one to three, while that of C(1s) changed from two to one. The results indicated that the chemical environment and physical structure changed greatly by implantation. N+ implantation could lead to destruction and change of thymine molecular structure.

The initial strain, Trichosporon Lactis T, isolated from soil sample, having the capability of enantioselectively hydrolyzing S-isomer of racemic ibuprofen ethyl-ester into the corresponding S-ibuprofen, was implanted by 30 KeV, 1 x 10(15) ions/cm2 - 5 x 10(15) ions/cm2 low-energy N+ for the purpose of obtaining mutants with high-efficiency hydrolyzing enzyme to produce active S-ibuprofen. Under the dosage of 30 KeV, 4 x 10(15) ions/cm2, the mutation rate is the highest, with 32.9 % positive and 37.1% negative mutant, respectively. Therefore, 30 KeV, 4 x 10(15) ions/cm2 is chosen as the optimal implantation dosage. Under optimal implantation dosage, seven mutants with high-efficiency hydrolyzing enzyme are selected after N+ implantation. The genetic stability test shows that T. lactis K1, one of the seven mutants, has a stable hydrolyzing ability during consecutive five-generation. The enzyme activity of T. lactis K1 is higher with 50% than that of the initial strain after 24 h cultivation, and the highest enzyme activity of T. lactis K1 appears 6h earlier than that of the initial strain. After 24 h cultivation and succeeding 24 h incubation with ibuprofen ethyl ester, the S-ibuprofen production of T. lactis K1 is 6.96 g/L, 64.2% higher than that of T. lactis T, which only produces 4.24 g/L S-ibuprofen at the same time, the specific rotation and enantiomeric excess (ee%) of the S-ibuprofen produced by two stains, however, are the same, + 54.1 degrees and 98%, respectively.

The present paper compared the major storage proteins in starchy endosperm of four autotetraploid rice lines with that of their corresponding diploid rice lines. The content of albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin in each sample was determined respectively. The structure and expression pattern of each storage protein was investigated using one-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Our results showed that the protein content of each fraction in endosperm of autotetraploid rice line is mostly higher than that of its corresponding diploid rice line. However, the SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the subunit types of each storage protein of autotetraploid rice line was generally homologous to that of its corresponding diploid rice line, except for one differential band observed on SDS-PAGE gels of total protein fraction and another on the SDS-PAGE gels of albumin and globulin fraction. These results indicated that duplicated genes in autotetraploid rice ac-quired the same expression patterns as that seen in its corresponding diploid rice. It was suggested that the doubling of chromosome sets did not change the protein expression profile but the protein expression level in the starchy endosperm of autotetraploid rice.