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This study aimed to evaluate the recovery of proteins from sacha inchi (SI) cake, using two methods: conventional extraction by alkaline solubilization (SIC, pH 10.5, time 60 min, solvent/sample ratio 40/1) and ultrasound-assisted method (SIUS), the latter undergoing optimization using response surface methodology. The protein powder concentrate obtained by SIUS reached a protein content of ∼ 72 % (dry weight, DW), under the optimized conditions of amplitude: 48 %, solvent/sample ratio: 50 mL/g and time: 19 min at pH 10.5, compared to that obtained using the conventional method with ∼77 % (DW). The physicochemical and structural characteristics differentiate both protein concentrates, the SIUS protein presented a slightly darker color, a narrower size particle distribution, a higher specific surface area, and a manifest denaturation as evidenced by the thermal analysis, compared to that obtained for SIC protein. The structural modifications of the proteins were evaluated by FTIR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, FTIR showed that the total proteins in SIUS had a decrease in β-sheet and an increase in β-turn configuration, whereas the soluble proteins evaluated by CD presented a marked decrease in α-helix and an increase in random coil and β-sheet configurations. The results contribute to offering information for future applications for both protein concentrates from SI cake in the food sector.

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) oil is constituted with macronutrients and the health benefit fatty acids. In this context, the efficient of Sacha inchi oil for anti-aging product is presented. The light-clear yellowish seed oil of Sacha inchi was revealed on its physicochemical properties that are in the same range of the commercializing plant-oil supplied for topical products. The oil was GC/MS exhibited to be constituted with α-linolenic (51.72%) and linoleic (24.3%) acids, with unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio of 21.26. The oil was noted onto its potent in vitro antioxidant activity assessed by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays. In addition, the oil (1-3%) was proved to be safe in normal human fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the oil exhibited cellular antioxidant with inhibitory effect against MMP-2. Sacha inchi oil is therefore highlighted as a potential source of nutraceutical especially for anti-aging product. The oil is specified for the product development in terms of physicochemical, chemical and biological profiles. Innovative processing of Sacha inchi is therefore encouraged as the promising plant for anti-aging product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plukenetia volubilis L. has been documented as a new record for the first time in Java, Indonesia. The species is easily distinguished from the native species, P. corniculata Sm., by its exstipellate basilaminar-glands, long cylindrical column, and wingless fruit-lobes. Plukenetia volubilis is cultivated mainly in South America for its beneficial values as food and medicine and was recently introduced to Asia. However, its occurrence in Java has not been reported. We collected specimens from West Java (Depok City, Bandung Barat and Sumedang Regency) and East Java (Malang Regency). Morphological description, identification key, and photographs of the species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacha inchi, Plukenetia volubilis L. (Euphorbiaceae: Malpighiales) is a nut native to South America and has economic importance, including food production, cosmetics, and medicinal purposes. To date, no data is available on the tritrophic interactions among P. volubilis, insects, and the microbe species, thus this will be the first data obtained worldwide. Interestingly, this study has highlighted the aphids, the pests of Sacha inchi, predator of aphids, and the microfungi infecting the predators. The data was collected from an organic farm, as a model sampling site in two fruiting seasons. In this study, aphids species (Aphididae: Hemiptera) that infesting the Sacha inchi tree, and their predators (ladybirds) (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) have been discovered morphologically and molecularly. The species taxonomic status on both species’ groups (aphids and ladybirds) were confirmed using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), which successfully documented 12 species (9 genera, 3 subfamilies) of ladybirds that parasitizing nine aphids species (8 genera, 5 subfamilies). Furthermore, the ant species, Camponotus sp. (Formicinae: Hymenoptera) was identified morphologically and was observed to act as a natural enemy of Cryptogonus spp. (Coccinellidae). Besides that, the seed of the Sacha inchi was also recorded to be infested by an ant species, Crematogaster sp. (Myrmicinae: Hymenoptera). Moreover, a ladybird species, Coccinella transversalis was infected with microfungi, Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Fungi). Based on the findings, all the species distinctly separated and presented on the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) tree using the COI sequences, and the dominant coefficient analysis for all the species was calculated. Our results presented the first and novel data findings from Malaysia and worldwide on the interaction among the Sacha inchi, insects, and microbe. It is very important as preparation data for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by structuring the control management through green practices against the pest species, whenever the situation is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roasted sacha inchi seeds are now commercialized as a health food product, but the influence of roasting methods on their proclaimed health effects has yet to be explored. This study investigated the total phenolic contents (TPCs), antioxidant potential, and inhibitory activities of raw and roasted sacha inchi seeds in vitro. Individual phenolics in raw seeds were also identified in an attempt to explain the bioactivities of the seeds. The results suggested that roasting in a cooking pan, vacuum oven, and tray dryer had distinct impact on TPC in sacha inchi seeds, and thus differentially altered their antioxidant and inhibitory properties. Seeds that underwent roasting exhibited 1.5–2.7-fold higher antioxidant potentials than raw seeds. Certain roasting methods provided the products with anti-α-amylase and anti-cholinesterase activities, while inhibitions of these enzymes were not detected in raw seeds. Roasted seeds also possessed superior anti-lipase and anti-glycation activities when compared with raw seeds (up to 1.7- and 4.8-fold, respectively). The inhibitory properties observed in the seed samples might be attributed to their p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and quercetin, as these potential enzyme inhibitors were predominant in raw seeds. The overall results showed that pan-roasting could be used to obtain relatively high health benefits from the antioxidant and inhibitory activities of sacha inchi seeds. The information obtained from this study may serve as the basis for the proper processing of sacha inchi seeds to optimize their functional food and nutraceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plukenetia volubilis L. has been documented as a new record for the first time in Java, Indonesia. The species is easily distinguished from the native species, P. corniculata Sm., by its exstipellate basilaminar-glands, long cylindrical column, and wingless fruit-lobes. Plukenetia volubilis is cultivated mainly in South America for its beneficial values as food and medicine and was recently introduced to Asia. However, its occurrence in Java has not been reported. We collected specimens from West Java (Depok City, Bandung Barat and Sumedang Regency) and East Java (Malang Regency). Morphological description, identification key, and photographs of the species are provided.

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) is a well-known oleaginous plant used as food source and traditional medicine by indigenous people for a long time. This study was conducted to evaluate anti-arthritis effect of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves and provide scientific evidence to develop the new anti-arthritis remedy from Sacha inchi. Rheumatoid arthritis model was established by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into right hind footpads of mice and three doses of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) were used for treatment. The severity of arthritis was evaluated by measuring the ankle diameter and arthritic score, hematological and biochemical parameters (erythrocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor). The proand anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) and the histology change of joint were also examined. All three doses of extracts significantly alleviated ankle diameter and arthritic score. Furthermore, the extracts could ameliorate the alternation of inflammatory cytokines as well histological features of CFA-induced mice. The efficacy of extract dose of 300 mg/kg body weight is comparable with reference drug (Mobic, 0.2 mg/kg body weight). This study indicates Sacha inchi leaf extract as the promising remedy for treatment of arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The growing interest in plant-based food protein sources has provided opportunities for the valorization of agri-food by-products, driving the food industry towards more sustainable development. In this study, three extraction procedures (varying the pH value (7.0 and 11.0) and the addition of salt (0 and 5%)) were investigated to obtain seven different protein fractions (SIPF) from Sacha Inchi oil press-cake (SIPC), which were characterized in terms of their protein content, electrophoretic profile, secondary structure, and techno-functional properties. Extractions at pH 11.0 without salt addition produced the highest values of protein content, extraction yield, protein recovery, and protein concentration increase (84.0%, 24.7%, 36.5%, and 1.5-fold, respectively). Under these extraction conditions, the electrophoretic analysis indicated that most of the SIPC proteins were extracted. SIPF displayed an excellent oil absorption capacity (4.3–9.0 w/w), and interesting foam activity (36.4–133.3%). The solubility and emulsifying activity of the albumin fractions were significantly higher than those of the other fractions (~87 vs. <15.8%, and 280–370 vs. <140 m2/g, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that the secondary structure of the SIPF significantly influences their techno-functional properties. These results indicate that SIPC is a by-product of great potential for protein extraction processes, and as a valorization strategy for technical cycle solutions for the Sacha Inchi productive chain in the circular economy context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Beta diversity, i.e., the variance in species compositions across communities, has been pointed out as a main factor for explaining ecosystem functioning. However, few studies have directly tested the effect of crop establishment on beta diversity. We studied beta diversity patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities associated to sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) after crop establishment. (2) Methods: We molecularly characterized the AM fungal communities associated to roots of sacha inchi in plots after different times of crop establishment, from less than one year to older than three. We analyzed the patterns of alpha, beta, and phylogenetic diversity, and the sources of variation of AM fungal community composition. (3) Results: Beta diversity increased in the older plots, but no temporal effect in alpha or phylogenetic diversity was found. The AM fungal community composition was driven by environmental factors (altitude and soil conditions). A part of this variation could be attributed to differences between sampled locations (expressed as geographic coordinates). Crop age, in turn, affected the composition with no interactions with the environmental conditions or spatial location. (4) Conclusions: These results point out towards a certain recovery of the soil microbiota after sacha inchi establishment. This fact could be attributed to the low-impact management associated to this tropical crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roasted sacha inchi seeds are now commercialized as a health food product, but the influence of roasting methods on their proclaimed health effects has yet to be explored. This study investigated the total phenolic contents (TPCs), antioxidant potential, and inhibitory activities of raw and roasted sacha inchi seeds in vitro. Individual phenolics in raw seeds were also identified in an attempt to explain the bioactivities of the seeds. The results suggested that roasting in a cooking pan, vacuum oven, and tray dryer had distinct impact on TPC in sacha inchi seeds, and thus differentially altered their antioxidant and inhibitory properties. Seeds that underwent roasting exhibited 1.5–2.7-fold higher antioxidant potentials than raw seeds. Certain roasting methods provided the products with anti-α-amylase and anti-cholinesterase activities, while inhibitions of these enzymes were not detected in raw seeds. Roasted seeds also possessed superior anti-lipase and anti-glycation activities when compared with raw seeds (up to 1.7- and 4.8-fold, respectively). The inhibitory properties observed in the seed samples might be attributed to their p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and quercetin, as these potential enzyme inhibitors were predominant in raw seeds. The overall results showed that pan-roasting could be used to obtain relatively high health benefits from the antioxidant and inhibitory activities of sacha inchi seeds. The information obtained from this study may serve as the basis for the proper processing of sacha inchi seeds to optimize their functional food and nutraceutical applications.

Plukenetia volubilis is a highly promising plant with high nutritional and economic values. In our previous studies, the expression levels of ricin encoded transcripts were the highest in the maturation stage of P. volubilis seeds. The present study investigated the transcriptome and proteome profiles of seeds at two developmental stages (Pv-1 and Pv-2) using RNA-Seq and iTRAQ technologies. A total of 53,224 unigenes and 6026 proteins were identified, with functional enrichment analyses, including GO, KEGG, and KOG annotations. At two development stages of P. volubilis seeds, 8815 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 4983 unique differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified. Omics-based association analysis showed that ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) transcripts had the highest expression and abundance levels in Pv-2, and those DEGs/DAPs of RIPs in the GO category were involved in hydrolase activity. Furthermore, 21 RIP genes and their corresponding amino acid sequences were obtained from libraries produced with transcriptome analysis. The analysis of physicochemical properties showed that 21 RIPs of P. volubilis contained ricin, the ricinBlectin domain, or RIP domains and could be divided into three subfamilies, with the largest number for type II RIPs. The expression patterns of 10 RIP genes indicated that they were mostly highly expressed in Pv-2 and 4 transcripts encoding ricinBlike lectins had very low expression levels during the seed development of P. volubilis. This finding would represent valuable evidence for the safety of oil production from P. volubilis for human consumption. It is also notable that the expression level of the Unigene0030485 encoding type I RIP was the highest in roots, which would be related to the antiviral activity of RIPs. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical properties and expression patterns of RIPs in different organs of P. volubilis and lays a theoretical foundation for further research and utilization of RIPs in P. volubilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Plukenetia volubilis is cultivated as a valuable oilseed crop, and its mature seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs), which are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) transcriptome studies in P. volubilis indicated that some candidate genes were involved in oil biosynthesis. The NGS were inaccuracies in assembly of some candidate genes, leading to unknown errors in date analyses. However, single molecular real-time (SMRT) sequencing can overcome these assembled errors. Unfortunately, this technique has not been reported in P. volubilis. Methods. The total oil content of P. volubilis seed (PVS) was determined using Soxhlet extraction system. The FA composition were analyzed by gas chromatography. Combining PacBio SMRT and Illumina technologies, the transcriptome analysis of developing PVS was performed. Functional annotation and differential expression were performed by BLAST software (version 2.2.26) and RSEM software (version 1.2.31), respectively. The lncRNA-targeted transcripts were predicted in developing PVS using LncTar tool. Results. By Soxhlet extraction system, the oil content of superior plant-type (SPT) was 13.47% higher than that of inferior plant-type (IPT) at mature PVS. The most abundant FAs were C18:2 and C18:3, among which C18:3 content of SPT was 1.11-fold higher than that of IPT. Combined with PacBio and Illumina platform, 68,971 non-redundant genes were obtained, among which 7,823 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 7,798 lncRNA-targeted genes were predicted. In developing seed, the expressions of 57 TFs showed a significantly positive correlation with oil contents, including WRI1-like1, LEC1-like1, and MYB44-like. Comparative analysis of expression profiles between SPT and IPT implied that orthologs of FAD3, PDCT, PDAT, and DAGT2 were possibly important for the accumulation of polyunsaturated FAs. Together, these results provide a reference for oil biosynthesis of P. volubilis and genetic improvement of oil plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in plant-based food protein sources has provided opportunities for the valorization of agri-food by-products, driving the food industry towards more sustainable development. In this study, three extraction procedures (varying the pH value (7.0 and 11.0) and the addition of salt (0 and 5%)) were investigated to obtain seven different protein fractions (SIPF) from Sacha Inchi oil press-cake (SIPC), which were characterized in terms of their protein content, electrophoretic profile, secondary structure, and techno-functional properties. Extractions at pH 11.0 without salt addition produced the highest values of protein content, extraction yield, protein recovery, and protein concentration increase (84.0%, 24.7%, 36.5%, and 1.5-fold, respectively). Under these extraction conditions, the electrophoretic analysis indicated that most of the SIPC proteins were extracted. SIPF displayed an excellent oil absorption capacity (4.3–9.0 w/w), and interesting foam activity (36.4–133.3%). The solubility and emulsifying activity of the albumin fractions were significantly higher than those of the other fractions (~87 vs. 2/g, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that the secondary structure of the SIPF significantly influences their techno-functional properties. These results indicate that SIPC is a by-product of great potential for protein extraction processes, and as a valorization strategy for technical cycle solutions for the Sacha Inchi productive chain in the circular economy context.

The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) is an important modulator of stress responses. Its level in the brain increases in response to stress, but region-specific effects of stress on brain 2AG are not well known yet. Moreover, green nut oil (GNO), oil extracted from the seeds of Plukenetia volubilis has several health benefits, but its effects on brain 2AG levels are unknown. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore the effects of stress and GNO supplementation on 2AG levels in specific brain regions of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8). In this study, desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) revealed that water-immersion stress for three days significantly increased 2AG levels in several brain regions of SAMP8 mice, including the hypothalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain. No significant change was observed in the relative abundance of brain 2AG in stress given SAMP8 mice after eighteen days of removing stress load compared to control SAMP8 mice. GNO supplementation also increased brain 2AG in SAMP8 mice without stress load. Additionally, GNO supplementation sustained the increased brain 2AG levels in stress given SAMP8 mice after eighteen days of removing stress load. Among all brain regions, a relatively higher accumulation of 2AG was noted in the hypothalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain of GNO-fed SAMP8. Our data explored the potentiality of GNO supplementation to improve brain 2AG levels which might be used to treat anxiety and depressive behaviors. • Stress increased 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) levels in several brain regions. • Increased brain 2AG goes back to normal levels after the removal of stress. • Increased brain 2AG in response to stress is sustained by dietary green nut oil. • Dietary green nut oil also increased brain 2AG levels without stress load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Being a promising tropical woody oilseed crop, the evergreen and recurrent plants of Sacha Inchi ( Plukenetia volubilis L.) has complex phenology and source–sink interactions. Carbon source–sink manipulations with control and two treatments (reduce source, ca. 10% mature leaf pruning; reduce sink, 10% fruitlet thinning) were conducted on 2.5-year-old field-grown P. volubilis plantation during the early-wet season in a seasonal tropical area. Results Leaf photosynthetic rate and specific leaf area largely remained unchanged in response to defoliation or defloration. Compared with control, higher N contents on average were observed in both remaining leaves and branches of the defoliated plants, suggesting that N-mobilization was mainly due to the enhanced N uptake from soil. Carbon, but not N, is a source-driven growth process of P. volubilis plants, as defoliation reduced the contents of non-structural carbohydrates (especially sugar) in branches, although temporally, whereas defloration increased available C reserve. The seasonal dynamic pattern of fruit ripening was altered by source–sink regulations. Total seed yield throughout the growing season, which depends on fruit set and retention (i.e., number of matured fruit) rather than individual fruit development (size), was slightly increased by defloration but was significantly decreased by defoliation. Compared with control, defloration did not enrich the KEGG pathway, but defoliation downregulated the TCA cycle and carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms in fruitlets after 24 days of the applications of source–sink manipulation. Conclusion Carbohydrate reserves serve to buffer sink–source imbalances that may result from temporary adjustment in demand for assimilates (e.g., defloration) or shortfalls in carbon assimilation (e.g., defoliation). Defoliation is disadvantageous for the yield and also for carbohydrate and lipid accumulation in fruits of P. volubilis plants. Although more studies are needed, these results provide new insights to the further improvement in seed yield of the strong source-limited P. volubilis plants by source/sink manipulations.

(1) Background: Beta diversity, i.e., the variance in species compositions across communities, has been pointed out as a main factor for explaining ecosystem functioning. However, few studies have directly tested the effect of crop establishment on beta diversity. We studied beta diversity patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities associated to sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) after crop establishment. (2) Methods: We molecularly characterized the AM fungal communities associated to roots of sacha inchi in plots after different times of crop establishment, from less than one year to older than three. We analyzed the patterns of alpha, beta, and phylogenetic diversity, and the sources of variation of AM fungal community composition. (3) Results: Beta diversity increased in the older plots, but no temporal effect in alpha or phylogenetic diversity was found. The AM fungal community composition was driven by environmental factors (altitude and soil conditions). A part of this variation could be attributed to differences between sampled locations (expressed as geographic coordinates). Crop age, in turn, affected the composition with no interactions with the environmental conditions or spatial location. (4) Conclusions: These results point out towards a certain recovery of the soil microbiota after sacha inchi establishment. This fact could be attributed to the low-impact management associated to this tropical crop.

The ω-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD3) gene encodes a rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of α-linolenic acid. In this study, homologous cloning was used to obtain the full-length sequence of the PvFAD3 gene of Plukenetia volubilis. The full-length DNA sequence was 1871 bp long, with 8 exons and 7 introns. The structural analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed that the PvFAD3 protein contained three histidine-conserved regions and an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal. The real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction performed for determining the expression patterns of the PvFAD3 gene in different tissues of P. volubilis showed that PvFAD3 expression was highly expressed in the fast oil accumulation stage of seed. The analysis of subcellular localization assay in epidermal cells of tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) leaves showed that the PvFAD3 protein was mainly localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Seed-specific overexpression vectors were constructed, and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was performed to obtain transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing PvFAD3. The results of fatty acid assays performed using harvested seeds showed a significant increase in α-linolenic acid content, a dramatic decrease in linoleic acid content, and an obvious increase in oil content in transgenic tobacco seeds. Collectively, the PvFAD3 gene of P. volubilis was confirmed as a key enzyme gene for α-linolenic acid synthesis; thus, indicating that the PvFAD3 gene can be used for fatty acid fraction improvement in oilseed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroindustrial wastes contain macronutrients and micronutrients essential for the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria. In this research, the reproduction of Weissella cibaria was experimentally optimized in a supplemented fermentation substrate (SFS) formulated from pineapple and sacha inchi wastes. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the influence of the following independent variables: temperature (32–40 °C), pH (5.0–6.0), and stirring speed (SS) (100–150 rpm) on the following dependent variables: viability (Log10 CFU mL−1), biomass production (BWc), lactic acid production (LA), biomass yield (YBwc/S), biomass volumetric productivity (VPWc), LA volumetric productivity (VPLA), carbon source consumption (CSC), N2 consumption (N2C), and specific growth rate (µ). The experimental optimization of multiple responses presented a desirability of 76.8%, thus defining the independent variables of the process: temperature = 35.1 °C, pH = 5.0, and SS = 139.3 rpm; and the dependent variables: viability = 10.01 Log10 CFU mL−1, BWc = 2.9 g L−1, LA = 19.4 g mL−1, YBwc/S = 43.9 g biomass/g CSC, VPWc = 0.49 g L−1 h − 1, VPLA = 3.2 g L−1 h−1, CSC = 17.2%, N2C = 63.6% and µ = 0.28 h−1. From these, viability, YBwc/S, CSC, N2C, and LA presented significant statistical differences, while the independent variable with the least important effect on the process was pH. Under optimal conditions of temperature, pH and SS; SFS favors the reproduction and viability of W. cibaria. This provides evidence of a sustainable alternative for the production of probiotics in the context of circular economy.

Plukenetia volubilis is a highly promising plant with high nutritional and economic values. In our previous studies, the expression levels of ricin encoded transcripts were the highest in the maturation stage of P. volubilis seeds. The present study investigated the transcriptome and proteome profiles of seeds at two developmental stages (Pv-1 and Pv-2) using RNA-Seq and iTRAQ technologies. A total of 53,224 unigenes and 6026 proteins were identified, with functional enrichment analyses, including GO, KEGG, and KOG annotations. At two development stages of P. volubilis seeds, 8815 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 4983 unique differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified. Omics-based association analysis showed that ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) transcripts had the highest expression and abundance levels in Pv-2, and those DEGs/DAPs of RIPs in the GO category were involved in hydrolase activity. Furthermore, 21 RIP genes and their corresponding amino acid sequences were obtained from libraries produced with transcriptome analysis. The analysis of physicochemical properties showed that 21 RIPs of P. volubilis contained ricin, the ricin_B_lectin domain, or RIP domains and could be divided into three subfamilies, with the largest number for type II RIPs. The expression patterns of 10 RIP genes indicated that they were mostly highly expressed in Pv-2 and 4 transcripts encoding ricin_B_like lectins had very low expression levels during the seed development of P. volubilis. This finding would represent valuable evidence for the safety of oil production from P. volubilis for human consumption. It is also notable that the expression level of the Unigene0030485 encoding type I RIP was the highest in roots, which would be related to the antiviral activity of RIPs. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical properties and expression patterns of RIPs in different organs of P. volubilis and lays a theoretical foundation for further research and utilization of RIPs in P. volubilis.

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, is a major problem for the production of Sacha Inchi plants. We examined the effects of strip intercropping of Sacha Inchi/Chinese leek of 3–4 years on the seasonal dynamics of plant and soil traits in tropical China. Results indicated that in the intercropping system, a partially temporal divergence of belowground resource acquisition via niche separation occurred throughout the growing seasons, besides a complete spatially-separated plant height between the two crops. Compared with Sacha Inchi monoculture, the increased seed yield per unit area in the intercropping system was mainly attributed to the higher plant survival rate, rather than the enhanced plant traits of healthy plants. Intercropping greatly suppressed M. javanica populations only in the wet season, compared with monoculture; which may be associated with the combined effects of the direct allelopathy and indigenous microbe induced-suppressiveness. Intercropping did not affect microbial richness and α-diversity in the rhizosphere, except for the decreased fungal richness. Both bacterial and fungal composition and structure were diverged between monoculture v. intercropping system. The relative abundances of the dominant bacterial genera (Bacillus, Gaiellales, Lactococcus, Massilia and Lysobacter, etc.) differed significantly between the two cropping systems. For fungi, intercropping decreased the relative abundances of Fusarium and Gibberella, but increased those of Nectriaceae_unclassified, Chaetomiaceae, Humicola and Mortierella. Overall, Sacha Inchi/Chinese leek intercropping suppressed M. javanica populations and shifted microbial compositions (especially decreased pathogen-containing Fusarium). The increased yield and economic returns in this intercropping system provide valid information for the effective agricultural management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate hormonal balance in the phases of the in vitro organogenesis of apical meristems of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis). For the establishment and multiplication phases, Murashige & Skoog (MS) media, with different concentrations of benzylaminopurine (BAP) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), were used. For rooting, modified MS media was supplemented with different concentrations of NAA and indolebutyric acid. The differentiation of apical meristems was possible with 0.1 mg L-1 BAP and 0.05 mg L-1 NAA. The best rooting of seedlings is obtained with 0.5 mg L-1 naphthaleneacetic acid and 2.0 mg L-1 indolebutyric acid.

Background: Being a promising tropical woody oilseed crop, the evergreen and recurrent plants of Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) has complex phenology and source–sink interactions. Carbon source–sink manipulations with control and two treatments (reduce source, ca. 10% mature leaf pruning; reduce sink, 10% fruitlet thinning) were conducted on 2.5-year-old field-grown P. volubilis plantation during the early-wet season in a seasonal tropical area. Results: Leaf photosynthetic rate and specific leaf area largely remained unchanged in response to defoliation or defloration. Compared with control, higher N contents on average were observed in both remaining leaves and branches of the defoliated plants, suggesting that N-mobilization was mainly due to the enhanced N uptake from soil. Carbon, but not N, is a source-driven growth process of P. volubilis plants, as defoliation reduced the contents of non-structural carbohydrates (especially sugar) in branches, although temporally, whereas defloration increased available C reserve. The seasonal dynamic pattern of fruit ripening was altered by source–sink regulations. Total seed yield throughout the growing season, which depends on fruit set and retention (i.e., number of matured fruit) rather than individual fruit development (size), was slightly increased by defloration but was significantly decreased by defoliation. Compared with control, defloration did not enrich the KEGG pathway, but defoliation downregulated the TCA cycle and carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms in fruitlets after 24 days of the applications of source–sink manipulation. Conclusion: Carbohydrate reserves serve to buffer sink–source imbalances that may result from temporary adjustment in demand for assimilates (e.g., defloration) or shortfalls in carbon assimilation (e.g., defoliation). Defoliation is disadvantageous for the yield and also for carbohydrate and lipid accumulation in fruits of P. volubilis plants. Although more studies are needed, these results provide new insights to the further improvement in seed yield of the strong source-limited P. volubilis plants by source/sink manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteolytic enzymes pepsin, papain and Flavourzyme were used to produce sacha inchi protein hydrolysates SPHPe, SPHPa and SPHFl respectively. Pepsin gives significantly (p< 0.05) highest degree of hydrolysis (28.33%) and protein recovery (45.95%). The protein content of all protein hydrolysates is approximately 82-84%. However, SPHPe has the highest content of hydrophobic aliphatic amino acids (alanine, valine and proline) as well as hydrophobic aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine). SPHPe also shows the highest antioxidant activities by DPPH (55.7%), FRAP (0.167 mmol Fe2+/g) and metal ion chelation (55.4%) assays while the sacha inchi protein isolate shows the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (73.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein hydrolysates were produced via enzymatic hydrolysis of sacha inchi protein isolate using three different protease enzymes: pepsin, papain and Flavourzyme. Each hydrolysate sample was then fractionated by ultrafiltration membrane at various molecular weight (MW) cut-off ranging from 1-10 kDa. The results show that peptide fraction with MW of 1-3 kDa produced with pepsin had the highest inhibitory activity against α-amylase. Peptide fraction with MW < 1 kDa produced by Flavourzyme had the highest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (51.06±0.08%), followed by fractions with MW < 1 kDa and 1-3 kDa (48.21±0.12% and 48.27±0.17%) produced by pepsin, and unfractionated hydrolysate produced by papain (42.81±0.38%). However, the fractionated peptides had reduced capacity in inhibiting lipase activity (IC50>3.0 mg/mL) compared with the unfractionated counterparts (IC50<3.0 mg/mL). The findings suggest that sacha inchi protein-derived peptides have the potential for being utilised as functional foods as they can play an important role in the management of caloric intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plukenetia volubilis L., Inca peanut is an oleaginous plant, widely cultivated as commercially in South East Asia, especially in Thailand. The oil from the seed plant is a greatest interesting a natural source. Objectives: The aims of this study were investigated phytochemical screening, to evaluated the total flavonoids and phenolic compound contents as well as antioxidant activities of seedling extract from P. volubilis. Methods: The dried P. volubilis seedlings of 21 days growing period were extracted by using different solvent including aqueous (ASS), 50% ethanolic (HESS), and 95% ethanolic (ESS) extracts. The phytochemical screenings were determined on total phenolic compound (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents. The antioxidation were tested by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy radical scavenging (DPPH), 2,2 -azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS+) assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Results: The results found that the ESS were significantly highest amount on total phenolic compound (23.0809±0.8632 mgGE/gExt ) and flavonoid (466.3839±1.5580 mgQE/gExt) contents. In this study, ascorbic acid (IC50 =0.016±0.0003 mg/mL) and Trolox® (IC50 =0.044±0.0008 mg/mL) as standard substances were showed more potent than all of the extracts from P. volubilis seedlings. Surprisingly, the ESS has more potent on free radical scavenging higher than different solvents; DPPH=0.007± 0.001 (IC50=mg/mL), ABTS= 1.4065± 0.0505 (IC50=mg/mL),and FRAP= 74.4960± 2.6067 (mg=TE/gExt). Conclusion: the plant seedling extracts composed with high amount of flavonoids and phenolic compound contents possess valuable to antioxidant activities. The seedling extracts from the plant could apply to supplementary food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and horticultural industries. Next study, chemical compositions, the major active compound(s), and biological activities will be clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) oil is constituted with macronutrients and the health benefit fatty acids. In this context, the efficient of Sacha inchi oil for anti-aging product is presented. The light-clear yellowish seed oil of Sacha inchi was revealed on its physicochemical properties that are in the same range of the commercializing plant-oil supplied for topical products. The oil was GC/MS exhibited to be constituted with α-linolenic (51.72%) and linoleic (24.3%) acids, with unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio of 21.26. The oil was noted onto its potent in vitro antioxidant activity assessed by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays. In addition, the oil (1-3%) was proved to be safe in normal human fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the oil exhibited cellular antioxidant with inhibitory effect against MMP-2. Sacha inchi oil is therefore highlighted as a potential source of nutraceutical especially for anti-aging product. The oil is specified for the product development in terms of physicochemical, chemical and biological profiles. Innovative processing of Sacha inchi is therefore encouraged as the promising plant for anti-aging product.

Abstract Background Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), which belongs to the Euphorbiaceae, has been considered a new potential oil crop because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in its seed oil. The seed oil especially contains high amounts of α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is useful for the prevention of various diseases. However, little is known about the genetic information and genome sequence of Sacha Inchi, which has largely hindered functional genomics and molecular breeding studies. Results In this study, a de novo transcriptome assembly based on transcripts sequenced in eight major organs, including roots, stems, shoot apexes, mature leaves, male flowers, female flowers, fruits, and seeds of Sacha Inchi was performed, resulting in a set of 124,750 non-redundant putative transcripts having an average length of 851 bp and an N50 value of 1909 bp. Organ-specific unigenes analysis revealed that the most organ-specific transcripts are found in female flowers (2244 unigenes), whereas a relatively small amount of unigenes are detected to be expressed specifically in other organs with the least in stems (24 unigenes). A total of 42,987 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected, which will contribute to the marker assisted selection breeding of Sacha Inchi. We analyzed expression of genes related to the α-linolenic acid metabolism based on the de novo assembly and annotation transcriptome in Sacha Inchi. It appears that Sacha Inchi accumulates high level of ALA in seeds by strong expression of biosynthesis-related genes and weak expression of degradation-related genes. In particular, the up-regulation of FAD3 and FAD7 is consistent with high level of ALA in seeds of Sacha Inchi compared with in other organs. Meanwhile, several transcription factors (ABI3, LEC1 and FUS3) may regulate key genes involved in oil accumulation in seeds of Sacha Inchi. Conclusions The transcriptome of major organs of Sacha Inchi has been sequenced and de novo assembled, which will expand the genetic information for functional genomic studies of Sacha Inchi. In addition, the identification of candidate genes involved in ALA metabolism will provide useful resources for the genetic improvement of Sacha Inchi and the metabolic engineering of ALA biosynthesis in other plants.

In this work, Andean sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) leaves were used to prepare monodispersed cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles under heating. Visual color changes and UV-visible spectroscopy of colloidal nanoparticles showed λmax at 255 nm, revealing the formation of copper oxide nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis indicated that the prepared nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of 6-10 nm. The semi-crystalline nature and Cu2O phase of as-prepared nanoparticles were examined by X-ray diffraction. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of polyphenols, alkaloids and sugar in the sacha inchi leaf, allowing the formation of Cu2O nanoparticles from Cu2+. Additionally, as-synthesized Cu2O nanoparticles exhibited good photocatalytic degradation activity against methylene blue (>78%, 150 min) with rate constant 0.0219106 min [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of root-knot nematodes in plantations of mulberry (Morus alba L.) and sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) with different symptomatologies and to stablish the presence of Meloidogyne on Vernonia cinerea L., a weed present in a coffee zone, with a heavy root galling. During some visits done to areas in the provinces La Habana, Mayabeque and Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, soil and roots samples were taken. Adult females with egg masses were extracted from the damaged roots; with the females, perineal patterns were prepared, and, with the egg masses, pure population were established. On plants with woody stems (mulberry and sacha inchi), the root-knot nematodes produce galls of different sizes and cracks on the stem base and lateral roots, whereas on V. cinerea, the galls are of different sizes and forms. The morphological characteristics of the perineal patterns suggested the presence of Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood and Meloidogyne arenaria (Neal) Chitwood on mulberry; M. arenaria on sacha inchi; and M. incognita and Meloidogyne enterolobii Yang & Eisenback (syn. jun. Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann) on V. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experimental studies have demonstrated that fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 have anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, cardio protective and anti-tumor effects. Objective: The main objective was to determine the protective effect of sacha inchi oil on pentylenetetrazoleinduced seizures in albino mice. Material and Methods: Thirty male Balb/C albino mice of 8 weeks of age were purchased from the National Institute of Health (Lima-Peru). The animals were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each one. Group I: Control; PTZ (pentylenetetrazole 80 mg / kg, s.c.). II: PTZ + Diazepam (1 mg / kg; s.c.). Group III, IV, V: PTZ + sacha inchi oil at single doses of 250, 500, 1000 mg / kg respectively orally. Sacha inchi oil was administered 30 minutes before induction of seizures by PTZ. Next, various parameters such as latency, seizure frequency, duration and score were scored according to Racine scale. The program Graph Pad Prism v.4 was used for statistical analysis. Results: As result, the experimental group treated with sacha inchi oil at maximum dose of 1000 mg/kg showed better results in response to PTZ induced seizure; low levels of seizures, frequency and duration (P<0.001; ANOVA, P <0.001 Post-hoc Dunnett test). Conclusion: It is concluded that Sacha inchi oil presented anticonvulsant effect at the highest doses tested being very similar to Diazepam. The main mechanism could be by reducing free radical and improving GABA levels in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) is an oilseed crop that has gained importance due to the high contents of proteins and unsaturated fatty acids in its seeds. This study aimed at evaluating the growth characteristics of five leguminous species (Crotalaria juncea,Centrosema macrocarpum,Arachis pintoi,Cannavalia ensiformis and Phaseolus vulgaris) used as cover crops, as well as determining their influence on the sacha inchi yield. A complete randomized block design, with three blocks, was used. C. macrocarpum and C. ensiformis were the most appropriate cover crop species for the local edaphoclimatic conditions because they reached 100 % of soil coverage at six months, in addition to controlling the weeds growth and protecting the soil from erosion. Furthermore, the total leaf biomass at six months was significantly higher in C. macrocarpum, what allowed improving the soil fertility through nitrogen cycling. The use of leguminous cover crops, mainly C. macrocarpum, positively influenced the sacha inchi yield.

Abstract Sacha inchi is widely used as a raw material in the edible oil industry. The de-oiled pressed cake has high amounts of proteins, which makes it highly desirable for industrial use due to their value-added products. The objectives of this study were to produce and characterize protein concentrate (PC) and its hydrolysates (PH) hydrolyzed by crude papain and Calotropis proteases. The proximate compositions of sacha inchi used in this study included protein 459, carbohydrate 361, fat 67, ash 59, crude fiber 58, and moisture 53 g/kg (wb). PC hydrolyzed by crude papain (PH-P) and Calotropis proteases (PH-C) had a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 2.7% and 11.2%, respectively. PH-P contained a higher amount of essential amino acids (474 g/kg) than PH-C (410 g/kg). The protein pattern of PC and PHs were determined by SDS-PAGE, and the molecular weights were clearly observable between <8 and 57 kDa. The antioxidant properties, such as DPPH scavenging and FRAP showed a rising PH when increasing the DH. Sacha inchi protein hydrolysates can be produced in a cost-effective way by using crude enzyme extracts. Highlights • Crude proteases can be used as alternative enzymes for protein hydrolysates. • Sacha inchi protein hydrolysates obtained showed high biological activities. • The hydrolysates showed good digestibility via in vitro pepsin-trypsin digestion. • Sacha inchi protein hydrolysates is cost-effectively production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducción: Los antioxidantes han demostrado potencial quimioprotector en patologías degenerativas, inflamatorias, autoinmunes, oncológicas y asociadas al distrés respiratorio. Objetivo: Evaluar las características fitoquímicas y capacidad antioxidante in vitro mediante el método DPPH y ABTS. Diseño: Observacional analítico. Lugar: Laboratorio de Farmacología Experimental, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú. Material biológico/Químico: Hojas de Aloe vera, semillas de Plukenetia volubilis, hojas-tallos de Caiophora carduifolia, hojas de Cecropia membranacea. Intervenciones: Observación y análisis de la capacidad antioxidante mediante el método DPPH-concentración efectiva media (CE50) de los extractos y la capacidad antioxidante equivalente a trolox por el método del ABTS. Medida de resultados: Marcha fitoquímica preliminar, porcentaje de inhibición antioxidante por captación del radical DPPH, determinación del equivalente trolox/gextracto. Resultados: La Cecropia membranacea presentó mayor número de metabolitos secundarios, alcaloides, saponinas, compuestos flavonoides; en la captación de radicales DPPH, requirió menor dosis para alcanzar la capacidad antioxidante (CE50=0,159 mg/mL); mediante el método ABTS (5,834 uM trolox/g). La Caiophora carduifolia (0,87 mg/mL – 0,44 mg/mL) tuvo efectos similares al trolox (p>0,05). El Aloe vera y Plukenetia volubilis también tuvieron capacidad antioxidante dependiente de la dosis. Conclusiones: Se ha demostrado capacidad antioxidante in vitro a concentración dependiente, siendo mayor la de Cecropia membranacea y Caiophora carduifolia y menor la de Aloe vera y Plukenetia volubilis.

In this work, Andean sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) leaves were used to prepare monodispersed cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles under heating. Visual color changes and UV-visible spectroscopy of colloidal nanoparticles showed λmax at 255 nm, revealing the formation of copper oxide nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis indicated that the prepared nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of 6–10 nm. The semi-crystalline nature and Cu2O phase of as-prepared nanoparticles were examined by X-ray diffraction. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of polyphenols, alkaloids and sugar in the sacha inchi leaf, allowing the formation of Cu2O nanoparticles from Cu2+. Additionally, as-synthesized Cu2O nanoparticles exhibited good photocatalytic degradation activity against methylene blue (>78%, 150 min) with rate constant 0.0219106 min−1. The results suggested that the adopted method is low-cost, simple, ecofriendly and highly selective for the synthesis of small Cu2O nanoparticles and may be used as a nanocatalyst in the future in the efficient treatment of organic pollutants in water.

Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a reliable and widely used method for gene expression analysis. The accuracy of the determination of a target gene expression level by RT-qPCR demands the use of appropriate reference genes to normalize the mRNA levels among different samples. However, suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR have not been identified in Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis), a promising oilseed crop known for its polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich seeds. In this study, using RT-qPCR, twelve candidate reference genes were examined in seedlings and adult plants, during flower and seed development and for the entire growth cycle of Sacha inchi. Four statistical algorithms (delta cycle threshold (ΔCt), BestKeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder) were used to assess the expression stabilities of the candidate genes. The results showed that ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UCE), actin (ACT) and phospholipase A22 (PLA) were the most stable genes in Sacha inchi seedlings. For roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds from adult plants, 30S ribosomal protein S13 (RPS13), cyclophilin (CYC) and elongation factor-1alpha (EF1α) were recommended as reference genes for RT-qPCR. During the development of reproductive organs, PLA, ACT and UCE were the optimal reference genes for flower development, whereas UCE, RPS13 and RNA polymerase II subunit (RPII) were optimal for seed development. Considering the entire growth cycle of Sacha inchi, UCE, ACT and EF1α were sufficient for the purpose of normalization. Our results provide useful guidelines for the selection of reliable reference genes for the normalization of RT-qPCR data for seedlings and adult plants, for reproductive organs, and for the entire growth cycle of Sacha inchi.

Sacha inchi ( Plukenetia volubilis L.) is a well-known oleaginous plant used as food source and traditional medicine by indigenous people for a long time. This study was conducted to evaluate anti-arthritis effect of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves and provide scientific evidence to develop the new anti-arthritis remedy from Sacha inchi. Rheumatoid arthritis model was established by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into right hind footpads of mice and three doses of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) were used for treatment. The severity of arthritis was evaluated by measuring the ankle diameter and arthritic score, hematological and biochemical parameters (erythrocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor). The pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) and the histology change of joint were also examined. All three doses of extracts significantly alleviated ankle diameter and arthritic score. Furthermore, the extracts could ameliorate the alternation of inflammatory cytokines as well histological features of CFA-induced mice. The efficacy of extract dose of 300 mg/kg body weight is comparable with reference drug (Mobic, 0.2 mg/kg body weight). This study indicates Sacha inchi leaf extract as the promising remedy for treatment of arthritis., (© Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2023.)

Due to the strong bitter taste, sacha inchi seeds are usually consumed after roasting, which also contributes to the elimination of antinutrients. Sacha inchi plants fully adapted to cultivation under sub-tropical climate conditions were produced in southeastern Brazil. Our main goal was to evaluate the effect of dry heating (roasting) on the antinutrient content of these seeds. We also investigated the effects of the applied roasting treatments on the antioxidant activity, proximate composition and oxidative stability of the seeds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on antinutrients of sacha inchi seeds cultivated under sub-tropical conditions, outside their native tropical environment. Except for saponins, which are not heat-labile compounds, the contents of all assessed antinutrients continually reduced with the increase in roasting temperature. Roasting improved antioxidant activity and phenolic content in the seeds at the highest temperature. Oxidation changes occurred in the seed oil, and they increased with temperature. However, maximum peroxide value was within the acceptable consumption limits. As a conclusion, roasting treatments can be applied to minimize the antinutrient potential in sacha inchi seeds. Knowledge on the composition and proper processing of sacha inchi cultivated under sub-tropical conditions may support future efforts focused on the development of new production areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.), which belongs to the Euphorbiaceae, has been considered a new potential oil crop because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in its seed oil. The seed oil especially contains high amounts of α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is useful for the prevention of various diseases. However, little is known about the genetic information and genome sequence of Sacha Inchi, which has largely hindered functional genomics and molecular breeding studies. Results: In this study, a de novo transcriptome assembly based on transcripts sequenced in eight major organs, including roots, stems, shoot apexes, mature leaves, male flowers, female flowers, fruits, and seeds of Sacha Inchi was performed, resulting in a set of 124,750 non-redundant putative transcripts having an average length of 851 bp and an N50 value of 1909 bp. Organ-specific unigenes analysis revealed that the most organ-specific transcripts are found in female flowers (2244 unigenes), whereas a relatively small amount of unigenes are detected to be expressed specifically in other organs with the least in stems (24 unigenes). A total of 42,987 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected, which will contribute to the marker assisted selection breeding of Sacha Inchi. We analyzed expression of genes related to the α-linolenic acid metabolism based on the de novo assembly and annotation transcriptome in Sacha Inchi. It appears that Sacha Inchi accumulates high level of ALA in seeds by strong expression of biosynthesis-related genes and weak expression of degradation-related genes. In particular, the up-regulation of FAD3 and FAD7 is consistent with high level of ALA in seeds of Sacha Inchi compared with in other organs. Meanwhile, several transcription factors (ABI3, LEC1 and FUS3) may regulate key genes involved in oil accumulation in seeds of Sacha Inchi. Conclusions: The transcriptome of major organs of Sacha Inchi has been sequenced and de novo assembled, which will expand the genetic information for functional genomic studies of Sacha Inchi. In addition, the identification of candidate genes involved in ALA metabolism will provide useful resources for the genetic improvement of Sacha Inchi and the metabolic engineering of ALA biosynthesis in other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) is a potential woody oil seed plant for producing healthy vegetable oil due to high content of α-linolenic acid in its seeds. In this study, we report the structure of the complete chloroplast genome of P. volubilis using high-throughput next-generation sequencing technology. The circular chloroplast genome is 161,733 bp in size, containing a pair of inverted repeat regions (IR) of 27,382 bp each, which were separated by a large single copy region (LSC) of 88,843 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 18,126 bp. The chloroplast genome harbors 135 genes, including 92 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. Based on the phylogenetic relationships between the chloroplast genome of P. volubilis and those of the other species, P. volubilis is most closely related to castor bean (Ricinus communis).