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The dried ripe fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz. is a common Chinese materia medica, and ellagic acid (EA), isolated from the plant, is an important bioactive component for medicinal purposes. This study aimed to delineate the optimal extraction parameters for extracting the EA content from Chebulae Fructus (CF), focusing on the variables of ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, liquid–solid ratio, and extraction time. Utilizing a combination of the response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN), we systematically investigated these parameters to maximize the EA extraction efficiency. The extraction yields for EA obtained under the predicted optimal conditions validated the efficacy of both the RSM and ANN models. Analysis using the ANN-predicted data showed a higher coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.9970 and a relative error of 0.79, compared to the RSM's 2.85. The optimal conditions using the ANN are an ethanol concentration of 61.00%, an extraction temperature of 77 °C, a liquid–solid ratio of 26 mL g−1 and an extraction time of 103 min. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the industrial-scale optimization process for EA extraction from CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To recognize the key ester‐related volatile compounds, 5 types of peaches including 54 late‐ripening peach materials were examined by headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and E‐nose. Here, a large number of esters were identified to be released by ripe peach fruits and were mainly characterized by fruity, green, and fatty notes. The variety and content of esters had greatly changed within or between cultivars, indicating that the fruit volatiles were highly differentiated depending on the specific genotypes and cultivation conditions. The ester types showed that fatty acid‐derived C6 alcohols and methyl‐/ethyl‐ short‐chain alcohol were the main ester precursors, which were more likely to be utilized and well selected by alcohol acyltransferases, whereas the preference of acyl donors was not observed. The common peach type, which exhibited a unique volatile profile, displayed broader diversity and more abundant characteristics in ester‐related volatiles than the other four types. A total of 19 key esters were identified as the main components and the content of most esters showed no significant difference among different peach types. Some key esters had even been enriched in nectarines. Moreover, the multiple discriminant analysis revealed a possible relationship between peach types and the domestication of the peach evolution. This study investigated ester‐related volatiles released by different types of peach fruits and can be further used to evaluate the peach qualities, providing an important reference for peach breeding and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Printed fabrics usually have multiple colors and intricate patterns, which make it difficult to directly measure the colors of the printed fabrics with a traditional spectrophotometer. However, a hyperspectral imaging system (HIS) can measure multiple colors since it acquires the spectral reflectance of a continuous band at every point of the fabric. For multiple-color printed fabrics, color segmentation is also very important. In this paper, color measurement of printed fabrics using the HIS was implemented; an algorithm which combines the self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm and the density peaks clustering (DPC) algorithm was then proposed to automatically determine the number of colors on the printed fabric and accurately segment the color regions for measurement. Firstly, the SOM algorithm was used to identify the main clusters, the DPC algorithm with Silhouette Index was then used to identify the optimal number of colors and merge the clusters. Experimental results show that this algorithm not only automatically determines the optimal number of colors for printed fabric and achieves accurate color segmentation, but requires less time for execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Jin Zhui’ is a spontaneous self-compatible mutant of ‘Ya Li’ (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. S21S34), the latter displaying a typical S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI). The pollen-part mutation (PPM) of ‘Jin Zhui’ might be due to a natural mutation in the pollen-S gene (S34 haplotype). However, the molecular mechanisms behind these phenotypic changes are still unclear. In this study, we identified five SLF (S-Locus F-box) genes in ‘Ya Li’, while no nucleotide differences were found in the SLF genes of ‘Jin Zhui’. Further genetic analysis by S-RNase PCR-typing of selfed progeny of ‘Jin Zhui’ and ‘Ya Li’ × ‘Jin Zhui’ progeny showed three progeny classes (S21S21, S21S34 and S34S34) as opposed to the two classes reported previously (S21S34 and S34S34), indicating that the pollen gametes of ‘Jin Zhui’, bearing either the S21- or S34-haplotype, were able to overcome self-incompatibility (SI) barriers. Moreover, no evidence of pollen-S duplication was found. These findings support the hypothesis that loss of function of S-locus unlinked PPM expressed in pollen leads to SI breakdown in ‘Jin Zhui’, rather than natural mutation in the pollen-S gene (S34 haplotype). Furthermore, abnormal meiosis was observed in a number of pollen mother cells (PMCs) in ‘Jin Zhui’, but not in ‘Ya Li’. These and other interesting findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Euphorbia hirta L., a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is extensively used as a folk medicine across various regions. In China, its decoction is traditionally consumed to alleviate diarrhea. This study aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal activities of Euphorbia hirta and to identify its bioactive constituents through a bioactivity-guided isolation technique., Methods: Oral administration of E. hirta extract to mice was conducted to assess its effects on diarrhea. The anti-diarrheal effects were investigated in an aqueous extract and in three fractions of varying polarities derived from the aqueous extract, as well as in different eluates from D-101 macroporous resin, and in the compounds quercitrin and isoquercitrin, using mouse models with castor oil-induced diarrhea., Results: The aqueous extract demonstrated significant anti-diarrheal activities in a dose-dependent manner in the castor oil-induced diarrheal model. Notably, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed prominent effects. Through bioactivity-guided isolation, two major compounds, isoquercitrin and quercitrin from the active fraction were found to possess antidiarrheal effects. Molecular docking studies revealed that the affinity energy of isoquercitrin and quercitrin were -8.5 and -8.2 kcal mol -1 , respectively, which were comparable to the reference drug loperamide, with an affinity energy of -9.1 kcal mol -1 ., Conclusion: This research provides evidence supporting the development of E. hirta as a therapeutic agent for diarrhea, with isoquercitrin and quercitrin emerging as two key constituents that are likely responsible for its antidiarrheal activity. These findings validate the traditional use of E. hirta and highlight its potential as a natural treatment for diarrhea., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Zhang, Guo and Sheng.)

Background: Low temperature pose significant challenges to peach cultivation, causing severe damage to peach buds and restricting production and distribution. Ethylene, an important phytohormone, plays a critical role in enhancing plant cold resistance. Structural genes and transcription factors involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways are associated with cold resistance. However, no research has specifically addressed their roles in peach cold resistance. Methods: In this study, we aimed for cold-resistance gene discovery in cold-sensitive peach cultivar "21Shiji" (21SJ) and cold-resistance cultivar "Shijizhixing" (SJZX) using RNA-seq and gas chromatography. Results: The findings revealed that under cold stress conditions, ethylene biosynthesis in "SJZX" was significantly induced. Subsequently, a structural gene, PpACO1-1 , involved in ethylene biosynthesis in peach buds was significantly upregulated and showed a higher correlation with ethylene release rate. To identify potential transcription factors associated with PpACO1-1 expression and ethylene signal transduction, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted using RNA-seq data. Four transcription factors: PpERF2 , PpNAC078 , PpWRKY65 and PpbHLH112 , were identified. Conclusion: These findings provide valuable theoretical insights for investigating the regulatory mechanisms of peach cold resistance and guiding breeding strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xia, Yang, Zhang, Liu, Xiao, Xiao, Wu, Shen, Zhang and Su.)

Introduction: Valeriana amurensis , a tall herbaceous plant, has been traditionally utilized as a herbal remedy both in China and Russia., Methods: This study was set to explore how to cultivate high quality seedlings, considering factors such as seedling time, seeding density, shading, and plastic film mulching. In addition, we investigated the impact of topping and fertilizer on the growth and quality of V. amurensis ., Results: According to the percentage of seed germination, the seeds of V. amurensis were sowed with 0.88 g m -2 density using plastic film mulching from late April to mid-May (germination percentage was more than 30%). The optimal Transplanting time was identified as late September, ensuring a high survival rate of 98%. Generally, topping showed the most improved growth indices in late fruit period (21.87 for number of radical leaves) and withering period (6.50 for number of buds and 234.81 for number of roots). Topping increased the yields of valtrate (10.91 mg per plant), valepotriates (809.51 mg per plant) and essential oil (395.64 mg per plant) in withering period. Nitrogen fertilizer promoted maximum root growth and increased the biomass of V. amurensis . Meanwhile, N fertilizer significantly increased the yields of valtrate to 10.46 mg per plant and valepotriates to 772.32 mg per plant among three types of fertilizers. Seedlings are obtained according to rational sowing factors and transplanting time. Topping and nitrogen fertilization emerge as superior strategies to enhance the growth and medicinal quality of this valuable plant., Discussion: This study provides actionable insights for the cultivation V. amurensis ., Competing Interests: Author RZ was employed by Zhenbaodao Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Leng, Huo, Zhang and Du.)

The root of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. is a common Chinese materia medica and the polysaccharides which have been isolated from the plant are important active components for medicinal purposes. The objective of the current study was to optimize the extraction parameters and evaluate the glucose consumption activity for Adenophorae root polysaccharides (ARPs). The optimization of ARP extraction was evaluated with preliminary experiments and using response surface methodology (RSM). The conditions investigated were 35-45 °C extraction temperature, 20-30 ( v / w ) water-to-solid ratio, and 3-5 h extraction time. The antidiabetic effects of ARPs for the glucose consumption activity were evaluated in HepG2 cells. The statistical analyses of the experiments indicated that temperature, water-to-solid ratio, and extraction time significantly affected ARP yield ( p < 0.01). The correlation analysis revealed that the experimental data were well-aligned with a quadratic polynomial model, as evidenced by the mathematical regression model's fit. The optimal conditions for maximum ARP yield were 45 °C extraction temperature and 28.47:1 (mL/g) water-to-solid ratio with a 4.60 h extraction time. Extracts from these conditions showed significant activity of promoting cell proliferation from 11.26% ( p < 0.001) to 32.47% ( p < 0.001) at a dose of 50 μg/mL to 800 μg/mL and increasing glucose consumption to 75.86% ( p < 0.001) at 250 μg/mL on HepG2 cells. This study provides a sustainable alternative for the industry since it allowed simplified handling and a specific quantity of ARPs. Furthermore, ARPs might directly stimulate the glucose consumption in the liver and showed no cytotoxicity; therefore, ARPs probably could be taken as a potential natural source of antidiabetic materials.