The YUC family encodes rate-limiting enzymes for tryptophan-dependent auxin biosynthesis, yet its genomic organization and regulatory landscape in peanut—a major oilseed crop with complex polyploid genome—remain largely unexplored. Here, we address this gap by systematically identifying 89 YUC genes across diploid and tetraploid Arachis genomes and dissecting their evolutionary dynamics and expression plasticity. Phylogenetic reconstruction reveals five conserved clades, while synteny analysis demonstrates that segmental duplications, followed by strong purifying selection, drove the family expansion, implying functional constraints. Promoter cis-element profiling associates these genes with hormonal, stress, and light signals, suggesting their integration into multiple environmental cues. Leveraging transcriptome atlas across 34 tissues, we uncover spatiotemporally diversified expression, with specific members showing stress- and hormone-responsive patterns. Notably, qRT-PCR validation under PEG, NaCl, abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA3), and 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) identifies AhYUC18 and AhYUC29 as two consistently responsive candidates across genotypes, pointing to their potential as nodal regulators in balancing growth and stress survival. Collectively, this study establishes a comprehensive evolutionary and regulatory framework for the peanut YUC family, and provides prioritized gene targets for functional dissection and breeding toward improved stress resilience without compromising yield.
Global climate change aggravates the irreversible damage of abiotic stresses on crop growth and development, leading to substantial yield losses. As a major global source of edible vegetable oil, rapeseed is profoundly impacted by various abiotic stresses, including drought, salt, waterlogging, heat and cold, which result in reduction of productivity. In recent years, the integration of genetic and molecular biological approaches with multi-omics technologies has enabled preliminary advances in uncovering key genes and elucidating the regulatory mechanisms involved in adaptation to environmental stresses in rapeseed. Herein, we systematically summarise the molecular mechanisms and gene regulatory networks governing the responses to diverse abiotic stresses in rapeseed. Consequently, we discuss effective molecular breeding strategies for climate-resilient crop improvement and outline challenges for future research.
Polyphenols, proteins, and lipids interact through diverse noncovalent and covalent mechanisms that collectively influence nutritional quality, physicochemical stability, and bioavailability in food systems. This review systematically examines the formation, characterization, and functionality of polyphenol-protein and polyphenol-lipid binary complexes, which serve as the fundamental building blocks for higher-order ternary architectures. We critically analyze the key structural features and assembly pathways, highlighting noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic forces, electrostatic attraction, π-π stacking) and covalent oxidative coupling. Both intrinsic factors (e.g., polyphenol structure, protein conformation, lipid composition) and extrinsic processing conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, ionic strength) are analyzed for their roles in modulating complex formation. Emerging fabrication strategies and integrated characterization approaches are summarized. Furthermore, we discuss how the strategic combination of binary interactions leads to emergent properties in ternary systems, such as enhanced interfacial stabilization and controlled release, enabling innovative applications in food emulsions, nutraceuticals, drug delivery, and biomaterials. By integrating insights from binary to ternary levels, this review establishes a mechanistic foundation for the rational design of next-generation polyphenol-protein-lipid hybrid systems with tailored functionalities.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination represents a major challenge to agricultural output and food security. A combined analysis of transcriptome and metabolome was conducted on rapeseed seedlings exposed to Cd stress with or without exogenous Abscisic acid (ABA) supplementation. The results indicated that the biosynthesis pathways of glucosinolates and flavonoids were prominently enriched in the dataset of differentially expressed genes and metabolites. Notably, ABA treatment effectively up-regulated the expression of critical genes involved in glucosinolate (GGP1, CYP83B1, IMGT5, etc.) and flavonoid biosynthesis (4CL4, TT5, TT6, etc.) biosynthesis, which had been repressed by Cd exposure, thereby restoring their metabolic levels. Additionally, exogenous ABA was found to restore the amounts of seven glucosinolates and ten flavonoids to normal ranges, as their production had been hindered by Cd exposure. These results indicate that ABA exerts a vital impact on boosting Cd resistance in oilseed rape through the control of transcriptional processes involved in GSL and flavonoid metabolic pathways, thereby adjusting the buildup of these protective secondary metabolites.
Rapeseed meal has abundant proteins within well-proportioned amino acid composition, together with good functional properties, thus indicating it has notable nutritional value and application potential. However, its application is mostly limited into animal feed and fertilizer, which has not been fully developed as a high-quality plant protein resource. Since China faces increasingly pressure on plant protein supply, the effective utilization of rapeseed meal protein has become an important research field for improving the quantity of high-quality plant-based protein. This review makes a comprehensive investigation into the structural and functional characteristics of rapeseed protein (RP), especially focusing on the main processing factors that affect RP quality. Therefore, this review aims to provide a theoretical basis and direction reference for promoting the value-added utilization of RP.
Monoculture has been recognized as a major threat to sustainable maize production, driven by the depletion of soil organic matter and the reduction of agrobiodiversity. Maize-legume intercropping is an established practice that can effectively improve resource use efficiency and land productivity. However, current research remains limited regarding the combined effects of row orientation and balanced NPK fertilization on intercropping systems. This study was carried out to investigate the impacts of row orientation and NPK application rate on the agronomic performance, productivity and economic return of a maize-soybean intercropping system under the agroecological conditions of Bangladesh. A field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design, with two row orientations [North-South (N-S) and East-West (E-W)] arranged as main plots, and four NPK application rates [0% (F0), 75% (F1), 100% (F2), and 125% (F3) of the locally recommended NPK rate] arranged as subplots. We measured a range of indicator parameters including plant growth traits, yield components, grain yield, land equivalent ratio (LER), maize equivalent yield (MEY) and economic returns. The results showed that row orientation had negligible effects on maize growth and grain yield, but exerted a significant influence on soybean performance. Compared with the E-W orientation, the N-S orientation produced higher soybean grain yield (1.11 t ha-1), higher harvest index, and higher maize-equivalent yield (12.25 t ha-1). Increasing NPK application rate significantly promoted the growth, yield components, grain yield and stover yield of both maize and soybean. The highest grain yields of maize (12.68 t ha-1) and soybean (1.47 t ha-1) were recorded in the F3 treatment. The highest LER (2.25) was observed in the N-S × F3 combination. Economic analysis further demonstrated that the F3 treatment achieved the optimal economic performance, with the highest gross return (BDT 480,537 ha-1), net return (BDT 233,124 ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (1.94). This study concludes that the highest agronomic performance, land use efficiency and economic return of maize-soybean intercropping in the study region can be achieved when adopting North-South row orientation and applying 125% of the recommended NPK fertilizer rate.
Plant height (PH), a critical agronomic trait in Brassica napus L., directly influences yield potential, canopy structure, and lodging resistance. An appropriate PH not only enhances lodging resistance but also improves the efficiency of light energy utilization. Although substantial progress has been achieved through quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and molecular studies, the regulatory network and key determinants underlying PH in B. napus remain insufficiently understood. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms by which major phytohormones, namely auxins (IAA), gibberellins (GAs), brassinosteroids (BRs), and strigolactones (SLs), regulate PH by modulating cell elongation, division, and internode differentiation. By integrating hormone-mediated pathways, this review provides a theoretical framework for elucidating the molecular basis of PH regulation and offers guidance for breeding high-yield, lodging-resistant rapeseed varieties.
Niger (Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.), an underutilized oilseed crop widely cultivated by tribal communities in India and Ethiopia. It represents a promising crop at the interface of nutrition, health and industry. Despite its nutritionally importance, it remains scientifically and commercially neglected compared with major oilseeds. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the nutritional composition, bioactive constituents, ethnomedicinal relevance and emerging industrial applications of niger, emphasizing its potential contribution to food and nutritional security. Niger seeds contain good quality oil, rich in linoleic acid, β-sitosterol, tocopherols and phylloquinone (vitamin K1), alongside essential minerals, proteins, and balanced amino acids. The presence of diverse bioactive compounds like phenolics, flavonoids and sterols, underpins its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antidiabetic and antimicrobial effects, corroborating its traditional medicinal uses among indigenous communities. Industrially, niger oil finds applications in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints and biodiesel sectors. The crop's suitability for rainfed, low-input systems highlight its value for sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods. However, limited genomic resources, breeding programs and processing technologies constrain its wider utilization. Future research should focus on genetic improvement, bioactive compound characterization and value-added product development. By bridging traditional knowledge with modern scientific innovation, niger can be repositioned as a climate-resilient, nutritionally superior and industrially versatile oilseed crop with substantial implications for health, economy and sustainability.
This study maps the knowledge structure of walnut protein peptide research (2012-2025) through a bibliometric analysis of 229 publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, using tools such as Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. The results show that there is a clear publication output increase trend. China is the major contributor, South China University of Technology ranks as the top research institution, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is the core journal, and Min WH and Wang SG are the most cited authors. Furthermore, based on the most cited articles, the study finds research hotspots in the extraction of antioxidant and neuroprotective peptides, bioavailability and absorption mechanisms, and structure-activity relationships, which can be used to promote the research of walnut protein peptide and the development of walnut meal industry.
Owing to the continuous increase in industrialization, the extent of soil salinization is escalating globally. Brassica napus is among the most advantageous field crops for the development and utilization of saline - alkali land. Nevertheless, the molecular regulation of salt tolerance during the seedling stage in this species remains unclear. To explore this mechanism, an association population consisting of 202 accessions was subjected to a 257 mmol/L NaCl solution at the seedling (four - leaf) stage. After 14 days of salt treatment, the above - ground and under - ground fresh and dry weights of each accession line were measured, and the correlations between these traits were evaluated. By integrating phenotypic data with resequencing data, a genome - wide association study identified 2043 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were significantly associated with these traits. Ninety SNPs were detected repeatedly, with a single SNP accounting for 1.3%–5.29% of the phenotypic variation. Subsequently, two candidate genes were identified, and six germplasm resources with strong salt tolerance at the seedling stage were selected. These results will guide strategies for breeding salt - tolerant B. napus and will offer a theoretical foundation for the restoration and management of salinized land.
Camellia oleifera seed oil (CSO) is widely appreciated for its nutritional and functional properties, yet its quality is strongly affected by processing and storage conditions. In this study, seven CSO samples originating from different sources were systematically evaluated for physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, lipid composition, antioxidant capacity, and volatile flavor profiles. Pronounced differences were observed among the samples. Sample S5 exhibited the highest oxidative deterioration due to long-term storage, with elevated acid value (2.27 mg KOH/g) and peroxide value (2.98 g/100 g). In contrast, sample S2 showed the greatest oxidative stability (induction period of 10.88 h) and superior in vitro antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS), which was closely associated with its higher contents of carotenoids, tocopherols, and total phenolics. All CSO samples were characterized by a high oleic acid content (76.19%-81.99%). The lipidomic analysis revealed 5 classes and 32 subclasses of lipids among 354 species, with triacylglycerols and fatty acids as the dominant types. Volatile analysis using HS-SPME-GC-MS identified 81 aroma compounds, with aldehydes, alcohols, acids, lipid-derived compounds, and furans as the main contributors. This study elucidated the intrinsic quality differences among various CSO and provided a robust theoretical foundation for a comprehensive understanding of their nutritional attributes and sensory diversity.
Nervonic acid (NA), a very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid, with high value in brain disease prevention and improvement, many studies revealed it could be synthesized in crop seeds via genetic engineering. In recent years, vegetative tissues such as leaves have been proposed as a novel platform for producing triacylglycerol (TAG) and achieving significant results, but the potential for producing NA has not been explored. In this study, three genes, CgKCS from (正体) Cardamine graeca, SLC1-1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and DGAT1 from Arabidopsis thaliana, were selected and under the regulation of the green organizations-specific promoter Rubisco to form multi-gene vector and transformed four varieties rapeseed with different fatty acid profile to explore the potential of NA production in leaves. Those genes have been respectively reported to increase NA production, promote Fatty acids (FAs) combining to the sn-2 of TAG, and improve crop oil content of plant seeds. In this study, NA was not detected in all four varieties of transgenic rapeseed leaves at vegetative, flowering, and seed setting three development stages. Analysis of fatty acid components results shown that linolenic acid (C18:3) is the main fatty acid in leaves, but the available substrates for synthesizing NA are monounsaturated fatty acids, such as C18:1, C20:1, and C22:1, so lacking of monounsaturated fatty acids maybe is the main limiting factor for the production NA in transgenic rapeseed leaves. And then, we further analyzed the feasible strategies to promote NA and other very long-chain fatty acids synthesis, assembly and accumulation. Together, our results provide a clear profile of the fatty acid composition of rapeseed leaves and although it failed to synthesize NA, it also provides referable hints for the production of NA from rapeseed leaves via metabolic engineering.
This study investigates the oxidative stability of rapeseed, flaxseed, high oleic peanut, and high oleic sunflower oils during short-term thermal oxidation. By monitoring peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels before and after purification and at 100 °C and 180 °C, the oxidative behavior and antioxidant capacity of each oil under high temperature conditions were evaluated. Additionally, the depletion patterns of tocopherols and sterols during thermal oxidation were analyzed. To elucidate oxidation mechanisms, the kinetics of lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) concentration changes in the oils were examined. Results indicate that high oleic peanut oil exhibits superior oxidative stability, maintaining lower PV and TBARS levels throughout the heating cycle. Tocopherol and sterol depletion correlated positively with oxidation time and temperature, and the heat loss varied among different oils. Kinetic modeling revealed that oils with a more diverse fatty acid composition tend to undergo stepwise oxidation. High oleic peanut oil, flaxseed oil and high oleic sunflower oil displayed a single-step reaction, whereas rapeseed oil progressed through a two-step reaction before reaching a typical termination phase.
ARC inoculant (A, aflatoxin prevention and control; R, Rhizobia nodulation induction; C, Coupling) is a brand-new inoculant with coupling function that enhances legume quality and nitrogen fixation. Comprehensive characterization of its key functional strains is critical for establishing a quality-control framework for the inoculant's formulation. Here, we constructed a characteristic spectral dataset comprising over 63,000 single-cell Raman spectra of the constituent strains by employing Ramanome technology. Six machine learning-based predictive models were developed and compared for the constituent strains, while the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model demonstrated the best performance, with a classification accuracy exceeding 92.4%. This work provides a unique spectral fingerprint for ARC inoculant and will directly aid its application in sustainable agricultural production.
Brassica crops represent a vital global source of oilseeds and vegetables. The yellow-seeded trait has become a primary genetic improvement objective due to its close association with superior quality attributes, specifically high oil content and low fiber content. The yellow-seeded phenotype results in the inhibition of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis and deposition in the seed coat. This process is regulated by the upstream conserved MBW (TT2/TT8/TTG1) transcriptional complex, which exhibits a more complex multi-genic regulatory network influenced by maternal effects, environmental factors, and epigenetic modifications. This review provides a comprehensive comparison on the current researches across six Brassica species (B. rapa, B. oleracea, B. nigra, B. napus, B. juncea, and B. carinata), summarizes the key genes that have been functionally validated, and analyzes the metabolic and genetic basis underlying the synergistic formation of multiple traits, including yellow seeds, high oil, and low fiber. Finally, we discuss the applications and challenges in the molecular breeding strategies targeting for the yellow-seeded trait improvement, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS), CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and multi-omics integration. We also provide perspectives on the future potential of achieving the synergistic enhancement of quality and yield through de novo design breeding.
Due to the high standards in preparation, purity, and low production yields, extra-virgin olive oils (EVOO) is a high value product that makes adulteration with lower-quality oils a frequent practice. Since conventional quality control techniques rely on costly analytical instrumentation and complex methods and data treatment, there is a need for simpler, faster, and more sustainable analytical alternatives. The present work proposes the use of 3D spectrofluorimetry combined with surfactant-free microemulsions (SFMEs) as a sample preparation strategy for the detection of EVOO adulteration with soybean oil. These systems, composed of an oily phase, an aqueous phase, and a short-chain alcohol, generate microenvironments capable of enhancing the fluorescence of EVOO endogenous fluorophores with minimal sample consumption while reducing the risk of cross-contamination and inner filter effect. In this work, ternary phase diagrams were constructed with three different alcohols, with propan-1-ol being selected due to its ability to form SFMEs with higher water proportions, making it more suitable for EVOO analysis. Tests were then performed to determine proper excitation/emission wavelengths (λex/λem) for SFMEs containing EVOO (290/320 nm) and soybean oil (300/335 nm). A compromise condition for SFME formation consisted of 25 μL of oily phase (sample:octan-1-ol, 1:3, v/v), 750 μL of water, and propan-1-ol to a final volume of 5.00 mL. Additionally, the influence of oil sampling was evaluated allowing decreasing down to 60% in relative standard deviation when reverse sample pipetting was used instead of direct sample pipetting, demonstrating its effectiveness in handling high-viscosity samples such as EVOO, regardless of the analyst's level of experience. For the qualitative evaluation, 24 samples comprising olive oils, soybean oils, and blended oils (soybean/EVOO) were analyzed by 3D spectrofluorimetry. Excitation-emission matrices (λex: 200-350 nm and λem: 250-400 nm) were obtained for all samples prepared in SFMEs. Significant differences in fluorescence intensity and fluorescence fingerprint were observed when comparing EVOO and soybean oil samples. Among the olive oils, pronounced differences were observed in samples from other categories or without specification, showing the method's potential not only for distinguishing between soybean oil and EVOO, but also for differentiating distinct olive oil categories. A quantitative study with different levels of soybean oil adulteration (0, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, v/v) in EVOO samples achieved a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9979) enabling identification down to 1% of adulteration (limit of detection of 0.97%) and precise and accurate quantification of levels of adulteration down to 3% (limit of quantification of 3.23%). Linear regression ANOVA showed statistical significance and response linearity (p < 0.05). Coefficients of variation (CV) obtained from the replicates of the curve were below 5%, demonstrating the potential applicability of the proposed method for quantitative analysis. Sustainability assessment using AGREE and Analytical Eco-Scale metrics resulted in satisfactory scores of 0.71/1.00 and 84/100, respectively, supporting that this method is not only simple and comprehensible but also an eco-friendly approach for the detection of EVOO adulteration.
Peanuts, as important leguminous and oil-producing crops, play a significant role in ensuring the safety of edible oil production and facilitating economic trade. Nevertheless, the appropriate density and fertilizer application rate for cultivating peanuts remain unclear. To explore the effects of the appropriate nitrogen fertilizer (N) application rate and planting density on the growth and development of peanuts, a two - year experiment was carried out from 2022 to 2023. Three N fertilizer levels (0 kg·hm−2 for N0, 120 kg·hm−2 for N120, 180 kg·hm−2 for N180) and three planting densities (255,000 plants·hm−2 for D1, 300,000 plants·hm−2 for D2, 345,000 plants·hm−2 for D3) were used to systematically study the effects on peanuts. The results showed that under the same N application level, the morphological indices, per-plant and population dry matter accumulation, leaf photosynthetic performance, as well as N accumulation, utilization, and metabolic capacity of peanut all showed the trend of D2 > D1 > D3 across different planting densities. At the same density level, the growth and development of peanut under N120 and N180 were superior to those under N0. N120-D2 significantly enhanced the leaf area index (LAI) of peanuts, the population dry matter accumulation was significantly increased by 13.99% and 15.15% in the N120-D2 compared to the N180-D2 at the stage of pod-filling stage. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of the N120-D2 was elevated. The N accumulation of leaves increased by 6.91% and 11.49%, 14.57% and 20.97% compared with N120-D1, N120-D3, N metabolizing enzyme activities were also enhanced. In terms of yield, N120- D2 also realized 11.57% and 7.94% increase compared with N180-D2, and yield was higher in 2023 than in 2022. Thereby, N × D interaction can enhance the N efficiency and influence the photosynthetic capacity, and further improve crop yield.
Walnut oil (WO) is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly α-linolenic acid, and various bioactive compounds including phenolics, phytosterols, tocopherols, squalene and melatonin, contributing to its broad health benefits. The present study examined whether WO could attenuate cognitive deficits in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging mice. Cognitive performance was evaluated by the Morris water maze and step-through passive avoidance tests. WO significantly reversed the cognitive impairments in D-gal-treated mice, as evidenced by shorted the escape latency and swimming distance in the Morris water maze and by prolonged step-through latency with fewer errors in the passive avoidance test. Mechanistically, WO alleviated hippocampal neuronal injury as confirmed by Nissl staining, elevated hippocampal cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) activity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, and restored postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD95) levels, thereby facilitating synaptic plasticity. These findings indicate that WO protects mice against D-gal-induced cognitive decline and may represent a nutritional strategy for mitigating aging-associated cognitive dysfunction.
Soil salinization is a major abiotic stress that severely constrains global agricultural productivity. The application of exogenous bioactive substances represents a promising strategy to enhance crop salt tolerance. In this study, we investigated the protective role of exogenous myo-inositol in rapeseed under salinity stress. Here, we demonstrated that exogenous application of 20 μM myo-inositol significantly alleviates salt stress in rapeseed seedlings. Myo-inositol effectively mitigated growth inhibition, maintained chlorophyll levels and photosynthetic activity, and stabilized membrane integrity under salt stress. Physiological and molecular evidence indicated that myo-inositol activates the antioxidant system by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), thereby reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation. Notably, myo-inositol triggered a species-specific ion homeostasis strategy by increasing Na+ accumulation, associated with the upregulation of BnHKT1 and downregulation of vacuolar BnNHX homologs. Concurrently, myo-inositol stimulated proline biosynthesis for osmotic adjustment. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis showed that myo-inositol fine-tunes the expression of key genes involved in antioxidant defense, osmotic adjustment, and stress signaling. These findings demonstrate that myo-inositol enhances rapeseed salt tolerance through an integrated mechanism involving antioxidant activation, transcriptional reprogramming, and a species-specific ion homeostasis strategy, establishing its potential as an effective biostimulant for saline agriculture.
Rhizobial inoculation in soybean is an effective strategy in sustainable agriculture to reduce chemical fertilizer application and to increase crop production. It not only provides nitrogen sources for host plants but also improves the rhizosphere soil environment. However, the inoculation efficiency of rhizobia remains to be improved. In this study, we investigated the nodulation efficiency of Bradyrhizobium and Sinorhizobium strains under different soil conditions and evaluated their impacts on the rhizocompartment bacterial community. We found that inoculation with Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens UASD 110 increased the number of soybean nodules in acidic soil, while Sinorhizobium fredii CCBAU 45436 was more effective in alkaline soil. However, inoculation with neither strain significantly affected nodulation in neutral soil. Then, we demonstrated that UASD 110 was more competitive in nodulation than CCBAU 45436, which was related to its higher abundance in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, we showed that while single inoculation with UASD 110 or CCBAU 45436 failed to alter the bacterial diversity, these two strains differentially influenced the rhizosphere microbial composition. Finally, we identified the main rhizosphere microorganisms that were affected by these two strains. Our findings revealed that the nodulation capacity of rhizobia and their colonization of rhizosphere and nodules are soil-type dependent, yet their impact on the rhizobacterial community exhibited consistent patterns. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing rhizobial inoculation strategies to enhance nitrogen fixation efficiency.
