The genus Citrus (Rutaceae) produces essential oils (EOs) widely utilized in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biomaterial industries due to their distinct organoleptic properties. These EOs are primarily composed of monoterpenes (e.g., limonene), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated derivatives, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antineoplastic, and insecticidal activities. Principal extraction methods include cold pressing (CP), solvent extraction, distillation, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Due to the increasing prevalence of adulteration and pesticide residues, robust analytical methods for their detection are required. This review addresses the major chemical components, common extraction techniques, and biological activities of Citrus EOs. Analytical approaches for identifying adulterants and pesticide residues are also examined. Particular attention is given to furocoumarin-induced photosensitivity, a critical safety concern. Addressing these issues is essential to provide a scientific basis for the rational and expanded application of Citrus EOs in food science, material engineering, and related fields.

【Objective】Demethylation mediated by histone demethylases (HDMs) containing the JMJ domain plays a crucial role in chromatin conformation and the physiological activities it governs, such as replication and transcription. Identifying members of the JMJ histone demethylase gene family in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and analysing their expression patterns could provide a reference for studying its growth and development.【Method】The genome-wide identification of the JMJ histone demethylase family genes in bottle gourd was performed by HMM, and the expression patterns of the JMJ histone demethylase family genes were analysed by bioinformatics, RNA-Seq data and RT-qPCR in the roots, cotyledons, real leaves, hypocotyls, terminal buds, pistillate flowers, staminate flowers and tendrils of bottle gourd.【Result】17 JMJ family members was identified from bottle gourd genome, dividing into 5 subfamilies, named LsiJMJ1-LsiJMJ17 according to chromosome distribution. Physical and chemical property analysis and subcellular localisation prediction results showed that L. siceraria JMJ proteins ranged in length from 412 to 1852 aa, and most were weakly acidic nuclear localisation proteins. Chromosome localisation and collinearity analysis found that LsiJMJ genes were unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes, containing one pair of highly homologous genes, and multiple pairs of homologous genes with species such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Cucumis melo. Conserved motif analysis indicated that proteins within the same subgroup share similar motifs. Additionally, gene structure and encoded protein domain analysis revealed that most homologous genes exhibit similar exon-intron structures, and encoded sequences contain approximately 6 to 33 exons. Cis-acting element analysis identified stress response, hormone response, growth and development regulation, light response, and other types of elements in JMJ family genes. Protein network interaction analysis suggests that LsiJMJ3 co-express with LsiJMJ9, LsiJMJ2, and LsiJMJ12, while LsiJMJ12, LsiJMJ5, and LsiJMJ7 or LsiJMJ11 co-express in pairs. Expression analysis indicates that LsiJMJ4 and LsiJMJ9 are significantly highly expressed in all tissues, particularly in pistillate flowers and terminal buds, LsiJMJ11 is specifically highly expressed in staminate flowers, and LsiJMJ8 is lowly expressed in five tissue types.【Conclusion】Seventeen members of the JMJ family have been successfully identified. Their conserved domains may play an important role in influencing the demethylase activity. The expression of LsiJMJs may be affected by development and abiotic stress. For instance, LsiJMJ4, LsiJMJ7 and LsiJMJ9 were involved in basic growth and development processes such as pistillate flower development or terminal bud differentiation regulation, LsiJMJ11 is related to staminate flower development, and LsiJMJ8 may be induced to express under specific conditions.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of different organic fertilizers and their concentrations on the growth of ‘Orah’ (Citrus reticulata Blanco) seedlings, as well as on the mineral nutrient contents, chemical and biological properties, and microbial community of the soil. Five types of organic fertilizers and three concentrations were studied. The seedling growth indexes, leaf mineral elements, soil mineral elements, soil enzyme activity, and soil microorganisms were measured. The results showed that organic fertilization significantly increased the contents of eight mineral elements in leaves, depending on the types and concentrations used. Specifically, rapeseed cake fertilizer was found to significantly increase the content of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) in the leaves. Furthermore, compared with applying only chemical fertilizers or no fertilizers at all, the application of organic fertilizer significantly increased the content of soil organic matter (SOM) and several mineral elements in the soil. The bacterial species composition of soil treated with common organic fertilizer and bio-organic fertilizer, and sheep manure were similar; however, the bacterial composition was significantly different in the soil which been treated with rapeseed cake compared to these other three fertilizers. Additionally, PICRUSt function predicting indicates that the core microbial community in the rapeseed cake group could promote synthesis and the transport of sugar, iron and other substances. Organic fertilizer can change soil chemical and biological properties by affecting the core microbial community structure, and further promote accumulation of mineral elements in the leaves of citrus seedlings.

Mulching is a prevalent agricultural practice in citrus orchards, yet the microbiological mechanisms underlying film mulching require further investigation. In this study, five mulching materials (traditional flat planting with no mulching (CK), black film mulching (B), reflective film mulching (R), corn stalk mulching (S), white film mulching (W)) and three mulching durations (3 months (starting in September), 4 months (starting in August) and 5 months (starting in July)) were utilized to investigate the influence on the soil stoichiometric characteristics, microbial community, and fruit qualities in Beni-Madonna tangor (Citrus nanko × C. amakusa) orchards. In summary, mulching treatments significantly enhanced both soil quality and fruit quality, a mulching duration of 5 months using corn straw emerged as the optimal combination. However, with the extension of film mulching time, the diversity of soil microorganisms and the abundance of bacteria showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, while the abundance of fungi gradually increased. Different mulching materials had substantial impacts on soil microecology. Mulching durations had a more significant effect on bacteria, while the type of mulching material had a greater impact on fungi. There was a strong correlation between dominant flora and soil properties as well as fruit quality. With the exception of Proteobacteria and Chytridiomycota, dominant microorganisms exhibited positive correlations with TSS, TA, and b values of fruit. Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Candidate_division_WPS-1 showed negative correlations with soil available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), while Chytridiomycota was negatively correlated with soil pH. Based on redundancy discriminant analysis (RDA) and random forest (RF) analysis, the contribution of core flora to different indexes was different. Functional prediction revealed that corn straw mulching and extended mulching periods could enhance the abundance of core flora in soil, thereby enriching metabolic pathways such as hydroxypropanoate cycle metabolism, organic acid degradation, and amino acid synthesis. Mulching treatment significantly influences the chemical properties of soil, which in turn affects the quality of citrus fruit. Additionally, changes in soil characteristics are influenced by the diversity and abundance of soil microorganisms. Bacteria directly affect more soil properties and fruit color, while fungi have a stronger interaction with pH. The functions of the core microbiota like Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Candidate Division WPS-1, Glomeromycota, Armatimonadetes and Aphelidiomycota are highly correlated with the phenotypic characteristics of the soil and fruits. Covering citrus orchards with dry corn stalks for five months each year is the recommended method of mulching.

IntroductionFruit color is a crucial quality factor strongly influencing consumer preference for citrus. The coloration of citrus fruit is primarily determined by carotenoids, which produce a range of hues. Gibberellic acid (GA) and ethylene are critical in fruit coloration during the ripening process. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.MethodsThe present study utilized transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the molecular regulatory mechanisms affecting peel pigment metabolism in tangors (Citrus reticulata Blanco×Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) following GA and ethephon (ETH) treatments.Results and discussionCollectively, our findings indicated that GA inhibits chlorophyll degradation and the accumulation of numerous carotenoids, including five violaxanthin esters (violaxanthin palmitate, violaxanthin myristate–caprate, violaxanthin myristate–laurate, violaxanthin dilaurate, violaxanthin myristate) and two β-cryptoxanthin derivatives (β–cryptoxanthin laurate, β–cryptoxanthin myristate), while ETH promotes these processes. Furthermore, GA inhibited the downregulation of lutein, the predominant carotenoid in immature fruits. Notably, integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses identified 33 transcription factors associated with pigment metabolism. Of these, two novel transcription factors, the ethylene-responsive transcription factor ABR1 and the HD-Zip transcription factor ATHB7, were uncovered through both transcriptomic analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. These two transcription factors positively regulated the colouration process, as validated by transient overexpression assays in tobacco. Taken together, our findings elucidated the global carotenoid changes and transcriptional alterations in regulating citrus peel color under hormone induction, with significant implications for improving citrus production.

The skin is the body’s largest organ. It serves various functions, including protection and metabolism. Due to its structure and location, it is more vulnerable to external physical and chemical damage than internal organs. Additionally, certain endogenous diseases can cause pathological changes to appear on the skin and nerves. When skin tissue breaks down or sustains severe trauma, the cells, blood vessels, and nerves across all layers can suffer varying degrees of damage. This often results in pain, itching, sensory disturbances, and other discomforts, causing significant distress to patients. Stem-cell-derived exosome therapy has emerged as a promising treatment for skin injuries due to its safety, non-toxicity, and precision medicine benefits. Research has shown that stem-cell-derived exosomes regulate nerve cells by mediating MicroRNA (miRNA) transport and expression between cells, promoting axon growth. This exosome-driven miRNA exchange serves as a vital mode of intercellular communication, playing a crucial role in nervous system repair. Nerves play a critical role in skin wound healing and tissue regeneration, with sensory and autonomic nerves influencing key skin functions such as inflammation, immune defense, apoptosis, proliferation, and wound repair. Exosomes may aid in treating cutaneous nerve injuries by directly or indirectly promoting axon regeneration, nerve cell proliferation, and the release of protective neurofactors.

IntroductionCitrus fruit is rich in important functional constituents such as flavonoids, phenolic acids terpenes and other functional substances that play an important role for treating clinical diseases or controlling major agricultural diseases and pests. Plant secondary metabolites have become one of the most important resources of novel lead compounds, especially young citrus fruits contain multiple functional substances. ‘Orah’, a type of citrus reticulata, is known for its fine appearance, productivity, delicious sweetness, late-maturing characteristics, and is widely cultivated in China. Fruit thinning and rootstock selection are commonly used agronomic measures in its production to ensure its quality and tree vigor. However, few studies have demonstrated the effects of these agronomic measures on the functional substances of ‘Orah’.MethodsIn this study, we used HPLC coupled with UV to detect the dynamic changes of fruit quality, 13 main flavonoids, 7 phenolic acids, 2 terpenes, synephrine and antioxidant capacity in both peel and pulp of citrus fruits grafted on four rootstocks (Red orange Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. red tangerine, Ziyang xiangcheng Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka, Trifoliate orange Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf, and Carrizo citrange Citrus sinensis Osb.×P.trifoliate Raf) at six different developmental stages (from 90 DAF to 240 DAF).ResultsThe results indicated that rootstock can significantly affect the contents of functional constituents and antioxidant capacity in ‘Orah’. Additionally, it was found that pruning at either 90 DAF (days after flowering) or 150 DAF produced the most favorable outcomes for extracting functional substances. We also identified rootstock ‘Trifoliate orange’ has the highest total soluble solids (TSS) and ‘Ziyang xiangcheng’ to be the optimal in terms of comprehensive sensory of fruit quality, while ‘Red orange’ and ‘Ziyang xiangcheng’ are optimal in terms of functional substance quality, and ‘Red orange’ excels in antioxidant capacity.DiscussionOverall, the findings demonstrate the important role of rootstocks and developmental stage in shaping fruit sensory quality and functional substance synthesis, providing valuable insights for guiding rootstock selection, determining thinning time, and utilizing pruned fruits in a more informed manner.

α-Amylase inhibitory peptides are used to treat diabetes, but few studies have statistically characterized their interaction with α-amylase. This study performed the molecular docking of α-amylase with inhibitory peptides from published papers. The key sites, side chain chargeability, and hydrogen bond distribution characteristics were analyzed. Molecular dynamics simulated the role of key sites in complex stability. Moreover, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to analyze the contribution of different amino acids in the peptides to inhibition. The results showed that, for the α-amylase molecule, His201 and Gln63, with the highest interaction numbers (INs, 15, 15) and hydrogen bond values (HBVs, 11.50, 10.33), are the key sites on α-amylase, and amino acids with positively charged side chains were important for inhibitory activity. For the inhibitory peptides, Asp and Arg had the highest HBVs, and amino acids with charged side chains were more likely to form hydrogen bonds and exert inhibitory activity. In molecular dynamics simulations, peptides involving key binding sites formed more stable complexes with α-amylase than α-amylase alone, suggesting enhanced inhibitory effects. Further, PLSR results showed that amino acids close to the N-terminus of the inhibitory peptide, located in the third and fifth positions, were significantly correlated with its inhibitory activity. In conclusion, this study provides a new approach to developing and screening α-amylase inhibitors.

Bottle gourd(Lagenaria siceraria(Molina)Standl)is a widely distributed Cucurbitaceae species,but gaps and low-quality assemblies have limited its genomic study.To address this,we assembled a nearly complete,high-quality genome of the bottle gourd(Pugua)using PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C correction.The genome,being 298.67 Mb long with a ContigN50 of 28.55 Mb,was identified to possess 11 chromosomes,11 centromeres,18 telomeres,and 24439 predicted protein-coding genes;notably,gap-free telomere-to-telomere assembly was accomplished for seven chromosomes.Based on the Pugua genome,the transcriptomic and metabolomic combined analyses revealed that amino acids and lipids accumulate during the expansion stage,while sugars and terpenoids increase during ripening.GA4 and genes of the Aux/IAA family mediate fruit expansion and maturation,while cell wall remodeling is regulated by factors such as XTHs,EXPs,polyphenols,and alkaloids,contributing to environmental adaptation.GGAT2 was positively correlated with glutamate,a source of umami,and SUS5 and SPS4 expression aligned with sucrose accumulation.This study provides a valuable genetic resource for bottle gourd research,enhancing the understanding of Cucurbitaceae evolution and supporting further studies on bottle gourd development,quality,and genetic improvement.

Background: Sweet orange ( Citrus sinensis Osbeck) is a fruit crop of high nutritional value that is widely consumed around the world. However, its susceptibility to low-temperature stress limits its cultivation and production in regions prone to frost damage, severely impacting the sustainable development of the sweet orange industry. Therefore, developing cold-resistant sweet orange varieties is of great necessity . Traditional hybrid breeding methods are not feasible due to the polyembryonic phenomenon in sweet oranges, necessitating the enhancement of its germplasm through molecular breeding. High-quality reference genomes are valuable for studying crop resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the lack of genomic resources for cold-resistant sweet orange varieties has hindered the progress in developing such varieties and researching their molecular mechanisms of cold resistance. Findings: This study integrated PacBio HiFi, ONT, Hi-C, and Illumina sequencing data to assemble telomere-to-telomere (T2T) reference genomes for the cold-resistant sweet orange mutant "Longhuihong" ( Citrus sinensis [L.] Osb. cv. LHH) and its wild-type counterpart "Newhall" ( C. sinensis [L.] Osb. cv. Newhall). Comprehensive evaluations based on multiple criteria revealed that both genomes exhibit high continuity, completeness, and accuracy. The genome sizes were 340.28 Mb and 346.33 Mb, with contig N50 of 39.31 Mb and 36.77 Mb, respectively. In total, 31,456 and 30,021 gene models were annotated in the respective genomes. Leveraging these assembled genomes, comparative genomics analyses were performed, elucidating the evolutionary history of the sweet orange genome. Moreover, the study identified 2,886 structural variants between the 2 genomes, with several SVs located in the upstream, downstream, or intronic regions of homologous genes known to be associated with cold resistance. Conclusions: The study de novo assembled 2 T2T reference genomes of sweet orange varieties exhibiting different levels of cold tolerance. These genomes serve as valuable foundational resources for genomic research and molecular breeding aimed at enhancing cold tolerance in sweet oranges. Additionally, they expand the existing repository of reference genomes and sequencing data resources for C. sinensis. Moreover, these genomes provide a critical data foundation for comparative genomics analyses across different plant species.

Blood orange (BO) is a rare red-fleshed sweet orange (SWO) with a high anthocyanin content and is associated with numerous health-related benefits. Here, we reported a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly for Neixiu (NX) BO, reaching 336.63 Mb in length with contig and scaffold N50 values of 30.6 Mb. Furthermore, 96% of the assembled sequences were successfully anchored to 9 pseudo-chromosomes. The genome assembly also revealed the presence of 37.87% transposon elements and 7.64% tandem repeats, and the annotation of 30,395 protein-coding genes. A high level of genome synteny was observed between BO and SWO, further supporting their genetic similarity. The speciation event that gave rise to the Citrus species predated the duplication event found within them. The genome-wide variation between NX and SWO was also compared. This first high-quality BO genome will serve as a fundamental basis for future studies on functional genomics and genome evolution.

As a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, Descurainia sophia has various reported pharmacological activities such as prevention of chronic diseases, cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, anticancer, antioxidant, and has high nutritional values, but its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has not been reported. In this study, the D. sophia mitogenome was sequenced, assembled and annotated using next generation sequencing technologies on the Illumina HiSeq and PacBio Sequel platform. The results showed that the D. sophia mitogenome was a circular DNA molecule with the length of 265,457 bp and the GC content of 44.78%, encoding unique 56 genes, including 35 protein coding genes, 18 tRNA genes and 3 rRNA genes. We analyzed codon preference, repeated sequences, DNA sequence transformation, phylogenetic relationship, RNA editing and synteny in the D. sophia mitogenome. Based on the DNA sequences of mitogenomes, the phylogenetic and synteny analysis indicated that D. sophia was more closely related to Boechera stricta , and the mitogenome of D. sophia underwent frequent genome recombination. In this study, we obtained the complete mitogenome of D. sophia , which can provide valuable data support for future studies on genetic characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, species identification and development of new molecular markers in D. sophia .

The use of different rootstocks has a significant effect on the content of flavor components and overall fruit quality. However, little information is available about the metabolic basis of the nutritional value of citrus plants. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) was performed to analyze the metabolites of three late-maturing hybrid mandarin varieties (‘Gold Nugget’, ‘Tango’ and ‘Orah’) grafted on four rootstocks (‘Trifoliate orange’, ‘Carrizo citrange’, ‘Red tangerine’ and ‘Ziyang Xiangcheng’). A total of 1006 metabolites were identified through OPLS-DA (Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis) analysis. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis revealed the most critical pathways among the different pathways associated with genes grafted on the four rootstocks that were differentially activated, including tryptophan metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism in ‘Gold Nugget’; tryptophan metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and sphingolipid metabolism in ‘Tango’; and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis- and photosynthesis-related biosynthesis in ‘Orah’. A considerable difference between the different rootstocks was also observed in the accumulation of lipids, phenolic acids and flavonoids; further analysis revealed that the rootstocks regulated specific metabolites, including deacetylnomylinic acid, sudachinoid A, amoenin evodol, rutaevin, cyclo (phenylalanine-glutamic acid), cyclo (proline-phenylalanine), 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, and 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoic acid. The results of this study provide a useful foundation for further investigation of rootstock selection for late-maturation hybrid mandarin varieties.

IntroductionChieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How) is a wax gourd variety that is generally susceptible to infection and damage by Fusarium oxysporum during its cultivation. Therefore, analyzing the adaption mechanism of chieh-qua to F. Oxysporum infection is of great significance for cultivating resistant varieties.MethodsThrough comparative transcriptome analysis, comparative metabolome analysis, integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome and between F. Oxysporum infected samples and control samples of susceptible linesResultsThis study found that proteins such as NPR1, TGA and PR1 in plant hormone signal transduction pathway were up-regulated after infection, which may activate a series of plant secondary metabolic synthesis pathways. In addition, the expression of 27 genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic process in resistant lines after infection was significantly higher than that in susceptible lines, indicating that these genes may be involved in fungal resistance. This study also found that alternative splicing of genes may play an important role in responding to F. Oxysporum infection. For example, plant protein kinase genes such as EDR1, SRK2E and KIPK1 were not differentially expressed after F. Oxysporum infection, but the transcripts they produced differ at the transcription level. Finally, through comparative metabolome analysis, this study identified potentially functional substances such as oxalic acid that increased in content after F. Oxysporum infection. Through integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome, some differential expressed genes significantly related to differential metabolites were also identified.DiscussionThis study provides a basis for understanding and utilizing chieh-qua’s infection mechanism of F. Oxysporum through analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome.

The scale of the cosmetic market is increasing every day. There are many safety risks to cosmetics, but they benefit people at the same time. The skin can become red, swollen, itchy, chronically toxic, and senescent due to the misuse of cosmetics, triggering skin injuries, with contact dermatitis being the most common. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a system that can scientifically and rationally detect the composition and perform a toxicological assessment of cosmetic products. Traditional detection methods rely on instrumentation and method selection, which are less sensitive and more complex to perform. Engineered skin tissue has emerged with the advent of tissue engineering technology as an emerging bioengineering technology. The ideal engineered skin tissue is the basis for building good in vitro structures and physiological functions in this field. This review introduces the existing cosmetic testing and toxicological evaluation methods, the current development status, and the types and characteristics of engineered skin tissue. The application of engineered skin tissue in the field of cosmetic composition detection and toxicological evaluation, as well as the different types of tissue engineering scaffold materials and three-dimensional (3D) organoid preparation approaches, is highlighted in this review to provide methods and ideas for constructing the next engineered skin tissue for cosmetic raw material component analysis and toxicological evaluation.

Although the benefits of sugarcane polyphenol (SP) are well documented, its function in preventing photoaging has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of SP in preventing ultraviolet (UV)-B-induced skin photoaging in Balb/c mice, as well as the underlying mechanism. Chlorogenic acid was determined to be the primary component of SP by using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. SP and chlorogenic acid were orally administrated to mice for 56 days, and UV-B radiation exposure was administered 14 days after SP and chlorogenic acid administration and lasted 42 days to cause photoaging. SP and chlorogenic acid administrations significantly alleviated the UV-B-induced mouse skin photoaging, as indicated by the decrease in epidermal thickness, increase in the collagen (COL) volume fraction, and elevation in type 1 and type 3 COL contents. Notably, both SP and chlorogenic acid effectively reversed the overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase induced by UV-B exposure in the mouse skin. Furthermore, SP and chlorogenic acid reduced the expression of receptor for advanced glycosylation end products in the mice; amplified the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase; reduced malondialdehyde levels; and decreased inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α levels. SP could be a prospective dietary supplement for anti-photoaging applications due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-glycosylation attributes, and chlorogenic acid might play a major role in these effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study can provide a scientific basis for the practical application of sugarcane polyphenols. We expect that sugarcane polyphenols can be used in food and beverage products to provide flavor while combating skin aging.

Cynoglossum amabile, a member of the Boraginaceae family, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine and ethnomedicine known as Daotihu. Despite several studies confirming the presence of bioactive pyrrolizidine alkaloids such as amabiline, ambelline, echinatine, europine, and others in C. amabile, there has been no comprehensive review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology thus far. This review was conducted by thoroughly examining the literature and analyzing network databases. It covers various aspects of C. amabile, including botanical characteristics, geographical distribution, traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicology, and clinical applications. The results have shown that C. amabile has been traditionally used for medicinal, edible, and ornamental purposes in China for many centuries. The whole plant, root, and leaf of C. amabile are used by different ethnic groups, such as Lisu, Bai, Naxi, Yi, Jinuo, and Han, to treat malaria, hepatitis, dysentery, leucorrhea, tuberculosis cough, fracture, joint dislocation, trauma bleeding, and skin carbuncle abscess. A total of 47 chemical components, including alkaloids (pyrrolizidine alkaloids, PAs), sterols, organic acids, and saccharides, were isolated from C. amabile. Pharmacological studies show that the chemical extracts of C. amabile possess various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, cardiovascular effects, ganglionic action, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition. However, it is important to note that C. amabile exhibits hepatotoxicity, with its toxicity being linked to its primary PAs components. Although preliminary studies suggest potential applications in the treatment of prostate diseases and alopecia, further research is needed to validate these clinical uses. Our review highlights the traditional uses, phytochemistry, biological activity, toxicity, and clinical applications of C. amabile. It emphasizes the essential guiding role of the indigenous medicinal knowledge system in developing new drugs. Previous studies have shown that the phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics of C. amabile are significantly related to its traditional medicinal practices. Cynoglossum amabile has excellent market potential and can be further analyzed in terms of phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology, which are critical for its clinical drug safety, quality evaluation, and resource development.

Wax gourd is an important vegetable crop in Cucurbitaceae. There are two shapes of wax gourd seeds, bilateral and unilateral. Bilateral seeds are more popular than unilateral seeds because they germinate faster along with a higher germination rate. Previously, we identified the seed shape determination gene YABBY4 through genetic mapping and genome-wide association study. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying seed shape differentiation remain elusive. In this study, the B214 variety containing bilateral seeds and the B227 variety containing unilateral seeds were subjected to time-course transcriptome analysis. Our results showed that genes related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis were differentially expressed between B214 and B227 seeds at all stages, and some lignin biosynthesis-related genes were highly expressed in B214 seeds at the later stages. At the early stages, genes associated with cell periphery, plasma membrane, plant hormone signal transduction, and MAPK signaling pathway were more active. Catalytic activity, biosynthetic, and metabolic process-related genes were differentially expressed at the later stages. Together, our findings dissect the transcriptomic differences between the two types of seeds and gain insights into the regulatory networks of seed shape differentiation in wax gourd.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is cultivated worldwide and is known to be photophilic and thermophilic. Low light stress (LLS) in winter and spring in Northern and early spring in Southern China has a severe impact on the growth and development of greenhouse cucumbers. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of LLS in cucumbers remain unclear, which seriously limits the development of cucumber breeding under LLS. In this study, we investigated hypocotyl differences in two cucumber lines grown under LLS and normal (CK) condition. Under LLS, the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) declined tovarying degrees compared with CK, and Y8 showed a relatively small decline. The hypocotyl length of the F2 population is a quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes under LLS conditions. The candidate region for hypocotyl elongation under LLS was mapped to chromosome 2 using bulk segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq). In addition, transcriptome analysis revealed 2786 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 871 DEGs were specifically identified between Y5 and Y8 under LLS. Among these DEGs, 12 DEGs were involved in plant hormone signal transduction. Association analysis of the BSA-Seq and RNA-Seq results suggested that 36 DEGs were as candidate genes. Furthermore, three TFs (NAC, MYB and C2H2) may be considered the most likely candidate genes of hypocotyl elongation under LLS. Our results provide comprehensive understandings of the mechanism of hypocotyl elongation under LLS, and contribute to foundation for cloning the genes involved in hypocotyl elongation under LLS.