Molecular dissection of Phaseolus vulgaris polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 reveals the presence of hold/release domains affecting protein trafficking toward the cell wall

The plant endomembrane system is massively involved in the synthesis, transport and secretion of cell wall polysaccharides and proteins; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying trafficking toward the apoplast are largely unknown. Besides constitutive, the existence of a regulated secretory pathway has been proposed. A polygalacturonase inhibitor protein (PGIP2), known to move as soluble cargo and reach the cell wall through a mechanism distinguishable from default, was dissected in its main functional domains (A, B, C, D), and C sub-fragments (C1–10), to identify signals essential for its regulated targeting. The secretion patterns of the fluorescent chimeras obtained by fusing different PGIP2 domains to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were analyzed. PGIP2 N-terminal and leucine-rich repeat domains (B and C, respectively) seem to operate as holding/releasing signals, respectively, during PGIP2 transit through the Golgi. The B domain slows down PGIP2 secretion by transiently interacting with Golgi membranes. Its depletion leads, in fact, to the secretion via default (Sp2-susceptible) of the ACD-GFP chimera faster than PGIP2. Depending on its length (at least the first 5 leucine-rich repeats are required), the C domain modulates B interaction with Golgi membranes allowing the release of chimeras and their extracellular secretion through a Sp2 independent pathway. The addition of the vacuolar sorting determinant Chi to PGIP2 diverts the path of the protein from cell wall to vacuole, suggesting that C domain is a releasing rather than a cell wall sorting signal

Agronomic Performance and Nutraceutical Quality of a Tomato Germplasm Line Selected under Organic Production System

Organic tomato production is increasing worldwide, thus making necessary the development of varieties adapted to this farming system. It is now well known that the implementation of local tomato plant breeding programs for organic farming is required to increase the performance of varieties in this typology of cultivation regime. In this research, the agronomic performance, nutraceutical contents, and radical scavenging activity of a tomato germplasm line (OSTGL), selected under organically grown conditions, were evaluated for two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) in comparison with the variety ‘Rio Grande’, frequently grown organically in Tunisia. Carotenoids, phenolics, vitamin C, and radical scavenging capacity were assayed spectrophotometrically, while tocopherols were analyzed by HPLC. All data were not affected by year-to-year variability. The OSTGL line showed significantly higher marketable yield, total phenol, flavonoid, vitamin C, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol contents, along with radical scavenging activity. The OSTGL red-ripe berries also showed comparable values for average weight, soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, firmness and coloration, as well as lycopene and β-carotene contents. This open pollinated tomato germplasm line demonstrated to be an effective sustainable variety for improving fruit yield, agronomic, and nutraceutical characteristics under an organic management system

Serum antioxidant capacity and peroxide level of seven healthy subjects after consumption of different foods

This article reports experimental data related to the research article entitled \u201cDifferent effectiveness of two pastas supplemented with either lipophilic or hydrophilic/phenolic antioxidants in affecting serum as evaluated by the novel Antioxidant/Oxidant Balance approach\u201d (M.N. Laus, M. Soccio, M. Alfarano, A. Pasqualone, M.S. Lenucci, G. Di Miceli, D. Pastore, 2016) [1]. Antioxidant status of blood serum of seven healthy subjects was evaluated during four hours after consumption of two functional pastas, supplemented with either bran oleoresin or bran water extract obtained from durum wheat. For comparison, the effect of a non-supplemented reference pasta was also evaluated, as well as the effects of glucose, of the wheat grain dietary supplement Lisosan G, and of the reference pasta consumed together with Lisosan G. Serum antioxidant status was evaluated by measuring both the serum antioxidant capacity, using LOX-FL, ORAC and TEAC methods, and the serum oxidant status, assessed as peroxide level

Tomato oil encapsulation by α-, β-, and γ-Cyclodextrins: A comparative study on the formation of supramolecular structures, antioxidant activity, and carotenoid stability

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are oligosaccharides, comprising 6 (α), 7 (β), or 8 (γ) glucose residues, used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions and improve oil stability towards degradation. In this research, the aptitude of α-, β-, and γ-CDs to form complexes with a supercritical CO2 extracted lycopene-rich tomato oil (TO) was comparatively assessed. TO/CD emulsions and the resulting freeze-dried powders were characterized by microscopy, Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as for their antioxidant activity. Furthermore, carotenoid stability was monitored for 90 days at 25 and 4 ◦C. Confocal and SEM microscopy revealed morphological differences among samples. α- and β-CDs spontaneously associated into microcrystals assembling in thin spherical shells (cyclodextrinosomes, Ø ≈ 27 µm) at the oil/water interface. Much smaller (Ø ≈ 9 µm) aggregates were occasionally observed with γ-CDs, but most TO droplets appeared “naked”. FTIR and DSC spectra indicated that most CDs did not participate in TO complex formation, nevertheless structurally different interfacial complexes were formed. The trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) activity of emulsions and powders highlighted better performances of α- and β-CDs as hydrophobic antioxidants-dispersing agents across aqueous media. Regardless of CDs type, low temperature slowed down carotenoid degradation in all samples, except all-[E]-lycopene, which does not appear efficiently protected by any CD type in the long storage period

Fractionate analysis of the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activities in advanced breeding lines of high-lycopene tomatoes

The results of the first study characterizing new high-lycopene tomato advanced breeding lines, to determine the phytochemical content as well asin vitroantioxidant activities of peel, pulp and seed fractions are presented.</p

Tuber borchii Vitt. mycorrhiza protects Cistus creticus L. from heavy metal toxicity

Heavy metals (HMs), such as copper, zinc, lead, mercury and cadmium, are the most abundant and dangerous inorganic environmental pollutants. Growing pieces of evidence suggest that mycorrhizal fungi can alleviate metal toxicity in plants. In this study, we focused attention on the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus Tuber borchii Vitt., which is widespread in Italy and is of great ecological interest because of the mutualistic associations and the advantages it provides to host plants. Seedlings of the Mediterranean shrub Cistus creticus L., mycorrhized and non mycorrhized with the ECM fungus 7: borchii, were treated with HMs (zinc, lead and chromium). HMs induced leaves' chlorosis in non mycorrhized seedlings; while no significant differencewas observed impigmentation of mycorrhized seedlings' leaves. This observation was confirmed by Euclidean Distance of color measurements in L*a*b* units from RGB digital images of leaves. The decrease in leaves pigmentation observed in HM treated non mycorrhized seedlings strongly correlated with a reduced expression of key genes associated with chlorophyll biosynthesis; instead, no significant variation of gene expression was detected in mycorrhized seedlings treated with HMs

Bioactive composition and sensory evaluation of innovative spaghetti supplemented with free or α-cyclodextrin chlatrated pumpkin oil extracted by supercritical CO2

The feasibility of producing durum wheat pasta enriched with a lipophilic phytocomplex, extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2), from ripe pumpkin, as free oil or as ready-to-mix oil/α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs)powder, was explored. Four types of pasta were prepared: (i)control spaghetti (S-CTRL); (ii)spaghetti supplemented with α-CDs (S-α-CD); (iii)spaghetti supplemented with pumpkin oil (S-Oil)and (iv)spaghetti supplemented with the pumpkin oil/α-CD powder (S-Oil/α-CD). The chemical, antioxidant, textural and sensory attributes of the different pasta were evaluated and compared. S-Oil and S-Oil/α-CD spaghetti were significantly enriched with phytosterols, squalene, carotenoids, tocochromanols and unsaturated fatty acids. Spaghetti containing α-CDs were slightly improved in terms of fiber content. Oil chlatration increased the stability of some bioactives during pasta production and ameliorated poor textural and sensory characteristics of the cooked spaghetti compared with S-Oil sample. S-Oil/α-CD spaghetti might be accepted by customers, if the potential health benefits were also explained

Effect of Individual and Selected Combined Treatments With Saline Solutions and Spent Engine Oil on the Processing Attributes and Functional Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) Fruit: In Memory of Professor Leila Ben Jaballah Radhouane (1958-2021)

The results showed that soil electrical conductivity, (EC2: 7 dS/m) increased soluble solids, lycopene content, total phenolic content, hydrophilic and lipophilic radical scavenging activities (HRSA and LRSA) by 14.2, 149, 20, 46.4, and 19.0%, respectively, compared with control. Under 0.5% spent engine oil (SEO), flavonoid content decreased by 21.7% compared with the control. HRSA and LRSA of fruits subjected to EC2/SEO1 treatment were, respectively, 45.9 and 35.5% lower than control. The a*/b* ratio was positively and significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with beta-carotene (R = 0.78), lycopene (R = 0.68), total vitamin C (R = 0.71), alpha-tocopherol (R = 0.83), gamma-tocopherol (R = 0.66), HRSA (R = 0.93), LRSA (R = 0.80), and soluble solids (R = 0.84) suggesting that it may be a promising indicator of fruit quality in areas affected by such constraints. The research revealed that combined stresses induce responses markedly different from those of individual treatments, which strain the need to focus on how the interaction between stresses may affect the functional quality of tomato fruits