Table_1_Plantain flour: A potential anti-obesity ingredient for intestinal flora regulation and improved hormone secretion.DOCX

IntroductionDevelopment of functional food ingredients with anti-obesity is a growing interest in the global food industry. Plantain (Musa spp. AAB), a special type of cooking/starchy banana, is widely growing in African and Latin American countries. The flour made from unripe plantain pulp, which is considered as a natural source of indigestible carbohydrates such as resistant starch (RS), could be used in the formulation of diverse functional foods due to its anti-obesity properties. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-obesity properties of plantain flour are not explored.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the changes in serum hormone levels, liver transcriptome profiles, and the modulation of gut microbiota in high-fat-fed Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The male SD rats were divided into six groups, viz. two control groups [non-obese (NC) or obese (OC)] which were not given the supplementation, one positive control (PC) group which received orlistat supplementation (60 mg/kg body weight/day), and three groups of obese rats which were supplemented with unripe plantain flour (UPF) at a dosage (body weight/day) of 1.25 g/kg (low-dose, LD), 2.50 g/kg (intermediate-dose, MD) or 5.0 g/kg (high-dose, HD).Results and discussionIt was found that UPF supplementation could lower the insulin levels of the obese rats. Moreover, UPF supplementation had a positive impact on gut microbiota, decreasing the relative abundances of Blautia, Parasutterella and Fusicatenibacter which were closely related to obesity, and increasing the relative abundances of probiotics (Allobaculum, Romboutsia, Staphylococcus, and Bacteroides). The spearman correlation analysis revealed that UPF supplementation reduced the relative abundance of Parasutterella and possibly decreased the blood sugar levels, leading to a decrease in the relative abundances of Blautia and Fusicatenibacter and a subsequent decrease in insulin levels. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis of the liver tissues displayed that the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-1α (PPAR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway genes (Pparaa, Cpt1a, Prkaa1, Prkab1, Prkaa2, and Ppargc1a) were upregulated in those groups supplemented with UPF. These results indicated that UPF could mediate the glucolipid metabolism in the obese rats. Taken together, our findings suggested that the anti-obesity properties of UPF could be achieved by decreasing the insulin levels, positive-regulating of the gut microbiota composition as well as altering gene expression related to glucolipid metabolism.</p

<i>In silico</i> cross taxon transferability and polymorphism of the non-redundant Musa SSR markers to 23 plant genomes.

<p><i>In silico</i> cross taxon transferability and polymorphism of the non-redundant Musa SSR markers to 23 plant genomes.</p

SSR isolation statistics of four different data sets of the Banana genome.

<p>SSR isolation statistics of four different data sets of the Banana genome.</p

Table_1_Transcriptome and metabolome profiling provide insights into hormone-mediated enhanced growth in autotetraploid seedlings of banana (Musa spp.).DOCX

IntroductionReconstructive breeding based on autotetraploids to generate triploid varieties is a promising breeding strategy in banana (Musa spp.). Therefore understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic differences between the original diploid and its autopolyploid derivatives is of significant importance in such breeding programs of banana.MethodsIn this study, a number of non-chimeric autotetraploid plants, confirmed by flow cytometry and chromosome counting were obtained using colchicine treatment of ‘Pisang Berlin' (AA Group), a diploid banana cultivar highly resistant to Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) and widely cultivated in Asia.Results and discussionThe autotetraploids showed significant increase in plant height, pseudostem diameter, root length, leaf thickness, leaf area, and leaf chlorophyll content. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organelles. The genes related to the metabolism, transport or signaling of auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin (CTK) and gibberellin (GA), as well as the genes encoding essential enzymes in photosynthetic CO2 fixation were differentially expressed in leaves of autotetraploids and most of them were up-regulated. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the differentially accumulated metabolites were mainly involved in plant hormone signal transduction, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, indole alkaloid biosynthesis, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organelles. The results therefore, demonstrate that the hormones IAA, ABA, and photosynthetic regulation may play a vital role in the observed enhancement in the autotetraploids. These could be used as molecular and biochemical markers to facilitate the generation of triploid progenies as suitable new varieties for cultivation.</p

Origin, race, and <i>in vitro</i> toxin production of isolates of <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>cubense.</i>

a<p>The <i>Fusarium</i> isolates were maintained at Agricultural Culture Collection of China (ACCC).</p>b<p>Detection limits for beauvericin (BEA) and fusaric acid (FA) were 1.8 and 4.8ng/g respectively.</p>c<p>The data were the means of three replications. Mean values in the same column followed by the different letter are significantly different by Fisher’s protected least significant difference test (P<0.05).</p

Toxicity analysis of different concentration of BEA and FA on protoplast at 72

<p> <b>h.</b> The scale bar is 100 µm.</p

Pathogenicity and amounts of toxins in banana root (R), leaves (L) and pseudostem (P) by isolates of <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>cubense.</i>

a<p>The <i>Foc</i> isolates were maintained at Agricultural Culture Collection of China (ACCC).</p>b<p>IDI means Integrated Disease Index.</p>c<p>Detection limits for BEA and FA were 6.0 and 4.8 ng/g respectively.</p>d<p>Pisang Awak cv ‘GuangFen #1’ (ABB) was used as experimental plant.</p>e<p>Cavendish cv ‘Brazilian’ (AAA) was used as experimental plant.</p><p>The data were the means of 3 replications. Mean values in the same column followed by the different letter are significantly different by Fisher’s protected least significant difference test (P<0.05).</p

Isolated <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>cubense</i> contaminanting and distribution of beauvericin (BEA) and fusaric acid (FA) toxins in <i>Musa</i> AAA Cavendish banana plant tissues.

<p>Note:ND, Not Detected. Controll and Control2 were healthy Musa AAA Cavendish Brazilian from Panyu and Dongguan respectively.</p>a<p>The <i>Fusarium</i> isolates were maintained at Agricultural Culture Collection of China (ACCC).</p>b<p>Detection limits for BEA and FA were 6.0 and 4.8 ng/g respectively.</p

In Vitro toxin production of isolates of <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f. sp. <i>cubense</i>.

a<p>The <i>Foc</i> isolates were maintained at Agricultural Culture Collection of China (ACCC) and Control1 and Control2 were inoculated with sterile deionised water.</p>b<p>Banana plant host: Br, Brazilian; GF, Guangfen #1”.</p>c<p>Detection limits for BEA and FA were 6.0 and 4.8ng/g respectively, and the data were the means of three replications. Mean values in the same column followed by the different letter are significantly different by Fisher’s protected least significant difference test (P<0.05).</p

Cytotoxicity of FA and BEA to banana protoplasts using the Alamar Blue assay.

<p>Cytotoxicity of FA and BEA to banana protoplasts using the Alamar Blue assay.</p