Geographical origin identification of winter jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Dongzao')by using multi-element fingerprinting with chemometrics

Winter jujube(Ziziphus jujuba'Dongzao')is greatly appreciated by consumers for its excellent quality,but brand infringement frequently occurs in the market.Here,we first determined a total of 38 elements in 167 winter jujube samples from the main winter jujube producing areas of China by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer(ICP-MS).As a result,16 elements(Mg,K,Mn,Cu,Zn,Mo,Ba,Be,As,Se,Cd,Sb,Ce,Er,Tl,and Pb)exhibited significant differences in samples from different producing areas.Supervised linear discriminant analysis(LDA)and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA)showed better performance in identifying the origin of samples than unsupervised principal component analysis(PCA).LDA and OPLS-DA had a mean identification accuracy of 87.84 and 94.64%in the testing set,respectively.By using the multilayer perceptron(MLP)and C5.0,the prediction accuracy of the models could reach 96.36 and 91.06%,respectively.Based on the above four chemometric methods,Cd,Tl,Mo and Se were selected as the main variables and principal markers for the origin identification of winter jujube.Overall,this study demonstrates that it is practical and precise to identify the origin of winter jujube through multi-element fingerprint analysis with chemometrics,and may also provide reference for establishing the origin traceability system of other fruits.

Differences in leaf cuticular wax induced by whole-genome duplication in autotetraploid sour jujube

Drought-resistant plants exhibit strong water retention capability.In this regard,the autotetraploid sour jujube leaves exhibit better water retention than diploid leaves.Morphological comparisons and physiological comparisons of diploid and autotetraploid leaves showed that the autotetraploid leaves had thicker leaf cuticles and more leaf wax accumulation than the diploid leaves,which could reduce cuticle permeability and improve the drought tolerance of leaves.In this study,the cuticular wax crystalloids on the adaxial and abaxial sides of young and mature jujube leaves were observed in the two ploidy types,and unique cuticular wax crystalloids covering a large area of the cuticle on autotetraploid sour jujube leaves may provide an advantage in reducing leaf non-stomata transpiration and improving plant drought tolerance.Based on the transcriptome,115 differentially expressed genes between diploids and autotetraploids were further analyzed and found to be involved in the accumulation of cuticular wax components,including terpenoids,fatty acids,and lipids,as well as ABC transporter and wax biosynthetic process.Finally,14 genes differentially expressed between glossy autotetraploid leaves and nonglossy diploid leaves,such as LOC107414787,LOC107411574 and LOC107413721,were screened as candidate genes by qRT-PCR analysis.This findings provided insights into how polyploidization improved drought tolerance.

GST family genes in jujube actively respond to phytoplasma infection

Jujube witches’broom(JWB)caused by phytoplasma has a severely negative effect on multiple metabolisms in jujube.The GST gene family in plants participates in the regulation of a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses.This study aims to identify and reveal the changes in the jujube GST gene family in response to phytoplasma infection.Here,70 ZjGSTs were identified in the jujube genome and divided into 8 classes.Among them,the Tau-class,including 44 genes,was the largest.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Tau-class genes were highly conserved among species,such as Arabidopsis,cotton,chickpea,and rice.Through chromosome location analysis,37.1%of genes were clustered,and 8 of 9 gene clusters were composed of Tau class members.Through RT-PCR,qRT-PCR and enzyme activity detection,the results showed that the expression of half(20/40)of the tested ZjGSTs was inhibited by phytoplasma infection in field and tissue culture conditions,and GST activity was also significantly reduced.In the resistant and susceptible varieties under phytoplasma infection,ZjGSTU49-ZjGSTU54 in the cluster IV showed opposite expression patterns,which may be due to functional divergence during evolution.Some upregulated genes(ZjGSTU45,ZjGSTU49,ZjGSTU59,and ZjGSTU70)might be involved in the process of jujube against JWB.The yeast two-hybrid results showed that all 6 Tauclass proteins tested could form homodimers or heterodimers.Overall,the comprehensive analysis of the jujube GST gene family revealed that ZjGSTs responded actively to phytoplasma infection.Furthermore,some screened genes(ZjGSTU24,ZjGSTU49-52,ZjGSTU70,and ZjDHAR10)will contribute to further functional studies of jujube-phytoplasma interactions.

Utilization of Changyun Jujube, a Cultivar with Resistance to Witches Broom Disease

In 2021,the Shanting District Fruit Industry Service Center conducted an application test of a treatment for jujube witches broom disease using Changyun jujube.The results demonstrated that when diseased Changhong jujube plants were grafted with Changyun jujube in the spring using bark or cleft grafting,the majority of the new shoots of Changyun jujube exhibited no symptoms of witches broom disease,while a few exhibited symptoms of the disease.With the growth of new shoots,the symptoms of witches broom disease gradually abated,returning to normal growth and development.Similarly,the symptoms of witches broom disease on the rootstock below the grafting mouth also gradually abated,returning to normal.The Changyun jujube rootstock was utilized as the intermediate rootstock to grafting the jujube cultivars Qiyuexian and Fucuimi.The two cultivars were subsequently affixed with branch bark from the witches broom disease.The two cultivars did not exhibit any symptoms of witches broom disease,thus providing an opportunity to investigate potential treatments for this disease in jujube.Finally,the cultivation techniques of the Changyun jujube were presented.

Current Status of Clinical Application and Basic Research on Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa Jujube Lung-Diarrhoea Soup

The clinical application and basic research of Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup focus on respiratory diseases and circulatory diseases, and its clinical application is more compared with the basic research, and Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup is mostly used in the form of “Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup with additional subtractions or other formulas combining Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa Hebecarpa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup” in the clinical application. This article will focus on the main mechanisms of Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup and its main components in the treatment of respiratory and circulatory diseases, and will give a review of the basic research on Draba nemerosa Hebecarpa Hebecarpa jujube diarrhoea lung soup as follows.

Intellectual Property Protection and New Development Pattern Construction of Xinjiang Jujube

"Three new developments"is the guiding ideology of Chinese-style high-quality development in the new era.Jujube(Zizyphus jujube Mill.)is a plant of Zizyphus of Rhamnaceae,which originated in China and has been listed as one of the"five fruits"since ancient times.Xinjiang is the most important jujube producing area in China,and its yield has accounted for 50%of the national jujube yield.In the five prefectures and cities of southern Xinjiang,as well as the regimental farms of southern and eastern Xinjiang of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,the jujube industry is an advantageous characteristic industry in agriculture.This paper studied Xinjiang jujube industry and its agricultural intellectual property resources,analyzed six major issues to be further implemented,such as the"three new developments"thinking and the strategy of building an intellectual property power,and puts forward eight strategies such as coordinating the two markets and two resources to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern and dual circulation of jujube.

Transcriptome and weighted gene co-expression network analysis of jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)fruit reveal putative genes involved in proanthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation

Proanthocyanidin(PA)is an important bioactive compound with multiple physiological benefits in jujube(Ziziphus jujube Mill.).However,the molecular mechanisms underlying PA biosynthesis in jujube fruit have not been investigated.Here,the profiling of PA,(+)-catechin and(–)-epicatechin and transcriptome sequencing of three jujube cultivars from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China at five developmental stages were analyzed.The levels of total PAs and catechin exhibited a decreased trend over jujube ripening,and epicatechin content of two jujube cultivars increased first and then declined.Transcriptome analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were mainly enriched in ribosome,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,fructose and mannose metabolism.17 DEGs encoding PAL,CHS,CHI,CHS,F3'H,LAR,ANR,C4Hs,4CLs,FLSs,DFRs and UFGTs involved in PA biosynthesis were relatively abundant.The highly transcribed LAR gene may greatly contribute to epicatechin accumulation.A weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)was performed,and a network module including 1620 genes highly correlated with content of Pas and catechin was established.We identified 58 genes including 9 structural genes and 49 regulatory genes related to PA biosynthesis and regulation in the WGCNA module.Sixteen genes encoding 9 families of transcriptional factors(i.e.,MYB,bHLH,ERF,bZIP,NAC,SBP,MIKC,HB,WRKY)were considered as hub genes.The results of qRT-PCR analysis validating 10 genes were well consistent with the transcriptome data.These findings provide valuable knowledge to facilitate its genetic studies and molecular breeding.

Beneficial effects of fermented jujube pulp in relieving loperamide hydrochloride-induced constipation in male ICR mice

Unfermented jujube pulp(UFJP),fermented jujube pulp(FJP)in high and low doses were fed to constipated ICR mice.Defecation function,serum gastrointestinal regulatory peptide,fecal short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and gut microbial composition were assessed.Results showed that high-dose FJP could protect intestinal mucosa tissue,shorten the first black feces defecating time by 17%and increase the number and wet weights of black feces by 72%and 71%,respectively,within 6 h.High-dose FJP signifi cantly down-regulated the somatostatin level and up-regulated gastrin level in constipated mice,compared with low-dose FJP and UFJP.The high-dose FJP intervention regulated the microbiota profi le,which afterwards restored microbiota,like Bacteroidetes,Bifi dobacterium and Lactobacillus,to a less unhealthy state.This study provides convincing in vivo evidence that high-dose FJP supplementation through daily diet could be a promising approach to effectively alleviate constipation and modulate gut health.

Effects of methionine treatment on storage quality and antioxidant activity of postharvest jujube fruit

Jujube fruits usually suffer from physiological disorders or infectious diseases during storage,leading to quality deterioration,softening,or rotting.Therefore,this study aims to investigate the effect of methionine soaking treatment on the postharvest jujube fruit decay rate and storage quality.Methionine treatment significantly reduced the decay rate of postharvest jujube fruit and effectively maintained fruit color and titratable acid.Methionine treatment effectively delayed the decrease of firmness,soluble solids,ascorbic acid,and lignin contents in jujube fruit.Methionine treatment reduced the content of alanine and phenylalanine,and increased the content of glycine in jujube fruit,but displayed no significant effect on total amino acid content.In addition,jujube fruits in the methionine treatment group had a higher total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity,both in free and bound forms.Compared with the control,methionine treatment also significantly increased the content of individual phenolic acid fractions(gallic acid,vanillic acid,and syringic acid)and flavonoid fractions(catechin,epicatechin,rutin)in free form as well as individual phenolic acid fractions in bound form(gallic acid and ferulic acid)in jujube fruits.Overall,this study suggested that the methionine treatment could be used as a prospective preservative to reduce the postharvest decay of jujube fruit and alleviate its nutritional quality deterioration during cold storage at 4°C.

A cyclic effect of cAMP and calcium signaling contributes to jujube growth and development

3´,5´-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)is an important metabolite that is specifically enriched in jujube.However,the effect of cAMP on jujube cellular responses has not been comprehensively studied.Here,we established jujube cell suspension cultures and investigated the calcium influx in response to cAMP treatment through protoplast isolation and fluorescence intensity.Firstly,cAMP treatment could promote jujube growth and increase the content of endogenous cAMP.Using transcriptome analysis with transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing adenylate cyclase(ZjAC)as a positive control,we identified 60 calcium-related differential expressed genes(DEGs)that contributed to the calcium signaling and inter-or intra-cellular responses.Pharmacological treatments such as cAMP and the calcium ionophore A23187 could induce ZjAC expression,the accumulation of cAMP and calcium influx in jujube cells,while ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid(EGTA)or bithionol treatment inhibited these changes.Moreover,the calcium channels and transporters in calcium influx,such as the ZjCNGC2 channel and the mitogen activated protein(MAP)kinase pathway,could be activated by cAMP treatment.In summary,our findings demonstrated that cAMP biosynthesis is dependent on calcium influx and the amplifying effect between calcium and cAMP may be involved in intracellular signal induction,which might contribute to the growth and development of jujube.

Technical Studies of Controlling Jujube Witches Broom Disease with Resistant Rootstock

[Objectives]The paper was to screen and identify the control effect of resistant rootstock on jujube witches broom disease.[Methods]The seeds or branches of disease-free plants were collected from wild jujube bushes infected by witches broom disease,and 5434 seedlings were obtained by sowing or cutting.The virus was inoculated by grafting diseased bark.After 6 years of preliminary screening,40 plants with resistance to jujube witches broom disease were obtained.Taking these resistant plants as the rootstocks,the susceptible variety‘long red jujube’was grafted at a height of 40 cm.When the plants grew to appropriate thickness,diseased bark was grafted to‘long red jujube’and rootstock to transmit the virus.After 18 years of observation and judgment,4 rootstock strains with high resistance or immunity to jujube witches broom disease were finally determined,namely 90801,90803,90806 and 908011.The susceptible variety‘long red jujube’was grafted to 4 rootstocks and inoculated the virus through diseased bark grafting method.[Results]The resistant rootstock had obvious disease resistance effect.When the branches of 90801 and 90803 rootstocks were grafted to the trunk of diseased trees,the symptoms of jujube witches broom disease gradually alleviated till disappeared.[Conclusions]Using germplasm with high resistance or immunity to jujube witches broom disease as rootstock can effectively prevent the spread of jujube witches broom disease,and bridging the trunk of diseased trees with branches from resistant rootstock has certain therapeutic effect.

Taxonomic Studies of Weed Communities Growing in Date Palm and Christ’s Thorn Jujube Farms in Ad-Dawadimi, KSA

The problem of food shortage is one of the most important problems facing many countries in the world. Various factors affect the decline in crop productivity. Where weeds are the most important reasons that cause a huge loss in crop productivity. Studying agricultural ecosystems, knowing their components and explaining the relationship between all of their components, helps a lot in achieving the highest productivity of different crops in addition to benefiting from some types of weeds, as well as, identifying appropriate methods to control the growth of weeds. In this study, 60 species were listed. The most frequent plant families were Asteraceae, Poaceae and Zygophyllaceae. Annuals were the most common life span, as well as, therophytes were the most frequent life form. The most frequent floristic categories were Saharo-Sindian-Sudano-Zambezian and Saharo-Sindian regions. The most famous indicators of biodiversity (species richness, species evenness and species diversity) have been calculated. For managing and classifying data PC-ORD program (TWINSPAN and DCA analyses) was used.

Development of a texture evaluation system for winter jujube(Ziziphus jujuba‘Dongzao’)

Winter jujube(Ziziphus jujuba‘Dongzao’)is an excellent late maturing variety of fresh-eating jujube in China.Fruit texture is an important indicator of sensory quality.To investigate the correlations among texture indices and establish an evaluation system for winter jujube texture,we used the TMS-Touch instrument to perform a texture profile analysis(TPA)on 1150 winter jujubes from three major producing areas in China.Eight indices and their best-fit distribution were obtained,including fracture(Pearson),hardness(InvGauss),adhesive force(Weibull),adhesiveness(LogLogistic),cohesiveness(LogLogistic),springiness(BetaGeneral),gumminess(InvGauss),and chewiness(InvGauss).Based on the best-fit distribution curves,each index was divided into five grades(lower,low,medium,high and higher)by the 10th,30th,70th and 90th percentiles.Among the texture indices,82%of the correlation coefficients were highly significant(P<0.01);meanwhile,chewiness was significantly(P<0.01)and positively correlated with springiness and gumminess,of which the correlation coefficients were up to 0.8692 and 0.8096,respectively.However,adhesiveness was significantly(P<0.01)and negatively related to adhesive force with a correlation coefficient of–0.7569.Among hardness,cohesiveness,springiness,gumminess,and chewiness,each index could be well fitted by a multiple linear regression with the remaining four indices,with the coefficients above 0.94 and the mean fitting error and mean prediction error lower than 10%.A comprehensive evaluation model was consequently established based on factor analysis to evaluate the texture quality of winter jujube.The results demonstrated that winter jujube with higher comprehensive scores generally exhibited higher springiness and chewiness,but had lower adhesive force and adhesiveness.We used factor analysis and clustering analysis to divide the eight studied texture into four groups(cohesive factor,adhesive-soft factor,tough-hard factor,and crispness factor),whose representative indices were springiness,adhesiveness,hardness,and fracture,respectively.Overall,this study investigated the variation in each index of winter jujube texture,explored the association among these indices,screened the representative indices,and established a texture evaluation system.The results provide a methodological basis and technical support for evaluating winter jujube texture.

Research Progress on Functional Components and Pharmacological Effects of Red Jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)

Red jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Mill.),as a traditional Chinese medicine and edible plant,has a long history and extensive uses.Red jujubes are not only widely used in the food industry and traditional Chinese medicine preparations,but also have attracted widespread research interest due to their rich functional components and various pharmacological effects.This paper reviewed the main functional components of jujubes,including polysaccharides,triterpenoid saponins,organic acids and alkaloids,and discussed in detail the pharmacological effects of these components such as blood sugar-regulating,antioxidant,anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects.Furthermore,the paper also summarized the safety issues such as drug interactions and toxic side effects of jujubes,and prospected the future development direction of jujube research.

Oxidation Resistance of Flavonoids in Chinese Jujube Stone

[Objective] The aim was to study on the oxidation resistance of flavonoids in Chinese jujube stone. [Method] The extract of flavonoids from Chinese jujube stone was added to fresh rapeseed oil and lard to explore the oxidation resistance of flavonoids; the removal rates of it to O2-·,DPPH· and ·OH were also studied. [Result] The flavonoids from Chinese jujube stone had good oxidation resistance on rapeseed oil and lard,and the effects showed dose-dependent; citric acid and vitamin C appeared synergistic effects to the flavonoids; in free-radical reaction experiment,the flavonoids from Chinese Jujube stone also showed strong scavenging ability on O2-·,DPPH· and ·OH,in addition,the scavenging ability increased with concentration increasing. [Conclusion] The result of this study had provided theoretical basis for the further development and utilization of Chinese jujube resource.

Identification of Pigments from Jujube Fruit Skin

[Objective]The aim was to identify the composition of pigments from Jujube fruit skin.[Method]Pigments were extracted from＇Lubei Dongzao＇,＇Lajiao Zao＇,＇Chengwu Dongzao＇,＇Dabailing＇and identificated by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（HPLC-MS）.[Result]The results showed that eight flavanols and four to five flavonols were detected,no anthocyanins was detected.The contents of flavonoids were differnt in four varieties.The contents of flavanols（11 mg/g） and flavonols（1.78 mg/g） in＇Dabailing＇ were one-time higher than other varieties.Quercetin 3 rutinoside was the major flavonol.[Conclusion]The research provided theoretical basis for further study on mechanism of Jujube pigment turnning into the red.

Measurement of Coordinate Parameter by Multi-baseline Digital Close-range Photogrammetry System and Data Analysis for Jujube

[Objective] The aim was to explore the measurement of coordinate parameter by multi-baseline digital close-range photogrammetry system.[Method] The 3-dimensional coordinate of 8-year-old Jujube was measured by using Lensphoto multi-baseline digital close-range photogrammetry system,and through comparing with measured data of Total Station,the error and accuracy of photogrammetry data were analyzed.[Result] The absolute error of X,Y and Z coordinate was 0-0.014,0-0.018 and 0-0.004 m respectively,and the relative error of X,Y and Z coordinate was less than 0.145%.The significance test of pairs for the photogrammetry data and measured data of Total Station indicated that the space coordinate data of stumpage were accurately measured by using the multi-baseline digital close-range photogrammetry method,and the photogrammetry data meet the need of space coordinate measurement for virtual plant growth simulation.[Conclusion] This study had provided theoretical basis for the growth measurement of virtual plant growth simulation.

Breeding of Ferment Bacteria and Control of Methanol and Higher Alcohols in Jujube Wine

Jujube wine is a health drink with local characteristics and is worth pro- moting. Jujube wine fermentation can be divided into alcoholic fermentation and mal- olactic fermentation. Yeast is the key of alcoholic fermentation while lactic acid bac- teria is the key of malolactic fermentation, and therefore the breeding of yeast and lactic acid bacteria is crucial for the quality of jujube wine. Besides, the control of methanol is a major problem in production, and the control of higher alcohol is also difficult. Thus, we summarized the research related with the breeding of yeast and lactic acid bacteria, and the control of methanol and higher alcohols, and proposed that breeding specialized yeast and lactic acid bacteria was the future research di- rection. Moreover, the production mechanism of methanol and higher alcohols was investigated, and the content of methanol and higher alcohols was effectively con- trolled on the basis of quality guarantee, providing references for the production technology of jujube wine.

Influence of Soil Geochemistry to the Quality of Winter Jujube in Zhanhua

[Objective] The aim was to investigate the effects of soil geochemistry on the quality of winter jujube.[Method]Based on the data of ecological geochemical survey in lower Yellow River Basin,the relevance of the geochemistry environment in top soils and the quality of winter jujubes was analyzed.[Result]Cd,Ni and other heavy metals in the soil more obviously affected the nutrition of winter jujubes.[Conclusion]B,Mn,MgO,Cd,Zn,K2O and other elements in the root soil played an important role in the enrichment of Cr and Hg of winter jujube fruit.And the absorption of heavy metals in winter jujube root could be interfered by improving fertilization method,to reduce the enrichment of harmful elements in jujube fruit.

Physio-Biochemical Changes in Jujube Fruits(Zizyphus jujuba Mill. cv. Lingwuchangzao) at Mature Stage

The changes of physiological and biochemical indices in jujube fruits during the late development were investigated from 6-year-old jujube trees （Zizyphus jujuba Mill. cv. Lingwuchangzao）. The results showed that the flesh firmness decreased slowly from white-green stage to full-red stage, being significantly related with the developmental maturity of jujube fruits negatively, the correlation coefficient reached -0.980 3^＊＊. The contents of ascorbic acid and titratable acid in jujube fruits were significantly related with the developmental process of jujube fruits negatively or positively, the correlation coef- ficients were -0. 973 1^＊＊and ＋ 0. 974 6^ ＊ ＊ , respectively. The contents of soluble solids, total sugar, and sucrose increased with jujube ripening, while the relative sweetness of jujube fruits showed the same variation pattern, the correlation coefficients were 0. 996 6 ^＊ ＊ , 0. 988 0^＊＊ , and 0. 982 8 ^＊ ＊ , respectively. Before white-green stage during fruit development, the accumulation of monosaccharide was predominant in jujube fruits, following a fast accumulation of sucrose, indicating that the main component of sugars is sucrose at the crisp-ripe stage. Furthermore, the starch content of the flesh reached the peak at about thirty percentage of jujube maturity, being 51,54 mg/100 g.FW. The respiratory rates varied between 10 mg/（ kg.h） and CO2 26 mg/（ kg.h） after fruit turning red and before softening, indicating a non-climacteric respiratory type.