Highly ordered crystallization of α-FAPbl_(3) films via homogeneous seeds for efficient perovskite solar cells

Formamidine lead triiodide(FAPbI_(3))perovskites have become the most promising photovoltaic materials for perovskite solar cells with record power conversion efficiency(PCE).However,random nucleation,phase transition,and lattice defects are still the key challenges limiting the quality of FAPbI_(3) films.Previous studies show that the introduction or adding of seeds in the precursor is effective to promote the nucleation and crystallization of perovskite films.Nevertheless,the seed-assisted approach focuses on heterogeneous seeds or hetero-composites,which inevitably induce a lattice-mismatch,the genera-tion of strain or defects,and the phase segregation in the perovskite films.Herein,we first demonstrate that high-quality perovskite films are controllably prepared using α-and δ-phases mixed FAPbI_(3) micro-crystal as the homogeneous seeds with the one-step antisolvent method.The partially dissolved seeds with suitable sizes improve the crystallinity of the perovskite flm with preferable orientation,improved carrier lifetime,and increased carrier mobility.More importantly,the α-phase-containing seeds promote the formation of α-phase FAPbI_(3) films,leading to the reduction of residual lattice strain and the suppres-sion of I-ion migration.Besides,the adding of dimethyl 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylate(DPD)into the pre-cursor further suppresses the generation of defects,contributing to the PCE of devices prepared in air ambient being significantly improved to 23.75%,among the highest PCEs for fully air-processed FAPbI_(3) solar cells.The unpackaged target devices possess a high stability,maintaining 80%of the initial PCE under simulated solar illumination exceeding 800 h.

Detailed Analyses of Nymphea Seeds Consumed in the Senegal River Valley

Physicochemical investigations were performed on seeds of Nymphea lotus and N. micrantha consumed in the Senegal River valley. They revealed a composition similar to that of cereals. In order to estimate their intrinsic quality, the determination of their amino acid, fatty acid and monosaccharids profiles was done. The results indicate that monosaccharides are represented specifically by saccharose (7%) and glucose (0.67%);a predominance of stearic acid and linoleic acid as unsaturated acids (24.86%);arachidic and palmitic acids as the only saturated acid found (11.12%);a good ratio of unsaturated/saturated acid (2.23);a lack of oleic acid, linoleic, palmitoleic, myristic, caprylic acids;a poor-quality index protein due to low quantity amino acids. Nevertheless, all essential amino acids are present in the seeds. The Nymphea sp grains consumed by the populations around the Senegal River valley offer an interesting nutritional quality linked to fatty acids and carbohydrates.

A review:Research progress on multi-target neuroprotective effects of n-butylphthalide extracted from Apium graveolens seeds

Apium graveolens,an annual herb belonging to the family of Apiaceae,is widely distributed in North and South America,Southern Europe,Africa and Asia.Apium graveolens seeds have a rich history in traditional Chinese medicine for treating hypertension,headaches,vertigo and epilepsy.N-butylphthalide,originally extracted from Apium graveolens seeds,represents a first-in-class drug developed independently in China.Its broad pharmacological activities on nervous system disorders have garnered significant attention from researchers globally.This review focuses on the pharmacological research of n-butylphthalide on central nervous system diseases,including ischemic stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.The purpose is to pave the way for future study on the mechanistic targets of n-butylphthalide.

Design and Production of Infant Flours Based on Pumpkin Pulp Enriched with Cakes Extracted from Its Seeds

The inclusion of composite flours in infant food at weaning time should be a priority for mothers. The aim of this project is to formulate infant flour based on pulp flour enriched with oilcake from these grains after extraction of the oil. To do this, the elements were combined to obtain a regulatory formulation. Micro- and macronutrients, minerals, vitamins and tasting of the prepared porridge were determined. The results obtained were satisfactory. The moisture content of the fruit pulp was determined using oven-drying techniques: 92.2%, carbohydrates 6.00%, lipids 0.3%, ash 0.80%, proteins 1.10%, calcium 19.8%, phosphorus 42.6% and iron 0.4%. Furthermore, the carbohydrate content of flours composed of 5% insertion is 62.9 g to 48.8 g per 100 g, and the protein content of compound flours with 5% insertion is 15.9 g to 28.25 g per 100 g. On the other hand, the vitamin C and E contents of fresh pulp and oilcake are 25 mg, 13 mg and 21 mg respectively. However, only copper and β-carotene from 5% to 30% insertion remain invariant to the different insertion rates, with a value of 25 mg for copper and 0 µg for β-carotene. In addition, a variation in the degree of swelling of weaning flours compared with the standard from 3.95% at 5% insertion to 3.58 at 30% insertion was observed. The solubility of flours increases on the one hand with increases in the degree of insertion of the cakes. Flour formulated so many toward basicity. But the presence of traces of oil containing fatty acids can reduce this basicity. This study may be an alternative of industrial flours in infant nutrition.

The structure-directing role of heterologous seeds in the synthesis of zeolite

Zeolites have been widely used as catalysts,ion-exchangers,and adsorbents in chemical industries,detergent industry,steel industry,glass industry,ceramic industry,medical and healthfield,and environmentalfield,and recently applied in energy storage.Seed-assisted synthesis is a very effective approach in promoting the crystallization of zeolites.In some cases,the target zeolite cannot be formed in the absence of seed zeolite.In homologous seed-assisted synthesis,the structure of the seed zeolite is the same to that of the target zeolite,while the structure of the seed zeolite is different to that of the target zeolite in the heterologous seed-assisted synthesis.In this review,we briefly summarized the heterologous seed-assisted syntheses of zeolites and analyzed the structure-directing effect of heterologous seeds and surveyed the“common composite building units(CBUs)hypothesis”and the“common secondary building units(SBUs)hypothesis”.However,both hypotheses cannot explain all observations on the heterologous seed-assisted syntheses.Finally,we proposed that the formation of the target zeolite does need nuclei with the structure of target zeolite and the formation of the nuclei of the target zeolite can be promoted by either the undissolved seed crystals with the same CBUs or SBUs to the target zeolite or by the facilitated appropriate distribution of the specific building units due to the presence of the heterologous seed that does not have any common CBUs and SBUs with the target zeolite.

Improved length of calcium sulfate crystal seeds and whiskers via ball milling and hydration treatment

Elucidating the effect of growth periods on the quality of calcium sulfate whiskers(CSWs)prepared from calcium sulfate dihydrate(DH)is imperative.Herein,crystal seeds and whiskers were prepared from DH in a water–glycerol system.Longer whiskers were obtained from crystal seeds prepared via hydration of DH for 30 s than via ball milling for 5 min followed by hydration for 20 s.The attachment of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and glycerol additives to the whisker tops promoted whisker growth.The whisker sponges exhibited good thermal barrier properties and compression cycle stability.

Pumpkin seeds as nutraceutical and functional food ingredient for future:A review

Pumpkin belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae,which comprises several species that has economical as well as agronomical importance.All parts of pumpkin are edible and laden with beneficial neutraceutical compounds.Pumpkin seeds are valuable source protein which can help in eradicating protein malnutrition and lipids(rich in PUFAs)contains essential as well as non essential fatty acids which prevents from various ailments like cancer and other cardiovascular diseases.Since,seeds of pumpkin are abundant in macro(magnesium,phosphorous,potassium,sodium and calcium)and micro minerals(iron,copper,manganese,zinc and selenium),they can be used as an incredible dietary supplement which in turn helps in curbing various deficiency disorders.This review enlightens the characteristics of pumpkin seeds,process of valorization of pumpkin seeds and the effect of processing on their nutritional composition which have been studied currently with the aim to use this wonder seeds for human wellbeing.Pumpkin seeds possess many bioactive compounds like polyphenols,flavonoids,phytosterols and squalene which makes it a lucrative raw material for pharmacological and food industries.Pumpkin seeds work as anti-depressant and helps majorly in the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia(BHP).Daily consumption of pumpkin seeds can reduce the chances of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.Pumpkin seeds are rich in tocopherols and can be used for oil extraction for edible purposes and utilized in other food formulations for future use.

Dormancy of Amaranthus retroflexus L. Seeds and Physiological Response Seedlings to Acifluorfen Sodium

Amaranthus retroflexus L. is a serious and widespread malignant weed in soybean fields in Heilongjiang Province. Exploring the dormancy characteristics of A. retroflexus L. seeds and the physiological response of its seedlings to acifluorfen sodium can provide a basis for further researches on its resistance mechanism. Using newly harvested and stored A. retroflexus L. seeds for one year as experimental materials, the effects of different concentrations of HCl, NaOH, water temperature, gibberellic acid(GA) and polyethylene glycol(PEG) on the dormancy and germination of A. retroflexus L. seeds were studied. The sensitivity of A. retroflexus L.to acifluorfen sodium was determined using bioassay. The effects on leaf chlorophyll content and target enzyme activity were studied at a normal dosage of 360 g a.i. hm^(-2) and a doubling dosage of 720 g a.i. hm^(-2) of acifluorfen sodium. Newly harvested seeds exhibiting dormancy were soaked in water of various temperatures and in different concentrations of NaOH and HCl, which were ineffective in breaking the seed dormancy. GA could break seed dormancy, and the highest seed germination rate reached 93.33% when they were soaked at 3 000 mg·L^(-1) for 72 h and 4 000 mg·L^(-1) for 48 h. The drought stress was simulated with a 15%-25% polyethylene glycol solution, which had no significant effect on the seed germination rate. The GR_(50) value of acifluorfen sodium for A. retroflexus L. was 705.7 g a.i. hm^(-2), which was 1.96 times the recommended dose in the field. After the application of different doses of acifluorfen sodium, the chlorophyll content of A. retroflexus L. reached its minimum value 3 days after treatment(DAT), and then gradually increased. The activity of the target enzyme protoporphyrinogen oxidase(PPO) reached the highest value at 7 DAT under different dosages, and gradually returned to normal levels thereafter. Soaking with gibberellin was an effective method to break seed dormancy. A. retroflexus L. seeds had certain drought resistance during the germination process. A. retroflexus L. was not sensitive to acifluorfen sodium and acifluorfen sodium ether, and could not effectively inhibit the PPO activity, indicating that A. retroflexus L. had target resistance to acifluorfen sodium.

Soaking Rice Seeds in High Concentration Salt Solution Improved Salt Tolerance at the Seedling Stage

[Objectives]This study was conducted to enhance the salt tolerance of current rice varieties at the seedling stage and fulfill the urgent requirement for salt-tolerant rice varieties in coastal tidal flats.[Methods]Four high-generation stable rice lines with diverse salt tolerance were employed as test materials,and four NaCl concentration gradients were established for seed soaking treatment.[Results]The seedling survival rate of line 151465 underwent significant alterations after soaking with four different salt concentrations,and the survival rate was the highest after treatment with 1.8%NaCl for 1 d,reaching 65.2%.The average survival rate of other three lines with different salt tolerance reached 62%after soaking with 1.8%NaCl for 1 d,which was significantly higher than those of the 2.2%NaCl and 0%NaCl treatments.[Conclusions]This study provides a basis for reducing the effect of abiotic stress on rice growth and development and improving the utilization rate of saline-alkali land.

基于Seeds集和成对约束的半监督三支聚类集成

聚类集成使用合适的策略融合多个具有差异性的基聚类成员,能够有效提高聚类结果的稳定性、鲁棒性和准确率。当前聚类集成的研究较少利用已知的先验信息,面对复杂数据时难以刻画对象与类簇之间明确的归属关系。因此,提出一种基于Seeds集和成对约束的半监督三支聚类集成方法。首先,基于已有的标签信息提出一种新的三支标签传播算法构造基聚类成员;其次,提出一种半监督三支聚类集成框架集成基聚类成员,构造出一致性相似矩阵,并利用成对约束信息对该矩阵进行优化调整;最后,将三支谱聚类作为一致性函数对相似矩阵进行聚类,得到最终集成结果。在多个UCI真实数据集上的实验结果表明,与基于类簇的相似分区算法(CSPA)、超图分区算法(HGPA)、元类簇算法(MCLA)、标签传播算法(LPA)、Cop-Kmeans等半监督聚类集成算法相比,所提方法的归一化互信息(NMI)、调整兰德系数(ARI)和F测度在绝大多数据集上取得了最优值,获得了相对更好的聚类集成结果。

The molecular mechanism of WRINKLED1 transcription factor regulating oil accumulation in developing seeds of castor bean

The transcription factor WRINKLED1(WRI1),a member of AP2 gene family that contain typical AP2 domains,has been considered as a master regulator regulating oil biosynthesis in oilseeds.However,the regulatory mechanism of RcWRI1 in regulating oil accumulation during seed development has not been clearly addressed.Castor bean(Ricinus communis)is one of the most important non-edible oil crops and its seed oils are rich in hydroxy fatty acids,widely applied in industry.In this study,based on castor bean reference genome,three RcWRIs genes(RcWRI1,RcWRI2 and RcWRI3)were identified and the expressed association of RcWRI1 with oil accumulation were determined.Heterologous transformation of RcWRI1 significantly increased oil content in tobacco leaf,confirming that RcWRI1 activate lipid biosynthesis pathway.Using DNA Affinity Purification sequencing(DAP-seq)technology,we confirmed RcWRI1 binding with Transcription Start Site of genes and identified 7961 WRI1-binding candidate genes.Functionally,these identified genes were mainly involved in diverse metabolism pathways(including lipid biosynthesis).Three cis-elements AW-box([CnTnG](n)7[CG])and AW-boxes like([GnAnC](n)6[GC]/[GnAnC](n)7[G])bound with RcWRI1 were identified.Co-expression network analysis of RcWRI1 further found that RcWRI1 might be widely involved in biosynthesis of storage materials during seed development.In particular,yeast one hybrid experiments found that both AP2 domains within RcWRI1 were required in binding targeted genes.These results not only provide new evidence to understand the regulatory mechanism of RcWRI1 in regulation of oil accumulation during castor bean seed development,but also give candidate gene resource for subsequent genetic improvement toward increasing oil content in oilseed crops.

Identification and Expression Analysis of Abscisic Acid Signal Transduction Genes in Hemp Seeds

Abscisic acid(ABA)is involved in regulating diverse biological processes,but its signal transduction genes and roles in hemp seed germination are not well known.Here,the ABA signaling pathway members,PYL,PP2C and SnRK2 gene families,were identified from the hemp reference genome,including 7 CsPYL(pyrab-actin resistance1-like,ABA receptor),8 CsPP2CA(group A protein phosphatase 2c),and 7 CsSnRK2(sucrose nonfermenting1-related protein kinase 2).The content of ABA in hemp seeds in germination stage is lower than that in non-germination stage.Exogenous ABA(1 or 10μM)treatment had a significant regulatory effect on the selected PYL,PP2C,SnRK2 gene families.CsAHG3 and CsHAI1 were most significantly affected by exogenous ABA treatment.Yeast two-hybrid experiments were performed to reveal that CsPYL5,CsSnRK2.2,and CsSnRK2.3 could interact with CsPP2CA7 and demonstrate that this interaction was ABA-independent.Our results indicated that CsPYL5,CsSnRK2.2,CsSnRK2.3 and CsPP2CA7 might involve in the ABA signaling transduction pathway of hemp seeds during the hemp seed germination stages.This study suggested that novel genetic views can be brought into investigation of ABA signaling pathway in hemp seeds and lay the foundation for further exploration of the mechanism of hemp seed germination.

Interactive effect of hot air roasting processes on the sensory property,allergenicity,and oil extraction of sesame(Sesamum indicum L.)seeds

Sesame seeds are a healthy food ingredient and an oil crop for sesame oil production;however,it has recently been recognized as an essential allergenic food by FAO/WHO.This research investigated the relationship between the hot air roasting process(at 120,150,and 180℃ for 10,20,and 30 min)and several quality attributes of sesame seeds since roasting is the key process for preparing sesame seeds for both consumption and oil production.The hot air process followed the central composite design.The changes of sesame in terms of color,sensory properties(odor,texture,color,and taste),allergenicity caused by oleosins(ses i 4 and ses i 5),as well as oil extraction and quality were monitored using a colorimeter,sensory evaluation panelists,ELISA,as well as oil yield and acid value,respectively.Roasting temperature influenced the product quality more than roasting time,although the two processing parameters significantly interacted with each other(P<0.001).Sensory evaluation indicated medium roasting generated attractive flavor,order,appearance,and crispy texture.Allergenicity was high in sesame seeds after high-temperature roasting,according to IgE binding capacity test.Sesame oil extraction was favored by high-temperature roasting,which,however,adversely affected the oil quality.The optimal roasting conditions were 150.5℃ for 15 min for optimized sesame seeds quality in terms of sensory properties and allergenicity,while roasting at 158℃ for 10 min was optimal for sesame oil production.The finding will benefit the sesame seed industry.

Influence of Various Hydrocolloids on Suspension Stability of Chia Seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) in Mango Beverage and Mango Flavored Beverage

With the developing of juices and beverages industry, the processors need to bring new nutritional fortified products to capture the market as per the demand of the consumer who needs healthier product. Thus, this study aimed to the production of mango beverage and mango flavored beverage fortified with chia seeds;evaluate the chemical properties of chia seeds and study the effect of adding carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum and low acyl gellan gum at the concentrations of 0.05% and 0.1% on the stability of suspension chia seeds in beverage during storage at ambient temperature for six months. Viscosity, color, zeta potential, suspension of seeds and organoleptic properties were evaluated. Results showed that chia seeds were rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. The addition of 0.05% gellan gum led to improved appearance attributes and the highest stability of suspension of chia seeds for six months, and was the sample which scored highest for overall acceptability compared to the other samples of beverages. Results indicated that using chia seeds with the addition of 0.05% low acyl gellan gum led to the production of fortified mango beverage and mango flavored beverage with high stability for six months.

Study of Cotton Seeds as a Processing Material

The purpose of this research is to improve the qualitative and quantitative indicators of fiber, lint and seeds by improving the technology of preparing cotton seeds for processing. The state of the seeds after the gin was studied and their division into fractions according to the degree of pubescence was recommended, the probabilities of the seeds emerging from the gin with varying degrees of pubescence were investigated, the geometric sizes and shapes of cotton seeds were studied. It has been established that when seeds come out of gin, they have different pubescence. The conditional movement of seeds without separation from the surface has been determined;found a formula describing the movement of seeds without detaching from the surface;the movement of seeds in a micro-flight is determined;the sizes of the cells of the mesh surface were determined as a function of d_c, α and on the speed of seed movement. The aim of the research work is to increase the yield of cotton fiber by improving the processing technology of germinated seeds, to improve the quality indicators of seeds and lint. In order to achieve this goal, a mesh surface device was created to sort the seeds into fractions. Sorting technology was developed on this device and operating modes were determined. In addition, the law of surface distribution of the fractions separated from the cotton stream moving along the surface of the net was determined, and based on the results of practical and theoretical research, a mode of sorting of cotton seeds was developed.

A Comparative Study on the Quality Components Between Self Pollinated Seeds and Naturally Pollinated Seeds in Brassica napus L. in Sichuan Ecological Region

[ Objective] This study was to reveal the differences in crude fat and glucosinolates between self pollinated seeds and naturally pollinated seeds in Brassica napus in sichuan ecological region.. [ Method] Near-infrared spectroscopy method （NIRS） was employed to measure the quality components in self pollinated seeds and naturally pollinated seeds of 861 shares of Brassica napus from Sichuan ecological region. And correlation analysis and regression analysis were conducted based on the experimental data via SPSS （statistics package for social science）. [ Result] The contents of crude fat in the self pollinated seeds were commonly a higher than that in the naturally pollinated seeds at 0.01 significant level; while the contents of glucosinolates in the self pollinated seeds and the naturally pollinated seeds were insignificantly different. Both the correlation relationship and linear regression for the crude fat between the self pollinated seeds and naturally pollinated seeds reached the significant level. The regression equations for the contents of crude fat（y1 ） and glucosinolates（ y2 ） in the naturally pollinated seeds and of crude fat（ x1 ） and glucosinolates（ x2 ） in self pollinated seeds were respectively determined to be y1 = 16.844 ＋0.614x1 and y2 = -0.620 ＋ 1.017 x2. [ Conclusion] In Brassica napus breeding, crude fat in naturally pollinated seeds should be emphatically taken into account, meanwhile concurrently considering that in self pollinated seeds; while glucosinolates in both the self pollinated seeds and the naturally pollinated seeds must be simultaneously concerned.

A review of inherent beneficial effects of black seeds(Nigella sativa)in Marburg virus disease management

Background:In the management of patients with MARV infection,this review article focuses on the potential protective effects of black seeds(Nigella sativa).Methods:To find studies that evaluated various effects of black seeds(N.sativa)related to signs and symptoms of MARV infection,reference lists and databases such as Medline/Pubmed/PMC,Google Scholar,Science Direct,Ebsco,Scopus,Web of Science,and Embase were searched.Results:In numerous clinical,animal,in-vitro,in-vivo,and in-ovo studies,black seeds(N.sativa)have demonstrated potential antiviral,anti-inflammatory,antioxidant,immunomodulatory,and hepatoprotective properties that may aid in the treatment of MARV-infected patients.Conclusion:In the initial generalization phase of MARV infection,patients may use black seeds(N.sativa)as an adjunctive therapy in addition to symptomatic treatment and supportive care.Future randomized controlled clinical trials would confirm N.sativa’s efficacy and safety in MARV-infected patients.

Multiple omics datasets reveal significant physical and physiological dormancy in alfalfa hard seeds identified by multispectral imaging analysis

Physical dormancy(PY) commonly present in the seeds of higher plants is believed to be responsible for the germination failure by impermeable seed coat in hard seeds of legume species, instead of physiological dormancy(PD). In this study, a non-destructive approach involving multispectral imaging was used to successfully identify hard seeds from non-hard seeds in Medicago sativa, with accuracy as high as96.8%–99.0%. We further adopted multiple-omics strategies to investigate the differences of physiology,metabolomics, methylomics, and transcriptomics in alfalfa hard seeds, with non-hard seeds as control.The hard seeds showed dramatically increased antioxidants and 125 metabolites of significant differences in non-targeted metabolomics analysis, which are enriched in the biosynthesis pathways of flavonoids, lipids and hormones, especially with significantly higher ABA, a hormone known to induce dormancy. In our transcriptomics results, the enrichment pathway of “response to abscisic acid” of differential expressed genes(DEG) supported the key role of ABA in metabolomics results. The methylome analysis identified 54,899, 46,216 and 54,452 differential methylation regions for contexts of CpG, CHG and CHH, and 344 DEGs might be regulated by hypermethylation and hypomethylation of promoter and exon regions, including four ABA-and JA-responsive genes. Among 8% hard seeds in seed lots,24.5% still did not germinate after scarifying seed coat, and were named as non-PY hard seeds.Compared to hard seeds, significantly higher contents of ABA/IAA and ABA/JA were identified in nonPY hard seeds, which indicated the potential presence of PD. In summary, the significantly changed metabolites, gene expressions, and methylations all suggested involvement of ABA responses in hard seeds, and germination failure of alfalfa hard seeds was caused by combinational dormancy(PY + PD),rather than PY alone.

Effects of Different Seed Coating Agents on the Quality of"Grey-matter"Hybrid Rice Seeds

[Objectives]This study was conducted to select suitable mixed seed coating agents for improving the quality of"grey-matter"hybrid rice seeds.[Methods]Three different mixed seed coating agents(A,B,C)were used to coat the seeds of two varieties(Taiyou 390 and Zhenliangyou 8612)of hybrid rice with different"grey-matter"content(5%,15%,25%),and the results were investigated and compared.[Results]The combinations of treatment B(seed coating agent A+Linong)and treatment C(Manshijin+seed coating agent A)could significantly improve indexes including seed germination potential,germination rate,seed vigor,seedling height,fibrous roots and fresh weight of the two varieties with a"grey-matter"content greater than 15%,but had no significant effects on main root length,dry weight,leaf number and tiller number,and the effects of treatment B was better than those of treatment C.That is to say,mixed seed coating agent B(seed coating agent A+Linong)was suitable for use as a seed coating agent to improve the quality of"grey-matter"seeds.[Conclusions]This study provides a reference plan for the safe use of mixed seed batches with"grey-matter"deterioration.

Physiological characteristics changes of Aesculus chinensis seeds during natural dehydration

A study was conducted to determine the physiological characteristics changes of Aesculus chinensis seeds during natural dehydration in 2003. The results showed that A. chinensis seeds were recalcitrant with being highly desiccation-sensitive. The seed moisture content of fresh fruits was higher than 60%. When the seeds were naturally dried for 30 days, their moisture content declined to 30.2% and their viability was completely lost. The seed germination percentage had a small increase at the beginning of desiccation and then decreased rapidly. The relative electrical conductivity of the A. chinensis seeds increased along with a decrease in seed moisture content. However, there was an abnormal increase in relative electrical conductivity when the seed moisture content was between 53.7% and 50.9%. Superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity decreased rapidly in the period of desiccation except for an abnormality when the seed moisture content was between 53.7% and 50.9%. Malondialdehyde （MDA） content increased slowly at the early stage of desiccation and then rose rapidly after the moisture content was below 50.9%. The soluble sugar content in seeds slowly increased with the increasing period of desiccation. The seed germination percentage was at the high level when seed moisture content was in range of 47%- 60%, which suggests that this was the optimum moisture content for maintaining A. chinensis seed viability.