Identification of Natural and Artificial Colorants in Industrial Products Marketed in Senegal

Food colorants are widely used in the food industry to maintain or enhance product color. However, as the use of these colorants can have negative impacts on health, it is essential to analyze the risks associated with their consumption. This analysis requires, among other things, obtaining sufficient data on the presence of these colorants in foods, as well as their level of consumption. However, data on these colorants is often virtually non-existent in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the colorant profile of industrial products marketed in Senegal. Information on food additives was collected on 399 labels of different food product categories in shops located in Dakar. Data is recorded and processed using Excel software. Based on the Codex classification, analysis of the profile of additives identified on the labels of food samples revealed the presence of 31 colorants. The natural colorants identified are dominated by beta-carotene, widely present in beverages and dairy products, and paprika extract identified on cookies and industrial sauces. Artificial colors are dominated caramels present in several foods including bouillons, vinegars, sauces and hard candies. Secondly, there was a strong presence of the azo dye Sunset yellow FCF, widely found in samples of beverages, confectionery and cookies. The results of this case study enable us to appreciate the wide presence and diversity of colorants on the Senegalese market, and the importance of controlling them to guarantee consumer safety.

Natural Colorants:Historical,Processing and Sustainable Prospects

With the public’s mature demand in recent times pressurized the textile industry for use of natural colorants,without any harmful effects on environment and aquatic ecosystem,and with more developed functionalities simultaneously.Advanced developments for the natural bio-resources and their sustainable use for multifunctional clothing are gaining pace now.Present review highlights historical overview of natural colorants,classification and predominantly processing of colorants from sources,application on textiles surfaces with the functionalities provided by them.Chemistry of natural colorants on textiles also discussed with relevance to adsorption isotherms and kinetic models for dyeing of textiles.

The feasibility study of natural pigments as food colorants and seasonings pigments safety on dried tofu coloring

In order to improve appetite,attract consumers and even conform to the food culture,food coloring has become one of the necessary links in modern food processing.For example,dried-tofu will be colored by adding artificial food colors(AFCs)such as sunset yellow,cochineal red A or other seasonings like soy sauce.However,the dispute persists about whether AFCs are harmful to health.Some studies indicate AFCs affect children’s intelligence and attention,cause hyperactivity,and allergy when children consumed≥50 mg.In addition,researches showed that chemical soy sauce produces a trace of methylglyoxal(MGO)in the manufacturing process,which is related to diseases such as oxidative stress,diabetes,and cognitive deterioration.Therefore,natural pigments are relatively new and promising strategy for replacing high-risk AFCs.Thus,the objective of this study was to use dried-tofu as a natural colorants coloring screening platform,through the concept of three primary colors to discuss the coloring effects of natural colorants in Taiwan in double–phase(liquid phase to solid phase)food coloring system and assess the effects of MGO on PC12 neuron cellular morphology and cell cycle at the dietary exposure in soy sauce.Our results showed that formula G:R=0.2:0.8 and C:R=0.08:0.92 were coloring by combined natural colorants had the same eye sensory quality acceptance of consumer and had the intention to purchase.Furthermore,the results from the PC12 cell suggested that dietary exposure of methylglyoxal(<50M)in soy sauce did not affect neuron cellular morphology and cell cycle significantly.Overall,Gardenia Yellow,Curcumin,and Radish Red could overcome the application restrictions in multiplephase food coloring system and simultaneously soy sauce as a coloring agent was safety.It showed the possibility of them as food colorants on dried-tofu.

Genotoxicity of Synthetic Food Colorants

A study was conducted to evaluate the genotoxicity, if any, of the permitted synthetic food colorants used in India. Eight synthetic food colorants namely Erythrosine （E 127）, Tartrazine （E 102）, Ponceau 4R （E 124）, Sunset Yellow FCF （E 110）, Brilliant Blue FCF （E133）, Fast Green FCF （E143）, Carmoisine （E122） and Indigo Carmine （E132） and their combination are used in sweets namely Ladu, Jilebi and Halwa in Calicut and suburban areas of Kerala, in India. The genotoxicity of the colorants alone and in combinations at different concentrations were evaluated by Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus （CBMN） Assay. It was observed that all the above colorants and their combinations could cause genotoxicity to human lymphocytes even at the permissible concentration of 100 ppm as per PFA （Prevention of Food Adulteration） Act of India. The toxicity varied from dye to dye and was proportional to their concentration. Combination of colors showed more toxicity than the individual components. Toxicity could be reduced drastically by reducing the concentration of the dyes at least 50% below the permissible limit. Permitted synthetic food colorants even at the permissible limit should be used with caution. This study demonstrated the need for redefining the permissible limit of the food colorants based on Admissible Daily Intake （ADI） as being practiced in developed countries.

Natural hydroxyanthraquinoid pigments as potent food grade colorants:an overview

Natural pigments and colorants are widely used in the world in many industries such as textile dying,food processing or cosmetic manufacturing.Among the natural products of interest are various compounds belonging to carotenoids,anthocyanins,chlorophylls,melanins,betalains...The review emphasizes pigments with anthraquinoid skeleton and gives an overview on hydroxyanthraquinoids described in Nature,the first one ever published.Trends in consumption,production and regulation of natural food grade colorants are given,in the current global market.The second part focuses on the description of the chemical structures of the main anthraquinoid colouring compounds,their properties and their biosynthetic pathways.Main natural sources of such pigments are summarized,followed by discussion about toxicity and carcinogenicity observed in some cases.As a conclusion,current industrial applications of natural hydroxyanthraquinoids are described with two examples,carminic acid from an insect and Arpink red^(™)from a filamentous fungus.

EFFECTS OF ORGANIC COLORANTS ON PHOTO-INITIATED CROSSLINKING AND PHOTO-OXIDATION DEGRADATION OF POLYETHYLENE AND RELATED MECHANISM

The effects of three organic colorants on photo-initiated crosslinking and photo-oxidation degradation of polyethylene (PE) samples irradiated by microwave excited (MWE) UV lamp in the melt and the related mechanism have been studied by gel content and thermal extension rate determinations,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),mechanical property tests,UV spectroscopy,and light microscope.The data from the gel content and thermal extension rate determinations of photo-crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) sample...

Rare earth colorants to start production

Nontoxic colorant from rare earths is expected to be put into full production in the current year in Baotou, the biggest city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, following a decision by the local government to upgrade the rare earths industry to value-added processes against previously mining the raw materials. "Due to its perfect coloring and nontoxic properties the coloring agent, mainly for plastics and leathers, can replace most existing dyes in the market," said Zhang Hongjie, inventor of the colorant and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Non-volatile dynamically switchable color display via chalcogenide stepwise cavity resonators

High-resolution multi-color printing relies upon pixelated optical nanostructures,which is crucial to promote color display by producing nonbleaching colors,yet requires simplicity in fabrication and dynamic switching.Antimony trisulfide(Sb_(2)S_(3))is a newly rising chalcogenide material that possesses prompt and significant transition of its optical characteristics in the visible region between amorphous and crystalline phases,which holds the key to color-varying devices.Herein,we proposed a dynamically switchable color printing method using Sb_(2)S_(3)-based stepwise pixelated Fabry-Pérot(FP)cavities with various cavity lengths.The device was fabricated by employing a direct laser patterning that is a less timeconsuming,more approachable,and low-cost technique.As switching the state of Sb_(2)S_(3) between amorphous and crystalline,the multi-color of stepwise pixelated FP cavities can be actively changed.The color variation is due to the profound change in the refractive index of Sb_(2)S_(3) over the visible spectrum during its phase transition.Moreover,we directly fabricated sub-50 nm nano-grating on ultrathin Sb_(2)S_(3) laminate via microsphere 800-nm femtosecond laser irradiation in far field.The minimum feature size can be further decreased down to~45 nm(λ/17)by varying the thickness of Sb_(2)S_(3) film.Ultrafast switchable Sb_(2)S_(3) photonic devices can take one step toward the next generation of inkless erasable papers or displays and enable information encryption,camouflaging surfaces,anticounterfeiting,etc.Importantly,our work explores the prospects of rapid and rewritable fabrication of periodic structures with nano-scale resolution and can serve as a guideline for further development of chalcogenide-based photonics components.

Coupling of reduced inorganic fertilizer with plant-based organic fertilizer as a promising fertilizer management strategy for colored rice in tropical regions

Colored rice is a type of high-quality,high-added-value rice that has attracted increasing attention in recent years.The use of large amounts of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer in rice fields results in low fertilizer use efficiency and high environmental pollution.Organic fertilizer is a promising way to improve soil quality and sustain high yields.However,most studies focus on the effect of animal-based organic fertilizers.The effects of different ratios of plantbased organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer on the grain yield and quality of colored rice have rarely been reported.Therefore,a two-year field experiment was conducted in 2020 and 2021 to study the effects of replacing inorganic N fertilizers with plant-based organic fertilizers on the yield,nitrogen use efficiency(NUE),and anthocyanin content of two colored rice varieties in a tropical region in China.The experimental treatments included no nitrogen fertilization(T1),100% inorganic nitrogen fertilizer(T2),30%inorganic nitrogen fertilizer substitution with plant-based organic fertilizer(T3),60%inorganic nitrogen fertilizer substitution with plant-based organic fertilizer(T4),and 100% plantbased organic fertilizer(T5).The total nitrogen provided to all the treatments except T1 was the same at 120 kg ha-1.Our results showed that the T3 treatment enhanced the grain yield and anthocyanin content of colored rice by increasing nitrogen use efficiency compared with T2.On average,grain yields were increased by 9 and 8%,while the anthocyanin content increased by 16 and 10% in the two colored rice varieties under T3 across the two years,respectively,as compared with T2.Further study of the residual effect of partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers showed that the substitution of inorganic fertilizer with plant-based organic fertilizer improved the soil physiochemical properties,and thus increased the rice grain yield,in the subsequent seasons.The highest grain yield of the subsequent rice crop was observed under the T5 treatment.Our results suggested that the application of plantbased organic fertilizers can sustain the production of colored rice with high anthocyanin content in tropical regions,which is beneficial in reconciling the relationship between rice production and environmental protection.

Facile preparation of nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/UiO-66-NH_(2) composite as sorbent for high-efficient extraction and preconcentration of food colorants prior to HPLC analysis

In this work,the nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/Ui O-66-NH_(2)composite was prepared by one-step solvothermal method.The as-prepared composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,Brunner-Emmet-Teller measurement,energy dispersive spectrometer,X-ray diffraction,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.By using nano-g-C_(3)N_(4)/Ui O-66-NH_(2)composite as sorbent,a dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed to sensitive analysis of food colorants including tartrazine,amaranth,carmine,sunset yellow,allura red and bright blue.The experiment parameters including the amount of sorbent,adsorption time,the p H of adsorption solution,desorption time,desorption solvent,the p H of desorption solution as well as the proportion between desorption solvent and buffer solvent were investigated.Under the optimized conditions,the limits of detection(S/N=3) and limits of quantitation (S/N=10) were determined in the ranges of 0.08-0.8 and 0.2-2.0 ng/m L,respectively.With the developed sample pretreatment method,carmine and brilliant blue were determined from blueberry juice by HPLC-DAD.The contents were calculated as 1.53μg/m L and0.17μg/mL,respectively.

Physiological and psychological responses to tended plant communities with varying color characteristics

Exposure to plants has been reported to promote health and reduce stress,and plant color has direct impacts on physical and mental health.We used images of common types of tended plant communities in Shenyang,China,with combinations of yellow,green,and red foliage,as experimental stimuli.A total of 27 images were used as visual stimuli.We used electroencephalography to measureαwave activity(8-13 Hz)in 40 subjects while they viewed visual stimuli.These data were combined with subjective questionnaire data to analyze the relaxing effect of images of tended plant communities with different color types and proportions on people.The results revealed that,although there were slight differences between the electroencephalography and psychological findings,women were significantly more relaxed than men after viewing the images.Physiological and psychological responses varied with the types and proportions of colors in the tended plant communities:those of foliage with combinations of two or three colors induced stronger responses than images with a single color.Specifically,(1)for one-color plant communities,green or yellow plant communities induced a stronger relaxation effect than red plant communities;(2)for two-color plant communities,the optimal color proportion was 55%+45%,and the green+yellow and green+red color combinations induced a stronger relaxation effect;(3)for three-color plant communities,the relaxation effect was strongest when the color proportion was 55%green+25%yellow+20%red.These data would provide a plant color matching in future plant landscape design,which may be helpful for creating healthy and relaxing environments.

Unsupervised Color Segmentation with Reconstructed Spatial Weighted Gaussian Mixture Model and Random Color Histogram

Image classification and unsupervised image segmentation can be achieved using the Gaussian mixture model.Although the Gaussian mixture model enhances the flexibility of image segmentation,it does not reflect spatial information and is sensitive to the segmentation parameter.In this study,we first present an efficient algorithm that incorporates spatial information into the Gaussian mixture model(GMM)without parameter estimation.The proposed model highlights the residual region with considerable information and constructs color saliency.Second,we incorporate the content-based color saliency as spatial information in the Gaussian mixture model.The segmentation is performed by clustering each pixel into an appropriate component according to the expectation maximization and maximum criteria.Finally,the random color histogram assigns a unique color to each cluster and creates an attractive color by default for segmentation.A random color histogram serves as an effective tool for data visualization and is instrumental in the creation of generative art,facilitating both analytical and aesthetic objectives.For experiments,we have used the Berkeley segmentation dataset BSDS-500 and Microsoft Research in Cambridge dataset.In the study,the proposed model showcases notable advancements in unsupervised image segmentation,with probabilistic rand index(PRI)values reaching 0.80,BDE scores as low as 12.25 and 12.02,compactness variations at 0.59 and 0.7,and variation of information(VI)reduced to 2.0 and 1.49 for the BSDS-500 and MSRC datasets,respectively,outperforming current leading-edge methods and yielding more precise segmentations.

Identification and effective regulation of scarb1 gene involved in pigmentation change in autotetraploid Carassius auratus

The autotetraploid Carassius auratus(4nRR,4n=200,RRRR)is derived from whole-genome duplication of Carassius auratus red var.(RCC,2n=100,RR).In the current study,we demonstrated that chromatophores and pigment changes directly caused the coloration and variation of 4nRR skin(red in RCC,brownish-yellow in4nRR).To further explore the molecular mechanisms underlying coloration formation and variation in 4nRR,we performed transcriptome profiling and molecular functional verification in RCC and 4nRR.Results revealed that scarb1,associated with carotenoid metabolism,underwent significant down-regulation in 4nRR.Efficient editing of this candidate pigment gene provided clear evidence of its significant role in RCC coloration.Subsequently,we identified four divergent scarb1 homeologs in 4nRR:two original scarb1 homeologs from RCC and two duplicated ones.Notably,three of these homeologs possessed two highly conserved alleles,exhibiting biased and allelespecific expression in the skin.Remarkably,after precise editing of both the original and duplicated scarb1homeologs and/or alleles,4nRR individuals,whether singly or multiply mutated,displayed a transition from brownishyellow skin to a cyan-gray phenotype.Concurrently,the proportional areas of the cyan-gray regions displayed a gene-dose correlation.These findings illustrate the subfunctionalization of duplicated scarb1,with all scarb1genes synergistically and equally contributing to the pigmentation of 4nRR.This is the first report concerning the functional differentiation of duplicated homeologs in an autopolyploidfish,substantiallyenrichingour understanding of coloration formation and change within this group of organisms.

Self‑Healing Dynamic Hydrogel Microparticles with Structural Color for Wound Management

Chronic diabetic wounds confront a significant medical challenge because of increasing prevalence and difficult-healing circumstances.It is vital to develop multifunctional hydrogel dressings,with well-designed morphology and structure to enhance flexibility and effectiveness in wound management.To achieve these,we propose a self-healing hydrogel dressing based on structural color microspheres for wound management.The microsphere comprised a photothermal-responsive inverse opal framework,which was constructed by hyaluronic acid methacryloyl,silk fibroin methacryloyl and black phosphorus quantum dots(BPQDs),and was further re-filled with a dynamic hydrogel.The dynamic hydrogel filler was formed by Knoevenagel condensation reaction between cyanoacetate and benzaldehyde-functionalized dextran(DEX-CA and DEX-BA).Notably,the composite microspheres can be applied arbitrarily,and they can adhere together upon near-infrared irradiation by leveraging the BPQDs-mediated photothermal effect and the thermoreversible stiffness change of dynamic hydrogel.Additionally,eumenitin and vascular endothelial growth factor were co-loaded in the microspheres and their release behavior can be regulated by the same mechanism.Moreover,effective monitoring of the drug release process can be achieved through visual color variations.The microsphere system has demonstrated desired capabilities of controllable drug release and efficient wound management.These characteristics suggest broad prospects for the proposed composite microspheres in clinical applications.

The anthocyanin formation of purple leaf is associated with the activation of LfiHY5 and LfiMYB75 in crape myrtle

Purple-leafed plants not only have a higher resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses,but also have higher ornamental value.Anthocyanins are vital for leaf color formation,growth and development of purple leaves.However,the molecular mechanism underlying purple leaf formation in Lagerstroemia indica remains unclear.Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of purple-leafed cultivar‘Ebony Embers’and greenleafed cultivar‘Arapahoe’showed that the high expression of anthocyanin structure genes induced hyperaccumulation of cyanidin and pelargonidin derivatives,making the leaves purple.LfiHY5,LfiMYB75 and LfibHLH1 were identified using correlation analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis.In‘Arapahoe’‘Ebony Embers’population,LfiHY5 and LfiMYB75 showed significant positive correlation with leaf anthocyanin content.Transient expression of LfiMYB75 and LfiHY5 in tobacco and purple-leafed crape myrtle indicated that the two genes activated anthocyanin synthesis.Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed that LfiMYB75 and LfibHLH1 could form a complex that enhanced anthocyanin synthesis.Yeast monohybrid and dual-luciferase assays confirmed that LfiHY5 activated the expression of LfiMYB75,to activate the transcription of anthocyanin structural genes LfiCHS and LfiANS.Moreover,there were three alleles of LfiHY5 in crape myrtle,and the different sequences had different activation effects on LfiMYB75.In conclusion,the results showed that LfiHY5 led to upregulate the transcription of LfiMYB75,and LfiMYB75 formed a complex with LfibHLH1,which increased the transcription level of LfiCHS and LfiANS to affect anthocyanin synthesis in crape myrtle.

A novel histone methyltransferase gene Cg SDG40 positively regulates carotenoid biosynthesis during citrus fruit ripening

The flesh color of pummelo(Citrus maxima)fruits is highly diverse and largely depends on the level of carotenoids,which are beneficial to human health.It is vital to investigate the regulatory network of carotenoid biosynthesis to improve the carotenoid content in pummelo.However,the molecular mechanism underlying carotenoid accumulation in pummelo is not fully understood.In this study,we identified a novel histone methyltransferase gene,CgSDG40,involved in carotenoid regulation by analyzing the flesh transcriptome of typical white-fleshed pummelo,red-fleshed pummelo and extreme-colored F1 hybrids from a segregated pummelo population.Expression of CgSDG40 corresponded to flesh color change and was highly coexpressed with CgPSY1.Interestingly,CgSDG40 and CgPSY1 are located physically adjacent to each other on the chromosome in opposite directions,sharing a partially overlapping promoter region.Subcellular localization analysis indicated that CgSDG40 localizes to the nucleus.Overexpression of CgSDG40 significantly increased the total carotenoid content in citrus calli relative to that in wild type.In addition,expression of CgPSY1 was significantly activated in overexpression lines relative to wild type.Taken together,our findings reveal a novel histone methyltransferase regulator,CgSDG40,involved in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in citrus and provide new strategies for molecular design breeding and genetic improvement of fruit color and nutritional quality.

Fine-mapping and primary analysis of candidate genes associated with seed coat color in mung bean(Vigna radiata L.)

Seed coat color affects the appearance and commodity quality of mung beans(Vigna radiata L.).The substances that affect mung bean seed coat color are mainly flavonoids,which have important medicinal value.Mapping the seed coat color gene in mung beans would facilitate the development of new varieties and improve their value.In this study,an F2 mapping population consisting of 546 plants was constructed using Jilv9(black seed coat)and BIS9805(green seed coat).Using bulk segregated analysis(BSA)sequencing and kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASP)markers,the candidate region related to seed coat color was finally narrowed to 0.66 Mb on chromosome(Chr.)4 and included eight candidate genes.Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that three of the eight candidate genes(LOC106758748,LOC106758747,and LOC106759075)were differentially expressed,which may have caused the differences in flavonoid metabolite content between Jilv9 and BIS9805.These findings can provide a research basis for cloning the genes related to seed coat color and accelerate molecular markerassisted selection breeding in mung beans.

A chromosome-level genome assembly for Chinese plum‘Wushancuili'reveals the molecular basis of its fruit color and susceptibility to rain-cracking

Chinese plum(Prunus salicina Lindl.)originates from China and makes a large contribution to the global production of plums.The P.salicina‘Wushancuili'has a green coloration and high fruit quality and is economically important in eliminating poverty and protecting ecology in the Yangtze River Three Gorges Reservoir.However,rain-induced cracking(rain-cracking,literally skin cracking caused by rain)is a limitation to‘Wushancuili'fruit production and causes severe losses.This study reported a high-quality‘Wushancuili'genome assembly consisting of a 302.17-Mb sequence with eight pseudo-chromosomes and a contig N50 of 23.59 Mb through the combination of Illumina sequencing,Pacific Biosciences HiFiⅢsequencing,and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture technology.A total of 25109 protein-coding genes are predicted and 54.17%of the genome is composed of repetitive sequences.‘Wushancuili'underwent a remarkable orthoselection during evolution.Gene identification revealed that loss-of-function in four core MYB10 genes results in the anthocyanin deficiency and absence of red color,revealing the green coloration due to the residual high chlorophyll in fruit skin.Besides,the occurrence of cracking is assumed to be closely associated with cell wall modification and frequently rain-induced pathogen enrichment through transcriptomic analysis.The loss of MYB10 genes might render fruit more susceptible to pathogen-mediated cracking by weakening the epidermal strength and reactive oxygen species(ROS)scavenging.Our findings provided fundamental knowledge regarding fruit coloration and rain-cracking and will facilitate genetic improvement and cultivation management in Chinese plums.

Reconfigurable and polarization-dependent optical filtering for transflective full-color generation utilizing low-loss phase-change materials

All-dielectric metasurface, which features low optical absorptance and high resolution, is becoming a promising candidate for full-color generation. However, the optical response of current metamaterials is fixed and lacks active tuning. In this work, we demonstrate a reconfigurable and polarization-dependent active color generation technique by incorporating low-loss phase change materials(PCMs) and CaF_2 all-dielectric substrate. Based on the strong Mie resonance effect and low optical absorption structure, a transflective, full-color with high color purity and gamut value is achieved. The spectrum can be dynamically manipulated by changing either the polarization of incident light or the PCM state. High transmittance and reflectance can be simultaneously achieved by using low-loss PCMs and substrate. The novel active metasurfaces can bring new inspiration in the areas of optical encryption, anti-counterfeiting, and display technologies.

Unraveling the regulatory network of flower coloration in soybean:Insights into roles of GmMYBA3 and GmMYBR1

Anthocyanins play crucial roles in pollen protection and pollinator attraction in flowering plants.However,the mechanisms underlying flower color determination and whether floral anthocyanin regulators participate in other processes remain largely unresolved in soybeans(Glycine max).In this study,we investigated the genetic components and mechanisms governing anthocyanin biosynthesis in soybean flowers.Molecular and genetic studies have characterized two antagonistic regulators,the positive activator GmMYBA3 and the negative repressor GmMYBR1,that modulate the gene expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis in soybean flowers.Further findings revealed a regulatory interplay between GmMYBA3 and GmMYBR1 bridged by GmTT8a,highlighting the complexity of anthocyanin regulation in different soybean organs.Exploration of additional soybean cultivars demonstrated the universality of GmMYBA3 and GmMYBR1 in regulating floral anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes,with GmF3’5’H identified as a crucial determinant of white flower color.This study provides a molecular mechanism underlying soybean flower color determination,paving the way for the molecular modification of soybean flowers to probably enhance their resistance to abiotic stresses and attractiveness to pollinators.