Saffron(Crocus sativus L.) stigmas as a potential natural additive to improve oxidative stability attributes of sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.) oil stored under different conditions

The aim of our study was to explore the antioxidant potential of Moroccan saffron stigmas(SS) and examine their performance as a natural antioxidant in enhancing the stability and quality properties of edible sunflower oil(SO), with a focus on understanding the critical importance of edible oil stability for predicting quality deterioration during storage. Bearing this in mind, our research was designed to compare the efficacy of three concentrations of dried SS(at 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.6%) against tocobiol(a synthetic antioxidant) as a positive control(at 0.3% concentration). This comparison was conducted under three distinct storage conditions namely accelerated ageing(60 ℃), exposure to light at ambient temperature, and darkness, to evaluate their impact on preventing severe oxidation and extending oil shelf-life. Oxidation state evolution was evaluated through peroxide value(PV), free fatty acid(FFA), anisidine value(p-AV), K_(270)value(conjugated trienes), total oxidation index(TOTOX), iodine value(IV), and fatty acid composition(FA). Our results revealed notable differences in stability tracking parameters. Specifically, these parameters were higher in samples stored under accelerated conditions, followed by the samples stored in ambient light, while those stored in darkness showed the highest stability among the three storage conditions. Supplementation of sunflower oil with SS and tocobiol significantly enhanced its oxidation stability. Notably, SS exhibited exceptional effectiveness in stabilizing sunflower oil regardless of SS dose, with the highest efficacy observed at 0.6%. This was evidenced by the slower rate of oxidation parameters under various storage conditions, highlighting a superior antioxidant activity compared to both the non-enriched oil and tocobiol-enriched oil. Furthermore, saffron stigmas, used as a natural supplement,contributed to the preservation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, indicating its potential as a robust source of natural antioxidants in sunflower oil. These attributes position SS as a promising alternative to synthetic antioxidants, offering opportunities to enhance the nutritional quality and extend edible oil shelf-life.

Crocus sativus L.produces anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of petal and stamen extracts of saffron crocus(Crocus sativus)and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Local and systemic inflammation models were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of C.sativus.A xyleneinduced inflammation model or lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation model was used in this study.C.sativus petal and stamen extracts were each administered to the mice in the xylene and LPS models by gavage for 14 d at 0.1 and 0.4 g/kg doses,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βin mouse serum.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and in the spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)protein levels within the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)pathway were assessed using western blotting.RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS(5μg/mL)and LPS+C.sativus(0.05,0.1,and 0.2 mg/mL)for 24 h,and a Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation.Changes in NLRP3 and NF-κB levels were evaluated by western blotting.Results:Petal and stamen extracts of C.sativus attenuated the anti-inflammatory effects in local or systemic inflammatory models and repaired pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.These extracts also decreased the concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1βin the mouse serum in the LPS-induced inflammation model.C.sativus downregulated NLRP3 protein level through the NF-κB pathway and downregulated LC-3 and BECLIN1 in vivo and in vitro.Carbonyl Cyanide3-ChloroPhenylhydrazone(CCCP)weakened the effects of C.sativus on the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:C.sativus has anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3-NF-κB pathway.

A Medicinal and Edible Plant Crocus sativus L.and Its Therapeutic Effects on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

This paper introduces the biological characteristics,medicinal value,chemical component,and pharmacological effects of Crocus sativus L.,and explores its therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as angina pectoris and coronary heart disease.

Exploring the mechanism of Crocus sativus and Rosa rugosa for the treatment of coronary heart disease based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CHD)is the main type of cardiovascular disease.The efficacy of Uyghur drug compound Saffron formula in CHD has been clinically proven.However,the underlying mechanism remains unclear.In this study,researchers investigated the active ingredients and mechanism of action of Crocus sativus and Rosa rugosa in the treatment of CHD by network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques,collected target information with the help of TCMSP,GEO,GeneCards,and other databases,constructed protein-protein interaction(PPI)network diagrams by STRING database,performed GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on common targets,and finally molecularly docked the active ingredients with core targets.C.sativus-R.rugosa have a variety of polyphenol compounds,a total of 12 active ingredients,including quercetin and kaempferol,were screened.The first three targets intersected with the core targets of CHD as AKT1,TNF,and IL-1B.Enrichment results of KEGG pathway showed that C.sativus-R.rugosa against CHD involved atherosclerosis pathways.The molecular docking results showed that quercetin and kaempferol were well bound to the core targets,and it was speculated that these components might be the main active ingredients for the treatment of CHD.The potential mechanism of action of C.sativus-R.rugosa for the treatment of coronary heart disease was initially revealed.

Genome-wide characterization of graft-transmissible mRNA-coding P450 genes of cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.)

P450(cytochrome P450)is a supergene family,which is involved in various metabolic pathways in plants.Based on previous study,we found some of cucumber P450 mRNAs were systemic mobile in cucumber/pumpkin grafts.However,the reason that why P450 mRNAs were endorsed as signaling,and what specific motif(s)did they harbored is not clear yet.Here,we first identified 221 CsaP450 genes in cucumber genomewide level.Combining with graft-transmissiblemRNAs datasets in cucumber,we elucidated 15mobile-CsaP450-coding genes,of which 5 and 10 belonged to A-type and non-A type respectively.Compared with Arabidopsis and pumpkin(Cucubit moschata)graft-induced-transmissible P450 mRNAs,a phylogenetic treewas constructed and divided into eight clans by usingmultiple-sequence alignment.Gene ontology(GO)enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)annotations indicated that the expression patterns of the mobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes in different tissues of cucumber was specifically enriched in oxidoreductase activity and secondary metabolic pathways.The structures and motifs of these 15 mobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes and their types of regulatory elements told that the proportion of CU-rich motifs was higher than nonmobile-mRNA-coding CsaP450 genes.The integrated analysis of mobility direction and mRNA abundance of 15 mobilemRNA-coding CsaP450 genes allowed to conclude that there was rarely relationship between them.The study provided a new insight into the relationship between the motifs and functional characterization of mobile-mRNA-coding P450 genes of cucumber in genome-wide levels.

连作土灭菌对黄瓜(Cucumis sativus)生长和土壤微生物区系的影响

采用盆栽试验的方法,对黄瓜的生长状况、抗病相关酶及土壤微生物区系特征进行了测定。结果表明:连作土灭菌能在较大程度上改善黄瓜的生长,灭菌土上生长的黄瓜的叶绿素含量、株高、叶面积和鲜重均大于连作土,但随氨基酸肥料(AAF)施用量的增加,灭菌土与连作土之间的差异变小。黄瓜叶片的SOD和POD活性在不施用AAF条件下灭菌土显著高于连作土,然而随着AAF施用量的增加,活性则相反。CAT活性及可溶性蛋白含量灭菌土所有处理均极显著高于相对应的连作土,MDA含量则显著低于相对应的连作土。灭菌土的细菌、真菌数量分别比连作土增加1.89～3.03倍和6.96～2.43倍,放线菌的增加幅度相对较小,真菌/细菌比值也显著提高。随AAF施用量的增加,连作土中的黄瓜枯萎病的致病菌(尖孢镰刀菌)减少,而灭菌土的所有处理均未分离到。土壤细菌的PCR-DGGE图谱分析表明,灭菌土DGGE图谱带明显比连作土增加,土壤间带谱的相似性降低,土壤微生物多样性指数增加。灭菌土上的黄瓜未见枯萎病发生,而连作土的黄瓜发病率达31.25%～68.75%。

外源NO对NaCl胁迫下黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L.)幼苗生长和谷胱甘肽抗氧化酶系统的影响

采用营养液水培,研究了外源一氧化氮(NO)对黄瓜(Cucumis sativusL.)幼苗生长和叶片谷胱甘肽抗氧化酶系统的影响。结果表明,正常生长条件下添加NO能促进黄瓜幼苗生长,而添加NO信号传递途径关键酶鸟苷酸环化酶(cGC)抑制剂亚甲基蓝(MB-1)显著抑制了黄瓜幼苗的生长;添加NO显著缓解了盐胁迫对黄瓜幼苗生长的抑制,提高了叶片谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)活性、脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(DHAR)活性、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)及还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)、抗坏血酸(ASA)含量,降低了氧化型谷胱甘肽(GSSG)含量,提高了GSH/GSSG,对单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶(MDAR)活性无显著影响;NaCl胁迫下添加NO的同时添加MB-1抑制了GR活性的提高,GSH和ASA含量、GSH/GSSG均降低,GSSG含量提高,但对MDAR、APX和DHAR活性无显著影响,表明NaCl胁迫下NO对GR活性、GSH和ASA含量、GSH/GSSG的调节可能是通过cGC介导的,对MDAR无明显的调节作用,对DHAR、APX的调节还存在其它途径。

两个黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L.)叶色突变体的比较分析研究

通过对黄瓜黄绿叶突变体9110Gt和NCG-042植株表型观测、遗传分析和分子标记验证,证明9110Gt是区别于NCG-042的新叶色突变体。这两个黄绿叶突变体在表型上存在一定的区别:9110Gt在苗期表现叶色黄化,而NCG-042的心叶在整个生育期都表现黄化。遗传分析证明,两个突变体的叶色突变性状分别由两个不同的等位基因控制,且两基因间存在互补作用。分子标记的检测结果也进一步证实了这一结论。

In Vitro Regeneration of Style-stigma-like Structure from Stamens of Crocus sativus

Style-stigma-like structures were regenerated from stamens of Crocus sativus L. The age of the stamen explant has an obvious effect on the induction rate. Auxin NAA. has larger effect on the induction of filament style-stigma-like structure. Auxin NAA of higher concentration can lead to higher induction rate. Temperature and light have different effects on the induction of style-stigma-like structure from anther's filament of C. sativus with exogenous hormones at different levels. Ultraviolet tests show that style-stigma-like structure from anther's filament of C. sativus contains crocin, safranal and picrocrocin, contents of which are obviously more than those contained in the style-stigma-like from style. Floral reversion was observed in the induction of style-stigma-like structure from petals, ovaries and styles.

Effects of Salt Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth in Raphanus sativus L.

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of salt stress on seed germination and seedling growth in radish（Raphanus sativus L.）.[Method] First,effects of soaking seeds with clear water and different concentrations of saline solution were compared; then,different concentrations of salt solution （0.2％-1.0％） was used to treat radish during the whole germination period.[Result] soaking seeds with clear water can improve the germination indicators of radish seeds exposed to high salt stress; low salt concentration（0.2％,0.4％） had little effect on the growth indicators of radish seedlings,and 0.2％ salt concentration can even promote the growth of radish seedlings,however,the high salinity had a bad inhibition on seedling growth,the higher the salt concentration,the stronger the inhibition.[Conclusion] According to the comprehensive comparison,the order of the six varieties in salt-tolerance was as follows：Xinxiayuanbai＞W1029,Xiayuanbai ＞ Nanyangbailizhi,Chunyidianhong＞ Sijihong 3.

Spectrin-like Protein in the Phloem of Cucumis sativus

Spectrin-like protein has been found in a variety of plant cells. In this study, electron microscopic observation of immuno-gold labelled preparations from the leaf petiole of cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) shows that it also exists in the sieve element-companion cell (SE-CC) complex, being widely distributed in P-protein filaments and sieve element reticulum (SER), in the cytoplasm and mitochondrial membrane of companion cell (CC) and in the branched plasmodesmata between sieve element (SE) and CC as well. The results suggest that this protein could be synthesized in CC and transferred to SE through plasmodesmata. Western blotting showed that spectrin-like protein existed in the protein of phloem exudate of cucumber, and its molecular weight was about 260 kD.

Beneficial effects of saffron(Crocus sativus L.) in ocular pathologies, particularly neurodegenerative retinal diseases

Saffron(Crocus sativus L.)has been traditionally used in food preparation and as a medicinal plant.It currently has numerous therapeutic properties attributed to it,such as protection against ischemia,as well as anticonvulsant,antidepressant,anxiolytic,hypolipidemic,anti-atherogenic,anti-hypertensive,antidiabetic,and anti-cancer properties.In addition,saffron has remarkable beneficial properties,such as anti-apoptotic,anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities,due to its main metabolites,among which crocin and crocetin stand out.Furthermore,increasing evidence underwrites the possible neuroprotective role of the main bioactive saffron constituents in neurodegenerative diseases,such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases,both in experimental models and in clinical studies in patients.Currently,saffron supplementation is being tested for ocular neurodegenerative pathologies,such as diabetic retinopathy,retinitis pigmentosa,age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma,among others,and shows beneficial effects.The present article provides a comprehensive and up to date report of the investigations on the beneficial effects of saffron extracts on the main neurodegenerative ocular pathologies and other ocular diseases.This review showed that saffron extracts could be considered promising therapeutic agents to help in the treatment of ocular neurodegenerative diseases.

Current status of genetic transformation technology developed in cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.)

Genetic transformation is an important technique for functional genomics study and genetic improvement of plants. Until now, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods using cotyledon as explants has been the major approach for cucumber, and its frequency has been up to 23%. For example, significantly enhancement of the transformation efficiency of this plant species was achieved from the cotyledon explants of the cultivar Poinsett 76 infected by Agrobacterium strains EHA105 with efficient positive selection system in lots of experiments. This review is to summarize some key factors influencing cucumber regeneration and genetic transformation, including target genes, selection systems and the ways of transgene introduction, and then to put forward some strategies for the increasing of cucumber transformation efficiency. In the future, it is high possible for cucumber to be potential bioreactor to produce vaccine and biomaterials for human beings.

Inheritance of Powdery Mildew Resistance in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and Development of an AFLP Marker for Resistance Detection

Cucumber powdery mildew is one of the most destructive diseases of cucumber throughout the world. In the present study, inheritance of powdery mildew resistance in three crosses, and linkage of resistance with amplified fragment length polymorphism （AFLP） markers are studied to formulate efficient strategies for breeding cultivars resistant to powdery mildew. The joint analysis of multiple generations and AFLP technique has been applied in this study. The best model is the one with two major genes, additive, dominant, and epistatic effects, plus polygenes with additive, dominant, and epistatic effects （E-l-0 model）. The heritabilities of the major genes varied from 64.26% to 97.82%, and susceptibility was incompletely dominant for the two major genes in the three crosses studied. The additive effects of the two major genes and the dominant effect of the second major gene were high, and the epistatic effect of the additive-dominant between the two major genes was the highest in cross I . In cross II, the absolute value of the additive effect, dominant effect, and potential ratio of the first major gene were far higher than those of the second major gene, and the epistatic effect of the additive-additive was the highest. The genetic parameters of the two major genes in cross III were similar to those in cross II. Correlation and regression analyses showed that marker E25/M63-103 was linked to a susceptible gene controlling powdery mildew resistance. The marker could account for 19.98% of the phenotypic variation. When the marker was tested on a diverse set of 29 cucumber lines, the correlation between phenotype and genotype was not significant, which suggested cultivar specialty of gene expression or different methods of resistance to powdery mildew. The target DNA fragment was 103 bp in length, and only a small part was found to be homologous to DNA in the other species evaluated, which indicated that it was unique to the cucumber genome.

Biochemical, Antioxidant and Antineoplastic Properties of Italian Saffron (<i>Crocus sativus L</i>.)

Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, is got by Crocus sativus L. stigmas. The production of this substance has attracted human interest, since ancient cultures, for its medicinal and culinary properties. Because of saffron high economic value, sometimes, since Middle Ages, it is adulterated with other vegetal materials, dyes or synthetic molecules. Object of this work was the study of one of the best world saffron: Civitaretenga (AQ, Central Italy) C. sativus. Taste, color and aroma of Civitaretenga spice were determined, according to international standards (ISO/Technical Specification 3632), to define its high quality. A biochemical approach was then applied to obtain a secondary metabolite profile of this product. So, crocins, total phenolic content, flavonoids and phenolic acids were detected by HPLC-DAD and spectrophotometric analysis. Moreover, in vitro antioxidant properties and in vivo antineoplastic effects, on highly metastatic murine B16-F10 melanoma cell line, were successfully revealed in Civitaretenga C. sativus extract. All these data confirmed the elevated quality of Civitaretenga saffron and its highly reducing and chemopreventive activity.

Determination of Neurotoxin β-ODAP and Non-protein Amino Acids in Lathyrus Sativus by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Precolumn Derivatization with 6-Amino quinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl Carbamate (AQC)

A new method was developed for the quantitative determination of the neurotoxic nonprotein amino acid, 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropioni acid (β-ODAP), its nontoxic α-isomer and other non-protein amino acids in the plant samples of Lathyrus sativus after derivatization with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 2-Amino butyric acid (ABA) was used as an internal standard.The RP HPLC detection limit for both isomers is 1.8 ng with good response linearity. The results are compared with a colorimetric method.

HPLC Determination of Neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid and Its α -Isomer in Lathyrus sativus by Precolumn Derivatisation with 1-Fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzcne

A rapid and simple method is presented for determining β-N-oxalyl-α. β- diaminopropionic acid (β -ODAP) and its much less toxic α -isomer (α -ODAP) in Lathyrus sativus. Seed and foliage extracts of Lathyrus sativus were treated with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB) and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation of the derivatives in the pmol range is reported.

Developing Stable Cultivar through Microspore Mutagenesis in ×<i>Brassicoraphanus koranhort</i>, Inter-Generic Allopolyploid between <i>Brassica rapa</i>and <i>Raphanus sativus</i>

A stable progeny was developed through induced mutation, using microspore culture, of the hybrid (F1F1) produced by crossing a newly synthesized, unstable allopolyploid (F1) and a stable cultivar, BB#1(F1) in xBrassicoraphanus. An F1F1 plant was subjected to the induced mutation system established during production of BB#1. Morphological characteristics of the progeny such as color, and leaf number and length, differed from those of BB#1. The bolting time of the progeny in spring cropping was very late compared to BB#1, allowing it to be grown to an adult plant in spring. Genomic in situ hybridization analysis of pollen mother cells at prophase I identified 19 bivalents, 10 from Brassica rapa and 9 from Raphanus sativus. The glucoraphenin content was almost identical to that of BB#1. Two cultivars are available in the baemoochae crop now. These results indicate that induced mutation using microspore culture is a viable method of stabilizing intergeneric allopolyploids between B. rapa and R. sativus.

Effects of Different Natural Organic Additives on in Vitro Shoot Regeneration of Raphanus sativus L. Var, Beeralu

Abstract： Raphunus sativus L. commonly known as ＂radish＂ is a popular vegetable crop used by people all over the world for its culinary and medicinal properties. Enhancement of in vitro regeneration system for radish variety beeralu is needed to further tissue culture studied. Therefore, the present study was carried out to find out the effects of different organic additives on in vitro shoot regeneration of Radish （Raphanus sativus L.） Var. Beeralu. Hypocotyl explants of aseptic plantlets were cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 2.5 mg/L BAP （benzyl adenine） and 0.1 mg/L NAA （1-nphthaleneacetic acid） with different natural additives; 20% coconut water, 20% coconut milk, 10% grind spinach leaves, 10% grind potato tubers, 10% grind carrot, 5% rice flour, 10% green gram, 10% grind pumpkin, 10% banana fruit, 10% orange and control （without any additives）. Complete randomized design （CRD） with five replicates was used. After one month the numbers of regenerated shoots were counted and statistical analysis was carried out using the Student Newman-Kuells Means Separation Test of SAS program （9.1.3）. The highest mean number of shoots （12 shoots/explant） from Radish （Raphanus sativus L.） Var. Beeralu observed in MS basal medium with 2.5 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L NAA with 10% orange juice whereas the 2nd highest shoots were obtained with 20% coconut water. The lowest number of shoots （0 shoot/explant） was observed from medium with carrot juice and pumpkin juice, but they induced callus formation. Media with grind spinach leaves, rice flour, green gram, grind potato tubers and banana inhibit the shoot regeneration.

The Cumulative Effects of Sewage Sludge Compost on Raphanus sativus L: Growth and Soil Properties

The main goal of this research study was to establish the physicochemical characteristics of sewage sludge, and the nutrients needed to enhance the properties of soil with a view to exploiting were potential for agriculture. The example used was the cultivation of radish (Raphanus sativus). The findings are intended as a contribution towards making agriculture sustainable. This study was carried out to assess the response of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) to doses of sewage sludge applied in medium texture soils, and the socioeconomic contributions that such cultivation of radish would make. Levels of 0.25 and 75 ton/ha of sewage sludge plus the equivalent dose of 25 ton/ha of sewage sludge vermin compost by California Red were used after making a randomized experimental design with three replicates. 30 days after sowing radish seeds, the following data were collected: the number of leaves per plant (NLP);plant height (PH in cm);root diameter (RD) and tubercle production (TP ton/ha). In addition, the pH, EC-electric conductivity (EC), and soil organic matter (SOM) were determined. Statistical analysis showed that 25 and 50 tons/ha gave the best results for the parameters assessed. The estimated increase in family mean income from selling radish crops fertilized with sewage sludge is around 17%.