Apple as a Source of Dietary Phytonutrients: Bioavailability and Evidence of Protective Effects against Human Cardiovascular Disease

The dietary consumption of fruit and vegetable is associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Most recent interest has focused on the bioactive phenolic compounds in vegetable products. All varieties of apple contain several antioxidants and polyphenols that possess many biological activities, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties. The review describes the nutritional properties of apples and their derivatives, with a particular attention to polyphenol compounds. Moreover, the health benefits of apples and the potential molecular mechanisms against cardiovascular disease are reviewed.

What is a tree in the Mediterranean Basin hotspot?A critical analysis

Background: Tree species represent 20% of the vascular plant species worldwide and they play a crucial role in the global functioning of the biosphere. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots, and it is estimated that forests covered 82% of the landscape before the first human impacts, thousands of years ago. However, the spatial distribution of the Mediterranean biodiversity is still imperfectly known, and a focus on tree species constitutes a key issue for understanding forest functioning and develop conservation strategies. Methods: We provide the first comprehensive checklist of all native tree taxa (species and subspecies) present in the Mediterranean-European region (from Portugal to Cyprus). We identified some cases of woody species difficult to categorize as trees that we further called "cryptic trees". We collected the occurrences of tree taxa by"administrative regions", i.e. country or large island, and by biogeographical provinces. We studied the species-area relationship, and evaluated the conservation issues for threatened taxa following IUCN criteria. Results: We identified 245 tree taxa that included 210 species and 35 subspecies, belonging to 33 families and 64 genera. It included 46 endemic tree taxa (30 species and 16 subspecies), mainly distributed within a single biogeographical unit. The countries with the highest tree richness are Greece (146 taxa), Italy (133), Albania (122), Spain (155), Macedonia (116), and Croatia (110). The species-area relationship clearly discriminated the richest central-eastern (Balkans) and northern (Alpine and Cevenno-Pyrenean) biogeographical provinces, against the five western provinces in the Iberian Peninsula. We identified 44 unrecognized "cryptic trees", representing 21% of the total trees. Among the 245 taxa identified, 19 are considered to be threatened (15 CR+EN+VU) or near threatened (4 NT) by IUCN. Conclusions: The Mediterranean-European region includes an unsuspectedly high number of tree taxa, almost 200 tree taxa more than in the central European region. This tree diversity is not distributed evenly and culminates in the central-eastern part of the Mediterranean region, whereas some large Tyrrhenian islands shelter several narrow endemic tree taxa. Few taxa are recognized as threatened in the IUCN Red list, and the vulnerability of these species is probably underestimated.

Effect of Italian Sour Cherry (<i>Prunus cerasus</i>L.) on the Formation of Advanced Glycation End Products and Lipid Peroxidation

Sweet and sour cherries contain several polyphenols that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the maturity stage on phenol content and biological properties of extract of a local Morello-type of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus?L.), “visciola”. The study of total phenol content and total antioxidant potential was associated with the evaluation of the antioxidant property of extracts using a copper catalyzed human low density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation as experimental model. Moreover, using albumin glycated by methylglyoxal, we evaluated the anti-glycation effect of fruit extract. The results demonstrated that fully ripened fruits exert higher antioxidant and anti-glycation properties when compared with partially ripened fruits. Information about the health-promoting components of “visciola” could lead to a better understanding and an increased consumption of these, including its use as functional food.

Neglectella glomerata sp.nov.,a new species and implications for the systematics of the genus Neglectella(Oocystaceae,Trebouxiophyceae,Chlorophyta)

The genus Neglectella Vodenicarov&Benderliev has a morphology similar to the well-known genus Oocystis,except for the numerous chloroplasts stacked in the surface layer of the cell.Neglectella subsequently experienced complex taxonomy changes with members being transferred in and out,and five species are now accepted.In this study,a new alga with morphology corresponding to this genus was collected in China and successfully cultured in laboratory.Morphological observations in light microscopy and transmission electronic microscopy(TEM)and phylogenetic analyses revealed that it is a new species,described here as Neglectella glomerata sp.nov.It differed from other Neglectella species due to a morphological difference in its unique mucilaginous colony with a large number of cells,multiple pyrenoids in each chloroplast,smaller cell size,and more elongated cell shape.Phylogenetic analyses placed this alga in the subfamily Eremosphaeroideae of the family Oocystaceae and showed its close relationship with Neglectella peisonis.Further morphological comparisons combined with phylogenetic results revealed three different morphological types in Neglectella.The new type represented by our new species may represent a transitional morphology in intermediate taxonomic position between the other two types.The diversity of morphological types in Neglectella suggests that further unknown species of this genus are likely to be discovered in the future.More collections and DNA sequence data will be needed in the future for this genus.

Discovering the type of seed dormancy and temperature requirements for seed germination of Gentiana lutea L.subsp.lutea(Gentianaceae)

Aims There are a number of mechanisms that regulate germination;among these,seed dormancy,one of the most important,is an adaptative mechanism in plants to promote survival by dispersing germination in space and time until environmental conditions are favourable for germination.The main goals of this study were to determine the tem-perature requirements for seed dormancy release and germination of Gentiana lutea subsp.lutea,to identify the class and level of seed dormancy and to suggest an optimal germination protocol.Methods Seeds belonging to two different localities were subjected to vari-ous pre-treatments,including cold stratification(0 and 5°C),warm stratification(25/10°C)and different combinations of these,and then incubated at a range of constant temperatures(5-25°C)and 25/10°C.Embryo growth during pre-treatments and incubation con-ditions were assessed at different times by measuring the embryo to seed length ratio(E:S ratio).The final germination percentage(FGP)and the germination rate(t50)were calculated.Important Findings Fleshy mature seeds of G.lutea subsp.lutea have linear under-developed embryos.Cold stratification at 0°C was effective in overcoming the physiological dormancy(PD)and promoted embryo growth and subsequent germination.After cold stratifica-tion at 0°C,both the root and the shoot emerged readily under a wide range of temperatures.G.lutea subsp.lutea seeds showed an intermediate complex morphophysiological dormancy(MPD).As regards the optimal germination protocol for this taxon,we suggest a period of cold stratification at ca.0°C followed by seed incuba-tion at 10-20°C.The optimal germination temperatures found for seeds of this taxon,as well as its pre-chilling requirement at 0°C,suggest that it is well adapted to a temperate climate;this behavior highlights an increasing threat from global warming for G.lutea,which could reduce the level of natural emergence in the field,prejudicing also the long-term persistence of the natural popula-tions in Sardinia.

Sequential temperature control of multi-phasic dormancy release and germination of Paeonia corsica seeds

Aims The physiological responses during dormancy removal and multi-phasic germination were investigated in seeds of Paeonia corsica(Paeoniaceae).Methods Seeds of P.corsica were incubated in the light at a range of temperatures(10-25 and 25/10℃),without any pre-treatment,after W(3 months at 25℃),C(3 months at 5℃)and W+C(3 months at 25℃followed by 3 months at 5℃)stratification,and a GA_(3)treatment(250 mg·l^(−1)in the germination substrate).Embryo growth,time from testa to endosperm rupture and radicle emergence were assessed as separate phases.Epicotyl-plumule emergence was evaluated incubating the germinated seeds at 15℃for 2 weeks,at 5 and 25℃for 2 months on agar water before transplanting to the soil substrate at 10,15 and 20℃and at 15℃for 2 months on the surface agar water with GA_(3).Important Findings Embryo growth,testa rupture,endosperm rupture(radicle emergence)and growth of the epicotyl were identified as four sequential steps in seeds of P.corsica.Gibberellic acid alone and warm stratification followed by 15℃promoted embryo growth and subsequent seed germination.Cold stratification induced secondary dormancy,even when applied after warm stratification.After radicle emergence,epicotyl-plumule emergence was delayed for ca.3 months.Mean time of epicotyl-plumule emergence was positively affected by cold stratification(2 months at 5℃)and GA_(3).P.corsica seeds exhibited differential temperature sensitivity for the four sequential steps in the removal of dormancy and germination processes that resulted in the precise and optimal timing of seedling emergence.

Influence of aerial seed banks on germination response in three desert plant species

Aims To determine if the germination response of desert plant species to a period of aerial storage in field conditions(i.e.mature seeds that remain attached to the parent plant)is comparable to seeds harvested at maturity and stored in ambient laboratory conditions,to better understand the role of aerial seed bank in the germina-tion ecology of desert plants,using one annual and two perennial species.Methods Seeds of three desert plants(Anastatica hierochuntica,Blepharis ciliaris and Scrophularia deserti)that matured in June 2014,were collected from wild plants in June and November 2014,and ger-minated under two photoperiods(0,12 hours light)and three ther-moperiods(night/day temperatures of 15/25,20/30 and 25/35°c).Important Findings Seeds of B.ciliaris and S.deserti had significantly higher germination percentages when harvested and stored for five months,compared to being stored in the aerial seed bank.Germination percentages of these two species increased with decreasing temperature and in the presence of light.These results indicate that these species use a com-bination of aerial and soil seed banks to maintain a percentage of viable seeds through favourable germination periods.Germination percentages of A.hierochuntica were high under all tested circum-stances,indicating that this species relies mainly on the aerial seed bank to maintain a percentage of viable seeds through favourable germination periods.This study shows that the population survival strategies of an aerial seed bank are species-specific.These results have practical implications for conservation and habitat restoration for these species,and also for their propagation since early collec-tion of mature fruits and ex situ storage will result in greater germi-nation percentages of some species.