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Topic Review
Benefit of Soybean-Derived Bioactive Peptides
Peptides present in foods have a wide range of physiological functions, including as anticancer agents and in lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, enhancing immunity, and promoting calcium absorption. Soy protein can be partially hydrolyzed enzymatically to physiologically active soy (or soybean) peptides (SPs), which not only exert physiological functions but also help amino acid absorption in the body and reduce bitterness by hydrolyzing hydrophobic amino acids from the C- or N-terminus of soy proteins. They also possess significant gel-forming, emulsifying, and foaming abilities. SPs are expected to be able to prevent and treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting the reabsorption of bile acids in the digestive system, thereby reducing blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and fat levels.
  • 2.2K
  • 20 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Arsenic Toxicity in Plants
 The non-essential metalloid arsenic (As) is widely distributed in soil and underground water of many countries. Arsenic contamination is a concern because it creates threat to food security in terms of crop productivity and food safety. Plants exposed to As show morpho-physiological, growth and developmental disorder which altogether result in loss of productivity. At physiological level, As-induced altered biochemistry in chloroplast, mitochondria, peroxisome, endoplasmic reticulum, cell wall, plasma membrane causes reactive oxygen species (ROS) overgeneration which damage cell through disintegrating the structure of lipids, proteins, and DNA. Therefore, plants tolerance to ROS-induced oxidative stress is a vital strategy for enhancing As tolerance in plants. Plants having enhanced antioxidant defense system show greater tolerance to As toxicity. Depending upon plant diversity (As hyperaccumulator/non-hyperaccumulator or As tolerant/susceptible) the mechanisms of As accumulation, absorption or toxicity response may differ. There can be various crop management practices such as exogenous application of nutrients, hormones, antioxidants, osmolytes, signaling molecules, different chelating agents, microbial inoculants, organic amendments etc. can be effective against As toxicity in plants. 
  • 2.2K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Plant Adaptation
Unlike animals, plants are immobile and could not actively escape the effects of aggressive environmental factors, such as pathogenic microorganisms, insect pests, parasitic plants, extreme temperatures, drought, and many others. To counteract these unfavorable encounters, plants have evolved very high phenotypic plasticity. In a rapidly changing environment, adaptive phenotypic changes often occur in time frames that are too short for the natural selection of adaptive mutations. Probably, some kind of epigenetic variability underlines environmental adaptation in these cases. Indeed, isogenic plants often have quite variable phenotypes in different habitats. There are examples of successful “invasions” of relatively small and genetically homogenous plant populations into entirely new habitats. The unique capability of quick environmental adaptation appears to be due to a high tendency to transmit epigenetic changes between plant generations. Multiple studies show that epigenetic memory serves as a mechanism of plant adaptation to a rapidly changing environment and, in particular, to aggressive biotic and abiotic stresses. In wild nature, this mechanism underlies, to a very significant extent, plant capability to live in different habitats and endure drastic environmental changes. In agriculture, a deep understanding of this mechanism could serve to elaborate more effective and safe approaches to plant protection.
  • 2.2K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Artemisia absinthium L.
Artemisia absinthium – wormwood (Asteraceae) – is a very important species in the history of medicine, formerly described in medieval Europe as “the most important master against all exhaustions”. It is a species known as a medicinal plant in Europe and also in West Asia and North America. The raw material obtained from this species is Artemisiae herba and Artemisiae absinthium aetheroleum. The main substances responsible for the biological activity of the herb are: the essential oil, bitter sesquiterpenoid lactones, flavonoids, another bitterness-imparting compounds, azulenes, phenolic acids, tannins and lignans. In the official European medicine, the species is used in both allopathy and homeopathy. In the traditional Asian and European medicine, it has been used as an effective agent in gastrointestinal ailments and also in the treatment of helminthiasis, anaemia, insomnia, bladder diseases, difficult-to-heal wounds, and fever. Today, numerous other directions of biological activity of the components of this species have been demonstrated and confirmed by scientific research, antiprotozoal, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulatory, cytotoxic, analgesic, neuroprotective, antidepressant, procognitive, neurotrophic, and cell membrane stabilizing activities. A. absinthium is also making a successful career as a cosmetic plant. In addition, the importance of this species as a spice plant and valuable additive in the alcohol industry (famous absinthe and vermouth-type wines) has not decreased. The species has also become an object of biotechnological research.
  • 2.1K
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Mitigating the Mistletoe Menace
There are nearly 5000 parasitic plant species belonging to 20 families of angiosperms, and many of them cause significant losses in crops used for food and industrial purposes. Alongside the world’s major plant pests, and mistletoes are more pronounced. Striga, Orobanche, and Cuscuta have been reviewed extensively, but attention could be called to mistletoe, which has emerged as a growing global problem and requires better management and control. The mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant that clings to trees and depletes them of nutrients and materials, and, in many cases, heightened infection can result in tree death. Efficient seed-dispersing mechanisms and/or frugivorous avians, as well as highly diversified haustorial structures, contribute to their enhanced tropism. These pests severely affect tree plantations across the globe. In addition to being a keystone resource of biodiversity and, to a somewhat minimal extent, their medicinal assets, they have also raised serious concerns regarding the commercial fruit and timber farming communities. In spite of the efforts of these and some research communities, conventional mistletoe management approaches have not succeeded in mitigating the mistletoe problem. On the contrary, most of these approaches, such as deliberate fires, herbicide use, pruning, pollarding, plastic wrapping and so on, overlook damages caused to the environment and public health. To counter this, newer approaches followed, exploring hyperparasitism from biological entities that thrive on the mistletoes and testing their worth as mistletoe biocontrol agents (MBCAs). However, no MBCA formulation has yet been translated to the market. Despite some silvicultural trials in small-scale settings, other biotechnological interventions were limited to time-consuming and laborious tree-breeding strategies. Beyond these, transgenic approaches and smart solutions have not yet been explored in the 21st century. In the face of emerging new host records and enhanced tropism, mistletoe seems to be outperforming management initiatives and losing the necessary pace of development and advancement.
  • 2.1K
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Art-sRNAi for Enhanced Antiviral Resistance
Artificial small RNAs (art-sRNAs) are 21-nucleotide small RNAs designed to recognize and silence complementary target RNAs with high specificity. Art-sRNA-based RNAi (art-sRNAi) tools are extensively used in gene function studies or for improving crops. In particular, numerous studies have reported the successful application of art-sRNAi tools to induce resistance against a large number of RNA and DNA viruses in model and crop species. However, the application of art-sRNAi as an antiviral tool has limitations, such as the difficulty to predict the efficacy of a particular art-sRNA, or the emergence of virus variants with mutated target sites escaping to art-sRNA-mediated degradation. Here, we describe the different classes, features and recent uses of art-sRNAi tools to induce enhanced antiviral resistance in plants. 
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Fruits and vegetables are constantly affected by postharvest diseases, of which anthracnose is one of the most severe and is caused by diverse Colletotrichum species, mainly C. gloeosporioides. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a cosmopolitan pathogen widely disseminated as a common plant pathogen.
  • 2.1K
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Fungi in the Cocoa Production
The role of fungi in cocoa crops is mainly associated with plant diseases and contamination of harvest with unwanted metabolites such as mycotoxins that can reach the final consumer. However, they can be play a positive role as endophytic promoting plant protection and growth; in addition they could play an important role in the fermentation step providing extracellular enzymes important to the pulp bean degradation. 
  • 2.1K
  • 10 May 2021
Topic Review
Plant Stress Detection by Thermography
Leaf and canopy temperature is a valuable indicator of the physiological status of plants, responding to both biotic and abiotic stressors. Thermography, often combined with other imaging sensors and data-mining techniques, is crucial in the implementation of a more automatized, precise and sustainable agriculture.
  • 2.1K
  • 25 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Photorespiration: The Futile Cycle?
Photorespiration, or C2 photosynthesis, is generally considered a futile cycle that potentially decreases photosynthetic carbon fixation by more than 25%. Nonetheless, many essential processes, such as nitrogen assimilation, C1 metabolism, and sulfur assimilation, depend on photorespiration. Most studies of photosynthetic and photorespiratory reactions are conducted with magnesium as the sole metal cofactor despite many of the enzymes involved in these reactions readily associating with manganese. Indeed, when manganese is present, the energy efficiency of these reactions may improve. 
  • 2.1K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Dunaliella salina
Dunaliella sp. is a unicellular, halophilic, biflagellate, naked green alga Phylum Chlorophyta, Class Chlorophyceae, order Volvocales, family Polyblepharidaceae with a total of 29 species, as well as several varieties and forms.
  • 2.1K
  • 23 Sep 2022
Topic Review
SPEECHLESS, MUTE and FAMA
Stomatal density, spacing, and patterning greatly influence the efficiency of gas exchange, photosynthesis, and water economy. They are regulated by a complex of extracellular and intracellular factors through the signaling pathways. After binding the extracellular epidermal patterning factor 1 (EPF1) and 2 (EPF2) as ligands, the receptor-ligand complexes activate by phosphorylation through the MAP-kinase cascades, regulating basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, and FAMA.
  • 2.1K
  • 24 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Cymbidium Orchids
Cymbidium is an economically important genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) that has a pronounced medicinal and ornamental value. Medicinally, the plant is employed as a tonic to treat weakness in chronic diseases, dizziness, eye problems, burns, and wounds, etc. Cymbidiums are highly prized for their graceful flowers and sweet fragrance and are among the top ten most popular cut flowers. They are one of the most important commercial orchid groups and account for 3% of cut flowers in floriculture. Some orchid species in this genus are particularly threatened by excessive harvesting, so conservation measures are needed.
  • 2.1K
  • 26 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Plant Proteins
In the food industry, proteins are regarded as multifunctional systems whose bioactive hetero-polymeric properties are affected by physicochemical interactions with the surrounding components in formulations. Due to their nutritional value, plant proteins are increasingly considered by the new product developer to provide three-dimensional assemblies of required structure, texture, solubility and interfacial/bulk stability with physical, chemical or enzymatic treatment. This molecular flexibility allows them to form systems for the preservation of fresh food, retention of good nutrition and interaction with a range of microconstituents. While, animal- and milk-based proteins have been widely discussed in the literature, the role of plant proteins in the development of functional foods with enhanced nutritional profile and targeted physiological effects can be further explored. Molecular functionality of plant proteins in relation to their structural transformation i.e. gelation, phase separation and vitrification, is discussed in this review.
  • 2.1K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Therapeutic Application of Betalains
Anthocyanins, betalains, riboflavin, carotenoids, chlorophylls and caramel are the basic natural food colorants used in modern food manufacture. Betalains, which are composed of red–violet betacyanin and yellow betaxanthins, are water-soluble pigments that color flowers and fruits. Betalains are pigments primarily produced by plants of the order Caryophyllales. Because of their anti-inflammatory, cognitive impairment, anticancer and anti-hepatitis properties, betalains are useful as pharmaceutical agents and dietary supplements. Betalains also exhibit antimicrobial and antimalarial effects, and as an example, betalain-rich Amaranthus spinosus displays prominent antimalarial activity. Studies also confirmed the antidiabetic effect of betalains, which reduced glycemia by 40% without causing weight loss or liver impairment. These findings show that betalain colorants may be a promising alternative to the synthetic dyes currently used as food additives
  • 2.1K
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vector Transmission of Plant Viruses
Vector transmission of plant viruses is basically of two types that depend on the virus helper component proteins or the capsid proteins. A number of plant viruses belonging to disparate groups have developed unusual capsid proteins providing for interactions with the vector.
  • 2.1K
  • 02 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Cannabis sativa
Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world. It was introduced into Western medicine during the early 19th century. It contains a complex mixture of secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid-type constituents. 
  • 2.1K
  • 18 May 2021
Topic Review
The Plant Response to Mechanical Stress
Mechanical stimuli, together with the corresponding plant perception mechanisms and the finely tuned thigmomorphogenetic response, has been of scientific and practical interest since the mid-17th century. As an emerging field, there are many challenges in the research of mechanical stress. Indeed, studies on different plant species (annual/perennial) and plant organs (stem/root) using different approaches (field, wet lab, and in silico/computational) have delivered insufficient findings that frequently impede the practical application of the acquired knowledge. 
  • 2.0K
  • 21 Feb 2023
Topic Review
FERONIA
As a member of the Catharanthus roseus receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L) protein kinase subfamily, FERONIA (FER) has emerged as a versatile player regulating multifaceted functions in growth and development, as well as responses to environmental factors and pathogens. With the concerted efforts of researchers, the molecular mechanism underlying FER-dependent signaling has been gradually elucidated. A number of cellular processes regulated by FER-ligand interactions have been extensively reported, implying cell type-specific mechanisms for FER.
  • 2.0K
  • 14 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Fiddlehead Fern
Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable. Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new frond (circinate vernation). As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground. Fiddleheads have antioxidant activity, are a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and are high in iron and fibre. Certain varieties of fiddleheads have been shown to be carcinogenic. (See bracken poisoning) The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a scroll) on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a fiddle. It is also called a crozier, after the curved staff used by bishops, which has its origins in the shepherd's crook.
  • 2.0K
  • 09 Oct 2022
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