CRISPR/Cas: a powerful tool for designing and improving oil crops.

Improving oil yield and quality is a major goal for crop breeding, and CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing has opened a new era for designing oil crops with enhanced yield and quality. CRISPR/Cas technology can not only increase oil production but also enhance oil quality, including enhancing pharmaceutical and health components, improving oil nutrients, and removing allergic and toxic components. As new molecular targets for oil biosynthesis are discovered and the CRISPR/Cas system is further improved, CRISPR/Cas will become a better molecular tool for designing new oil crops with higher oil production, enhanced nutrients, and improved health components.

Antioxidation Activity Enhancement by Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond and Non-Browning Mechanism of Active Ingredients in Rosemary: Carnosic Acid and Carnosol.

Rosemary is one of the most promising, versatile, and studied natural preservatives. Carnosic acid (CA) and carnosol (CARN), as the primary active ingredients of rosemary extracts, have little difference in structure, but their antioxidant activities vary significantly, depending on the system studied. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

High-quality chromosome-level genome assembly and multi-omics analysis of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) reveals new insights into the environmental and genome adaptation.

High-quality genome of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) represents a valuable resource and tool for understanding genome evolution and environmental adaptation as well as its genetic improvement. However, the existing rosemary genome did not provide insights into the relationship between antioxidant components and environmental adaptability. In this study, by employing Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technologies, a total of 1.

A new species of (Rosaceae) from western Sichuan, China.

, a new species of Rosaceae from western Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, we inferred that the new species belongs to CotoneasterSer.Salicifolii sensu Yü et al.

High-throughput screening of ancient forest plant extracts shows cytotoxicity towards triple-negative breast cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, women's breast cancer is among the most common cancers with 7.8 million diagnosed cases during 2016-2020 and encompasses 15 % of all female cancer-related mortalities. These mortality events from triple-negative breast cancer are a significant health issue worldwide calling for a continuous search of bioactive compounds for better cancer treatments.

Contribution of Constituents in Rosemary-Magnolia Compound Essential Oil to Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Bioactivities Revealed by Grey Correlation Analysis.

The compound of essential oils (EOs) is a key approach to achieving the superimposed efficacy of plant EOs. In this article, grey correlation analysis was applied for the first time to explore the compound ratios and contribution between constituents and the bioactivity of the compound EOs. There were 12 active constituents shared in rosemary and magnolia EOs prepared by negative pressure distillation.

Paclobutrazol Promotes Root Development of Difficult-to-Root Plants by Coordinating Auxin and Abscisic Acid Signaling Pathways in .

is a rare and endangered plant endemic to China with higher-value uses in essential oil and structural wood production. Its seedlings are prone to death because of its undeveloped system. Paclobutrazol (PBZ) can improve root growth and development in certain plants, but its concentration effect and molecular mechanism remain unclear.

A review of plants formaldehyde metabolism: Implications for hazardous emissions and phytoremediation.

The wide use of hazardous formaldehyde (CHO) in disinfections, adhesives and wood-based furniture leads to undesirable emissions to indoor environments. This is highly problematic as formaldehyde is a highly hazardous and toxic compound present in both liquid and gaseous form. The majority of gaseous and atmospheric formaldehyde derive from microbial and plant decomposition.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the significant effects of fertilization on the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes in Phoebe bournei.

Phoebe bournei is a potential medicinal plant. Its essential oils (Eos) are mainly composed of sesquiterpenes that has potential activities of anti-bacteria and anti-tumors. In this study, we evaluated the effects of compost and compound fertilizer on the total amount and main components of Eos in P.

Zero waste multistage utilization of Ginkgo biloba branches.

Zero waste multistage utilization of biomass from Ginkgo biloba branches (GBBs) was achieved through extraction of bioactive components, analysis of antioxidant and antibacterial activities, preparation and composition of pyrolyzate, adsorption and reuse of modified biochar. The results showed that GBBs had abundant bioactive components for potential application in the industry of food, chemical raw materials and biomedicine. Especially, the bioactive compounds in acetone extract (10 mg/mL) of GBBs identified by DPPH and ABTS had free radical scavenging abilities of 92.

CRISPR/Cas: A powerful tool for gene function study and crop improvement.

Background: It is a long-standing goal of scientists and breeders to precisely control a gene for studying its function as well as improving crop yield, quality, and tolerance to various environmental stresses. The discovery and modification of CRISPR/Cas system, a nature-occurred gene editing tool, opens an era for studying gene function and precision crop breeding.

Aim Of Review: In this review, we first introduce the brief history of CRISPR/Cas discovery followed the mechanism and application of CRISPR/Cas system on gene function study and crop improvement.

A review of dietary phytochemicals and their relation to oxidative stress and human diseases.

Phytochemicals refer to active substances in plant-based diets. Phytochemicals found in for example fruits, vegetables, grains and seed oils are considered relatively safe for consumption due to mammal-plant co-evolution and adaptation. A number of human diseases are related to oxidative stress caused by for example chemical environmental contaminants in air, water and food; while also lifestyle including smoking and lack of exercise and dietary preferences are important factors for disease development in humans.

Facile synthesis of gold-silver/copper sulfide nanoparticles for the selective/sensitive detection of chromium, photochemical and bactericidal application.

In this project, bimetallic Au-Agnanoparticles/CuS nanoparticles were prepared via simple hydrothermal methods, which were used as highly efficient material for Cr (III) detection, photocatalytic, and biological process. The Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was studied via UV-visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. The zeta potential and effective size of Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was -32.

Fabrication of silver phosphate-ilmenite nanocomposites supported on glycol chitosan for visible light-driven degradation, and antimicrobial activities.

Recently, photo-degradation process under ultraviolet-light irradiation is being used as a substantial treatment method for the removal of environmental pollution. In this study, a silver phosphate-ilmenite (AgPO-FeTiO) hetero structure supported on glycol chitosan catalyst was completely prepared, also, and its structural, and optical properties were characterized. Meantime, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron, and UV-vis spectra were applied.

Edible Plant Oil: Global Status, Health Issues, and Perspectives.

Edible plant oil (EPO) is an indispensable nutritional resource for human health. Various cultivars of oil-bearing plants are grown worldwide, and the chemical compositions of different plant oils are diverse. The extremely complex components in oils lead to diverse standards for evaluating the quality and safety of different EPOs.

A review of historical and recent locust outbreaks: Links to global warming, food security and mitigation strategies.

Locusts differ from ordinary grasshoppers in their ability to swarm over long distances and are among the oldest migratory pests. The ecology and biology of locusts make them among the most devastating pests worldwide and hence the calls for actions to prevent the next outbreaks. The most destructive of all locust species is the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria).

Beyond the Paclitaxel and Vinca Alkaloids: Next Generation of Plant-Derived Microtubule-Targeting Agents with Potential Anticancer Activity.

Plants are an important source of chemically diverse natural products that target microtubules, one of the most successful targets in cancer therapy. Colchicine, paclitaxel, and vinca alkaloids are the earliest plant-derived microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs), and paclitaxel and vinca alkaloids are currently important drugs used in the treatment of cancer. Several additional plant-derived compounds that act on microtubules with improved anticancer activity are at varying stages of development.

Examining CO and NO pollution and reduction from forestry application of pure and mixture forest.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (NO), contribute significantly to global warming, and they have increased substantially over the years. Reforestation is considered as an important forestry application for carbon sequestration and GHGs emission reduction, however, it remains unknown whether reforestation may instead produce too much CO and NO contibuting to GHGs pollution. This study was performed to characterize and examine the CO and NO emissions and their controlling factors in different species and types of pure and mixture forest used for reforestation.

Pectin Drives Cell Wall Morphogenesis without Turgor Pressure.

How the plant cell wall expands and forms shapes is a long-standing mystery. Traditional thought is that turgor pressure drives these processes. However, a recent study by Haas and colleagues shows for the first time that the expansion of pectin homogalacturonan nanofilaments drives morphogenesis without turgor pressure in plant epidermal cells.

Bifunctional and binder-free S-doped Ni-P nanospheres electrocatalyst fabricated by pulse electrochemical deposition method for overall water splitting.

Due to their excellent electrocatalytic properties, transition metal phosphides have been considered as desirable and cost-effective electrocatalysts in recent years. However, in many cases, the synthesis of phosphide-based nanostructures requires expensive conditions and toxic phosphorous-containing compounds. Therefore, the emergence of an economical and eco-friendly method for creating phosphides-based nanostructures can be very effective.

SpRY: Engineered CRISPR/Cas9 Harnesses New Genome-Editing Power.

Due to protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) requirements, CRISPR/Cas9 cannot access many genetic loci. A recent study by Walton et al. structurally engineered Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) to near-PAMless SpRY that can target most DNA sequences with high editing efficiency and flexibility.

Direct Amination of Aromatic C-H Bonds with Free Amines.

Aromatic amines belong to a highly important class of organic compounds which are found in various natural products, functional materials, and pharmaceutical agents. Their prevalence has sparked continuing interest in the development of highly efficient and environmentally benign synthetic strategies for the construction of these compounds. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions between two unmodified C(X)-H bonds have recently emerged as a versatile and powerful strategy for the fabrication of new C(X)-C(X) bonds.

Integrative Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses of Molecular Mechanism Responding to Salt Stress during Seed Germination in Hulless Barley.

Hulless barley ( L. var. ) is one of the most important crops in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Functional nano-catalyzed pyrolyzates from branch of .

is an excellent tree species for construction of forest construction of Henan Province, China. The diverse bioactive components of nano-catalyzed pyrolyzates form cold-acclimated branch (CCB) in North China were explored. The raw powder of CCB treated with nano-catalyst (Ag, NiO, /Ag + /NiO) were pyrolyzed at two temperatures (550 °C and 700 °C), respectively.