Pathogenicity Differentiation of Fusarium spp. Causing Fusarium Basal Rot and Wilt Disease in Allium spp.

Here, 12 Fusarium strains, previously described as F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae (Foc), were examined via multi-locus sequencing of calmodulin (cmdA), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), to verify the taxonomic position of Foc in the newly established epitype of F. oxysporum. The strains in this study were divided into two clades: F. nirenbergiae and Fusarium sp. To further determine the host specifications of the strains, inoculation tests were performed on onion bulbs and Welsh onion seedlings as potential hosts. Four strains (AC145, AP117, Ru-13, and TA) isolated from diseased onions commonly possessed the secreted in xylem (SIX)-3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 14 genes and were pathogenic and highly aggressive to onion bulbs, whereas all strains except for one strain (AF97) caused significant inhibition of Welsh onion growth. The inoculation test also revealed that the strains harboring the SIX9 gene were highly aggressive to both onion and Welsh onion and the gene was expressed during infection of both onions and Welsh onions, suggesting the important role of the SIX9 gene in pathogenicity. This study provides insights into the evolutionary pathogenicity differentiation of Fusarium strains causing Fusarium basal rot and wilt diseases in Allium species.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Metabolite Analysis Combined with Transcriptomics Reveals Genes Involved in Wax Biosynthesis in Allium fistulosum L.

Cuticular waxes are essential for protecting plants from various environmental stresses. Allium fistulosum serves as an excellent model for investigating the regulatory mechanisms underlying cuticular wax synthesis with notable epidermal wax characteristics. A combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolite analysis and transcriptomics was used to investigate variations in metabolites and gene expression patterns between the wild type (WT) and glossy mutant type (gl2) of A. fistulosum. The WT surface had a large number of acicular and lamellar waxy crystals, whereas the leaf surface of gl2 was essentially devoid of waxy crystals. And the results revealed a significant decrease in the content of 16-hentriacontanone, the principal component of cuticular wax, in the gl2 mutant. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 3084 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between WT and gl2. Moreover, we identified 12 genes related to fatty acid or wax synthesis. Among these, 10 DEGs were associated with positive regulation of wax synthesis, whereas 2 genes exhibited negative regulatory functions. Furthermore, two of these genes were identified as key regulators through weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Notably, the promoter region of AfisC5G01838 (AfCER1-LIKE1) exhibited a 258-bp insertion upstream of the coding region in gl2 and decreased the transcription of the AfCER1-LIKE1 gene. This study provided insights into the molecular mechanisms governing cuticular wax synthesis in A. fistulosum, laying the foundation for future breeding strategies.

Development of an analytic method for organosulfur compounds in Welsh onion and its use for nutritional quality analysis of five typical varieties in China.

A reliable, simple, and sensitive method capable of quantifying six organosulfur compounds (OSCs) was established. The samples were extracted by water containing 3 % formic acid with a simple vortex, ultrasound, and centrifugation step, and the solutions were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography separation system coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC - MS/MS). Then the method was applied for the analysis of six OSCs in five varieties of two types Welsh onions in China, and the moisture content, reducing sugar, total polyphenols, and 21 free amino acids were also analyzed to study the characters of these Welsh onions intensively. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to investigate the differences in OSCs and free amino acids profiles among the samples. This study showed that enzymatic inhibition method combined with UHPLC - MS/MS is an effective technique to analyze OSCs in Welsh onion, and could be valuable for the routine quantitation of OSCs in other foods.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Allium fistulosum L. (Amaryllidaceae).

Allium fistulosum L. (Linnaeus, Carolus, 1753) is an aromatic vegetable with health benefits and medicinal value. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of A. fistulosum was determined. Circular mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was 382,053 bp in size, encoded 44 genes, and contained 26 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 14 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences of the 26 PCGs revealed that the closest relationship was between A. fistulosum and Allium cepa. The high-quality mitochondrial genomic sequences of A. fistulosum presented in this study will serve as a useful resource for a range of genetic, functional, evolutionary, and comparative genomic studies on this species of the Amaryllidaceae family.

Characteristic aroma-active components of fried green onion (Allium fistulosum L.) through flavoromics analysis.

Green onion (Allium fistulosum L.) is a perennial herb with a characteristic allium aroma. Meanwhile, fried green onion oil has a rich flavor that is popular in traditional Chinese cuisine. In this work, the key aroma components of fried green onion oil were focused via flavoromics analysis. The oil samples had a low score of a green aroma but a high score of salty, greasy aromas. Whereafter, a total of 36 aroma-active substances with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 6561 were identified in fried green onion oil, while 42 were detected in fried green onion residue with FD factors ranging from 1 to 19683. Additionally, the recombination and omission tests revealed that furaneol, dimethyl trisulfide, allyl methyl trisulfide, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, etc., were the key aroma compounds in fried green onion oil. Furthermore, the observation of the reaction of thioethers at high temperatures revealed that dimethyl disulfide undergoes polymerization to form dimethyl trisulfide. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the standardization and industrial production of Chinese cuisine.

Effect of Different Vegetable Oils on the Flavor of Fried Green Onion (Allium fistulosum L.) Oil.

The flavor of fried green onion oil (Allium fistulosum L.) is widely applied and popular in Chinese cuisine. This work aimed to explore the effects of different varieties of vegetable oils on the flavor profile generation of fried green onion oil. The volatile flavor components of seven different kinds of fried green onion oils, i.e., soybean oil, palm oil, olive oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, camellia oil, and colza oil, were identified and analyzed by sensory analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose. The results showed that sensory analysis and electronic nose were accepted to detect the odor diversities of different kinds of fried green onion oil sensitively. A total of 103 volatile flavor components were identified positively, and the key aromas included aldehydes and sulfur-containing compounds that correlated highly with green grass, oily, pungent and shallot scent attributes. Meanwhile, fatty acid compositions showed that there were no significant changes in the types of fatty acids before and after frying, but the relative content was not different. Accordingly, the unsaturated fatty acids (UFA, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, and C20:1) had a significant influence on the flavor of frying oil, which was peculiarly prone to oxidation and heat degradation reactions. These results provided a theoretical basis for further application of fried onion flavor in the food industry.

Improvement of the Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Polyphenols from Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum) Leaves Using Response Surface Methodology.

Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum) leaves contain several bioactive compounds that can be extracted and used to develop new value-added products (e.g., functional foods and dietary supplements). In the current work, optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions to obtain extracts with high polyphenols content and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil) scavenging activity were identified using response surface methodology. A complete 3k factorial design was used to evaluate the effect of different variables of the UAE (extraction temperature, time, and ethanol concentration) on the polyphenols content and the DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts. The best conditions for UAE to reach both the highest values of total polyphenols content (51.78 mg GAE/100 g) and DPPH scavenging activity (34.07 mg Trolox equivalents/100 g) were an extraction temperature of 60 °C, time of 10 min, and ethanol concentration of 70% v/v. The antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained at the optimal conditions was also evaluated by 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays obtaining values of 155.51 ± 2.80 µM Trolox/100 g and 1300.21 ± 65.55 µM Trolox/100 g, respectively. Moreover, these extracts were characterized by UHPLC-ESI+-Orbitrap-MS analysis finding that cyanidin (6.0 mg/kg) was the phenolic compound found in the highest amount followed by quercetin-3-glucoside (4.4 mg/kg).

The Spectral Irradiance, Growth, Photosynthetic Characteristics, Antioxidant System, and Nutritional Status of Green Onion (Allium fistulosum L.) Grown Under Different Photo-Selective Nets.

The active regulation of the plant growth environment is a common method for optimizing plant yield and quality. In horticulture today, light quality control is carried out using photo-selective nets or membranes to improve the yield and quality of cultivated plants. In the present study, with natural light as the control (CK), we tested different photo-selective nets (white, WN; blue, BN; green, GN; yellow, YN; and red, RN) with 30% shade for characteristics of growth, development, quality, yield, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll fluorescence, considering the antioxidant system, as well as the influence of element absorption and transformation of green onion (Allium fistulosum L.) plants at different growth stages. We found that plants under BN and WN have greater height and fresh weight than those of plants under the other nets. Plants under the BN treatment had the highest quality, yield, photosynthetic pigment content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance, whereas the intercellular CO2 concentration was the highest in plants in the YN treatment. The photosynthesis noon break phenomenon was significantly lower in plants with covered photo-selective nets than in CK plants. NPQ was the highest in the YN treatment, and Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, and qP among the plants in the other treatments were different; from highest to lowest, they were as follows: BN > WN > CK > RN > GN > YN. The active oxygen content of green onion leaves in the BN treatment was significantly lower than that in the other treatments, and their key enzyme activity was significantly increased. BN also improved the absorption and transformation of elements in various organs of green onion.

Green and facile synthesis of gold/perlite nanocomposite using Allium Fistulosum L. for photothermal application.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) procedure is anticipated as a new generation of cancer therapy techniques. With this in mind, in this work, an effective drug-free approach was developed to kill MCF7 breast cancer cells using PTT. A novel biocompatible nanocomposite as a PTT transducer was prepared from the in situ phytosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the presence of perlite as a platform and extract of Allium Fistulosum L. as a stabilizing and reducing agent (Au/perlite NC). The common characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), zeta potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) were used to approve the synthesis of Au/perlite NC. The potential of the synthesized NCs on ROS generating and antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH. In the following, the PTT efficacy of the Au/perlite NC on the destruction of MCF-7 breast cancer cells was assessed in vitro via the cell cycle, cell viability, and DAPI staining assays. The DPPH assay results showed that Au/perlite NC had a radicals scavenging capacity of about 41.47 % in 30 min. Cellular uptake results indicated a significant cell uptake after 1.5 h exposure with Au/perlite NC. Interestingly, cell death was increased dramatically by increasing irradiation time from 6 to 10 min. Cell viability assay revealed that the maximum number of cell death is around 50 % which was observed in the presence of Au/perlite NC by irradiation time of 10 min. Cell cycle results showed that the maximum amount of apoptotic cells (85 %) was observed in Au/perlite NC treatment group received laser irradiation for 10 min. The outcomes demonstrated that the Au/perlite NC can be used as a new drug-free and efficient agent for PTT of breast cancer cells without any concern cytotoxicity.

Effects of supplementation levels of Allium fistulosum L. extract on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and methane emission.

BACKGROUND: Ruminants release the majority of agricultural methane, an important greenhouse gas. Different feeds and additives are used to reduce emissions, but each has its drawbacks. This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Allium fistulosum L. (A. fistulosum) extract on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics, and on methane emission. METHODS: Rumen fluid was taken from two cannulated rumen Hanwoo cow (with mean initial body weight 450 ± 30 kg, standard deviation = 30). Rumen fluid and McDougall's buffer (1:2; 15 mL) were dispensed anaerobically into 50 mL serum bottles containing 300 mg (DM basis) of timothy substrate and A. fistulosum extracts (based on timothy substrate; 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, or 9%). This experiment followed a completely randomized design performed in triplicate, using 126 individual serum bottles (six treatments × seven incubation times × three replicates). RESULTS: Dry matter degradability was not significantly affected (p-value > 0.05) by any A. fistulosum treatment other than 1% extract at 24 h incubation. Methane emission linearly decreased A. fistulosum extract concentration increased at 12 and 24 h incubation (p-value < 0.0001; p-value = 0.0003, respectively). Acetate concentration linearly decreased (p-value = 0.003) as A. fistulosum extract concentration increased at 12 h incubation. Methanogenic archaea abundance tendency decreased (p-value = 0.055) in the 1%, 7%, and 9% A. fistulosum extract groups compared to that in the 0% group, and quadratically decreased (p-value < 0.0001) as A. fistulosum extract concentration increased at 24 h incubation. CONCLUSION: A. fistulosum extract had no apparent effect on ruminal fermentation characteristics or dry matter degradability. However, it reduced methane emission and methanogenic archaea abundance.

Photosynthetic characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure of welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) grown under different LED wavelengths.

BACKGROUND: The optimized illumination of plants using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is beneficial to their photosynthetic performance, and in recent years, LEDs have been widely used in horticultural facilities. However, there are significant differences in the responses of different crops to different wavelengths of light. Thus, the influence of artificial light on photosynthesis requires further investigation to provide theoretical guidelines for the light environments used in industrial crop production. In this study, we tested the effects of different LEDs (white, W; blue, B; green, G; yellow, Y; and red, R) with the same photon flux density (300 µmol/m2·s) on the growth, development, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, leaf structure, and chloroplast ultrastructure of Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) plants. RESULTS: Plants in the W and B treatments had significantly higher height, leaf area, and fresh weight than those in the other treatments. The photosynthetic pigment content and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in the W treatment were significantly higher than those in the monochromatic light treatments, the transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (Gs) were the highest in the B treatment, and the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was the highest in the Y treatment. The non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) was the highest in the Y treatment, but the other chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics differed among treatments in the following order: W > B > R > G > Y. This includes the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) under dark adaptation (Fv/Fm), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII under light adaptation (Fv'/Fm'), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII), and apparent electron transport rate (ETR). Finally, the leaf structure and chloroplast ultrastructure showed the most complete development in the B treatment. CONCLUSIONS: White and blue light significantly improved the photosynthetic efficiency of Welsh onions, whereas yellow light reduced the photosynthetic efficiency.

Green onion production under strategies of replacement and frequencies of circulation of brackish nutritive solutions / Produção de cebolinha sob estratégias de reposição e frequências de circulação de soluções nutritivas salobras

The cultivation of vegetables in semi-arid regions, especially in the context of the use of brackish water, has been made possible by the use of the hydroponics technique. Thus, two experiments were carried out between December 2016 and January 2017 in a protected environment at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife ­ PE, Brazil (8° 1"7" South latitude and 34° 56" 53" West longitude, and average altitude of 6.5 m), aiming at evaluating the production of green onion (cv. "Todo dia" Evergreen - Nebuka) in plants exposed to brackish nutrient solution (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5 and 9.0 dS m-1), applied at two frequencies of circulation (twice a day - at 8 and 16 hours, and three times per day - at 8, 12 and 16 hours) in low-cost hydroponics system. In Experiment I, the nutrient solution evapotranspirated by the plants was replaced with the respective brackish water used in its preparation, and in Experiment II with UFRPE supply water (0.12 dS m-1). In both cases, a completely randomized experimental design was used, in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, with five replications. It was concluded that under replacement with brackish water, the increase in the frequency of circulation attenuated the losses imposed by the salinity to the biometric variables and of the production of fresh and dry phytomass of the plants; the water supply replenishment had a greater mitigating role in relation to the damage caused by the salinity with the increase of the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution.

O cultivo de hortaliças em regiões semiáridas, especialmente no contexto de uso de águas salobras, tem sido viabilizado pelo uso da técnica da hidroponia. Diante disto, entre janeiro de 2016 e abril de 2017, foram conduzidos dois experimentos em ambiente protegido na Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE (8° 1"7" Sul e 34° 56" 53" Oeste, altitude média de 6,5 m), objetivando-se avaliar a produção da cebolinha (cv. Todo ano Evergreen - Nebuka) em plantas expostas a soluções nutritivas salobras (1,5; 3,0; 4,5; 6,0; 7,5 e 9,0 dS m-1) aplicadas em duas frequências de circulação (duas vezes ao dia - às 8 e às 16 horas; e três vezes ao dia - às 8, 12 e 16 horas). Em ambos os casos, utilizou-se um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 6 x 2, com cinco repetições. No Experimento I, a lâmina de solução nutritiva evapotranspirada pelas plantas foi reposta com a respectiva água salobra utilizada no seu preparo e, no Experimento II, com água de abastecimento da UFRPE (0,12 dS m-1). Concluiu-se que sob reposição com água salobra, o aumento da frequência de circulação atenuou as perdas impostas pela salinidade às variáveis biométricas e de produção de fitomassa fresca e seca das plantas; a reposição com água deabastecimento passou a ter maior papel mitigador em relação ao dano causado pela salinidade com o aumento da condutividade elétrica da solução nutritiva.

Effects of cadmium on uptake and translocation of nutrient elements in different welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) cultivars.

The concentration of nutrient elements is an important quality characteristic of vegetables, and the variation in accumulation among cultivars can provide clues about the mechanism of low accumulation of heavy metals. Pot-culture experiments were arranged under four cadmium (Cd) treatments (CK, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0mg/kg) to explore influences of Cd on the accumulation of nutrient elements in 25 welsh onion cultivars. There were significant positive correlations (p<0.05) between Cd and nutrient elements in the pseudostems and leaves. There were also significant positive correlations in nutrient elements (p<0.05) among cultivars, which might be disturbed under high Cd treatments, especially for P, Fe and Mn. Our results suggested that there is a synergistic effect on the accumulation between Cd and nutrient elements, and within nutrient elements among cultivars. In addition the uptake and translocation process of Cd was closely related to Mn in welsh onion.

A Pharmacognostical Study on the Fistular Onion Bulb(Allium fistulosum) / 中草药

"Congbai", fistular onion bulb, a Chinese herbal drug, was systematically studied in such aspects as botanical morphology, macroscopical characters, histology and so on. Scientific basis was provided to draw up the standard of identifying "Congbai".