Wild vs. Cultivated Zingiber striolatum Diels: Nutritional and Biological Activity Differences.

Compositional, functional, and nutritional properties are important for the use-value assessments of wild and cultivated edible plants. The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, volatile compounds, and potential biological activities of cultivated and wild Zingiber striolatum. Various substances, such as soluble sugars, mineral elements, vitamins, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and volatiles, were measured and analyzed using UV spectrophotometry, ICP-OES, HPLC, and GC-MS methods. The antioxidant capacity of a methanol extract of Z. striolatum, as well as the hypoglycemic abilities of its ethanol and water extracts, were tested. The results showed that the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein, and total saponin in the cultivated samples were higher, while the wild samples contained higher amounts of K, Na, Se, vitamin C, and total amino acids. The cultivated Z. striolatum also showed a higher antioxidant potential, while the wild Z. striolatum exhibited a better hypoglycemic activity. Thirty-three volatile compounds were identified using GC-MS in two plants, with esters and hydrocarbons being the main volatile compounds. This study demonstrated that both cultivated and wild Z. striolatum have a good nutritional value and biological activity, and can be used as a source of nutritional supplementation or even in medication.

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Gonostegia hirta: An Underexploited, Potentially Edible, Wild Plant.

Wild, edible plants have received increasing attention as an important complement to cultivate vegetables, as they represent an easily accessible source of nutrients, mineral elements, and antioxidants. In this study, the tender stems and leaves of Gonostegia hirta, an edible species for which only scarce data are available in the literature, are thoroughly evaluated for their nutritional profile, chemical characterization, and antioxidant activity. Being considered as an underexploited, potentially edible plant, the nutritional composition of Gonostegia hirta was identified, and several beneficial compounds were highlighted: sugars, potassium, calcium, organic acids, fatty acids, phenolics, and flavonoids. A total of 418 compounds were identified by metabolomic analysis, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, amino acids, lipids, organic acids, terpenoids, alkaloids, nucleotides, tannins, lignans, and coumarin. The plant sample was found to have good antioxidant capacities, presented by DPPH, FRAP, ABTS+, hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and its resistance to the superoxide anion radical test. In general, Gonostegia hirta has a good nutritional and phytochemical composition. The health benefits of Gonostegia hirta as a vegetable and herbal medicine is important for both a modern diet and use in medication.

Characterization of the chloroplast genome of Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Rosc.

Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Rosc. is an important plant species in tropical Asia widely used for decoration, and in traditional food and medicine. In this study, we reported for the first time the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Z. mioga. The assembled chloroplast genome was 159,868 bp long with a typical quadripartite structure consisting of two reverse repeated regions of 26,652 bp in length, separated by a large single-copy (89,431 bp) and a small single-copy (17,133 bp) region. We annotated 113 genes including 78 protein-coding, 31 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis with 27 other species showed that Z. mioga clustered with Z. officinale and Z. spectabile, all belonging to the Zingiberaceae family of the Zingiberales order. The results of this study will facilitate the breeding process and conservation of the species.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Changes Triggered by Fusarium solani in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a major legume and is frequently attacked by fungal pathogens, including Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli (FSP), which cause Fusarium root rot. FSP substantially reduces common bean yields across the world, including China, but little is known about how common bean plants defend themselves against this fungal pathogen. In the current study, we combined next-generation RNA sequencing and metabolomics techniques to investigate the changes in gene expression and metabolomic processes in common bean infected with FSP. There were 29,722 differentially regulated genes and 300 differentially regulated metabolites between control and infected plants. The combined omics approach revealed that FSP is perceived by PAMP-triggered immunity and effector-triggered immunity. Infected seedlings showed that common bean responded by cell wall modification, ROS generation, and a synergistic hormone-driven defense response. Further analysis showed that FSP induced energy metabolism, nitrogen mobilization, accumulation of sugars, and arginine and proline metabolism. Importantly, metabolic pathways were most significantly enriched, which resulted in increased levels of metabolites that were involved in the plant defense response. A correspondence between the transcript pattern and metabolite profile was observed in the discussed pathways. The combined omics approach enhances our understanding of the less explored pathosystem and will provide clues for the development of common bean cultivars' resistant to FSP.