OBJECTIVE: Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is one of the most important economic crops abundantly found in Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia. The robustness of the palm triggered the Sarawak government\'s selection as one of the state\'s commodity crops, with the opening of several sago palm plantations. However, stunted (non-trunking) palms were reported in several sago palm plantations despite attaining a maturity period of more than ten years after cultivation. Research targeting this problem has been conducted in various fields, yet information on molecular mechanisms is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the genes responsible for sago palm\'s normal phenotype (trunking) by attaining leaf transcriptomes from samples of all trunking sago palms from different sago palm plantations.
METHODS: The conventional CTAB method was employed in the present investigation to extract total RNA from leaf tissues. Transcriptome sequencing was conducted on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Differential expression analysis was performed using the DESeq2 package. A total of 6,119 differentially expressed genes, comprising 4,384 downregulated and 1,735 upregulated genes, were expressed in all three sago palm datasets. The datasets provide insights into the commonly expressed genes among trunking sago palms.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a highly productive crop economically significant for food, cosmetics, and biofuels. Abiotic stresses such as low water availability, salt accumulation, and high temperatures severely impact oil palm growth, physiology, and yield by restricting water flux among soil, plants, and the environment. While drought stress\'s physiological and biochemical effects on oil palm have been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms underlying drought stress tolerance remain unclear. Under water deficit conditions, this study investigates two commercial E. guineensis cultivars, IRHO 7001 and IRHO 2501. Water deficit adversely affected the physiology of both cultivars, with IRHO 2501 being more severely impacted. After several days of water deficit, there was a 40% reduction in photosynthetic rate (A) for IRHO 7001 and a 58% decrease in IRHO 2501. Further into the drought conditions, there was a 75% reduction in A for IRHO 7001 and a 91% drop in IRHO 2501. Both cultivars reacted to the drought stress conditions by closing stomata and reducing the transpiration rate. Despite these differences, no significant variations were observed between the cultivars in stomatal conductance, transpiration, or instantaneous leaf-level water use efficiency. This indicates that IRHO 7001 is more tolerant to drought stress than IRHO 2501. A differential gene expression and network analysis was conducted to elucidate the differential responses of the cultivars. The DESeq2 algorithm identified 502 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The gene coexpression network for IRHO 7001 comprised 274 DEGs and 46 predicted HUB genes, whereas IRHO 2501\'s network included 249 DEGs and 3 HUB genes. RT-qPCR validation of 15 DEGs confirmed the RNA-Seq data. The transcriptomic profiles and gene coexpression network analysis revealed a set of DEGs and HUB genes associated with regulatory and transcriptional functions. Notably, the zinc finger protein ZAT11 and linoleate 13S-lipoxygenase 2-1 (LOX2.1) were overexpressed in IRHO 2501 but under-expressed in IRHO 7001. Additionally, phytohormone crosstalk was identified as a central component in the response and adaptation of oil palm to drought stress.

Oil palm is a versatile oil crop with numerous applications. Significant progress has been made in applying histological techniques in oil palm research in recent years. Whole genome sequencing of oil palm has been carried out to explain the function and structure of the order genome, facilitating the development of molecular markers and the construction of genetic maps, which are crucial for studying important traits and genetic resources in oil palm. Transcriptomics provides a powerful tool for studying various aspects of plant biology, including abiotic and biotic stresses, fatty acid composition and accumulation, and sexual reproduction, while proteomics and metabolomics provide opportunities to study lipid synthesis and stress responses, regulate fatty acid composition based on different gene and metabolite levels, elucidate the physiological mechanisms in response to abiotic stresses, and explain intriguing biological processes in oil palm. This paper summarizes the current status of oil palm research from a multi-omics perspective and hopes to provide a reference for further in-depth research on oil palm.

The study investigated the utilization of waste palm fiber as an adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal. The waste palm fiber was treated by a series of steps to prepare an activated charcoal adsorbent. The adsorption process of MB on the activated charcoal was modeled using the Box-Behnken design (BBD) in the response surface methodology (RSM). Adsorbent mass, solution pH, temperature, and time were selected as factors, while removal efficiency and adsorption capacity were chosen as responses. Both models were significant with correlation factors of 0.85 and 0.99 for removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, respectively. Optimal conditions for MB removal were achieved at an initial pH of 7, an adsorbent dose of 0.05 g/L, and a contact time of 30 min, resulting in a 99% removal efficiency. The adsorption of MB using the activated charcoal indicates the physical nature of the reaction.

Chagas disease, a neglected global health concern primarily transmitted through the bite and feces of kissing bugs, has garnered increasing attention due to recent outbreaks in northern Brazil, highlighting the role of oral transmission facilitated by the kissing bugs species Rhodnius robustus and Rhodnius pictipes. These vectors are associated with palm trees with large crowns, such as the maripa palm (Attalea maripa) and moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa). In this study, we employ maximum entropy (MaxEnt) ecological niche models to analyze the spatial distribution of these vectors and palm species, predicting current and future climate suitability. Our models indicate broader potential habitats than documented occurrences, with high suitability in northern South America, southern Central America, central Africa, and southeast Asia. Projections suggest increased climate suitability by 2040, followed by a reduction by 2080. This study identifies present and future areas suitable for kissing bugs and palm tree species due to climate change, aiding in the design of prevention and management strategies.

Food spoilage caused by pathogens pose great threat to food safety and human health. Plastarch-based packaging films with antibacterial activities provide an effective way to control foodborne pathogens. In this study, microbial fermentation dominated by yeast was used for the first time to increase the antibacterial activity of Adina rubella extract (ARE). The best antimicrobial effect of ARE was observed by fermentation for 9 days. The minimum inhibitory concentration of ARE against Listeria monocytogenes was 3.125 mg/mL. ARE destroyed the structure of the cell wall, increased the permeability of the cell membrane, led to the leakage of nucleic acids, and induced the change of ROS level, which caused cell death of Listeria monocytogenes. ARE-based biodegradable films were prepared and their performance in pork packaging application was evaluated. The films showed effective antimicrobial properties and showed great potential for the development of safe and sustainable food packaging films.

BACKGROUND: Breeding for oil palm resistance against basal stem rot caused by Ganoderma boninense is challenging and time-consuming. Advanced oil palm gene pools are very limited, hence it is assumed that parental palms have experienced genetic drift and lost their resistance genes against Ganoderma. High-throughput selection criteria should be developed. Metabolomic analysis using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is easy, and the resulting metabolite can be used as a diagnostic tool for detecting disease in various host-pathogen combinations.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify metabolite variations in Dura (D) and Pisifera (P) parental palms with different resistance levels against Ganoderma and moderately resistant DxP using 1H NMR analysis.
METHODS: Leaf tissues of seven different oil palm categories consisting of: resistant, moderate, and susceptible Dura (D); moderate and susceptible Pisifera (P); resistant Tenera/Pisifera (T/P) parental palms; and moderately resistant DxP variety progenies, were sampled and their metabolites were determined using NMR spectroscopy.
RESULTS: Twenty-nine types of metabolites were identified, and most of the metabolites fall in the monosaccharides, amino acids, and fatty acids compound classes. The PCA, PLS-DA, and heatmap multivariate analysis indicated two identified groups of resistance based on their metabolites. The first group consisted of resistant T/P, moderate P, resistant D, and moderately resistant DxP. In contrast, the second group consisted of susceptible P, moderate D, and susceptible D. Glycerol and ascorbic acid were detected as biomarker candidates by OPLS-DA to differentiate moderately resistant DxP from susceptible D and P. The pathway analysis suggested that glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were involved in the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma.
CONCLUSIONS: A metabolomic study with 1H NMR was able to describe the metabolite composition that could differentiate the characteristics of oil palm resistance against basal stem rot (BSR) caused by G. boninense. These metabolites revealed in this study have enormous potential to become support tools for breeding new oil palm varieties with higher resistance against BSR.

The increasing global demand for palm oil and its derivatives has led to significant environmental and social concerns, prompting the need for sustainable practices in oil palm production. In recent years, digital technologies have emerged as a potential solution to enhance sustainability in this sector. The objective of this review was to provide insights into the potential benefits and limitations of digital technologies in promoting sustainable practices in the oil palm industry, and to identify key challenges that must be addressed to ensure that digitalization contributes to sustainable development in this sector. To obtain valuable insights on this topic, this review employed a thorough analysis and exploration of relevant literature. Our findings highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies such as precision agriculture, data analytics, blockchain, and robotics to optimize resource utilization, improving efficiency, promoting social welfare, improving supply chain transparency, mitigating environmental impacts, and enhancing sustainability in oil palm production. However, the adoption of these technologies is hindered by several challenges, including high cost, lack of knowledge, and inadequate infrastructure. Our findings emphasize the importance of supportive policies, collaborative efforts, and targeted research to promote technology adoption and ensure equitable benefits across the oil palm industry. Recommendations are provided for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to leverage digitalization effectively and promote sustainable practices in the oil palm industry, ultimately contributing to global sustainability goals.

Conservation and sustainable management of lineages providing non-timber forest products are imperative under the current global biodiversity loss. Most non-timber forest species, however, lack genomic studies that characterize their intraspecific variation and evolutionary history, which inform species\' conservation practices. Contrary to many lineages in the Andean biodiversity hotspot that exhibit high diversification, the genus Parajubaea (Arecaceae) has only three species despite the genus\' origin 22 million years ago. Two of the three palm species, P. torallyi and P. sunkha, are non-timber forest species endemic to the Andes of Bolivia and are listed as IUCN endangered. The third species, P. cocoides, is a vulnerable species with unknown wild populations. We investigated the evolutionary relationships of Parajubaea species and the genetic diversity and structure of wild Bolivian populations. Sequencing of five low-copy nuclear genes (3753 bp) challenged the hypothesis that P. cocoides is a cultigen that originated from the wild Bolivian species. We further obtained up to 15,134 de novo single-nucleotide polymorphism markers by genotyping-by-sequencing of 194 wild Parajubaea individuals. Our total DNA sequencing effort rejected the taxonomic separation of the two Bolivian species. As expected for narrow endemic species, we observed low genetic diversity, but no inbreeding signal. We found three genetic clusters shaped by geographic distance, which we use to propose three management units. Different percentages of missing genotypic data did not impact the genetic structure of populations. We use the management units to recommend in situ conservation by creating new protected areas, and ex situ conservation through seed collection.

Attalea phalerata Martius ex Spreng is a palm tree that is widely distributed in the Central-West region of Brazil. In this study, we investigated whether the oil-loaded nanocapsules of A. phalerata (APON) have acute and long-lasting antihypertensive effects in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), as well as explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. APON was prepared using the interfacial polymer deposition method. The particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential were investigated using dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering. The antihypertensive effects of APON (administered at doses of 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) were evaluated after acute intraduodenal administration and after 7 days of oral treatment. To investigate the molecular pathways involved, we used pharmacological antagonists and inhibitors that target prostaglandin/cyclic adenosine monophosphate, nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate, and potassium channels. Both acute and prolonged administration of APON (at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg) resulted in a significant reduction in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure. Prior treatment with a non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (methylene blue), or non-selective calcium-sensitive K+ channel blocker (tetraethylammonium) abolished the antihypertensive effects of APON. Our study showed that A. phalerata oil-loaded nanocapsules have a significant antihypertensive effect in SHR after both short-term and long-term (7-day) use. This effect seems to rely on the vascular endothelium function and involves the NO-cGMP-K+ channel pathway. This research suggests a new direction for future studies to definitively prove the therapeutic benefits of APON in treating cardiovascular disease.