Bell pepper plants are sensitive to environmental changes and are significantly affected by abiotic factors such as UV-B radiation and cold, which reduce their yield and production. Various approaches, including omics data integration, have been employed to understand the mechanisms by which this crop copes with abiotic stress. This study aimed to find metabolic changes in bell pepper stems caused by UV-B radiation and cold by integrating omic data. Proteome and metabolome profiles were generated using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and data integration was performed in the plant metabolic pathway database. The combined stress of UV-B and cold induced the accumulation of proteins related to photosynthesis, mitochondrial electron transport, and a response to a stimulus. Further, the production of flavonoids and their glycosides, as well as affecting carbon metabolism, tetrapyrrole, and scopolamine pathways, were identified. We have made the first metabolic regulatory network map showing how bell pepper stems respond to cold and UV-B stress. We did this by looking at changes in proteins and metabolites that help with respiration, photosynthesis, and the buildup of photoprotective and antioxidant compounds.

As an important member of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, MAPKs play an important role in plant defense response against biotic and abiotic stresses; however, the involvement of the majority of the MAPK family members against Ralstonia solanacearum and heat stress (HS) remains poorly understood. In the present study, CaMAPK1 was identified from the genome of pepper and its function against R. solanacearum and HS was analyzed. The transcript accumulations of CaMAPK1 and the activities of its native promoter were both significantly induced by R. solanacearum inoculation, HS, and the application of exogenous hormones, including SA, MeJA, and ABA. Transient expression of CaMAPK1 showed that CaMAPK1 can be targeted throughout the whole cells in Nicotiana benthamiana and triggered chlorosis and hypersensitive response-like cell death in pepper leaves, accompanied by the accumulation of H2O2, and the up-regulations of hormones- and H2O2-associated marker genes. The knock-down of CaMAPK1 enhanced the susceptibility to R. solanacearum partially by down-regulating the expression of hormones- and H2O2-related genes and impairing the thermotolerance of pepper probably by attenuating CaHSFA2 and CaHSP70-1 transcripts. Taken together, our results revealed that CaMAPK1 is regulated by SA, JA, and ABA signaling and coordinates responses to R. solanacearum infection and HS in pepper.

Chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are economically valuable crops belonging to the Solanaceae family and are popular worldwide because of their unique spiciness and flavor. In this study, differences in the metabolomes of landrace (Subicho) and disease-resistant pepper cultivars (Bulkala and Kaltanbaksa) widely grown in Korea are investigated using a 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach. Specific metabolites were abundant in the pericarp (GABA, fructose, and glutamine) and placenta (glucose, asparagine, arginine, and capsaicin), highlighting the distinct physiological and functional roles of these components. Both the pericarp and placenta of disease-resistant pepper cultivars contained higher levels of sucrose and hexoses and lower levels of alanine, proline, and threonine than the traditional landrace cultivar. These metabolic differences are linked to enhanced stress tolerance and the activation of defense pathways, imbuing these cultivars with improved resistance characteristics. The present study provides fundamental insights into the metabolic basis of disease resistance in chili peppers, emphasizing the importance of multi-resistant varieties to ensure sustainable agriculture and food security. These resistant varieties ensure a stable supply of high-quality peppers, contributing to safer and more sustainable food production systems.

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In tropical countries, combating leaf curl disease in hot peppers has become important in improvement programs. Leaf curl disease is caused by whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) transmitted begomoviruses, which mainly include chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV). However, multiple begomoviruses have also been found to be associated with this disease. The Capsicum annuum line, DLS-Sel-10, was found to be a tolerant source against this disease during field screening. In this study, we characterized the resistance of DLS-sel-10 against chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV) in comparison to the susceptible cultivar Phule Mukta (PM), focusing on the level, stage, and nature of resistance. Comprehensive investigations involved screening of DLS-Sel-10 against the whitefly vector ChiLCV. The putative tolerant line displayed reduced virus infection at the seedling stage, with increasing resistance during vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages. Both DLS-Sel-10 and PM could be infected with ChiLCV, although DLS-Sel-10 remained symptomless. Insect feeding assays revealed DLS-Sel-10 as a less preferred host for whiteflies compared to PM. In conclusion, DLS-Sel-10 demonstrated tolerance not only to ChiLCV but also served as an unfavorable host for the whitefly vector. The study highlighted an age-dependent increase in tolerance within DLS-Sel-10, showcasing its potential for effective leaf curl disease management in chilli.

This study aimed to assess the post-harvest dynamics of seedless conical and mini-conical pepper cultivars in terms of fruit weight loss, dry matter content, and soluble solid content. The above parameters were demonstrated to be effective commercial pepper shelf-life indicators. The commercial quality of pepper fruit intended for export was evaluated weekly under simulated fruit storage conditions for over 28 d. Results revealed that fruit weight loss, dry matter content, and soluble solid content were affected by cultivar type and storage duration. Additionally, a strong correlation between these variables was observed confirming their linear relationship which was more profound between dry matter and total soluble solid content. Daily changes during storage were similar in both seedless conical and mini-conical peppers, while the fruit weight loss daily rate was greater than that of dry matter. Water loss was identified to be the main factor causing reduced fruit quality. Solid content reduction occurred predominately during the initial storage period. Notably, fruit with lower dry matter content at harvest tended to maintain their commercial quality for a longer time due to their ability to resist water loss without any visible signs of deterioration, which is beneficial during prolonged storage.

UNASSIGNED: Natural colorants, including natural pigments, e.g., anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophylls, in novel and attractive food matrixes have become a popular trend. They impart favorite colors to food products and provide significant therapeutic effects. This study is aimed at extracting and identifying some natural pigments from different plant sources and evaluating their ability as antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.
UNASSIGNED: The anthocyanin-rich extract (ARE) is derived from three natural plant sources: pomegranate peel (Punica granatum), chili pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum), and Bougainvillea flowers. Bougainvillea spectabilis are analyzed for biochemical composition, as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activity, HPLC, DPPH, FRAP, disc diffusion assay, MIC, MTT, VEGFR-2, and caspase-9 assays.
UNASSIGNED: All three extracts had varying total phenolic contents, ranging from 14 to 466 mg GAE/g extract, where Punica granatum was the highest (466 mg GAE/g extract), followed by Bougainvillea spectabilis (180 mg GAE/g extract), and then Capsicum annuum (14 mg GAE/g extract). The antioxidant activity rose steadily with raising concentration. The ARE of pomegranate peels recorded highest value, followed by Bougainvillea flowers and chili pepper fruit. The MTT assay revealed an inhibitory action of the tested extracts on the proliferation of HCT-116, MCF-7, and HepG2 in a concentration-based manner. Gene expression of caspase-9 transcripts was considerably multiplied by the application of ARE of pomegranate peels. All the tested extracts inhibited VEGFR-2, and the inhibition (%) expanded gradually with increasing concentrations, achieving the highest value (80 %) at 10 μg/mL. The ARE of pomegranate peels scored highest antibacterial activity, followed by ARE of chili pepper fruit and Bougainvillea flowers. The inhibition zone diameter escalated gradually with rising concentrations of the tested samples.
UNASSIGNED: The AREs of the three studied plant sources can be used as multifunctional products with antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities that are natural, safe, and cheap.

The CLE (CLAVATA3/Embryo Surrounding Region-related) family, a group of peptides with hormone-like features, plays a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and adaptation to stress. Through homology-based blast analysis of 32 Arabidopsis thaliana CLE peptide sequences, we have identified 5, 14, and 10 CLE family members in Nicotiana tabacum, Capsicum annuum, and Solanum melongena, respectively. Chemical synthesis and functional assays of the peptides led to the discovery that NtCLE3 substantially enhances the drought resistance of these three Solanaceae crops. Our transcriptome, RT-qPCR, and antioxidant enzyme activity data showed that NtCLE3 increased antioxidant capacity and ABA synthesis in tobacco. Moreover, the recombinant protein RPNtCLE3, composed of 6*NtCLE3, preserved the capacity to foster drought resilience and proved to be a promising drought resistance regulator, which presents a more favorable alternative for field applications compared to ABA which degrades rapidly under sunlight exposure. This research unveils the prospective utility of NtCLE3 in enhancing drought tolerance in Solanaceae crops and provides new ideas for the development of novel bioregulators aimed at mitigating drought stress.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to have the effect of promoting plant growth. In this paper, three PGPR strains were selected from the previous work, which had plant growth-promoting activities such as phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, phosphorus mobilization, etc. These strains named FJS-3(Burkholderia pyromania), FJS-7(Pseudomonas rhodesiae), and FJS-16(Pseudomonas baetica), respectively, were prepared into solid biological agents. Three widely planted commercial crops (tea plant, tobacco, and chili pepper) were selected for PGPR growth promotion verification. The results showed that the new shoots of tea seedlings under PGPR treatment were much more than the control. We also used tobacco, another important crop in Guizhou, to test the growth-promoting effect of individual bacteria, and the results showed that each of them could promote the growth of tobacco plants, and FJS-3(Burkholderia pyrrocinia) had the best effect. In addition, we carried out experiments on tobacco and pepper using multi-strain PGPR, the tobacco plants\' height, fresh, and root weight increased by 30.15 %, 37.36 %, and 54.5 %, respectively, and the pepper plants\' increased by 30.10 %, 56.38 % and 43.18 %, respectively, which both showed significantly better effects than that of a single strain. To further test the field performance, field trials were carried out in a mature Longjing43 tea plantation in Guizhou. There were four treatments: no fertilization (T1), combined application of PGPR biological agent and compound fertilizer (T2), only application of PGPR (T3), and only application of compound fertilizer (T4). In terms of yield, grouped with or without PGPR, there was a 15.38 % (T2:T4) and 92.31 % (T3:T1) increase between them, respectively. The tea\'s yield and tea flavor substances such as tea polyphenols, caffeine, and theanine were detected, and the T2 showed the most significant positive effect on both sides. Especially, an important indicator of Matcha green tea is the color, chlorophyll content was then tested, and PGPR application increased it and improved the appearance. All these results demonstrated that the PGPR we screened could significantly promote plant growth and quality improvement, and had good application potential in crop planting, which could contribute to environmental protection and economic growth.

Energy cane (Saccharum spp.) bagasse, a type of biomass waste, is often underutilized, burned, or left to dispose of itself. This research aimed to evaluate the potential of converting this bagasse into high-value cellulosic microfiber hydrogels (CMH) for water conservation and potted chili (Capsicum annuum) plant growth. CMH offers a biodegradable alternative to synthetic polyacrylamide (PA) hydrogels and provides the dual benefit of improved water use efficiency and reduced environmental impact due to their ability to naturally break down in the soil. In this study, CMH and PA hydrogels were compared for water retention value (WRV), and reswelling kinetics (RK), as well as their effects on plant height, leaf count, root-to-shoot ratios (R:S ratio), and soil moisture retention. Two versions of CMH, CMH65 and CMH60, were prepared with varying cellulose-chitosan ratios: 65:35 and 60:40, respectively. The hydrogels were tested at four concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% w/w) by being mixed in Promix® soil. Observations were recorded over a 16-day period without additional water. Also, the WRV of hydrogels at 240 min and RK (10-180 min) were compared over three swelling-deswelling cycles. The PA hydrogel exhibited higher WRV (exceeding 450%) compared to CMH (45%). However, PA led to reduced plant height, leaf count, and R:S ratio when compared to higher concentrations of CMH65 and CMH60. In general, CMH60 (0.5% and 2%) exhibited superior plant growth. All hydrogels exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in WRV across successive cycles. Notably, during cycle 2, both CMH65 and CMH60 peaked in WRV at 10 and 20 min, respectively, compared to cycle 1. This study demonstrates the potential of bagasse-derived hydrogels as a value-added product for water conservation and crop growth.