The fruit of the jujube tree is high in nutrients and has various health benefits. China is a major producer of jujube, and it is now cultivated all around the world. Numerous studies have demonstrated the nutritional value and potential health advantages of bioactive compounds found in the jujube tree. Furthermore, the jujube tree has a remarkable 7000-year agricultural history. The jujube plant has developed a rich gene pool, making it a valuable resource for germplasm. Different studies have focused on the developmental stages of jujube fruits to identify the optimal time for harvest and to assess the changes in their bioactive natural compounds or products during the process of development but the molecular mechanism underlying the production of bioactive natural products in Z. jujuba is still poorly understood. Moreover, the potential differential expressed genes (DEGs) identified as responsible for the synthesis of these compounds should be further functionally verified. It has been noticed that the contents of total flavonoids, total phenolic, and vitamin C increase significantly during the ripening process, while the contents of soluble sugars and organic acids decrease gradually. In this review, we have also scrutinized the challenges that hinder the utilization of jujube fruit resources and suggested potential areas for further research. As such, our review serves as a valuable resource for the future development of jujube-based nutritional compounds and the incorporation of their nutritional elements into the functional foods industry.

BACKGROUND: Polyphenols found in food is a potential modifiable factor in disease prevention, especially when it comes to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to determine the total polyphenol intake from fruits and vegetables (FV) in patients at King of Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and its association with vascular risk biomarkers.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done on 151 adult patients with at least one CVD risk factor. Data about demographics, smoking status, physical activity, height and weight, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference (WC), disease history, current disease (CD), and amount of polyphenol intake (mg/100 g) from rich polyphenol FV sources were collected.
RESULTS: Of the participants, 127 (84.1%) were females, 49 (32.5%) had an age ranging from 45 to 54 years, and 110 (72.8%) were married. Of them, 54 (35.8%) had a bachelor\'s education, and 64 (42.4%) were employed. Moreover, 89 (59.3%) were physically inactive, 18 (11.9%) were smokers, 105 (69.5%) were obese, 116 (76.9%) had high WC, and 103 (68.2%), 109 (72.2%), and 90 (59.6%) had a family history of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and hyperlipidemia, respectively. The mean total polyphenol consumption/gm was significantly higher among older and married participants, and patients with HTN had a significantly lower mean total polyphenol consumption/gm. A significant positive correlation was found between the total polyphenol consumption/gm and participants\' age.
CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of polyphenols was associated with age, marital status, and blood pressure. Polyphenols from FV may have a preventive effect against cardiovascular illnesses. Including a range of foods high in polyphenols in a balanced diet is still a potential way to support cardiovascular health.

UNASSIGNED: Plants respond to water stress with a variety of physiological and biochemical changes, but their response varies among species, varieties and cultivars. Waterlogging in tomato reduces plant growth, degrade chlorophyll and increase concentration of oxidative parameters. Priming can alleviate stress in plants caused by waterlogging enabling plants to be more tolerant to an additional stress in the current or even subsequent generation. The aim of this study was to evaluate tomato genotypes for their sensitivity to waterlogging stress applied during early vegetative growth and at full flowering stage.
UNASSIGNED: The study included two local genotypes, Trebinjski sitni (GB1126) and Žuti (GB1129), and the reference variety Novosadski jabučar (NJ), which is the variety most commonly used in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The activity of class III peroxidase (POX), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured spectrophotometrically, and for quantification of individual phenolic compounds, targeted approach was adopted, using UHPLC/DAD/(-)HESI-MS2 instrument (Dionex UltiMate 3000 UHPLC system with a DAD detector, configured with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer TSQ Quantum Access Max (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Germany)).
UNASSIGNED: Oxidative parameters (H2O2 and MDA) exhibited an increase in content in leaves of tomato plants that underwent waterlogging stress compared to control plants. Moreover, oxidative parameters showed positive correlation with proteins and phenolics content. The obtained correlations can indicate that one of the response strategies of tomato plants to waterlogging is the increased synthesis of proteins and phenolic compounds. The POX activity was not correlated with other parameters except with the polyphenols. A positive correlation was shown between POX activity and the content of phenolic compounds, indicating their independent roles in the removal of ROS. Changes in the phenolic profiles after the exposure of plants to waterlogging stress are recorded, and these changes were more severe in leaves and fruits of GB1129 and NJ genotypes than in GB1126. Thus, genotype GB1126 is the most efficient in maintaining the phenolic profiles of leaves and fruits, and therefore of the nutritive and organoleptic qualities of fruits following the exposure to waterlogging. Also, genotype GB1126 exhibited the ability to maintain the content of oxidative parameters during waterlogging at certain growth stages, implying certain waterlogging tolerance.
UNASSIGNED: Waterlogging triggered stress memory but not at all growth stages. The most pronounced stress memory was obtained in fruit samples in the phase of full fruit maturity on the 1st truss. This study shed light on the defense mechanisms of tomato plants to repeated waterlogging stress from the perspectives of the changes in the composition of major phenolics, and pointed to the 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and rutin as the chemical markers of the waterlogging stress tolerance in tomato. However, it remains to be determined whether this modulation has a positive or negative effect on the overall plant metabolism. Further investigations are needed to fully elucidate the benefits of waterlogging pretreatment in this context.

For the first time in Iran, in this study, the amount of 19 trace elements in some types of commonly consumed Iranian fruits (in their peel and pulp) was evaluated by ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry) method. Based on the outcomes, the highest and lowest average detected elements in all fruits samples were related to (Al) aluminum (1842.18) and (V) vanadium (0.28) ppm, respectively. Mercury (Hg) and antimony (Sb) were not detected (ND) in any samples. Also, the maximum mean of elements in quince, lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, orange south, orange north and tangerine samples was related to(Fe) iron (2048.32 ppm), (Zn)zinc(753.45 ppm), Fe (1056.33 ppm), Al (9794.41 ppm), Zn (717.78 ppm), Fe (1334.87 ppm) and Fe (974.93 ppm), respectively. Furthermore, our outcomes revealed, the highest mean of elements in kiwi peel, kiwi pulp, orange North peel, orange North pulp, orange South peel, orange South pulp, quince peel, quince pulp, grapefruit peel, grapefruit pulp, lemon peel, lemon pulp, tangerine peel and tangerine pulp was related to Al (17967.79 ppm), Al (1621.03 ppm), Fe (1350.01 ppm), Al (1457.66 ppm), Zn (934.71 ppm), Fe (728.06 ppm), Fe (2768.11 ppm), Fe (1328.54 ppm), Zn (1008.54 ppm), Fe (1198.00 ppm), Zn (683.35 ppm), Zn (823.55 ppm), Fe (1182.59 ppm), and Fe (767.27 ppm), respectively. Based on the Monte Carlo simulation results, the THQ (target hazard quotient) and ILCR (Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk) related to exposure to heavy metals via fruits for adults and children showed that there is no significant non-carcinogenic risk (THQ < 1) and carcinogenic risk (ILCR < 1E-4) for adults and children.

Alcoholic liver injury (ALI) accounts for a major share of the global burden of non-viral liver disease. In the absence of specialized medications, research on using fruit flavonoids as a treatment is gaining momentum. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of four fruits rich in structurally diverse flavonoids: ougan (Citrus reticulata cv. Suavissima, OG), mulberry (Morus alba L., MB), apple (Malus × domestica Borkh., AP), and turnjujube (Hovenia dulcis Thunnb., TJ). A total of one flavanone glycoside, three polymethoxyflavones, two anthocyanins, one flavonol glycoside, and one dihydroflavonol were identified through UPLC analysis. In an acute ethanol-induced ALI mouse model, C57BL/6J mice were supplemented with 200 mg/kg·BW/day of different fruit extracts for three weeks. Our results showed that the four extracts exhibited promising benefits in improving lipid metabolism disorders, iron overload, and oxidative stress. RT-PCR and Western blot tests suggested that the potential mechanism may partially be attributed to the activation of the NRF2-mediated antioxidant response and the inhibition of ferroptosis pathways. Furthermore, fruit extracts administration demonstrated a specific regulatory role in intestinal microecology, with increases in beneficial bacteria such as Dubosiella, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong links between intestinal flora, lipid metabolism, and iron homeostasis, implying that the fruit extracts mitigated ALI via the gut microbiota-liver axis. In vitro experiments reaffirmed the activity against ethanol-induced oxidative damage and highlighted the positive effects of flavonoid components. These findings endorse the prospective application of OG, MB, AP, and TJ as dietary supplements or novel treatments for ALI.

Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) is a Cactaceae plant with edible leaves and fruits whose extracts are consumed to promote health, albeit bioactive compounds\' bioaccessibility was still not assessed. To address this, ora-pro-nobis fruits (FE) and leaf extracts (LE) were subjected to in vitro digestion to better understand how this process impacts the bioactivities of the extracts. The study investigated the composition of the extracts, their cytotoxicity, and their chemical, plasmatic, and cellular antioxidant capacity. The results revealed that total polyphenolics were about 70% bioaccessible in LE and FE, with phenylalanine being the most bioaccessible essential amino acid in leaves (42.7%) and fruits (83.6%). The samples\' antioxidant activity (CUPRAC) was reduced by 25%. LE demonstrated antioxidant activity against human plasma oxidation and haemolysis (21.8%), but digestion mitigated these activities. FE diminished haemolysis (47.0%) and presented cytotoxicity (IC50 = 1086 μg/mL) to HUVEC cells, but these properties were lost following digestion. Ultimately, digestion partially degraded the samples\' bioactive compounds, diminishing their cellular protection against oxidative stress.

Vegetable and fruit contamination is recognized as a significant parasite transmission route. This review presents the current state of vegetables ad fruits contamination with food-borne parasitic protozoa worldwide. We consider the methodologies and strategies for detecting parasitic stages developed in the last decade and the contamination data. Asia had the highest number of reports (94 studies), followed by Africa (74 studies). At the country level, with 41 studies, Iran had the most reports among other countries, followed by Nigeria (28 studies). According to the studies included in the current review, 41.22% of vegetables and fruits were contaminated with different species of protozoan parasites. Among different continents, Asia accounted for the highest contamination rate of protozoan parasites (57.12%). Giardia spp. (10%) had the highest contamination rate in vegetables and fruits, followed by Entamoeba coli (8%), E. histolytica/dispar (7%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (6%). This study provides essential data for health authorities to develop food safety programs. The presence of protozoan parasites in fruits and vegetables highlights the critical need for maintaining rigorous food safety measures across the entire production and distribution process, particularly in countries that are major producers and distributors of these food items.

BACKGROUND: According to Chinese ancient books, both fruits and rhizomes of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua have medicinal and edible values. Up to now, there is no report about the metabolite profiles and regulatory network in fruits and different year-old rhizomes of P. cyrtonema.
RESULTS: In this study, we performed integrative analyses of metabolome and transcriptome to reveal the dynamic accumulation and regulatory network of fruits and different year-old rhizomes in P. cyrtonema. The relative content of phenolic acids, lignans and coumarins, flavonoids and alkaloids increased with growth years, while steroids and lipids decreased with it. In addition, the relative content of nucleotides and derivatives, flavonoids, organic acids, steroids and lipids in fruits were higher than rhizomes. Genes that might relate to the biosynthesis of polysaccharides, flavonoids, triterpene saponins and alkaloids biosynthesis were further analyzed by transcriptome analysis, including sacA, GMPP, PMM, CCoAOMT, CHI, ANR, CHS, DXS, GGPS, ZEP, CYP72A219 and so on, for their expressions were positively correlated with the relative content of the metabolites. Additionally, the correlation network in sugar and aromatic amino acids metabolites were constructed to further illustrate the biosynthesis of polysaccharides, flavonoids and alkaloids in P. cyrtonema, and some transcription factors (TFs) were screened, such as C2C2, MYB, bZIP, GRAS and NAC.
CONCLUSIONS: This study can deepen our understanding of the accumulation patterns and molecular mechanism of the main compounds in P. cyrtonema, and provide reference for the standardize production of P. cyrtonema.

OBJECTIVE: Characterization and phylogenetic integration of fossil angiosperms with uncertain affinities is relatively limited, which may obscure the diversity of extinct higher taxa in the flowering plant tree of life. The order Cornales contains a diversity of extinct taxa with uncertain familial affinities that make it an ideal group for studying turnover in angiosperms. Here, we describe a new extinct genus of Cornales unassignable to an extant family and conduct a series of phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct relationships of fossils across the order.
METHODS: Two permineralized endocarps were collected from the Cedar District Formation (Campanian, 82-80 Ma) of Sucia Island, State of Washington, United States. Fossils were sectioned with the cellulose acetate peel technique and incorporated into a morphological dataset. To assess the utility of this dataset to accurately place taxa in their respective clades, we used a series of phylogenetic pseudofossilization analyses. We then conducted a total-evidence analysis and a scaffold-based approach to determine relationships of fossils.
RESULTS: Based on their unique combination of characters, the fossils represent a new genus, Fenestracarpa washingtonensis gen. nov. et sp. nov. Pseudofossilization analyses indicate that our morphological dataset can be used to accurately recover taxa at the major clade to family level, generally with moderate to high support. The total-evidence and scaffold-based analyses recovered Fenestracarpa and other fossil genera in an entirely extinct clade within Cornales.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings increase the reported diversity of extinct Cornales and indicate that the order\'s initial radiation likely included the divergence of an extinct higher clade that endured the end-Cretaceous Mass extinction but perished during the Cenozoic.

Aim: Picky eating is a common appetitive trait reported among children and adolescents and may have detrimental effects on their weight, vegetable, and fruit intake, impacting health status. However, an updated systematic review of the literature and summary of effect estimates is required. This study aims to explore the association between picky eating with weight, vegetable and fruit intake, vegetable-only intake, and fruit-only intake. Methods: A systematic literature search of six electronic scientific databases and data extraction was performed between November 2022 and June 2023. Original articles that examined picky eating in association with weight, vegetable and/or fruit intake were included. PRISMA guidelines were followed and meta-analytical and meta-regression analyses were conducted to compute summary effect estimates and explore potential moderators. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022333043. Results: The systematic review included 59 studies of which 45 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the summarized effect estimates indicated that picky eating was inversely associated with weight [Cohen\'s dz: -0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.41 to -0.14, p < 0.0001]; vegetable and fruit intakes (Cohen\'s dz: -0.35, 95% CI: -0.45, -0.25, p < 0.0001); vegetable-only intake (Cohen\'s dz: -0.41, 95% CI: -0.56, -0.26, p < 0.0001), and fruit-only intake (Cohen\'s dz: -0.32, 95% CI: -0.45, -0.20, p < 0.0001). Picky eating was positively associated with underweight (Cohen\'s dz: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.71 p = 0.0008). Conclusion: Although effect sizes were small, picky eating was inversely associated with weight, vegetable, and fruit intakes, and positively associated with underweight in children and adolescents aged birth to 17 years.