Systematic analysis of the succulent extraction process to improve bakery technology

To improve the technology and extend the assortment of bakery products of preventive and functional orientation by introducing extracts of succulent plants, in particular aloe and kalanchoe, the authors have analyzed the process of extraction of vegetable materials and selected optimal conditions: process temperature - 100 °C, duration - 24 hours, the nature of the extractant - water, both for the aloe and kalanchoe extract. The study revealed that by adding the extracts to the semi-finished buns the quality of the products in organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters is not inferior to the control (without adding the plant extracts), and in some cases it becomes better, the optimum dosage is 8% of plant extracts of the amount of water in the dough. Based on the microstructure of the buns’ crumb it was found that the crumb with the addition of 8 % of plant extract in place of the amount of water in the recipe has a uniform structure, which was expressed in an increase in the pore diameter compared to other samples and a stable structure of micro-bridges between them. Such a micro pattern characterises the finished product, which has excellent quality parameters.

The Introduction of Greenhouse Plants in the “Al. Ciubotaru” National Botanical Garden (Institute)

The “Greenhouse Plants” Laboratory was founded in 1983 according to the Decision of the Presidium of the ASM. For about 50 years, in the “Al. Ciubotaru” National Botanical Garden (I), the collection of tropical, subtropical and succulent plants was developed so that by the end of 2020 it counted 3069 taxa, belonging to 133 families and 589 genera. The gene pool includes representatives of the phyla Psilotophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Polypodyophyta, Pinophyta, Cycadophyta and Magnolyophyta, with the classes Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida. The collection of succulents is the largest – about 1700 taxa (including the family Cactaceae with 1009 taxa), the group of subtropical plants consists of 505 taxa and tropical plants 857 taxa.

New World Cactaceae Plants Harbor Diverse Geminiviruses

The family Cactaceae comprises a diverse group of typically succulent plants that are native to the American continent but have been introduced to nearly all other continents, predominantly for ornamental purposes. Despite their economic, cultural, and ecological importance, very little research has been conducted on the viral community that infects them. We previously identified a highly divergent geminivirus that is the first known to infect cacti. Recent research efforts in non-cultivated and asymptomatic plants have shown that the diversity of this viral family has been under-sampled. As a consequence, little is known about the effects and interactions of geminiviruses in many plants, such as cacti. With the objective to expand knowledge on the diversity of geminiviruses infecting cacti, we used previously acquired high-throughput sequencing results to search for viral sequences using BLASTx against a viral RefSeq protein database. We identified two additional sequences with similarity to geminiviruses, for which we designed abutting primers and recovered full-length genomes. From 42 cacti and five scale insects, we derived 42 complete genome sequences of a novel geminivirus species that we have tentatively named Opuntia virus 2 (OpV2) and 32 genomes of an Opuntia-infecting becurtovirus (which is a new strain of the spinach curly top Arizona virus species). Interspecies recombination analysis of the OpV2 group revealed several recombinant regions, in some cases spanning half of the genome. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that OpV2 is a novel geminivirus more closely related to viruses of the genus Curtovirus, which was further supported by the detection of three recombination events between curtoviruses and OpV2. Both OpV2 and Opuntia becurtoviruses were identified in mixed infections, which also included the previously characterized Opuntia virus 1. Viral quantification of the co-infected cactus plants compared with single infections did not show any clear trend in viral dynamics that might be associated with the mixed infections. Using experimental Rhizobium-mediated inoculations, we found that the initial accumulation of OpV2 is facilitated by co-infection with OpV1. This study shows that the diversity of geminiviruses that infect cacti is under-sampled and that cacti harbor diverse geminiviruses. The detection of the Opuntia becurtoviruses suggests spill-over events between viruses of cultivated species and native vegetation. The threat this poses to cacti needs to be further investigated.

Mode of Action of 1-Naphthylphthalamic Acid in Conspicuous Local Stem Swelling of Succulent Plant, Bryophyllum calycinum: Relevance to the Aspects of Its Histological Observation and Comprehensive Analyses of Plant Hormones

The mode of action of 1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) to induce conspicuous local stem swelling in the area of its application to the growing internode in intact Bryophyllum calycinum was studied based on the aspects of histological observation and comprehensive analyses of plant hormones. Histological analyses revealed that NPA induced an increase in cell size and numerous cell divisions in the cortex and pith, respectively, compared to untreated stem. In the area of NPA application, vascular tissues had significantly wider cambial zones consisting of 5–6 cell layers, whereas phloem and xylem seemed not to be affected. This indicates that stem swelling in the area of NPA application is caused by stimulation of cell division and cell enlargement mainly in the cambial zone, cortex, and pith. Comprehensive analyses of plant hormones revealed that NPA substantially increased endogenous levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the swelling area. NPA also increased endogenous levels of cytokinins, jasmonic acid, and its precursor, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid, but did not increase abscisic acid and gibberellin levels. It was shown, using radiolabeled 14C-IAA, that NPA applied to the middle of internode segments had little effect on polar auxin transport, while 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid substantially inhibited it. These results strongly suggest that NPA induces changes in endogenous levels of plant hormones, such as IAA, cytokinins, and jasmonic acid, and their hormonal crosstalk results in a conspicuous local stem swelling. The possible different mode of action of NPA from other polar auxin transport inhibitors in succulent plants is extensively discussed.

The genus Sesuvium (Aizoaceae, Sesuvioideae) in the Southern Cone

Sesuvium is a genus of 14 to 17 species of succulent plants, both annual and perennial, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. The genus Sesuvium has not yet been studied in detail in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Southern Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay), which has led to a misidentification of numerous specimens as S. portulacastrum. As part of the ongoing floristic, taxonomic and ecologic studies in Argentina, we revise the genus Sesuvium for the Southern Cone. This study is based on field investigation, examination of herbarium specimens, and revision of literature. The taxonomic treatments, maps of distribution, detailed descriptions, photographs, an illustration, a dichotomous key and a comparative table to differentiate the species of the genus Sesuvium occurring in the Southern Cone are presented. Finally, ecological, morphological, and taxonomic aspects of the species are discussed. The new combination of S. americanum (≡ Trianthema americanum Gillies ex Arn.; = S. verrucosum Raf.) is proposed. Lectotypes for three names are here designated (S. revolutifolium Vahl ex Willd.; S. revolutifolium Lam., and S. parviflorum DC.). Four species should be accepted for the Southern Cone: S. americanum, S. humifusum, S. mezianum and S. sessile. Furthermore, S. portulacastrum is excluded from the flora of the Southern Cone.

Antifungal and plant growth promoting activity with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in Aeonium subs.

In this work, the biostimulant and biocontrol capacity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in succulent plants such as Aeonium was evaluated. The specific objectives were in particular: (i) Evaluate whether the use of this bacterium can increase the growth rate of Aeonium plants that typically have a slow growth cycle; (ii) evaluate if the use of B. amyloliquefaciens can lead to increased plant resistance to Fusarium oxysporum; (iii) considered if utilization of B. amyloliquefaciens allows for increased plant resistance to water and nutrient stress. The experimentation showed a significant improvement of the agronomic parameters analyzed on all Aeonium plants treated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. In general there was a significant increase in plant height, number of leaves, vegetative and root weight, number of new shoots. In addition, Aeonium goochiae and sunburst show a better protection against the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. The trial also highlighted the ability of B. amyloliquefaciens to guarantee a productive and qualitative production of the plants even under conditions of reduced water and nutritional resources. Plants, thanks to the interaction with soil microorganisms, can reach higher nutrient and water resources, resulting in greater resistance to abiotic stresses and better quality in the cultivation cycle.

Diversity of CAM plant photosynthesis (crassulacean acid metabolism): a tribute to Barry Osmond

This special issue is a tribute to the Australian plant biologist Professor Charles Barry Osmond – Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of London, and Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences – and his many contributions to our understanding of the biochemistry and physiological ecology of CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) photosynthesis. This water-conserving photosynthetic pathway is characterised by nocturnal uptake of atmospheric CO2 and typically enables succulent plants to perform and survive in warm semiarid terrestrial and epiphytic habitats. The idea for this issue is to mark the occasion of Barry’s 80th birthday in 2019. The foreword highlights some of his outstanding contributions and introduces the research papers of the special issue.

Transcriptome analysis of an albino mutant in Haworthia cooperi var. pilifera

ABSTRACTPhotosynthetic organisms appear green due to the accumulation of chlorophyll (Chl) pigments in their chloroplasts. Although the genes encoding key enzymes related to Chl biosynthesis have been well characterized in herbaceous plants, such as rice, Arabidopsis and maize, white leaf mutants have not yet been fully studied in succulent plants. In this work, we explored the molecular mechanism of leaf color formation in an albino mutant (HUA) of Haworthia cooperi var. pilifera. We investigated the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HUA and control plants (wild type, LV) by transcriptome sequencing. Approximately 2,586 genes (1,996 downregulated and 590 upregulated) were found to be differentially expressed in HUA compared with LV using a threshold of ratio change ≥ 2 and false discovery rate (FDR) ≤0.05. GO analysis predicted that these DEGs participate in 12 cellular component, 20 biological process and 13 molecular function terms. Among the DEGs were well-recognized genes associated with chloroplast division and the biosynthesis of plant pigments, including chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanin, as well as various transcription factor families. Overall, these results can help confirm the molecular regulatory mechanisms controlling leaf pigmentation and provide a comprehensive resource for breeding colorful leaf phenotypes in succulent plants.