Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peifen Yao, Yan Gao, Jesus Simal-Gandara, Mohamed A. Farag, Weijie Chen, Dongning Yao, Dominique Delmas, Zhejie Chen, Kunmeng Liu, Hao Hu, Jianbo Xiao, Xianglu Rong, Shengpeng Wang, Yuanjia Hu, Yitao Wang
Summary: Litchi has long been recognized as a functional food for managing various ailments, containing a multitude of bioactives beneficial for health. Research has expanded to not only explore the effects of litchi itself, but also focus on the development of its by-products and preservation methods for enhanced economic value.
Article
Horticulture
Bin Liu, Wei-wen Xue, Ze-li Guo, Si-yu Liu, Qiu-nan Zhu, Xue-qun Pang, Zhao-qi Zhang, Fang Fang
Summary: Water loss is a key factor in pericarp browning of litchi and longan fruit during storage and transportation. The loss of water mainly affects the pericarp, leading to a denser and thinner texture. However, seeds maintain their vigor and germination rate better when kept in intact fruit, showing a negative correlation with fruit decay index. Browning triggered by water loss helps to maintain seed vigor by preventing dehydration and infection.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kawaljit Singh Sandhu, Maninder Kaur, Sneh Punia, Jasim Ahmed
Summary: High-pressure treatment improved the rheological, thermal, and structural properties of litchi kernel starch, enhancing its mechanical rigidity. Pressure treatment had some influence on the starch granule structure, but within a certain range it did not disrupt its integrity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yonghua Jiang, Yingwei Qi, Xilong Chen, Qian Yan, Jiezhen Chen, Hailun Liu, Fachao Shi, Yingjie Wen, Changhe Cai, Liangxi Ou
Summary: The acidity of fruits is determined by their organoleptic quality and nutritive value. In litchi fruits, the variation in acidity is mainly associated with malate and citrate metabolisms, and genes such as LITCHI026501.m2, LITCHI020148.m5, and LITCHI003343.m3 play important roles. These findings have significant implications for improving the quality of litchi fruits.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuying Fan, Dan Wang, Hanhan Xie, Huicong Wang, Yonghua Qin, Guibing Hu, Jietang Zhao
Summary: This study reviews the sugar transport, metabolism, and signaling mechanisms during fruit development in litchi. It covers sugar transport and accumulation, quebrachitol synthesis, sugar metabolism, and the relationship between sugar signaling and seed development, fruit abscission. Future research directions aim to enhance fruit yield and quality through optimizing sugar metabolism and signaling.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Huiyu Hou, Xiangjin Kong, Yijie Zhou, Chunxiao Yin, Yueming Jiang, Hongxia Qu, Taotao Li
Summary: Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) is one of the largest transcription factor families involved in diverse biological processes in plants. This study identified and characterized 54 LcbZIPs in the litchi genome, revealing their potential roles in litchi fruit development, senescence, and response to fungal infection. The study provides valuable insights into the function and structure of LcbZIP genes in litchi fruit.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zuanxian Su, Lunyang Liu, Yunqi Li, Houbin Chen
Summary: In this study, machine learning models were used to predict the duration of flower induction for four litchi varieties. The predictive models took into account factors such as tree age, variety, and dynamic environmental and climate variables. The models achieved high accuracy in validation and blind testing.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xin-Sheng Liu, Ye-Cheng Luo, Si-Wei Wang, Hui-Cong Wang, Smadar Harpaz-Saad, Xu-Ming Huang
Summary: This study found that cytokinin can partially suppress the ripening process of litchi fruit and has an effect in slowing down the quality loss of overripe fruit on the tree.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Arwa A. AL-Huqail, Rattan Singh, Ivan Siric, Pankaj Kumar, Sami Abou Fayssal, Vinod Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Bachheti, Zeljko Andabaka, Madhumita Goala, Ebrahem M. Eid
Summary: This study aimed to assess the occurrence of eight heavy metals in lychee fruit samples collected from orchards in Uttarakhand, India, and found that lychee fruit from urban and industrial areas had higher concentrations of heavy metals. However, all lychee fruit samples had levels below the safe limits, indicating that consumption of lychee fruit was safe. The study highlights the importance of regular monitoring of heavy metal levels in lychee and implementing sustainable agricultural and environmental practices.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Junaid Ahmed, Musrat Ali, Huda M. Sheikh, Manal O. Al-Kattan, Farhana, Urooj Haroon, Masoumeh Safaeishakib, Mahnoor Akbar, Asif Kamal, Mohammad Sameer Zubair, Muhammad Farooq Hussain Munis
Summary: This study observed lychee fruit rot and successfully controlled its incidence using zinc oxide nanoparticles, demonstrating the potential of these nanomaterials as a replacement for hazardous chemical fungicides.
Article
Agronomy
Xing Chen, Weizu Wang, Chaowei Huang, Yanfei Wang, Han Fu, Jun Li
Summary: A high-speed camera was used to observe the shaking detachment of 'Guiwei' litchi clusters under different vibrational parameters and fruit positions. The combination of 9.5 Hz/80 mm resulted in a high and stable detachment speed with a low number of impacts. The cluster index, considering shaking position and total fruit mass, showed a stronger correlation with detachment time than the fruit-to-shaker distance. Fruit-to-shaker distance also influenced fruit-to-shaker impacts, with a recommended distance of 50 to 60 mm to avoid most impacts. Catching devices can be designed based on the calculated horizontal throw distance using detachment velocity and angle, with closer catching surfaces effectively reducing throw distance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jingwen Chen, Qian Yan, Jiawei Li, Lei Feng, Yi Zhang, Jing Xu, Rui Xia, Zaohai Zeng, Yuanlong Liu
Summary: The study comprehensively identified and analyzed the GRAS gene family in litchi, revealing their diversity and expansion mechanism through phylogenetic, gene structure, and synteny analysis. The research also discovered genes regulated by miR171 and their diverse expression patterns in different tissues and during seed development.
Article
Agronomy
Shanshan Qu, Mengmeng Li, Guang Wang, Shijiang Zhu
Summary: The study found that ABA and GA3 treatment can reduce browning of harvested litchi fruit and maintain higher anthocyanin content, but they have different effects on fruit metabolism pathways. ABA mainly alleviates browning by promoting anthocyanin synthesis, while GA3 inhibits anthocyanin degradation.
POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Junjie Peng, Jingjia Du, Wuqiang Ma, Tiantian Chen, Xian Shui, Haizhi Liao, Xiaokai Lin, Kaibing Zhou
Summary: By analyzing the sugar contents and sucrose metabolism enzyme activities in the pulp of 'Feizixiao' litchi, it was found that the contents of sucrose and soluble sugars decreased while the contents of fructose and glucose increased after fruit maturity. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed a large number of differentially expressed genes, including 91 genes related to sugar metabolism. The downregulated expression of sucrose metabolism genes in the pulp led to decreased enzyme activities, but the net activity still resulted in sucrose cleavage and replenishment of reducing sugars, maintaining a stable reducing sugar content.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiao-Qi Yue, Yue Zhang, Cheng-Kun Yang, Jian-Guo Li, Xia Rui, Feng Ding, Fu-Chu Hu, Xiang-He Wang, Wu-Qiang Ma, Kai-Bing Zhou
Summary: In this study, a genome-wide analysis of LcCCO genes in litchi was conducted, revealing multiple subfamilies and potential functions in plant growth and development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni Pratelli, Daniela Carlisi, Antonella D'Anneo, Antonella Maggio, Sonia Emanuele, Antonio Palumbo Piccionello, Michela Giuliano, Anna De Blasio, Giuseppe Calvaruso, Marianna Lauricella
Summary: The extracts of mango peel and seed have been found to have anti-obesity and antioxidant effects, inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation, while increasing the expression of antioxidant factors. The extracts contain polyphenolic compounds that contribute to the observed effects.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniela Carlisi, Marianna Lauricella, Antonella D'Anneo, Anna De Blasio, Adriana Celesia, Giovanni Pratelli, Antonietta Notaro, Giuseppe Calvaruso, Michela Giuliano, Sonia Emanuele
Summary: The sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide (PN) and its analogues have significant potential in cancer therapy, inducing various forms of cell death and targeting cancer stem cells.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonella D'Anneo, Marianna Lauricella
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Marianna Lauricella, Antonella Maggio, Natale Badalamenti, Maurizio Bruno, Giovanni Danilo D'Angelo, Antonella D'Anneo
Summary: The study investigates the biological activity and mechanism of action of the essential oil from Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum fruits (FVPEO) in breast cancer cells. FVPEO exhibits strong anticancer effects by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis. The cytotoxic effect of FVPEO is associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species and stress-related proteins.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fabiana Plescia, Fabio Venturella, Marianna Lauricella, Valentina Catania, Giulia Polito, Domenico Schillaci, Antonio Palumbo Piccionello, Daidone Giuseppe, Antonella D'Anneo, Demetrio Raffa
Summary: This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition of Artemisia arborescens extracts and evaluate their effects on cancer cells, bacteria, and biofilm formation. The extracts showed potential anticancer and antibacterial activities, as well as inhibition of biofilm formation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Fabiana Plescia, Fabio Venturella, Antonella D'Anneo, Valentina Catania, Maria Letizia Gargano, Giulia Polito, Domenico Schillaci, Antonio Palumbo Piccionello, Marianna Lauricella, Giuseppe Venturella, Demetrio Raffa
Summary: This study determined the phytochemical composition of different extracts of Helianthemum lippii and evaluated their anticancer, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm activities. The extracts showed cytotoxic activity against human MDA-MB231 and HCT116 cells and antimicrobial activity against certain bacteria and fungi. These extracts demonstrate interesting therapeutic potential.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adriana Celesia, Antonietta Notaro, Marzia Franzo, Marianna Lauricella, Antonella D'Anneo, Daniela Carlisi, Michela Giuliano, Sonia Emanuele
Summary: This study compared the effects of two HDAC inhibitors, ITF2357 and SAHA, in melanoma cells with the BRAF V600E oncogenic mutation. Results showed that ITF2357 was more effective than SAHA in reducing the viability of BRAF-mutated melanoma cells, and it also decreased the expression of oncogenic BRAF protein and induced a switch from autophagy to classic apoptosis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adriana Celesia, Marzia Franzo, Diana Di Liberto, Marianna Lauricella, Daniela Carlisi, Antonella D'Anneo, Antonietta Notaro, Mario Allegra, Michela Giuliano, Sonia Emanuele
Summary: We previously showed that the HDAC inhibitor ITF2357 targets oncogenic BRAF in melanoma cells. In this study, we found that oncogenic BRAF localizes to the nucleus of these cells and ITF2357 reduces both nuclear and cytosolic BRAF levels. We also observed an interaction between BRAF and oncogenic p53, and ITF2357 decreased levels of both proteins in certain melanoma cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonella D'Anneo, Marianna Lauricella
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Natale Badalamenti, Alessandro Vaglica, Antonella Porrello, Antonella Maggio, Maurizio Bruno, Marianna Lauricella, Antonella D'Anneo
Summary: Ferulago nodosa is a plant species found in the Balkan-Tyrrhenian area and has been discovered to contain compounds with anti-tumor effects.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonietta Notaro, Marianna Lauricella, Diana Di Liberto, Sonia Emanuele, Michela Giuliano, Alessandro Attanzio, Luisa Tesoriere, Daniela Carlisi, Mario Allegra, Anna De Blasio, Giuseppe Calvaruso, Antonella D'Anneo
Summary: Methyl gallate (MG), a gallotannin found in plants, showed potential as an anti-tumor phytomolecule for colon cancer treatment. It reduced the viability of HCT116 colon cancer cells but had no effect on differentiated Caco-2 cells. MG induced early ROS generation and ER stress, leading to autophagy and apoptotic cell death. The increase in p53 played a crucial role in the mechanism, which was tightly linked to oxidative injury.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Alessandro Vaglica, Antonella Maggio, Natale Badalamenti, Maurizio Bruno, Marianna Lauricella, Antonella D'Anneo
Summary: This study investigates the chemical compositions of essential oils extracted from different parts of two wild endemic species of Sicily, Seseli bocconei Guss. and Seseli tortuosum subsp. maritimum Guss. It is found that the main metabolite classes vary among the different parts of the plants. The stem essential oils of both plants exhibit strong cytotoxic effects against colon cancer cells, and germacrene D is identified as a promising molecule with anticancer properties.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni Pratelli, Daniela Carlisi, Diana Di Liberto, Antonietta Notaro, Michela Giuliano, Antonella D'Anneo, Marianna Lauricella, Sonia Emanuele, Giuseppe Calvaruso, Anna De Blasio
Summary: TNBC is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by resistance to anoikis, high invasiveness, and metastatic potential, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness features. Inhibition of MCL1 using A-1210477 BH3-mimetic promotes anoikis/apoptosis, impairs focal adhesions, reduces migration and invasiveness, and downregulates EMT and stemness markers in MDA-MB-231 cell line.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni Pratelli, Bartolo Tamburini, Daniela Carlisi, Anna De Blasio, Antonella D'Anneo, Sonia Emanuele, Antonietta Notaro, Federica Affranchi, Michela Giuliano, Aurelio Seidita, Marianna Lauricella, Diana Di Liberto
Summary: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract (GT) and is caused by genetic, microbial, and environmental factors. Dysbiosis, characterized by a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in pathogenic species, is closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Dietary polyphenols, as natural antioxidants, can maintain redox equilibrium in the GT and prevent gut damage and inflammatory responses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marianna Lauricella, Antonella D'Anneo
