No abstract

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch) is a perennial deciduous vines (Tilahun et al., 2019). Its unique flavor and abundant nutrients, such as high levels of vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavone, dietary fiber, and amino acids (Drevinskas et al., 2017;Liu et al., 2019). It has high edible value and health benefits, including hypolipidemic, cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant and cosmetic properties, etc.

Grape cracking is a common phenomenon that can reach more than 50% in some varieties and can cause enormous economic losses. “Li Xiu” grapes in different developmental stages were treated with calcium chloride (5 g/L), and the cracking rate and related biochemical and genetic indices were measured in the fruit ripening stage. The results showed that calcium treatment during the flowering period could significantly reduce grape cracking. Based on the experimental results, there are several reasons as follows: first, calcium spraying during the flowering period was more favorable to calcium absorption in grapes, and the increased calcium content in the peels helped to improve the mechanical properties of the peels, thus increasing crack resistance; second, calcium treatment reduced the expression levels of genes related to glucose metabolism, which in turn reduced PG and cellulase activities, delaying the degradation of pectin and cellulose and resulting in more structural integrity of the peels; third, calcium treatment increased fruit hardness and reduced fruit ventral pressure by decreasing the expression levels of ABA-related genes and synthesis of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA), soluble sugars (SSs), and total soluble solids (TSSs).

Living on a high-fat, high-calorie, and high-protein diet for a long period may compromise human immunity due to the long-term accumulation of free radicals and plasma lipids. The antioxidant and lipid-lowering compounds (ie polyphenols and vitamin E) in Camellia oil help to decrease the risk of numerous ailments, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), and obesity. The aims of this study were to study the hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of Camellia oil in high-fat-fed rats and to promote the high-value use of camellia resources. The high-fat-fed rats were administrated with 2.5, 7.5, and 15 mL/kg BW Camellia oil (Camellia oil group), and 10 mg/kg BW atorvastatin (atorvastatin group), respectively, and compared with a model group (only fed with high fat) and a control group (fed with basal diet). Several parameters were measured, including (1) body weight (BW), liver-to-BW ratio; (2) plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); and (3) alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, model driven architecture (MDA) content, lipid metabolism-related genes, and antioxidant-related genes in liver tissue. Compared with the model group, the high-fat-fed rats in the Camellia oil and atorvastatin group had significantly lower BW and liver-to-BW ratio ( P < .01), plasma TC, TG, and LDL-C levels and ALT and AST activities, but higher HDL-C levels. The relative expressions of ACAT1, DGAT2, FAS, and SREBP genes were significantly reduced in the Camellia oil and atorvastatin groups, while the relative expressions of LCAT, UCP2, MCD, and CPT-1 genes were significantly increased. The rats in the Camellia oil group showed significantly higher SOD and GSH-Px activities, significantly lower MDA content, and significantly higher relative expression of antioxidant genes (eg SOD1, GPx1, CAT, and Gclm). Thus, atorvastatin and Camellia oil exhibited significant hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects, which were better at a dose of 7.5 mL/kg (BW) of Camellia oil. Therefore, Camellia oil becomes a potential new natural resource for future research and development of antioxidant and hypolipidemic drugs, nutraceuticals, and additives.