The betacyanin pattern of Djulis (Chenopodium fromosanum), a native cereal plant in Taiwan, was reported for the first time. The determination of characteristics of the pigment, including pH and thermal stability and their relation to antioxidant activities, indicated that betacyanin of Djulis exhibited the maximum absorbance at 530 nm and their thermal stability was dependent on the pH. Antioxidant capacities as well as red color of that pigment were significantly positively related with A(530). Therefore, A(530) can be used as a simple index of the antioxidant capacity of that pigment. Four peaks including betanin (47.8%), isobetanin (30.0%) with m/z 551.0, and armaranthin (13.6%), isoamaranthinee (8.6%) with m/z 727.0 were purified from the pigment extract by HPLC and identified through LC/MS. Among them, betanin and isobetanin totally accounted for more than 70% of FRAP reducing power or DPPH scavenging capacity and were a major source of the antioxidant capacities. Our findings of this pigment confirmed that Djulis can be used as a novel source of betanin antioxidants and may provide a basis for its sustainable utilization in the food industry.

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To date, Cd contamination of cropland and crops is receiving more and more attention around the world. As a plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in Cd stress response, but its effect on plant Cd uptake and translocation varies among plant species. In some species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Brassica chinensis, Populus euphratica, Lactuca sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum, ABA inhibits Cd uptake and translocation, while in other species, such as Solanum photeinocarpum and Boehmeria nivea, ABA severs the opposite effect. Interestingly, differences in the methods and concentrations of ABA addition also triggered the opposite result of Cd uptake and translocation in Sedum alfredii. The regulatory mechanism of ABA involved in Cd uptake and accumulation in plants is still not well-established. Therefore, we summarized the latest studies on the ABA synthesis pathway and comparatively analyzed the physiological and molecular mechanisms related to ABA uptake, translocation, and detoxification of Cd in plants at different ABA concentrations or among different species. We believe that the control of Cd uptake and accumulation in plant tissues can be achieved by the appropriate ABA application methods and concentrations in plants.