This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, identify the bioactive compounds and measure the antioxidant activity present in blackberry, red raspberry, strawberry, sweet cherry and blueberry fruits produced in the subtropical areas of Brazil and to verify that the chemical properties of these fruit are similar when compared to the temperate production zones. Compared with berries and cherries grown in temperate climates, the centesimal composition and physical chemical characteristics found in the Brazilian berries and cherries are in agreement with data from the literature. For the mineral composition, the analyzed fruits presented lower concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn and higher levels of Fe. The values found for the bioactive compounds generally fit the ranges reported in the literature with minor differences. The greatest difference was found in relation to ascorbic acid, as all fruits analyzed showed levels well above those found in the literature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fruits contain substantial quantities of flavonoids, which are implicated in a wide range of health benefits. Although the flavonoid constituents of ripe blueberries are known, the molecular genetics underlying their biosynthesis, localization, and changes that occur during development have not been investigated. Two expressed sequence tag libraries from ripening blueberry fruit were constructed as a resource for gene identification and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction primer design. Gene expression profiling by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that flavonoid biosynthetic transcript abundance followed a tightly regulated biphasic pattern, and transcript profiles were consistent with the abundance of the three major classes of flavonoids. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) and corresponding biosynthetic transcripts encoding anthocyanidin reductase and leucoanthocyanidin reductase were most concentrated in young fruit and localized predominantly to the inner fruit tissue containing the seeds and placentae. Mean PA polymer length was seven to 8.5 subunits, linked predominantly via B-type linkages, and was relatively constant throughout development. Flavonol accumulation and localization patterns were similar to those of the PAs, and the B-ring hydroxylation pattern of both was correlated with flavonoid-3'-hydroxylase transcript abundance. By contrast, anthocyanins accumulated late in maturation, which coincided with a peak in flavonoid-3-O-glycosyltransferase and flavonoid-3'5'-hydroxylase transcripts. Transcripts of VcMYBPA1, which likely encodes an R2R3-MYB transcriptional regulator of PA synthesis, were prominent in both phases of development. Furthermore, the initiation of ripening was accompanied by a substantial rise in abscisic acid, a growth regulator that may be an important component of the ripening process and contribute to the regulation of blueberry flavonoid biosynthesis.

以菊花小八叶乌塌菜品种为试验材料,利用LED精量调制光源,设红光、蓝光、红/蓝(3/1)、红/蓝(7/1)、白/红/蓝(3/2/1) 5个处理,以白光为对照,研究不同光质对乌塌菜光合特性及品质的影响。结果表明:叶绿素含量以红/蓝(7/1)处理最高,且叶绿素总量与红/蓝光比值呈正相关;光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率均以红光处理最高,而蓝光处理下有较高的胞间CO₂浓度;不同光质处理对乌塌菜的荧光参数有较大影响,白光的Fm/Fo、Fv/Fo和ΦPS Ⅱ均最大;红光可以提高可溶性糖含量而蓝光却能提高可溶性蛋白含量,白光能增加维生素C含量。综合分析得出,红/蓝(7/1)有利于增加光合色素含量,提高光合速率和营养品质。

以‘天鹅绒’和‘威望’两个一品红品种为试材, 研究了红、黄、蓝3种光质对其生长、观赏品质和花期的影响, 结果表明: 红光有利于叶绿素b的合成, 促进侧枝的生长, 推迟花期3 d, 但提高花头的观赏品质。黄光有利于光合速率的增加, 对侧枝的生长表现出前期促进、后期抑制的现象, 虽然对花期无明显影响, 但降低了花头的观赏品质。蓝光有利于叶绿素a的合成, 抑制侧枝的生长, 使花期提前7 d,但对花头观赏品质无明显影响。

以2年生南高丛越橘‘Emerald’为材料，以大棚内自然光作为对照，研究LED光源的红蓝光（3︰1和6︰1）、紫外光（UVA）对植株长势、叶片光合作用、碳氮代谢、开花基因表达及开花率、果实品质的影响。结果表明：红蓝光组合处理下‘Emerald’的植株营养生长较旺盛，株高、1年生枝条长度和粗度显著高于对照。此外，红蓝光（6︰1）处理下叶片的叶绿素相对含量、比叶重和净光合速率均显著提高。红蓝光组合也可诱导植株开花，开花基因FT表达量和开花率明显高于对照。紫外光下叶片的氮含量、开花率及FT基因表达量显著高于对照。不同光质组合补光对‘Emerald’的果实品质有显著影响，红蓝光（3︰1）处理下果实的质量、横纵径、可溶性固形物、可溶性糖、花青素含量和糖酸比均高于对照。总之，不同光质补光会促进越橘‘Emerald’的生长发育，红蓝光6︰1组合对促进营养生长作用相对较大，红蓝光3︰1组合对提高果实品质效果较好。紫外光虽能改变植株形态和促进开花，但果实品质提高效果较红蓝光处理稍弱。

Background: Light is one of the most significant environmental factors affecting to the accumulation of flavonoids in fruits. The composition of the light spectrum has been shown to affect the production of phenolic compounds during fruit ripening. However, specific information on the biosynthesis of flavonoids in fruits in response to different wavelengths of light is still scarce. In the present study bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits, which are known to be rich with anthocyanin compounds, were illuminated with blue, red, far-red or white light during the berry ripening process. Following the illumination, the composition of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds was analysed at the mature ripening stage of fruits. Results: All the three monochromatic light treatments had significant positive effect on the accumulation of total anthocyanins in ripe fruits compared to treatment with white light or plants kept in darkness. The elevated levels of anthocyanins were mainly due to a significant increase in the accumulation of delphinidin glycosides. A total of 33 anthocyanin compounds were detected in ripe bilberry fruits, of which six are novel in bilberry (cyanidin acetyl-3-O-galactose, malvidin acetyl-3-O-galactose, malvidin coumaroyl-3-O-galactose, malvidin coumaroyl-3-Oglucose, delphinidin coumaroyl-3-O-galactose, delphinidin coumaroyl-3-O-glucose). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the spectral composition of light during berry development has significant effect on the flavonoid composition of ripe bilberry fruits.