The P-rr allele of the maize P gene regulates the synthesis of pigments derived from flavan-4-ol in the pericarp, cob glumes and other floral organs. We characterized 21 P alleles derived by intragenic transposition of Ac from three known positions. Ac transpositions can occur in either direction in the P gene, and with no apparent minimum distance: in one case Ac transposed just 6 bp from its ...

We show that phytochromes modulate differentially various facets of light-induced ripening of tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Northern analysis demonstrated that phytochrome A mRNA in fruit accumulates 11.4-fold during ripening. Spectroradiometric measurement of pericarp tissues revealed that the red to far-red ratio increases 4-fold in pericarp tissues during ripening from the immature...

Idesia polycarpa, is a valuable oilseed-producing tree of the Flacourtiaceae family that has the potential to fulfill edible oil production and is also a possible biofuel feedstock. The fruit is unique in that it contains both saturated and unsaturated lipids present in pericarp and seed, respectively. However, triglyceride synthesis and storage in tissues outside of the seeds has been poorly s...

Ethanolic crude extracts prepared from the arils and seeds, pericarp, peels and from the whole fruit of Punica granatum, known as pomegranate, had their antifungal activity tested against Candida spp. The ethanolic crude extracts were analyzed by Mass Spectrometry and yielded many compounds such as punicalagin and galladydilacton. The extracts from the pericarp and peel showed activity against ...

Postanthesis growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) as of many types of fruit relies on cell division and cell expansion, so that some of the largest cells to be found in plants occur in fleshy fruit. Endoreduplication is known to occur in such materials, which suggests its involvement in cell expansion, although no data have demonstrated this hypothesis as yet. We have analyzed pattern format...

In order to investigate the effects of dietary fibre (DF) characteristics on carbohydrate degradation and the metabolism in the large intestine, pigs were fed on four rye-bread diets (based on whole rye, pericarp/testa, aleurone or endosperm) with differences in characteristics and amount of DF. The degradability of DF in the large intestine varied greatly between diets. The pericarp/testa DF w...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disease for which, thus far, there are no effective treatments. The pericarp of Citrus reticulata, as a traditional herbal drug, has been used for the clinical treatment of lung-related diseases in China for many years. In the present study, the amines from the pericarp of Citrus reticulata were isolated, and their hydrochlorides ...

Anthocyanin-rich barley can have great potential in promoting human health and in developing nutraceuticals and functional foods. As different anthocyanin compounds have different antioxidant activities, breeding cultivars with pre-designed anthocyanin compositions could be highly desirable. Working toward this possibility, we assessed and reported for the first time the genetic control of indi...

The effects of temperature and calcium on pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and texture in tomato pericarp material were examined. Heating thin slices of pericarp to temperatures between 50 °C and 75 °C led to the rapid evolution of methanol from the material, indicating an activation of PME. This activity was further stimulated when CaCl2 (up to 2.0% w/v) was added. When applied to half-inc...

Accumulation of red phlobaphene pigments in sorghum grain pericarp is under the control of the Y gene. A mutable allele of Y, designated as y-cs (y-candystripe), produces a variegated pericarp phenotype. Using probes from the maize p1 gene that cross-hybridize with the sorghum Y gene, we isolated the y-cs allele containing a large insertion element. Our results show that the Y gene is a member ...