Background: Waterlogging is one of the most serious abiotic stresses affecting wheat-growing regions in China. Considerable differences in waterlogging tolerance have been found among different wheat varieties, and the mechanisms governing the waterlogging tolerance of wheat seeds during germination have not been elucidated.Results: The results showed no significant difference between the germination rate of ‘Bainong 207’ (BN207) (after 72 h of waterlogging treatment) and that of the control seeds. However, the degree of emulsification and the degradation rate of endosperm cells under waterlogging stress were higher than those obtained with the control treatment, and the number of amyloplasts in the endosperm was significantly reduced by waterlogging. Transcriptomic data were obtained from seed samples (a total of 18 samples) of three wheat varieties, ‘Zhoumai 22’ (ZM22), BN207 and ‘Bainong 607’ (BN607), subjected to the waterlogging and control treatments. A comprehensive analysis identified a total of 2775 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In addition, an analysis of the correlations among the expression difference levels of DEGs and the seed germination rates of the three wheat varieties under waterlogging stress revealed that the relative expression levels of 563 and 398 genes were positively and negatively correlated with the germination rate of the wheat seeds, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that the difference in the waterlogging tolerance among the three wheat varieties was related to the abundance of key genes involved in the glycolysis pathway, the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and the lactose metabolism pathway. The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene in the endosperm of BN607 was induced immediately after short-term waterlogging, and the energy provided by the glycolysis pathway enabled the BN607 seeds to germinate as early as possible; in addition, the expression of the AP2/ERF transcription factor was upregulated to further enhance the waterlogging tolerance of this cultivar.Conclusions: Taken together, the results of this study help elucidate the mechanisms through which different wheat varieties respond to waterlogging stress during germination.

Background: Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plays an important role in plant survival under anaerobic conditions. Although some research about ADH in many plants have been carried out, the bioinformatics analysis of the ADH gene family from Triticum aestivum and their response to abiotic stress is unclear. Methods: A total of 22 ADH genes were identified from the wheat genome, and these genes could be divided into two subfamilies (subfamily I and subfamily II). All TaADH genes belonged to the Medium-chain ADH subfamily. Sequence alignment analysis showed that all TaADH proteins contained a conservative GroES-like domain and Zinc-binding domain. A total of 64 duplicated gene pairs were found, and the Ka/Ks value of these gene pairs was less than 1, which indicated that these genes were relatively conservative and did not change greatly in the process of duplication. Results: The organizational analysis showed that nine TaADH genes were highly expressed in all organs, and the rest of TaADH genes had tissue specificity. Cis-acting element analysis showed that almost all of the TaADH genes contained an anaerobic response element. The expression levels of ADH gene in waterlogging tolerant and waterlogging sensitive wheat seeds were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This showed that some key ADH genes were significantly responsive to waterlogging stress at the seed germination stage, and the response of waterlogging tolerant and waterlogging sensitive wheat seeds to waterlogging stress was regulated by different ADH genes. The results may be helpful to further study the function of TaADH genes and to determine the candidate gene for wheat stress resistance breeding.

Starch plays a pivotal role in numerous applications, making the enhancement of its functionality through physical processes increasingly important. Dry heat treatment (DHT) is a straightforward and eco-friendly technique that significantly improves starch characteristics and boosts food quality. This method has emerged as a focal point in starch modification research in recent years. This paper reviews current studies on the DHT of starches from various botanical sources, presenting key concepts and methodologies while delving into the impacts and mechanisms of DHT on the structural and physicochemical properties of starches. Furthermore, it elaborates on how additional components, such as ionic gums, amino acids, and sugars, can enhance the functionality of starches modified by DHT. Additionally, this review discusses the practical applications of dry heat-modified starches in the food industry, aiming to offer valuable insights for ongoing research and potential applications in enhancing food quality and functionality through innovative starch modifications.

Depression is a chronic mental illness with devastating effects on a person’s physical and mental health. Studies have reported that food fermentation with probiotics can enrich the nutritional values of food and produce functional microorganisms that can alleviate depression and anxiety. Wheat germ is an inexpensive raw material that is rich in bioactive ingredients. For example, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is reported to have antidepressant effects. Several studies concluded that Lactobacillus plantarum is a GABA-producing bacteria and can alleviate depression. Herein, fermented wheat germs (FWGs) were used to treat stress-induced depression. FWG was prepared by fermenting wheat germs with Lactobacillus plantarum. The chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was established in rats, and these rats were treated with FWG for four weeks to evaluate the effects of FWG in relieving depression. In addition, the study also analyzed the potential anti-depressive mechanism of FWG based on behavioral changes, physiological and biochemical index changes, and intestinal flora changes in depressed rats. The results demonstrated that FWG improved depression-like behaviors and increased neurotransmitter levels in the hippocampus of CUMS model rats. In addition, FWG effectively altered the gut microbiota structure and remodeled the gut microbiota in CUMS rats, restored neurotransmitter levels in depressed rats through the brain–gut axis, and restored amino acid metabolic functions. In conclusion, we suggest that FWG has antidepressant effects, and its potential mechanism may act by restoring the disordered brain–gut axis.