In order to identify wild fruits possessing high nutraceutical potential, the antioxidant activities of 56 wild fruits from South China were systematically evaluated. The fat-soluble components were extracted with tetrahydrofuran, and the water-soluble ones were extracted with a 50:3.7:46.3 (v/v) methanol-acetic acid-water mixture. The antioxidant capacities of the extracts were evaluated using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays, and their total phenolic contents were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Most of these wild fruits were analyzed for the first time for their antioxidant activities. Generally, these fruits had high antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents. A significant correlation between the FRAP value and the TEAC value suggested that antioxidant components in these wild fruits were capable of reducing oxidants and scavenging free radicals. A high correlation between antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content indicated that phenolic compounds could be the main contributors to the measured antioxidant activity. The results showed that fruits of Eucalyptus robusta, Eurya nitida, Melastoma sanguineum, Melaleuca leucadendron, Lagerstroemia indica, Caryota mitis, Lagerstroemia speciosa and Gordonia axillaris possessed the highest antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents among those tested, and could be potential rich sources of natural antioxidants and functional foods. The results obtained are very helpful for the full utilization of these wild fruits.

The Brassicaceae is a worldwide family that produces ornamental flowers, edible vegetables, and oilseed plants, with high economic value in agriculture, horticulture, and landscaping. This study used the Web of Science core dataset and the CiteSpace bibliometric tool to quantitatively visualize the number of publications, authors, institutions, and countries of 3139 papers related to Brassicaceae plants from 2002 to 2022. The keywords and references were divided into two phases: Phase 1 (2002-2011) and Phase 2 (2012-2022) for quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results showed: An average annual publication volume of 149 articles, with an overall fluctuating upward trend; the research force was mainly led by Professor Ihsan A. Al-shehbaz from Missouri Botanical Garden; and the United States had the highest number of publications. In the first phase, research focused on the phylogeny of Brassicaceae plants, while the second phase delved into diverse research based on previous studies, research in areas such as polyploidy, molecular technique, physiology, and hyperaccumulator has been extended. Based on this research, we propounded some ideas for future studies on Brassicaceae plants and summarized the research gaps.

Michelia shiluensis is a rare and endangered magnolia species found in South China. This species produces beautiful flowers and is thus widely used in landscape gardening. Additionally, its timber is also used for furniture production. As a result of low rates of natural reproduction and increasing levels of human impact, wild M. shiluensis populations have become fragmented. This species is now classified as endangered by the IUCN. In the present study, we characterized the complete chloroplast genome of M. shiluensis and found it to be 160,075 bp in length with two inverted repeat regions (26,587 bp each), a large single-copy region (88,105 bp), and a small copy region (18,796 bp). The genome contained 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The guanine-cytosine content represented 39.26% of the overall genome. Comparative analysis revealed high similarity between the M. shiluensis chloroplast genome and those of four closely related species: Michelia odora, Magnolia laevifolia, Magnolia insignis, and Magnolia cathcartii. Phylogenetic analysis shows that M. shiluensis is most closely related to M. odora. The genomic information presented in this study is valuable for further classification, phylogenetic studies, and to support ongoing conservation efforts.

Oxalis debilis Kunth, an invasive plant native to South America, has already spread extensively throughout various regions in China including West China, East China, Central China, and South China. It poses a certain degree of damage to the local ecosystem and demonstrates significant invasive potential. Utilizing distribution information along with environmental variables such as bioclimate, soil factors, elevation, and UV-B radiation, the MaxEnt model combined with ArcGIS was employed to forecast the potential distribution of O. debilis in China. The ROC curve was employed to assess the accuracy of the model, while the jackknife test was utilized to identify dominant environmental variables and determine their optimal values. The simulated AUC value was 0.946 ± 0.004, and the predicted results exhibited a remarkable concordance with the actual outcomes, thereby indicating that the Maxent model demonstrated a high level of confidence in its predictive capabilities. The potential distribution of O. debilis in China spanned 18,914,237 km², accounting for 19.70% of the total land area. This distribution was primarily observed in East, Central, and South China, with Guangdong, Guangxi, and Guizhou being identified as highly suitable habitats for O. debilis. Furthermore, it was observed that the distribution of O. debilis is primarily influenced by environmental variables such as the precipitation of the driest month, the monthly diurnal range, the mean temperature of the wettest quarter, and the isothermality. The findings can serve as a valuable point of reference for the prevention and monitoring of O. debilis spread, thereby contributing to the protection of China’s agricultural, forestry, and ecological environments. It is imperative to acknowledge the hazards associated with O. debilis, closely monitor its invasion, and prevent uncontrolled dissemination.

Castanopsis sclerophylla (Lindl.) Schott. is a canopy tree species of evergreen broad-leaved forests in subtropical China. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of C. sclerophylla were investigated by using chloroplast DNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite markers. Permutation tests with chloroplast DNA sequences indicated the presence of phylogeographic structure in C. sclerophylla. Based on nuclear microsatellite markers, Bayesian clustering analysis revealed eastern-to-western differentiation in C. sclerophylla, and the analysis of molecular variance suggested population divergence has arisen along the Xuefeng, Luoxiao, and Wuyi mountain ranges. The approximate Bayesian computation demonstrated that the genetic diversity pattern of C. sclerophylla could be explained by geographic isolation followed by secondary contact. Ecological niche modelling showed that distribution of C. sclerophylla shrank southward at the Last Glacial Maximum and expanded northward at the Mid Holocene. These results suggested that the uplift of the Xuefeng, Luoxiao, and Wuyi mountain ranges and the interglacial–glacial climate change shaped the genetic diversity of C. sclerophylla. The Luoxiao mountain range should be considered as a key conservation unit of C. sclerophylla due to its higher level of genetic diversity. Our study supplies important information for prioritizing the conservation and sustainable utilization of C. sclerophylla, and provides insight on the dynamics of evergreen broad-leaved forests in subtropical China.

Water pollution caused by excessive nutrient and biological invasion is increasingly widespread in China, which can lead to problems with drinking water as well as serious damage to the ecosystem if not be properly treated. Aquatic plant restoration (phytoremediation) has become a promising and increasingly popular solution. In this study, eight native species of low-temperature-tolerant aquatic macrophytes were chosen to construct three combinations of aquatic macrophytes to study their purification efficiency on eutrophic water in large open tanks during autumn in Guangzhou City. The total nitrogen (TN) removal rates of group A (Vallisneria natans + Ludwigia adscendens + Monochoria vaginalis + Saururus chinensis), group B (V. natans + Ipomoea aquatica + Acorus calamus + Typha orientalis), and group C (V. natans + L. adscendens + Schoenoplectus juncoides + T. orientalis) were 79.10%, 46.39%, and 67.46%, respectively. The total phosphorus (TP) removal rates were 89.39%, 88.37%, and 91.96% in groups A, B, and C, respectively, while the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates were 93.91%, 96.48%, and 92.78%, respectively. In the control group (CK), the removal rates of TN, TP, and COD were 70.42%, 86.59%, and 87.94%, respectively. The overall removal rates of TN, TP, and COD in the plant groups were only slightly higher than that in CK group, which did not show a significant advantage. This may be related to the leaf decay of some aquatic plants during the experiment, whereby the decay of V. natans was the most obvious. The results suggest that a proper amount of plant residue will not lead to a significant deterioration of water quality.