Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important food crops, feeding half of the world’s population. However, rice production is affected by cadmium (Cd) toxicity. Due to an increase in Cd-contaminated soil and rice grains, and the serious harm to human health from Cd, research on Cd uptake, transport and resistance in rice has been widely conducted, and many important advances have been made. Rice plants absorb Cd mainly from soil through roots, which is mediated by Cd absorption-related transporters, including OsNramp5, OsNramp1, OsCd1, OsZIP3, OsHIR1,OsIRT1 and OsIRT2. Cd uptake is affected by soil’s environmental factors, such as the concentrations of Cd and some other ions in soil, soil properties, and other factors can affect the bioavailability of Cd in soil. Then, Cd is transported within rice plants mediated by OsZIP6, OsZIP7, OsLCD, OsHMA2, CAL1, OsCCX2, OsLCT1 and OsMTP1, from roots to shoots and from shoots to grains. To resist Cd toxicity, rice has evolved many resistance strategies, including the deposition of Cd in cell walls, vacuolar Cd sequestration, Cd chelation, antioxidation and Cd efflux. In addition, some unresolved scientific questions surrounding Cd uptake, transport and resistance in rice are proposed for further study.

Rapid economic growth and changing consumer patterns have made fresh-cut fruits and vegetables household staples because of their high nutritional value, their role in reducing the risk of illnesses and other health problems, and convenience. However, fresh-cut produce is susceptible to the rapid deterioration of sensory quality, nutrient loss, foodborne pathogens contamination, and spoilage caused by microbial growth, which can lead to consumer health risks. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve preservation methods, to increase the shelf life of fresh-cut produce. This review examines the primary mechanisms underlying quality deterioration in fresh-cut produce and critically evaluates emerging preservation technologies including physical, chemical, and biopreservation for their efficacy in reducing microbial growth while maintaining product quality. This paper also discusses key gaps and proposes future research directions to improve preservation methods, extend shelf life, and ensure the safety of fresh-cut produce.

Honey peach (Prunus persica L.) is highly nutritious; it is an excellent source of sugars, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and mineral elements. However, it is a perishable climacteric fruit that is difficult to preserve. In this study, “Feicheng” honey peach fruit was used as a test material to investigate the synergistic preservation effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and laser microporous film (LMF). The peach fruits were fumigated for 24 h with 2 μL L⁻¹ 1-MCP, then packed in LMF. In comparison with the control treatment, 1-MCP + LMF treatment markedly decreased the respiration rate, weight loss, and rot rate of peach fruits. Moreover, the combination of 1-MCP and LMF suppressed the increase in soluble solids (SS) and reducing sugars (RS), as well as the decrease in titratable acid (TA) and ascorbic acid (AsA). The combined application also maintained a high protopectin content and low soluble pectin content; it reduced the accumulation of superoxide anions (O₂⁻) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Except in a few samples, the catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were higher when treated by 1-MCP + LMF. Conversely, the phenylalanine deaminase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), lipase, lipoxygenase (LOX), polygalacturonase (PG), β-glucosidase, and cellulase (Cx) activities were lower than in the control. Furthermore, 1-MCP + LMF treatment reduced the relative abundances of dominant pathogenic fungi (e.g., Streptomyces, Stachybotrys, and Issa sp.). The combined treatment improved the relative abundances of antagonistic fungi (e.g., Aureobasidium and Holtermanniella). The results indicated that the co-application of 1-MCP and LMF markedly reduced weight loss and spoilage, delayed the decline of nutritional quality, and inhibited the physiological and biochemical metabolic activities of peach during storage. These changes extended its shelf-life to 28 days at 5 °C. The results provide a reference for the commercial application of this technology.

Bamboo leaves contain high concentrations of various biologically active compounds, such as polyphenols and volatiles, making them attractive as raw resources for antioxidant additives in the food industry. Here, we investigated the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of four bamboo leaf extracts from two species (Phyllostachys edulis and Chimonocalamus delicatus) at two growth stages (first and second years). Antioxidant capacity was determined based on the radical-scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⁺). We also assessed the antifungal capacity based on mycelial growth inhibition of Colletotrichum musae (C. musae), Botrytis cinerea (B. cinereain), and Alternaria alternata (A. alternata). Pearson’s correlation coefficients showed that the TPC was significantly (p < 0.01) negatively correlated with the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations against DPPH and ABTS⁺, whereas the TFC was positively correlated with C. musae and B. cinereain growth inhibition, which suggest that TPC and TFC might be the major contributors to the antioxidant and antifungal capacities of bamboo leaves, respectively. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of bamboo leaves were also analyzed using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry. The VOCs included twenty-four aldehydes, eleven alcohols, four furans, seven esters, fifteen terpenes, three ketones, one pyrazine, and thirty unidentified compounds. Principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to assess the differences in the volatile profiles of the four bamboo leaf samples, from which 23 discriminatory VOCs with variable importance in the projection values > 1 were screened, and part of them were impacted by species or growth stage. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the use of bamboo leaves.