Commercial interest in the culinary herb, Eryngium foetidum L., has increased worldwide due to its typical pungency, similar to coriander or cilantro, with immense pharmaceutical components. The molecular delimitation and taxonomic classification of this lesser-known medicinal plant are restricted to conventional phenotyping and DNA-based marker evaluation, which hinders accurate identification, genetic conservation, and safe utilization. This study focused on species discrimination using DNA sequencing with chloroplast–plastid genes (matK, Kim matK, and rbcL) and the nuclear ITS2 gene in two Eryngium genotypes collected from the east coast region of India. The results revealed that matK discriminated between two genotypes, however, Kim matK, rbcL, and ITS2 identified these genotypes as E. foetidum. The ribosomal nuclear ITS2 region exhibited significant inter- and intra-specific divergence, depicted in the DNA barcodes and the secondary structures derived based on the minimum free energy. Although the efficiency of matK genes is better in species discrimination, ITS2 demonstrated polyphyletic phylogeny, and could be used as a reliable marker for genetic divergence studies understanding the mechanisms of RNA molecules. The results of this study provide insights into the scientific basis of species identification, genetic conservation, and safe utilization of this important medicinal plant species.

Eggplant or aubergine (Solanum melongena L.) and its wild cousins, comprising 13 clades with 1500 species, have an unprecedented demand across the globe. Cultivated eggplant has a narrow molecular diversity that hinders eggplant breeding advancements. Wild eggplants need resurgent attention to broaden eggplant breeding resources. In this study, we emphasized phenotypic and genotypic discriminations among 13 eggplant species deploying chloroplast–plastid (Kim matK) and nuclear (ITS2) short gene sequences (400–800 bp) at DNA barcode region followed by ITS2 secondary structure predictions. The identification efficiency at the Kim matK region was higher (99–100%) than in the ITS2 region (80–90%). The eggplant species showed 13 unique secondary structures with a central ring with various helical orientations. Principal component analysis (PCoA) provides the descriptor–wise phenotypic clustering, which is essential for trait–specific breeding. Groups I and IV are categorized under scarlet complexes S. aethiopicum, S. trilobatum, and S. melongena (wild and cultivated). Group II represented the gboma clade (S. macrocarpon, S. wrightii, S. sisymbriifolium, and S. aculeatissimum), and group III includes S. mammosum, and S. torvum with unique fruit shape and size. The present study would be helpful in genetic discrimination, biodiversity conservation, and the safe utilization of wild eggplants.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott, Araceae), an ancient root and tuber crop, is highly polygenic, polyphyletic, and polygeographic in nature, which leads to its rapid genetic erosion. To prevent the perceived loss of taro diversity, species discrimination and genetic conservation of promising taro genotypes need special attention. Reports on genetic discrimination of taro at its center of origin are still untapped. We performed DNA barcoding of twenty promising genotypes of taro indigenous to the northeastern hill region of India, deploying two chloroplast-plastid genes, matK and rbcL, and the ribosomal nuclear gene ITS2. The secondary structure of ITS2 was determined and molecular phylogeny was performed to assess genetic discrimination among the taro genotypes. The matK and rbcL genes were highly efficient (>90%) in amplification and sequencing. However, the ITS2 barcode region achieved significant discrimination among the tested taro genotypes. All the taro genotypes displayed most similar sequences at the conserved matK and rbcL loci. However, distinct sequence lengths were observed in the ITS2 barcode region, revealing accurate discriminations among the genotypes. Multiple barcode markers are unrelated to one another and change independently, providing different estimations of heritable traits and genetic lineages; thus, they are advantageous over a single locus in genetic discrimination studies. A dynamic programming algorithm that used base-pairing interactions within a single nucleic acid polymer or between two polymers transformed the secondary structures into the symbol code data to predict seven different minimum free energy secondary structures. Our analysis strengthens the potential of the ITS2 gene as a potent DNA barcode candidate in the prediction of a valuable secondary structure that would help in genetic discrimination between the genotypes while augmenting future breeding strategies in taro.

The localization of cuticular wax (CW) on the leaf epidermis and its interaction with the physiological mechanisms of three edible aroids, Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma, were assessed. CW in the leaf tissues was visualized using scanning electron microscopy, which was higher in Colocasia (10.61 mg·dm⁻²) and Xanthosoma (11.36 mg·dm⁻²) than in Alocasia (1.36 mg·dm⁻²). Colocasia CW exhibited superhydrophobic properties with a higher static contact angle (CA) (>150°) than Xanthosoma (99.0°) and Alocasia (128.7°). The higher CW in Colocasia and Xanthosoma resulted in better leaf chlorophyll stability, moisture retention ability, and cellular membrane integrity compared to Alocasia. CW acted as a protecting barrier against deleterious solar radiation in terms of sun protection factor (SPF). The glossy appearance of wax crystals in the Alocasia leaf cuticles resulted in higher SPF. Overall, Colocasia CW highly influenced the qualitative and protective mechanisms of the leaf. Our study sheds light on the pivotal role of CW in the physiological properties of aroid leaves, which would be useful for the selection of wax-rich plants for augmenting future breeding strategies. The information would also be useful for further exploration of the industrial potential of superhydrophobic wax crystals obtained from edible aroids.

Honeybee colonies are increasingly threatened by nutritional scarcity and biotic stressors, underscoring the need to understand the role of gut microbiota in mitigating these challenges. This study examined the gut microbial composition of Apis cerana indica under two dietary regimes: sucrose–fed and sucrose–unfed, to assess how nutrition influences microbial diversity and metabolic potential following metagenomics. Metagenomic sequencing of gut samples revealed 147,146 contigs, with the longest and shortest contigs measuring 615,154 kb and 200 kb, respectively. Comparative analysis indicated a higher relative abundance of Bacillus spp. in sucrose–fed bees, whereas Enterococcus was more dominant in unfed populations. Sucrose feeding significantly enhanced gut microbial diversity (Shannon index: 2.59; Simpson’s index: 0.87) compared to unfed bees (Shannon: 1.91; Simpson: 0.68). Key genera, including Gilliamella , Bacillus , and Lactobacillus , were consistently present but showed varying relative abundances. Functional annotation via KEGG pathway analysis revealed elevated activity of glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway in sucrose-fed bees, with exclusive detection of key metabolic enzymes, hexokinase and enolase. Additionally, elevated sucrose metabolism and proteolytic enzyme activity were noted, reflecting enhanced metabolic versatility. Our findings highlight the importance of sucrose dietary supplementation in shaping gut microbial structure and function, their diversity, and metabolic capacity, suggesting its potential as a practical nutritional intervention to sustain honeybee health during a period of floral dearth. The outcome of the study encourages exploring the long–term ecological and physiological impacts of dietary strategies on colony resilience and productivity.