Background: Murraya tetramera Huang is a traditional Chinese woody medicine. Its leaves contain flavonoids, alkaloids, and other active compounds, which have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, as well as hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering effects, and anti-tumor effects. There are significant differences in the content of flavonoids and alkaloids in leaves during different growth cycles, but the synthesis mechanism is still unclear. Results: In April 2021, new leaves (one month old) and old leaves (one and a half years old) of M. tetramera were used as experimental materials to systematically analyze the changes in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) with transcriptomics and metabolomics technology. This was done to identify the signaling pathways of flavonoid and alkaloid synthesis. The results showed that the contents of total alkaloids and flavonoids in old leaves were significantly higher than those in new leaves. Thirteen flavonoid compounds, three isoflavone compounds, and nineteen alkaloid compounds were identified, and 125 and 48 DEGs related to flavonoid and alkaloid synthesis were found, respectively. By constructing the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) network of DEGs and DAMs, it was shown that the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis in M. tetramera mainly focuses on the “flavonoid biosynthetic pathway” and the “flavonoid and flavonol biosynthetic pathway”. Among them, p-Coumaryl alcohol, Sinapyl alcohol, Phloretin, and Isoquercitrin were significantly accumulated in old leaves, the up-regulated expression of CCR (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase) might promote the accumulation of p-Coumaryl alcohol, upregulation of F5H (ferulate-5-hydroxylase) might promote Sinapyl alcohol accumulation. Alkaloids, including indole alkaloids, pyridine alkaloids, imidazole alkaloids, and quinoline alkaloids, were significantly accumulated in old leaves, and a total of 29 genes were associated with these substances. Conclusions: These data are helpful to better understand the biosynthesis of flavonoids and alkaloids in M. tetramera and provide a scientific basis for the development of medicinal components in M. tetramera.

Plant-based extracts and elicitors (signaling molecules that activate the fruit’s innate defense responses) have emerged as promising and sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemicals for preserving postharvest fruit quality and extending shelf life. This review provides a comprehensive analysis, uniquely complemented by a bibliometric assessment of the research landscape from 2005 to 2025, to identify key trends and effective solutions. This review systematically examined the efficacy of various natural compounds including essential oils (complex volatile compounds with potent antimicrobial activity such as lemongrass and thyme), phenolic-rich botanical extracts like neem and aloe vera, and plant-derived elicitors such as methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid. Their preservative mechanisms are multifaceted, involving direct antimicrobial activity by disrupting microbial membranes, potent antioxidant effects that scavenge free radicals, and the induction of a fruit’s innate defense systems, enhancing the activity of enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). Applications of edible coatings of chitosan or aloe vera gel, nano-emulsions, and pre- or postharvest treatments effectively reduce decay by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium spp.), delay ripening by suppressing ethylene production, minimize water loss, and alleviate chilling injury. Despite their potential, challenges such as sensory changes, batch-to-batch variability, regulatory hurdles, and scaling production costs limit widespread commercialization. Future prospects hinge on innovative technologies like nano-encapsulation to improve stability and mask flavors, hurdle technology combining treatments synergistically, and optimizing elicitor application protocols. This review demonstrates the potential of continued research and advanced formulation to create plant-based preservatives, that can become integral components of an eco-friendly postharvest management strategy, effectively reducing losses and meeting consumer demands for safe, high-quality fruit.

Magnoliids are the largest flowering plant clades outside of the eudicots and monocots, which are distributed worldwide and have high economic, ornamental and ecological values. Eudicots, monocots and magnoliids are the three major clades of Mesangiospermae, and their phylogenetic relationship is one of the most interesting issues. In recent years, with the continuous accumulation of genomic information, the evolutionary status of magnoliids has become a hot spot in plant phylogenetic research. Although great efforts have been made to study the evolution of magnoliids using molecular data from several representative species such as nuclear genome, plastid genome, mitochondrial genome, and transcriptome, the results of current studies on the phylogenetic status of magnoliids are inconsistent. Here, we systematically describe the current understanding of the molecular research on magnoliid phylogeny and review the differences in the evolutionary state of magnoliids. Understanding the research approaches and limitations of magnoliid phylogeny can guide research strategies to further improve the study of the phylogenetic evolution of magnoliids.