Mangifera odorata fruit, the hybrid forms between M. indica (mango) and M. foetida (bacang), has been shown to exhibit potential antioxidant activity, and the fruit waste could demonstrate functional and nutritional potential. In the present study, the nutritional composition (proximate, sugars, vitamins and minerals analyses), the anti-diabetic activities and phytochemical profile of M. odorata peel and seed kernel were investigated for the first time. The results indicated that seed kernel rich in fat, protein, carbohydrate, and ash while peel contained significantly greater amount of fiber, minerals, β-Carotene and ascorbic acid compared to seed kernel. The samples were then extracted using different solvents (acetone, ethanol, methanol at 60%, v/v and pure deionized water) and their anti-diabetic activities (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assay) were determined. Seed kernel had the lowest IC₅₀ values for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assay in 60% ethanol and 60% acetone, respectively. Due to the toxic effect and high volatility of acetone, the ethanolic extracts of samples were further analyses for their phytochemical profile using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS). The most abundant compounds identified were phenolic acid, ellagic acid, and flavonoid. These findings suggest that M. odorata fruit wastes, especially the seed kernel possesses promising ability to be used as functional ingredient in the food industry.

Herbs that are usually recognized as medicinal plants are well known for their therapeutic effects and are traditionally used to treat numerous diseases, including aging. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolite variations among six selected herbs namely Curcurma longa, Oenanthe javanica, Vitex negundo, Pluchea indica, Cosmos caudatus and Persicaria minus using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) coupled with multivariate data analysis (MVDA). The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The anti-aging property was characterized by anti-elastase and anti-collagenase inhibitory activities. The results revealed that P. minus showed the highest radical scavenging activities and anti-aging properties. The partial least squares (PLS) biplot indicated the presence of potent metabolites in P. minus such as quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin), myricetin derivatives, catechin, isorhamnetin, astragalin and apigenin. It can be concluded that P. minus can be considered as a potential source for an anti-aging ingredient and also a good free radical eradicator. Therefore, P. minus could be used in future development in anti-aging researches and medicinal ingredient preparations.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a key enzyme that phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol at 3’-hydroxyl position of the inositol head group initiating the generation of several phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols, collectively referred to as phosphoinositides. The function of PI3K in plant senescence and ethylene signal transduction process was studied by expression of Solanum lycopersicum PI3K in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum, and delineating its effect on flower senescence. Detached flowers of transgenic tobacco plants with overexpressed Sl-PI3K (OX) displayed accelerated senescence and reduced longevity, when compared to the flowers of wild type plants. Flowers from PI3K-overexpressing plants showed enhanced ethylene production and upregulated expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase 1 (ACO1). Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that PI3K was expressed at a higher level in OX flowers than in the control. Seedlings of OX-lines also demonstrated a triple response phenotype with characteristic exaggerated apical hook, shorter hypocotyls and increased sensitivity to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate than the control wild type seedlings. In floral tissue from OX-lines, Solanum lycopersicum phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase green fluorescent protein (PI3K-GFP) chimera protein was localized primarily in stomata, potentially in cytoplasm and membrane adjacent to stomatal pores in the guard cells. Immunoblot analysis of PI3K expression in OX lines demonstrated increased protein level compared to the control. Results of the present study suggest that PI3K plays a crucial role in senescence by enhancing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling.

Fruits are rich sources of bioactive compounds such as lycopene, tannins, β-carotene, resveratrol, and lignan. These bioactive compounds’ antioxidative, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties are important in the human diet. Since fruits are one of the major sources of health-promoting nutrients for human consumption, they have high economic value. Ripening is a developmental process which involves changes in the colour, texture, taste, and metabolite composition of fruits, thus affecting their quality. In the market, the good quality of fruits depends on the ripening stage. Rapid ripening could shorten the shelf-life and quality of fruits. Shortened shelf-life causes fruit spoilage during post-harvest, transport, storage, and distribution. In turn, it will cause economic losses in the fruit market. Low-temperature storage is one of the techniques to prolong the shelf-life of fruits. However, this technique requires an expensive facility to achieve and maintain the low temperature. On the other hand, it has been reported that hexanal treatment could prolong the shelf-life and quality of fruits. It is also cheaper and easier to apply. However, the ripening inhibition mechanism of hexanal is not yet fully understood. The effectiveness of hexanal treatment on different fruits is also unclear. Numerous publications on hexanal treatment reported different formulations, techniques, and effectiveness rates on different fruits. Optimised formulation and technique are important to develop an efficient hexanal treatment strategy. Therefore, the mechanism, effectiveness, formulation, technique, and development of hexanal-based products to prolong the shelf-life of fruits are discussed in this review.

The failure to promptly eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to the oxidation of biological macromolecules such as proteins, which is a key factor in chilling injury (CI) in harvested fruits and vegetables. Methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) is a class of redox proteins that reduce methionine sulfoxide (MetSO) in oxidized proteins back to methionine (Met), thereby restoring protein function. In recent years, the role of Msr in protecting fruits and vegetables from CI has attracted increasing research interest. This review summarizes the classification, distribution, and subcellular localization of Msr in plants and examines its roles and regulatory mechanisms in mitigating CI. The discussion focuses on postharvest CI, ROS dynamics, and Msr-related regulatory pathways. This review provides insights into improving plant quality and enhancing cold resistance through genetic engineering.