To date, several research studies addressed the topic of phytochemical analysis of the different coloured pepper berries during ripening, but none discussed it in the case of purple peppers. In this study we examine whether the anthocyanin accumulation of the berries in the early stages of ripening could result in a higher antioxidant capacity due to the elevated amount of polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity was measured in four distinct phenophases of fruit maturity. Furthermore, the expression of structural and regulatory genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway was also investigated. An overall decreasing trend was observed in the polyphenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of the samples towards biological ripeness. Significant changes both in between the genotypes and in between the phenophases were scored, with the genotype being the most affecting factor on the phytonutrients. An extreme purple pepper yielded outstanding results compared to the other genotypes, with its polyphenolic and flavonoid content as well as its antioxidant capacity being the highest in every phenophase studied. Based on our results, besides MYBa (Ca10g11650) two other putative MYBs participate in the regulation of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of sour cherries using SSR markers, correlate the data with phenotypic traits, and investigate the suitability of Prunus-specific microsatellite markers in this species. Nineteen sour cherry genotypes from the Fruit Research Institute in Érd, Hungary, were analyzed using twelve SSR primer pairs. The number of alleles ranged from two to ten, with a mean value of 4.67 per locus. The highest number of alleles was generated with BPPCT 007. All the primers displayed a polymorphic pattern. The most informative markers, based on the highest PIC values, were CPPCT022, BPPCT041, and BPPCT030. The genotypes were grouped based on flowering time, ripening time, and fruit weight. To determine the correlation, we have performed a regression analysis association with fruit traits and molecular markers. The marker PceGA025 appeared to have an allele size that statistically significantly correlates to flowering and ripening time. Also, BPPCT002, BPPCT007 and UCDCH17 have an allele that significantly correlates to ripening time. Additionally, one of the alleles of UDP 98 410 appeared to be correlated with fruit weight.

The cultivation of horticultural plants in controlled greenhouse environments is a pivotal practice in modern agriculture, offering the potential to enhance crop productivity and mitigate climate change effects. This study investigates the biomechanical properties and lignin content of various Capsicum annuum mutant lines—‘fragile-plant’ (frx), ‘tortuous internodi’ (tti), and ‘puffy-structured stem’ (pfi)—in comparison to a commercially established variety, ‘Garai Fehér’. We employed the acetyl bromide method to quantify lignin content and conducted three-point bending tests to assess rigidity in three distinct regions of the stem. Gene expression analysis of key lignin biosynthetic pathway genes (PAL, C4H, 4CL, CCoAOMT, CAD) was performed using qRT-PCR. The results revealed significant differences in lignin content and breaking force among the genotypes and stem regions. The tti mutants exhibited similar lignin content to the control but lower breaking strength, likely due to elongated internodes. The frx mutants showed uniformly reduced lignin content, correlating with their fragile stems. The pfi mutants displayed abnormally high lignin content in the top region yet demonstrated the lowest stem rigidity in every region. Overexpression of CAD and CCoAOMT was detected in the mutants in specific regions of the stem, suggesting alterations in lignin biosynthesis; however, we could not confirm the correlation between them. Our findings indicate that while lignin content generally correlates with stem rigidity, this trait is complex and influenced by more factors.

Horticulture is a dynamically evolving and an ever-changing sector which needs new ideas, plant materials, and cultivating methods to produce more. Involving different mutants in breeding lines may lead to new opportunities to create new cultivating methods. pcx (procumbent plant) and tti (tortuosa internodi) Capsicum annuum mutant plants, which present abnormal stem growth, were investigated in various in vitro experiments. The pcx breeding line presents highly diverse hypocotyl growth even in the early phenophase, such as normally growing plants and the ‘laying’ habit. On the other hand, tti plants only present their elongated slender stem trait in a more mature phase. In our experiment of reorientation, we used one-sided illumination, where each of the phenotypes sensed and reacted to light, and only the pcx plants exhibited a negative gravitropic response. It was also the result that the tti plants sensed gravity, but the weak structure of the hypocotyls made them incapable of following its direction. Since the pcx plants were the only ones with an ‘antigravitropic’ growth, we used them to evaluate the time course they needed to adapt and follow the gravity vector after reorientation. The pcx plants sensing gravity adapted similarly to controls and started bending after 120 min, but those which presented as ‘anti-gravitropic’ did not respond even after 420 min.

Postharvest fungal pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium culmorum, pose major challenges for pepper (Capsicum annuum) storage and shelf-life. To explore the basis of induced resistance, near isogenic lines (NILs) differing in pigmentation (green vs. purple fruits and their red ripe counterparts) were artificially inoculated and evaluated for disease severity by phenotyping and by qPCR, and metabolite composition by spectroscopy and by HPLC. Infection severity was strongly dependent on whether purple or green NILs were infected and on ripening stage: economically ripe fruits were most susceptible to B. cinerea, whereas biologically ripe fruits displayed higher infection rates with A. alternata. In the case of B. cinerea infection, detailed HPLC analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid were identified as infection-responsive metabolites after analyzing the metabolite changes upon infection. Total anthocyanin content and delphinidin derivatives measured decreased upon infection; however, this effect was not significant in correlation with the infection severity, indicating that B. cinerea infection in low, moderate or severe amounts will lead to the degradation of these compounds. Overall, our findings indicate that anthocyanin accumulation alone did not confer resistance to B. cinerea in pepper, whereas specific hydroxycinnamic acids emerged as infection-responsive markers.

Molecular markers have been employed for decades to assess genetic diversity in the Phyllostachys genus. However, a more comprehensive understanding of genetic variation among Phyllostachys species is still needed to carry out accurate germplasm identification, clarify genetic relationships among taxa, and support the conservation and management of bamboo genetic resources. High genetic diversity within bamboo populations enhances their resilience and adaptability to environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated genetic variation across 96 genotypes representing 44 Phyllostachys species using eight simple sequence repeat markers. These markers detected 47 alleles in total, ranging from 3 to 11 per locus. A private allele (201 bp) was identified in Phyllostachys edulis and its associated forms using the PBM019 marker. Cluster analysis grouped the samples into three clusters: 22 genotypes in Cluster I, 54 in Cluster II, and 21 in Cluster III. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) corroborated these clusters, revealing interspecific genetic divergence alongside high intraspecific and intra-form similarity, except in Phyllostachys arcana where two related forms exhibited clear genetic differentiation and clustered separately in both analyses. The PBM021 marker showed the highest polymorphism, amplifying eight alleles in select genotypes (Phyllostachys angusta, P. mannii, P. bissetii, P. heteroclada). Overall, this research provides insights into genetic diversity and relationships among 96 bamboo genotypes.