Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a popular garden plant because of its flowering time, sweet fragrance, and ornamental value. However, research into the molecular mechanism that regulates flower development in wintersweet is still limited. In this study, we sought to investigate the molecular characteristics, expression patterns, and potential functions of two C3H-type zinc finger (CZF) protein genes, CpCZF1 and CpCZF2, which were isolated from the wintersweet flowers based on the flower developmental transcriptome database. CpCZF1 and CpCZF2 were more highly expressed in flower organs than in vegetative tissues, and during the flower development, their expression profiles were associated with flower primordial differentiation, especially that of petal and stamen primordial differentiation. Overexpression of either CpCZF1 or CpCZF2 caused alterations on stamens in transgenic Arabidopsis. The expression levels of the stamen identity-related genes, such as AGAMOUS (AG), PISTILLATA (PI), SEPALLATA1 (SEP1), SEPALLATA2 (SEP2), SEPALLATA3 (SEP3), APETALA1 (AP1), APETALA2 (AP2), and boundary gene RABBIT EAR (RBE) were significantly up-regulated in CpCZF1 overexpression lines. Additionally, the transcripts of AG, PI, APETALA3 SEP1-3, AP1, and RBE were markedly increased in CpCZF2 overexpressed plant inflorescences. Moreover, CpCZF1 and CpCZF2 could interact with each other by using yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Our results suggest that CpCZF1 and CpCZF2 may be involved in the regulation of stamen development and cause the formation of abnormal flowers in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

Nicotiana tabacum L. is often called tobacco. The aroma of flue-cured tobacco (FCT) varies according to the origin and grade. In this study, volatiles and plant cell wall components (CWC) were used to differentiate aroma types and grades of FCT, with a focus on the honey-sweet flavored FCT from Guizhou, China. Volatiles were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, while CWC (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin) were quantified. Results indicated that upper leaf (Grade B) tobacco contained higher volatile levels than middle leaf (Grade C). Multivariate analyses-Principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and logistic regression (LR) identified 27 key volatiles contributing to aroma differentiation in FCT origin. By combining the screened volatiles with odor activity value, the most important key aroma compounds that distinguish Guizhou honey-sweet flavored from other origins were β-cyclocitral and 1-nonanal. The CWC showed significant variation across origins or grades. Machine learning models (e.g., LR with 96.5% accuracy) effectively distinguished the origin of FCT. This study pioneers the integration of machine learning with molecular sensory science to decode the unique honey-sweet flavor of Guizhou flue-cured tobacco, addressing a critical gap in linking volatile biomarkers to regional terroir. This methodology provides a way to evaluate tobacco quality and aroma characteristics.

Lindera glauca is a shrub or small tree mostly distributed in China, Japan and Korea. However, reports on the biological activities of Lindera glauca fruit essential oil (LGFEO) are limited. The study on its chemical composition, and antioxidant and cholinesterase inhibitory activities were performed, along with molecular docking of six selected compounds. The LGFEO was extracted by hydro distillation and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Antioxidant activities of LGFEO were evaluated by three methods with different mechanisms. Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of LGFEO were tested. A total of 48 components were identified representing 95.74% of the total composition of LGFEO in which the major compounds were (E)-β-ocimene (41.53%), α-copaene (13.17%), δ-cadinene (6.20%), 3-carene (5.89%) and eucalyptol (3.57%). Weak antioxidant activities of LGFEO in three assays (9.52, 11.36 and 38.98 μmol TE/g, respectively) were observed. LGFEO showed obvious cholinesterase inhibitory activities at the final concentrations of 50 and 20 μg/mL. IC₅₀ values for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were 46.48 and 34.85 μg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking revealed that geranyl acetate, β-caryophyllene and limonene had lower binding affinities in the range of −7.1 to −6.1 kcal/mol through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bond. Six compounds including 3-carene, limonene, eucalyptol, (E)-β-ocimene, geranyl acetate and β-caryophyllene could contribute together to cholinesterase inhibitory activities of LGFEO. This essential oil indicated low potential as natural antioxidant, but it could be potentially used as cholinesterase inhibitor with possible application in food, aromatherapy and pharmaceutical industries.

Diisocyanates are highly reactive compounds with two functional isocyanate groups. The exposure of diisocyanates is associated with severely adverse health effects, such as asthma, inflammation in the respiratory tract, and cancer. The hydrolysis product from diisocyanates to related diamines is also a potential carcinogen. Here, we developed an effective, accurate, and precise method for simultaneous determination of residual diisocyanates and related diamines in biodegradable mulch films, based on N-ethoxycarbonylation derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method development included the optimization of ultrasonic hydrolysis and extraction, screening of N-ethoxycarbonylation conditions with ethyl chloroformate, evaluation of the diamines degradation, and analysis of the fragmentation mechanisms. Under the optimum experimental conditions, good linearity was observed with R² > 0.999. The extraction recoveries were found in the range of 93.9–101.2% with repeatabilities and reproducibilities in 0.89–8.12% and 2.12–10.56%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 0.0025 to 0.057 µg/mL. The developed method was applied to commercial polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT) biodegradable mulch film samples for analysis of the diverse residual diisocyanates and related diamine additives. The components varied greatly among the sample from different origin. Overall, this study provides a reliable method for assessing safety in biodegradable mulch films.

Guizhou honey‑sweet type flue‑cured tobacco is of high commercial value, but the key aroma‑active compounds responsible for its characteristic flavor have not been systematically validated at the sensory level. To address this gap, we employed molecular sensory science approaches, including aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), odor activity value (OAV) calculations, sensory evaluation, and aroma recombination/deletion experiments, on grade B and C leaves from Zunyi (ZY), Tongren (TR), and Hubei (HB). A total of 42 aroma‑active compounds were detected, of which 23 were confirmed. β‑Damascenone and phenethyl alcohol constituted the common core aromatic skeleton across samples, while ZY‑C exhibited the richest composition with 10–12 key compounds (OAV ≥ 1). Sensory evaluation results were consistent with OAV findings, with ZY‑C showing the most favorable overall aroma profile. Recombination experiments successfully reproduced fruity and floral notes but failed to adequately replicate roasted and hay‑like aromas. Deletion experiments confirmed that acetic acid, β‑damascenone, neophytadiene, phenylacetic acid, and maltol significantly contributed to the overall aroma, with phenylacetic acid and maltol identified as the key chemical basis for the honey‑sweet characteristic of HB‑C. This study provides a scientific foundation for the targeted regulation of tobacco leaf flavor.