Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for plant growth due to its participation in a series of physiological and metabolic processes. Mn is also considered a heavy metal that causes phytotoxicity when present in excess, disrupting photosynthesis and enzyme activity in plants. Thus, Mn toxicity is a major constraint limiting plant growth and production, especially in acid soils. To cope with Mn toxicity, plants have evolved a wide range of adaptive strategies to improve their growth under this stress. Mn tolerance mechanisms include activation of the antioxidant system, regulation of Mn uptake and homeostasis, and compartmentalization of Mn into subcellular compartments (e.g., vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and cell walls). In this regard, numerous genes are involved in specific pathways controlling Mn detoxification. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the mechanisms of Mn toxicity tolerance in plants and highlight the roles of genes responsible for Mn uptake, translocation, and distribution, contributing to Mn detoxification. We hope this review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the adaptive strategies of plants to Mn toxicity through gene regulation, which will aid in breeding crop varieties with Mn tolerance via genetic improvement approaches, enhancing the yield and quality of crops.

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important legume food crop and plays a crucial role in a secure food supply in many developing countries. Several previous studies have suggested that pigeonpea has great potential for phosphorus (P) deficiency tolerance, but little is known about the underlying mechanism. In this study, the physiological and molecular responses of pigeonpea roots to phosphate (Pi) starvation were investigated through integrating phenotypic, genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic analyses. The results showed that low-Pi treatment increased total root length, root surface area, and root acid phosphatase activity, and promoted the secretion of organic acids (e.g. citric acids, piscidic acids, and protocatechuic acids) and the degradation of phospholipids and other P-containing metabolites in the roots of pigeonpea. Consistent with the morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes, a large number of genes involved in these Pi-starvation responses were significantly upregulated in Pi-deficient pigeonpea roots. Among these Pi-starvation response genes upregulated by low-Pi treatment, four gene families were expanded through recent tandem duplication in the pigeonpea genome, namely phosphate transporter 1 (PHT1), phosphoethanolamine/phosphocholine phosphatase (PECP), fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein (FLA), and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). These gene families may be associated with Pi uptake from the soil, phospholipid recycling, root morphological remodeling, and regulation of organic acid exudation. Taken together, our results suggest that pigeonpea employs complex Pi-starvation responses to strengthen P acquisition and utilization during low-Pi stress. This study provides new insights into the genome evolution and P deficiency adaptation mechanism of pigeonpea.

• The quenching mechanism of whey protein with epigallocatechin gallate was analyzed. • Whey protein was provided a binding site for epigallocatechin gallate to form complexes. • Epigallocatechin gallate and whey protein were combined by spontaneous reaction. • Binding modes after heat treatments were hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions.

Owing to their excellent characteristics, Pickering emulsions have been widely used in the development and the application of new carriers for embedding and for delivering active compounds. In this study, β-carotene was successfully encapsulated in a Pickering emulsion stabilized using Desmodium intortum protein isolate (DIPI). The results showed that the encapsulation efficiencies of β-carotene in the control group Tween 20 emulsion (TE) and the DIPI Pickering emulsion (DIPIPE) were 46.7 ± 2.5% and 97.3 ± 0.8%, respectively. After storage for 30 days at 25 °C and 37 °C in a dark environment, approximately 79.4% and 72.1% of β-carotene in DIPIPE were retained. Compared with TE, DIPIPE can improve the stability of β-carotene during storage. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the bioaccessibility rate of β-carotene in DIPIPE was less than that in TE. Cytotoxicity experiments showed that DIPI and β-carotene micelles within a specific concentration range exerted no toxic effects on 3T3 cells. These results indicate that DIPIPE can be used as a good food-grade carrier for embedding and transporting active substances to broaden the application of the protein-based Pickering emulsion system in the development of functional foods.

Intercropping is a commonly employed agricultural technique that offers numerous advantages, such as increasing land productivity, enhancing soil health, and controlling soil-borne pathogens. In this study, Artemisia argyi, Dioscorea esculenta, and Arachis pintoi were intercropped with coconuts and compared with naturally growing weeds (Bidens pilosa), respectively. The regulatory mechanism of intercropping was examined by analyzing the variability in soil properties and microbial community structure across different intercropping modes and soil depths (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm). The results indicate that intercropping can increase the diversity of soil bacteria and fungi. Moreover, as soil depth increases, the changes in microbial communities weaken. Intercropping reduced soil SOM and increased pH, which is directly related to the changes in the abundance of Acidobacteria in the soil. In various intercropping systems, the disparities resulting from intercropping with A. pintoi are particularly pronounced. Specifically, intercropping with A. pintoi leads to an increase in soil potassium and phosphorus levels, as well as an enhancement in the abundance of Bacillus sp., which plays a crucial role in the suppression of plant pathogenic fungi within the soil ecosystem. The results of the correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) suggest that the impacts of three intercropping systems on microbial composition and soil indicators exhibit considerable variation. However, a common critical factor influencing these effects is the soil phosphorus content. Furthermore, our findings indicate that intercropping resulted in lower soil nitrogen levels, exacerbating nitrogen deficiency and masking its impact on the microbial community composition.

Karst rocky desertification control through the conversion of cropland to economic forest is vital for vegetation recovery and the alleviation of distinct contradiction between ecological conservation and economic development. To evaluate the sustainability of orchard systems from the perspectives of ecosystem and economic services, we employed emergy analysis for the comprehensive and quantitative assessment of two orchard system types: (1) mango monoculture (MM) and macadamia monoculture (NM) and (2) mango Vicia angustifolia intercropping (MVI) and macadamia Desmodium intortum intercropping (NDI). In the past, these areas were converted from a maize field (MF) in the southwest karst area of China. Our results showed that, compared to the MF, the total emergy input in monoculture orchards (NM and NM) decreased by 8.99% and 35.25%, and the economic profit (EP) increased by 20,406.57 and 114,406.32 RMB·ha⁻¹, respectively. However, the non-renewable environmental input (energy loss of soil, SOM reduction, and irrigation water) still accounted for 43.25% and 62.01% in the total emergy input. After conversion to orchard legume herb intercropping (MVI and NDI), purchased resource inputs accounted for 86.36% and 68.20% of the total emergy input. Orchard legume herb intercropping further increased the EP, while improving ecosystem services and providing the capability for groundwater recharge, soil conservation, and soil carbon sequestration. The intercropping orchards were relatively sustainable from the view of economic and ecosystem services (EISD > 3.18), due to lower environmental loading ratios (ELR < 1.15), higher emergy yield ratio (EYR > 0.89), and economic output/input ratio (O/I ratio > 2.41). The integrated pest management simulations indicated that, compared to intercropping systems, the renewable percent (R%) and emergy sustainability index (ESI) of the scenario simulations (MVI-O and NDI-O) increased by 17.61% and 10.51%, respectively. These results suggest that integrated pest management is an effective method to improve the short-term sustainability of the orchard system. Therefore, the management of intercropped legume herb within an orchard system is an effective way to achieve sustainable development.