Aroma, an important quality characteristic of plant fruits, is produced by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mainly terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, and other secondary metabolites, in plant cells. There are significant differences in the VOC profile of various fruits. The main pathways involved in the synthesis of VOCs are the terpenoid, phenylalanine, and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, which involve several key enzyme-encoding genes, transcription factors (TFs), and epigenetic factors. This paper reviews the main synthetic pathways of the main volatile components in fruit, summarizes studies on the regulation of aroma formation by key genes and TFs, summarizes the factors affecting the fruit aroma formation, describes relevant studies on the improvement of fruit flavor quality, and finally proposes potential challenges and prospects for future research directions. This study provides a theoretical basis for the further precise control of fruit aroma quality and variety improvement.

The goal of this study was to build an understanding of the quality of Idesia polycarpa fruit Maxim from different ecotypes and to identify the best cultivars, with a view to providing a reference and theoretical basis for the selection and cultivation of I. polycarpa. In this study, we systematically evaluated the fruit quality characteristics of five seed sources, namely SH, SG1, GG, HX, and SG2, at four developmental stages, M1-M4, through a principal component analysis, a correlation analysis, and a significance test. Comparisons between the ecotype yielded that GG was significantly better than the other ecotype in oil content (28.7%) and fresh weight per cluster (155.56 g), while HX exhibited higher SOD content (278.18 U/g) and soluble protein content (27.50 mg·g⁻¹), suggesting a higher level of stress tolerance. The results of the correlation analysis showed that POD was significantly negatively correlated with oil content (r = −0.633) and SOD (r = −0.617) activities, indicating that the antioxidant enzyme system may affect oil accumulation. The results of the principal component analysis showed that the cumulative contribution of the first four principal components reached 89.72%, of which principal component 1 mainly reflected yield-related traits, and principal component 2 was significantly correlated with oil content and soluble protein. Through the evaluation and screening of the five ecotypes, we determined that GG can be utilized as a good single plant in the selection and improvement of new cultivars; our findings can provide theoretical support for the selection of good cultivars of I. polycarpa seed in the central region of Henan.

Aims: Idesia polycarpa Maxim is a valuable oil and timber species, yet scientific guidance for its fertilization management remains scarce, limiting its productivity. This study aims to investigate the effects of different nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels on the growth characteristics of I. polycarpa to provide a theoretical basis for its fertilization management. Methods: Uniformly healthy one-year-old seedlings of I. polycarpa were treated with four nitrogen (N) application rates: 0 (control, CK), 1.2 (low nitrogen, LN), 2.4 (medium nitrogen, MN), and 3.6 (high nitrogen, HN) grams per plant. To assess the rhizosphere microbial community, high-throughput sequencing was performed targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS gene regions. Results: The results demonstrated that N fertilization significantly enhanced plant growth and soil physicochemical properties compared to the CK treatment. Specifically, the MN treatment significantly increased root length, root volume, and root surface area ( p < 0.05). The average root diameter was also higher in all N-fertilized groups than in CK. N application influenced soil properties: the HN treatment resulted in lower soil pH but higher alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN) and available potassium (AK) content, while the MN treatment exhibited higher soil organic matter (SOM) and available phosphorus (AP) content. The soil bacteria community was dominated by Proteobacteria, Chloroflexota, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria, While Ascomycota dominates the fungal community. Conclusion: The study found that the primary metabolic pathway of bacteria in the rhizosphere soil of I. polycarpa was metabolism, while the main metabolic pathways of fungi were biosynthesis, precursor metabolism, and energy synthesis. Furthermore, an N application rate of 1.2–2.4 g per plant per month is recommended for optimal growth during the early rapid growth phase of I. polycarpa .

Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug. ex Fr.) Ces. & De Not. is a major pathogenic fungus causing stem canker in Idesia polycarpa, posing a significant threat to the growth and survival of its plantations. To elucidate the physiological and biochemical responses of the host under pathogenic stress, this study used two-year-old potted seedlings of I. polycarpa (provenance: ‘Emeishan No. 1’) and conducted artificial inoculation. Dynamic changes in physiological and biochemical indices at different disease stages were systematically monitored. The results revealed a distinct stage-specific response pattern: in the early infection stage, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (POD and SOD) increased rapidly, accompanied by significant elevations in osmotic regulators such as proline and soluble protein. In the mid-stage, malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased, while the levels of photosynthetic pigments—especially chlorophyll b and carotenoids—declined, indicating intensified oxidative damage. In the late stage, antioxidant capacity and osmotic adjustment weakened, and the photosynthetic system was continuously impaired. Correlation analysis further demonstrated significant synergistic relationships among antioxidant defense, membrane stability, osmotic regulation, and photosynthetic function. These findings enhance our understanding of the disease resistance mechanisms in I. polycarpa and provide a theoretical and practical reference for resistance evaluation and precise management of canker disease in woody species.

In the context of sustainable forest resource development, balancing ecological conservation with rational utilization is essential to achieving forest multifunctionality. Longyuwan National Forest Park, located in Luanchuan County, Henan Province, serves as a transitional zone between rural mountainous ecosystems and nearby urban settlements. Increasingly, this area faces urbanization pressures such as tourism expansion, infrastructure development, and intensified land use, which may threaten ecological stability. This study aims to evaluate the ecological sensitivity of the park and optimize its spatial functional zoning. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we followed four key steps: constructing the hierarchical model, generating the pairwise judgment matrices, computing the weights and conducting the consistency check, and determining the final weights. A hierarchical evaluation framework was constructed using the AHP, incorporating twelve ecological indicators across geomorphological, hydrological, atmospheric, biological, and anthropogenic dimensions. Spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.2, including reclassification and weighted overlay, were employed for single-factor and integrated sensitivity assessments. The results indicated that land-use type, elevation, and water-body distribution were the most influential indicators. Ecological sensitivity across the park was categorized into five levels: extremely high (0.02%), high (11.99%), moderate (73.53%), low (14.19%), and extremely low (0.28%). Based on these findings, four functional zones were delineated: ecological conservation (50.99%), core landscape (22.86%), general recreation (23.94%), and management and service (2.21%). This research provides spatially explicit insights into forest management under anthropogenic stress, offering theoretical support for the sustainable governance of forest–urban interface landscapes.