Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is a kind of green leaf vegetable with a large consumption demand in the food industry. It is a commonly used material in quick-frozen food stuffing such as dumplings and steamed stuffed. Fresh celery leaf blades and petioles are rich in photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll and carotenoid, their contents are closely related to the quality of celery and its products. In order to explore the effects of freezing and thawing temperature and thawing time on the degradation of photosynthetic pigments in celery leaf blades and petioles, the changes in photosynthetic pigments during thawing storage were measured under different freezing and thawing temperatures. The results showed that lower freezing and thawing temperatures were beneficial to the preservation of photosynthetic pigments in celery leaf blades and petioles, and the loss of photosynthetic pigments enhanced with the increase in thawing temperature and thawing time. Under the cold storage condition of −80 °C, the loss rate of pigment substances can be reduced by nearly 20% compared with that of −18 °C, and −80 °C and 4 °C could be the best temperature combination of freezing and thawing. The content and degradation rate of photosynthetic pigments in celery leaf blades were higher than that in petioles during thawing, with a total chlorophyll loss rate reaching 35% during 6 to 12 h after thawing. The increase in temperature difference between freezing and thawing could aggravate the damage to the cell structure and the degradation of the pigment, as chlorophyll is more sensitive to temperature changes, and the degradation rate is significantly higher than that of carotenoids. From the perspective of delaying the degradation of photosynthetic pigments, the results of this study will provide potential references for the reasonable configuration of freezing and thawing temperatures in the process of storage and transportation of celery products.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important food, feed, and industrial raw material and new energy crop. Its rich nutritional value and health effects are increasingly being recognized by consumers, and the demand is increasing. However, due to the continuous cultivation of sweet potato over many years, the degeneration of seedlings and the accumulation of viral diseases are important factors affecting the yield and quality of sweet potatoes. This article provides an overview and analysis of the types and hazards of sweet potato virus diseases, the advantages of virus-free sweet potatoes, the scale of virus-free sweet potato cultivation, sweet potato stem tip virus-free production technology, its development status, and the existing problems. Combined with the development of the sweet potato industry across China, relevant development suggestions are proposed to provide a reference for promoting the healthy, stable, sustainable, high-quality, and efficient development of the sweet potato industry.

The LHCB gene family plays a crucial role in light harvesting and photoprotection in plants by encoding key components of the photosystem II antenna complex. The LHCB genes are also involved in salt stress. In this study, we systematically identified and characterized 16 LbaLHCB genes in the economically important medicinal plant Lycium barbarum. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses revealed that these genes are unevenly distributed across seven chromosomes, with notable gene clustering on chromosome 11. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into seven distinct subfamilies, with the LbaLHCB1 subfamily showing significant expansion through gene duplication events. qRT-PCR and transcriptome analyses revealed tissue-specific expression patterns, with LbaLHCB1.6 exhibiting preferential expression in developing fruits, suggesting its potential involvement in fruit development and quality formation. Under salt stress conditions, the LbaLHCB genes displayed dynamic temporal responses: LbaLHCB1.5 was rapidly induced during early stress (1–3 h), LbaLHCB7 reached peak expression at mid-phase (6–12 h), while LbaLHCB1.2 showed significant downregulation during late stress response (24 h). Promoter analysis identified multiple stress-responsive cis-elements, providing molecular insights into their regulation under abiotic stress. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the LbaLHCB gene family’s structural characteristics and functional diversification in L. barbarum, particularly in relation to photosynthesis regulation and stress adaptation. The study provides valuable genetic resources for future molecular breeding aimed at improving stress tolerance and fruit quality in this important medicinal crop.

Celery is an important leaf vegetable crop in Apiaceae, of which the petiole and leaf blade are the main edible parts. The content and proportion of photosynthetic pigments, mainly chlorophyll, have an important effect on the growth and quality of celery. As a brassinosteroid (BR) plant hormone with high physiological activity, 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL) has the physiological functions of promoting chlorophyll accumulation and delaying leaf senescence. To investigate the effects of 24-EBL treatment on chlorophyll accumulation at different growth stages of celery, celery plants (variety Ningqin NO. 1) were treated from 45~59 days after sowing (DAS), at intervals of 7 days, with two different concentrations of 24-EBL: 1.04 × 10⁻⁶ mol·L⁻¹ and 1.67 × 10⁻⁶ mol·L⁻¹. The content of chlorophyll and the expression levels of genes related to its metabolism were determined in celery leaf blades and petioles at three different stages (52, 59, 66 DAS). In the first stage (52 DAS), 1.04 × 10⁻⁶ mol·L⁻¹ treatment of 24-EBL increased the expression levels of genes related to chlorophyll biosynthesis (AgHEML, AgCHLG, and AgCAO) to promote the accumulation of chlorophyll in leaf blades. During the second and third stages (59 and 66 DAS, respectively), 1.67 × 10⁻⁶ mol·L⁻¹ 24-EBL treatment induced the expression levels of genes related to chlorophyll cyclic regeneration (AgCLH) and inhibited the up-regulation of genes related to chlorophyll degradation (AgNYC, AgHCAR, and AgPPH) to promote chlorophyll (especially chlorophyll b) accumulation. These treatments regulated the ratio of chlorophyll a content to chlorophyll b content and changed the leaf color of the celery. The results show that leaf spraying with an appropriate concentration of 24-EBL can facilitate chlorophyll synthesis by promoting chlorophyll synthesis and cycling-related gene expression levels and increase chlorophyll content in the leaves of celery. This study provides a reference for exploring the specific function of 24-EBL in regulating chlorophyll content during the growth and development of celery.

Salt stress is a major abiotic factor limiting wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) growth. As a high-value medicinal and edible crop, wolfberry relies on its carotenoid content, a critical determinant of fruit quality and nutritional value. To elucidate the expression regulatory mechanisms of key genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway under salt stress, this study systematically identified 17 structural genes within the L. barbarum carotenoid pathway using genomic and transcriptomic approaches. Comprehensive analyses were conducted on gene structure, chromosomal distribution, conserved domains, and cis-acting elements. The results revealed that these genes were clustered on chromosomes Chr08 and Chr10 and exhibit strong collinearity with tomato (18 syntenic pairs). Their promoters were enriched with light-responsive (G-box) and stress-responsive (ABRE, DRE) elements. Tissue-specific expression analysis demonstrated high expression in mid-to-late fruit developmental stages (LbaPSY1, LbaPDS) and in photoprotective genes (LbaZEP, LbaVDE) in leaves. Under 300 mM NaCl stress treatment, the genes exhibited a staged response: Early stage (1–3 h): upstream MEP pathway genes (LbaDXS, LbaGGPS) were rapidly induced to supply precursors. Mid-stage (6–12 h): midstream genes (LbaPSY, LbaPDS, LbaZDS) were continuously upregulated, promoting lycopene synthesis and preferentially activating the β-branch (LbaLCYB). Late stage (12–24 h): downstream xanthophyll cycle genes (LbaBCH, LbaZEP, LbaVDE) were significantly enhanced, facilitating the accumulation of antioxidant compounds like violaxanthin and neoxanthin. This coordinated regulation formed a synergistic “precursor supply–antioxidant product” network. This study revealed the phased and coordinated regulatory network of carotenoid biosynthesis genes under salt stress in L. barbarum. It also provided potential target genes for the new cultivar selection with enhanced salt tolerance and nutritional quality.