Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the most important food crops worldwide and its leaves provide a dietary source of nutrients and various bioactive compounds. These constituents of sweet potato leaves (SPL) vary among varieties and play important roles in treating and preventing various diseases. Recently, more attentions in health-promoting benefits have led to several in vitro and in vivo investigations, as well as the identification and quantification of bioactive compounds in SPL. Among them, many new compounds have been reported as the first identified compounds from SPL with their dominant bioactivities. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the bioactive compositions of SPL and their health benefits. Since SPL serve as a potential source of micronutrients and functional compounds, they can be further developed as a sustainable crop for food and medicinal industries.

The source and sink relationships between insect-induced galls and host plant leaves are interesting. In this research, we collected cup-like galls induced by Bruggmanniella sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on host leaves of Litsea acuminata and assessed them to investigate source-sink relationships between galls and host leaves. We characterized several of their photosynthetic characteristics including chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic capacity, biochemical components such as total soluble sugar, starches, free amino acids, and soluble proteins. The structural analyses were performed under confocal, light, and scanning electron microscopies. Compared with host leaves, galls exhibited slightly lower chlorophyll fluorescence; however, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity were not detected at all. Galls accumulated higher total soluble sugars and free amino acids but less soluble proteins than host leaves. No stomata was observed on exterior or interior gall surfaces under light or scanning electron microscopy, but their inner surfaces were covered with fungal hyphae. Confocal imagery showed a gradient of chloroplasts distribution between gall outer and inner surfaces. Our results strongly suggest that leaf-derived cecidomyiid galls are a type of chlorophyll-deficient non-leaf green tissue and consists on a novel sink in L. acuminate.

Wheat is a staple food worldwide, but its productivity is reduced by salt stress. In this study, the mitigative effects of 22 μM selenium (Se) on seedlings of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Taichung SEL. 2 were investigated under different salt stress levels (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mM NaCl). Results of the antioxidative capacity showed that catalase (CAT) activity, non-enzymatic antioxidants (total phenols, total flavonoids, and anthocyanins), 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picryl-Hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity, and the reducing power of Se-treated seedlings were enhanced under saline conditions. The more-stabilized chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (F_v/F_m), minimal chlorophyll fluorescence (F₀), effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ_PSII), quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation of photosystem II (Y(NPQ)), and quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation of photosystem II (Y(NO)) and the less-extensive degradation of photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll and carotenoids) in Se-treated seedlings were also observed under salt stress. The elongation of shoots and roots of Se-treated seedling was also preserved under salt stress. Protection of these physiological traits in Se-treated seedlings might have contributed to stable growth observed under salt stress. The present study showed the protective effect of Se on the growth and physiological traits of wheat seedlings under salt stress.

The spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch is emerging as a major problem in Jatropha curcas cultivation. The goal of this study was to investigate the photosynthetic responses of Jatropha to spider mite infestation. Leaf CO₂ assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, intracellular CO₂ concentration, and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency significantly decreased in mite-infested leaves compared with controls. Lower water content and specific leaf area of the mite-infested leaves were positively related to symptoms of wrinkling and curling. Leaf electrolyte leakage remained unchanged in the mite-infested leaves, revealing no effect on leaf membrane integrity. Leaves exhibited reductions in soluble protein and soluble sugar in association with photosynthetic impairment. Although decreases in photochemical activity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggested damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, although there were no measurable reductions in chlorophyll or carotenoid contents associated with photosynthetic apparatus impairment. The decrease in the leaf CO₂ assimilation rate was partially attributed to stomatal and metabolic limitations in the mite-infested leaves.