Lilium davidii var. unicolor is an important variety of lily with high economic, ornamental, edible, and medicinal values. Up to now, the research on polysaccharide as the main active substance is not vast, especially the effect of potassium on lily polysaccharide. Here, we investigated the effects of potassium fertilizer application on the growth and development, polysaccharide accumulation in the bulb, and differential metabolites in L. davidii var. unicolor. It was treated with fixed amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and four K concentrations comprising K0 (0 mg·L−1), K1 (447.6 mg·L−1), K2 (671.4 mg·L−1), or K3 (895.2 mg·L−1). The growth indexes were determined for L. davidii var. unicolor under different K concentrations in different growth stages. The polysaccharide contents of the bulbs were determined using the sulfuric acid−phenol method. An analysis of the differential polysaccharide metabolites was also conducted. The application of potassium promoted the growth and increased the bulb polysaccharide content of L. davidii var. unicolor, and the most suitable K concentration of 671.4 mg·L−1 had the most significant effects. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis screened 37 differential polysaccharide metabolites under K0 and K2, where 25 were significantly upregulated and 12 were significantly downregulated. Three metabolic pathways were enriched in polysaccharide-related differential metabolites, i.e., the galactose metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism. The results could provide a theoretical basis for an improved fertilization management and the high-quality cultivation of L. davidii var. unicolor.
Lilium lancifolium is a plant resource used as both medicine and food because it is enriched with polysaccharides, polyphenol compounds, and saponins. Increasing the quality of Lilium species is based largely on improvement using methods such as selective breeding and proper fertilization. In this study, we investigated the different responses of L. lancifolium bulbs to treatment with nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in Hoagland solution. A pot experiment was conducted with four N rates and five K rates under a completely random design. The agronomic traits, N and K contents, and concentrations of active compounds were determined in bulbs, including total phenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and saponins. L. lancifolium treated with N and K exhibited increases in the plant height, leaf number, and chlorophyll content compared with the control (N0 + K0). The bulb circumference increased by 17.41% under N2 (609.80 mg L−1) + K2 (523.34 mg L−1) compared with N0 + K0. Individual or combined application of N and K increased the total phenol, flavonoid, and saponin contents, especially under N2 + K3, with the highest increases of 1.87–2.93 times compared with N0 + K0. However, the individual application of N decreased the polysaccharide contents by 2.78–42.04%. Hoagland solution containing 443.24–572.87 mg L−1 N and 573.61–759.16 mg L−1 K is recommended to improve the active contents of bulb components based on regression analysis. Our results demonstrate that the combined application of N and K is important for obtaining high-quality L. lancifolium bulbs.
The preservation of cherry tomatoes is a challenge for farmers, sellers, and processors. In recent years, natural extracts of plants have been increasingly used for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. In this study, we investigated the effect of treatment with goji berry (Lycium barbarum) leaf extract on the postharvest freshness of cherry tomatoes, and we determined the active ingredients, antioxidant capacity, and antifungal activity of the extract. Goji leaf extracts were tested at different concentrations (0.2–1.0 g/L) to assess their effects on preserving the freshness of cherry tomatoes at 5 °C and 20 °C. The goji berry leaf extract was rich in polysaccharides, saponins, polyphenols, and other active ingredients (1.11–45.83 mg/g), and the antioxidant capacity and antifungal activity were outstanding. Treatments with 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/L of goji berry leaf extract at 20 °C helped to preserve tomato fruit, where 0.4 g/L was the most effective, followed by 0.2 and 0.6 g/L. However, 0.8 and 1.0 g/L had no effect. Treatment with 1.0 g/L of goji berry leaf extract at 5 °C effectively reduced the loss of quality of tomato fruit. This treatment maintained the firmness and color of the tomatoes and maintained the levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, total acids, and total soluble solids. The next most effective doses were 0.8 g/L and 0.6 g/L. Cherry tomatoes treated with goji berry leaf extract could be stored for 21 days at 20 °C and for 35 days at 5 °C. Compared with the control groups treated with distilled water and no treatment, the storage period was extended by 3–6 days at 20 °C and by 7–14 days at 5 °C. The results obtained in this study provide a theoretical basis for extending the storage period of cherry tomatoes using goji berry leaf extract and the development of natural preservatives as well as enhancing the utilization of germplasm resources.
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