The value of fruits is determined by the quantity and variety of biologically active compounds they contain, and their benefits on human health. This work presents the first study of the biochemical composition and antibacterial activity of the new Japanese quince (JQ) cultivars ‘Darius’, ‘Rondo’, and ‘Rasa’ fruits. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and each compound was identified by HPLC High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria, and one yeast strain, was evaluated by the agar well diffusion method using three different concentrations. The free radical scavenging activity was determined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) methods and ranged from 99.1 to 115.9 μmolTE/100 g, and from 372 to 682 μmolTE/100 g, respectively. TPC ranged from 3906 to 4550 mgGAE/100 g, and five compounds, isoquercitrin, rutin, (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid were identified. All JQ extracts possessed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) was the most sensitive strain. These results indicate that JQ fruits are a significant source of bio-compounds, which can enrich the diet with strong antioxidants, and they are very promising as a substitute for chemical preservatives in the food and cosmetic industry.

Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive and invasive disease with no efficient therapy available, and there is a great need for finding alternative treatment strategies. This study aimed to investigate anticancer activity of the extracts of the Japanese quince (JQ) cultivars ‘Darius’, ‘Rondo’, and ‘Rasa’ leaf extracts on glioblastoma C6 and HROG36 cells. As identified by ultra high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, the extracts contained three prevailing groups of phenols: hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives; flavan-3-ols; and flavonols. Sixteen phenols were detected; the predominant compound was chlorogenic acid. The sum of detected phenols varied significantly between the cultivars ranging from 9322 µg/g (‘Rondo’) to 17,048 µg/g DW (‘Darius’). Incubation with the extracts decreased the viability of glioblastoma HROG36 cells with an efficiency similar to temozolomide, a drug used for glioblastoma treatment. In the case of C6 glioblastoma cells, the extracts were even more efficient than temozolomide. Interestingly, primary cerebellar neuronal-glial cells were significantly less sensitive to the extracts compared to the cancer cell lines. The results showed that JQ leaf ethanol extracts are rich in phenolic compounds, can efficiently reduce glioblastoma cell viability while preserving non-cancerous cells, and are worth further investigations as potential anticancer drugs.

In the food industry, quince seeds are discarded as waste in the production process. Their use therefore creates added value and opens up the possibility of using no‐waste processing technologies. Three types of waste were investigated: after juicing, after the manufacture of puree and syrup. The results showed that the yield of quince seeds (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach from waste left after different production methods varies from 29.8 to 38.3 %. The cold pressed oil yield ranges from 4.9±0.03 to 7.1±0.06 %. The oil yield obtained by Soxhlet extraction varies from 14.6±0.64 to 17.3±0.9 %. Unsaturated fatty acid, especially polyunsaturated fatty acid is predominant in quince seed oil. The linoleic acid content of the quince seed oils was between 47.12 % and 58.49 % of the total fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of oils from post‐industrial waste is more appropriate in the skin care industry than in the food industry because of the high ratio of omega‐6/omega‐3 and high linoleic acid content.

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.)) is a very important ornamental plant that is rich in many biochemical compounds such as antioxidants and secondary metabolites that have positive effects on human health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the biochemical compounds in the leaves of three Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.)) Lindl. ex Spach cultivars (ʻRasaʼ, ʻDariusʼ and ʻRondoʼ). The results showed that the leaves of Japanese quince have strong antiradical activity (1091 ± 22-1135 ± 15 µmol TE/g) in the CUPRAC reaction system. The analysis by the HPLC method revealed that the major polyphenol group in Japanese quince cultivars leaves was phenolic acids and the most common polyphenol compound is chlorogenic acid (11.2-52.4 mg/g DW). The most common triterpene is ursolic acid (3.7-6.8 mg/g DW). Japanese quince leaf powder can be used as a food or beverage additive and enriches our diet with compounds with strong antioxidant activity. ARTICLE HISTORY

Drought and salinity are major constraints to agriculture. In this review, we present an overview of the global situation and the consequences of drought and salt stress connected to climatic changes. We provide a list of possible genetic resources as sources of resistance or tolerant traits, together with the previous studies that focused on transferring genes from the germplasm to cultivated varieties. We explained the morphological and physiological aspects connected to hydric stresses, described the mechanisms that induce tolerance, and discussed the results of the main studies. Finally, we described more than 100 genes associated with tolerance to hydric stresses in the Triticeae. These were divided in agreement with their main function into osmotic adjustment and ionic and redox homeostasis. The understanding of a given gene function and expression pattern according to hydric stress is particularly important for the efficient selection of new tolerant genotypes in classical breeding. For this reason, the current review provides a crucial reference for future studies on the mechanism involved in hydric stress tolerance and the use of these genes in mark assistance selection (MAS) to select the wheat germplasm to face the climatic changes.

Durum wheat is a major crop in the Mediterranean basin, where water deficit is the most important factor affecting its production. Under drought conditions, the root system has a crucial role in crop productivity as a water and nutrition supplier. The aim of the study was to analyze root system diversity in six contrasting durum wheat accessions, including two hydric stress-tolerant genotypes, and to evaluate root traits using the high-throughput phenotyping scanner Win-RHIZO in order to determine the main traits to be used in breeding programs. Six durum wheat accessions were subjected to two drought events under greenhouse conditions from the seedlings stage (BBCH12) for 49 days. Root phenotyping data were validated with results from plants grown in the rainfed field. This study highlighted a great variability among the analyzed genotypes in terms of development, distribution, and architecture of the root system under difficult environments, underlining a good resilience to climate change. Interestingly, the two hydric stress-tolerant genotypes, Cham1 and J. Khetifa, showed different root system ideotypes and rooting patterns under drought conditions. The late flowering landrace J. Khetifa (as also genotypes; Pelsodur and Vulci) showed a steep and long root system ideotype that led to the maintaining of the highest root biomass, length, and volume under drought conditions, while the early flowering genotype Cham1 (as also genotype; Sebatel) was distinguished by a wider root system ideotype, and by increasing the root volume in the topsoil as a strategy to tolerate drought. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was obtained between the root angle of plants grown under greenhouse conditions and plants from the field. Our results demonstrated that screening plant roots in early stages grown under greenhouse conditions using high-throughput phenotyping systems can speed up the selection for crop improvement and future drought stress breeding programs.

Soil salinity is a global challenge emanating from climatic changes, depletion of fresh water reserves and extensive irrigation practices among other factors. Soil salinization still remains a huge concern in the realization of sustainable agricultural production. While emphasis has been placed on the food crops, forage production, which is an important component of the food chain, is affected as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and physiological response to salinity stress in diploid cultivars and auto-induced tetraploid lines of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum spp. multiflorum). Diploid seeds and their induced tetraploid counterparts were germinated on filter paper moistened with different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions, and seedlings were treated with 500 mM NaCl for 10 days in controlled conditions. The effect of different salt concentrations on germination and seedlings was studied. Results showed that seeds from the induced tetraploid lines despite being bigger had higher germination index and lower median germination time (T50) values compared to the diploid progenitors. At the seedling stage, increase in the ploidy level had a role in conferring improved tolerance to salinity stress. The induced tetraploid lines had an advantage over their diploid counterparts as the induced tetraploid lines had significant reduction in their growth in response to salinity stress, higher relative water content and antioxidant activities.

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) is one of the most underutilized plant species that have high nutrient value and a positive impact on human health. Due to the high content of bio-compounds, such as phenols, vitamin C, triterpenes, fibers, essential amino acids, and microelements, the fruits, leaves, and seeds are excellent raw materials for functional food production. In addition, their biochemical composition and anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial properties expanded their uses in the pharmaceutical field. Moreover, it was demonstrated that quince waste after industrial processing is still valuable and suitable for remanufacturing and developing innovative high value-added products, which can provide economic and ecological benefits. This chapter presents the biochemical composition and possible application of C. japonica cultivars Rasa, Darius, and Rondo. The optimization of processing and extraction parameters was evaluated to increase the extraction efficiency of biologically active compounds and to reduce the extraction time and cost of electricity and environmentally harmful solvents. Moreover, the detailed nutritional and pharmacological value of Japanese quince can help for more selective plant organs application. Our study revealed that cultivars Rasa, Darius, and Rondo are very valuable with many new options for utilization, including food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.