High citric acid content in kiwifruit wine would lead to bad sensory experience and quality deterioration. It is opportune and crucial to develop an appropriate and feasible method to degrade citric acid for kiwifruit wine. The non-Saccharomyces yeasts confirmed to have the ability to degrade citric acid were screened and used in kiwifruit wine fermentation in the study. A representative number of 23 yeasts with a strong citric acid degradation ability was identified by molecular approaches. JT-1-3, identified to be Pichia fermentans, was preferred for high citric acid degradation and strong stress resistance in association with RV002 (commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Then it was pure-cultured in kiwifruit juice, and the results indicated that citric, malic and tartaric acids declined significantly from 12.30, 3.09 and 0.61 g/L to 11.00, 2.02 and 0.41 g/L after fermentation, respectively, resulting in the significant decrease in total acid in kiwifruit wine. The analytical profiles for amino acids and volatile compounds showed that Pichia fermentans JT-1-3 could improve amino acids’ proportion and increase the volatile compounds of alcohols, esters and phenols. This work indicated that JT-1-3 has great potential to be applied for fruit wine with high level citric acid.

Ligusticum L., one of the largest members in Apiaceae, encompasses medicinally important plants, the taxonomic statuses of which have been proved to be difficult to resolve. In the current study, the complete chloroplast genomes of seven crucial plants of the best-known herbs in Ligusticum were presented. The seven genomes ranged from 148,275 to 148,564 bp in length with a highly conserved gene content, gene order and genomic arrangement. A shared dramatic decrease in genome size resulted from a lineage-specific inverted repeat (IR) contraction, which could potentially be a promising diagnostic character for taxonomic investigation of Ligusticum, was discovered, without affecting the synonymous rate. Although a higher variability was uncovered in hotspot divergence regions that were unevenly distributed across the chloroplast genome, a concatenated strategy for rapid species identification was proposed because separate fragments inadequately provided variation for fine resolution. Phylogenetic inference using plastid genome-scale data produced a concordant topology receiving a robust support value, which revealed that L. chuanxiong had a closer relationship with L. jeholense than L. sinense, and L. sinense cv. Fuxiong had a closer relationship to L. sinense than L. chuanxiong, for the first time. Our results not only furnish concrete evidence for clarifying Ligusticum taxonomy but also provide a solid foundation for further pharmaphylogenetic investigation.

Chloroplast genome sequences are very useful for species identification and phylogenetics. Chuanminshen (Chuanminshen violaceum Sheh et Shan) is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant, for which the phylogenetic position is still controversial. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of Chuanminshen violaceum Sheh et Shan was determined. The total size of Chuanminshen chloroplast genome was 154,529 bp with 37.8% GC content. It has the typical quadripartite structure, a large single copy (17,800 bp) and a small single copy (84,171 bp) and a pair of inverted repeats (26,279 bp). The whole genome harbors 132 genes, which includes 85 protein coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes, and two pseudogenes. Thirty-nine SSR loci, 32 tandem repeats and 49 dispersed repeats were found. Phylogenetic analyses results with the help of MEGA showed a new insight for the Chuanminshen phylogenetic relationship with the reported chloroplast genomes in Apiales plants.

Third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the standard treatment for EGFR T790M-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Osimertinib is one of the third-generation EGFR-TKIs and is currently the most advanced in clinical development. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a potentially fatal side effect of osimertinib use.Successful rechallenge with the second-generation TKI afatinib following osimertinib-induced ILD has been reported. However, few reports have discussed the safety and efficacy of third-generation TKI rechallenge in this patient population. In this paper, a case of lung adenocarcinoma is retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literature is reviewed. The patient was initially diagnosed with early lung cancer, for which surgical treatment was performed. The postoperative diagnosis indicated stage IB (pT2N0M0) right lung adenocarcinoma. Genetic testing (amplification-refractory mutation system) revealed EGFR exon 19 deletion. More than 2 years after surgery, multiple metastases occurred in both lungs, so gefitinib (250 mg per day) was administered. However, 6 months after the start of gefitinib treatment, the tumor progressed.Lung tumor biopsy was performed for genetic testing (NGS) and an EGFR T790M mutation was observed.Subsequently, second-line treatment with osimertinib (80 mg per day) was given for 3 months. The evaluated response suggested a partial response (PR) with the occurrence of grade 3 ILD. Pemetrexed plus bevacizumab chemotherapy was subsequently administered, resulting in stable disease. However, following a severe drug reaction after six courses, the patient's chemotherapy was discontinued. Another thirdgeneration TKI, almonertinib (110 mg per day), was rechallenged based on no ILD having been reported in a phase I/II study of this drug. After 4 months of almonertinib administration and 6 months without ILD recurrence, partial remission was attained. This is the first report of successful treatment with almonertinib after osimertinib-induced ILD. The results suggested that almonertinib had a significant effect in patients with EGFR T790M mutation, with fewer side effects and better survival benefits for patients with advanced lung cancer.

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