The ancient Chinese have a long history of eating insects that which can be traced back over 2,000 years ago. Edible insects are often considered a healthier, more sustainable meat substitute and protein source, and their availability in the Chinese marketplace is steadily increasing. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the acceptance of edible insect products by Chinese consumers, and to investigate preferences for edible insects in terms of price, species and cooking methods. A total of 510 questionnaires were collected; 73.73% of the participants reported having eaten insects and 26.27% had not. The results of the Spearman’s correlation coefficient showed that insect consumption was positively correlated with age, education and occupation and negatively correlated with gender and diet; furthermore, logistic regression indicated that the publicity of edible insects as food was a key factor affecting consumer acceptance. Popular edible insects for consumption included members of the Bombycidae, Acrididae and Apidae; furthermore, participants in different provinces varied in their consumption of insects and in the types of insects preferred. In conclusion, we advocate for the increased promotion of insects as food, especially the environmental friendliness of edible insects. For the comprehensive promotion of edible insects in China, we give priority to recommending the Bombycidae and Apidae insects that are preferred by most provinces. And now reasonably priced in the range of 50-100 yuan/kg was controlled to meet the needs of the market in China. In the future, deep-processed (smashed) insect products should be vigorously developed based on the large-scale farming technology of the main edible insects. Our results will provide the scientific data to help further the development of edible insects as food in China.
Background: In this study, we investigated why freckle eggs are formed. Given that eggshells form in the uterus, we hypothesized that uterus structure and function directly affect freckle egg production. To verify this hypothesis, we collected uterine tissue from laying hens (418 days old) that laid normal eggs (group C, n = 13) and freckle eggs for 7 consecutive days (group T, n = 16). Results: We then performed histopathology and transcriptome analyses on the collected tissue. When compared with group C, uterine junctional epithelial cells in group T showed significant defects and cilia loss, and epithelial tissue was poorly intact. From transcriptomics, genes that met (|log2FC|) ≥ 1 and P < 0.05 criteria were screened as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We identified a total of 136 DEGs, with 101 up- and 35down-regulated genes from our RNA-seq data. DEGs identified by enrichment analyses, which were potentially associated with freckled egg production were: IFI6, CCL19, AvBD10, AvBD11, S100A12, POMC, and UCN3. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses showed that pathways were associated with immunoreaction and stress stimulation, e.g., complement activation, interleukin-1 cell reactions, viral responses, cell reactions stimulated by corticotropin releasing hormone, steroid hormone mediated signaling pathways, staphylococcal infections, B cell receptor signaling pathways, and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusions: From these data, we reasoned that freckle eggs may result from abnormal immune responses and impaired uterine functions induced by stress. Therefore, the uterus of laying hens in a state of stress and abnormal immune function can cause the appearance of freckled eggs.
Clanis bilineata tsingtauica, known as ‘Doudan’ in China, is an edible insect in China with a long consumption history and various consumption methods. In this study, transcriptomic analyses were conducted among different edible tissues of C. bilineata tsingtauica, in order to exhibit the scientific base of cooking customs. The results demonstrated 38,613 and 39,824 unigenes were annotated in Nr and UniProt databases, respectively. Unigenes related to amino acids, especially methionine synthesis, were highly expressed in the fat body and haemolymph, whereas enzymes involve in methionine metabolism were abundant in the cuticle and gut. The RNA-seq data were validated reliable by following the expression patterns of 15 unigenes by qRT-PCR. These results suggested the distribution of methionine and other amino acids varies in different tissues. Further analyses indicated nutrients were higher in larvae that hadn’t wriggled into soil. This study will be helpful in promoting and high-quality methods of preparation and consumption of this edible insect.
Panicle length (PL) is an important trait that determines panicle architecture and strongly affects grain yield and quality in rice. However, this trait has not been well characterized genetically, and its contribution to yield improvement is not well understood. Characterization of novel genes related to PL is of great signi cance for breeding high-yielding rice varieties. In our previous research we identi ed qPL5, a quantitative trait locus for PL. In this study, we aimed to determine the exact position of qPL5 in the rice genome and identify the candidate gene. Through substitution mapping, we mapped qPL5 to a region of 21.86 kb anked by the molecular marker loci STS5-99 and STS5-106 in which two candidate genes were predicted. By sequence analysis and relative expression analysis, LOC-Os05g41230, which putatively encodes a BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor, was considered to be the most likely candidate gene for qPL5. In addition, we successfully developed a pair of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for qPL5 in different genetic backgrounds to evaluate the genetic effects of qPL5. Agronomic trait analysis of the NILs indicated that qPL5 positively contributes to plant height, grain number per panicle, panicle length, grain yield per panicle, and ag leaf length, but it had no in uence on heading date and grain-size-related traits. Therefore, qPL5 and the markers tightly linked to it should be available for molecular breeding of high-yielding varieties.
Panicle length (PL) is an important trait that determines panicle architecture and strongly affects grain yield and quality in rice. However, this trait has not been well characterized genetically, and its contribution to yield improvement is not well understood. Characterization of novel genes related to PL is of great significance for breeding high-yielding rice varieties. In our previous research we identified qPL5, a quantitative trait locus for PL. In this study, we aimed to determine the exact position of qPL5 in the rice genome and identify the candidate gene. Through substitution mapping, we mapped qPL5 to a region of 21.86 kb flanked by the molecular marker loci STS5-99 and STS5-106 in which two candidate genes were predicted. By sequence analysis and relative expression analysis, LOC-Os05g41230, which putatively encodes a BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor, was considered to be the most likely candidate gene for qPL5. In addition, we successfully developed a pair of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for qPL5 in different genetic backgrounds to evaluate the genetic effects of qPL5. Agronomic trait analysis of the NILs indicated that qPL5 positively contributes to plant height, grain number per panicle, panicle length, grain yield per panicle, and flag leaf length, but it had no influence on heading date and grain-size-related traits. Therefore, qPL5 and the markers tightly linked to it should be available for molecular breeding of high-yielding varieties.
Rice grain size is a key determinant of both grain yield and quality. Identification of favorable alleles for use in rice breeding may help to meet the demand for increased yield. In this study, we developed a set of 210 introgression lines (ILs) by using indicavariety Huanghuazhan as the donor parent and erect-panicle japonica rice variety Wuyujing3R as the recurrent parent. A total of 133 ILs were selected for high-throughput sequencing. Using specific-locus amplified fragment (SLAF) sequencing technology, 10,103 high-quality SLAF labels evenly distributed on 12 chromosomes were obtained and selected for subsequent analysis. Using a high-density map, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of grain size-related traits was performed, and a total of 38 QTLs were obtained in two environments. Furthermore, qGW2, a novel QTL that controls grain width on chromosome 2, was validated and delimited to a region of 309 kb via substitution mapping. These findings provide new genetic material and a basis for future fine mapping and cloning of favorable QTLs.
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