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Pepper cultivation generates over 50 million tons of straw waste annually, with a global utilization rate below 20%. To address this resource inefficiency and explore sustainable food additives, cellulose was extracted from discarded pepper stems (PS) (15-34.5% yield) via nitric acid - ethanol treatment, followed by nanocellulose synthesis through sulfuric acid hydrolysis (36.13% average yield). Characterization of nanocellulose was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found through mice experiments that intaking nanocellulose-containing sausages could significantly reduce the food intake of mice, inhibit the weight growth of mice, and significantly improve the strength of the skeletal muscles of mice. This research provides a basis for subsequent studies on the efficient recycling of PS and the application of nanocellulose as a food additive in food processing.

To address the problem of poorly defined mechanical parameters in discrete element simulations of mechanized pepper harvesting, a discrete element model was developed to accurately represent the biomechanical characteristics of pepper stems. This research presents a parameter calibration and optimization approach using both Hertz-Mindlin and Hertz-Mindlin with bonding methods. The basic properties of the pepper stems were determined by mechanical property testing, while the stacking angle was assessed using the cylinder lift technique. The stacking angle and maximum bending damage force were used as evaluation indexes. Significant parameters influencing the model were identified using the Plackett-Burman test, followed by a steepest ascent test to define the central test group. The Central-Composite and Box-Behnken tests were then used to formulate quadratic regression equations and optimal parameter combinations for the significant factors were derived using an optimization solver to validate the accuracy of the model. The results showed that the relative errors between simulated and actual values for the two models under optimal conditions were 0.86% and 1.02%, respectively. The discrete element model of pepper stems closely approximates real-world conditions and reflects the mechanical behavior of pepper stems as they bend and break upon impact during harvesting. This research provides a basic framework for mechanistic analysis of the pepper harvesting process.

Water quality is essential for human health, environmental stability, and sustainable development. However, increasing contamination by persistent pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose serious ecological and health risks. In this study, a hydrophobic cellulose-based adsorbent was developed for the removal of PAHs, with a focus on naphthalene, from aqueous solutions. For the first time, cellulose was extracted from bell pepper stem fibers using a liquefaction method, followed by bleaching and surface modification with stearoyl chloride to enhance hydrophobicity and adsorption performance. The optimum adsorbent dosage was found to be 1.25 g/L. Adsorption equilibrium data fit well with the Freundlich isotherm model, suggesting a heterogeneous surface with multilayer adsorption characteristics. Kinetic studies followed a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, indicating chemisorption. The modified cellulose demonstrated effective surface adsorption and allowed facile desorption using ethanol. The adsorbent also showed high performance across a wide pH range, from acidic to basic conditions. Importantly, it retained strong adsorption efficiency after five consecutive regeneration cycles, highlighting its reusability. In addition to naphthalene, the material was effective in removing anthracene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. These results suggest that the stearoyl cellulose adsorbent offers a promising, sustainable solution for the removal of hazardous PAHs from contaminated water systems. Graphical abstract Highlights Cellulose extraction from bell pepper stem fiber. Cellulose modification with stearoyl chloride to produce hydrophobic adsorbent. Water purification by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal. PAHs removal by multilayer adsorption and pseudo-second-order kinetic in various pH media.

The study of the genetics of resistance in pepper to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici has been complicated due to a lack of use of a common set of pathogen isolates and host genotypes. We have developed a differential series for this system using eleven pepper genotypes and thirty-four isolates of the pathogen from California, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Turkey. Through differential patterns of virulence of the isolates on the hosts, we identified fourteen different physiological races of P. capsici. There appears to be no restriction of races to particular geographical locations. Isolate mating types were also determined, and both mating types were found in one field in California. The significance of the characterization of physiological races and existence of both mating types in the field to pepper growers and breeders is discussed.

Robust seedlings are critical for mechanized transplanting efficiency, with plant growth regulators (PGRs) playing a key role in seedling cultivation within plant factory systems. However, as a new type of PGR, limited research has focused on prohexadione calcium (ProCa), and its effects on pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.) seedling development. This study aimed to identify the optimal foliar ProCa concentration and evaluate its stem-strengthening mechanisms in pod pepper seedlings. Results demonstrated that 200 mg/L ProCa significantly enhanced seedling vigor. Key findings included: 1) a 15.31–21.51% reduction in plant height coupled with increased stem diameter and dry matter accumulation; 2) improved root vitality (8.74–9.55%) and seedling index (12.31–29.32%); 3) enhanced stem mechanical properties, including compressive strength (+ 13.33%), bending force (+ 32.08%), and tensile resistance (+15.70%). Physiological analyses revealed that ProCa application regulated endogenous hormone levels and increased lignin accumulation, thereby promoting vascular bundle formation and xylem development. In summary, these results suggest that the foliar application of ProCa benefits the cultivation of robust seedlings by promoting pod pepper growth and enhancing the mechanical properties of stems. Overall, these findings lay a foundation for utilizing ProCa in mechanized transplanting processes for pod pepper seedlings.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in specialized microenvironments in the bone marrow—often referred to as ‘niches’—that represent complex regulatory milieux influenced by multiple cellular constituents, including nerves 1 , 2 . Although sympathetic nerves are known to regulate the HSC niche 3 – 6 , the contribution of nociceptive neurons in the bone marrow remains unclear. Here we show that nociceptive nerves are required for enforced HSC mobilization and that they collaborate with sympathetic nerves to maintain HSCs in the bone marrow. Nociceptor neurons drive granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-induced HSC mobilization via the secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Unlike sympathetic nerves, which regulate HSCs indirectly via the niche 3 , 4 , 6 , CGRP acts directly on HSCs via receptor activity modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) and the calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CALCRL) to promote egress by activating the Gα s /adenylyl cyclase/cAMP pathway. The ingestion of food containing capsaicin—a natural component of chili peppers that can trigger the activation of nociceptive neurons—significantly enhanced HSC mobilization in mice. Targeting the nociceptive nervous system could therefore represent a strategy to improve the yield of HSCs for stem cell-based therapeutic agents. Stimulation of pain-sensing neurons, which can be achieved in mice by the ingestion of capsaicin, promotes the migration of haematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important agricultural crop because of the nutritional value of the fruit and its economic importance. Various techniques have been practiced to enhance pepper's productivity and nutritional value. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the impact of different training methods and biostimulant applications on sweet pepper plants' growth, yield, and chemical composition under greenhouse conditions. For the training method, unpruned plants were compared with one stem and two stem plants. Unpruned plants had the fruit number of 33.98, fruit weight of 2.18 kg·plant−1, and total marketable yield of 1 090.0 kg·hm−2. One stem plant gave the best average fruit weight of 86.63 g, vitamin C content of 13.66 mg·kg−1 FW, and TSS content of 7.21%. However, two stem plants had the highest fruit setting of 62.41%, carotenoid content of 0.14 mg·kg−1 FW, and fruit chlorophyll content of 3.57 mg·kg−1 FW. For biostimulant applications, control plants were compared with the Disper Root (DR) and Disper Vital (DV). DR application significantly increased total sugar, carotenoid, fruit chlorophyll, and TSS contents compared to the control and DV applications. While, applying DV increased fruit setting, plant fruit number, weight, and total marketable yield. In addition, integrating one stem plant with the DR application improved fiber, vitamin C, and TSS contents significantly. Two stem plants, and the DV application improved fruit setting and carotenoid content. Thus, one and two stem training methods integrated with the DR and DV biostimulant applications could be considered for developing agricultural practices to obtain commercial yield and improve the nutrition values of sweet peppers, as unpruned plants without biostimulant applications have a negative impact.

is the most devastating pathogen for chile pepper production worldwide and current management strategies are not effective. The population structure of the pathogen is highly variable and few sources of widely applicable host resistance have been identified. Recent genomic advancements in the host and the pathogen provide important insights into the difficulties reported by epidemiological and physiological studies published over the past century. This review highlights important challenges unique to this complex pathosystem and suggests strategies for resistance breeding to help limit losses associated with . .

Pepper is a vital crop with extensive agricultural and industrial applications. Accurate phenotypic measurement, including plant height and stem diameter, is essential for assessing yield and quality, yet manual measurement is time-consuming and labor-intensive. This study proposes a deep learning-based phenotypic measurement method for peppers. A Pepper-mini dataset was constructed using offline augmentation. To address challenges in multi-plant growth environments, an improved YOLOX-tiny detection model incorporating a CA attention mechanism was developed, achieving a mAP of 95.16%. A detection box filtering method based on Euclidean distance was introduced to identify target plants. Further processing using HSV threshold segmentation, morphological operations, and connected component denoising enabled accurate region selection. Measurement algorithms were then applied, yielding high correlations with true values: R2 = 0.973 for plant height and R2 = 0.842 for stem diameter, with average errors of 0.443 cm and 0.0765 mm, respectively. This approach demonstrates a robust and efficient solution for automated phenotypic analysis in pepper cultivation.

Salinity is a crucial problem which has affected crop productivity globally. Ascorbic acid is considered helpful against abiotic stresses due to its powerful antioxidant potential. In the pot experiment, salinity stress (0, 35, 70, and 105 mM) was applied to sweet peppers in split doses after 20 days of transplantation. To mitigate the adverse effects of salinity, ascorbic acid (0, 0.40, 0.80, and 1.20 mM) was applied as foliar spray after a 6-day interval during vegetative growth. Sweet pepper plants sprayed with distilled water (control) recorded maximum plant height (cm), leaf area (cm2), number of branches, stem diameter (mm), number of fruit plant−1, fruit diameter (cm), yield plant−1 (g), and chlorophyll content (mg 100 g−1), while the maximum polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity (unit mg protein−1 min−1) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity (unit mg protein−1 min−1) were recorded in plants treated with 70 mM NaCl application. Salinity stress beyond 70 mM significantly reduced all the studied parameters. An ascorbic acid concentration of 1.20 mM significantly mitigated the negative effects of salt stress and recorded maximum plant height (cm), number of leaves plant−1, leaf area (cm2), number of branches plant−1, stem diameter (mm), number of fruit plant−1, fruit diameter (cm), yield plant−1 (g), chlorophyll content (mg 100 g−1), PPO activity (unit mg protein−1 min−1), and APX activity (unit mg protein−1 min−1). Hence, a 1.20 mM concentration of foliar ascorbic acid could be used in saline conditions up to 70 mM of sodium chloride (NaCl) for better growth, productivity, and enzymatic activity of sweet peppers.