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The edible flowers have in their constitution proteins, lipids, starch, vitamins, important minerals for a healthy diet, as well as bioactive compounds recognized for their potential effects on human health. Due to the high perishability of the flowers, their marketing represents a challenge, and drying is a method that contributes to the preservation of the product. Given the above, the present study aims verify which is the curve that best adjusts to the mass loss during the dehydration process through the proposition of Boltzmann nonlinear regression model in face of classical dehydration curve models, as well measure in frozen flowers centesimal composition of Viola × wittrockiana flowers. The flowers were dehydrated at 30°C in an air circulation oven up to constant weight. The centesimal composition of the dehydrated Viola × wittrockiana is 84.69% humidity, 8.76% carbohydrates, 2.51% proteins, 2.41% crude fiber, 1.23% ash, 0.40% lipids and 48.68 Kcal. With respect to phenolic compounds, the frozen and dehydrated flowers showed 423 and 301 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram and, about antioxidant activity, showed 90.67 to 94.93% inhibition of the DPPH radical (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and 44.00 and 49.00 mg of Trolox.100 g-1. The Boltzmann model showed best fit the mass loss of Viola × wittrockiana and through this model the maximum mass loss occurs with 0.16 g, the maximum rate of mass loss of Viola × wittrockiana occurs in 46.7 min, whose mass loss is 0.66 g. The dehydration proved to be an efficient method to preserve the flowers because the bioactive compounds did not present significant losses after the application of this process.

Compactness is an important breeding goal in the improvement of garden pansy varieties ( Viola × wittrockiana Gams.). The desired compact stature is primarily obtained through the use of chemical growth retardants. Recently, an alternative strategy for creating compact ornamentals was proposed based on transformation by wild type rhizogenic agrobacteria and the regeneration of transformed hairy roots. Here, we report on the successful transformation and creation of compact garden pansy lines. The most efficient hairy root induction was obtained by Rhizobium rhizogenes strain ATCC15834. Shoot regeneration from hairy roots was obtained using 3 mg L −1 2iP and 0.3 mg L −1 2,4-D. The presence of R. rhizogenes T-DNA genes was confirmed in the regenerated lines. These lines displayed a varying degrees of dwarfed growth. Most notably the shoot length was reduced up to 49%. Other phenotypic traits that were induced include reduced peduncle length and smaller, wrinkled flowers. Several of these Ri lines with promising compactness have been selected for further breeding towards compact garden pansy varieties that are less dependent on chemical growth regulation. Graphical abstract

Background and Aims Viola tricolor L. (heartsease, wild pansy) is a valuable medicinal plant obtained for pharmaceutical purposes by cultivation. Given that the species is usually strongly colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), we tested in a pot experiment whether these microorganisms were able to influence V. tricolor mass, vitality, and the concentrations of selected elements, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Methods The following treatments were prepared: (1) control: sterile soil without AMF inoculation; (2) Rhizophagus irregularis BEG144; (3) Funneliformis mosseae BEG12; and (4) both isolates. Using a combination of physiological, phytochemical and biophysical methods, we evaluated the effects of these AMF on the performance of heartsease. Results The intensity of mycorrhizal colonization and arbuscule formation was higher when F. mosseae and R. irregularis were introduced separately than when both isolates were present. None of the AMF treatments had an impact either on V. tricolor vitality as expressed by photosynthetic performance index (PI) or on its shoot and root mass. However, in general, a negative correlation was found between the extent of mycorrhizal colonization and shoot mass. We found AMF species specificities in their influence on element, phenolic acid and flavonoid concentrations. Viola tricolor showed no response to F. mosseae. The plants inoculated with R. irregularis had higher concentrations of P, Zn, Mg, and Ca, as well as p-hydroxybenzoic acid and rutin, in comparison to control. Dual AMF species inoculation increased concentrations of Cu, Mg and rutin. Conclusions The enhanced production of secondary metabolites in V. tricolor shoots may be due to improved mineral nutrition by AMF and/or a result of general plant defense reaction to fungal colonization. The tendency towards biomass decrease in AMF treatments could be explained by the allocation of plant carbon both to the maintenance of symbionts and enhanced production of secondary compounds.

The study examined the impact of pollination methods at different timings on various inbred genotypes of pansy ( Viola × wittrockiana Gams.) over 2 years in India’s sub-tropical conditions. Four pollination methods were assessed: open pollination, natural self-pollination, hand self-pollination and sib-mating, at two pollination timings: 8–9 a.m. and 9–10 a.m., across seven pansy genotypes. Results showed that capsule and seed set were significantly influenced by both genotype, pollination methods and timing. Natural self-pollination yielded the lowest capsule set and seed yield, with no capsules in some large-flowering genotypes, indicating complete self-incompatibility. Open pollination had the highest results, with an average capsule set of 74.84 % and seed yield of 0.54 g/plant, confirming cross-compatibility in all genotypes. Among controlled methods, hand self-pollination at 8–9 a.m. was most effective, achieving 60.87 % capsule set and 0.48 g/plant seed yield, compared to pollination at 9–10 a.m. (47.86 %; 0.39 g/plant). Punjab Sunaina and Punjab Neelima were the top performers, with capsule sets of 78.56 % and 75.89 %, and seed yields of 0.98 g/plant and 0.96 g/plant, respectively. Punjab Sunaina excelled in open pollination (95.56% capsule set) and hand self-pollination at 8–9 a.m. (90.56 %). The study concluded that all genotypes are cross-compatible but self-incompatible. Open pollination is the best method for capsule and seed set, while hand self-pollination at 8–9 a.m. is optimal for maintaining pure inbred lines in self-incompatible genotypes.

The popularity of edible flowers is increasing day by day and new solutions are sought due to their short shelf life. For this purpose, in this study, four different colors of Viola × wittrockiana Gams.; white (Fino Clear White), orange (Delta Pure Orange), bordeaux/mauve rose (Mammoth Rocky Rose), and yellow (Delta Premium Pure Lemon) flowers were dried at drying air temperature of 60, 70, and 80 °C with a convective hot air dryer. Color (L*, a*, b*, C*, h°, ∆E, and BI), drying time and bioactive compounds (Total Phenolic Content (TPC), anthocyanin content (AC), and antioxidant activity (AO) values were measured). The orange flowers showed the fastest drying (78 min at 80 °C). The lowest total color change (∆E) (4.58 at 70 °C) and browning index (BI) (9.58 at 60 °C) values were observed in all drying processes of white flowers. The highest AC was determined in bordeaux flowers in both fresh (2.4 mg malvidin glucoside/g) and dried (25.57 mg malvidin glucoside/g at 60 °C) samples. The AO decreased in all samples depending on the temperature increase, it was found that the most beneficial result in terms of bioactive compounds was the bordeaux flowers dried at drying air temperature of 60 °C.

Background The visualization of internal 3D-structure of tissues at micron resolutions without staining by contrast reagents is desirable in plant researches, and it can be achieved by an X-ray computed tomography (CT) with a phase-retrieval technique. Recently, a laboratory-based X-ray microscope adopting the phase contrast CT was developed as a powerful tool for the observation of weakly absorbing biological samples. Here we report the observation of unstained pansy seeds using the laboratory-based X-ray phase-contrast CT. Results A live pansy seed within 2 mm in size was simply mounted inside a plastic tube and irradiated by in-house X-rays to collect projection images using a laboratory-based X-ray microscope. The phase-retrieval technique was applied to enhance contrasts in the projection images. In addition to a dry seed, wet seeds on germination with the poorer contrasts were tried. The phase-retrieved tomograms from both the dry and the wet seeds revealed a cellular level of spatial resolutions that were enough to resolve cells in the seeds, and provided enough contrasts to delineate the boundary of embryos manually. The manual segmentation allowed a 3D rendering of embryos at three different stages in the germination, which visualized an overall morphological change of the embryo upon germination as well as a spatial arrangement of cells inside the embryo. Conclusions Our results confirmed an availability of the laboratory-based X-ray phase-contrast CT for a 3D-structural study on the development of small seeds. The present method may provide a unique way to observe live plant tissues at micron resolutions without structural perturbations due to the sample preparation.

Plant residues derived from the agro-industrial sector and their disposal are still unsolved issues despite the various research and applications. The current study assessed the possible peat substitution in growing media with solid residues derived from the distillation of Origanum dubium Boiss (OD) and Sideritis cypria Post (SC) after essential oils production. Residues of OD and SC (0–5–10–20% v/v) and their mixture (OD + SC) were examined to partially substitute peat for the production of pansy (Viola × wittrockiana) plants. The presence of OD, SC, and OD + SC residues increased the pH, the electrical conductivity, the organic matter content, and the levels of minerals in the growing media mixtures compared to sole peat while decreasing the total porosity (up to 36.8%) and the available free air (up to 58.3%). The OD residues’ presence in the peat-based media revealed more detrimental effects than the SC, while the OD + SC mixture received intermediate effects. Low residue ratios (≤5% OD, ≤10% SC, ≤10% OD + SC) sustain plant growth and photosynthetic activity of plants, while higher ratios decrease plant growth, chlorophyll content and mineral accumulation due to inappropriate growing media properties, causing plant oxidative stress. This was verified using the increase in malondialdehyde (up to 4.5 times) and hydrogen peroxide (up to 2.1 times) content in plants and the activation of several non-enzymatic antioxidant processes, including total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity of the plants. Therefore, OD, SC, and OD + SC at 5%, 10%, and 10%, respectively, can partially substitute peat, as they result in appropriate plant growth and development. However, the growing media’s properties must be improved to ensure adequate yields as well.

Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana Gams.) is an important and attractive ornamental plant with a wide variety of flower colors. To date, the molecular genetic understanding of its colorful petal pigment patterns remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the bicolor petals of “Mengdie” in cytological, physiological, and transcriptomic aspects. Results showed that the difference of flower colors was mainly determined by the pigment distribution in the epidermal cells. Pigment analysis indicated that anthocyanins had strong correlations with color parameters, which acted as the main factor in flower coloration. Comparative transcriptome analysis found a total of 43,908 unigenes with the mean length of 682 bp. There were 24,323, 16,668, 8507, and 7680 unigenes annotated in the Nr, Swiss-Prot, KOG, and KEGG databases, respectively. Differential expression genes (DEGs) showed that the expression of anthocyanin late biosynthesis genes (LBGs), VwF3′H, VwF3′5′H, and VwUFGT, would be likely to play a major role in the color formation of pansy. The expression patterns of selected DEGs were verified by qRT-PCR. This study contributes an excellent insight into molecular mechanism of pigment biosynthesis and provides some useful information for flower color modification in pansy.

The current research was conducted at Vermi-tech Unit, Muzaffarabad in 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of cow dung and vermicompost on seed sprouting, seedlings, and vegetative developmental parameters of Viola x wittrokiana (pansy). In the current study, vermicompost was produced using Eisenia fetida . Physicochemical parameters of vermicompost and organic manure were recorded before each experimentation. The potting experiment was designed and comprised of eight germination mediums containing different combinations of soil, sand, cow dung, and various concentrations of vermicompost such as 10% VC, 15% VC, 20% VC, 25% VC, 30% VC, and 35% VC. Seed sprouting and seedling developmental parameters were observed for 28 days while vegetative plant growth parameters were recorded after 10 weeks of transplantation in various vermicompost amended germination media. Pre and post-physicochemical analysis of germination media were also recorded to check their quality and permanency. The current findings showed that 30% VC germination media was an effective dose for early seed germination initiation and all seed germination parameters. However, the significant vegetative plant growth and flowering parameters of pansy occurred at 35% VC. Findings revealed that vermicompost not only enhanced the seed germination and growth of pansy but also improved soil health. These results indicate that vermicompost can be exploited as a potent bio-fertilizer for ornamental plant production.

Field pansy infestation can lead to a decrease in the species diversity of plant communities and to the disappearance of other species. Field pansy infestation is fairly common in many crops, including maize. Understanding the ecology and management strategies for field pansy in maize is essential for effective weed control. This research into sugar maize was conducted from 1992 to 2019 in the Research and Education Center Gorzyń, Złotniki branch, which belongs to the Poznań University of Life Sciences. The assessment of weed infestation was carried out in experiments that focused on chemical weed control in maize. The experiments were established as single-factor randomized block designs with four field replications. The aim of the study was to evaluate dynamic changes in the status and the degree of field pansy infestation in sugar maize that was cultivated after various other crops in the Wielkopolska region, with a focus on weather conditions. The results indicated that the probability of field pansy individuals occurring among the total number of weeds was highest when maize was cultivated after wheat, but the probability of such infestation did not significantly differ when maize was sown in a crop rotation after winter triticale.