Environmental Control in Biology最新文献

{"title":"Effect of Citric Acid on the Organogenesis of <i>Cymbidium floribundum</i>","authors":"Anjum Ferdous ONA, Kazuhiko SHIMASAKI","doi":"10.2525/ecb.61.69","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.61.69","url":null,"abstract":"We examined the effects of citric acid (CA) on organogenesis from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Cymbidium floribundum to determine the appropriate concentration of CA for organogenesis. Explants were cultured in modified MS media supplemented with various concentrations of CA and maintained at 25±1℃ and a 24 h light period for 9 weeks. Addition of 0.1 g/L CA in modified MS media partially reduced the browning intensity in the cultured PLBs, which significantly increased PLB formation, shoot formation from the PLBs, and root formation from the shoots. More than 0.1 g/L CA in modified MS media increased the browning intensity in cultured PLBs. We concluded that CA can effectively control the browning problem in PLB culture of C. floribundum, and addition of 0.1 g/L CA in modified MS media was optimum for organogenesis.","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136152743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postharvest Shelf-life Extension of Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus L.) by Aloe vera Gel Coating Enriched with Basil Essential Oil","authors":"L. Mohammadi, H. H. Khankahdani, F. Tanaka, Fumihiko Tanaka","doi":"10.2525/ECB.59.87","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ECB.59.87","url":null,"abstract":"Well-known characteristics of edible mushrooms are their strong nutritional and medicinal properties which help developing the immune system regulation. Mushroom contains low calorie and little fat and offers lots of fiber, amino acid, potassium, vitamins, iron, and even a protein. As a result, dietitians recommend mushroom as an ingredient in a healthy basket food. White button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus L.) are the most common typical example of mushrooms with unique flavor. They exhibit superior free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities (Valverde et al., 2015; Muszyńska et al., 2017; Nasiri et al., 2018). However, due to the absence of cuticle which protects them from physical or microbial attacks, mushrooms have a short life span (Gholami et al., 2019). The short shelf life of mushrooms, typically 1–3 days at ambient and 8 days under refrigeration condition, limits their shipping and marketing potential (Qin et al., 2015). Thus, it is trivial that the extension of shelf life of fresh mushrooms, while preserving their quality, is desirable to export/ import grocery companies (Jiang et al., 2013). Serious problems contribute to the postharvest deterioration of mushroom such as browning, moisture loss, softening, and high respiration rate (Zhang et al., 2020). The application of edible coatings has received attention as an effective way to extend the shelf life of fresh products. The edibles coating limit gaseous exchange and moisture loss through fruit and atmosphere by providing an external protective thin layer on the surface and maintain the fruit quality (Thakur et al., 2018; Mohammadi et al., 2021). A. vera gel as a natural edible coating has been recently developed in food productions and pharmaceutical industries due to antimicrobial activity, biochemical and biodegradability properties. Polysaccharide has been found to be able to control these activities (Sánchez-Machado et al., 2017; Jiwanit et al., 2018). A. vera gel contains high polysaccharides and soluble sugars with low lipid contents (0.07–0.42%). It is reported that coating contained both polysaccharide and lipid form more effective barrier to moisture loss and gas permeability compared to polysaccharide-based alone (Hassan et al., 2018; Tzortzakis et al., 2019). Basil essential oil is well known as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial additive, which is rich in lipid compound and is a good candidate for composition with A. vera gel to reach the coating with high polysaccharidelipid composite coating. Basil plant of Lamiaceae family can grow in various regions with different climates around the world and contain in protein, fatty acid, vitamins, and minerals (Hemalatha et al., 2017; Falowo et al., 2019). The current experiment is carried out to assess the effect of combination of basil oil with A. vera on tissue browning and quality characteristics of button mushroom","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"86 1","pages":"87-98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85980861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Different Light Intensities on the Growth and Accumulation of Photosynthetic Products in Panax ginseng C. A. Meyers","authors":"Takanori Kuronuma, Qiyang Wang, Masaya Ando, Hitoshi Watanabe","doi":"10.2525/ecb.58.131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.58.131","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"93 1","pages":"131-135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80499698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Temperature before and after Pollination on Pollen Function in ‘Chanee’ Durian","authors":"N. Kozai, H. Higuchi","doi":"10.2525/ecb.58.85","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.58.85","url":null,"abstract":"Hand pollination is commonly practiced in commercial durian orchards to guarantee fruit set and production of evenly shaped fruit. Durian flowers usually contain five locules in the ovary, with each holding 5―7 ovules (Kozai et al., 2014a), which develop into seeds. The seeds are concealed by the edible part of durian, called the aril (Enoch, 1980). The presence of seeds affects durian fruit shape, with fruits having a good shape graded as high quality when traded in the market (Tantrakonnsab and Tantrakoonsab, 2018). Artificial hand pollination is therefore important for production and yield. Pollen function is one of the most important factors determining successful fertilization (Dag et al., 2000; Alcaraz et al., 2011; Matsuda et al., 2011; Kozai et al., 2014b; Pham et al., 2015). Fresh pollen germination has been shown to be optimal at 20―25°C in durian (Kozai et al., 2014b). The same study reported that pollen germination decrease differed between two consecutive years under different temperature regimes, with 15°C having no effect observed compared with 20―25°C in the first year, but a decrease observed in the second year. The difference might have resulted from different temperature conditions during flower opening. The pollen material used in their study was collected at 1900 hours from the orchard, when anther dehiscence had completed. Durian flowers begin to open at around 1600 hours followed by anther dehiscence at approximately 1700 hours, with both ending at around 1900 hours. Growers therefore tend to commence hand pollination using fresh pollen at around 1900 hours; hence collection of pollen at 1900 hours in the experiment by Kozai et al. (2014b). However, the effect of temperature conditions on pollen function during flowering is not yet fully understood. Air temperatures start to decrease at around 1600 hours and can drop below 20°C even during the evening time. Thus, to achieve successful fertilization, it is important to understand the effect of ambient temperatures before and during anther dehiscence (1600 to 1900 hours) on subsequent pollen germination. Pollen tube elongation is also an important factor affecting fruit set and quality (Dag et al., 2000; Matcha et al., 2006; Matsuda et al., 2011; Kozai et al., 2014b; Pham et al., 2015). Kozai et al. (2014b) reported a decrease in pollen tube elongation at both low ( 15°C) and high temperatures ( 30°C) in ‘Monthong’ durian. They further revealed that reproductive development in ‘Monthong’ is also sensitive to low temperatures; however, the information on other cultivars is lacking. Most research on durian is conducted using ‘Monthong’ because it is the dominant cultivar in Thailand. Furthermore, although comparisons of fruit setting (Honsho et al., 2004), ovule development (Kozai et al., 2014a), and pollen germination have been carried out between cultivars (Salakpetch et al., 1992), little is known about how pollen tube elongation is affected by temperature. ‘Chanee’ is anoth","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"29 1","pages":"85-89"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81095559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantification of Strawberry Plant Growth and Amount of Light Received Using a Depth Sensor","authors":"M. Takahashi, S. Takayama, H. Umeda, C. Yoshida, O. Koike, Y. Iwasaki, W. Sugeno","doi":"10.2525/ecb.58.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.58.31","url":null,"abstract":"In Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the scale of strawberry cultivation facilities has recently increased and productivity has improved because of various environmental controls. For example, long-day treatment is conducted for promoting leaf growth (Vince-Prue and Guttridge, 1973). Control of atmospheric carbon dioxide, known to increase strawberry yield, is used widely in strawberry cultivation greenhouses (Lieten, 1997; Wada et al., 2010). Temperature management is also important for obtaining high yields of strawberries (Hidaka et al., 2016). On the basis of the environmental information in greenhouses, producers can continuously control the environment. Skilled producers base their cultivation management on a combination of environmental information and plant information obtained from growth surveys. Growth surveys are useful because they quantify and record the growth state of strawberries; however, as the work involved takes time, and the majority of producers judge growth state by plant appearance and they do not keep records. The vegetative and reproductive growth of strawberries both need to be properly controlled, yet experts currently carry out this task based on experience and plant growth data. In Miyagi Prefecture, the management target for strawberry is to obtain a plant height of >25 cm during the winter season by temperature control, fertilizer management, carbon dioxide control and long-day treatment. While plant height is regarded as an index of management because it is easy to measure, this parameter is not sufficient to quantify strawberry vigor. Skilled producers look at the appearance of strawberry plants to assess vigor, and plant height is only an auxiliary indicator. Plant height is usually measured once a week rather than daily. The optimal method for assessing strawberry growth has not yet been determined scientifically and management methods for strawberry plants vary among producers. In addition, inexperienced producers may struggle to perform adequate controls. There is a need for a management technique based on quantitative information. Although data on strawberry plant height is currently used, the amount of data obtained from visual inspection is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method that can easily evaluate the growth of strawberry plants at different times and can accurately quantify their appearance. A technique for acquiring plant data using a three-dimensional (3D) shape sensor has been","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"85 1","pages":"31-36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90930837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant Growth Promotion of Trichoderma virens, Tv911 on Some Vegetables and Its Antagonistic Effect on Fusarium Wilt of Tomato","authors":"Myo Zaw, M. Matsumoto","doi":"10.2525/ecb.58.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ecb.58.7","url":null,"abstract":"Application of synthetic agro-chemicals for plant growth enhancement and weeds, pest and disease control would cause negative impacts on biodiversity, environment and human health (Debenest et al., 2010; Geiger et al., 2010). Accordingly, organic agriculture has become popular with rising trend throughout the world (Willer et al., 2009). Nowadays, many microbial products are available for pest and disease management in crop production (Berg, 2009), and also available for plant growth promotion as a biofertilizer (Rodríguez and Fraga, 1999; Vessey, 2003). The genus Trichoderma (Teleomorph Hypocrea) has attracted an increasing attention and interest because of their economic value, and it is widely used not only as a biocontrol agent especially for soil borne plant pathogenic fungi (Qualhato et al., 2013) but also for enzyme production in industrial usage (Ahamed and Vermette, 2008). Additionally, it has the potential to degrade environmental hazardous chemical residue from the contaminated agricultural soil (Arfarita et al., 2013). Antagonist mechanisms of Trichoderma spp. are competition for nutrient and space, and direct mycoparasitism with antibiosis such as cell wall degrading enzymes to inhibit the growth of plant pathogens (Benítez et al., 2004). Moreover, these species are common and persistent fungi in the rhizosphere soil microbial community in a natural ecosystem (Lidia et al., 2011). Among them, T. harzianum, T. virens, T. asperellum, T. koningii and T. hamatum were colonizing to the roots and rhizosphere and some strains of each species have been identified as a plant growth promoter of the early growth stage of bean plants (Hoyos-Carvajal et al., 2009). Isolates of T. harzianum increased plant height and leaf area of pepper and cucumber seedlings and reduced damping-off disease significantly under commercial growing conditions (Inbar et al., 1994). Isolates of T. virens produced plant growth regulator, the auxin-related compounds, and enhanced biomass and root growth of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings (ContrerasCornejo et al., 2009). The morphological and cultural properties of T. harzianum and T. vriens were not obviously different (Sharma and Singh, 2014), and it can be accurately identified by molecular sequencing of ITS gene (White et al., 1990). In our previous study, several Trichoderma species isolated from waste paper sludge compost abandoned by paper manufacturing company in Saga, Japan during 2014― 2016 were characterized by their paper degradation ability. As the results, these isolates are potentially responsible for production of cellulose degrading enzyme (cellulase) and total crude protein in treated paper wastes (Peng et al., 2016). Remarkably, there is no report concerned to the characterization of Trichoderma spp. derived from such paper sludge compost and possibility of usage of these isolates as a biological resource of plant growth promotion and antagonist of the plant pathogenic fungi. Although, cel-","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"76 1","pages":"7-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83766100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality changes in fresh mango fruits (mangifera indica l. ‘nam dok mai’) under actual distribution temperature profile from Thailand to Japan","authors":"E. Yasunaga, S. Fukuda, D. Takata, W. Spreer, V. Sardsud, K. Nakano","doi":"10.2525/ECB.56.45","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ECB.56.45","url":null,"abstract":"studies to evaluate quality not just under unsteady conditions but also during a long supply chain. The present study aimed to obtain data that could be applied to quality control during the distribution. For this purpose, we used immature mango fruits transported immediately after harvest from Thailand by air, and then stored under the actual temperature condition of ocean freight shipping for 3 weeks in the laboratory. The postharvest ripening state of immature mango fruits was investigated by monitoring the changes in fruit hardness, peel color, ascorbic acid and sugar-acid ratio. supply chains. The mango is a climacteric fruit that ripens after harvest. Therefore, it is very important to treat immature fruits appropriately during lengthy distribution period which can takes approximately three weeks from Thailand to Japan by shipping. The present study aimed to determine the effects of postharvest distribution and storage temperature on physiological changes in fresh mango fruits ( Mangifera indica L. ‘Nam Dok Mai’) imported from Thailand to Japan. Immature mango fruits were utilized that were transported immediately after harvest from Thailand by air, and were then stored in the actual distribution temperature conditions of shipping for 3 weeks and also heated to 25°C for 16 (cid:1) 18 d in the laboratory. Postharvest ripening of immature mango fruits was observed as changes in fruit firmness, peel color, and sugar content under the storage conditions. Softening and coloring were induced during postharvest storage, especially in the first 4 d. After the first 4 d of maturation enhancement, the change in maturation level remained small.","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"2 1","pages":"45-49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88803204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Far-red Light on Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Growth and Crocin Yields","authors":"N. Kajikawa, Y. Uno, S. Kuroki, Sachi Miyagawa, Yusuke Yamashita, Y. Hamaguchi, Y. Ueda, Masao Kobayashi, Kenichi Kaji, H. Itoh","doi":"10.2525/ECB.56.51","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ECB.56.51","url":null,"abstract":"The production of plants in plant factories supplies stable and very safe products regardless of the weather conditions, but is also associated with significant costs in terms of both the initial investment and ongoing electricity expenses. Therefore, to compensate for these high production costs, it is necessary to produce crops with a high unit price. This research focussed on production of the medicinal plant saffron (Crocus sativus L.), which is considered an expensive spice globally. This bulbous plant of the genus Crocus (family Iridaceae) is traditionally cultivated in Iran, where 93.7 % of the world’s total production is grown (Ghorbani, 2008). The basic component of commercial saffron is the stigma, which contains the yellow-red carotenoid pigment crocin (C44H64O24). Crocin has a wide variety of applications not only in the food industry and as a colourant, but also in medicine (Gazerani et al., 2013), with several reports demonstrating its pharmacological activity, including anti-tumour properties and improved outcomes for alcoholic memory disorder (Shoyama, 2009). The life cycle of saffron can be divided into four stages: formation of the flower buds, flowering, formation of the daughter corms (FD) and development of the daughter corms (DD) (Miyagawa et al., 2015). Traditionally, saffron corms start to produce flowers in autumn following transplantation into the field in late summer. The plants’ leaves continue to grow from summer to winter, with two daughter corms usually forming and enlarging at the base of the shoot on their mother corm at low temperatures in winter. At the beginning of spring, the leaves begin to wither and the enlarged daughter corms are harvested and stored while dormant, during which time they undergo flower bud formation. It is well known that the bulbous plant stores a large quantity of carbohydrates in the bulb, which support root growth, nutrient absorption and differentiation of the flower buds, stems and leaves during its underground life (Ohyama et al., 1986). Consequently, since these carbohydrates may make a large contribution to flowering energy, saffron corms that contain a large amount of photosynthetic products are expected to have higher stigma yields, as indicated by the extremely strong correlation between flowering rate and corm weight (Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau, 1995). In recent years, light quality (i.e. the spectral composition of light) has been identified as an important environmental factor for plant growth and quality improvement. Photosynthesis occurs under photoirradiation conditions that span a particular range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), from approximately 400 nm to 700 nm. Far-red radiation, which is the outside part of the PAR spectrum, is not directly involved in photosynthesis but does induce photomorphogenesis in plants via changes in phytochrome equilibrium. For instance, Lercari (1982) found that far-red light irradiation induced the translocation of carbo","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"3 1","pages":"51-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87815909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Preliminary Experiment on the Effects of Leaf Wetting on Gas Exchange in Tomato Leaves","authors":"G. Yokoyama, D. Yasutake, M. Kitano","doi":"10.2525/ECB.56.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ECB.56.13","url":null,"abstract":"To evaluate the effects of leaf wetting on midday depression of photosynthesis in horticultural crops, we analyzed leaf gas exchange (transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate) of tomato plants under two different treatments (the Wet treatment and No-wet treatment as control). The gas exchange was measured at 11:00 (the time at which leaf gas exchange was assumed to be active) and 14:00 (the time at which leaf gas exchange was assumed to be inactive due to midday depression) on the clear days of November 2 to 7, 2016. The gas exchange measurements in the Wet treatment were conducted just after droplets on the leaf surface had evaporated. In the No-wet treatment, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate at 14:00 were decreased compared to those at 11:00. This suggests that midday depression occurred due to stomatal closure induced by excessive transpirational water loss. In contrast, in the Wet treatment, there was no such depression of leaf gas exchange, suggesting that leaf wetting might contribute to maintaining stomatal aperture through improving leaf water status. Thus, leaf wetting could avoid midday depression of photosynthesis in tomato plants.","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"44 1","pages":"13-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90037512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of air temperature during light and dark periods on the iridoid glycoside content of Hedyotis diffusa.","authors":"Chihiro Hanawa, Y. Uno, S. Kuroki, Kazuki Higashiuchi, M. Shibata, Tatsuki Matsui, C. Wong, P. Leung, C. Lau, H. Itoh","doi":"10.2525/ECB.56.73","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2525/ECB.56.73","url":null,"abstract":"Plant factories are year-round production systems that produce a high-quality, safe and steady supply of vegetables in a technologically controlled and automated environment. These systems are costly and consume considerable energy, which lowers their profitability. However, this weakness can be improved by cultivating medicinal plants which are one example of value-added crops. Since medicinal plants are used for medicinal purposes, high quality and safety are required. However, Higashiuchi et al. (2016) previously stated that medicinal plants are imported from foreign countries and quality and cost of the medicinal plants are not stable. Therefore, there is a real demand to promote the domestic cultivation of these plants by an improvement of cultivation technique. Hedyotis diffusa (family Rubiaceae) is used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat cancer, urinary infections, appendicitis and bronchitis (Takagi et al., 1982). This species is naturally distributed in the subtropical and tropical zones of East Asia, and its availability depends on the harvesting of wild crops. However, H. diffusa is cultivated with other similar cultivars (Lin et al., 1987; Wee and Keng, 1990), which can result in contamination and thus a lower-quality product. Therefore, it is considered that the cultivation of this crop in a plant factory would be beneficial in order to prevent from the contamination. However, to allow the year-round cultivation of high-quality H. diffusa in plant factories, it is first necessary to analyse the effects of environmental factors on its growth and the biosynthesis of its medicinal properties. The main medicinal properties of H. diffusa is the iridoids, which exist in the form of iridoid glycosides. It is considered that iridoid glycosides exist in the vacuole or cytoplasm of plant cell (Kamata, 2009). It has been reported that H. diffusa contains various types of iridoid glycosides and each of them has a unique medicinal effect (Rui et al., 2016). The Iridoid glycosides begins with glucose (Shioi et al., 2009; Takaishi et al., 2010). Therefore, it is expected that an increase in glucose output through the promotion of photosynthesis will improve the synthesis of iridoid glycosides. Photosynthesis is affected by several environmental factors, such as light intensity, humidity, CO2 concentration and temperature. Higashiuchi et al. (2016) previously showed that a high light intensity and long light period promotes the production of asperuloside, which is one kind of iridoid glycoside. However, Martz et al. (2009) found that high temperatures had a negative effect on the synthesis of iridoid glycosides in Menyanthes trifoliate L. leaves, indicating that a high production of glucose at high temperatures is not directly correlated with high levels of iridoid glycoside synthesis. In a preliminary study, Mori et al. (2015) analyzed the effects of three different air temperatures on plant growth","PeriodicalId":11762,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Control in Biology","volume":"55 1","pages":"73-79"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89916397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}