Saqib Ali¹, Hoe-Han Goh^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.084657 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Abiotic stresses particularly drought, salinity, and temperature extremes increasingly threaten crop stability in tropical environments where combinatorial stress events are intensifying under climate change. Despite growing omics capacity, current multi-omics syntheses of plant stress acclimation remain dominated by model species and major crops, leaving tropical and underutilized plants underrepresented in comparative stress biology. This review examines how transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, and integrative multi-omics frameworks have been applied to abiotic stress acclimation in selected tropical and underutilized plants, including banana, cassava, cacao, oil palm, papaya, Garcinia, coconut, mango, Avicennia marina, and tropical millets. We show that transcriptomics… More > Graphic Abstract

Renjie Li^#, Ruiya Li^#, Yuying Li, Lili Guo, Qi Guo, Xiangnan He, Yunxin Zhou, Xiaogai Hou^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.083737 - 29 June 2026

Abstract SEP3, one of the SEPALLATA (SEP) genes, plays a crucial role in the regulation of floral organ morphogenesis in plants. However, its specific function and molecular regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear in tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.). In this study, the PsSEP3L1 sequence of the tree peony cultivar ‘Luoyang Hong’ was obtained by homologous cloning. The open reading frame of PsSEP3L1 is 738 bp and encodes 245 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PsSEP3L1 was most closely related to the SEP3 homolog from cassava. The expression level of PsSEP3L1 in petals, petaloid petals, and stamens was significantly higher than… More >

Jongwon Park^1,#, Jinhyoung Lee^2,#, Gunhee Lee¹, Eunji Lee¹, Jiwoo Kim¹, Seunghwan Wi², Tae-Cheol Seo², Seonghoe Jang^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.082849 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Heat stress severely impairs plant growth and productivity, particularly in cool-season crops such as Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis). While short-term heat responses have been extensively studied, the mechanisms underlying prolonged heat stress adaptation remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we conducted an integrative analysis of Chinese cabbage exposed to sustained high temperatures. Our approach combined physiological characterization, antioxidant profiling, and transcriptome-wide gene expression analysis to dissect long-term heat stress responses. Prolonged heat stress caused marked growth inhibition, including leaf chlorosis and a 39% reduction in leaf length by day 9. Biochemical analyses revealed a progressive… More >

Antonio Santos-Rufo^1,*, Carlos Weiland-Ardáiz¹, Jose A. Dueñas²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.082736 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Seed germination in blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) is frequently constrained by deep physiological dormancy, limiting its use in breeding and germplasm studies. This study evaluated the combined effects of cold stratification (CS) and static magnetic field (SMF; 80 mT) exposure on germination performance and associated biochemical changes related to starch metabolism. Seeds of the commercial cultivar ‘Loch Ness’ were subjected to different stratification periods and magnetic treatments prior to germination under laboratory conditions. Some SMF + CS combinations showed higher germination than the untreated control, although overall germination remained low. Higher germination values were associated with… More >

Mohammad Reza Boorboori^1,2, Haiyang Zhang^1,2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.082409 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal pollutant released from various human activities including industrial production and agricultural practices. This pollutant adversely affects plant physiology by damaging root systems, inhibiting photosynthesis, and inducing oxidative stress through the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This review highlights the critical role of nitric oxide (NO) as a key signaling molecule that enhances plant tolerance to cadmium stress. The application of exogenous NO effectively alleviates Cd toxicity by stimulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), scavenging harmful ROS, and preventing membrane More >

Argyrios Kalaitzidis¹, Anastasia Zotou¹, Dimitra Loka², Paraskevi Mpeza¹, Persephone Archimandriti¹, Nicholas E. Korres^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.081379 - 29 June 2026

Abstract The effects of water stress on the morphophysiological and biochemical characteristics of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) were investigated in a pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. Both species were exposed to four irrigation levels: no stress (1000 mL H₂O), mild stress (800 mL H₂O), moderate stress (600 mL H₂O), and severe stress (400 mL H₂O), with treatments applied every 2 days over a period of eight weeks. The results demonstrated the negative impacts of water stress, especially under moderate and severe conditions. Specifically, there was a reduction in height and dry weight in both species, with… More >

Sumit Sow^1,#, Alkajyoti Sharma^2,#, Mainak Ghosh^3,*, Nintu Mandal⁴, Sanjay Kumar², Shivani Ranjan^5,*, Souvik Sadhu⁶, Dibyajyoti Nath⁷, Harun Gitari⁸, Rakesh Panday⁹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.081362 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Increasing population pressure and growing constraints on cultivable land and water resources necessitate improving resource use efficiency through the adoption of advanced and efficient agricultural technologies. With finite resources and a growing global population, agriculture has become increasingly essential as a source of food, fiber, and livestock. Due to their eco-friendly nature, the integration of crop improvement strategies with nanotechnology and plant biostimulants (PB) plays an important role in the development of smart and sustainable agriculture. Improved agricultural techniques have the potential to transform agricultural systems, and as a result, could be a viable option… More >

Ling He, Shun Tao, Qian Wang, Yu-Pei Yin, Xin-Yu He, Shuo Shi, Chun-Yan Wang^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.081349 - 29 June 2026

Abstract As essential regulatory proteins, WRKY transcription factors participate in the regulation of plant growth, development and stress resistance; however, the functions of LoWRKY22 in the ‘Siberia’ cultivar of Lilium remain uncharacterized. In this study, LoWRKY22 was cloned and subjected to comprehensive functional analyses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that LoWRKY22 belongs to the WRKY-IIe type subgroup, featuring a conserved WRKY domain and a C2H2-type zinc finger motif, indicating evolutionary conservation with WRKY homologs from Arabidopsis thaliana. Subcellular localization and transactivation assays confirmed its nuclear localization and transcriptional activation activity, supporting its role as a transcriptional regulator. Structural characterization of the LoWRKY22… More >

Lorena E. Romero-Chávez^1,*, Emilee Calero-Rios², Uriel Aldava-Pardave³, Elvis Ottos-Díaz¹, Noelito Salgado-Veramendi³, Eldhy S. Huerto-Pajuelo⁴, Carolina Ibarra-Porras⁴, Richard A. Solórzano-Acosta²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.081119 - 29 June 2026

Abstract The exploration and identification of spontaneous weed species in heavy metal–contaminated soils represent a relevant approach for understanding the role and their potential application in phytoremediation. In cacao cultivation, cadmium contamination poses a significant risk due to the restrictions established for soils and cacao-derived products, thereby threatening productive sustainability and export viability. The objective of this study was to identify weed species associated with cacao cultivation exhibiting accumulation patterns and phytoremediation potential for Cd and Pb, through the assessment of biomass production and the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF), in natural conditions. Soil… More >

Hanane Oucif^1,2,*, Miloud Benaissa^1,2, Leila Saddikioui³, Nadia Y. Asfouri³, Meriem F. Meliani¹, Zineb Belhamra^1,2, Djilali Baghdadi^1,2

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.080926 - 29 June 2026

Abstract Enhancing lipid productivity in microalgae is a critical goal for advancing sustainable biofuel production. Among emerging strategies, the supplementation of plant growth regulators (PGRs) has gained attention as a potential approach for modulating microalgal metabolism. This in silico study evaluated the predicted binding of sixty-five PGRs from 11 chemical classes to five microalgal enzymes associated with lipid biosynthesis, (FabD, KASII, FabG, FATA, and GPAT) using an integrative computational workflow combining virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Structure-based screening identified fifty-eight compounds with docking scores below −5.0 kcal/mol, consistent… More >