Ziying Huang¹, Ruikang Ma¹, Anning Li², Yufei Cheng¹, Xiaolin Lin², Mengzhi Li³, Yu Zhang², Liping Shi¹, Linlin Dong^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.074419 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Epimedium is commonly used to treat bone injury and kidney disease, with prenylated flavonol glycosides (PFGs) as its active ingredients. It has attracted much attention due to prominent healthcare and therapeutic effects, but faces problems of adulteration with closely related species and confusion about geographical origins. In this study, multiple technical approaches were employed to identify its genetic characteristics and metabolic differences. Based on DNA barcoding, 20 batches of samples were analyzed. The genetic distances of matK, ITS and psbA-trnH within species were all smaller than those between species, and psbA-trnH along with ITS + psbA-trnH proved most effective… More >

Hasan Kaan Kucukerdem^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.074188 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Root-zone temperature (RZT) strongly affects plant growth, nutrient uptake and tolerance to environmental stress, making its regulation a key challenge in greenhouse cultivation in cold climates. This study aimed to assess the potential of passive techniques, namely black polyethylene mulch and row covers, for modifying RZT dynamics in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production and to evaluate the predictive performance of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. Experiments were conducted in Iğdır, Türkiye, over a 61-day period, with soil temperature continuously monitored at depths of 1–30 cm under mulched and non-mulched conditions, alongside measurements of greenhouse air… More >

Adolfo Amador Mendoza^1,*, Rosalba Guadalupe Gomez Raymundo², Ana Rosa Ramírez Seañez¹, Hipolito Hernández Hernández¹, Rogelio Enrrique Palacios Torres¹, Nelda Xanath Martínez Galero³, Miguel Ángel García Muñoz³, Saribel Zilli Gutiérrez^4,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.073856 - 30 January 2026

Abstract The cultivation of Soledad pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is essential in Oaxaca and Veracruz, but it faces issues with pests and diseases, which affect yield and cause economic losses. To mitigate these impacts, farmers have started using biostimulants such as chitosan and plant growth promoting bacteria instead of agrochemicals due to their environmental and health benefits. This study evaluated the effect of Bacillus subtilis and chitosan, both individually and combined, on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of Soledad pepper under greenhouse conditions. Four treatments were applied at different stages of the crop cycle: Q (Chitosan), BS (Bacillus More >

Lu Chen^1,2,#, Zhijie Ren^2,#, Guangmin Zhao², Xuan He², Legong Li², Sheng Teng^1,*, Yikun He^2,*, Fang Bao^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.073817 - 30 January 2026

Abstract ERD4 proteins, members of the early responsive-to-dehydration family, act as plasma membrane ion channels that contribute to ion homeostasis and modulate plant response to abiotic stresses. However, the functions of ERD4 homologs in non-vascular species remain largely unexplored. Here, we characterized an ERD4 family homolog in Physcomitrium patens (Hedw.) Mitt., PpCSC1 (Calcium-permeable Stress-responsive Cation Channel 1), and investigated its role in salt stress response. PpCSC1 localized to the plasma membrane and functioned as a non-selective cation channel permeable to Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. Under salt treatment, PpCSC1 transcripts were markedly downregulated, whereas overexpression lines exhibited enhanced salt sensitivity.… More >

Wonkyu Yi, Jongseok Park^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.073450 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Understanding plant responses under low-pressure conditions is important for developing closed cultivation systems that simulate space environments. This study aimed to assess the effects of different pressure levels on growth, photosynthesis, and secondary metabolite accumulation in red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. ‘Super Caesar’s Red’). Plants were cultivated for three weeks in sealed chambers under 101 kPa (atmospheric pressure), 66 kPa (moderate low pressure), and 33 kPa (severe low pressure). Growth analysis showed that leaf length and leaf area decreased significantly with reduced pressure, while chlorophyll content and SPAD values increased gradually. Photosynthetic measurements indicated More >

Mario D’Ambrosio¹, Elisabetta Bigagli^1,*, Lorenzo Cinci¹, Cecilia Brunetti^2,*, Edgardo Giordani³, Francesco Ferrini³, Cristina Luceri¹

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.073250 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Moringa oleifera (MO) is traditionally used to mitigate inflammatory-mediated disorders; however, the influence of ecotypic variation on its anti-inflammatory activity remains poorly understood. In this study, we compared the phytochemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from fresh and dried leaves of four MO ecotypes (India, Paraguay, Mozambique, and Pakistan), all grown under the same outdoor conditions, as well as two commercial powders (Just Moringa and WISSA), using LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Extracts from fresh leaves were 19–43% more cytotoxic than those from dried leaves, depending on the ecotype, likely due to higher cyanogenic… More >

Yun-Im Kang¹, Youn Jung Choi¹, Su Young Lee¹, Young-Ran Lee¹, Ki-Byung Lim^2,3, Yun-Jae Ahn^2,3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.073138 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) threatens lily production by reducing floral quality and enabling carry-over via infected planting stock. To explore tissue-specific host responses, we analyzed a legacy, single-replicate RNA-seq dataset from two cultivars, ‘Cancun’ and ‘Connecticut King’ (CK), profiling leaf (source) and bulb (sink) tissues at 0 and 28 days post-inoculation (dpi), alongside leaf DAS-ELISA. Principal component analysis indicated that tissue identity dominated the transcriptome (PC1 = 47.7%), with CMV treatment driving within-tissue shifts over time. Exploratory Gene Ontology/KEGG summaries and a focused marker panel revealed a consistent split: in leaves, genes linked to jasmonate/WRKY-associated… More >

Hong Chen^1,2, Runze Yang^1,2, Jing Tian^1,2, Boyuan Xu^1,2, Qiang Chen³, Yuzong Chen^1,2, Ming-Xiao Zhao^1,2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.072276 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Panax species are globally recognized for their high medicinal and economic value, yet large-scale cultivation is constrained by high production costs, progressive soil acidification, and persistent soil-borne diseases. Although various soil improvement strategies have been tested, a comprehensive synthesis of their comparative effectiveness has been lacking. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 1381 observations from 54 independent studies to evaluate the effects of conventional fertilizers, microbial fertilizers, organic amendments, and inorganic amendments on Panax cultivation. Our results demonstrate that microbial fertilizers, organic amendments, and inorganic amendments significantly increased soil pH, thereby ameliorating soil acidification. Among them,… More >

Yuxin Guo^1,2, Xinqiao Liu^3,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.074063 - 28 January 2026

Abstract Background: Mental health concerns among doctoral students have become increasingly prominent, with consistently low levels of well-being making this issue a critical focus in higher education research. This study aims to synthesize existing evidence on the mental health and well-being of doctoral students and to identify key factors and intervention strategies reported in the literature. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to examine the determinants and interventions related to doctoral students’ mental health and well-being. Relevant studies were comprehensively searched in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO, with the final search conducted on September 19,… More >

Huaruo Chen^1,2, Gefan Wang¹, Hancai Qiu¹, Hui Ma¹, Zhentao Peng¹, Ruihan Liu³, Feng Xu^4,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.073911 - 28 January 2026

Abstract Background: As an important indicator of subjective well-being (SWB), decent work is a key guarantee for the sustainable development of teachers and their psychological health and work quality. Faced with the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the global labor market, vocational college teachers are facing challenges such as workload pressure and limited career development, which may harm their well-being. This study aims to localize the measurement method of decent work in Chinese vocational education based on the theory of the Psychology of Working Theory, and explore the relationship mechanism between organizational support, career adaptability, decent… More >