Olha Mykhailenko^1,2,3,#,*, Zigmantas Gudžinskas⁴, Liudas Ivanauskas⁵, Victoriya Georgiyants¹, Chia-Hung Yen^6,7,8, Chung-Fan Hsieh⁹, Riong Seulina Panjaitan⁶, Tsong-Long Hwang^10,11,12,13, Bing-Hung Chen^14,15, Michal Korinek^6,7,8,#,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.074209 - 30 January 2026

Abstract The sustainable sourcing of novel bioactive compounds from natural sources is crucial to the success of the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. Iris bucharica Foster (syn. Juno bucharica (Foster) Vved.) is a promising source of novel bioactive molecules, particularly phenolic compounds, which are renowned for their antioxidant properties. In this study, we developed a reliable HPLC-UV-DAD method to identify and quantify phenolic compounds in the leaves and bulbs of I. bucharica, establishing the first set of quality control markers for this species. A total of 21 phenolic compounds were identified in the leaves, with flavonoids isoorientin, guaijaverin, hyperoside, 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 >

Dilfuza Jabborova^1,2,3,*, Khurshid Sulaymanov¹, Muzafar Jabborov⁴, Nayan Ahmed⁵, Tatiana Minkina⁶, Olga Biryukova⁶, Nasir Mehmood^6,*, Vishnu D. Rajput⁶

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.072577 - 30 January 2026

Abstract The combined effects of macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium-N, P, K) and micronutrient fertilization on turmeric yield, soil enzymatic activity, microbial biomass, and nutrient dynamics remains poorly understood, despite their significance for sustainable soil fertility management and optimizing crop productivity across diverse agroecosystems. To investigate, a net house experiment on sandy loam Haplic Chernozem was conducted to 03 fertilizer regimes, viz. N₇₅P₅₀K₅₀ kg ha⁻¹ (T-2), N₁₂₅P₁₀₀K₁₀₀ kg ha⁻¹ (T-3), and N₁₀₀P₇₅K₇₅ + B₃Zn₆Fe₆ kg ha⁻¹ (T-4). Furthermore, the influence of these treatments was systematically assessed on soil nutrient status (N, P, K), enzymatic activities (alkaline phosphomonoesterase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate… More >

Amine Batbat^1,2, Khaoula Habbadi², Mohamed Jeddi³, Samiah Hamad Al-Mijalli⁴, Hanae Naceiri Mrabti⁵, Fahad M. Alshabrmi⁶, Naif Hesham Moursi⁷, Hassane Greche¹, Naoufal El Hachlafi^8,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.95, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.072398 - 30 January 2026

Abstract Origanum elongatum (OE) is an aromatic, medicinal plant endemic to Morocco that is widely used in traditional medicine due to its biological properties. This study aimed to elucidate the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) obtained from O. elongatum (OEEO) at three stages of its life cycle, including vegetative stage (OEEO-VS), flowering stage (OEEO-FS), and post-flowering (OEEO-PFS), as well as to evaluate its biological and antiradical characteristics. The chemical analysis of the essential oil was conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated in vitro through distinct methodologies, namely, disc diffusion and microatmosphere assay;… 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 >