D. Russell

Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindl.) and phytochemicals – breeding, horticultural practice, postharvest storage, processing and bioactivity

Previous reviews of plum phytochemical content and health benefits have concentrated on the European plum, Prunus domestica L. However, the potential bioactivity of red- and dark red-fleshed Japanese plums, Prunus salicina Lindl., so-called blood plums, appears to warrant a significant increase in exposure, as indicated in a recent review of the whole Prunus genus. Furthermore, Japanese plums are the predominant plum produced on an international basis. In this review the nutrient and phytochemical content, breeding, horticultural practice, postharvest treatment and processing as well as bioactivity (emphasising in vivo studies) of Japanese plum are considered, with a focus on the anthocyanin content that distinguishes the blood plums.

‘MPM1’: a macadamia hybrid showing breakdown of biological rhythm in morphogenesis

Macadamia is an Australian native genus, comprising of four species. Commercial cultivars for the production of macadamia nuts are derived from two species, M. tetraphylla and M. integrifolia. The different species of Macadamia have unique leaf and flowering patterns, due to inherent biological rhythms. Usually, M. tetraphylla has four leaves in a whorl, while the other species have three leaves per whorl. All species produce 1-2 florets at each raceme node. We identified a multi-pistillate macadamia genotype (‘MPM1’) with irregular leaf pattern and floral architecture. The genotype is a progeny of cultivars ‘HAES 705’ and ‘NG18’. In this article, we described the characteristics of this plant and irregularities of its biological rhythm, including the number of leaves per whorl, ranging from 1 to 9, and variation in the number of pistils per floret. This irregular biological rhythm occurred during both vegetative and reproductive growth phases. Future molecular or epigenetic studies could determine the origin and mechanism of these unusual characteristics.