Heterostyly is a common floral polymorphism, but the proteomic basis of this trait is still largely unexplored. In this study, self- and cross-pollination of L-morph and S-morph flowers and comparison of embryo sac development in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) suggested that lower fruit set from S-morph flowers results from stigma-pollen incompatibility. To explore the molecular mechanism unde...

Acetone extracts from eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and violet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) peels both belonging to the Solanaceae plant family were characterized with respect to their anthocyanin profiles, colour qualities and antioxidant capacities. According to HPLC-DAD-MS3 analyses the major anthocyanin in eggplant was delphinidin-3-rutinoside, while the predominant pigment in violet peppe...

In spite of its widespread cultivation and nutritional and economic importance, the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genome has not been extensively explored. A lack of knowledge of the patterns of inheritance of key agronomic traits has hindered the exploitation of marker technologies to accelerate its genetic improvement. An already established F2 intraspecific population of eggplant bred from...

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) cause substantial yield decline in eggplant and sustainable management options to minimize crop damage due to nematodes are still limited. A number of genetic engineering strategies have been developed to disrupt the successful plant-nematode interactions. Among them, delivery of proteinase inhibitors from the plant to perturb nematode development and reproduction is a...

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for domestication-related traits were identified in an interspecific F(2) population of eggplant (Solanum linnaeanum x S. melongena). Although 62 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified in two locations, most of the dramatic phenotypic differences in fruit weight, shape, color, and plant prickliness that distinguish cultivated eggplant from its wild relative ...

Eggplant allergy is rare and most of the previously described reactions were mild. In this case report, we present an interesting case of a 27-year-old male who experienced symptoms of anaphylaxis (shortness of breath, and swelling of the face, lips and tongue, which was followed by hypotension, tachycardia of 140/min and a sudden loss of consciousness) several minutes after eating a dish conta...

Eggplant mottled dwarf virus (EMDV, genus Nucleorhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae) is transmitted in nature by leafhoppers and its natural host range includes vegetable crops (eggplant, tomato, potato, pepper), ornamentals (pittosporum, honeysuckle, pelargonium) and wild plants (caper, Solanum nigrum). The prevalence of infections is generally very low. EMDV has been demonstrated to be the caus...

Results from an innovative approach to improve remediation in the rhizosphere by encouraging healthy plant growth and thus enhancing microbial activity are reported. The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Am) on remediation efficacy of wheat, mungbean and eggplant grown in soil spiked with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was assessed in a pot experiment. The results of this study showed th...

Pseudomonas cichorii harbors the hrp genes. hrp-mutants lose their virulence on eggplant but not on lettuce. A phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase gene (pat) is located between hrpL and an aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (aldH) in the genome of P. cichorii. Comparison of nucleotide sequences and composition of the genes among pseudomonads suggests a common ancestor of hrp and pat between P. cichor...

MiRNAs are a class of non-coding small RNAs that play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. Although plant miRNAs have been extensively studied in model systems, less is known in other plants with limited genome sequence data, including eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). To identify miRNAs in eggplant and their response to Verticillium dahliae infection, a fungal pathogen for whic...