{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T04:19:56Z","timestamp":1787545196461,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786924800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the Natural Fund for Youth A of Ningxia","award":["2025AAC040006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025AAC040006"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002858","name":"China Postdoctoral Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025MD774106"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025MD774106"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002858","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["2025MD774106"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025MD774106"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0426zh255","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"the Key Research and Development Project foundation of Ningxia province of China","award":["2020BFH03005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020BFH03005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Curr. Issues Mol. Biol.","CIMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Global warming poses an escalating threat to crop yield and quality, particularly for thermosensitive medicinal-edible plants such as goji berry (Lycium barbarum). Although salicylic acid (SA) is recognized for enhancing plant thermotolerance, its effects on fruit productivity and quality under summer high temperatures remain inadequately quantified. This study investigated the physiological, metabolic, and transcriptomic responses of field-grown Ningqi No. 7 (N7) goji berry to exogenous SA application under summer heat stress. SA treatment significantly increased fruit yield by 22%, while reducing leaf defoliation rate by 32%. Metabolite profiling revealed that SA elevated total soluble sugar content by 30% and flavonoid concentration by 14% but decreased total organic acid content by 16%. Transcriptomic analysis identified SA-induced differential expression of genes involved in sugar metabolism (phosphofructokinase), secondary biosynthesis (flavonoid and alkaloid related pathways), and stress responses (HSPs, E3 ubiquitin ligases, SRK2). These results demonstrate that exogenous SA enhances goji berry productivity and improves fruit taste (via increased sugar\/organic acid ratio) and functional quality under summer high temperatures. Consequently, SA application thus represents a promising and cost-effective strategy for climate-resilient goji berry cultivation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cimb48080836","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T16:35:08Z","timestamp":1786984508000},"page":"836","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exogenous Salicylic Acid Improves Fruit Yield and Quality of Lycium barbarum Under Summer High Temperature"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"48","author":[{"given":"Xiaoya","family":"Qin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Wolfberry Science Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qi","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9497-3265","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yue","family":"Yin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wolfberry Science Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yunfang","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wolfberry Science Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaojie","family":"Liang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wolfberry Science Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ken","family":"Qin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wolfberry Science Institute, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"},{"name":"National Wolfberry Engineering Research Center, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Wu, Z.Y., and Raven, P.H. (1994). Flora of China, Missouri Botanical Garden Press."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2044","DOI":"10.3732\/ajb.92.12.2044","article-title":"Relationships within tribe Lycieae (Solanaceae): Paraphyly of Lycium and multiple origins of gender dimorphism","volume":"92","author":"Levin","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am. J. Bot."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.1080\/10408398.2018.1544885","article-title":"Biosynthesis of citrus flavonoids and their health effects","volume":"60","author":"Zhao","year":"2020","journal-title":"Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aroui, S., Fetoui, H., and Kenani, A. (2020). Natural dietary compound naringin inhibits glioblastoma cancer neoangiogenesis. BMC Pharmacol. Toxicol., 21.","DOI":"10.1186\/s40360-020-00426-1"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marquez, E., Jakobs, L., and Simon, M. (2020). Antidiabetic effects of flavan-3-ols and their microbial metabolites. Nutrients, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12061592"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1158","DOI":"10.1038\/nature08017","article-title":"Greenhouse-gas emission targets for limiting global warming to 2 \u00b0C","volume":"458","author":"Meinshausen","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1204531","article-title":"Climate trends and global crop production since 1980","volume":"333","author":"Lobell","year":"2011","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"671","DOI":"10.1038\/s42003-021-02152-8","article-title":"Wolfberry genomes and the evolution of Lycium (Solanaceae)","volume":"4","author":"Cao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Commun. Biol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1151","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.bi.55.070186.005443","article-title":"The heat-shock response","volume":"55","author":"Lindquist","year":"1986","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1329","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-3040.2004.01212.x","article-title":"Insights into the cellular mechanisms of desiccation tolerance among angiosperm resurrection plant species","volume":"27","author":"Farrant","year":"2004","journal-title":"Plant Cell Environ."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envexpbot.2007.05.011","article-title":"Heat tolerance in plants: An overview","volume":"61","author":"Wahid","year":"2007","journal-title":"Environ. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1959","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erq053","article-title":"Temperature stress and plant sexual reproduction: Uncovering the weakest links","volume":"61","author":"Zinn","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1071\/FP12090","article-title":"Tapetal development and abiotic stress: A centre of vulnerability","volume":"39","author":"Parish","year":"2012","journal-title":"Funct. Plant Biol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.55705\/cmbr.2022.330941.1021","article-title":"Cellular structure and molecular functions of plants, animals, bacteria, and viruses","volume":"2","author":"Kheyrodin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cell. Mol. Biomed. Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3587","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/err052","article-title":"Polyploidization mechanisms: Temperature environment can induce diploid gamete formation in Rosa sp","volume":"62","author":"Rallo","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1007\/s10681-017-1927-z","article-title":"Screening for pollen tolerance to high temperatures in tomato","volume":"213","author":"Paupiere","year":"2017","journal-title":"Euphytica"},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"1","article-title":"The impact of environmental stress on male reproductive development in plants: Biological processes and molecular mechanisms","volume":"37","author":"Geelen","year":"2014","journal-title":"Plant Cell Environ."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.13239","article-title":"IRE1, a component of the unfolded protein response signaling pathway, protects pollen development in Arabidopsis from heat stress","volume":"88","author":"Deng","year":"2016","journal-title":"Plant J."},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"97","article-title":"Phenology, growth and yield of three wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties as affected by high temperature stress","volume":"4","author":"Hossain","year":"2012","journal-title":"Not. Bot. Horti Agrobot. Clujnapoca"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1007\/s00438-007-0229-x","article-title":"Premature progression of anther early developmental programs accompanied by comprehensive alterations in transcription during high-temperature injury in barley plants","volume":"278","author":"Oshino","year":"2007","journal-title":"Mol. Genet. Genom."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.24154\/jhs.v9i1.233","article-title":"Genotypic variability in tomato for total carotenoids and lycopene content during summer and response to post harvest temperature","volume":"9","author":"Shivashankara","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Hortic. Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"532","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2009.01.009","article-title":"Biosynthesis of salicylic acid in fungus elicited Catharanthus roseus cells","volume":"70","author":"Mustafa","year":"2009","journal-title":"Phytochemistry"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"369","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aob.a088037","article-title":"Salicylic acid levels in thermogenic and non-thermogenic plants","volume":"66","author":"Raskin","year":"1990","journal-title":"Ann. Bot."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"911","DOI":"10.1007\/s00709-014-0732-y","article-title":"Salicylic acid alleviates cadmium-induced inhibition of growth and photosynthesis through up-regulating antioxidant defense system in two melon cultivars (Cucumis melo L.)","volume":"252","author":"Zhang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Protoplasma"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ilyas, N., Mumtaz, K., Akhtar, N., Yasmin, H., Sayyed, R., and Khan, W. (2020). Exopolysaccharides producing bacteria for the amelioration of drought stress in wheat. Sustainability, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/su12218876"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ahanger, M.A., Aziz, U., Alsahli, A.A., Alyemeni, M.N., and Ahmad, P. (2019). Influence of exogenous salicylic acid and nitric oxide on growth, photosynthesis, and ascorbate-glutathione cycle in salt stressed Vigna angularis. Biomolecules, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/biom10010042"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lawlor, D.W., and Paul, M.J. (2014). Source\/sink interactions underpin crop yield: The case for trehalose 6-phosphate\/SnRK1 in improvement of wheat. Front. Plant Sci., 5.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2014.00418"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plantsci.2006.03.012","article-title":"Salicylic acid synthesized by benzoic acid 2-hydroxylase participates in the development of thermotolerance in pea plants","volume":"171","author":"Pan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"659","DOI":"10.1016\/S0176-1617(00)80228-X","article-title":"Effects of salicylic acid on oxidative stress and thermotolerance in tobacco","volume":"156","author":"Dat","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2014.03.026","article-title":"Alleviation of salt-induced photosynthesis and growth inhibition by salicylic acid involves glycinebetaine and ethylene in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)","volume":"80","author":"Khan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Plant Physiol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110206","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2020.110206","article-title":"Exogenous salicylic acid ameliorates heat stress-induced damages and improves growth and photosynthetic efficiency in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)","volume":"191","author":"Wassie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1007\/s10725-005-5482-6","article-title":"Effects of different treatments of salicylic acid on heat tolerance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity in seedlings of Cucumis sativa L","volume":"48","author":"Shi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Plant Growth Regul."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1078\/0176-1617-01239","article-title":"Thermotolerance and antioxidant systems in agrostis stolonifera: Involvement of salicylic acid, abscisic acid, calcium, hydrogen peroxide, and ethylene","volume":"161","author":"Larkindale","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sangwan, S., Shameem, N., Yashveer, S., Tanwar, H., Parray, J.A., Jatav, H.S., Sharma, S., Punia, H., Sayyed, R.Z., and Almalki, W.H. (2022). Role of salicylic scid in combating heat stress in plants: Insights into modulation of vital processes. Front. Biosci., 27.","DOI":"10.31083\/j.fbl2711310"},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"155","article-title":"Determination of total flavonoid content in Lycium by different colorimetric methods and their antioxidant activity comparative","volume":"46","author":"Mi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Food Res. Dev."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1204","DOI":"10.1104\/pp.113.231241","article-title":"Remarkable reproducibility of enzyme activity profiles in tomato fruits grown under contrasting environments provides a roadmap for studies of fruit metabolism","volume":"164","author":"Biasis","year":"2014","journal-title":"Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/eru343","article-title":"Metabolic effects of elevated temperature on organic acid degradation in ripening vitis vinifera fruit","volume":"65","author":"Sweetman","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rienth, M., Torregrosa, L., Sarah, G., Ardisson, M., Brillouet, J.M., and Romieu, C. (2016). Temperature desynchronizes sugar and organic acid metabolism in ripening grapevine fruits and remodels their transcriptome. BMC Plant Biol., 16.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12870-016-0850-0"},{"key":"ref_39","first-page":"58","article-title":"Analysis of primary metabolites in response to high-temperature stress in different strains of tall fescue","volume":"24","author":"Zhao","year":"2015","journal-title":"Acta Pratacult. Sin."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1105\/tpc.109.072231","article-title":"Malate plays a crucial role in starch metabolism, ripening, and soluble solid content of tomato fruit and affects postharvest softening","volume":"23","author":"Centeno","year":"2011","journal-title":"Plant Cell"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"861","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plantsci.2007.01.006","article-title":"Molecular aspects of the early stages of elicitation of secondary metabolites in plants","volume":"5","author":"Vasconsuelo","year":"2007","journal-title":"Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.1093\/pcp\/pcd001","article-title":"Jasmonate induction of putrescine N-methyltransferase genes in the root of Nicotinana sylvestris","volume":"41","author":"Shoji","year":"2000","journal-title":"Plant Cell Physiol."},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"809","article-title":"Different responses of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin to heat shock in Camptotheca acuminata seedlings","volume":"45","author":"Zu","year":"2003","journal-title":"Acta Bot. Sin."},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"2326","article-title":"Pharmacological action and pharmacokinetics of alkaloids in traditional Chinese medicine","volume":"24","author":"Han","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch. Tradit. Chin. Med."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1720","DOI":"10.4161\/psb.6.11.17613","article-title":"Influence of abiotic stress signals on secondary metabolites in plants","volume":"6","author":"Ramakrishna","year":"2011","journal-title":"Plant Signal. Behav."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fitote.2011.01.018","article-title":"Antioxidant and prooxidant properties of flavonoids","volume":"82","year":"2011","journal-title":"Fitoterapia"}],"container-title":["Current Issues in Molecular Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1467-3045\/48\/8\/836\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T04:10:17Z","timestamp":1787544617000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1467-3045\/48\/8\/836"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["cimb48080836"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/cimb48080836","relation":{},"ISSN":["1467-3045"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1467-3045","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]}}}