Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a very important vegetable crop widely cultivated throughout the world. In this study, we measured total anthocyanins and flavonols of onions of three colors. The fresh weight (FW) of total anthocyanins were (29.99±1.19), (9.64±1.30) and (0.75±0.40) mg 100 g^–1 fruit in red, yellow and white onions, respectively. Likewise, the FW of total flavonoids were (111.10±5.98), (36.64±3.59), and 0 mg 100 g^–1 in red, yellow and white, respectively. Four types of anthocyanins (delphinidin 3,5-diglycosides, cyanidin 3,5-diglycosides, cyanidin 3-glycosides and cyanidin 3-(6´´-malonyl)-glucopyranoside) and two kinds of flavonoids (quercetin and quercetin 3-glycosides) were identified in two varieties (red and yellow bulb) of onions by HPLC/DAD-ESI/MS. The total polyphenol contents were also measured by means of Folin-Ciocalteu method. Moreover, all the concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoids and polyphenols showed significantly positive correlations with antioxidant activities measured by DPPH˙, ABTS˙+ and FRAP assays. This study provided information on anthocyanin and flavonoids compositions that will be useful for onion breeding.

BrcERF-B3 gene, a member of ethylene-responsive factor family, was screened from a mutant plant in non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) by cDNA-AFLP technology. We got full length cDNA of two BrcERF-B3 genes by homology-based cloning from two materials and found that their nucleotide sequences were the same by sequencing. The BrcERF-B3 protein, belonging to the B3 subgroup of the ERF subfamily, shared a close relationship with B. rapa. RT-PCR result showed that BrcERF-B3 expressed only in mutant stamen rather than maintainer stamen. qRT-PCR results indicated that BrcERF-B3 expressed highly during reproductive growth development and in the early of mutant buds, suggesting BrcERF-B3 might be involved in the formation of abnormal flower in mutant. What’s more, the expression of BrcERF-B3 was more significant to ABA, MeJA and cold stresses in mutant than in maintainer and was down-regulated in NaCl treatment in two lines, implying BrcERF-B3 might be different roles in biotic and abiotic stresses.