India, a megadiverse nation, harbors significant biodiversity, particularly in tropical moist deciduous forests. However, these forests and valuable medicinal plants face habitat loss and overexploitation threats. While indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants exists, a comprehensive ethnomedicinal study still needs to be included, especially for Uttar Pradesh's Terai region. This study focuses on the Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven for medicinal plants within the Terai. We aim to document the knowledge of local healers regarding wild medicinal plants used in phytotherapy. We will employ quantitative indices and compare our findings with data from other regions to identify novel medicinal plant uses. This enriched database can serve as a springboard for future pharmacological research. Suhelwa's diverse geography and climate contribute to its rich medicinal flora, making it a prime candidate for exploring the potential of traditional knowledge for drug discovery and sustainable income generation for local communities.

Tribal healers and local practitioners possess knowledge about plant uses passed down through generations. However, habitat loss, unsustainable harvesting, and declining traditional knowledge threaten this valuable resource. India, a global biodiversity hotspot, is rich in medicinal plants. Documenting the traditional knowledge prevents it from being lost and ensures the preservation of this cultural heritage. Recording traditional practices helps bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine. This study quantifies the ethnomedicinal uses of plants within the Sohag Wildlife Sanctuary. The findings contribute to preserving traditional knowledge and promoting the sustainable use of medicinal plants. The study documented 95 medicinal plant species from 39 families, highlighting the importance of ethnomedicinal studies for preserving traditional knowledge and ensuring the sustainable use of medicinal plants. In the future, scientific studies can be organized to understand their efficacy, leading to developing new, potentially safer, and more effective medications. Identifying and documenting medicinal plants is crucial in safeguarding cultural heritage, fostering scientific discovery, and promoting sustainable healthcare practices.

The liver diseases are posing serious threat to human health associated with abusive use of allopathy medicines, especially in developing economies like Pakistan. The strengthening of detoxification system using natural products might be a suitable option to minimize the liver problems. In this current research, Zingiber officinale and Azadirachta indica were evaluated for their hepatoprotective role. For the purpose, 20 Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into four groups i.e., negative control, paracetamol positive control, 2.5% ginger and 2% neem powder, respectively. During 42 days study, the levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes significantly elevated due to liver damage. Although, the values dropped (20-25%) in treatment group. Serum glucose and serum lipid profile increased in positive control group, but reduced (5-10%) in both ginger and neem groups. The serum protein profile declined in liver damage group, however, improved (~5%) in treatment groups. The hematological parameters slightly declined in liver damage group, but increased in ginger and neem groups. Moreover, the white blood cells differential count and renal parameters showed abnormal values in liver damage group, but improved after treatment. This study is promising and highlighted the hepato-protective role of neem and ginger that may open several avenues of research.

This review article deals with the pathways of cellular and global molybdate distribution in plants, especially with a full overview for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In its oxidized state as bioavailable molybdate, molybdenum can be absorbed from the environment. Especially in higher plants, molybdenum is indispensable as part of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco), which is responsible for functionality as a prosthetic group in a variety of essential enzymes like nitrate reductase and sulfite oxidase. Therefore, plants need mechanisms for molybdate import and transport within the organism, which is accomplished via high-affinity molybdate transporter (MOT) localized in different cells and membranes. Two different MOT-families were identified. Especially legumes like Glycine max or Medicago truncatula have an increased numbers of MOT1-family members for supplying their symbionts with molybdate for nitrogenase activity. In Arabidopsis thaliana especially, the complete way of molybdate through the plant is traceable. Not only the uptake from soil by MOT1.1 and its distribution to leaves, flowers and seeds by MOT2-family members was identified, but also inside the cell the transport trough the cytoplasm and the vacuolar storage mechanisms depending on glutathione were described. Finally, supplying the Moco biosynthesis complex by MOT1.2 and MOT2.1 was demonstrated.

Spectacularly, particulate matter pollution influences human health by aggravating numerous diseases and causing premature deaths. In order to eliminate its concentration in the ambient air, plant species can act as natural bio-filters and capture, degrade, and metabolize air pollutants inside their foliage. In a study carried out at three sites with different pollution levels and plant types. The immobilization efficiency of Particulate Matter (PM) was investigated in the leaves of three species (shrub, climber, and herb) in the southwestern of Japan with a time gap of 14 days. Two healthy mature leaf samples of each specimen were carefully collected and analyzed using the gravimetric analytical method. A significant quantity of PM in three-size fractions with aerodynamic diameters ranging between (0.1-100 μm) was captured inside the leaf foliage of the analyzed species. Fine particles (2.5 -10 μm) dominated the highest portion of the PM deposition captured by the analyzed species with 70.6 μg.cm-2(39.5%). Shrub species represented with Elaeagnus pungens proved to be the most efficient species among the analyzed species. Leaf traits such as grooves, trichomes, roughness, and margin are considered key factors associated with positive PM deposition, whereas the total surface area of the leaves had no direct correlation to PM deposition.

Infusions of Camellia sinensis leaves have been known for their health benefits. The ABC method is a method of enriching organic infusion leaves (from Camellia. sinensis) with organic dry and concentrated extracts using organic acacia gum and its application to white tea has provided Qi cha tea®. In the present study, we assessed the content of tea polyphenols and caffeine, and biochemical properties of Qi cha tea® and its botanical constituents. Antioxidant and cell viability activities were determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay and MTT assay in Caco-2 and human HCT-116 cell lines, respectively. The caffeine, catechin, epicatechin composition of Qi cha tea® was modified with less caffeine and gallic acid and more EGCG than the original white tea. The majority of the tested botanical samples including Qi cha tea® at 50 µg/mL showed similar antioxidant activities, with the exception of Echinacea. The greatest effect was found for white tea. The antioxidant power of the Qi cha tea® (90% at 50 µg/mL for pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was divided by approximately a factor of 2 (61% at 50 µg/mL for pressurized liquid extraction products (PLEP)) which corresponds to the 48.3 % (mass/mass) white tea original content in the Qi cha tea®. Qi cha tea® showed the lowest activity in the viability of the two cell lines. The application of the ABC (Bio Concentrate Assets®) method to Qi cha tea® using various botanicals and dry extract with the acacia gum as blinder has allowed the development a new innovative functional health beverages which comply with European health claims.

The lockdown implemented to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on air quality. Globally, studies have shown that the air pollutants levels reduced temporally during the restriction measures. In this study, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the air quality of Western Macedonia, Greece, using the hourly concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 along with meteorological data from the Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) operated by the Lignite Center of Western Macedonia. In Western Macedonia, previous studies have identified that there is a general reduction in air pollutants levels during the last decade due to coal phase-out plan for power generation. During the lockdown the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 decreased further. However, reduced emissions from the local mining activities and lignite-fired power plant electricity generation, as well as the weather conditions seems to contribute to improving air quality.

Human disturbance, such as trampling, is an integral component of global change, yet we lack a comprehensive understanding of its effects on alpine ecosystems. Many alpine systems are seeing a rapid increase in recreation, and in understudied regions, such as the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, disturbance impacts on alpine plants remain unclear. We surveyed disturbed (trail-side) and undisturbed (off-trail) transects along elevational gradients of popular hiking trails in the T’aḵ’t’aḵ’múy̓in tl’a In̓inyáx̱a7n region (Garibaldi Provincial Park), Canada, focusing on dominant shrubs (Phyllodoce empetriformis, Cassiope mertensiana, Vaccinium ovalifolium) and graminoids (Carex spp). We used a hierarchical Bayesian framework to test for disturbance by elevation effects on total plant percent cover, maximum plant height and diameter (growth proxies), and buds, flowers, and fruits (reproduction proxies). We found that trampling reduces plant cover and impacts all species, but that effects vary by species and trait, and disturbance effects only vary with elevation for one species’ trait. Growth traits are more sensitive to trampling than reproductive traits, which may lead to differential impacts on population persistence and species level fitness outcomes. Our study highlights that disturbance responses are species-specific, and this knowledge can help land managers minimize disturbance impacts on sensitive vegetation types.

In recent years, the ecological and economic values of forest plants have been gradually recognized worldwide. However, the growing global demand for new forest plant varieties with higher wood production capacity and better stress tolerance cannot be satisfied by conventional phenotype-based breeding, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection. In the recent past, diverse omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have been developed rapidly, providing powerful tools for the precision genetic breeding of forest plants. Genomics lays a solid foundation for understanding complex biological regulatory networks, while other omics technologies provide different perspectives at different levels. Multi-omics integration has combined the different omics technologies, becoming a powerful tool for genome-wide functional element identification in forest plant breeding. This review summarizes the recent progress of omics technologies and their applications in the genetic studies of forest plants. It will provide forest plant breeders with an elementary knowledge of multi-omics techniques for future breeding programs.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important staple food and primary source of livestock feed in the world. As the consumption of maize grown on the selenium-enriched soils of Naore Valley is one of the apparent causes of selenosis in the area, this work collected and analyzed total Se, Se fractions, and Se species distributions in maize plant samples, including grains, leaves, stalks, roots, rhizosphere soils, and the most representative parent rock materials from Naore Valley, Ziyang County, China. The Se distribution in soils markedly correlated with the weathered Se-enriched bedrocks, but most of the Se in the analyzed soils is enclosed as recalcitrant residual Se and organic-sulfide bound Se. In contrast, Se in rocks had a comparatively higher bioavailability and is bounded mainly to organic matter and sulfides minerals, with very few of the Se enclosed in the residual fraction. Maize plants might take a large amount of Se from the organic-sulfide bound Se fraction in the Se-rich soils, the weathered products from bedrocks or plant litters. Total Se concentrations in the collected samples were observed in descending order soil>leaf>root>grain>stalk. The predominant Se species detected in maize plants was SeMet. Se inorganic forms, mainly Se(VI), decreased from root to grain and were possibly assimilated into organic forms. Se (IV) was barely present. The natural increases in Se concentration affected mainly leaf and root dry-weight biomass as they are the organs that coped with the highest Se accumulation. This paper offers an insight into the uptake, accumulation, and distribution of Se forms in natural Se-rich maize crops and an opportunity for shifting Se-rich soils from menaces to valuable resources for growing Se-rich agricultural products.

In the recent years, Cannabis and hemp-based products have become increasingly popular for various applications ranging from recreational use, edibles, beverages to health care products and medicines. The rapid detection and differentiation of phytocannabinoids is, therefore, essential to assess the potency, therapeutic and nutritional values of cannabis cultivars. Here, we implemented the SpiderMass technology for the in vivo detection of cannabidiol acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA) and other endogenous organic plant compounds to access distribution gradients within the plants and differentiate cultivars. The SpiderMass system is composed of an IR- laser handheld microsampling probe connected to the mass spectrometer through a transfer tube. The analysis was performed in situ on different plant organs from freshly cultivated Cannabis plants in only a few seconds. SpiderMass analysis easily discriminated the two acid phytocannabinoid isomers by MS/MS and the built statistical models differentiated between four Cannabis cultivars. Different abundancies of acid phytocannabinoids were also found along the plant as well as between different cultivars. All together, these results introduce the direct analysis by SpiderMass as a compelling analytical alternative for forensic and hemp industrial analysis.

The growing population meet the challenge for agricultural production. CRISPR/Cas9 technology is based on plant research for the development of the new varieties as well as disease resistance crops. In addition the deletion of significant characters makes the new alleles from the CRISPR/Cas9. Recent and reliable molecular scissor for genetic engineering. The review is focused on the various application of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant enhancement of plant disease resistance, stress burden in plant, nutritional improvement, and quality of crops from the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein9 (cas9) is adopted from the prokaryotic type II system. CRISPR/Cas9 is simplicity and efficiency than ZENs and TALENs for the genome engineering. Due to rapid growing of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been formulate the adaptation of many plant species. The current advancement of plants and future schemes of improve of CRISPR technology has been presented in contest of multiplex editing, knowledge on induced mutation whether the factor effect in CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant. Remarkable perspective and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in significance of plant genetic modification.

In strawberry production, the combination of high productive performance and fruits with desirable physicochemical characteristics requires the use of plants of good quality and high initial vigor. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of plants with different crown diameters on the productive performance and fruit quality of strawberry plants of the cultivar 'Pircinque.' The study was conducted in two evaluation cycles (2016/2017 and 2017/2018). The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four repetitions, and plots consisting of 20 plants. This study evaluated the crown diameters of plants of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 mm. The productivity and number of fruit values increased significantly with larger caliber plants, which also provided precocity of productivity. The use of more vigorous plants also favored the production of fruits with higher soluble solids / titratable acidity ratios and with epidermis coloration closer to intense red. For the cultivar 'Pircinque', the plant crown diameters between 15 and 17 mm are the most favorable because they condition the best productive performances in combination with precocity and good fruit quality.

The local climate effects of utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants have also attracted more and more attention with the rapid development of PV industry. Turbulent fluxes and intensity characteristics for the PV plant and the adjacent reference site are investigated in the gobi area in Wujianqu in Xinjiang. Results indicate that near surface boundary layer is more unstable during the daytime while is more stable at the night in the PV plant than the reference site. The average roughness is 0.089m and 0.041m for the PV plant and the reference site respectively. The turbulence intensity in the vertical direction (I_w) of the PV plant is higher than the reference site especially during the daytime. The turbulent kinetic energy of the PV plant during the daytime is lower than the reference site.The momentum in the PV plant is higher than the reference site, especially during the daytime. Compared to the reference site, the PV plant has higher sensible heat flux and less latent heat flux. Site specific turbulent intensity relationships were developed for the PV plant and the reference site by analyzing wind components as a function of stability parameter (z/L). The turbulent components of wind followed 1/3 power law in the unstable conditions and stable conditions in the PV plant and the reference site.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) pandemic, researchers have been trying to investigate several active compounds found in plants that have the potential to inhibit the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The present study aimed to evaluate bioactive compounds found in plants by using a molecular docking approach to inhibit the Main Protease (M^pro) and Spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. The evaluation was performed on the docking scores calculated using AutoDock Vina as a docking engine. A rule of five (RO5) was calculated to determine whether a compound meets the criteria as an active drug orally in humans. The determination of the docking score was done by selecting the best conformation of the protein-ligand complex that had the highest affinity (most negative Gibbs' free energy of binding / ΔG). As a comparison, nelfinavir (an antiretroviral drug), chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine sulfate (anti-malarial drugs recommended by the FDA as emergency drugs) were used. The results showed that hesperidin, nabiximols, pectolinarin, epigallocatechin gallate, and rhoifolin had better poses than nelfinavir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate as spike glycoprotein inhibitors. Hesperidin, rhoifolin, pectolinarin, and nabiximols had about the same pose as nelfinavir, but were better than chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine sulfate as M^pro inhibitors. These plant compounds have the potential to be developed as specific therapeutic agents against COVID-19. Several natural compounds of plants evaluated in this study showed better binding free energy compared to nelfinavir, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate which so far are recommended in the treatment of COVID-19. As judged by the RO5 and previous study by others, the compounds kaempferol, herbacetin, eugenol, and 6-shogaol have good oral bioavailability, so they are also seen as promising candidates for the development lead compounds to treat infections caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Within the family Solanaceae, Withania is a small genus belonging to the Solanoideae subfamily. Here, we report the de novo assembled, complete, plastomed genome sequences of W. coagulans, W. adpressa, and W. riebeckii. The length of these genomes ranged from 154,198 base pairs (bp) to 154,361 bp and contained a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 25,027--25,071 bp that were separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,675--85,760 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,457--18,469 bp. We analyzed the structural organization, gene content and order, guanine-cytosine content, codon usage, RNA-editing sites, microsatellites, oligonucleotide and tandem repeats, and substitutions of Withania plastid genomes, which revealed close resemblance among the species. Both the substitution and insertion and deletion analyses confirmed that the IR region was significantly conserved compared with the LSC and SSC regions. Further comparative analysis among the Withania species highlighted 30 divergent hotspots that could potentially be used for molecular marker development, phylogenetic analysis, and species identification.

Snakebite envenomation, cognized as a neglected tropical disease, is a dread public health concern with the most susceptible groups being herdsmen, the elderly, active farmers, hunters, fishers, firewood collectors, 10 to 14-year old working children and individuals with limited access to education and health care. Snakebites are fragmentarily documented in Uganda primarily because most occur in rural settings where traditional therapists end up being the first line defence for treatment. Ethnobotanical surveys in Uganda have unveiled that some plants are used to antagonize the activity of various snake venoms. This review was sought to compile the sporadic information on the vegetal species reported as antivenins in Uganda. Electronic data indicate that no study entirely reported on antivenin plants in Uganda. A total of 77 plant species belonging to 65 genera, distributed among 42 botanical families claimed as antiophidic in Uganda are used for treatment of snakebites. Majority of these species belong to family Fabaceae (30.9%), Euphorbiaceae (14.3%), Asteraceae (11.9%), Amaryllidaceae (9.5%) and Solanaceae (9.5%). The antiophidic species listed are shrubs (40.5%), trees (32.9%) and herbs (17.7%), usually found in the wild and uncultivated. Antivenin extracts are primarily prepared from roots and leaves, through decoctions, infusions, powders and juices and administered orally or topically. The most frequently encountered therapeutically important species are Allium cepa L., Carica papaya L., Securidaca longipedunculata Fres., Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv. and Nicotiana tabacum L. Baseline epidemiological data on snake envenomation and antivenin plants in Uganda remain incomplete due to inadequate research and diverse ethnic groups in the country. There is a dire need to isolate and characterize the bioactive compounds in the claimed plants to enable their adroit utilization in handling the plague of snake envenomation. More baseline data should be collected on snake ecology and human behaviour as well as antivenin plants in Uganda. Indigenous knowledge on the use of plant preparations in traditional medicine in Uganda is humongous, but if this is not quickly researched and appropriately documented, indications as to the usefulness of this vegetal treasure house will be lost in the not so distant future.

It is well known that working PV plants show several maintenance needs due to wiring and modules degradation, mismatches, dust and PV cells defects and faults. There are a wide range of studies that show the theoretical and some laboratory tests of how these circumstances may affect the PV production. Thus, it results mandatory to evaluate the whole PV plant performance and, then, it’s payback time, profitability and environmental impact or carbon footprint. However, very few studies include a systematic procedure to quantify and supervise the real degradation effects and faults impacts on the field. In this paper, the authors first conduct a brief review of the most frequent PV faults and degradation that can be found on real conditions operative PV Plants. Then, they propose and develop an innovative Geographic Information System application to locate and supervise them. The designed tool has been applied to either a large PV plant of 108 kWp and a small PV plant of just 9 kWp installed on a home rooftop. For the large PV plant, 24 strings of PV modules have been modelized and introduced into the GIS application and every module in the power plant has been studied including voltage, current, power, series and parallel resistance, fill factor, normalized PV curve to STC, thermography and visual analysis. For the small PV installation 3 strings of PV panels have been studied identically. It must be noticed that PV modules in this case include power optimizers. The precision of the study allows the researchers to locate and supervise up to a third part of every PV cell in the system, which are adequately georreferenciated. The developed tool allows both the researchers and the investors to increase control on the PV plant performance and conducts to a better planification of maintenance actuations and to evaluate several PV modules replacement strategies in a preventive maintenance programme. Found PV faults include hot spots, snail tracks, EVA discoloration, PV cells fractures, busbars discoloration, bubbles and Si discoloration.

Amuyo Ponds (AP) are a group of three hydrothermal lagoons located at 3,700 m above sea level, in a pre-Andean setting at the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green, red, or yellow coloration, and discharge waters rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya River (Camarones Basin, Arica and Parinacota Region, in northern Chile). Microorganisms at these ponds are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, and microbial composition and diversity in Amuyo Ponds sediments are unknown. Then, microbial life colonizing AP sediments was explored by metagenomics analyses. This approach showed a highly diverse microbial life dominated by members of the Bacterial Domain (nearly 800 bacterial genome sequences) and includes sequences associated to Archaea, Eukarya, and viruses. We also report putative functional capabilities related to virulence and defense genes, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Thirteen bacterial and fourteen virus metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and are here informed. This work expands our knowledge on the richness of microorganisms in AP and open further studies on the ecology and genomics of this striking Andean geosite.

Microplastics, pervasive in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, have emerged as significant contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). This review synthesizes recent studies from 2019 to 2024, revealing the complex mechanisms through which microplastics influence GHG production. These mechanisms include the adsorption of nutrients and pollutants onto microplastic surfaces and their role as substrates for microbial colonization. The impacts of microplastics vary significantly across different environments, such as agricultural soils and marine sediments. The review underscores the urgent need for standardized methodologies and long-term field studies to accurately assess the ecological consequences of microplastics. Notably, the role of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent GHG with a global warming potential nearly 300 times that of CO2, remains underexplored in the context of microplastic interactions, highlighting a critical research gap. Additionally, the synergistic effects of microplastics with other pollutants require further investigation to fully understand their cumulative impact on GHG emissions. This review calls for a coordinated effort among researchers and policymakers to advance our understanding of microplastics' role in global GHG budgets and to develop effective strategies for mitigating their environmental and climatic impacts.

Background: Early diagnosis of postoperative complications is an urgent task, allowing timely prescribing of appropriate therapy and reducing the cost of patient treatment. Prognostic models based on various data could help in the early diagnosis of postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine whether an integrated approach based on clinical data along with metabolites and biomarkers had greater predictive value than the models built on less data. Methods: The study included patients (n=62) admitted for planned cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass), who were retrospectively divided into two groups depending on the presence (n=26) or absence (n=36) of postoperative complications of all types. Clinical and laboratory data on the first day after surgery were analyzed. Additionally, patients' blood samples were collected before and on the first day after surgery to determine biomarkers (interleukin-6, procalcitonin, NT-proBNP, high-sensitivity troponin T) and metabolites (8 aromatic and 2 dicarboxylic acids were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Results: Patients before surgery, compared with healthy donors, differed in the concentration of metabolites (p < 0.05), and had concentrations of a number of biomarkers exceeding the corresponding reference values. Multivariate PLS-DA models, predicting the presence or absence of postoperative complications, were built using clinical data (ROC-AUC=0.71), concentrations of metabolites and biomarkers (ROC-AUC=0.60), and the entire data set (ROC-AUC=0.75). For comparison we built univariate models using the EuroScore2 (ROC-AUC=0.59) and SOFA (ROC-AUC=0.76) scales; concentrations of lactate (ROC-AUC=0.71), the dynamic changes of 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (ROC-AUC=0.69), and the sum of three sepsis-associated metabolites (ROC-AUC=0.70). The proposed complex model using entire data set was comparable to the SOFA scale, which confirms the expediency of searching for new predictive models based on a variety of factors.

The eutrophication of open water bodies, especially in coastal water area, has received intensive public focuses in recent years. Biological treatment of organic pollutants in industrial and domestic wastewater requires microbial flora to participate. The environmental impact of these microbes, particularly in regard to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity in coastal water, remains largely unknown. We initiate studies to examine antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial flora and study the mode of antibiotic spread in the coastal waters of Bohai Bay, North China by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The metabolic features of bacteria related to the presence of ARGs in the coastal area showed the enrichment of Pseudomonadale species with triple resistance properties (ampicillin, kanamycin and gentamycin) at the estuary site locating adjacent to a coastal sewage treatment plant where both type I and type II polyketide synthase genes and b-lactam type antibiotics are detected. Pseudomonadale order is phylogenetically belonged to Proteobacteria Phylum, Gamma-proteobacteria Class and contains Pseudomonadaceae family and Pseudomonas genus. QPCR analysis suggests that the percent occupation of Pseudomonadale species to total Proteobacteria in the examined stations is close to several sampling stations close to sewage treatment plants, where consistent release of organic wastes occurred.

The expanding global population has increased the demand for sustainable protein sources, and microbial protein (MP) has emerged as a promising alternative. However, conventional carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (ammonia, urea) sources needed for MP production pose environmental and economic issues. This study aims to produce protein using lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) as a carbon source and the nitrogen fixation ability of Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1 as a nitrogen source. The study investigates the pretreatment of LCB (switchgrass), enzymatic hydrolysis, protein quantification, and high-performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) analysis to track glucose utilization and organic acid production. K. oxytoca M5A1 harnessed free nitrogen from the atmosphere through nitrogen fixation and used abundant, cheap glucose from LCB to produce MP and organic acids as by-products. Protein production occurred in two phases: first within the initial 8 hours and secondly, within the last 16 hours. The highest protein concentration was at 40 hours, with approximately 68.3% protein content. HPLC analysis revealed a dynamic profile of glucose utilization and organic acids (Lactic acid, Propionic acid, Acetic acid, and Succinic acid). K. oxytoca M5A1 exhibited an early high rate of glucose consumption, and conversion to organic acids that were later used for second-phase protein production. The acids profile revealed intra-conversion from one acid to another via metabolic pathways (glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle). Overall, leveraging LCB and the nitrogen-fixing ability of K. oxytoca M5A1 for MP production offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional protein sources, contributing to a sustainable circular economy.

The intestinal microbial community of aquatic animals is closely related to the environment and thus affects the health of aquatic animals. Here we investigated annual variation of intestinal bacteria community structures of Ruditapes philippinarum cultured using two different methods, bottom sown and raft hanging. Bacterial diversity of seawater and sediment in different seasons was examined as well. Correlation between R. philippinarum intestinal bacteria community structures and environmental factors was analyzed. The results showed that in the two aquculture areas where R. philippinarum was differentially cultured, bacteria community structure of seawater and sediment both altered with seasons. However, neither seasonal changes nor difference in culture methods could significantly affect the intestinal bacteria community structures of R. philippinarum. Additionally, in terms of the alpha diversity of intestinal bacteria communities, there was no significant difference in R. philippinarum cultured using the two methods. For benthic cultured clams, alpha diversity of the intestinal bacterial communities was often higher than that of the environmental bacterial communities. For raft hanging cultured calms, Alpha diversity of the intestinal bacterial communities was normally comparable with that of the environmental counterparts. Beta diversity analysis showed that the intestinal bacterial community structure of R. philippinarum was mainly determined by both deterministic and stochastic processes. Correlation analysis showed that the intestinal bacterial community structures of R. philippinarum were determined by a variety of environmental factors. For clams collected from the benthic culture area, the intestinal bacterial structure was more correlated with the physicochemical properties of sediment in comparing with those of seawater. For clams collected from the raft-culture area, the intestinal bacterial structure was mainly determined by the phsicochemical characteristics of seawater. This study helps us to better understand the bacterial community structure in complex aquaculture ecosystems, providing a reference for healthy shellfish aquaculture and ecosystem protection in aquaculture area.

This paper explores the intricate world of microbial life, focusing on biofilm as a dynamic consortium of bacteria forming complex networks within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Analogous to a bacterial house, these structures provide both shelter and support, playing a pivotal role in the microbial realm with dual effects on human and environmental contexts. Biofilm's significance extends beyond its microcosmic architecture, positively contributing to heavy metal removal, electricity generation through microbial fuel cells, and structural remediation, while also posing threats with detrimental formations implicated in conditions from lung to urinary tract infections. Control of biofilm becomes imperative to unlock its positive attributes and mitigate potential negatives, serving as a cornerstone for environmental remediation, sustainable energy, and infrastructure maintenance. Employing a comprehensive bibliographic approach, this study identifies keywords, countries, and organizations influencing biofilm research, proposing innovative avenues like machine learning for future exploration. The aim is not only to contribute to existing knowledge but to pioneer cutting-edge strategies for biofilm optimization and challenge mitigation, shaping its trajectory towards sustainable applications across diverse fields.

The cycling of soil phosphorus (P) is inherently linked with soil organic carbon-iron (C-Fe) cycling, yet empirical integration of these processes within paddy soils remains scarce. In this study, we conducted a microcosm experiment using paddy soils subjected to six distinct fertilization regimes involving varying P inputs for five years. In addition to evaluating P activation under reflooding conditions, we assessed the Fe reduction process and characterized the properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) at the molecular level using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), alongside profiling the composition of soil microbial communities with high-throughput sequencing. Our findings revealed that after 25 days of reflooding, soil Olsen-P content increased by an average of 73% compared to its initial state, showing a strong correlation with the Fe reduction process. Specifically, treatments involving pig manure application exhibited higher Fe reduction rates and enhanced P activation, highlighting the role of organic matter in facilitating Fe reduction. Investigations on the relative abundance of typical iron-reducing microbes further supported their importance in P activation, but the rate of iron reduction is limited by soil organic matter content. Delving deeper into DOM properties, soil DOM composition profiling and network analysis suggested that high-molecular-weight DOM, particularly lignins, served as the primary resources driving Fe reduction by iron-reducing microbes, consequently promoting Fe reduction and P release. Taken together, our study assembled the C-Fe-P cycling dynamics in paddy soils, emphasizing the pivotal role of microbial-driven Fe reduction facilitated by soil DOM in P availability and subsequently sustainable agricultural practices.

Quinoa, known as the "golden grain" for its high nutritional value, is a significant source of essential nutrients, including proteins, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, phytosterols, and flavonoids. However, the biological functions of quinoa polysaccharides remain understudied. In this research, two crude quinoa polysaccharides extracts (Q-40 and Q-60) were obtained extracting by 40% and 60% alcohol. The purity of Q-40 and Q-60 was 58.29% and 62.15%, with protein contents of 8.27% and 9.60%, respectively. Monosaccharide analysis revealed that Q-40 contained glucose (Glc), galacturonic acid (GalA), and arabinose (Ara) in a molar ratio of 0.967:0.027:0.006. Q-60 was composed of xylose (xyl), arabinose (Ara), galactose, and galacturonic acid (GalA) with a molar ratio of 0.889:0.036:0.034:0.020. The average molecular weight of Q-40 ranged from 47484 to 626488 Da, while Q-60 showed a range of 10025 to 47990 Da. Rheological experiments showed that Q-40 exhibited higher viscosity, while Q-60 demonstrated more elastic properties. Remarkably, Q-60 showed potent antioxidant abilities, with scavenging rates of 98.49% for DPPH and 57.5% for ABTS. Antibacterial experiments using the microdilution method revealed that Q-40 inhibited the growth of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli, while Q-60 specifically inhibited MRSA. At lower concentrations, both polysaccharides inhibited MDA cell proliferation, but at higher concentrations, they promoted proliferation. Similar proliferation-promoting effects were observed in HepG2 cells. The research provides important information in application of quinoa in food and functional food industries.

The functioning of forest ecosystems depends on the taxonomic and ecological diversity of soil fungi. Urbanization is increasing worldwide and is regarded a major driver of environmental change altering local species assemblages in urban forest. We investigated whether the degree of urbanization and local forest characteristics affect the soil fungal community in 20 beech forests located along a rural–urban gradient in the city of Basel and its suburbs (Switzerland). We analyzed their soil fungal communities by DNA metabarcoding of the rDNA ITS2 region and related these data to local forest vegetation characteristics and soil properties. The number of fungal OTUs in the 20 forests examined ranged from 170 to 303. Richness, diversity and evenness of fungal OTUs were all significantly affected by the degree of urbanization, but in different ways. OTU richness was highest in forests in areas with a low degree of urbanization and lowest in forests in rural areas. In contrast, the diversity of OTUs increased with increasing degree of urbanization. Different fungal phyla and fungal guilds showed distinct patterns in their relative abundance along the rural-urban gradient. The degree of urbanization reduced the relative abundance of symbiotrophic fungi, but increased that of saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungi. Our results show that urbanization alters soil fungal community, which in turn can lead to changes in forest ecosystems.

Histidine is an essential amino acid with significant implications in human growth and neuromodulation. Its concentration within cells, when either elevated or reduced, can indicate different diseases. While various methods exist to measure increased histidine levels, there remains a significant lack of sensors capable of actively responding to histidine deficiency within cells and releasing strong signals. In this study, we exploited the high induction levels of the his operon in S. Typhimurium SL1344, a histidine auxotroph, within a histidine-deficient environment, to develop a specific bacterial sensor with sensitivity towards low histidine concentrations. The SL1344-pGEX sensor, with a high copy number, exhibited remarkable sensitivity and selectivity to histidine in the range of 0 to 50 μM. Notably, even a minute addition of histidine (approximately 2.5 μM) to the M9 medium led to observable fluorescence reduction, rendering it highly suitable for monitoring histidine-deficient cellular environments. This bacterial fluorescence sensor holds great potential for detecting changes in intracellular histidine concentrations during pathogenic bacterial infections and for assessing the impact of drugs on cellular metabolism.

Some biologically active compounds isolated from sea cucumbers stimulate the body’s immune response through activating immune cells. Immune function is closed related to the integrity intestinal barrier and balanced gut microbiota. However, it is unknown whether daily administration of holothurian wall hydrolysates (HWH) ameliorated intestinal dysbiosis and barrier injury induced by immunodeficiency. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effect and the underlying mechanism of HWH in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunocompromised mice. BALB/c mice received CTX (80 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) once a day for 3 days to induce immunodeficiency, and then oral administration of HWH (80 or 240 mg/kg), levamisole hydrochloride (LH, 40 mg/kg, positive control) respectively once a day for 7 days. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing for microbial composition alterations, histopathological analysis for splenic and colonic morphology, Western blotting for expressions of tight junction proteins (TJs), and quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR) for measurements of pro-inflammatory cytokines. HWH attenuated the immune organ damage induced by CTX, increased the secretions of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and promoted the recovery of goblet cells and the productions of TJs (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1) in the colon of the immunocompromised mice. Moreover, HWH promoted the growth of beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae, Christensenellaceae, and Bifidobacterium, while suppressed the populations of Ruminococcus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. These results demonstrate that HWH elicits intestinal mucosal immunity, repairs the damage to intestinal mucosal integrity, and normalizes the imbalanced intestinal microbial profiles in immunocompromised mice. It may be helpful to identify the biological activities of HWH, and supports the potential as new prebiotics, immunomodulatory agents, and medical additive for intestinal repair.

The present paper describes a study case of the failure investigation of Duplex stainless steel (UNS S31803) on the tube and tube sheet section of a shell and tube heat exchanger BEM TEMA type with seawater as the cooling medium. Although UNS S31803 offers high strength, high resistance to chloride-induced SCC, and high resistance to pitting attack in chloride environments, in this study case, the heat exchanger experienced some material degradation; 26 tubes were leaked and plugged on both sides, and scales plugged 76 tubes. The examination in this study case revealed the formation of biofilm inside the tubes, XRD examination revealed that the film contained aragonite (CaCO3), and by using microstructural examination on the inner surface of the tube, the austenite grains were preferentially attacked by crevice corrosion. In this case, the failure was caused by crevice corrosion, and crevice corrosion was enhanced by microbiological-induced corrosion (MIC). Recommendations to avoid similar failures are also suggested in this paper.

To meet the growing interest in the development of innovative biological nutrient removal (BNR) alternatives for energy neutrality, resource recovery, and decarbonization, the adsorption/bio-oxidation (A/B) process has been widely studied for carbon capture and shortcut nitrogen (N) removal, while limited research has focused on incorporating enhanced biological phosphorus (P) removal (EBPR), mainly due to the differential carbon usage characteristics of functionally relevant microorganisms. Here, a full-scale pilot testing with an integrated system combining A-stage high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) with B-stage partial (de)nitrification/anammox and side-stream EBPR (HRAS-P(D)N/A-S2EBPR) was conducted treating real municipal wastewater. The results demonstrated that, despite the low influent carbon load, the B-stage P(D)N-S2EBPR system achieved effective and stable P removal performance, especially when the volatile fatty acid (VFA) load from A-stage was elevated. Sludge fermentation in both A-stage and B-stage promoted carbon redistribution and likely provided more competitive advantages for ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and polyphosphate accumulating organisms, leading to carbon-efficient shortcut N removal mainly through partial nitrification pathway and influent carbon-independent EBPR simultaneously. Exposure to high VFA levels was considered a potential selection factor for the suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the system. The involvement of internal carbon-accumulating organisms would potentially play an important role in endogenous denitrification. This study provided new insights into the effects of incorporating side-stream EBPR into the A/B process on microbial ecology, metabolic activities, and system performance.

Predation is a driving force of organismal ecology and evolution. Predator-prey interactions, constrained by other environmental factors and historical contingency, shape physical and behavioral phenotypes of organisms on both sides of the interaction arrow. Yet despite the universality of trophic interactions in biology, study of the ecology and evolution of anti-predator defense is challenging because these interactions tend to be brief and unpredictable, and thus gathering direct evidence requires patience and serendipity. The evolution of prey defenses can be studied by DNA sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis, and the ecology can be studied by field observation and bringing tractable systems into the lab. However, animal models generally do not allow genetic manipulation, strict control of environmental variables, or detailed observation of evolution in real time, all of which are important for demonstrating evolutionary causes and consequences. Developing complementary microbial predator-prey systems can help overcome this hurdle. There is an extensive body of work on microbial experimental evolution, and many microbes come with well-characterized genomes and established methods for genetic manipulation. As understanding of microbial ecology and the mechanisms of their trophic interactions grows apace, these systems are poised to make valuable contributions to our understanding of how predator behaviors evolve, why certain anti-predator defenses evolve and not others, and how multiple defenses function together in a single defense portfolio. These systems will enable us to both test hypotheses formulated from the study of larger organisms and to propose new ones that can be tested in larger organisms with existing methods.

This study investigated the spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN) in Hongqipao reservoir dominated by different vegetation types and the possible relationships with other soil properties. Top 0–50cm soil samples were collected in sites dominated by different vegetation types within the reservoir littoral zone. There was high spatial variability for SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN in the Hongqipao reservoir. In addition, the SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents decreased with increasing soil depth. This could be attributed by the fact that when plants detritus decompose, most of their organic matter is mineralized and a new soil layer which contains a greater amount of organic carbon is formed at the top. According to Pearson's correlation values and redundancy analysis (RDA) results, SOC was significantly and positively correlated with TN likely because the vegetation organic matter and liter could be the main nitrogen sources. Similarly, soil moisture content (MC) was significant positive correlated with SOC and TN. Conversely, BD was significant negative correlated with SOC and TN contents in the 0-50 cm soil profiles. However, no significant correlations were observed between SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents and soil pH values. SMBN was significantly and positive correlated with C:N ratio and BD and negative related with MC. Multiple linear regression model revealed that all measures soil properties in this study could explain higher significant variability of the response variables (SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents). This implies that all the measured soil variables within the different vegetation types in the reservoir played a crucial role in determining the contents of SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN. This study further suggests that vegetation types play a major role in determining the spatial characteristics of SOC and TN. Any changes in the vegetation types in the reservoir may influence the distribution of SOC and TN. This may affect the global carbon budget and the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration significantly.

Groundwater contamination is an ever-growing environmental issue that has attracted much and undiminished attention for the past half century. Groundwater contamination may originate from both anthropogenic (e.g., hydrocarbons) and natural compounds (e.g., nitrate and arsenic); to tackle the removal of these contaminants, different technologies have been developed and implemented. Recently, bioelectrochemical systems (BES) have emerged as a potential treatment for groundwater contamination, with reported in situ applications that showed promising results. Nitrate and hydrocarbons (toluene, phenanthrene, benzene, BTEX and light PAHs) have been successfully removed, due to the interaction of microbial metabolism with poised electrodes, in addition to physical migration due to the electric field generated in a BES. The selection of proper BESs relies on several factors and problems, such as the complexity of groundwater and subsoil environment, scale-up issues, and energy requirements that need to be accounted for. Modeling efforts could help predict case scenarios and select a proper design and approach, while BES-based biosensing could help monitoring remediation processes. In this review, we critically analyze in situ BES applications for groundwater remediation, focusing in particular on different proposed setups, and we identify and discuss the existing research gaps in the field.

Ancient lakes are among the most interesting models for evolution studies, because their biodiversity is the result of a complex combination of migration and speciation. Here, we investigate the origin of single celled planktonic eukaryotes from the oldest lake in the world – Lake Baikal. By using 18S rDNA metabarcoding we recovered 1,427 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) belonging to protists populating surface waters (1-50 meters) and belonging to pico- and nano-plankton size fractions. The recovered communities resembled other lacustrine freshwater assemblages found elsewhere, especially the unclassified protists. However, our results suggest that a fraction of Baikal protists originated evolutionary recently from marine/brackish ancestors. Moreover, our results suggest that rapid radiation may have occurred among some protist taxa, partially mirroring what was already shown for multicellular organisms in Lake Baikal. We found potential species flocks in Stramenopiles, Alveolata, Opisthokonta, Archaeplastida, Rhizaria and Hacrobia. Putative flocks predominated in Chrysophytes, which are highly diverse in Lake Baikal. Some of the species, especially those from these flocks, may be endemic from Lake Baikal, because their 18S rDNA differed > 10% from known DNA. Overall, our study points to novel diversity of planktonic protists in Lake Baikal, some of which may have emerged in situ after evolutionary diversification.

In our tactic to construct bio-active molecules, a series of novel pyrimido[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-3,4-diones based heterocycles, were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial impacts. The exploratory bioassay results declared that, the majority of the evaluated compounds exhibited considerable anti-microbial activity comparable to the reference drugs. Conjugates 15j, 15f, 15i, 15h, 15g and 15a were found to be the most potent antibacterial, indicating that conjugates bearing electron-attracting substituents exhibited higher potency than these with electron-releasing substituents.

Increased attention has been paid to the influence of coal mining subsidence on ecological environment. Restoration of ecosystem in damaged mining area is critical for restoring disturbed environment. The comparing of plant communities and microbial communities in the artificial restoration and natural restoration areas provides an effective method for evaluating the restoration effects. However, such studies are limited in coal mining subsidence restoration areas. Subsidence area in Shendong mining area, located in the semi-arid region of Western China, was restored from 2003 with 5 ecological restoration plant species. In July 2017, the comparison and analysis of plant and microbial communities were conducted at the artificial restoration areas (AR) and the natural remediation areas (NR). The results showed that the artificial ecological restoration in Shendong mining area has achieved some success, but it has not recovered to a similar ecosystem before the destruction. A higher plant species, coverage and bacterial community diversity were observed in AR. However, these features have lower similarity compared with those in NR sites. Potential soil factors, such as pH, moisture content, total carbon content, organic matter, nitrogen and bulk density, have a greater impact on soil bacterial community structure and diversity. In the ecological restoration of the mining area, attention should be paid to the restoration of soil properties in the mining area. This study can provide theoretical guidance for more scientific ecological restoration in the damaged mining area.

The pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a model organism able to synthesize industrially-relevant molecules. Commercial-scale cultivation currently requires large monocultures, prone to bio-contamination. However, little is known about the identity of the invading organisms. To reduce the complexity of natural systems, we systematically investigated the microbiome of non-axenic P. tricornutum cultures from a culture collection in reproducible experiments. The results revealed a dynamic bacterial community that developed differently in “complete” and “minimal” media conditions. In complete media, we observed an accelerated “culture crash”, indicating a more stable culture in minimal media. The identification of only four bacterial families as major players within the microbiome suggests specific roles depending on environmental conditions. From our results we propose a network of putative interactions between P. tricornutum and these main bacterial factions. We demonstrate that, even with rather sparse data, a mathematical model can be reconstructed that qualitatively reproduces the observed population dynamics, thus indicating that our hypotheses regarding the molecular interactions are in agreement with experimental data. Whereas the model in its current state is only qualitative, we argue that it serves as a starting point to develop quantitative and predictive mathematical models, which may guide experimental efforts to synthetically construct and monitor stable communities required for robust upscaling strategies.

This study investigated the effects of soil crust development on the underlying soil properties. The field sampling work was conducted in June 2016 in the Hobq Desert in Inner Mongolia, North China. Soil crust samples and 0–6, 6–12, 12–18, 18–24, 24–30 cm deep underlying soil samples were taken from five representative areas of different soil crust development stages. All samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties including water content, bulk density, aggregate content, organic matter content, enzyme activities, and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that the thickness, water content, macroaggregate (>250 μm) content, organic matter content, microbial biomass and enzyme activities of the soil crusts gradually increased along the soil crust development gradient, while the bulk density of the soil crusts decreased. Meanwhile, the physicochemical and biological properties of the soils below the algal and moss crusts were significantly ameliorated when compared with the physical crust. Moreover, the amelioration effects were significant in the upper horizons (approx. 0–12 cm deep) and diminished quickly in the deeper soil layers.

Before the Bronze age, when agricultural practices spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, the diet of natives was based on hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants. On spite of modern agriculture, the popular gathering of wild species for medical use, feeding, craftwork, etc. for centuries, has left a deep knowledge on the use of many of those species. Of the 6.176 Angiosperms native to the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, over 200 species were introduced into cultivation from the Neolithic outside the Iberian Peninsula. The name of 30 of the progenitors still popularly used as food, are listed in this paper, together with the name of the derived crops. Special attention is paid to five wild species, including their composition and pharmacological properties, collected as food from ancient times, that in response to their great demand, have been recently introduced into cultivation in Spain and are now harvested and commercialized as new crops.

Bioprospecting native Australian plants offers potential discovery of latent and novel bioactive compounds. Promising cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of Pittosporum angustifolium and Terminalia ferdinandiana led to further fractionation and isolation using our laboratory’s bioassay guided fractionation protocol. Hence, the aim of this study was to further evaluate the bioactivity of the fractions and subfractions and characterize bioactive compounds using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography MS (GC-MS). Compounds tentatively identified in P. angustifolium Fraction 1 using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS were chlorogenic acid and/or neochlorogenic acid, bergapten, berberine, 8’-epitanegool and rosmarinic acid. GC-MS analysis data showed the presence of around 100 compounds, mainly comprising of carboxylic acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, amino acids, and monoalkylglycerols. Furthermore, the fractions obtained from T. ferdinandiana flesh extracts showed no cytotoxicity, except against HT29 cell lines, and only Fraction 2 exhibited some antibacterial activity. The reduced bioactivity observed in the T. ferdinandiana fractions could be attributed to the potential loss of synergy as compounds become separated within the fractions. As a result, further fractionation, and separation of compounds in these samples were not pursued. However, additional dose-dependent studies are warranted to validate the bioactivity of T. ferdinandiana flesh fractions, particularly since this is an understudied species. Moreover, LC-MS/GC-MS studies confirm the presence of bioactive compounds in P. angustifolium Fraction 1/subfractions which helps to explain the significant acute anti-cancer activity of this plant. The screening process designed in this study has the potential to pave the way for developing scientifically validated phytochemical/bioactivity information on ethnomedicinal plants, thereby facilitating further bioprospecting efforts, and supporting the discovery of novel drugs in modern medicine.

Pathogens, especially invasive species, have caused significant global ecological, economic, and social losses in forests. Plant disease research has traditionally focused on direct interactions between plants and pathogens in an appropriate environment. However, recent research indicates that the microbiome can interact with the plant host and pathogens to modulate plant resistance or pathogen pathogenicity, thereby altering the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. Thus, this presents new opportunities for studying the microbial management of forest diseases. Compared to parallel studies on human and crop microbiomes, research into the forest tree microbiome and its critical role in forest disease progression has lagged. The rapid development of microbiome sequencing and analysis technologies has resulted in the rapid accumulation of a large body of evidence regarding the association between forest microbiomes and diseases. These data will aid the development of innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable methods for the microbial management of forest diseases. Herein, we summarize the most recent findings on the dynamic structure and composition of forest tree microbiomes in belowground and aboveground plant tissues (i.e., rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere), as well as their pleiotropic impact on plant immunity and pathogen pathogenicity, highlighting representative examples of biological control agents used to modulate relevant tree microbiomes. Lastly, we discuss the potential application of forest tree microbiomes in disease control as well as their future prospects and challenges.

The status of vegetation and the impacts of mammalian herbivores on rangelands are complex, and such studies in Kenya are scanty. We investigated the dynamics of ground cover vegetation in Hell’s Gate National Park in relation to mammalian herbivory. Removal of palatable vegetation is postulated to enhance the development of invasive plant species. We investigated the influence of mammalian herbivores on vegetation diversity and dynamics in this rangeland. Three sampling blocks approximately 3 Km apart measuring 100 m x 50 m were established, each divided into three belt-transects (100 m x 10 m), and separated by a 10 m buffer zone. 2 m by 2 m quadrats at 20 m intervals were established in each transect. We measured composition the richness of plant and mammal species, and herbivory levels four times for six months (September 2018 to February 2019). Plant cover (P< 0.001) and species diversity (P< 0.001) differed significantly among sampling blocks and between seasons (P< 0.001). Non-metric multidimensional scaling of plant species and herbivores showed co-occurrence of Zebras with Sida tenuicarpa and giraffes with Solanum incunum. We conclude that the removal of preferred plants through herbivory may be giving an edge to invasive species in the park.

Despite the global richness of food plants, only a small portion is used as food for humans. Although most wild food plants (WFPs) are underutilized as food, they can contribute to food security and biocultural conservation through sustainable management. The goal of this research was to identify the best terminological presentation of a novel food product and to understand the influences of the expectations on products with WFP. This research was conducted using an online questionnaire with a final national sample of 724 people. The participants answered questions about their socioeconomic profile, food neophobia, prior knowledge, and expectations regarding the taste and appropriateness of native fruit juices. The questions were randomized so that a person would not receive the same picture or product name more than once. The results show that taste expectancy decreases in relation to products associated with WFP names and forest environments. Food neophobia is the variable that influences expectations the most. To ensure biocultural conservation and cultural valuation, WFP popularization programs should maintain the original (popular) name of the species. However, to help more distant consumers develop familiarity, the flavor, shape, color, or texture of these products can be associated with those of conventional plants.

Cancer is a complex disease, considered a major public health problem worldwide. Among the types of cancer, melanoma, and leukemias present high mortality rates in Brazil and worldwide. Currently, conventional cytotoxic treatments cause severe side effects by the non-selectivity between normal cells and cancer cells. Therefore, molecules of natural origin with more efficient anticancer properties and that present fewer adverse effects are of extreme importance for cancer therapy and improvement in patients’ quality of life. This study isolated, identified, and characterized the chemical structure of a new anthraquinone present in the extract of the roots of Senna velutina. In addition, we sought to evaluate the anticancer potential of this molecule against melanoma and leukemic cell lines and identify the pathways of cell death involved. To this end, a novel anthraquinone was isolated from the barks of the roots of S. velutina, analyzed by HPLC-DAD, and its molecular structure was determined by NMR. Subsequently, their cytotoxic activity was evaluated by the MTT method against non-cancerous, melanoma, and leukemic cells. The migration of melanoma cells was evaluated by the scratch assay. By flow cytometry technique, the apoptosis process, caspase-3 activation, analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential, and measurement of ROS were evaluated. In addition, the pharmacological cell death inhibitors NEC-1, RIP-1, BAPTA, Z-VAD, and Z-DEVD were used to confirm the related cell death mechanisms. With the results, it was possible to elucidate the novel compound characterized as 2'-OH-Torosaol I. In normal cells, the compound showed no cytotoxicity in PBMC but reduced the cell viability of all melanoma and leukemic cell lines evaluated. 2'-OH-Torosaol I inhibited chemotaxis of B16F10-Nex2, SK-Mel-19, SK-Mel28 and SK-Mel-103. The cytotoxicity of the compound was induced by apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, increased levels of reactive oxygen species, and activation of caspase-3. In addition, the inhibitors demonstrated the involvement of necroptosis and CA+ in the death process and confirmed caspase-dependent apoptosis death as one of the main programmed-cell death pathways induced by 2'-OH-Torosaol I. Taken together, the data characterize the novel anthraquinone 2'-OH-Torosaol I, demonstrating its anticancer activity and potential application in cancer therapy.

Myrtus communis L., commonly known as true myrtle, is a medicinal plant native to the Mediterranean area. Since ancient times inhabitants of this area have been using it for its cultural and medicinal properties. Due to the high content of essential oil in its flowers, leaves and fruits, M. communis is an important medicinal and aromatic species from Myrtaceae family. Because of the presence of vast diversity of biomolecules in its aerial parts, it exhibits several biological properties of antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer. There has been increasing scientific interest in the field to understand the pleotropic effects of its extracts or essential oils on various ailments and diseases. This purpose of this review is to summarizes the chemical composition, traditional uses, and biological activities of M. communis L. leaves documented in numerous recent studies.

Non-timber forest products (NTFP) have contributed in various ways to the living, livelihoods, and trading of households and communities who live in rural and urban areas all over the world. This paper analyses the value chain of Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) in the Cao Bang Geopark, Vietnam. 106 actors were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire: experts (agricultural extension officers, farmers' associations), harvesters, traders, primary processors, processors, distributors, and consumers. The results show that a map of Jiaogulan value chain, value added of households in main market channels, and impact of value added and distribution of Jiaogulan products on household income.

With the continuing development of sequencing technology, genomics has been applied in a variety of biological research areas. In particular, the application of genomics to marine species, which boast a high diversity, promises great scientific and industrial potential. Significant progress has been made in marine genomics especially over the past few years. Consequently, BGI, leveraging its prominent contributions in genomics research, established BGI-Qingdao, an institute specifically aimed at exploring marine genomics. In order to accelerate marine genomics research and related applications, BGI-Qingdao initiated the International Conference on Genomics of the Ocean (ICG-Ocean) to develop international collaborations and establish a focused and coherent global research plan. Last year, the first ICG-Ocean conference was held in Qingdao, China, during which 47 scientists in marine genomics from all over the world reported on their research progress to an audience of about 300 attendees. This year, we would like to build on that success, drafting a report on marine genomics to draw global attention to marine genomics. We summarized the recent progress, proposed future directions, and we would like to enable additional profound insights on marine genomics. Similar to the annual report on plant and fungal research by Kew Gardens, and the White Paper of ethical issues on experimental animals, we hope our first report on marine genomics can provide some useful insights for researchers, funding agencies as well as industry, and that future versions will expand upon the foundation established here in both breadth and depth of knowledge.This report summarizes the recent progress in marine genomics in six parts including: marine microorganisms, marine fungi, marine algae and plants, marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates and genomics-based applications.

The analysis of methods of cleaning and processing of saponite-bearing technogenic waters of diamond mining enterprises of the Arkhangelsk region is carried out. The perspective of the electrochemical separation method for extracting saponite from man-caused waters, providing a targeted change in its structural-texture, physico-chemical and mechanical properties, is shown. The possible directions of realization of saponite and products of its modification in various branches of industry are considered.

Vitamin D has previously been quantified in some plants and algae, particularly in leaves of the Solanaceae family. We measured the vitamin D content of Australian native food plants and Australian-grown edible seaweed. Using liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, 13 samples (including leaf, fruit and seed) were analysed in duplicate for vitamin D₂, vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃. Five samples contained vitamin D₂: raw wattleseed (Acacia victoriae) (0.03 µg/100 g dry weight (DW)); fresh and dried lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaves (0.03 and 0.24 µg/100 g DW, respectively); dried leaves and berries of Tasmanian mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata) (0.67 and 0.05 µg/100 g DW, respectively). Fresh kombu (Lessonia corrugata) contained vitamin D₃ (0.01 µg/100 g DW). Detected amounts were low; however, it is possible that exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the vitamin D content of plants and algae if vitamin D precursors are present.

Cestodes are etiological agents of neglected diseases such as echinococcosis and cysticercosis, which are major public health problems. Antiparasitic treatment relies on a small number of approved drugs, which are often only partially effective, poorly tolerated and require prolonged administration. Thus, the discovery of novel potential treatments is critical. The Stevia genus (Asteraceae) includes species that are associated with medicinal uses and are considered a source of bioactive compounds. Here, we analyzed four South American Stevia species that have previously demonstrated antiprotozoal properties. The effect of dichloromethane extracts of these species was determined by motility assays on Mesocestoides vogae, a laboratory model of cestodes. Stevia alpina showed the highest anthelmintic potential followed by S. maimarensis and S. multiaristata, while S. aristata was the least active. The sesquiterpene lactones estafietin and eupatoriopicrin were purified from S. alpina and S. maimarensis, respectively. Estafietin showed cestocidal activity, inhibiting parasite viability in a dose-dependent manner, even from the first day of incubation. Consistent with the motility effects, the extract of S. alpina and estafietin induced major alterations on the morphology of the parasite. The results of this report show that Stevia species represent a source of new molecules with potential for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases caused by cestodes.

We conducted a study exploring the potential of the medicinal plant Ziziphus spina-christi as a source of antimicrobial compounds. With the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, we were particularly interested in evaluating plant-derived natural products for their ability to fight infections. We collected Z. spina-christi leaves from four different regions in Sudan and extracted them with ethanol. Our phytochemical screening revealed the presence of several secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, triterpenes, sterols, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and reducing sugars. Alkaloids and anthraquinones were not detected. We then tested the ethanolic extracts for antimicrobial activity against a range of bacterial and fungal pathogens using the agar well diffusion method. Interestingly, we observed significant differences between the extracts from different locations. The extract from Khartoum city exhibited the highest antimicrobial potency, followed by the extracts from Al-Rahad, Al-Hidiba, and finally Al Damazin. Based on these findings, we concluded that Z. spina-christi leaves contain a diverse array of phytochemicals with potential medicinal applications. The variation in antimicrobial effects between the extracts may be attributed to environmental factors influencing the plant's chemical composition. Further research is warranted to identify the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the observed antimicrobial activities. This could pave the way for the development of plant-based antimicrobial agents to combat drug-resistant pathogens and alleviate the global public health crisis posed by the rise of antibiotic resistance.

The review explores the therapeutic potential of mangrove plants as sources of bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on their anti-inflammatory properties. Mangroves, found in tropical and sub-tropical tidal coasts, exhibit unique ecological and biological activities. The review compiles and examines 136 research findings published between 1982 and 2018, with 41 studies specifically addressing the anti-inflammatory properties of mangroves in Indian coastal regions, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It summarizes the chemical structures, molecular weights, formulas, solvents, and biological activities of these mangroves, as reported by various researchers over time. The data underscore the significant potential of tropical Indian mangroves in anti-inflammatory applications. However, a notable research gap exists regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from mangrove species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands compared to other regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Puducherry. Overall, the compilation provides valuable insights into mangrove-based studies for drug discovery research, emphasizing the need for further exploration and exploitation of these natural resources.

This study examined if people who reside in different regions of South Korea exhibit different WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions from coal power plants by restricting the operation of such plants during the winter and spring when air pollution becomes severe. A contingent valuation method combined with a double bounded dichotomous choice was used to derive people’s WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions. Sample group was divided into central, western, eastern, and southern regions. It is known that the eastern region is affected by northwesterly winds in the winter and spring seasons, so air pollutants in the eastern areas fly to the eastern sea. According to the estimation results, respondents who live in eastern regions showed significantly lower WTP than the average WTP. We suggest that the mitigation policy on PM2.5 emissions should consider regional differences in the contributions of coal power plants to PM2.5 emissions.

Ferns and lycophytes, now known as monilophytes, have received scant molecular attention in comparison to angiosperms. The advent of high-throughput technologies allowed an advance towards a greater knowledge of their elusive genomes. In this work, proteomic analyses of heart-shaped gametophytes of two ferns were performed: the apomictic species Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and its sexual relative Dryopteris oreades. In total, a set of 218 proteins shared by these two gametophytes were analyzed using the STRING database, and the proteome associated with metabolism, genetic information processing, and responses to abiotic stress is discussed. Specifi-cally, we report proteins involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleotides, the biosynthesis of amino acids, and secondary compounds, energy, oxido-reduction, transcrip-tion, translation, protein folding, sorting and degradation, and responses to abiotic stress. Look-ing at the interactome of this set of proteins, it represents a total network composed of 218 nodes and 1,792 interactions, obtained mostly from databases and textmining. The interactions among the identified proteins of the ferns D. affinis and D. oreades, together with the description of their biological functions, might contribute to a better understanding of the function and develop-ment of ferns as well as to fill knowledge gaps in plant evolution.

Ferns and fern-allies, now known as Monylophytes, have received scant molecular attention, in relation to angiosperm group. The advent of high-throughput technologies allows to advance towards a greater knowledge of their elusive genome. In this work, samples of apogamous and sexual heart-shaped gametophytes from two ferns: the apomictic species Dryopteris affinis ssp. af-finisand its sexual relative Dryopteris oreades were extracted and identified. In total, a set of 218 proteins shared by these gametophytes were analysed by using the STRING database, and the proteome associated to metabolism, genetic information processing and responses to abitotic stress is discussed. Specifically, there are reported proteins involved in metabolism of carbohy-drates and lipids, biosynthesis of amino acids, metabolism of nucleotides, energy, and secondary compounds, oxido-reduction, transcription, translation, folding, sorting, and degradation, and response to abiotic stress. Some homologs of proteins found are MACCI-BOU (MAB1), MOSAIC DEATH 1 (MOD1), MAINTENANCE OF PHOTOSYSTEM II UNDER HIGH LIGHT 2 (MPH2), TRANSPARENT TESTA 5 (TT5), ALBINO OR GLASSY YELLOW 1 (AGY1), LEUCYL AMINOPEP-TIDASE 1 and 3 (LAP1 and LAP3), or LOW EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENES 1 (LOS1). The interactome of the set of proteins was also studied, being the most common interac-tions database and textmining. All these data about the interactions that exist between the stud-ied proteins of the ferns D. affinis and D. oreades, together with the description of their biological function, might contribute to better understand the functioning and development of ferns as well as to fulfil gaps of knowledge in plant evolution.

pH is the major factor that makes producers in aquaponics frustrated, since the main three organisms (aquatic animal, plant, and microbes) in the system with different preferences. Yet, amending the growing environment with additional C is a potential method to improve the growth of shrimp and plants as well as the establishment of microbe. A detailed study of the effects of pH and additional C on aquaponics under saline conditions has not been investigated. In this study, the effect of pH and additional C on the growth performance of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and five edible plants in marine aquaponic systems using the nutrient film technique (NFT) was evaluated. The results indicated that at both pH 6.5 treatments, plants grew better; nevertheless, the growth performance of plants in pH 7.5 with additional C was improved and showed a similar yield to lower pH treatments. On the other hand, shrimp growth was little affected by pH and additional C. A higher impact of imbalanced ionic composition on shrimp performance may have contributed to this trend. Hence, we suggest that only if the ionic composition is managed can make RO water a suitable source of water for shrimp-based aquaponic. In spite of this, more research is required.

In recent years, there is a growing concern about the alarming spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in different environments. Increasingly, many species of bacteria, fungi and viruses are becoming immune to the most commonly used pharmaceuticals. One of the causes of the development of the resistance is the persistence of these drugs, excreted by humans, in municipal and hospital wastewater (WW). Consequently, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a primary source of antimicrobial resistance genes as novel pollutants. This systematic review sought to examine the relevant literature on pharmaceutical residues (PRs) responsible for AMR in municipal and hospital WW in order to propose a classification of the PRs of greatest concern and provide an updated source for AMR management in WWTPs. Among 546 studies collected from four databases, 18 were included in the present review. The internal and external validity of each study was assessed, and the risk of bias was evaluated on a 20-parameter basis. Results were combined in a narrative synthesis discussing influents and effluents PR concentrations at 88 WWTPs, seasonal variations, differences between hospital and municipal WW, environmental risk assessment values of antimicrobial substances and treatment facilities removal efficiencies. Among the 45 PRs responsible for AMR evaluated in this study, the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, metronidazole, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim constitute a considerable risk in terms of ubiquitous distribution, worrying concentrations, risk quotients values, and resistance to removal treatments. Gaps in knowledge, data and information reported in this review provide a valuable source for managing AMR in WWTPs.

In this paper a novel and flexible solution for fault prediction based on data collected from Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is presented. Generic fault/status prediction is offered by means of a data driven approach based on a self-organizing map (SOM)and the definition of an original Key Performance Indicator (KPI). The model has been assessed on a park of three photovoltaic (PV) plants with installed capacity up to 10 MW, and on more than sixty inverter modules of three different technology brands. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective in predicting incipient generic faults in average up to 7 days in advance with true positives rate up to 95%. The model is easily deployable for on-line monitoring of anomalies on new PV plants and technologies, requiring only the availability of historical SCADA data, fault taxonomy and inverter electrical datasheet.

The research objectives were (1) to examine the determinants of community empowerment towards the revegetation of Arjuna mount forests; (2) assessing the influence of geography and soil conditions on the revegetation of Arjuna mount forests; (3) reviewing the effect of Arjuna mount forest revegetation on the preservation of spring water sources and (4) formulate a model of community empowerment around the forest based on revegetation of Arjuna mount and preservation of the area around the springs. The method used was descriptive method. While based on the techniques and tools used to research, the author uses the survey method to obtain facts that occur in the research area, namely in the area around the spring of the Kedunglarangan and Gumandar Prigen watersheds, Pasuruan Regency. Data obtained in the field are then processed and analyzed using GIS, ArcView 3.3 and Google Earth programs. The study population covering the community around the forest and springs, who lived in three villages, namely Leduk, Jatiarjo and Dayurejo village, Pasuruan, East Java-Indonesia. Data obtained from respondents with questionnaires and analyzed using SEM (structural equation modeling), to find out a general description of respondents' responses about community participation in the preservation of Arjuna mount forest. The results showed that (1) human resources, economic, social, local institutional factors, facilities and infrastructure had a very significant effect on forest revegetation; (2) geography and land variables have a significant effect on forest revegetation; (3) forest revegetation variables have a significant effect on the preservation of springs; and (4) The development of human resources, economic, local institutional, facilities and infrastructure in the community around the forest was a relevant model for the success of forest revegetation and the preservation of springs in Arjuna mount.

Plants and its corresponding botanical preparations have been used for centuries due to their remarkable potentialities in both treatment and prevention of numerous affections. Hundreds of biologically active constituents are present in each whole plant matrice, working in synergism and conferring both its own protection against invaders and even providing promissory bioactive effects for human beings. The worldwide population has devoted increasing attention and preference by medicinal plants use for health promotion and disease prevention, and more recently for oxidative-stress related disorders protection. Indeed, oxidative stress-related disorders, like cardiovascular and (neuro) degenerative disorders, and even cancer have raised exponentially. Although oxidative stress is in itself intrinsic to our own metabolism, allarming sources of free radicals are daily affecting us. In fact, plant-derived bioactives present a broad spectrum of biological effects, and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and more recently anti-aging effects have been considered a hot topic among the medical and scientific community. Nonetheless, and although its numerous biological effects, it should not also be forgotten that some bioactive molecules are prone to oxidation and can even exert pro-oxidant effects. In this sense, the objective of the present review is to provide a detailed overview on plant-derived bioactives in oxidative stress-related disorders. Specifically, the role of phytochemicals as antioxidants and pro-oxidant agents is carefully addressed, as is its therapeutic relevance in disease prevention. Finally, an eye-opening look in overall evidence in humans is also ensured.

In this paper, an improved system to efficiently utilize the low-temperature waste heat (WHUS) from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants is proposed based on heat cascade. The essence of the proposed system is that the waste heat of exhausted flue gas is not only used to preheat air for assisting coal combustion as usual but also to heat up feedwater and the low-pressure steam extraction. Preheated by both the exhaust flue gas in the boiler island and the low-pressure steam extraction in the turbine island, thereby part of the flue gas heat in the air preheater can be saved and introduced to heat the feedwater and the high-temperature condensed water. Consequently, part of the high-pressure steam is saved for further expansion in the steam turbine, which obtains additional net power output. Based on the design data of a typical 1000 MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in China, in-depth analysis of the energy-saving characteristics of the optimized WHUS and the conventional WHUS is conducted. When the optimized WHUS is adopted in a typical 1000 MW unit, net power output increases by 19.51 MW, exergy efficiency improves to 45.46%, and net annual revenue reaches 4.741 million USD. In terms of the conventional WHUS, these aforementioned performance parameters are only 5.83 MW, 44.80% and 1.244 million USD, respectively. The research of this paper can provide a feasible energy-saving option for coal-fired power plants.

The terrestrial subsurface harbors unique microbial communities that play important biogeochemical roles and allows studying a yet unknown fraction of the Earth’s biodiversity. The Saint-Leonard cave in Montreal city (Canada) is of glaciotectonic origin. Its speleogenesis traces back to the withdrawal of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, 13 000 years ago, during which the moving glacier dislocated the sedimentary rock layers. Our study is the first to investigate the microbial communities of the cave. By using amplicon sequencing, we analyzed the taxonomic diversity and composition of bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotes communities living in the groundwater (0.1µm- and 0.2µm-filtered water), in the sediments and in surface soils. We identified a microbial biodiversity typical of cave ecosystems. Communities were mainly shaped by habitat type and harbored taxa associated with a wide variety of lifestyles and of metabolic capacities. Although we found evidence of a geochemical connection between the above soils and the cave’s galleries, our results suggest that the community assembly dynamics are driven by habitat selection rather than dispersal. Furthermore, we found that the cave’s groundwater, in addition to being generally richer in microbial taxa than sediments, contained a considerable diversity of ultra-small bacteria and archaea.

Introduction: Agricultural practices significantly influence soil microbial populations and physicochemical properties, which are crucial for crop growth and quality. This study aims to investigate the impact of different agrochemical applications on soil microbial dynamics, soil physicochemical properties, as well as yield and proximate properties of maize. Methods: Carefully gathered topsoil samples at depths ranging from 1 to 15 cm, were transported to Jimma University to cultivate maize. Over a period of up to 120 days, soil and maize samples were collected at specified days to analyze various parameters, including soil pH, microbial populations, as well as nutrient content both in soil and plants. The collected data was statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The soil bacterial and fungal populations were measured on days 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 120. The highest total mesophilic bacterial count (TMBC) was measured in the pots containing compost (G) and the lowest in pots that received macronutrient fertilizers and glyphosates (B) (i.e. 91.8 x 105 and 13.13 x 105 cfu/g of soil, respectively). The highest total mesophilic fungal count (TMFC) was observed in pots containing glyphosates and compost (F) (i.e. 67.25 x 104 cfu/g soil) and again the lowest in pot treated with macronutrient fertilizers and glyphosate (B) (i.e. 3.23 x 104 cfu/g soil). Moreover, the pots treated with macronutrient fertilizers and glyphosate (B), macronutrient fertilizers (A), and micronutrient fertilizers (C) exhibited the lowest levels of Fe and Zn. Furthermore, the pots receiving macronutrient fertilizer combined with glyphosate (B), as well as those receiving macronutrient fertilizers (A) alone had the lowest concentrations of Mn and Cu micronutrients. Finally, in maize the lowest protein, fats, and carbohydrates (g/100g) were found in the pots treated with macronutrient fertilizer combined with glyphosate (B, 2.21 ± 0.2), micronutrient fertilizer (C, 8.57 ± 0.25), and glyphosates only (D, 57.34 ± 0.1). Maize treated with compost (G) showed the highest levels of Fe, Cu, and Zn, while macronutrient fertilizer combined with glyphosate (B) resulted in the lowest content of these micronutrients. Additionally, maize receiving micronutrient fertilizer (C) had the highest concentration of Mn, whereas those treated with glyphosates (D) had the lowest. Conclusions: Significant variations in soil’s mesophilic bacterial and fungal populations, micronutrient levels, and nutritional composition were observed, indicating treatment-related changes. Generally, treatment with micromineral fertilizer combined with glyphosate (B) seemed to deplete the soil while compost treatment improved. Compost-treated soils exhibited the highest mesophilic bacterial and fungal count, as well as Fe and Zn micronutrient concentrations. The use of agrochemicals also had a negative effect on maize yield quality. The fluctuations in the soil parameters underscore the multifaceted effects of agrochemical treatments.

In forests, the microbial populations living in the soil can directly affect the carbon decomposed by the surface plants, and promote carbon storage and stability. In this study, 3 plots of 25.82 m×25.82 m were set up in 5 stand types, respectively. Soil samples were collected from 0~20 cm, 20~40 cm and 40~60 cm layers. Soil microbial composition, organic carbon component, pH, water content, bulk density, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other physicochemical indexes and correlations were determined, and the correlations between soil carbon components and soil microbial functional modules in different mixed modes were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) The SOC of the same soil layer varied significantly, which also showed significant differences on the composition of soil bacteria and fungal microbial communities. Moreover, the bacterial community was more sensitive to the vegetation change environment, and the fungal community structure was more resistant to the influence of soil environment changes. (2) Fun_mod 1,6 and Bac_mod 7 were the microbial functional modules that played a decisive role in the process of soil carbon pool change, and the diversity and composition of bacterial community had more positive effects on soil organic carbon than that of fungal community. (3) Linear fitting and RDA results showed that POC in soil had the strongest correlation with SOC content, indicating that soil microorganisms affected the storage and stability of soil carbon mainly by regulating the conversion of surface plants (carbon sources) into POC. The soil environment of different mixed modes has different effects on soil carbon accumulation. Soil microorganisms affect soil carbon storage and stability mainly by regulating the conversion of surface plants (carbon sources) into POC forms.

Soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEAs) and enzymatic stoichiometry (ES) can provide a crucial indication of changes in soil ecosystem's nutrient availability and the microbial resource limitations. However, the changing characteristics of soil EEAs and ES at different stages of the native succession process and their key drivers are unclear. In order to investigate the soil EEAs, ES and driving factors of soil under vegetation at different succession stages, we adopted the "spatio-temporal substitution" method to collect the surface soil of bryophyte community, herbaceous community, shrub community and tree community in the new volcanic lava platform of Wudalianchi Volcanic Nature Reserve. We measured seven soil EEA, including carbon(C)-acquiring enzyme (β-1,4-glucosidase (BG)), N-acquiring enzymes (β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP)) and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzyme (acid phosphatase (AP)) activities. The length and angle of vectors defined by ratios of enzyme activities (BG/(NAG + LAP) vs. BG/AP) were used to indicate relative microbial investments in C- (length), and N- and P- (angle) acquiring enzymes. Our results showed that the contents of TC, TN, TP, MBC, DOC and NO3-N in shrub community soil were significantly higher than those in bryophyte, herb and tree communities, and increased by 441%, 246%, 137%, 5570%, 12% and 484%, respectively. The highest soil EEA of C-, N- and P-acquiring were found in shrub community, and the soil EEAs/MBC of C-, N- and P-acquiring were the highest in bryophyte community. Enzyme C:N, C:P and N:P ratios increased progressively in the order of bryophyte, herb and shrub community, but the enzyme C:N, C:P and N:P ratios of tree community were both far less than shrub community. Vector lengths increased progressively in the order of bryophyte (1.16), herb (1.27), tree (1.29) and shrub (1.40), and Vector angles decreased progressively in the order of bryophyte (49.15°), herb (45.65°), Tree (45.31°) and shurb (44.54°), suggested that as succession progresses, soil microbial nutrients transforms from P limitation (angle＞45°) to N limitation (angle＜45°). Redundancy analysis showed that TC, TN, EC and C:N were important drivers of variation in soil EEAs and ES in vegetation at different succession stages. Our findings highlight that the primary succession process cause nutrient limitation transformation. Soil ES might be a sensitive indicator mediated by soil microorganisms to the relative resource limitation at different stages of the primary succession process.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobium play a significant role in plant symbiosis. However, their influence on the soil microbiome associated with plant growth and soil health is not well defined in the Northern Great Plains. This study investigated the effect of microbial inoculants as seed treatment on plant yield, nutrient uptake, potential microbial functions, and rhizosphere soil microbial communities using high-throughput sequencing of 16S and ITS rRNA genes. The experiment was conducted under two contrasting dryland conditions with four treatments: control, single inoculation with AMF or Rhizobium, and dual inoculations of AMF and Rhizobium (AMF+Rhizobium). Our findings revealed that microbial inoculation efficacy was site-specific. In a non-P nutrient limiting condition, AMF+Rhizobium exhibited a synergistic effect on grain yield in Sidney, Montana (MT), dryland field site (DFS) 2. While AMF conferred plant resilience but marginal yield in low soil organic matter and acidic soil conditions in Froid, MT (DFS 1). Noteworthy, variation in microbial community structure and composition indicates site-specific response to AMF and AMF+Rhizobium microbial inoculants. Overall, site-specific factors had a greater influence on plant nutrient uptake, microbial community dynamics and functional potential. It underscores the need for tailored management strategies that consider site-specific characteristics to optimize benefits from microbial inoculation.

Despite widespread industrial use, the environmental safety of Hydroquinone (HQ), a benzene compound from plants used in processes like cosmetics, remains uncertain. This study evaluated the ecotoxicological impact of HQ on soil and river environments, utilizing non-target indicator organisms from diverse trophic levels: Daphnia magna, Vibrio fischeri, Allium cepa, and Eisenia fetida. For a more environmentally realistic assessment, microbial communities from a river and un-treated soil underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing, with growth and changes in community-level physiological profiling assessed using Biolog EcoPlate™ assays. The water indicator D. magna exhibited the highest sensitivity to HQ (EC50 = 0.142 µg/mL), followed by V. fischeri (EC50 = 1.446 µg/mL), and A. cepa (LC50 = 7.631 µg/mL), while E. fetida showed the highest resistance (EC50 = 234 mg/Kg). Remarkably, microbial communities mitigated HQ impact in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. River microorganisms displayed minimal inhibition, except for a significant re-duction in polymer metabolism at the highest concentration (100 µg/mL). Soil communities demonstrated resilience up to 100 µg/mL, beyond which there was a significant decrease in population growth and the capacity to metabolize carbohydrates and polymers. Despite microbial mitigation, HQ remains highly toxic to various trophic levels, emphasizing the necessity for en-vironmental regulations.

The red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is highly destructive invasive pest for palms whose management is mainly by application of synthetic pesticides. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have been primarily studied as a preventative control measure due to the horizontal transfer of conidia within the RPW population. We previously demonstrated the horizontal transmission of fungal conidia from an egg-laying surface to the female weevil and then to the eggs and larvae. Based on that strategy, this study aimed to evaluate the virulence of commercial EPF products and laboratory EPF preparations to RPW females and their progeny and their ability to protect palms against infestation. As such, it serves as a screening platform for field experiments. Mortality rates of females and eggs depended on the applied treatment formulation and fungal strain. Velifer®, a Beauveria bassiana product, and Metarhizium brunneum (Mb7) resulted in 60–88% female mortality. Mb7—as a conidial suspension or powder—resulted in 18–21% egg-hatching rates, approximately 3 times less than in the non-treated control. Treating palms with Mb7 significantly inhibits infestation signs and results in 75% and 100% protection, respectively. These results lay the foundation for investigating the protective rate of EPF products against RPW in date plantations.

Declining agricultural productivity caused by soil salinization are becoming global dilemmas in recent years. Biofertilizers show great potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilization strategy for soil improvement, but their effectiveness for saline soil amendment and improving plant growth under saline stress is not well understood. Assess the effectiveness of biofertilizers in improving saline soils and enhancing crop growth under saline stress, as well as investigate its related potential mechanisms. Changes in soil physico-chemical properties, plant physiological parameters and soil microbial communities were analyzed through pot experiments. The results showed that the application of biofertilizer reduced total soluble salts (TSS) in soil by 30.8% and increased the Brassica rapa L. biomass by 8.4 times. Biofertilizer application increased soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and available phosphorus (AP). Biofertilizer applications also increased the SOD, CAT, chl.a, chl.b, total soluble sugars, and Proline content. Biofertilizers present plant growth promotion and potential pathogenic fungi reduction by increasing the abundance of Bacillus and Planococcus and decreasing the abundance of Mortierella and Aspergillus. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated the excellent efficacy of biofertilizers in improving saline soils, and the application of biofertilizer strategies will greatly promote agricultural production.

This comprehensive review elucidates the profound relationship between the human microbiome and breast cancer managrement. Recent findings highlight the significance of microbial alterations in tissues, such as the gut and the breast, and their role in influencing breast cancer risk, development, progression, and treatment outcomes. We delve into how the gut microbiome can modulate systemic inflammatory responses and estrogen levels, thereby impacting cancer initiation and therapeutic drug efficacy. Furthermore, we explore the unique microbial diversity within breast tissue, indicating potential imbalances brought about by cancer and highlighting specific microbes as promising therapeutic targets. Emphasizing a holistic One Health approach, this review underscores the importance of integrating insights from human, animal, and environmental health to gain a deeper understanding of the complex microbe-cancer interplay. As the field advances, strategic manipulation of the microbiome and its metabolites presents innovative prospects for enhancing cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. However, rigorous clinical trials remain essential to confirm the potential of microbiota-based interventions in breast cancer management.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is an essential legume crop providing healthy and nutritious food for people in low- to middle-income countries, worldwide. Lentil roots support symbiotic interactions with soil rhizobia species fostering nitrogen fixation; however, assemblage and diversity of the complete microbial rhizosphere community and the effect of seed genotype and origin remains largely unexplored. In this study we examined with metagenomic analysis, the effects of seed origin on the rhizosphere’s communities in samples of the famous Greek lentil landrace Eglouvis derived from different local farmers and farming systems including a Gene Bank sample, in comparison to a commercial variety. The landrace exhibited higher rhizosphere microbiome diversity compared to the commercial variety for all indexes. A core microbiome comprised of 158 taxa was present in all samples, while higher number of unique bacterial taxa was recorded in the landrace samples compared to the commercial cultivar. Noteworthy, landrace samples originated from organic farming had more than double unique taxa compared to conventional counterparts. The study revealed higher diversity of N2 fixers and archaea, Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota, in landrace samples and particularly in those derived from organic farming, underpinning the distinct recruiting efficiency of beneficial soil microbes by the landrace.

Spent mushroom compost (SMC) substrates are commonly used as growth media for greenhouse crops and horticulture production. This study aimed to investigate the responses of physiochemical soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial community compositions to different cultivation durations and SMC soil treatments on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in plastic greenhouses on the Loess Plateau, China. The experiment included treatments: Two control treatments of non-planting SMC substrates (Sub CK) and continuous mono-cropping soil (Soil CK), and SMC substrate and the surrounding soil after planting at 1, 3, and 7 years. The results revealed that the SMC substrates had higher contents of major nutrients (e.g., total N and total P) than the surrounding soil treatments. The physicochemical soil properties and soil enzyme activities of the SMC substrates were significantly decreased with longer cultivation duration. Microbial alpha-diversity was higher in the SMC substrates regardless of cultivation duration than the control treatment (soil CK and substrate CK). Interestingly, following several years of tomato cultivation, the compositions of bacterial communities had more similarities with fungal communities in both the SMC substrates and surrounding soils. It was observed that many beneficial microbes, such as bacteria of the Deinococcus-Thermus, Halanaerobiaeota, and Nitrospirae phyla, and the fungi of the Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Chytridiomycota phyla were enriched in the SMC substrates. The pathogenic bacterial genus Sphingomonas and fungal genus Fusarium were abundant in the Soil CK treatment, while the potentially beneficial bacterial genera Saccharimonadales, Gaiella, Bacillus, and fungal genera Thermomyces, Kernia, and Mortierella were abundant in both the SMC substrate and surrounding soil. This study demonstrated that agro-based SMC substrates were a suitable growth media for a new grooved cultivation system.

Fine aroma cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is one of Ecuador's most iconic export products, representing 63% of world production; however, few advances have been made in fermentation processes that greatly influence the development of chocolate´s organoleptic characteristics. The study of starter cultures has been investigated in other countries, which seek to improve organoleptic properties or decrease fermentation time. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a native microbial consortium based on two yeasts (Torulaspora delbrueckii and Hanseniaspora uvarum), a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) (Lactobacillus plantarum) and an acetic acid bacterium (AAB) (Acetobacter ghanensis) inoculated at the beginning of the fermentative process, on physical and biochemical variables, microbial population dynamics, and percentage of almond fermentation. The started culture caused changes in sugar and acid content, which in turn generated temperature and pH changes in the dough, resulting in the dynamics of yeast, AAB, and mesophilic microorganisms remaining higher than those of the control throughout the fermentation process; a decrease of filamentous fungi that affect the flavor and quality of beans due to the production of acetic acid or secondary metabolites from yeasts and LAB; and optimized fermentation percentage by 24% higher than spontaneous fermentation in only 96 hours.

NDBs were fabricated from gum arabic (GA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in different ratios using novel techniques (casting, dehydration, and peeling). The GA/PVA blends were cast with a novel vibration-free horizontal flow (VFHF) technique, producing membranes free of air bubble defects with a homogenous texture, smooth surface, and constant thickness. The casting process was achieved on a self-electrostatic template (SET) made of poly-(methyl methacrylate), which made peeling the final product membranes easy due to its non-stick behavior. After settling of the cast membranous blind, sheets were dried using nanometric dehydration under a mild vacuum stream using a novel stratified nanodehydrator (SND) loaded with P2O5. After drying the TBM, the dry, smooth membranes were peeled easily without scratching defects. The physicochemical properties of the NDBs were investigated using FTIR, XRD, TGA, DTA, and AFM to ensure that the novel techniques did not distort the product quality. The NDBs retained their virgin characteristics, namely, their chemical functional groups (FTIR results), crystallinity index (XRD data), thermal stability (TGA and DTA), and ultrastructural features (surface roughness and permeability), as well as their microbial biodegradation ability. Comparing the two TBM’ s precursors, PVA had a higher crystallinity index (CI), more mass loss at higher temperatures, greater thermal stability due to higher heat resistance, and a higher clearance of surface roughness due to its large particle size (PS), as well as its higher permeability parameters, namely pore diameter (PD) and void volume (VV), than those for GA. Accordingly, increasing the PVA allocation in the bioplastic blends can enhance their properties except for mass loss, whereby increasing the GA allocation in the TBM blend reduces its mass loss at an elevated temperature. In addition, there is no statistical difference between the NDBs and ordinary air-dried NDBs in PS, PD, and VV, indicating that the novel procedures used did not distort their parent properties examined, as well as their ability for biodegradation. In comparison to control samples, the separated bacteria and fungus destroyed the NDBs. Pseudomonas spp. and Bacillus spp. were the two main strains of isolated bacteria, and Rhizobus spp. was the main fungus. The nanodehydration method gave the best solution for the prompt drying of water-based biopolymers free of manufacturing defects, with simple and easily acquired machinery required for the casting and peeling tasks, in addition to its wonderful biodegradation behavior when buried in wetted soil.

Background Hop creep continues to present an unresolved issue for the brewing industry, specifically stemming from those hops added to beer during fermentation. Hops have been found to contain four dextrin-degrading enzymes: alpha amylase, beta amylase, limit dextrinase, and an amyloglucosidase. One recent hypothesis predicts that these dextrin-degrading enzymes could originate from microbes rather than the hop plant itself. Scope and Approach This review begins by describing how hops are processed and used in the brewing industry. It will then discuss hop creep’s origins with a new beer style, antimicrobial factors from hops and resistance mechanisms that bacteria use to counter them, and finally microbial communities that inhabit hops, focusing on whether they can produce the starch degrading enzymes which drive hop creep. After initial identification, microbes with possible links to hop creep were then run through several databases to search the genomes (if available) and for those specific enzymes. Key Findings and Conclusions Several bacteria and fungi contain alpha amylase as well as unspecified glycosyl hydrolases, but only one contains beta amylase. Finally, this paper closes with a short summary of how abundant these organisms typically are in other flowers.

With climate change projected to increase the frequency and severity of episodic insect outbreak events, assessing potential consequences for soil microbial communities and nutrient dynamics is of importance for understanding forest resilience. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is an important defoliator of deciduous tree species in temperate and mixed forests of eastern North America with an invasion cycle every 10-12 years and outbreak events that can last 3-6 years. Following a defoliation episode on trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) from 2015 to 2017 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QC, Canada, we sought to test if defoliation resulted in changes to soil bacterial and fungal communities. We hypothesized an increase in soil microbial biomass due to increased caterpillar frass inputs and potential changes in community structure following the event. Soils were sampled in July 2018, May 2019 and July 2019 from sites that had been subject to defoliation during the outbreak and from sites where no defoliation had been recorded. We assessed soil microbial biomass and fungal to total microbial activity ratio on all sampling dates, and Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPPs) for 2018 only using a substrate induced respiration method. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed a significant 50% decrease in microbial biomass (g biomass-C g-1 soil hour-1) in defoliated stands suggesting tree carbon normally allocated towards root exudates was reallocated towards foliage regeneration. We noted a differentiated carbon-based substrate usage following defoliation, but no change in the fungal to total microbial activity ratio. The observed changes in the two years following the defoliation event suggest that defoliation episodes aboveground could trigger changes in soil chemistry belowground with effects on soil microbial communities that may, in turn, feedback to influence forest plant dynamics.

Symbioses between animals and bacteria are ubiquitous. To better understand these relationships, it is essential to unravel how bacteria evolve to colonize hosts. Previously, we serially passaged the free-living bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis, through the digestive tracts of germ-free larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) to uncover the evolutionary changes involved in the initiation of a novel symbiosis with a vertebrate host. After 20 passages, we discovered an adaptive missense mutation in the mshL gene of the msh pilus operon, which improved host colonization, increased swimming motility, and reduced surface adhesion. In the present study, we have determined that this mutation was a loss-of-function mutation and found that it improved zebrafish colonization by augmenting S. oneidensis representation in the water column outside larvae through a reduced association with environmental surfaces. Additionally, we found that strains containing the mshL mutation were able to immigrate into host digestive tracts at higher rates per capita. However, mutant and evolved strains exhibited no evidence of a competitive advantage after colonizing hosts. Our results demonstrate that bacterial behaviors outside the host can play a dominant role in facilitating the onset of novel host associations.

The Human Gut Microbiome is an important host’s component defining its health. These microorganisms are mutualistic symbionts dependent on factors such as host’s age, subsistence models and sociocultural practices, among others. The conjunction of these factors define the microbial ecosystem dynamics. Using a fecal microbiome approach in children, a comparison of two Mexican communities with contrasting lifestyles: “westernized” (Mexico City) and “non-westernized” (Me’phaa indigenous group) was evaluated. The main differences between these two communities are in bacteria associated with different types of diets (high animal protein and refined sugars vs high fiber food, respectively). In addition, the gut microbiome of Me’phaa children showed higher total diversity and the presence of exclusive phyla, such as Deinococcus-Thermus, Chloroflexi, Elusimicrobia, Acidobacteria and Fibrobacteres. In contrast, Mexico City children had less diversity and the exclusive presence of Saccharibacteria phylum which is associated with the degradation of sugar compounds. This comparison allows further exploration of the selective pressures affecting microbial ecosystemic composition over the course of human evolution and the potential consequences of pathophysiological states correlated with westernization lifestyles.

In Hawaiʻi, the transition from customary subsistence flooded taro agroecosystems, which regulate stream discharge rate trapping sediment and nutrients, to a plantation-style economy (c. the 1840s) led to nearshore sediment deposition - smothering coral reefs and destroying adjacent coastal fisheries and customary fishpond mariculture. To mitigate sediment transport, Rhizophora mangle was introduced in estuaries across Hawai’i (c. 1902) further altering fishpond ecosystems. Here, we examine the impact of cultural restoration between 2012-2018 at Heʻeia Fishpond, a 600-800-year-old walled fishpond. Fishpond water quality was assessed by calculating water exchange rates, residence times, salinity distribution, and abundance of microbial indicators prior to and after restoration. We hypothesized that R. mangle removal and concomitant reconstruction of sluice gates would increase mixing and decrease bacterial indicator abundance in the fishpond. We find that Heʻeia Fishpond’s physical environment is primarily tidally driven; wind forcing and river flux are secondary drivers. Post-restoration, two gates in the northeastern region account for >80% of relative flux in the fishpond. Increase in exchange rates during spring and neap tide and shorter minimum water residence time corresponded with the reconstruction of a partially obstructed 56 m gap together with the installation of an additional sluice gate in the fishpond wall. Lower mean salinities post-restoration suggests increased freshwater influx due to R. mangle removal. Spatial distribution of microbial bio-indicator species inversely correlated with salinity. Average abundance of Enterococcus and Bacteroidales did not significantly change after restoration efforts, however, average abundance of a biomarker specific to birds nesting in the mangroves decreased significantly after restoration. This study demonstrates the positive impact of biocultural restoration regimes on water flushing and water quality parameters, encouraging the prospect of revitalizing this and other culturally and economically significant sites for sustainable aquaculture in the future.

Incense is essential in religious ceremonies, even in relatively new religious movements such as New Age and Neopaganism. These garner little attention from ethnobotanists, although they trigger an international trade in wild-harvested plants. In this paper, we studied the botanical ingredients of smudge sticks (dried plant bundles burned for purification) in the Netherlands, and people’s motivations to use them posing the following questions: what plant species are included in smudge sticks? what are they used for? and are exotic plants preferred over native Dutch plant species? We visited online and physical shops in Dutch cities, acquiring a total of 29 different smudge sticks containing at least 15 species. We held semi-structured interviews with 11 users, vendors, and herbal experts, and collected data from 33 questionnaires. Salvia apiana L. was most frequently found, along with North American species of the genus Artemisia. The rise of the New Age movement resulted in North American ritual plant species being easily available in (online) shops and it being used for personal protection and cleansing. Despite its commercial demand there is no data regarding the pressure on wild populations, therefore, we call for the need to monitor the harvesting of these species in the wild.

Fungal infections (FIs) are spreading globally causing a significant public health concern. However, its documentation remains sparse in Africa, particularly in Rwanda. This literature review, aims to assess the risk and document current gaps in evidence and policy. It summarizes the published data about FIs in Rwanda, including ten reports published between 1972-and-2022. Blastomyces, Candida, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Microsporum, Pneumocystis, Rhinosporidium, and Trichophyton caused human infections. These infections primarily affected the brain, respiratory, urinary and reproductive organs, and they were diagnosed using culturing, histopathology, immunology, and/or microscopic techniques. Our findings provide an overview of the diversity and distribution of FIs, highlighting significant limitations in the country’s diagnostic capacity and surveillance system for FIs. Also, indicating severe gaps in evidence to inform policymaking, guide strategic planning and intervention, underscoring the urgent need to build national capacity in fungal diagnosis, surveillance, and research. Raising awareness among the public, scientific community, healthcare providers, and policymakers remains crucial. Furthermore, this report reveals the threats of FIs on public health and food insecurity in Rwanda. A Multisectoral One Health Strategy is essential in research and intervention to determine and reduce the health and safety impacts of fungal pathogens on human, animal, and the environment.

Digital transformation, organizational resilience, and agility are now becoming one of the keys to meeting the competitive challenges of modern organizations. It is no surprise that digital transformation and digital technologies have also begun to significantly impact the energy industry, moving towards improving the sector's profitability and efficiency. However, to navigate through the difficult process of digital transformation in today's turbulent environment, organizations, including those in the energy sector, need to build organizational resilience. Nevertheless, the nature of the relationship between digital transformation and organizational resilience has not yet been sufficiently clarified. Focusing on the level of digital transformation, and more precisely within the two dimensions of digital maturity, i.e. digital intensity and transformation management intensity, as well as based on the perspective of dynamic capabilities, this study developed a configurational framework and proposed a theoretical model to study the equifinal paths through which digital transformation and dynamic capabilities influence organizational resilience in energy sector companies. Based on a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) conducted on selected companies in the energy sector, i.e. Polish CHP plants, the relationship between digital transformation, dynamic capabilities and organizational resilience was investigated. The results show that a high level of organizational resilience can be achieved through two main paths based on the dominance of dynamic capabilities and the dominance of digital maturity. The study found that digital maturity can significantly influence CHP resilience. Moreover, the transformation management intensity is strongly related to high organizational resilience. The paper concludes by describing theoretical and practical implications, as well as research limitations and prospects for future research.

Depression marsh intra- and interspecific facilitation in Southeast Florida, dominated by Hypericum fasciculatum, Stillingia aquatica, and Rhynchospora tracyi were studied as a third installment to the author’s ongoing interest in “Hypericum-Stillingia (HS) marsh” vegetation. The project includes a contextual overview in relation to the HS marsh environmental filter, stress-gradient-hypothesis, and harsh-habitat trait convergence vs. divergence. Using field measurements, transects, and quadrats, the effort focused mainly on two research questions: 1. Does the Hypericum fasciculatum microdistribution relate to marsh microtopography? 2. Does H. fasciculatum have positive or negative associations with other species? Tempered by “cause and effect” concerns, the results supported positive feedback autogenic site alteration by H. fasciculatum along with interspecific facilitation.

The ex situ conservation and sustainable exploitation of neglected or underutilized plant species (NUPs) is urgent and paramount. To this end, we focused on Petromarula pinnata (Campanu-laceae), a vulnerable local endemic of Crete (Greece) garnering interest for its agro-alimentary, medicinal, and ornamental value. A GIS ecological profile was established herein based on its natural distribution in Crete containing detailed information on the climatic conditions (mini-mum, maximum, mean temperature, and precipitation) as well as information on 19 bioclimatic variables shaping its natural adaptation. This profiling contributed to better understanding of the species' ecological requirements and facilitated the germination trials employing stored seeds from four distinct populations (two from lowlands and two from semi-mountainous areas) tested at four temperatures (10, 15, 20 and 25oC) and two light condition treatments. The results herein showed that both temperatures and population as well as their interaction significantly affected seed germination rates. Incubation temperatures of 10 and 15oC were the most appro-priate for the successful seed germination of this species (> 81.25% for both temperatures in three out of four populations), with light conditions not affecting seed germination (86% in light and 80% in darkness). The successful germination protocol of P. pinnata seeds opens avenues for fur-ther sustainable exploitation of this valuable yet vulnerable NUP as a new Greek native crop.

With worsening environmental degradation and increasing international demand for human health, plant cell based technology will be more important. The aim of this review is to give an overview regarding key points of current progress and development trend of nature medical and edible plants from the framework of whole plant cell engineering including cell cultures, cell fusion and cell splitting derived biotechnology. Here we sum up three main application trends of medical plants cell cultures covering industrial output, technology upgrading and potential resource development. We also provide classification and typification insights to summarize the development of somatic hybridization in cereal, vegetables crops and other medicinal and edible plants as well as application of artificial polyploidy induction in major medicinal herbs. Development medicinal and edible homologous plants based on modern plant cell engineering will bring us a promising future.

Synthetic antivirals and corticosteroids have been used to treat both influenza and the SARS-CoV-2 disease named COVID-19. However, these medications are not always effective, produce several adverse effects, and are associated with high costs. Medicinal plants and their constituents act in several different targets and signaling pathways involved in the pathophysiology of Influenza and COVID-19. This study aimed to perform a review to evaluate the effects of medicinal plants on Influenza and COVID-19 and to investigate the potential delivery systems for new antiviral therapies. EMBASE, PubMed, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, and COCHRANE databases were searched. The studies included in this review showed that medicinal plants, in different formulations, can help decrease viral spread and time of full recovery. Plants reduced the incidence of acute respiratory syndromes and the symptom scores of the illnesses. Moreover, plants are related to few adverse effects and have low costs. In addition to their significance as natural antiviral agents, medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds may exhibit low bioavailability. This highlights the need for alternative delivery systems, such as metal nanoparticles, that can effectively transport these compounds to infected tissues.

According to the eminent scholar, philosopher, and physician Avicenna, "the doctor has three tools: the word, the plant, the knife." The plant kingdom is recognized as humanity's earliest and most ancient healing source, employed for the management and prevention of illnesses. Tracing back through history, the most ancient documented proof of plants' utilization in medicine dates back to a Sumerian clay slab discovered in Nagpur roughly 5000 years ago. This artifact included a compilation of twelve medicinal recipes that involved over 250 diverse plant species. Sumerian healers extracted powders and infusions from plant roots and stems, while also crediting healing properties to pears and figs. Additionally, they utilized dried and ground young shoots of willow and plum trees, pine and fir needles as a component in compresses and poultices. Often, powders from animal and mineral sources were blended with those extracted from dried and crushed plants. Notably, in addition to water, wine and beer served as solvents. Thus, at least 80 centuries ago, people utilized the most uncomplicated medicinal plant-based preparations for treatment [1]. The "Pen T'Sao," an ancient Chinese text on roots and herbs, authored by Emperor Shen Nung approximately 2500 BC, contains descriptions of 900 medicaments (comprising dried components of medicinal plants). Several of these substances are still in use today, including Rhei rhisoma, camphor, Theae folium, Podophyllum, great yellow gentian, ginseng, datura, cinnamon bark, and ephedra [2]. Regarding Kazakh folk medicine, an area that has yet to be fully explicated and substantiated, it can be stated that the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Kazakh people transcends the mere treatment of ailments and rests on robust theoretical underpinnings. Oteiboydak Tleukabyluly (1388-1478), an astute healer and prominent figure in Kazakh folk medicine during the 15th century, comprehensively explicated the secrets of the healing art in his medical and ethnographic work "Medical Narrative," which he composed between 1466 and 1473 at the behest of az-Zhanibek Khan, who held him in high esteem as a great healer. This medical encyclopedia delineates the functions of various organs of the human body and provides a catalogue of the primary diseases associated with them. Furthermore, it includes a meticulous description of the methods used in traditional medicine at present, such as setting bones, listening to the pulse, and incantations. Through practical experimentation and experimentation conducted in the steppe laboratory, the healer formulated a total of 1,108 different medicinal compounds, of which 858 were derived from medicinal plants, 318 were extracted from animal organs, and roughly 60 were sourced from metals. The moniker "Teacher without a teacher" was bestowed on Oteiboydak Tleukabylov, who discovered methods for treating 1,050 different diseases [3]. At present, the employment of phytotherapy has gained widespread acceptance on a global scale. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global review of national policies concerning traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine, as well as the regulation of herbal medicines, there is an evident growth in the European and Asian market for herbal medicines [4]. Kazakhstan boasts a natural flora of over 6,000 plant species [5]. The exact number of medicinal plant species present in Kazakhstan remains uncertain, as the list continues to expand annually. More than 150 plant species have been employed in both official and folk medicine for various ailments. This review focuses on a selection of medicinal plants growing within the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan that have traditionally been used to alleviate skin diseases. In conducting this study (2010-2023), emphasis was placed on the plants' phytochemical composition, with a particular focus on the principal components responsible for their therapeutic effects against inflammatory skin conditions such as dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and eczema.

Cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil is a serious environmental problem due to its effect on crop production, soil microbial community, and risk to human health. The commercial amendments are widely used in the immobilization of heavy metal-contaminated soil because of their cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and community acceptance. This study is conducted to assess the effect of sole commercial amendments including bentonite (B), talc (T), activated carbon (AC), cornstarch (CS), and their combination on exchangeable Cd content in soil, Cd uptake by the plant, and soil microbial community. The results indicated that CS and its composites (T+CS and B+CS) showed the highest effect on reducing Cd mobility in soil (up to 10% in CS), decreasing the Cd uptake by lettuce (up to 78% in T+CS), and increasing the microbial community in soil compared to the control. Furthermore, results from Biolog Ecoplate and realtime-Polymerase chain reaction indicated that the mixture amendments (B+CS and T+CS) showed the highest effect on the microbial community by increasing soil microbial population maximum of 3.81-fold difference (in B+CS) compared to the control. The results indicated that applying composite amendments provided an efficient option for immobilizing Cd in soil, reducing the Cd uptake by plants, and increasing microbial community.

This study investigates the effects of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo by a long-term Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist practitioner on sound frequencies (A), brain activity (B), and microbial metabolism(C).A. Analysis of sound frequencies: Spectral analysis of chanting revealed peaks at 8 Hz and 116 Hz, corresponding to the first Schumann resonance and a frequency linked to chloride ion movements, respectively. Additionally, five peaks (417, 528, 639, 741, 852 Hz) corresponding to solfeggio frequencies were identified. These frequencies are known to exert a positive impact on the human endocrine and autonomous nervous systems; improve survival of human brain cells; decrease anxiety in rats; reverse cognitive and endocrine deficits in zebra fish; reduce total concentration of reactive oxidative species in brain tissue. B. Study of Brain activity: Brain activity changes were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Prefrontal cortex activity increased modestly during chanting compared to a pre-chanting baseline, but significantly increased afterwards. This suggests a shift towards focused attention during chanting and enhanced activity afterward. C. Effects on microbial metabolism: Probiotic cultures exposed to chanting, either directly or indirectly, showed increased metabolic activity. This suggests local and non-local effects, similar to previously reported phenomena. Importantly, this study clarifies that the spiritual practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism transcends mere neurophysiological explanations. While brain activity and other bodily processes may be correlated with the practice, the religious and spiritual experience of chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyoencompasses a mystical dimension that, though not contradicting science, cannot be fully explained by scientific methods alone.

Soil, geochemical, microbiological and archaeological studies were conducted at eight settlements dating from the Paleolithic to Late Medieval and New Times near the Southern Trans-Urals mountains, Russia. The forest-steppe landscapes, rivers and abundance of mineral resources have attracted people to region since ancient times. Properties of cultural layer (CLs): close to neutral pH, well structured, absence of salinity, enrichment with exchangeable calcium and anthropogenic phosphorus (0.2–0.4%). The majority of CLs start from 3–25 cm and last up to 40–60 cm and contain 6–10% organic carbon (Corg), in a layer of 0–20 cm because modern processes are developing here, at Ishkulovo site (around 14th century) Corg decreases to 1.3%, because CL is below 80 cm and in the absence of fresh organic material it is mineralized. The content of microbial biomass of the 0–10 cm layer is 520–680 μg С/g of soil, microbes cause the emission of 0.2–1.0 μg C–CO2/g soil per h. The proximity of the studied sites to deposits of copper, chromium, zinc, manganese and Magnitogorsk Metallurgical and Uchaly processing plants creates geochemical anomalies of soils. Pollutants are also released into the CLs from bronze products, ore, ceramic fragments and raw materials from their manufacture. It leads to the concentration of pollutants of the 1st (arsenic, lead, zinc) and 2nd (cobalt, copper, nickel, chromium) hazard classes in the studied CLs, often in quantities higher than the clarke and less often – more than the allowable content for human health.

This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of malic acid (MA) and citric acid (CA) on the nutritional composition, fermentation quality, rumen degradation rate, and microbial diversity of a mixture of apple pomace and corn protein powder during ensiling. The experiment used apple pomace and corn protein powder as raw materials, with four groups: control group (CON), malic acid treatment group (MA, 10g/kg), citric acid treatment group (CA, 10g/kg), and citric acid + malic acid treatment group (MA, 10g/kg + CA, 10g/kg), subjected to mixed ensiling for 60 days. The results indicated: (1) Compared to the CON group, the crude protein content significantly increased in the MA, CA, and MA+CA groups (p < 0.05), with the highest content observed in the MA+CA group. The addition of MA and CA effectively reduced the water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, the CA group showed a decreasing trend in NDFom and hemicellulose content (p = 0.08; p = 0.09). (2) Compared to the CON group, the pH significantly decreased in the MA, CA, and MA+CA groups (p < 0.01), and the three treatment groups exhibited a significant increase in lactic acid and acetic acid content (p < 0.01). The quantity of lactic acid bacteria increased significantly (p < 0.01), with the MA+CA group showing a more significant increase than the MA and CA groups (p < 0.05). (3) Compared to the CON group, the in situ dry matter disappearance (ISDMD) significantly increased in the MA, CA, and MA+CA groups (p < 0.05). All three treatment groups showed highly significant differences in in situ crude protein disappearance (ISCPD) compared to the CON group (p < 0.01). (4) Good's Coverage for all experimental groups was greater than 0.99, meeting the conditions for subsequent sequencing. Compared to the CON group, the Shannon index significantly increased in the CA group (P < 0.01), and the Simpson index increased significantly in the MA group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the Chao index among the three treatment groups and the CON group (p > 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Lentilactobacillus in the MA, CA, and MA+CA groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). PICRUSt prediction results indicated that the metabolic functional microbial groups in the CA and MA treatment groups were significantly higher than in the CON group (p < 0.05), suggesting that the addition of MA or CA could reduce the loss of nutritional components such as protein and carbohydrates in mixed ensilage. In conclusion, the addition of malic acid and citric acid to a mixture of apple pomace and corn protein powder during ensiling reduces nutritional losses, improves fermentation quality and rumen degradation rate, enhances the diversity of the microbial community in ensiled feed, and improves microbial structure. The combined addition of malic acid and citric acid demonstrates a superior effect.

The subtropical forest soil plays a pivotal role in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling. Although global warming is expected to influence subtropical soil C cycling, a consensus on its impact on soil C dynamics remains elusive. Given the significant response of soil microbial respiration to temperature in subtropical soils, understanding its behavior under varying temperature regimes is critical for predicting soil organic C (SOC) responses to climate warming. We conducted a short-term laboratory soil warming incubation experiment, sampling both warmed and un-warmed soils from a subtropical plantation in southeastern China, incubating them at 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C. Our aim was to study the SOC mineralization response to increasing temperatures. Our findings revealed that the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOC mineralization to short-term experimental warming varied between the warmed soil and the un-warmed soil. The Q10 of the un-warmed soil escalated with the temperature treatment (20-30 ℃: 1.31, 30-40℃: 1.63). Conversely, the Q10 of the warmed soil decreased (20-30 ℃:1.57, 30-40 ℃:1.41). Increasing temperature treatments enhanced hydrolytic enzyme activity but decreased soil substrate availability in both un-warmed and warmed soil. The Q10 of un-warmed soil was positively correlated with the response ratio of DOC. Additionally, soil microbial biomass exhibited a significant decline, leading to a reduced total amount of PLFAs and a decreased abundance of bacteria, fungi, and Gram-negative bacteria (GN). The changes in temperature also considerably altered the composition of the warmed soil microbial community. A drop in the microbial quotient coupled with a rise in the metabolic quotient indicated that warming amplified microbial respiration over microbial growth. The differential Q10 of SOC mineralization, in response to temperature across varying soil, can largely be attributed to shifts in soil nutrients, C-degrading enzyme activities, and microbial communities (the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs).

The present study was to investigate effects of total flavonoids from Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz. (FT) on fermentation quality, antioxidant status and microbial community of Caragana korshinskii Kom. (CK) silage. CK was ensiled with no additive (CON), 1% FT and 2% FT on a fresh weight (FW) basis for 60 days. The results showed that 1% FT and 2% FT groups displayed higher DM content than CON group, and 2% FT group had the best effect on nutrient preservation. Compared with CON and 1% FT groups, 2% FT group exhibited the best silage fermentation quality and the highest antioxidant activity, including increased lactic acid, acetic acid concentrations and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, as well as decreased pH and the ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) concentration. Moreover, 2% FT addition significantly affected the microbial community, such as increased abundance of Lactobacillus and decreased abundances of Pseudomonas and unidentified Cyanobacteria. The abundances of Lactobacillus parafarraginis and Lactobacillus brevis were negatively correlated to pH, while they were positively correlated with T-AOC, GSH-Px and CAT activities. In conclusion, 2% FT may be used as additives to inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms and promote fermentation quality and antioxidant activity of CK silage.

Most of the current methods for stabilizing electric arc furnace (EAF) slag are time-consuming and cannot be completely stabilized. In view of this, this study aimed to apply microbial‑induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology in the stabilization of EAF reducing slag, and this was to be achieved by using the reaction between carbonate ions and free calcium oxide (f-CaO) in reducing slag to form a more stable calcium carbonate to achieve the purpose of stabilization. The test results showed that, when the EAF reducing slag aggregates (ERSAs) were immersed in Bacillus pasteurii bacteria solution or water, the f-CaO contained in it would react such that stabilization was achieved. The titration test results showed that the f-CaO content of the ERSAs immersed in the bacterial solution and water decreased. The expansion test results of the ERSAs that were subjected to hydration showed that the seven-day expansion of ERSAs after biomineralization could meet the Taiwan regulation requirement of a less than 0.5% expansion rate. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that both the experimental group and the control group might contain calcium carbonate compounds. The results of the X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the CaCO3 content in the ERSAs that were immersed in the bacterial solution was significantly higher than those that were immersed in water. Moreover, the compressive strength test results of concrete prepared with ERSAs showed that the compressive strength of the control group concrete began to decline after 28 days. In contrast, the experimental group concrete had a good stabilization effect, and there was no decline in compressive strength until the age of 180 days. At the age of 240 days, the surface cracks of the experimental group were particularly small, while the surface of the control group showed obvious cracks. These results confirmed that a mineralization reaction with B. pasteurii bacteria could be used as a stabilization technology for ERSAs.

As the use of microbial inoculants in agriculture rises, it becomes important to understand how the environment may influence microbial ability to promote plant growth. This work examines whether there are light dependencies in the biological functions of Azospirillum brasilense, a commercialized prolific grass-root colonizer. Though classically defined as non-phototrophic, A. brasilense possesses photoreceptors that could perceive light conducted through its host’s roots. Evidence for light dependency of four microbial processes were examined and noted: biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), auxin biosynthesis, ATP biosynthesis, and iron and manganese uptake. Functional mutants of A. brasilense were leveraged and studied in light and dark environments: HM053 (high BNF and auxin production), ipdC (capable of BNF, deficient in auxin production), and FP10 (capable of auxin production, deficient in BNF). HM053 exhibited the highest rate of nitrogenase activity with the greatest light dependency comparing iterations in light and dark environments. The ipdC mutant showed similar behavior with relatively lower nitrogenase activity observed, while FP10 did not show a light dependency. Auxin biosynthesis showed strong light dependencies in HM053 and FP10 strains, but not for ipdC. Iron is involved in the BNF biological process, and light dependency was observed for microbial 59Fe2+ uptake in HM053 and ipdC, but not FP10. Surprisingly, a light dependency for 52Mn2+ uptake was only observed in ipdC. Finally, ATP biosynthesis was sensitive to light across all three mutants favoring blue light over red light compared to darkness with observed ATP levels in descending order for HM053 > ipdC > FP10.

This review examines the evidence supporting the role of dysbiosis in the development of obses-sive-compulsive disorders (OCD). We review the molecular mechanisms and role of the microbiota in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, focusing on the endocrine, nervous, and immune pathways. We then propose a model that positions dysbiosis as the central unifying element in the neurochemi-cal, immunological, genetic, and environmental factors leading to OCD. Based on this, we review the animal and human clinical evidence for the use of microbial reprogramming strategies such as probiotic or fecal microbiota transplants to treat OCD. Finally, we discuss the unique challenges that must be addressed in future clinical interventions.

Sharing facilities with other households offers the most realistic opportunity for access to sanitation to many households in low-income settings. However, questions remain about the safety of shared toilets, including those shared at the household level. This study sought to compare the usage and microbial safety of household-level shared and unshared toilets in a Ghanaian rural district to investigate any association between their microbial safety and sharing status. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the user characteristics of the sampled toilets, while common contact surfaces (door handles and toilet seats) were assessed for faecal contamination following standard swab sampling and analytical protocols. The results of the study indicate that sharing toilets affords about 90% more household-level access to sanitation as compared to single-household toilets. Toilet sharing mostly occurred between two households, with a maximum user population of 14 per toilet. Generally, there was a high prevalence of faecal contamination of the door handles and seats of both shared and unshared toilets, but this had no association with the sharing status of the toilets. The median concentration of E. coli on door handles and seats of shared toilets were 34.3 x 105 and 103.2 x 105 CFU/ml respectively as compared to 54.7 x 105 and 125.0 x 105 CFU/ml respectively on unshared toilets. In conclusion, the sharing of toilets at the household level nearly doubles access to sanitation at home without necessarily exposing the users to a higher risk of faecal-oral disease transmission.

Phage, which is often used therapeutically, has begun to receive interest as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) to enhance chicken growth. Another option that has been extensively studied as a growth promoter in chicken is probiotics. However, there are no studies using phages and probiotics as prospective feed additives for broiler chickens. Therefore, this study demonstrated the effects of phage cocktail, probiotics and their combinations on growth performance and gut microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 288 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 treatments in a completely randomised design. The treatments were: (i) C (basal diet (BD) only), (ii) 1ɸ (BD + 0.1% phage cocktail), (iii) 2ɸ (BD + 0.2% phage cocktail), (iv) P (BD + 0.1% probiotic), (v) 1ɸP (BD + 0.1% phage cocktail + 0.1% probiotic), (vi) 2ɸP (BD + 0.2% phage cocktail + 0.1% probiotic). The 1ɸP treatment had significantly (P < 0.05) better BW (35 d), BWG (22 – 35 d, 1 – 35d), and FCR (1-21 d. 22-35 d, 1-35 d) compared to C. Unique gut microbiota diversity was also found between the ɸP (1ɸP and 2ɸP) and non-ɸP groups (C, 1ɸ, 2ɸ and P) in ilea, particularly in the 35 d chickens. Microorganisms associated with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers were significantly (P <0.05) present in the ɸP group than in the non- ɸP group. The carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism predicted genes were significantly upregulated in ɸP groups compared to non- ɸP groups. These genes were involved in the digestion and absorption of nutrients as well as the production of energy. Our findings showed that 1ɸP treatment could be a potential alternative to AGPs for poultry where growth performance was enhanced, and gut microbiota was positively modulated.