Commercially cultivated Prunus species are commonly grown in adjacent or mixed orchards, and can be infected with unique or commonly shared viruses. Apple (Malus domestica), another member of the Rosacea and distantly related to Prunus, can share the same growing regions and common pathogens. Pollen can be a major route for virus transmission, and analysis of the pollen virome in tree fruit orchards can provide insights into these virus pathogen complexes from mixed production sites. Commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination is essential for improved fruit set and yield in tree fruit production systems. Here we describe the metagenomics-based detection of plant viruses through bee and pollen samples collected during the spring bloom period from a mixed Prunus and Malus orchard. Twenty-one unique viruses were detected in samples collected during apricot (Prunus armeniaca), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), peach (Prunus persica), and apple blooms. Ilarviruses prune dwarf virus (PDV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Secoviridae family members tomato necrotic ringspot virus, tobacco necrotic ringspot virus, and prunus virus F, and Capillovirus cherry virus A (CVA) were detected in all time points, while other viruses were detected with restricted ranges. These results demonstrate the benefits of area-wide monitoring through bee pollination activities, and provide new insights into the diversity of viruses in tree fruit pollination ecosystems.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a complex issue caused by various fungal, oomycetes pathogens and parasites which can differ in their abundance between sites within a geographic region. Knowledge of the specific etiology of ARD at a particular site is required in order to develop commercially viable soil management strategies to combat specific/individual components of the disease. In this study we analyzed the soil from six ARD sites for the presence of fungal, bacterial and oomycetes communities and plant parasitic nematodes. Five fungal, and 17 bacterial classes were differentially represented in the microbiomes from different locations. Mortierellomycetes was the most abundant fungal taxa represented followed by Sordariomycetes. Mortierella exigua a fungal endophyte was the most abundant fungal amplicon sequence variant (ASV) in the core microbiome. Proteobacteria was the most prevalent phylum identified in orchard soils. Several potential phytopathogenic fungi involved in ARD and endophytes including Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Nectria ramulariae, Ilyonectria robusta and Nectriaceae were identfied in the orchard soil. Pythium attrantheridium (Globisporangium attrantheridium), P. monospermum and P. ultimum (Globisporangium ultimum) were the most abundant oomycete taxa identified in these soil samples. Six different groups of plant-parasitic nematodes were found across the six orchards soil. Root-lesion nematodes, Pratylenchus spp., which are commonly associated with ARD, were identified in all orchards soil at population densities ranging from 12 to 33/100 cm3 soil. This research contributes valuable understanding of the ARD complex as the apple industry needs alternative approaches to combat the disease.

Researchers are exploring solutions to meet the growing demand for protein due to the expected increase in global population by 2050. Interest in alternative protein sources like insects has risen, driven by concerns about environmental impact and the need for sustainable food production. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the physicochemical properties of soy protein-based burger enriched with insect protein from Alphitobius diaperinus. Three formulations were developed: a control (B0), and burgers with 5% (B5) and 10% (B10) insect protein - Whole Buffalo Powder (WBP). Results showed that adding insect protein decreased the burger analogue's pH. There was observed a clear trend of increasing total lipids and SFA, and decreasing MUFA and PUFA, as the WBP concentration increases from 0% to 10%. No significant differences with increasing WBP concentration in the protein content of the burger analogue, as well as the cooking yield, were noted. The WBP addition had a notable effect on the color change, especially decrease in brightness (L*). It was shown that as the WBP concentration increased, there were no significant differences in the texture profile of the burger analogues. The formulation with 5% WBP concentration was the most acceptable in sensory analysis.

Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is mainly cultivated in temperate areas of China and some European countries. Certain amounts of wood (from pruning works) are generated every year from this crop of worldwide commercial significance. The main objective of this work was to value this agricultural woody residue, for which the chemical composition of pruning wood extracts from six Japanese plum cultivars was investigated, and the antiproliferative activity of extracts and pure phenolics present in those extracts was measured. For the chemical characterization, total phenolic content and DPPH radical-scavenging assays and HPLC‒DAD/ESI‒MS analyses were performed, the procyanidin (‒)-ent-epicatechin-(2α→O→7,4α→8)-epicatechin (5) and the propelargonidin (+)-epiafzelechin-(2β→O→7,4β→8)-epicatechin (7) being the major components of the wood extracts. Some quantitative differences were found among plum cultivars, and the content of proanthocyanidins ranged from 1.50 (cv. ‘Fortune’) to 4.44 (cv. ‘Showtime’) mg/g of dry wood. Regarding the antitumoral activiy, eight wood extracts and four phenolic compounds were evaluated in MCF-7 cells after 48 h of induction, showing the wood extract from cv. ‘Songold’ and (‒)-annphenone (3) the best antiproliferative activity (IC50: 424 ppm and 405 ppm, respectively).

Previous research on consumer perceptions of salmon has often neglected Indigenous rights within the Canadian salmon industry. This study acknowledges the decline in salmon farm licenses in British Columbia and aims to achieve three main objectives: (1) gain a comprehensive understanding of four consumer perceptions—environmental sustainability, economic considerations, Indigenous rights, and price increase—across diverse consumer profiles through a cross-national online survey; (2) identify factors influencing these four consumer perceptions; and (3) assess the impact of these perceptions, along with socio-demographic variables and consumer motivations, on seven purchasing behaviors related to Canadian salmon products. Data analysis employs the graded response model and cumulative link models. The results illustrate how consumer profiles influence the four perceptions and their key determinants. Additionally, the study quantifies the impact of environmental sustainability, economic considerations, Indigenous rights, and a price increase on consumer purchasing behaviors.

Natural and sustainable plant-based antioxidants and antimicrobials are highly desirable for improving food quality and safety. The present investigation assessed the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of active components from Alkanna tinctoria (herb) roots, also known as Ratanjot root. Two methods were used to extract active components: microwave-assisted hot water (MAHW) and ethanol and air-dried. MAHW extract yielded 6.29% while the ethanol yielded 18.27%, suggesting superior Ratanjot root extract powder (RRP) solubility in ethanol over water. The ethanol extract showed significantly higher antioxidant activity than the MAHW extract. Gas chromatography and mass-spec analysis revealed three major phenolic compounds: Butanoic acid, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-; Arnebin 7, and Diisooctylpthalate. The color attributes (L*, a*, b*, hab, C*ab) for the ethanolic and MAHW extracts revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) in all the above parameters for both types of extracts, except for yellowness (b*) and chroma (C*ab) values. The ethanol extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against 14 bacterial species, with a signifi-cantly higher inhibitory effect against Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) than the Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were both 25 mg/ml for the Gram-negative bacteria, while the MIC and MBC concentrations varied for Gram-positive bacteria (0.049 - 0.098 mg/ml and 0.098 - 0.195 mg/ml) and the antimicrobial effect was bactericidal. The antimicrobial activities of RRP extract remained stable under broad temperature (37-100°C) and pH (2-6) conditions, as well as during refrigerated storage for 30 days. Application of RRP at 1% (10 mg/g) and 2.5% (25 mg/g) levels in a cooked chicken meatball model system prevented lipid oxidation and improved sensory attributes and retarded microbial growth during refrigerated (4°C) storage for 20 days. Furthermore, the RRP extract was non-toxic when tested with sheep erythrocytes and did not inhibit the growth of probiotics, Lacticaseibacillus casei, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. In conclusion, the study suggests that RRP possesses excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, thus making it suitable for food preservation.

Foods are complex products consisting of various ingredients of diverse origins. Along the food supply chains, food products are prone to spoilage and safety issues, which could give rise to different health-related concerns and outcomes. Furthermore, the existing highly centralised food systems generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions and food waste. In order to strengthen the sustainable decentralised "farm-to-fork" food chains, a mindset shift supported by relevant education and policy initiatives is highly required. The ERASMUS+ KA220 project SafeFood4EU was conceived with a crucial mission- to develop an interdisciplinary and innovative toolbox of higher education and lifelong learning courses that reflect various aspects of sustainable agri-food systems. The thematic areas discussed within the SafeFood4EU project have covered food safety and supply chain management, sustainable food systems and design, food production and quality of raw materials, food authenticity and analysis, and digital and soft skills. The main objectives have been to develop a distinctive content package and make it available to the students via an e-learning management system. The project's results, aimed at creating a pool of young and capable experts, can significantly impact future food security, thereby increasing awareness about the future challenges regarding food systems transition, dietary shift and the next generation's food security.

Okra, a widely grown vegetable in many regions, often suffers from freshness loss during transportation, causing significant waste. Factors like variety, environment, maturity, and handling affect its quality. Current methods for checking okra tenderness are slow and prone to mistakes, so we need a better, non-damaging method. This study aims to use a device on a robot arm to assess okra freshness and tenderness. We tested 120 okra pods, storing some in a cold chamber for 24 hours (considered tender) and others at room temperature for two days before moving them to a cold environment for five more days (considered not tender). We used a force sensor on a robot arm to measure okra hardness without damaging it, then did tenderness tests. We found that certain sensor data, like the first slope (S1) and the difference between the maximum value and the first overshoot (Os), were good predictors of tenderness, with an accuracy rate of nearly 80%. We also validated this non-damaging method with weight loss, compression, and puncture tests, achieving a 95.5% accuracy rate in distinguishing between tender and non-tender okra pods.

Milk consumption is crucial for a balanced diet, yet recent trends indicate a decline, especially in Italy. A significant factor in this decline is the altered perception of milk quality among consumers, creating a communication gap between them and other stakeholders. This study aimed to explore the discourse on social media and sentiment towards the concept of milk quality among consumers, farmers, and processors. The research adopted a Social Media Analysis to examine online community messages. A sample of 19,906 Italian comments and posts mentioning keywords Milk, Quality, Cow, and Vaccine was collected and categorized using term frequency analysis, correspondence analysis, and sentiment analysis. Results highlighted gaps in the perceptions of milk quality: farmers focused on economic issues, consumers on animal welfare and health, and processors on lactose content. For farmers, almost all comments were negative, while for processors, nearly all comments were positive. Consumers presented a more mixed picture. This work contributes to the literature by expanding research on milk quality using social media as a source of information. The findings suggest that enhancing communication and understanding among these groups could lead to more effective strategies for addressing consumer concerns, potentially reversing the declining of milk consumption.

The Southern European countries of Spain and Portugal both show a high degree of export spe-cialization in agri-food products compared to the EU-27 as a whole. This sector plays a funda-mental role in their economies, determining the management of natural resources, with the food and beverage industry being the most important manufacturing activity in both countries. Drawing on evidence obtained from Eurostat's database on foreign trade, this study analyzes whether the geographical concentration of agri-food exports from the Iberian Peninsula coun-tries to the EU-27 increases between 2008 and 2022, or, conversely, if there is a process of spatial diversification in favor of non-EU markets. Expansion towards new trading partners, as indicat-ed by estimated concentration indices, is significant in Spain but does not occur in Portugal. However, in both economies, the regional market with European partners, characterized by strong competition and low development expectations, remains decisive in the evolution of their exports in the short and medium term. Consequently, institutions and companies in this sector must adopt a more dynamic approach and implement measures that allow for increased sales orientation towards higher growth markets, thus enhancing the global competitiveness of the national agri-food sector.

European Protected Areas (PAs) are facing today complex and highly diverse challenges. Farm management structures have changed over time and traditional low-intensity farming systems have become unprofitable leading to either abandonment or intensification of farming practices. These changes have contributed to the environmental degradation of biodiversity rich agricultural landscapes and the loss of cultural knowledge and traditions. The interrelations developing at various levels between agricultural land use, nature and landscape conservation, and socio-economic activities influence the sustainable development and management of PAs. The development of certification and labelling schemes for high quality agri-food products with a PA logo is a rural development process that involves multiple functions which could generate environmental improvements and positive socio-economic changes. The differentiation of the agricultural products of PAs, through labelling and information, can be a proactive market-based instrument to support the local economy, promote environmentally sound practices, raise environmental awareness, and preserve farmland biodiversity in protected areas. This paper review is an attempt to gather and analyze in depth the findings of the existing studies focusing on the relationship between the European PAs, farming systems and certification/labelling schemes of agri-food products with a PA logo. Academic research on the subject is limited but provides valuable insights. The findings can serve as a starting point for discussions and reveal opportunities for further research to better understand the interrelations and additional effects emerging from the labelling/certification of PAs’ high quality agri-food products.

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

Bacteriophages (phages) are potential alternatives to chemical antimicrobials against pathogens of public health significance. Understanding the diversity and host specificity of phages is important for developing effective phage biocontrol approaches. Here, we assessed the host range, morphology, and genetic diversity of eight Salmonella enterica phages isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The host range analysis revealed that six out of eight phages lysed more than 81% of the 43 Salmonella enterica isolates tested. The genomic sequences of all phages were determined. Whole genome sequencing data (WGS) data revealed that phage genome sizes ranged from 41 to 114 kb with GC contents be-tween 39.9 and 50.0 %. Two of the phages SB13 and SB28 represent new species Epsep-timavirus SB13 and genera Macdonaldcampvirus, respectively as designated by the In-ternational Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as per genome based taxonomic classification. One phage (SB18) belonged to the Myoviridae morphotype while the re-maining phages belonged to the Siphoviridae morphotype. The gene content analyses showed that none of the phages possessed virulence, toxin, antibiotic resistance, type I-VI toxin-antitoxin modules or lysogeny genes. Three (SB3, SB15 and SB18) out of the eight phages possessed tailspike proteins. Whole genome-based phylogeny of the eight phages with their 113 homologs revealed three clusters A, B, C and seven subclusters (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1 and C2). While cluster C1 phages were predominantly isolated from animal sources, cluster B contained phages from both wastewater and animal sources. The broad host range of these phages highlights their potential use to control the presence of S. enterica in foods.

A novel determination method using flow-through cartridge purification and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the identification and quantification of 30 mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, sterigmatocysin, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, roquefortine C, methylergonovine, ergocornine, lysergol, enniatin A, enniatin A1, enniatin B, enniatin B1, beauvericin, deoxynivalenol, 3-acetylDeoxynivalenol, 15-acetylDeoxynivalenol, patulin, verruculogen, neosolaniol, gliotoxin, HT-2 toxin, wortmannin, zearalenone, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol) in feedstuffs. Mycotoxins were extracted from sample by 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution/acetonitrile (16/84 v/v), then purified by a Cleanert® MC clean-up column. As a result, the pigments and other matrices were efficient removed from the sample extract solution. The purified eluate was collected, then evaporated and redissolved by 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution/acetonitrile (70:30 v/v) for UPLC-MS/MS detection. A BEH Shield RP18 chromatographic column was employed for separation of 30 mycotoxins in a total of 14 min. Multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis, and matrix calibration curves obtained with the external-standard method was used for quantitation of target analytes. Under optimized conditions, the linearity range was from 2 to 1000 ng/g, and the limit of quantification of the developed method was from 2 to 50 ng/g. The recoveries of 30 mycotoxins spiked in urine samples were from 72.0% to 118.5%, and the relative standard deviation was below 20%. The method was also well approved by certified reference sample, and applied on the real feedstuff samples testing successfully.

Because Canadian Nitrogen (N) fertilizer use has more than doubled since 1990 (1.2 to 2.9 MtN by 2021), a better understanding of this trend is needed. A comprehensive set of Recommended N Rates (RNR) that agreed with fertilizer sales data from 1996 and 2001 was compared with the Fertilizer Use Survey (FUS). The FUS was conducted from 2014 to 2021, with 2017 being the most representative year for these data. Using non-parametric statistics, confidence intervals were derived from the histograms used to present the FUS data. N application rates from the RNR for Canola, Spring and Duram wheat, and Oats in the west were all below their respective FUS confidence intervals, whereas N application rates for Grain corn showed almost no difference in N use between the RNR and FUS. Crop-specific N application rates interpolated from the RNR and FUS were integrated over their respective crop areas and plotted against national fertilizer sales records from 1990 to 2021. The rapid increase in N use between 2001 and 2017 (0.89 MtN), 90% of it (0.80 MtN) in Western Canada, was primarily due to increased application rates per crop, rather than crop area changes. The FUS-RNR interpolations were a good approximation of N sales records and could improve farm GHG emissions modelling. The economically important crops in Western Canada should be the main focus for N-related GHG reduction measures, but production losses need to be avoided.

In the context of an increasingly globalized economy and rapid technological advancements, the agri-food sector faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Digital traceability systems have emerged as pivotal in enhancing operational efficiencies, ensuring food safety, and fostering supply chain transparency. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the adoption and impact of digital traceability technologies across member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Utilizing a multidimensional analytical framework, this research investigates the spectrum of national regulations, legal frameworks, and specific food commodities most influenced by digital traceability implementations. It systematically evaluates the efficacy of these systems in addressing consumer transparency demands, regulatory compliance, and the overarching goal of sustainable agri-food supply chains. Through a meticulous examination of case studies and empirical data, the paper elucidates the dynamic interplay between technological innovation and regulatory environments, offering insights into best practices and potential barriers to digital traceability integration. This comprehensive inquiry aims to contribute to the scholarly discourse on digital traceability, providing actionable recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and academia to navigate the complexities of modern agri-food systems.

Fermented food matrices, including beverages, can be defined as the result of the activity of complex microbial ecosystems where different microorganisms interact according to different biotic and abiotic factors. Certainly, in industrial production the technological processes aim to control the fermentation to place safe foods on the market. Therefore, if food safety is the essential prerogative, consumers are increasingly oriented towards a healthy and conscious diet driving the production and consequently the applied research towards natural processes. In this regard, the aim to guarantee safety, quality and diversify of products should be reached limiting or avoiding the addition of antimicrobials or synthetic additives using the biological approach. In this paper, following the recent re-evaluation of non-Saccharomyces yeasts (NSYs) has been re-viewed the bio-protectant and biocontrol activity with a particular focus on their antimicrobial power, probiotic features and promoting functional aspects. In this review, the authors would underline the contribution of NSYs in all food production chain and its role in the technological and fermentative features for their practical and useful use as biocontrol agent in food preparations.

The study assesses the direct effects of climate change by 2060, including extreme events, on the productivity of regional crop farming and livestock in Greece, and the broader socio-economic effects on the agri-food and other sectors. Different approaches (i.e., agronomic models, statistical regression models, equations linking thermal stress to livestock output) were combined to estimate the effects on productivity from changes in the average values of climatic parameters, and subsequently the direct economic effects from this long-term climate change. Recorded damages from extreme events together with climatic thresholds per event and crop were combined to estimate the direct economic effects of these extremes. The broader socio-economic effects were then estimated through input-output analysis. Under average levels of future extreme events, the total direct economic losses for the Greek agriculture due to climate change will be significant, from €437 million/ year to €1 billion/ year. These losses approximately double when indirect effects on other sectors using agricultural products as inputs (e.g., food and beverage, hotels, restaurants) are considered, and escalate further under a tenfold impact of extreme events. Losses in the GDP and employment are moderate at the national level, but significant in regions where the contribution of agriculture is high.

The health emergency caused by Covid 19 highlighted the food dependency of many cities in the world and Cali and the cities of Valle del Cauca were no exception as they depended on food flows from other regions and countries, so these Entities are part of the corporate food system, to which their rulers delegated food security for their inhabitants. In the same territory and for the last nine years, a second-level organization has been consolidating that brings together 14 peasant agroecological markets and that despite strict confinement measures was able to continue supplying food to consumers in the municipalities of influence that have supported this initiative. The foregoing leads to think that said organization can become a platform for an agroecological food system of regional scope, for which the characteristics that said system should have according to a model based on the principles of agroecology were evaluated.

Sustainable Development Goal 12 requires countries to achieve responsible consumption and production patterns without exceeding safe environmental limits for natural resource use. However, little is known about how cropland impacts from the agri-food sector contribute to the exceedance of national environmental limits for consumption and production. Using a multi-regional input-output model, we linked the cropland impacts of agri-food production to countries of consumption while considering the exceedance of production-based and consumption-based environmental limits. We defined national consumption-based environmental limits via the fair-share approach and quantified national production-based environmental limits according to the biophysical limit of available arable land. We then classified countries into quadrants according to their exceedance of consumption and/or production environmental limits. We found that the USA, Australia and other high-income countries were exceeding both consumption-based and production-based environmental limits. High-population but low-income countries such as India and China were within safe consumption-based environmental limits but exceeded production-based environmental limits. Brazil and other countries of the Americas incurred substantial environmental costs due to the conversion of forests into cropland to produce food for export. We identified patterns in international trade relationships that could inform national-level responsible agri-food consumption and production patterns across the global supply chain, thereby contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 12. More stringent regulations and commitments in national and international policies are required to reduce the exceedance of consumption-based and production-based environmental limits and avoid exceeding the global land-system change planetary boundary.

Food composition data in the EMR countries are often lacking, obsolete or unreliable. The study aims to provide reliable and up-to-date nutrient data of selected food products consumed in Oman in order to evaluate consistency of nutrition labelling and update the current used food composition database. Contents of total fat, fatty acids, carbohydrates, total nitrogen, sugars and sodium were chemically analyzed in 221 foods and beverages purchased in 2022 and label and corresponding laboratory values were compared using the tolerance levels of the European Union. Food items were classified according their nutritional composition, the extent of processing and coded according FoodEx2 system. Results indicate that the nutrient values stated on a label align with the values obtained in the laboratory with the exception of a 6.3% discrepancy in TFAs content, where the reported values are higher than the appropriate reference values. The category with the highest frequency (71.5%) consisted of ultra-processed foods. In terms of inconsistencies in the nutrition claims, 5.1% of food products with claims did not comply with the statement “sugar free” or “low salt”. These findings underscore the significance of vigilant monitoring of nutritional labels as a means to implement measures that promote the well-being of consumers.

: For decades the city has created food models by requiring the countryside to meet the growing demand with increasingly more homologated crop reconversions and increasingly vast and competitive farms. The current acceleration of the land concentration process and the dramatic experience of the COVID 19 pandemic have, however, forced us to redefine the city-country relationship, which has been called into question for some years now in various FAO and EU documents. Based on the GECOAGRI-LANDITALY survey itinerary, a proven tool for reading local peculiarities, the AAs show how easy it is to recognize which farmlands can best fulfil the role of guaranteeing food safety and protecting the quality and typicality of traditional foods. The final proposal is to start a new agri-food policy that no longer starts from the demand formulated by the city but, reversing the direction of the old relationship, it starts from the availability of products offered by the countryside to re-educate consumption and promote the sustainability of agricultural practices.

Precision metagenomic approaches using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing has been shown to allow recovery of complete genomes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from overnight enrichments of agricultural waters. This study tests the applicability of a similar approach for Cronobacter genome recovery from powdered infant formula (PIF) overnight enrichments, where Cronobacter typically dominates the overall microbiome (&gt;90%). In this study, we aimed to test whether using ONT sequencing of overnight PIF enrichments could recover a completely closed Cronobacter genome for further genomic characterization. Ten PIF samples, each inoculated with different Cronobacter strains, covering Cronobacter sakazakii, C. muytjensii, C. dublinensis, C. turicensis, and C. universalis, were processed according to the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) protocol. qPCR was used for initial screening (detection and quantification) of the overnight enrichments and confirmed that the spiked PIF samples after the overnight enrichment have high levels of Cronobacter (107 to 109 CFU/mL). DNA from overnight PIF enrichments was extracted from the enrichment broth and sequenced using ONT. Results showed that ONT sequencing could accurately identify, characterize, and close the genomes of Cronobacter strains from overnight PIF enrichments in 3 days, much faster than the nearly two weeks required by the current BAM method. Complete genome recovery and species differentiation were achieved. This suggests that combining qPCR with ONT sequencing provides a rapid, cost-effective alternative for detecting and characterizing Cronobacter in PIF, enabling timely corrective actions during outbreaks.

The chemical investigation of the anti-yeast methanol extract from the stem bark of Terminalia mantaly led to the isolation of seven compounds: 3-O-methyl-4-O-α-rhamnopyranoside ellagic acid (1), 3-O-mehylellagic acid (2), arjungenin or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid (3), arjunglucoside or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid glucopyranoside (4), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-11,13(18)-dien-28-oïc acid (5), stigmasterol (6), stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Compounds 1-5 were tested in vitro for activity against three pathogenic yeast isolates, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. The activity of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were comparable to that of the reference compound fluconazole (MIC values below 32 µg/ml) against the three tested yeast isolates. They were also tested for inhibitory properties against four enzymes of metabolic significance: Glucose-6-Phosphate Deshydrogenase (G6PD), human erythrocyte Carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and hCA II), Glutathione S-transferase (GST). Compound 4 showed highly potent inhibitory property against the four tested enzymes with overall IC₅₀ values below 4 µM and inhibitory constant (Ki) <3 µM.

Lactoperoxidase (LP) is an important enzyme of the salivary and mammary glands. It has been proven to increase the shelf life of raw milk by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, especially Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas spp. The aim of this work was to verify the use of LP to extend the shelf life of meat products. In vitro experiments showed inhibitory effects against selected bacteria (Listeria innocua (ATCC 33090), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (CP054440.1), and Pseudomonas fluorescens (ATCC 13525) due to prolongation of the lag phase of growth curves. A lower increase in viable counts (P &lt; 0.05) was also found by testing the pork cubes surface treated with LP solution (5%) + L. innocua and stored for 7 days at 15 °C. LP has also been studied at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.50% in meat products (pork ham and pâté) during refrigerated storage (4 °C for 28 days). Lower viable counts were observed throughout the storage experiment, especially for 0.50% LP (P &lt; 0.05). Meat products containing LP also showed lower levels of oxidation (MAD) (P &lt; 0.05). According to these results, LP could extend the shelf life of a wider range of products.

This study aims at providing a systematic and critical review on the state-of-the-art of life cycle applications from the circular economy point of view. In particular, the main objective is to un-derstand how researchers adapt life cycle approaches for the measurement of the empirical cir-cular pathways of agri-food systems along the overall lifespan. To perform the literature review, PRISMA protocol was considered to conduct a review by qualitative synthesis. Specifically, an evaluation matrix has been set up to gather and synthesize research evidence, by classifying pa-pers according to several integrated criteria. The literature search was carried out employing scientific databases. Findings evidence that the most common circularity topics are about closed-loop production systems, i.e. nutrient recovery for agricultural purposes, production of renewable energy, valorization of residues and wastes as fertilizers, food waste, and agro-wastes recycling for agriculture. To evaluate the benefits/impacts of CE strategies, Life Cycle Assess-ment (LCA) proved to be the most common methodology applied by authors, as it can help to meet the main CE requirements slowing and closing resource loops.

Broad bean paste (BBP) is a traditional fermented soy food, and its high salt content not only prolongs the fermentation time but also threatens human health. In this study, three BBP-meju with different salt concentrations were prepared, and the effects of varying salinity on the fermentation process were comprehensively compared. The results showed that salt-reduced fermentation contributed to the accumulation of amino acid nitrogen, reducing sugars, free amino acids, and organic acids. Alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and acids were the main volatile flavor compounds in BBP-meju, and the highest total volatile flavor compounds were found in medium-salt meju. Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Aspergillus, and Mortierella were the dominant microbial communities during fermentation, and there were also three opportunistic pathogens, Enterobacter, Pantoea, and Brevundimonas, respectively. According to Spearman correlation analysis, Wickerhamomyces, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Mortierella all showed highly significant positive correlations with ≥3 key flavor compounds, which may be the core functional flora. Furthermore, the dominant microbial genera worked synergistically to promote the formation of high-quality flavor compounds and inhibit the production of off-flavors during salt-reduced fermentation. This study provides a theoretical reference for the quality and safety control of low-salt fermented soy foods.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in utilizing natural antioxidants as alternatives to synthetic additives in food products. Apples and apple by-products have gained attention as a potential source of natural antioxidants due to their rich phenolic content. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the antioxidant properties of apples and apple by-products, their extraction techniques as well as potential applications in food products because of their an-tioxidant or nutritional properties. The findings here reported highlights the proper utilization of apples and their by-products in food to reduce the detrimental effect on the environment and provide a positive impact on the economy.

The present context regarding development of the food products trade at European Union level presumes manifestation of some tendencies and challenges meant to claim at the highest level the adaptation capacity of economical agents - both producers and traders. Among these we can take into account their need to comply with organic product labeling standards as an integral part of food products safety policies at Union level. In order to be able to implement a proper label type, not only from the point of view of standards but especially from the perspective given by the consumers perception and motivation toward a healthy sustainable food consumption, producers have to constantly innovate, to find new design solutions for food products labels. This article propose an exploratory research in the form of a field survey that highlights the perceptions of Romanian and Serbian consumers, altogether from the urban environment in relation to organic food labeling and how they influence purchasing decision-making. A random number of 373 Serbian consumers’ questionnaires, respectively 1262 Romanian consumers’ questionnaires have been validated, the results showing interesting results from the point of view of national consumption profile differences due to different cultural, economic and social factors as well as different levels of integration within European economy for the both countries. Main conclusions of the research stress the fact that perceptions regarding organic food products labels are constructed around variables like: type of information to appear within the label, category of information that are missing from labels, degree of producers interest in proper labeling of organic food products, relevance of the information on the organic food labels as regards the decision to purchase the products etc. Conclusions propose some possible developments for innovative future characteristics for organic food products labels.

Summary Genome assembly projects have grown exponentially due to breakthroughs in sequencing technologies and assembly algorithms. Evaluating the quality of genome assemblies is critical to ensure the reliability of downstream analysis and interpretation. To fulfil this task, we have developed the AssemblyQC pipeline that performs file-format validation, contaminant checking, contiguity measurement, gene- and repeat-space completeness quantification, telomere inspection, taxonomic assignment, synteny alignment, scaffold examination through Hi-C contact-map visualisation, and assessments of completeness, consensus quality and phasing through K-mer analysis. It produces a comprehensive HTML report with method descriptions, tables, and visualisations. Availability and Implementation The pipeline uses NextFlow for workflow orchestration and adheres to the best-practice established by the nf-core community. This pipeline offers a reproducible, scalable, and portable method to assess the quality of genome assemblies – the code is available online.GitHub: https://github.com/Plant-Food-Research-Open/assemblyqc Supplementary information Pipeline usage documentation, parameter descriptions and example outputs are available on GitHub: https://github.com/Plant-Food-Research-Open/assemblyqc/tree/main/docs. A preview report is also hosted online: https://plant-food-research-open.github.io/assemblyqc

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease characterized by excessive weight gain and fat accumulation. There is growing evidence that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains with bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity are effective in preventing and alleviating obesity. However, few of them has confirmed the anti-obesity effect of BSH by gene deletion. In this study, 23 BSH-positive Lp. plantarum strains were screened by bile salt precipitation halo assay. Among these strains, Lp. plantarum Lp20 showed the highest BSH activity with a hydrolysis rate to glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA) by 91.62%. Genomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated that gene bsh1 was associated with BSH activity of Lp. plantarum Lp20 and gene deletion of bsh1 confirmed the role of Bsh1 in GDCA hydrolysis. To investigate if the Bsh1 from Lp. plantarum Lp20 could alleviate obesity, the wild type and bsh1 deletion mutant strains were administered daily for 8 weeks to diet-induced obese mice, respectively. Compared with mutant strain, the wild type strain Lp20 significantly reduced body weight gain, inguinal white adipose tissue and mesenteric fat mass in obese mice. In addition, Lp20 also reduced serum total cholesterol levels and LDL-C by 20.8% and 33.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the recovered liver steatosis was only observed in Lp. plantarum Lp20 treated mice. Taken together, the bile salt hydrolase Bsh1 from Lp. plantarum Lp20 was a key functional factor on ameliorating HFD-induced obesity by reducing cholesterol levels and suppressing adipogenesis in mice.

YouTube is a very popular social media platform in today’s digital landscape. The primary focus of this study is to explore the underlying sentiment in user comments on food-related videos on YouTube, specifically within two pivotal food product categories: Plant-Based and Hedonic. Our research involved labelling comments using sentiment lexicons such as TextBlob and VADER. Furthermore, the sentiments of the comments were classified using advanced Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Multinomial Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and XGBoost. The evaluation of these models encompassed key macro average metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score. Results from VADER showcased a high accuracy level, with SVM achieving 93% accuracy in the plant-based dataset and 96% in the hedonic dataset. In addition to sentiment analysis, we delved into user interactions within the two datasets, measuring crucial metrics such as views, likes, comments, and engagement rate. The findings illuminate significantly higher levels of views, likes, and comments in the hedonic food dataset, but the plant-based dataset maintains a superior overall engagement rate.

A great deal of studies have assessed the expression of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as well as their relevant molecular functions and biological mechanisms in the individuals of alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is one of the most prevalent neuropsychological disorders worldwide, and its pathogenesis is intricate and inadequately understood. There is considerable evidence demonstrating substantial links between multiple genetic factors and the development of alcohol dependence. Critical roles of ncRNAs have been emphasized in the pathophysiology of mental diseases including alcohol dependence. In the comprehension of ncRNAs action and their mechanisms of modification, they have emerged as therapeutic targets for a variety of psychiatric illness including alcohol dependence. Worth mentioning, dysregulated expression of ncRNAs has been regularly detected in individuals of alcohol dependence. An in-depth knowledge of roles of ncRNAs and m6A modification may be valuable for the development of a novel treatment against alcohol dependence. In general, a deeper comprehension of functional roles ncRNAs may make significant contributions to the precise diagnosis and/or actual treatment of alcohol dependence. Here in this review, we mostly focused on the up-to-date knowledge regarding alterations and/or modifications in the expression of ncRNAs in alcohol dependence, and then, presented their prospects for future research and therapeutic application with a novel concept of engram-system.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

The adulteration of goat milk powder occurs frequently, cattle-derived and soybean-derived ingredients are common adulterants in goat milk powder. However, simultaneously and rapidly detecting cattle-derived and soybean-derived components is still a challenge. high throughput and efficient screening method for adulteration detection is need. In this study, a rapid method was developed to detect the adulteration of common cattle-derived and soybean-derived components simultaneously in goat milk powder by combining the CRISPR/ Cas12a system with recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA). A dual DNA extraction method was employed, primers and crRNA for dual detection were designed and screened, and a series of condition optimizations were carried out in this experiment. The optimized assay can rapidly detect cattle-derived and soybean-derived components in 40 min. The detection limits of both cattle-derived and soybean-derived components were 1% (w/w) for the mixed adulteration models. The established method was applied into a blind survey of 55 commercially available goat milk powder products. The results showed that 36.36% of the samples contained cattle-derived or soybean-derived ingredients, which revealed the noticeable adulteration situation in the goat milk powder market. This study realizes a fast flow of dual extraction, dual amplification and dual detection of cattle-derived and soybean-derived components in goat milk powder for the first time. It can be used for high-throughput and high-efficiency on-site primary screening of goat milk powder adulterants, and provide a technical reference for combating with food adulteration.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of chitosan (CH) based composite films with the incorporation of chestnut flower essential oil (CFEO). The composite films were prepared by casting method and characterized in terms of structural, morphological and mechanical properties via FT-IR, XRD, UV, SEM and TGA. The results proved the significantly increased water vapor permeability (WVP), heat resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities of CH-CFEO films. The incorporation of CH and CFEO enhanced the UV blocking, which made the film shield almost all UV light. Films with the tensile strength of 6.37 ± 0.41 MPa and elongation at break of 22.57 ± 0.35% were got with 6 mg mL-1 CFEO. Subsequently, the fruit preservation experiments also confirmed that the composite films could effectively extend the shelf life of bananas through their excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier. These desirable performances enable our newly developed composite films to be a remarkable packaging material to solve the fresh fruit preservation dilemma.

Caveolin is a structural protein within caveolae, which may be involved in transmembrane molecular transport and/or various intercellular interactions within cells. Specific mutations of caveolin-3 in muscle cells are well-known to cause a limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Altered expression of the caveolin-3 has been also detected in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, which may be a part of the pathological process leading to muscle weakness. Interestingly, it has been shown that the renovation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) to the sarcolemma with muscular dystrophy could improve the muscle health, suggesting that NOS may be involved in the pathology of muscular dystrophy. Here, we summarize the notable function of caveolin and/or NOS in skeletal muscle cells, and would like to discuss about their involvement in the pathology as well as possible tactics for the innovative treatment of muscular dystrophies.

Nowadays circular economy trend drives researchers in the recovery of various bioactive compounds from agri-food by-products. Enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) is shown as an innovative green technology for the effective extraction of various phytochemicals from agri-food section by-products, therefore this study aimed to evaluate the application of EAE as green technology to obtain extracts from olive leaves (Olea europaea) for potential industrial production. EAE was conducted under various enzyme dose combinations, and incubation time (120 min). Obtained extracts were characterized in terms of total polyphenols (TP) and Total Antioxidant Activity (AA). Firstly, the enzyme synergistic effect in enzymatic extraction of polyphenols was evaluated. TP optimal extraction conditions (468.19 mg GAE/L) were achieved after EAE (50-50%) and for AA (69.85 AA%). According to the above results, a second experimental part occurred for the incubation time (min.) and enzyme dose (mL) of optimal extraction conditions of olive leaves. Results indicated EAE as an excellent choice for green extraction of polyphenols from the olive leaves.

Postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. Different bacterial strain and preparation method result in different functions. Herein, a postbiotic preparation named Postbiotic-P by intercepting 1-5 KD of the cell-free supernatants of L. caseiparacasei P6 fermentation broth was prepared, and its multifunctional activities were evaluated. The results showed that Postbiotic-P exerted good antihemolytic (10%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.9%-48.1% antihemolytic rate), anti-inflammatory (8% to 40% Postbiotic-P is comparable to 259.1-645.4 μg/mL of diclofenac sodium equivalents), antioxidant [reducing power (1.25%-12.5% Postbiotic-P resulted in the increase of OD700 from 0.279-2.322), DPPH free radical scavenging activity (2.5%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 38.9%-92.4% free radical scavenging rate), and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (0.5%-4% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.66%-10.38% hydroxyl radical scavenging rate)], and antimicrobial activities (against 2 Gram-positive, 8 Gram-negative and 1 fungus). Furthermore, it was proved that Postbiotic-P could significantly inhibit the increase of the peroxide value and the malondialdehyde content in cookies, indicating the application potential of Postbiotic-P in food preservation. Taken together, Postbiotic-P has good application potential for the development of health care products and functional foods. However, further studies are needed to determine their precise mechanism of action, to clarify the active components responsible for the function, and to validate the biological activities in animal models or clinical trials.

The Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is often used to improve a system's reli-ability. This paper proposes a new approach that aims to overcome the most critical defects of the traditional FMEA. This new methodology combines the Entropy and Best Worst Method (BWM) methodology with the EDas and System Dynamics, FMECA: The EN-B-ED Dynamic FMECA. The main innovation’s point of the proposed work is the presence of an unknown factor (Cost), that allows to obtain an objective weighted factor, a risk index when a machine failure occurs. The criticality analysis has been carried out using software (Vensim PLE x64) to simulate System Dynamics models to identify corrective actions and evaluating the possible implementation of these ac-tions. The methodology proposed is applied to a case study in a relevant Italian com-pany in the agri-food sector.

This study evaluated batch fermentation modes, namely, separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), Quasi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (Q-SSF), and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), and fermentation conditions, i.e., enzyme and yeast loadings, nutrient supplementation and sterilization, on high titer bioethanol production from SPORL-pretreated Douglas-fir forest residue without detoxification. The result indicated Q-SSF and SSF were obviously superior to SHF operation in terms of ethanol yield. The enzyme loading showed a strong positive correlation between enzyme loading and the ethanol yield. The nutrient supplementation and sterility was not necessary for ethanol production from SPORL-pretreated Douglas-fir. The yeast loading showed no significant influence on the ethanol yield for typical SSF conditions. The terminal ethanol titer of 43.2 g/L, or 75.1% theoretical based on glucose, mannose, and xylose theoretical was achieved when SSF was conducted at the condition of following: whole slurry solids loading of 15%, enzyme loading of 20 FPU/g glucan, 1.8 g/kg (wet) yeast loading, without nutrition supplementation and sterilization, at 38°C, on shake flask at 150 rpm for 96h. It is believed that with mechanical mixing, enzyme loading can be substantially reduced with affect ethanol yield by using a long fermentation time.

In this paper, we introduce a specialized, fully automated experimental arrangement designed for assessing the effectiveness of augmented and virtual reality technologies in healthcare setting and explore its design principles focusing on depth sensor characterization. The main goal of this project is to establish a robust benchtop platform for the quantitative evaluation of extended reality technologies in a controlled environment, emphasizing the practical assessment of augmented reality head-mounted devices. We outline a design concept and considerations for an experimental configuration aimed at creating a realistic testing environment. This apparatus comprises an observation platform mounted on a three-degree-of-freedom motorized system and a test phantom stage. Focusing on real-case scenarios, we utilized a range of sensors, including readily available range-sensing cameras and commercial augmented reality headsets, such as the Intel RealSense L515 LiDAR camera, mounted on the motion control system. The setup enabled automated data collection and facilitates controlled assessments and validation of various facets of augmented reality technologies, including object, hand, and head tracking, as well as static and dynamic image registration. This paper describes the system architecture, the process of automated data collection, and presents several evaluation studies conducted with this setup, providing insights into the quality and temporal noise associated with static or moving objects or observers in augmented reality applications.

In Poland, there has recently been a lot of interest in the possible use of insects as a new food source. Since they have many nutritional and environmental advantages, insects are a promising and sustainable source of protein. Although, in many parts of the world insects are a highly valued food, in Poland the development of insect-based food has only recently started, and the availability of products on the market is constantly increasing. This study examines the market availability of food products with insect additives in Poland, considering both online and sta-tionary stores. The assortment of products was analyzed based on the country of origin, insect species, form of insects, and product category. Polish consumers have more access to in-sect-based food products than ever before, with whole insects, protein bars, and powdered ver-sions predominating the market's offers..

Sea cucumber peptides are small molecular peptides with biological function obtained from fresh sea cucumber as feedstock, which were hydrolyzed by protease, separated ,and purified. As the main product of sea cucumber refinement, it more accurately expresses the nutritional effect of sea cucumber and has a wide range of potential applications. It has been demonstrated that sea cucumber has a certain value-added effect on bone mineral density regulation, but the differences in bone mineral density regulation of extracts from different parts of sea cucumber and the techniques contributing to the efficient isolation of bone sea cucumber peptides have not been reported. Firstly, the aim of this study was to reveal the differences in osteogenic activities of enzymatic peptides from three major parts of sea cucumber: the body wall, the egg protein, and the intestinal protein. Then, the bone-enhancing sea cucumber peptides were isolated based on the characteristics of the dif-ferences in molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionisation degree of sea cucumber, and to explore the possible mechanisms of their action. The findings indicated that sea cucumber peptides extracted from three distinct sites exhibited a dose-dependent enhancement of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Upon evaluating the three methods of sea cucumber peptide separation based on molecular weight distribution, hydrophilicity, and ionization, it was observed that the fraction isolated by hydrophobicity and

Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao, L.) represents an important market that gained relevance and became an esteemed commodity thanks to cocoa powder, chocolate, and other related products. This work has analyzed 59 cocoa powder samples from the European market. Three distinct subgroups were identified: organic or conventional, alkalized or not alkalized, and raw or roasted processing. The impact of the technological process was evaluated on the pH, color, and compositional traits, as content of biogenic amines and salsolinol. The phenolic fraction was also investigated trough both common and emerging methods. Results depict that the influence of the agronomical practices (organic/conventional) did not affect significatively (p&lt;0.05) the composition of cocoa powders; similarly, the roasting process was not discriminative for the compounds traced. On the other hand, the alkalinization process greatly impacted on color, and pH, no matter of cocoa provenience, obtention, or other processes, also resulting reducing the phenolic fraction of treated samples. Principal components analysis confirmed that the alkali process acts on pH, color, and phenolic composition, but not on other bioactives molecules (BAs and salsolinol). All samples resulted safe while alkalized powders have a great reduction in beneficial biocompounds. A novel strategy could be to emphasize non-alkalized powders in the label, to meet the demand for more beneficial products.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle raised in North America. At the feedlot, cattle are subject to metaphylactic treatment with macrolides to prevent BRD, a practice that may promote antimicrobial resistance and has resulted in an urgent need for novel strategies. Mannheimia haemolytica is one of the major bacterial agents of BRD. The inhibitory effects of two amphipathic, α-helical (PRW4, WRL3) and one β-sheet (WK2) antimicrobial peptides were evaluated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. haemolytica isolated from Alberta feedlots. WK2 was not cytotoxic against bovine turbinate (BT) cells by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. All three peptides inhibited M. haemolytica, with WK2, being the most efficacious against multiple isolates. At 8-16 µg/ml, WK2 was bactericidal against Mh 330 in broth and at 32 µg/ml in the presence of BT cells, reduced the population by 3 logs CFU/ml without causing cytotoxic effects. The membrane integrity of Mh 330 was examined using NPN (1-N-phenylnaphthylamine), and ONPG (o-Nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside) with both the inner and outer membranes being compromised. Thus, WK2 may be a viable alternative to the use of macrolides as part of BRD prevention and treatment strategies.

In many European countries over the last decades, arable fields dominate agriculture landscapes, leading to a very intensive land-use practices. This reason seems to be the main cause of popula-tions declines for numerous farmland species, including the European hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778). The Research institute for Animal Production (National Agricultural and Food Centre, Luzianky, Slovakia) has been engaged in a long monitoring project (project currently run-ning), collecting certain indicators of hare population dynamics during hunting season since 1987 to 2023 in the Slovak Danubian Lowland. In the same macro-area (Čiližská Radvaň and Lehnice) a study was conducted on the influence of permanent semi-natural vegetation in relation to re-cruitment, population density and production. The whole monitored period was aggregated into 5-years intervals (for a total of 7 time-intervals), with the aim of analyzing the brown hare popu-lation dynamics. Spring hare density in the Danubian Lowland is currently 20.8 hares/km2, with harvests of 4.6 hares/km2. During all the monitoring period, bag’s animals have been examined following the regular hunting operations for the purpose of age determination (weight of eye lenses), sex ratio and productivity. The results of our analysis showed that the proportion of juve-nile in bag (PYB) among those shot varied from 37.0 % of the last 5-years interval (2018-2023), to a maximum of 51.0 % in interval of years 1998-2002. On total average there were 1.86 juveniles per adult female (r). The proportion of adult females in gamebag varied from 22.58 % (years in-terval 1992-1997) to 31.26 % (years interval 2018-2023). Sex-ratio (SI; males : females) among shot hares showed a value of 0.50, ranged from 0.48 in the period 2008-2012 to 0.52 in the first observed period (years 1987-1991) and in the last one (years 2018-2023). Average weight of shot hares was 4.04 kg (juveniles 3.83 kg, adults 4.27 kg, adult males 4.21 kg and females 4.32 kg). There was a large positive effect of set-aside with special mixtures, created for hares in large-scale farmed agrarian landscape, on hare density, bag and recruitment. In model hunting grounds with such set-asides increased the spring stock by 25 %, bag by 100 % and recruitment by 20 %. This study reveals that the management of European brown hare is not sustainable, and the population is decreasing. It is proved through the decline of harvest hares and by population dynamics parameters. Environmental improvements lead to the stabilization and increasing of requested parameters.

Reducing GHG emissions is a crucial challenge in urban areas, characterized by high energy consumption and reduced exposure to nature. In this context, the urban green system could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars analyzed both the ability of species-specific and layout-specific green infrastructures to increase carbon sequestration and the best location sites of new green infrastructures, to increase the provision of overall ecosystem services. There is a lack of studies helping green urban planners and designers choose where and which green infrastructure to implement, based on vegetation species-specific performance and local carbon emissions of city components. This paper uses tree inventory data from a medium-sized city in central Italy (Perugia) to develop a spatial analysis of the urban parks' performance in carbon sequestration. Then, the method evaluates the carbon emission of a public city building to generate a spatialized balance between buildings’ demand and trees’ supply, to support local decisions about the best locations for new green infrastructures and the choice between species. The paper contributes to GIS-based tools that vary the recommended location sites and species for new green infrastructures based on the demanded ecosystem service.

Objective: This research was aimed to estimate the anti-fatigue effects of arecoline and elucidate its underlying mechanisms using a murine model of central fatigue precipitated by sleep deprivation (SD). Methods: Seventy-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated into six groups: a control group, a SD-induced fatigue model group, a group receiving Rhodiola Rosea capsules (2.5 mg/kg), and arecoline groups administered low, medium, and high doses (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, respectively). Following 28 days of continuous administrations, the effects of arecoline on the mouse fatigue-related behaviors was assessed by the behavioral tests, including grip strength, rotarod performance, and weight-bearing swimming endurance. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were utilized to measure the levels of the relevant biochemical markers. Western blotting was employed to quantify the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), sequestosome-1 (p62), and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the gastrocnemius muscle. Results: Arecoline administration notably enhanced grip strength, delayed the onset of fatigue as evidenced by extended latencies in rotarod tests, and increased the duration of weight-bearing swimming in mice. In the elevated plus maze, arecoline significantly reduced both the number of entries and the total distance traveled in the open arms. Arecoline markedly decreased serum levels of creatine kinase, blood urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, triglycerides, and cholesterol, while elevated total testosterone, lactate dehydrogenase, and immunoglobulin G levels. Furthermore, it significantly increased superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase activity in the gastrocnemius muscle, reduced malondialdehyde levels, augmented hippocampal SOD and CAT activity, and elevated glycogen stores in both liver and muscle tissues. Neurotransmitter levels were significantly increased, cytokine levels were markedly reduced, and the expression of Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1, p62, and HO-1 in brain tissue was significantly upregulated. Conclusion: The current study for the first time demonstrated that arecoline has significant anti-fatigue activity, and its mechanism of action is related to elevate the levels of glucose and lipid metabolism, relieve oxidative stress damage, inhibit neuroinflammatory response, regulate neurotransmitter levels and Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. The current study provides a new insight into the potential of arecoline in prevention and improvement of fatigue.

Achieving effective control over microbial contamination necessitates the precise and concurrent identification of numerous pathogens. In this research, we have devised a remarkably sensitive duplex droplet digital PCR (dddPCR) reaction system to simultaneously detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi). Employing comparative genomics, we identified four genes of P. fragi. By specific analysis, RS22680 gene was selected as the detection target of P. fragi and LasR gene was chosed as P. aeruginosa, which were applied to construct a dddPCR reaction. In terms of specificity, sensitivity and anti-interference ability, the constructed dddPCR detection system was verified and analyzed. The assay showed excellent sensitivity and applicability, as evidenced by a limit of detection of 100 CFU/mL. When the concentration of natural background bacteria in milk or fresh meat was 100 times that of the target detection bacteria, the method was still capable of completing the absolute quantification. In the simulation of actual sample contamination, P. aeruginosa could be detected after 3 h of enrichment culture, and P. fragi could be detected after 6 h. The established ddPCR detection system exhibits exceptional performance, serving as a foundation for the simultaneous detection of various pathogenic bacteria in food products.

In our study, we assessed the effects of verbenone, the most widely studied bark beetle aggregation inhibitor, on saproxylic beetles of a Mediterranean pine forest in Tuscany. Verbenone pouches were devised in the laboratory and then applied to Ips sexdentatus pheromone traps so that catches could be compared to those of traps with just the bait. The trial was carried out in spring-summer 2023, collecting insect catches every two weeks. A total of 9440 beetles were collected, belonging to 32 different families and 57 species. About 80% of captures were bark beetles, mainly Orthotomicus erosus. Beetle predators accounted for about 17% of the captures, with a total of 12 species. Some of these predator species had never been studied yet in relation to verbenone effects, like other saproxylic beetles recorded in this study. A significant reduction of captures was recorded for some beetles (e.g. I. sexdentatus and O. erosus), for other species no differences emerged, and in some cases captures increased significantly when verbenone was present in the traps (i.e.. Hylurgus ligniperda, Corticeus pini, Aulonium ruficorne). The diversity of caught saproxylic beetles increased significantly in verbenone traps, highlighting possible implications of the use of verbenone when managing bark beetle outbreaks.

Citrus species essential oils (EOs) are significant sources of bioactive compounds and demonstrate diverse therapeutic effects. However, limited documentation exists regarding the phytochemicals associated with their biological activities. This study aims to assess the antioxidant activity, plant inhibitory properties, and brine shrimp cytotoxic effects of EOs derived from three Citrus species: C. sinensis, C. limon, and C. hystrix. Utilizing chemometric analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprints, the volatile components contributing to antioxidant activity were elucidated. The peels of the Citrus samples were hydro-distillated to obtain EOs, and subsequently subjected to antioxidant, plant inhibitory, and brine shrimp cytotoxic assays. The results indicated that C. limon EO exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, while C. hystrix and C. sinensis EOs demonstrated pronounced inhibitory effects against Aetrmia salina and Lactuca sativa, respectively. GC-MS analysis facilitated the identification of key compounds in each EO. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchy cluster analysis (HCA) effectively categorized Citrus EOs based on their antioxidant properties, highlighting the proximity of C. limon and C. sinensis. Among the identified compounds, D-limonene, α-Terpineol, Caryophyllene, (+)-3-Carene, β-Pinene, (-)-Spathulenol, trans-p-Mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol, and trans-Verbenol were the most discriminating compounds affected the antioxidant activity of C.limon and C. sinensis EOs.

Oedaleus decorus asiaticus, Calliptamus abbreviatus, Angaracris rhodopa, and Myrmeleotettix palpalis are the main grasshoppers that harm the natural grassland in the Hexi Corridor. In this study, the MaxEnt model was employed to identify the key environmental factors affecting the distribution of the four grasshoppers habitats and to assess their distribution under current and future climate change conditions. The aim was to provide a basis for grasshopper monitoring, prediction, and precise control. In this study, 61 occurrences of O. decorus asiaticus, 68 occurrences of A. rhodopa, 58 occurrences of C. abbreviatus, and 92 occurrences of M. palpalis were recorded by GPS, and the distribution of suitable habitats for O. decorus asiaticus, C. abbreviatus, A. rhodopa, and M. palpalis were predicted under current and future climatic scenarios using a MaxEnt model. The average AUC and TSS values of the four grasshoppers were greater than 0.9, and the simulation results were excellent and highly reliable. The mean annual precipitation was the main factor limiting the current range of suitable areas for these four species. Under the current climate, O. asiaticus, C. abbreviatus, and A. rhodopa were mainly distributed in the central and eastern parts of the Hexi Corridor, and M. palpalis was distributed throughout the Hexi Corridor, with a potential distribution area of 1.44×104, 1.43×104, 1.29×104, and 2.12×104 km2, accounting for 15.3, 15.2, 13.7, and 22.5% of the total area of the grasslands in the Hexi Corridor, respectively. The highly suitable areas of O. asiaticus, C. abbreviatus, and A. rhodopa were mainly distributed in the east-central part of Zhangye City, the western part of Wuwei City, and the western and southern part of Jinchang City, with areas of 0.35×104, 0.29×104, and 0.20×104 km2, accounting for 3.7, 3, and 2.2% of the grassland area, respectively. The high habitat of M. palpalis was mainly distributed in the southeast of Jiuquan City, the west, middle, and east of Zhangye City, the west of Wuwei City, and the west and south of Jinchang City, with an area of 0.32×104 km2, accounting for 3.4% of the grassland area. In the 2030s, the range of O. asiaticus, C. abbreviatus, A. rhodopa, and M. palpalis was predicted to decrease.

Acrylamide (AA) present in food is considered a harmful compound for humans, but it exerts impact on microorganisms too. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of AA (at conc. 0-10 µg/mL) on the growth of bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5) and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis var. lactis), which naturally occur in food products. Moreover, we decided to verify whether these microorganisms could decompose acrylamide. Our results proved that AA can stimulated the growth of L. acidophilus and K. lactis. We have also reported, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, that probiotic strain of bacteria L. acidophilus LA-5 is able to degrade AA by amidase production and hence can utilize AA as a source of carbon and nitrogen if they lack in the environment. The conducted Response Surface Methodology indicated that pH as well as incubation time and temperature significantly influenced the amount of ammonia released from acrylamide by the bacteria. Concluding, our studies suggest that some strains of bacteria present in milk fermented products can exert additional beneficial impact by acrylamide degradation and preventing against its harmful impact on human body and other members of intestinal microbiota.

Electrochemical methods are used for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater, either independently or in conjunction with biological methods. This conjunction is used for pretreatment or posttreatment of biologically treated wastewater. In our work, we focused on the combination of these processes, where pre-electrolysis was used to produce dissolved iron before the activation process. Electrolysis was also directly introduced into the activation using either iron or carbon electrodes. The surface of one iron electrode was 32.2 cm2, the applied voltage was 21 V, and the supplied current was 270 mA. The surface of one carbon electrode was 7.54 cm2, the supplied current was 82.5 mA, and the applied voltage was 21 V. From laboratory research on the treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater using a combination of electrolysis and activation processes, it resulted that the use of iron electrodes increased the efficiency of phosphorus removal compared to its precipitation with iron salts. The electrolysis had a positive effect on the sedimentation properties of sludge and the destruction of filamentous microorganisms. Electrolysis negatively affected the respiration rates of activated sludge and the efficiency of denitrification. However, it did not have a negative impact on the nitrification activity of the sludge.

A two-year experiment was conducted with a local maize hybrid under full irrigation (F), deficit irrigation (D) and rainfed conditions (R) to estimate maize evapotranspiration in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three approaches (Allen & Pereira (A&P), SIMDualKc (SD), and Vegetation Index (VI)) were used to estimate the actual crop coefficient (Kc act), actual basal crop coefficient (Kcb act), and actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc act) were applied with the dual crop coefficient method and remote sensing (RS) data. While Kcb act from all approaches matched FAO56 tabulated values, SD showed differences, in comparison to A&P, of up to 0.24 in D and R conditions, especially in initial and mid-season stages. VI demonstrated very good performance in all treatments. In F, the obtained Kc act for all approaches during the initial and end stages were higher than the tabulated values, ranging from 0.71-0.87 for Kc ini act and from 0.80-1.06 for Kc end act, while the mid-season period showed very good agreement with the literature. Maize crop evapotranspiration range is 769-813 mm, 480-752 mm, and 332-618 mm for F, D and R, respectively. The results confirmed the suitability of both approaches (SD and VI) to estimate maize crop evapotranspiration under F, with the VI approach demonstrating an advantage in calculating Kcb act, Kc act, and ETc act values under water stress conditions. The 67.6% increase in grain yields with irrigation emphasizes the need to transition from rainfed to irrigation-dependent agriculture, even for drought-resistant crops like maize.

The European Union's recent decision to renew the authorization for the use of glyphosate until 15 December 2033 stimulates the scientific discussion all around the world regarding its toxicity or otherwise for humans. Glyphosate is a chemical used by millions of tons in the last 50 years worldwide to drying weeds in cultivated fields, greenhouses, roadsides. Concern has been raised in many quarters about the possible presence in the food chain and the consequent adverse effects on health: both aspects that argue in favor of toxicity and those that instead may indicate limited toxicity of glyphosate are here discussed. The great debate that has been generated requires further investigations and field measurements to understand its fate once dispersed in the environment and its concentration in the food chain. Hence the need for validated analytical methods that are available to analysts in the field. In the present review, methods for the analytical determination of glyphosate and its main metabolite, AMPA, are discussed, with a specific focus on chromatographic techniques applied to cereal products. The experimental procedures are explained in any detail, including cleanup, derivatization, and instrumental conditions to give the laboratories involved enough information to proceed with the implementation of this line of analysis. The prevalent chromatographic methods used are LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/SIM, and GC-MS/MS but sufficient indications are also given to those laboratories that wish to use the simpler HPLC-FLD, HPLC-UV, GC-NPD or GC-FPD techniques for screening purposes. Concentrations from literature measured in wheat, corn, barley, rye, oats, soybean, and cereal-based foods are reported together with the regulatory status in various parts of the world and the accumulation mechanism. As for the accumulation in cereals, available data show that glyphosate tends to accumulate more in wholemeal flours than in refined ones, that its concentration in the product strictly depends on the treatment period (the closer it is to the time of harvesting, the higher the concentration) and that in cold climates the herbicide tends to persist in the soil for a long time.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) encompasses the comprehensive evaluation of an indi-vidual's health and well-being across multiple dimensions. Mindfulness, recognized as a scientifi-cally supported strategy for anxiety management, plays a role in enhancing both physical and mental health. The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) serves as the bidirectional communication link between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system. This study aims to explore the associa-tion between Mindfulness and factors influencing the GBA in both healthy individuals and those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). A cross-sectional investigation involved 338 adults, in-cluding 50 IBD patients, utilizing validated Greek scales for Mindfulness (MAAS-15), Mediterra-nean Diet (14-MEDAS), and HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L). The questionnaire gathered demographic, an-thropometric, and lifestyle data. Among healthy participants, EQ-5D-5L showed a moderate cor-relation with the MAAS-15 scale (r=0.389, p

Prenylated flavonoids of Humulus lupulus L. have gained attention for their potential health benefits. In this study, Amber ALE and Russian Imperial Stout beers were prepared. In order to increase the content of prenylated flavonoids in beer, there was added ethanol extract of Polaris hops, they were dry hopping with Polaris hops or pure xanthohumol was added. In unfiltered beers, the highest total content of polyphenols (3.60 ± 0.32 g/L gallic acid) was determined on the eighth day of fermentation and maturation in Amber ALE beer without the addition of extract. The highest total antioxidant capacity was determined in Russian Imperial Stout beer with the addition of xanthohumol on the eighth day of fermentation and maturation (0.675 ± 0.008 mmol/L Trolox). This type of beer also had a high antioxidant efficiency (85.96 - 88.00%). Xanthohumol (2.05 mg/L) and isoxanthohumol (2.819 mg/L) were detectable only until the thirteenth day of fermentation and beer maturation. Therefore, the beers were filtered, and the ethanol extract of the Polaris was added to them for 24 hours. This procedure was used to prepare a functional beer of the Amber ALE type (15.210 ± 0.053 mg xanthohumol in 1 L and 0.922 ± 0.077 mg isoxanthohumol in 1 L) and a functional beer of the Russian Imperial Stout type (32.375 ± 0.032 mg xanthohumol in 1 L and 1.877 ± 0.043 mg isoxanthohumol in 1 L).

Exploring for green and affordable protection of perishable fruit like cherry tomato is of significance. Here the protective efficacy and its underpinnings of coating with oleaster gum, alone or incorporated with cuminal, on cherry tomatoes stored at ambient temperature were investigated. The composite coating of oleaster gum with 0.1% cuminal reduced decay, respiration rate, weight loss, and softening of the fruit and decelerated their decreases of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and soluble proteins, and therefore maintained their marketability. Furthermore, it reduced the accumulation of O•− 2and H2O2 in fruit, and mitigated cell membrane lipid oxidation and permeabilization, thereby retarding their senescence. Instrumentally, it elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase and the levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione. This potentiation of the fruit antioxidant system makes the composite coating a promising approach to keeping the postharvest quality of perishable fruit.

Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

Whey protein was pretreated with multi-frequency ultrasound in mono, dual, and tri-frequency modes. The effect of multi-frequency ultrasound pretreatment on the hardness, chemical forces, and microstructure of acid-induced whey protein gel was investigated. Whey protein gels pretreated with dual and tri-frequency ultrasound showed higher hardness (p3.35 mm) in those samples were resisted to gastric digestion. Moreover, the tri-frequency ultrasound pretreatment of whey protein gel released the least free amino group during gastric digestion. In contrast, whey protein gel with the mono-frequency ultrasound pretreatment released the highest amount of free amino acid group during intestinal digestion. Findings from this study suggested that gel hardness and network density could modulate the digestion behaviors of protein gels.

Asparagus shoots are worldwide consumed, although most of such species have a restricted range, and several taxa still remain unstudied. In this work, a total of four taxa from different locations were scrutinized and compared with cultivated A. officinalis. All shoots were screened for saponins by LC-MS, and in vitro antiproliferative activities against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line (by MTT assay). The total saponins (TS) contained in the crude extracts ranged from 710.0 (A. officinalis) to 1258.6 mg/100 g dw (A. acutifolius). It stands out the richness of compounds detected in this work: a total of 47 saponins have been detected and quantified in the edible parts (shoots) of 5 taxa of Asparagus. The structure of all the saponins found present skeletons of the furostane and spirostane type. In turn, the structures with a furostane skeleton are divided into unsaturated and dioxygenated, both in the 20-22 position. The sum of dioscin and derivatives varied largely along the studied taxa. It reached the following percentages of TS: 27.11 (A. officinalis), 18.96 (A. aphyllus), 5.37 (A. acutifolius), and 0.59 (A. albus), while in A. horridus such compound remains undetected. Aspachiosde A, D, and M varied largely among samples, while a total of seven aspaspirostanosides were characterized in the analyzed species. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the saponin profiles clearly separated the various taxa and demonstrated that the taxonomic position is more important than the place from which the samples were acquired. Thus, saponin profiles have chemotaxonomic significance in Asparagus taxa. The MTT assay showed dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects of several saponins extracts on HT-29 cancer cells, standing out the cell growth inhibition exercised by A. albus and A. acutifolius (GI50 of 125 and 175 µg/mL). This work constitutes a whole approach to evaluate the saponins from shoots of different Asparagus taxa and provide arguments for use them as functional foods.

In recent years, food and drink marketers have become increasingly interested in the question of whether there are any meaningful sex/gender differences in the world of taste/flavour perception. However, it turns out that while there are a large number of individual differences in the experience of food/drink, few, if any, fall neatly along sex/gender lines. As such, the marketers of food and drink need to tread very carefully when it comes to marketing food or beverage products specifically at men, or more usually, women. All too often, the brands entering this space soon find their attempts branded crass and/or sexist. Adopting a stealthy or implicit gender-based product development strategy is therefore perhaps more likely to succeed than the explicit targeting of food/beverage-related products in what is undoubtedly a highly-politicized area. That said, the one area where the public appear willing to accept products that are explicitly targeted at men or women is in the case of nutritional foods/supplements.

The present study focused on the development of gel-based capsules from sodium alginate and different berries fresh juice: chokeberry, sea buckthorn, and blueberry. Obtained through extrusion method, the macrocapsules were added into yoghurt, a well-known and consumed dairy product. In order to establish the changes that can occur into the food product, the samples were tested during 7, respectively 15 days storage in refrigeration conditions. According to the results, the antioxidant activity increased during storage and gels can represent a good option for bioactive substances’ encapsulation. Sensorial analysis performed indicated that consumers are open to consuming yoghurt berries capsules and, according to the results observed into scientific literature, they no longer rejected the product due to bitterness and sourness of sea buckthorn or aronia.

E-commerce is the general concept of using new technologies to establish chain communication between producers, sellers, suppliers, generally providers of goods and services on the one hand and buyers, consumers or customers in general on the other hand, in order to make a decision. The best ways are to optimize goods and services, reduce costs and open new channels. This article tried to propose an e-commerce model for fresh agricultural products, which can not only maximize producer and consumer satisfaction, but also reduce waste, increase marketing efficiency, and provide environmental protection and sustainable development. The proposed model is based on a coherent and real-time monitoring system, designed by managers and clarification for producers and consumers. The components of this system are manufacturers, retailers, banks, sales and purchase brokers, logistics systems, supervisors and management of the e-commerce system. This system manages information flow, money flow and goods flow accurately and transparently. In this presented model, the duties of each member and how they work were explained, and its implementation requirements were also specified. This model paves the way for the future of sustainable food and preserving the environment with two functions, reducing waste and increasing consumer satisfaction through the supply of unprocessed and fresh products.

Sustainable biomass production has significant potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and is a promising alternative for the production of eco-friendly biofuels, biochemicals, and carbonaceous materials for biological, energetic, and environmental applications. Biomass from agroforestry and agricultural wastes is the richest natural carbon source and a sustainable option for woody biomass from a circular economic perspective. Portugal has several residues and by-products of agriculture, food processing, and forestry origin, and has a high availability of residual biomass. Portugal intends to reduce its dependence on energy imports and the use of fossil fuels, thereby increasing its economic performance while using biomass waste to produce high-value-added products. In this context, this review aims to explore the potential of agri-food wastes obtained from Portuguese industries via thermochemical conversion technologies as a promising sustainable alternative to woody biomass for the development of eco-friendly biofuels, biochemicals, and high-value carbonaceous materials and their applications. This strategy based on the circular bioeconomy concept can contribute to reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and minimising greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the demands of the growing population and providing a sustainable waste management solution.

The term Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) refers generically to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Among the isomers of linoleic acid cis9, trans11-CLA (c9, t11-CLA) and trans10, cis12-CLA (t10, c12-CLA) are found to be bio-logically active isomers, and they occur naturally in milk, dairy products and meat from ruminants. In addition, some vegetables and some sea-foods have also been reported to contain CLA. Although the CLA levels in these natural sources are insufficient to confer the essential health benefits, anti-carcinogenic or anti-cancer effects are of current interest. In the rumen, CLA is an intermediate of isomerization and the biohydrogenation process of linoleic acid to stearic acid conducted by ruminal microorganisms. In addition to rumen bacteria, some other bacteria, such as Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium and some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are also capable of producing CLA. In this regard, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) has demon-strated the ability to produce CLA isomers from linoleic acid by multiple enzymatic activi-ties, including hydration, dehydration, and isomerization. L. plantarum is one of the most versatile species of LAB and the bacterium is widely used in the food industry as a micro-bial food culture. The studies reviewed in this article reveal how, in the production of some fermented foods, the use of appropriate strains of L. plantarum, as a starter or additional culture, can be considered a critical factor in the design of new CLA-enriched functional foods.

In the contemporary accelerated pace of life, emphasizing the importance of sleep quality is essential for enhancing overall well-being and health. This study investigates the link between poor sleep quality and key factors affecting wellness, such as mental health and eating disorders. Through a cross-sectional analysis involving 407 participants, utilizing established measures including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS), and the single-item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), data was collected and analyzed using SPSS v28 and R-Statistics. The findings reveal a significant correlation (p&lt;0.05) between DASS-21, EDE-QS, and SQS, indicating that individuals experiencing poor sleep quality exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression analysis highlights low sleep quality as a risk factor for both mental health (OR: 1.071, 95% CI: 1.042, 1.102, p&lt;0.05, low vs. high sleep quality), and eating disorders (OR: 1.047, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.092, p&lt;0.05, low vs. high sleep quality). Overall, these results underscore the critical role of sleep quality in mental health and suggest insomnia as a predictive factor for both poor mental well-being and disordered eating habits. Further research through randomized controlled trials is warranted to validate the findings of this cross-sectional study.

There is a recent growth and development with regard to the female athlete. This trend has been reflected in a greater concern for aspects such as nutrition, body composition and the health of female athletes, given the repercussion of these factors on their sporting performance. The aim was to carry out an anthropometric and nutritional assessment of elite Spanish female football athletes based on different biochemical parameters. Ethical consent was obtained from a total of 21 players from a Spanish elite women's football team(20-33years). Anthropometric analysis was carried out using the International Society for the Advancement of Kineanthropometry(ISAK). Clinical analyses were performed by the club's medical staff at the beginning of the season through serum and fasting urine samples taken by the players. The athletes presented fat% of 19.1(SD±2.89). 100% of the players had Mg values within the reference values. Values below reference values were observed for Hb (85.7%), vit.D (33.3%), ferritin (23.8%), serum iron (28.6%), transferrin (4.8%) and TSI (42.9%); and above for CK (42.9%), basal cortisol (38.1%), testosterone (19%) and creatinine, total cholesterol, iron, transferrin, TSI and serotonin (4.8%). Differences in Mg levels were only observed between playing positions (p&lt;0.05). There were associations between age and vit.D levels (r=0.607), and weight with vit.D levels (-0.464) and blood cholesterol (-0.487) among others. Given the nutritional knowledge of Spanish elite female football players, as well as the prevalence of deficiencies in iron metabolism parameters and vit.D levels in athletes, the need to implement a correct nutritional assessment and education in this type of athletes is highlighted

The utilization of natural waxes to form oleogels has emerged as a new and efficient technique for structuring liquid edible oil into solid-like structures for diverse food applications. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between sunflower wax (SW) and monoglycerides (MGs) in olive oil oleogels and to assess their physical characteristics and storage stability. To achieve this, pure SW and a combination of SW with MGs in a 1:1 ratio were examined within a total concentration range of 6-12% w/w. The formed oleogels were characterized based on their microstructure, melting and crystallization properties, textural characteristics, and oxidative stability during storage. All the oleogels were shelf-stable, and as the concentration increased, the hardness of the oleogels also increased. The crystals of SW oleogels were long needle-like, while the combination of SW and MGs led to the formation of crystal aggregates and rosette-like crystals. The differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR showed that the addition of MGs led to different crystal structures. The oxidation results revealed that oleogels had low peroxide and TBARS values throughout the 28-day storage. These results provide useful insights about the utilization of SW and MGs oleogels for potential applications in the food industry.

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are major contributors to the production of fermented vinegar, offering various cultural, culinary, and health benefits. Although the residual unpasteurized AAB after vinegar production are not pathogens, these are necessary the safety evaluations including antibiotic resistance for the use as starters. In this research, we investigated the antibiotics resistance profiles of 26 AAB strains, including various species of Komagataeibacter and Acetobacter, against ten different antibiotics using the E-test method. All strains exhibited resistance to aztreonam and clindamycin. Komagataeibacter species demonstrated a 50% resistance rate to ciprofloxacin, analogous to Acetobacter species, but showed twice the resistance rates to chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Genomic analysis of K. saccharivorans CV1 identified intrinsic resistance mechanisms, such as multidrug efflux pumps, thereby enhancing our understanding of antibiotic resistance in acetic acid-producing bacteria. These findings enhance understanding of antibiotic resistance in AAB for food safety and new antimicrobial strategies, suggesting the need for standardized testing methods and molecular genetic study.

This article presents a combined route and path planning strategy to guide Skid-Steer Mobile Robots (SSMRs) in scheduled harvest tasks within expansive crop rows with complex terrain conditions. The proposed strategy integrates: i) a global planning algorithm based on the Traveling Salesman Problem under the Capacitated Vehicle Routing approach and Optimization Routing (OR-tools from Google) to prioritize harvesting positions by minimum path length, unexplored harvest points, and vehicle payload capacity, and ii) a local planning strategy using Informed Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (IRRT*) to coordinate scheduled harvesting points while avoiding low-traction terrain obstacles. The global approach generates an ordered queue of harvesting locations, maximizing the crop yield in a workspace map. In the second stage, the IRRT* planner avoids potential obstacles, including farm layout and slippery terrain. The path planning scheme incorporates a traversability model and a motion model of SSMRs to meet kinematic constraints. Experimental results in a generic fruit orchard demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. In particular, the IRRT* algorithm outperformed RRT and RRT* with 96.1% and 97.6% smoother paths, respectively. The IRRT* also showed improved navigation efficiency, avoiding obstacles and slippage zones, making it suitable for precision agriculture.

The mortality of birds resulting from collisions and electrocutions with overhead lines, such as power lines, and phone line among others, has been implicated in the decline of various avian species globally. Specifically, overhead line collisions pose a significant threat to the conserva-tion of the Canarian houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), an endangered sub-species endemic to the Canary Islands. This study centres on the postmortem findings of Canarian houbara bustards that have collided with overhead lines, providing insights into the post-collision outcomes for these birds. A com-plete standardized necropsy of nine Canarian houbara bustards revealed that polytrauma was the cause of death in all cases. The most notable gross lesions associated with trauma included bone fractures, soft tissue lacerations, haemorrhages, luxations, and hemocoelom, with certain body regions being more frequently affected. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and en-tomology analysis confirmed that numerous birds survived the initial trauma, exhibiting varia-ble survival intervals before succumbing to their injuries. We concluded that when a houbara bustard collide with an overhead line it frequently survives the initial trauma. The histopathology, immunohistochemistry, or entomologic analysis may be helpful to approximate the timing interval between trauma and death.

The relationship between metabolic changes occurring in the developing internodes of sugarcane and the final yield and sugar characteristics is poorly understood. This is due to the lack of integration between phenotypic and metabolic data. To address this issue, a study was conducted where sugarcane metabolism was modelled based on the measurement of cellular components in the top internodes at two stages of crop development. The study also looked at the effects of Trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus®) on growth inhibition. The metabolome was measured using GC-analysis while LC-MS/MS was used to measure proteome changes in the developing internodes. The data was then integrated with the metabolic rates. The study revealed that the duration of internode growth is independent of the growth rate and is probably controlled by the accumulation of heat units (degree days). In contrast, sucrose and lignin accumulation is sensitive to the growth rate. Sucrose accumulation only occurs once the cell wall synthesis slow down. The data suggest that sucrose accumulation is controlled a reduction in sucrose breakdown for metabolic activity and a reduction in demand for carbon for cell wall polysaccharide synthesis. This study also found that nucleotide sugar metabolism appears to be a key regulator in regulating carbon flow during internode development.

Verticillium dahliae (Vd) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) are two major fungal pathogens that infect tomato plants, causing significant challenges in their control since both pathogens can persist in the soil for several years even in the absence of a host plant and no effective fungicides are available at present. This study investigated the efficacy of two biocontrol formulations, Clonotri and Strepse, against Vd and Fol, and their impact on tomato fruit quality and yield under greenhouse conditions. Pathogenicity experiment demonstrated that the Clonotri formulation, containing Trichoderma and Clonostachys spores, significantly reduced Fusarium wilt disease by 32% compared to the control group. However, in Vd pathogenicity experiment, the formulations did not exhibit disease reduction, although the treatment with Strepse, containing Streptomyces and Pseudomonas microorganisms, resulted in preserved total fruit number when compared to uninfected plants. Analysis of fruit quality attributes revealed no significant differences among the various interventions. Furthermore, Fol infection in the first fruit set significantly increased fruit firmness, while Vd infection resulted in elevated levels of total soluble solids in fruits. These findings demonstrate that the evaluated biocontrol formulations provide a degree of protection against fungal wilt pathogens in tomato plants and can increase yield in greenhouse conditions, while having minimal impact on overall fruit quality attributes.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are components of hemicellulose and can be found in wheat bran, and barley hulls. Structurally, XOS consist of two to six xylose residues linked by β-(1,4) bonds. This makes them susceptible to subsequent treatment by intestinal bacteria, but the concentration of XOS is too low to show any prebiotic effects. Some industrial wastes, including brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and wheat bran peels (WBP), represent a major source of xylan, from which XOS is produced to provide a prebiotic effect in populations of colonic commensal microbiota. WBPs and BSGs were treated by microwave and enzymatic hydrolysis. Using the designed microwave pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis, 5.4 g of dry XOS was produced from 50 g WBP powder and 3.6 g dry XOS was produced from 50 g BSG powder. A single microwave treatment on WBP and BSG before enzymatic hydrolysis and 0.25 g/100 g enzyme raw material ratio were determined to be optimal. Effective microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis of WBP and BSG were investigated, and contribute to improving the effectiveness of xylanase on WBP and BSG. Microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis with xylanase and purification, obtaining food-grade XOS, was demonstrated as a step toward industrial-scale production.

Quinoa is a resilient crop known for its adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. This study examined the agronomic performance and ecological adaptability of quinoa across four distinct altitudes in the northwestern regions of China. Six quinoa genotypes were assessed for agronomic traits, phenology and yield performances, and nutritional quality characteristics in Yining city, Nilka County, Tekes County and Zhaosu County under varied environmental conditions. Our findings demonstrate significant variations in all measured traits including agronomic and nutritional quality traits across the various altitudes and genotypes. In Yining City, a warmer and lower altitude area, genotypes exhibit superior traits for fodder production, including increased branches, longer panicles, robust stems, and high seed protein content. Genotypes Jinli 1 and Beijing 2 achieve yields exceeding 3 tons per hectare (T/ha), highlighting the region’s productivity. Nilka and Tekes counties boasted the shortest quinoa crop cycles, with Jinli 1 yielding 4.05 T/ha seeds in Tekes County, exhibiting high protein and fat content alongside low saponins, making it prime location for yield production. Zhaosu County, with its cooler climate and fertile chernozem soil, elicited high 1000 seed weight and more robust protein response than Nilka and Tekes counties, illustrating the impact of soil fertility on nutritional composition. Correlation analyses further elucidated that the plants characterized by shorter flowering times, crop cycles, compact inflorescence, and taller heights exhibited superior seed yields. Our study contributes significant insights into the ecological adaptability and nutritional dynamics of quinoa, with implications for sustainable crop production and food security in diverse agroecosystems.

Australia’s avian species are unique and diverse. Due to the dramatic changed in distribution, physiology, and behaviour caused by both changing climatic conditions and human activities, Australian bird species becomes highly vulnerable to health-related factors such as impact injury and vehicle trauma, as well as environmental-related stressors such as animal attack and abnormal behaviours. This is reflected in increasing number of avian patients received by wildlife hospitals. The most common outcome of avian species in wildlife hospitals was euthanasia, only few of them were released back into their ecosystem. During the process of bird rescue and rehabilitation, stress can be caused by various stressors such as injury, infection, trauma, shock and stressful environment in wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Therefore, in order to better understand the causes of the high rates of mortality and improve the management and conservation strategies, it is important to study the species responses to environmental changes. Similar with other species, in birds, the HPA axis plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis by producing glucocorticoids (corticosterone in birds). In this study, we sampled a total of 30 individuals humanely euthanised at the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Centre (AKWC), and noted their clinical information. Feather samples were collected from all 30 individuals, and then were processed and analysed for corticosterone levels using enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). The biological relevance of feather CORT assay was evaluated by comparing the absolute levels of CORT between birds. We also analysed the effects of different stressors by grouped the diagnosis into acute and chronic categories. Although results suggest that stress levels were variable between the diagnosis, no statistically significant difference was found between these two categories in this study due to the limited sample size. We also obtained patient records from the 2022-2023 period from AKWC for retrospective analysis. Records were categorized and analysed based on the diagnoses, species and admission dates. Retrospective analysis suggests that in 2022, the Rainbow Lorikeet had the highest admission rate (192/544, 35.29%), followed by Magpie (124/544, 22.79%). Most admissions occurred in Summer. Musculoskeletal injury was the most prevalent diagnosis across all species with Magpies having the highest rates (73.39%) across all diagnoses and Rainbow Lorikeets the second highest (36.46%). Beak and Feather disease (BFD) was another common diagnosis for lorikeets. Data collected at 2023 followed the similar trend. This is the first study that uses non-invasive method to determine stress levels of rescued Australian native avian species, aims at improving and implementing native avian species management and conservation initiatives. This research also provides a basis for future studies which allow for more detailed analyses of wild populations and a broader range of species.

Coffee production generates significant amounts of by-products, posing challenges for waste management in the industry. Recent research has revealed that coffee by-products are rich in bioactive compounds suitable to produce functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals. In this review, we explore biorefinery strategies for extracting and utilizing bioactive compounds from coffee by-products, including the production of bio-based chemicals and materials, as well as the extraction of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and dietary fiber for food applications. We propose a stepwise approach for the development of functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals from coffee by-products, covering the identification of needs, comprehensive characterization, in vitro and in vivo research, unraveling the mechanism of action, food and nutraceutical formulation, sensory analysis, shelf-life stability, scale-up, randomized control trials, and biostatistic and bioinformatic integration. Additionally, we discuss the market potential, regulatory issues, and technological innovation surrounding the commercialization of coffee by-product-based products. Emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance and sustainability in the coffee industry, this review highlights the potential of coffee by-products to be transformed from waste into valuable functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals, offering a promising avenue for waste reduction and promoting sustainability in the coffee industry.

In this systematic review, the PRISMA method was applied to examine publications from the last two decades that have investigated the noxious gaseous emissions from dairy barns. The aim was to analyse the outcomes from literature studies estimating the quantities of polluting gases produced in dairy barns, with specific focus on ammonia (NH₃) emissions. The review also explores proposed methods to reduce the associated effects through mitigation strategies. Estimation of NH₃ emissions is significantly influenced by the complex interactions among several factors, including animal management practices, such as controlling animal behavioral activities; manure management, like utilising practices for floor manure removal; the type of structure housing the animals, whether it is naturally or mechanically ventilated; and environmental conditions, such as the effects of temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ventilation rate on NH₃ release in the barn. These influential components have been considered by researchers, identifying targeted mitigation strategies. Despite growing attention to the issue, gaps in the scientific literature were identified and discussed, particularly regarding the analysis of mitigation strategies and their long-term impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and productivity-wise).

The study addresses the urgent environmental issue of climate change, focusing specifically on the role of local food, which is produced and consumed locally, helps reduce carbon emissions by eliminating the need for long-distance transportation. Through quantitative analysis, this study elucidates the potential benefits in environmental impact achieved through the consumption of local food: the significant reduction in carbon emissions. Specifically, the consumption of local food is found to yield an annual decrease of 2,421,296 tCO2 emissions, representing 2.5% of South Korea’s total greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. This reduction further translates into an estimated economic value of USD 54.23 million (KRW 70.5 billion). This study underscores the potential of local food consumption as a tangible strategy to overcome environmental problems. Moreover, its academic contribution lies in its comprehensive analysis of the economic and empirical impacts of local food consumption on environment. Moving forward, we propose policies such as supporting local food distribution networks, providing public education on local food, fostering the local food industry, and providing incentives to revitalize local food consumption.

Arabinoxylans (AXs) are non-starch polysaccharides with complex structures naturally occurring in grains (i.e., barley, corn, and others) providing many health benefits, especially as prebiotics. AXs can be classified as water-extractable (WEAX) and water-unextractable (WUAX) based on their solubility, with properties influenced by grain sources and extraction methods. A large body of evidence shows that AXs exert an im-portant health impact, including glucose and lipid metabolism regulation and immune system enhancement, which is induced by the interactions between AXs and the gut microbiota. Recent research underscores the dependence of AX physiological effects on structure, advocating for a deeper understanding of struc-ture-activity relationships. While systematic studies on WEAX are prevalent, knowledge gaps persist re-garding WUAX, despite its higher grain abundance. Thus, this review reports recent data on WUAX struc-tural properties (chemical structure, branching, MW) in cereals under different treatments. It discusses WUAX applications in baking and its benefits deriving from gut fermentation.

The aim of this study (first analytical approach) was to obtain data on the fatty acid composition of gluten-free foods (bakery products) for celiac people. The study included 35 different products (snacks, biscuits, bakery products, pasta, flours, etc.) from several manufacturers. After extraction and esterification, the fatty acid content was determined by GC-MS. The monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are the major constitutes (57%) of the fatty acids pool followed by saturated fatty acids (SFAs) (30%) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (13%). Only fifteen, of the thirty-five gluten free samples analyzed, provide adequate energy intake, while in eleven samples, saturated fatty acids take more energy than that recommended by EFSA. It has emerged that local producers generally use the finest raw materials (olive oil, etc.) compared to the industries which, as has been pointed out, in many cases use palm and palm kernel oils although gluten free commercial products are high added value foods, expensive and intended for a particularly sensitive public.

Silver ion (Ag+) are recognized for their potent antibacterial properties; however, their utilization in food preservation is restricted by factors such as inadequate stability, a transient antibacterial impact, and the potential for human absorption. Hydrogel-based antibacterial agents are capable of exerting their antibacterial effects by establishing appropriate microenvironments, which facilitate the efficient delivery of antimicrobial molecules to the contaminated regions of food. In previous studies, we observed that chitosan (CS) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) were able to reduce Ag+ to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with enhanced antibacterial properties. This not only significantly extended the stability of the antibacterial agent but also demonstrated exceptional inhibitory capabilities against pathogenic bacteria, including common grape contaminants such as P. expansum, A. niger, and B. cinerea. Utilizing ultrasound-induced complexation technology, this study has successfully synthesized a chitosan-silver (CS-AgNPs) hydrogel. The efficacy of this hydrogel against the pathogenic fungus responsible for jujube black spot disease has been thoroughly investigated. The morphology structures of CS-AgNPs hydrogels were characterized by TEM, FTIR and UV-vis. The results indicated that AgNPs ranging from 80 to 110 nm were uniformly dispersed within the gel matrix and remained stable for extended periods at room temperature. In vitro antibacterial assays and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) studies revealed that the pronounced antibacterial efficacy of the CS-AgNPs hydrogel was primarily attributed to the additive antibacterial effect of CS and AgNPs. These insights underscore the significant potential of CS-AgNPs hydrogels in combating fungal diseases of jujube, offering innovative strategies and materials for the management of agricultural pathogens.

This study aimed to explore the fermentation behavior of selected potential probiotic strains during sorghum fermentation, considering their microbial counts, pH levels, and antibacterial activity, their ability to break down starch. The fermentation processes were conducted in the presence and absence of glucose, and the lactic acid bacterial strains underwent controlled fermentation to assess microbial counts, amylase activity, pH, and lactic acid levels in the presence and absence of glucose. In addition, the inhibitory activity of these potential probiotic strains against pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Staph-ylococcus aureus) was examined through co-culturing. The results demonstrated that all nine Lactobacillus strains exhibited robust growth in both sugar and sugar-free fermentation experiments. Glucose supple-mentation significantly enhanced lactic acid yield which was in a range of 0.19-0.52 % compared to fer-mentation without glucose with a range of 0.03-0.29 %. The selected Lactobacillus strains effectively lowered the pH to less than 4 after 24 hours, producing substantial lactic acid. Notably, in the absence of glucose, only Lb. helveticus D7 and Lb. amylolyticus D12 achieved pH levels below 4 after 8 hours, producing the highest lactic acid amounts of 0.27 and 0.29 % after 24 hours, respectively. Amylase activity was detected on two strains D7 and D12. Furthermore, most of the tested Lactobacillus strains demonstrated complete inhibition of pathogen growth after 24 hours of co-culturing, suggesting their potential for enhancing the safety quality of sorghum-based fermented products.

The geographical environment, food culture, and dietary habits are substantially different between the southern and northern regions in China. We investigated the associations with dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome between Chinese adult from the southern and northern regions (North: 1249; South: 1849) using data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition 2009 survey. Respectively, four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis in the two regions. Each dietary pattern of factor score was calculated for three groups by tertile (T1<T2<T3). In the northern region, the association between the Alcohol and Western pattern and the risk of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.31; 95%:1.01, 1.68), hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.35; 95%:1.05, 1.74), high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.37; 95%: 1.05, 1.80), and hypertension (OR: 1.55; 95%: 1.45, 1.99) was increased. In the southern region, the Convenience Food pattern was positively associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.53; 95%: 1.03, 2.26), low HDL-cholesterol (OR: 1.96; 95%: 1.12, 3.43), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.79; 95%: 1.03, 3.11). The Alcohol dietary pattern was positively associated with high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.83, 95%: 1.13, 2.97). There are some dietary pattern differences in the two regions. It is necessary to consider the factors of food culture and food intake habits in order to provide nutrition education to Chinese individuals from different regions in the future.

Today, enhancing food preservation and safety in the spirit of the bioeconomy suggests the use of biodegradable polymers such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) in food packaging and the replacement of chemical additives with natural antioxidant/antibacterial agents such as essential oils and their derivatives. Herein a novel carvacrol (CV) @ natural zeolite (NZ) nanohybrid was developed by employing a new vacuum adsorption desorption method which results in the adsorption of a high CV amount on NZ equal to 61.7 %wt. This CV@NZ nanohybrid was successfully dispersed in a PLA/triethyl citrate (TEC) matrix via a melt-extrusion process to obtain PLA/TEC/xCV@NZ nanocomposite films with 5, 10 and 15 CV@NZ %wt. content. PLA/TEC/xNZ films were also de-veloped for comparison. The overall study resulted in a biodegradable active film with the fol-lowing properties: 10%wt. CV@NZ content (PLA/TEC/10CV@NZ), self-healable properties, 22% higher tensile strength and 40% higher elongation at break, 45% higher water barrier and 40% higher oxygen barrier than pure PLA/TEC matrix. This film also provides high CV release content, high CV control release rate as well as significant antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against the food pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica spp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. This film not only succeeds in extending the shelf-life of fresh pork minced, as shown by total variable count measurements in four days, but also prevents lipid oxidation of fresh minced pork and maintains the minced meat in higher nutritional conditions, as revealed by the heme iron content determination, and in a much better and acceptable sensory condition than the commercial packaging paper.

Amidst increasing awareness of diet-health relationships, plant-derived bioactive peptides are recognized for their dual nutritional and health benefits. This study investigates bioactive peptides released after Alcalase hydrolysis of protein from chachafruto (Erythrina edulis), a nutrient-rich South American leguminous plant, focusing on their behavior during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Evaluating their ability to scavenge radicals, mitigate oxidative stress, and influence immune response biomarkers, the study underscores the importance of understanding peptide interactions in digestion. Methods included previous enzymatic hydrolysis with Alcalase to obtain peptides, and results show significant radical scavenging and oxidative stress protection by chachafruto peptides. These findings highlight the potential of chachafruto bioactive peptides in functional foods and nutraceuticals, supporting human health through dietary interventions.

Australia has the highest small-mammal extinction rate in the world, and there are ample of reasons that have led to the higher extinction rates such as introduction of feral species, wildfires, climate change and uneven population distribution. All these factors instil a dire need to protect the species in captive environment. Stress has a major role to play in maintaining an adequate welfare conditions for wildlife, hence quantification of the stress levels in captive animals help us understand the effectiveness of the methods used to house the animals. In this study, we assessed the stress levels of captive marsupials namely Rufous bettongs (Aepyprymnus rufescens) (n=9), Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) (n=4) and Greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) (n=5) by measuring the faecal cortisol metabolites using the Enzyme-Immuno assay (EIA) (R4866). We carried out a laboratory validation of the EIA for the Rufous bettongs and long-nosed potoroo by demonstrating parallelism between the pooled faecal samples and the standard curve. We also used the iterative baseline approach to calculate the baseline levels and detect peak concentrations of FCM in all the studied species. No significant differences were found in the FCM and baseline levels in the potoroos. Results highlighted a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in the individual FCM and baseline levels of the bettongs. Additionally, significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) were found in the FCM and baseline levels between male and female bettongs. In case of bilbies, the FCM and baseline levels showed no significant differences, however the male and female baseline levels were significantly different (p &lt; 0.05). Our study provides the baseline and peak FCM concentrations in Long-nosed potoroos and Rufous bettongs under captive management. Future studies can use the iterative baseline approach and validated EIA to detect any possible variations in the FCM concentration and baseline values in captive marsupials created due to factors like sex, grouping, and housing conditions.

Hexane is a solvent used extensively in the food industry for the extraction of various products such as vegetable oils, fats, flavours, fragrances, colour additives or other bioactive ingredients. As it is classified as a "processing aid", it does not have to be declared on the label under current legislation. Therefore, although traces of hexane may be found in final products, especially in processed products, its presence is not known to consumers. However, hexane, and in particular the n-hexane isomer, has been shown to be neurotoxic to humans and has even been listed as a cause of occupational diseases in several European countries since the 1970s. In order to support the European strategy for a toxic-free environment (and toxic-free food), it seemed important to collect scientific information on this substance by reviewing the available literature. This review contains valuable information on the nature and origin of the solvent hexane, its applications in the food industry, its toxicological evaluation and possible alternatives for the extraction of natural products. Numerous publications have investigated the toxicity of hexane, and several studies have demonstrated the presence of its toxic metabolite 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) in the urine of the general, non-occupationally exposed population. Surprisingly, a tolerable daily intake (TDI) has apparently never been established by any food safety authority. Since hexane residues are undoubtedly found in various foods, it seems more than necessary to clearly assess the risks associated with this hidden exposure. A clear indication on food packaging and better information on the toxicity of hexane could encourage industry to switch towards one of the numerous other alternative extraction methods already developed.

The emergence of multi-drug resistant E. coli is an important matter of increasing considerable concern to global public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, antibiotic resistance pattern, phylogroups and genetic variation of E. coli isolates from raw milk, vegetable salad and ground meat samples. Methods: Culture-based techniques, Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility testing, PCR and RAPD assays were used to determine the incidence rate, antimicrobial resistance pattern, phylogenetic groups and genetic diversity of the E. coli isolates. Results: E. coli isolates were highly resistant to amoxicillin (79.16%), trime-thoprim-sulfamethoxazole (70.83%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (62.50%), tetracycline (54.16%), chloramphenicol (54.16%), nitrofurantoin (54.16%), ampicillin (45.83%), streptomycin (45.83%), and kanamycin (33.33%); and completely susceptible to norfloxacin and azithromycin. 70.83% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. Most E. coli isolates (46%) belonged to phylogroup A. RAPD with UBC245 primer categorized the isolates into 11 clusters. A high level of genetic di-versity was found among the isolates; however, 33.3% of the isolates were grouped in a major cluster (R5). Conclusions: Antibiotic resistance patterns are randomly distributed among the ge-netic clusters. Novel, practical, efficient food safety control and surveillance systems of multi-drug resistant foodborne pathogens are required to control the foodborne pathogen contamina-tion.

Phenolic compounds, present in plants, provide substantial health advantages, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which enhance cardiovascular and cognitive well-being. Australia is enriched with a wide range of plants with phytopharmacological potential, which needs to be fully elucidated. In this context, we analyzed leaves of aniseed myrtle (Syzygium anisatum), lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), and cinnamon myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) for their complex phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS was applied for screening and characterizing these Australian myrtles’ phenolic compounds and the structure-function relation of phenolic compounds. This study identified 145 and quantified/semi-quantified 27 phenolic compounds in these Australian myrtles. Furthermore, phenolic contents (total phenolic content (TPC), total condensed tannins (TCT), and total flavonoids (TFC)) and antioxidant potential of phenolic extracts from the leaves of Australian myrtles were quantified. Aniseed myrtle was quantified with the highest TPC (52.49 ± 3.55 mg GAE/g) and total antioxidant potential than other selected myrtles. Catechin, epicatechin, isovitexin, cinnamic acid, and quercetin were quantified as Australian myrtles' most abundant phenolic compounds. Moreover, chemometric analysis further validated the results. This study provides a new insight into the novel potent bioactive phenolic compounds from Australian myrtles that could be potentially useful for functional, nutraceutical, and therapeutic applications.

Adult neurogenesis involves generation of functional neurons from neural progenitor cells, which have the potential to complement and restore damaged neurons and neural circuits. Therefore, the development of drugs that stimulate neurogenesis represents a promising strategy in stem cell therapy and neural regeneration, greatly facilitating the reconstruction of neural circuits in cases of neurodegeneration and brain injury. Our study reveals that compound A5, previously designed and synthesized by our team, exhibits remarkable neuritogenic activities, effectively inducing neurogenesis in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). Subsequently, transcriptome analysis using high-throughput Illumina RNA-seq technology was performed to further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which compound A5 promotes neurogenesis. Notably, comparative transcriptome analysis showed that the up-regulated genes were mainly associated with neurogenesis and the down-regulated genes were mainly concerned with cell cycle progression. Furthermore, we confirmed that compound A5 significantly affected the expression of transcription factors related to neurogenesis and cell cycle regulatory proteins. Collectively, these findings identify a new compound with neurogenic activity and may provide insights into drug discovery for neural repair and regeneration.

The present study comprises the second part of our previous work that dealt mainly with the phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of green coffee, clove, cinnamon/clove and nutmeg ethanolic extracts of grape origin. In the present study, we focused on producing a discriminating model concerning green coffee, clove, cinnamon, cinnamon and clove, and nutmeg fine powders based on multivariate analysis of variance and supervised learning on data of volatile compounds analysis, carried out with solid phase dynamic extraction in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results showed that 7 volatile compounds namely ethylene, methanol, 3-methylpentane, ethyl acetate, 9-hexadecen-1-ol, toluene, and methyl acetate could differentiate the investigated samples resulting in a 100% classification rate using the cross-validation method of linear discriminant analysis. Results were further confirmed using partial least squares regression analysis. The study contributes to the typification of green coffee, cinnamon, clove, cinnamon and clove and nutmeg, based on selected volatile compounds, and provides further support to the literature by means of possible adulteration given the statistical models developed.

Kamchatka berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) are known for their high content of phenolic compounds or vitamins, which is reflected in their antibacterial, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties. They are used in the production of jams, juices, wines and as natural dye. A bioferment was prepared from the pomace of the Kamchatka berry varieties Aurora and Indigo Gem and the strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, which was used to prepare a cosmetic preparation with a concentration of 5% in accordance with the guidelines of the COSMOS certification body. Conducted physico-chemical and organoleptic analyses and bioactive profile characterisation (UHPLC-DAD and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The results showed that the presence of caffeic acid 4.47 ± 0.07 mg/100g was detected after fermentation of Kamchatka berry pomace. Vitamin C content increased by 141% after fermentation of Kamchatka berry pomace. The results of stability tests showed that in the process of physicochemical analysis of cosmetic preparation with bioferment of Kamchatka berry pomace the pH should oscillate in the range of 4.38-4.76 ± 0.01. Stability tests showed that the cosmetic should be protected from high temperatures and UV radiation and proved that the product is stable under changing conditions, resulting in lower transport and storage costs.

2019-n-CoV is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans and cause serious illness, and due to its lethality there was a worldwide mobilization for the development of new drugs and new vaccines for Covid-19. Therefore, the present work aims to carry out a virtual screening of terpenes with potential anti SARS-CoV-2 activity. To perform the ligand-based virtual, a model was constructed regarding the compounds which already showed inhibitory activity of the SARS-CoV-2. The test series corresponded to terpenes isolated in the Fabaceae Family. The compounds that were most likely to activity were subjected to Molecular Docking and the best poses obtained were subjected to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations carried. The molecules under study were submitted to in vitro evaluation to assess inhibitory activity of compounds against SARS-CoV-2 in a phenotypic screening model of the virus. The compounds selected by in silico screening corresponded to triterpenoids from the lupane series. In the in vitro test, both demonstrated activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virtual screening performed managed to identify the compounds with the highest probability of activity, as well as the most stable compounds, and the method used was validated by the in vitro study carried out.

We have carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature published on PM and, more specifically, on its presence in fish and seafood of interest to the population from Mediterranean area. Given its preference and wide acceptability in the scientific community, we followed the PRISMA. The potential functional and clinical toxicity in humans due to MP in fish must be considered by the chemical composition of the microplastics the presence of PM and its additives, associated contaminants and pathogens in fish and shellfish, as well as the possible effects on human health, requires improving legislation on evaluation and providing a basis for consumer protection.