Appl. Biosci., Volume 4, Issue 3 (September 2025) – 5 articles

Phyllosphere microbial communities influence the growth and productivity of plants, particularly in epiphytic plants, which are disconnected from nutrients available in the soil. We characterized the phyllosphere of 30 individuals of the epiphytic cycad, Zamia pseudoparasitica, collected from three forest sites during the rainy and dry seasons in the Republic of Panama. We used DNA metabarcoding to describe the total bacteria community with the 16S rRNA gene and the diazotrophic community with nifH gene. Common taxa included members of the Rhizobiales, Frankiales, Pseudonocardiales, Acetobacteriales, and the diazotrophic community was dominated by Cyanobacateria. We observed similar patterns of alpha diversity across sites and seasons, and no community differences were seen within sites between the rainy and dry seasons for either the 16S rRNA or nifH genes. However, pairwise comparisons showed some statistically significant differences in community composition between sites and seasons, but these explained only a small portion of the variation. Beta diversity partitioning indicated that communities were more phylogenetically closely related than expected by chance, indicative of strong environmental or host filtering shaping these phyllosphere communities. These results highlight the influence of host-driven selection and habitat stability in shaping phyllosphere microbiota, offering new insights into microbial assembly in tropical canopy ecosystems. Full article

Recent findings have identified high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as a carrier of microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, suggesting a potential novel functional and biochemical role for HDL-microRNA cargo. Here, we conduct an in-depth bioinformatics analysis of unique HDL-microRNA cargo to uncover their molecular mechanisms and potential applications as clinical biomarkers. First, using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), we performed computational analysis on public human microRNA array datasets (GSE 25425; platform GPL11162) obtained from highly purified fractions of HDL in human plasma in order to identify their unique miRNA cargo. This led to the identification of eleven miRNAs present only in HDL, herein listed: hsa-miR-210, hsa-miR-26a-1, hsa-miR-628-3p, hsa-miR-31, hsa-miR-501-5p, hsa-miR-100-3p, hsa-miR-571, hsa-miR-100-5p, hsa-miR-23a, hsa-miR-550, and hsa-miR-432. Then, these unique miRNAs present in HDL were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach to recognize their validated target genes. The ClusterProfiler R package applied gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis. The key genes mainly enriched in the biological process of cellular regulation were identified and linked to neurodegeneration. Finally, the protein–protein interaction and co-expression network were analyzed using the STRING and GeneMANIA Cytoscape plugins. Full article

Robinia pseudoacacia is one of the most widely introduced—but also controversial—tree species in Europe. On the one hand, it is valued for its productivity, timber quality, and melliferous blossom. On the other hand, it is highly invasive and causes habitat change and homogenization. The aim of the study reported on here was to assess the genetic diversity of selected R. pseudoacacia stands in Lithuania in districts with the highest black locust stands frequency and to evaluate its spatial distribution in self-establishing stands. To achieve this aim, we employed four nuclear SSR loci (Rops 02, Rops 05, Rops 06, and Rops 08) and investigated the genetic diversity of five R. pseudoacacia plots. The study results reveal that R. pseudoacacia in Lithuania is genetically diverse (the average allele number per plot was 3.66, and the average Ho was 0.83). R. pseudoacacia in the plots forms tight clonal groups that hardly intermix with each other; it also spreads by seeds (66 single-copy genotypes were found in total in all 5 investigated plots). R. pseudoacacia stands in Lithuania originate from different seed sources and from different introduction events, as revealed by the allelic pattern, genetic diversity, and genetic differentiation among the research plots. Full article

The intensification of olive growing has raised environmental concerns, particularly regarding nutrient loss from excessive fertiliser use. In line with the European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy, which aims to halve the soil nutrient losses by 2030, this study evaluates the effectiveness of two sensor-based approaches—proximal sensing with a FLAME spectrometer and remote sensing via UAV-mounted multispectral imaging—compared with foliar chemical analyses as the reference standard, for diagnosing the nutritional status of olive trees. The research was conducted in Elvas, Portugal, between 2022 and 2023, across three olive cultivars (‘Azeiteira’, ‘Arbequina’, and ‘Koroneiki’) subjected to different fertilisation regimes. Machine learning (ML) models showed strong correlations between sensor data and nutrient levels: the multispectral sensor performed best for phosphorus (P) (determination coefficient [$R^2$] = 0.75) and potassium (K) ($R^2$ = 0.73), while the FLAME spectrometer was more accurate for nitrogen (N) ($R^2$ = 0.64). These findings underscore the potential of sensor-based technologies for non-destructive, real-time nutrient monitoring, with each sensor offering specific strengths depending on the target nutrient. This work contributes to more sustainable and data-driven fertilisation strategies in precision agriculture. Full article

Jaboticaba berry is a rich source of polyphenols with bioactive properties. However, polyphenols are known for their high reactivity under environmental conditions, which poses a challenge to producing stable, functional components for the food industry. This study investigated the storage stability and bioaccessibility of polyphenols in microencapsulated jaboticaba juice over 21 days at three storage temperatures: −20 °C, 4 °C, and 25 °C. Additionally, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity were evaluated before and after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Microencapsulation was performed by spray drying at 160 °C using maltodextrin at different concentrations (10%, 12%, and 15%) as the wall material. The results showed that the stability of polyphenols during storage was significantly influenced by both temperature and the proportion of maltodextrin. Greater degradation of phenolic compounds was observed at 25 °C, particularly in the formulation with 10% maltodextrin. On the other hand, the bioaccessibility of polyphenols was significantly higher in microencapsulated juice after simulated gastrointestinal digestion compared to non-encapsulated jaboticaba juice (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that microencapsulation technique improved the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in jaboticaba and promoted better stability with the use of a higher concentration of maltodextrin. In conclusion, microencapsulation is a promising strategy for the development of functional food products enriched with natural bioactive compounds, providing greater protection and efficiency in delivering their health benefits. Full article