Search Results (13,368)

Heavy metal pollution has become a critical concern in agricultural ecosystems driven by a complex matrix of industrial practices, high-input fertilizers, metal-based agrochemicals, and wastewater irrigation. While the previous literature typically highlights general physiological symptoms of heavy metal stress, this review provides a novel, comprehensive framework that bridges three independent pillars: specific industrial applications dictating elemental pathway, localizes active root-zone transport kinetics, and an engineering-based evaluation of emerging remediation strategies. We systematically synthesized literature from 2000 to 2026 across major databases (WoS, PubMed and Google Scholar), applying strict inclusion criteria based on data validation, experimental reproducibility, and mechanistic depth. We examine the geochemical behavior, cellular toxicity, and plant resilience mechanics of seven priority elements like cadmium, lead, arsenic, aluminum, mercury, chromium and molybdenum. Rather than merely reiterating superficial visual damage like chlorosis or stunted growth, we focus on physiological and molecular root causes of phytotoxicity, including the structural hijacking of essential nutrient networks, intracellular reduction cascades and organelle-specific oxidative disruption. This review also discussed the discovery of specialized, energy-dependent eukaryotic transport mechanisms like ABC transporters and a comparative operational blueprint evaluating physical–chemical conventional remediation techniques against advanced in situ and ex situ biotechnological approaches, including biochar assistance, microbial engineering, rhizosphere synergies, and engineered nanomaterials. By systematically linking industrial source dynamics with cellular toxicological mechanisms and field-scale engineering feasibility, this review establishes an actionable roadmap for future genetic, agronomic, and management interventions aimed at securing global food. Full article

Postbiotics are defined as preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer a health benefit on the host. Although interest in postbiotics has increased substantially, their translational use in functional foods remains insufficiently characterized with respect to preparation identity, production methodology, food-matrix compatibility, mechanistic specificity, and regulatory positioning. This PRISMA-guided structured review aims to synthesize current evidence on postbiotics in functional food and nutraceutical contexts, with particular emphasis on preparation-based characterization, gut–brain axis-related mechanisms and clinical findings, food matrix applicability, and regulatory and health-claim considerations. Unlike broader postbiotic reviews that mainly address definitions, general health effects, or technological stability, this review integrates preparation identity, production process, gut–brain axis-related evidence, food matrix compatibility, and regulatory/health-claim translation within a single functional food framework. A structured literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection and was completed on 16 February 2026. The search strategy included three conceptual blocks: postbiotic and inactivation-based preparation terms, functional food/nutraceutical and food matrix terms, and gut–brain axis-related clinical and mechanistic terms. Cosmetic, topical, veterinary, animal feed, and aquaculture-focused publications were excluded. The export files contained 131 records from Scopus and 136 from the Web of Science Core Collection, yielding 267 records after applying document-type and language filters. After manually removing duplicates, 237 unique records were screened. Following title/abstract screening, 176 records were excluded as outside the scope of the review, and 61 publications were retained for full-text assessment and final thematic synthesis. The review was reported according to applicable PRISMA 2020 items. The evidence was organized into three thematic domains: gut–brain axis-related clinical findings, mechanistic evidence, and food matrix/product development applications. Heat-inactivated preparations, including Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SNK12, have shown preliminary effects on stress-related symptoms, sleep quality, and selected neuroendocrine or inflammatory biomarkers in human studies. Mechanistic pathways include gut barrier integrity, immunomodulation, short-chain fatty acid signaling, tryptophan–kynurenine–serotonin metabolism, vagal communication, and regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Food matrix studies support the potential application of postbiotics in fermented dairy products, cereal-based systems, plant-based matrices, powders, concentrates, and bioactive packaging; however, matrix-dependent effects on bioavailability, sensory quality, and biological activity remain incompletely defined. Postbiotics provide a stable translational platform for functional-food development, but their scientific and commercial use requires clear characterization of the microbial source, production process, inactivation method, retained active fractions, dose metric, delivery matrix, and clinically meaningful endpoint. Future studies should avoid broad category-level claims and prioritize preparation- and matrix-defined human evidence with standardized safety reporting. Full article

Background: Adequate nutrition during pregnancy is essential for maternal health, pregnancy outcomes, and foetal development. However, general awareness of healthy eating may not translate into detailed nutritional knowledge or appropriate dietary practices. This study assessed nutritional knowledge and selected dietary behaviours among pregnant women from urban and rural areas of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, in two periods: 2008–2010 and 2017–2019. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 938 pregnant women, including 630 respondents surveyed in 2008–2010 and 308 in 2017–2019. The original questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional knowledge, dietary behaviours, sources of information, supplementation practices, and selected health-related behaviours. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88). Results: Most respondents were aged 25–34 years, married, and had normal pre-pregnancy or early-pregnancy BMI. Compared with 2008–2010, women surveyed in 2017–2019 more often had higher education and more frequently reported income above the predefined questionnaire threshold. Although general awareness of healthy nutrition during pregnancy was high, detailed knowledge of key nutrients remained insufficient. Correct knowledge of the role of folic acid was reported by 58% of respondents, iron by 36%, vitamin D by 29%, iodine by 21%, and calcium by 18%. Prenatal supplement use was common, but only 39% reported supplementation based on medical recommendations. Frequently reported dietary problems included irregular meals, low fish consumption, frequent sweets intake, insufficient water intake, and low vegetable and fruit consumption. Knowledge of selected nutrient-rich foods was higher in 2017–2019, particularly for omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin D sources. Conclusions: Nutritional knowledge was heterogeneous, and practical gaps in dietary behaviours persisted, supporting the need for accessible and individualized prenatal nutrition education. Full article

Background/Objectives: Widely distributed in the Adriatic Sea, the invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea poses ecological risks but also constitutes a largely untapped source of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to characterize its metabolomic profile, phenolic composition, and antioxidant capacity to explore its potential for biotechnological use. Methods: Samples from the Northern Adriatic Sea were extracted with water, 70% ethanol, and 80% methanol. Phenolic compounds were analyzed by LC-QqQ, while untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed using LC-qTOF. Total phenolic, flavonoid, and non-flavonoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically, and antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. Results: Metabolomic profiling demonstrated a clear solvent-dependent differentiation, with aqueous extracts enriched in polar metabolites, while organic extracts contained higher levels of lipid-derived and secondary metabolites. Antioxidant assays indicated that aqueous extracts exhibited the strongest radical-scavenging activity (DPPH and ABTS), whereas the highest reducing capacity (FRAP) was observed in ethanolic extracts. In addition, total flavonoid content was greatest in the ethanol extracts. Conclusions: These results highlight its potential for valorization as a sustainable resource in food, cosmetic, and biomedical applications, while also supporting approaches for managing its spread. Full article

Riverine mercury biomagnification is most frequently studied via metrics such as the trophic magnification factor (TMF), the biomagnification factor (BMF) and the trophic magnification slope (TMS). However, these metrics prove problematic in lotic systems dominated by benthic macroinvertebrates because short food chains, the frequent lack of fish, patchy basal production and marked spatial heterogeneity obscure the signal that they are meant to extract. We argue that stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) are not merely optional enhancements but are a prerequisite for a mechanistic understanding of the transfer of methylmercury (MeHg). Nitrogen isotopes distinguish among trophic positions not as categories, but as gradients, whilst carbon isotopes reflect the underlying pathways increasingly seen as defining how MeHg enters food webs. Invertebrate studies, published more recently, report systematically lower magnification levels compared to community-based studies and become far more comprehensible when carbon source and trophic pathways are made explicit, with Hg isotopes (δ²⁰²Hg, Δ¹⁹⁹Hg) providing supplementary data about mercury sources and processing. To be able to carry out reliable river monitoring, such frameworks require clarity in choices of background value, discrimination factors and statistical methods. Full article

Industrial processing of tomato generates large amounts of tomato pomace (TP), whose disposal and stabilization are challenging due to its high moisture content. This study evaluated, for the first time, the effects of increasing inclusion levels of enzymatic pre-treatment, vacuum paddle-dehydrated TP (ETP), in extruded diets for adult dogs. Three diets containing 0%, 2% or 4% ETP, replacing wheat bran and sunflower meal, were produced. Three two-bowl tests assessed palatability, and a feeding trial was performed using a four 3 × 3 Latin square design with 12 healthy adult Beagle dogs across three 28-day periods. Inclusion of ETP had negligible effects on the chemical composition of diets and kept unaffected palatability, body weight, food intake, fecal consistency and output. Fecal pH was lower, and valerate proportion was higher, in dogs fed the 2% ETP diet. All diets exhibited high digestibility (>90%) without effects of dietary treatments. Overall, ETP, a locally sourced co-product of the food industry, may represent a more sustainable alternative to imported raw materials, although further studies are needed to explore its effects on fecal microbiota and health-related parameters. Full article

Intensive vegetable production can increase the transfer of persistent toxic trace elements from agricultural soils into the food chain, particularly where agrochemical use, irrigation inputs, and local geochemical conditions are insufficiently characterized. This study was undertaken to assess toxic trace-metal contamination levels in soils and vegetables from two renowned vegetable-producing subdistricts—Shibganj and Kahaloo—in the Bogra district, Bangladesh. The study also estimated potential human health risks by evaluating the dietary intake of these elements. It measured Pb, Ni, Cd, and Cr content in six vegetables and their respective farm soils using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The average concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cd, and Cr in farm soils of Shibganj and Kahaloo subdistricts were 158.3 ± 8.83, 31.5 ± 5.25, 0.43 ± 0.08, and 14.1 ± 2.16 µg g⁻¹ and 164.1 ± 4.60, 35.7 ± 6.91, 0.53 ± 0.14, and 9.37 ± 2.87 µg g⁻¹, respectively. Soils collected from all locations in both subdistricts of Bogra fall under ‘moderate’ ecological risk. Regarding the pollution load index (PLI), 66.7% of Shibganj and 75.0% of Kahaloo sampling sites had a PLI > 1.0, confirming that ‘metal pollution exists.’ Based on the calculated bioconcentration factors (BCFs), Cr and Cd show a high tendency to migrate from soil to various vegetables in the study area, though the mean Cd BCF for brinjal in Shibganj exceeded 1.0 due to a single high observation. The results demonstrated that the edible parts of potatoes, onions, and chilies accumulate significant amounts of toxic trace elements. The calculated mean daily intake of Pb and Cr in all vegetables ranged from 0.33 to 1.21 mg person⁻¹ day⁻¹ and from 0.10 to 0.64 mg person⁻¹ day⁻¹, respectively, exceeding the upper tolerable intake limits. Similarly, dietary intake of potatoes showed both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, while brinjal showed only carcinogenic risks for adults. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicates that the measured soil parameters are strong predictors of the response variables (trace element content in various vegetables). Overall, the results identified Pb-dominated soil contamination and human exposure to Pb and Cr associated with vegetables as the principal concerns. To address these issues, priority actions should be given to source apportionment and testing of various agricultural inputs. Additionally, before implementing site-specific remediation or issuing consumption advisories, these risks should be validated through metal speciation and bioaccessibility analyses. Full article

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a widely cultivated C4 cereal crop in tropical and subtropical regions, serving as a food and feed source in developing countries across Africa and Asia. Despite its agronomic importance, research efforts aimed at developing improved millet varieties under the current climatic changes remain limited, particularly in Africa, including Egypt. This study aimed to establish an efficient regeneration system for the “Shandaweel-1” Egyptian pearl millet variety using immature inflorescences as explants. Six different callus induction media (CIM) treatments were evaluated for their effects on somatic embryogenesis, callus type, vitrification rate, and regeneration efficiency. Among the tested treatments, Murashige and Skoog (MS) media additionally supplemented with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of l-proline, 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of l-asparagine, 10 mg L⁻¹ of silver nitrate (AgNO₃), 0.32 mg L⁻¹ of copper sulfate (CuSO₄), 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) produced a high callogenesis rate (93%) and the highest regeneration efficiency (47.6%). The combination of l-proline and l-asparagine enhanced the callus quality and regeneration potential more effectively than casein hydrolysate alone, whereas AgNO₃ addition did not have any significant impact on the vitrification or callogenesis rates. This study represents the first successful establishment of an in vitro regeneration system for an Egyptian pearl millet variety, providing a valuable platform for future genetic modification aimed at enhancing stress resilience and crop productivity. Full article

Citrus peel, a major by-product of citrus processing, is a rich source of pectin and other bioactive compounds. In this study, pectin extracted from seven citrus species was comprehensively characterized for its structural, spectral, thermal, physicochemical, techno-functional, antioxidant, and anti-amylase properties. The extracted pectin (~50% methyl esterification) contained residual cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and proteins, with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) confirming typical galacturonic acid-based structures. Fluorescence analysis revealed emission shifts (420–500 nm) compared to standard pectin. Thermal analysis indicated multi-stage degradation, with major transitions linked to moisture loss, polysaccharide depolymerization, and lignin oxidation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a predominantly amorphous structure with minor cellulose domains. The pectin solution showed negative zeta potential, shear-thinning behavior, and high conductivity. Functionally, it exhibited strong swelling, hygroscopicity, and water/oil holding capacity, but low foaming ability. Biologically, it demonstrated moderate antioxidant activity and α-amylase inhibition. These findings highlight citrus pectin as a promising sustainable ingredient for food and pharmaceutical applications, with future work needed to enhance its solubility and bioactivity. Full article

Background: Plastic food-contact materials are increasingly recognised as a potential source of dietary exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, particularly through packaged, canned, and ultra-processed foods. However, culturally adapted tools for estimating long-term exposure-related dietary behaviours in Latin American populations remain limited. This study aimed to develop and provide a preliminary evaluation of the Dietary Plastic Exposure Score for Mexican Populations (DPES-MX), and to characterise exposure-related dietary patterns in Mexican university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 152 university students from Querétaro, Mexico. Anthropometric, lifestyle, and dietary information were collected using standardised questionnaires and a culturally adapted food frequency questionnaire. The DPES-MX incorporated dietary and food-handling practices linked to potential migration of plastic-related compounds from food-contact materials, including canned foods, packaged beverages, takeaway foods, microwave heating in plastic containers, and convenience-oriented eating behaviours. Principal component analysis (PCA) and adjusted linear regression models were applied to explore associations between dietary patterns and DPES-MX scores. Results: Men showed slightly higher DPES-MX scores than women, although differences were not statistically significant. Women were more frequently classified within the low DPES-MX score category, and female sex was independently associated with lower DPES-MX scores in adjusted models. PCA identified a dietary component characterised by alcoholic beverages, snacks, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods that was positively associated with higher DPES-MX scores (β = 0.81, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The DPES-MX could serve as a culturally adapted epidemiological tool for identifying dietary and behavioural practices linked to potential exposure to plastic-related food-contact materials in Mexican populations. Convenience-oriented dietary patterns appeared to be associated with higher DPES-MX scores. Full article

Fresh phytomedicines (FPs), defined as medicinal plants used in their fresh, undried state, have long been applied in traditional medical systems worldwide and represent a diverse yet underexplored source of bioactive compounds derived from classical prescriptions, ethnomedicinal practices, and medicine–food homology plants. Increasing evidence suggests that FPs possess distinct chemical and pharmacological properties compared with dried phytomedicines (DPs), although their therapeutic value has not been systematically evaluated from a modern medical perspective. This review integrates ethnomedicinal knowledge with modern pharmacological evidence to clarify the therapeutic potential of FPs, while comparing them with DPs and evaluating their potential role as context-dependent alternatives or complementary strategies that warrant further clinical investigation. A comprehensive literature search covering the period from 1956 to January 2026 was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, ProQuest, and SciELO, followed by bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer 1.6.20. Available evidence indicates that FPs and DPs exhibit distinct physicochemical and pharmacological profiles. Drying enriches thermally stable constituents or leads to the formation of new compounds in DPs, whereas FPs better preserve thermosensitive and labile compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and volatile oils. These preserved constituents contribute to context-dependent activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and immunomodulatory effects. Although FPs offer unique therapeutic potential, their application is constrained by instability, limited standardization, inconsistent dosing, and insufficient clinical evidence, and future efforts should focus on improved preservation technologies, comprehensive quality standards, systematic dosage studies, and well-designed clinical trials to substantiate their clinical applicability and facilitate evidence-based integration into modern therapeutic frameworks. Full article

Interest in plant proteins and functional foods in the consumer diet is growing rapidly. One way to ensure food security is to diversify protein sources through the development of new plant varieties. This is of particular importance in the current era of climate change, when many historically cultivated varieties may be at risk. Due to their high protein content and favorable amino acid profile, soybeans have a wide range of nutritional and technological applications. The objective of this study was to asses a novel European black soybean variety that was obtained through phenotypic selection and stabilized across successive generations. The present study undertook a thorough evaluation of the chemical composition of the black soybean breeding line PLBPB1/24 and the commercial yellow soybean variety “Abelina”. The study, which employed analytical methods such as GC-FID, ICP-OES, ion-exchange chromatography, and spectrophotometric assays, revealed that PLBPB1/24 had a higher fat content, twice the amount of free amino acids (0.564 vs. 0.279 g/100 g), and an increased iron content (by 8%), while having a lower content of undesirable trypsin inhibitors (by 26%) compared to “Abelina”. These results confirm the potential of this new variety as a valuable source of nutrients, particularly in functional foods and plant-based diets. Full article

Pitaya is a tropical fruit widely recognized for its intense coloration and abundance of bioactive compounds and natural pigments, associated with antioxidant properties and potential functional applications. However, its high moisture content and structural fragility make it highly susceptible to post-harvest deterioration and limit its shelf life, highlighting the need for effective preservation strategies to enable its industrial utilization. This study evaluated the production of spray-dried red pitaya (Hylocereus costaricensis) powder using the whole-fruit (pulp, peel, and seeds), since studies addressing entire fruit utilization remain scarce. The effects of air temperature (T), air flow rate (AF), maltodextrin concentration (M), and feed flow rate (FF) on moisture content, water activity, drying yield, bioactive compounds (total phenolic, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and betalains), and color parameters were investigated. Spray drying successfully produced pitaya powders characterized by reduced moisture levels and water activity, satisfactory drying yield, and preserved bioactive compounds contents under selected processing conditions. The optimized spray drying conditions (T = 132.7 °C, AF = 1.51 m³/min; M = 9%, and FF = 0.55 L/h) were identified through the desirability function approach, indicating a balanced performance between drying efficiency and compound retention. Color parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, H°, and ΔE) showed changes related to the operational conditions analyzed when compared with the fresh fruit. These findings support the valorization of the pitaya whole fruit and its use as a source of natural bioactive compounds for food applications. Full article

Apple processing generates large amounts of pomace, a by-product rich in bioactive compounds. This study characterized an apple pomace extract (APE) obtained via supercritical CO₂ and evaluated its antioxidant, cytotoxic, pro-inflammatory, antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. Total phenolic (TPC), proanthocyanidin (TPAC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, together with DPPH, ABTS, FRAP assays, were determined in the starting material, exhausted residue and APE to assess extraction efficiency. Subsequently, the volatile and water-soluble fractions of the extract were analysed using GC-MS and HPLC-MS, respectively. Its safety was evaluated through a cytotoxicity assay on Caco-2/TC-7 cells and TNF-α secretion, while antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were assessed following a modified CLSI protocol and Innovotech guidelines, respectively. APE showed higher TPC, TPAC and TFC than both starting material and residue, together with strong antioxidant activity. Characterization revealed a predominance of pentacyclic triterpenes and glycosylated flavonols, while volatiles were dominated by alcohols and aldehydes. APE was cytocompatible up to 72 mg mL⁻¹ and did not induce significant TNF-α release. It inhibited planktonic bacterial growth mainly at 90–180 mg mL⁻¹, whereas biofilm eradication occurred at 45 mg mL⁻¹. These findings support the use of apple pomace as a sustainable source of bioactive compounds for food applications. Full article

Flash drought, an abruptly intensifying meteorological anomaly, poses a growing threat to agricultural production, ecosystem stability, and regional carbon cycling, particularly in croplands of monsoon regions. Existing studies have largely focused on point-scale identification or conventional vegetation indices, whereas the regional spatiotemporal evolution of flash droughts and crop-specific differences in photosynthetic recovery remain poorly understood. Using multi-source remote sensing data for the North China Plain and the Middle–Lower Yangtze Plain during 2001–2024, this study integrated triple-collocation error assessment, root-zone soil-moisture percentile identification, connected-component tracking, and Random Forest–SHAP analysis to characterize flash drought trajectories and their vegetation impacts. The results showed that the southern Middle–Lower Yangtze Plain exhibited a high-frequency but low-intensity pattern, whereas the central North China Plain was characterized by lower frequency yet higher intensity and longer duration. Rice-based systems were more vulnerable to frequent flash drought shocks, whereas rainfed and rotation systems faced stronger cumulative risks. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) responded to flash droughts 6–9 days earlier than gross primary productivity (GPP), and all cropping systems displayed a “rapid physiological response–lagged carbon-assimilation recovery” pattern. The month of occurrence, drought duration, and decline rate were identified as the dominant factors governing photosynthetic recovery. These findings extend the flash drought monitoring framework to incorporate regional connectivity and crop recovery mechanisms, providing a remote-sensing basis for agricultural early warning, drought mitigation, and food-security management. Full article