Search Results (4,504)

Foods rich in polyphenols are known to promote oral health by modifying the enamel pellicle. In doing so, they reduce bacterial adhesion, biofilm maturation, and erosion. The goal of this study was to screen local herbal drugs available in Central Europe for their potential suitability as part of a diet promoting oral health by targeting the initial stages of biofilm formation. To achieve this, an in situ study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the four polyphenol-rich herbal extracts of blackcurrant leaves, oak bark, horse chestnut leaves, and sweet chestnut leaves on early bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on tooth enamel over an 8 h period. This research aimed to identify natural remedies that could support oral hygiene by targeting the initial stages of biofilm formation. Study Design and Experimental Procedures: Aqueous extracts were prepared by ultrasonic extraction. Eight human subjects wore bovine enamel slabs intraorally for 8 h. After 1 min of pellicle formation, the subjects rinsed with 8 mL of the extracts for 10 min, followed by intraoral exposure without food. An 8 h-exposure without rinse served as the negative control; 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) served as the positive control. After 8 h, bacterial adhesion and biofilm matrix formation on the enamel slabs were quantified ex vivo using DAPI/Concanavalin A staining and fluorescence microscopy. The LIVE/DEAD™ BacLight™ assay was used to assess bacterial viability. Statistical analysis was performed by the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test (p < 0.05), as well as the Bonferroni–Holm correction (p < 0.01). Results and Conclusions: The screened herbal drugs did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on the number of adherent bacteria, suggesting that their mode of action may not directly interfere with bacterial adhesion mechanisms. However, all four extracts exhibited consistent trends toward reduced glucan formation and decreased bacterial viability. The observed inhibition of glucan formation indicates that these drugs may potentially target the enzymatic pathways responsible for polysaccharide synthesis. By disrupting glucan production, the structural integrity of the biofilm matrix might be compromised, which indirectly affects bacterial survival within the biofilm environment. Full article

Hypertension or high blood pressure drives structural and functional cardiac remodelling through sustained pressure overload, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. Lifestyle modifications including regular exercise and a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables help in attenuating high blood pressure. Berries are small fruits abundant in polyphenols, vitamins and minerals which provide these fruits with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One such berry is the Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), which is rich in anthocyanins and procyanidins with demonstrated cardiometabolic activity, yet its effects on hypertension and cardiac remodelling have not been studied. This study evaluated the impact of 16-week Saskatoon berry supplementation on cardiovascular structure, function, inflammation, and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Age-matched Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats served as normotensive controls. Saskatoon berry supplementation did not significantly lower systolic or diastolic blood pressure in SHRs; however, echocardiography results revealed trends towards attenuation of hypertensive cardiac remodelling. Saskatoon berry supplementation reduced interventricular septal and posterior wall thickness, decreased left ventricular (LV) mass, and partially preserved systolic function, as reflected by improved ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Diastolic relaxation (IVRT) remained impaired, indicating selective effects on systolic rather than lusitropic function. Serum TNF-α and TBARS were not significantly altered, whereas IL-10 was partially restored, suggesting a modest improvement in systemic inflammatory balance. Principal component analysis integrating all hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and biochemical variables revealed a dominant pathological remodelling axis that distinguished WKY from SHRs. Saskatoon berry supplementation shifted SHRs toward an intermediate multivariate phenotype, supporting a coordinated improvement across structural and functional domains despite persistent hypertension. Together, these findings indicate that Saskatoon berry exerts blood pressure-independent cardioprotective effects that mitigate hypertensive LV hypertrophy and preserve systolic performance. Saskatoon berry may represent a promising functional food ingredient for attenuating cardiac remodelling in hypertension. Full article

Accurate rice yield estimation is essential for food security. Two key factors affecting estimation accuracy are the long-term upward trend in yield over time and regional heterogeneity across space. Current studies predominantly employ statistical detrending methods (e.g., moving averages, linear regression) to isolate temporal trends. However, such methods rely on prior assumptions about the time–yield relationship and may introduce systematic bias when these assumptions break down. Meanwhile, the individual contributions of temporal and spatial information, and their interactive effects, have not been systematically evaluated within a unified framework. We selected 112 rice-growing counties across six U.S. states (2000–2021), using vegetation index (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), meteorological indicators (growing degree days, killing degree days, and cumulative precipitation), and spatiotemporal variables (year, longitude, and latitude). We designed six input configurations to compare conventional detrending against direct temporal variable inclusion, testing across four model architectures (Long Short-Term Memory, Random Forest, XGBoost, and Transformer). Results showed that: (1) directly inputting year significantly outperformed detrending across all models, with the combined spatiotemporal configuration achieving the best performance (LSTM R² = 0.61 vs. 0.54 for detrending); (2) year was the most important predictor in SHAP analysis, with spatiotemporal variables ranking higher than most meteorological and remote sensing variables; (3) spatial information consistently improved accuracy and mitigated systematic bias for extreme yield regions; (4) the combined configuration performed best across different states, years (including extreme climate events), and yield levels, achieving near-end-of-season accuracy at the grain-filling stage (1.5–2 months before harvest). This study demonstrates that integrating raw spatiotemporal data directly into deep learning models is more effective than statistical detrending, offering a simpler and more robust approach for large-scale crop yield estimation. Full article

This study presents a critical historical, bibliometric, and technological overview of the evolution of postharvest science, emphasizing the transition from classical physiology-based approaches to emerging predictive and technology-driven systems. Scientific production related to postharvest research was analyzed using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, while bibliometric mapping and co-occurrence networks were generated using VOSviewer to identify thematic trends, emerging research areas, and structural scientific clusters. In parallel, a technological foresight analysis was conducted through the Lens.org platform to investigate the temporal evolution of patent deposits, the geographical distribution of innovation, the leading institutional applicants, and the predominant technological domains according to the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). The results revealed a substantial global expansion of postharvest research over recent decades. This growth was accompanied by increasing technological diversification and stronger integration between scientific knowledge and intellectual property protection. The analysis also highlighted the progressive incorporation of advanced methodologies into postharvest science, including biochemical approaches, non-destructive technologies, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, and digital tools for quality assessment and shelf-life management. Overall, the study demonstrates that postharvest science is undergoing a paradigmatic transition toward integrated, multidisciplinary, and data-driven systems aligned with current demands for sustainability, food security, innovation, and reduction of postharvest losses. Full article

Drug recall is a critical regulatory mechanism implemented to protect public health by removing defective, unsafe, or non-compliant pharmaceutical products from the market. Despite stringent regulatory approval processes, issues related to manufacturing defects, contamination, labeling errors, stability failures, and post-marketing safety concerns may lead to drug recalls. Regulatory authorities across the world, including the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other national agencies, have developed structured recall guidelines and rapid alert systems to ensure timely withdrawal of defective products. Drug recalls are typically classified based on the level of health risk and may be executed at different levels of the distribution chain, including wholesale, retail, and consumer levels. Effective recall management involves risk assessment, recall communication, product traceability, documentation, and recall effectiveness checks. Pharmacovigilance systems also play an important role in identifying adverse drug reactions and quality defects that may lead to product recalls. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of drug recall systems, including causes of recalls, regulatory frameworks in India and other countries, recall classification, recall procedures, rapid alert systems, and global recall trends. The article also discusses challenges in recall implementation and provides recommendations to strengthen drug recall systems and regulatory coordination worldwide. The review additionally summarizes major official sources of recall information, including recall alerts, safety communications, and regulatory databases maintained by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), EMA, CDSCO, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and World Health Organization (WHO), and provides a comparative global perspective on contemporary pharmaceutical recall practices. Full article

In this study, sodium alginate/inulin (SA/IN) composite beads were fabricated using the calcium ion cross-linking method, which encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum to provide it with resistance in a gastrointestinal environment. The results showed that the SA/IN solution functioned as a kind of pseudoplastic fluid, and the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) values exhibited a trend of frequency dependence. The diameter, water content, swelling rate, water holding capacity (WHC), and hardness of the composite beads were regulated by IN concentration, with IN making the beads rougher at first and then giving them a more regular shape as the concentration increased. The highest Lactobacillus plantarum encapsulation efficiency reached 92.8 ± 4.14%, and SA/IN beads improved the stability of Lactobacillus plantarum under 4 °C storage and heat treatment. The quantity of Lactobacillus plantarum reached 1.3 ± 0.01 CFU/g, which is close to the quantity observed before digestion. This study confirmed that SA/IN composite beads can serve as a protective carrier of Lactobacillus plantarum with prebiotic activity and can be used in functional food ingredients. Full article

Saline–alkaline land serves as a potential arable land reserve for augmenting agricultural productivity and safeguarding food security. However, long-term monitoring of saline–alkaline land conversion remains challenging because of vegetation recovery, surface changes, hydrological modification, and agricultural phenology. Compared with CCDC and LandTrendr, the proposed MK-based framework detects conversion occurrence and timing while reducing dependence on dense observations, parameter tuning, and annual classification. This study examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of saline–alkaline land converted into paddies in Da’an City, utilizing Landsat time-series data (2007–2021) from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The analysis employed Mann–Kendall (MK) trend and mutation tests to monitor conversion processes and analyze spatiotemporal dynamics. Point-biserial correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the sensitivity of various remote sensing indices in detecting land conversion. The top fifteen indices, including the Land Surface Water Index (LSWI), Salinity Index 4 (SI4), and Salinity Index 5 (SI5), demonstrated strong correlations (|r| = 0.788–0.885) and significant pre- and post-conversion spectral differences (p < 0.01). Validation via confusion matrix confirmed that the June SI5 index attained the highest detection accuracy (overall accuracy: 94.15%; Kappa coefficient: 0.86), supporting the MK trend test’s efficacy in monitoring conversion processes. The MK mutation test achieved 80.36% temporal accuracy in determining conversion timing. The spatiotemporal analyses identified heterogeneity in saline–alkaline land conversion patterns. Spatially, large contiguous paddy fields dominated the eastern region, whereas fragmented conversion characterized the west, with minimal activity in the central zone. Temporally, the conversion area expanded rapidly before 2015 and then gradually declined, reaching a cumulative converted area of 276.29 km² by 2021. This study elucidates spatiotemporal conversion dynamics to guide sustainable land use. Full article

Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) is a characteristic species of the Mediterranean flora, valued for its medicinal, aromatic, and culinary uses. Many of these properties are attributed to its volatile constituents. In this study, the effect of Atmospheric Room Temperature Plasma (ARTP) pretreatment on laurel powder was evaluated, with emphasis on volatile recovery and food application. Volatile extraction was optimized using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), investigating key parameters such as salt concentration, extraction temperature, equilibration time, extraction time, and fiber type. Subsequently, critical ARTP variables (nitrogen flow, treatment duration, treatment distance, substrate thickness, and plasma power) were optimized. Response Surface Methodology was applied in both optimization processes. The results demonstrated that fiber type was the most influential factor for volatile recovery, with extraction temperature also exerting a significant effect. A more nuanced pattern emerged during ARTP pretreatment, where moderate plasma intensities enhanced the recovery of several key volatiles. This trend was not uniform across compounds, indicating that plasma-induced microstructural changes interact with the physicochemical properties of individual analytes. To demonstrate food relevance, a ready-to-use broth model prepared with laurel powder confirmed improved headspace transfer of characteristic volatiles following ARTP treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that ARTP can serve as a practical, non-thermal pretreatment for improving volatile release, supporting its potential use in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Full article

To investigate growth trends of Portunus trituberculatus in Laizhou Bay, this study fitted the Von Bertalanffy growth model using FiSAT II based on carapace width frequency data from 2023 to 2025. Growth parameters and mortality coefficients were estimated, and natural mortality was evaluated using eight empirical formulas. A total of 2240 individuals (1117 females, 1123 males) were captured. The carapace width–weight relationships were W = 7.145 × 10⁻⁵L^2.9153 (total), W = 1.208 × 10⁻⁴L^2.8051 (females), and W = 3.209 × 10⁻⁵L^3.0809 (males), indicating negative allometric growth in females and near-isometric growth in males. Asymptotic carapace widths (L_∞) were 228.32, 227.23, and 215.25 mm; growth rates (k) were 0.43, 0.49, and 0.44; and the total mortalities (Z) were 1.41, 1.44, and 1.30 for total, female, and male, respectively. Recruitment occurred from April to August (spring–summer). Mean natural mortality (M) was 0.70, and exploitation rate (E) was 0.50. Compared with historical data, the current exploitation rate has decreased from the severely overexploited levels observed historically, approaching the commonly used MSY reference point of E = 0.50. This decline reflects the positive effects of summer fishing moratoriums and stock enhancement in reducing fishing pressure. However, this apparent stabilization in exploitation rate has not translated into biological recovery. Declining growth parameters and continued population decline indicate that the stock remains vulnerable, and current pressure may still exceed the ecosystem’s degraded carrying capacity. Future efforts should strengthen the monitoring and recovery of genetic diversity in P. trituberculatus, extend the study period of length–frequency data, and construct ecosystem models to assess the impacts of food competition and habitat changes, thereby providing a scientific basis for stock enhancement and resource assessment of P. trituberculatus in Laizhou Bay. Full article

Bioactive peptides (BPs) are widely distributed and exhibit remarkable physiological activities. However, their natural forms are frequently characterized by short half-lives, low membrane permeability, poor stability, and inadequate oral bioavailability, which severely limit their applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and biomaterial fields. Therefore, modification and engineering of natural BPs are essential to surmount these inherent limitations. Synthetic biology-based modification strategies, including amino acid substitution, sequence truncation and hybridization, side-chain functionalization, and main-chain/side-chain integration, are comprehensively summarized in this review. Chemical modification strategies, such as terminal modification, cyclization, backbone modification, polymer conjugation, lipidation, and glycosylation, are also discussed, with particular attention to their advantages, potential drawbacks, and practical limitations. Based on 122 studies identified through systematic literature searches across major scientific databases, this review also discusses the current challenges and future trends in BP modification, providing theoretical guidance and innovative insights for the further development and enhanced utilization of BPs. Full article

Land degradation (LD) is one of the most pressing environmental problems on a global scale, directly threatening ecosystem resilience, food security, and sustainable land use. Traditional methods used to assess land degradation are often limited by high labor intensity and insufficient integration of heterogeneous geospatial datasets. In this study, we propose an evidence-based approach to LD mapping that integrates multi-source Earth observation (EO) data products with the Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence. A geospatial data cube was constructed based on precipitation, soil moisture, terrain slope, land surface temperature, land cover transitions, vegetation productivity, and soil organic carbon indices. Our classification workflow combined expert knowledge with probabilistic evidence weighting to define LD classes at a regional scale, and our methodology was tested in the Kryvyi Rih Iron Ore Basin (Ukraine), a region under intense anthropogenic and natural pressure. Field-based validation demonstrated the high reliability of the proposed approach, achieving a Kendall rank correlation coefficient of 0.832, which outperforms alternative methods based on Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Trends.Earth. Full article

Path tracking control and algorithm portability for agricultural robots serve as the core technological foundation for achieving precision and automation in farming operations, playing a critical role in ensuring food security and enhancing production efficiency. This paper systematically reviews recent technological advancements in the field. It first elucidates the fundamental theories and technical components of path tracking control, providing detailed analyses of the characteristics and limitations of traditional methods such as Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control, model predictive control (MPC), sliding-mode control (SMC), and the Stanley algorithm. Subsequently, it focuses on innovations in intelligent technologies, exploring the integration trends of adaptive control and intelligent learning algorithms, with particular emphasis on the combined applications of reinforcement learning, deep learning, and intelligent control methodologies. The paper clarifies the significance of algorithm portability and summarizes the current applications and performance differences among various algorithms. The study concludes that traditional methods demonstrate stability and reliability in structured scenarios, while advanced intelligent approaches exhibit stronger adaptability in complex environments, albeit facing challenges such as data dependency and real-time deployment requirements. Future technological developments will prioritize deep integration of multiple technologies and the unified achievement of both safety and real-time performance. Full article

This scoping review evaluates the role of vector-associated dissemination in contaminating the Philippine food supply chain with antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) Salmonella, an emerging infectious disease threat, using a One Health perspective to map the mechanisms through which insects and rodents bridge environmental reservoirs to human food systems. This scoping review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. From 1969 records identified through systematic database searches, 52 studies met the inclusion criteria. These comprised 21 primary Philippine studies, 28 non-Philippine studies (including ASEAN-based historical baseline reports), and 3 policy/gray literature studies, prioritized to reflect tropical ecological and agricultural settings. Results suggest that intensive swine and poultry farming may contribute to the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) linked to genes such as bla_TEM and qnr. Evidence suggests that Salmonella persists in environmental matrices, such as manure and irrigation water, and that synanthropic vectors, including Rattus rattus and various fly species, potentially serve as biological and mechanical bridges in transmission. Clinical data reveal an alarming trend toward invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis (iNTS) showing reduced susceptibility to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Despite these findings, major evidence gaps remain, particularly regarding the prevalence of vector-borne Salmonella in pre-harvest produce. Consequently, mitigation requires a One Health framework that integrates non-antibiotic interventions, pest management to disrupt transmission pathways, and rapid diagnostic tools, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), to enhance market surveillance. Full article

Climate change is intensifying droughts, heatwaves, and hydrological extremes, increasing crop vulnerability and threatening global food security. This study analyzes the scientific evolution of research on remote sensing-based crop vulnerability to climate, focusing on temporal trends, geographical patterns, thematic structures, remote sensing data, and methodological approaches. A quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, longitudinal, and retrospective bibliometric analysis was applied to 2343 Scopus-indexed documents published between 1985 and 2026. Bibliometrix 5.1.1 and VOSviewer 1.6.20 were used to assess productivity, collaboration, intellectual structure, keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, and Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy. Results show sustained growth, with a 4% annual growth rate and a sharp acceleration after 2015, reaching 487 publications in 2025. This trend reflects a transition from descriptive crop monitoring toward predictive and operational geospatial intelligence. China, the United States, and India lead scientific production, while specialized journals concentrate dissemination. The most common remote sensing data and indicators include NDVI, MODIS, Landsat, Sentinel imagery, SAR, drought indices, vegetation condition metrics, and Google Earth Engine. Frequent methods include bibliometric mapping, keyword co-occurrence analysis, thematic clustering, machine learning, time-series analysis, and multi-sensor integration. Overall, the field is mature but still faces challenges in interoperability, geographical representation, validation, and decision-oriented applications. Full article

Improving rice yield and optimizing rice quality are of great significance for ensuring food security. In modern rice production, mechanical transplanting has become the dominant transplanting method. Precise regulation of plant spacing and row spacing contributes to the formation of different transplanting densities, which further exerts effects on photosynthetic spikelets filling, yield formation and quality development of rice. Two-year field experiments were conducted with two conventional japonica rice cultivars of contrasting yield levels under four transplanting hill spacings at a uniform row spacing of 30 cm. The results showed that rice cultivars with higher seed-setting rate with an increase ranging from 1.44 to 1.91% and larger grain weight with an increase ranging from 13.17 to 13.40% presented more prominent yield potential. In addition, high-yield rice cultivars possessed more excellent photosynthetic carbon metabolism characteristics, which effectively improved the spikelets filling process of rice kernels. Superior photosynthetic carbon metabolism characteristics were conducive to increasing head rice rate and reducing chalkiness, while maintaining the duration of spikelets filling benefited the improvement of rice taste value. Narrowing the transplanting plant spacing reduced the physiological enzyme activities in rice leaves and grains, weakened photosynthetic carbon metabolism and hindered spikelets filling, which further decreased head rice rate and protein content but increased chalkiness. Notably, rice taste value also showed an increasing trend. The taste value of superior spikelets (SSs) of the two rice cultivars increased by 1.97–5.11% and 0.98–2.60% respectively, and that of inferior spikelets (ISs) increased by 1.37–3.64% and 1.62–4.12% respectively. Reducing transplanting plant spacing also significantly increased the number of effective panicles, resulting in an increase in population spikelet number. The final yield of the two rice cultivars increased by 5.38–11.62% and 5.23–11.03% respectively. Full article