Search Results (2,317)

Wastewater analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for wastewater-based epidemiology, environmental surveillance, and monitoring of emerging contaminants. While most studies rely on targeted approaches focusing on predefined compound lists, untargeted metabolomics offers potential to capture a broader and less biased chemical snapshot. However, the complexity of wastewater matrices and the chemical diversity of small molecules pose analytical challenges. In this study, we apply a multi-platform, untargeted metabolomics workflow to profile the influent wastewater metabolome of five wastewater treatment plants in Spain, differing in geographic context, population size, and industrial activity. Twenty-four-hour composite samples were collected in three seasons and analyzed using gas chromatography, reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, all coupled to mass spectrometry. A total of 828 unique compounds were annotated across platforms, with minimal overlap, highlighting the complementarity of analytical approaches and extraction strategies. Multivariate analyses revealed reproducible site-associated chemical patterns consistent across seasons and platforms. Dominant contributors included lipids, organic acids, organic oxygen compounds, organoheterocyclic compounds, and benzenoids, reflecting differences in population and human activity. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a multi-platform untargeted workflow for generating complementary and reproducible comparative profiles of wastewater influent. The resulting public dataset is intended as a methodological and exploratory comparative resource, and broader spatial and longitudinal validation is required before generalization or use for source attribution. Full article

Edible insects are increasingly proposed as sustainable protein sources in animal nutrition, yet their effects on gut microbial function, intestinal safety, and systemic metabolism require comprehensive evaluation. This study investigated the impact of a diet containing 35% Tenebrio molitor meal on the functional activity of gut environment and host metabolic profiles in rats, in comparison with diets containing chicken hydrolysate or a standard laboratory diet. Female Wistar rats were fed the experimental diets for 60 days, after which fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), microbial enzyme activity, fecal water genotoxicity, and liver and spleen metabolomes were assessed. Rats fed the T. molitor diet exhibited significantly lower fecal concentrations of major SCFAs, including acetate, butyrate, valerate, and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), indicating altered colonic fermentation. Both β-glucosidase and β-glucuronidase activities differed significantly between groups and were highest in the T. molitor group. β-Glucuronidase activity also decreased over time, whereas no significant group vs. time interaction was observed. Fecal water genotoxicity decreased markedly in the T. molitor group over time. Untargeted UHPLC–HRMS metabolomics revealed pronounced diet-dependent differences in metabolite profiles. In the liver, the insect-based diet was associated with the enrichment of glycerophospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and pyrimidine metabolism pathways, as well as lower abundance of metabolites assigned to riboflavin- and phenylalanine-related pathways. In the spleen, diet-associated differences involved metabolites assigned to lipid-related pathways, including glycerophospholipid, linoleic acid, and steroid-related metabolism, as well as nucleotide-associated pathways. These findings support further evaluation of complete insect-based formulations and highlight specific metabolic pathways that should be considered when evaluating the safety and physiological implications of insect-based feeds. Full article

The spread of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus has caused a critical shortage of traditional Poria cocos cultivation materials, making bag-based substrates an urgent alternative. Yet, how substrate stoichiometry shapes nutritional quality remains unclear. Using non-targeted metabolomics combined with redundancy analysis (RDA) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we profiled P. cocos cultivated on four substrates: healthy pine logs, pine wilt wood bags, oak bags, and pine needle/branch bags. Bag-cultivated P. cocos showed significantly elevated total amino acids, poria cocos acid, and total triterpenoids, with pine wilt wood bags (P1) performing best overall. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and the N/P ratio independently drove metabolomic variation (pairwise overlap < 5%). Nitrogen-line hub metabolites were negatively correlated with amino acid content, suggesting that suppressed lipid metabolism may free carbon skeletons for the accumulation of nitrogenous nutrients. Phosphorus-line hub metabolites were positively associated with polysaccharide indices, whereas the N/P ratio in line lipid amides showed strong negative correlations with polysaccharides under phosphorus limitation. These correlational patterns are consistent with a stoichiometric resource allocation model, although direct validation through controlled-element experiments is required. These findings provide quantitative guidance for optimizing bag-substrate formulations in P. cocos cultivation. Full article

Objectives: Emotional tears are generated in a distinct neurophysiological context from reflex tears, but their metabolic composition remains poorly understood. Methods: This exploratory paired targeted-metabolomics study compared emotional and reflex tears collected from 22 healthy volunteers using a 600-multiple-reaction-monitoring platform. Among 412 detected metabolites, 344 were retained after data preprocessing. Paired statistical analysis prioritized 23 candidate metabolites based on the combined criteria of unadjusted p-value, fold change, and consistency of within-subject change. Results: Seven candidates were lower, and 16 were higher in emotional tears. Salicylic acid was retained in the descriptive candidate set but excluded from the primary machine-learning analysis because a contribution from the reflex-tear induction procedure could not be ruled out. Among the remaining 22 candidates, 4-hydroxy-3-methylbenzoic acid, vanillic acid, cytidine-5′-monophosphate, and hydroxyphenyllactic acid were consistently ranked among the leading features. A fixed four-metabolite combination achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.864 (95% CI, 0.756–0.957) under ordinary leave-one-subject-out cross-validation. When candidate screening, feature selection, and model fitting were repeated within each training fold, the best nested pipeline achieved an area under the curve of 0.725 (95% CI, 0.603–0.843). Pathway mapping further linked the candidate metabolites to histidine, tyrosine, fatty-acid, ether-lipid, and ubiquinone-related metabolism. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate measurable within-subject metabolic differences between emotional and reflex tears and identify a focused set of candidate metabolites for future validation. Because no individual metabolite remained significant after false discovery rate correction and no independent validation cohort was available, the candidate signals and discrimination models should be confirmed in larger, independently collected cohorts. Full article

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and is closely associated with oxidative stress. Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes are recognized as a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their metabolic benefits remain incompletely understood. Objectives: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective potential of a polyphenol-rich O. ficus-indica cladode extract (OCE) using an integrated approach combining in vivo evaluation, untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS), molecular docking, and ADMET prediction. Methods: Hyperlipidemic mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) were treated with OCE, while molecular docking was performed on ten major annotated phytochemicals against twelve key proteins involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis, including HMGCR, FAS, PPARα, PCSK9, and NPC1L1, using simvastatin as the reference compound. Results: OCE treatment significantly improved plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, improved glucose homeostasis, and markedly reduced hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, indicating attenuation of oxidative stress. Histopathological analysis further supported a pronounced hepatoprotective effect, with a substantial reduction in hepatic steatosis. Untargeted metabolomics enabled the annotation of 102 metabolites, putatively identifying piscidic acid as the predominant phenolic constituent together with a diverse profile of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Molecular docking supported the potential contribution of these phytochemicals to the regulation of lipid metabolism through favorable interactions with multiple therapeutic targets, while ADMET prediction suggested an overall favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity profile despite the lower intestinal permeability predicted for glycosylated derivatives. Conclusions: Overall, these findings support O. ficus-indica cladodes as a promising source of dietary bioactive compounds with potential applications in the nutritional management and prevention of hyperlipidemia and related cardiometabolic disorders. Full article

Background: Precision nutrition and nutrigenomics have emerged as promising strategies to personalize dietary interventions according to individual genetic, metabolic, and molecular characteristics. However, the potential of nutrigenomic-guided nutraceutical interventions to modulate biological aging pathways remains poorly characterized. Objective: This study aimed to map and synthesize the available evidence from human studies evaluating personalized nutraceutical interventions based on nutrigenomic approaches and their effects on biomarkers associated with biological aging. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 2021 and 2026. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥18 years receiving personalized nutraceutical interventions informed by genetic, genomic, metabolomic, or other molecular data. Outcomes included biomarkers of cellular aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, immunometabolism, and related pathways. Results: Twenty-one studies were included. Interventions involved omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, Nigella sativa, vitamin D, methyl-donor micronutrients, fermented papaya preparation, and other nutraceutical preparations and functional food-based interventions. Four major themes emerged: multi-omic stratification approaches, biological aging biomarkers, redox-inflammatory modulation, and applications in metabolic disorders. Most studies demonstrated favorable effects on intermediate molecular biomarkers, including inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers, lipid metabolism, endothelial function, and DNA methylation signatures. However, evidence directly demonstrating slowing of biological aging through validated biomarkers such as epigenetic clocks or telomere dynamics remains limited. Conclusions: Personalized nutraceutical interventions exhibit biological plausibility for modulating pathways associated with healthy aging. Nevertheless, robust longitudinal studies incorporating validated biomarkers of biological aging and clinically meaningful outcomes are needed before their widespread implementation in precision medicine. Full article

Agricultural by-products and Chinese medicine crop residues, as non-traditional animal feed, have great potential to alleviate the scarcity of traditional feed and reduce the environmental burden. In this study, the effects of adding fermented ginseng by-products to the diet on growth performance, meat quality, flavor characteristics and metabolism of Hongyu roosters were evaluated. A total of 100 Hongyu roosters were randomly assigned to either a control (Con) group fed a basal diet or a fermented ginseng by-products (Fe) group fed a basal diet supplemented with 3% fermented ginseng by-products, with five replicates per group, for 100 days. The results demonstrated that the fermented diet significantly enhanced final body weight and average daily gain (ADG) while reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.05). The percentages of breast and thigh muscles and breast muscle fiber diameter were significantly increased. The results also exhibited enhanced water-holding capacity, coupled with significantly decreased shear force and drip loss (p < 0.05). Electronic nose and tongue analyses confirmed enriched meat aroma and optimized taste profiles, which aligned with elevated levels of flavor-precursor amino acids and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. Serum metabolomics found purine metabolism and the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids to be pivotal pathways. Metabolites related to nucleotide and lipid metabolism were regulated. In conclusion, fermented ginseng by-products serve as an effective functional feed to improve poultry growth performance and meat quality. Full article

The intestinal epithelium is a dynamic tissue renewed by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) within the crypt niche. ISC behavior is regulated not only by intrinsic genetic programs but also by dietary composition, nutrient availability, microbial metabolites, and feeding rhythms. This narrative review synthesizes mechanisms through which diet influences ISC self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, metabolic programming, and regenerative capacity. Dietary patterns exert context-dependent effects: caloric restriction, fasting, and structured feeding–fasting cycles may enhance epithelial regeneration through nutrient-sensing pathways, mitochondrial adaptation, and circadian regulation, whereas Western-type and high-fat diets may promote niche remodeling, inflammation, metabolic reprogramming, and tumorigenic risk. Macronutrients regulate ISC fate through carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid sensing, fatty acid oxidation, and lipid-derived signaling molecules. Micronutrients, including vitamins A, D, and B and minerals such as iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium, contribute to epithelial differentiation, redox balance, and barrier integrity. Phytochemicals may modulate ISC function through Wnt/β-catenin, Nrf2, SIRT1, and epigenetic pathways or by stabilizing the epithelial microenvironment. The gut microbiota mediates diet–ISC interactions via short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, indole derivatives, and other metabolites. However, human evidence remains limited, and studies integrating human organoids, single-cell analyses, metabolomics, and chrononutrition are needed to inform personalized nutritional strategies for intestinal health. Full article

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death worldwide, characterised by systemic inflammation and metabolic disorders. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) and berberine (BBR) are major alkaloids derived from Corydalis yanhusuo and Coptis chinensis, respectively, both of which have been shown to be cardioprotective; however, whether their mechanisms differ remains unclear. In this study, we systematically compared THP and BBR in treating AMI using integrated spatial metabolomics (AFADESI-MSI), untargeted metabolomics, lipidomics, and molecular biology. The results showed that both compounds improved cardiac function, reduced fibrosis, and suppressed inflammation. Multi-omics revealed that although both regulate glycerophospholipid metabolism, their pathway preferences and functional roles diverge: THP primarily affects linoleic acid and acetylcholine metabolism with a greater propensity to restore membrane structural integrity, whereas BBR targets ether phospholipids and sphingolipids with preferential anti-inflammatory lipid modulation. At the enzymatic level, both downregulated CHKα, PEMT, ChAT, and PDHA1. A key difference is that THP uniquely upregulated acetylcholinesterase (AChE) mRNA expression, an effect absent with BBR. Spatial metabolomics directly visualised that both compounds reverse the accumulation of pro-inflammatory lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) and restore structural phosphatidylcholines (PCs) in the infarct region, thereby re-establishing regional lipid homeostasis. To our knowledge, this is the first integrated multi-omics comparison to suggest shared and distinct mechanisms of THP and BBR in AMI. Notably, the differential regulation of AChE, as visualised by spatial omics, may serve as a molecular basis for understanding their distinct therapeutic features, although further validation at the protein and enzymatic activity levels is warranted. Full article

Herpetospermum pedunculosum is an endangered cucurbitaceous medicinal plant whose functional genomic and metabolic studies are constrained by the lack of efficient aseptic seedling and genetic transformation systems. Here, we established a rapid aseptic seedling production method and a RUBY-assisted hairy root transformation platform integrated with metabolomic evaluation. The cotton-supported liquid culture method provided a favorable balance between germination performance and experimental operability. Microsyringe-mediated stem-base inoculation with Rhizobium rhizogenes K599 carrying 35S::RUBY enabled rapid visual screening of RUBY-positive hairy roots, with a maximum transformation efficiency of 93.33%. Widely targeted metabolomics identified 242 metabolites and revealed major differences in amino acid/nitrogen and sugar metabolism, lipid-related metabolism, specialized metabolite biosynthesis, hormone-related pathways, and ABC transporters among wild-type, vector-free K599-induced, and RUBY-expressing roots. In addition, 80 HpRHL-like bHLH genes were identified. As a proof of concept, RT-qPCR confirmed HpRHL76 overexpression, which was associated with an increase in mean root hair length from approximately 0.4 to 1.1 mm. Together, this integrated framework provides a practical basis for preliminary candidate gene assessment, functional genomic studies, and future metabolic engineering of medicinally relevant compounds in H. pedunculosum, and may serve as a methodological reference for other difficult-to-transform medicinal plants. Full article

Obesity-related complications have long been significant risk factors threatening human health. Sanhua tea is an instant tea composed of Rosa rugosa Thunb., Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait., Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl., Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., and Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Sanhua tea in obese mice. An obesity model was established by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet. Mice received intragastric Sanhua tea at doses (500, 1500, and 2500 mg/kg/day) for three weeks. Biochemical analyses indicated that Sanhua tea significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in serum. Sanhua tea also alleviated liver oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde levels and regulating the activities of related enzymes. Additionally, Sanhua tea maintained gut microbiota diversity and reshaped microbial composition, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio, increasing beneficial bacterial communities, and significantly decreasing harmful bacterial communities. Metabolomics analysis revealed that Sanhua tea altered liver metabolites, which were significantly associated with specific gut microbes. These metabolites influenced pathways such as ABC transporters, general metabolic pathways, and central carbon metabolism in cancer, contributing to obesity alleviation. In conclusion, Sanhua tea alleviated obesity symptoms in mice by modulating blood lipid levels, liver metabolism, and gut microbiota. Full article

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) effluent of kidney failure patients represents an accessible liquid biopsy of the peritoneal cavity, yet the mechanisms determining its molecular composition remain poorly understood. We applied an integrative multi-omics approach to characterize the composition, transport dynamics, and molecular origin of the PD effluentome. Methods: Cell-free effluent, effluent cells, and plasma were collected from stable PD patients during standardized peritoneal equilibration tests in a randomized clinical trial. Targeted metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomic profiling were integrated with a reference human plasma proteome to investigate temporal molecular changes, peritoneal transport characteristics, and protein origin. Results: A total of 207 metabolites and 2970 proteins were identified in PD effluent. Metabolites exhibited distinct class-specific transport kinetics, with rapid equilibration of amino acids and biogenic amines, whereas lipids remained markedly underrepresented despite prolonged dwell times, indicating that transport is governed by physicochemical properties beyond molecular size alone. The effluent proteome underwent concordant alteration, with dwell time-dependent enrichment of pathways related to extracellular matrix organization, angiogenesis, coagulation, and tissue repair. Integrative analysis of the effluent proteome, effluent-cell transcriptome, and human plasma proteome resolved distinct plasma-associated, effluent cell-associated, resident peritoneal tissue-associated, and mixed-origin protein populations. Conclusions: This study establishes the first systems-level approach describing the composition, transport dynamics, and molecular origin of the PD effluentome. By transforming PD effluent into a biologically interpretable molecular readout of peritoneal membrane biology, this work provides a reference for the mechanistic interpretation of effluent-derived biomarkers and supports future therapeutic monitoring and precision medicine in PD. Full article

This study evaluated the synergistic effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) and cytidine monophosphate (CMP) on enhancing the co-production of astaxanthin and fatty acids while suppressing secondary cell wall (SCW) formation in Haematococcus lacustris (synonym: H. pluvialis) under high-light stress. An orthogonal design identified the optimal combination (0.5 g/L NaCl and 0.5 mM CMP), which significantly increased astaxanthin yield by over 35.6% and total fatty acid yield by 28%, while maintaining 96.8% of cells in motile state (SCW-deficient). Physiological analyses revealed elevated reactive oxygen species levels, concomitant with higher actual photochemical efficiency (Fv′/Fm′) and relative electron transport rates II (rETR(II)) along with enhanced non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) capacity, and metabolic reprogramming characterized by the accumulation of lipids, sugars, and starch alongside decreased protein yield. Metabolomics indicated reduced carbon supply for SCW polysaccharide biosynthesis, coupled with decreased protein yield and altered amino acid profiles characteristic of nitrogen-limited metabolism, which collectively favored the reallocation of carbon resources toward nitrogen-free high-value products. Transcriptomics confirmed the downregulation of SCW component biosynthetic genes and the upregulation of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and astaxanthin biosynthetic pathway. Scale-up experiments validated this strategy for producing astaxanthin-rich motile cells, offering a promising approach for microalgal biorefinery. Full article

Postharvest lignification and microbial spoilage limit the shelf life of arrow bamboo shoots. This study evaluated the effects of electrolyzed functional water (EFW) combined with spontaneous modified-atmosphere (MA) packaging (EFW+MA) on postharvest quality and associated physiological, metabolic, and microbial changes. EFW+MA reduced weight loss, decay incidence, and browning while maintaining firmness and color. It also reduced lignin and cellulose accumulation, accompanied by lower activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Untargeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics showed that storage-associated metabolic changes were moderated by EFW+MA, including lower abundances of phenylalanine and tyrosine in the treated samples. In addition, EFW+MA enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and alleviated membrane lipid peroxidation. 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing showed that EFW+MA reduced operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness and altered bacterial community composition, including lower relative abundances of Campylobacterota and Enterobacteriaceae and a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae. Overall, EFW+MA delayed postharvest quality deterioration of arrow bamboo shoots, accompanied by changes in lignification-related physiology, oxidative defense, metabolite profiles, and bacterial communities. Full article

Breed is a major source of variation in beef quality, yet how differences in rumen microbial communities relate to metabolic profiles and meat quality across breeds remains unclear. This study compared growth performance, meat quality traits, rumen microbiota, and rumen metabolomic profiles of Chinese steppe red cattle (CR), Yanhuang cattle (YH), and Simmental hybrid cattle (SH). The results showed that SH cattle had better performance in some growth-related traits. In contrast, YH and CR cattle exhibited better meat quality, with higher marbling scores, lower drip loss and shear force, and higher levels of several unsaturated fatty acids. Significant differences in individual amino acid contents were also observed among breeds, and SH cattle showed higher levels of some amino acids. Microbial analysis showed that CR and YH cattle had higher rumen microbial richness and diversity than SH cattle, with differences in microbial community composition among breeds. A total of 2425 metabolites were annotated by metabolomic analysis. The differential metabolites were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, carbon metabolism, and energy metabolism pathways. Correlation analysis further revealed relationships between specific rumen microorganisms and metabolites related to meat quality traits. Full article