Search Results (1,560)

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are pervasive in food-contact environments and the human diet, positioning the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as the primary portal of entry and a plausible site of early biological effects. Human exposure is supported by detection of microplastics in stool and colon tissue, and emerging clinical studies report associations between fecal microplastic burden and GI disease states, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Preclinical studies provide mechanistic plausibility, reporting that ingested MNPs can modulate microbial ecology, alter mucus membrane integrity, increase intestinal permeability through changes in cellular tight junction biology, and induce inflammatory gene expression. These effects can vary by MNP polymer type, particle size/shape, aging state, and exposure dose. Human-relevant experimental platforms increasingly demonstrate size- and concentration-dependent uptake and host responses while revealing substantial inter-individual variability. We synthesize current evidence on dietary sources and key physiochemical properties as they relate to mechanistic pathways connecting MNP exposure to dysbiosis–immune activation–neoplasia axes, in addition to methodological limitations that constrain current clinical utility. Further research including standardized biomonitoring and exposure protocols, environmentally realistic chronic low-dose mixtures, longitudinal human cohorts, and interventional designs that test whether exposure reduction modifies GI inflammation biomarkers and cancer-relevant pathways are critical to clarifying causality. Full article

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of multi-strain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation on the functional and antidiabetic properties of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) puree using integrated physicochemical, biochemical, and cellular analyses. Fermentation induced significant (p < 0.05) physiochemical changes, including a decrease in pH from 6.2 to 6.5 to 3.5–3.6, increased titratable acidity, and higher viable cell counts, indicating active microbial fermentation. Levels of reducing and soluble sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose) decreased significantly due to microbial utilization during fermentation. Fermented pumpkin puree exhibited markedly enhanced antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical scavenging activity increasing from 45% in the control to 83.2%, while ABTS radical scavenging activity increased from 33% to 42%. In vitro enzyme inhibition assays demonstrated enhanced antidiabetic potential, with α-amylase inhibition increasing from 7% to 60% and α-glucosidase inhibition from 10% to 70%. Moreover, glucose uptake in insulin-resistant L6 myotubes was significantly enhanced, indicating improved cellular glucose utilization. HPLC analysis revealed significant enrichment of phenolic compounds, particularly trans-ferulic acid (3894 µg/g), gallic acid (1996 µg/g), and caffeic acid (1894 µg/g), suggesting microbial-mediated release and biotransformation of bound phenolics during fermentation. Correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships among phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and enzyme inhibition. Among the tested LAB strains, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei competitively exhibited the highest functional and anti-diabetic properties. Overall, LAB fermentation effectively enhanced the functional and antidiabetic properties of pumpkin puree. Full article

For thousands of years glass packaging for wine has traditionally been associated with quality and remains used today as an inert and recyclable container. However, alternative containers such as aluminum cans and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have been gaining traction over the last several years because of their lower cost, increased recyclability, and increasing consumer acceptance. Advancements in can-liner technology further support aluminum cans as a realistic option for wineries; however, data on how different packaging types influence the quality of packaged wine remains sparse. This study evaluated the physiochemical properties of carbonated blueberry wine stored in glass bottles, aluminum cans, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles under accelerated conditions (35 °C). Across the three packaging types, the wine quality parameters of total acidity, sugar, and pH did not differ significantly. There were, however, measurable statistical differences that emerged in color, anthocyanin content, and volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a strong linear relationship between the degradation of color (intensity and hue) and anthocyanin concentration over time for all packaging types, with the loss being dependent upon packaging type. These findings indicate that while certain quality attributes vary with container, the overall chemical changes in blueberry wine are comparable across glass, aluminum, and PET bottles. Consequently, aluminum can packaging stands as a viable, cost-effective alternative packaging for blueberry wine producers. Full article

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films plasticized with glycerin or polyethylene glycol (PEG) were investigated to elucidate structure–property relationships in hydrophilic polymeric film systems. Films were prepared by solution casting at a fixed polymer concentration of 2.7% w/w with plasticizer contents ranging from 0.49 to 1.33% w/w, yielding continuous, free-standing films with good surface integrity. Polymer type and plasticizer dosage strongly affected film breakdown behavior. HPMC films with high plasticization swelled and disintegrated. Effective plasticization was shown by a steady drop in tensile strength and elastic modulus and a significant rise in elongation at break. PVA films plasticized better than HPMC films in PEG-containing solutions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verified hydrogen bonding-driven polymer–plasticizer interactions, with glycerin outperforming PEG. Increasing plasticizer percentage reduced crystallographic order and thermal transition temperature in X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Scanning electron microscopy indicated smooth and uniform surfaces at intermediate plasticizer levels, but variability at higher loadings. Among the studied formulations, PVA films containing 1.33% w/w plasticizer and HPMC films containing 1.05% w/w plasticizer provided the most balanced combination. These findings support physiochemically rational PVA and HPMC film design for pharmaceutical applications. Full article

Hard carbon (HC) materials are widely recognized as one of the most promising anode candidates for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Biomass-derived HC materials particularly possess the advantages of abundant sources, low cost, and high sodium-ion (Na⁺) storage capacity. In this work, the agricultural byproduct corn cob is employed as a raw material to prepare HC samples via a facile two-step approach of pre-carbonization and Joule heating treatment. Among the prepared HC samples, the CHC-1400 sample exhibits the optimal physiochemical properties. As a result, the corresponding CHC-1400 electrode not only delivers the highest initial reversible capacity of 263 mAh g⁻¹ with a corresponding initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 72% at 0.2 C, but maintains a high capacity retention of 91% after 300 cycles. The Na⁺ storage mechanism for the HC samples has thus been revealed. This study introduces a novel, time-saving, and cost-effective protocol for synthesizing biomass-derived HC anode materials, which is of great significance to the advancement of SIBs. Full article

Soil degradation, nutrient depletion, and persistent weed pressure represent critical challenges in the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices in subtropical organic farming systems. Reliance on conventional inputs threatens long-term soil health and ecosystem resilience, highlighting the need for regenerative alternatives. Cover crops are widely recognized as multifunctional agroecological tools with the capacity to enhance nutrient cycling, perform weed suppression, and improve soil organic matter. To evaluate their effectiveness in South Florida's subtropical climate and organic raised bed systems, a field experiment was conducted as a Randomized Block Design (RBD) at the Florida International University Organic Garden during the 2024 summer season. The six cover crops species that were tested include green gram (Vigna radiata), hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), soybean (Glycine max), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Data collected includes plant establishment, biomass accumulation, weed suppression, soil physiochemical properties, and plant nutrient composition. Sorghum and sunn hemp produced the highest fresh and dry biomass, with sorghum achieving the most effective weed suppression with the lowest weed biomass and weed population. Sunn hemp contributed to enhanced nitrogen content in plant tissues, while hibiscus promoted the highest soil P and N concentrations. Pearl millet exhibited the highest total carbon and organic matter content, indicating potential for enhancing soil carbon content and soil fertility. Results show that each cover crop species can provide a specialized or generalized ecosystem service depending on management goals. Full article

Rising plastic production worldwide is contributing to the increasing amounts of micro- and nanoplastics found in the environment. The consumption of microplastics by humans is plausible due to the presence of plastic particles in various food commodities, yet the potential impact of microplastics on human health remains unknown. Several studies have detected microplastics in human tissues and research using mammalian in vivo and in vitro models have noted toxicity after exposure to microplastics. Using both mono- and co-culture liver cell models, we assessed the impact of environmentally relevant, cryo-milled plastic particles on hepatotoxicity. We observed that only cryo-milled polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene altered mitochondrial energy metabolism, while the other plastic particles did not. The pristine, spherical polystyrene particles were taken up at all sizes and cryo-milled polystyrene was taken up by cells. Evidently, polymer type and shape play a critical role in hepatotoxicity. Further research is required to fully elucidate the effect the physiochemical properties of plastic particles may have on toxicity. Full article

Valorization of agricultural residues into biochar for soil applications offers dual benefits of waste management and sustainable agriculture. However, the mechanisms governing sandy soil and lettuce response to biochar under deficit irrigation are not well understood. This study evaluated the effects of biochar types on sandy soil physiochemical properties and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) yield at different irrigation levels. A field experiment was performed using a randomized complete block design with four treatments (soil only, cotton stalk biochar, cashew nutshells biochar, and a mix of cotton stalks+ cashew nutshells biochar) and three irrigation regimes (100%, 80, and 60% of crop water requirements ETc) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The results showed that biochar-amended soils had consistently higher water retention and macronutrients, resulting in higher fresh, marketable lettuce yields under deficit irrigation compared to untreated soils. Compared to other treatments, a mix of cotton-stalk and cashew-nutshell biochar produced the highest yield (18.1 tons/ha) under moderate irrigation (80% ETc). Achieving optimal yields with 20% less irrigation water indicates biochar’s water-saving potential in climate-resilient vegetable farming. These findings underscore the potential of combining deficit irrigation and biochar for sustainable vegetable production to mitigate food security in water-scarce regions. Full article

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle and agroecosystem productivity. However, existing hyperspectral inversion models often exhibit significant predictive biases when applied across large geographic scales, primarily due to the spatial heterogeneity of pedogenic environments and background mineralogy. This study proposes a cross-regional SOC prediction method based on an optimal spectral feature set (SOC-OSFS). Leveraging laboratory hyperspectral and SOC data from 17,730 samples collected across the black soil regions of Northeast China and Europe, a core spectral feature set comprising 31 diagnostic bands was extracted using the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm combined with the successive projections algorithm (SPA). Although this SOC-OSFS accounts for merely 1.55% of the original full-spectrum dimensionality (31 out of 2000 bands), it demonstrated robust analytical capability in local modeling across all study regions, yielding coefficients of determination (R² = 0.6714–0.8854). When transferring the prediction model calibrated in the core source domain (n = 10,000) to the other seven independent typical black soil target domains, the direct cross-regional prediction consistently reduced the root mean square error (RMSE) by over 15% compared to that of the full-spectrum models. By further incorporating 20% of the local background samples for intercept correction, the cross-regional predictive accuracy was substantially improved; the goodness-of-fit for the Northeast China target domains increased sharply (maximum R² = 0.8567), and the European target domains, which feature substantially different pedogenic environments, were successfully corrected from negative to positive linear fits. This study validates the efficacy of extracting physiochemically meaningful spectral bands in mitigating the interference caused by spatial heterogeneity, thereby providing a mechanistically grounded and practically viable framework for large-scale SOC estimation via remote sensing. Full article

Background: A major challenge in antiviral development is the identification of novel virus–host interactions while ensuring therapeutic efficacy and safety. These challenges have renewed interest in phytochemicals derived from medicinal plants as alternative antiviral agents. Objectives: In this study, we investigated the antioxidant, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties of a Mediterranean Urtica dioica extract (UdE) against SARS-CoV-2 using chemical, biochemical, and in vitro approaches. Methods: The physicochemical properties of UdE were characterized using microtiter assays and HPLC analysis. Cytocompatibility was evaluated in HEK293T, Vero E6, Caco-2, and Calu-3 cell lines while antioxidant activity was assessed using both chemical and cell-based assays. Antiviral activity was evaluated by assessing inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD)–ACE2 interaction using ELISA, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) activity via FRET assay and inhibition of viral entry using SARS-CoV-2 S1 pseudovirus neutralization assay. Results: UdE (100 µg/mL) inhibited RBD–ACE2 binding by 94% and suppressed Mpro activity by 74%, while reducing moderate but significant inhibition of pseudovirus entry (33.6%) at 300 µg/mL dose level in ACE2 expressing HEK293T cells. Immunomodulatory analysis revealed significant suppression of IL-1β and IL-6 production, accompanied by increased TNF-α and IL-8 levels. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings highlight that UdE exhibits multi-target in vitro antioxidant, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activity against SARS-CoV-2; therefore, UdE represents a promising bioactive extract for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Full article

CCCH zinc-finger proteins constitute a unique class of transcription factors that play vital roles in mediating plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and regulating various physiological and developmental processes. This study systematically identified and characterized the apple (Malus domestica) CCCH (MdC3H) gene family, aiming to elucidate its evolutionary patterns, functional characteristics, and regulatory mechanisms under drought stress. Genome-wide analysis revealed 85 MdC3H genes, which were unevenly distributed across chromosomes and exhibited significant differences in physiochemical properties, suggesting functional divergence. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into 9 subfamilies with distinct conservation. Collinearity analysis indicated a close evolutionary relationship between apple and Malus sieversii, with 150 collinear gene pairs identified, highlighting the conservation of the C3H gene family during speciation. Cis-acting element prediction in promoter regions uncovered abundant stress-responsive elements (e.g., ABRE, DRE, MYB), implying the potential of MdC3H genes in coordinating environmental signals. Functional verification demonstrated that MdC3H49, a key member of the family, is localized in the nucleus and possesses transcriptional activation activity. Overexpression of MdC3H49 in Arabidopsis and apple calli significantly enhanced drought tolerance, characterized by reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content, relative electrical conductivity, and increased proline accumulation. Mechanistic studies revealed that MdC3H49 directly regulates the expression of MdP5CS, a core gene in proline biosynthesis, thereby strengthening the cellular antioxidant capacity and mitigating drought-induced damage. Collectively, this study establishes MdC3H49 as a critical regulator in apple drought stress response, providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress tolerance in perennial plants and laying a foundation for genetic improvement of drought resistance in apple breeding. Full article

Magnetic nanocomposite sorbents are increasingly explored for the remediation of metal-contaminated waters; however, high abiotic removal efficiency may not always translate into biological safety. The present study evaluated the single and combined effects of dissolved cobalt (II) ions and magnetite–chitosan nanocomposites (MCN) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae. MCN (30 wt.% Fe₃O₄) were synthesized via co-precipitation and crosslinking and physiochemically characterized. Adsorption experiments conducted in fish incubation medium demonstrated the efficacy of divalent Co removal and were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum experimental capacity of 20.08 mg g⁻¹. The biological endpoints encompassed survival, hatching, heart rate, locomotor behavior, and oxidative stress biomarkers in early-stage zebrafish. The presence of cobalt (II) was found to result in a reduced hatching success rate, the induction of persistent bradycardia, and the occurrence of oxidative stress, as evidenced by a decline in SOD activity and an increase in H₂O₂ and MDA levels. The study found that MCN alone did not lead to mortality or increase peroxide levels or lipid peroxidation, although a modest decrease in SOD activity was observed. In contrast, combined exposure to cobalt and MCN resulted in significant delayed mortality (>85% at 96 h) and early neuromotor impairment. These findings indicate that high abiotic sorption efficiency alone does not guarantee reduced biological toxicity when nanomaterial–metal interactions occur. Consequently, safety assessments of remediation nanomaterials should explicitly consider nanomaterial–metal interactions and developmental stage-specific biological responses. Full article

C3H-type zinc finger proteins play essential roles in plant responses to abiotic stresses, as well as in the regulation of growth, development, and signal transduction. Birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.), an ecologically adaptable tree species widely distributed in northern regions, has not yet been systematically characterized for its C3H gene family. In this study, a total of 15 BpC3Hs were identified from a genome-wide analysis of birch. Their physiochemical properties, gene structures, conserved motifs and domains were systematically analyzed. Promoter analysis identified cis-acting elements associated with stress responses, hormone signaling, and developmental regulation. Transcriptome data further showed that most BpC3Hs were responsive to salt, drought, high/low-temperature stresses, and light/dark treatment, and showed differential expression patterns in tension wood and opposite wood. Additionally, they displayed stage-specific expression patterns during male inflorescence development. This study lays a foundation for future functional characterization of the C3H gene family in birch and its application in molecular breeding for stress resistance. Full article

Sustainable groundwater management is essential for water security and human health protection. Fluoride contamination is a serious concern for the sustainable drinking water supply in many parts of Pakistan, including Balochistan, where arid climate conditions and geological formations support the enrichment of fluoride. The toxic nature of fluoride contamination has resulted in negative health impacts on the local population. Conventional geostatistical techniques are usually ineffective to delineate the nonlinear relationships that affect the distribution of fluoride. This study aims to develop a machine learning-driven spatial modelling framework for classifying the spatial distribution of fluoride contamination in groundwater across the study area. The model will help to understand the spatial variability of fluoride contamination and its controlling factors, essential for effective mitigation and early warning systems. Physiochemical elements were used as predictive features in this study, utilizing a unified feature importance framework combining hydrogeochemical analysis, spatial distribution assessment, and ensemble SHAP-based interpretation to identify consistent predictors. Model performance was evaluated using a nested cross-validation framework, followed by validation on an independent geology-informed spatial holdout test set to ensure realistic generalization. Among machine learning models, the Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Classifier (SVC), XGBoost (XGB), Decision Tree (DT), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), and K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN) were evaluated. Support Vector Classifier (SVC) demonstrated a high predictive performance. On the independent spatial holdout dataset, SVC achieved an overall accuracy of 0.75 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.821. In addition to classification, a human health risk assessment was conducted using chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) calculations for children and adults, identifying several high-risk water supply schemes. The prediction maps successfully delineated high-risk fluoride points across specific areas, offering a tool for sustainable groundwater management. This study helps to achieve a Sustainable Development Goal (Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG#6) and promotes long-term sustainable planning in water-stressed areas by integrating spatial machine learning mapping and health risk assessment. Full article