Search Results (20,043)

The food and cosmetics industries are showing increasing scientific interest in plant-based bioactive compounds, positioning rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) as a high-value source of phytochemicals with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This review analyzes the principal methods used to extract rosemary bioactive metabolites, comparing conventional techniques with emerging approaches in terms of extraction efficiency, sustainability, and preservation of bioactive compounds. The discussion covers hydrodistillation, steam distillation, Soxhlet extraction, and supercritical fluid extraction, as well as emerging technologies such as ultrasound, microwave, pulsed electric field, enzyme-assisted extraction, and deep eutectic solvents. Particular attention is given to how extraction strategies influence the recovery and stability of major compounds, including carnosic acid, carnosol, rosmarinic acid, 1,8-cineole, and α-pinene, considering their different physicochemical properties. Overall, emerging technologies may improve extraction yield or reduce processing time under specific conditions; however, their environmental performance and ability to preserve compound stability depend on solvent selection, energy and water consumption, process configuration, and downstream requirements. These advances support the sustainable production of rosemary-derived ingredients with promising applications in functional foods and cosmetic formulations. Full article

Intensive poultry farming produces substantial volumes of chicken manure that require effective and hygienic management. This study investigated a composite inoculant formulated with four microorganisms: Kocuria rosea  ACCC 10488, Bacillus subtilis ACCC 60364, Trichoderma longibrachiatum ACCC 32584, and Lactobacillus plantarum ACCC 11118. This study investigated a composite inoculant formulated with four microorganisms obtained from the Agricultural Culture Collection of China (ACCC): Kocuria rosea ACCC 10488, Bacillus subtilis ACCC 60364, Trichoderma longibrachiatum ACCC 32584, and Lactobacillus plantarum ACCC 11118. Its performance was examined both without amendment and after addition of plant-derived bulking materials. The experiment included five treatments: untreated chicken manure (T1), the bulking-agent mixture without microbial addition (T2), a commercial inoculant combined with the same bulking materials (T3), the newly prepared inoculant without bulking agents (T4), and the newly prepared inoculant combined with the bulking mixture (T5). Three independent 50-kg piles were prepared for every treatment. Temperature was recorded for 45 days; physicochemical characteristics, odor indicators, nutrient concentrations, enzyme activities, seed-bioassay responses, and Ascaris egg mortality were evaluated over the initial 15 days. T5 reached 74 °C on days 5 and 10 and remained above 50 °C through day 30 at the plotted observation points. On day 15, this treatment had lower measured levels of odorous compounds, greater concentrations of available phosphorus and potassium, a 99% germination index, and complete mortality of the assayed Ascaris eggs. Collectively, T5 showed favorable changes across several indicators of early composting performance under the conditions tested. The study did not examine microbial community structure, persistence of the introduced strains, functional genes, whole-pile nutrient mass balances, or longer-term agronomic performance. Consequently, the data neither establish synergistic interactions among the component strains nor identify specific nutrient-transformation pathways. Full article

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) not only function as receivers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from influent streams, but also act as PFAS contributors to the environment via effluent and sewage sludge, attributed to their strong adsorption affinity and resistance to conventional wastewater treatment processes. Thus, this review aims to comprehensively analyze the occurrence, adsorption mechanisms, and environmental fate of PFAS in sewage sludge, with a particular focus on their fate during traditional sludge disposal, namely, land application, landfill, and incineration. Long-chain perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) dominate in sewage sludge from worldwide WWTPs, with increasing prevalence of short-chain compounds. Adsorption of PFAS by sewage sludge is influenced by PFAS chain length and function group, pH, ionic strength, and organic matter. Enhanced adsorption is achieved under acidic conditions and with divalent cations. In terms of PFAS behavior in conventional sludge management, land application facilitates PFAS uptake by crops, leading to bioaccumulation in the food chain and potential human exposure. Prolonged exposure to PFAS via landfilling not only significantly alters soil microbial community structures, but also yields bacterial toxicity. Effective incineration typically requires temperatures above 850–1000°C. Incomplete thermal decomposition releases toxic fluorinated by-products into the environment and generates persistent fluorinated radicals, which result in fluorinated compounds formation in further thermal treatment. In conclusion, this work highlights the significant accumulation and persistence of PFAS in sewage sludge and their concerning behavior during conventional sludge disposal. They underscore the necessity for advanced treatment technologies and managing their impact on the ecosystem. Full article

Commercial aromatic herbs sold under the names thyme and oregano may encompass heterogeneous plant materials, making chemical-profile screening important even when botanical identity is unknown. This study characterized 110 commercial products marketed in Türkiye and evaluated whether portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy could predict chemical-profile classes derived independently from GC-FID/MS data. Commercial labels were recorded but were not treated as verified species identities. Essential oils were measured in technical duplicate for 23 volatile compounds; replicate means were subjected to compositional data treatment, principal component analysis and Ward clustering. Two clusters were selected by the silhouette criterion (0.485), and cluster stability under technical-replicate resampling was high (median adjusted Rand index, 0.907). Cluster 1 (n = 17) was relatively enriched in sabinene, caryophyllene, carvacrol and delta-3-carene, whereas Cluster 2 (n = 93) showed higher myrcene, p-cymene, alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. Two NIR spectra were collected per sample. To prevent replicate leakage, spectra were averaged before repeated nested cross-validation; a grouped-replicate analysis was also performed. A majority-class baseline achieved 84.55% accuracy but only 0.500 balanced accuracy. The best primary model, shrinkage linear discriminant analysis, yielded a mean accuracy of 0.689, a balanced accuracy of 0.565, a macro-F1 of 0.530 and a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.103. The grouped-replicate sensitivity analysis gave a balanced accuracy of 0.592. Thus, GC-FID/MS revealed a stable chemical-profile structure, but portable NIR did not reliably recover the minority chemical class. NIR may support exploratory triage after broader calibration, but the present data do not support stand-alone botanical authentication or definitive chemical-class assignment. Full article

Background/Objectives: Tropane alkaloids (TAs) and phenylpropanoid polyamine alkaloids (PPAs) are major alkaloid constituents of solanaceous plants; however, the tissue-specific distribution of these compounds in Anisodus luridus, a medicinal plant native to southeastern Xizang, remains incompletely characterized. Methods: A biosynthesis-informed putative annotation workflow was developed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) to characterize alkaloid profiles across seven tissues (root, stem, leaf, calyx, corolla, ovary, and seed). Putative annotations were guided by substrate–product structural relationships, predicted enzyme-catalyzed modifications, and diagnostic tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragmentation patterns. Results: Eighteen alkaloid features were characterized, comprising 6 TAs and 12 PPAs. Hyoscyamine and scopolamine were identified using authentic standards, and the remaining 16 features were putatively annotated, including dihydroanisodamine, hexosylhyoscyamine, and several PPAs not previously reported in A. luridus. TAs were predominantly enriched in roots and ovaries, whereas PPAs accumulated in floral tissues and leaves. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) identified scopolamine (variable importance in projection (VIP) = 1.30) as a principal variable associated with separation among tissue metabolic profiles. Conclusions: This workflow supports the putative annotation of alkaloids in non-model medicinal plants. The observed tissue-specific distribution patterns provide a basis for future comparative studies with A. belladonna and for evaluating cultivation, tissue-selective harvesting, and extraction strategies. Full article

Natural oils and fats are multicomponent lipid matrices composed predominantly of triacylglycerols with source-specific fatty-acid profiles, together with variable amounts of phospholipids and minor lipophilic constituents. This narrative review discusses the nutritional, biological, and pharmaceutical relevance of oils from plant, terrestrial animal, and marine sources in ocular health and disease. Whole natural oils and fats are distinguished from isolated oil-associated constituents, multi-ingredient formulations, pharmaceutical oil phases or excipients, and engineered lipid-delivery systems. The discussion focuses on fatty acids, phospholipids, carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, and other lipophilic constituents in relation to tear-film stability, epithelial homeostasis, inflammatory regulation, retinal function, and ophthalmic delivery. The available literature encompasses human studies, experimental models, cell-based research, and formulation studies. Human research is concentrated mainly on ocular-surface outcomes and product-specific interventions, whereas the literature concerning most intraocular and retinal conditions is derived predominantly from preclinical or mechanistic studies. The review also considers the influence of oil source, composition, extraction, refining, cooking, oxidation, formulation characteristics, administration route, and safety on the interpretation of oil-related ocular research. Full article

Peganum harmala L. is a xerophytic medicinal and aromatic plant of considerable ethnopharmacological importance, characterized by a rich diversity of β-carboline alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and essential oil constituents. Despite increasing scientific interest, current knowledge remains fragmented across phytochemistry, essential oils, extraction technologies, biological activities, and safety assessments. This review provides an integrated overview of the essential oil composition, extraction methods, analytical characterization, biological properties, toxicological considerations, and emerging applications of P. harmala. Particular emphasis is given to organ-specific chemical variability, geographical and environmental influences on volatile profiles, and the importance of standardized chemical characterization for reliable bioactivity evaluation. Conventional extraction methods, including hydrodistillation and steam distillation, are critically compared with emerging green technologies such as ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and supercritical CO₂ extraction. Advanced analytical tools, including GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, NMR, and chemometric approaches, are highlighted for comprehensive phytochemical profiling. Reported biological activities include antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and agricultural effects, although their translation requires rigorous chemical standardization, mechanistic validation, and safety evaluation. Overall, this review emphasizes that the sustainable development of P. harmala should rely on quality-by-design strategies integrating botanical authentication, chemotyping, green extraction, and regulatory-oriented toxicological assessment. Full article

Background: Plectranthus scutellarioides is an ornamental and medicinal species of the Lamiaceae family characterized by substantial phytochemical diversity and variability. This review critically synthesizes current evidence on its bioactive compounds, factors determining phytochemical composition, extraction efficiency, analytical characterization, and biological activity, with particular emphasis on relationships between plant material, extraction conditions, metabolite profiles, and experimentally determined bioactivity. Methods: A narrative review of the available scientific literature was conducted using studies addressing the phytochemical composition of P. scutellarioides, cultivar and cultivation-related variability, extraction procedures, analytical characterization, and biological activities of extracts and isolated metabolites. Particular attention was given to quantitative phytochemical and biological data and to methodological factors limiting direct comparison among studies. Results: P. scutellarioides contains phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, abietane-type diterpenoids, and volatile constituents, with rosmarinic acid representing a major phytochemical marker. Substantial quantitative variability is associated with cultivar, geographical origin, cultivation conditions, plant material, and extraction procedure. Optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction yielded 110.8 ± 4.5 mg g⁻¹ DW of rosmarinic acid after 45 min, approximately twice the recovery obtained by conventional heat-reflux extraction over the same period. Quantitative profiling also demonstrated marked cultivation-dependent changes in volatile metabolites. Biological studies revealed assay- and compound-dependent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic/antiproliferative activities. In particular, isolated diterpenoids inhibited NF-κB activity with IC₅₀ values of 4.5–11.2 µM, providing compound-specific quantitative evidence of anti-inflammatory potential. However, differences in extract composition, experimental models, and assay conditions, together with limited standardization and the predominance of in vitro studies, substantially restrict cross-study comparisons and assessment of translational relevance. Conclusions: The available evidence indicates that the biological potential of P. scutellarioides should be interpreted through an integrated extraction–composition–activity framework rather than from the simple presence of individual metabolites. Future studies should prioritize standardized and botanically characterized plant material, clearly defined harvesting conditions, quantitative phytochemical characterization, comparable biological endpoints, bioactivity-guided identification of active constituents, and in vivo validation. Establishing reproducible relationships between plant material, extraction conditions, chemical composition, and biological effects will be essential for assessing the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional potential of this species. Full article

To develop fungicidal candidates with both high antifungal activity and phloem mobility, a total of 34 2-[2-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]thiazole-4-carbonyl amino acid and amino acid ester conjugates were designed and synthesized. Their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. Their in vitro antifungal activities against five phytopathogenic fungi and their phloem and xylem mobility in castor bean seedlings were subsequently evaluated. The results showed that the amino acid conjugates 9a-9p generally exhibited higher antifungal activity than the corresponding amino acid ester conjugates. Compounds 9m and 9n showed good inhibitory activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phoma citricarpa, and Phytophthora parasitica. Notably, compounds 9f, 9g, 9l, and 9n showed strong inhibitory activity against P. citricarpa at 200 μmol/L, with inhibition rates of 82.82%, 89.86%, 80.45%, and 91.55%, respectively, all higher than that of thifluzamide (29.30%). Mobility assays revealed configuration-related differences in the conjugate-derived material detected in phloem and xylem exudates, with differential hydrolysis to compound 3 contributing substantially to the observed L/D profiles In addition, some L-amino acid conjugates were hydrolyzed in castor bean seedlings to release the unconjugated carboxylic acid precursor (compound 3). These results indicate that appropriate amino acid conjugation can enhance antifungal activity and modulate systemic mobility in plants, providing a basis for the structural design of systemic fungicides. Full article

Polygonum aviculare L. (PAV) is a widely distributed medicinal plant traditionally used for its diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, whose phenolic composition varies with provenance. This study provides the first integrated pharmacobotanical and phytochemical characterization of five wild PAV populations collected across a lowland-to-mountain gradient (105–605 m a.s.l.) in Bihor County, northwestern Romania. Botanical identity was authenticated by macroscopic and microscopic pharmacobotanical examination, which revealed a consistent anatomical organization alongside a qualitative morphological gradient related to altitude. The phenolic profile of the aerial parts was determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, and differences among populations were assessed by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD test. Fourteen phenolic compounds were detected and annotated, comprising one hydroxycinnamic acid, twelve flavonol glycosides, and one flavonol aglycone, with kaempferol derivatives predominating across all populations. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were confirmed using authentic reference standards, whereas the remaining compounds were tentatively annotated. A quercetin-O-arabinoside tentatively assigned as avicularin was consistently detected across all populations, supporting its potential as a candidate phytochemical marker. The sum of chromatographically quantified phenolic compounds varied markedly, showing a nearly six-fold difference between the richest and poorest populations, while the qualitative fingerprint remained conserved. Exploratory analysis indicated a general tendency toward lower phenolic content along a lowland-to-mountain environmental gradient characterized by increasing altitude and precipitation and decreasing mean annual temperature, although the total content was not significantly correlated with altitude. This pronounced inter-population variability underlines that wild-harvested PAV cannot be assumed uniform, highlighting the need for standardized extracts and site-specific phytochemical documentation in its pharmaceutical use. Full article

Spearmint is a medicinal and aromatic crop vulnerable to several diseases, and its cultivation relies heavily on chemical inputs, which can alter phytonutrient quality and raise environmental and health concerns. To address this, the current study focused on developing a safe bioformulation to promote growth and natural defense in spearmint. The bioformulation is based on four plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Bacillus aryabhathai, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans, Bacillus vallismortis, and Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis, encapsulated in 2% natural alginate. The compositional, structural, and morphological properties of alginate powder and beads were characterized. The beads were evaluated for encapsulation efficiency, bacterial survival, release, and degradation in soil. The bioformulation was applied to the rhizosphere of spearmint and was assessed for its effects on plant growth and natural defenses. Extracted alginate exhibited high purity and structural integrity, and encapsulation efficiency reached 99.99%, providing long-term protection and bacterial viability while regulating their release. The encapsulated consortium notably increased the number of branches, height, and biomass in spearmint. Additionally, a potential induction of plant defense response was observed, as indicated by increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, higher phenolic compound levels, and lignin accumulation in the roots and shoots of treated plants. These findings highlight the biostimulating effects of these four PGPR encapsulated in alginate on spearmint’s defense and growth. Full article

The African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Solanaceae family that is used in traditional pharmacopeia. Here, its biological potential was assessed by analyzing the essential oil from its leaves (EOLF), extracted by hydro-distillation and major terpenes characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS analysis of EOLF identified fourteen compounds representing 99.95% of the total mass, which was dominated by carvacrol (35.96%) and sabinene (17.06%). EOLF exhibited antioxidant activity as characterized by several assays, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and the β-carotene/linoleic acid test. According to the results obtained, EOLF exhibited antioxidant activity, as measured by the DPPH assay, with a mean IC₅₀ of 96 µg/mL, which is relatively close to that of quercetin (74 µg/mL) and BHT (49.16 µg/mL). Furthermore, the activity assessed using the FRAP method showed an EC₅₀ of 282 µg/mL, comparable to that of BHT (292 µg/mL). Based on the results of the TAC method, the antioxidant activity was 880 ± 4 µg AAE/mg, while the efficacy for inhibition of β-carotene was 80%. Effective antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal strains was assessed by measuring inhibition zones and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs). EOLF exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, particularly against Klebsiella pneumoniae, with an inhibition zone of 25.08 ± 0.93 mm and an MIC of 15.68 ± 0.83 µg/mL. For Staphylococcus aureus, an inhibition zone of 23.84 ± 0.88 mm and an MIC of 11.03 ± 0.27 µg/mL were recorded. Strong antifungal activity was also observed against Candida albicans, with an inhibition zone of 22.55 ± 0.87 mm and an MIC of 10.51 ± 0.47 µg/mL. The conducted in-silico analysis confirmed the affinity of the main compounds with key biological targets, suggesting their likely roles in the observed antimicrobial effects. The ADEM-Tox properties demonstrated that the analyzed compounds would only be lethal at very great concentrations, indicating low acute toxicity, and would not be expected to elicit toxic effects at therapeutic doses. Full article

Highly efficient tissue culture and transformation systems are indispensable for micropropagation, the molecular studies of secondary metabolism, the biotechnological enhancement of bioactive compounds, and genome editing in plants. Solanum americanum is a diploid species with both vegetable and medicinal value, yet remains largely underutilized. It produces a various pharmacologically active secondary metabolites, including glycoalkaloids, tropane alkaloids, and resveratrol. However, stable genetic transformation and reliable genome editing protocols for this species remain underdeveloped. In this study, we established an efficient genetic transformation and genome editing method for S. americanum. Our results showed that nearly all leaf explants responded positively to MS medium supplemented with 2 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylamino purine (6-BA) and 0.1 mg L⁻¹ α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), generating an average of 25.85 adventitious shoots per explants within four weeks. Furthermore, among kanamycin-resistant shoots, approximately 89.7% exhibited normal growth and over 75% showed strong GFP expression as well as inheritance, which was confirmed through molecular analysis and fluorescence assays in flowers, fruits, and T1 progeny. Moreover, we successfully utilized this transformation method to achieve stable genome editing of the phytoene desaturase gene (SaPDS). Our results demonstrate that the tissue culture, transformation, and genome editing methods established for S. americanum provide a valuable toolkit for large-scale propagation, the study of secondary metabolism, and the biotechnological improvement of this species. Full article

Extensive clinical studies have convincingly demonstrated that fungal infections constitute a mounting global health concern. Candida albicans, C. auris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans were classified by the WHO as critical priority fungi due to their widespread prevalence, high mortality rates associated with invasive mycoses, and the increasing spread of resistant strains. The currently available antifungal arsenal, comprising four major classes (azoles, polyenes, echinocandins, and flucytosine), is critically insufficient. Resistance to these agents is escalating worldwide, while the approval of new drugs remains alarmingly slow. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to conventional and emerging antimycotics in critical priority fungi, including recently approved and investigational agents such as oteseconazole, rezafungin, ibrexafungerp, fosmanogepix, and olorofim. It examines current strategies to overcome resistance, including combination therapy, drug repurposing, targeted delivery, antibiofilm approaches, immunotherapy, and the application of natural antifungal compounds. Special emphasis is placed on antifungal peptides (AFPs) derived from plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi, along with their synthetic analogs, all of which have demonstrated efficacy against critical priority fungi. The review primarily focuses on the molecular targets of AFPs and on the development of fungal resistance under prolonged exposure, compared with conventional antifungals, in order to evaluate their potential as prototypes for next-generation antimycotics. Full article

The rumen is a complex microbial ecosystem in which anaerobic fermentation determines the availability of energy and protein to ruminant hosts and influences feed efficiency, animal productivity, and environmental emissions. This review integrates current knowledge of host–rumen microbiome interactions with particular emphasis on microbial fermentation, nutrient utilization, feed efficiency, methane (CH₄) production, and sustainable ruminant production. We examine how dietary factors, including forage-to-concentrate ratio, carbohydrate fermentability, protein degradability, and lipid supplementation, alter microbial community structure, hydrogen metabolism, volatile fatty acid production, microbial protein synthesis, and nitrogen utilization. The review further evaluates microbiome-targeted strategies, including 3-nitrooxypropanol, red seaweeds (Asparagopsis spp.), nitrate, direct-fed microbials, and plant-derived bioactive compounds, with emphasis on their effects on fermentation pathways and methanogenesis; these strategies differ substantially in evidence base and mechanistic specificity, with 3-nitrooxypropanol supported by the most consistent mechanistic and in vivo evidence and several plant-derived compounds and direct-fed microbials showing more variable responses. Evidence from microbiome-wide and genome-wide association studies indicates that host genetics contributes to variation in rumen microbial composition and function, with potential consequences for feed efficiency and CH₄ emissions. Host-side determinants of the rumen environment, such as feed intake, digesta passage rate, saliva production, and epithelial and immune function, further shape microbial responses. However, responses to microbiome-targeted interventions remain variable because of microbial functional redundancy, dietary context, adaptation, and host-specific effects. We therefore discuss the major constraints limiting the consistent translation of microbiome research into practical feeding strategies and propose an integrated framework combining functional microbiome indicators, precision nutrition, host–microbiome-informed selection, and real-time monitoring. Understanding and manipulating rumen microbial fermentation through coordinated nutritional and host-based approaches may provide a pathway toward improving ruminant productivity while reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production. Among the strategies reviewed, 3-nitrooxypropanol currently has the strongest and most reproducible evidence base, whereas plant-derived bioactives and several direct-fed microbials remain promising but inconsistent, and validated on-farm microbiome biomarkers remain a major gap. Full article