Search Results (1,074)

This review consolidates current knowledge on the phytochemical composition, traditional uses, pharmacological properties, and industrial application of Ricinus communis L. This plant belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and is a globally distributed plant of considerable medicinal and industrial importance. It is rich in bioactive compounds, notably ricinoleic acid as the dominant fatty acid in seed oil, as well as ricin, ricinine, phenolic acids and flavonoids distributed across different plant parts. Variations in phytochemical profiles among cultivars and tissues are influenced by genetic and environmental influences. Traditional medicinal uses of the leaves, roots, seeds, and oil, particularly for inflammatory conditions, pain, infections, wound healing, and gastrointestinal disorders, are critically examined in relation to experimental pharmacological evidence. Castor oil extracted from the R. communis plant remains central to the plant’s industrial value, serving as a renewable feedstock for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, polymers, lubricants, and biofuels due to the unique hydroxyl functionality of ricinoleic acid. However, the presence of the highly toxic protein ricin in unprocessed seeds necessitates strict processing and safety controls. Overall, R. communis emerges as a chemically versatile species with significant therapeutic and industrial potential, warranting further research into cultivar-specific chemistry, standardization of extraction and testing methods, and safe value-adding applications. Full article

Seed protein content, oil content, and yield are key agronomic traits that determine the economic value of soybean. For decades, soybean has served as a leading source of plant protein for human and animal nutrition due to its high protein concentration. Manipulating amino acid transporters to regulate the direction of nitrogen allocation represents a promising strategy for improving seed protein content. Multiple studies have employed this strategy by targeting amino acid importers. Recently, the Usually Multiple Amino acids Move In and Out Transporter (UMAMIT) family has been characterized as amino acid exporters; nevertheless, their role in regulating the seed protein content of soybean has not yet been investigated. In this study, we identified 120 soybean UMAMIT genes via a genome-wide search and designated them according to chromosomal location. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into 10 clades (A–J). Whole-genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplication served as the main driver of the GmUMAMIT family expansion, followed by tandem duplication. By integrating transcriptome data with QTL/GWAS loci, we identified twelve candidate genes associated with seed protein content and verified their expression patterns during seed development via qPCR. One candidate gene, GmUMAMIT118, was selected and overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in transgenic lines with significantly higher seed protein content and yield. Collectively, these results provided a comprehensive overview of the soybean UMAMIT family and offered a preliminary exploration of its role in improving seed protein content. Full article

Vineyards and wineries generate seasonal, wet and compositionally variable side-streams whose safe use is constrained by rapid spoilage, contaminants, fragmented regulation and scale. This EU-focused structured narrative review synthesised 90 scientific and official sources and proposes an integrated decision framework rather than another catalogue of valorisation routes. The framework applies a non-compensatory sequence: characterise and stabilise the batch, test route-specific hazards, assign evidence-level and technology readiness, verify legal eligibility, define a safe fallback, and only then compare material flows, environmental burdens and risk-adjusted economics. Current implementation evidence is strongest for controlled composting, conventional wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion and selected grape-seed oil, polyphenol and heat-integrated biochar operations; clinical, plant-protection and several novel-extract claims remain product- and context-specific. Illustrative ENPV cases show that high-value extraction can offer greater upside but lower robustness than compost/biochar when moisture, transport, rejection and price uncertainty are included. The framework provides an auditable basis for pilot design, regional cooperation and data collection, while explicitly requiring industrial and multi-season validation before investment or product approval. Full article

Chronic noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cancer, constitute leading causes of global mortality, with suboptimal diet identified as a primary modifiable risk factor. Plant-based dietary patterns (PBDPs) can be conceptualized along a continuum of quality, with whole-food PBDPs consistently linked to lower risks of CVD, T2D, and all-cause mortality, though much of this evidence derives from studies of vegan or healthy plant-based dietary index patterns rather than whole-plant-food diets directly. Evidence further indicates that minimizing or eliminating added salt, oil, and sugar (SOS) within whole-food PBDPs may provide additional cardiometabolic benefits, primarily by favorably modifying three graded intermediate biomarkers: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), blood pressure (BP), and adiposity. Dietary sodium increases BP in a linear, dose-dependent manner and enhances food palatability, potentially promoting passive overconsumption and increased adiposity. Although added oil is preferable to saturated fat for LDL-C reduction, preliminary evidence suggests that adding olive oil to an already oil-restricted whole-food PBDP may reduce its LDL-C and body-weight benefits; these findings are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger, longer-term trials. Whole-food fat sources such as nuts and seeds may offer cardiovascular benefits at least equivalent to those of oils, without this attenuating effect. Added sugar promotes excess caloric intake, contributing to increased adiposity, and may impair insulin sensitivity; these effects are most clearly and consistently established for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), whereas the evidence for solid added sugars is weaker and may depend more on excess energy intake and broader dietary context. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, Mendelian randomization studies, and key clinical trials to evaluate whether whole-food PBDPs minimizing or eliminating SOS may provide incremental benefit for chronic disease risk reduction and management compared to whole-food PBDPs that include these additives. Direct long-term randomized evidence comparing SOS-restricted to SOS-inclusive whole-food PBDPs remains limited, and the possible incremental benefit of SOS restriction within an already health-promoting dietary pattern warrants further investigation. Complete SOS elimination has not yet been shown to provide incremental benefit beyond a high-quality PBDP, and any benefit is likely greatest in individuals with hypertension, obesity, elevated cardiometabolic risk, or high baseline SOS intake. Full article

Mediterranean aromatic plants are valuable sources of essential oils (EOs) with biological properties that hold promise for sustainable weed management. This study evaluated the phytotoxic activity of EOs from Thymus vulgaris L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., and Salvia officinalis L. in vitro against key weed species common to Mediterranean agroecosystems. The EOs were tested at concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 1.50 µL mL⁻¹, assessing their impact on seed germination and early seedling growth of Avena fatua L., Lolium rigidum Gaudin, Sonchus oleraceus L., and Amaranthus retroflexus L. Thyme EO, primarily composed of thymol and γ-terpinene, exhibited the strongest phytotoxic activity, completely inhibiting the germination of A. fatua, L. rigidum, and S. oleraceus at all concentrations tested. In contrast, A. retroflexus was the most resistant weed species, with germination fully inhibited only at concentrations ≥ 0.50 µL mL⁻¹. Lavender EO, rich in linalool and linalyl anthranilate, demonstrated a more species-specific effect. It almost entirely suppressed the germination of S. oleraceus at all doses and inhibited germination of A. fatua and L. rigidum at concentrations ≥ 0.50 µL mL⁻¹. Again, A. retroflexus was the most tolerant species, with complete inhibition occurring only at the highest concentrations applied. Sage EO, containing eucalyptol and thujone as its main constituents, was the least effective, fully inhibiting S. oleraceus germination at concentrations ≥ 1.00 µL mL⁻¹, and L. rigidum at 1.50 µL mL⁻¹. Seedling growth was highly sensitive to EO treatments, even when germination was not entirely suppressed. These results highlight the potential of Mediterranean Lamiaceae EOs as plant-derived bioherbicides for integrated weed management. Full article

Acidic soil stress can limit sunflower productivity by reducing nutrient availability, impairing root development, and affecting early plant establishment, while foliar nutrient application and seed pretreatment may provide additional support under recommended nitrogen fertilization. This study evaluated the potential of selected nutrient-based products to mitigate acidic environment stress in sunflower through a field experiment and a complementary laboratory germination test. The field experiment was conducted in 2025 at Ivankovo, Croatia, on acidic soil (pH KCl 4.47), under a recommended nitrogen fertilization dose of 85 kg N/ha for sunflower production. Foliar treatments included Barrier, Bioplex, Borealg, and Bor-feed, while the control was left without additional foliar treatment. Seed yield, yield components, seed oil and protein content, and oil and protein yield were determined. In parallel, sunflower seeds were pretreated with the same products and germinated under controlled conditions in aqueous solutions with pH values ranging from 3.5 to 8.5. Germination, seedling morphology, fresh biomass, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and free proline content were analysed. Under field conditions, foliar treatments significantly affected plant height, head diameter, seed mass per head, seed oil and protein content, and seed yield. Barrier produced the highest seed yield (5.3 t/ha), oil yield (2.8 t/ha), and protein yield (0.8 t/ha), whereas Bor-feed had the highest seed oil content (54.36%) but the lowest seed yield (2.5 t/ha). In the laboratory experiment, average total germination was 92%, with maximum values of 96–97% depending on treatment and pH. Barrier most strongly promoted root, shoot, and total seedling length, while Borealg increased root, shoot, and total fresh mass. Biochemical responses depended on seed pretreatment and pH, with the highest antioxidant activity recorded in Bioplex at pH 7.5 and higher proline accumulation generally observed in untreated seedlings. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded in Bioplex seed pretreatment at pH 7.5 (5.34 mM Fe(II)/g FW), while the highest free proline content was observed in the control at pH 5.5 (7.87 mM/g FW) and pH 3.5 (7.79 mM/g FW), indicating a stronger stress response in untreated seedlings. The present study indicates that selected foliar products and seed pretreatments may support sunflower productivity and early growth under acidic stress conditions, with Barrier showing the most consistent positive response. Full article

Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl. is an aromatic and medicinal plant cultivated as a rainfed crop for essential oil production in the western Mediterranean. New trends in the use of Lamiaceae seeds as functional ingredients warrant characterization of this species. Hence, studies were conducted to measure the proximate composition and amino acid profile, along with fatty acid profile, tocochromanol content, phenolic composition, and antioxidant activity in 10 wild populations. Defatted seed meal analysis demonstrates the potential usefulness of this species based on carbohydrate (50–60%), protein (13–21%), and oil (13–20%) content. The amino acid content ranged from 9.2 to 15.4 g/100 g. Seed oil analysis found a fatty acid content of 73–89 g/100 g with predominance of ω6 fatty acids, tocochromanol content of 62–89 mg/100 g, and a phenolic fraction of 7.5–148 mg/100 g with a high proportion of flavones. Antioxidant activity ranged from 10.6 to 23.1 µmol Trolox equivalents/100 g. Overall, seeds of S. lavandulifolia grown in subhumid conditions have strong nutritional and phytochemical profiles. These characteristics suggest opportunities for their use as functional ingredients. Further, strategies to minimize waste and maximize the availability of bioactive compounds will support the economic sustainability of this crop. Full article

Pancreatic lipase activity depends strongly on interfacial conditions created by bile salts, motivating the search for plant-derived surfactants that may modulate lipid digestion. In our previous work, ginseng root and horse chestnut seed extracts were identified as potent stimulators of pancreatic lipase. Here, we expanded this investigation to additional Panax and Aesculus species and to saponin-rich extracts from Acer pseudoplatanus, Herniaria glabra, and Polypodium vulgare. Extracts were evaluated for effects on pancreatin lipolysis in relation to equilibrium surface tension, surface rheology, and olive-oil emulsion stability. Antiradical and antioxidant activities, total phenolic content, and flavonoid content were also determined. White ginseng root extract (Panax ginseng) produced the strongest stimulation, followed by horse chestnut seed extract (Aesculus hippocastanum), whereas Aesculus marylandica seed peel extract inhibited lipase activity. Several extracts showed concentration-dependent switching from weak inhibition to stimulation. Antioxidant and antiradical activities correlated strongly with total phenolic content, while emulsion stabilization did not correlate with lipase stimulation. Molecular modeling showed that cholate, escinescin Ia, osladin, and ginsenoside Rg1 did not persistently occlude the catalytic pocket, whereas several other saponins showed active-site blocking. Together, the results support a mechanism in which saponin-rich extracts regulate lipolysis through combined interfacial effects and compound-specific enzyme interactions. Full article

This study evaluated LED-supported speed-breeding conditions for two registered soybean cultivars (‘Sonya’ and ‘Victoria’; approximately Maturity Groups III–IV) by testing four constant photoperiod regimes (10, 14, 18, and 22 h light) combined with four LED spectral treatments differing in high red (HR; 640–660 nm), deep blue (DB; 450–460 nm), far-red (FR; 720–730 nm), cool white (CW; 6500 K; 400–700 nm) and warm white (WW; 3000 K; 400–700 nm) components. Photoperiod treatments were implemented as sequential runs in a controlled growth-chamber (28 ± 2 °C; ≥50% RH; 400–600 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PPFD), and performance was compared with a field trial in Antalya, Türkiye. Developmental timing (R1, R6), plant height, stem dry weight, pod number, seed oil concentration, fatty acid composition, and seed germination were analyzed using mixed-effects and generalized linear mixed models. Photoperiod exerted dominant control over developmental timing. The 10 h photoperiod regime produced the fastest progression (R1 ≈ 24.5 DAS; R6 ≈ 50 DAS), whereas 18 h markedly delayed R1 and R6 (with one LED treatment within 18 h failing to reach R6), and 22 h did not reach R6. LED spectral treatment did not affect R1 or R6 within photoperiods, but influenced plant height, stem dry weight, total seed oil, and germination. Field-grown plants produced substantially higher biomass and pod number than growth chamber-grown plants, consistent with greater branching and pod set under open-field, direct-sown conditions. Total seed oil concentration differed by environment and cultivar with no environment × cultivar interaction, while centered log-ratio PERMANOVA indicated largely stable fatty acid proportional composition across environments and LED treatments. Germination analyses (restricted to 10 h and 14 h due to insufficient seed production) showed significant effects of LED treatment and harvest timing, with the highest germination under LED–3. Overall, our results indicate that a constant 10 h photoperiod, combined with immature seed harvest from approximately R6 + 20 onward, provides an effective strategy for accelerating soybean generation turnover while maintaining high germination capacity. LED spectral design can also be used to modulate plant architecture and seed quality without substantially altering developmental timing. Full article

Agricultural and horticultural by-products represent an underexploited source of valuable bioactive compounds that can contribute to the development of more sustainable production systems. This study investigated the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil obtained from the horticultural byproducts of Artemisia dracunculus. The waste aerial biomass was subjected to steam distillation, and the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Its antioxidant, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory, phytotoxic, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities were subsequently evaluated. The essential oil was characterized as an estragole-rich chemotype (70.17%), with trans-β-ocimene and cis-β-ocimene as other main constituents. The essential oil showed moderate antioxidant activity and measurable enzyme inhibitory activity and, despite showing limited effects on seed germination, it significantly inhibited radical elongation in selected plant species. Furthermore, it demonstrated excellent antibiofilm activity, significantly reducing the metabolic activity of mature cells of bacteria associated with biofilm formation: Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The results demonstrate how horticultural by-products from A. dracunculus maintain a chemical profile comparable to conventional plant material and represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds with promising potential for sustainable agri-food applications. Full article

GDSL esterase/lipases (GELPs) are important regulators of plant growth and development, lipid metabolism, and stress responses. However, their genomic characteristics and expression patterns have not been systematically characterized for Juglans mandshurica, a woody oil crop species of significant ecological and economic value. Here, we identified 61 JmGELP genes in J. mandshurica through genome-wide analysis. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into seven major clades, and variations in gene structure and conserved motifs suggested potential functional divergence. Promoter cis-acting element analysis revealed widespread enrichment of motifs responsive to light, phytohormones, and abiotic stresses. Transcriptomic sequencing and qRT-PCR validation revealed distinct tissue-specific and seed development stage-specific expression patterns of JmGELP members, as well as their differential responses to various stress and hormone treatments. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analyses further supported their involvement in lipid metabolism. In silico analyses of transcription factor binding sites, miRNA targets, and molecular docking predicted that JmGELP-3, -38, and -41 have distinct transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory networks and potentially divergent substrate preferences. This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the GELP family in J. mandshurica, identifying candidate genes that may inform future germplasm improvement and stress-resistance breeding in Juglans species. Full article

The objective of this study was to predict seed and oil yields in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) using UAV-based multispectral imagery and machine learning algorithms. The study was conducted during the 2024 growing season under varying irrigation levels, fertilization practices, and applications of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. The experiment included four irrigation levels, fertilized and unfertilized conditions, and bacterial treatments consisting of Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus albus, their mixture, and a non-bacterial control. Sixty-two vegetation indices were calculated from multispectral images acquired during the harvest maturity period and used to predict seed and oil yields. To identify the most informative features, Mutual Information, Recursive Feature Elimination, and LASSO feature selection methods were applied; subsequently, Linear Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors, and XGBoost regression algorithms were compared. The results showed that Linear Regression combined with Mutual Information-based feature selection was the most successful approach for predicting both seed and oil yields. According to the 5-fold cross-validation results, average values of $R=0.8600$, $MAE=0.2870$, and $RMSE=0.3765$ were obtained for seed yield prediction, while average values of $R=0.8710$, $MAE=0.0876$, and $RMSE=0.1101$ were obtained for oil yield prediction. Full article

Fenugreek is a legume that has been used since ancient times to treat certain conditions. Numerous studies have examined the seed’s composition in terms of trigonelline, diosgenin and galactomannans, and their implications for nutrition and medicine. The oil content, fatty acid profile and antioxidant activity of fenugreek seeds have been less extensively studied, particularly in certain areas of the Mediterranean basin. The aim of this study was to examine the oil content and composition, as well as the antioxidant activity of the seeds, oil and meal from four genotypes originating from Algeria, France, Lebanon and Syria. The trials were conducted over two consecutive years with contrasting climatic conditions, in the open field, at the University of Tiaret (western Algeria). Climatic conditions significantly affected all studied traits. In 2023, a dry and hot year, the plants produced low grain yield and low oil content compared to 2024, a temperate year, regardless of the genotype. The fatty acid composition was dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, between 65.5 and 68.8%). The phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in 2023 than in 2024, resulting in greater antioxidant activity under hot and dry conditions of 2023. Genotypic differences were also statistically significant. A more varied responses in grain yield were observed for the French genotype. The highest oil content was recorded for the Algerian and Syrian genotypes. The antioxidant activities of the seed and the oil were similar and significantly higher than that of the oilcake. This activity correlated with the levels of phenols and flavonoids. The results observed in this study provide a better understanding of genotypic diversity and the impact of climatic conditions on yield and seeds quality. They also pave the way for the use of these genotypes in larger-scale breeding programs to improve specific traits. Full article

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is the terminal rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis and occupies a central position in plant energy metabolism and carbon skeleton allocation. Plant PK isoenzymes comprise the cytosolic pyruvate kinase (PKc) and the plastidic pyruvate kinase (PKp), which differ markedly in gene origin, protein structure, subcellular localization, and physiological function, exhibiting independent evolutionary histories and functional diversification. Recent studies have revealed that PKc possesses dynamic subcellular distribution, allowing it to shuttle among the cytosol, mitochondria, and nucleus, where it participates in stress responses and epigenetic regulation through protein–protein interactions. PKp is localized to plastids and connects carbon metabolism with lipid biosynthesis and the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway by supplying pyruvate, thereby playing critical roles in seed development and oil accumulation. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in plant PKc and PKp concerning protein structure and subunit composition, tissue-specific expression, subcellular localization, protein interaction networks, activity regulation, and their effects on plant growth, development, and stress responses. In addition, phylogenetic tree, motif, and domain analyses of pyruvate kinase genes from Oryza sativa (rice), Glycine max (soybean), Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Solanum tuberosum (potato), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), and Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as promoter cis-element analyses, are performed. This review aims to provide theoretical references for crop quality improvement and stress-resilient breeding. Full article

Adequate fertilization is essential for optimizing soybean productivity and seed quality, while supplementary fertilization plays a key role in correcting nutrient deficiencies and supporting plant performance under varying environmental conditions. This study evaluated the effects of the foliar application of macro- and micronutrients enriched with free amino acids and Ascophyllum nodosum extract applied at two phenological stages—six fully developed trifoliate leaves (V6) and beginning flowering (R1)—on soybean grain yield, protein content and oil content. Experiments were conducted over two growing seasons at ARDS Turda, Romania, using a randomized complete block design with three replications to compare three fertilization treatments: basic mineral fertilization (control), mineral fertilization supplemented with foliar application at the V6 vegetative stage, and mineral fertilization supplemented with foliar application at the R1 reproductive stage. Basic fertilization was performed before sowing using granulated nitroclacium at a rate of 100 kg ha⁻¹. Foliar fertilization included Naturamin WSP applied at a rate of 0.5 kg ha⁻¹ and Pleniflor and Naturfruit at a rate of 2 L ha⁻¹. Foliar fertilization at the V6 stage significantly improved grain yield in most cultivars, with increases ranging from 1% to 18%, particularly in the 000 and 00 maturity groups (MGs). Across the maturity groups, the highest average yields were recorded in MG 0 cultivars (up to 2845 kg ha⁻¹). In contrast, foliar application at the R1 stage was more effective in increasing seed protein content, with improvements of up to 11% in early maturity cultivars. Oil content showed only minor and inconsistent responses, with maximum increases of 4% depending on genotype. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) revealed that environmental conditions and genotype explained most of the observed variation (Axis 1 = 89.91%, Axis 2 = 7.79%), indicating that cultivar response to foliar fertilization was strongly influenced by genotype × environment interactions. The effectiveness of foliar fertilization depends on application timing, cultivar maturity group and environmental conditions. Full article