This study investigates the enzymatic degradation of hydroquinone, a model phenolic pollutant, using free and immobilized Pleurotus ostreatus ARC280 laccase. Initial one-factor-at-a-time experiments identified optimal single parameters: pH 7.0, 0.153 U enzyme, 100 µg substrate, and 50 °C. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was subsequently employed for multivariate optimization, refining these values to pH 6.84, 0.184 U laccase, 150 µg hydroquinone, and 35 °C for maximum degradation efficiency. The immobilized laccase demonstrated superior operational stability and reusability, retaining significant activity across multiple catalytic cycles. These results underscore the efficacy of both free and immobilized laccase as robust, sustainable biocatalysts. The study concludes that immobilized Pl. ostreatus laccase is a highly promising candidate for developing innovative and eco-friendly bioremediation strategies for phenolic pollutants.
Medicine-Food Homology (MFH) substances are originated from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the dual attributes as daily foodstuffs and therapeutic agents. Traditional processing for MFH substances usually includes slicing, stir-frying, steaming and boiling, and often results in low bioavailability due to poor solubility, instability in digestion, and inefficient absorption. Probiotic-mediated fermentation has emerged as a promising biotechnological approach to substantially overcome these bottlenecks and further unlock the functional potential of MFH substances. The present review aimed to introduce a background and theory basis of MFHs, provide an up-to-date summary of characteristic bioactive constituents including polysaccharides, polyphenols and flavonoids, and comprehensively elaborate the regulation strategies and underlying mechanisms of probiotic-fermented MFH systems. The new perspectives on regulating and developing probiotic-fermented MFH products were also proposed. The outputs hopefully present a reasonable full framework to elucidate the functions and mechanisms for their application in next-generation personalized nutritional MFH products by probiotic fermentation.
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by dysbiosis of the oral microbiome and is associated with both oral and systemic complications. Key pathogens from the red and orange complexes, along with Chlamydia pneumoniae, contribute significantly to disease progression and related systemic disorders. In this study, emerging biotechnological approaches, including immunoinformatics-driven vaccine design, were employed to develop a multi-epitope vaccine candidate (MEVC) targeting these polymicrobial infections. The MEVC was constructed using 13 B-cell epitopes, 15 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, and 14 helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes identified through experimental evidence and computational prediction. Immunostimulatory linkers and cholera toxin subunit B were incorporated as an adjuvant to enhance immunogenicity. Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinities between T-cell epitopes and HLA alleles. Physicochemical analysis indicated that the MEVC is stable, soluble, and exhibits a favourable half-life across biological systems. The construct ws predicted to be antigenic, non-allergenic, and host-compatible. Population coverage analysis of the selected HLA alleles indicated broad global applicability. The tertiary structure of the MEVC was modelled, refined, and docked with TLR2. HADDOCK 2.4 server yielded a binding score of - 196.2 ± 0.0, while PRODIGY predicted a binding affinity of - 13.2 kcal/mol for the MEVC-TLR2 complex. Codon optimization and in silico cloning into the pET-28(+) vector confirmed suitability for expression in Escherichia coli. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated stability of the MEVC-TLR2 complex, while immune simulations predicted strong humoral and cellular responses with sustained IgG, IFN-γ, and IL-2 production upon injection of MEVC into the host. Overall, the MEVC represents a promising therapeutic candidate warranting further experimental validation. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04958-x.
Bacterial ligninolytic enzymes demonstrate high stability and catalytic efficiency across a wide range of environmental conditions, with production strongly influenced by strain-specific and process parameters. Enzyme yields vary significantly depending on the fermentation strategy, with solid-state fermentation (SSF) consistently producing higher activities than submerged fermentation (SmF) due to enhanced substrate-microbe interactions and stronger induction by lignocellulosic materials. In contrast, SmF provides improved control over pH, temperature, and aeration, enabling greater process reproducibility and scalability despite comparatively lower enzyme yields. Comparative analysis further indicates that enzyme production is highly strain-dependent and influenced by environmental parameters, including pH, temperature, substrate type, and incubation time. Among bacterial genera, Bacillus, Streptomyces, Acinetobacter, and Micrococcus exhibit consistently high enzyme production, with certain strains showing significantly elevated manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) activities under optimized conditions. Xenobiotic compounds, including synthetic dyes, pesticides, and Maillard reaction products, act as both substrates and inducers, stimulating enzyme production through oxidative stress-mediated pathways. Reactive oxygen species generated during pollutant exposure enhance the expression of bacterial ligninolytic enzymes, while structural similarities between xenobiotics and lignin-derived compounds facilitate their degradation. Sequential enzyme activity is observed, with MnP initiating early-stage oxidation followed by laccase-mediated transformation, indicating synergistic degradation mechanisms. Bacterial ligninolytic enzymes achieve degradation efficiencies exceeding 90% for a wide range of pollutants, including dyes, pesticides, and plastic-associated compounds. Spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses (UV-Vis, FT-IR, GC-MS, and LC-MS) confirm the conversion of complex aromatic compounds into simpler, less toxic intermediates. The integration of advanced omics-based approaches, including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics, is increasingly recognized as a powerful strategy for the discovery and functional characterization of novel ligninolytic bacteria and their enzymes. These findings demonstrate that bacterial ligninolytic enzymes are efficient and robust systems for pollutant degradation and lignin valorization, with strong potential for large-scale biotechnological applications. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04859-z.
Chitosan-poly (acrylic acid) nanoparticles (CS-PAA NPs) were developed as a carrier system for Gallic acid (GA) to evaluate their physicochemical properties, release behavior, and in vitro biological effects. The optimized formulation exhibited a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 310 ± 33 nm, a surface charge of + 8.8 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 67%. Release studies demonstrated a sustained and pH-dependent release profile under different physiological conditions. In vitro analysis using the MTT assay showed that both free GA and GA-CS-PAA NPs reduced the metabolic activity of PC-3 prostate cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 97 μg/mL (24 h) and 37 μg/mL (48 h) for GA-CS-PAA NPs, compared to 44 μg/mL and 41 μg/mL for free GA. HEK-293 cells exhibited lower sensitivity under the tested conditions. Wound-healing assays demonstrated reduced wound closure following treatment; however, this effect may reflect combined influences on cell migration and proliferation. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of TP53 and BAX and downregulation of BCL2 and CCND1 in treated PC-3 cells. Overall, nano-encapsulation of GA within CS-PAA nanoparticles influenced drug release behavior and cellular responses. These findings suggest the potential of this system as a drug delivery platform, although further studies are required to confirm the underlying mechanisms. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04964-z.
A set of 18 biofortified inbreds possessing mutant allele of floury2 (fl2), delta zein regulator1 (dzr1) and aspartate kinase2 (ask2) genes, developed using marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB), and their two original inbreds (PMI-PV5 and PMI-PV6) were evaluated for germination, vigour and various physico-biochemical traits. The introgressed inbreds possessed an average of 94.5% recurrent parent genome (RPG). The fl2 (0.354%), dzr1 (0.342%) and ask2 (0.260%) gene-based biofortified inbreds accumulated higher kernel methionine than original inbreds (0.183%). Despite exhibiting similar germination percentage (introgressed inbreds: 97.43%, original inbreds: 97.50%), the biofortified inbreds across three genetic backgrounds showed higher seedling vigour [VI-I: introgressed inbreds (2291.48), original inbreds (1838.82), VI-II: introgressed inbreds (106.16), original inbreds (98.49)] characterized by higher vigour indices, increased number of seminal roots (introgressed inbreds: 2.22, original inbreds: 1.63) and higher total root length [TRL: introgressed inbreds (28.28 cm), original inbreds (20.88 cm)] compared to the original inbreds. Menthionine-rich inbreds individually carrying fl2, dzr1 or ask2 genes also showed lower electrical conductivity (EC) (introgressed inbreds: 7.01 µScm-1g-1, original inbreds: 7.77 µScm-1g-1) indicating better membrane stability and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) (introgressed inbreds: 59.85 unit mg- 1 protein, original inbreds: 27.09 unit mg- 1 protein ) and peroxidase (POX) (introgressed inbreds: 1.90 µmol ml- 1 -1 g- 1 DW, original inbreds: 051 µmol ml- 1 -1 g- 1 DW ), suggesting higher oxidative stress tolerance during the early seedling growth stage. Methionine content showed low to moderate positive association with VI-I (r = 0.39), VI-II (r = 0.42), TRL (r = 0.38), SOD (r = 0.24) and POX (r = 0.32), and negative relationship with EC (r= -0.31). The study demonstrates synergistic effects of kernel methionine accumulation caused due to fl2, dzr1 and ask2 genes on seedling vigour traits and highlights the importance of developing high-methionine maize cultivars for better seedling establishment compared with traditional maize. Minor effect of background genome on seed vigour traits was also observed. This is the first report describing the association between kernel methionine on seed germination and vigour-related traits in maize. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04957-y.
This is the first study to examine the combined inheritance of hypocotyl pigmentation and ray floret color in the newly developed sunflower mutant PYRS-1 and its implications for breeding efforts. Analysis of F1 and F2 s of the reciprocal crosses between two contrasting genotypes, viz., CMS-1001B (green hypocotyl with yellow ray florets) and PYRS-1 (purple hypocotyl with pale-yellow ray florets) indicated dominant inheritance of purple over green hypocotyl pigmentation and yellow over pale yellow ray florets. Backcrosses with green hypocotyl and pale-yellow ray floret parents consistently exhibited a 1:1 ratio, highlighting the recessive nature of the green hypocotyl and pale-yellow ray floret traits. The joint segregation analysis showed that hypocotyl and ray floret colors are not linked and segregate independently in a 9:3:3:1 ratio. Therefore, these traits could be used individually as morphological markers in genetic studies to determine the genetic purity of F₁ hybrid seeds and estimate the rate of outcrossing in sunflower. To identify molecular markers associated with ray floret color, two SSR primers viz., ORS 812 (LG 15) and ORS 785 (LG 4) out of 56 markers displaying parental polymorphism were able to differentiate the ray floret phenotypes in the F2 and BC1 individual samples. The markers ORS 812 and ORS 785 were found to be linked to flower color with PVE of 48.95 and 43.23%, respectively. A QTL (qPY15.1) region associated with pale yellow petal color was mapped between ORS 812 and ORS 8 with a LOD score of 7.01. The study underscores the importance of understanding the inheritance pattern of hypocotyl pigmentation and ray floret color in the sunflower crop, as these traits have implications for breeding goals. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04942-5.
The increasing discharge of untreated textile effluents into freshwater resources has created a serious environmental challenge for sustainable agriculture and human health worldwide. This study evaluated a Gram-negative bacterial strain isolated from dye-contaminated sites for its potential in bioremediation of textile wastewater. Molecular identification based on 16 S rRNA sequence showed 100% similarity with Serratia liquefaciens AM-2. PCR amplification confirmed the presence of a NADPH-dependent FMN reductase gene associated with azo dye reduction. The strain showed maximal decolorization efficiencies of 92%, 80%, and 82% for Reactive Black 5, Reactive Red-120, and Congo Red after 72 h of incubation. Molecular docking analysis revealed strong predictive interaction of its azoreductase protein with azo dye degradation. Laboratory-scale treatment of textile wastewater with strain AM-2 significantly reduced EC, TDS, TSS, COD, and BOD by 45.2%, 39.5%, 56.6%, 54.8%, and 52.3%. Rice plants irrigated with treated wastewater showed higher chlorophyll a (49%), carotenoids (33.33%), and root dry weight (68.8%) compared with untreated wastewater. The treated wastewater also reduced H₂O₂ and MDA content by 26.15% and 78%. These results suggest the potential use of S. liquefaciens AM-2 as an environmentally friendly approach for textile wastewater treatment and agricultural reuse. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04947-0.
Salinity stress significantly reduces plant growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological performance in M. officinalis. This study investigated the effects of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; Glomus intraradices) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; Bacillus subtilis), individually and in combination, on the growth, biochemical responses, and stress tolerance of M. officinalis under different salinity levels, including control (0 mM NaCl), low salinity (40 mM NaCl), moderate salinity (80 mM NaCl), and severe salinity (120 mM NaCl). Salinity stress significantly reduced shoot and root length, biomass accumulation, and chlorophyll content while increasing oxidative stress markers such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde (MDA), and electrolyte leakage (ELI). However, microbial inoculation mitigated these effects, with co-inoculation (AMF+PGPR) providing the greatest improvements in plant growth, root colonization, and nutrient uptake (N, P, K/Na ratio). Under severe salinity, AMF+PGPR inoculation increased shoot length (57.7%), root length (31.6%), shoot dry weight (49.1%), and root dry weight (4.3%) compared to non-inoculated plants. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), were significantly upregulated in inoculated plants, reducing oxidative damage. Key genes involved in rosmarinic acid (RSA) content biosynthesis (PAL, 4CL, RAS) exhibited differential expression in response to microbial inoculation. Under moderate salinity, combined AMF+PGPR inoculation upregulated PAL, 4CL, and RAS expression by 10.38-, 6.75-, and 9.48-fold, respectively, relative to control plants. Overall, AMF+PGPR co-inoculation mitigated salinity stress by enhancing secondary metabolism and upregulating key biosynthetic genes, providing a sustainable approach to improving salt tolerance in M. officinalis. These findings highlight the potential of microbial inoculants in optimizing plant resilience under saline conditions.
This study evaluated the protective effect of Shenling Baizhu Powder (SLBZP) against diarrhea induced by fatigue combined with a high-fat diet and explored the potential associations with changes in gut microbiota, bile acid metabolism, intestinal barrier function, and inflammatory responses. A mouse model of diarrhea was established by continuous standing on a multiple-platform apparatus 4 h/day for 14 days, combined with twice-daily lard gavage during days 8-14, followed by gavage with SLBZP decoction at 0.637 g/mL for 7 days. SLBZP intervention alleviated fatigue and diarrhea in mice. Histopathological analysis showed that SLBZP alleviated small intestinal and hepatic injury. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed that SLBZP decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the small intestine and liver. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that SLBZP increased the expression of the tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 and Claudin-1. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing showed that SLBZP reshaped the gut microbiota, including increased relative abundances of Muribaculum and Dwaynesavagella and a decreased relative abundance of Proteobacteria. Targeted bile acid metabolomics showed that SLBZP altered the fecal bile acid profile, with increased levels of 7-ketolithocholic acid, norcholic acid, glycocholic acid, and ursodeoxycholic acid. Correlation analysis further suggested associations among specific microbial taxa, differential bile acids, and intestinal barrier markers. These findings indicate that SLBZP may alleviate diarrhea induced by fatigue combined with a high-fat diet by regulating the gut microbiota-bile acid-intestinal barrier axis and reducing inflammatory responses. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04945-2.
This study quantified the production, purification, enzymatic characteristics, and xylan film modification performance of extracellular xylanase (XynA) from Thermomyces dupontii J22. The thermostable xylanase activity attained 768.32 U/mL in the fermentation broth via submerged fermentation using corn cob as the substrate. XynA was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-Cellulose chromatography, achieving a final specific activity of 59019.65 U/mg, a 26.18-fold purification, and a recovery yield of 40.52%. The molecular weight of XynA was approximately 24 kDa. XynA displayed an optimal pH of 7.5 and optimal temperature of 75 ℃, and was rapidly thermally activated at 55-60 ℃ while retaining high activity under alkaline conditions. The K m values for beechwood and wheat xylan were 2.50 and 3.21 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding V max values of 138.90 and 111.30 µmol·min- 1. XynA activity was enhanced by Na+, K+, Mg2+, Triton X-100, and β-mercaptoethanol. In xylan film modification, XynA treatment reduced tensile strength by only 16.88%, compared to a 56.25% reduction with NaOH treatment, while preserving a Young's modulus of 4.05 GPa. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that XynA generated a uniform grid microstructure on film surfaces without severe structural damage. These results demonstrate that XynA is a highly efficient thermostable xylanase suitable for mild, eco-friendly functional modification of xylan-based biomaterials.
This review summarizes current evidence on the biological, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic significance of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in prostate cancer (PCa). Dysregulated miRNA networks contribute to PCa initiation, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance by regulating androgen receptor signaling, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, hypoxia signaling, bone tropism, and castration-resistant evolution. Oncogenic miRNAs, including miR-21, miR-93, miR-9, miR-181a, and miR-182, promote malignant phenotypes through survival, TGF-β, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, HIF-1α, and EMT-associated pathways, whereas tumor-suppressor miRNAs, including the miR-34 family, miR-145, miR-122, and miR-382, restrict proliferation, stem-like traits, invasion, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Circulating, urinary, and exosomal miRNAs have potential as minimally invasive biomarkers for PCa detection, risk stratification, recurrence monitoring, metastatic risk prediction, and assessment of castration-resistant disease. Multi-miRNA panels, such as miR-375-3p/miR-182-5p, miR-34b-3p/miR-361-5p/miR-200c-3p, and miR-200c/miR-605/miR-135a/miR-433/miR-106a, may outperform individual markers by capturing multiple biological pathways and reducing single-marker variability; however, most remain at the discovery or validation stage rather than routine clinical implementation. Translation requires standardized sample handling, hemolysis control, reproducible RNA extraction, validated normalization strategies, assay harmonization, locked thresholds, and multicentre prospective validation against PSA, imaging, histopathology, and established risk models. High-throughput platforms, including qRT-PCR, microarray, next-generation sequencing, and nCounter digital counting, support miRNA discovery and validation but differ in sensitivity, specificity, cost, throughput, bioinformatic complexity, and clinical deployability. Therapeutically, anti-miRs, miRNA mimics, sponges, masks, CRISPR-based approaches, and nanocarrier-assisted delivery systems provide experimental strategies for inhibiting oncogenic miRNAs or restoring tumor-suppressor miRNAs. Preclinical evidence supports miR-21 inhibition and replacement of miR-34a, miR-145, miR-15a/miR-16-1, miR-124, and miR-205. Still, clinical translation is limited by off-target effects, immune activation, delivery efficiency, endosomal escape, tumor heterogeneity, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, scalability, and manufacturing reproducibility. Overall, miRNAs provide mechanistic insight into PCa heterogeneity and offer promising opportunities for precision diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy, with the most realistic near-term application being integration of validated miRNA panels with PSA, multiparametric MRI, pathology, and multi-omic or AI-assisted risk models.
Morphological similarity with related whitefly species and limited access to rapid diagnostics hinder timely detection and management of Aleurotrachelus trachoides (Back). To address this gap, a geographically validated, rapid, and potentially field-deployable colorimetric recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) was developed for decentralized detection of A. trachoides. Specimens collected from seven agroclimatic zones in India were confirmed through morphological identification and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) sequencing, with phylogenetic analysis confirming A. trachoides as a distinct monophyletic clade. A species-specific 150 bp mtCOI region was identified through in silico and validated by cloning and Sanger sequencing to design species-specific primers for PCR and RPA assays. The RPA assay detected as little as 10 pg/µL, outperforming conventional PCR (1 ng/µL), and generated results within 20 min at 38 °C without a thermal cycler. No cross-reactivity was observed with the nine nontarget whitefly species. Colorimetric detection using SYBR Safe and hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) dyes enabled direct visual detection. Large-scale geographical validation (160 target and 90 nontarget samples) showed 98.81% sensitivity and 99.26% specificity, and detection from crude DNA extracts via HNB dye confirmed its field applicability. This study presents a species-specific colorimetric RPA assay with potential as a rapid and reliable molecular tool to support early surveillance, quarantine inspection, and sustainable management of A. trachoides in affected agroecosystems. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04959-w.
The neuroprotective effectiveness of natural substances against neuroinflammatory pathways linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still not well understood. In this study, we used both in vivo and in silico methods to assess the therapeutic potential of magnolol at dosages of 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight in a rat model of AD produced by aluminium chloride (AlCl₃). Significant cognitive impairments, elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased expression of important neuroinflammatory mediators, including nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), interleukin (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), were all brought on by exposure to AlCl₃. Magnolol treatment markedly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and nitric oxide (NO), improved cognitive function, and strengthened antioxidant defence systems as shown by increased glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Histopathological examination further validated Magnolol's neuroprotective properties, showing decreased neuronal degeneration. Magnolol has substantial binding affinities for NF-κB, IL-6, and IL-1β, according to molecular docking and dynamic modelling studies, indicating that it can directly influence neuroinflammatory signalling pathways. Overall, these results show that magnolol has important neuroprotective effects by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting important inflammatory mediators, underscoring its potential as an effective treatment option for AD.
Chemical pesticides have been widely used to control pests in the crop yields and promote traditional farming. However, the excessive use and improper management of chemical pests causes environmental and health issues including the increase of resistant pest species, accumulation of pesticide traces in food, and contamination of soil and water. Nanotechnology has emerged as a possible crop protection frontier as traditional pesticides increasingly fail to fulfil the demands of precision and sustainable agriculture. Nano-pesticides are effective solutions for contemporary pest management because of their novel benefits, which include increased stability, biodegradability, targeted administration, higher bioavailability, less off-target impacts, and controlled release. This review discusses the most recent developments and effectiveness of nano-pesticides as sustainable strategy for traditional agriculture. It gives an overview of their synthesis, classifications, modes of action, pesticidal efficacy, and safety assessments. Nano-agrochemical pesticides are beneficial due to their co-delivery systems with agrochemical ingredients, multi-stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, and combining nano-formulations with biological control agents. Here, this review also focused on the potential risks of nano-pesticides due to their size, surface area, enhanced reactivity. Highlights the transformation of nanotechnology and its role in sustainable traditional agriculture.
The steadily increasing global population and food demand have intensified the use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, leading to environmental concerns. This study explored endophytic bacterial diversity associated with wild Solanum species as potential eco-friendly alternatives for promoting rice growth. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from the roots of Solanum nigrum, S. sisymbriifolium, and S. virginianum and aseptically cultured. Nine bacterial strains (S1-S9) were selected based on distinct colony morphology and screened for in vitro plant growth-promoting activities, including nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and hydrogen cyanide, siderophore, and indole-3-acetic acid production. Several isolates exhibited multiple growth-promoting attributes under in vitro conditions. The isolates were further characterized through enzymatic/biochemical assays and identified as Achromobacter insolitus, Bacillus sp., Microbacterium sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens based on 16 S rDNA sequencing; phylogenetic relationships were inferred using the Neighbor-Joining method. The representative strains (S1, S3, S5, and S7) of four different species with better in vitro performance were evaluated for in vivo rice growth promotion. Strain S5 showed highest seed germination (82.29%), root length (19.45 ± 0.37 cm), shoot length (17.23 ± 0.35 cm), and total biomass (11.44 ± 0.53 g). Strain S3 induced the maximum number of roots (12.50 ± 0.29), while the highest total soluble carbohydrate (42.86 ± 0.85 mg/g) and protein contents (41.09 ± 0.66 mg/g) were recorded for S3 and S7, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that endophytic bacteria associated with wild Solanum species possess promising plant growth-promoting potential and may serve as sustainable biofertilizer candidates for rice cultivation.
Nardostachys jatamansi, a small rhizomatous herb from the Valerianaceae family, has been traditionally used in Ayurveda for neurological and gastrointestinal disorders. However, its rising demand and extensive use have led to overharvesting, placing the species at risk of extinction. This study explores the therapeutic potential of N. jatamansi phytoconstituents through in-silico evaluation as antiviral agents targeting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The 3D structure of HIV-1 RT (PDB ID: 6KJV) was validated through Ramachandran plot, ERRAT, and PROCHECK analysis, confirming its suitability for docking studies. Fifteen ligands from N. jatamansi and the standard drug Doravirine were evaluated for biological activity, ATC classification, ADMET properties, HIV-1 RT inhibition, and docking performance. All compounds adhered to Lipinski's rule, exhibited favorable absorption, metabolism, and clearance, and showed minimal toxicity. Antiviral prediction through HIVprotI indicated significant inhibitory activity against HIV-1 RT. Notably, compounds 10, 13, and 14 showed docking scores (-8.6 to - 8.0 kcal/mol) comparable to Doravirine (-8.9 kcal/mol), suggesting strong binding affinity and potential reverse transcriptase inhibition. Furthermore, the calculated therapeutic index highlighted compounds 10, 13, and 14 as having notable therapeutic promise. Among these, compound 10 showed the highest therapeutic potential, exhibiting a therapeutic index value of 36.32. These findings support the therapeutic relevance of N. jatamansi-derived compounds and warrant further in-vitro and in-vivo studies to explore their role as novel antiretroviral agents.
Due to the rapid increase in industrial and urban areas, environmental pollution is increasing worldwide, which is causing unwanted changes in air, water, and soil at biological, physical, as well as chemical levels that ultimately causing the negative effects in living things because of toxic level of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As). However, nanotechnology is capturing great interest worldwide due to their stirring applications in various fields. For this purpose, a controlled pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of foliar-applied silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs), titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs), and aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al₂O₃ NPs) in mitigating Cd and As toxicity in maize (Zea mays L.) grown at 0, 100, and 200 mg kg⁻1 of each metal. The research outcomes indicated that the toxic concentration of Cd and As notably reduced plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange attributes. Increasing Cd and As concentrations intensified oxidative stress, as indicated by greater hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and altered enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses, sugar metabolism, and antioxidant-related gene expression. Furthermore, a significant increase in proline metabolism, the AsA-GSH cycle, and the pigmentation of cellular components was observed. The application of Si NPs, TiO₂ NPs, and Al₂O₃ NPs significantly improved plant growth, biomass production, photosynthetic pigments, gas-exchange characteristics, antioxidant activities, and antioxidant-related gene expression while reducing oxidative damage. Nanoparticle treatments also regulated proline metabolism and the AsA-GSH cycle, strengthened cell-wall components, and reduced Cd and As accumulation and translocation in Z. mays seedlings. Research findings, therefore, suggest that the application of Si NPs, TiO₂ NPs, and Al₂O₃ NPs can ameliorate Cd and As toxicity in Z. mays seedlings Overall, the nanoparticles enhanced maize tolerance to Cd and As toxicity by improving photosynthetic performance, strengthening antioxidant and cellular defense mechanisms, and limiting metal-induced oxidative damage, with TiO₂ NPs showing the most promising overall response. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04998-3.
Seagrass and coral reef sediments from Minicoy Island were investigated to compare bacterial community composition and predicted functional potential using 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4) amplicon sequencing. Sequence data were processed in QIIME2 with Deblur-generated amplicon sequence variants and taxonomic classification against the SILVA database. Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed high similarity in microbial community composition between seagrass and coral reef sediments, indicating strong ecological connectivity within the atoll environment. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Desulfobacterota were dominant across both habitats, while sulfate-reducing families such as Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfobacteraceae were relatively enriched in seagrass sediments. Correlation analysis showed that microbial diversity was positively associated with nutrient concentrations and turbidity, and negatively associated with temperature and particulate organic carbon. Functional prediction using PICRUSt2 and KEGG pathway annotation identified habitat-associated trends in transport- and signalling-related pathways, although these functional differences were interpreted cautiously due to the limitations of predictive approaches. Henceforth, the study provides a baseline assessment of benthic microbial communities in Lakshadweep ecosystems and highlights the need for geographically independent sampling and multi-omics approaches to validate functional and ecological inferences.
Nanodispersions are dispersed systems that contain particles under 1000 nm and are spread throughout the continuous phase. The topical ophthalmic nanodispersions are used to improve the drug permeation across the cornea and to deliver the drug in a sustained manner over an extended period of time. Recent research reported that nanodispersions have the capacity to increase the water solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. Curcumin and dexamethasone are hydrophobic drugs with poor corneal permeability and bioavailability. The objective of the present study was "to develop and characterize nanodispersions of curcumin with dexamethasone for topical ocular delivery and to evaluate their corneal permeation and anti-angiogenic potential." The nanodispersions were formulated using polyvinylpyrrolidone K90 and poloxamer 407 at different ratios. The particle size of the developed nanodispersions ranged from 171 ± 0.32 to 184 ± 2.13 nm and had a smooth surface with a spherical shape. The transparency and cloud point of the developed nanodispersion showed 90-98% and 66-69 °C, respectively. The in-vitro drug release studies showed that 13 to 25% of curcumin and 30 to 97% of dexamethasone were released from nanodispersions within 8 h. Furthermore, ex-vivo corneal permeation of developed nanodispersions was evaluated by rabbit cornea. The developed nanodispersions were evaluated by chorioallantoic membrane assay, and it showed better anti-angiogenic potential than pure drug suspension. Hence, the developed nanodispersions have the great potential to enhance ocular bioavailability for the treatment of AMD.