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Microalgae represent a promising nature-based solution for simultaneous carbon mitigation and renewable bioresource production. Carbon availability and light intensity are fundamental drivers of microalgal metabolism, yet the interactive mechanisms remain inadequately characterized. This study integrated physiological, multi-omics, and biochemical analysis to investigate the responses of Dunaliella to varying carbon-light synergies. The optimal carbon-light match significantly promoted microalgal growth and carbon fixation capacity, achieving increases of 36.0 % and 47.5 % over the control, respectively. This was supported by the upregulated genes related to photosynthesis, along with the enhanced porphyrin metabolism and promoted DNA replication. Stimulated by enhanced photosynthetic electron transport, the intracellular pools of ATP and NADPH expanded significantly, exhibiting 4.35- and 6.02-fold increases relative to the control, respectively. The multi-omics analysis further demonstrated that optimal synergy remodeled intracellular energy metabolism and carbon flux distribution. Microalgal cells achieved a dynamic balance between ATP generation and elevated metabolic demands to drive cell proliferation. The enhanced photosynthetic carbon flux was predominately channeled to the pyruvate node, accelerating the Acetyl-CoA biosynthesis. Moreover, the promoted carbon skeleton was subsequently partitioned to TCA cycle, amino metabolism, and lipid synthesis. This study provided a theoretical basis for how carbon-light match orchestrated microalgal metabolism, offering insights for optimizing microalgal-based technology.
Natural attenuation is a nature-based approach that relies on intrinsic biogeochemical and microbial processes to mitigate mixed heavy metals and organic pollutants in aquifer, yet its efficiency is limited by electron donor scarcity and suppressed microbial activity. Here, a low-energy bioelectrochemical strategy that uses a mild electric field (0.6 V) was introduced to sustainably stimulate the attenuation of chromate [Cr(VI)] and dichloromethane (DCM) co-contamination in groundwater. With minimal electrical input, Cr(VI) and DCM removal reached 95.0 ± 2.6% and 95.2 ± 0.5%, substantially outperforming the no-voltage and single-pollutant systems. The electric field alleviated electron-donor limitations and metabolic inhibition, enabling efficient and energy-conserving bioremediation. Mineralogical and spectroscopic analyses (SEM-EDS, XPS, XRD) confirmed the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) precipitates (e.g., Cr2O3) and the progressive dechlorination and mineralization of DCM. Integrated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic profiling revealed active functional guilds (e.g., Sphingopyxis, Pseudomonas, Hyphomicrobium) expressing key genes for chromate reduction (yieF, chrA), dehalogenation (dhlA, dcmA), and electron-shuttling metabolism (ribE). This work demonstrates an applicable remediation technology that can be powered by renewable electricity and integrated into secure groundwater management systems. It offers a pathway for environmentally safe pollutant mitigation by harnessing nature-based microbial processes, supporting the transition toward enhanced natural attenuation.
Constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) is a promising technology for wastewater treatment with concurrent resource and energy recovery. However, its power generation capacity and mercury (Hg) removal efficiency are significantly limited by the insufficient electron transfer of anode materials. In this study, CW-MFCs were developed using zero-valent iron and siderite as anode materials. The incorporation of iron-based substrates significantly enhanced Hg removal, with total Hg removal efficiencies increasing by 22.9 % and 18.4 %, respectively, compared to conventional CW-MFCs. The integration of iron-based materials increased the availability of organic/inorganic electron donors by 9.1-350.0 %, thereby enhancing power generation performance by 17.9-34.9 %. This enhancement promoted the reduction of Hg(II) and inhibited the formation of methylmercury. Additionally, the electricity generated by the MFC facilitated Fe(III)/ Fe(II) redox cycling, which supported continuous corrosion and electron release from the iron anode. Metagenomic and electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the use of iron-based materials in CW-MFCs improved both extracellular and intracellular electron transfer efficiencies, and strengthened the synergistic interaction between the iron-based anode and electroactive bacteria. The genes that related to Hg(II) reduction, including merA, were also improved. Generally, this study highlights the potential of iron-based anodes to enhance Hg removal and power generation in CW-MFCs, providing a sustainable and energy-recovering strategy for wastewater treatment.
Biological methane (CH4) removal from dilute air streams (200-5,000 ppm) is fundamentally constrained by slow mass transfer, primarily due to CH4's low solubility and diffusivity in water. Conventional biofilters, the current state of technology, suffer from long start-up periods, progressive pore clogging, and high transport energy requirements. This study investigates a "dry" biofilm concept designed to overcome these bottlenecks by minimizing the aqueous boundary layer while maintaining microbial activity via capillary-mediated nutrient delivery. Using concentrated biomass of the methanotroph Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1C, three generations of membrane-supported reactor configurations were evaluated. The third-generation (G3) design utilized a cellulose-bead capillary support to maintain a physical gap between the membrane and the liquid surface, enabling continuous drainage of metabolic water. Experimental results demonstrated that the "dry" G3 configuration achieved CH4 removal rate of 148.9 mg·m-2·hr-1 at 4000 ppm, representing a 397% improvement over the first-generation floating mesh configuration. At 500 ppm, G3 design achieved a CH4 removal rate of 18.6 mg·m-2·hr-1, corresponding to an over six-fold improvement over one of the highest reported values. Furthermore, the system enabled immediate start-up post-inoculation and maintained an optimal microenvironment pH (8.8-9.0) even as the bulk medium acidified. These results establish that replacing liquid-phase diffusion with drastically faster gas-phase transport provides a high-efficiency framework for mitigating low-concentration CH4 emissions. With the added benefits of minimal pressure drop and easy biomass harvesting via scraping, this dry biofilm approach offers a scalable and sustainable alternative for atmospheric methane mitigation.
Against the backdrop of tightening resource constraints, intensifying ecological pressures, policy guidance, and cutting-edge technological advancements, the global distilled spirits industry faces a critical sustainability challenge: how to efficiently utilize the vast amounts of organic waste generated during production. This review systematically analyzes the chemical composition, flavor compound profiles, and microbial resources contained within Chinese Baijiu production by-products (BPBPs), using them as representative case studies. Furthermore, it discusses the latest research advances in diverse utilization approaches, including screening of functional microorganisms, extraction of high-value components, production of advanced biofuels, manufacturing of bio-based materials, development of novel feed and fertilizers. Crucially, this review provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and future development directions for the resource utilization of BPBPs. We found that valorization of BPBPs primarily relies on synthetic biology and thermochemical technologies. Nevertheless, its development is often constrained by factors such as low efficiency of key reactions, difficulties in process scaling, and resource waste caused by single-production model. Future efforts should strengthen independent innovation and leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate biomanufacturing. Simultaneously, building a cascading biorefinery system, precisely expanding market reach, and establishing a comprehensive policy framework hold promise for providing critical support for the transition to a green, low-carbon economy and the recycling of resources.
Developing renewable jet-fuel-range fuel components from lignocellulosic biomass is of considerable interest for jet-fuel formulations. Herein, an integrated catalytic route was developed for upgrading biomass-derived furfural into jet-fuel-range high-density monocyclic hydrocarbons via furfural-to-cyclopentanone (CPO) conversion, solvent-free aldol condensation, and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). In the first step, Cu-Ni/SBA-15 catalysts were evaluated for the aqueous-phase conversion of furfural to CPO, and Cu1Ni1/SBA-15 exhibited the best performance, affording a CPO carbon yield of 71.1%. In the second step, Na-modified NiAlO mixed oxides were employed as solid-base catalysts for the solvent-free aldol condensation of CPO with furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and 5-methylfurfural. Among them, 4.6%Na-NiAlO gave the highest activity for the CPO/furfural system, achieving 99.9% furfural conversion and a total furfural-carbon yield of 99.4% toward condensation intermediates. Subsequent HDO of these oxygenates over Pd/C and HZSM-5 afforded C10-C17 monocyclic hydrocarbons. For the CPO/furfural route, the total liquid-hydrocarbon carbon yield reached 85.3%, with C15 monocyclic alkanes as the dominant products. The resulting hydrocarbons exhibited relatively high densities of 0.83-0.84 g cm-3, net heating values of 41.32-42.77 MJ kg-1, highlighting their potential as high-density jet-fuel-range components. A simplified mass-balance analysis further indicated that 1 t of dry straw could theoretically yield approximately 0.13 t of such components through the proposed route. This work demonstrates a concise and modular strategy for converting hemicellulose-derived furfural into jet-fuel-range monocyclic hydrocarbons and provides a promising approach for biomass-based fuel upgrading.
This study investigated the feasibility of accelerating aerobic granular sludge (AGS) formation by short-term in-situ dosing of chitosan (CTS) in sequencing batch reactors. Compared with the control reactor, short-term CTS dosing during start-up markedly promoted biomass aggregation, shortened the complete granulation time from 27 to 9 days, and produced larger and denser granules with superior settleability. In the CTS-amended reactor, the mean granule size reached 752 µm, while sludge volume index at 30 min (SVI30) rapidly decreased to 59.4 mL/g within 24 h and stabilized at 38.2-44.8 mL/g during steady operation. Mechanistic analyses showed that CTS reduced sludge surface electronegativity, stimulated extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion, and functioned as both a cationic bridging agent and a physical nucleation core. These roles were further supported by direct visualization using CTS-coated Fe3 O4 particles as a tracer. Temporary pH control applied to activate the cationic properties of CTS initially suppressed nitrification, but the inhibition was reversible. After recovery, the CTS reactor achieved superior total nitrogen (TN) removal, with an average effluent TN of 8.6 mg/L compared with 15.3 mg/L in the control. The enhanced TN removal may be associated with the combined effects of larger and more compact granules and the possible contribution of residual CTS as supplementary electron donor. Microbial analysis further revealed the enrichment of EPS-producing and structural bacteria, especially Thiothrix, in the CTS reactor. Overall, short-term in-situ CTS dosing provides a simple and biocompatible strategy for rapid AGS start-up and improved nitrogen removal.
To achieve self-standability, the apical region of the stem must remain extensible and bendable, whereas the basal region must form a rigid supporting tissue. However, the mechanisms regulating stem growth along the apical-basal axis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis and signaling are elevated in the apical, actively elongating regions of Arabidopsis and mung bean stems. Exogenous brassinolide promoted stem elongation, concomitant with increased cell wall extensibility, but impaired stem self-standability. In contrast, BR deficiency reduced the elongation/bendable zone and inhibited gravitropic curvature. Through spatiotemporal transcriptome analysis along the apical-basal axis of Arabidopsis inflorescence stems, combined with analysis of BR-responsive genes in the BR-dependent transition zone, we identified a set of genes, termed BR Down-regulated in Stem (BRDS) genes. BRDS gene expression was repressed by BR and predominantly expressed in the non-elongating region, indicating that BR plays a central role in spatial gene expression along the apical-basal axis. These genes were enriched for functions related to secondary cell wall formation, suggesting that BR differentially regulates primary and secondary cell wall formation. While auxin governs growth direction along the abaxial-adaxial axis of the stem, BR defines the spatial domains of elongation along the apical-basal axis of the stem. The synergistic action of these hormones determines both the direction and spatial domain of gravitropic bending, thereby enabling stem elongation, gravitropism, and standability in three-dimensional space.
Bacillus sp. is a genus of bacteria that can produce active biosurfactant compounds and has potential as an antimicrobial agent. The Bacillus bacteria used in this study were isolated from the soil of Bekol Baluran National Park, which is predicted to contain various types of bacteria that can inhibit soil-borne pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum, considering that this pathogen causes root rot in plants. This study aims to identify the potential of Bacillus spp. isolates BT1.8, BT9.1, and SM2.3 in producing biosurfactants as antifungal agents. The methods used ranged from macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular characterization of bacteria, in-vitro antifungal activity testing using the swab method and creating a F. oxysporum block, to biosurfactant activity testing through hemolytic activity using Blood Agar medium. Molecular analysis of the biosurfactant biosynthesis gene was performed using PCR with specific primers for the srfAD gene. The results showed that the Bacillus sp. BT1.8 isolate exhibited the best antifungal activity with a 69% inhibition zone against the growth of F. oxysporum. Isolate BT1.8 was identified as having 99.11% similarity to B. cereus ATCC1457 and possesses the srfAD gene, which shows a high level of homology with a similar gene in Bacillus halotolerans with accession number WP_105955226.1. Hemolytic activity results also show that all three bacterial isolates can destroy blood cells through beta hemolysis. This indicates that the presence of the surfactin biosynthesis gene can produce biosurfactant compounds that are capable of significantly inhibiting the growth of F. oxysporum. These results show that B. cereus BT1.8 has potential as a biological biocontrol agent in the form of seed coating that can be used in the formulation of environmentally friendly biocidal products.
Two endophytic bacterial strains, designated as Sx8-8ᵀ and SI8-4ᵀ, were isolated from the stem and leaf tissues, respectively, of Kaempferia marginata Carey collected in Thailand. A comprehensive taxonomic investigation employing a polyphasic approach was conducted to characterize these strains. Strain Sx8-8ᵀ is a Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacterium that produces yellow pigment on Reasoner's 2A agar (R2A) medium. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed this strain within the genus Sphingobium, showing the highest similarity (98.5%) to Sphingobium chungbukense KACC 12347ᵀ (=DJ77T). The draft genome was 4.7 Mb in size with a G+C content of 64 mol%. Genome-wide comparisons with closely related type strains yielded an average nucleotide identity based on blastn (ANIb) and MUMmer (ANIm) values of 82.2-84.0% and 86.7-86.9%, respectively, with digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of 28.4-29.1%. Chemotaxonomic data supported its affiliation to the genus, with Q-10 identified as the major respiratory quinone, along with characteristic fatty acid and polar lipid profiles. These findings support the proposal of a novel species, Sphingobium trunci sp. nov., with Sx8-8ᵀ (=LMG 33805ᵀ=TBRC 17746ᵀ) as the type strain. Strain SI8-4ᵀ is a Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, producing pale pink pigment on R2A medium. It was identified as a member of the genus Peribacillus, sharing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.0%) with Peribacillus frigoritolerans JCM 11681ᵀ and Peribacillus muralis DSM 16288ᵀ. The genome was 4.6 Mb in size, with a G+C content of 43 mol%. Comparative genomic analyses revealed ANIb and ANIm values of 80.0-86.0% and 84.3-87.8%, respectively, while dDDH values were 24.3-32.1%. The major quinone was MK-7, and the fatty acid and polar lipid compositions were consistent with members of the genus Peribacillus. Based on genotypic and phenotypic distinctiveness, strain SI8-4ᵀ is proposed to represent a novel species, Peribacillus folii sp. nov. The type strain is SI8-4ᵀ (=KACC 23903ᵀ=KCTC 43756ᵀ=TBRC 17747ᵀ).
Temperature significantly affects antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during composting, but its role in multi-material co-composting remains unclear. This study explored temperature effects on pathogen inactivation, antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) removal, and host dynamics. Three composting regimes were established based on temperature: thermophilic (TC, <65 °C), superthermophilic (SC, 65-75 °C), and hyperthermophilic (HC, >75 °C). Fecal coliforms were inactivated within 2 days at > 65 °C, compared to 3 days at 40-50 °C. Temperatures exceeding 65 °C accelerated pathogen elimination, achieving over 98% reduction by day 28. During the thermophilic phase, elevated temperatures (>65 °C) suppressed vertical gene transfer and removed 95%-97% of ARGs by day 28. In the maturation phase, maintaining moisture content (MC) below 40% mitigated ARG rebound by restricting horizontal gene transfer, bacterial activity, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Six high-risk ARGs (tetW, aadE, ermX, ermB, sul1, tetM) and their pathogenic hosts (Enterococcus, Escherichia, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium) were identified. By day 28, treatments exceeding 65 °C eliminated 96%-99% of pathogens, high-risk ARGs, and their hosts, with no ARGs rebound detected in the final compost. Overall, maintaining composting temperatures above 65 °C for at least five consecutive days and controlling final MC below 40% constitutes an effective strategy for mitigating AMR risks in multi-material co-composting. This study provides both theoretical and technical foundations for managing antibiotic resistance risks during composting.
Photosynthetic biohybrid systems present a promising approach for coupling wastewater nitrogen removal with energy recovery. However, their application is restricted by photocatalyst instability, biocompatibility issues, and the separation of hydrogen production and denitrification processes. Here, a catalyst-free, light-driven co-culture system was developed by pairing the light-responsive electroactive bacterium Delftia acidovorans YP-3 with Klebsiella oxytoca DX-3, a strain that can produce hydrogen and reduce nitrate. In batch cultures, the YP-3/DX-3 co-culture generated 345.52 mL/L H2 within 48 h and enhanced the removal of nitrate, nitrite, and total nitrogen compared to the DX-3 monoculture. Electrochemical, extracellular polymeric substance, and metabolomic analyses indicated enhanced redox activity, decreased electron-transfer resistance, NADH-related metabolism, and potential interspecies electron transfer via direct contact and soluble redox-active mediators. In a synthetic swine wastewater-fed anaerobic sludge reactor, the co-culture accomplished 90.25 % nitrate removal, minimized nitrite accumulation, and enriched functional groups related to electron transfer, hydrogen production, and nitrogen removal. This system offers proof-of-concept evidence for integrating light-assisted hydrogen recovery with wastewater nitrogen removal.
Bio-crude oil obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass, comprising aqueous and organic fractions contains several value-added chemicals. In this study, hydrothermal liquefaction of palm empty fruit bunch fibers was conducted at different temperatures (225 - 275 °C) and water to biomass ratios (10:1 to 20:1) to find their effect on the concentration of organic acids in aqueous phase. The models developed fit the experimental responses well. Recycling of the aqueous phase was found to increase the concentration of organic acids significantly. One of the main component of aqueous phase was glycolic acid, which is worth extracting in its pure form to improve the sustainability of the process. This study adopted a methodological framework which develop a separation scheme integrated with solvent design using Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) to economically extract and recover glycolic acid. Solvent design for extraction involved a novel CAMD approach, which include the integration of Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP), solvent power, selectivity and solvent loss. Further purification methods were then evaluated for purification of glycolic acid. An optimisation model was developed to identify the optimal solvent ratio, that directly impacts the economic viability of the process by minimising the solvent cost, glycolic acid and solvent losses via fixing the solvent added. The results suggested that the developed design strategy can efficiently and economically extract pure glycolic acid from the aqueous phase of bio-crude oil produced via hydrothermal liquefaction, where isobutene glycol is selected as the most efficient solvent for the extraction.
Saline-alkali stress severely limits crop yields worldwide, yet the role of photosystem I (PSI) components under such stress remains unclear. Transcriptome analysis identified Lhca4, a light-harvesting gene associated with PSI in rice, was upregulated under saline-alkali stress. Genetic analysis revealed Lhca4 functions as a negative regulator of saline-alkali tolerance. Specifically, loss of Lhca4 function enhanced stress resistance without compromising yield under non-stress conditions, while its overexpression reduced tolerance. Under stress conditions, Lhca4 knockout plants exhibited reduced ROS accumulation, elevated antioxidant activity, and maintained photosynthetic integrity, supporting its role in fine-tuning the stress response. Mechanistically, the LHCA4 protein translocates to the nucleus under these conditions, where it suppresses the expression of core retrograde signaling genes (including OsGUN4, OsHEMA1) and their downstream targets, such as photosynthesis-related genes (OsRbCS4, OsLhcb3, OsLhcb5) and ROS - scavenging genes. In the absence of Lhca4, retrograde signaling is constitutively activated, leading to the upregulation of antioxidant and metabolic genes and stabilized ROS homeostasis. Pharmacological inhibition of retrograde signaling with Norflurazon completely abolished the stress-tolerant phenotype of knockout plants. These results define a regulatory module in which Lhca4 integrates chloroplast retrograde signals with ROS metabolism to tune stress adaptation, highlighting it as a valuable target for breeding stress-resilient crops.
Microalgal biofilm cultivation is a promising strategy for achieving efficient carbon sequestration and biomass production. However, existing growth kinetics models predominantly focus on environmental stimuli, neglecting the decisive roles of substrate microstructure in mass transfer and cell attachment. In this study, a multi-factor growth kinetics model was developed for non-submerged microalgal biofilm systems. A substrate structural term of cotton fabric substrate (porosity, tortuosity, thickness, and average pore diameter) was formulated and multiplicatively coupled with light intensity, CO2, and nitrate concentrations. The model showed good agreement with experimental μ under the tested conditions (R2 > 0.9389) for Chlorella vulgaris biofilms cultivated on cotton fabrics, forecasting a maximum μ of 1.33 d-1 in the integrated model. Sobol global sensitivity analysis showed that nitrogen supply and light irradiance were the dominant contributors to the specific growth rate (μ). Notably, within the investigated parameter range, the model suggested an attachment response associated with pore size, with a fitted pore-suitability diameter of approximately 2.04 μm. This may indicate a potential trade-off between cell attachment stability and substrate-mediated nitrate diffusion in the tested non-submerged cotton-based biofilm system. This framework describes the combined effects of substrate structural factors and environmental parameters on microalgal biofilm growth and may be useful for substrate design under similar non-submerged biofilm cultivation configurations.
Using feed additives and their residues leads to the accumulation of heavy metals and antibiotics in the feces of fattening sheep, thereby posing a threat to the surrounding soil and ecological cycle. Chlorella, a novel feed raw material or additive widely applied in aquaculture, has the potential to mitigate such ecological risks. In this study, we investigated the potential of Chlorella pyrenoidosa as a dietary supplement for fattening lambs to mitigate multi-pollutant emissions from manure via gastrointestinal microbiome modulation. The results demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 3% Chlorella pyrenoidosa (W3) markedly reduced fecal concentrations of several heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, As, Pb) and total phosphorus, while shifting phosphorus speciation toward more stable forms. Metagenomic analysis revealed that W3 reshaped the metabolic functional profile of the gastrointestinal microbiota and drove the succession of key microbial taxa, particularly promoting the proliferation of Clostridium and other genera in feces. Furthermore, Chlorella pyrenoidosa reduced the abundance of high-risk antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs, e.g., macB). It simplified the ARG-metal resistance gene co-occurrence network and was associated with an attenuated potential for vertical transmission of resistance genes along the digestive tract. Structural equation modeling further confirmed that pollutant reduction was closely associated with the functional remodeling of the microbiome. Thus, this study suggests that Chlorella pyrenoidosa may mitigate the environmental risks associated with heavy metals, bioavailable phosphorus, and ARGs in manure by regulating the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem. This provides a novel strategy and theoretical basis for reducing source pollution in animal husbandry.
Lipids are a fundamental class of biomolecules essential for membrane structure, energy storage, and cellular signaling, whereas lipidomics is an advanced dedicated way to understand the lipids, including biological lipids. Keeping in mind the importance of lipid makeup, the current study was focused to understand the lipid diversity present within Picrorhiza kurroa (leaves, rhizomes, and roots) at three different localities of Himachal Pradesh, India: Bhatori (Pangi), Bharmaur (Chamba), and Gumna (Shimla). UHPLC-QTOF-IMS was used for lipid profiling of P. kurroa locational samples. The data were analyzed for each extraction parameter. Moreover, targeted specialized metabolites were also analyzed using UPLC-PDA. Further, multivariate analysis including supervised orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis and unsupervised principal component analysis were employed to understand the lipid makeup, its dissemination, and similarity traits among the samples. Q-TOF/MS revealed the comprehensive lipidome of P. kurroa that includes the important presence of Cer, FA, (L) PE, TG, PA, PI, PS, MGDG, and DGDG. Leaves of P. kurroa collected from the Pangi region showed higher lipid content than other targeted parts and localities, whereas targeted metabolites including picrosides were present higher in the rhizomes of the Pangi region. Further, statistical analysis showed clear dissemination and similarity traits among the samples. The current study suggested variability among the chemo-profile of different locational samples. We concluded that leaves of P. kurroa collected from the Pangi region constitute higher lipid content than other parts and P. kurroa plants collected from another area. Also, the findings revealed that the plant P. kurroa contains Cer, FA, (L)PE, TG, DG, PG, PA, PI, PS, MGDG, and DGDG. The variation in picroside contents was also observed through UPLC-DAD analysis; rhizomes collected from the Bhatori (Pangi) region exhibited the highest picroside content.
Biomass-derived carbons hold great potential as multifunctional electrode materials for applications in energy storage and conversion. Herein, we reveal the self-compensation mechanism besides porosity nanoarchitectonics in carbons converted from high-carbon peat moss for high-performance electrode materials. Firstly, carbons are prepared from whole peat moss plant by lignin removal at room temperature and chemical activation at 700 °C, where the high cellulose content in leaf is disclosed to contribute to mesopore formation and the lignin-rich stem containing oriented channels results in macropore generation. Although the obtained carbon possesses a medium specific surface area of 651.0 m2 g-1, the hierarchical porosity provides ideal pathways for fast charge storage and transport, thereby demonstrating a high capacitance of 260.0F g-1 at 1 A g-1 as a supercapacitor electrode material. Alternatively, hydrothermal treatment of whole peat moss plant at 180 °C leads to its partial carbonization, accompanied with the formation of abundant carbon dots. Further pyrolysis of the obtained carbon intermediate at 950 °C improves its graphitization, but decreases the specific surface area to 419.8 m2 g-1 due to structural collapse. However, benefiting from the stem-leaf compensatory mechanism during hydrothermal carbonization, the incorporation of carbon dots endows the carbons with abundant active sites for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), providing an onset potential at 0.94 V vs. RHE and a half-wave potential at 0.84 V vs. RHE in alkaline solution. A full-cell zinc-air battery device with the obtained carbons as the cathode catalyst delivers a high power density of 171 mW cm-2 and good durability.
Current biodegradable mulching films often have insufficient mechanical strength, weak UV protection, and no capacity for soil pH monitoring. We developed a degradable and recyclable multifunctional agricultural film (PSC/An) from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium lignosulfonate (SL), corn husk-derived cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and blueberry anthocyanins (An). The film was fabricated by simple solution casting and integrates mechanical reinforcement, UV shielding, and visual soil-pH sensing. PSC/An showed a tensile strength of 53.6 MPa and UV transmittance below 1 %, indicating effective UV blocking. It also displayed clear color changes over pH 2-13 and in soils with different pH values, enabling direct visual identification of soil acidity/alkalinity. After three dissolution-regeneration cycles, the film retained its mechanical properties, pH responsiveness, and UV-shielding ability. It reached 56.6 % degradation after 50 days of soil burial. In pak choi pots, film mulching increased seed germination to 96.7 % and produced greater plant height, root length, and biomass than the unmulched control and commercial LDPE mulch. This multifunctional film offers a practical design strategy for environmentally friendly, intelligent mulching materials for sustainable agriculture.
Quorum sensing molecules play important roles in microbial metabolic regulation; however, their involvement in microalgal carbon allocation remains poorly understood. In this study, the effects of N-octanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL) on Chlorella sp. growth and lipid accumulation were systematically investigated, with particular focus on the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS). C8-HSL significantly promoted cell proliferation, resulting in a 30.9% increase in cell density at the late cultivation stage relative to the untreated control. It also enhanced lipid synthesis while maintaining or enhancing microalgal growth, with neutral lipid content and lipid productivity at the end of cultivation increasing by 33.1% and 25.1%, respectively. C8-HSL-treated cultures showed increased intracellular ROS levels and activated antioxidant defense responses. Transcriptomic analysis at the late cultivation stage revealed coordinated upregulation of genes related to photosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, acetyl-CoA generation, and fatty acid biosynthesis, suggesting a transcriptional state consistent with altered carbon allocation toward storage and lipid synthesis. Antioxidant supplementation attenuated C8-HSL-induced lipid accumulation, supporting ROS involvement. Overall, C8-HSL contributed to the coordinated enhancement of microalgal growth and lipid accumulation, partially through ROS-associated metabolic regulation, potentially providing a useful strategy for improving microalgal biomass and lipid production under non-stress conditions.