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Olive leaf protein hydrolysates yield gastro-resistant peptides with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential: peptidomics, in vitro validation and molecular docking analyses.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves are an abundant olive-oil by-product and a promising feedstock for sustainable valorisation. An olive leaf protein isolate (OLPI) from olive-leaf powder (OLP) was enzymatically hydrolysed to yield seven hydrolysates (OLPHs). All showed notable antioxidant activity as whole hydrolysate matrices (EC₅₀ = 0.11-0.28 mg mL-1); likely reflecting the combined contribution of released peptides and co-extracted phenolic compounds; the 15-min Alcalase product (OLPH15A) showed high activity with the shortest processing time. Its INFOGEST digest (dOLPH15A) attenuated LPS-induced inflammation in Caco-2 cells, down-regulating pro-inflammatory and up-regulating anti-inflammatory genes. Peptidomics identified 7037 peptides in OLPH15A and 534 in dOLPH15A, from which twenty gastro-resistant sequences were prioritised for in silico analysis. Multi-tool prediction and docking highlighted four peptides, GAAGGIGQPL, QSAYPGTGPL, GGGAGGGDGGIL and LDAQFPGVN, with favourable predicted affinity for the TLR4/MD2 complex, suggesting that they may contribute to the observed immunomodulatory response. These findings position olive leaves as a viable source of protein hydrolysate-based ingredients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, advancing the valorisation of olive-oil by-products.

Olea

A black soybean yoghurt fermented with a reusable probiotic cellulose gel: beneficial effects and metabolic characteristics.

The demand for plant-based yoghurts is continuously increasing. However, achieving stable physicochemical properties and acceptable flavor of the plant-based yoghurts remains challenging. In our previous work, we encapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) LCC-605 biofilm into bacterial cellulose (BC), obtaining a LP605@BC gel. LP605@BC gel exhibited excellent harsh-environment resistance abilities and storage stability, and is very suitable as a starter culture. In this work, we used LP605@BC as a starter culture to prepare the fermented plant-based yoghurt (e.g., black soybean yoghurt, BSY-LP605@BC). After fermentation, the inverted nonflowing yoghurt was formed due to the strong interaction between protein and exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by LCC-605 during fermentation. In addition, the water holding capacity (67.2%) of BSY-LP605@BC was also greatly improved. The viable bacterial counts in BSY-LP605@BC reached 11.2 log CFU/mL after 21 days of storage. BSY-LP605@BC showed increased antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering abilities, and hypoglycemic potential compared with the unfermented black soybean milk. Interestingly, LP605@BC could be reused at least 5 times, demonstrating excellent sustainability. Significant metabolomic differences between BSY-LP605@BC and the black soybean milk were observed via untargeted metabolomic analysis, further proving the beneficial effects of BSY-LP605@BC. Overall, our work developed an effective reusable starter culture for preparing the plant-based yoghurt in a sustainable manner, providing a new design direction and form of starter culture.

Yogurt

Published Database Resources for Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine: Update of a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) has been established in the academic context of universities. In recent years, strategies have been developed worldwide to strengthen the role of TCIM in supporting the health of the population. Online databases are a common way for obtaining evidence-based information. This article is an update of a former systematic review from 2010 on published databases resources for TCIM. METHODS: The databases CINAHL, CAMbase, Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Google Scholar search engine were searched for databases related to TCIM published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and November 2024. All included databases were visited online, and information on the origin, content, and scope of the database was extracted. RESULTS: A total of 6579 articles were identified through the literature search. After exclusion of irrelevant articles, full-text screening of 127 articles yielded 37 new databases. Together with 16 still available old databases, these mainly contained information on herbal therapies (n = 15) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (n = 11) from 18 different countries. Newly identified medicinal plant databases offer various scientific resources such as crude drugs, indigenous plants, and structures for natural and phytochemical components with molecular biological content. CONCLUSIONS: This literature review illustrates the dynamic development in the database landscape over the last 15 years. While the number of bibliographic databases is shrinking, databases in the field of medical plants/herbal therapy content are on the rise, which might be due to advances in plant genomics and molecular biology.

Humans

Cytonuclear conflict and reticulate evolution in the Morelloid clade (Solanum, Solanaceae): Insights from genome skimming and network Phylogenomics.

The Morelloid clade (black nightshades) is one of the most strongly supported clades within the megadiverse Solanum genus. It comprises 76 globally distributed, non-spiny herbaceous and suffrutescent species. While often erroneously considered poisonous weeds, several species are economically important as orphan crops. The clade is closely related to tomato and potato but, due to a lack of focused breeding efforts, remains a putative reservoir of genetic diversity for crop improvement. Despite this potential, we lack fundamental knowledge on the evolution of the Morelloid clade. The group includes polyploid species with unknown parental origins-likely reflecting reticulate processes such as hybridization, introgression, and associated backcrossing events. Prior analyses have been unable to disentangle these processes, leaving the mechanisms underlying reticulate evolution in the Morelloid clade poorly understood. Here, we use genome skimming to produce a well-supported maximum likelihood plastid phylogeny from complete circularized plastomes and a coalescent-based species tree from combined Angiosperms353 and conserved ortholog set nuclear markers. Our dataset, composed of previously published data and deep genome skimming from herbarium samples, spans 26 Morelloid species. To investigate phylogenetic discordance, we used a nuclear phylogenetic network, multispecies coalescent simulations, a fused rooted nuclear chloroplast tree, and quantification of nuclear gene tree concordance. We show that incongruence between nuclear and plastid trees is pervasive and cannot be explained by incomplete lineage sorting alone. Instead, our results demonstrate that events consistent with repeated chloroplast capture have shaped the reticulate evolutionary history of the clade, especially among African polyploid and Pan-American diploid lineages.

Phylogeny

A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of olive leaf or olive pomace supplementation on cardiometabolic and anthropometric health markers.

AIMS: Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) are major contributors to global morbidity and mortality, and dietary bioactives such as polyphenols may modulate key risk factors. Olive by-products, particularly olive leaves (OL) and olive pomace (OP), are rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardiometabolic effects demonstrated across in vitro, preclinical, and clinical studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: This GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis included 30 randomized controlled trials (n = 1726) evaluating OL or OP supplementation on 21 standardized biomarkers, encompassing inflammatory markers, lipid profile, glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, anthropometric measures, and blood pressure. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models, with effect sizes calculated as mean differences (or standardized mean differences for oxLDL). Between-study heterogeneity was assessed with I2 statistics, and sensitivity and subgroup analyses explored potential sources of variability. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg's test and funnel plots where appropriate. OL supplementation significantly improved lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, ApoB, oxLDL) and increased ApoA1, while reducing TNF-α, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body weight, and BMI. No significant effects were observed on glycemic markers. OP supplementation showed no consistent cardiometabolic benefits and was associated with an increase in IL-8. Certainty of evidence ranged from very low to high, with several outcomes downgraded due to imprecision, heterogeneity, or limited study numbers. CONCLUSION: These findings support the targeted use of OL as an adjunctive strategy for cardiometabolic risk management. Evidence for OP supplementation remains limited, underscoring the need for well-powered, high-quality RCTs to clarify its clinical effects.

Humans

Effect of an oral complementary medicine combination for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Many individuals use complementary medicine therapies for osteoarthritis, despite limited scientific supporting evidence. These therapies have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and chondroprotective effects via different molecular pathways, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel oral complementary medicine combination in adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis at 12 weeks. DESIGN: The 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled ATLAS trial was conducted in Australia from July 2024 to April 2025 (ACTRN12623000380695). Eligible participants were aged ≥40 years with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and radiographic Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive the complementary medicine combination, comprising a total daily dose of Boswellia serrata extract 250 mg, pine bark extract 100 mg, methylsulfonylmethane 1500 mg, curcumin 500 mg, and piperine 5 mg, or placebo. The primary outcome was the 12-week change in knee pain (0-100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS)). A 95% confidence interval excluding differences >18 mm between groups was interpreted as the absence of a clinically meaningful difference. Harms were monitored weekly. RESULTS: Eighty-four participants were recruited (mean [SD], age 63.7 [8.0] years, BMI 29.0 [5.5] kg/m2), and 57% were female. At 12-weeks, both groups (intention-to-treat population: complementary medicine, n=42; placebo, n=41) showed a decrease in VAS pain (least squares means: complementary medicine 20.1 mm vs placebo 20.3 mm), however with no difference between groups: 0.16 mm (95% CI -6.81 to 7.12). The safety profile of experiencing any AE was similar between groups (risk difference, -3.4% [95% CI -24.8-17.9%]); and most adverse events were mild or moderate. Four participants experienced serious adverse events, unrelated to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The complementary medicine combination was not superior to placebo for improving pain over 12 weeks, and the evidence does not support the use of this combination to treat people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Humans

Comparison of paralog identification methods and their impact on species tree topologies in target capture phylogenomics within the Sindora clade (Detarioideae: Leguminosae).

Target capture is a common method of generating high throughput DNA sequencing data for phylogenetic reconstruction of species relationships, for which single copy genes are usually most informative. However, a pervasive problem with target capture is that putatively single copy genes may in fact be paralogs resulting from gene duplication, which are problematic for phylogenetic inference because their evolutionary history may differ from the divergence history of species. Here, we use as a case study a target enrichment dataset of 88 species of Detarioideae (Leguminosae) with a focus on the Sindora clade to examine approaches for handling paralogs, including the built-in paralog handling functions in HybPiper and CAPTUS, plus subsequent steps using Putative Paralog Detection and the tree-based Yang & Smith orthology inference approach. We compare the paralogs flagged using these methods and verify their performance with BLAST mapping against a reference genome sequence of Sindora glabra, and then subsequently compare the species tree topologies produced across these methods. Our comparisons of paralogs flagged across the Sindora clade show that the Putative Paralog Detection pipeline was the most accurate in identifying paralogs in terms of its similarity to the BLAST mapping, followed by the built-in paralog identification function of CAPTUS. However, the results we recovered for the Detarioideae subfamily suggest that the largest differences in species tree topology resulted from the use of paralog-filtered alignments (such as with the Putative Paralog Detection pipeline and the Yang & Smith orthology inference approaches) rather than just by removing the sequences of identified paralogous genes. This was the true for HybPiper-assembled datasets but was not seen in CAPTUS-assembled datasets. In all comparisons, the topological differences caused by different paralog handling methods tended to be confined to clades where processes such as hybridisation and introgression are prevalent. Our study provides a roadmap to establish the best approach to identify, eliminate or separate paralogs in the absence of a chromosomally contiguous reference genome for a study group, and highlights the importance of careful data inspection and processing in addition to understanding the extent of paralogy and paralog characteristics (e.g. sequence divergence between copies) for their study group.

Phylogeny

Desert-derived Ensifer sp. SA403 enhances potato salt tolerance by reshaping rhizosphere microbiome functions and host responses.

Soil salinization increasingly threatens global food security, and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a moderately salt-sensitive crop, is particularly vulnerable to saline soils. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) offer a promising strategy to improve crop performance, yet how PGPR interact with native microorganisms to enhance potato salt tolerance remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a desert-derived PGPR strain, Ensifer sp. SA403, which substantially enhanced potato performance under high salinity across sterile, non-sterile and field conditions. Physiologically, inoculation with SA403 reduced shoot Na⁺ accumulation and increased the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio; notably, these effects were markedly stronger in non-sterile substrates than under sterile conditions, indicating that SA403-mediated ion homeostasis relies on cooperation with the resident microbiota rather than on the strain acting alone. Metagenomic profiling indicated that SA403 strain reshaped rhizosphere communities, significantly enriching beneficial taxa such as Priestia and Bradyrhizobium, and upregulated functional pathways involved in glutathione and sulfur metabolism. Furthermore, host transcriptomic analyses showed that SA403 modulated plant responses to salt stress, with differentially expressed genes enriched in jasmonic acid signaling, ethanolamine metabolism and amino-acid biosynthesis pathways. Field trials on saline soils confirmed that SA403 significantly increased seedling emergence and tuber weight. Together, our results demonstrate that SA403 functions as a biological mediator that optimizes rhizosphere microecology and coordinates ion balance and host signaling to enhance potato salt tolerance. These findings support the potential of SA403 as a robust PGPR-based tool for sustainable potato production on saline soils.

Rhizosphere

Mul-PheG2P: decoupled learning and prediction-space fusion enables robust and interpretable multi-phenotype genomic prediction.

Genomic prediction of multiple phenotypes is crucial in modern plant breeding; however, existing methods struggle with negative transfer and lack interpretability, particularly across high-dimensional small-sample data and diverse species. To address this, we propose Mul-PheG2P, a novel paradigm based on decoupled learning and predictive space fusion. It employs a two-stage design: first training phenotype-specific encoders using genetic data, then decoupling phenotype-specific learning from cross-phenotype aggregation via an interpretable prediction layer. Mul-PheG2P outperforms existing methods across diverse crop datasets, including maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). It provides a multi-scale interpretability chain: at the macro level, it quantifies phenotypic contributions via attention-based weighting; at the micro level, Integrated Gradients reveal the genetic basis of predictions. Notably, the model successfully identified the CCT (CONSTANS, CO-like, and TOC) motif regulating photoperiodism and the SQUAMOSA (SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein) promoter for inflorescence development, confirming its ability to capture functional biological mechanisms. These results highlight the high performance and interpretability of Mul-PheG2P, showcasing its value for low-cost, large-scale screening to advance precision breeding.

Phenotype

Ramu stunt virus genome reveals previously unreported segments and nucleocapsid domain duplication in Mechlorovirus.

Ramu stunt virus (RmSV), a member of the genus Mechlorovirus within the family Phenuiviridae, was previously described as a six-segmented RNA virus infecting sugarcane. In this study, we re-examined type material and additional isolates using high-throughput sequencing and RT-PCR validation, revealing that RmSV possesses a nine-segmented genome, making it the largest reported in the Phenuiviridae. This expanded architecture includes duplicated RNA segments (RNA 2a and RNA 2b) encoding nucleocapsid-like proteins and two novel segments (RNA 7 and RNA 8). Comparative analysis showed that RNA 2a and 2b share about 84% amino acid identity, while RNA 5 encodes a third nucleocapsid homolog, indicating unprecedented domain redundancy. Structural modeling confirmed that all three nucleocapsid proteins maintain a conserved fold despite low sequence identity, with electrostatic mapping suggesting differential RNA-binding potential. Additionally, RNA 6 encodes a hypothetical protein structurally similar to the rice stripe virus disease-specific S-protein, implicating a role in symptom development. Transcript abundance analysis revealed RNA 6 as the most highly expressed segment across isolates. These findings revise the genomic composition of RmSV, highlight mechanisms of genome plasticity and adaptive evolution in plant-infecting bunyaviruses, and underscore practical implications for diagnostic assay design, resistance breeding, and biosecurity surveillance.

Genome, Viral

Dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes co-occurrence with pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria throughout wastewater treatment processes.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and pathogenic bacteria. Despite advancements in treatment technologies, the persistence of ARGs and pathogenic bacteria remains a concern. In this study, we analyzed the dynamic changes in ARGs and bacterial communities throughout the treatment processes within an anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (AAO) WWTP over one week by using HT-qPCR coupled with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The connectedness index, based on network analysis, showed that the dynamics of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were more strongly associated with potentially pathogenic bacteria than with non-pathogenic bacteria, suggesting that ARG immigration and dissemination in the WWTP were likely driven by potentially pathogenic taxa. The AAO treatment significantly reduced ARGs in final effluent (EF) (∼64 %) and residual sludge (RS) (∼81 %); however, potential hosts of ARGs such as Comamonas testosteroni and Clostridioides difficile persisted with minimal changes in relative abundance and remained detectable in EF and RS. Notably, the abundance of ARGs was lower in RS than in EF, and source tracking analysis identified influent as the primary source of ARGs and potentially pathogenic taxa in EF, underscoring the greater health risks associated with effluent discharge.

Wastewater

Introgression shapes the genomic conflict landscape of Malus, providing evidence for a reticulate backbone in a woody crop lineage.

Phylogenomic discordance is widespread across plants, but its evolutionary significance is often obscured when conflict is treated primarily as analytical noise rather than as evidence of underlying processes. In woody lineages in particular, incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, and genome duplication can interact over long timescales to produce complex genomic histories that are not adequately summarized by a strictly bifurcating tree. Here, we use Malus as a model woody genus to investigate how these processes structure conflict across a genus-scale, accession-based phylogenomic framework. Using broad taxon sampling, hundreds of nuclear loci, plastid genomes, and genome-wide SNP summaries, we reconstruct a robust nuclear backbone for sampled Malus lineages and evaluate where discordance is concentrated and which processes best explain it. Nuclear analyses resolve eight major clades, whereas conflict is non-random and localized to recurrent hotspots rather than evenly distributed across the tree. Cytonuclear discordance is similarly concentrated, especially around Clade H, represented by sampled accessions of M. tschonoskii, where localized plastid-nuclear disagreement is consistent with candidate plastid capture or organellar introgression. Multiple complementary analyses further indicate that the strongest conflict is not explained by ILS alone, but instead reflects lineage-structured introgression, while polyploid complexes represent additional localized sources of evolutionary complexity. Together, these results provide evidence for a reticulate genomic backbone in Malus and show how integrating nuclear, plastid, and genome-wide conflict analyses can help distinguish background discordance from process-specific signals in woody plant radiations. Several lineage-level reticulation hypotheses identified here should now be tested with broader population-level sampling and curated reference accessions.

Malus

The science of Arabic coffee (Qahwa): from phytochemistry and nutritional profile to health benefits and safety evaluation.

Arabic coffee (Qahwa), a traditional beverage widely consumed in the Middle East, has attracted increasing scientific attention due to its distinctive phytochemical composition and associated health effects. This review provides an integrated analysis of Qahwa's nutritional profile, focusing on its key bioactive constituents, including chlorogenic acids, caffeine, diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol), and phenolic compounds. These constituents contribute to a range of biological activities, notably antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and metabolic regulatory effects. The influence of technological variables, including roasting degree, brewing method, and bean origin, on the chemical composition and functional properties is critically examined. Safety concerns, particularly acrylamide formation and mycotoxin contamination, are also discussed. Although emerging data support Qahwa's potential as a functional beverage, further research is required to clarify dose-response relationships, synergistic interactions, and long-term health outcomes. This work highlights Qahwa as a promising candidate for food and nutraceutical applications, warranting standardized compositional profiling and toxicological evaluation.

Humans

Synergistic transcriptional modules in Trichoderma asperellum enhance glutathione detoxification to counteract fungal pathogen toxins.

Trichoderma fungi are potent biocontrol agents. However, their defence mechanisms against pathogen-derived toxins remain poorly understood. We identified two synergistic transcription factor modules in T. asperellum that orchestrate the detoxification of cytotoxic secondary metabolites from the poplar blight pathogen Alternaria alternata. Overexpression of the central regulator TasMYB46 reduced disease lesion area by approximately 22% and was associated with decreased pathogen-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Mechanistically, TasMYB46 directly activates the glutathione S-transferases TasGST61.1 and TasGST56.1 through distinct promoter binding sites (G-box/as-1/MBS), forming dedicated detoxification modules. Crucially, we identified urolithin C as the most abundant phytotoxin in A. alternata metabolites, which is efficiently detoxified through the TasMYB46-TasGST61.1 module. The transcription enhancer TasbHLH53.8 amplifies this system by binding to TasMYB46, boosting TasGST expression and enhancing glutathione-dependent detoxification capacity. This coordinated response elevates glutathione pools and antioxidant enzyme activities (GST/GPx), conferring increased oxidative stress resistance. This study reveals a novel defence mechanism in Trichoderma in which MYB-bHLH-GST modules enable biocontrol agents to neutralise pathogen-derived toxins. Given that Alternaria toxins threaten crops globally (tomatoes, potatoes, citrus), the discovered regulatory synergy represents a strategic advance in developing next-generation biocontrol solutions against toxin-producing plant pathogens.

Alternaria

Enrichment of Lysobacter in a long-term organically managed agricultural field with low soilborne disease incidence.

Disease-suppressive soils, in which soilborne pathogens are naturally suppressed, offer a promising model for sustainable crop protection, particularly in organic farming systems where chemical disease control options are limited. Although disease suppression in these soils is considered to rely on biological control, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated soil from a long-term organically managed field in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, where soilborne disease incidence has remained consistently low, to identify bacterial community features potentially associated with this field. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing indicated that this soil harbored a bacterial community distinct from those of nearby agricultural soils. Following the application of organic compounds, the genus Lysobacter, a taxon with known antagonistic activity against plant pathogens, was markedly enriched in response to proteinaceous organic inputs. This enrichment was consistent across sampling times and specific to certain proteinaceous organic inputs, whereas minimal effects were observed on chitin, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, or cysteine. Broader soil surveys indicated that Lysobacter enrichment was not strictly associated with whether soils had been managed under organic or conventional farming practices. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified 10 co-occurring bacterial genera that were strongly associated with Lysobacter abundance. These findings highlight condition-dependent Lysobacter enrichment as a characteristic microbial response to proteinaceous organic amendments in this low-disease-incidence field and provide microbial insights that may inform microbiome-based strategies for sustainable soil management.

Lysobacter

Non-destructive prediction of lead content in oilseed rape leaves by fluorescence hyperspectral technology based on neural network.

Based on fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (FHSI), this study targeted rapid, non-destructive quantification of lead (Pb) content in oilseed rape leaves treated with varying silicon (Si) concentrations, acquiring fluorescence spectra over the 484.43-1001.61 nm wavelength range. To optimize spectral data quality, preprocessing methods (Savitzky-Golay smoothing, first derivative, detrending) were comprehensively compared. Characteristic wavelengths were then selected via interval variable iterative shrinkage, which effectively compressed data dimensionality and reduced computational load. A hybrid SE-CL1DA model, fusing a 1D convolutional neural network, a long short-term memory network and SE attention mechanism was constructed, with Bayesian optimization tuning hyperparameters to boost stability. The BO-SE-CL1DA outperformed both traditional machine learning and insufficiently optimized deep learning model (Rp2=0.9609, RMSE = 0.0377 mg/kg, RPD = 5.1736), thus enabling accurate Pb estimation, supporting Si-regulated heavy metal stress management and facilitating agricultural contamination monitoring.

Plant Leaves

Long-term (>7-year) parental consumption of genetically modified maize (Cry1Ab/Cry2Aj and EPSPS) induces no adverse sperm DNA methylation alterations across two generations of cynomolgus monkeys.

This study assessed the long-term safety of genetically modified (GM) maize from a male reproductive perspective, using a non-human primate model. We analyzed the sperm DNA methylation profiles in cynomolgus monkeys fed GM maize, non-GM parental maize, or a conventional diet over two generations (F0/F1). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) revealed no significant differences in global methylation levels among groups. The identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were short, enriched in non-regulatory genomic areas, and did not cluster after treatment. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DMR-associated genes were consistently involved in the same core biological pathways (e.g., mTOR and Wnt signaling) across all dietary comparisons. These findings indicate that GM maize consumption did not induce specific adverse epigenetic alterations in sperm, with the observed changes reflecting common physiological adaptations to dietary variations rather than GM-related effects.

Animals

Biomass burning contributions to Mexico City's atmospheric CO2 estimated using a multi-isotope approach.

Fossil fuel combustion dominates anthropogenic emissions worldwide; however, special attention should be addressed to biomass burning, since it is an increasingly important contributor under warmer, drier fire-weather conditions exacerbated by climate change. These emissions could impact the atmospheric composition of heavily urbanized environments. To assess the influence of biomass burning, along with fossil fuels combustion and soil and plant respiration on Mexico City's atmospheric composition, we conducted a year-long (December 2023-December 2024) isotopic monitoring of atmospheric CO2, combining radiocarbon (&#x394;14C), CO2 stable isotopes (&#x3b4;13C, &#x3b4;18O), and CO/CO2 ratios. Once defined the isotopic signatures and the characteristic CO/CO2 that describe the sources, we performed Monte Carlo simulations under two tracer modalities (&#x394;14C + CO/CO2 and &#x394;14C + CO2 stable isotopes) for source apportionment. Results show that during the dry season, particularly in March-April, atmospheric &#x394;14C values approached and overlapped background levels despite Mexico City's fossil-fuel dominance, indicating enhanced non-fossil inputs. Moreover, backward HYSPLIT trajectories supported that these elevated &#x394;14C values coincided with regional wildfire activity. Monte Carlo results attributed up to &#x223c;34 %-60 % of local CO2 to biomass burning in April, followed by March with contributions of &#x223c;31 %-49 %. Since these biomass burning figures contrast with the official emissions inventory of Mexico City metropolitan area, which assigns <1 % of total CO2 emissions to biomass burning, this study could exhibit the emissions inventory underestimation of this source, and thus, the need to reassess and incorporate top-down isotopic constraints in fire-affected urban regions.

Mexico