Lately, a rise of plant-related food allergies could be observed following the increase of plant-based food consumption. This narrative review provides an overview of important plant allergens from the most common allergen sources including the "Big 9", and those gaining more clinical significance such as legumes (other than peanuts) or fruits. Both commercially available and unavailable allergens for in vitro (i.e., specific IgE) and ex vivo (e.g., basophil activation test) diagnostics described in the literature to date are included in this work. In addition, gaps in the commercially available test panels (e.g., oleosins) as well as a lack of knowledge about the clinical relevance of some allergens are highlighted using the latest publications. Furthermore, practical applications are provided in exemplary case reports. In conclusion, molecular allergology provides important tools to advance precision diagnostics of allergic diseases and consequently, patient care.

The presence of heavy metals in soil, water, and air is an emerging critical environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradability and toxicity. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd) using the combined effect of glutamic acid (GA, 10 mM) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs, 150 mgL− 1) in marigold. Over 28 days in a completely randomized design experiment, the effects of CeO2 NPs and GA on plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), electrolyte leakage (EL), SPAD values, soluble proteins, and Cd accumulation in marigold plants were assessed. Exposure to Cd, especially at 5.0 mM, significantly reduces plant growth, chlorophyll content, and protein levels while increasing ROS, EL, and oxidative damage. However, the combined application of GA and CeO2NPs alleviated Cd toxicity by improving growth parameters, enhancing chlorophyll and protein content, and boosting antioxidant defenses. Notably, the applied treatment also increased Cd accumulation in roots (108%), stems (106%), and leaves (119%) relative to controls. SPAD values and soluble protein levels increased under the combined treatment, thereby improving photosynthetic efficiency and metabolic resilience. The results also showed a substantial reduction in oxidative stress markers such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), confirming a strong protective effect. These findings reveal that GA and CeO2NPs can enhance both Cd tolerance and uptake in marigold, suggesting potential for improving phytoremediation efficiency under controlled conditions.

Utilizing microbial biofertilizers has emerged as a viable alternative to enhance crop productivity in sustainable agriculture. Of the 378 endophytic strains from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and nibung palm (Oncosperma sp.), 168 strains exhibited phosphate solubilization indices (PSI: 1.47 to 4.37), and, within those isolates, 48 endophytes displayed indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production (2.91 to 120.90 μg/ml). Culture filtrates from 14 strains with high PSI and IAA production were selected to assess their ability to increase seed germination of sweet and field corn. Eight of these endophytes significantly enhanced seed germination and seedling growth, particularly Daldinia eschscholtzii MFLUCC20-0215 (P ≤ 0.05). This fungal strain also promotes phosphorus availability, as soluble inorganic phosphate in the soil increased from 0.89 ± 0.14 to 2.74 ± 0.09 ppm after inoculation with this strain for 30 days. The total chlorophyll of corn leaves grown in nutrient-depleted (N.D.) soil inoculated with D. eschscholtzii MFLUCC20-0215 was higher than corn grown in N.D. soil (13.37 ± 2.20 μmol m-2 compared with 5.10 ± 0.06 μmol m-2). A microbial biofertilizer prototype was developed and used as inoculants in the soil for cultivating crops including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), chili (Capsicum frutescens), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), red coral lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa), and Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea). Significant differences were evident across all growth indexes of the tested crops when comparing our biofertilizer prototype and synthetic fertilizer to the negative control. Here, we present for the first time that nibung palm is a source of beneficial endophytic fungi in promoting plant growth. Our biofertilizer prototype will contribute to sustainable crop production systems by effectively enhancing crop production while minimizing environmental impacts.

Biochar and microbial bio-fertilizers, such as endophytic fungi and plant growth-promoting endophytes (PGPEs), offer sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers by enhancing soil fertility and plant performance. However, their synergistic effects particularly those involving auxin (IAA) biosynthesis and nutrient uptake, remain underexplored in calcareous soils. This study investigates how the integration of biochar with auxin-producing microbial inoculants influences soil-plant interactions and canola productivity. A pot experiment was conducted using two Brassica napus (canola) cultivars (DGL and Faisal canola) grown under alkaline calcareous soil. Treatments included individual and combined applications of A. baumannii MN24 and P. indica, with and without biochar. Physiological traits, auxin concentrations (IAA), root and shoot biomass, nutrient uptake (N, P, K), seed quality, and soil microbial and enzymatic activities were measured. Results revealed that the combined application of biochar, MN24, and P. indica significantly enhanced plant biomass, stem diameter, and grain yield by up to 203%, 127%, and 212%, respectively, in Faisal canola compared to the control. Biochar also amplified the microbial colonization and enzymatic activity in soil, leading to higher microbial biomass, enhanced nutrient uptake, and reduced electrolyte leakage and osmotic potential, indicating improved plant performance. Notably, these improvements translated to higher canola seed quality, with elevated fat, ash, and fiber contents. Enhanced auxin synthesis, particularly in the presence of l-tryptophan, was linked to improved root architecture, microbial colonization, and reduced plant stress indicators. These findings suggest that biochar-microbe-l-tryptophan synergy offers a powerful tool for sustainable crop intensification in challenging soils by optimizing hormone-mediated soil-plant processes.

Browning, caused by enzymatic activity and storage conditions, affects cabbage during cold storage and is crucial for customer acceptance. This study investigated the effect of cardboard packaging containing low concentrations of nano-orange oil (ONE) at 0.006% in palm wood waste powder for anti-browning and extending the shelf life of cabbage. The incorporation of ONE into palm wood powder (PWP) using different methods (soaking, vapor, vapor with ultrasonic device, and control) was examined before using the active PWP to develop cardboard cabbage packaging. The reuse of the active cabbage box packaging was also investigated for up to three reuses. The results showed that a greater anti-browning effect was achieved with cardboard packaging made from active PWP with orange oil vapor and an ultrasonic device compared to other adsorption methods, with significantly higher inhibition of the key browning enzyme activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD). Additionally, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds were improved, maintaining the bright green color of cabbage after 21 days of storage. The shelf life of cabbage stored in active cardboard was extended to at least 21 days compared to 5 days for the control. The active cabbage box with PWP and ONE vapor with an ultrasonic device showed potential for reuse at least two times. Limonene was found on the surface of stored cabbage and may be a key factor in antimicrobial activity, helping to control microbial growth on the cabbage surface within standard limits during long-term storage. This finding provides valuable guidance for reducing cabbage waste during transportation and storage from farm to market. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research offers new insights into active cardboard packaging made from palm wood powder with a low concentration of orange oil vapor to prevent browning and microbial growth in storage boxes. The optimal method for producing this packaging uses nano-orange oil vapor at 0.006% with an ultrasonic device, which could be feasible for large-scale production. The packaging effectively reduced PPO and POD enzyme activity, delaying browning and extending cabbage shelf life by at least threefold compared to the control, while maintaining color and freshness. This cost-effective method promotes the sustainable use of agricultural waste in the fresh vegetable industry, as it can be reused at least twice, benefiting farmers and reducing cabbage waste.

Most agricultural products are presently cultivated on marginal lands with poor soil properties and unfavorable environmental conditions (diseases and abiotic stresses), which can threaten plant growth and yield. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are beneficial bacteria that promote plant growth and biomass and act as biocontrols against diseases and stress. However, most isolated PGPBs have a single function and low survival rates owing to their limited growth behaviors. In this study, we isolated multifunctional PGPB from oil palm rhizosphere, quantitatively measured their activities, and evaluated their effectiveness in Brassica rapa (Komatsuna) cultivation. This is the first study to report the isolation of three multifunctional PGPB strains with ammonium production, phosphate-potassium-silicate solubilization, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production from the oil palm rhizosphere, namely Kosakonia oryzendophytica AJLB38, Enterobacter quasimori AJTS77, and Lelliottia jeotgali AJTS83. Additionally, these strains showed antifungal activity against the oil palm pathogen Ganoderma boninense. These strains grow under high temperature, acidic and alkaline pH, and high salt concentration, which would result in their proliferation in various environmental conditions. The cultivation experiments revealed these strains improved the growth and biomass with half the dosage of chemical fertilizer application, which was not significantly different to the full dosage. Furthermore, the overall plant growth-promoting activities in quantitative assays and overall B. rapa growth in cultivation experiments were statistically correlated, which could contribute to the prediction of plant growth promotion without plant cultivation experiments. Thus, the selected PGPB could be valuable as a biofertilizer to improve soil health and quality and promote agricultural sustainability.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of water (four surface water, six underground water (borehole water), seven sachet water), barbecued food and their fresh equivalents (barbecued beef, fish, plantain, pork, yam, chicken, chevon, potato, corn), oil (three palm oil, nine vegetable oil), and fresh vegetable samples (water leaf, bitter leaf, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, pumpkin, garlic, ginger, green leaf, Gnetum Africana, onion, pepper) were determined by GC-MS analysis. The current study also determined the estimated lifetime cancer risk from ingesting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated food. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of water, oil, vegetable, and food samples were within the United States Environmental Protection Agency/World Health Organization safe limits. The naphthalene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene levels in surface water were significantly higher than in borehole samples (P = 0.000, 0.047, 0.047). Vegetable oils had higher anthracene and chrysene compared to palm oil (P = 0.023 and 0.032). Significant variations were observed in levels of naphthalene, acenaphthylene, phenanthrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene among the barbecued and fresh food samples (P <0.05). Barbecued pork, potato, and corn had significantly higher naphthalene compared to their fresh equivalents (P = 0.002, 0.017, and <0.001). Consumption of barbecued food and surface water may be associated with higher exposure risk to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which may predispose to increased cancer health risk. The current work explores in depth the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different dietary categories that pose direct risk to humans via direct consumption. These findings add knowledge to support future considerations for human health.

Palm wood powder derived from palm wood waste was utilized as a novel absorbent material. The investigation involved exploring its pore structure and size to achieve the controlled release of bioactive compounds from plai oil, providing protection against pathogenic bacteria and thereby extending the shelf life of broccoli. The palm wood sachet was prepared before being placed into the broccoli bag. The process to create the sachet involved freezing the palm wood at -10°C and then drying it at a temperature of 200°C. After drying, the material was ground to achieve a particle size of 20 mesh and then packaged into sachets made from wood pulp. The optimized palm wood plai oil sachet (PWPS), measuring 5 × 7 cm, with a thickness of 0.58 µm, was produced by soaking 2 g of palm powder in plai oil at a concentration of 30 µL/mL before drying and packing it inside a 5-L polyethylene plastic bag (24 × 34 cm) along with broccoli (150 g). The packages were kept at 4°C for 20 days to determine the antimicrobial activity of the PWPS and broccoli quality. PWPS significantly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes in broccoli for at least 20 days. The sachet demonstrated complete inhibition of all bacteria when reused at least two times and an 80% reduction in efficacy after three uses. Moreover, the PWPS controlled the growth of total aerobic bacteria and yeast and mold in broccoli, meeting microbiological criteria for up to 14 days. Broccoli stored with PWPS showed good quality results and contained high antioxidant value. These results demonstrate the potential application of PWPS in controlling food pathogens and spoilage microbes during storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study introduces a novel absorbent material made from palm wood powder, addressing the need for utilizing abundant waste palm wood in the food industry. The material benefits the safe transportation of vegetables from farms to markets. Its porous structure allows efficient absorption of plai oil emulsion, ensuring pathogen-free and high-quality treated broccoli. The reusable sachets benefit farmers seeking to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. This cost-effective method utilizes plai oil vapor, making it suitable for large-scale production.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is the world's third most important edible oilseed crop after soybean and palm. The clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae poses a significant risk and causes substantial yield losses in rapeseed. In this study, 13 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the healthy roots of rapeseed (B. napus) grown in a clubroot-infested field and molecularly identified. Based on germination inhibition of resting spores of P. brassicae, two endophytic fungal antagonists, Trichoderma spp. ReTk1 and ReTv2 were selected to evaluate their potential for plant growth promotion and biocontrol of P. brassicae. The Trichoderma isolates were applied as a soil drench (1×107 spore/g soil) to a planting mix and field soil, in which plants were grown under non-infested and P. brassicae-infested (2×106 spore/g soil) conditions. The endophytic fungi were able to promote plant growth, significantly increasing shoot and root length, leaf diameter, and biomass production (shoots and root weight) both in the absence or presence of P. brassicae. The single and dual treatments with the endophytes were equally effective in significantly decreasing the root-hair infection, root index, and clubroot severity index. Both ReTk1 and ReTv2 inhibited the germination of resting spores of P. brassicae in root exudates. Moreover, the endophytic fungi colonized the roots of rapeseed extensively and possibly induced host resistance by up-regulated expression of defense-related genes involved in jasmonate (BnOPR2), ethylene (BnACO and BnSAM3), phenylpropanoid (BnOPCL and BnCCR), auxin (BnAAO1) and salicylic acid (BnPR2) pathways. Based on these findings, it is evident that the rapeseed root endophytes Trichoderma spp. ReTk1 and ReTv2 could suppress the gall formation on rapeseed roots via antibiosis, induced systemic resistance (ISR), and/or systemic acquired resistance (SAR). According to our knowledge, this is the first report of the endophytic Trichoderma spp. isolated from root tissues of healthy rapeseed plants (B. napus.), promoting plant growth and reducing clubroot severity.

The objective of our study is to evaluate quality and thermo oxidative stability of soybean, palm olein, and canola oils and their blends. The binary blends of SO:POO and CO:POO were formulated in a ratio of 75:25 and ternary blend were prepared by blending CO:POO:SO in a ratio of 35:30:35. To monitor the thermal stability, pure oils and their blends were subjected to heating at 180°C for 4 hours. Heating process led to a substantial increase in free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (p-AV), and saponification value (SV), while iodine value (IV) and oxidative stability index (OSI) were decreased. The principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed. The data indicated that three significant principal components have eigenvalue ˃ 1, which collectively constitute 98.8% of the total variance. PC1 contributed mainly with a total value of 50.1%, followed by PC2 (36.2%) and PC3 (12.5%). Results of the present study revealed that the binary and ternary blends exhibited greater oxidative stability than the pure oils. But, the ternary blend CO:POO:SO in a ratio of (35:30:35) was found to be better on the basis of stability and health point of view than other blends. Overall, our study demonstrated the utility of chemometric approaches for evaluating the quality and stability of vegetable oils and their blends, which can be helpful in the selection and optimization of oil blends for food applications.

In this study, a nutritious, healthy Chongqing hotpot oil with excellent flavor was blended while considering nutrition, flavor, and health aspects. Four blended hotpot oils prepared from fragrant rapeseed, palm, sesame, and chicken oils were analyzed to determine their physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacities, levels of harmful substances, and nutritional compositions, and their sensory qualities were evaluated. Principal component analysis was performed to identify the best hotpot oil (10% chicken oil + 20% palm oil + 10% sesame oil + 60% fragrant rapeseed oil), which exhibited good antioxidant capacity (Oxidation Stability Index: 7.95 h; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl: 168.6 μmol/kg, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate): 116.7 μmol/kg, and ferric-reducing/antioxidant power: 63.9 μmol/kg), a high sensory score (7.7/10), stable physicochemical properties (acid value: 0.27 mg/g and peroxide value: 0.01 g/100 g), and high tocopherol (54.22%), and phytosterol retention (98.52%) after boiling for 8 h. Although the 3,4-benzopyrene content of this hotpot oil exceeded the EU standard after boiling for 7 h, the increase in the amount of harmful substances was the lowest.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of emulsifier and multicarbohydrase enzyme supplementation on performance, nutrient utilization, and apparent metabolizable energy-nitrogen (AMEN) value of broiler diets containing rapeseed meal (RSM) as well as their influence on the gut morphological structures, excretion of total and free sialic acid, and cecum concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in broiler chickens. A total of 384 male broiler chicks were assigned to four dietary treatments. The diet of the control treatment (CON) consisted of soybean, maize, and RSM (5% in starter, 7% in grower, 15% in finisher) with soybean and palm oils. The diets used for the experimental treatments were the control diet supplemented with an emulsifier (EMU), enzyme (ENZ), or both (EMU + ENZ). The duodenum (n = 10/treatment) and ileum (n = 10/treatment) digesta samples were assessed to determine nutrient digestibility: crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), starch, Ca. Throughout the experimental period, EMU + ENZ treatment indicated the lowest total average feed intake and feed conversion ratio, with the highest average weight gain among the studied treatments (P < 0.05). The EMU + ENZ treatment also resulted in higher (P < 0.05): apparent prececal digestibility (APD) of CP, total tract neutral detergent fibre (NDF) degradation, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of EE, villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.1). The highest APD of EE was noted in the EMU treatment (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the AMEN values of the diets. A greater jejunum villi surface area was found in groups supplemented by enzyme compared to CON (P < 0.05). The EMU + ENZ treatment presented lower sialic acid excretion in the ileum and concentration of cecum SCFAs compared to the CON treatment (P < 0.05). The obtained results indicate that simultaneous usage of additives had beneficial effect on production parameters, nutrient digestibility, NDF degradation, as well as gut mucosa morphology. Based on the SCFAs concentration results, separate or simultaneous addition of emulsifier or/and enzyme did not provoke excessive fermentation activity of cecal bacteria.