Exogenous glutathione (GSH) can alleviate cadmium (Cd) stress, yet physiological improvement and changes in internal Cd burden may not occur in parallel. Salix variegata seedlings were exposed for 10 d to 0 or 100 μM Cd with 0-1500 μM GSH. Across the full dose series, GSH responses were non-monotonic: 10 μM GSH increased root length by 67.3% under Cd stress, 250 μM GSH increased chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll by 21.4%, 39.0%, and 25.7%, respectively, whereas 1500 μM GSH inhibited several growth and pigment traits. A common 2 × 2 subset (0/250 μM GSH × 0/100 μM Cd) was used to integrate root/leaf physiology with root/shoot element status. At 250 μM GSH, H2O2 and MDA decreased in both roots and leaves, while antioxidant and osmotic responses differed between tissues. Root Cd concentration increased by 64.1%, root Cd accumulation by 165%, and total Cd accumulation by 117%, despite a 24.1% decrease in shoot Cd concentration. Root Fe concentration and total Fe accumulation increased by 173.2% and 170%, respectively. These results show that GSH responses in S. variegata are dose- and tissue-dependent and that improved physiological status can coexist with greater Cd burden and altered essential-metal homeostasis.

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are critical components of alpine sandy land ecosystems, yet how their diazotrophic communities respond to plantation type and successional stage remains largely unknown. This study examined diazotrophic community differentiation in BSCs under four sand-fixing plantations (Salix psammophila SL, Caragana korshinskii NT, Salix cheilophila WL, Populus simonii XYY) across three successional stages in an alpine sandy land. Soil properties, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities were measured, along with nifH gene sequencing (Illumina), to characterize community composition and its relationships with environmental factors along BSCs succession. The results indicate that Skermanella, Mastigocladus, and Nostoc were the dominant diazotrophic groups in the study area. The Nostoc was the dominant genus across all plantation types, with the highest average relative abundance (37.92%) recorded in moss crusts under the XYY plantations. Diazotrophic α-diversity increased with BSCs succession, and β-diversity analysis (PCoA with ANOSIM) demonstrated significant community differentiation among plantation types (variance explanation = 50.91%, R = 0.59458, p = 0.001). Spearman's and redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that sand-fixing plantations drive the differentiation of diazotrophic communities by regulating soil physicochemical properties and microbial metabolism. Furthermore, the diazotrophic communities in moss crusts exhibited stronger environmental responsiveness than those in algae crusts. In the COG functional categories, J (translation and ribosomal biogenesis, 7.92%), E (amino acid metabolism, 10.14%), and C (energy production, 7.11%) were identified as the core foundational functions of BSCs in the study area. The relative abundances of these functional categories showed convergence. In summary, different plantations were associated with distinct diazotrophic community compositions, and these associations were largely mediated by soil environmental factors. Concurrently, BSC succession covaried with enhanced differentiation in community structure and functional traits. These patterns are consistent with a stepwise response cascade linking vegetation and soil properties to diazotrophic communities and nitrogen metabolism functions. This study provides a theoretical basis for enhancing the stability and long-term restoration of artificial ecosystems by regulating diazotrophic communities in BSCs in alpine sandy land.

Tundra biomes are strongly affected by globally changing temperatures. Rising temperatures will increase soil biota activity and result in higher CO2 release from tundra soils and 'greening' of this biome, which in turn will affect carbon cycling and soil food webs. It is therefore important to better understand those high-latitude soil food webs in tundra biomes. Here, we investigated adult and juvenile soil living oribatid mites (Acari) in eight different microhabitats (i.e., patches of vegetation from Bistorta vivipara, Carex sp./Luzula sp., Cassiope tetragona, Dryas octopetala, Salix spp. and Saxifraga spp., mosses and grasses) using stable isotope ratios ([15]N/[14]N, [13]C/[12]C) in the Svalbard archipelago, a challenging habitat for soil biota with permafrost soils being entirely frozen for about 9 months of the year. Ten oribatid mite taxa were sufficiently abundant for stable isotope analyses, that is, Camisia dictyna, Ceratoppia sphaerica, Diapterobates notatus, Dissorhina ornata, Fuscozetes setiger, Mycobates sarekensis, Oppiidae, Oribatula tibialis, Scutozetes arcticus and Tectocepheus sarekensis. Four trophic groups of oribatid mites were identified (phytophagous-likely feeding on mosses, secondary decomposers, predators/scavengers and lichen feeders); primary decomposers were missing, pointing to low litter quality. The "detrital shift" in Δ[13]C was generally low pointing to the dominance of young carbon resources including mosses. Most oribatid mite taxa (Camisia dictyna, Ceratoppia sphaerica, Diapterobates notatus, Fuscozetes setiger, Mycobates sarekensis and Scutozetes arcticus) were boreal/tundra habitat specialists. Juveniles and adults typically occupied the same trophic niche despite smaller body size and mouthparts in juveniles than in adults. Oribatid mite trophic niches did not differ between microhabitats indicating that they are not specifically adapted to certain plant species or microhabitats. Overall, the stable trophic ecology of oribatid mites across microhabitats allows predictions of Arctic soil food web changes under continued warming.

In dairy cows, early lactation is a period prone to oxidative stress, inflammation and health problems. Our objective was to investigate the effects of 2 strategies of nutritional supplementation on physiological and immunological status of early lactating cows. The first strategy consisted of supplementing vitamin E (all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate) from 3 weeks before calving (3,000 IU/d before and 1,000 IU/d after calving). The other strategy consisted of supplementing plant extracts (Sambucus nigra, Salix alba, Laurus nobilis, Harpagophytum procumbens, Silybum marianum and Arctium lappa, QUALIMILK product from BIODEVAS Laboratoires, QPB plant extracts) from calving (10 g/d). In anticipation of cows being removed due to health issues or changes in calving dates, 51 Holstein dairy cows were assigned to 3 groups of 17 cows with a final target of 15 cows per group. Each group was randomly assigned to one of the 3 compared treatments: control group (final n = 15), vitamin E group (final n = 16), and QPB plant extract group (final n = 14). Their redox and immune status were monitored during the first 12 weeks of lactation, every 4 weeks. In wk 12, malondialdehyde levels in plasma tended to be lower in the vitamin E and QPB plant extract groups than in the control group. The vitamin E and QPB plant extract groups had lower ex vivo plasma CCL4, IL6 and IL8 cytokine levels, lower proportions of blood regulatory neutrophils, and less ROS production by blood neutrophils than the control group. In terms of immune response, the expression of FABP3 in milk mammary epithelial cells was downregulated in multiparous cows supplemented with vitamin E and QPB plant extracts. Therefore, supplementation with either vitamin E before and after calving or QPB plant extracts after calving clearly reduced the ex vivo inflammatory response and enhance a specific ex vivo immune response shown to be involved in the fight against mastitis.

Salix songarica Andersson (S. songarica), a medicinal plant endemic to Xinjiang, exhibits high polyphenol content in its floral tissues. Although it shows anti-inflammatory potential, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of polyphenol-enriched S. songarica flower extract (SSFP) on inflammation and dyslipidemia in high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (HFHCD)-fed ApoE-/- mice. SSFP administration significantly improved serum lipid profiles, hepatic function, and systemic inflammatory biomarkers in these mice, while also attenuating histopathological inflammation in the liver, kidney, and colon. Furthermore, SSFP treatment upregulated the expression of GPR120 and β-arrestin-2 and suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In vitro experiments further showed that the anti-inflammatory effect of LPC18:1 was consistent with SSFP. Together, our results demonstrate that SSFP alleviates inflammation through the LPC18:1/GPR120/β-arrestin-2/NLRP3 signaling axis, supporting its potential application as a natural functional food ingredient.

The recent conditional US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of two therapies, resmetirom (Rezdiffra) and semaglutide (Wegovy), marks the first time clinicians have pharmacological therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with significant fibrosis (F2-F3) without cirrhosis, a disease that previously had no available pharmacological treatment. The two agents act through complementary mechanisms: resmetirom as a liver-directed thyroid hormone receptor-beta agonist and semaglutide as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) with a broad spectrum of metabolic effects. In this international expert panel review, we consolidate data from phase III trials, FDA labels and emerging clinical experience into a single resource. It covers the entire care pathway: non-invasive test-based diagnosis of MASH with significant fibrosis, treatment selection and initiation, on-treatment monitoring and response assessment. We offer practical recommendations for individualising therapy by patient phenotype, managing patients already receiving GLP-1 RAs and defining response, non-response and criteria for switching or combining agents. The proposed framework is intended to evolve as long-term outcomes data emerge and additional MASH therapies become available.