In this study, hydrothermal treatment conditions for quinoa flour were optimized using response surface methodology, evaluating conditioning time (6-12 h) and drying temperature (50-90°C) against key quality attributes, namely, swelling power and peak viscosity as swelling/expansion indexes, breakdown viscosity as a thermomechanical stability index, and solubility and setback viscosity as retrogradation tendency indexes. The optimal treatment was identified as 12 h conditioning followed by drying at 50°C, with drying temperature exerting the greatest influence on functional properties. The functional characteristics of the optimized hydrothermally treated quinoa flour (OHQF) were subsequently evaluated. Compared with untreated flour, OHQF exhibited increased water absorption capacity (6%), oil absorption capacity (30%), and bulk density (25%), while solubility (33%), peak viscosity (10%), and setback viscosity (4%) were reduced. These changes indicate improved hydration behavior and reduced retrogradation potential. The effects of substituting wheat flour with OHQF at 10%, 20%, and 30% (w/w) on dough rheology and bread quality were assessed, using composite flours containing untreated quinoa flour as controls. At all substitution levels, OHQF increased farinograph water absorption, dough development time, and dough stability and enhanced extensograph dough resistance to extension at 90 min while maintaining improved dough extensibility. Although bread loaf volume decreased with OHQF incorporation, sensory evaluation showed improved acceptability, particularly in crust color and appearance, regardless of substitution level. Overall, 10% substitution with OHQF produced bread with properties most comparable to 100% wheat flour. These findings demonstrate the potential of hydrothermally treated quinoa flour as a functional ingredient and are of direct relevance to the flour milling and baking industries.

Daunorubicin is an anthracycline chemotherapy drug that is active against leukemias but has significant effects on normal cells, leading to long-term toxicity. The flavanolignan silymarin, which is extracted from milk thistle, has well-known antioxidant and cytoprotective effects. This study examined the protective activity of silymarin against daunorubicin-induced primary damage to DNA in lymphocytes of rats. Adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups and administered silymarin by oral gavage and daunorubicin by a single intraperitoneal injection. Isolation of peripheral-blood lymphocytes was followed by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The amount of DNA damage was determined as the percentage of DNA in the comet tail and was analyzed at the animal level using parametric and nonparametric statistics. DNA migration was extensive when treated with daunorubicin. The administration of silymarin in combination significantly reduced this damage, and it changed the profile of cellular damage from extreme to mostly moderate. There was no significant increase in DN damage in animals given silymarin. Silymarin has a clear antigenotoxic effect in vivo in the presence of daunorubicin, and it could be a useful chemoprotective adjuvant.

Biogenic marine carbonate production is a key component of the global carbon cycle, with shelf environments contributing disproportionately to global CaCO3 production. Yet, empirical data remain scarce for many shelf habitats, including globally widespread coralline algal beds (CABs; rhodolith and maerl beds), formed by free-living coralline algae (rhodoliths sensu lato). Moreover, available CAB-associated carbonate production estimates remain poorly integrated across spatial scales, limiting assessments of their broader relevance. Here, we quantified rhodolith growth, through alizarin staining, and carbonate production of three northeastern Atlantic CABs and incorporated those estimates into a global dataset. We then scaled compiled rates by known CAB area to assess total carbonate production rates across spatial scales and compared CABs with other major carbonate producers. Rhodolith growth and carbonate production rates in the study region fell within the range reported for other temperate CABs, while CAB production rates globally varied widely across climatic zones (0.04-2.1 kg CaCO3 m-2 year-1). When scaled to individual CAB areal extents, total carbonate production ranged from 5 t to 0.025 Gt year-1. At larger spatial scales, available ecoregion-level estimates, representing ~70% of estimated global CAB area, yielded a total of 0.31-1.85 Gt CaCO3 year-1. Although area-based CAB production rates were generally lower than those of coral reefs, their broader distribution resulted in total carbonate production estimates that overlap with those for shallow tropical coral reefs and exceed those for calcareous green algae. Altogether, spatial scaling highlights CABs as local and regional carbonate-production hotspots that may contribute substantially (7%-44%) to global shelf carbonate production. However, while these estimates provide a first larger-scale approximation of CAB-associated carbonate production, it should be considered that they represent gross production and should therefore not be interpreted as net carbonate budgets. Better constraining the contribution of CABs to global carbonate cycling will require quantifying carbonate losses and accumulation, together with expanding the spatial coverage of production data.

Water is crucial for life, mediating intermolecular interactions that govern protein stability, molecular recognition, and biological function. While insights into protein hydration have been obtained using spectroscopic, scattering, and computational approaches, direct real-space visualization of hydration architectures at biomolecular interfaces with submolecular resolution remains challenging. Here we show that three-dimensional atomic force microscopy directly maps hydration architectures of self-assembled peptide molecular arrays formed on atomically flat graphite. We observe that a graphite-binding dodecapeptide, which mimics structural and chemical characteristics of proteins, organizes water into a multilayered, structured hydration shell. The structured water in the hydration shell exhibits a gradient of molecular ordering that is modulated by sequence-encoded surface chemistry, giving rise to domains of enhanced and diminished water organization that extend across hydration layers before gradually converging into the bulk water. The hydration structure dynamically conforms to the physical topography and the chemical domains of the peptides, with local water structure modulated by hydrophobic, polar, and charged peptide residues. Our findings reconceptualize hydration as a sequence-specific structural phenomenon, defining an integrated protein superstructure that incorporates the amino acid framework and its structured hydration shell, thereby providing a basis for understanding hydration-governed protein function and for designing proteins with tailored functionalities.

The limited availability of safe and effective vaccine adjuvants remains a major bottleneck in modern vaccinology, particularly for inducing balanced and robust cellular and humoral immune responses. This study investigated the adjuvant potential of polysaccharides isolated from Paris mairei (PMM, 740 kDa) and Paris yunnanensis (PPM, 92 kDa). Structural analysis confirmed that both polysaccharides are primarily composed of a (1 → 4)-linked β-D-Man backbone with mannose residues partially acetylated at the O-2 or O-3 positions. However, only PMM effectively activated antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In combination with aluminum hydroxide (AH), PMM enhanced both IgG1 and IgG2a humoral responses and promoted Th1-associated cellular immune responses in Varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (VZV gE) models. Mechanistic studies revealed that AH functions as a local antigen depot, while soluble PMM accumulates in draining lymph nodes to activate APCs. PMM-induced macrophage activation involves TLR4 signaling, accompanied by NF-κB/MAPK activation and M1 polarization. This study identifies Paris-derived polysaccharides as promising innate immune modulators and provides a feasible polysaccharide-AH combination strategy for improving vaccine adjuvant design.

Plastic pollution and postharvest food loss have intensified the demand for high-performance biodegradable packaging, yet regenerated cellulose films are limited by a porous Cellulose II architecture and high moisture sensitivity. Here, a robust all-biomass film is developed by incorporating thymol into a bamboo-derived cellulose matrix via solvent-induced phase inversion. During solvent exchange, thymol crystallizes in situ and fills the inherent micropores, stabilized by interfacial hydrogen bonding, transforming the porous network into a dense, high-barrier interface. This pore-filling selectively suppresses the polar surface-energy component, raising the water contact angle from 43° to 68° (61° for the optimized CT-0.3) and lowering the water vapor permeability by around 53%, thereby resolving the trade-off between breathability and moisture barrier without sacrificing mechanical integrity (tensile strength around 46 MPa at around 12 μm). Molecular dynamics simulations show thymol to be dynamically anchored, undergoing humidity-dependent, chain-selective redistribution without bulk desorption. The optimized film exhibits potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, reducing viable bacteria by around 60-90%, with sustained, near-zero-order thymol release. Applied to strawberries and bananas, it inhibits weight loss and delays senescence, extending shelf life to seven days (over double the pristine-cellulose control), offering a promising platform for all-biomass active packaging.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a versatile biopolymer whose properties can be influenced by fermentation conditions. Here, the effects of fermentation time (4-10 days) and microorganism (Komagataeibacter xylinus and K. hansenii) on BC were systematically evaluated. BC membranes were produced by static fermentation in Hestrin-Schramm medium at 30 °C for 4, 6, 8, or 10 days and characterized in terms of production, water absorption, structure, and mechanical properties. K. xylinus exhibited higher productivity, reaching 0.40 g L-1 day-1 during the early fermentation period, and produced membranes with substantially higher mechanical performance, with maximum tensile strength of 254.3 ± 3.3 MPa and Young's modulus of 11.09 ± 0.04 GPa after 10 days. Degree of polymerization increased with fermentation time, ranging from 2815 to 3719, while water absorption capacity ranged from 3218 to 3360% for K. xylinus and from 2213 to 3261% for K. hansenii. Thermoporometry and SEM revealed differences in pore organization and fibrillar architecture between strains and fermentation times. Multivariate chemometric analysis further differentiated the samples according to hydration, pore organization, and mechanical properties. Overall, the results demonstrate that fermentation time and microorganism strain can be used as process variables to modulate the structural and functional properties of BC.

Carbohydrate-polymer-based colorimetric films offer a sustainable platform for food freshness monitoring, but natural indicators often suffer from poor stability and premature migration. Here, a pH-responsive colorimetric indicator film was developed by loading anthocyanins (ACNs) into γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (γ-CD-MOFs), coating them with an ovalbumin-sodium alginate (OVA-SA) shell, and embedding the nanocomposites in a plasma-modified corn starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PCS-PVA) matrix. The γ-CD-MOFs served as porous hosts for ACN confinement, while the OVA-SA shell helped regulate pigment release and access of alkaline volatiles. Molecular modeling and pore analysis suggested that ACNs could be accommodated within γ-CD-MOF cavities through size matching and noncovalent interactions. The resulting film showed 74.8% DPPH radical-scavenging activity, reduced ACN release, biodegradability, cytocompatibility, and clear pH/ammonia responsiveness. During salmon storage, film color evolution correlated strongly with total volatile basic nitrogen. EfficientNet-B0 achieved 96.7% classification accuracy under controlled laboratory conditions, and its generalizability to real-world applications remains to be externally validated. The structure-property results indicated that the carbohydrate-derived host framework and polysaccharide-containing shell jointly improved pigment confinement, interfacial compatibility, and colorimetric sensing performance. This work provides a carbohydrate-polymer strategy for stabilizing natural pigments and constructing freshness indicator films.

Calcium alginate hydrogels are widely used for microbial encapsulation, yet their role in regulating bacteria-polysaccharide interfaces under acidic sulfate conditions remains unclear. Here, calcium alginate hydrogel capsules (SAC) were used to encapsulate a functional sulfate-reducing consortium and evaluate its performance in acidic sulfate-containing water. At pH 4, SAC maintained live-cell densities 147-185 times higher than those of free cells and achieved higher sulfate removal rates on days 7 and 14 (19.9% and 21.3%) than free cells (3.7% and 10.0%). Inactivated SAC showed limited sulfate removal (5.5%-5.9%), indicating a substantial live-cell-associated contribution. The Ca-alginate network retained a porous structure and exhibited enhanced rheological resistance, with shear stress increasing from 152.98 to 548.1 Pa after 7 days of acid stress. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) analysis indicated compositional remodeling rather than increased accumulation, while electrochemical OCP relaxation showed a reduced apparent decay time constant from 1.167 s in free cells to 0.508 s in SAC, suggesting faster interfacial chemical-state recovery. These findings demonstrate that Ca-alginate capsules enhance acid tolerance through cell retention, matrix stability, EPS-interface remodeling, and altered proton-activity relaxation, offering a polysaccharide-based strategy for sustaining microbial function in acidic sulfate-containing wastewater.

Hazelnuts are among the most widely consumed nuts, but their shells are notoriously difficult to valorise beyond the generation of electricity and heat. Here, we cracked the hazelnut shell valorisation through planetary ball milling, allowing effective aqueous extraction of hemicellulose. Optimized planetary ball milling showed that 4 h milling allowed 50% w/w hemicellulose extraction (80 °C; 24 h), leaving all cellulose and lignin unextracted. The hemicellulose recovered through ethanol precipitation was characterised as 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan (GX; 96% Xyl; 4% MeGlcA) of high DP (Mw 25 kDa). Detailed HSQC NMR analysis of the whole hazelnut shells and isolated hemicellulose fractions revealed a similar sugar composition and pinpointed a highly acetylated xylan, with substitutions at the 2-O and 3-O positions of the xylosyl residues. Importantly, HSQC NMR confirmed acetyl migration from 2-O to 3-O positions during the aqueous extraction. Enzymatic oligosaccharide profiling indicated a random distribution of glucuronyl and acetyl moieties across the xylosyl-backbone. We further demonstrate that the hemicellulose-depleted extracted cellulosic residues can be upgraded to monosaccharides through enzymatic conversion, and a high-quality residual lignin stream. Our research thus contributes to deciphering the structure of hazelnut shell glucuronoxylan and presents an effective hemicellulose-forward valorisation strategy for recalcitrant nut shells.

Divergent pulpal responses following dental trauma may manifest as inflammatory resorption in one tooth and pulp canal obliteration (PCO) in other affected teeth. When such changes occur in an immature tooth with an open apex, diagnosis and treatment planning become particularly challenging. This case report describes a traumatised maxillary right central incisor in a young male patient with non-perforating internal root resorption (RR), external inflammatory RR and pulp necrosis, while the maxillary right lateral and left central incisors exhibited PCO. Cone-beam CT allowed precise definition of lesion extent and supported a conservative treatment strategy comprising chemomechanical disinfection with calcium hydroxide, placement of a mineral trioxide aggregate apical barrier and thermoplastic obturation. At the 48-month follow-up, the tooth was asymptomatic and functional, with imaging evidence of periapical healing and arrest of resorption. The biologically based conservative approach resulted in sustained function, satisfactory aesthetics and overall patient satisfaction.

Lippia origanoides, commonly known as 'alecrim-pimenta', is an aromatic shrub with pharmacological and agrochemical potential. Bacterial treatments enhance the overall stress response of the plant, affecting morphophysiological and biochemical parameters and stimulating the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of industrial relevance. This study aimed to determine the influence of bacterial inoculation on the morphophysiology, biochemistry, yield, and composition of L. origanoides essential oil under varying water availability. Plants were inoculated with different Bacillus strains: B. cereus (C240), B. megaterium (RAB2), B. subtilis (IN-937b), and a consortium of these bacterial strains. At 33 days after inoculation, plants were irrigated to 25 or 75% of pot capacity for 37 days, resulting in a total experimental period of 70 days. Biometric evaluations were performed at 16, 40, 54, and 68 days, physiological assessments at 19, 41, 55, and 69 days, and biochemical and essential oil analyses at the end of the experiment. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance with Tukey and Bonferroni tests (p ≤ 0.05). Water availability was the main factor affecting morphophysiological parameters, as well-irrigated plants produced more vegetative and reproductive organs and water-limited plants accumulated osmoprotective compounds. Although the essential oil yield did not differ significantly among treatments, plants inoculated with bacterial strains produced terpenoids with antioxidant and insecticidal properties. The results demonstrate the potential of Bacillus inoculants to enhance secondary metabolism in L. origanoides, supporting sustainable bioproduct development and biotechnological applications.