Citrus fruits are frequently affected by high temperatures and severe solar radiation, particularly under arid and semi-arid environments, which causes extensive fruit sunburn and leads to significant losses in both yield and commercial quality. Developing sustainable, low cost, and practical strategies to mitigate sunburn damage while maintaining optimal fruit productivity is becoming increasingly crucial in the context of climate-driven environmental stresses. Therefore, the present study was conducted during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons to evaluate the comparative efficacy of foliar sprays of potassium silicate (K2SiO3); 2.5% and 5.0%), zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0.5% and 1.0%), and a commercial sugar alcohol formulation (Sorbitol 70/70; 0.25% and 0.5%, v/v) in alleviating sunburn incidence and enhancing the agro-climatic performance of five-year-old 'Murcott' tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) trees cultivated under arid conditions in sandy soil using a drip irrigation system. Foliar applications were performed three times from June to August (at monthly intervals) coinciding with macroclimatic daily ambient extremes. The results demonstrated that foliar sprays of 1.0% ZnSO4 and 0.5% (v/v) sorbitol exerted the most stable, cross seasonal multivariate performance, significantly improving individual fruit weight, peel thickness, peel firmness, total soluble solids (TSS, °Brix), and overall tree productivity compared to the untreated water-sprayed control plots, while remarkably reducing sunburn incidence. Concurrently, total fruit yield was significantly increased by up to 20.15% and 14.34% during the respective seasons, while the absolute percentage of sunburned fruits per tree was reduced by 50.14% and 44.02%, respectively. At the biochemical level, these high performance treatments were strongly associated with robust increases in catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, alongside higher leaf proline and fruit juice ascorbic acid accumulation. Exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) constructed at the individual biological replicate level further validated these patterns, revealing a stable multivariate association where elevated antioxidant profiles were consistently positioned alongside improved fruit quality and yield traits, operating in explicit opposition to sunburn indicators across individual and combined seasons. These findings suggest that the observed physiological and biochemical responses provided supportive evidence of treatment-associated stress adaptation under the prevailing heat and high-irradiance exposures. Consequently, foliar interventions utilizing 1.0% ZnSO4 or 0.5% (v/v) sorbitol present a highly practical, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable orchard management strategy for securing citrus productivity and premium fruit quality in arid, climate-challenged growing regions.

Thermosonication (TS) enhances tomato juice antioxidant quality, yet its effects on enzyme activity and bioactive compounds remain unclear. This study compared TS (60 °C, 15 min) and traditional pasteurization (TP; 85 °C, 10 min) regarding color, enzyme inactivation kinetics, and bioactive profiles. Both first-order and Weibull models described enzyme inactivation, with Weibull giving higher R2, especially for POD under TP (0.982 vs. 0.891). Targeted metabolomics revealed significant increases in carotenoids (lycopene, +12.8%) and phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, +93.7%; rutin, +108.3%; syringic acid, +596.6%). TS better preserved ascorbic acid and color (ΔE = 1.79), with higher DPPH/ABTS activity in lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions. Correlation analysis suggested associations between enzyme activity and color, POD activity and phenolic oxidation, and phenolic acids/lycopene and antioxidant capacity. TS may improve antioxidant quality via oxidative enzyme inactivation, release of bound phenolics, improved extractability, and glycoside hydrolysis, offering a hypothesis-generating framework for high-bioactivity tomato juice production.

To overcome the limited sensitivity and matrix tolerance of traditional lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA), we developed a nanobody-based colorimetric-photothermal dual-mode LFIA for detecting Salmonella Typhimurium. Hollow copper sulfide (HCuS) nanoparticles served as dual-signal reporters, leveraging a light-cavity effect to achieve a 49.26% photothermal conversion efficiency. To maximize target capture, biotinylated nanobodies were directionally immobilized onto HCuS via a streptavidin-biotin system, effectively preserving antigen-binding activity. Under optimized conditions, this platform enabled reliable quantitative evaluation with a naked-eye screening limit of 1 × 103 CFU mL-1. The assay achieved quantitative detection limits of 129 CFU mL-1 (colorimetric) and 103 CFU mL-1 (photothermal), alongside a linear range of 103-107 CFU mL-1. Validation in spiked milk and juice samples yielded satisfactory recoveries ranging from 88.44% to 112.37%, with low relative standard deviations (<8.77%). Ultimately, this rationally designed immunoprobe provides a robust, rapid, and matrix-tolerant tool for on-site food safety monitoring.

The journal retracts the article titled "Short-Term Effect of Nutraceutical Fruit Juices on Lipid Metabolism in Patients with Acquired Hypercholesterolemia" [...].

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) and raw honey constitute ecologically distinct, acidic and osmotically stressful niches that harbour autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with promising probiotic-associated properties. This study isolated and molecularly characterized Lactobacillus-related isolates from raw honey and honey bee gut samples collected from Chichawatni Reserved Forest, Punjab, Pakistan, and further identified selected strains by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. From 30 samples (10 raw honey samples and 20 honey bee gut pools, each collected from an independent Apis mellifera colony), 18 presumptive Lactobacillus isolates were recovered on de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar and confirmed at the genus level by Lactobacillus-specific 16 S rRNA-23 S rRNA intergene amplification. In vitro probiotic-associated properties were evaluated, including tolerance to simulated gastric juice, bile salt tolerance, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation with four reference enteric pathogens, antimicrobial activity of cell-free supernatants (CFS), and antibiotic susceptibility. Honey-derived isolates showed higher values for acid tolerance and auto-aggregation parameters in the evaluated assays than gut derived isolates. Isolate H1 showed the highest survival at pH 2, the highest auto-aggregation, and produced the largest inhibition zones against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis, and Campylobacter jejuni. Neutralization of the CFS to pH 7 abolished the antimicrobial activity, and heat treatment reduced it only partially, a pattern suggesting that organic acids may contribute substantially to the observed antimicrobial activity. All isolates were intrinsically non-susceptible to vancomycin and polymyxin B, which is consistent with the intrinsic resistance profile of the genus. Three isolates showing complementary in vitro probiotic-associated phenotypes (H1, B4 and B13) were tentatively identified by partial 16 S rRNA gene sequencing as best matches to Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and the sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank under accession numbers PZ694971 (H1), PZ676443 (B4) and PZ676444 (B13). These isolates are proposed as candidates for further probiotic evaluation, pending multi-locus or whole-genome confirmation of species identity, formal safety testing (haemolytic activity, gelatinase production, biogenic amine synthesis and DNase activity), targeted characterization of the antimicrobial metabolites and in vivo evaluation. These findings identify Chichawatni honey and honey bee gut as an underexplored source of indigenous LAB and highlight H1, B4 and B13 as potential candidates for further probiotic evaluation, pending safety assessment, whole-genome characterization, adhesion assays and in vivo validation.

Sugarcane breeding is constrained by a narrow genetic base, limiting progress in ratooning ability, stress tolerance, and climate resilience. Although Saccharum spontaneum harbors valuable genetic diversity, its systematic utilization in breeding remains limited by a lack of multi-environment evaluations. Therefore, 100 Asian S. spontaneum clones were assessed across six environments (two locations × three crop cycles) during 2022-2025 using an integrated framework that combined BLUP breeding values, AMMI-based stability indices (ASV, GSI, HMRPGV, WAASB), and the multi-trait selection index MGIDI. Heritability, repeatability, and genetic correlations were estimated to support selection decisions. Moderate heritability was observed for stalk diameter and stalk height, while juice Brix and stalk weight showed low heritability. The clones were classified into four heterotic groups; only three clones (C059, C086, and C089) met both high-performance and high-stability thresholds, forming Group A (elite + stable). Group B (high performance, low stability) included 22 clones, Group C (low performance, high stability) included 22 clones, and Group D (moderate) comprised the remaining 53 clones. Repeatability from first to second ratoon was remarkably high (≥0.90) for most morphological traits, except stalk weight (0.07). Genetic correlations revealed a trade-off between juice Brix and internode length, and a positive association between tillering rate and fresh biomass. Crossing strategies should prioritize Group A × Group B and crosses between geographically distant origins (e.g., Yunnan × Hainan) to maximize heterosis. The three elite clones are recommended as immediate parents for climate-adaptive breeding programs.

Huanglongbing (HLB) compromises citrus root function, nutrient uptake, and productivity, making fertilizer management critical for sustaining tree performance in affected groves. This study evaluated conventional and controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) programs in mature HLB-affected 'Valencia' sweet orange trees grown on sandy soil in Florida. Treatments consisted of a conventional standard fertilizer program (Standard) and two CRF programs, CRF1 and CRF2. Leaf nutrient concentrations, fruit yield, juice quality, partial factor productivity (PFP), and multivariate response profiles were assessed. CRF1 increased selected leaf macronutrient concentrations, particularly magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S), whereas micronutrient responses were limited mainly to manganese (Mn). Fruit yield did not differ among treatments in 2024 or 2025; however, CRF2 reduced yield in 2026 compared with Standard and CRF1. Juice quality attributes were not significantly affected by fertilization program. In contrast, PFP was more responsive to nutrient management, with CRF2 showing the highest PFP for potassium (PFP-K2O) in both 2025 and 2026. Hierarchical clustering separated CRF1 from Standard and CRF2, indicating a distinct integrated nutritional and productive response profile. Principal component analysis showed that treatment discrimination was mainly driven by PFP indices, especially PFP for nitrogen (PFP-N) and PFP for phosphorus (PFP-P2O5), together with fruit yield in 2026. Ridge regression indicated that yield was positively associated mainly with leaf S and nitrogen (N) under CRF2 and leaf phosphorus (P) under CRF1, whereas leaf calcium (Ca) under CRF2 showed the strongest negative association with yield. Overall, controlled-release fertilizer programs were not agronomically interchangeable: CRF1 maintained yield and improved nutritional status, whereas CRF2 increased apparent PFP-K2O but did not sustain yield stability.

This study developed an eco-friendly attractant from fermented fruit waste juices for Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a model dipteran species, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 15 (Life on Land) through sustainable waste valorization and reduced reliance on synthetic pesticides.

BackgroundNitrate-rich beetroot juice offers potential ergogenic effects in resistance training. However, existing literature overwhelmingly focuses on males, leaving a significant gap regarding female responses.AimThis study evaluated acute effects of inorganic nitrate (NO3[-]) supplementation on resistance exercise performance to failure in recreationally trained females.MethodsIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, sixteen females (27 ± 4.7 years; one repetition maximum [1RM] bench press: 31.4 ± 6.5 kg; 1RM leg press: 198.6 ± 44.0 kg) performed four sets of bench press and 45° leg press to concentric failure at 60% of 1RM (2-min rest intervals) following the ingestion of nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BEET It Sport[®]: 12.8 mmol NO3[-]), a placebo drink (0.92 mmol NO3[-]), or nothing (control) 2.5 h before exercise.ResultsNitrate-rich beetroot juice ingestion had no effect on performance in either the upper-body (bench press total repetitions: Control: 55.6 ± 9.7 reps; Placebo: 58.9 ± 13.0 reps; Nitrate: 56.0 ± 14.0 reps, p = 0.785, ηp[2] = 0.003) or lower-body (leg press total repetitions: Control: 82.6 ± 36.0 reps; Placebo: 80.4 ± 37.0 reps; Nitrate: 79.3 ± 30.0 reps, p = 0.945, ηp[2] = 0.001) exercises in resistance-trained females. There were also no effects of nitrate on rating of perceived exertion, heart rate, blood pressure, or lactate compared to placebo (p > 0.05).SummaryAcute NO3[-] supplementation did not alter performance or modulate the physiological response to resistance exercise in recreationally trained females. These results suggest that the ergogenic potential of NO3[-] may be limited in this population.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched SCFAs, and their precursors (lactic, succinic, pyruvic acids) are key microbial metabolites relevant to gut function and are present in fermented foods. This study reports the transfer, development, and validation of a rapid capillary electrophoresis method with diode-array detection (indirect UV) for the simultaneous determination of 12 biologically important organic acids in <15 min. Starting from a commercial methodology, background electrolyte composition and separation voltage were optimised. The method was validated according to ICH Q2(R2). Linearity was confirmed from LOQ to 100 μg/mL, with LOQs of 1.53-5.76 μg/mL. Precision and trueness were satisfactory (CV ≤ 7.6%, |RE| ≤ 7.5%), matrix effects ranged from 80 to 121%, and selectivity was adequate. Applicability was demonstrated by analysing 11 fermented vegetable juices. Finally, the RGBfast model benchmarking against literature methods supported the method's suitability for routine profiling of organic acids in fermented foods.

Probiotics have been reported to effectively modulate human glucose metabolism. Here, we aim to isolate and identify Lacticaseibacillus paracasei SX52-B (L. paracasei SX52-B) from the intestines of centenarians, investigate its hypoglycemic properties, and explore the potential molecular mechanisms through integration of genomic analysis. To evaluate the probiotic properties, L. paracasei SX52-B was subjected to growth characteristics, safety and functional tests. Whole-genome sequencing of L. paracasei SX52-B was performed to identify functional genes related to hypoglycemic properties. Genomic annotation was conducted by comparing against databases such as GO, COG, KEGG, and CAZy. Firstly, L. paracasei SX52-B exhibited great biosafety across a series of assays. It could survive in simulated gut microbiota juices, indicating significant tolerance to acidic conditions and bile salts. Moreover, L. paracasei SX52-B showed no hemolytic activity and exhibited antibiotic susceptibility within safe limits. In the acute oral toxicity test of mice, neither adverse reactions nor significant differences in organ indices were detected after they were fed different doses of L. paracasei SX52-B for 28 days. Genomic sequencing and analysis revealed that the genome size of SX52-B is 2,991,568 bp. Through functional annotations, relatively rare carbohydrate metabolism-related genes such as malX (maltose/glucose PTS system EIICB component), tpiA (triosephosphate isomerase) and E5.1.3.15 (glucose-6-phosphate 1-epimerase), were identified in L. paracasei SX52-B, which were rarely detected in common L. paracasei strains. These results suggest that L. paracasei SX52-B possesses distinct genomic features related to glucose-lowering pathways. On the other hand, the result of in vitro functional assay demonstrated that L. paracasei SX52-B exhibited a high α-amylase activity inhibition rate (94.67%) and favorable lipid-lowering capacity. The supernatant of L. paracasei SX52-B also exhibited significant antioxidant activity. To verify the hypoglycemic capacity of L. paracasei SX52-B in vivo, we employed a hyperglycemic zebrafish model. It is revealed that both supernatant and bacteria of L. paracasei SX52-B significantly reduced the glucose content in zebrafish (P < 0.001). The study findings highlight that L. paracasei SX52-B exhibits favorable probiotic properties and hypoglycemic capacity, holding promising potential for application in the development of functional hypoglycemic foods or pharmaceutical products.

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and Alicyclobacillus suci are guaiacol-producing bacteria that can spoil fruit juices. To study the genetic underpinnings of guaiacol production in juice, transcriptomics was performed on multiple strains of A. suci and A. acidoterrestris under guaiacol production conditions. While guaiacol production was consistently higher by A. acidoterrestris than by A. suci, the gene expression levels associated with guaiacol production (e.g., vdcC, vdcB, vdcD) showed significant variability across strains of both species, suggesting that other factors beyond vdcC transcription influence the amount of guaiacol produced. A. acidoterrestris exhibited a maximum growth rate at 40°C, but produced the most guaiacol at 25°C (16.2 ± 0.6 µg/L, day 14), suggesting that guaiacol is not only linked to growth. When adjusting pH, A. acidoterrestris produced the most guaiacol at pH 4.0 at 14 days (3.2 ± 2.2 µg/L). A. suci also showed the highest amount of guaiacol production at 25°C (3.6 ± 0.3 µg/L, day 7). In pH-adjusted apple juice, A. suci showed consistent growth across all pH levels, yet produced the most guaiacol at pH 3.0 (2.1 ± 0.08 µg/L, day 7). Importantly, guaiacol levels did not consistently correlate with bacterial growth, underscoring the limitations of enumeration-based spoilage assessments. Comparative strain analysis revealed species-specific differences, with A. acidoterrestris producing significantly more guaiacol in apple juice than A. suci, a trend not reflected in media-based PECA assays. These findings highlight the need to evaluate spoilage risk in relevant food matrices under realistic storage conditions to provide beverage producers with insights for improved mitigation strategies.

Patulin is a mycotoxin commonly found in apple-derived products, posing significant risks to consumer health. In response to increasing regulatory demands and analytical challenges, this study presents a novel sample preparation strategy for the determination of patulin and its metabolites in apple juice using dispersive magnetic solid-phase microextraction with a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer, combined with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The patulin-selective commercial molecularly imprinted polymer was magnetized, yielding a sorbent with high specificity and straightforward handling. The material was characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy, confirming successful magnetization and appropriate morphology. The method achieved excellent linearity (1-100 ng mL[-1]; R[2] = 0.989), with detection and quantification limits of 0.32 ng mL[-1] and 1.09 ng mL[-1], respectively, both significantly below the maximum levels established by European legislation. Validation confirmed satisfactory trueness (96-106% recovery) and precision (RSD ≤ 7.4%). Application to ten commercial juices revealed the presence of PAT at 4.8 ± 0.4 ng mL[-1] in one sample. Untargeted high resolution mass spectrometry analysis further enabled the tentative identification of hydroascladiol and ascladiol as patulin metabolites in three juices. The proposed magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer-based workflow represents a significant advancement for both regulatory monitoring and broader mycotoxin derivative screening.