Genetic diversity and population structure of superior shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. paradoxa) using SNP markers for the establishment of a core collection in Côte d'Ivoire.

Background: The shea tree is a well-known carbon sink in Africa that requires a sustainable conservation of its gene pool. However, the genetic structure of its population is not well studied, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. In this study, 333 superior shea tree genotypes conserved in situ in Côte d'Ivoire were collected and genotyped with the aim of investigating its genetic diversity and population structure to facilitate suitable conservation and support future breeding efforts to adapt to climate change effects.

A Comprehensive Approach Combining Short-Chain Polyphosphate and Bacterial Biostimulants for Effective Nutrient Solubilization and Enhanced Wheat Growth.

Phosphorus constitutes a crucial macronutrient for crop growth, yet its availability often limits food production. Efficient phosphorus management is crucial for enhancing crop yields and ensuring food security. This study aimed to enhance the efficiency of a short-chain polyphosphate (PolyP) fertilizer by integrating it with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to improve nutrient solubilization and wheat growth.

New Insights into Identification, Distribution, and Health Benefits of Polyamines and Their Derivatives.

Polyamines and their derivatives are ubiquitously present in free or conjugated forms in various foods from animal, plant, and microbial origins. The current knowledge of free polyamines in foods and their contents is readily available; furthermore, conjugated polyamines generate considerable recent research interest due to their potential health benefits. The structural diversity of conjugated polyamines results in challenging their qualitative and quantitative analysis in food.

New insights into bee pollen: Nutrients, phytochemicals, functions and wall-disruption.

Bee pollen is hailed as a treasure trove of human nutrition and has progressively emerged as the source of functional food and medicine. This review conducts a compilation of nutrients and phytochemicals in bee pollen, with particular emphasis on some ubiquitous and unique phenolamides and flavonoid glycosides. Additionally, it provides a concise overview of the diverse health benefits and therapeutic properties of bee pollen, particularly anti-prostatitis and anti-tyrosinase effects.

An innovative optimized protocol for high-quality genomic DNA extraction from recalcitrant Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa, C.F. Gaertn) plant and its suitability for downstream applications.

Background: It is not always easy to find a universal protocol for the extraction of genomic DNA (gDNA) from plants. Extraction of gDNA from plants such as shea with a lot of polysaccharides in their leaves is done in two steps: a first step to remove the polysaccharides and a second step for the extraction of the gDNA. In this work, we designed a protocol for extracting high-quality gDNA from shea tree and demonstrate its suitability for downstream molecular applications.

Rapeseed bee pollen alleviates chronic non-bacterial prostatitis via regulating gut microbiota.

Background: Rapeseed bee pollen has been recognized as a critical treatment for chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (CNP) and it also can modulate gut microbiota and improve gut health. This study aimed to explore the anti-prostatitis effects of rapeseed bee pollen with or without wall-disruption, and to investigate the connection between this treatment and gut microbiota.

Results: The results reveal that rapeseed bee pollen can effectively alleviate chronic non-bacteria prostatitis by selectively regulating gut microbiota, with higher doses and wall-disrupted pollen showing greater efficacy.

Polyphosphate fertilizer impacts the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity of wheat plants grown under salinity.

By 2050, the predicted global population is set to reach 9.6 billion highlighting the urgent need to increase crop productivity to meet the growing demand for food. This is becoming increasingly challenging when soils are saline and/or deficient in phosphorus (P).

Impact of Two Phosphorus Fertilizer Formulations on Wheat Physiology, Rhizosphere, and Rhizoplane Microbiota.

Phosphorus (P) is the second most important macronutrient for crop growth and a limiting factor in food production. Choosing the right P fertilizer formulation is important for crop production systems because P is not mobile in soils, and placing phosphate fertilizers is a major management decision. In addition, root microorganisms play an important role in helping phosphorus fertilization management by regulating soil properties and fertility through different pathways.

Photosynthetic performance and nutrient uptake under salt stress: Differential responses of wheat plants to contrasting phosphorus forms and rates.

Salt stress impacts phosphorus (P) bioavailability, mobility, and its uptake by plants. Since P is involved in many key processes in plants, salinity and P deficiency could significantly cause serious damage to photosynthesis, the most essential physiological process for the growth and development of all green plants. Different approaches have been proposed and adopted to minimize the harmful effects of their combined effect.

Phenolamide and flavonoid glycoside profiles of 20 types of monofloral bee pollen.

This study aimed at investigating phenolamides and flavonoid glycosides in 20 types of monofloral bee pollen. The plant origins of pollen samples were determined by DNA barcoding, with the purities to over 70 %. The 31 phenolamides and their 33 cis/trans isomers, and 25 flavonoid glycosides were identified; moreover, 19 phenolamides and 14 flavonoid glycosides as new-found compounds in bee pollen.

Deciphering the role of plant plasma membrane lipids in response to invasion patterns: how could biology and biophysics help?

Plants have to constantly face pathogen attacks. To cope with diseases, they have to detect the invading pathogen as early as possible via the sensing of conserved motifs called invasion patterns. The first step of perception occurs at the plasma membrane.

Carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction drives the preferential insertion of dirhamnolipid into glycosphingolipid enriched membranes.

Rhamnolipids (RLs) are among the most important biosurfactants produced by microorganisms, and have been widely investigated because of their multiple biological activities. Their action appears to depend on their structural interference with lipid membranes, therefore several studies have been performed to investigate this aspect. We studied by X-ray scattering, neutron reflectometry and molecular dynamic simulations the insertion of dirhamnolipid (diRL), the most abundant RL, in model cellular membranes made of phospholipids and glycosphingolipids.

Sitosterol and glucosylceramide cooperative transversal and lateral uneven distribution in plant membranes.

The properties of biomembranes depend on the presence, local structure and relative distribution assumed by the thousands of components it is made of. As for animal cells, plant membranes have been demonstrated to be organized in subdomains with different persistence lengths and times. In plant cells, sitosterol has been demonstrated to confer to phospholipid membranes a more ordered structure while among lipids, glycosphingolipids are claimed to form rafts where they tightly pack with sterols.

Addressing personal protective equipment (PPE) decontamination: Methylene blue and light inactivates severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on N95 respirators and medical masks with maintenance of integrity and fit.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), underscoring the urgent need for simple, efficient, and inexpensive methods to decontaminate masks and respirators exposed to severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We hypothesized that methylene blue (MB) photochemical treatment, which has various clinical applications, could decontaminate PPE contaminated with coronavirus.

Design: The 2 arms of the study included (1) PPE inoculation with coronaviruses followed by MB with light (MBL) decontamination treatment and (2) PPE treatment with MBL for 5 cycles of decontamination to determine maintenance of PPE performance.

A compartmentalized microsystem helps understanding the uptake of benzo[a]pyrene by fungi during soil bioremediation processes.

Hydrophobic organic soil contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are poorly mobile in the aqueous phase and tend to sorb to the soil matrix, resulting in low bioavailability. Some filamentous fungi are efficient in degrading this kind of pollutants. However, the mechanism of mobilization of hydrophobic compounds by non-motile microorganisms such as filamentous fungi needs investigations to improve pollutant bioavailability and bioremediation efficiency.

Optimisation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity extraction conditions of a roasted mix of (Schumach & Thonn.) and (C. Pereira) fruits using response surface methodology (RSM).

The therapeutic abilities of and fruits used as spices are attributed to their bioactive molecules, including polyphenols. Sometimes used together and heated, they can undergo denaturation. The aim of the current study is to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential of a roasted mix of and (95/5: w/w) fruits using RSM in a home food consumption context.

Biofilm Mode of Cultivation Leads to an Improvement of the Entomotoxic Patterns of Two Species.

Two fungi, i.e., Link and (Ahlb.

Enhancing the Membranolytic Activity of Saponins by Fast Microwave Hydrolysis.

Saponins are plant secondary metabolites. There are associated with defensive roles due to their cytotoxicity and are active against microorganisms. Saponins are frequently targeted to develop efficient drugs.

Amphiphilic azobenzenes: Antibacterial activities and biophysical investigation of their interaction with bacterial membrane lipids.

With the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and hospital-acquired infections, there is an urgent need to develop new antibiotics. Here, we report the synthesis, physico-chemical characterizations, and antimicrobial activity assays of four Azo compounds that differ in their alkyl chain length. The molecular mechanism of their antibacterial activity was investigated by complementary in vitro and in silico biophysical studies.

Molecular Model for the Self-Assembly of the Cyclic Lipodepsipeptide Pseudodesmin A.

Self-assembly of peptides into supramolecular structures represents an active field of research with potential applications ranging from material science to medicine. Their study typically involves the application of a large toolbox of spectroscopic and imaging techniques. However, quite often, the structural aspects remain underexposed.

Use of space and home range characteristics of Lepilemur mittermeieri, an endangered sportive lemur endemic to the Ampasindava peninsula, north-west Madagascar.

Lepilemur mittermeieri, a little-studied sportive lemur of north-west Madagascar, endemic to the Ampasindava Peninsula, faces habitat loss through forest degradation and rapid fragmentation. Understanding its habitat requirement is the first step toward preservation of this threatened forest-dependent species. In this study, we gathered data on the use of space and home range characteristics of L.

UAS imagery reveals new survey opportunities for counting hippos.

Introduction: The common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius L. is a vulnerable species that requires efficient methods to monitor its populations for conservation purposes. Rapid evolution of civil drones provides new opportunities but survey protocols still need development.