A 2-year field trial was conducted to test the effect of biochar addition (0, 15, 30, and 45 t hm−2) on soil properties, nutrients, diazotrophic community diversity, abundance, and structure, and soybean growth, yield, and quality. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the responses of diazotrophs, grain yield, and quality to nine soil environmental factors. Rhizosphere soil and plant samples were collected after harvest. Biochar application resulted in a lower soil bulk density (γd) but higher total organic carbon (TOC), effective phosphorus (AP) and total nitrogen (TN). Compared with untreated soil, the diversity index of diazotrophic bacteria in biochar-amended soil decreased, but the abundance of diazotrophic bacteria increased. The microbial community remained stable when a small amount of biochar was applied but changed as biochar amount increased. Furthermore, biochar reduced the proportion of unique nitrogen-fixing bacteria, but did not affect that of common nitrogen-fixing bacteria between biochar-amended and untreated soils, and increased the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium (B9 vs. B0) and Sinorhizobium (B18 or B21 vs. B0) involved in symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The main components and content of fatty acids (except for stearic acid) and the content of protein and soybean oil remained stable under biochar application. The low biochar treatment (15 t hm−2) promoted soybean growth and yield. Redundancy analysis suggested that TN greatly influenced the diazotrophic community structure at the phylum and genus levels, and that pH, TOC, and NO3−-N greatly influenced grain yield and quality. Soil diazotroph environment can be improved by targeted farmland implementation based on changes in soil physicochemical properties, which would benefit biological N fixation in agricultural soils and further increase economic benefit.

Plastic is one of the most widely used materials worldwide in various fields, including packaging and agriculture. Its large quantities require proper disposal and for this reason more and more attention is paid to the issue of degrading plastic. Thanks to the production of non-specific enzymes, fungi are able to attack complex and recalcitrant xenobiotics such as plastics. In recent years, several spectroscopic methods were used to study the plastic degradation ability of different fungal species. Among these, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopy techniques are the most used. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a powerful technique which uses metal nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the Raman signal of molecules adsorbed on the NPs surface. In this work, the isolation of different fungi from field-collected plastic debris and the ability of these isolates to growth and colonizing the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were explored by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and SERS spectroscopies. Forty-seven fungal isolates belonging to 10 genera were obtained; among them only 11 were able to grow and colonize the LDPE film. However, after 90 days trial, only one isolate of Cladosporium cladosporioides (Clc/1) was able to carry out the initial degradation of the LDPE film. In particular, based on SEM observations, small cavities and depressed areas of circular shape were visible in the treated samples. Additionally, ATR-FTIR, normal Raman and SERS analyses supported the structural changes observed via SEM. Notably, ATR-FTIR and normal Raman spectra showed a significant decrease in the relative intensity of the methylene group bands. Similarly, the SERS spectra of LDPE after the fungal attack, confirmed the decrease of methylene groups bands and the appearance of other bands referring to LDPE polyphenolic admixtures. These results suggest that Cladosporium cladosporioides Clc/1 is able to carry out an initial degradation of LDPE. Moreover, combining ATR-FTIR, Raman and SERS spectroscopies with SEM observations, the early stages of LDPE degradation can be explored without any sample pretreatment.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the soil have many positive effects on growth, nutrient acquisition, and stress tolerance of host plants, as well as soil fertility, soil structure, and soil ecology. Glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP) are a mixture of humic substances and heat-stable glycoproteins, primarily of AMF origin. GRSP are as an important component of soil organic carbon (C) pools, which can stabilize and sequestrate C, thus reducing soil C emissions for slowing down global warming. Based on the CiteSpace software and the core collection of Web of Science as the database, this study made a visual analysis of GRSP’s literature in the C field published from 1999 to 2022, including the number of publications, countries, institutions, co-cited literature, keywords, top cited papers, etc. The study regarding the GRSP in the C field could be divided into the initial stage (1999–2009), the steady stage (2010–2018), and the explosive stage (2019–2022). The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the organization with the most publications, and the United States, China, and India are the three leading nations in the C field of GRSP. However, there was little collaboration among the participating countries and the study’s institutions. The focus of the research has shifted from the composition and content of GRSP in C to the question of whether C in GRSP affects soil properties. Future research was also prospected.

Chemical control is generally used against aphids. The harmful effects of the chemicals used in the control on the environment and human health have contributed to the development of alternative control methods. The main objective of this study was to determine chemical composition of Mentha longifolia L. essential oil obtained from spontaneous plants in Algeria, investigate repellent and con-tact toxicity effect on Aphis craccivora Koch control, and assess the impacts of essential oil on development, survival and reproduction of A. craccivora. The essential oil showed a concentration dependent significant toxic and repellent effects. The highest effect was recorded for 8 μl/ml concentration of essential oil. The repellent effect and mortality rate in 8 μl/ml concentration were 84.37 and 80.66%, respectively. The values of LC50 and LC90 were 1.848 and 26.782 μl/ml, respectively. The effect of essential oil on immature period, adult longevity, natal period, survival, and fecundity was statistically significant (p  中文翻译： 长叶薄荷精油对 Aphis craccivora Koch（半翅目：蚜科）的杀虫和驱避作用 化学防治通常用于防治蚜虫。用于控制的化学品对环境和人类健康的有害影响促进了替代控制方法的发展。本研究的主要目的是确定从阿尔及利亚自生植物中提取的长叶薄荷精油的化学成分，研究其对 Aphis craccivora Koch 控制的驱避和接触毒性作用，并评估精油对发育、存活的影响和 A. craccivora 的繁殖。精油显示出浓度依赖性显着的毒性和驱避作用。8 μl/ml 浓度的精油记录到最高效果。8μl/ml浓度的驱避效果和死亡率分别为84.37%和80.66%。LC50和LC90的值为1。分别为 848 和 26.782 μl/ml。精油对未成熟期、成年寿命、出生期、存活率和繁殖力的影响具有统计学意义 (p < 0.05)。这项研究的发现表明，在阿尔及利亚 Tamanrasset 地区收获的 M. longifolia 精油对 A. craccivora 具有毒性作用，并且有可能用作杀虫剂来控制 A. craccivora。使用环境友好的生物杀虫剂将能够有效管理 A. craccivora。craccivora，并且有可能用作杀虫剂来控制 A. craccivora。使用环境友好的生物杀虫剂将能够有效管理 A. craccivora。craccivora，并且有可能用作杀虫剂来控制 A. craccivora。使用环境友好的生物杀虫剂将能够有效管理 A. craccivora。

Straw return is a beneficial agricultural practice but mechanisms and information on microbial community alterations initiated by decomposed straw and promotion of soil nutritive content and conservation is still not adequately understood. Therefore, the study applied molecular, bioinformatics, chemical and plant yield analysis to determine the effect of wheat straw return and decomposing agent on soil, fungi and crop yield characteristics under wheat biomass return with and without the inclusion of the decomposition agent at varying times. We hypothesized no difference in fungal community diversity and composition, no changes in soil characteristics as well as no changes in cotton growth characteristics between three different conditions (i) no straw return, (ii) straw return under decomposition agent and (iii) straw return under no decomposition agent. It involved analysis of changes in fungal community diversity and composition, changes in soil characteristics as well as changes in cotton growth characteristics under the different treatments. The phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were in relatively in highest abundance within the straw return under decomposition agent treatment than in both the straw return treatment and straw return under no decomposition agent treatment. The pathogenic genus Aspergillus as the most dominant under no straw return treatment, while genus Trechispora, Lulwaona and Dioszegia were most dominant under straw return under no decomposition agent treatment. Indeed, there was high fungal community dissimilarity between the three treatments. Additionally, there was increased rise in fungal diversity, soil nutrients and crop yield under the straw return within the shortest possible time, and the addition of decomposing agent further enhanced the high fungal species diversity.

Laurus nobilis (LN) has been used throughout the years as a food flavoring and in traditional medicine. The LN leaves have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, wound healing, antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, oxidative stress, cancer, diabetes, microbial infections, and inflammatory diseases are closely linked. The objective of this research is to characterize Laurus nobilis (LN) aromatic oil (AO) and evaluate its antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antimicrobial, and antimutagenic bioactivities. The AO constituents were characterized using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antimicrobial activity was performed using a microdilution assay against six common microbial species. Free radicals, a porcine pancreatic lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory assays were conducted utilizing reference biomedical methods. The cytotoxic effect of LNAO was established on a variety of cancer and normal cell lines using the MTS assay. The anti-inflammatory activity of LNAO was evaluated using the Cayman COX activity kit. The results indicate about 99% of the total oil is composed of 36 compounds, the characterized AO metabolites showed content of many oxygenated terpenoids with 1,8-Cineole and Terpinyl acetate as a major component with a percentage of (40.39 and 15.07, respectively. The plant AO showed potent antioxidant activity (IC50 = 2.2 ± 1.38) and has moderate anti-amylase (IC50 = 60.25 ± 1.25), anti-glucosidase (IC50 = 131.82 ± 0.1), and antilipase (IC50 = 83.17 ± 0.06) activities. Moreover, LNAO showed potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris (MICs = 1.56 µg/mL), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (MIC = 3.125 µg/mL) and Candida albicans (MIC = 0.195 µg/mL). The cytotoxicity results demonstrated that at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, LNAO has potent breast cancer (MCF-7), and hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep 3B) cancer cells inhibitory activities of 98% and 95%, respectively. Importantly, we are the first to show that LNAO significantly hinders hepatocellular carcinoma spheroids’ formation capacity in a 3D model. These results show that LNAO is a promising natural source with powerful antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities that could be exploited in the future to treat a variety of diseases.

The green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), notably from plants, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Although the increased popularity use of Cymbopogon citratus as a therapeutic substance, to date, there has not been any research on the chemistry of C. citratus aqueous leaf extract (ALE) or synthesis of ZnO NPs utilizing an extract from it. The ecologically safe ALE of C. citratus was employed in this study as a bio-reducing and capping agent to synthesize ZnO NPs. The novelty of the current study is the investigation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and cytotoxic potencies of biosynthesized ZnO NPs utilizing C. citratus ALE. Zinc acetate dihydrate was used as the precursor and the leaf extract serves as the reducing agent. ZnO NPs from ALE of C. citratus were characterized by the spherical in form by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and the Scherrer formula was used to calculate the size of the crystalline structure. The presence of numerous functional groups in both the ALE and the NPs is confirmed by FTIR analysis. The highest absorption peak is observed at 370 nm. The stability and particle size of the biosynthesized ZnO NPs are demonstrated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs exhibited excellent antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 45.67 ± 0.1 μg/mL and exerted interesting anti-inflammatory activity (98.1% ± 0.04) when compared to the standard indomethacin (92.1% ± 0.07) at 1 mg/mL. They also showed anti-microbial activity for both bacterial and fungal which growth rates for both significantly decreased with the increase in ZnO NPs concentration compared to the control. The anticancer activity of biosynthesized ZnO NPs and C. citratus ALE was in vitro tested against seven human cancer cell lines (HCCL) (i.e. H1299, MDA-MB-468, HNO97, HEK, HCT116, HuH7, and HEPG2) compared to normal cells (HSF) using the sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay. More interestingly, the biosynthesized ZnO NPs displayed remarkable selective cytotoxicity against all tested cancer cell lines without any effect on normal cells. In contrast, the cancer cell lines were not affected by the ALE of C. citratus at any concentrations tested. All the findings confirm that the ZnO NPs biosynthesized in the current work are promising candidates for a variety of biological activities, and as a result, they can be helpful to the medical sector, environmental and agricultural applications.

Safe food free from diseases is the world's goal. Excessive usage of chemical fungicides is considered the most important danger for the climate. Natural alternatives with low costs have become the best choice for sustainable agriculture. In the context of researching green materials instead of chemical fungicides, the fabrication of nano-Sargassum vulgare and its composite with zeolite was carried out. Followed by an investigation of the efficiency of their extracts on controlling sugar beet root rot diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani), Sclerotium rolfsii (S. rolfsii), and Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporium) throughout two successive seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) under greenhouse conditions. The structure and morphology of nanosargassum and its biocomposite were characterized by FTIR, SEM, EDX, Zeta potential, and size particles. The morphological structure of biocomposite was changed from tubularly structured into layers stacked on top of each other after impregnation of zeolite into S. vulgare, and its size was reduced from 85 to 50 nm, which was confirmed through size particle distribution. The biocomposite was the most effective one in managing root rot disease caused by R. solani. It reduces disease severity (DS) and disease incidence (DI) with efficacy (91.08% and 88.89%), respectively, compared to that recorded by commercial fungicides (63.09% and 61.81%). In the same manner, the composite extract recorded the highest efficiency percentage in controlling the disease caused by S. rolfsii (76.04 and 55.27e was carried out. followed by an investigation of the efficiency of their extracts on controlling sugar beet root rot diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani), Sclerotium rolfsii (S. rolfsii), and Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporium) throughout two successive seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) under greenhouse conditions. The structure and morphology of nanosargassum and its biocomposite were characterized by FTIR, SEM, EDX, Zeta potential, and size particles. The morphological structure of biocomposite was changed from tubularly structured into layers stacked on top of each other after impregnation of zeolite into S. vulgare, and its size was reduced from 85 to 50 nm, which was confirmed through size particle distribution. The biocomposite was the most effective one in managing root rot disease caused by R. solani. It reduces disease severity (DS) and disease incidence (DI) with efficacy (91.08% and 88.89%), respectively, compared to that recorded by commercial fungicides (63.09% and 61.81%). In the same manner, the composite extract recorded the highest efficiency percentage in controlling the disease caused by S. rolfsii (76.04 and 55.27%), respectively, compared to fungicide (67.74 and 36.92%). All applied treatments considerably reduced DS and DI caused by F. oxysporum. At the same time, growth characteristics, sucrose, and TSS percentages of the root juice significantly improved when the seeds were treated with the biocomposite extract. The newly fabricated structure of biocomposite facilitates the movement of macronutrients from the soil into the seed, which in turn improves growth characteristics and the sucrose yield quality in root juice, which is one of the most essential characters to advance the sugar industry. Therefore, the biocomposite is recommended to be a biofungicide and biofertilizer.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating invasive pest and a threat to food security in Africa, with yield losses of 20–50%. Recent studies highlighted the importance of cereal crops such as maize and sorghum as the most preferred host plants for FAW oviposition. In the current work, we investigated the olfactory responses of FAW and its key larval endoparasitoid Cotesia icipe to odours from the preferred host (maize) in the presence of six potential companion crops including beans, groundnut, sweet potato, greenleaf- and silverleaf desmodium, and cassava. We hypothesized that odours released by companion crops in maize-based intercropping systems would alter host preferences of FAW for oviposition and its parasitoid responses. In dual choice oviposition bioassays, FAW laid significantly more eggs on maize than on the other plants. However, in the multiple-choice bioassays, significantly fewer eggs were laid on maize when companion plants were present except cassava. While wind tunnel bioassays confirmed the differential behavioural responses of FAW, we found that its larval endoparasitoid C. icipe was attracted to volatiles from the companion plants tested individually and/or when they were combined with maize. Coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis detected several potential behaviour-modifying compounds including (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-β-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, camphor, methyl salicylate and (E, E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene. Our findings provide evidence supporting diversified maize cropping system could reduce FAW damage by repelling the pest while simultaneously recruiting its natural enemies. Hence, diversifying cereal cropping system with companion crops could serve as an ecologically sustainable FAW management strategy.

Momordica charantia (M. charantia), as a common edible vegetable and herb, is mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. M. charantia polysaccharides (MCPs), as the main pharmacologically active component in M. charantia, are water-soluble polysaccharides with an average molecular weight of 4–900 kDa. The extraction methods of MCPs mainly include hot water extraction, acid extraction, alkali extraction, ultrasonic extraction, enzyme extraction and three-phase partitioning extraction, and different extraction methods will affect the yield of MCPs. MCPs possess a variety of bioactivities, including antidiabetic, antiaging, antioxidant, antiviral, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects. The purpose of this review is to systematically summarize the latest research progress of MCPs in extraction, purification, structural characterization, and biological activity. In addition, the structure–activity relationship will be further discussed. We believe that this review will provide a useful reference for the investigation, production, and application of MCPs in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

In recent years, there have been several studies on the remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil by the application of biochar. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the effects and underlying mechanisms of biochar on soil carbon sequestration in manganese-contaminated farmlands. Therefore, in this study, bagasse biochar was applied to the soil in different proportions (0%, 0.5%, 2%, and 5%) and the test was conducted indoors for 100 days at a constant temperature. Soil physical and chemical properties, organic carbon mineralization, organic carbon components, and enzyme activities were analyzed in this study. In this study, when compared with the control, the application of 0.5%, 2%, and 5% bagasse biochar to the manganese-contaminated sugarcane field soil effectively reduced the cumulative CO2 emissions, i.e., decreased by 123.18 mg·kg−1, 208.28 mg·kg−1, and 287.79 mg·kg−1, respectively. Among the different treatment groups, the highest decrease in cumulative CO2 emissions was observed in the 5% bagasse biochar-treated soil when compared with the control. The application of bagasse biochar increased the soil microbial biomass carbon content by 12.72 mg·kg−1, 13.71 mg·kg−1, and 15.10 mg·kg−1, respectively when compared with the control. The soil nutrients and enzyme activities significantly increased with the increase in biochar application amount. The application of bagasse biochar to manganese-contaminated sugarcane soil field effectively inhibited the mineralization of soil organic carbon, improved the carbon sequestration potential of manganese-contaminated sugarcane field soil, and provided a theoretical basis for the carbon sequestration mechanism in manganese-contaminated farmland soil.

Hedera nepalensis is a traditional medicinal plants, and the dried leaves of it are generally used for the cure and treatment of many diseases, also widely known as Chang-Chun-Teng in Chinese. Until now, structural characterization of water-soluble polysaccharides isolated from leaves of Hedera nepalensis have been scarcely studied, even though the chemical compounds derived from it and their biological activities have been widely studied. Water-soluble polysaccharides (WHNP) were isolated from the dried leaves of Hedera nepalensis, and their structural features were investigated. One neutral polysaccharide fraction (WHNP-N) and three major pectin fractions (WHNP-A2b, WHNP-A2c and WHNP-A3b) were obtained from WHNP, respectively. There was no analysis of the neutral fraction (WHNP-N), while the structural characterization of three major pectin fractions (WHNP-A2b, WHNP-A2c and WHNP-A3b) were further studied by monosaccharide composition, HPGPC, NMR and methylation analyses. The results indicated that two fractions WHNP-A2b (Mw = 45.8 kDa) and WHNP-A3b (Mw = 58.6 kDa) were mainly composed of rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I). In WHNP-A2b, RG-I domains primarily substituted with α-L-1,5/1,3,5-arabinan, type II arabinogalactan (AG-II), β-D-1,4-galactan and/or type I arabinogalactan (AG-I) as side chains, while RG-I-type pectin of WHNP-A3b mainly branched with α-L-1,5/1,3,5-arabinan, β-D-1,4-galactan and AG-II side chains. WHNP-A2c (Mw = 12.4 kDa) was primarily comprised of galacturonic acid (GalA, 60.8%), and enzymatic analysis indicated that this fraction mainly consisted of rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I), rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) and homogalacturonan (HG) domains with mass ratios of 1.8:1.0:0.6. On the other hand, WHNP-A2c was found to be rich in RG-I domains, which contained α-L-1,5/1,3,5-arabinan, AG-II, β-D-1,4-galactan and/or AG-I as side chains. The HG domains of WHNP-A2c was released in the form of un-esterified and partly methyl-esterified and/or acetyl-esterified oligogalacturonides with a 1 to 7 degree of polymerization after endo-polygalacturonase degradation. Our results reveal the structural characteristics of these polysaccharide fractions, which will contribute to elucidating their structure–activity relationships.

In this review, the composting process of organic waste is discussed through an in-depth exploring of its thermophilic phase. It starts with the highlight on the thermodynamic evolution, which needs to be assessed when deciding to use reactors for composting, also in the context of energy generation. The composting process is mediated by different types of microorganisms, and the bacteria that play key roles are evaluated. The roles of the genera Bacillus and Thermus are considered, often described as the main components of the microbiota of compost. Due to their adaptation to the composting processes, they are candidates for technological purposes. Subsequentially, the focus is moved on the thermostable enzymes that can be isolated from them and their succession during the composting processes. Experimental examples of enzyme-related literature are reviewed, for example investigating proteases and ureases, which are found at the beginning of the process. In addition, cellulases, hemicellulases, lignin-modifying enzymes, and esterases have been described for their activities during the thermophilic phase, giving them great potential for biotechnological and industrial applications. Following, the composition of the microbial community is analyzed through the description of approaches of metagenomics. Despite it being a relatively new but fast-growing field within biology, it is intended to be a priority analysis to acquire knowledge on genomes of environmental microorganisms and communities. Finally, a space is dedicated to the description of the composting plant which treats olive oil wastes within the LIFE TIRSAV PLUS project (LIFE05 ENV/IT/00845). Through two plant solutions, being the Dynamic and the Static Composting, it provides a high-quality compost with an effective, flexible and economical process.

The bacterial genus Bacillus, an important group of bacteria which can suppress phytopathogens, has been widely used in agriculture. However, different species of Bacillus often displayed significant differences in probiotic efficiency and mechanism, suggesting that it is very necessary to investigate the biocontrol potential of new Bacillus isolates, especially from under-evaluated Bacillus spp. Rehmannia glutinosa (R. glutinosa), an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is affected by a serious root-rot disease caused by the fungus Fusarium solani (F. solani). Biocontrol agents against this root-rot disease in R. glutinosa have yet to be developed. This study explored, for the first time, the activity and biocontrol mechanism of a new Bacillus isolate, Bacillus tequilensis A13, in antagonizing F. solani. B. tequilensis A13 displayed a strong inhibitory activity (73.49% ± 1.33%) against F. solani growth in vitro and was able to survive and multiply in the sterilized soil. The results from liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses indicated that B. tequilensis A13 cell-free supernatant contained six antifungal compounds, eight antifungal compound synthases, and several functional proteins involved in the processes of plant stress resistance, etc. Finally, the joint application of complex fertilizer together with B. tequilensis A13 significantly reduced the incidence of R. glutinosa root rot in the field. B. tequilensis A13 strongly inhibited F. solani growth by producing antifungal compounds and proteins associated with plant stress resistance/tolerance, and proved to be a promising candidate biocontrol agent against R. glutinosa root-rot disease.

Biomass microbiota and chemical constituent are closely associated with final anaerobic fermentation performance. But the limiting factors affecting anaerobic fermentation quality and bacterial community have been rarely explored. This study aimed to elucidate the relative contribution of initial microbiota and chemical constituent of sweet sorghum on its final anaerobic fermentation quality. Sweet sorghum at two developmental stages (heading-stage, G1; hard-dough-stage, G2) was treated as follows: G1 microbiota + sterilized G1 (M1C1), G2 microbiota + sterilized G1 (M2C1), G1 microbiota + sterilized G2 (M1C2), and G2 microbiota + sterilized G2 (M2C2). The results showed that chemical constituent rather than microbiota changes remarkably influenced the production of lactic acid, propionic acid and ammonia-N, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Weissella, Lactococcus, Pediococcus, and Pantoea of sweet sorghum after anaerobic fermentation. The chemical constituent was the key limiting factor affecting the anaerobic fermentation quality of sweet sorghum. This study could provide a reference for clarifying the key limiting factors affecting anaerobic fermentation and making recommendations for production.

Previous studies have suggested that the targeted application of biochars in agricultural soils may benefit soil health and crop production. Physico-chemical properties of soils after biochar addition have been explored, but less is known about how microbial parameters respond. Therefore, impact of biochar (NB), mineral fertilizer-activated biochar (AB), or mineral fertilizer (MF) application on selected chemical and microbial parameters of lettuce-planted soil was evaluated in a pot experiment. In comparison to the control, soil enzymes activities, related to carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling, and their content in plant biomass, were significantly increased by the addition of mineral fertilizer with or without biochar (MF, NB + MF). Conversely, microbial respiration (basal and substrate induced) was highly responsive to the activated biochar amendment (AB) as compared to other treatments. N, P, and potassium (K) concentrations in soil pore water were stabilized by the mineral fertilizer-activated biochar, indicating reduced leaching and the likelihood of increased longevity of these nutrients in soils. Enhanced carbon acquisition and mitigated nitrogen acquisition in soil of the most experimental treatments were coupled with higher crop (lettuce) biomass. Our study demonstrates that the application of biochar both with and without mineral fertilizer has the potential to enhance microbial activity and fertility in the tested agricultural soil, but that leaching of fertilizer-borne nutrients may be mitigated by the activation process.

Raisins contain a wide range of secondary metabolites, including volatile compounds that may contribute to the health benefits and preference of consumers. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies concerning the analysis of volatile compounds in raisin. The goal of this study was to compare volatile composition of Gök Üzüm (Vitis vinifera L.) raisins produced from grapes dried before the application of two pre-treatments solutions: wood ash (WA) and potassium carbonate (K2CO3). Gök Üzüm raisins produced from grapes dipped into the WA solution presented higher contents of most of the studied volatile compounds (including the total contents of C6 compounds, alcohols, benzenoids, esters, aldehydes, terpenes and C13 norisoprenoids) and lower contents of (Z)-2-hexenol and 2-hexenoic acid than the raisins produced from grapes dipped into K2CO solutions. Gök Üzüm raisins were characterized by fruity, floral and grass aromas according to their odor activity values. Drying Gök Üzüm grapes after the treatment of WA solutions promotes a higher aromatic composition compared to K2CO solutions. These findings can greatly assist raisin producers in deciding which dipping solution to use before using a dipping solution to dry the grapes.

Fresh in-hull pistachio fruits are very perishable and hence have a limited storage life, with marketers and customers wishing for a longer shelf life. The present research was performed to explore the combined effects of different packaging conditions (ambient atmospheric condition, and passive- and active-modified atmosphere packaging) as well as chitosan coating (0, 1, and 1.5%w/v) on postharvest quality of fresh in-hull pistachios stored at 5 °C and 85–90% relative humidity for 45 days. The efficacy of treatments in prolongation of pistachio fruit shelf life was evaluated by determining weight loss, kernel firmness, acid (AV) and peroxide values (PV), mold and yeast count, aflatoxin content, and hull color parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, h°, and BI) at 0, 15, 30 and 45 days of storage. In addition, O2 and CO2 concentrations in MAP headspace were monitored. By applying high molecular weight chitosan coatings and MAP conditions, PV and AV values, microbial growth, aflatoxin B1 production, and weight loss values were inhibited, as well as kernel firmness reduction and hull color deterioration during storage were controlled. Active-MAP treatments in most cases performed better than passive-MAP treatments in this regard (P  中文翻译： 壳聚糖涂层气调包装防止新鲜带壳巴达米开心果变质 新鲜的带壳开心果果实极易腐烂，因此储存期有限，营销人员和消费者都希望获得更长的保质期。本研究旨在探讨不同包装条件（环境大气条件、被动和主动气调包装）以及壳聚糖涂层（0、1 和 1.5%w/v）对采后品质的综合影响。新鲜带壳开心果在 5 °C 和 85–90% 相对湿度下储存 45 天。通过测定重量损失、内核硬度、酸值 (AV) 和过氧化值 (PV)、霉菌和酵母菌数量、黄曲霉毒素含量和外壳颜色参数（L*、a* 、b*、C*、h° 和 BI) 在第 0、15、30 和 45 天的储存时。此外，监测 MAP 顶部空间中的 O2 和 CO2 浓度。通过应用高分子量壳聚糖涂层和 MAP 条件，PV 值和 AV 值、微生物生长、黄曲霉毒素 B1 的产生和重量损失值均受到抑制，并且在储存期间控制了籽粒硬度降低和外壳颜色变差。在这方面，大多数情况下主动 MAP 治疗比被动 MAP 治疗表现更好 (P < 0.05)。将壳聚糖涂层与 MAP 结合证明了加成协同效应。在储存结束时，活性 MAP 下 1.5% 的壳聚糖涂层处理保持了硬度（对照处理的 87%）、船体亮度（对照处理的 76%）和微生物计数（与对照处理相似）。它还保持了最低的重量损失 (6.39%)、酸（0.91 meq O2 kg−1 油）和过氧化物（0. 49 油酸/100 油）值与其他处理相比，证明壳聚糖涂层与 MAP 相结合在保持开心果质量参数方面更有效。被动 MAP 处理的平衡 O2 和 CO2 水平保持在比主动 MAP 处理更高的值，这表明被动 MAP 处理在储存期间比主动 MAP 处理具有更高的呼吸率。结果表明，采用 MAP 和壳聚糖涂层的组合技术有效地保留了品质属性并延长了新鲜带壳开心果的货架期。因此，它有可能作为未来行业应用的新方法进行商业化。证明壳聚糖涂层与 MAP 相结合在保持开心果质量参数方面更有效。被动 MAP 处理的平衡 O2 和 CO2 水平保持在比主动 MAP 处理更高的值，这表明被动 MAP 处理在储存期间比主动 MAP 处理具有更高的呼吸率。结果表明，采用 MAP 和壳聚糖涂层的组合技术有效地保留了品质属性并延长了新鲜带壳开心果的货架期。因此，它有可能作为未来行业应用的新方法进行商业化。证明壳聚糖涂层与 MAP 相结合在保持开心果质量参数方面更有效。被动 MAP 处理的平衡 O2 和 CO2 水平保持在比主动 MAP 处理更高的值，这表明被动 MAP 处理在储存期间比主动 MAP 处理具有更高的呼吸率。结果表明，采用 MAP 和壳聚糖涂层的组合技术有效地保留了品质属性并延长了新鲜带壳开心果的货架期。因此，它有可能作为未来行业应用的新方法进行商业化。被动 MAP 处理的平衡 O2 和 CO2 水平保持在比主动 MAP 处理更高的值，这表明被动 MAP 处理在储存期间比主动 MAP 处理具有更高的呼吸率。结果表明，采用 MAP 和壳聚糖涂层的组合技术有效地保留了品质属性并延长了新鲜带壳开心果的货架期。因此，它有可能作为未来行业应用的新方法进行商业化。被动 MAP 处理的平衡 O2 和 CO2 水平保持在比主动 MAP 处理更高的值，这表明被动 MAP 处理在储存期间比主动 MAP 处理具有更高的呼吸率。结果表明，采用 MAP 和壳聚糖涂层的组合技术有效地保留了品质属性并延长了新鲜带壳开心果的货架期。因此，它有可能作为未来行业应用的新方法进行商业化。

Taking coconut peel as raw material, the extraction process of coconut peel polysaccharide (CPP) was optimized by boiling water extraction. The coconut peel polysaccharide was characterized by UV, IR, SEM, 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectra. At the same time, the molecular weight and monosaccharide component were analyzed by gel chromatography and ion chromatography, respectively. Antioxidant activity of coconut peel polysaccharide and its derivatives in vitro was evaluated by scavenging ABTS and DPPH radicals and O2−·, and the anti HepG2 proliferation activity in vitro was also carried out. The results showed that the molecular weight of coconut peel polysaccharide was 1.20 × 105 Da, which was mainly composed of arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), glucose (Glu), xylose (Xyl) and galacturonic acid (Gal-A). The main chain structure of polysaccharides detected by 1D and 2D NMR spectrum was → 4)-α-D-Glcp (1 → . In vitro antioxidant test showed that coconut peel polysaccharide and its derivatives had a certain scavenging effect on ABTS and DPPH free radical and O2−·. With the increase of polysaccharide concentration, the scavenging ability was gradually increased. In addition, coconut peel polysaccharide and its derivatives showed significant antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells in vitro.

The significance of sugarcane as a major crop is due to the production of sucrose and a significant source of ethanol. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), Sucrose synthase (SuSy), and cell wall invertase (CWIN) genes regulate sucrose metabolism and accumulation in high sucrose sugarcane; such genes are significant for manipulating sucrose content. The current study explored the genes associated with sucrose metabolism and accumulation in a high sucrose sugarcane mutant clone GXB9 compared to its low sucrose parental clone B9. A total of 100, 262 differentially expressed genes were obtained, and 69, 637 (69.46%) got annotation in public databases COG, GO, KEGG, KOG, Pfam, eggNOG, NR, and Swiss-Prot. The SPS5 gene was significantly up-regulated in the maturing internodes of GXB9 and downregulated in B9. The SuSy and CWIN genes were up-regulated in the immature internodes; however, no expression was found in the maturing internodes of GXB9. The genes involved in trehalose synthesis were downregulated in GXB9 while up-regulated in B9. The cellulose synthase (CeS) genes were significantly up-regulated in the immature internodes than in maturing internodes of GXB9. The key finding of this research suggests that the SPS5 gene has a predominant role in enhancing the sucrose accumulation ability of GXB9. No expression of SuSy and CWIN genes in maturing internodes and downregulation of trehalose genes in GXB9 may also have contributed to the higher sucrose accumulation in the stalk of high sucrose mutant. The current finding is a source for sugarcane breeding, particularly improving sucrose content.