In recent decades, populations of the non-native pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha have successfully expanded their range in the White Sea basin. Understanding the physiological characteristics of pink salmon in these novel aquatic ecosystems is crucial for assessing potential risks to native ichthyofauna, including other salmonid species. Timing of pink salmon entry from the sea into the rivers often varies during spawning migration. We selected two sampling time points of the species entry into the Keret River after crossing the critical salinity barrier from the sea to the river: in mid-July (the peak) and one and a half months later, at the end of August (termination/end). To evaluate steroidogenesis and energy exchange in fish, we measured the individual concentrations of sex steroids and thyroid hormones in the blood serum. Additionally, levels of glucose and cortisol were quantified to assess fish osmotic stress after crossing the critical salinity barrier (from the sea to the river). We observed that larger males and females predominantly migrated to the river at the end of the spawning season. During migration termination, both sexes exhibited a four- to five-fold decrease in estradiol-17β concentrations compared to fish that had passed upstream earlier, indicating the completeness of gonad development. It appears that gonad development in later spawners nearly completes in brackish water. The observed reduction in triiodothyronine levels by three to four times from July to August suggests differing energy mobilization and utilization processes between the two groups of spawners. Earlier and later spawners also differed in their stress responses, as the former exhibited lower levels of cortisol and glucose than the latter. Such biochemical heterogeneity likely characterizes the successful adaptation of non-native fish to new habitats, which is a critical factor that needs to be considered when assessing their impact on aquatic ecosystems.

Stock assessment of goatfish belonging to two Parupeneus species (P. indicus =882), (P. multifasciatus = 659) from the waters of Iligan Bay, Mindanao Sea, Southern Philippines were collected and investigated. Length-weight relationships and relative condition factors of the species were examined. Population parameters were assessed using FiSAT II software. Growth parameters were estimated by applying the von Bertalanffy growth function. The results showed positive correlations between length and weight. The values of b significantly (P<.000) rose from 2.871 in P. indicus to 3.293 in P. multifasciatus. The condition factors for the species ranged between 1.02 ± 0.21 in P. multifasciatus to 1.028 ± 0.32 in P. indicus. The growth and mortality parameters asymptotic length (L∞), annual growth rate (K), annual total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M), fishing mortality (F) and exploitation rate (E) were 27.30 cm, 1.500, 4.14, 2.40, 1.74 and 0.42 for P. indicus; and 22.05 cm, 1.500, 5.47, 2.55, 2.93 and 0.53 for P. multifasciatus respectively. The exploitation rate (E) of P. indicus species was within the optimal exploitation level, however for the P. multifasciatus exceeded the optimal exploitation level (0.53). A bimodal recruitment pattern of unequal strength was observed for P. multifasciatus while P. indicus displayed a unimodal pattern. The result of the virtual population analysis (VPA) routine showed that most of the small and young fish were prone to natural losses while bigger fish were mostly caught by the fisherman. Finally, the maximum sustainable yield (Emax) for the two species was higher than the exploitation level, indicating that these two goatfish species were in good condition in Iligan Bay.

Wild rice relatives from the genus Oryza offer great potential for improving cultivated rice. Although Sri Lanka is home to five wild Oryza species, their health-promoting properties have been scarcely studied. Our recent research demonstrated that all five wild rice species available in the country have anti-glycation activity. Building on these findings, the present study aimed to investigate the in vitro glycation-reversing potential of two selected species, which showed high anti-glycation activity in our previous studies on the management of diabetes complications. Oryza nivara and Oryza eichingeri were used in the present study. These two species were collected from their natural habitats, Chenkaladi (Batticaloa) and Waulpane (Embilipitiya), respectively. Freeze-dried 70% ethanolic extracts of whole grains were initially evaluated for early-stage (BSA-Glucose) glycation reversing (n=3 each) activity. The middle stage glycation reversing activity (BSA-Methylglyoxal:MGO) was subsequently assessed for the species that exhibited the highest anti-glycation and antioxidant properties in our previous studies. Results showed that both species exhibited dose-dependent early-stage glycation-reversing activity, with no significant difference between them. The EC₅₀ values of Oryza nivara and Oryza eichingeri were 36.61±1.26 and 39.61±1.22 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, Oryza eichingeri shows middle-stage glycation-reversing activity (EC₅₀: 173.92±9.29 μg/mL). In conclusion, both species exhibited notable glycation-reversing activity, suggesting their potential for the management of diabetes-related complications.

Plants within the Brassicaceae family, including oilseed rape, cabbage, and broccoli, are frequently subjected to intensive pesticide applications to mitigate losses caused by pests and pathogens. Such widespread chemical usage not only increases production costs but also poses significant risks to human health and the surrounding environment, highlighting the importance of alternative, sustainable crop protection strategies. The defence system of these species, primarily mediated by glucosinolates (GLSs) and their breakdown products, represents a promising natural means of pest management. A more detailed understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing GLS biosynthesis may further enhance the ability to exploit these pathways for sustainable crop protection. In this context, an in silico analysis was undertaken to investigate the potential of computational predictions for deepening insights into the GLS pathway. Sequence conservation and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks of central GLS enzyme families, MAM, CYP79, CYP83, and MYR, were analysed across multiple Brassicaceae genotypes. Established bioinformatic methodologies, including Multiple Sequence Alignment and PPI network mapping via the STRING database, were employed to identify evolutionarily conserved regions and to propose putative regulatory hubs that may play a critical role in pathway regulation. The outcomes of this analysis provide a predictive scaffold, enabling the formulation of hypotheses regarding essential residues and functional interactions that may influence the stability and efficiency of the GLS biosynthetic pathway. Recognising the preliminary nature of these computational findings, a prospective experimental validation strategy is outlined, incorporating site-directed mutagenesis and targeted metabolite profiling. Such insights are intended to support future experimental studies aimed at strengthening crop resistance through rational metabolic engineering and promoting sustainable, biologically based pest management strategies.

The increasing global population and rising food demand require sustainable agricultural approaches to enhance crop productivity while minimizing environmental impact. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a vital leguminous crop and an important protein source in many developing countries; however, its production is severely affected by Ascochyta rabiei, the causal agent of Ascochyta blight. The present study evaluated the antifungal efficacy of Syzygium cumini essential oil (EO) as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides for managing A. rabiei under both greenhouse and field conditions.

S. cumini leaves were collected from Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, Pakistan, and EO was extracted via hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus. A pathogenic culture of A. rabiei was purified on chickpea seed meal agar, and pathogenicity was confirmed following Koch’s postulates. Ten treatments, including pre- and post-foliar EO sprays, seed treatments, and fungicide controls, were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) in greenhouse trials and a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in field trials.

Results revealed that S. cumini EO significantly reduced disease severity and incidence compared to the fungicide (chlorothalonil) treatments. In greenhouse experiments, EO seed treatment and preventive foliar applications achieved up to 100% disease suppression, while fungicides showed partial control (up to 25% disease severity). Under field conditions, EO seed treatment reduced disease severity to 1.79–2.11% and disease incidence to 15–17%, with substantial improvements in plant growth and yield compared to inoculated controls. EO-treated plants exhibited longer shoots and roots, more leaves, and higher yields than fungicide-treated plants.

These findings suggest that S. cumini essential oil is a promising, sustainable bio-fungicide for effective management of Ascochyta blight in chickpea cultivation, offering an environmentally safe alternative to chemical fungicides.

Abstract

Artemisia campestris is a medicinal plant species endemic to Algeria, particularly abundant in the southern regions and central Sahara. Its long-standing use in traditional medicine has recently gained scientific attention, prompting further investigation into its bioactive potential. This study focuses on the phytochemical composition and biological activity of its hydromethanolic extract, with particular emphasis on its ability to inhibit neural enzymes associated with insect physiology.
Preliminary screening revealed a diverse array of secondary metabolites, including tannins (catechic and gallic), flavonoids, quinones, glucosides, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins, and alkaloids; anthocyanins were not detected. Quantitative analysis confirmed high concentrations of total phenolics (80.91 ± 1.58 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (60.45 ± 2.02 mg RE/g), phenolic acids (4.24 ± 0.38 mg CAE/g), and condensed tannins (2.26 ± 0.29 mg CE/g). Enzyme inhibition assays were performed using Ellman’s method, and IC₅₀ values were calculated by nonlinear regression analysis based on dose-response curves. The extract demonstrated significant activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyryl esterase (BuE), with IC₅₀ values of 13.79 ± 0.79 µg/ml and 8.34 ± 0.58 µg/ml, respectively, based on five independent replicates (n = 5). These results were benchmarked against galantamine, a reference inhibitor, which exhibited IC₅₀ values of 1.50 ± 0.12 µg/ml under the same conditions. Although galantamine showed superior potency, the relatively low IC₅₀ values of A. campestris extract highlight its promising inhibitory potential and support its relevance as a natural alternative.
The findings suggest that A. campestris may offer a natural and environmentally friendly approach to pest control, due to its ability to disrupt insect neural function. Further research is needed to validate its efficacy and safety in real-world applications.

ABSTRACT

Artemisia campestris is a medicinal plant species endemic to Algeria, particularly abundant in the southern regions and central Sahara. Its long-standing use in traditional medicine has recently gained scientific attention, prompting further investigation into its bioactive potential. This study focuses on the phytochemical composition and biological activity of its hydromethanolic extract, with particular emphasis on its ability to inhibit neural enzymes associated with insect physiology.

Preliminary screening revealed a diverse array of secondary metabolites, including tannins (catechic and gallic), flavonoids, quinones, glucosides, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins, and alkaloids; anthocyanins were not detected. Quantitative analysis confirmed high concentrations of total phenolics (80.91 ± 1.58 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (60.45 ± 2.02 mg RE/g), phenolic acids (4.24 ± 0.38 mg CAE/g), and condensed tannins (2.26 ± 0.29 mg CE/g). Enzyme inhibition assays were performed using Ellman’s method, and IC₅₀ values were calculated by nonlinear regression analysis based on dose–response curves. The extract demonstrated significant activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyryl esterase (BuE), with IC₅₀ values of 13.79 ± 0.79 µg/ml and 8.34 ± 0.58 µg/ml, respectively, based on five independent replicates (n = 5). These results were benchmarked against galantamine, a reference inhibitor, which exhibited IC₅₀ values of 1.50 ± 0.12 µg/ml under the same conditions. Although galantamine showed superior potency, the relatively low IC₅₀ values of the A. campestris extract highlight its promising inhibitory potential and support its relevance as a natural alternative.
The findings suggest that A. campestris may offer a natural and environmentally friendly approach to pest control due to its ability to disrupt insect neural function. Further research is needed to validate its efficacy and safety in real-world applications.

We report in this study the first genome sequencing, profiling and characterization of a bacterial strain from the Psychrobacter genus, isolated from the 5,000-year-old ice layer in the Scarisoara Ice Cave.

This Psychrobacter strain showed a multidrug-resistance phenotype and significant antimicrobial activity, which was further correlated with clinically important resistance genes. The strain is a polyextremophile, showing both psychrophilic and moderate halophilic characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis placed the Scarisoara strain close to other psychrophilic Psychrobacter species. Functional assays revealed specific enzymatic activity, and a multi-drug resistance phenotype. The genome contains over 100 genes associated with antimicrobial resistance, some of them of clinical and epidemiological importance. This bacterium exhibited antimicrobial activity against several clinically isolated pathogens, both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens, which could be correlated with the presence of genes encoding for antimicrobial compounds such as glycopeptides and bacitracin.

Based on its functional and genomic profile, the Psychrobacter strain from the five-millennia-old ice layer of the Scarisoara Ice Cave glacier can be regarded as an ancient, ice-adapted polyextremophile with significant potential for novel ecological, biotechnological and medical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first genome analysis of a Psychrobacter species isolated from an ice cave, as well as the first characterization of ancient resistomes within this largely unexplored environment.

Genome architecture reorganized over evolutionary time to support complex multicellularity without a proportional increase in coding DNA. We conducted a cross-kingdom comparative analysis using high-quality RefSeq assemblies annotated by the NCBI Genome Annotation Pipeline, restricting the dataset to chromosome-level or complete genomes. We first computed key genomic variables for bacteria, archaea, and 694 eukaryotes (including 133 mammals, 77 birds, 169 fish, 187 arthropods, 128 plants, 130 fungi, and 53 unicellular eukaryotes), including genome size, gene content, and coding DNA content. Next, we fit scaling relationships among genomic variables and used PGLS to account for shared ancestry. Finally, we modeled the global trend using the mathematical form that best described these relationships. We identified clear regime shifts in composition. A transition near 40 Mb of gene content marked the shift from prokaryotes to multicellular lineages, beyond which coding DNA content scaled sublinearly with gene content and approached saturation. Prokaryotes exhibited near-proportional increases in the coding sequence with genome size, whereas eukaryotes showed progressive decoupling as the noncoding sequence expanded. Plants followed a distinct path, with gene content increasing sublinearly relative to genome size. Vertebrates, particularly mammals and birds, occupied compressed ranges of genome size and gene content consistent with strong compositional constraints; in these clades, coding DNA constituted as little as the 3% of total genic sequence. Together, these results revealed robust scaling laws and thresholds governing genome composition across the tree of life, quantifying how the expansion of the noncoding sequence dominated genomic evolution in the transition to complex multicellularity. On the one side, we computed summary statistics for the percentage of gene content relative to genome size, the percentage of coding relative to gene size, the percentage of coding relative to genome size, and the alternative splicing ratio across different taxonomic groups. On the other side, we also fitted a mathematical model that relates to the different variables.

Immunosuppression, characterized by a diminished ability of the immune system to combat infections, plays major role in modulating immune functions. Experimentally induced immunosuppression using pharmacological agents, is instrumental in unraveling key immune regulatory mechanisms and identifying potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigated the immunosuppressive effects of two drugs, Telmisartan (TM) and Tacrolimus (FK506) on metabolic markers of T cell and macrophage function, intracellular calcium, nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker primarily prescribed for hypertension, has demonstrated emerging immunosuppressive properties. FK506, a calcineurin inhibitor, is widely used as a potent immunosuppressant. Despite advances in understanding the mechanisms of immunosuppression, metabolic alterations in immune cells under these conditions remain insufficiently characterized. Calcium signaling is essential for T cell activation, whereas NO is known to inhibit T cell proliferation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial integrity have emerged as critical indicators of immune status, as observed in various studies. We employed RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line and primary splenic T cells isolated ex vivo from 8 week old C57BL/6 mice, and subsequently analyzed in vitro. Our results found, intracellular calcium levels increased in activated splenic T cells and macrophages during immunosuppression. NO levels were reduced in experimentally activated T cells, but telmisartan increased NO production, while tacrolimus showed a mild effect. In macrophages, activated cells showed increased NO levels, with telmisartan further enhancing NO production supporting its role in NO mediated antihypertensive effects. ROS levels were also increased during immunosuppression in macrophages. In T cells, MMP showed time dependent changes. Experimental activation induced MM polarisation, however drug treatment decreased polarization, indicating restoration of MMP via immunosuppression Our findings highlight that immunosuppressive drugs reprogram immune cell metabolism in a cell type specific manner rather than causing uniform immune suppression.