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Topic Review
Genetic Factors and Antimicrobial Blue Light Treatment
Antimicrobial blue light treatments have mostly been utilized in clinical and food settings. The treatment involves the exposure of bacteria in a given matrix to blue light that can be absorbed by endogenous porphyrins within the bacterial cell, inducing the production of reactive oxygen species, which subsequently inflict oxidative damages upon different cellular components. The efficacy of antimicrobial blue light treatments is most commonly measured by the reduction in bacterial counts after exposure to a certain light dosage (Joule/cm^2), defined as the multiplication product of light intensity and treatment time. Inherent factors may confer protection to a selected group of bacteria against blue light-induced oxidative damages or modulate the physiological characteristics of the treated bacteria, such as virulence and motility. 
  • 887
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Protein-Based Animal Species Authentication in Dairy Products
Milk is one of the most important nutritious foods, widely consumed worldwide, either in its natural form or via dairy products. Currently, several economic, health and ethical issues emphasize the need for a more frequent and rigorous quality control of dairy products and the importance of detecting adulterations in these products. For this reason, several conventional and advanced techniques have been proposed, aiming at detecting and quantifying eventual adulterations, preferentially in a rapid, cost-effective, easy to implement, sensitive and specific way. Protein-based techniques, including electrophoresis, chromatography and immunochemical assays, are considered current methodologies for assessing the authenticity of dairy products. They are generally considered fast, high throughput and cost-effective, being suitable approaches for the analysis of animal species in raw milk. However, when applied to processed foods, their reliability might be compromised due to protein denaturation and consequent epitope modification, disabling the immunorecognition of proteins. In recent years, the developments of mass spectrometry (MS) platforms for protein analysis, characterization and quantification have provided alternative approaches that rely on marker peptides instead of whole proteins, being suitable alternatives to analyze processed products. 
  • 887
  • 28 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Olive Quick Decline Syndrome
Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca sequence type 53 was found to be associated with olive trees showing extensive twig and branch dieback and plant death in the Gallipoli area of Salento and the common name of “olive quick decline syndrome” (OQDS) was given to the disease. Repeated interceptions in Europe and Italy of ornamental coffee plants originated from Central America, jointly in phylogenetic analyses of many strains of the pathogen, indicated this origin as the most probable source of its introduction in Salento. Drought events could have been conducive to the initial outbreaks of the disease. Subsequently, the pathogen largely spread over the territory according to a “stratified dispersal” model. The high susceptibility of the local cultivars Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò, a low soil content of zinc, copper, and manganese, improper pruning, and adverse climatic events could have further contributed to the spread of the pathogen. The polyphagous insect Philaenus spumarius L. is the main vector of the bacterium in the area. The adults were detected X. f. subsp. pauca-positive in early May, and their incidence was higher during spring and early autumn when they efficiently spread the bacterium among the olive trees. Many other host plant species can host the bacterium, and some of them can act as a “reservoir” for the disease spread. The aggressive fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum Crous, M.J. Wingf. And A.J.L. Philips, could also be involved in OQDS. A sustainable control strategy for reducing the incidence and severity of X. f. subsp. pauca in the olive groves of Salento that allows the trees to produce is presented and discussed. Resilient trees of Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò have been observed in the heavily infected areas of Salento. 
  • 887
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Pigeon Muscle Development
The growth and development of skeletal muscle determine the meat production performance of pigeons and are regulated by complex gene networks. To explore the genes involved in regulating the growth and development of pigeon skeletal muscle, RNA sequencing (RNA−seq) was used to characterise gene expression profiles during the development and growth of pigeon breast muscle and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among different stages.
  • 884
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Alfalfa Response to Thrips Infection
Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a major insect pest for alfalfa which can result in decreased plant nutrients, low yields, and even plant death. To identify the differentially expressed genes and metabolites in response to thrips in alfalfa, a combination of metabolomics and transcriptomics was employed using alfalfa (Caoyuan No. 2) with and without thrips infestation.
  • 880
  • 22 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Hemorrhagic Disease (HD) in USA
Overlapping clinical signs and lesions make it challenging to distinguish between epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and Bluetongue (BT) affecting wild ruminants in the USA. Therefore, the syndrome caused by EHD and BT viruses is referred to as Hemorrhagic Disease (HD).
  • 875
  • 19 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Fermented Corn–Soybean Meal Mixed Feed
Fermented corn-soybean meal mixed feed is a fermented product based on corn, soybean meal and wheat bran.
  • 875
  • 08 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Musty and Moldy Taint in Wines
The literature about musty and moldy taint—the so-called cork taint—in wines is varied because there are many different molecules involved in this wine defect. Chloroanisoles are the most relevant compound responsible for cork taint and of these, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is the most common, but 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA) and 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) can also be responsible of this defect. For other compounds involved in cork taint, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) are responsible for earthy off-flavor; pyrazines cause vegetable odors, and guaiacol results in smoked, phenolic and medicinal defects. Off-odors of mushroom in wines are caused by 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one coming from grapes contaminated by bunch rot (Botrytis cinerea). 
  • 874
  • 22 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin A Deficiency and Poultry Health
Vitamin A, a critical micronutrient, plays a vital role in maintaining poultry health and maximizing productivity. Vitamin A deficiency can have severe consequences on poultry health, compromising growth, reproduction, immune competence, and overall productivity.
  • 874
  • 04 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig MYB132
The R2R3-MYB transcription factors (TFs) play several key roles in numerous plant biological processes. Hedychium coronarium is an important ornamental plant well-known for its elegant flower shape and abundant aroma type. The floral aroma of H. coronarium is due to the presence of a large amount of terpenes and benzenoids. However, less is known about the role of R2R3-MYB TFs in the regulatory mechanism of floral aroma production in this breed. Herein, we isolate and functionally characterize the R2R3-MYB TF HcMYB132, which is potentially involved in regulating floral aroma synthesis. Sequence alignment analysis revealed that it includes a nuclear localization signal NLS(s) and a 2R, 3R motif signature in the sequences. A subcellular localization assay revealed that HcMYB132 protein localizes to the nucleus. Real-time qPCR assays showed that HcMYB132 is specifically expressed in flowers and its expression pattern correlates with the emission of floral volatile compounds. In HcMYB132-silenced flowers, the levels of floral volatile compounds were significantly reduced, and the expression of key structural volatile synthesis genes was downregulated compared to control. Collectively, these results suggest that HcMYB132 might play a significant role in the regulation of terpenoid biosynthesis in H. coronarium.
  • 873
  • 13 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Inflammatory Cells in Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive disease that involves damage to the intima, inflammatory cell recruitment and the accumulation of lipids followed by calcification and plaque rupture. Inflammation is considered a key mediator of many events during the development and progression of the disease. Various types of inflammatory cells are reported to be involved in atherosclerosis.
  • 873
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Integrated-Smart Agriculture
The targets that smart agriculture tries to reach and respond to encompass not only the climate effects, but also other environmental factors as well as social and economic aspects linked with the life of farmers and rural communities all over the world. Hence, the concept of smart agriculture shall be expanded to include all these dimensions.
  • 868
  • 14 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Mechanism of Melatonin in Horticultural Plants
It has been discovered that melatonin, a hormone that is known for its involvement in regulating sleep-wake cycles in mammals, has a range of different functions in horticultural plants. Research has shown that melatonin plays an important role in many physiological processes in plants. This includes the regulation of growth and development, stress tolerance and antioxidant defense. Melatonin has been found to be beneficial in supporting seed germination, roots, shoot growth and biomass accumulation in horticultural crops. It also has a key role in regulating vegetative and reproductive growth stages, floral transition and leaf senescence. Moreover, melatonin helps to improve stress tolerance in crops by regulating root architecture, nutrient uptake and ion transport. Additionally, melatonin acts as a broad-spectrum antioxidant by effectively scavenging reactive oxygen species and enhancing antioxidant activity. The mechanism of melatonin's action in horticultural plants involves gene expressions, hormone signaling pathways and antioxidant defense pathways. Melatonin interacts with other plant growth regulators, including auxins, cytokinins and abscisic acid, to coordinate different physiological processes in plants. Melatonin has become a versatile chemical entity with diverse functions in horticultural plants and its potential applications in crop production and stress management are being increasingly explored. 
  • 867
  • 28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Effector Proteins in Plant–Microbe Interaction
Oomycete and fungal interactions with plants can be neutral, symbiotic or pathogenic with different impact on plant health and fitness. Both fungi and oomycetes can generate so-called effector proteins in order to successfully colonize the host plant. These proteins modify stress pathways, developmental processes and the innate immune system to the microbes’ benefit, with a very different outcome for the plant. Investigating the biological and functional roles of effectors during plant–microbe interactions are accessible through bioinformatics and experimental approaches which can broaden our knowledge about structural biology, sequence motif and domain knowledge of effector proteins from filamentous microbes.
  • 865
  • 13 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Situation of Velvet Deer Germplasm Resources in China
Velvet deer are not only a representative special economic animal but also an important part of livestock. With the increasing awareness of international competition for germplasm resources in China, more and more attention has been paid to the protection and utilization of germplasm resources. 
  • 865
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Insects as Novel Ruminant Feed
In the last decade, there has been a growing interest in using edible insects as animal feed due to their high nutritive value and environmental advantages over the conventional livestock feeds. Insects have been used in the diets of some animals (poultry, fish, and swine) however, their evaluation in ruminants is still limited. The current in vitro study evaluated the usage of four different kinds of edible insects to partially substitute soybean meal as an example to the conventional high-quality expensive protein sources in ruminants’ diets. This study showed that the evaluated insects had high protein and fat contents. Substitution of 25% of soybean meal with the tested insects in a ruminant diet had no adverse effect on rumen fermentation profile or nutrient digestibility. Moreover, the inclusion of some species in the diet led to reduction of the methane production up to 16-18% which is an additional environmental benefit. The findings of this study are encouraging for further work in this promising area to improve the sustainability of livestock industry.  
  • 864
  • 27 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Natural Polyphenols and Cancer
Natural compounds with anticancer properties are capable of killing transformed or cancerous cells without being toxic to healthy cells. Most fruits and vegetables consumed with food are made up of bioactive molecules belonging to the family of polyphenols, a group of natural compounds widely distributed in the plant kingdom; this group is varied, and to date, more than 8000 phenolic structures are known. Polyphenols are classified according to chemical structure, and their subdivision is represented in.
  • 864
  • 04 Nov 2021
Topic Review
MicroRNA156 and microRNA529 in Land Plants
The sequences of miR156 and miR529 family members are highly similar, and both target SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like (SPL or SBP box) genes, which encode transcription factors that share a common SBP domain. Many studies have focused on the functions of the highly conserved miR156 family, whereas there have been relatively few studies of miR529 . miR156-SPL is a broadly investigated regulatory module in plants. By regulating SPL expression, miR156 is involved in regulating many biological processes, including flowering time, branching/tillering, and environmental stress responses. Considering the high degree of sequence similarity between miR529 and miR156, it would be interesting to determine whether miR529 functions independently, redundantly, or synergistically with respect to miR156.
  • 863
  • 21 Oct 2021
Topic Review
SiRNA and Pancreatic Cancer Therapy
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of death and is the fourth most malignant tumor in men. The epigenetic and genetic alterations appear to be responsible for development of PC. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful genetic tool that can bind to its target and reduces expression level of a specific gene. The various critical genes involved in PC progression can be effectively targeted using diverse siRNAs. 
  • 863
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Composition of Fungal Communities in Donkey Cecum-Colon Ecosystem
The donkey hindgut is a microbial-rich ecosystem in which caecum and colon fungi play an important role in dietary fiber degradation. In addition, the fibrolytic enzymes produced by hindgut microorganisms are key to the ability of equines to hydrolysis plant fiber. In the entry, the fibrolytic enzyme activities within donkey caecum and colon were firstly measured by spectrophotometry. The dorsal colon presented a higher fibrolytic enzyme activity in comparison with caecum. The fungal community composition along donkey caecum and colon was determined by sequencing an internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) using Illumina MiSeq. The predominant fungi at phylum level were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Neocallimastigomycota. The Aspergillus, Wallemia, Phanerochaete, Fusarium, and Penicillium were detected as the dominant genera, but their metabolic and functional significance in donkey cecum-colon ecosystem need further investigation. In terms of the anaerobic fungi Neocallimastigomycota, its abundance was greater in donkey colon than in caecum. The relative abundance of enzymes related to plant cell wall breakdown were also predicted by PICRUSt, and they were also greater in donkey colon than in caecum. The entry provided new information about fibrolytic enzyme profiles and fungal communities in donkey hindgut. The findings could therefore contribute to the further understanding of the fungal taxa and their dietary fiber degradation mechanisms in donkey hindgut ecosystem.
  • 863
  • 25 Feb 2022
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