Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03209
Ufuoma A. Igbuku , Eze W. Odali , Beatrice O. Peretiemo-Clarke , Chinedu J. Ossai , Chukwujindu M.A. Iwegbue , Godwin E. Nwajei , Bice S. Martincigh
{"title":"Effect of simultaneous frying of food items on the concentrations and risks of PAHs in edible oils","authors":"Ufuoma A. Igbuku , Eze W. Odali , Beatrice O. Peretiemo-Clarke , Chinedu J. Ossai , Chukwujindu M.A. Iwegbue , Godwin E. Nwajei , Bice S. Martincigh","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03209","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effect of simultaneous frying of food items on the concentrations and risks of PAHs in different types of frying oils. The PAH concentrations of these oils were quantified prior to frying and after each frying cycle by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The Ʃ16 PAH concentrations in the oils before and after frying ranged from 20 to 120 µg kg<sup>-1</sup> and 30 to 250 µg kg<sup>-1</sup> respectively. There were substantial changes in the concentrations of individual PAHs and homologues in these edible oils after four frying cycles. The changes in the PAH concentrations after the frying series were in the sequence of palm olien (POL) > soybean oil (SBO) > groundnut oil (GNO) > coconut oil (CNO) > canola oil (CAO) > sunflower oil. (SFO) > olive oil (OLO) > palm oil (PMO). The observed order is controlled by the interplay among antioxidant composition, degree of unsaturation, and smoke point of the oils. The average changes in the Σ16 PAH concentrations of oil used repetitively for simultaneous frying of different food items were by far higher than the average changes in the PAH concentrations of oil used repetitively for frying of a single food item. The concentrations of the high molecular weight PAHs in the unfried and fried oils were above the limits of 2 µg kg<sup>-1</sup> and 5 µg kg<sup>-1</sup> for the individual PAHs and their sum, respectively, set by the European Union. The incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) assessment resulting from the ingestion of the unfried and fried edible oils indicates low carcinogenic risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03209"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03285
Joel Ojogbane Onoja , Pirun Mikled , Jude Y. Betow , Warinthorn Chavasiri
{"title":"Synergistic in vitro anticancer activity of doxorubicin-betulinic acid against neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and lung carcinoma (A549) supported by in silico targeting of ALK","authors":"Joel Ojogbane Onoja , Pirun Mikled , Jude Y. Betow , Warinthorn Chavasiri","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neuroblastoma, a heterogeneous pediatric malignancy of neural crest origin, continues to exhibit poor prognosis in high-risk cases despite advances in multimodal therapy. Likewise, lung cancer, particularly non–small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), frequently develops resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. These challenges highlight the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies with improved safety, selectivity, and the ability to target key molecular drivers of tumor progression. Combination approaches involving standard chemotherapeutics and bioactive phytochemicals represent a promising avenue for enhancing anticancer efficacy. In this study, betulinic acid (BA) was isolated for the first time from the ethyl acetate extract of <em>Erythrophleum suaveolens</em> (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan using column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. Structural characterization was achieved through spectroscopic analyses, including <sup>1</sup>H-2D NMR and EI-MS. The cytotoxic activity of BA was evaluated using cell viability assays against SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma and A549 human lung carcinoma cell lines, with doxorubicin (DOX) employed as a reference drug. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were conducted to investigate the interaction of BA with human anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in complex with crizotinib (PDB ID: <span><span>2XP2</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>). Betulinic acid (3β‑hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against both cancer cell lines. In SH-SY5Y cells, BA demonstrated an IC₅₀ value of 61.65 ± 2.74 µM, markedly lower than that of doxorubicin (212.9 ± 32.63 µM), indicating superior potency. In A549 cells, BA showed an IC₅₀ of 26.86 ± 1.41 µM, comparable to doxorubicin (22.02 ± 3.14 µM). Notably, BA significantly potentiated DOX-induced cytotoxicity, particularly in SH-SY5Y cells, suggesting a strong chemosensitizing effect. Molecular docking revealed that BA binds within the ALK active site with a moderate binding energy (−5.149 kcal/mol), compared with crizotinib (−9.784 kcal/mol) and doxorubicin (−7.119 kcal/mol) supporting ALK as a potential molecular target. Overall, these findings highlight betulinic acid as a promising natural-product scaffold with chemosensitizing potential and warrant further mechanistic and <em>in vivo</em> investigations toward its development for pediatric and adult oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03285"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03257
Hassan Hazimze, Salma Gaou, Khalid Akhlil
{"title":"MultiModal-ArabicNER: A deep learning framework for semantic knowledge extraction from degraded historical arabic manuscripts","authors":"Hassan Hazimze, Salma Gaou, Khalid Akhlil","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Historical Arabic manuscripts represent invaluable cultural heritage that remains computationally inaccessible due to physical degradation and linguistic complexity. Existing approaches treat document enhancement and semantic analysis as separate stages, limiting their effectiveness on severely degraded texts. This paper introduces a novel multimodal framework that uniquely integrates degradation-aware feature fusion with hierarchical Arabic morphological analysis throughout the entire processing pipeline. Our methodology combines multi-scale document enhancement, specialized named entity recognition, and graph-based relation extraction specifically adapted for Classical Arabic texts. Extensive experiments on the VML-HD dataset demonstrate significant improvements: document enhancement achieves 32.4 dB PSNR and 0.891 SSIM, hierarchical NER attains F1-score of 0.792 (5.5 % improvement), and relation extraction reaches F1-score of 0.683 (4.1 % improvement over baselines). Cross-dataset evaluation shows performance variation across different manuscript collections, with domain adaptation techniques helping to maintain reasonable effectiveness. Our findings indicate that integrating visual and textual features at multiple processing stages supports the analysis of historical Arabic manuscripts. This approach facilitates computational analysis of Arabic manuscript collections, supporting digital humanities and cultural heritage preservation efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03257"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03172
Taher Ammar , Mohamed Abdel-Monem , Karim El-Dash
{"title":"Using factor analysis and regression technique to predict cost overrun in road network construction projects","authors":"Taher Ammar , Mohamed Abdel-Monem , Karim El-Dash","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Road construction projects in Egypt, as in many other developing African countries, frequently experience significant cost overruns. This study systematically analyzes the causes of such overruns to enhance understanding and improve risk management practices in the field. The research identifies key factors contributing to cost overruns and examines their relationships. A prediction model was developed to help estimate appropriate contingency costs by evaluating the impact of these factors on the overall project cost. Using Factor Analysis (FA), Regression Analysis (RA), and Regression Model (RM), the study assessed the significance of various cost overrun factors. The findings indicate that poor material quality, scope-of-work changes, and quantity variations are the primary causes of cost overruns in road construction projects. This study benefits both local and international researchers and practitioners by providing actionable insights. It highlights the practical implications of the findings and emphasizes key features that decision-makers should consider to improve the performance of the road network construction sector. As a critical driver of urban development and modern community establishment, enhancing the efficiency of road construction is essential for sustainable growth and infrastructure development. The study also helps the government address the risks associated with road network projects during the pre-tendering phase, enabling it to better manage its financial resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03172"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-11DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03184
Lahoucine Oumiguil, Ali Nejmi
{"title":"Short-term PV plant power forecasting model using CNN-GRU with XGBoost algorithm","authors":"Lahoucine Oumiguil, Ali Nejmi","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate short-term forecasting of photovoltaic (PV) power output is crucial for the efficient integration and operation of PV systems in smart grids. However, the intrinsic unpredictability and hierarchical discontinuity of PV data complicate the attainment of good predictive accuracy through conventional regression procedures. This research introduces a combined deep learning and gradient boosting model for short-term PV power forecasting. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is initially utilized to get important spatial features from input variables. Then, these features are coupled with historical PV power measurements in a gated recurrent unit (GRU) to capture temporal dependencies. The XGBoost technique is also used to represent complex nonlinear relationships in the data, which makes predictions even more accurate. The model is tested using actual PV plant data and gets a R² of 0.79, an RMSE of 23.30 MW, and a MAPE of 16.68%. These improvements show that the hybrid model works well to make predictions more accurate and reliable for real-world use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03184"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing irrigation potential and its impact on crop productivity in the riparian zones of the Diamphwe River Basin, Malawi","authors":"Kenford Aeron Banda Luweya , Lameck Fiwa , Ke Zhang , Tadao Yamamoto , Sarvesh Maskey , Ayako Sekiyama , Hiromu Okazawa","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Irrigation is vital for crop production, yet its potential is underutilised in many river basins. In Malawi, crop production is predominantly reliant on rainfall, making it vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. The study evaluates the contribution of available irrigation resources (area) to crop production (yield) and assesses the extent of underutilisation. To achieve this, the irrigation potential (area) was mapped using Sentinel-2 land use and land cover analysis within 2 km buffer zones along the Diamphwe River. Additionally, 15 soil samples were analysed for HC, and government statistical data on maize yield and area were used to determine productivity, distinguishing the performance of rainfed and irrigated farming. Findings indicate that irrigated maize consistently outperformed rainfed maize in productivity, suggesting that harnessing irrigation could serve as a suitable alternative to the unreliable rainfed production in the basin, particularly within the 100–1000 m buffer zones that have greater irrigation potential. Kabwazi Extension Planning Area (EPA) accounted for 29 % and 33 % of the basin’s irrigable land in 2017 and 2024, respectively, due to its strategic positioning within the basin. The riparian zone displays medium hydraulic conductivity (HC), indicating suitable soils (luvisol) for infiltration, pollutant removal, and groundwater recharge, which are essential for sustaining river flow. Despite increased productivity, the impact of irrigation on maize remains minimal due to low participation by large-scale farmers and insufficient extension services, as evidenced by the underutilisation of potentially irrigable land (162.5 km<sup>2</sup> in 2017 and 145.4 km<sup>2</sup> in 2024). The study underscores the necessity for targeted policy interventions to optimise irrigation and enhance agricultural productivity and water resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03125"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03126
Mahmoud Hassan Said , Naglaa Mohamed Hamed , Doaa Haridy , Sherien Moustafa , Sultan Al-Ghtanyi , Diaa S. Metwally , Suzan Abdel-Rahman
{"title":"Determinants of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding campus sustainability: A field study at Cairo University","authors":"Mahmoud Hassan Said , Naglaa Mohamed Hamed , Doaa Haridy , Sherien Moustafa , Sultan Al-Ghtanyi , Diaa S. Metwally , Suzan Abdel-Rahman","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Universities are increasingly seeking to transform into green institutions by implementing sustainability principles that promote environmental awareness. This study investigates the determinants of knowledge, attitudes, and practices to better understand the drivers of campus sustainability. A total of 829 faculty members and students from various faculties at Cairo University were interviewed between July 1 and August 31, 2024. The average age of participants was 29.57 years. Most participants were female, resided in urban areas, and studied in colleges of natural sciences. Regression analysis showed that age, rural residence, and academic background positively influenced campus sustainability knowledge. Faculty members reported higher knowledge levels than students, while students showed more positive attitudes, especially in their final academic years or postgraduate studies. Sustainable practices were more prevalent among males, students in practical colleges, and those majoring in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts. Findings also confirmed a strong relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Targeted interventions should focus on enhancing students' knowledge of sustainability, fostering positive attitudes among faculty members, and implementing gender-sensitive activities tailored to specific academic disciplines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03126"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Incorporating meal absorption as a dynamic compartment: A novel extension of Bergman’s model for T1D optimal control","authors":"Essamy Amina, Dehaj Imane, Ferjouchia Hanane, Rachik Mostafa","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Managing Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) effectively requires precise modeling of glucose dynamics, especially the sharp postprandial spikes that contribute to long-term complications. Current models often treat meals as mere external disturbances, a simplification that limits both physiological accuracy and therapeutic potential. This study addresses that gap by introducing a novel four-compartment extension of Bergman’s minimal model, where meal absorption is represented as an internal dynamic state rather than an external input. The proposed framework captures the time-dependent release of glucose into the bloodstream following a meal. Mathematical analysis confirms the model’s consistency, establishing existence, uniqueness, boundedness, and positivity of solutions under biologically relevant parameters. Application of Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle yields an optimal insulin administration strategy explicitly linked to meal dynamics, producing a feedback control law that adjusts insulin delivery in response to real-time nutrient absorption. Numerical simulations confirm the approach’s effectiveness in dampening postprandial glucose excursions and improving overall glycemic stability. By integrating meal dynamics directly into the physiological model, this work provides a more realistic foundation for designing adaptive insulin therapies and supports the development of next-generation artificial pancreas systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03201"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03217
Kwadwo Boakye Boadu , Sylvia Bordoh , Michael Ayim , Caleb Arku , Ofori Attah Nkansah , Rogerson Anokye , Michael Ansong , Kwasi Adu Obirikorang , Richeal Akuorkor Turkson
{"title":"Influence of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) wood age on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metal accumulation in smoked atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias)","authors":"Kwadwo Boakye Boadu , Sylvia Bordoh , Michael Ayim , Caleb Arku , Ofori Attah Nkansah , Rogerson Anokye , Michael Ansong , Kwasi Adu Obirikorang , Richeal Akuorkor Turkson","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Smoking is a widely used method of fish preservation that can enhance flavour but may also introduce harmful contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. There is limited research on how the age of red mangrove (<em>Rhizophora mangle</em>) wood drives contaminant depositions in smoked fish products. Our study assessed the types and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carcinogenic risks related to PAH exposure, and cadmium, lead, and arsenic levels in Atlantic chub mackerel smoked with red mangrove wood aged 8, 11, and 14 years. Eighteen PAH congeners were identified, with four of them classified as probable human carcinogens by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Although Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) concentrations were within the EU limits (1.0 µg/kg), the PAH4 Index exceeded the 12.0 µg/kg limit in fish smoked with 14-year-old wood (12.5 µg/kg), which raises concerns about carcinogenic exposure. The cadmium and lead levels exceeded the EU safety thresholds in all fish samples: the highest contamination was recorded in the fish smoked with older wood. To ensure the safety of smoked fish products, the use of older wood for fish smoking must be restricted, along with the adoption of indirect smoking methods and enforcement of routine food safety monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03217"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scientific AfricanPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03238
Fatma M. Abdel Bar , Gehad Abdelwahab
{"title":"UPLC-TOF-MS/MS characterization of sulfated phytochemicals in Conocarpus lancifolius","authors":"Fatma M. Abdel Bar , Gehad Abdelwahab","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03238","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2026.e03238","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfated metabolites, particularly sulfated flavonoids, represent a unique subclass of plant secondary metabolites that have gained increasing attention due to their diverse biological activities and ecological roles. Little is known about the existence and characteristics of sulfated flavonoids in <em>Conocarpus</em> species, particularly those cultivated in Saudi Arabia under harsh environmental stress conditions. In this study, the sulfated metabolome of <em>C. lancifolius</em> leaves was investigated for the first time using LC-MS/MS in the negative ion mode, enabling the tentative identification of ten sulfated metabolites, including five flavonoid sulfates, two sulfated fatty alcohols, two phenolic acid sulfates, and the phytohormone derivative 12-sulfoxyjasmonic acid. The mass fragmentation profiles of syringetin-3-sulfate and 1,2-tetradecanediol 1-(hydrogen sulfate), two tentatively identified metabolites, were presented here for the first time. The MS/MS fragmentation patterns were dominated by the neutral loss of SO<sub>3</sub>, producing characteristic aglycone or backbone-related ions that supported structural assignments. The diversity of sulfated metabolites detected in <em>C. lancifolius</em> indicated that sulfate conjugation plays a substantial role in the secondary metabolism of the plant, potentially contributing to adaptive responses to environmental stress. These findings provided a groundwork for understanding the sulfur-associated metabolome of this species and underscore the need for further phytochemical, physiological, and pharmacological investigations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"31 ","pages":"Article e03238"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}