Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture最新文献

{"title":"Optimization of geographical traceability models for tobacco: an investigation into the effects of region, harvest year, and variety on stable isotope and multi-elemental profiling","authors":"Lili Cui,&nbsp;Shulei Han,&nbsp;Yongxiu Wang,&nbsp;Yaning Fu,&nbsp;Hongjuan Wang,&nbsp;Yushan Tian,&nbsp;Xiao Li,&nbsp;Zheng Song,&nbsp;Huan Chen,&nbsp;Yuwei Yuan,&nbsp;Hongwei Hou","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-01006-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-01006-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Geographical traceability of tobacco, a crop of substantial economic importance and industrial value, is essential for authenticating origin, ensuring quality, and supporting regulatory compliance. The fingerprint signatures of stable isotopes and mineral elements in tobacco are to a great extent the interannual climate variability, agricultural practices (e.g., fertilization and irrigation), and varietal differences, thereby increasing the complexity and uncertainty in geographical origin identification. To date, tobacco research has been largely restricted to geographical differences, while the influences of inter-year and cultivar differences have not been systematically investigated.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In total, 523 tobacco samples were collected from three distinct production regions across China between 2020 and 2022, encompassing three varieties specifically from Yunnan Province. Stable isotope signatures (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ²H) and mineral element profiles differed significantly among regions, and regional variation exceeded inter-year variation. In contrast, δ²H values and the concentrations of K, Ni, Ga, Sb, Ba, Y, Sm, Dy, Er, Pb, and Sr did not differ significantly across cultivars. We identified ten key variables (Sr, Pr, Na, Ga, Sm, Sn, Ba, Li, Dy and Cs) that reliably discriminate tobacco origins, independent of cultivar or year. Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) models achieved prediction accuracies of 98.6%–99.4% for the training set and 85.8%–93.6% for the test set.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These findings demonstrate that origin, harvest year, and variety significantly impact the stable-isotope and elemental composition of tobacco, and that regional differences exceed the inter-year differences. This indicates that the verification method used in this study offers a powerful tool for verifying authenticity-of-origin labels on tobacco products.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-01006-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valorization of food waste-derived aqueous phase from hydrothermal carbonization as liquid fertilizer: a case study for plant growth and soil fertility","authors":"Hao Xu,&nbsp;Tong Chen,&nbsp;Shuhuan Zhang,&nbsp;Yanfang Feng,&nbsp;Haihou Wang,&nbsp;Zhipeng Liu,&nbsp;Guohua Xu","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-01000-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-01000-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Considering the valuable resources in food waste (FW), using hydrothermal carbonization has been proposed as an effective way. The liquid product aqueous phase (AP) is rich in nutrients and artificial dissolved organic matter (DOM), has been identified as a promising liquid fertilizer. However, the effects of FW-derived AP fertigation on plant agronomy and soil fertility have not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, tomato and lettuce cultivations were conducted in substrate and sandy soil with diluted AP, alongside tap water (CK) and chemical fertilizer (CF).</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In this study, AP retained a large quantity of organic and inorganic nitrogen and diluting it 150-fold eliminated its phytotoxicity. While AP yielded tomato seedling biomass comparable to CF in substrate; In sandy soil, AP significantly increased lettuce biomass by 16–26.7% across three seasons. Soil fertilized with AP exhibited greater soil nitrogen content, higher enzyme activities and increased soil microbial biomass, without causing sodium accumulation. Regarding soil DOM, AP increased the number of formulas by 50.8–62.8%, but decreased the molecular weight by 21.8–24%, compared with CK and CF. AP significantly elevated the levels of lignin- and carbohydrate-like compounds in soil DOM, stimulating both soil humification and carbon lability. AP decreased bacterial abundance but increased fungal abundance in the soil. AP attracted rhizosphere microorganisms like <i>Proteobacteria</i> and <i>Actinobacteria</i> in bacteria and <i>Basidiomycota</i> and <i>Ascomycota</i> in fungi, which facilitate organic matter degradation and nutrients cycling.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This pilot case study confirms that AP is both technically and economically feasible for use as a liquid fertilizer.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-01000-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated multi‑omics analysis of microbiome and metabolomics: mechanism of different pre-fermented juice regulating protein degradation during mulberry silage","authors":"Hua-liang Chen,&nbsp;Guang-hao Xia,&nbsp;Yuan-yuan Yang,&nbsp;Fu-rong Han,&nbsp;Yang Gu,&nbsp;Yu-long Zheng,&nbsp;Yi-xiao Xie,&nbsp;Hong Sun,&nbsp;Chao Chen,&nbsp;Fu-yu Yang,&nbsp;Jun Hao","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00995-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00995-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i> L.) serves as a high-value woody protein feed resource to address the shortage of protein feed supplies, but inherent limitations, including excessive moisture, insufficient indigenous lactic acid bacteria, and intense protein degradation, constrain its silage preparation. To address these problems, this study developed pre-fermented juices using alternative raw materials, including grape pomace and red clover, which are rich in natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols and isoflavonoids. Four groups were set in the experiment: red clover pre-fermented juice (treatment R), grape pomace pre-fermented juice (treatment G), mulberry pre-fermented juice (treatment M), and blank control (CK). Combined with bacterial community and metabolomic analyses, the present research further investigated their effects on the fermentation quality of mulberry silage during a 60-day ensiling period. The results indicated that treatment R exhibited the optimal comprehensive effect, enriching Enterococcus, upregulating the accumulation of isoflavonoids (formononetin, glycitein, and biochanin A), reducing silage pH to 3.99, elevating lactic acid concentration, and restraining protein degradation by inhibiting protease activity. Treatment M facilitated the proliferation of <i>Lactobacillus</i> and the accumulation of beneficial metabolites such as 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, while treatment G exerted only a mild regulatory effect. Overall, all pre-fermented juice additions effectively improved fermentation performance and nutrient preservation of mulberry silage. This finding elucidates the mechanism of microbial-metabolite interactions during mulberry ensiling, offers a low-cost, environmentally friendly technical strategy for high-quality silage production, and facilitates the sustainable application of mulberry resources in ruminant feeding systems.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00995-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elucidating microorganism–metabolite interactions during Xinyang black tea fermentation through integrated widely targeted metabolomics and high-throughput sequencing","authors":"Yangyang Yu,&nbsp;Aiyong Yang,&nbsp;Yuanshan Yu,&nbsp;Chengzhe Li,&nbsp;Chunlai Wu,&nbsp;Rongqian Shi,&nbsp;Pengyu Yang,&nbsp;Mengyao Sun,&nbsp;Hongli Chen","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-01001-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-01001-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Fermentation is an indispensable step in the processing of Xinyang black tea (XYBT). This study aimed to unveiling the correlation between microorganisms and metabolites in the fermentation process of XYBT by widely targeted metabolomics and high-throughput sequencing techniques.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Widely targeted metabolomics detected 682 metabolites in XYBT during fermentation. Among these, 45 differentially metabolites were screened through orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) during XYBT fermentation (VIP &gt; 1 and <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Concurrently, high-throughput sequencing revealed dynamic shifts in both bacterial and fungal community composition over the course of XYBT fermentation. At the genus level, <i>Sphingomonas</i>, <i>Chryseobacterium</i>, <i>Herbaspirillum</i>, <i>Aureimonas</i>, <i>Agrobacterium</i>, and <i>Microbacterium</i> constituted the predominant bacterial genera in XYBT during fermentation, while <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Setophoma</i>, <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Wallemia</i>, <i>Aspergillus</i>, <i>Neodeviesia</i>, and <i>Fusarium</i> represented the major fungal genera. Spearman’s correlation analysis further demonstrated that metabolite abundances were significantly linked to 5 bacterial and 10 fungal genera at the <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05 threshold. Notably, <i>Chryseobacterium</i> displayed positive associations with quercetin-1, 1-monomyristin, and brevifolincarboxylic acid. <i>Setophoma</i> and <i>Plectosphaerella</i> were positively linked to quercetin-1, 1-monomyristin, and D-leucine, whereas rutin and ferulic acid exhibited inverse relationships with these genera.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>These findings offer novel insights into the microbial diversity and their role in regulating the metabolites of XYBT during fermentation.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-01001-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unfolding the conformational structure of supramolecular humeomes in 8 M urea","authors":"Alessandro Piccolo,&nbsp;Marios Drosos,&nbsp;Giovanni Vinci","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00999-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00999-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>We dissolved in 8 M urea solution molecularly characterized humeomes isolated from either soils or geochemical sources to follow their conformational behavior when eluted in a high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) system and detected by both UV and Refractive Index (RI) detectors.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The UV-detected chromatographic profile showed only an intense absorbance at the column void volume, where the RI detector instead revealed just a small peak. Concomitantly, the large humeomes mass was RI-detected as a large absorption uniquely at the column total volume. This peculiar behavior was explained with the highly structured urea-water network exerting a strong hydrophobic effect that forced the apolar humic molecules into apparently large clusters eluting at the void volume of the HPSEC column, while polar and medium polar components were separated from each other by the strong hydrogen bonding capacity of the urea solution and diffused through the column micropores up to the total volume. The intensity difference between UV and RI detections indicates that the UV-detected hydrophobic assemblies contained only few aromatic groups, but their enforced proximity favored mutual charge-transfer interactions, thus providing a hyperchromic effect with absorbances larger than the sum of single aromatic chromophores. Three different soils incubated for one year with maize residues provided HPSEC profiles which suggested altered humic composition. Changes in aromatic groups, as revealed by 13C-NMR spectra, affected the intensity of UV-detected peaks of hydrophobic clusters, while different amounts of polar and medium-polar molecules determined the humeomes conformational rigidity, varying the RI signals at the column total volume.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our results indicated that a concentrated urea solution was capable to unfold the weakly-bound humic associations and efficiently separating components of different chemical affinity, thereby confirming the supramolecular structure of humeomes, and representing a useful technique to simplify their heterogeneity, facilitate their molecular characterization, and understand their role in the agroecosystem.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00999-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148986186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-step extraction of exchangeable cations from saline soil using NaCl as an extractant","authors":"Jinhua Yuan,&nbsp;Shengzhe E","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00988-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00988-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The composition and content of exchangeable (exch) cations are key indicators for improving and utilizing saline soils. However, accurate determination of exch cations is often hindered by the dissolution of carbonates, sulfates, and chlorides during extraction. Traditional extraction methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming, resulting in extremely low extraction efficiency in saline soils. Therefore, methodological improvements are urgently needed.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In this study, a one-step extraction method for exch cations in saline soil was developed using 0.2 mol L^− 1 NaCl solutions with varying ethanol concentrations as extractants. This method enabled effective extraction of exch Ca across a concentration range of 0.36–34 cmol_c kg^− 1. An appropriate soil sample weight for the extraction of exch cations was determined based on the exch Ca content. A 70% ethanol concentration effectively inhibited CaCO₃ dissolution in calcareous soils, whereas an 80% ethanol concentration is required to inhibit CaSO₄∙2H₂O dissolution in saline soils. In both cases, the measured exch Ca values remained within the standard range. For calcareous soils, CaCO₃ or CaSO₄∙2H₂O (≤ 80%) addition did not affect the extraction of exch cations, with the measured Ca, Mg, and K values falling within the standard range. For saline soils, CaSO₄∙2H₂O (≤ 80%) addition did not affect the extraction of exch cations, with all measured values falling within the standard range. Exch Na was calculated as CEC−exch(Ca + Mg+K). The measured exch cation values in field-collected saline soils showed no significant differences between the results obtained by the method established in this study and those by the traditional method, thereby indicating that the proposed method could provide consistent and reliable results.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Compared with traditional methods, the proposed approach simplifies the extraction procedure and reduces extraction time, thereby greatly improving work efficiency while reducing analytical costs.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00988-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microalgae biofertilizer reduces methane emissions associated with lower soil dissolved organic carbon and mcrA abundance in paddy soil","authors":"Fen Ma,&nbsp;Jingyu Zhang,&nbsp;Yingchun Li,&nbsp;Guojun Cao,&nbsp;Kangxi Qin,&nbsp;Yinlong Xu,&nbsp;Liping Guo,&nbsp;Guohui Chen,&nbsp;Yanfang Chen,&nbsp;Chunfeng Peng","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00996-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00996-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Low-carbon technologies are pivotal for boosting rice yields while cutting greenhouse gas emissions in paddies. Microalgae biofertilizer offers great potential for enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity. However, few studies have addressed its effects on greenhouse gas emissions and the underlying mechanisms in paddy soil. Here, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of microalgae biofertilizer on greenhouse gas emissions from paddy soil. The experiment designed four treatments, including N100 (full chemical nitrogen fertilizer), N80 (20% reduced nitrogen fertilizer), N80 + LM and N80 + HM (N80 with low- and high-dose microalgae, respectively). The results showed that the cumulative CH₄ emissions of N80 + LM and N80 + HM were significantly reduced by 37.8% and 55.3% in late rice than that of N80, respectively. This was associated with the reductions of soil dissolved organic carbon concentration, <i>mcrA</i> gene abundance, and <i>mcrA</i>/<i>pmoA</i> ratio, collectively reducing the CH₄ emissions. However, cumulative N₂O emissions exhibited no significant variation across treatments, potentially related to unaffected microbial functional genes and invariant soil nitrate availability. In addition, compared with N80, N80 + LM and N80 + HM significantly increased rice yield by 11.2% and 13.1% in late rice and by 13.4% and 16.3% in early rice, respectively, whereas decreased GHGI by 41.2% and 53.9% in late rice and by 19.4% and 24.5% in early rice, respectively. However, no significant difference in the effects was observed between different dose microalgae biofertilizer. These results suggest that, under the tested greenhouse pot conditions, N80 plus microalgae biofertilizer held the potential to reduce CH₄ emissions and maintain rice yield. Nonetheless, field-scale validation is required prior to agronomic recommendations in rice paddy.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00996-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered intestinal mucosal microbiota mediated pathways in cancer signaling pathway provide new insight in Bai Canhua aqueous extract for radiation-induced enteritis","authors":"Tian-hao Liu,&nbsp;Bo-yan Xu,&nbsp;Yu-hao Niu,&nbsp;Sheng-yi Zhu,&nbsp;Hang Zhang,&nbsp;Yu-sheng Yu,&nbsp;Yi-lin Yin,&nbsp;Hong Wei,&nbsp;Chen-yang Zhang,&nbsp;Ya-hong Zhou","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00970-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00970-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p><i>Rosa multiflora var. cathayensis</i> (Bai Canhua, BCH), a medicinal plant native to the Taihu region traditionally used for heat-clearing, remains unclear in its protective mechanism against radiation enteritis (RE). This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of a BCH aqueous extract in a murine RE model and explored its anti-inflammatory mechanisms via the <i>Muribaculum gordoncarter</i>i-metabolite-gene axis.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Chemical characterization by UHPLC-QE-MS identified <i>flavonoids</i> as the predominant components. In RE mice, BCH aqueous extract treatment (30–60 g/kg) dose-dependently reduced serum inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) and attenuated colon damage, demonstrating superior efficacy to vitamin C. Full-length 16 S rRNA sequencing revealed that BCH aqueous extract restored gut microbiota diversity and specifically reversed RE-induced increases in <i>Muribaculum gordoncarteri</i> and <i>Eubacterium sp. 14-2</i>, both of which were correlated with inflammation. Integrated multi-omics analysis indicated concurrent enrichment of BCH aqueous extract-derived constituents and <i>Muribaculum gordoncarteri</i>-related metabolites in “Pathways in cancer.” Consistent with this finding, BCH aqueous extract treatment downregulated key genes within this cancer-associated pathway (<i>EGLN1</i>,<i> STAT3</i>,<i> GLI1</i>,<i> GLI2</i>,<i> BCL2L1</i>) in intestinal tissues, as validated by FISH and RT-qPCR.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The BCH aqueous extract alleviates RE by modulating gut microbiota and suppressing inflammation through the <i>Muribaculum gordoncarteri</i>-metabolite-“<i>Pathways in cance</i>r” axis, highlighting its potential utility as a medical plant or functional food.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture><span>The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.</span></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00970-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanomaterials in slow/controlled-release fertilizers: mechanisms, material designs, and future directions","authors":"Mehri Salimi,&nbsp;Badr-Eddin Channab,&nbsp;Marjan Malekmohammadi,&nbsp;Rasmieh Hamid,&nbsp;Elaheh Motamedi","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00987-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00987-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Slow- and controlled-release fertilizers (S/C-RFs) were developed to address the well-recognized inefficiencies of conventional fertilizers by providing nutrient delivery systems capable of synchronizing release with plant physiological demand. Contemporary S/C-RF technologies encompass several distinct product architectures, including coated fertilizers (e.g., sulfur-coated, polymer-coated, and multilayer hybrid coatings), matrix-based systems (including hydrogels, composite matrices, and biodegradable polymer networks), and nanoencapsulated or core–shell architectures, each exhibiting distinct structural features that govern nutrient diffusion and release kinetics. However, traditional coating and matrix technologies still face limitations in achieving precise, environmentally responsive release profiles. Recent advances in nanomaterials (NMs) have introduced transformative opportunities for engineering next-generation S/C-RFs, owing to their high specific surface area, tunable surface chemistry, and nanoscale interactions with fertilizer matrices. These materials reinforce polymer networks, generate tortuous diffusion pathways, and introduce electrostatic or coordination interactions that collectively modulate nutrient mobility and enhance release control. This review presents current progress in nanotechnology-enabled S/C-RFs, with emphasis on coating strategies, hydrogel systems, and composite formulations, while evaluating their agronomic, economic, and environmental implications. In hydrogel-based systems, nanofillers densify polymer networks, reduce porosity, and suppress burst release, whereas in coated fertilizers they enhance barrier integrity, mechanical durability, and water uptake regulation. These mechanisms contribute to improved nutrient use efficiency, reduced leaching, and better alignment between nutrient availability and plant uptake. Overall, NMs are positioned as key contributors to advanced S/C-RF technologies that support more efficient, sustainable, and climate-responsive agricultural practices.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00987-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of different molecular weight fractions of soybean protein hydrolysate on lettuce","authors":"Letizia Scarabattoli,&nbsp;Giulia Franzoni,&nbsp;Stefania Lupinelli,&nbsp;Antonio Ferrante,&nbsp;Giovanna Speranza","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-00931-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40538-026-00931-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Protein hydrolysates effectively promote growth and nutrient uptake, enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses and positively influence yield and quality parameters. It is also widely reported that some biological properties of protein hydrolysates are strongly related to molecular weights (MW) of their constituted peptides.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In this work, a commercial soybean hydrolysate (SH) obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis was firstly fractionated by ultrafiltration with molecular weight cut-off membranes of 1, 5, and 10 kDa. The biostimulant properties of the obtained fractions, SH_F1 (&lt; 1 kDa), SH_F2 (1–5 kDa), SH_F3 (5–10 kDa) and SH_F4 (&gt; 10 kDa), and the entire hydrolysate (SH) were investigated on lettuce (2 kg ha^− 1), through destructive and non-destructive measurements. Non-destructive measurements (chlorophyll, flavonol and anthocyanin content), performed twice (14 days apart), shown no significative differences among treatments. Destructive measurements were performed at harvest; SH_F2 (the fraction which contains peptides with molecular weights between 1 and 5 kDa) induced an increase of both chlorophylls <i>a + b</i> (+ 22.5% and + 25.2%) and carotenoids (+ 27% and + 33%) with respect to the control (deionised water) and the entire hydrolysate (SH), respectively. The same trend was observed for total sugars: the entire hydrolysate (SH) and the fraction SH_F2 led to a significant increase in total sugars content, 3.29 ± 0.1 mg g^− 1 and 2.92 ± 0.2 mg g^− 1, respectively, with respect to the control (2.31 ± 0.3 mg g^− 1).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This study successfully confirms the biological significance of compounds with low molecular weights, including peptides, sugars and other metabolites, in mediating plant responses to protein hydrolysates.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-00931-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}