{"title":"Field evidence of relative cooling under warm conditions in grouped caterpillars","authors":"Mónica F. Cisternas, Ernesto Gianoli","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02169-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02169-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gregarious behavior in insects provides several ecological benefits, including thermoregulation. There is evidence that aggregation in caterpillars may enhance heat gain under cool conditions, but whether it also facilitates cooling under warm conditions remains unknown. We tested under field conditions whether the relationship between body–air temperature differential and air temperature differed between solitary and grouped caterpillars of the gregarious butterfly <i>Battus polydamas archidamas</i>. Grouped caterpillars, but not solitary caterpillars, showed an overall association between body–air temperature differential and air temperature. Specifically, gregarious caterpillars showed significantly lower temperatures than the environment in the warmer regions of the temperature gradient. However, evidence for body temperatures of grouped caterpillars exceeding air temperature under cooler conditions was weak. An analysis using the number of larvae in each aggregation found that the group size × air-temperature interaction was significant after accounting for population and solar radiation. Specifically, thermal excess declined more strongly with increasing air temperature as group size increased. Solar radiation at the occupied microsite also explained significant variation in thermal excess. We also found that solitary caterpillars, but not grouped ones, behaved as thermoconformers, i.e., their body temperature closely tracked ambient temperature. Our results provide field evidence that aggregation is associated with relative cooling under warmer field conditions, suggesting that the thermoregulatory benefits of larval aggregation may extend beyond the known enhancement of heat gain under cool conditions. Future work should address the mechanistic basis of the reported field pattern and evaluate its consequences for caterpillar performance and fitness.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-026-02169-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Siderophore-producing rhizobacteria improve iron and zinc accumulation in Vigna unguiculata: implications for sustainable nutrition","authors":"Shilpa Mishra, Dweipayan Goswami, Meenu Saraf","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02165-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02165-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Siderophores, low-molecular-weight compounds secreted by soil microorganisms, offer a sustainable approach to enhance iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content in crops, addressing global micronutrient malnutrition. This study examines the biofortification potential of siderophore-producing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) consortia in cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>), a vital legume for over 200 million people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Four antibiotic tagged bacterial strains, <i>Bacillus cereus</i> (ISM10), <i>Pantoea agglomerans</i> (ISM11), <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (ZSM3), and <i>Serratia marcescens</i> (ZSM4) were combined into four consortia to leverage synergistic interactions for Fe and Zn solubilization. While previous studies have explored individual strains or limited applications, this work comprehensively investigates the synergistic potential of specific PGPR consortia (notably CSM2: <i>P. aeruginosa</i> + <i>B. cereus</i>) in both pot and field trials, showcasing substantial increases in grain Fe (88.2%) and Zn (131.9%) content, along with noticeable improvements in plant growth parameters. This holistic approach, highlighting the superior efficacy of microbial consortia over individual strains and conventional methods, offers a scalable and eco-friendly solution to “hidden hunger” and contributes to sustainable food systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flower visitors of chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in West Bengal and assessing yield enhancement by stingless bee (Tetragonula pagdeni Schwarz) pollination","authors":"Ujjwal Layek, Trisha Bhandari, Joydeb Maji, Prakash Karmakar","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02167-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02167-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Amid growing concerns over the decline of pollinator populations, understanding the diversity of pollinators is essential for optimising crop yields. The wild pollinators of chili pepper (<i>Capsicum frutescens</i>) in West Bengal, India, have not yet been fully documented, and the potential of stingless bees as commercial pollinators remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to identify the floral visitors of chili pepper and to assess the pollination efficiency of stingless bees (<i>Tetragonula pagdeni</i>). Bees (including honeybees, solitary bees, and stingless bees), butterflies, and wasps were observed visiting chili flowers. The most abundant and effective pollinators were <i>Lasioglossum cavernifrons</i>, <i>Nomia</i> (<i>Hoplonomia</i>) <i>elliotii</i>, <i>Nomia strigata</i>, and <i>Tetragonula pagdeni</i>. The crop species exhibited a high dependence on pollinators for yield, and pollination by managed stingless bees significantly enhanced both the quality and quantity of the yield. Therefore, the management of stingless bee pollination represents a promising approach for yield optimisation of chili pepper in sustainable agricultural systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Antonio Ortega-Rosas, Gerardo Zúñiga Bermudez, M. Susana Alvarado-Barrientos, Ioreni Margarita Hernández-Velázquez, Mario E. Favila, Jesús Alejandro Zamora-Briseño
{"title":"Parental care in Canthon cyanellus cyanellus maintains brood ball moisture and shapes bacterial communities: implications for offspring survival","authors":"Daniel Antonio Ortega-Rosas, Gerardo Zúñiga Bermudez, M. Susana Alvarado-Barrientos, Ioreni Margarita Hernández-Velázquez, Mario E. Favila, Jesús Alejandro Zamora-Briseño","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02160-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02160-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Parental care in <i>Canthon cyanellus cyanellus</i> (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is essential for offspring survival, yet the mechanisms underlying its protective role remain incompletely understood. While microbial transfer from parents to brood balls has been proposed as the primary explanation for the reduced fungal growth and increased larval survival observed under parental care, physicochemical maintenance of the brood balls may also play a critical role. In this study, we evaluated the effect of parental care on the physicochemical properties (gravimetric water content, pH, and hardness) and bacterial community assemblage of brood balls under four levels of relative humidity (RH: 30%, 50%, 65%, and 70%), and assessed larval survival and development under each condition. Our results demonstrate that parental care significantly contributed to maintaining the moisture and structural integrity of brood balls and that these effects were strongly dependent on ambient RH. High RH (≥ 65%) was identified as a critical factor for larval survival and progression to advanced developmental stages, regardless of parental care, whereas at RH ≤ 50% larval mortality reached 100% even in the presence of parents. Parental care also produced a slightly more alkaline pH in brood balls across most treatments. Metataxonomic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 region) showed that parental care significantly influenced the bacterial assemblage on the brood ball surface, increasing alpha diversity and favoring genera associated with organic matter degradation and antimicrobial activity, such as <i>Nocardioides</i>, <i>Bacillus</i>, and <i>Nannocystis</i>. A bacterial core composed of eight genera—including <i>Acinetobacter</i>, <i>Sphingobacterium</i>, and <i>Micromonospora</i>—was identified across all brood balls. Based on these findings, we propose that parental care in <i>C. c. cyanellus</i> enhances offspring survival primarily by preventing brood ball desiccation, thereby preserving the structural plasticity necessary for larval migration to the food chamber while simultaneously promoting a beneficial bacterial community. These results also suggest that environmental shifts toward drier conditions, such as those driven by climate change or deforestation, could significantly compromise the reproductive success of this species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cecília Ferreira de Mello, Gerson Azulim Müller, Wellington Thadeu de Alcantara Azevedo, Hélcio Reinaldo Gil-Santana, Thamires Rezende Araújo, Roger Pimentel, Jeronimo Alencar
{"title":"Phytotelm and anthropogenic mosquitoes: community structure in natural and artificial habitats in an Atlantic Forest agroforestry system, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil","authors":"Cecília Ferreira de Mello, Gerson Azulim Müller, Wellington Thadeu de Alcantara Azevedo, Hélcio Reinaldo Gil-Santana, Thamires Rezende Araújo, Roger Pimentel, Jeronimo Alencar","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02162-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02162-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agroforestry systems (AFSs) combine agricultural crops with native or exotic trees to promote sustainable production while creating heterogeneous landscapes with diverse fauna microhabitats. In the Atlantic Forest biome, how these systems shape immature mosquito (Culicidae) communities and vector dynamics remains poorly understood. We characterized the immature mosquito community (larvae and pupae) across five larval habitat types, three natural (bromeliads, bamboo internodes, and peach palm leaf bracts) and two artificial (a plastic tarp and a water barrel), in an AFS in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 5,314 specimens belonging to 38 species distributed in 10 genera were collected. Natural larval habitats, particularly bromeliads and bamboo internodes, presented the highest species richness and harbored most of the exclusive taxa. Artificial habitats harbored fewer species, among them <i>Culex quinquefasciatus</i>, a synanthropic species of public health importance. Other epidemiologically relevant mosquitoes were <i>Haemagogus leucocelaenus</i>, <i>Haemagogus janthinomys</i>, and <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, the last of these a highly generalist species recorded in both natural and artificial larval habitats. Our results show that AFSs act as interface zones between forest and human-altered environments, with significant epidemiological implications: such systems can favor arbovirus spillover and bring vectors, human populations, and wildlife reservoirs into closer contact.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00114-026-02162-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yasmin A. Abd El-Latif, Doaa A. Elsayed, Abd-ElNasser A. Mohamed, Radwa M. Said
{"title":"An efficient nanocatalytic synthesis of a triazolopyrimidine carbonitrile with potent activity against Trichinella spiralis","authors":"Yasmin A. Abd El-Latif, Doaa A. Elsayed, Abd-ElNasser A. Mohamed, Radwa M. Said","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02153-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02153-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The emergence of drug resistance and the adverse effects associated with currently available antiparasitic drugs necessitate the exploration of novel heterocyclic scaffolds. An efficient synthetic approach was developed for the preparation of 6,8-diamino-5-(4-nitrophenyl)pyrido[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-7-carbonitrile (DNP-Triazolopyrimidine) using lanthanum hydroxide nanorods as an efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst. The synthesized La(OH)₃ nanorods were thoroughly characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and surface area analysis, confirming their nanoscale structure and morphology. The catalytic system demonstrated high efficiency, considerably reducing the reaction time while providing a high product yield under mild reaction conditions. The synthesized DNP-Triazolopyrimidine was structurally characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Biological evaluation demonstrated significant in vitro antiparasitic activity of DNP-Triazolopyrimidine against Trichinella spiralis larvae and adult worms in a dose- and time-dependent manner, achieving complete larval mortality at 10 and 20 µg/mL and complete adult-worm mortality at 20 µg/mL after 96 h of exposure. The LC₅₀ values were 9.71 µg/mL for larvae and 3.16 µg/mL for adult worms. SEM examination revealed pronounced ultrastructural alterations in treated parasites, including cuticular rupture, blebbing, vesicle formation, and loss of annulations. Cytotoxicity evaluation using WI-38 normal fibroblast cells demonstrated comparatively low cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 51.61 ± 2.9 µM). In silico ADMET analysis provided preliminary information on the pharmacokinetic and safety profile of DNP-Triazolopyrimidine.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bastien Wagner, Patrizia d’Ettorre, István E. Maák
{"title":"Latent learning improves foraging efficiency in ants","authors":"Bastien Wagner, Patrizia d’Ettorre, István E. Maák","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02163-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02163-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Learning allows animals to react to changing environmental conditions and to respond to stimuli in an adaptive way, for instance by giving novel stimuli positive or negative value. However, there is a form of learning that does not require reward or punishment: latent learning. This knowledge is hidden at the time of learning but it manifests later when a suitable incentive appears. Latent learning helps animals to navigate their environments, thus improving foraging efficiency, especially when resources are unpredictably distributed. Although latent learning has been well documented in vertebrates, including humans, it remains relatively understudied in invertebrates. We investigated whether ants use latent learning during foraging in the species <i>Aphaenogaster senilis</i>, living in open and sunny environments. We compared the efficiency of two groups of ants navigating a maze to get food. One group of ants was previously exposed to an empty maze (experienced), while the other group was not (control). The ants with previous experience of the empty maze found the food faster than the control group when the food was present, consistent with a positive effect of latent learning on foraging efficiency. Moreover, experienced ants returned to the nest more rapidly after discovering the food for the first time than control ants, indicating that information acquired during unrewarded explorations subsequently facilitated goal-directed behaviour. We then characterized for exploratory activity individual ants that solved the maze and ants that did not, using an open-field test. We found that maze-solvers were less exploratory than non-solvers, suggesting a potential speed-accuracy trade-off. Taken together, our results show the use of latent learning during individual foraging in ants and highlight the role of inter-individual variability in foraging strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cecilia Loddi, Riccardo Stefani, Lorenzo Rook, Saverio Bartolini-Lucenti
{"title":"Up is down: testing the equivalence in dental wear patterns of the upper and lower carnassial","authors":"Cecilia Loddi, Riccardo Stefani, Lorenzo Rook, Saverio Bartolini-Lucenti","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02158-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02158-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The analysis of dental microwear is widely applied to reconstruct the diet of different fossil species. Dental microwear is usually sampled on worn facets, that are produced during food processing. To maximize the sample size, tooth wear is sampled on upper and lower teeth assuming equality in wear patterns between two homologous opposite facets. Anyhow, previous research on fossil herbivores have highlighted potential discrepancies between upper and lower teeth, particularly in non-homologous facets, raising questions about the validity of this practice. Here we test if wear of the homologous facets of the slicing portion of the carnassials in four species of extant carnivores can be analysed without distinction, resulting in the same ecological evidence. To achieve a high-resolution representation of these patterns, we used Dental Microwear Texture Analysis. The results of similarity tests validated that there is no statistically significant difference between SSFA attributes and, moreover, they are equivalent. This statistical equivalence opens new possibilities for the future by effectively doubling the data availability, at least for extant carnivores. In addition, it can help overcome the scarcity of data on tooth wear in fossil carnivores.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Portrayal of the deep sea: Haeckel’s Atolla wyvillei, the challenger expedition, and the boundaries of science and illustration","authors":"Bernhard L. Bock","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02154-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02154-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The <i>Challenger</i> expedition marked a turning point for marine biology, revolutionizing the scientific research of ocean life. It yielded a report of 50 volumes totaling nearly 30,000 pages—a monumental result that remains unchallenged. Among its vast contributions are reports by Ernst Haeckel on previously unknown species of radiolarians and medusae, which stand out for their lasting influence on the taxonomy of marine organisms. <i>Atolla wyvillei</i> Haeckel, 1880 is among these newly described medusae, named in honor of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, the chief scientist of the HMS Challenger. Housed in the holdings of the Phyletisches Museum Jena (PMJ), the type specimen of <i>A</i>. <i>wyvillei</i> is carefully reexamined and documented with high-resolution imaging here for the first time. Furthermore, previously unknown microscope slide sections of an additional syntype of <i>A</i>. <i>wyvillei</i> are revealed. By directly comparing these primary physical preparations with Haeckel’s published plates, this study provides empirical evidence to resolve long-standing historical debates regarding Haeckel’s reliance on artistic interpretation or fleeting species descriptions. This physical reevaluation demonstrates that his illustrations were grounded in meticulous histological analysis, thereby providing an objective basis to reassess Haeckel’s taxonomic legacy and safeguard primary type material for contemporary and future research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13574863/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148966023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zaynab Ouadghiri, Othman El Faqer, Hicham Wahnou, Samira Rais, El Mostafa Mtairag
{"title":"Comprehensive analysis of the pharmacological potentials of Marrubium vulgare (white horehound): a recent overview of phytochemistry and biological activities","authors":"Zaynab Ouadghiri, Othman El Faqer, Hicham Wahnou, Samira Rais, El Mostafa Mtairag","doi":"10.1007/s00114-026-02156-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00114-026-02156-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Marrubium vulgare</i> L. (<i>M. vulgare</i>) is a medicinal plant widely employed in traditional medicine for the management of respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and inflammatory disorders. Owing to its broad ethnopharmacological applications and rich phytochemical composition, the plant has attracted increasing scientific attention. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the phytochemistry, traditional uses, and biological activities of <i>M. vulgare</i>, with particular emphasis on marrubiin, its major bioactive diterpene. Available studies indicate that <i>M. vulgare</i> contains a diverse range of secondary metabolites, including diterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, and volatile constituents, many of which contribute to its pharmacological properties. Experimental investigations have reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and antiproliferative/cytotoxic activities. Among these constituents, marrubiin is one of the most extensively investigated compounds and may contribute to several of the reported biological effects. Collectively, the available preclinical evidence provides pharmacological support for several traditional uses of <i>M. vulgare</i> and identifies the plant as a source of compounds worthy of further investigation. However, most evidence is derived from in vitro and animal studies, while clinical data remain scarce. Considerable variability in extract composition and experimental protocols, together with limited information regarding pharmacokinetics, long-term safety, standardization, and mechanism-specific validation, currently restricts clinical interpretation. Further studies using chemically standardized preparations, rigorous mechanistic approaches, comprehensive toxicological assessment, and, where justified, well-designed clinical trials are required to establish the therapeutic relevance of <i>M. vulgare</i> and its major constituents.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":794,"journal":{"name":"The Science of Nature","volume":"113 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}