Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Green synthesized CeO2 NPs for photocatalytic degradation of congo red dye and efficient induction of Mung bean (Vigna radiata) seed germination","authors":"Sivaraj Mehnath ,&nbsp;Baskaran Nandhini ,&nbsp;Kandhasamy Karthikeyan","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103964","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103964","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Green-synthesized nanomaterials are rapidly developing as promising contenders for precise wastewater treatment and sustainable agricultural applications. This work emphasizes that <em>Illicium verum</em> extract-mediated CeO₂ NPs synthesis offers wide potential in Congo red (CR) dye degradation. It exhibits higher reusability and stability. The same CeO₂ NPs were reused for mung bean seed nanopriming. Mung bean seed germination, growth, and yield were compared with control seeds (unprimed and hydroprimed). The green synthesized CeO₂ NPs were studied through various characterization techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, and XRD. In FTIR, the absorption band appears at 558 cm⁻¹, with band gap energy of 2.64 eV. XRD shows crystalline sizes, and the NPs exhibited spherical morphology with a size range of 86 nm. These also showed higher DPPH and OH radical scavenging activity, with 63.4% and 61% respectively. The CeO₂ NPs were used as a photocatalyst to reduce CR dye in various physiological conditions. A 91% reduction was accomplished within 15 min using 80 μL of CeO₂ NPs. At pH 10, with 24 ppm dye concentration, 20 μL CeO₂ NPs effectively reduced CR. The NPs showed higher stability after the 4th cycle of catalytic reduction treatment, indicating effective reusability. CeO₂ NPs from the 4th cycle were used for mung bean seed priming, resulting in substantial increases to 82% and 94% emergence percentages at 8 and 16 days of sowing. NP treatment increased the seed germination rate under higher oxidative stress and salt potential conditions. Maximum growth and yield were observed for CeO₂ NP-treated mung bean seeds grown in the greenhouse. <em>Illicium verum</em> mediated CeO₂ NPs offer an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, stable, and reusable solution for CR dye degradation and demonstrate significant catalytic reductions and positive effects on mung bean seed germination, growth, and yield under extreme conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103964"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187183","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":"Utilization of Kinnow waste-based bio-enzyme to improve growth, yield and nutrient content of groundnut: A study towards sustainable agriculture through waste management","authors":"Sakshi Dubey ,&nbsp;Pratibha Vyas ,&nbsp;Urmila Gupta Phutela ,&nbsp;Sandeep Sharma ,&nbsp;Virender Sardana","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical, microbiological, and plant growth-promoting properties of bio-enzyme prepared from Kinnow waste and investigate its potential for enhancing growth, yield and nutrient content of groundnut. The colour of the bio-enzymes was pale-yellow with fruity fragrance, pH 3.4 and electrical conductivity of 0.39 dS/m. It also exhibited the presence of available nutrients including N, P, K, Zn, and diverse enzymatic activities including endoglucanase, β-galactosidase, exoglucanase, xylanase, amylase, protease and laccase, and the presence of microorganisms. Additionally, the bio-enzyme was also detected with plant growth-promoting traits like phosphate solubilization, IAA-like auxin, ammonia, and siderophore. Variety of functional groups such as alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, esters, aromatic double bonds and aldehyde groups along with volatile organic compounds like Propanoic acid, L-Lactic acid, Cyclohexanemethanol, 3′,4′,5,6,7,8-Hexamethoxyflavone, 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol and 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid bis(2-methylpropyl) ester and several others were also detected in kinnow bio-enzymes. Greenhouse trials for 30 days in cups demonstrated that Kinnow bio-enzymes at 1.0% exhibited a significant increase in growth parameters of groundnut over other concentrations. Further, Kinnow bio-enzyme at 1.0% concentration tested in groundnut in pots significantly improved the growth parameters, nutrient content, shoot and soil nutrient content, rhizospheric microbial count and soil enzyme activity over uninoculated control. The use of the bio-enzyme resulted in 10.6% increase in seed yield and 7.8% increase in oil content of groundnut grown in fields indicating that the bio-enzyme has a potential of being used as beneficial amendment for groundnut production and can be used as better alternative for organic waste management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 104026"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147612188","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":"Magnetic affinity immobilization of commercial and Rhodotorula toruloides invertases on concanavalin A–functionalized chitosan-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles","authors":"Dania Alonso-Estrada ,&nbsp;Nayra Ochoa-Viñals ,&nbsp;José Luis Martínez Hernández ,&nbsp;Rodolfo Ramos-González ,&nbsp;Georgina Michelena-Álvarez ,&nbsp;Rebeca Betancourt-Galindo ,&nbsp;Anna Iliná","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnetic affinity immobilization represents an attractive strategy to improve enzyme stability and reusability in industrial biocatalysis. In this work, a lectin-mediated magnetic nanosystem based on Concanavalin A-functionalized chitosan-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnFe₂O₄–Ch–ConA) was developed for affinity-mediated immobilization of glycosylated invertases. Commercial invertase from <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> and extracellular invertase produced by <em>Rhodotorula toruloides</em> were immobilized through lectin–carbohydrate affinity interactions. The nanosystem was synthesized via one-step co-precipitation and characterized by FT-IR, HRTEM, EDX, DLS, zeta potential, and magnetometry analyses. Control experiments using non-functionalized nanoparticles confirmed negligible non-specific adsorption, demonstrating that enzyme attachment was predominantly affinity-driven. Immobilization yields reached 94.6% and 88.4% for commercial and <em>R. toruloides</em> invertases, respectively. The optimal pH and temperature of both enzymes were preserved after immobilization, while thermal stability and long-term storage stability were significantly enhanced compared with the free enzymes. Nonlinear Michaelis–Menten analysis revealed an increase in apparent Km consistent with diffusional limitations typical of heterogeneous biocatalytic systems, without substantial loss of catalytic performance. The immobilized commercial invertase retained more than 95% activity after 30 reuse cycles and after 60 days of storage, whereas the <em>R. toruloides</em> enzyme maintained over 70% activity after 15 cycles. These findings demonstrate that lectin-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles provide a robust platform for selective enzyme immobilization and reusable biocatalysis, offering promising opportunities for sustainable sucrose hydrolysis and agro-industrial sugar processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 104029"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147612189","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":"Lactoferrin modulates hydrogen flow and methane output during in vitro rumen fermentation","authors":"Zhen-Shu Liu ,&nbsp;Bo-Yuan Chen ,&nbsp;Jacky Peng-Wen Chan ,&nbsp;Hsin-I Chiang ,&nbsp;Po-Wen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lactoferrin (LF) is a naturally milk-derived glycoprotein with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties; however, its roles in rumen fermentation and methane production remain unclear. This study evaluated the reproducibility and temporal dynamics of bovine LF supplementation using independent in vitro rumen fermentation experiments. Six batch culture experiments were conducted with rumen fluid collected from different donor cows and diets to capture biological variability. Fermentations were performed in sealed serum bottles under anaerobic conditions, with LF supplemented at graded doses of 2.5–7.5 g per bottle (1.2 g substrate in 150 mL incubation volume). Gas production was monitored, and methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) were quantified by gas chromatography at 24 and 48 h. LF consistently reduced the proportion of methane in total gas (p &lt; 0.05), with significant effects at 24 h, while absolute methane production decreased significantly at 24 h for 2.5–5.0 g doses (greatest ∼25%; p &lt; 0.05), but reductions at 48 h were modest and non significant. LF increased total gas production and shifted fermentation toward higher CO₂, propionate, and butyrate formation (p &lt; 0.05), accompanied by reduced acetate-to-propionate ratios, while rumen pH and dry matter degradation were largely maintained. Microbial community composition and methanogenesis-associated functional potential were assessed using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with FAPROTAX-based functional prediction. An LF dose of 5.0 g revealed distinct compositional shifts and reduced methanogenesis-associated functional potential. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that LF exerts reproducible and time-dependent effects on rumen fermentation and methane proportion in vitro, supporting its further in vivo evaluation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 104032"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147612260","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":"Microbial succession of holopelagic Sargassum composting reveals core taxa driving biotransformation","authors":"Adana Lutchman ,&nbsp;Omar Ali ,&nbsp;Arvinda Bharat,&nbsp;Uddesh Sahadeo,&nbsp;Simran Chadee,&nbsp;Pragadish Jayaraj,&nbsp;Adesh Ramsubhag,&nbsp;Jayaraj Jayaraman","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composting using Holopelagic <em>Sargassum</em> is a promising valorization strategy for managing the excessive and recurrent influxes of biomass in the Caribbean; however, there is a dearth of information regarding the microbial dynamics governing this process. The current study sought to investigate the bacterial and fungal communities during the stages of <em>Sargassum</em> composting and assess the bioefficacy of the mature compost on tomato (<em>Solanum lycopersicum</em> L.) and sweet pepper (<em>Capsicum annuum</em> L.) growth. The microbial dynamics was characterized using 16S rRNA and ITS metataxonomic sequencing and was supported by microbial network analyses and metabolic functional prediction. Stage-specific distinct microbial profiles were recorded in both fungal and bacterial communities, with core enrichment of taxonomies involved in organic matter degradation, nutrient mineralization, and overall stabilization of the compost. Functional prediction of the microbial metabolism revealed potential active carbon, nitrogen, and amino acid metabolism during the early mesophilic stages and later transitioning toward pathways linked to maturation and nutrient recycling. Analysis showed that the final compost met international microbiological safety standards, exhibited a stable C/N ratio, and had well-below-permissible heavy metal content. Assessment of plant growth revealed that a 5:1 Promix-to-compost ratio increased root and shoot biomass and chlorophyll content by up to 90.9%, 64.7%, and 4.3% (tomato), and 66.7%, 29.5%, and 2.0% (sweet pepper), respectively, and also associated increases in nutrient content. The study demonstrates the key interplay amongst the microbial communities and their central role in the biotransformation of <em>Sargassum</em> into a nutrient-rich compost as an organic input for sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103967"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187145","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":"Valorization of cricket biomass into a sustainable high-performance peptone for microbial culture media","authors":"Waraporn Chamnankit ,&nbsp;Panipak Pakakrong ,&nbsp;Monthon Lertworapreecha","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid expansion of insect-based bioproducts has increased interest in developing sustainable alternatives to animal- and plant-derived peptones, yet most insect-protein studies have not demonstrated functional performance equivalent to commercial substrates. This work presents a sequential alcalase–trypsin hydrolysis strategy for valorizing <em>Brachytrupes portentosus</em> biomass into a high-performance peptone (cricktone) with optimized biochemical and bioprocess attributes. Response surface methodology (RSM) identified temperature and enzyme concentration as the dominant determinants of peptide liberation and free amino-nitrogen release, with alcalase exhibiting an optimal activity window near 52.5 °C and trypsin showing maximal efficiency at 37–38 °C. The optimized two-step hydrolysis increased total free amino acids (ΣFAA) by approximately 3.8-fold compared to the non-hydrolyzed control and achieved a final degree of hydrolysis of ∼33–35%. The resulting hydrolysate was successfully spray-dried into a stable powder with a high recovery of 95.3%, yielding a peptone containing 13.25% total nitrogen and 4.20% amino nitrogen, with low moisture content (2.20%). When incorporated into microbiological media, cricktone supported the growth of <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em> Typhimurium, <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, and <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em> with kinetic parameters (<em>μ</em>_max, λ, <em>X</em>_max) within ±5–10% of those obtained using casein- and soy-based peptones, showing an excellent model fit (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.99). Notably, selected strains exhibited a reduced lag phase (up to ∼70% shorter) compared with commercial peptones, indicating improved adaptation kinetics. These findings provide the first quantitative evidence that insect-derived hydrolysates can functionally match conventional peptones in microbial cultivation, positioning cricket biomass as a credible, scalable, and sustainable nitrogen source for fermentation industries and laboratory microbiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103972"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187187","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":"Small bodies, big potential: Comprehensive nutritional and bioactivity evaluation of five edible insects from Indonesia","authors":"Hafize Yuca ,&nbsp;Zeynep Aydoğan ,&nbsp;Özge Çağlar Yıldırım ,&nbsp;Bilge Aydın ,&nbsp;Mehmet Enes Arslan ,&nbsp;Alptuğ Atila ,&nbsp;Gamze Göger ,&nbsp;Betül Demirci ,&nbsp;Najeebullah Mohammadi ,&nbsp;Artina Prastiwi ,&nbsp;Ahmet Taşer ,&nbsp;Ümit İncekara ,&nbsp;Songül Karakaya","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103935","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103935","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Edible insects are increasingly valued as sustainable functional food sources due to their rich nutritional content, including proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. This study investigated five insect species/forms traditionally consumed in Indonesia—<em>Phyllophaga helleri</em> (Puthul), <em>Valanga nigricornis</em> (<em>Belalang kayu</em>), <em>Gryllus bimaculatus</em> (Jangkrik), and both the adult (<em>Ulat jati</em>) and cocoon (<em>Entung jati</em>) forms of <em>Hyblaea puera</em>. Methanol and aqueous extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties were assessed alongside volatile, amino acid, and elemental profiles using GC-MS, LC-MS, and ICP-MS. Volatile analyses revealed limonene (53.9–72.2%) as the dominant aroma compound in <em>Entung jati</em>, <em>Ulat jati</em>, <em>Belalang kayu</em>, and Puthul. Fatty acid profiles were rich in oleic acid (40.8–71.3%), especially in <em>Entung jati</em> and <em>Ulat jati</em>. Alanine and tyrosine were the most abundant amino acids, reaching up to 1945.36 and 4744.03 nmol/mL, respectively. Essential elements (K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) were abundant, while toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, Pb) were below international safety limits. <em>Entung jati</em> methanol extract showed the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition (85.09%), exceeding acarbose (77.61%). Jangkrik exhibited the highest α-amylase inhibition (29.45%), and <em>Ulat jati</em> aqueous extract had the strongest antioxidant activity. Some methanol extracts also showed moderate antimicrobial effects (MIC = 625–1250 μg/mL). <em>P. helleri</em> extract showed cytotoxicity at high doses, but genotoxicity was not observed. These findings support the nutritional and therapeutic potential of Indonesian edible insects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103935"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187186","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":"Old fermented butter, Smen, as a potential product for wound healing in a mouse incisional wound model: Antibacterial and histological studies","authors":"Fatima El Lamti ,&nbsp;Mohamed Amine Zarouki ,&nbsp;Zakaria Mennane ,&nbsp;Lahcen Tamegart ,&nbsp;Houda Damour ,&nbsp;Noureddine El Mtili ,&nbsp;Mohammed Mrani Alaoui","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103959","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103959","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Old fermented Smen, a traditional Moroccan aged butter, holds a prominent place in local culinary practices, cultural traditions and folk medicinal, particularly for its reputed wound healing properties. Despite its long-standing use, scientific data on its biochemical composition and biological activities remain scarce. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the volatile compound profile, antibacterial activity, and wound healing efficacy of old Smen. Two samples, sourced from rural households in northern Morocco, were analyzed using Headspace Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-GC-MS), leading to the identification of twenty volatile organic compounds, including aldehydes, carboxylic acids, esters, ketones, and alkanes, and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), identifying eight saturated fatty acids and thirty-five unsaturated fatty acids. Antibacterial assays revealed a marked sensitivity of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (<em>S. aureus</em>) and <em>Escherichia coli</em> (<em>E. coli</em>) to various concentrations of old Smen. Notably, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was employed for the first time to visualize morphological alterations in these bacterial cells following Smen treatment. Furthermore, <em>in vivo</em> wound-healing studies using an incision model demonstrated significant accelerated tissue regeneration in Smen-treated groups compared to controls. Collectively, these findings highlight the presence of multiple bioactive compounds in old Smen that exhibit potent antibacterial activity and promote wound repair, supporting its promising potential as a natural therapeutic agent in modern biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103959"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187185","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":"Development of probiotic-coated emulgel based on Diadema setosum gonad oil: Characterization and antifungal activity against Candida species","authors":"Elif Ayşe Erdoğan Eliuz ,&nbsp;Ayşegül Demircan ,&nbsp;Gulden Goksen ,&nbsp;Deniz Ayas","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103947","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.103947","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Candida</em> infections represent a major global health concern, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Although a variety of therapeutic agents, including herbal compounds, conventional antifungals, and antibiotics, have been employed to combat <em>Candida</em> spp., the rising resistance has driven the search for alternative strategies. This study demonstrated the antifungal potential of a novel emulgel incorporating <em>Diadema setosum</em> oil with probiotics. Sea urchin gonad oil was first extracted and formulated into an emulsion, which was subsequently gelled to form an emulgel (EMG). The surface of the emulgel was coated with lyophilized probiotic bacteria, resulting in the final formulation, designated as Pro@EMG. The antifungal activities of both <em>D. setosum</em> oil and the probiotic coating were assessed against <em>Candida glabrata</em> and <em>Candida tropicalis</em>. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that hexadecanoic acid was the predominant lipid component in <em>D. setosum</em> oil, comprising 27.64 % of the total lipid content. The <em>D. setosum</em> oil extract exhibited inhibition zones of 28.0 ± 0.1 mm against <em>Candida glabrata</em> and 28.6 ± 0.2 mm against <em>Candida tropicalis</em>. In comparison, the yogurt-derived probiotic cultures produced inhibition zones of 21.4 ± 0.2 mm and 27.0 ± 0.01 mm, respectively. The Pro@EMG formulation demonstrated high structural stability, with water holding capacity values of 74.8 % and oil holding capacity values of up to 65.6 %. SEM analysis confirmed successful probiotic immobilization on the emulgel surface, revealing an irregular bacterial distribution adhered to the rough and porous microstructure. Time-dependent antifungal testing showed maximum inhibition on day 5 for <em>C. glabrata</em> (90.54 %) and on day 1 for <em>C. tropicalis</em> (91.53 %). These findings suggest that probiotic-coated marine oil-based emulgels hold promising potential as biofunctional systems for the prevention or management of <em>Candida</em>-related infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 103947"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187184","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":"Aril browning: A masked disorder in pomegranate","authors":"Pinky Raigond ,&nbsp;Nripendra V. Singh ,&nbsp;Shilpa Parashuram ,&nbsp;Chandrakant Awachare ,&nbsp;Namrata A. Giri ,&nbsp;Rajiv A. Marathe","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2026.104033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pomegranates have secured one of the top positions amongst fruits due to numerous health benefits. Pomegranate arils contain a considerable concentration of ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, sugars, polyphenols, anthocyanins and proteins. The fruit quality is affected by several physiological disorders such as aril browning, fruit cracking, sun scald etc. Though most of the fruit disorders can be observed externally, aril browning can be seen only after the fruit is cut open. Hence this disorder is a major threat to the export market as the browning-affected fruits can not be separated at the time of grading. This review mainly focused on compiling information on the changes occurring in biochemicals, minerals and hormones during arils browning, causes of browning, factors responsible, mechanism of browning and also pre- and post-harvest management practices tried and recommended so far by researchers. The need for non-destructive method for internal quality analysis has also been highlighted. In conclusion, as per reports the major reason for aril browning is oxidation of polyphenols by the action of polyphenol oxidase and formation of quinones, brown pigment. The activity of polyphenol oxidase could be triggered by stress signals. Pre-harvest treatment of pomegranate plants at the fruiting stage with chemicals like salicylic acid, sodium nitroprusside, calcium, boron, potassium can reduce the occurrence of aril browning, whereas for post-harvest treatment salicylic acid can be effective. There is a need to evaluate and validate more non-destructive methods for the evaluation of aril browning. Further, aril browning may also be evaluated from pathological perspective to identify involvement of microbes, if any.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"73 ","pages":"Article 104033"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147612187","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}