Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"RNAi-mediated effective gene silencing of multiple targets in the Asia-I genetic group of Bemisia tabaci G. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) using double-stranded RNA through oral delivery","authors":"Subhi Srivastava ,&nbsp;Karuppannasamy Ashok ,&nbsp;Talya Chandrashekara Suman ,&nbsp;Selva Babu Selvamani ,&nbsp;Gandhi Gracy Ramasamy ,&nbsp;Kesavan Subaharan ,&nbsp;Muthugounder Mohan ,&nbsp;Krishnan Selvaraj ,&nbsp;Sagar Doddachowdappa ,&nbsp;S.N. Sushil ,&nbsp;Thiruvengadam Venkatesan","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bemisia tabaci</em>, a major phloem-feeding pest, poses a significant threat to global agriculture by directly damaging crops and transmitting various plant viruses. Managing this pest remains challenging due to its rapid resistance development and the adverse effects of chemical pesticides on non-target organisms. RNA interference (RNAi) has recently emerged as a promising alternative for pest control. This study evaluated the impact of RNAi on essential genes such as Acetylcholine esterase (<em>AChE</em>), Acetylcholine esterase-like (<em>AChELP</em>), Chitin synthase 2 (<em>ChS2</em>), and five Aquaporins (<em>Aqp</em>) in <em>B. tabaci</em> through oral administration of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mixed with an artificial diet. The experiment assessed gene silencing effects at three dsRNA concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 μg/mL) over different time intervals (24, 48, 72, and 96 h). Significant mortality (50 %) was observed in <em>AChELP</em> at 1.0 μg/mL after 72 h, while similar mortality was recorded in ChS2 and <em>AChE</em> at the same concentration after 48 h. The highest mortality (∼80 %) occurred after 96 h with 2.0 μg/mL for all tested genes. Gene expression analysis revealed that <em>AChELP</em> dsRNA-fed whiteflies exhibited the highest silencing efficiency (97.5 %), followed by ChS2 (70.73 %) and <em>AChE</em> (54.47 %). These findings highlight the potential of oral dsRNA delivery as an effective RNAi-based strategy for developing biopesticides against <em>B. tabaci</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 103742"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917929","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":"Boosting plant welfare and rhizospheric health through the application of phosphorus and potassium-solubilizing fungi from compost and vermicompost","authors":"A.J. Toribio,&nbsp;F. Suárez-Estrella,&nbsp;M.M. Jurado,&nbsp;J.A. López-González,&nbsp;M.R. Martínez-Gallardo,&nbsp;M.J. Estrella-González,&nbsp;M.J. López","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The overuse of agrochemicals has led to soil nutrient depletion and loss of microbial diversity, threatening sustainable crop production. As a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative, the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) can enhance nutrient uptake and overall crop health. In particular, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential macronutrients that significantly contribute to crop growth and development. Given that certain microorganisms can enhance the availability of these nutrients by solubilizing their insoluble forms, exploring beneficial microbes from compost and vermicompost presents a promising sustainable strategy. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to isolate phosphate- and potassium-mobilizing microorganisms from compost and vermicompost samples and to evaluate their combined application with P-K rich agrochemicals in order to optimize nutrient assimilation during the early developmental stages of tomato plants. A total of 50 morphologically distinct microbial strains were isolated from the composts, including 36 P-solubilizing strains (2 fungi and 34 bacteria) and 14 K-solubilizing strains (3 fungi and 11 bacteria). The strains that showed the highest <em>in vitro</em> solubilization capacity were identified and tested as plant promoting agents in tomato seedlings. In addition, the P-K uptake by seedlings was evaluated as a function of different biofertilization strategies. The fungal strains tested, <em>Penicillium chrysogenum</em> PH2 (P solubilizer) and <em>Aspergillus costaricensis</em> KH2 (K solubilizer), showed the most notable beneficial effect on the improvement of basic plant growth parameters. Moreover, the combined fertilization strategy was found to improve nutrient uptake and the abundance of solubilizing microbial communities present in the rhizosphere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103741"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885697","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":"Modulation of biomass composition by CO2 in two highly productive green microalgae as a sustainable system for byproduct generation","authors":"Laura Isabel Rodas-Zuluaga ,&nbsp;Shirley Mora-Godínez ,&nbsp;Adriana Pacheco","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microalgae have the potential to mitigate atmospheric CO₂ and generate sustainable byproducts. However, how CO₂ impacts C-flux in different species is not clear. This study evaluated the effect of CO₂ concentration from industry exhaust gas on growth and biochemical composition of <em>Desmodesmus abundans</em> and <em>Chlorella vulgaris</em>. Gas supply (25 % v/v CO₂/air) stimulated growth of both species (1.38 ± 0.02 and 1.56 ± 0.02 g L⁻¹ for <em>D. abundans</em> and <em>C. vulgaris</em>, respectively). Proteins were the major metabolite at high CO₂, especially for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, while <em>D. abundans</em> showed no variation (51 ± 0 and 49 ± 3 % d.w., respectively). Both species exhibited 1.2–2.2-fold higher carbohydrate and starch content under air. Also, under air, <em>C. vulgaris</em> showed an increase of 2 to 3-fold in lipids, contrary to <em>D. abundans</em> that increased under high CO₂ during exponential growth. However, as biomass production was optimal at high CO₂, all metabolite concentrations were highest at 25 % CO₂. Interestingly, <em>D. abundans</em> exhibited 2 to 3-fold higher pigment content under high CO₂, suggesting a differential adaptation to high CO₂. Lastly, a rapid and cost-effective protein extraction protocol was optimized (95 °C, 15 min, NaOH 1N) with comparable yields to the standard Micro-Kjeldahl method during exponential growth and some variation at stationary phase (80–89 % yield). The effect of high CO₂ was species-specific, where <em>D. abundans</em> appears as a robust species. Further studies should evaluate the nature of the protein extract for potential applications and consider technical, economic, and environmental feasibility for system scale-up.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103739"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885698","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":"Fungi in the mix: Unravelling the pathogenicity of Trichoderma pleuroticola, Aspergillus flavus, and Penicillium citrinum in Pleurotus pulmonarius cultivation in Malaysia","authors":"Norhidayah Abd Aziz ,&nbsp;Noor Hasyierah Mohd Salleh ,&nbsp;Ahmad Mukhlis Abdul Rahman ,&nbsp;Siti Aminah Mohd Hassan ,&nbsp;Zarina Zakaria ,&nbsp;Amira Farzana Samat ,&nbsp;Adilah Anuar ,&nbsp;Nor Faizah Hamid","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fungal infections on grow bags of <em>Pleurotus pulmonarius</em>, which is more widely known as grey oyster mushroom, have caused massive losses to mushroom growers in Malaysia and other countries. Previous studies have been able to isolate the causative fungal pathogens. Nevertheless, most of these works have mainly focused on isolating the pathogens; their virulence toward <em>P. pulmonarius</em> is less understood. Thus, the present study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate the aggressiveness of the species found in a dual culture assay with <em>P. pulmonarius</em>. Furthermore, we aim to delineate the distribution of each species regionally and evaluate their aggressiveness toward <em>P. pulmonarius.</em> Three fungal species were successfully isolated, namely, <em>Trichoderma pleuroticola</em>, <em>Aspergillus flavus</em>, and <em>Penicillium citrinum</em>. <em>T. pleuroticola</em> was the most prevalent species in most sampled locations. In a dual culture assay where the mushroom was grown with the pathogens, only <em>T. pleuroticola</em> and <em>A. flavus</em> presented a significant increase in their mycelial growth rates (MGRs). The damages were more pronounced with <em>T. pleuroticola</em>, as the pathogen also concomitantly suppressed the MGR of the mushroom. Resistance analysis demonstrated 100 % colonization and damages toward <em>P. pulmonarius</em>, besides the complete loss of resistance toward <em>T. pleuroticola</em> infection. Microscopic analysis revealed a competition for space and mycoparasitism, as <em>T. pleuroticola</em> competed by coiling, wrapping, and lysing the hyphal system of <em>P. pulmonarius</em>. The formation of appressoria-like structures that mediated hyphal penetration was also evident. These pathogens produced a distinctive pattern when grown singly in <em>in vivo</em> bags, which could aid in evaluating the worthiness of treatment on the basis of the pattern presented on the infected bag. The findings of this study could enhance the understanding of how disease presentation can progress to severe, thus, helping growers to better assess the severity of the disease to ensure its viability for treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103736"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865992","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":"Assessment of azo dyes degradation potential of Bacillus sp. 2p and Alcaligenes faecalis 3d: a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for dyes waste management","authors":"Mehvish Ajaz ,&nbsp;Eeman Ali ,&nbsp;Dilara Abbas Bukhari ,&nbsp;Hafiz Zeeshan Wadood ,&nbsp;Syed Zajif Hussain ,&nbsp;Abdul Rehman","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The release of uncontrolled disposal of toxic chemical textile effluents containing toxic chemicals, including azo dyes, into water streams and lakes poses life-threatening risks to humans and animals. The use of microorganisms over chemicals is the best choice to eradicate such toxic chemicals from the ecosystem. The current study proves that bacterial species are excellent remediators of environmental pollutants, including azo dyes. The consortia of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial isolates provided commendable decolorization indices of 8–15 % and 10–14 %, respectively. At a large scale, <em>Bacillus</em> sp. 2p efficiently decolorized dye by 70 %, while 68 % was the noted decolorization percentage for <em>Alcaligenes faecalis</em> 3d after 8 days of incubation. The assessment of degraded products by thin-layer chromatography gave the Rf values of 0.92 and 0.98 by <em>Bacillus</em> sp. 2p and 0.93 by <em>Alcaligenes faecalis</em> 3d. The analyzed Rf value of the control was 0.94. When compared, the retention times of the control and treated samples observed by high-performance liquid chromatography proved that decolorization might have occurred to a greater extent. Moreover, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopic analysis of the control and the treated samples exhibited a bond reduction in the latter, providing differential biodegradation results. Then, gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of the fluid acquired from the degradation of the microorganisms showed the release of compounds such as pyrrole, pyrazine-1,4-dione, 3-aminobutanoic acid, and palmitic acid. The microbial toxicity testing on <em>Bacillus</em> sp. 2p indicated negative results, as there was no visual clearing zone around the microbial colonies. The negative impact of bacterial-degraded wastewater on the <em>Vigna radiata</em> seeds showed that the bacterially decolorized water could be an alternative for the irrigation of crops to decrease the scarcity of freshwater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103729"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144889398","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":"A target fishing and systems biology-metabolomics approach to surmise the pharmacological potential of Secamone emetica (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm.","authors":"Dipshika Motwani N,&nbsp;Parimelazhagan Thangaraj","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Secamone emetica</em> (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm., a wild, edible woody liana indigenous to peninsular India, is used by local inhabitants to address various ailments, including abscesses, headaches, joint pain, leucorrhoea, dental caries, and neurological and genital disorders. However, its phytochemical potential remains untapped, and the above claims lack scientific validity. The study aims to profile and annotate the phytochemical and pharmacological complexity of <em>S. emetica</em> using metabolomics, target fishing and network pharmacology approaches. Hydroalcoholic extracts of <em>S. emetica</em> plant parts were subjected to LC-ESI-MS analysis in positive and negative ionisation modes and statistically compared by multivariate analysis. Target fishing was performed using BindingDB, STITCH, and the Swiss TargetPrediction tools. The targets were mapped using DisGeNET, KEGG, and Reactome databases, and networks were drawn using Cytoscape 3.10.2. Gene ontology, functional enrichment, and <em>in silico</em> hub target validations were performed. The LC-ESI-MS identified 95 compounds in <em>S. emetica</em>, including emetine and cephaeline. MetaboAnalyst revealed significant differences in metabolomic profiles across plant parts. Target fishing predicted 430 gene targets, and topology studies revealed the top 31 core interactive targets (CITs). Untargeted disease and pathway network association with the 31 CITs identifies their roles in nervous system disorders and carcinogenesis-receptor activation. <em>In silico</em> validation on eFP showed tissue-specific differential expression of CITs, highlighting their potential expression in the nervous system. This study presents a comprehensive metabolomic profile of <em>S. emetica</em>, discovering its phytochemical intricacy and elucidating its potential biological functions. It reveals significant pharmacological mechanisms and surmises its interactions in the serotonergic synapse.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103735"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878893","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":"Potential of emerging therapeutic alternatives in bovine mastitis prevention and control","authors":"Ma. Guadalupe Sandoval-Flores ,&nbsp;Rafael Jiménez-Mejía ,&nbsp;Ricardo I. Medina-Estrada ,&nbsp;Marisol Báez-Magaña ,&nbsp;Joel E. López-Meza ,&nbsp;Gustavo Santoyo ,&nbsp;Pedro D. Loeza-Lara","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently, the most impactful disease affecting dairy cattle is mastitis, characterized by inflammation of the mammary gland, which causes significant economic losses worldwide. The main biotic factors responsible for this disease include Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, notably <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and <em>Streptococcus agalactiae</em>, as well as <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em>. Despite the existence of a ten-point program to prevent bovine mastitis, antibiotic therapy remains the most widely used treatment. However, its extensive use increases the selection of resistant bacteria, compromising its effectiveness. In addition, pathogen virulence factors enable them to infect mammary tissues after evading the animal's immune system. This highlights the need to explore emerging alternative therapeutic approaches with the potential to be used in the prevention and control of the disease. These include: nanoparticles (NPs), antibiotic enhancers, bacterial resistance inhibitors, mastitis immunotherapy, and biocomposites. All these approaches are characterized by promising results in the fight against pathogenic bacteria, as they inhibit the growth of multidrug resistant microorganisms, through different mechanisms of action such as inhibiting some of their virulence factors or inactivating the enzymes that provide resistance. In addition, they improve the effect of antibiotics that are no longer effective, which could allow their reuse; and modulate (enhance) the immune response of bovine mammary cells; among others. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of current and emerging alternatives that could be incorporated as complementary tools with potential utility in the prevention and control of bovine mastitis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103738"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885819","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":"Sensitive detection of triclosan in environmental samples and personal care products using fish scale-derived activated carbon modified electrode","authors":"Shweta J. Malode ,&nbsp;Hanan Akhdar ,&nbsp;Sapthami B. Doddamani ,&nbsp;Tarfah Alinad ,&nbsp;Nagaraj P. Shetti","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triclosan (TCS), a compound used for its antibacterial properties, has recently been recognized as an environmental contaminant that can disrupt endocrine function. Currently, research into the presence of TCS in biological and environmental samples is a significant concern. This research aims to build a novel sensor to detect and quantitatively analyze TCS with carbon paste modified with activated carbon (AC) based on fish scales (FS) in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The investigation included the assessment of TCS contaminated fruits, vegetables, soil, water, and hygiene products using a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution with a pH of 9.0. The proposed sensor resulted in higher oxidation currents response of TCS compared to a carbon paste electrode (CPE). The electrochemical properties of TCS were investigated cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. The fabricated bare and FSAC/CTAB/CPE was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The structural characteristics, crystallinity, and morphology of the synthesized FSAC were analyzed. In the optimum conditions, a linear relationship was obtained in the range of 5 μM–20 μM TCS, and the detection limit was 4.8 nM. The recovery results obtained with 5, 7, and 9 μM of spiked concentrations of TCS in fruit juice, vegetables, water, and hygiene products ranged from 93.9 % to 108.0 %. With the integration of CTAB, the FSAC/CPE system showed good sensitivity and selectivity. This work demonstrates the possibility of exploiting FSAC for developing electrochemical sensing platforms, which have great potential in food safety and environmental monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103734"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878892","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":"Optimization of nitrogen concentration and harvest time for obtaining maximum growth and essential oil production in summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.)","authors":"Nahid Zare,&nbsp;Mahboobeh Zare Mehrjerdi,&nbsp;Sasan Aliniaeifard","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The yield of medicinal plants depends on biomass of the target organs and its essential oil content. In the present study, the effects of nitrogen concentration and harvest time on the growth, photosynthetic performance, biochemical content, and essential oil content and composition of summer savory (<em>Satureja hortensis</em> L.) were investigated. Seedings were grown under different nitrogen concentrations (10, 15, 20, and 25 mM) in a controlled greenhouse setting. Plants were harvested at three different times (4:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.) at the flowering stage. Feeding plants with higher nitrogen concentrations significantly improved morphological and biomass parameters, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency, with their highest levels in plants fed by 25 mM nitrogen. However, the optimal yield and quality of essential oils, were recorded in plants fed by 10 mM nitrogen at 4:00 a.m. harvests. Similarly, total phenolic and flavonoid contents peaked in plants fed by 10 mM nitrogen. Chlorophyll content elevated while carotenoids decreased with increase in nitrogen concentrations of the nutrient solution. Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II was the highest at 9:00 p.m. and reached to its lowest values at 1:00 p.m. The present study highlights the nuanced relationship between nitrogen availability, harvest timing, and the production of key secondary metabolites, providing insights for optimizing cultivation practices in summer savory. These findings emphasize the importance of harvest time and nitrogen management for enhancing both crop yield and the therapeutic properties of essential oils in agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103732"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865874","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":"Enhancing the extraction yield and bioactivity of essential oil from Heracleum persicum seeds via enzyme pre-treatment","authors":"Saeed Mollaei ,&nbsp;Nafiseh Lohrasebi ,&nbsp;Poopak Farnia","doi":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Heracleum persicum</em> is an herbal plant traditionally used for treating various diseases. This study investigated the impact of enzyme pre-treatment before hydro-distillation (EP-HD) on the yield of essential oil (EO) extracted from <em>Heracleum persicum</em> seeds. Three independent variables, i.e., incubation temperature, incubation time, and enzyme concentration, were selected for optimization using the Box-Behnken design (BBD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). According to the RSM findings, the highest EO yield was achieved under the following conditions: an incubation temperature of 39.95 °C, an incubation time of 179 min, and an enzyme concentration of 0.445 % (w/v). The results confirmed that the EP-HD method significantly enhanced the EO yield, achieving 4.34 %, compared to conventional hydro-distillation (HD), which yielded 2.82 %. GC-FID analysis indicated that enzyme pre-treatment notably increased the percentages of hexyl butyrate and octyl acetate in the EO. Additionally, biological activity studies demonstrated that the EO obtained via EP-HD exhibited greater antioxidant and cytotoxic activities than EO produced by the HD method. Furthermore, the EO extracted using EP-HD displayed substantially stronger insecticidal properties (LD₅₀ = 24.13 μg/larva) compared to EO from the HD method (LD₅₀ = 33.19 μg/larva). These findings underscore the potential of enzyme pre-treatment as an effective technique for improving EO yield, reducing extraction time, and enhancing biological activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8774,"journal":{"name":"Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 103728"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865883","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}