Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-08-07DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00328-z
T V Arun Kumar, M A Pradeep, K K Vijayan, P G Preena
{"title":"Molecular characterization and salinity-responsive expression of isocitrate dehydrogenase in cichlid Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790).","authors":"T V Arun Kumar, M A Pradeep, K K Vijayan, P G Preena","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00328-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42977-026-00328-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Euryhaline cichlid Etroplus suratensis (Pearl spot), was found to exhibit strong acclimatization efficiency in brackish water (BW, 18 ppt), fresh water (FW, 0 ppt) as well as in sea water (SW, 36 ppt) condition throughout their life cycle. This capability makes it to be considered as a suitable euryhaline teleost model for investigating and understanding the effect of salinity challenges in fishes. Here, we investigated the effect of salinity on the gills of E. suratensis acclimated to different salinity conditions using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) and Real Time PCR (qPCR). The Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique was used to obtain complete coding sequences (CDSs) from the selected EST's obtained through SSH. The findings revealed the increased expression of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) when E. suratensis were exposed to higher salinities. Thus the study highlights the role of IDH in salinity adaptation by contributing to cellular energy homeostasis and enhancing antioxidant defence through ROS scavenging during oxidative stress. The derived complete CDS was used to deduce its amino acid sequences, which were used to construct a phylogenetic tree and protein model to obtain secondary and tertiary structure information of IDH. The present study is the first of its kind in characterising and studying the expression analysis of IDH derived from E. suratensis at varying salinities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":"589-603"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148683191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Protein-protein interactions reveal key genes in rice response to salt stress: a meta-analysis.","authors":"Md Atik Mas-Ud, Changxi Yin, Yanchun Zhu, Md Hosenuzzaman, Sadiya Arefin Juthee, Mohammad Nurul Matin","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00317-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42977-026-00317-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The salt-tolerant genes (STGs) play important roles in protecting plants against salt stress. Although various types of STGs have been systematically characterized in plant species, the key genes (KGs) regulating salt stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) remain elusive. This study focused on the identification and characterization of the members of STGs in rice through integrated bioinformatic and molecular approaches, including chromosomal location, physicochemical characteristics, protein-protein interaction, and expression profiles of the identified genes. A total of 164 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were systematically identified as responsive to salt tolerance and sorted out potential 12 kg (OsHSP20.2, OsGFP2, OsBBTI2, OsEN20.6, OsUBC17, OsACD5, OsPEAB5, OsDP11, OsDFP5, OsWD40.7, OsEP11.1, and OsGRAM12) through the CytoHubba algorithms analysis. Physicochemical characterization indicated substantial variation among KGs, including genomic sequences (824-4051 bp), amino acid length (148-659 aa), molecular weight (16.39-71.35 kDa), and isoelectric point (4.66-10.37). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network prediction indicated intricate functional associations among key STGs. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that the KGs are involved in numerous biological processes and molecular functions. Moreover, gene homology results revealed that KGs have multiple relationships with other plant species. Co-expression network analysis revealed that 12 kg are potentially involved in the regulatory mechanisms underlying the biological process. Relative gene expression through the comparative threshold (ΔΔCT) of qRT-PCR revealed that the KGs are salt-induced and may play crucial roles in rice responses to salt stress. Tissue-specific expression patterns revealed that the KGs significantly altered expression levels across different tissues and under stress. This systematic investigation demonstrated that the 12 identified genes may play roles in the development of salt-tolerant rice varieties.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":"529-544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147873301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-28DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00320-7
Alper Gün Özturna, Doğanay Tolunay
{"title":"Litterfall and turnover rates of stone pine and maritime pine afforestations in Durusu coastal dune (Istanbul-Türkiye).","authors":"Alper Gün Özturna, Doğanay Tolunay","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00320-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42977-026-00320-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aims of this study were determining monthly and annual litterfall mass, turnover rates, and the relationship between the litterfall of some tree components (needles, branches, bark, and miscellaneous) and various stand parameters in in afforested coastal sand dunes; nutrient- and water-poor ecosystems, having scarce research. The study was conducted on Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) and Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) afforestation in a coastal sand dune on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul. The total annual litterfall was calculated as 4332 kg/ha/year for P. pinea and 4275 kg/ha/year for P. pinaster. Among the total annual litterfall, the needle litterfall accounted for 81% in P. pinea and 85% in P. pinaster. Both needle and total litterfall peaks occurred in August, mainly during summer, due to drought conditions from April to September. Biomass-based turnover rates were calculated for needles, branches, and bark. The needle turnover rate was 0.5208 in P. pinea and 0.4258 in P. pinaster, with higher rates observed in smaller diameter classes. Relationships between litterfall mass, turnover rates, and various stand parameters were examined as well. The stand parameters (except tree count per hectare) and tree components showed significant positive correlations with litterfall and turnover rates, excluding needles. In conclusion, monthly litterfall measurements are important for determining the effects of drought and other environmental factors, managing thin fuel loads in forests under changing climate conditions, and monitoring forest ecosystem dynamics. Turnover rates varied depending on species and stand characteristics, and further research is needed in this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":"573-587"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148052272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-12DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00318-1
Saira Shafiq, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Muhammad Shahbaz, Iftikhar Ali
{"title":"Divergent physiological and biochemical strategies confer differential salinity and drought tolerance in five prevalent summer weeds.","authors":"Saira Shafiq, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Muhammad Shahbaz, Iftikhar Ali","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00318-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42977-026-00318-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil salinization and drought, exacerbated by climate change, pose a significant threat to global crop productivity, yet the response of weeds, which are key competitors in agro-ecosystems, remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses and stress tolerance of five dominant summer weed species (Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Echinochloa crus-galli, Setaria viridis, Trianthema portulacastrum, and Amaranthus viridis) under salinity (8.0 dS m⁻<sup>1</sup>) and drought (50.0% field capacity) stress. A controlled pot experiment was conducted to assess plant growth, gas exchange parameters, membrane stability, antioxidant enzyme activities, and oxidative stress markers. Both salinity and drought significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced plant dry weight by 4.0-18.0% and 8.0-31.0%, respectively, depending on species. Under salinity stress, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Echinochloa crus-galli exhibited minimal biomass reductions (4.0% and 5.0%), whereas Setaria viridis showed the greatest decline (18.0%). Under drought, Trianthema portulacastrum was least affected (8.0% reduction), while Echinochloa crus-galli and Setaria viridis exhibited the largest reductions (31.0% and 28.0%). Photosynthetic rate declined by 8.0-15.0% under salinity and 7.0-22.0% under drought, accompanied by significant reductions in stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Electrolyte leakage increased markedly under stress, reaching up to 94.0%, while relative water content decreased by up to 40.0% under salinity. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly enhanced, with superoxide dismutase increasing by 35.0-87.0%, peroxidase by 21.0-76.0%, and catalase by 14.0-50.0%. Malondialdehyde content increased by up to 58.0%, indicating oxidative stress. Overall, species exhibiting greater physiological stability and stronger antioxidant responses showed higher tolerance to stress conditions. These findings provide comparative physiological insight into species-specific adaptive responses to salinity and drought stress and may support future research on weed ecology and stress adaptation under changing environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":"545-558"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147873298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A comprehensive approach to the in vitro propagation, phytochemical profile, biological activity, and sustainable use of Salvia Spp.","authors":"Dilafruz Jamalova, Samandar Mamajonov, Gulsauir Kurbaniyazova, Lola Ortikova, Shohruh Fayzulloyev, Saltanat Toreniyazova, Huseyin Turker, Ulugbek Kodirov, Ziyoviddin Yusupov","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00329-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-026-00329-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salvia is a chemically rich and pharmacologically diverse genus within the Lamiaceae family, widely recognized for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other therapeutic effects. With the recent trend toward natural products, the economic importance of this genus is also steadily increasing. One reason for the economic importance of the genus Salvia is that its secondary metabolites possess pharmaceutical or nutraceutical properties. Its long-standing use in traditional medicine emphasizes its relevance for modern drug discovery. However, conventional propagation of many Salvia species is limited by slow growth rates, habitat degradation, and overharvesting. Therefore, in vitro tissue culture has become an essential tool for sustainable use, propagation, conservation, and enhancement of valuable metabolites. Integrating data on micropropagation techniques with biological activity studies enables a comprehensive understanding of the genus's medicinal and biotechnological potential. This review assesses recent developments in research on in vitro methods for sage to facilitate the in vitro clonal propagation of Salvia species-which are of significance to various industries-and to determine their phytochemical profiles and evaluate their biological activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-08-07DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00331-4
Meenakshi Singh, Pradeep Kumar Singh
{"title":"Glomalin and soil health: current understanding, ecological functions, and research frontiers.","authors":"Meenakshi Singh, Pradeep Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00331-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-026-00331-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP) are operationally defined soil fractions associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and are widely studied for their contributions to soil structure, carbon dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. Since its discovery, GRSP has attracted considerable attention because of its association with soil aggregation, carbon stabilization, and ecosystem sustainability. Glomalin, has been associated with various soil attributes, including the stability of soil aggregates, the size of soil carbon and nitrogen reservoirs, the sequestration of heavy metals, and the mitigation of diverse plant stresses. While GRSP concentrations in soil have often been correlated with AMF biomass measured through alternative (microscopic) methods, the chemical composition of GRSP extracted from soil remains intricate and not fully understood. This complexity arises from the nonspecific nature of its extraction and purification processes, as well as the diverse array of analytical techniques employed thus far to evaluate it. Current evidence suggests that GRSP contributes to soil organic carbon stabilization primarily through its association with soil aggregates. In this review, we endeavor to synthesize and explore various facets of glomalin, encompassing its composition, production mechanisms, soil-related functions, recalcitrant properties, and its potential role in the sequestration and stabilization of soil carbon.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148688514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-07-23DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00325-2
Santanu Samanta, Aryadeep Roychoudhury
{"title":"Abscisic acid interplay with phytohormones, plant growth regulators and signaling molecules in orchestrating an elaborate crosstalk for stress resilience in plants.","authors":"Santanu Samanta, Aryadeep Roychoudhury","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00325-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-026-00325-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing challenges, posed by plant biotic and abiotic stress, significantly impact agroecosystems, particularly in the context of rapid global climate change. Phytohormones function as critical chemical messengers, enabling plants to endure these stresses through a complex regulatory framework, thereby playing an essential role in plant survival. Recent research has increasingly underscored the significance of abscisic acid (ABA), in facilitating a prominent role under adverse conditions within plants. ABA has been shown to engage with major phytohormones, such as gibberellins (GAs), ethylene (ET), auxin, and cytokinins (CKs). It also interacts with several plant growth regulators (PGRs) and endogenous signaling compounds like brassinosteroids (BRs), strigolactones (SLs), nitric oxide (NO), salicylic acid (SA), melatonin (Mel), jasmonic acid (JA), polyamines (PAs), hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) and with secondary messengers like calcium ions. These interactions facilitate the equilibrium of resource allocation between plant growth and defense responses under suboptimal conditions. A thorough understanding of the intricate interrelationships among these phytohormones and PGRs under prevailing hostile environment, characterized by both synergistic and antagonistic actions, remains largely lacking. This exhaustive review elucidates the processes of ABA biosynthesis, metabolism, and its signal transduction pathways. Moreover, it sheds light on the complex crosstalk networks that exist among ABA, other phytohormones, PGRs and calcium in the face of various stress conditions, highlighting their pivotal roles in enhancing plant plasticity. The comprehensive insights presented in this review provide a molecular understanding of the phytohormonal pathways involved in improving environmental stress tolerance in plants and may serve as a foundational blueprint for developing precise strategies aimed at engineering climate-resilient crop cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148560796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-07-20DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00326-1
Muhammad Sikandar Zaman, Asad Azeem, Ayesha Nouman, Abdullah Khalid, Saira Ghafoor, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Muhammad Talha Aslam, Hossam S El-Beltagi
{"title":"CRISPR-Cas systems for enhancing chilling tolerance in rice: recent advances and future prospects.","authors":"Muhammad Sikandar Zaman, Asad Azeem, Ayesha Nouman, Abdullah Khalid, Saira Ghafoor, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Muhammad Talha Aslam, Hossam S El-Beltagi","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00326-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-026-00326-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important staple crop in global food security and highly vulnerable to chilling stress, which greatly affects growth, development, and yield. The conventional breeding methods for enhancing chilling tolerance face numerous problems due to the polygenic nature of chilling tolerance and genetic complexities. The present review discusses the use of CRISPR-Cas genome editing technologies as an accurate and effective approach to increasing chilling tolerance in rice. We initially describe the physiological effects of chilling stress, such as membrane fluidity impairment, inhibition of photosynthesis, nutrient imbalance, and oxidative injury, and summarize major molecular pathways and genetic materials involved in chilling tolerance. The review then outlines the recent developments in CRISPR-Cas systems, including the modes of delivery (Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, protoplast transfection, and ribonucleoprotein techniques) and how they apply to rice genome editing. The precise examination of CRISPR-based functional genomics has shown that cold-responsive genes (OsMYB30, OsWRKY76, OsAnn3, OsPRP1, and OsKASI-2) are selectively manipulated, thus contributing to a clearer understanding of their functional roles in stress signaling, membrane stability, and antioxidant defense. Moreover, we also discuss recent CRISPR strategies, including multiplex editing, transcriptional reprogramming (CRISPRa/i), and omics-guided fine-tuning of gene networks. Synthesizing latest advancements, current review establishes a conceptual framework to overcome translational challenges in CRISPR-mediated improvement of complex traits in oilseed crops, through integrating the pivotal aspects of genotype-specific delivery, multi-gene network design, field validation, and the evolving regulatory landscape. The review concludes with a reflection of gaps in research and future opportunities, with a discussion on how integrated CRISPR technologies can be used to enhance the development of climate-resistant rice varieties.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148534715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Achieving monosex male tilapia: a critical review of hormonal, biodegradable and genome editing strategies.","authors":"Maimoona Mehmood, Farkhanda Asad, Rafia Jamal, Aiman Nadeem, Zunaira Shaheen, Saba Naseer","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00327-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-026-00327-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nile tilapia culture faces significant challenges due to early maturation and uncontrolled reproduction, leading to stunted growth and overpopulation. The primary solution is producing all-male populations or sterile fish. While the synthetic androgen 17α-methyltestosterone has been the industry standard for hormonal sex reversal for decades, environmental and consumer safety concerns, including potential carcinogenicity, have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. This critical review examines the full spectrum of approaches for producing monosex male tilapia, encompassing traditional methods (manual sexing, hybridization), hormonal treatments (synthetic steroids, aromatase inhibitors), biodegradable options (plant extracts like Tribulus terrestris and Basella alba, animal by-products such as cattle and carp testes), and novel genetic strategies (YY male technology, genome editing). We highlight innovative biodegradable programs and discuss how nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery can enhance therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, we explore how genome editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 offer groundbreaking potential for understanding and controlling sex determination systems. Finally, we critically evaluate these methods based on effectiveness, cost, scalability, and sustainability to guide future research and the development of more environmentally responsible practices for the tilapia aquaculture industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148496933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biologia futuraPub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1007/s42977-026-00307-4
Robina Shaukat, Muhammad Mubashar Shaukat, Shaaf Ahmad, Nabila Roohi, Sajjad-Ur-Rahman
{"title":"Biochemical and histological alterations in the liver of albino rats fed a carbohydrate-rich diet under chronic heat and humidity stress.","authors":"Robina Shaukat, Muhammad Mubashar Shaukat, Shaaf Ahmad, Nabila Roohi, Sajjad-Ur-Rahman","doi":"10.1007/s42977-026-00307-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s42977-026-00307-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effects of short-term heat stress on normal-diet rats are well-known, but the impact of long-term heat and humidity on rats fed a carbohydrate-rich diet remains unexplored. The study examined the alterations caused by chronic heat and humidity stress in liver enzymes, blood biochemistry, and histology in rats fed a carbohydrate-rich diet. One hundred and eighty adult rats were divided into routine diet (RD) and carbohydrate-rich diet (CRD) groups, further divided into no stress, heat, and humidity stress conditions. Heat and humidity stress were applied daily for 4 h over 30 days. Blood and liver samples were collected at three decapitation intervals for enzyme (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT) and protein (TP, ALB, TB) analysis, and histological examination. CRD-fed rats exhibited higher ALT, AST, and GGT levels than RD-fed rats, with males showing greater increases, especially under heat stress. ALP levels rose in CRD-fed groups, particularly in females at the 3rd decapitation. TP and ALB levels varied by gender and diet but were not significantly different under stress, while TB showed non-significant results across interactions. Histological analysis indicated normal hepatic structures in controls, whereas CRD-fed rats under heat stress displayed cellular disorganization, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte degeneration. Based on biochemical and histological changes, prolonged heat and humidity stress in CRD-fed rats exacerbates liver damage. The findings emphasize the need for dietary and environmental management strategies to support liver health in stressful conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8853,"journal":{"name":"Biologia futura","volume":" ","pages":"347-358"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147281958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}