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Vegetable leather is an emerging preservation strategy that extends shelf life, reduces postharvest losses, and provides a convenient format for nutrient-rich vegetables. Sweet leaf (Sauropus androgynus L. Merr.) and amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus L.) are rich in bioactive compounds, making them promising raw materials for functional vegetable leather. This study optimized vegetable leather formulation by evaluating the effects of carrageenan, sorbitol, and sweet leaf-amaranth ratios on mechanical and physicochemical properties. Response surface methodology (RSM) with a D-optimal design was applied using Design Expert 13.0.12 software. Factors tested included carrageenan concentration (0.5%-2.5%), sorbitol concentration (1%-13%), and sweet leaf-amaranth ratios (25:75, 50:50, and 75:25). Optimization results identified the optimal formula as 0.877% carrageenan, 1% sorbitol, and a 25:75 sweet leaf-amaranth ratio, with a desirability value of 0.864. The optimized product exhibited tensile strength of 6.08 N/mm², elongation of 6%, solubility of 92.77%, moisture content of 10.93%, and ash content of 3.11%. Functional analysis of the optimized product showed a chlorophyll content of 9.35 ± 0.35 mg·L^-1 and antioxidant activity of 76.0 ± 0.02% inhibition. Sensory evaluation indicated neutral to slightly favorable acceptance, with overall acceptability of 5.1 ± 0.90 on a seven-point hedonic scale. These results confirm that the optimized sweet leaf-amaranth vegetable leather has promising functional and consumer attributes in addition to desirable physicochemical properties.

Dendrobium lineale Rolfe is an important orchid species used as a parent in breeding. Currently, this orchid is classified as an endangered species and is listed in Appendix II according to CITES. This study aimed to investigate the effects of sucrose and coconut water (CW) on the asymbiotic seed germination and shoot development of this endangered Indonesian orchid. In vitro orchid seed culture aids in conservation and reintroduction. Three-month-old hand-pollinated seeds were sown on Vacin and Went (VW) solid medium supplemented with several concentrations of sucrose (10, 20, and 30 g/L) or without sucrose (controls). Seed germination and protocorm development were investigated 1, 2, and 3 months after sowing. To analyze the role of CW in subsequent shoot development and root formation, shoots with an approximately 1-cm length and comprising 1-2 leaves obtained following seed germination were cultured on VW medium supplemented with several concentrations of CW (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and without CW (control) treatment. After 4 months of culture, the number of roots, the number of leaves, and dry weight of the plantlets were recorded. VW medium containing 20 g/L sucrose effectively enhanced seed germination (89%) and shoot formation with one or more leaves (stage 5) (46%). Supplementation with 20% CW in VW medium was suitable for shoot development, resulting in well-developed roots and leaves and improved fresh weight of plantlets compared with those in the other treatments. Moreover, 87% of the acclimatized plantlets survived. This protocol is an efficient method for the in vitro mass production and conservation of this endangered epiphytic orchid using asymbiotic seed culture.

Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are among the most widely cultivated crops in tropical regions and are consumed worldwide. These agricultural systems provide fundamental products in the Colombian basket of goods and generate the highest domestic rural employment. However, multiple crop types and diverse technologies implemented in Musa have not yet been characterized. This study aimed to classify smallholder Musa crop systems in one of the most productive Musa Department (Huila) and assess their relationships with the existing coffee system in this region. Seventy-four farmers were interviewed in six municipalities of Huila, Colombia. The questionnaire-based interview included four aspects related to producers: socioeconomic, locality, crop establishment, and crop management. Additionally, land use for Musa and coffee was assessed geographically. Based on producer answers, descriptive, proportional flow diagrams, factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD), hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC), and correlation analyses were performed. Most participants interviewed were male (91%, n = 67), had an elementary or high school education level (91%, n = 67), and were over 29 years old (96%, n = 71). Four groups of Musa crop systems were identified in four locations based on the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices and the main disease registered: (i) no Good Agricultural Practices certification (GAPc) in the southern subregion; (ii) GAPc in the center subregion; these two items show elephantiasis as the main disease; (iii) no GAPc in the center subregion; and (iv) GAPc in the northeastern subregion; these two clusters register Sigatoka as the main disease. All banana system localizations and 87.9% of plantain systems are highly suitable for coffee production. These findings support local government plans and Musa farm decision-making aimed at increasing Musa production in Huila, Colombia.

The current study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidant-rich Phyllanthus emblica fruit powder (PEF) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemic Wistar rats. In silico pharmacokinetic activity prediction and molecular docking studies were performed for several bioactive compounds of the P. emblica fruit. Wistar rats were arranged into four groups and fed one of the following four diets: standard diet (Control), 2% (w/w) PEF-supplemented standard diet (Control + PEF), HFD, and 2% (w/w) PEF-supplemented HFD (HFD + PEF). The treatment was continued for 8 weeks, after which the effects of PEF on oxidative stress, fat deposition, plasma lipids, and gene expression of relevant proteins were explored. Several proteins involved in lipid metabolism and homeostasis interact with bioactive phenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid, quercetin, catechin, kaempferol, and chrysin. The presence of these compounds in the P. emblica fruit was confirmed by HPLC analysis. In vivo experiments showed that HFD-induced increased oxidative stress, mesenteric fat weight, and harmful plasma lipids were reduced significantly (p < 0.05) due to the feeding of PEF-supplemented HFD. On the other hand, HFD-mediated reductions in antioxidant enzyme activity and the level of HDL cholesterol were restored in rats fed with PEF. The HFD-mediated increase in the transcript levels of SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, and HMGCR reductase was significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed by feeding PEF with a parallel increase in the expression of LDLR. However, the increased expression of LXRα, PPARγ, and FABP4 was not changed by PEF feeding, although these proteins strongly interacted with several compounds of PEF. This study demonstrated that a PEF-supplemented diet can reduce HFD-induced hyperlipidemia by modulating the expression of SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, HMG-CoA reductase, and LDL receptor at the transcriptional level.

Chocolate with added functional value has become increasingly popular due to growing consumer health awareness. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum Dad-13 isolated from dadih (fermented buffalo milk) is a potential probiotic strain exhibiting various health benefits. Probiotic chocolate was formulated by adding L. plantarum Dad-13. The experiments were performed in triplicate. The safety parameters of the chocolate, including microbial and heavy metal contamination, were evaluated to ensure its safety for consumption. Changes in probiotic chocolate's physical, nutritional, and microbial properties were compared to those of nonprobiotic chocolate. Storage trials were further conducted to better understand the viability of probiotics in the chocolate products. The chocolate used in this study was safe for consumption, as indicated by the low contamination levels. Chocolate supplemented with L. plantarum Dad-13 had similar nutritional characteristics to nonprobiotic chocolate. However, the addition of probiotics slightly altered its physical characteristics, resulting in broader melting properties, although this remained within a tolerable range. Storing the chocolate at low to moderate temperatures (4-20°C) could maintain the viability of L. plantarum Dad-13 above 8 log CFU/g for up to 30 days of storage, demonstrating its promising potential as a novel probiotic chocolate product.

Buckwheat is a pseudo-cereal with chemical, functional and application comparable to wheat but possesses higher antinutrient contents, which limit their digestibility and broader utilisation. The study investigated the effects of germination and nixtamalisation on the quality characteristics of buckwheat flour. Germination and nixtamalisation processes were carried out using limewater and potassium hydroxide. Whole, germinated buckwheat flour (GBW), organically nixtamalised buckwheat flour and synthetically nixtamalised buckwheat flour (SNBW) were produced and analysed for nutritional composition (proximate and mineral contents), antinutrients (phytate, oxalate, tannin and saponin) and antioxidant properties (phenol, flavonoids, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and total antioxidant), physicochemical and functional properties (water absorption capacity [WAC], oil absorption capacity (OAC), swelling capacity (SC) and bulk density (BD), and data were analysed using ANOVA at α _0.05. Germination and nixtamalisation processes significantly increased the moisture content (5.67%-8.67%; p < 0.05, ash (1.67%-4.30%; p value p < 0.05), crude protein (11.43%-14.91%; p < 0.05), fibre (10.20%-13.20%) and fat (5.0%-15.0%) but reduced the carbohydrate (61.52%-50.43%) of buckwheat flour. Protein digestibility of buckwheat flour was significantly improved (65.11%-78.14%). Similar trends were observed for the mineral content and antioxidant properties of the treated flours. The antinutritional properties of flour samples were reduced by both germination and nixtamalisation. Germinated buckwheat showed higher lightness (L), redness (a) and light intensity (E) compared with nixtamalised ones. Germination and nixtamalisation significantly influenced the pH, WAC, OAC, SC, solubility and bulk density of the buckwheat flour, which ranged between (4.94-8.91), (74.67-190.33 mL/g), (72.00-84.00 mL/g), (6.28-9.87 mL/g), (15.67-52.67 mL/g) and (0.8-0.85 g/mL), respectively. The application of germination and nixtamalisation processes significantly improves the protein digestibility, mineral content, and acidity of buckwheat flour as compared to whole buckwheat. Thus, these methods of processing have been proven to further enhance the qualitative attributes of buckwheat flour, promoting its expanded application in the food sector.

This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the unsaponifiable matter (USM) in oils extracted from Pistacia atlantica fruits during prematurity phases (unripe and semiripe stages) from two distinct biogeographical regions in Algeria (Sougaa and Bousdraya). Notably, quantitative analysis revealed substantial variations in bioactive compound concentrations: tocopherols ranged from 3.10 to 17.88 mg αTE/g USM, sterols from 844.45 to 871.36 mg βS/g USM, and carotenoids from 15.22 to 20.76 mg βCE/g USM, demonstrating the significant phytochemical richness of early developmental stages. The USM components were quantified using validated spectrophotometric methods, with parallel evaluation of antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activities. The most remarkable finding was the exceptional antioxidant potency of semiripe fruits from Bousdraya (BRF), showing IC₅₀ = 0.49 mg/mL, representing one of the strongest antioxidant activities reported for Pistacia species unsaponifiable fractions. The unripe sample from Sougaa (SRC) exhibited the highest USM yield (10.45%) along with superior carotenoid and sterol concentrations. Furthermore, semiripe fruits from Sougaa (SRF) demonstrated the strongest α-amylase inhibition (34.58 μmol acarbose Eq/g USM), highlighting their potential for diabetes management applications. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative relationship between tocopherol content and antioxidant activity (r = -0.92), confirming their role as primary radical scavengers. The results provide crucial insights for developing functional ingredients for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries targeting oxidative stress and glycemic control. Initial stages of Pistacia atlantica fruit development represent an underappreciated source of valuable bioactive compounds. These results clearly indicate that an optimal harvesting strategy must consider both geographic origin and phenological stage, depending on the desired functional profile (e.g., semiripe BRF for strong antioxidant activity, immature SRC for maximum USM, and carotenoid/sterol yield). The key role in this activity was confirmed by a strong, statistically significant, negative correlation between tocopherol content and the IC₅₀ value (r = -0.92). However, the highest alpha-amylase inhibition activity, significantly different from the immature samples (p < 0.05), was achieved by semiripe samples from Sougaa (SRF, 34.58 p.m. 1.33 mµmol AACE/g USM) and BRF, suggesting that other, statistically uncorrelated (r approx. 0.01 for tocopherols) compounds are responsible for this effect. In terms of content, the immature sample from Sougaa (SRC) was statistically superior in terms of carotenoid and sterol content. These findings definitively confirm that the selection of harvest site and time is critical for maximizing the functional quality of the oil.

Breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer worldwide, poses a significant public health challenge, especially in the advanced stages. According to the Saudi Health Council (2020), breast cancer is also the leading cancer in Saudi Arabia with recent increases in incidence rates. Over the past two decades, Saudi Arabia has made significant advancements in anti-breast cancer drug discovery driven by increased research funding, improved access to scientific resources, and enhanced education. This study aims to highlight Saudi Arabia's contributions to this field through a bibliometric analysis of anti-breast cancer drug discovery research published between 2019 and 2023. Using a comprehensive search strategy, 943 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database and analyzed. Bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel were used to highlight trends in publication output, research areas, and collaboration networks. The results reveal a steady increase in Saudi publications, rising from under 100 in 2019 to over 250 in 2023. The primary research areas were Chemistry (43.69%), Pharmacology/Pharmacy (23.65%), and Biochemistry (22.80%). Elsevier and MDPI were the leading publication platforms, while King Saud University was identified as the primary source of research funding (17.60%). Co-authorship networks revealed strong collaborations between Saudi institutions and international partners. The most frequent keywords reflected key research priorities within Saudi institutions, "anticancer", "molecular docking", and "nanoparticles". The most commonly studied therapeutic targets were EGFR, Caspase, and VEGF with a diverse range of therapeutic approaches including pyrimidines, nanoparticles, and natural products. This analysis highlights Saudi Arabia's growing contributions to the field of breast cancer drug discovery and provides a foundation for future research and collaboration.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a complex neurodegenerative disorder, urgently necessitates a multitarget therapeutic approach. This study presents a novel in silico framework targeting a unique combination of four AD-relevant proteins-sortilin, clusterin, tau, and amyloid-beta (Aβ)-not previously explored together in multitarget docking studies. The study leveraged a comprehensive computational strategy integrating ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and ProTox-3.0 analyses with AutoDock Vina molecular docking, binding, and bond interaction via SiteMap/CASTp and PLIP, respectively. Fifteen novel natural ligands and three established AD reference drugs (donepezil, memantine, and rivastigmine) were assessed against four key AD proteins: sortilin, clusterin, Aβ peptide, and tau. Pharmacokinetic and toxicity predictions revealed favorable drug-likeness for many ligands, 4-tert-amylphenol, allicin, apigenin, and resveratrol, which exhibited high gastrointestinal absorption but varied in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeation, solubility, and drug-likeness. Ligands, such as apigenin, cyanidin, and galantamine, demonstrated favorable oral bioavailability and lead-likeness. Nevertheless, predicted toxicity profiles revealed potential hepatotoxicity concerns for ligands like 4-tert-amylphenol and berberine. Comparison with reference drugs highlighted the importance of optimizing ADME properties and minimizing toxicity. Molecular docking results consistently highlighted ginkgolide with multitarget binding to sortilin (-16.29 kcal/mol), clusterin (-13.98 kcal/mol), and tau (-10.63 kcal/mol). Critical interactions were identified, including binding to the aggregation domain of tau via HIS329. Other promising natural ligands, including ginsenosides, berberine, and apigenin, also exhibited strong multitarget interactions. Ginsenosides were a notable lead, demonstrating key molecular contacts with ILE141 on sortilin and directly targeting the Aβ core at ALA4. Apigenin also showed strong binding to the tau repeat domain at ILE328. Notably, memantine displayed significant binding to both sortilin and Aβ, forming a hydrogen bond with the amyloidogenic ILE5 residue. The study identified several potent multitarget binding capabilities compounds, offering compelling avenues for developing novel, more effective therapeutics for AD.

The experiment was conducted using an alpha lattice design with two replications for each genotype, comprising 20 maize hybrids obtained from CIMMYT and NMRP, including two check varieties. The treatment genotypes were assessed during the spring season of 2024 at the agronomy farm of Gokuleshwor College, Baitadi. The tallest plant height of 293.298 cm was recorded in genotype RH-12, while the shortest, 231.598 cm, was observed in RML-95/RML-140. The observed variation among genotypes indicated that selection can be effectively carried out based on traits such as days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, number of rows per cob, number of grains per row, cob length, cob diameter, and grain yield. Most of the evaluated morphological traits showed a strong correlation with grain yield, depicting that indirect selection could effectively enhance yield potential. Among the hybrids, CAH 1817 stood out with the highest grain yield, followed closely by NH2226 and VH 18567. These varieties show great potential and could be strong candidates for promoting higher-yielding maize hybrids in Nepal.