Defensive Properties Research Articles

Characterization of the defense properties of healthy and diseased coral mucus

The surface mucus layer of corals aids in feeding, silt removal, and defense against pathogens. However, first line of defense of secreted mucus of corals against tissue damage generated through pathogen or environmental factors is poorly understood. Hence, we used various methods such as a well diffusion assay and tests for quorum quenching, free radical scavenging, antioxidant enzyme expression and phenoloxidase (PO) activity to determine the mucus defense properties using mucus of healthy and diseased Porites sp. and Acropora sp. Interestingly the coral mucus showed antimicrobial activity against coral pathogens such as bacteria and protozoan ciliates. Inhibition of the N-Acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) molecule suggests quorum quenching. Free radical scavenging of mucus was screened using hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods, which was found significantly more in diseased corals (p < 0.05). Antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and peroxidase activity were observed in both the diseased and healthy coral mucus. The presence of serine and metalloproteases was also detected in coral mucus. Further, phenoloxidase (PO) activity was highest in diseased coral mucus affected by pink line syndrome and white patch Acropora sp. disease than the healthy coral mucus. Thus, the present study of antimicrobial properties, antioxidant enzymes, and quorum quenching properties in coral mucus may aid in understanding the corals defense and survival against pathogens and any abiotic stress.

Induced production of specialized steroids by transcriptional reprogramming in Petunia hybrida.

Plants produce specialized metabolites with defensive properties that are often synthesized through the coordinated regulation of metabolic genes by transcription factors in various biological contexts. In this study, we investigated the regulatory function of the transcription factor PhERF1 from petunia (Petunia hybrida), which belongs to a small group of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) family members that regulate the biosynthesis of bioactive alkaloids and terpenoids in various plant lineages. We examined the effects of transiently overexpressing PhERF1 in petunia leaves on the transcriptome and metabolome, demonstrating the production of a class of specialized steroids, petuniolides, and petuniasterones in these leaves. We also observed the activation of many metabolic genes, including those involved in sterol biosynthesis, as well as clustered genes that encode new metabolic enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, and BAHD acyltransferases. Furthermore, we determined that PhERF1 transcriptionally induces downstream metabolic genes by recognizing specific cis-regulatory elements in their promoters. This study highlights the potential of evolutionarily conserved transcriptional regulators to induce the production of specialized products through transcriptional reprogramming.

Rosavin thwarts amyloid-β-induced macromolecular damages and neurotoxicity, exhibiting anti-Alzheimer's disease activity in Wister rat model.

Lately, interest surrounding the utilization of plant-derived compounds as a viable beneficial approach for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) has significantly increased. This study aimed to assess the defensive properties of rosavin against Alzheimer's disease induced by amyloid-β, utilizing experimental models. We found that rosavin exhibited anti-aggregation and disaggregation properties, suggesting its potential to prevent the gathering of Aβ-aggregates. In vitro experiments revealed that rosavin effectively mitigated the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ in Neuro-2a cells, showcasing its protective potential. Rosavin significantly improved the Aβ-induced cognitive deficits in Wistar rats, particularly in spatial memory. Which the pathophysiology of AD includes oxidative damage, which negatively impacts biological macromolecules. Triggers the apoptotic process, causing macromolecular destruction. Interestingly, rosavin attenuated Aβ-induced macromolecular damages, thereby preserving neuronal integrity. Furthermore, the activation of antioxidative defense enzymes by rosavin inhibited oxidative damage. The positive outcomes associated with rosavin were primarily attributed to its capacity to enhance acetylcholine-mediated effects. Finally, rosavin has the potential to alleviate Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and macromolecular damages, ultimately resulting in enhanced memorial and reasoning function in Wistar rats, offering promising prospects for the treatment of AD.

CD98 heavy chain as a prognostic biomarker and target for cancer treatment.

The SLC3A2 gene encodes for a cell-surface transmembrane protein CD98hc (4F2). CD98hc serves as a chaperone for LAT1 (SLC7A5), LAT2 (SLC7A8), y+LAT1 (SLC7A7), y+LAT2 (SLC7A6), xCT (SLC7A11) and Asc1 (SLC7A10) providing their recruitment to the plasma membrane. Together with the light subunits, it constitutes heterodimeric transmembrane amino acid transporters. CD98hc interacts with other surface molecules, such as extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer CD147 (EMMPRIN) and adhesion receptors integrins, and regulates glucose uptake. In this way, CD98hc connects the signaling pathways sustaining cell proliferation and migration, biosynthesis and antioxidant defense, energy production, and stem cell properties. This multifaceted role makes CD98hc one of the critical regulators of tumor growth, therapy resistance, and metastases. Indeed, the high expression levels of CD98hc were confirmed in various tumor tissues, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, colon adenocarcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and others. A high expression of CD98hc has been linked to clinical prognosis and response to chemo- and radiotherapy in several types of cancer. In this mini-review, we discuss the physiological functions of CD98hc, its role in regulating tumor stemness, metastases, and therapy resistance, and the clinical significance of CD98hc as a tumor marker and therapeutic target.

Enhancement of quality and self-defense capacity of Agaricus bisporus by UV-C treatment.

Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus) with completely white appearance are popular with consumers. However, A. bisporus are easily senescence and spoilt, which results in browning and oxidative tissue damage with limited shelf life. This study investigated the effects of shortwave ultraviolet (UV-C, 1.0 kJ m-2 ) irradiation on quality features, enzymatic browning, defense properties of A. bisporus stored at 4 °C for 21 d. After storage, UV-C irradiated A. bisporus had increased quality on sensory, color, hardness, exhibited higher content in total phenolic, brown melanin precursors, including γ-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene (GHB), γ-glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzene (GDHB) and tyrosine content, lower accumulation of malondiadehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), superoxide radical (O2 •¯ ) and maintained membrane integrity in comparison to control samples. Besides, A. bisporus treated by UV-C showed lower degree of browning and higher level of self-defense capacity which may be ascribed to the enhancement in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), Chitinase (CHT), β-1, 3 glucanase activity (GLU) and inhibiting the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) during the storage. These results indicated that the higher self-defense capacity with UV-C treatment might be the mechanism associated with the delay of senescence in Agaricus bisporus. Therefore, the UV-C treatment is suggested as a potential practical application in mushrooms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of BoLSU1 and BoLSU2 Confers Tolerance to Sulfur Deficiency in Arabidopsis by Manipulating Glucosinolate Metabolism.

Sulfur is an essential element for plant growth, development and resistance to environmental stresses. Glucosinolates (GSLs), a group of sulfur rich secondary metabolites found in Brassicaceae plants, are known for their defensive properties against pathogens and herbivores. Due to their integration of a large proportion of total sulfur, their biosynthesis and degradation are closely linked to sulfur metabolism. It has been demonstrated that GSLs can be broken down to release sulfur and facilitate the production of other thio-metabolites when the plant is under stress. However, the regulation of this process is still not fully understood. In this study, we constructed two broccoli LSU (low sulfur responsive) gene overexpressing lines, 35S::BoLSU1 and 35S::BoLSU2, to detect changes in GSL metabolism after sulfur deficiency treatment. The results showed that BoLSU1 and BoLSU2 inhibit the biosynthesis of aliphatic GSLs, while also promoting their degradation and increasing the content of glutathione (GSH), leading to the reallocation of sulfur from the GSL pool to other thio-metabolites such as GSH. Furthermore, this regulation of GSL metabolism mediated by BoLSU1 and BoLSU2 is found to be dependent on myrosinases BGLU28 and BGLU30. Our study provides insight into the physiological role of LSU proteins and their regulation of sulfur metabolism.

Bioactivity of Fucoidan-Rich Extracts from Fucus vesiculosus against Rotavirus and Foodborne Pathogens.

Marine algae are sources of bioactive components with defensive properties of great value against microbial infections. This study investigated the bioactivity of extracts from brown algae Fucus vesiculosus against rotavirus, the worldwide leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children. Moreover, one of the extracts was tested against four foodborne bacteria: Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, and the non-pathogenic: E. coli K12. In vitro tests using MA104 cells revealed that both whole algae extracts and crude fucoidan precipitates neutralized rotavirus in a dose-responsive manner. The maximum neutralization activity was observed when the rotavirus was incubated with 100 μg mL-1 of the hydrochloric acid-obtained crude fucoidan (91.8%), although crude fucoidan extracted using citric acid also demonstrated high values (89.5%) at the same concentration. Furthermore, molecular weight fractionation of extracts decreased their antirotaviral activity and high molecular weight fractions exhibited higher activity compared to those of lower molecular weight. A seaweed extract with high antirotaviral activity was also found to inhibit the growth of C. jejuni, S. Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes at a concentration of 0.2 mg mL-1. Overall, this study expands the current knowledge regarding the antimicrobial mechanisms of action of extracts from F. vesiculosus.

Silicon supplementation and jasmonate activation synergistically increase phenolic defences against a legume herbivore

Abstract The accumulation of silicon (Si) is widely reported to have anti‐herbivore defensive properties in grasses. There is emerging, but fragmentary, evidence that Si could play a similar role in legumes. Here, we sought to understand the effects of Si supplementation on anti‐herbivore defensive properties in lucerne (Medicago sativa), especially in relation to other potential defences (i.e. phenolics) and the phytohormone that regulates anti‐herbivore defences, jasmonic acid or jasmonate (JA), which is also linked to Si accumulation. We determined how growth, root nodulation and chemistry (carbon, nitrogen and phenolic concentrations) of four genotypes of lucerne responded to Si supplementation, with and without the application of JA, and we used feeding assays to determine the subsequent effects on the feeding success of adult Sitona discoideus weevils. Si supplementation increased plant mass and root nodulation of M. sativa by 61% and 227%, respectively, and reduced relative consumption (RC) and frass production by S. discoideus by 38% and 30% respectively. Si supplementation had no effect on foliar nitrogen concentrations, most likely due to the dilution effects of increased plant growth and foliar carbon. Phenolic concentrations were negatively correlated with leaf RC; RC also decreased by 34% when JA was applied to plants. When Si was combined with JA application, phenolics were significantly enhanced, demonstrating the potential to stimulate multiple anti‐herbivore properties in M. sativa. Overall, the Si‐ and JA‐induced phytochemical and herbivore feeding responses were consistent between the four lucerne genotypes tested. Synthesis. The novel findings suggest that Si accumulation may play a more important role in legume resistance to herbivorous animals than previously thought. The ubiquity of soil Si and its emerging functional role in plant biology, including plant–animal interactions, suggest that these patterns could be common among legumes.

K-STRONG DEFENSIVE ALLIANCES IN GRAPHS

In a simple connected graph G = (V,E), a subset S of V is a defensive alliance if every vertex v ∈ S has at most one more neighbour in V − S than it has in S. The minimum cardinality of a defensive alliance in G is called the defensive alliance number of G, denoted by a(G). A k-strong defensive alliance S is a defensive alliance in G, in which removal of any set of at most k vertices does not affect its defensive property. The k-strong defensive alliance number of G is the minimum cardinality of a k-strong defensive alliance in G, denoted by ak(G). In this paper, some properties of k-strong defensive alliances are discussed and the k-strong defensive alliance numbers of some classes of graphs are obtained.

Arthropod food webs predicted from body size ratios are improved by incorporating prey defensive properties.

Trophic interactions are often deduced from body size differences, assuming that predators prefer prey smaller than themselves because larger prey are more difficult to subdue. This has mainly been confirmed in aquatic ecosystems, but rarely in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in arthropods. Our goal was to validate whether body size ratios can predict trophic interactions in a terrestrial, plant-associated arthropod community and whether predator hunting strategy and prey taxonomy could explain additional variation. We conducted feeding trials with arthropods from marram grass in coastal dunes to test whether two individuals, of the same or different species, would predate each other. From the trial results, we constructed one of the most complete, empirically derived food webs for terrestrial arthropods associated with a single plant species. We contrasted this empirical food web with a theoretical web based on body size ratios, activity period, microhabitat, and expert knowledge. In our feeding trials, predator-prey interactions were indeed largely size-based. Moreover, the theoretical and empirically based food webs converged well for both predator and prey species. However, predator hunting strategy, and especially prey taxonomy improved predictions of predation. Well-defended taxa, such as hard-bodied beetles, were less frequently consumed than expected based on their body size. For instance, a beetle of average size (measuring 4 mm) is 38% less vulnerable than another average arthropod with the same length. Body size ratios predict trophic interactions among plant-associated arthropods fairly well. However, traits such as hunting strategy and anti-predator defences can explain why certain trophic interactions do not adhere to size-based rules. Feeding trials can generate insights into multiple traits underlying real-life trophic interactions among arthropods.

Chemical Defense against Herbivory in the Brown Marine Macroalga Padina gymnospora Could Be Attributed to a New Hydrocarbon Compound.

Brown marine macroalga Padina gymnospora (Phaeophyceae, Ochrophyta) produces both secondary metabolites (phlorotannins) and precipitate calcium carbonate (CaCO3-aragonite) on its surface as potential defensive strategies against herbivory. Here, we have evaluated the effect of natural concentrations of organic extracts (dichloromethane-DI; ethyl acetate-EA and methanol-ME, and three isolated fractions) and mineralized tissues of P. gymnospora as chemical and physical resistance, respectively, against the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus through experimental laboratory feeding bioassays. Fatty acids (FA), glycolipids (GLY), phlorotannins (PH) and hydrocarbons (HC) were also characterized and/or quantified in extracts and fractions from P. gymnospora using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (CG/MS) or GC coupled to flame ionization detector (FID) and chemical analysis. Our results showed that chemicals from the EA extract of P. gymnospora were significantly important in reducing consumption by L. variegatus, but the CaCO3 did not act as a physical protection against consumption by this sea urchin. An enriched fraction containing 76% of the new hydrocarbon 5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-heneicosatetraene exhibited a significant defensive property, while other chemicals found in minor amounts, such as GLY, PH, saturated and monounsaturated FAs and CaCO3 did not interfere with the susceptibility of P. gymnospora to L. variegatus consumption. We suggest that the unsaturation of the 5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-heneicosatetraene from P. gymnospora is probably an important structural characteristic responsible for the defensive property verified against the sea urchin.

Nutshell Physicochemical Characteristics of Different Hazel Cultivars and Their Defensive Activity toward Curculio nucum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Hazel (Corylus avellana) is easily attacked by Curculio nucum L. To better understand the physiological mechanisms underlying the different resistance of cultivars to C. nucum, we determined the insect-resistant compounds, plant hormones contents, and enzyme activities in the nutshells of three hazel cultivars (DW, B21, and MZ) before (preexisting defense) and after (induced defense) C. nucum chewing. The findings demonstrated that the resistance of three hazel cultivars to C. nucum differed significantly (p &lt; 0.05): the damage rate of MZ with 17.57% was highest, followed by DW (11.23%), and then B21 (7.15%). The contents of insect-resistant compounds (total terpenoid, tannin, total phenol, flavonoids, cellulose, and lignin) varied with hazel cultivars, both before and after C. nucum chewing, except for cellulose and lignin before induction. The level of plant hormones and defense enzyme activities of hazelnut enhanced due to C. nucum induction. Pearson correlation results revealed that the hazelnut damage rate was significantly negatively correlated with jasmonic acid (JA) (R2 = 0.812), SOD (R2 = 0.671), salicylic acid (SA) (R2 = 0.878), and terpenoids (R2 = 0.774), and significantly positively correlated with flavonoids (R2 = 0.696), celluloses (R2 = 0.501), POD (R2 = 0.758), and abscisic acid (ABA) (R2 = 0.978). The hazelnut defense to C. nucum was negatively related to cellulose contents, and not to lignin contents, but was significantly positively related to the ratio of cellulose-to-lignin (R2 = 0.703). Our results suggested that the hazel against C. nucum attack responded by improving plant hormones contents and enzyme activities in the nutshells. A particular cellulose-to-lignin ratio provides the most effective physical structural defense properties in the nutshells.

Metabolites and chemical agents in the plant roots: an overview of their use in plant-parasitic nematode management

Summary Plant-parasitic nematodes are devastating phytopathogens that cause substantial economic losses in the agricultural sector. There are numerous management measures available to reduce the threat posed by plant-parasitic nematodes. One of the most effective management strategies is the use of synthetic chemical nematicides. However, many of these chemicals negatively impact the environment and health of non-target organisms, so there is great urgency for finding new environmentally safe and sustainable approaches for managing plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant roots release numerous metabolites that possess defensive properties; thus, it is imperative to understand the root-regulated interactions among plants and nematodes that form the basis for managing plant-parasitic nematodes. The present review focuses on the root metabolites and chemical agents that serve as attractants, repellents, stimulators, or inhibitors for nematodes. They influence plant resistance by modifying plant physiology to resist nematodes and can also inhibit nematode growth and development by secreting antinematode chemicals. The ultimate goal of this review is to focus mainly on the current state of knowledge on the interaction between plant roots and the potential of these compounds in management of plant-parasitic nematodes.

Biochemical metabolomic profiling of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster): New insight into its biology for improved pest management

The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS), Acanthaster species, is a voracious coral predator that destroys coral reefs when in outbreak status. The baseline metabolite and lipid biomolecules of 10 COTS tissues, including eggs from gravid females, were investigated in this study to provide insight into their biology and identify avenues for control. Targeted and untargeted metabolite- and lipidomics-based mass spectrometry approaches were used to obtain tissue-specific metabolite and lipid profiles. Across all COTS tissues, 410 metabolites and 367 lipids were identified. Most abundant were amino acids and peptides (18.7%) and wax esters (17%). There were 262 metabolites and 192 lipids identified in COTS eggs. Wax esters were more abundant in the eggs (30%) followed by triacylglycerols (TG), amino acids, and peptides. The diversity of asterosaponins in eggs (34) was higher than in tissues (2). Several asterosaponins known to modulate sperm acrosome reaction were putatively identified, including glycoside B, asterosaponin-4 (Co-Aris III), and regularoside B (asterosaponin A). The saponins saponin A, thornasteroside A, hillaside B, and non-saponins dictyol J and axinellamine B which have been shown to possess defensive properties, were found in abundance in gonads, skin, and radial nerve tissues. Inosine and 2-hexyldecanoic acid are the most abundant metabolites in tissues and eggs. As a secondary metabolite of purine degradation, inosine plays an important role in purine biosynthesis, while 2-hexyldecanoic acid is known to suppress side-chain crystallization during the synthesis of amphiphilic macromolecules (i.e., phospholipids). These significant spatial changes in metabolite, lipid, and asterosaponin profiles enabled unique insights into key biological tissue-specific processes that could be manipulated to better control COTS populations. Our findings highlight COTS as a novel source of molecules with therapeutic and cosmetic properties (ceramides, sphingolipids, carnosine, and inosine). These outcomes will be highly relevant for the development of strategies for COTS management including chemotaxis-based biocontrol and exploitation of COTS carcasses for the extraction of commercial molecules.

Antifungal Activity of Datura stramonium L. Extractives against Xylophagous Fungi

Some plants have great resistance against herbivores, invertebrates, insects, bacteria, and fungi. This resistance is mostly present in plants containing alkaloids, which are the substances responsible for giving them defensive properties. The genus Datura contains tropane alkaloids and all plants from this genus have defensive properties. In this work, we report the toxic effect against fungi of Datura stramonium extracts, obtained by the Petri dish method. The extraction solvents were water, ethanol, 2-propanol, n-butanol, propanone, butanone, 3-methyl-2-pentanone, dichloromethane, xylene, and toluene. The test fungi were Trametes versicolor (L. ex. Fr) Pilát and Rhodonia placenta (Fr.) Niemelä, K.H.Larss. &amp; Schigel. It was found that water, butanone, and toluene extracts promoted mycelial growth, xylene extracts neither inhibited nor promoted mycelial growth, while the other extracts slightly inhibited the growth of these fungi.

Are Islamic investments still safe assets during the COVID‐19 pandemic?

While looking for safe‐haven assets, the literature obtained mixed and varying results, changing from one period to the next, or one geographical area to another. Recently, this field of research grew even more, motivated by the changing environment resulting from the global financial crisis and the current COVID‐19 pandemic. We compare five Islamic and five conventional leading financial indexes for the period 2004–2020, covering both global and regional data (Asia‐Pacific, Europe, GCC, and the United States). By employing DCC GARCH and extended GARCH (1,1) models, we find a lower volatility and higher persistence in Islamic indexes when compared to their conventional alternatives, holding also when traditional safe‐haven assets are included in comparative terms and across geographical areas. We therefore provide robust evidence on the consistent behavior of Islamic assets: Their defensive properties remain and are even stronger in the current unprecedented and ongoing crisis.

The downside of metabolic diversity: Postingestive rearrangements by specialized insects

Deploying toxins in complex mixtures is thought to be advantageous and is observed during antagonistic interactions in nature. Toxin mixtures are widely utilized in medicine and pest control, as they are thought to slow the evolution of detoxification counterresponses in the targeted organisms. Here we show that caterpillars rearrange key constituents of two distinct plant defense pathways to postingestively disable the defensive properties of both pathways. Specifically, phenolic esters of quinic acid, chlorogenic acids (CAs), potent herbivore and ultraviolet (UV) defenses, are reesterified to decorate particular sugars of 17-hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides (HGL-DTGs) and prevent their respective anti–herbivore defense functions. This was discovered through the employment of comparative metabolomics of the leaves of Nicotiana attenuata and the frass of this native tobacco’s specialist herbivore, Manduca sexta larvae. Feeding caterpillars on leaves of transgenic plants abrogated in each of the two pathways, separately and together, revealed that one of the fully characterized frass conjugates, caffeoylated HGL-DTG, originated from ingested CA and HGL-DTGs and that both had negative effects on the defensive function of the other compound class, as revealed by rates of larval mass gain. This negative defensive synergy was further explored in 183 N. attenuata natural accessions, which revealed a strong negative covariance between the two defense pathways. Further mapping analyses in a biparental recombinant inbred line (RIL) population imputed quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the two pathways at distinct genomic locations. The postingestive repurposing of defense metabolism constituents reveals a downside of deploying toxins in mixtures, a downside which plants in nature have evolved to counter.

Protective effect of bovine lactoferrin against Cronobacter sakazakii in human intestinal Caco-2/TC7 cells

Milk is a source of bioactive proteins with defensive properties of great value for protecting the newborn. The activity of bovine milk lactoferrin (LF) was investigated as an antibacterial agent in the internalisation of the emergent pathogen Cronobacter sakazakii into Caco-2/TC7 cells, a model of human intestinal epithelium. The effect of LF on oxidative stress and expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR) was also investigated. LF exerted a clear antibacterial activity against C. sakazakii, as well as an inhibitory effect on C. sakazakii adhesion and internalisation into Caco-2/TC7 cells. Incubation with C. sakazakii induced an increase in oxidative stress on the lipid fraction of Caco-2/TC7 cells, which was reversed by LF. Additionally, LF altered the expression of TLR, with a clear decrease in the expression levels of TLR4 at 24 h of incubation. These results suggest that LF has very interesting properties as a potential ingredient for functional foods.

Health Promoting Properties and Extraction of Specific Bioactive Compounds in Blueberries

In addition to possessing well-known flavor attributes, blueberries are an exceptional source of health-promoting bioactive compounds. Blueberries have been developing in ubiquity over the world for decades. Blueberries are high in flavonoids (for the most part anthocyanidins), polyphenols (procyanidin), phenolic acids, pyruvic acid, chlorogenic acid, and other compounds that have anticancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflammation, defensive properties for vision and liver, avoid heart maladies, anti-diabetes, boost brain work, muscular bones, improve insusceptibility, anticipate cardiovascular maladies, and boost cognitive decay. Blueberry extraction procedures have progressed essentially in later a long time. Modern extraction technologies include Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Microwave Assisted Extraction, Pulsed Electric Field Extraction, and Supercritical Liquid extraction. This strategy strikes a stability between the fruit's dietary value and its occurrence. This improvement within the food division is due to customer expectations that are getting to be more health-conscious, prompting the industry to look for ways to dodge ailment

Optimal Portfolio Allocation between Global Stock Indexes and Safe Haven Assets: Gold versus the Swiss Franc (1999–2021)

This paper contributes to the literature on safe haven assets, analyzing gold and the Swiss Franc’s defensive properties inside various global stocks portfolios. The analysis relies on monthly data extending over the last two decades. Drawing on Multivariate Garch DCC models, the hedging effectiveness of bivariate Swiss Franc-hedged portfolios is found to be notably higher than that of gold-hedged portfolios. Value-at-Risk simulations, assuming equal or “optimal” portfolio weights, confirm these results inside a multivariate asset framework, while a regression approach with quantile dummies provides further support in this regard. Since the better hedge and safe haven properties of the Swiss Franc are likely to persist in the future, the main policy implication of the paper concerns asset allocation strategies giving relatively more weight to the Swiss currency in global stock portfolios.