Food Sources Research Articles

Biocultural heritage of the Caatinga: a systematic review of Myrtaceae and its multiple uses.

The Caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome, stands as a reservoir of remarkable biodiversity. Its significance transcends ecological dimensions, given the direct reliance of the local population on its resources for sustenance and healthcare. While Myrtaceae, a pivotal botanical family within the Brazilian flora, has been extensively explored for its medicinal and nutritional attributes, scant attention has been directed towards its contextual relevance within the Caatinga's local communities. Consequently, this inaugural systematic review addresses the ethnobotanical roles of Myrtaceae within the Caatinga, meticulously anchored in the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We searched Scopus, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Scielo, and LILIACS. No date-range filter was applied. An initial pool of 203 articles was carefully scrutinized, ultimately yielding 31 pertinent ethnobotanical studies elucidating the utility of Myrtaceae amongst the Caatinga's indigenous populations. Collectively, they revealed seven distinct utilization categories spanning ~54 species and 11 genera. Psidium and Eugenia were the genera with the most applications. The most cited categories of use were food (27 species) and medicinal (22 species). The importance of accurate species identification was highlighted, as many studies did not provide enough information for reliable identification. Additionally, the potential contribution of Myrtaceae fruits to food security and human health was explored. The diversity of uses demonstrates how this family is a valuable resource for local communities, providing sources of food, medicine, energy, and construction materials. This systematic review also highlights the need for more ethnobotanical studies to understand fully the relevance of Myrtaceae species in the Caatinga, promoting biodiversity conservation, as well as support for local populations.

Effects of fasting and environmental factors on appetite regulators in pond loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

The pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) is an important aquaculture freshwater species, used as an ornamental fish, food source for humans and angling bait. Pond loaches are resistant to fasting and extreme environmental conditions, including temperature and low oxygen levels. Little is known about how these factors affect the feeding physiology and the endocrine regulation of feeding of loaches. In this study, we examined the effects of fasting, as well as increased temperature and decreased oxygen levels on food intake and transcript levels of appetite regulators. Fasted fish had lower blood glucose levels, and lower expression levels of intestine CCK and PYY, and brain CART1, but had higher levels of brain orexin and ghrelin than fed fish. Fish held at 30 °C had higher food intake, glucose levels, and mRNA levels of intestine CCK and PYY, and brain CART2, but lower brain orexin levels than fish at 20 °C. Fish held at low oxygen levels had a lower food intake, higher intestine CCKa and ghrelin, and brain orexin, CART2 and ghrelin mRNA expression levels than fish held at high O2 levels. Our results suggest that fasting and high temperatures increase the expression of orexigenic and anorexigenic factors respectively, whereas the increase in expression of both orexigenic and anorexigenic factors in low O2 environments might not be related to their role in feeding, but possibly to protection from tissue damage. The results of our study might shed new light on how pond loaches are able to cope with extreme environmental conditions such as low food availability, extreme temperatures and hypoxia.

“A Wake-Up Call”: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Barriers to Type 2 Diabetes Prevention After Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND Individuals who have gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are advised to engage in physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in the postpartum period to prevent type 2 diabetes. We aimed to understand individual perspectives on incorporating such lifestyle choices during the first postpartum year. METHODS This was a mixed-methods analysis of data from individuals with GDM who completed surveys and in-depth interviews at 4–12 weeks and 11–13 months postpartum as part of their participation in a feasibility randomized controlled trial on postpartum patient navigation. Participant attitudes were elicited with surveys (structured items with Likert-scale responses) and interviews that focused on barriers to postpartum type 2 diabetes prevention. We used a concurrent, triangulation design to jointly analyze survey data alongside interview data. RESULTS Of 40 participants, 39 provided data about their type 2 diabetes prevention activities. Interview themes triangulated with survey results to yield consistent insights about attitudes regarding physical activity and healthy eating. The majority of participants reported that caring for a new baby and family responsibilities made it much harder to be physically active; fewer participants identified cost of exercise, accessing a safe area to exercise, or breastfeeding as barriers. The most common barriers to healthy eating included caring for a new baby, family responsibilities, and work/school schedules. Although proximity and transportation to healthy food sources were uncommon barriers, when they did occur, they were experienced as major burdens. CONCLUSION Individuals who had GDM reported many barriers to implementing recommended postpartum lifestyle choices. Recognizing these unique needs may enhance provision of guidance for type 2 diabetes prevention postpartum.

Combined effect of seasons and life history in an anuran strengthens the response and relationship between their physiology and gut microbiota

Gut microbiota impact host physiology, though simultaneous investigations in ectothermic vertebrates are rare. Particularly, amphibians may exhibit more complex interactions between host physiology and the effects of gut microbiota due to the combination of seasonal changes and complex life histories. In this study, we assessed the relationships among food resources, gut bacterial communities, and host physiology in frogs (Phelophylax nigromaculatus), taking into account seasonal and life history variations. We found that food sources were not correlated with physiological parameters but had some relationships with the gut bacterial community. Variations in gut bacterial community and host physiology were influenced by the combined effects of seasonal differences and life history, though mostly driven by seasonal differences. An increase in Firmicutes was associated with higher fat content, reflecting potential fat storage in frogs during the non-breeding season. The increase in Bacteroidetes resulted in lower fat content in adult frogs and decreased immunity in juvenile frogs during the breeding season, demonstrating a direct link. Our results suggest that the gut microbiome may act as a link between food conditions and physiological status, and that the combined effect of seasons and life history could reinforce the relationship between gut microbiota and physiological status in ectothermic animals. While food sources may influence the gut microbiota of ectotherms, we contend that temperature-correlated seasonal variation, which predominately influences most ectotherms, is a significant factor.

Natural Polymer Encapsulated Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-12 Composite toward Electrochemical Sensing of Antitumor Agent.

Encapsulation of natural polymer pectin (Pec) into a zeolitic imidazolate framework-12 (ZIF-12) matrix via a simple chemical method toward anticancer agent gallic acid (GA) detection is reported in this work. GA, a natural phenol found in many food sources, has gained attention by its biological effects on the human body, such as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately and rapidly determine the GA level in humans. The encapsulation of Pec inside the ZIF-12 has been successfully confirmed from the physiochemical studies such as XRD, Raman, FTIR, and XPS spectroscopy along with morphological FESEM, BET, and HRTEM characterization. Under optimized conditions, the Pec@ZIF-12 composite exhibits wide linear range of 20 nM-250 μM with a detection limit of 2.2 nM; also, it showed excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Furthermore, the real sample analysis of food samples including tea, coffee, grape, and pomegranate samples shows exceptional recovery percentage in an unspiked manner. So far, there is little literature for encapsulating proteins, enzymes, metals, etc., that have been reported; here, we successfully encapsulated a natural polymer Pec inside the ZIF-12 cage. This encapsulation significantly enhanced the composite electrochemical performance, which could be seen from the overall results. All of these strongly suggest that the proposed Pec@ZIF-12 composite could be used for miniaturized device fabrication for the evaluation of GA in both home and industrial applications.

Changes in nutrient availability substantially alter bacteria and extracellular enzymatic activities in Antarctic soils.

In polar regions, global warming has accelerated the melting of glacial and buried ice, resulting meltwater run-off and mobilisation of surface nutrients. Yet, the short-term effects of altered nutrient regimes, on the diversity and function of soil microbiota in poly-extreme environments such as Antarctica, remains poorly understood. We studied these effects by simulating such environments via constructing soil microcosms through augmented carbon, nitrogen, and moisture supplements. Addition of nitrogen significantly decreased the diversity of Antarctic soil microbial assemblages, compared with other treatment groups. Other treatments led to shift in relative abundances of these microbial assemblages with random distributional patterns. Only nitrogen treatment appeared to show clear community structural patterns, with increase in abundance of Proteobacteria (Gammaproteobateria) and decrease in Verrucomicrobiota (Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobiae). Effects of extracellular enzyme activities and soil parameters on changes in microbial taxa also showed significance impacts of nitrogen treatment. Microbial response to nutrient addition was predicted using structural equation modelling which revealed that nutrient source and extracellular enzyme activities were positive predictors of microbial diversity. Our study highlights the effect of nitrogen addition on Antarctic soil microorganisms which showed resilience to nutrient increases. Rather than being resistant to change, these microorganisms rapidly responded to augmented nutrient regimes.

A review of the benefits and limitations of waste nutrient treatment in aquaculture pond facilities

AbstractManaging waste nutrients from intensive freshwater and marine pond aquaculture is a global challenge. Nutrient‐enriched water released from farms can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystem health. There are a range of treatment options for discharge water from fish and crustacean ponds, and this review examines the benefits and limitations of these options. Much of the nutrient waste is derived from the addition of formulated feed. In recent years, reduction in waste from feeds and feeding has been largely incremental. In terms of treatment, there are low‐cost approaches, such as settlement ponds, but they are inefficient at reducing nutrients. Biological systems, using aquatic plants, microalgae and filter feeders to reduce nutrient release from farms have variable levels of effectiveness. Establishing wetlands requires considerable additional land area, and success to date has been highly variable. Overall, this review found no simple cost‐effective solution for managing nutrient enriched water from ponds. This is due, in many cases, to challenges with treating the large volumes of discharge water with relatively low nutrient concentrations. This means that more technologically advanced and reliable treatment options, for example, bioreactors, are prohibitively expensive. However, some systems, such as use of recirculation systems typically increase nutrient concentrations, and hence the efficiency and effectiveness of more expensive treatment methods. Biofloc systems can also provide a mechanism for in‐situ nutrient treatment as well as a supplementary food source for animals. Overall, there is scope to improve treatment of waste nutrients, but significant modifications to many production systems are needed to achieve this.

Abstract PS18-03: The Association between Food Deserts, Food Swamps, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States

Abstract Purpose: Breast cancer (BRCA), the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States (U.S.), is one of 13 obesity-related cancers. Healthy food consumption is a protective factor shown to decrease obesity risk and postmenopausal BRCA mortality, respectively. However, residing in geographical areas with no access to healthy food options (food deserts) or unhealthy food options (food swamps) reduces access to healthy foods and has been severely understudied. We examined the relationship between residing in food swamps and deserts with postmenopausal BRCA mortality. Methods: We conducted an ecological analysis utilizing 2010 – 2020 Center for Disease Control and Prevention postmenopausal BRCA mortality data (restricted to 45+ years old) and aggregated 2012 – 2020 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Environment Atlas data. Food swamp score (FS) was calculated as the ratio of fast-food and convenience stores to grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Food desert score (FD) was calculated as the proportion of residents living more than one mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from a grocery store and household income ≤ 200% of the federal poverty threshold. We categorized FD and FS to low, moderate, or high; higher scores indicated counties with poorer healthy food resources. Multilevel generalized mixed effects models were used to estimate the mentioned association. Results: 2,280 counties/county equivalents with high postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates had higher percentage of non-Hispanic (NH)-Black population (5.80 vs. 2.08), poverty rates (17.2 vs. 14.2), and high food swamp scored areas (39.0 vs. 24.5) versus counties/county equivalents with low postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates (p-value < 0.0001). After adjusting for age, percentage of NH-Blacks per county, and poverty rate, we found 42% increased odds of having high postmenopausal BRCA mortality rates among U.S. counties/county equivalents with high food swamp scores (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.14 – 1.78). Conclusions: Sampled U.S. counties with the poorest food swamp environment had significantly increased odds of postmenopausal BRCA mortality. We suggest that local policymakers and community stakeholders should employ sustainable approaches at combating obesity and BRCA by increasing healthier accessible food sources (e.g. creating more walkable neighborhoods and community gardens). Citation Format: Malcolm Bevel, Meng-Han Tsai, April Parham, Sydney Andrzejak, Samantha Jones, Justin Moore. The Association between Food Deserts, Food Swamps, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PS18-03.

Performance of Various Weed Management Approaches on Weed Dynamics, Yield Attributes and Yield of Puddled Rice under Different Planting Techniques

Background: Rice is a major food source worldwide and direct seeding can shorten crop duration and reduce labour. The system of rice intensification (SRI) can boost yields with fewer inputs. Weed management is crucial for high yields, but chemical herbicides may not be necessary with SRI. A study evaluated herbicide performance based on rice establishment methods. Methods: An field experiment was conducted in January to May, 2021 (Navarai) to find out the efficient weed control techniques in puddled rice. The experiment has been carried out in split-plot design, which included two planting techniques viz., drum seeded rice and system of rice intensification (SRI) in main plot, as well as eight weed control techniques viz., hand weeding, cono weeding, pretilachlor, bispyribac sodium and fenoxaprop - p - ethyl as pre and post emergence application in sub plot. Result: The results of the experiment demonstrated that among the planting techniques and weed management practices tested, the system of rice intensification and sequential application of pretilachlor @ 0.5 kg a.i ha-1 fb bispyribac sodium @ 20 g a.i ha-1 has revealed lowest weed density and highest weed control efficiency, yield attributes and yield and energetics.

Addressing the safety of new food sources and production systems.

New food sources and production systems (NFPS) are garnering much attention, driven by international trade, changing consumer preferences, potential sustainability benefits, and innovations in climate-resilient food production systems. However, NFPS can introduce new challenges for food safety agencies and food manufacturers. Most food safety hazards linked to new foods have been identified in traditional foods. However, there can be some food safety challenges that are unique to new foods. New food ingredients, inputs, and processes can introduce unexpected contaminants. To realize the full potential of NFPS, there is a need for stakeholders from governments, the food industry, and the research community to collectively work to address and communicate the safety of NFPS products. This review outlines known food safety hazards associated with select NFPS products on the market, namely, plant-derived proteins, seaweeds, jellyfish, insects, microbial proteins, as well asfoods derived from cell-based food production, precision fermentation, vertical farming, and 3D food printing. We identify common elements in emerging NFPS regulatory frameworks in various countries/regions. Furthermore, we highlight current efforts in harmonization of terminologies, use of recent scientific tools to fill in food safety knowledge gaps, and international multi-stakeholder collaborations to tackle safety challenges. Although there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the regulatory oversight for ensuring the safety of NFPS, there is a need to develop consensus-based structured protocols or workflows among stakeholders to facilitate comprehensive, robust, and internationally harmonized approaches. These efforts increase consumers' confidence in the safety of new foods and contribute toward fair practices in the international trade of such foods.

Dietary intake and food sources of calcium and vitamin D in young children in the Guelph Family Health Study

Canadian research on dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D in young children is limited. This cross-sectional analysis investigated dietary intake and food sources of calcium and vitamin D among 265 preschool-aged children (3.6 ± 1.2 years) in the Guelph Family Health Study via one 24-h dietary recall completed by their parents using the Automated Self-Administered 24-H Dietary Assessment Tool 2016-Canadian version. Median intakes of calcium and vitamin D were 827 mg d-1 [Interquartile range (IQR)=522] and 4.0 μg d-1 (IQR=3.6), respectively. The two most frequently consumed dairy food sources for both nutrients were fluid cow’s milk (78%, n=206) and cheese (60%, n=160), whereas the most frequently consumed non-dairy food sources for calcium were fruits (92%, n=243), bakery products (92%, n=243), and water (92%, n=243), and for vitamin D it was bakery products (74%, n=196). Findings raise concern about low intakes of calcium and vitamin D in young Canadian children.

Synbiotic encapsulation against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in whiteleg shrimps

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a severe pathogenic bacterium which causes significant mortality and economical loss in shrimp farming. To control vibriosis in whiteleg shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei), we developed synbiotic beads by microencapsulating probiotic of Lactobacillus plantarum and prebiotic of xanthan gum in agarose matrix through emulsion technique. Coculture method indicated that synbiotic beads reduce viability of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by 3 orders of magnitude. The high inhibitory activity of synbiotic beads against pathogen could result from the antibacterial substances secreted from encapsulated probiotics, and access blocking of pathogens to prebiotics as food source so that the encapsulated prebiotics solely stimulate nearby probiotic growth without boosting pathogen growth. Bacterial challenge test indicated that exposure to synbiotic beads in advance can delay mortality and increase shrimp survival from 10% to 57%. As a smart encapsulation platform, our design can be extended to various probiotics, prebiotics, and pathogens, thus providing an alternative strategy to the use of antibiotics for disease prevention and sustainable aquaculture.

Machine learning to predict the relationship between Vibrio spp. concentrations in seawater and oysters and prevalent environmental conditions

Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are bacteria with a significant public health impact. Identifying factors impacting their presence and concentrations in food sources could enable the identification of significant risk factors and prevent incidences of foodborne illness. In recent years, machine learning has shown promise in modeling microbial presence based on prevalent external and internal variables, such as environmental variables and gene presence/absence, respectively, particularly with the generation and availability of large amounts and diverse sources of data. Such analyses can prove useful in predicting microbial behavior in food systems, particularly under the influence of the constant changes in environmental variables. In this study, we tested the efficacy of six machine learning regression models (random forest, support vector machine, elastic net, neural network, k-nearest neighbors, and extreme gradient boosting) in predicting the relationship between environmental variables and total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus concentrations in seawater and oysters. In general, environmental variables were found to be reliable predictors of total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus concentrations in seawater, and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in oysters (Acceptable Prediction Zone >70 %) when analyzed using our machine learning models. SHapley Additive exPlanations, which was used to identify variables influencing Vibrio concentrations, identified chlorophyll a content, seawater salinity, seawater temperature, and turbidity as influential variables. It is important to note that different strains were differentially impacted by the same environmental variable, indicating the need for further research to study the causes and potential mechanisms of these variations. In conclusion, environmental variables could be important predictors of Vibrio growth and behavior in seafood. Moreover, the models developed in this study could prove invaluable in assessing and managing the risks associated with V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus, particularly in the face of a changing environment.

Characterization of MLST-99 Salmonella Typhimurium and the monophasic variant I:4,[5],12:i:- isolated from Canadian Atlantic coast shellfish.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium and its monophasic variant I 1;4,[5],12:i:- (MVST) are responsible for thousands of reported cases of salmonellosis each year in Canada, and countries worldwide. We investigated S. Typhimurium and MVST isolates recovered from raw shellfish harvested in Atlantic Canada by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) over the past decade, to assess the potential impact of these isolates on human illness and to explore possible routes of shellfish contamination. Whole-genome sequence analysis was performed on 210 isolates of S. Typhimurium and MVST recovered from various food sources, including shellfish. The objective was to identify genetic markers linked to ST-99, a sequence type specifically associated with shellfish, which could explain their high prevalence in shellfish. We also investigated the genetic similarity amongst CFIA ST-99 isolates recovered in different years and geographical locations. Finally, the study aimed to enhance the molecular serotyping of ST-99 isolates, as they are serologically classified as MVST but are frequently misidentified as S. Typhimurium through sequence analysis. To ensure recovery of ST-99 from shellfish was not due to favourable growth kinetics, we measured the growth rates of these isolates relative to other Salmonella and determined that ST-99 did not have a faster growth rate and/or shorter lag phase than other Salmonella evaluated. The CFIA ST-99 isolates from shellfish were highly clonal, with up to 81 high-quality single nucleotide variants amongst isolates. ST-99 isolates both within the CFIA collection and those isolated globally carried numerous unique deletions, insertions and mutations in genes, including some considered important for virulence, such as gene deletions in the type VI secretion system. Interestingly, several of these genetic characteristics appear to be unique to North America. Most notably was a large genomic region showing a high prevalence in genomes from Canadian isolates compared to those from the USA. Although the functions of the majority of the proteins encoded within this region remain unknown, the genes umuC and umuD, known to be protective against UV light damage, were present. While this study did not specifically examine the effects of mutations and insertions, results indicate that these isolates may be adapted to survive in specific environments, such as ocean water, where wild birds and/or animals serve as the natural hosts. Our hypothesis is reinforced by a global phylogenetic analysis, which indicates that isolates obtained from North American shellfish and wild birds are infrequently connected to isolates from human sources. These findings suggest a distinct ecological niche for ST-99, potentially indicating their specialization and adaptation to non-human hosts and environments, such as oceanic habitats.

Unravelling the nutritional and health benefits of marketable winged termites (Macrotermes spp.) as sustainable food sources in Africa.

Termites are widely distributed globally and serve as a valuable food source in many countries. However, information on the myriad nutritional benefits of processed termite products in African markets remain largely unexploited. This study evaluated the phytochemicals, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and proximate composition of the edible winged termites (Macrotermes spp.) from three major Counties of Kenya. A total of 9 flavonoids, 5 alkaloids, and 1 cytokinin were identified. The oil content varied from 33 to 46%, exhibiting significant levels of beneficial omega 3 fatty acids, such as methyl (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadecatrienoate and methyl (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)-eicosapentaenoate, ranging from 82.7-95.1 to 6.3-8.1µg/g, respectively, across the different regions. Four essential and cereal-limiting amino acids lysine (1.0-1.3mg/g), methionine (0.08-0.1mg/g), leucine (0.6-0.9mg/g) and threonine (0.1-0.2mg/g), were predominant. Moreover, termites had a rich profile of essential minerals, including iron (70.7-111.8mg/100g), zinc (4.4-16.2mg/100g) and calcium (33.1-53.0mg/100g), as well as vitamins A (2.4-6.4mg/kg), C (0.6-1.9mg/kg) and B12 (10.7-17.1mg/kg). The crude protein (32.2-44.8%) and fat (41.2-49.1%) contents of termites from the various Counties was notably high. These findings demonstrated the promising nutrients potential of winged termites and advocate for their sustainable utilization in contemporary efficacious functional food applications to combat malnutrition.

The effects of microalgae use as a biofertilizer on soil and plant before and after its anaerobic (co-)digestion with food waste

The increase in food waste generation has resulted in significant challenges for its sustainable management. Anaerobic digestion coupled with microalgae-based ponds for digestate treatment can be used as a low-cost eco-friendly technology approach. In this case, microalgal biomass harvested from the ponds may be valorized into bioenergy (biogas) and soil conditioner and/or biofertilizers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microalgal biomass produced from a food waste digestate treatment ponds as agricultural fertilizer. For this purpose, microalgal biomass was tested before and after anaerobic digestion and co-digestion with food waste, exploring its potential for valorization. The inorganic fertilizer urea and soil with no fertilization were also used as treatments. The experimental design consisted of applying the treatments in pots cultivated with hybrid grass Brachiaria cv. Sabiá and distributed in randomized blocks in a controlled greenhouse. Microalgal biomass was mainly composed by Scenedesmus sp.. The assessed parameters showed comparable results on plant growth (i.e. number of tillers, fresh and dry matter and Chlorophyll content index) for fresh and digested microalgal biomass and inorganic fertilizer. Furthermore, it was observed that fresh microalgae provided the highest Phosphorus content in the leaf (21 %). Additionally, there were increases of 9 % in Nitrogen and 12 % in organic matter in the soil after applying digested microalgae compared to the control group without any fertilization. Finally, experimental data obtained suggests that microalgae-based biofertilizer holds the potential to replace inorganic fertilizer as a nutrient source. Moreover, it contributes to the valorization of by-products from organic waste treatment.

Evaluating opportunities for broad-scale remote sensing of total suspended solids on small rivers

Although broad-scale remote sensing applications are increasingly being integrated into water quality assessments, the feasibility of such applications on smaller rivers (< 150 m. width) is not well understood, even though smaller rivers comprise most of the river network and can constitute significant sources of sediment and nutrients. We evaluated the application of a widely used Total Suspended Solid (TSS) algorithm within ten small (16 to 117 m wide) tributaries of the Lake Champlain Basin in the Northeastern US. Sentinel-2 images captured within five hours of depth-integrated TSS samples were identified and corrected for atmospheric conditions to generate TSS estimates. Linkages between sample attributes and errors in the relationship between measured and predicted TSS values were explored to identify potential limits on the application of existing TSS algorithms to small rivers. From a dataset of 64 unique measured-predicted values on rivers whose channel width was greater than one pixel (i.e., 10 m), we found that there are settings along smaller rivers, and discrete flow and seasonal conditions, under which broad-scale remote sensing applications may be applicable. The remote sensing algorithm had the greatest success predicting TSS for rivers with high background levels of sediment (i.e., large concentrations during smaller discharges). Errors in estimated TSS were three times greater on rivers with low background levels (average error of 174%) of sediment than high levels (average error of 57%), likely due to differences in the proportion of fine-grained particle-sizes in transport. We also found that estimated TSS error was less outside the growing season, when biological activity was limited and plants were dormant, and when higher flows occurred such that backscatter from the channel bed is less likely to interfere with the reflective signal. This effect was most pronounced on rivers with low background sediment loads; errors in estimated TSS were more than six times greater during the growing season on rivers with low background loads (average error of 216%) than when plants were dormant (average error of 48%). We hypothesized that algorithm performance on smaller rivers, as measured by channel width, would be prone to larger errors due to the greater influence of contrasting reflectance signals from soils and vegetation along riverbanks. The degree of limitation from this adjacency effect was not evident in our dataset perhaps because of a correlation between river size and sediment characteristics unique to our study area. An alternative parameterization of a single-band empirical TSS model for small rivers in the region, based on inclusion of readily identifiable geologic and temporal characteristics, suggests improved predictive power for small rivers. Results highlight the feasibility of extending remote sensing applications throughout the river network in temperate regions of the Northeastern U.S. Certain geologic settings, specifically those that transport finer-grained loads, are more likely to have accurate predictions, especially during the colder months, when in situ monitoring is particularly challenging, yet highly important because a significant portion of runoff events in the Northeastern U.S. occur in this time.

Geochemical and depositional environment of an Upper Cretaceous greensand giant (Münsterland Cretaceous Basin, Germany)

Based on integrated geochemical, mineralogical and stratigraphic-sedimentological analyses of core section KB 4507/1001 Essen-Bedingrade from the Münsterland Cretaceous Basin (northern Germany), the geochemical and depositional environment of a Late Cretaceous greensand giant has been elucidated. The >100-m-thick Cretaceous succession comprises the Essen Greensand (Cenomanian), Büren (lower Turonian), Duisburg (middle Turonian to lower Coniacian) and Emscher formations (middle to upper Coniacian), essentially consisting of alternating greensand and marl lithofacies. X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the abundant green grains undoubtedly constitute glauconitic minerals with high-order, 1 M-type layer stacking. The depositional environment can be characterized as a shallow-marine setting in which nearshore greensands interfingered with mid-shelf marls. Inorganic geochemical analyses normalized to Al and compared to average shale (AS) show that most element/Al (E/Al) ratios are higher than AS values, including the chemical index of alteration (CIX). This suggest that an intensely chemically weathered wet hinterland provided for a constant supply of essential elements required for nearshore glaucony authigenesis under variably reducing or oxidizing redox conditions and slightly increased palaeoproductivity. The leaching of paleosols and swamp-like coastal wetlands during transgressive phases related to eustatic early Late Cretaceous sea-level changes was an important source for trace metals and nutrients while the considerable influx of terrestrial organic matter suggests a significant input of K related to plant decay. In a nutshell, our new integrated data from the Münsterland Cretaceous Basin provide important novel insights into the formative processes of authigenic glauconitic minerals during warm-humid climate phases of Earth history.

Polylactic acid micro/nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: Investigating food and air sources via multi-omics

Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) are detected in human liver, and pose significant risks to human health. Oral exposure to MNPs derived from non-biodegradable plastics can induce toxicity in mouse liver. Similarly, nasal exposure to non-biodegradable plastics can cause airway dysbiosis in mice. However, the hepatotoxicity induced by foodborne and airborne biodegradable MNPs remains poorly understood. Here we show the hepatotoxic effects of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) MNPs through multi-omics analysis of various biological samples from mice, including gut, fecal, nasal, lung, liver, and blood samples. Our results show that both foodborne and airborne PLA MNPs compromise liver function, disrupt serum antioxidant activity, and cause liver pathology. Specifically, foodborne MNPs lead to gut microbial dysbiosis, metabolic alterations in the gut and serum, and liver transcriptomic changes. Airborne MNPs affect nasal and lung microbiota, alter lung and serum metabolites, and disrupt liver transcriptomics. The gut Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group is a potential biomarker for foodborne PLA MNP exposure, while nasal unclassified_Muribaculaceae and lung Klebsiella are potential biomarkers for airborne PLA MNP exposure. The relevant results suggest that foodborne PLA MNPs could affect the “gut microbiota-gut-liver” axis and induce hepatoxicity, while airborne PLA MNPs could disrupt the “airway microbiota-lung-liver” axis and cause hepatoxicity. These findings have implications for diagnosing PLA MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity and managing biodegradable materials in the environment. Our current study could be a starting point for biodegradable MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity. More research is needed to verify and inhibit the pathways that are crucial to MNPs-induced hepatotoxicity.

Pyrolytic oil from Muli bamboo (Melocanna baccifera, Roxb.): Biological potential and possible functional attributes

Bamboos with over 160 different species are important sources of food and other value-added products especially among the tribal communities of Northeast India. In the study, bio-oil was extracted from Melocanna baccifera through pyrolysis process and was evaluated for their biological properties. The characterization of the functional attributes responsible for the activities was achieved using advance techniques. The extracted bio-oil was found to be smoky dark brown in colour with a pH of 2.46 ± 0.2. Bio-assays showed that the bio-oil was efficient in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungal and bacterial strains such as Fusarium udum, F. proliferatum, Micrococcus luteus, and Salmonella typhimurium in a concentration dependent manner. The bio-oil also exhibit excellent free radical scavenging properties even at concentration of 1% and tend to increase with the concentration of the extract. Similar to previous reports, the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the bio-oil were attributed to bioactive compounds like Guaiacol, Catechins, Catechol, Quinol, 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol, etc. which were further validated by gas chromatography, ICP-MS and FTIR characterization techniques. While the extract did not show any significant phytotoxicity effect either on the seed germination rate or root elongation, they were found to promote the development of secondary roots in Vigna radiate. The present findings offer valuable insights for the further exploration and evaluation of bamboo biomass as possible sources of novel bioactive compounds and also extraction of other high-value added products.