Plant-based Research Articles

The mechanical and sensory signature of plant-based and animal meat.

Eating less meat is associated with a healthier body and planet. Yet, we remain reluctant to switch to a plant-based diet, largely due to the sensory experience of plant-based meat. Food scientists characterize meat using a double compression test, which only probes one-dimensional behavior. Here we use tension, compression, and shear tests-combined with constitutive neural networks-to automatically discover the behavior of eight plant-based and animal meats across the entire three-dimensional spectrum. We find that plant-based sausage and hotdog, with stiffnesses of 95.9 ± 14.1 kPa and 38.7 ± 3.0 kPa, successfully mimic their animal counterparts, with 63.5 ± 45.7 kPa and 44.3 ± 13.2 kPa, while tofurky is twice as stiff, and tofu is twice as soft. Strikingly, a complementary food tasting survey produces in nearly identical stiffness rankings for all eight products (ρ = 0.833, p = 0.015). Probing the fully three-dimensional signature of meats is critical to understand subtle differences in texture that may result in a different perception of taste. Our data and code are freely available at https://github.com/LivingMatterLab/CANN.

The role of vegetarian diet in Nephrolithiasis

Nephrolithiasis, commonly known as kidney stone disease, is a prevalent condition with significant morbidity worldwide. Notably, this medical condition is strongly influenced by nutritional habits. Dietary choices play a critical role in both the formation and prevention of kidney stones, highlighting the importance of proper nutrition in managing this disease. This review explores the impact of a vegetarian diet on nephrolithiasis. Evidence suggest that plant-based diets, which excludes animal protein, may contribute to a reduced risk of kidney stone formation. Vegetarian diet could be also considered as higher in fruits and vegetables, so in conclusion, people on plant-based diet have a water-rich food intake. Not only the fluid intake, but also the balance of calcium and oxalates is very important in managing risk of forming kidney stones. This diet typically result in lower acid load, higher urinary pH and increased urinary citrate levels. Everything mentioned is a key preventive strategy against kidney calculi. Nephrolithiasis has undenyable colligation with diet. Patients dietary choices and their lifestyle could strongly influence the course of this disease. Overall, well-planned vegetarian diet may offer protective benefits against nephrolithiasis. It should be individualized and preferably prepared by a professional dietitian. In this case, it is important to remember that our diet plays role similarly in genesis as in recurrence of kidney stone disease. Changing eating habits aims to reduce lithogenic risk factors.

Exploring winter diet, gut microbiota and parasitism in caribou using multi-marker metabarcoding of fecal DNA.

In conservation strategies, getting precise and repeatable information on the species' diet and health without relying on invasive or laborious methods is challenging. Here, we developed an efficient and non-invasive workflow for the sequencing and analysis of four taxonomic markers from fecal DNA to characterize the gut microbiota, parasites, and plants and lichens composing the winter diet of caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Canada's most iconic endangered species. Sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene of eukaryotes from seven locations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada, allowed for the detection of five genera of parasites in caribou feces (including Nematodirella and Parelaphostrongylus) with variable frequency of occurrence depending on sampling location and sex. Our workflow also revealed a rich winter plant and lichen diet in caribou, with respectively 29 and 18 genera identified across all samples through plant and fungal ITS2 sequencing. Relationships between the gut microbiota and both the diet and parasite richness were also identified. Of note, the Central Saskatchewan sampling location was characterized by a clearly distinct gut microbiota which could be linked to an epiphytic lichen-rich diet. Overall, our results showed the potential of this multi-marker DNA metabarcoding workflow as an efficient tool to provide insights into the species biology and ecology.

Faecal microbiota composition and impulsivity in a cohort of older adults with metabolic syndrome.

Impulsivity is an important determinant of human behaviour, affecting self-control, reasonable thinking and food choices. Recent evidence suggests a role for gut microbiota in human behaviour, but the relationship between gut microbiota and impulsive behaviours remains largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aims to explore the associations between faecal microbiota composition with trait and behavioural impulsivity, in a subcohort of the PREDIMED-Plus trial, including older adults presenting overweight/obesity. Fecal samples (n = 231) were profiled for their microbiota composition using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and impulsivity was determined through four different assessments. Adherence to different dietary patterns was estimated through questionnaires. Beta diversity analyses showed a significant association with the Conner's Performance Test (CPT) in multivariate-adjusted models, and, in total, 13 bacterial genera associated with CPT. Erysipelotrichaceae UCG 003 showed the highest association with CPT and known butyrate producers such as Butyricicoccus spp., Roseburia spp., and Eubacterium hallii were among the identified bacteria. The bacteria Lachnospiraceae UCG 001, Anaerostipes and Blautia were associated with CPT and also the adherence to healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets. In addition, functional analysis showed a significant negative association between the CPT and the glucuronate and galacturonate metabolic pathways. From the other impulsivity assessments, two more associations were identified, for the genus Phascolarctobacterium with the Stroop test, and the genus Lachnospiraceae GAG 54 with the positive urgency subscore of UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scale. Overall, our findings suggest potential links between the faecal microbiota composition and function with behavioural impulsive inattention as determined by the CPT.

Abstract 4135338: Associations between plant-based diets and total mortality among Chinese older participants with cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective cohort study

Background and Aims: Plant-based diets have been associated with a lower risk of total mortality among generally health populations. However, the associations of plant-based diets with total mortality remain unclear among older people with cardiometabolic diseases, who have an elevated risk of mortality. Methods: We prospectively followed 4,485 participants (mean age: 84 years) from the China Prospective Longitudinal Survey of Health and Longevity (2006-2018), who had cardiometabolic disease in 2006. Dietary data were collected at baseline using a food-frequency questionnaire. Using these data, we created an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), in which plant-based foods received positive scores while animal foods (meat, fish and aquatic products, eggs, milk, animal fats) received reversed scores accordingly. We also created a healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), where healthy plant-based foods (whole grains, vegetables, vegetable oils, fresh fruits, legumes, beans, garlic, nuts, tea) received positive scores, while less healthy plant-based foods (refined grains, pickles, sugar, preserved vegetables) and animal-based foods were given reversed scores. In addition, an unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI) was created by assigning positive scores to less healthy plant-based foods while reverse scores to healthy plant-based foods and animal-based foods. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for total mortality, with adjustment for demographics, dietary and lifestyle factors, and medical history. Results: During a 12 years of follow-up, 2,881 deaths were recorded. A higher score from PDI and hPDI was associated with a lower risk total mortality among participants with cardiometabolic diseases (HR and 95% CI for extreme quintiles of PDIs: 0.85, 95% CI 0.75–0.96, P trend < 0.001; hPDI: 0.84 (0.74–0.94), P trend < 0.001). A higher uPDI score was associated with a higher total mortality among participants with cardiometabolic diseases (uPDI: 1.28 (1.13-1.47), P trend < 0.001). These results were consistent in subgroup analyses by age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, education level, physical activity, and BMI. Conclusion: Our study suggests that among older Chinese participants with cardiometabolic diseases, adherence to an overall plant-based diet or a healthful plant-based diet, is associated with a lower total mortality, while an unhealthful plant-based diet was associated with a higher total mortality.

Abstract 4142765: Plant-based Diet And Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Prediabetes And Diabetes

Introduction/Background: The role of plant-based dietary patterns in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) among individuals with prediabetes and diabetes remains unclear. Research Questions/Hypothesis: We aimed to evaluate the associations of plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful PDI (hPDI), and unhealthful PDI (uPDI) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and explore potential contributing factors among people with prediabetes and diabetes. Methods/Approach: A total of 18,145 participants with prediabetes and 7,922 with diabetes were enrolled from the UK Biobank and followed until the end of 2020. We calculated the PDI, hPDI, and uPDI based on 18 major food groups including plant-based foods and animal-based foods and applied Cox proportional hazard models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD risk related to PDI, hPDI, and uPDI. Results/Data: A positive association was found between uPDI and CVD risk among individuals with prediabetes (HR T3 VS. T1=1.14, 95% CI=1.03–1.27, P trend=0.012) and those with diabetes (HRT3 VS. T1=1.16, 95% CI=1.03–1.31, P trend=0.016), but not for PDI (P trend=0.621) or hPDI (P trend=0.914) (Table 1). High sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) intake accounted for 16.7% of the uPDI-CVD association, whereas low intake of whole grain accounted for 26.9% of the association among patients with diabetes. Elevated cystatin C levels explained the largest proportion of the association between uPDI and CVD risk among individuals with prediabetes (18.1%, 95% CI=7.1%–39.1%) and diabetes (32.8%, 95% CI=11.5%–64.6%) (Table 2). Conclusions: Adherence to an unhealthy plant-based diet is associated with a higher CVD risk in people with prediabetes or diabetes, which may be partially attributed to low consumption of whole grains, high intake of SSB, and high blood cystatin C level.

First Report in China of Leaf Blight on Spatholobus suberectus Dunn Caused by Diaporthe tulliensis.

Spatholobus suberectus Dunn is an important Chinese medicinal plant, which is the only officially recognized authentic source of the Chinese herbal medicine Spatholobi caulis in the China Pharmacopeia (Qin et al. 2024). In November 2023, a serious leaf disease was observed in the S. suberectus planting base in Nanning city (108.22E, 22.51N), Guangxi, China, with an incidence rate of 80%. Initially the symptoms appeared in the diseased leaves tips and was irregular in shape. The necrosis displayed discoloration of the gray color with a deep brown margin and this gradually expanded through into the lamina. To isolate the causal agent, 10 symptomatic leaves were collected and small segments (5×5 mm) of infected tissues were cut, and then they were surface sterilized (30s in 75% EtOH, 2 min in 2.5% NaOCl, and rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water), placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28℃ for 5 days. The hyphal tips were transferred to PDA to obtain pure cultures. 36 isolates were obtained, 23 of them had similar morphology, which were isolated from all the symptomatic leaves and were considered pathogens, and named YY-3-S. After 7 d, the colonies were white, fluffy, with white aerial mycelium. Sporulation was induced using pine needle medium (Su et al. 2012). After 30 days, the globose pycnidia developed, which were superficial to semi-immersed on the pine needle medium, and they appeared to be orange to black in color, with pale yellow conidial droplets. The alpha conidia spores were 3.53 to 6.85×1.75 to 3.70 μm (n = 50). They were unicellular, hyaline, aseptate and ellipsoidal to fusiform. These morphological features were consistent with Diaporthe sp (Sun et al. 2021). For further molecular identification, isolate YY-3-S underwent sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (TUB2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) sections (Huang et al. 2021). Obtained sequences of ITS, TUB2 and TEF1 (Genebank accessions nos. PP838571, PP865050 and PP865051) displayed a 99% similarity to Diaporthe tulliensis (Genebank accessions nos. OP163562, KR936132, OR662168, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis was based on a combination of ITS, TUB2 and TEF1 sequence data using MEGA 11 software to construct a phylogenetic tree with Neighbor-Joining. In the phylogenetic tree, the combined sequences attributed YY-3-S to D. tulliensis. The pathogenicity test was conducted on 1-year-old S. suberectus seedlings. We sprayed the mixed suspension of spores and mycelia on the unwounded leaves, while control seedlings received sterile water. 3 leaves per plant and 5 plants per treatment were selected for assessment. All seedings were placed in pots in a moist chamber at 28°C and 90% humidity. After 5 d, browning was observed on all the inoculated leaves tips. 14 d after inoculation, necrotic lesions expanded outward and their symptoms like those in the field, while control plants remained healthy. D. tulliensis was reisolated from the inoculated leaves, fulfilling the Koch's postulates. D. tulliensis has been reported to necrotic spots and leaf blight on Rambutan (Serrato-Diaz et al. 2023), leaf spot on bodhi tree (Li et al. 2022), stem canker on Jasmin (Hsu et al. 2023). To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. tulliensis causing leaf blight on S. suberectus in China. It is important to ensure timely management of the newly emerging disease.

The Effect of Sampling Schedule on Assessment of Dietary Measures: Evidence From Blue Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni).

Accurately assessing primate diets is important in studies of behavioral ecology and evolution. While previous research has compared sampling methods (scan, focal), we examined how sampling schedule influences accuracy of dietary measures. We define sampling schedule as the combined distribution (random vs. consecutive) and frequency of sampling days within a given month. Under field conditions, time may be required to locate a study group, and we therefore also subtracted 1, 2, or 3 h from the beginning of all non-consecutive days in each sampling schedule to mimic observation time lost to search. From a dense (near daily) 5-year record of feeding behavior derived from focal animal follows of adult females in five wild blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) groups, we created data subsets matching various sampling schedules, and compared monthly dietary measures calculated from each subset to those based on the full data set. These measures included (1) the proportion of observation time feeding on fruit, (2) diet composition (three top-ranked food items), (3) species richness of plant diet, (4) Shannon-Wiener diversity index based on plant species, and (5) Holmes-Pitelka index expressing dietary overlap with the previous month. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess how frequency and sampling type (a combination of distribution and hours lost) relate to a subset's deviation from the full data set, where a smaller deviation (or higher chance of matching, for diet composition) implies greater accuracy. For all dietary measures, increasing observation frequency increased accuracy. The response to distribution varied among measures, but sampling types generally differed more at lower frequencies. Deviation varied widely within and between dietary measures, and some sampling schedules resulted in values with large percentage differences from the "full" data. Accordingly, when designing and comparing studies, researchers should consider how sampling schedules may influence the accuracy of the dietary measures of interest.

Holistic approaches to living well with endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common chronic non curable neuro-inflammatory condition, which can cause endometriosis-related pelvic pain (ERPP). Sufferers may struggle with side effects and/or risks from conventional medical and surgical treatments, or not get pain relief. Increasing numbers of endometriosis patients wish to explore holistic management with fewer side effects, however it is important that medical professionals maintain an evidence-based practice for recommended treatments. We present up-to-date evidence of holistic strategies used for managing ERPP including nutrition, body and mind therapies, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the use of adjunct devices such as phallus length reducers and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Recent findings: Nutrition: Gluten-free, low-nickel and high intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids diets improve ERPP. Low FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols), plant-based diet and antioxidant vitamin supplementation is helpful including those with concurrent irritable bowel syndrome. Body and Mind: Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is beneficial in postoperative pain reduction, whilst mindfulness has been shown to reduce pain scores and dyschezia. Progressive muscle relaxation therapy and regular yoga sessions improve ERPP and Quality of life. Acupuncture: Acupuncture and moxibustion show improved pain scores compared to conventional therapies alone. Adjunct devices: TENS improves deep dyspareunia and reduces the number of days pain is experienced. Summary: Holistic management strategies for ERPP should be incorporated into routine counselling when discussing conservative, medical and or surgical treatments for endometriosis. The growing evidence presented for the use of holistic management strategies gives hope to those patients who cannot have, or don’t respond to conventional approaches and as an adjunct alongside standard treatments. These findings should be incorporated into the routine counselling when seeing patients in the gynaecology outpatient setting presenting with chronic pelvic pain.

Prevention of cardiometabolic diseases through dietary modifications.

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) increasingly contribute to the cumulative burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Here, we reviewed intervention studies using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design as well as meta-analyses of RCTs aimed at testing the effectiveness of different dietary approaches for CMD prevention. Recent studies testing dietary approaches for CMD prevention were summarized narratively, with a focus on interventions based on caloric restriction and fasting, healthy dietary patterns and food-based dietary modifications. Evidence supports intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, Nordic, DASH, low-carbohydrate/ketogenic and plant-based diets as effective strategies for improving cardiometabolic health. However, the benefits observed with some of these dietary patterns are linked to energy restriction, and the independent effects beyond weight loss remain unclear. The effectiveness of some strategies may also depend on the overall dietary quality and adherence to the programme. Recent findings highlight the importance of focusing on overall dietary patterns, rather than isolated nutrients, for preventing CMD. Future research should prioritize long-term intervention studies to assess the sustained effects of these dietary patterns on CMD outcomes.

Aggressive Intravenous Hydration and a Defined Plant-Based Diet Safely and Effectively Treated Type 5 Cardiorenal Syndrome with Stage E Heart Failure-Related Cardiogenic Shock: A Case Report

Background and Clinical Significance: Heart failure and kidney diseases often coexist and are difficult to clinically manage. Dysfunction in either organ exacerbates dysfunction in the other, potentially leading to cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). CRS has five different subtypes, with CRS type 5 being the most problematic given that it consists of an acute insult superimposed upon chronic CRS. Additionally, type 5 CRS can be complicated by heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS), which is associated with increased hospitalizations and has a high 1-year mortality rate. The standard treatment for patients with HF-CS consists of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) as tolerated, along with inotropic therapies and surgical mechanical left ventricular (LV) support, guided by invasive hemodynamic monitoring. Case Presentation: This case study reports the presentation of a 57-year-old man who presented with type 5 CRS who rapidly decompensated to stage E HF-CS and was effectively and safely treated with aggressive intravenous hydration, a defined plant-based diet (DPBD), and reduction of guideline-directed prescription medications without invasive hemodynamic monitoring. Conclusions: Hydration, a DPBD, and a reduction in medication burden may be effective in CRS. Pilot studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this intervention in CRS in a larger cohort.

The association between plant-based diet indices and risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis: a cohort study

BackgroundFollowing a plant-based diet is associated with a wide range of health benefits. The current study aimed to investigate the association between plant-based diet indices, specifically the plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful PDI (hPDI), and unhealthful PDI (uPDI) and risk of mortality in cirrhotic patients.MethodsThis cohort study included a total of 121 patients with cirrhosis, who were followed for four years. Plant-based diet indices were calculated based on a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire consisting of 168 items. The Hazard ratio (HR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Cox proportional risk models.ResultsDuring 414 person-year of follow-up, 43 deaths (7 women, 36 men) were documented. After adjusting all confounders, it has been found that the PDI (HR T3 vs. T1 = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03–0.89, P trend = 0.024) and hPDI (HR T3 vs. T1 = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.02–0.61, P trend = 0.020) were inversely associated with the risk of mortality. While uPDI was directly associated with a significant increase in mortality risk (HR T3 vs. T1 = 8.74, 95% CI = 0.33–17.14, P trend = 0.018). The 4-year survival rate among patients showed a significant relationship with all three indices.ConclusionsOur findings highlight that higher scores of PDI and hPDI can significantly reduce the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, while a significant increase in mortality risk was found in those with higher uPDI. However, confirmation of these findings requires further studies.

Integrating the new pharmacological standard of care with traditional nutritional interventions in non-dialysis CKD.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is widely recognized as a leading and growing contributor to global morbidity and mortality worldwide. Nutritional therapy is the basic treatment for metabolic control, and may contribute to nephroprotection; however, the absence of solid evidence on slowing CKD progression together with poor adherence to dietary prescription limit de facto itsefficacy and prevent itsmore widespread use. Sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are now considered the new standard of care in CKD; in addition, novel potassium binders, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists (GLP1-RAs) and nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (nsMRAs) show either direct (SGLT2i, GLP1-RA, nsMRA) or indirect (potassium binders that enable the optimal use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors) nephroprotective effects. These drugs could potentially lead to a more permissive diet, thereby allowing the patient to reap the benefits of this approach. In particular, SGLT2is, and to a lesser extent also GLP1-RAs and nsMRAsin patients with diabetic kidney disease, can counterbalance hyperfiltration as well as the higher protein intake often recorded in obese patients; on the other hand, potassium binders can facilitate following plant-based diets, which are considered healthy because of the high content of essential micronutrients such as antioxidant vitamins, minerals, alkalies, and fibers. In this review paper, we discuss the current pharmacological paradigm shift that places a new, broader standard of care in light of its interaction with nutritional therapy in order to optimize the global approach to patients with CKDnotondialysis.

The Influence of a Plant-Based Diet on Skin Health: Inflammatory Skin Diseases, Skin Healing, and Plant-Based Sources of Micro- and Macro-Nutrients

The Influence of a Plant-Based Diet on Skin Health: Inflammatory Skin Diseases, Skin Healing, and Plant-Based Sources of Micro- and Macro-Nutrients

Consumers' Expectations of Liking, Emotional, Conceptual and Sustainability Characteristics of Dairy, Plant‐Based and Sustainable Yoghurts

ABSTRACTAn online survey of consumers' liking, emotional, conceptual and sustainability expectations in response to traditional, plant‐based (PB), and sustainable yoghurt product names was conducted with 1206 New Zealanders. Results showed that consumers' sensory expectations are associated with hedonic and non‐sensory expectations. Consumers' sensory, emotional, conceptual and sustainability ideations and the impact of these variables on expected liking parallel the findings from recent tests of tasted yoghurts. Per cognitive theories of predictive processing, the results support the hypothesis that judgments of sensory expectations may provide important insights into likely product perceptions. The results also support the notion that surveys of consumer product expectations can be a tool to obtain consumer insights about new products, including PB and sustainable alternatives. Since sensory expectations were associated with non‐sensory expectations, modifying the sensory attributes of PB or other innovative yoghurt products may enhance consumers' conceptualizations of these products and improve their market acceptance.

Plant-Based Diet and Sports Performance

Plant-Based Diet and Sports Performance

First Report of Fusarium proliferatum Causing Pinellia ternata Corm Rot in Henan, China.

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino is a perennial herb of the genus Pinellia in the Araceae family, which is a kind of precious Chinese herbal medicine (Bai et al. 2022). In May 2023, rotting was observed on P. ternata corm in the Tanghe planting base (3.33 ha, 32º46´6˝N, 113º 8´47˝E, 138 m), with an incidence of approximately 10%. To identify the causal agent, five rotten corms were randomly sampled from the Tanghe planting base. Symptomatic corm tissues were cut into small pieces (3 mm3) with asymptomatic tissue margins, disinfected in 75% ethanol for 30s and in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and then placed on synthetic nutrient-poor agar (SNA) plates incubated at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Hyphal-tips from the growing edge of colonies were transferred to fresh SNA to obtain pure cultures. In total, five pure isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology and white (top view) or grayish white (back view) coloration, with villous surfaces and abundant aerial hyphae. On SNA, the isolates mainly produced microconidia. Microconidia were ellipsoidal to cylindrical, thin-walled, smooth, hyaline and measured 5.40 to 11.98 (av. 7.14) µm long and 1.60 to 5.38 (av. 2.54) µm thick (n=50). Based on these morphological characteristics of colony and conidia, the causal agent was preliminarily identified as Fusarium sp. (Crous et al. 2021). To confirm pathogen identity, the total genomic DNA of 2 isolates (BX-2 and BX-3) was extracted using the 2×T5 Direct PCR kit (Beijing Tsingke Biotech Co., Ltd, Beijing, China). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), and β-tubulin (tub2) gene were PCR-amplified using the universal primers ITS1/ITS4, 5f2/7cr, EF-1/EF-2 and BT2F/BT4R (Crous et al. 2021), respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (PP125560-PP125561 for ITS, PP782474-PP782475 for rpb2, PP782476-PP782477 for tef1, PP171436-PP171437 for tub2). BLAST search showed that all sequences were 99% to 100% homology with the corresponding sequences of Fusarium proliferatum (CBS 182.32). A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the Maximum-Likelihood method in MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018) and revealed that the two isolates were closest to F. proliferatum. The pathogenicity tests were conducted with the two isolates (BX-2 and BX-3) as described by Liu et al. (2022) with slight modifications. For each treatment, five healthy P. ternata corms were inoculated with 1ml of conidial suspension (1×107 conidia/ml). Control plants (n=5) were inoculated with sterilized water. All samples were covered with plastic bags and maintained at a relative humidity greater than 90% in a greenhouse at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. After 15 days, inoculated corms showed similar symptoms to those on the original diseased plants, while control plants remained symptomless. F. proliferatum was successfully reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified based on its morphological characteristics. Thus, Koch's postulates were fulfilled. The experiment was repeated thrice with similar results. Morphological characteristics, sequence alignment and Koch's postulates test confirmed that F. proliferatum was the cause of P. ternata corm rot disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. proliferatum causing P. ternata corm rot in Henan province, China. Our findings are important for informed surveillance of the disease.

Systematic Review: The Impact of Traditional Medicine Combined with Standard Diabetes Management versus Standard Management Alone on HbA1c Levels in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

The management of Type 2 diabetes requires a multifaceted approach to achieve optimal glycemic control. This systematic review examines the impact of combining traditional medicine practices, such as herbal remedies, dietary supplements, traditional Chinese exercises, and plant-based diets, with standard diabetes management on HbA1c levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. A total of 10 studies, including randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, were analyzed. The findings indicate that most traditional medicine interventions, when combined with standard care, resulted in significant reductions in HbA1c levels, suggesting enhanced glycemic control. The most effective interventions included the Mediterranean diet, traditional Chinese exercises, and specific herbal remedies like cinnamon and ginseng. However, one study utilizing the chronic care model showed no significant improvement. This review highlights the potential of integrating traditional medicine practices into conventional diabetes management protocols for improved outcomes. Further large-scale, long-term studies are recommended to validate these findings and explore the mechanisms underlying the observed benefits.

The association between adherence to unhealthy plant-based diet and risk of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe fast spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and its high mortality were quickly considered by the health community. Dietary patterns play an important role in strengthening or weakening the immune system and thus incidence of diseases.AimThe present study can provide a comprehensive picture of the association between adherence to unhealthy plant-based diet (uPDI) and COVID-19 incidence.MethodsThis study was undertaken on 8157 adults’ participants of the Yazd Health Study (YaHS) and Taghzieh Mardom-e-Yazd (TAMIZ) study aged 20 to 70 years. Data on dietary intakes were obtained using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between uPDI and COVID-19.ResultsWe found a significant association between uPDI and the risk of COVID-19 (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.05–1.75) in the crude model. After adjusting potential confounders, a significant increasing trend in the odds of COVID-19 across increasing quintiles of uPDI (OR: 1.58;95% CI: 1.05–2.37; P-value: 0.027) was observed. Stratified analysis based on sex indicated that uPDI significantly increased the risk of COVID-19 only in males (OR: 1.73;95% CI: 1.12–2.67; P-value: 0.012) and had no effect on females.ConclusionsParticipants in the highest quintiles of the uPDI had 58% higher odds of COVID-19 compared to subjects in the lowest quintile of uPDI. Although our study has promising results, stronger clinical studies are needed.

Associations of various healthy dietary patterns with biological age acceleration and the mediating role of gut microbiota: results from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study.

To investigate the associations between dietary patterns and biological aging, identify the most recommended dietary pattern for coping with biological aging and explore the potential mediating role of gut microbiota in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LEMRs). This prospective cohort study included 8288 participants aged 30-79 years from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study (CMEC). Anthropometric measurements and clinical biomarkers were utilized to construct biological age based on Klemera and Doubal's method (KDM-BA) and KDM-BA acceleration (KDM-AA). Dietary information was obtained through the baseline food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Six dietary patterns were constructed: plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI), healthy diet score (HDS), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and alternative Mediterranean diets (aMED). Follow-up adjusted for baseline analysis were employed to assess the associations between dietary patterns and KDM-AA. Additionally, quantile G-computation was utilized to evaluate the significant beneficial and harmful food groups. In the subsample of 764 participants with gut microbiota data obtained through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we used causal mediation model to explore the mediating role of gut microbiota in the associations between dietary patterns and KDM-AA. The results showed that all dietary patterns were associated with KDM-AA. Transitioning from non-compliance to compliance, DASH exhibited the strongest negative association with KDM-AA [β = -0.91, 95%CI (-1.19, -0.63)]. The component analyses revealed that tea and soybean products were the significant beneficial food groups, while salt, preserved vegetables, red and processed meats were identified as the major harmful food groups. In mediation analysis, the decreased abundance of Synergistetes phylum and Pyramidobacter genus possibly mediated the negative associations between plant-based diets and KDM-AA (5.61%-9.19%). Overall, healthy dietary patterns, especially DASH, are negatively associated with biological aging in LEMRs. The Synergistetes and Pyramidobacter may mediate the associations between plant-based diets and biological aging. Developing appropriate strategies may promote healthy aging in LEMRs.