Soybean is a vital crop in Egypt, recognized for their high oil and protein content. Although damping-off and root-rot diseases pose significant threats to soybean production and quality, El-Giza-R.s6 (NCBI accession number PX694340) exhibited the highest aggressiveness among the Rhizoctonia solani isolates in vivo. Salicylic acid (SA) and glycyrrhizic acid ammonium salt (GAS), in both nanoparticles (NPs) and bulk form, significantly inhibited the linear growth of R. solani in PDA medium at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 ml/L concentrations, particularly by increasing SA and GAS concentrations to 3 ml/L in nanoparticles than in their bulk forms. GAS and SA, both in bulk form and as NPS at concentrations of 1.0, 1.5 and 3 ml/L, along with the fungicide Topsin-M 70®, significantly reduced R. solani damping-off and root-rot diseases, while also increasing plant survival in greenhouse and field trials. Among all treatments, Topsin-M 70® was the most effective, followed by SA-NPs and GAS-NPs at a concentration of 3 ml/L. Furthermore, soybean root cross-sections examined under a light microscope showed that these treatments prevented the plants from harmful anatomical changes caused by the pathogenic fungus in the epidermis, cortex, and vascular cylinder structure due to artificial infestation in vivo. Additionally, these treatments notably enhanced the enzyme activity of β-1,3-glucanase, polyphenol oxidase, and catalase in soybean leaves compared to both infested and uninfested controls. During the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons in El-Menuofia Governorate, SA-NPs, Topsin-M 70®, and GAS-NPs were the most effective treatments, significantly improving soybean yield and its components.

Synergistic effect of high-voltage alternating and static electric fields on quality maintenance of partially frozen Litopenaeus vannamei via stabilization of protein structure.

Effect of folic acid on mitigation of chilling injury and extending quality and shelf life of eggplant stored under prolonged low temperature

Response of soil humic substances to snowpack decline across different soil layers in the subalpine forest

Enhancement of antioxidant defense mechanism by preharvest GABA spray on postharvest quality of strawberries

Development and characterization of EPS-modified alginate films with improved barrier, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibrowning capabilities.

UV-activated diacetyl for bacterial inactivation and browning inhibition in apple juice.

Soil salinization is one of the critical environmental problems that negatively affects soil microbial activity and enzymatic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the enzymatic activity and humic acid composition of soils from two contrasting regions: non-saline soils of Chinaz district (Tashkent region) and the saline soils of Nishon district (Kashkadarya region). Soil samples (0–30 cm) were analyzed for enzymatic activity (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phosphatase), while humic acids isolated from the 0–10 cm layer were studied for amino acid and microelement composition. The results showed that saline soils had higher concentrations of soluble salts (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), reflecting increased alkalinity and salinity, whereas non-saline soils contained lower salt levels. Enzymatic activity was significantly higher in non-saline soils, with notable seasonal variations, while saline soils showed a pronounced decline in enzyme activity. Amino acid content in humic acids of non-saline soils (531.77 ± 1.75 mg g⁻¹ was about 1.5 times higher compared to saline soils (348.80 ± 2.04 mg g⁻¹ 1). In contrast, iron concentration in humic acids was higher in saline soils (853.37 ± 1.15 mg g⁻¹) than in non-saline soils (545.27 ± 1.19 mg g⁻¹ ). These findings suggest that both enzymatic activity and humic acid composition can serve as reliable biochemical indicators for assessing soil quality and the impact of salinization.

Salinity stress severely limits tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity by inducing oxidative damage, reducing photosynthesis, and inhibiting growth. This study investigated the individual and combined effects of manganese oxide nanoparticles (Mn2O3-NPs) and chitosan in mitigating salinity stress. A controlled factorial experiment was conducted with three salinity levels (0, 40, and 80 mM NaCl) and foliar applications of Mn2O3-NPs (10 mg L−1) and chitosan (150 mg L−1), applied separately and in combination. Salinity significantly decreased biomass and photosynthetic pigments while increasing lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Under severe salinity (80 mM NaCl), the combined treatment substantially enhanced plant performance, doubling shoot fresh weight and increasing root fresh weight by 55.5% compared to stressed controls. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids increased by 25.8%, 29.4%, 35.8%, and 91.1%, respectively. Oxidative damage markers, including malondialdehyde and aldehydes, were markedly reduced. Antioxidant responses were significantly elevated, with guaiacol peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities increasing by up to 300% and 104%, respectively. Additionally, phenolics, flavonoids, DPPH activity, and soluble proteins improved. These findings demonstrate a synergistic nano–biopolymer effect that enhances physiological resilience and stress tolerance, offering a promising strategy for sustainable tomato production in saline environments.

Comprehensive quality evaluation of ultrasound-assisted fermented Yuluxiang pear juice: Physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant activity, and multi-dimensional flavor analysis.

Chemoproteomic profiling provides a complementary approach for linking natural products to their corresponding enzymes. A previously unrecognized polyphenol oxidase, SmPPOA, was identified from Salvia miltiorrhiza using a 3D carbene-immobilized salvianolic acid B. SmPPOA catalyzes oxidative lactonization of salvianolic acid B to generate salvianolic acid O via a cascade of oxidation and intramolecular Michael addition using the carboxylate anion as the Michael donor. This strategy can facilitate discovery of biosynthetic enzymes for plant natural products.

Black tea, a tea fully fermented by polyphenol oxidase, is widely recognized for its distinctive flavor and diverse health benefits largely attributed to its various phenolic components. An extensive phytochemical investigation of black tea made from the leaves of Camellia taliensis (Theaceae), a wild tea plant distributed in Yunnan province, China, led to the isolation and characterization of 15 flavan-3-ol derivatives, among which four previously unreported products (1–4), including two flavoalkaloids (1–2), one flavan-3-ol (3) and one nitrogen-containing phenol (4), were identified. When evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, 10 of the isolates showed stronger activities than quercetin and acarbose (IC50 = 5.75 and 223.30 µM, respectively), with IC50 values ranging from 0.09 to 3.57 µM. Notably, compound 15 displayed exceptional potency with an IC50 of 0.09 μM, approximately 60-fold lower than that of quercetin. These findings highlight the potential of black tea produced from C. taliensis for the development of functional foods targeting postprandial hyperglycemia management.

Preparation and application of ergothioneine liposomes and their inhibitory effect on polyphenol oxidase from Lanzhou lily

Bacterial speck of tomato, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), is a globally significant disease leading to substantial yield losses. This study demonstrated that methyl caffeate (MC), a plant-derived phenolic acid, exhibited dual functionality against Pst strain DC3000 through direct antibacterial action and indirect host resistance priming. Invitro assays revealed MC's potent inhibitory activity against bacterial growth, characterised by disruption of membrane integrity, leading to intracellular content leakage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis identified 434 upregulated and 326 downregulated genes, with differentially expressed genes primarily enriched in pathways related to flagellar assembly, motility, quorum sensing, chemotaxis and the type III secretion system (T3SS), thereby impairing bacterial motility and virulence. Concurrently, MC enhances plant defence responses by inducing the transcriptional expression of defence hormone signalling pathway-related genes and increasing the activities of defence enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). This modulation helps maintain ROS homeostasis and alleviates oxidative damage caused by Pst infection, thereby attenuating disease progression. These findings established MC as a multifunctional agent combining direct bactericidal effects with plant immunity induction, providing a sustainable strategy for bacterial speck management.

Postharvest blue LED light preserves peanut sprout quality by enhancing antioxidant capacity to inhibit browning

Combination of glucomannan / L-cysteine / ascorbic acid coating, cold plasma, and laser microporous membrane packaging inhibits lignification and quality deterioration of Lei bamboo shoots during storage

SynMicrobe-driven lignocellulose humification: Key enzymes, metabolic pathways, and two-stage degradation-reconstruction mechanisms revealed via metaproteomics.

SO2 is commonly used to control postharvest grape mold, but the technology of low-residue usage and the regulatory effects on the grape microbial community are still to be explored. In this research, slow-release SO2 pads (SR) and intermittent high SO2 pluses (IHP) were adopted to treat Daqing grapes during low-temperature storage. The results showed that IHP maintained the best appearance, grape-skin integrity, and reduced the SO2 residue by 49.9% compared to SR group. Meanwhile, the grapes of IHP significantly reduced the decay, inhibited the browning and weight loss, and maintained higher firmness than the control. To explain the reason, the activities of enzymes associated with the immune resistance system, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were found a higher level in IHP during storage. More importantly, changes in fungi communities were analyzed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) in the IHP and control groups. The changes in fungal communities showed that IHP preserved the richness of OTU and diversity of fungi communities, effectively inhibiting the relative quantity of the primary pathogens: B. cinerea, C. chasmanthicola, and A. alternata. Furthermore, correlation analysis suggested that microbial communities and immune resistance independently regulate grape postharvest quality while being interrelated, collectively influencing the postharvest quality of Daqing grapes and forming "short-term stress-grape immune resistance (the postharvest quality)-the postharvest grape surface microbiome" a novel interaction system. Thus, we inferred that IHP could induce grape resistance, inhibit surface pathogens, modify surface microbiome, and maintain the postharvest quality of the grapes.

Ultrasound-mediated inactivation of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase: Mechanisms involving enzyme structural disruption and catalytic activity alteration

Unraveling the mechanism of enhanced flavor and quality in lonicerae flos through processing optimization