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A balanced flavor is a major quality attribute of orange juice. Formation of 4-vinylguaiacol during storage can lead to an undesirable clove-like off-flavor. However, clove-like off-flavors were occasionally reported despite low 4-vinylguaiacol concentrations, suggesting an alternative molecular background. Application of gas chromatography-olfactometry and aroma extract dilution analysis to an orange juice with a pronounced clove-like off-flavor resulted in the identification of 5-vinylguaiacol. The compound showed the same odor as 4-vinylguaiacol, but was previously unknown in orange juice. In five of six commercial orange juices with clove-like off-flavors, 5-vinylguaiacol was even more odor-active than 4-vinylguaiacol. Spiking and model studies suggested that 5-vinylguaiacol is formed during pasteurization from the natural orange juice component hesperidin and residual peracetic acid used as cleaning agent by a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. An activity-guided screening approach confirmed the role of hesperidin as 5-vinylguaiacol precursor. In conclusion, peracetic acid should no longer be used in orange juice processing plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Genetic variation for salt tolerance remains elusive in jamun ( Syzygium cumini )., Methods: Effects of gradually increased salinity (2.0-12.0 dS/m) were examined in 20 monoembryonic and 28 polyembryonic genotypes of jamun. Six genotypes were additionally assessed for understanding salt-induced changes in gas exchange attributes and antioxidant enzymes., Results: Salt-induced reductions in leaf, stem, root and plant dry mass (PDM) were relatively greater in mono- than in poly-embryonic types. Reductions in PDM relative to control implied more adverse impacts of salinity on genotypes CSJ-28, CSJ-31, CSJ-43 and CSJ-47 (mono) and CSJ-1, CSJ-24, CSJ-26 and CSJ-27 (poly). Comparably, some mono- (CSJ-5, CSJ-18) and poly-embryonic (CSJ-7, CSJ-8, CSJ-14, CSJ-19) genotypes exhibited least reductions in PDM following salt treatment. Most polyembryonic genotypes showed lower reductions in root than in shoot mass, indicating that they may be more adept at absorbing water and nutrients when exposed to salt. The majority of genotypes did not exhibit leaf tip burn and marginal scorch despite significant increases in Na + and Cl - , suggesting that tissue tolerance existed for storing excess Na + and Cl - in vacuoles. Jamun genotypes were likely more efficient in Cl - exclusion because leaf, stem and root Cl - levels were consistently lower than those of Na + under salt treatment. Leaf K + was particularly little affected in genotypes with high leaf Na + . Lack of discernible differences in leaf, stem and root Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ contents between control and salt treatments was likely due to their preferential uptake. Correlation analysis suggested that Na + probably had a greater inhibitory effect on biomass in both mono- and poly-embryonic types. Discriminant analysis revealed that while stem and root Cl - probably accounted for shared responses, root Na + , leaf K + and leaf Cl - explained divergent responses to salt stress of mono- and poly-embryonic types. Genotypes CSJ-18 and CSJ-19 seemed efficient in fending off oxidative damage caused by salt because of their stronger antioxidant defences., Conclusions: Polyembryonic genotypes CSJ-7, CSJ-8, CSJ-14 and CSJ-19, which showed least reductions in biomass even after prolonged exposure to salinity stress, may be used as salt-tolerant rootstocks. The biochemical and molecular underpinnings of tissue tolerance to excess Na + and Cl - as well as preferential uptake of K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ need to be elucidated., Competing Interests: Anshuman Singh is an Academic Editor for PeerJ., (© 2024 Singh et al.)

Background and Aims: Geoxyles, a distinctive feature of Afrotropical savannas and grasslands, survive recurrent disturbances by resprouting subshrub branches from large below-ground woody structures. Underground trees are a type of geoxyle that independently evolved within woody genera of at least 40 plant families in Africa. The environmental limits and determinants of underground tree biogeography are poorly understood, with the relative influence of frost and fire debated in particular. We aim to quantify variability in the niche of underground tree species relative to their taller, woody tree/shrub congeners., Methods: Using occurrence records of four Afrotropical genera, Parinari (Chrysobalanaceae), Ozoroa (Anacardiaceae), Syzygium (Myrtaceae) and Lannea (Anacardiaceae), and environmental data of nine climate and disturbance variables, the biogeography and niche of underground trees are compared with their open and closed ecosystem congeners., Key Results: Along multiple environmental gradients and in a multidimensional environmental space, underground trees inhabit significantly distinct and extreme environments relative to open and closed ecosystem congeners. Niche overlap is low among underground trees and their congeners, and also among underground trees of the four genera. Of the study taxa, Parinari underground trees inhabit hotter, drier and more seasonal environments where herbivory pressure is greatest. Ozoroa underground trees occupy relatively more fire-prone environments, while Syzygium underground trees sustain the highest frost frequency and occur in relatively wetter conditions with seasonal waterlogging. Lannea underground trees are associated with the lowest temperatures, highest precipitation, and varying exposure to disturbance., Conclusions: While underground trees exhibit repeated convergent evolution, varied environments shape the ecology and biogeography of this iconic plant functional group. The multiplicity of extreme environments related to fire, frost, herbivory and waterlogging that different underground tree taxa occupy, and the distinctiveness of these environments, should be recognized in the management of African grassy ecosystems., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

This study aimed to compare the structural features and functional properties of polysaccharides from single-clove garlic (SGPs) and multiclove garlic (MGPs) and to establish their structure-function relationships. Both SGPs and MGPs were identified as fructans consisting mainly of →1)-β-d-Fru f (2→ and →6)-β-d-Fru f (2→ residues but differed in average molecular weights (6.76 and 5.40 kDa, respectively). They shared similar thermodynamic properties, X-ray diffraction patterns, and high gastrointestinal digestive stability. These two purified fructans could dose-dependently scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidized metals, and effectively alleviate metronidazole-induced oxidative stress and CuSO 4 -induced inflammation in zebrafish via inhibiting the overexpression of inflammation-related proteins and cytokines. SGPs showed lower free radical scavenging activity in vitro than MGPs but higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo . Taken together, the molecular weight was the main structural difference between the two garlic fructans of different varieties, which is a potential reason for their differences in biological activities.

In this study, we have successfully produced a corn starch-based composite film through the casting method, formulated with clove essential oil nanoemulsion (NCEO) and corn starch. The physical and chemical changes of the composite films were investigated at various concentrations (10 %, 20 % and 40 %) of NCEO. Furthermore, the non-contact preservation effects of the composite films on bread during 15-day storage were also examined in this study. As the concentration of NCEO increased, the composite films presented a gradual thinning, roughening, and yellowing in appearance. Following this, the water content, water vapor permeability rate, and elongation at break of the films decreased, while their hydrophobicity, tensile strength, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity increased accordingly. Through FT-IR, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis, it was demonstrated that NCEO has strong compatibility with corn starch. Additionally, the indices' analysis indicated that utilizing the composite film incorporating 40 % NCEO can significantly boost the shelf life and quality of bread. Moreover, it was revealed that application of the non-contact treatment with composite film could potentially contribute certain preservation effects towards bread. In light of these findings, the composite film with non-contact treatment exhibits potential as an effective, safe, and sustainable preservation technique for grain products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacology Relevance: Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (SC), an ancient medicinal plant, is used as a complementary and alternative medicine for treating diabetes mellitus and its associated complications, such as diabetic nephropathy (DN). Phytochemicals present in SC homeopathic formulations possess anti-glycemic, anti-glycation, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, the non-enzymatic formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) increases during hyperglycemia in diabetes. AGEs interaction with their receptor of AGEs (RAGE) promotes inflammation via Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) and the accumulation of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) proteins, contributing to the renal dysfunction in DN. However, the molecular mechanism through which SC formulations interact with the AGEs-RAGE-NF-κB pathway has not yet been investigated., Aim: This study aims to examine the impact of SC formulations on the RAGE-NF-κB pathway and ECM protein modifications in glycation-induced DN using a molecular approach., Materials and Methods: Human serum albumin (10 mg/ml) was glycated with MGO (55 mM) in the presence of SC formulations - Mother tincture (MT), 30C, 200C for 7 days. Glycated samples were added to renal cells (HEK 293) for 24 h. Subsequently, cellular gene and protein expressions of RAGE, NF-κB, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), collagen IV (Col IV), and fibronectin were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis. The immunofluorescence, luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation techniques were employed to gain insights into glycation-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation, transcriptional activity, and its effect on RAGE promoter activity in SC-treated cells., Results: SC formulations significantly downregulated glycation-induced elevated levels of RAGE and NF-κB. Mechanistically, SC formulations prevented NF-κB nuclear translocation, transcriptional activity, and RAGE promoter activity. Also, SC formulations significantly attenuated glycation-enhanced expressions of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF) and ECM proteins (Col IV and fibronectin)., Conclusion: Our findings enlighten the molecular mechanism of SC in DN by targeting the AGEs-RAGE-NF-κB signaling pathway, inflammatory responses, and ECM accumulation. Hence, the study validates the protective role of SC formulations and signifies its novel potential for treating DN., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exploring the effects of ant nests on soil CH 4 emissions in the secondary tropical forests is of great scientific significance to understand the contribution of soil faunal activities to greenhouse gas emissions. With static chamber-gas chromatography method, we measured the dry-wet seasonal dynamics of CH 4 emissions from ant nests and control soils in the secondary forest of Syzygium oblatum communities in Xishuangbanna. We also examined the linkages of ant-mediated changes in functional microbial diversity and soil physicochemical properties with CH 4 emissions. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly accelerated soil CH 4 emissions, with average CH 4 emissions in the ant nests being 2.6-fold of that in the control soils. 2) The CH 4 emissions had significant dry-wet seasonal variations, which was a carbon sink in the dry seasons (from -0.29±0.03 to -0.53±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) and a carbon source in the wet seasons (from 0.098±0.02 to 0.041±0.009 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). The CH 4 emissions were significantly higher in ant nests than in control soils. The CH 4 emissions from the ant nests had smaller dry-wet seasonal variation (from -0.38±0.01 to 0.12±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) than those in the control soils (from -0.65±0.04 to 0.058±0.006 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). 3) Ant nests significantly increased the values (6.2%-37.8%) of soil methanogen diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Shannon indices), temperature and humidity, carbon pools ( i.e ., total, easily oxidizable, and microbial carbon), and nitrogen pools ( i.e ., total, hydrolyzed, ammonium, and microbial biomass nitrogen), but decreased the diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Chao1 indices) of methane-oxidizing bacteria by 21.9%-23.8%. 4) Results of the structural equation modeling showed that CH 4 emissions were promoted by soil methanogen diversity, temperature and humidity, and C and N pools, but inhibited by soil methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity. The explained extents of soil temperature, humidity, carbon pool, nitrogen pool, methanogen diversity, and methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity for the CH 4 emission changes were 6.9%, 21.6%, 18.4%, 15.2%, 14.0%, and 10.8%, respectively. Therefore, ant nests regulated soil CH 4 emission dynamics through altering soil functional bacterial diversities, micro-habitat, and carbon and nitrogen pools in the secondary tropical forests.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) isolated from cotton in augmenting pectin (PEC)/konjac glucomannan (KGM) composite films containing clove essential oil (CEO) for food packaging application. The effects of CNC dosage on film properties were examined by analyzing the rheology of film-forming solutions and the mechanical, barrier, antimicrobial, and CEO-release properties of the films. Rheological and FTIR analysis revealed the enhanced interactions among the film components after CNC incorporation due to its high aspect ratio and abundant hydroxyl groups, which can also prevent CEO droplet aggregation, contributing to form a compact microstructure as confirmed by SEM and 3D surface topography observations. Consequently, the addition of CNC reinforced the polysaccharide matrix, increasing the tensile strength of the films and improving their barrier properties to water vapor. More importantly, antibacterial, controlled release and kinetic simulation experiments proved that the addition of CNC could further slow down the release rate of CEO, prolonging the antimicrobial properties of the films. PEC/KGM/CEO composite films with 15 wt% CNC was found to have relatively best comprehensive properties, which was also most effective in delaying deterioration of grape quality during the storage of 9 days at 25 °C., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The use of natural compounds to prevent and treat infective diseases is increasing its importance, especially in the case of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms-mediated infections. The drug resistance phenomenon is today a global problem, so it is important to have available substances able to counteract MDR infections. Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry (commonly called clove) is a spice characterized by several biological properties. Clove essential oil (EO) consists of numerous active molecules, being eugenol as the principal component; however, other compounds that synergize with each other are responsible for the biological properties of the EO. S. aromaticum is traditionally used for bowel and stomach disorders, cold and flu, oral hygiene, tooth decay, and for its analgesic action. Its EO has shown antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, anti-stress, anticancer, and anti-nociceptive activities. This review aims to investigate the role of E. S. aromaticum EO in the counteraction of MDR microorganisms responsible for human disorders, diseases, or infections, such as Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , Salmonella typhi , Candida albicans , Giardia lamblia , Streptococcus mutans , Porphyromonas gingivalis , and Klebsiella pneumoniae . This study might orient clinical researchers on future therapeutic uses of S. aromaticum EO in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

A novel endemic pest of clove tree, Cryptophasa warouwi sp. nov., has been discovered on Sangihe Island. This new species can be distinguished from its closest relative species, C. watungi Sutrisno & Suwito, 2015 which is found in North Sulawesi, by its dark brown straw-coloured wings in both males and females. The most distinctive diagnostic characters of this new species are observed in its genitalia structure: a bent-downward uncus with a strongly sclerotized finger-shaped apex, a bent phallus gradually widened towards coecum, and a double, membranous corpus bursae branching off at mid-ductus corpus bursae of female genitalia. Additionally, DNA barcodes revealed this new species to be embedded among Australian Cryptophasa species despite having fasciculated male antennae that have been considered diagnostic of the genus Paralecta. This suggests that the male antennae may not be a reliable character for separating Cryptophasa from Paralecta. A more comprehensive study including all Cryptophasa and Paralecta will be required to elucidate the definition of each genus. Images depicting both adults and genitalia are provided for this newly recognized species.

This work presents the characterization of a novel naturally phosphorylated starch extracted from an unconventional and non-utilized source, the seeds of the stone fruit Syzygium malaccense. The morphology and chemical characteristics of the extracted starch were examined by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, 1 H/ 13 C/ 31 P NMR and 13 C-CP/MAS-NMR, HPAEC-PAD chromatography, XRD, DSC, and RVA. The extraction yielded a highly pure starch (95.6 %) with an average granule size of 13 μm. The analysis of the starch components revealed an amylose content of 28.1 % and a predominance (65 %) of B-chains (B1-B3 65 %) in the amylopectin, as shown through HPAEC-PAD chromatography. The X-ray diffractogram was compatible with B-type starch, which was confirmed by the deconvolution of the C1 peak in the 13 C-CP/MAS-NMR. X-Ray diffractogram also showed that S. malaccense has 28.5 % of crystallinity. DSC analysis showed values of 82.6 °C and -12.41 J g -1 for Tc and ΔH, respectively, which is compatible with a highly ordered starch granule structure. The values observed for peak (4678 mPa•s), trough (3055 mPa•s), and final viscosity (6526 mPa•s) indicated that S. malaccense may be used as a thickener in hot food., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of nano-formulations of clove bud ethanolic extract (CBENF) in the extender on sperm characteristics, antioxidant capacity, oxidative biomarkers, enzymatic activity, apoptosis and fertility of post-thawed rabbit semen. Twelve mature male rabbits semen samples were pooled and cryopreserved in a Tris-egg yolk-based extender containing varying concentrations of CBENF (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/mL). After the equilibration and freezing-thawing process, CBENF (100 μg /mL) significantly enhanced progressive motility, viability and membrane integrity. Conversely, sperm abnormality was significantly reduced by CBENF supplementation. Total antioxidant capacity was increased in the post-thawed sperm medium, while nitric oxide and malondialdehyde were decreased in all CBENF concentrations. The lactic dehydrogenase and caspase-3 activities were decreased, whereas the number of live spermatozoa with an intact acrosome was increased in all CBENF concentrations. Conception rate and litter size per doe were higher in doe rabbits inseminated with semen supplemented with 100 μg CBENF/mL than un-supplemented group (76% vs. 52% and 8.4 vs. 7.7/doe), with no statistical differences. These findings suggest that supplementing rabbit extenders with 100 μg of CBENF/mL could be an effective strategy for enhancing freeze-thawing rabbit sperm attributes and fertility., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The genus Syzygium (Myrtaceae) comprises several essential oil-rich species that are utilized traditionally for treating tooth infections and toothache. The current study aimed to extract essential oils (EOs) from the leaves of Syzygium samarangense and Syzygium malaccense cultivated in Egypt for the first time and screen their antimicrobial potential against oral-related pathogens., Methods: The intended EOs were extracted using hydrodistillation (HD) by boiling fresh leaves with distilled water; supercritical fluid (SF) by extracting the dried leaves using supercritical CO 2 at 40 °C and 150 bar; and the headspace (HS) in which the fresh leaves were heated in a glass vial and the vaporized aroma were analyzed. The volatile constituents were analyzed using GC/MS and identified by comparing the experimental Kovats' retention indices with the literature. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans using agar diffusion, microwell dilution, and biofilm formation assays. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was determined by applying one-way ANOVA and Duncan's post hoc test., Results: The yield of the extracted EOs differs between the applied methods, and the SF approach harvested the maximum (0.52-0.46%). The GC-MS analysis of SF EOs revealed a discrepancy between the two species. Since S. malaccense showed an abundance of hydrocarbons represented mainly by squalene (60.60%), S. samarangense was deemed to have oxygenated sesquiterpenes exemplified in globulol (52.09%). On the other side, the HD and HS EOs were sequentially comparable, while differed in the percentage of their majors. γ-terpinene (33.06%) pioneered the HS-derived aroma of S. malaccense, while S. samarangense was abundant with α-pinene (30.18%). Concurrently, the HD EOs of S. malaccense and S. samarangense were commonly denoted by caryophyllene oxide (8.19%-18.48%), p-cymene (16.02%- 19.50%), and γ-terpinene (12.20%-17.84). Ultimately, both species EOs exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial potential, although the HD EO was more potent than the SF EO. The HD EOs of both species potently inhibited the growth of E. coli (MIC 3.75 µL/mL) and suppressed C. albicans biofilm formation by 83.43 and 87.27%, respectively. The SF-EOs efficiently suppressed the biofilm formation of Gram-positive bacteria by 76.45%-82.95%., Conclusion: EOs extracted from both species by different methods possessed a unique blend of volatile components with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. They were promoted as bioactive hits for controlling oral infections, however further investigations concerning their safety in clinical settings are needed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A synthetic strategy based on biogenetic building blocks for the collective and divergent biomimetic synthesis of cleistoperlones A-F, a cinnamoylphloroglucinol collection discovered from Cleistocalyx operculatus, has been developed. These syntheses proceeded successfully in only six to seven steps starting from commercially available 1,3,5-benzenetriol and involving oxidative activation of stable biogenetic building blocks as a crucial step. Key features of the syntheses include a unique Michael addition/ketalization/1,6-addition/enol-keto tautomerism cascade reaction for the construction of the dihydropyrano[3,2-d]xanthene tetracyclic core of cleistoperlones A and B, and a rare inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition for the establishment of benzopyran ring in cleistoperlones D-F. Moreover, cleistoperlone A exhibited significant antiviral activity against acyclovir-resistant strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1/Blue and HSV-1/153)., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Southeast Asia has experienced widespread deforestation and change in land use. Consequently, many reforestation projects have been initiated in this region. However, it is imperative to carefully choose the tree species for planting, especially in light of the increasing climate variability and the potential alteration of plantation on the watershed water balance. Thus, the information regarding water-use characteristics of various tree species and sizes is critical in the tree species selection for reforestation., Methods: We estimated tree water use ( T ) of dominant species including Syzygium antisepticum and Adinandra integerrima, hereafter Sa and Ai , respectively, in a secondary tropical forest in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, using sap flow data, and compared T between species and size classes. Additionally, we evaluated the responses of T of both species in each size class to environmental factors including soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit (VPD)., Results: Results showed consistently higher T in Sa compared to Ai across ranges of VPD and soil moisture. Under low soil moisture, T of Sa responded to VPD, following a saturating exponential pattern while Ai maintained T across different VPD levels, irrespective of tree size. No responses of T to VPD were observed in either species when soil water was moderate. When soil moisture was high, T of both species significantly increased and saturated at high VPD, albeit the responses were less sensitive in large trees. Our results imply that Ai may be suitable for reforestation in water-limited areas where droughts frequently occur to minimize reforestation impact on water availability to downstream ecosystems. In contrast, Sa should be planted in regions with abundant and reliable water resources. However, a mixed species plantation should be generally considered to increase forest resilience to increasing climate variation., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Ampornpitak et al.)

The essential oils of five Vietnamese Syzygium species ( Syzygium levinei , S. acuminatissimum , S. vestitum , S. cumini , and S. buxifolium ) were first hydro-distilled and analyzed using GC-FID/MS (gas chromatography-flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry). Monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical classes in these oils. All these essential oils showed good-excellent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus cereus , and the yeast Candida albicans. S. levinei leaf essential oil, rich in bicyclogermacrene (25.3%), ( E )- β -elemene (12.2%), ( E )-caryophyllene (8.2%), and β -selinene (7.4%), as well as S. acuminatissimum fruit essential oil containing ( E )-caryophyllene (14.2%), α -pinene (12.1%), caryophyllene oxide (10.9%), β -selinene (10.8%), α -selinene (8.0%), and α -humulene (5.7%), established the same MIC value of 8 µg/mL against E. faecalis and B. cereus , which were much better than the positive control streptomycin (MIC 128-256 µg/mL). The studied essential oils showed the potential to defend against mosquitoes since they caused the 24 and 48 h LC 50 values of less than 50 µg/mL against the growth of Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti larvae. Especially, S. buxifolium leaf essential oil strongly inhibited Ae. aegypti larvae with 24 and 48 h LC 50 values of 6.73 and 6.73 µg/mL, respectively, and 24 and 48 h LC 90 values of 13.37 and 10.83 µg/mL, respectively. These findings imply that Vietnamese Syzygium essential oils might have potential for use as supplemental antibacterial agents or as "green" alternatives for the control of mosquitoes.

Recently, interest has increased in using bio-additives, herbs, and their extracts as feed additives because of their potential role in improving chick's health and productivity, especially during stress. Thus, our aim in this study is to examine whether nutritional supplementation (probiotics and clove essential oils) will help mitigate the negative effect of heat stress on the bird by modifying the microbial content, boosting immunity, oxidative status, metabolic, and growth. In this study, three hundred one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were fed the following experimental diet: (CON) basal diet (control diet); (CEO) CON with clove essential oils (300 mg/kg); (PRO) CON with probiotics (2 g/kg); (PC) CON with probiotics and clove essential oils. Our results showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) in body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzymes activities in broilers fed on PC, CEO, and PRO compared to the control group. Moreover, a significant decrease was recorded in the abdominal fat content and an increase in the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius, and higher antibody levels against Newcastle disease virus, as well as, there was an increase (P < 0.05) in interleukin 10 (IL-10) in all treated groups. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in all supplemented groups compared with the control group. Serum triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein concentrations, and alanine aminotransferase activities were significantly lower in the treated groups. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels were elevated (P < 0.05) and the malondialdehyde level value significantly decreased in all supplemented groups. The treated groups enhanced the ileum structure by increasing Lactobacillus, decreasing E. coli, and improving the morphometrically (P < 0.05). This study strongly suggests that clove essential oil and probiotic mixture can be used as a feed supplement to reduce the effects of heat stress by improving the growth performance and enhancing immuno-antioxidant status, ileum morphometric, as well as modifying the microbial community structure of the ileum of broilers., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Medicinal plants or their products are popular substitutes for antibiotics or other synthetic growth promoters for their beneficial effects and cost-effectiveness. Clove (Cv) and tulsi (Ts) are rich in phytochemicals and are used to augment the growth performance of poultry., Objectives: The current investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of Cv and Ts supplementation in drinking water on the morphologic and morphometric adaptations in the lymphoid organs., Methods: The experiment was conducted on 60 broiler chicks, divided into 4 homogenous groups (5 pens/group and 3 broilers/pen) named T0 (control), T1 (0.5% Cv and 2% Ts), T2 (1% Cv and 3% Ts) and T3 (1.5% Cv and 4% Ts). The treatments were administered from days 8 to 28. Lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius) were collected on days 14, 21 and 28 after sacrificing five broilers from each group., Results: The treatment groups had higher thymus and spleen weights on day 21, whereas the weights of the bursa of Fabricius were higher on days 14, 21 and 28. In the histomorphologic study, no noticeable difference in the histoarchitectures of the lymphoid organs was noticed. However, substantial differences in the cortico-medullary ratio and the number of follicles in the thymus and bursa of Fabricius, respectively, were found in the histomorphometric investigation., Conclusion: The inclusion of Cv and Ts in drinking water augments the weight of lymphoid organs with histomorphometric adaptations that might improve the immune status in broilers., (© 2023 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Syzygium is a large and diverse tree genus in the Myrtaceae family. Genome assemblies for clove ( Syzygium aromaticum , 370 Mb) and sea apple ( Syzygium grande , 405 Mb) provided the first insights into the genomic features and evolution of the Syzygium genus. Here, we present additional de novo chromosome-scale genome assemblies for Syzygium malaccense, Syzygium aqueum, Syzygium jambos , and Syzygium syzygioides. Genome profiling analyses show that S. malaccense , like S. aromaticum and S. grande , is diploid (2n = 2x = 22), while the S. aqueum , S. jambos , and S. syzygioides specimens are autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 44). The genome assemblies of S. malaccense (430 Mb), S. aqueum (392 Mb), S. jambos (426 Mb), and S. syzygioides (431 Mb) are highly complete (BUSCO scores of 98%). Comparative genomics analyses showed conserved organization of the 11 chromosomes with S. aromaticum and S. grande , and revealed species-specific evolutionary dynamics of the long terminal repeat retrotransposon elements belonging to the Gypsy and Copia lineages. This set of Syzygium genomes is a valuable resource for future structural and functional comparative genomic studies on Myrtaceae species., Competing Interests: Authors SO, NS, and NI were employed by the company Philip Morris International. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ouadi, Sierro, Kessler and Ivanov.)

Meat safety and quality are the main concerns of consumers in the present food market. Chitosan-gelatin edible coatings containing nano-encapsulated clove ethanol extracts (CNPs), designated as CHI-GEL-CNPs, on the quality preservation of chilled pork were studied. Results showed that the mean particle diameters of CNPs were 346.15 ± 37.30 nm. Nano-modification improved the antibacterial activity of free clove ethanol extract. The increasing rate order of TVB-N and TBARS was CHI-GEL-CNPs < CHI-GEL-Clove < CHI-GEL < CHI < CON group. The CHI-GEL-CNPs coating inhibited the elevation of pH and total viable count (TVC) of chilled pork. The TVB-N and TVC values demonstrated that the CHI-GEL-CNPs coating effectively extended the shelf life of chilled pork up to 13 days. In addition, the sensory properties of CHI-GEL-CNPs chilled pork loins were superior to that of control samples. Therefore, the developed CHI-GEL-CNPs coatings have great promise as a nanocomposite for meat preservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Natural essential oils (EOs), especially those combining different individual EOs (also termed composite EOs) with enhanced performance, are becoming healthy, market-sought food preservatives/additives. This study aims to provide insights into the challenge regarding EOs processing due to their low solubility and the elusive mechanism under the enhanced bio-reactivity of composite EOs. A unique oil/water interacting network was created by phase-inversion processing, which enhances EO solubilization and emulsification to form composite EO formulations (EOFs) containing ordinary cinnamon, oregano and clove EOs. These EOFs mainly contained cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol and eugenol and exhibited excellent post-storage stability. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability of EOFs (at 15.880 μL/mL) was > 88%, and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was 1.8 mM FeSO 4 ·7H 2 O. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EOFs against E. coli and S. aureus was ∼7.940 μL/mL. The EOFs could cause quick deterioration of bacterial structures, demonstrating high efficacy in bacteria-killing and anti-biofilm formation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is a major cause of foodborne diseases accompanied by several clinical illnesses in humans. This research aimed to isolate, identify, and combat STEC using novel alternative treatments, researchers have lately investigated using plant extract to produce nanoparticles in an environmentally acceptable way. At various gamma-ray doses, gamma irradiation is used to optimize the conditions for the biogenically synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using an aqueous extract of clove as a reducing and stabilizing agent., Methods: On a specific medium, 120 vegetable samples were screened to isolate STEC and molecularly identified using real-time PCR. Moreover, the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of biogenically synthesized Ag NPs against the isolated STEC were examined., Results: Twenty-five out of 120 samples of eight types of fresh vegetables tested positive for E. coli, as confirmed by 16S rRNA, of which three were positive for the presence of Stx-coding genes, and six were partially hemolytic. Seven antibiotic disks were used to determine antibiotic susceptibility; the results indicated that isolate STX 2 EC had the highest antibiotic resistance. The results demonstrated that Ag NPs were highly effective against the STEC isolates, particularly the isolate with the highest drug resistance, with inhibition zones recorded as 19 mm for STX 2 EC, 11 mm for STX 1 EC 1 , and 10 mm for STX 1 EC 2 at a concentration of 108 µg/mL. MICs of the isolates STX 1 EC 1 , and STX 1 EC 2 were 13.5 µg/mL whereas it was detected as 6.75 µg/mL for STX 2 EC. The percentages of biofilm inhibition for STX 1 EC 2 , STX 1 EC 1 , and STX 2 EC, were 78.7%, 76.9%, and 71.19%, respectively., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the biogenic Ag NPs can be utilized as a new promising antibacterial agent to combat biofouling on surfaces., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

This study proposes a method to extract the signature bands from the deep learning models of multispectral data converted from the hyperspectral data. The signature bands with two deep-learning models were further used to predict the sugar content of the Syzygium samarangense. Firstly, the hyperspectral data with the bandwidths lower than 2.5 nm were converted to the spectral data with multiple bandwidths higher than 2.5 nm to simulate the multispectral data. The convolution neural network (CNN) and the feedforward neural network (FNN) used these spectral data to predict the sugar content of the Syzygium samarangense and obtained the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.400° Brix and 0.408° Brix, respectively. Secondly, the absolute mean of the integrated gradient method was used to extract multiple signature bands from the CNN and FNN models for sugariness prediction. A total of thirty sets of six signature bands were selected from the CNN and FNN models, which were trained by using the spectral data with five bandwidths in the visible (VIS), visible to near-infrared (VISNIR), and visible to short-waved infrared (VISWIR) wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nm, 400 to 1000 nm, and 400 to 1700 nm. Lastly, these signature-band data were used to train the CNN and FNN models for sugar content prediction. The FNN model using VISWIR signature bands with a bandwidth of ± 12.5 nm had a minimum MAE of 0.390°Brix compared to the others. The CNN model using VISWIR signature bands with a bandwidth of ± 10 nm had the lowest MAE of 0.549° Brix compared to the other CNN models. The MAEs of the models with only six spectral bands were even better than those with tens or hundreds of spectral bands. These results reveal that six signature bands have the potential to be used in a small and compact multispectral device to predict the sugar content of the Syzygium samarangense., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Dichloromethane extract of Cleistocalyx nervosum var. paniala seeds exhibited an anticarcinogenicity against chemically-induced the early stages of carcinogenesis in rats. This study aimed to identify anticarcinogenic compounds from C. nervosum seed extract (CSE)., Methods: Salmonella mutation assay was performed to determine mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of partially purified and purified compounds of CSE. The anticarcinogenic enzyme-inducing activity was measured in Hepa1c1c7. Moreover, the anticancer potency was examined on various human cancer cell lines. The anticarcinogenicity of DMC was investigated using dual-organ carcinogenicity model. The number of preneoplastic lesions was evaluated in the liver and colon. The inhibitory mechanisms of DMC on liver- and colorectal carcinogenesis were investigated., Results: Six partially purified fractions (MK1 - MK6) and purified compounds, including 2,4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethylchalcone (DMC) and hariganetin, were obtained from CSE. Among these fractions, MK4 and DMC presented the greatest antimutagenicity against indirect mutagens in bacterial model. Moreover, MK5 possessed an effective anticarcinogenic enzyme inducer in Hepa1c1c7. The MK4, DMC and CSE showed greater anticancer activity on all cell lines and exhibited the most effective toxicity on colon cancer cells. Furthermore, DMC inhibited the formation of colonic preneoplastic lesions in carcinogens-treated rats. It reduced PCNA-positive cells and frequency of BCAC in rat colon. DMC also enhanced the detoxifying enzyme, GST, in rat livers., Conclusions: DMC obtained from CSE may be a promising cancer chemopreventive compound of colorectal cancer process in rats. It could increase detoxifying enzymes and suppress the cell proliferation process resulting in prevention of post-initiation stage of colorectal carcinogenesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Rawiwan Wongpoomchai reports financial support was provided by National Research Council of Thailand and Faculty of Medicine Research Fund, Chiang Mai University, Thailand., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Clove with the scientific name of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry is an evergreen tree in which its buds are used for medicinal purposes. Traditional medicine manuscripts as well as recent studies reported its effects on male and female reproductive systems. The aim of this study is to investigate the reported contradictory effects of clove and its phytochemicals on the reproductive system of both males and females. All types of in vitro, animal, and human studies of clove and its main constituents in the field of reproductive systems were collected via searching electronic databases including PubMed and Scopus from the onset till 2021. In this review, 76 articles were included, of which 25 were related to male reproduction, 32 were related to female reproduction, and 19 were related to reproductive malignancies. Analysis of the literature indicates the effects of clove and its constituents especially eugenol and β-caryophyllene on the level of sex hormones, fertility, sperm abnormalities, endometriosis, menstrual cycle, as well as gynecological infections, and reproductive tumors. The main mechanism of clove has not been understood yet but it seems that different parameters affect its pharmacological activity including the type of extract, dose, and duration of administration as well as the primary cause of the disorder. According to the effects of clove on different parts of the reproductive system, it seems that it can be a suitable candidate for related disorders, provided that more and more detailed studies are done on it., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Reproductive Investigation.)

Leaves of jamun collected as agro by-produce during the cultivation of jamun is traditionally used as ayurvedic medicine to treat diabetes, gall bladder stones and other ailments. Most of the beneficial effects of jamun leaves are associated with phytochemicals found in jamun leaves such as gallic acid, tannins, mallic acid, flavonoids, essential oils, jambolin, ellagic acid, jambosine, antimellin and betulinic acid. Jamun possess curative activities like anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antiradiation, chemotherapeutic, and gastroprotective. The main goal of this review article is to provide information on the nutritional content, phytochemical composition and health promoting properties of jamun leaves. The review of literature based on the phytochemical composition and health promoting benefits of the jamun leaves, suggests that leaves can be used as potential constituent in the formulation of pharmacological drugs. From the review literature it is found that clinical, in-vivo, in-vitro studies are still required to check the health promoting effects of jamun leaves extracts on humans., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

The development of antibiotic-free antibacterial strategies applied in the control of bacterial and biofilm proliferation on surfaces is an important topic in discussion in the literature. Essential oils have been explored as isolated and combined components to act as an antibacterial material that inhibits bacterial proliferation, avoiding the contamination of surfaces. Herein, cellulose acetate electrospun fibers impregnated with essential oils of clove, cinnamon and eucalyptus and their combination (clove + cinnamon, cinnamon + eucalyptus and clove + eucalyptus) were explored against the standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). As isolated components, the best performance follows the order clove>cinnamon>eucalyptus essential oil. The association of clove and cinnamon into cellulose acetate electrospun fibers returned a promising and fast antibacterial and antibiofilm activity (improvement in 65%), as a piece of evidence that synergism is observed for the association of essential oils incorporated into electrospun fibers that preserves the antibacterial activity by encapsulation of components., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Background: Malaria is still one of the most severe public health problems worldwide. The development of treatment, prevention, and control of malaria is one of the substantial problems in the world., Aims: To investigate the in vitro antimalarial activity of Syzygium cumini methanol fruit fraction., Methods: Syzygium cumini L fruit powder was macerated with methanol (PA) and the extract obtained was fractionated using the liquid-liquid partition method with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol, chloroform, methanol, and water solvents. In vitro antimalarial assay was conducted using the culture of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain culture that had reached >5% growth and was examined for IC 50 values using a 24-well microplate in duplicate. Each treatment and control well contained 1,080 μl of complete media. Well, number 1 was added with 120 μl fraction, and then the solution was diluted until it reached 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/ml the final concentration in the microtiter well. The control only contained complete media and infected erythrocytes without the addition of anti-malarial drugs. The microplate was incubated for 48 hours. After 48 hours, a thin blood smear was made fixed with methanol and stained with 20% Giemsa for 20 minutes to determine the IC 50 value by plotting sample concentrations and percentage of parasitemia in Excel., Results: The IC 50 values of ethyl acetate fraction, n.hexane fraction, butanol fraction, and water fraction were 1.189, 76.996, 1,769, and 15.058 μg/ml, respectively. Whereases the IC 50 values of C1 fraction (mix fraction from chloroform: methanol 100:0 and 90:10) and C4 fraction (mix fraction from chloroform: methanol 20:80, 10:90, and 0:100) were 100.126 and 1.015 μg/ml, respectively. The results showed that the IC 50 value of ethyl acetate, butanol, and C4 fraction were lower than 10μg/ml and were considered as good activity (strong antimalarial activity)., Conclusion: The ethyl acetate, butanol and C4 subfraction from S. cumini fruit have the potential to be developed as an antimalarial agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Three undescribed triterpene glycosides syzybullosides A-C (1-3) along with fourteen known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Syzygium bullockii (Hance) Merr.& L.M. Perry, including six triterpene glycosides (1-6), four phenolics (7-9, 17), four megastigmanes (10-13), and three flavonoids (14-16). The structures of 1-17 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Compounds 1-10 and 12-17 inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide activated RAW264.7 cells with IC 50 values ranging from 1.30 to 13.70 µM, lower than that of the positive control compound, L-NMMA (IC 50  = 33.8 µM)., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy.)

Four undescribed phenolic glycosides including three stilbene derivatives (1 and 3) and sodium salt of 3 (2), and a chalcone glycoside (4), together with thirteen known compounds (5-17) were isolated from the leaves of Syzygium attopeuense (Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry. Their chemical structures were elucidated to be (Z)-gaylussacin (1), 6''-O-galloylgaylussacin sodium salt (2), 6''-O-galloylgaylussacin (3), 4'-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-glucopyranosyl]oxy-2'-hydroxy-6'-methoxydihydrochalcone (4), gaylussacin (5), pinosilvin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), myricetin-3-O-(2''-O-galloyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (7), myricetin-3-O-(3''-O-galloyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (8), myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (9), quercitrin (10), myricetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11), myricetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (12), quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside (13), myricetin-3-O-2''-O-galloyl)-α-L-arabinopyranoside (14), (+)-gallocatechin (15), (-)-epigallocatechin (16), and 3,3',4'-trimethoxyellagic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (17) by the analysis of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra in comparison with the previously reported data. Compounds 1-3, 5, and 6 significant inhibition of NO production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells, with IC 50 values ranging from 18.37±1.38 to 35.12±2.53 μM, compared to a positive control (dexamethasone) with an IC 50 value of 15.37±1.42 μM., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit is an underutilized source of bioactive phytochemicals. Therefore, preserving this fruit in various forms over the year is necessary. Spray drying can effectively preserve jamun juice; but the stickiness issue of fruit juice powder mainly arises during the drying, which may be overcome by using different carriers. Consequently, this experiment aimed to ascertain the effect of different carrier types (maltodextrin, gum arabic, whey protein concentrate, waxy starch, and maltodextrin: gum arabic) on the physical, flow, reconstitution, functional, and color stability of spray-dried jamun juice powder. The physical parameters of the produced powder such as moisture content, bulk, and tapped density were in the range of 2.57%-4.95% (w.b.), 0.29-0.50 and 0.45-0.63 g/mL, respectively. The powder yield ranged between 55.25% and 75.9%. The flow characteristics, Carr's index and Hausner ratio, were in the range of 20.89-35.90 and 1.26-1.56, respectively. Reconstitution attributes viz., wettability, solubility, hygroscopicity, and dispersibility were in the range of 90.3-199.7 s, 55.28%-95%, 15.23-25.86 g/100 g, and 70.97%-95.79%, respectively. The functional attributes include total anthocyanin, total phenol content, and encapsulation efficiency, were in the range of 75.13-110.01 mg/100 g, 129.48-215.02 g GAE/100 g, and 40.49%-74.07%, respectively. The L*, a*, and b* values ranged from 41.82 to 70.86, 14.33 to 23.04, -8.12 to -0.60, respectively. A combination of maltodextrin and gum arabic was found effective in producing jamun juice powder with appropriate physical, flow, functional, and color attributes., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Diabetes Mellitus is the main cause of death on a global scale. In 2019, there were 463 million people with diabetes, and WHO predicts that by 2030, there will be 578 million. As an antidiabetic agent, α-glucosidase inhibitors are one of the methods employed to reduce the prevalence of diabetes. Diabetes is traditionally treated with Syzygium as a primary material, medicine, fruit, ornamental plant, and source of carpentry. This investigation aimed to examine the inhibitory effect of seven species of Syzygium against α-glucosidase enzyme using an in vitro assay and isolate active substances and ascertain their concentrations in each sample. As a solvent, ethanol was used in maceration to extract the substance. Afterward, the extract underwent a series of fractionation techniques, including liquid-liquid extraction, vacuum liquid chromatography, column chromatography, and preparative Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) for purification and isolation. The compound's structures were elucidated using TLC, UV-Visible spectrophotometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Based on concentrations of 100 and 200 µg/mL, Syzygium myrtifolium exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect, followed by other species of Syzygium . The proportion of ethyl acetate had the strongest activity (IC 50 0.40 ± 0.02 µg/mL) contrasted to positive control acarbose (IC 50 55.39 ± 0.67 g/mL) and quercitrin (IC 50 6.47 ± 0.40 µg/mL). Avicularin and 4-O-methyl gallic acid were discovered in the ethyl acetate fraction of Syzygium myrtifolium with IC 50 values of 17.05 ± 0.75 µg/mL and 25.19 ± 0.21 µg/mL, respectively. As α-glucosidase inhibitory, the results of this study indicate Syzygium myrtifolium can be used as a dietary supplement to manage hyperglycemia., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Phytogenic feed additives are products derived from plants used to improve the performance and health of animals. Nowadays, this type of phytogenic feed additive is widely used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry feed, and clove bud is one of the most effective medicinal herbs that has caught the attention of researchers., Aim: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding clove bud powder to the broiler chicken's feed on the hematological profile, biochemical parameters, lymphoid organs, and cell-mediated immunity., Method: A total of 360 unsexed chicks (Ross 308) were allotted to three groups. All chicks were raised under the same normal management conditions from 1 day to 6 weeks of age. The first group was fed a basal diet and the other two groups were assigned to add 0.5% and 1.0% of clove bud powder to the basal diet. The studied traits were total leukocyte counts (TLC), differential leukocyte counts (DLC), blood cholesterol level, blood liver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes], the weight of lymphoid organs (bursa of Fabricius and spleen), and cell-mediated immunity., Results: Despite the significant and varied changes ( p ≤ 0.05) that resulted from adding clove buds powder to the broiler feed in the second and third weeks, the results at the end of the experiment indicated that there was no negative effect of adding clove powder on the TLC and DLC, as well as the heterophils/lymphocytes ratio. In addition, feeding on a diet containing clove buds powder had no significant effect on the level of cholesterol and liver enzymes in the blood, except for (ALP), which showed a significant increase ( p ≤ 0.01) in comparison to the control group. Moreover, the results showed in the second and fifth weeks a significant increase ( p ≤ 0.05) in the relative weight of the spleen, but, in general, there were no significant effects at the end of the experiment on the relative weight of the lymphoid organs. Furthermore, the broiler chickens that consumed clove bud powder at a rate of 0.5% showed a highly significant ( p ≤ 0.01) cellular immune response., Conclusion: This study concluded that the addition of clove bud powder had no negative effect on leukocyte counts or differentiated leukocyte counts. The addition also raised the spleen weight and improved the level of blood alkane phosphatase activity and cellular immune response in broiler chickens during the growth stages., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Objectives: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections in intensive care units (ICUs), and the use of mouthwash is the most widely used method to prevent its incidence. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of clove mouthwash on the incidence of VAP in the ICU., Materials and Methods: This comparative, randomized, triple-blind, clinical trial was conducted on 168 eligible ICU patients at Kosar Hospital in Semnan, Iran, during 2021-2022, who were divided into intervention and control groups using random blocks. The intervention group received clove extract mouthwash at 6.66% concentration, and the control group received chlorhexidine 0.2% twice a day for 5 days (routine care). Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, and disease severity was measured based on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, oral health status was examined using the Beck Oral Assessment Scale (BOAS), and VAP diagnosis was made based on the Modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (MCPIS)., Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in disease severity (p = 0.412) and oral health status (p = 0.239) between the patients in the two groups. After the intervention, 20.2% of the patients in the intervention group and 41.7% of those in the control group acquired VAP. The risk of VAP was 2.06 times higher in the control group than in the intervention group (p = 0.005, 95% CI: 1.26-3.37, RR = 2.06), but the severity of VAP did not differ significantly between the patients in the two groups (p = 0.557)., Conclusion: The findings showed that clove mouthwash reduces the incidence of VAP significantly., Clinical Relevance: Clove mouthwash can be used as a simple and low-cost method to prevent VAP in ICU patients., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Sortases are extracellular transpeptidases that play an essential role in the adhesion of secreted proteins to the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. Sortases are an important drug target protein due to their involvement in synthesizing the peptidoglycan cell wall of Streptococcus pyogenes , and these are not found in Homo sapiens . In this study, initially, we have performed protein sequence analysis to understand the sequential properties of Sortase C. Next, a comparative protein modeling approach was used to predict the three-dimensional model of Sortase C based on the crystal structure of Sortase C from Streptococcus pneumoniae . Virtual screening with an in-house library of phytochemicals from Syzygium aromaticum and molecular docking studies were performed to identify the promising lead molecules. These compounds were also analyzed for their drug-like and pharmacokinetic properties. Subsequently, the protein-ligand complexes of the selected ligands were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate their dynamic behavior in physiological conditions. The global and essential dynamics analyses result implied that the Sortase C complexes of the proposed three lead candidates exhibited adequate stability during the MD simulations. Additionally, the three proposed molecules showed favorable MM/PBSA binding free energy values ranging from -13.8 +/- 9.41 to -56.6 +/- 8.82 kcal/mol. After an extensive computational investigation, we have identified three promising lead candidates (CID:13888122, CID:3694932 and CID:102445430) against Sortase C from S. pyogenes . The result obtained from these computational studies can be used to screen and develop the inhibitors against Sortase C from S. pyogenes .Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of essential oils of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on the control of Acanthoscelides obtectus in laboratory conditions. The extraction of the oils was executed by the hydro-distillation method in a Clevenger device, for 4 hours and the design used was completely randomized, with five replications, in a 10x8 factorial arrangement (dozes and exposition time) with ten concentrations (20; 10; 5; 2.5; 1.75; 0.75; 0.5; 0.25 and 0.0% and Tween® 5.0%). Each replication was comprised by 10 unsexed insects of A. obtectus. The variables evaluated are as follows: control efficiency and CL50 through the Proc Probit analysis. The evaluations were carried out in 1, 2, 3, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after the treatment. The results demonstrate that the essential oils of cloves and thyme caused 100% of mortality after 48 and 72 hours, respectively, in the 20% concentration. The Cl50 was estimated at 30.46 µL mL-1 for the oil of cloves and 24.93 µL mL-1 for the oil of thyme. The use of essential oils of cloves and thyme represent a viable alternative for use in storehouses for the integrated management of A. obtectus.

The present study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial potential of essential oils of Curcuma longa and Syzygium aromaticum against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Four identified bacterial isolates including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii were selected and their antibiotic sensitivity was checked by disc diffusion assay. C. longa and S. aromaticum were subjected to steam distillation to obtain their essential oils. The crude essential oils were fractioned by employing column chromatography. Crude essential oils and their fractions were evaluated for their antibacterial activity by agar well diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentrations were calculated. All the selected bacterial isolates showed resistance to three or more than three antibiotic groups and were declared as multidrugresistant (MDRs). Crude essential oils of C. longa and S. aromaticum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all selected isolates but S. aromaticum activity was better than the C. longa with a maximum 19.3±1.50 mm zone of inhibition against A. baumannii at 1.04 µL/mL MIC. GC/MS analysis revealed the abundance of components including eugenol, eugenyl acetate, b- caryophyllene, and a- Humulene in both crude oil and fractions of S. aromaticum. While the main components of C. longa essential oil were Ar-tumerone, a-tumerone, b- Tumerone, I-Phellandrene, a-zingibirene, b- sesquiphellandrene, and p- Cymene. This study highlights that plant-based essential oils could be a promising alternative to antibiotics for which pathogens have developed resistance. C. longa and S. aromaticum carry compounds that have antimicrobial potential against multiple drug-resistant bacteria including MRSA. E. coli, K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii.

Syzygium travancoricum Gamble popularly known as "Kulavettimaram" or "Kulirmaavu" is a least explored endemic endangered taxa of Southern Western Ghats, Kerala. The species is often misidentified due to its close resemblance with allied species and no other studies have been reported on the anatomical and histochemical characters of this species. This article aims to evaluate the anatomical and histochemical characteristics of various vegetative parts of S. travancoricum. Anatomical and histochemical characters of bark, stem, and leaf were analyzed using standard microscopic and histochemical procedures. S. travancoricum possessed distinct anatomical characters such as, paracytic stomata, arc shaped midrib vasculature, continuous sclerenchymatous sheath around the midrib vascular region, single layer of adaxial palisade layer, presence of druses, and quadrangular cross section contour of stem which could be combined with additional morphological and phytochemical characteristics, relevant for species identification. The bark showed the presence of lignified cells, isolated groups of fibers and sclereids, starch depositions and druses. Stem has quadrangular outline with well-defined periderm. The petiole and the leaf blade have abundance of oil glands and druses with paracytic stomata. The anatomical and histochemical characterization are potential tools for the delineation of confusing taxa and provide substantial evidence to their quality control., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Encapsulated phytochemicals with augmented therapeutic and nutritional characteristics have become promising alternatives to antimicrobials in the poultry industry. Hence, our key target was to explore the efficacy of liposomal encapsulation, as a novel carrier, for essential oils (LEOs) on growth, digestibility, intestinal microbiota, and bacterial metabolites of broiler chickens. Moreover, the impact of encapsulated EOs on transcription mechanisms targeting the genes encoding digestive enzymes, gut barrier functions and antioxidant potential of broiler chickens was evidenced. Four equal broiler groups were fed 4 basal diets fortified with LEOs (oregano, cinnamon, and clove) at the levels of 0, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg diet. Our findings revealed significant improvement in body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of birds fed higher levels of LEOs. These results came concurrently with increasing the activities of digestive enzymes at both serum and molecular levels and consequently nutrient digestibility (dry matter, ether extract, crude protein, and crude fiber) in these groups. Remarkably, the abundance of beneficial bacteria as well as the bacterial metabolites (valeric acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, acetic acid, and total short-chain fatty acids) was increased, while that of pathogenic ones was reduced following dietary inclusion of LEOs. Of note, the mRNA expression of genes encoding antioxidant stability [catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX-1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)] as well as barrier functions [mucin-2 (MUC-2)] and tight junction proteins, TJP [junctional adhesion molecule-2 (JAM-2) and occludin] were noticeably upregulated in broilers fortified with 400 mg/kg diet of LEOs. Overall, the present work recommended dietary inclusion of LEOs as beneficial additives for attaining targeted performance, gut health and antioxidant stability in poultry farming., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Premise: Continental-scale leaf trait studies can help explain how plants survive in different environments, but large data sets are costly to assemble at this scale. Automating the measurement of digitized herbarium collections could rapidly expand the data available to such studies. We used machine learning to identify and measure leaves from existing, digitized herbarium specimens. The process was developed, validated, and applied to analyses of relationships between leaf size and climate within and among species for two genera: Syzygium (Myrtaceae) and Ficus (Moraceae)., Methods: Convolutional neural network (CNN) models were used to detect and measure complete leaves in images. Predictions of a model trained with a set of 35 randomly selected images and a second model trained with 35 user-selected images were compared using a set of 50 labeled validation images. The validated models were then applied to 1227 Syzygium and 2595 Ficus specimens digitized by the National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australia. Leaf area measurements were made for each genus and used to examine links between leaf size and climate., Results: The user-selected training method for Syzygium found more leaves (9347 vs. 8423) using fewer training masks (218 vs. 225), and found leaves with a greater range of sizes than the random image training method. Within each genus, leaf size was positively associated with temperature and rainfall, consistent with previous observations. However, within species, the associations between leaf size and environmental variables were weaker., Conclusions: CNNs detected and measured leaves with levels of accuracy useful for trait extraction and analysis and illustrate the potential for machine learning of herbarium specimens to massively increase global leaf trait data sets. Within-species relationships were weak, suggesting that population history and gene flow have a strong effect at this level. Herbarium specimens and machine learning could expand sampling of trait data within many species, offering new insights into trait evolution., (© 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America.)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China, in early December 2019 is a censorious global emergency after World War II. Research on the coronavirus uncovered essential information that aided in the development of the vaccine, and specific coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines were later developed and were approved for usage in humans. But then, mutations in the coronavirus gave rise to new variants and questioned the vaccine's efficacy against them. On the other hand, the investigation of traditional medicine was also on its path to find a novel outcome against COVID-19. On a comparative analysis between India and the United States, India had low death rate and high recovery rate than the latter. The dietary regulation of immunity may be the factor that makes the above difference. The immunity gained from the regular diet of Indian culture nourishes Indian people with essential phytochemicals that support immunity and metabolism. Dietary phytochemicals or nutraceuticals possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties, out of which our concern will be on immune-boosting phytochemicals from our daily nutritional supplements. In several case studies, dietary substance like lemon, ginger, and spinach was reported in the recovery of COVID-19 patients. Thus in this review, we discuss coronavirus and its available variants, vaccines, and the effect of nutraceuticals against the coronavirus. Further, we denote that the immunity of the Indian population may be high because of their diet, which adds natural phytochemicals to boost their immunity and metabolism., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The application of plant essential oil liposomes to prevent and control food safety risks caused by Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) still faces challenges such as lack of targeting and low release rate. Here, a bacteria-targeted and protease-activated antibacterial liposome (ACCLPs) was successfully synthesized through encapsulation of clove essential oil (CEO) by film dispersion method, embedding of casein by freeze-thaw method, and conjugation of C. jejuni antibody on the liposome membrane by post-insertion method. The average particle size, the essential oil encapsulation rate, the casein mosaic rate, and the antibody coupling efficiency of ACCLPs were determined as185.87 nm,16.9%,70.1% and 87.5%, respectively. The modification with C. jejuni antibody could significantly improve the targeting of ACCLPs to C. jejuni. Controlled release experiments showed that the exocrine protease from C. jejuni could hydrolyze the embedded casein and perforation on the ACCLPs, thus leading to a bacteria-dependent CEO release and significant prolonging the antibacterial effects of ACCLPs. Application results of ACCLPs on C. jejuni-contaminated foods showed that ACCLPs could effectively inhibit C. jejuni in a variety of meat products, fruits and vegetables and extend their shelf life without significantly affecting food quality. The results above in this work would provide a new view for the development of high efficient liposome-based antibacterial system of plant essential oil., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effect of dietary supplementation of Ethiopian pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and their composite on nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, carcass yield, and meat microbiology were investigated in a 52-day boiler feeding trial. Three hundred and sixty unsexed Ross broilers were used for the study. Four experimental diets were formulated for the starter (0-28 days) and finisher (29-56 days) phases: diet 1 was the control without phytogenic supplementation, diet 2 (supplemented with 1% Ethiopian pepper (EP)), diet 3 (supplemented with 1% clove (CL)), and diet 4 (supplemented with 1% mix of equal quantity (0.5% each) of Ethiopian pepper and clove (EPCL)). Each treatment was replicated 6 times with 15 birds per replicate. Nutrient digestibility was determined on days 28 and 56, gut microflora was determined for the small intestine and caecum on day 56, carcass yield, organ weights, and meat microbiology were also determined on day 56. Data obtained were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance using SAS 2000 and significant means were separated using Tukey's test in the same software. At day 28, broilers fed the diet supplemented EPCL had the highest (P < 0.05) dry matter digestibility (DMD, 86.81%) crude protein digestibility (CPD, 71.28%), and ash digestibility (64.24%). Broilers fed EP supplemented diet had reduced (P < 0.05) DMD (70.50%). Increased (P < 0.05) ether extract digestibility (EED) was observed for broilers fed the diet supplemented CL (75.27%) and EPCL (76.43%). Ash digestibility (AD) was lowest (P < 0.05) for broilers fed control diet (50.30%). At day 56, broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and those fed the EPCL supplemented diet had higher (P < 0.05) CPD (78.07%, 79.35%) and EED (70.20%, 71.42%) than other treatments. Ash digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) for broilers fed diet supplemented EPCL (74.60%) than other treatments. Intestinal clostridium count reduced (P < 0.05) and lactobacillus count increased (P < 0.05) in the intestine and caecum of broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and those fed EPCL supplemented diet. Intestinal coliform and salmonella count reduced (P < 0.05) for broilers fed the diet supplemented EP and those fed the EPCL supplemented diet. Dietary supplementation of EPCL resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) body weight (BW, 2551.38 g), dressing percentage (DP, 81.68%), and percentage of breast muscle (20.01%). Supplementation of EP, CL, and EPCL in the diet of broilers resulted in higher (P < 0.05) spleen weight while dietary supplementation of EP and EPCL resulted in higher (P < 0.05) thymus weight. Clostridium count was reduced (P < 0.05) in the meat of broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and EPCL and the lowest (P < 0.05) salmonella count was observed in the meat of broilers fed the diet supplemented with EPCL. In conclusion, the current study reveals that dietary supplementation with EP and CL composite improves nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, and dressing percentage with reduced meat microbial load of broilers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The present study is the first to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial and larvicidal activities of the essential oils from the leaves of Syzygium attopeuense (Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry and Syzygium tonkinense (Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry collected in Vietnam. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The study indicated the presence of a high percentage of sesquiterpenes in both investigated essential oils. The major components of S. attopeuense essential oil were bicyclogermacrene (24.26%), (E)-caryophyllene (11.72%), and (E)-β-ocimene (6.75%), whereas S. tonkinense essential oil was dominated by (E)-caryophyllene (80.80%). The antimicrobial activity of essential oils was evaluated by broth microdilution assay to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and median inhibitory concentration (IC50). Both essential oils exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against all tested Gram-positive bacteria and yeast than Gram-negative bacteria. Among them, essential oils of S. attopeuense and S. tonkinense possessed the strongest activity against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 4.00 μg/mL; IC50 = 1.69 μg/mL) and Candida albicans (MIC = 16.00 μg/mL; IC50 = 8.67 μg/mL), respectively. Furthermore, the larvicidal activity of essential oils was tested using fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Results from the larvicidal test revealed that both essential oils had an excellent inhibitory effect against A. aegypti larvae with LC50 values from 25.55 to 30.18 μg/mL and LC90 values from 33.00 to 39.01 μg/mL. Our findings demonstrate that the essential oil extracted from S. attopeuense and S. tonkinense are potential sources of natural antimicrobials and can act as inexpensive mosquito larvicidal agents.

It was investigated the microbial protection of corn tortilla, traditional Mexican food with high acceptance, for food safety. We elaborated a functional film (FF) prepared with 0.4% (w/v) gellan gum, 2% (w/v) citrus pectin, 0.5% (w/v) glycerol, 0.0003% (w/v) natamycin, 0.03% (v/v) essential clove oils, and 0.1% (v/v) tween 80. The FF impeded the growth of indicator microorganisms in corn tortilla medium: Staphylococcus aureus (i.e., 35 °C, 50% RH, 7 days) and Candida parapsilosis (i.e., 27 °C, 42% RH, 7 days; and 9 °C, 95% RH, 30 days). In packaged artisanal corn tortilla storage at 22 °C and 50% RH for 30 days, the FF-treatments showed 5.5 log CFU/g total aerobes and 4.8 log CFU/g yeasts and moulds, being two and three logs lower than the concentrations recorded in the controls with no film, respectively. Some physical-mechanical properties of FF were Young's modulus, 500 MPa; elongation at break, 10%; stress at break, 18.5 MPa; oxygen permeability, 4 × 10 -13  g m Pa -1 s -1 m -2 ; and water vapour permeability, 4.8 × 10 -11  g m Pa -1 s -1 m -2 . Also, the sensory evaluation of wrapped tortilla suggested no negative effects. The obtained results envisage potential food-packaging applications with the elaborated films., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by insulin deficiency due to the destruction of pancreatic β cells, leading to hyperglycemia, which in turn induces vascular complications. In the current study, we investigated the effect of intraperitoneal administration of clove essential oil (CEO: 20 mg/kg body weight) on certain oxidative stress and glucose metabolism enzymes, as well as the expression of proinflammatory mediators. Administration of CEO to diabetic rats showed a significant decline in blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, and xanthine oxidase, compared to the streptozotocin group. Furthermore, these treated rats elicited a notable attenuation in the levels of lipid peroxides, and thiols groups in both liver and brain tissues. The activities of antioxidant and metabolic enzymes were reverted to normality in diabetic upon CEO administration. In addition to its protective effects on red blood cell hemolysis, CEO is a potent α-amylase inhibitor with an IC 50 =298.0±2.75 μg/mL. Also, treatment of diabetic rats with CEO significantly reduced the iNOS expression in the spleen. Our data showed that CEO has potential beneficial effects on diabetes, which can possibly prevent the pathogenesis of diabetic micro- and macrovascular complications., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the responses of broiler chickens to in ovo injection of aqueous extracts of clove and cinnamon under a hot-humid environment. The study involved the use of seven hundred hatching eggs from broilers (Ross 308) which were incubated with the use of standard protocol (37.8°C). The incubating eggs (100 each) were randomly selected and assigned to 7 treatments on day 17.5 of incubation, viz.: un-injected eggs (UE), eggs injected with 0.5 mL distilled water (DW), 2 mg clove (CL2), 4 mg clove (CL4), 2 mg cinnamon (CN2), 4 mg cinnamon (CN4), and 3 mg ascorbic acid (AA).Data on physiological parameters, hatchability, chick quality, and anatomical characteristics of the chicks were collected and analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The results obtained revealed that the hatchability of eggs of AA and CN2 was higher compared to DW and UE. However, the hatchability of DW and UE was higher than those of CN4. The total chick quality scores of the control were similar to the other groups. Chick weights at hatch were similar in CL2, CN2, and AA but heavier than CN4, CL4, UE, and DW. The chick-to-egg ratio in AA was comparable to CL2 and CN2 but higher than UE, DW, CN4, and CL4. Total scores for chick quality of AA birds were similar to those of UE, CL2, and CL4 birds but higher than DW, CN2, and CN4 birds., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two enantiomeric pairs of macrocyclic acylphloroglucinols (1a/1b and 2a/2b) with an unprecedented carbon skeleton featuring a bicyclo[12.3.1]octadecane core, together with an undescribed biogenetically related long-chain acylphloroglucinol (3), were isolated from Syzygium szemaoense. Their structures were fully established by spectroscopic method, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and ECD calculation. Compounds 1b and 2a/2b exhibited inhibition against death-associated protein kinase-related apoptosis inducing protein kinase 2 (DRAK2) and ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Plant extracts and essential oils are considered alternatives to synthetic chemicals with toxic effects on insects and mites. Acaricidal, repellent, and oviposition effects of commercially available essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae) and Syzygium aromaticum (L.) (Myrtaceae) were investigated in this study on Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), one of the main pests in agriculture, on two host plant species using leaf disc bioassays. O. vulgare essential oil showed higher toxicity to T. urticae protonymphs and adult females inhabiting both bean and tomato leaves than S. aromaticum essential oil. The LC 50 values of O. vulgare essential oil were found to be 1.67 and 2.05 µl L -1 air for the bean populations in protonymphs and adult females and 1.87 and 3.07 µl L -1 air for the tomato populations, respectively. Five percent concentration of S. aromaticum essential oil had the highest repellent effect on the bean population of T. urticae after 1, 24, and 48 h, resulting in 61.22%, 40.81%, and 18% repellence, respectively. Although O. vulgare showed higher toxic effects, S. aromaticum was a better repellent against the bean population of T. urticae . The mortality rates of adult females of T. urticae treated with either O. vulgare or S. aromaticum essential oil increased with the increasing concentration and time on both host plants. Both essential oils caused a decrease in egg number and larvae hatching in both bean and tomato populations of T. urticae . In the light of the results obtained, O. vulgare and S. aromatium essential oils have the potential to be used in the control programs against T. urticae in both host plants., Competing Interests: The author declares there are no competing interests., (©2023 Susurluk.)

There is a tremendous increase in the development of alternative food packaging materials which are functional, environment-friendly, and can improve the shelf-life of food products. One such possible approach is to develop biopolymer-based active films loaded with antimicrobial essential oils. In the present study, pearl millet starch (PMS) films reinforced with kudzu cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) stabilized Pickering emulsions of clove bud oil (CBO) were developed as active and sustainable packaging material. Active nanocomposite films were prepared by blending PMS with Pickering emulsions of CBO at 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt% conc. Using the solution casting method. Overall, active nanocomposite films displayed improved thermal, mechanical, and water barrier properties, with an optimum CBO-Pickering emulsion concentration of 1.5 %. CBO and PMS films showed strong chemical interactions, which significantly improved the mechanical resistance of the film. Further, SEM showed the appearance of micro-porous holes in the films because of partial evaporation on the cryo-fractured surface due to the vacuum condition. In addition, films exhibited antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with a rate response from increasing CBO Pickering emulsion concentration from 0.5 to 2 %. E. coli and S. aureus exhibited an inhibition zone ranging from 10.5 to 2.15 mm and 11.2 to 22.1 mm. This study suggests that PMS starch and kudzu CNCs-based active nanocomposite films loaded with CBO-Pickering emulsions have good potential to develop active and sustainable packaging materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)