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Novel bio-based nanocomposites were developed as carriers for loading and sustained-release of vanillin (Van.) and cinnamaldehyde (Cinn.) antioxidants. The composites were obtained by intercalation of chitosan (CS) into sodium montmorillonite (CS/Mt), incorporation of chitosan with polyaniline (CS/PANI) and chitosan/polyaniline/exfoliated montmorillonite (CS/PANI/Mt). The structure and morphology of composites were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and TEM. The release data of Van. and Cinn. from CS and CS/Mt obeyed well zero-order equation. However, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models fitted well the release data from CS/PANI and CS/Mt composites. Their antifungal activity was examined towards Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium debaryanum. In vitro assay, CS, Cinn., Van., CS/PANI and CS/PANI/Cinn., have a strong inhibitory effect on the linear growth of the target pathogens, even at lower concentrations. Greenhouse assay indicated that seedling treatment by the loaded CS/PANI/Cinn and CS/Mt/Cinn. reduced both disease index and disease incidence parameters of both pathogens and possessed seedlings growth promoting potential of tomato compared to untreated-infected controls., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dengue fever is one of the most severe viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with traditional approaches of disease control proving insufficient to prevent significant disease burden. Release of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes offers a promising alternative control methodologies; Wolbachia-transinfected female Aedes aegypti demonstrate reduced dengue virus transmission, whilst Wolbachia-transinfected males cause zygotic lethality when crossed with uninfected females, providing a method for suppressing mosquito populations. Although highly promising, the delicate nature of population control strategies and differences between local species populations means that controlled releases of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes cannot be performed without extensive testing on specific local Ae. aegypti populations. In order to investigate the potential for using Wolbachia to suppress local Ae. aegypti populations in Taiwan, we performed lab-based and semi-field fitness trials. We first transinfected the Wolbachia strain wAlbB into a local Ae. aegypti population (wAlbB-Tw) and found no significant changes in lifespan, fecundity and fertility when compared to controls. In the laboratory, we found that as the proportion of released male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia was increased, population suppression could reach up to 100%. Equivalent experiments in semi-field experiments found suppression rates of up to 70%. The release of different ratios of wAlbB-Tw males in the semi-field system provided an estimate of the optimal size of male releases. Our results indicate that wAlbB-Tw has significant potential for use in vector control strategies aimed at Ae. aegypti population suppression in Taiwan. Open field release trials are now necessary to confirm that wAlbB-Tw mediated suppression is feasible in natural environments., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a group of bacteria that can increase plant growth; but due to unfavorable environmental conditions, PGPR are biologically unstable and their survival rates in soil are limited. Therefore, the suitable application of PGPR as a plant growth stimulation is one of the significant challenges in agriculture. This study presents an intelligent formulation based on Bacillus velezensis VRU1 encapsulation enriched with nanoparticles that was able to control Rhizoctonia solani on the bean. The spherical structure of the capsule was observed based on the Scanning Electron Microscope image. Results indicated that with increasing gelatin concentration, the swelling ratio and moisture content were increased; and since the highest encapsulation efficiency and bacterial release were observed at a gelatin concentration of 1.5%, this concentration was considered in mixture with alginate for encapsulation. The application of this formulation which is based on encapsulation and nanotechnology appears to be a promising technique to deliver PGPR in soil and is more effective for plants.

Aspergillus flavus is a toxigenic fungal colonizer of fruits and cereals and may produce one of the most important mycotoxins from a food safety perspective, aflatoxins. Therefore, its growth and mycotoxin production should be effectively avoided to protect consumers' health. Among the safe and green antifungal strategies that can be applied in the field, biocontrol is a recent and emerging strategy that needs to be explored. Yeasts are normally good biocontrol candidates to minimize mold-related hazards and their modes of action are numerous, one of them being the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To this end, the influence of VOCs produced by Hanseniaspora opuntiae L479 and Hanseniaspora uvarum L793 on growth, expression of the regulatory gene of the aflatoxin pathway ( aflR) and mycotoxin production by A. flavus for 21 days was assessed. The results showed that both yeasts, despite producing different kinds of VOCs, had a similar effect on inhibiting growth, mycotoxin biosynthetic gene expression and phenotypic toxin production overall at the mid-incubation period when their synthesis was the greatest. Based on the results, both yeast strains, H. opuntiae L479 and H. uvarum L793, are potentially suitable as a biopreservative agents for inhibiting the growth of A. flavus and reducing aflatoxin accumulation.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been successfully applied as biological control agents against above ground and soil stages of insect pests. However, for commercial application, it is crucial to mass culture these nematodes using in vitro liquid culture technology, as it is not attainable when using susceptible insects as hosts. Lobesia vanillana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is regarded a sporadic pest of wine grapes in South Africa. The in vivo- and in vitro-cultured South African EPNs, Steinernema yirgalemense and Steinernema jeffreyense (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), were evaluated against larvae and pupae of L. vanillana in laboratory bioassays. For larvae, high mortality was observed for all treatments: In vitro-cultured S. yirgalemense (98%) performed better than S. jeffreyense (73%), while within in vivo cultures, there was no difference between nematode species (both 83%). No significant difference was detected between in vivo- and in vitro cultures of the same nematode species. The LD50 of the in vitro-cultured S. yirgalemense, was 7.33 nematodes per larva. Mortality by infection was established by dissecting L. vanillana cadavers and confirming the presence of nematodes, which was > 90% for all treatments. Within in vitro cultures, both S. yirgalemense and S. jeffreyense were able to produce a new cohort of infective juveniles from L. vanillana larvae. Pupae, however, were found to be considerably less susceptible to EPN infection. This is the first study on the use of EPNs to control L. vanillana. The relative success of in vitro-cultured EPN species in laboratory assays, without any loss in pathogenicity, is encouraging for further research and development of this technology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Tobacco bacterial wilt (TBW) is seriously damages the growth of tobacco. There is an urgent need to find a safer and more effective measure to control TBW. In this study, B. amyloliquefaciens ZM9 and marigold powder were applied to the tobacco roots alone or in combination, and the potential inhibition of TBW was assessed. On the other hand, the effects of these treatments on soil physicochemical properties, rhizosphere microbial community and soil metabolites were also evaluated. The results showed that the application of B. amyloliquefaciens ZM9 or marigold powder alone significantly reduced the abundance of R. solanacearum in rhizosphere soil, while the integrated treatment showed the strongest inhibitory effect. Moreover, the integrated treatment can inhibit the secretion of chemoattractants, and affect the change of rhizosphere soil microbial composition. In conclusion, the combination of antagonistic bacteria agent B. amyloliquefaciens ZM9 with marigold powder can enhance the suppression of TBW. Furthermore, B. amyloliquefaciens ZM9 and marigold have synergistic effects on suppressing TBW by regulation soil physicochemical properties, soil metabolites and microbial structure. This study provide a promising strategy for TBW control by integrated applying of B. amyloliquefaciens ZM9 and marigold powder., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ), a natural pathogen of different invertebrates, primarily insects, is widely used as a biological control agent. While Bt -based preparations are claimed to be safe for non-target organisms due to the immense host specificity of the bacterium, the growing evidence witnesses the distant consequences of their application for natural communities. For instance, upon introduction to soil habitats, Bt strains can affect indigenous microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, and further establish complex relationships with local plants, ranging from a mostly beneficial demeanor, to pathogenesis-like plant colonization. By exerting a direct effect on target insects, Bt can indirectly affect other organisms in the food chain. Furthermore, they can also exert an off-target activity on various soil and terrestrial invertebrates, and the frequent acquisition of virulence factors unrelated to major insecticidal toxins can extend the Bt host range to vertebrates, including humans. Even in the absence of direct detrimental effects, the exposure to Bt treatment may affect non-target organisms by reducing prey base and its nutritional value, resulting in delayed alleviation of their viability. The immense phenotypic plasticity of Bt strains, coupled with the complexity of ecological relationships they can engage in, indicates that further assessment of future Bt -based pesticides' safety should consider multiple levels of ecosystem organization and extend to a wide variety of their inhabitants.

Bacillus genus produces several secondary metabolites with biocontrol ability against various phytopathogens. Bacillus velezensis AK-0 (AK-0), an antagonistic strain isolated from Korean ginseng rhizospheric soil, was found to exhibit antagonistic activity against several phytopathogens. To further display the genetic mechanism of the biocontrol traits of AK-0, we report the complete genome sequence of AK-0 and compared it with complete genome sequences of closely related strains. We report the biocontrol activity of AK-0 against apple bitter rot caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, which could lead to commercialization of this strain as a microbial biopesticide in Korea. To retain its biocontrol efficacy for a longer period, AK-0 has been formulated with ingredients for commercialization, named AK-0 product formulation (AK-0PF). AK-0PF played a role in the suppression of the mycelial growth of the fungicide-resistant pathogen C. gloeosporioides YCHH4 at a greater level than the non-treated control. Moreover, AK-0PF exhibited greater disease suppression of bitter rot in matured under field conditions. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the AK-0 strain, which has a 3,969,429 bp circular chromosome with 3808 genes and a G+C content of 46.5%. The genome sequence of AK-0 provides a greater understanding of the Bacillus species, which displays biocontrol activity via secondary metabolites. The genome has eight potential secondary metabolite biosynthetic clusters, among which, ituD and bacD genes were expressed at a greater level than other genes. This work provides a better understanding of the strain AK-0, as an effective biocontrol agent (BCA) against phytopathogens, including bitter rot in apple.

Background: Gastrointestinal parasites like nematodes are associated with significant impacts on animal health, causing poor growth rates, diseases and even death. Traditional parasite control includes the use of anthelmintic drugs, albeit being associated with drug resistance and ecotoxicity. In the last decade, biological control of parasites using nematophagous or predatory fungi has been increasingly studied, although systematic evidence of its efficacy is still lacking. The aim of this work was to assess the evidence of efficacy of nematophagous fungi in the control of nematodes and other gastrointestinal parasites in different animal species., Methods: Using the PICO method (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes), we performed a systematic review on the subject to search for original papers published between January 2006 and October 2019, written in English, and indexed in PubMed/Medline. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were used in the syntax. Papers were selected for detailed review based on title and abstract. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and relevant data were collected from the remaining papers., Results: The literature search retrieved 616 papers. Eighty-nine were submitted to a detailed review. In the end, 53 papers were included in the analysis. The studies were very heterogeneous, using different fungi, doses, frequency of administration, duration of treatment, host animals, and target parasites. Considering the 53 papers, 44 studies (83 % of the interventions) showed efficacy, with only 9 studies (17 %) showing no significant differences when compared to control., Conclusion: With the increasing hazards of drug resistance and ecotoxicity, biological control with predatory fungi stands out as a good tool for future parasite management, whether as a complementary treatment or as an alternative to standard parasite control., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to screen potential lotus plant endophytic bacterial isolate for effective inhibition against lotus rot causing fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum., Methods and Results: In this study, endophytic bacteria were isolated from lotus tissues and tested for antagonistic activities against the pathogenic fungus F. oxysporum. Among the putative endophytic Bacillus strains identified, suspensions of the strain B-36 showed the highest inhibition rate against F. oxysporum growth. Pot assays indicated that B-36 was effective in controlling F. oxysporum-inducing lotus rot. However, the control efficiency varied with the inoculation method and concentration, where injection of 800 μl B-36 suspension per plant (2 × 10 8  CFU per ml) into stems showed the highest control efficiencies of 77·1 and 60·0% for pre-inoculation and post-inoculation. In addition, the colonizing population levels (CPLs) of B-36 on lotus also varied with the inoculation method and concentration, with the highest CPLs, that is, 3·05 and 2·83 log(CFU per gram), being observed on lotus leaves and stems respectively for stem injection of 200 μl per plant. Moreover B-36 showed no noticeable effects on lotus seed germination rate or seedling growth. Finally, B-36 was characterized as Bacillus velezensis based on its morphology, Gram-positive characteristics, as well as its 16S rDNA and gyrB sequences., Conclusion: The isolate B-36 can be applied as a biocontrol agent against F. oxysporum-inducing lotus rot., Significance of Impact of the Study: The soil-borne fungus F. oxysporum causes lotus rot and severe yield loss, and currently available control methods are very limited. Here we identify a new promising biocontrol agent against lotus rot caused by F. oxysporum., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) severely affect plants growth and productivity, and several commercial biocontrol bacteria can improve plants resistance to RKNs. Pseudomonas putida Sneb821 isolate was found to induce tomatoes resistance against Meloidogyne incognita . However, the molecular functions behind induced resistance remains unclear. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is considered to be a new component that regulates the molecular functions of plant immunity. We found lncRNA was involved in Sneb821-induced tomato resistance to M. incognita . Compared with tomato inoculated with M. incognita , high-throughput sequencing showed that 43 lncRNAs were upregulated, while 35 lncRNAs were downregulated in tomatoes previously inoculated with Sneb821. A regulation network of lncRNAs was constructed, and the results indicated that 12 lncRNAs were found to act as sponges of their corresponding miRNAs. By using qRT-PCR and the overexpression vector pBI121, we found the expression of lncRNA44664 correlated with miR396/GRFs (growth-regulating factors) and lncRNA48734 was correlated with miR156/SPL (squamosal promoter-binding protein-like) transcription factors. These observations provided a novel molecular model in biocontrol bacteria-induced tomato resistance to M. incognita .

Despite being the fastest growing sector, the modern aquaculture industry faces serious challenges such as the lack of protein source in feed, the susceptibility to pathogens, and deterioration in quality during culture and storage. Bacterial biomass is considered as a proper protein source for feed, and the beneficial bacterial species protect aquatic animals from infection or reduce spoilage of products. In this review, we summarized the application of beneficial bacteria to aquatic products, focusing mainly on the nutritional, anti-pathogenic, anti-spoilage and immunoregulatory functions of these bacteria. We then discussed the relationship between beneficial bacteria, intestinal microbiota and host immunity, and the recent progress and drawbacks of the technology., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Vegetables are one of the important crops which could alleviate poverty and malnutrition among the smallholder farmers in tropical Asia and Africa. However, a plethora of pests limit the productivity of these crops, leading to economic losses. Vegetable producers overwhelmingly rely on chemical pesticides in order to reduce pest-caused economic losses. However, over-reliance on chemical pesticides poses serious threats to human and environmental health. Hence, biopesticides offer a viable alternative to chemical pesticides in sustainable pest management programs. Baculoviruses such as nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) and granulovirus (GV) have been exploited as successful biological pesticides in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Maruca vitrata multiple nucleocapsid NPV (MaviMNPV) was found to be a unique baculovirus specifically infecting pod borer on food legumes, and it has been successfully developed as a biopesticide in Asia and Africa. Entomopathogenic fungi also offer sustainable pest management options. Several strains of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana have been tested and developed as biopesticides in Asia and Africa. This review specifically focuses on the discovery and development of entomopathogenic virus and fungi-based biopesticides against major pests of vegetable legumes and brassicas in Asia and Africa. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The probiotic activity of 15 bacterial isolates that inhibit Saprolegnia parasitica in vitro was tested for the biocontrol of saprolegniosis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), adding the bacteria to tank water for 14 days at a concentration of 10 6 bacteria ml -1 water. Pseudomonas fluorescens LE89 and Pseudomonas fluorescens LE141 were effective in controlling experimental infection with S. parasitica since of the fish treated with LE89, 24.5% ± 16.27% (p < 0.05) became infected, as did 42.8% ± 8.41% (p < 0.05) of those treated with LE141. Given their protective effect when administered in water, their effect was also studied when administered in feed before and after experimental infection. Both bacterial isolates survived low pH levels and the action of bile, grew in skin and intestinal mucus, were resistant to several antibiotics and survived in feed; however, neither of the two isolates prevented S. parasitica infection when administered in feed., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The phylloplane yeast Pseudozyma antarctica secretes an esterase, named PaE, and xylanase when cultivated with xylose. We previously observed that the lipophilic layer of Micro-Tom tomato leaves became thinner after the culture filtrate treatment. The leaves developed reduced water-holding ability and became wilted. In this study, the purified enzymes were spotted on Micro-Tom leaves. PaE, but not xylanase, thinned the lipophilic layer of leaves and decreased leaf resistance to the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Disease severity increased significantly in detached leaves and potted plants treated with the culture filtrate and B. cinerea spores compared with those treated with inactivated enzyme and B. cinerea alone. Spore germination ratios, numbers of penetrating fungal hyphae in the leaves, and fungal DNA contents also increased significantly on the detached leaves. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), a serious invasive alien weed in Europe and North America, also became susceptible to infection by the rust pathogen Puccinia polygoni-amphibii var. tovariae following the culture filtrate treatment. The culture filtrate treatment increased disease development in plants induced by both phytopathogenic fungi. Our results suggest that P. antarctica culture filtrate could be used as an adjuvant for sustainable biological weed control using phytopathogenic fungi.

Drosophila suzukii or spotted wing Drosophila is an economically important pest which can have a devastating impact on soft and stone fruit industries. Biological pesticides are being sought as alternatives to synthetic chemicals to control this invasive pest, but many are subject to degradation either in the environment or in the insect gut and as a result require protection. In this study we identified a sharp change in pH of the adult midgut from neutral to acidic (pH <3), which we then exploited to develop poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) microcapsules that respond to the change in midgut pH by dissolution and release of their cargo for uptake into the insect. First, we used labelled solid poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles to show that microcapsules with a diameter less than 15 μm are readily ingested by the adult insect. To encapsulate water-soluble biological species in an aqueous continuous phase, a multiple emulsion template was used as a precursor for the synthesis of pH-responsive P2VP microcapsules with a fluorescent (FITC-dextran) cargo. The water-soluble agent was initially separated from the aqueous continuous phase by an oil barrier, which was subsequently polymerised. The P2VP microcapsules were stable at pH > 6, but underwent rapid dissolution at pH < 4.2. In vivo studies showed that the natural acidity of the midgut of D. suzukii also induced the breakdown of the responsive P2VP microcapsules to release FITC-dextran which was taken up into the body of the insect and accumulated in the renal tubules., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

A series of placebo-controlled trials were conducted in horses, cattle and goats in different seasons and bioclimatic regions of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, to evaluate the ability of BioWorma®, a feed supplement containing the spores of Duddingtonia flagrans IAH 1297, to reduce the larval development of parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and their subsequent migration from faeces onto the surrounding pasture. In each trial, faeces were collected from animals harbouring a burden of nematode parasites following a period of supplementation with a placebo and again after supplementation with BioWorma. The faeces were manually placed onto pasture plots at one or two distinct geographical sites and the effect of treatment was determined by subsequent monitoring the numbers of parasitic larvae on the pasture surrounding the faecal pats at two weekly intervals over an eight week period. The results for these studies showed that administration of BioWorma at a minimum daily dose of 3 × 10 4 spores/kg bodyweight reduced parasite larvae in the pasture surrounding the faeces by 53-99 % over an eight week post treatment period in horses, cattle and goats in a range of bioclimatic zones and in different seasons. Overall, the studies with BioWorma show substantial reductions in GIN infectivity of pasture surrounding faeces of treated horses, cattle and goats (P < 0.05). Results indicate that the use of BioWorma in these host species would lead to decreased levels of GIN infection in animals grazing pasture when this product is used and would provide an alternative means of controlling parasitic nematodes., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis ( Bti ) has been widely and solely used against floodwater mosquitoes, mostly Aedes vexans , for 36 years in the Upper Rhine Valley by the German Mosquito Control Association. During this period, almost 5,000 tons of Bti formulations were applied to an area of approximately 400,000 ha. To investigate a possible resistance development after such a long-term and widespread application of Bti , the susceptibility of Ae. vexans larvae to Bti in 3 untreated (Lake Constance) and 6 treated areas on both sides of the Rhine within the Upper Rhine Valley was assessed by bioassays following World Health Organization guidelines. Comparing log-probit analyses, it was shown that neither the median lethal concentration (LC 50 values) nor slopes of the probit lines of bioassays of the larvae deriving from treated and untreated areas showed significant differences. These results have been confirmed by resistance ratios, which varied from 0.80 to 1.12 in all tests. The results provided the evidence that no restistance in the target species Ae. vexans has developed in the areas of the Upper Rhine Valley, despite the large-scale use of Bti for 36 years.

The chewing lice (Mallophaga) are common parasites of different animals. Most of them infest terrestrial and marine birds, including pigeons, doves, swans, cormorants and penguins. Mallophaga have not been found on marine mammals but only on terrestrial ones, including livestock and pets. Their bites damage cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultry, causing itch and scratch and arousing phthiriasis and dermatitis. Notably, Mallophaga can vector important parasites, such as the filarial heartworm Sarconema eurycerca. Livestock losses due to chewing lice are often underestimated, maybe because farmers notice the presence of the biting lice only when the infestation is too high. In this review, we examined current knowledge on the various strategies available for Mallophaga control. The effective management of their populations has been obtained through the employ of several synthetic insecticides. However, pesticide overuse led to serious concerns for human health and the environment. Natural enemies of Mallophaga are scarcely studied. Their biological control with predators and parasites has not been explored yet. However, the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae has been reported as effective in vitro and in vivo experiments against Damalinia bovis infestation on cattle. Furthermore, different Bacillus thuringiensis preparations have been tested against Mallophaga, the most effective were B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki, kenyae and morrisoni. Lastly, plant-borne insecticides have been evaluated against Mallophaga. Tested products mainly contained bioactive principles from two Meliaceae, Azadirachta indica, and Carapa guianensis. High efficacy of neem-borne preparations was reported, leading to the development of several products currently marketed. Overall, our review highlighted that our knowledge about Mallophaga vector activity and control is extremely patchy. Their control still relied on the employ of chemical pesticides widely used to fight other primary pests and vectors of livestock, such as ticks, while the development of eco-friendly control tool is scarce. Behavior-based control of Mallophaga, using pheromone-based lures or even the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) may also represent a potential route for their control, but our limited knowledge on their behavioral ecology and chemical communication strongly limit any possible approach., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

C. jejuni is considered a food safety concern to both public health authorities and consumers since it is the leading bacterial cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans. A high incidence of C. jejuni in broiler flocks is often correlated to pathogen recovery in retail poultry meat, which is the main source of human infection. In this work broiler chickens were fed with a synbiotic product mixed with conventional feed using two different administration strategies. The synbiotic was formulated with the microencapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium longum PCB133 and a xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS). 1-day old chicks were infected with C. jejuni strain M1 (10 5 cells) and the synbiotic mixture was then administered starting from the first and the 14th day of chicken life (for animal groups GrpC and GrpB respectively). The goal of this study was to monitor C. jejuni load at caecum level at different sampling time by real-time PCR, identifying the best administration strategy. The microbiological analysis of the caecal content also considered the quantification of Campylobacter spp., Bifidobacterium spp. and B. longum. The supplemented synbiotic was more successful in reducing C. jejuni and Campylobacter spp. when administered lifelong, compared to the shorter supplementation (GrpB). Bifidobacterium spp. quantification did not show significant differences among treatments and B. longum PCB133 was detected in both supplemented groups evidencing the successful colonization of the strain. Moreover, the samples of the control group (GrpA) and GrpC were analysed with PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) to compare the caecal microbial community profiles at the beginning and at the end of the trial. Pattern analysis evidenced the strong influence of the early synbiotic supplementation, although a physiological change in the microbial community, occurring during growth, could be observed. Experimental results demonstrate that the synbiotic approach at farm level can be an effective strategy, combined with biosecurity measures, to improve the safety of poultry meat., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plant parasitic nematodes are a major burden to the global agricultural industry, causing a $157 billion loss each year in crop production worldwide. Effective treatment requires large doses of nematicides to be applied, putting the environment and human health at risk. Challenges are to treat nematodes that are located deep within the soil, feeding on the roots of plants. To attack the problem at its roots, we propose the use of tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV), an EPA-approved herbicide as a carrier to deliver nematicides. TMGMV self-assembles into a 300 × 18 nm soft matter nanorod with a 4 nm-wide hollow channel. This plant virus is comprised of 2130 identical coat protein subunits, each of which displays solvent-exposed carboxylate groups from Glu/Asp as well as Tyr side chains, enabling the functionalization of the carrier with cargo. We report (1) the successful formulation and characterization of TMGMV loaded with ∼1500 copies of the anthelmintic drug crystal violet (CV), (2) the bioavailability and treatment efficacy of CV TMGMV vs CV to nematodes in liquid cultures, and (3) the superior soil mobility of CV TMGMV compared to free CV.

Paenibacillus alvei, a naturally occurring soil microorganism, may be used in the control and/or elimination of human/animal pathogens present on/within produce commodities associated with human consumption. The safety of oral exposure to P. alvei in male, nulliparous females, the pregnant dam and developing fetus was assessed. Adult male and female rats received a single oral dose (gavage) of P. alvei and tissues were collected at post exposure days 0, 3 and 14. To evaluate the effect of the test organism on fetal development, sperm positive female rats received the test organism every 3 days thereafter throughout gestation. As human exposure would be no more than 1 × 10 3  CFU/ml the following dose levels were evaluated in both study phases: 0 CFU/ml tryptic soy broth (negative control); 1 × 10 8  CFU/ml; 1 × 10 4  CFU/ml or 1 × 10 2  CFU/ml. Neither sex specific dose-related toxic effects (feed or fluid consumption, body weight gain, and histopathology) nor developmental/reproductive effects including the number of implantations, fetal viability, fetal weight, fetal length and effects on ossification centers were observed. The test organism did not cross the placenta and was not found in the amniotic fluid., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Meeting the increasing food and energy demands of a growing population will require the development of ground-breaking strategies that promote sustainable plant production. Host-induced gene silencing has shown great potential for controlling pest and diseases in crop plants. However, while delivery of inhibitory noncoding double-stranded (ds)RNA by transgenic expression is a promising concept, it requires the generation of transgenic crop plants which may cause substantial delay for application strategies depending on the transformability and genetic stability of the crop plant species. Using the agronomically important barley-Fusarium graminearum pathosystem, we alternatively demonstrate that a spray application of a long noncoding dsRNA (791 nt CYP3-dsRNA), which targets the three fungal cytochrome P450 lanosterol C-14α-demethylases, required for biosynthesis of fungal ergosterol, inhibits fungal growth in the directly sprayed (local) as well as the non-sprayed (distal) parts of detached leaves. Unexpectedly, efficient spray-induced control of fungal infections in the distal tissue involved passage of CYP3-dsRNA via the plant vascular system and processing into small interfering (si)RNAs by fungal DICER-LIKE 1 (FgDCL-1) after uptake by the pathogen. We discuss important consequences of this new finding on future RNA-based disease control strategies. Given the ease of design, high specificity, and applicability to diverse pathogens, the use of target-specific dsRNA as an anti-fungal agent offers unprecedented potential as a new plant protection strategy., Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the fact that the authors VC, JM, and TM are employed by a commercial company BASF Resesarch Triangle Park and BASF Limburgerhof does not alter our adherence to all PLOS Pathogens policies on sharing data and materials.

Species have strong indirect effects on others, and predicting these effects is a central challenge in ecology. Prey species sharing an enemy (predator or parasitoid) can be linked by apparent competition, but it is unknown whether this process is strong enough to be a community-wide structuring mechanism that could be used to predict future states of diverse food webs. Whether species abundances are spatially coupled by enemy movement across different habitats is also untested. Here, using a field experiment, we show that predicted apparent competitive effects between species, mediated via shared parasitoids, can significantly explain future parasitism rates and herbivore abundances. These predictions are successful even across edges between natural and managed forests, following experimental reduction of herbivore densities by aerial spraying of insecticide over 20 hectares. This result shows that trophic indirect effects propagate across networks and habitats in important, predictable ways, with implications for landscape planning, invasion biology and biological control.