Genetic Resources Center

Medicinal plants represent valuable sources of bioactive compounds with therapeutic and economic potential. In Saudi Arabia, Mentha longifolia L. has long been used in traditional medicine, while China is renowned for its diverse teas derived from Camellia sinensis L. However, the tissue-specific genomic impact of their metabolites remains poorly understood. We tested three replicates of each blending ratio: 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1 (Tea:Mentha). Moreover, we investigated the putative expression profiles of 273 genes across human tissues using transcriptomic databases to explore the nutrigenomic effects of tea-Mentha blends. 1:2 (Tea:Mentha) Replicate 2 was dominated with 50.77% bioactive compounds, making it the strongest candidate overall. The highest Mentha aroma and bioactive compounds included eucalyptol (~17.3%), (+)-2-bornanone (~12.2%), n-hexadecanoic acid (~16.6%), and phytol (~3.2%). Lipid-derived molecules, including phytol, oleamide, and linolenic acids, showed the strongest transcriptional activation, particularly in endocrine and reproductive tissues, whereas alkaloids such as caffeine exhibited moderate effects. The preliminary integrative analysis combining experimental phytochemical profiling with computational nutrigenomic predictions is designed to generate testable hypotheses for future functional assays. Such blends may contribute to product diversification, standardization, and quality enhancement in the herbal tea industry.

Abstract Crop and varietal diversification are essential for African smallholder farmers to adapt to the complex and unprecedented challenges posed by climate change. Although African genebanks maintain seed collections of numerous crops, with thousands of varieties collected from their countries’ farmers, the direct use of these collections by farmers is very limited. Five African national genebanks therefore explored ways to strengthen farmers’ access to and use of these collections through a longer-term collaborative process. The genebanks and their partners engaged with ‘Germplasm User Groups’ as a basis for facilitating sustained joint learning with farmers for use of conserved germplasm. The structure of these groups and the methods they used for identifying and testing germplasm accessions, although differing by country context, all enabled a diversity of farmers to learn about a wide range of germplasm under relevant field conditions. The large number of accessions that farmers selected, their diverse advantages and the requests by numerous farmer groups to continue exploring additional crops and varieties indicated the usefulness of these approaches. These experiences revealed the feasibility and unique roles and opportunities for national genebanks to facilitate farmers’ direct use of the diversity conserved in their crop collections. National genebanks thus have unique responsibilities for adapting their operating procedures and partnering with research and development practitioners to facilitate farmers’ discovery and use of their conserved crop diversity.

Community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) are promoted as an ideal model for farmer-focused research and as an improvement strategy of indigenous goats in various developing countries. The Agricultural Research Council - Biotechnology Platform (ARC-BTP), in collaboration with the Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo (KyD) recording scheme, initiated two CBBP sites to improve animal recording and goat production in these regions. The aim of this effort was to identify community-level interventions on kid mortality, which is one of the key limitations for market competitiveness in numbers and quality of the animals produced in these communities. Individual interviews were conducted on 195 goat farmers from Anders Mission, Giff, Mxhaxho, Mantlaneni and Ncera villages in the Eastern Cape province (n = 150), and Ophande, Ezinkunini, Machibini and Majozini villages in the KwaZulu-Natal province (n = 45), covering neighboring villages in Buffalo City and uMkhanyakude Districts, respectively. The study used semi-structured questionnaires to determine the farmers’ perceptions on the causes of mortality, drawing from focus group discussions and questionnaire surveys. Majority of the participants were males (68%) aged between 30 to 82 years. Of these goat farmers, 42.1% had primary formal school, but all could read and write. Majority (56.4%) relied on old age pension as source of income, followed by livestock sales (24.1%). The average number of years in farming was 15.48 ± 14.58, and other animal species kept included chickens, cattle, sheep, pigs and dogs. The animals were extensively managed on communal land. The average goat herd sizes were 17.71 ± 11.52 in Buffalo City and 13.06 ± 11.52 in uMkhanyakude, with 22% made up of kids across the regions, respectively. Diarrhea, heartwater and starvation were the strongest ( p<0.001 ) farmer-identified predictors of pre-weaning kid mortality with incidence rate ratios of 1.93, 1.58 and 2.52, respectively. These causes may stem from the low-input extensive production systems u. Intervention programs such as CBBPs, which integrate farmer training, resource sharing, and access to expert technical guidance, can address both primary and secondary causes of pre-weaning goat kid mortality, thereby improving productivity under the current and future production systems while conserving important South African goat genetic resources.

Abstract The conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) is essential for global food and nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture. This study presents a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework applied across 20 countries in the Global South to assess the state of ex situ PGRFA conservation. Using mixed methods, we collected quantitative and qualitative data on genebank performance, validated operational status, and identified specific needs of genebanks. Our findings demonstrate the practical use of this M&E framework for genebanks to assess efficiency and effectiveness in genebank management, while also guiding targeted capacity development and context-specific interventions to address persistent challenges. We recommend adopting the approaches described in this study, including genebank reviews and the review checklist, to support more systematic and evidence-based assessment of genebanks. Aligning national efforts with global conservation objectives will help generate actionable recommendations to strengthen genebanks and ensure the long-term conservation and availability of PGRFA.

Background: The variation in sheep milk composition is closely related to the sheep’s metabolic status. This study aimed to analyze the milk composition and serum metabolic characteristics of Xinggao sheep during different lactation periods and to evaluate the association between milk quality traits and body metabolism. Methods: Eighteen intensively reared ewes were divided into three groups: an early lactation group (MA), a mid-lactation group (MB), and a late lactation group (MC). Milk components were detected by infrared spectroscopy, and the ewes’ serum metabolomic characteristics were detected by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). K-means correlation analysis revealed that the milk fat percentage was positively correlated with L-aspartic acid and negatively correlated with citrulline levels. Random forest analysis for metabolite importance ranking showed that methionine sulfoxide and methionine exhibited high mean decrease accuracy and mean decrease Gini index values. Results: The milk composition results showed that, compared with MA, the milk fat content and total solids in MB and MC were significantly higher, while the freezing point in the MC was significantly lower. Metabolomic studies showed that 207, 210, and 238 differential metabolites were identified in the comparisons of MA vs. MB MA vs. MC, and MB vs. MC, respectively, and these metabolites were mainly enriched in the pyrimidine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis pathways. Evaluation of metabolite importance using random forest models revealed that 27 metabolites, including 2-Arachidonyl glycerol ether, methionine, and methionine sulfoxide, showed a high mean decrease accuracy and mean decrease Gini index. Correlation analysis revealed that milk fat percentage and total solids were positively correlated with 11 metabolites, including citrulline, phenylalanine, and octadecylamine, and negatively correlated with isoproterenol, cortisol, and kynurenic acid. The freezing point was positively correlated with cortisol, isoproterenol, and kynurenic acid and negatively correlated with aldosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and betaine. Conclusions: This study showed that there were significant differences in the milk composition and metabolites of Xinggao sheep during different lactation periods, highlighting the impact of lactation stage on milk composition and production performance. We recommend developing targeted nutritional strategies based on the specific metabolic profiles of different lactation periods to optimize the feeding management and nutritional regulation of Xinggao sheep.

This survey aimed to assess the breeding practices and pregnancy rates of cattle on farms that utilized artificial insemination (AI) after estrus synchronization in Uganda. Management and breeding data were collected from 297 farms using a semi-structured questionnaire and supported by breeding record reviews and AI technician interviews. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine associations between breeding practices and pregnancy rates using the R software. Breed categories on the farms were exotic dairy and their crosses (64.7%), exotic beef and their crosses (15.1%), and indigenous breeds of Ankole longhorn and shorthorn Zebu (20.2%). Main breeding methods on the farms were natural mating (53.3%), AI after natural estrus (34.7%), and AI after estrus synchronization (11.9%). Estrus synchronization protocols used on the farms were Ovsynch (42.4%), 7-day Co-synch + progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (P4ID) (32.3%), Prostaglandin F2α (PG) single injection (23.4%), and 7-day Co-synch (2.4%). Mean pregnancy rates to AI after synchronization were not significantly different (P>0.05) among protocols and were 33.00%, 42.65%, 36.87%, and 41.33% for 7-day Co-synch, 7-day Co-synch+P4ID, Ovsynch, and PG single injection protocols, respectively. Mean pregnancy rates were 29.9%, 40.4%, and 42.7% for indigenous breeds, exotic beef/crosses, and exotic dairy/crosses, respectively, and significantly lower in indigenous breeds than exotic dairy/crosses (P.adj<0.001) and exotic beef breeds/crosses (P.adj=0.004). Pregnancy rates were also significantly lower on farms where the main breeding method was natural mating than AI on natural heat (P.adj=0.03) and AI after synchronization (P.adj=0.02). Ovsynch, 7-day Co-synch+P4ID, PG single injection and 7-day Co-synch were the estrus synchronization protocols used in Uganda. Estrus synchronization was more common in dairy exotic cattle than in beef exotic or indigenous cattle. Pregnancy rates with synchronized AI were lower in B. indicus than B. taurus herds. Improvements in management and design of controlled reproductive studies are required to enhance the success of reproductive technologies in B. indicus cattle.

Primary microcephaly, a rare congenital condition characterized by reduced brain size, occurs due to impaired neurogenesis during brain development. Through whole-exome sequencing, we identified compound heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in CENTRIN 3 (CETN3) in a 5-year-old patient with primary microcephaly. As CETN3 has not been previously linked to microcephaly, we investigated its potential function in neurodevelopment in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cerebral organoids. We showed that CETN3-knockout (KO) organoids successfully recapitulated the microcephaly phenotype of reduced size compared to the control organoids. Through transcriptomic, histological, and protein analyses, we found that CETN3 deficiency directly interferes with neuronal differentiation and reduces proliferative capacity in neural stem/progenitor cells by impairing centrosome assembly required in cell cycle progression, consequently activating apoptosis. Furthermore, our data uncovered previously undocumented indirect effects of CETN3 through interaction with RNA splicing machinery involved in brain development. These findings expand the scope of known regulatory mechanisms of CETN3 in brain development and its etiological roles in human brain malformation.