Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (TSD) has been shown to improve cardiac structure and function in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This used 8-week-old male db/db and db/m diabetic mice, and measured the levels of blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), creatine kinase (CK), B-natriuretic peptide (BNP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography, and mitochondrial ultrastructure was evaluated. Gene expression levels were measured using Western blotting and RT-qPCR, and immunohistochemistry was used to assess IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels. HL-1 cardiomyocytes were treated with PA, and cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potentials were evaluated. It was found that TSD reduced the heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL) ratio, TC, TG, and LDL-C levels, improved cardiac dysfunction, and increased the HDL-C level. Reductions in the collagen volume fraction (CVF) and levels of myocardial fibrosis, oxidative stress injury, and mitochondrial damage were observed, as well as decreased concentrations of inflammatory factors. Treatment with TSD also ameliorated PA-induced apoptosis, decreased MDA levels, and increased the levels of SOD. The mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly enhanced, as well as marked inhibition of pyroptosis. It was found that TSD inhibited PA-induced cGAS-STING pathway activation and subsequent pyroptosis in HL-1 cells. In conclusion, TSD improved diabetes-induced structural and functional damage to the heart by reducing pyroptosis and inflammatory damage in cardiomyocytes.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactors harness the metabolic processes of bacteria to generate electricity from various organic substrates, positioning them as a promising technology for sustainable energy production. The substantial energy yield from organic waste has spurred significant scientific interest in advanced MFCs. Serving as a multidisciplinary research platform at the intersection of engineering and natural sciences, MFCs have broad potential applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of MFC-based biosensors. It delves into the fundamental principles, benefits, challenges, and potential applications of these biosensors. The review covers a wide array of uses, including environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics, and highlights the importance of optimizing microbial communities, ensuring stability, and achieving reproducibility. MFC-based biosensors hold promise as a revolutionary and versatile sensing technology, with significant potential for further advancements.

Microbial consortia, dynamic communities of interacting microorganisms, outperform single-species cultures in industrial biotechnology by overcoming metabolic bottlenecks and degrading complex compounds. These consortia are vital in bioremediation, bioenergy, bioproduction, agriculture, and wastewater treatment. In bioremediation, they efficiently break down persistent pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. For bioenergy, they convert organic waste into biofuels such as methane and ethanol through multi-step metabolic processes unachievable by single microbes. They also enable sustainable synthesis of bioplastics, antibiotics, and other high-value compounds while enhancing agricultural productivity through improved nutrient availability and biocontrol of plant pathogens. Consortia degrade complex organic contaminants in wastewater treatment, ensuring cleaner effluents and environmental protection. The industrial application faces challenges, including ensuring microbial community stability, optimising performance, and scaling processes from laboratory to industrial scale. The intricate interactions within consortia complicate control, predictability, and real-time monitoring, while intellectual property and regulatory frameworks pose additional barriers. Limitations include gaps in understanding long-term ecological impacts and scalability in diverse environments. Advancements in microbial ecology, systems biology, and bioprocess engineering are crucial to address these issues. Prospects involve using CRISPR and AI to design robust consortia, improve predictive modelling, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations for sustainable applications. Overcoming these challenges will unlock the full potential of microbial consortia, revolutionise industrial processes, and advance sustainable biotechnology.

This study presents the development and characterization of natamycin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (Nat-Chi-NPs) for post-harvest fungal control. The nanoparticles were synthesized via ionic gelation and characterized using various spectroscopic and physicochemical techniques. The resulting Nat-Chi-NPs exhibited an average particle size of 52.40nm, a zeta potential of + 13.8mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 53.46%. FTIR and UV-Vis analyses confirmed the successful encapsulation of natamycin. A biphasic release pattern was observed, with a cumulative release of 98.82% over 144h, indicating sustained antifungal activity. In vitro antifungal assays showed that Nat-Chi-NPs inhibited the mycelial growth of Aspergillus niger and Botrytis cinerea by 29.51 and 24.79%, respectively. In situ tests on apple wounds demonstrated a reduction in fungal growth ranging from 24 to 30% at a concentration of 20mg/L, with protection lasting up to 5days. These findings highlight the potential of Nat-Chi-NPs as an effective and eco-friendly nanobiotechnological system for the control of post-harvest fungal infections in fruits and vegetables.

Green nanotechnologies offer opportunities to develop potent malaria drugs and insecticides. Here, optimized silver nanoparticles functionalized with Piper umbellatum leaves (PU-AgNPs) were synthesized and tested for hemocompatibility andkilling activities against Plasmodium falciparum and mosquito vectors. PU-AgNPs were obtained after mixing crude extract (PU-CE) and silver nitrate. Standard techniques and protocols were used to characterised PU-AgNPs physico-chemically and evaluate their biological properties. Lup-20(29)-en-3-one (13.02%) and cholest-4-ene-3,6-dione (12.07%) were the dominant phytocompounds of PU-CE. PU-AgNPs were milky green, well dispersed, highly crystalline (94.53%), monodispersed, stable, and majorly round-shaped (78.09 ± 5.59nm). A panoply of compound classes, such as terpenoids, phenols, and alkaloids, constituted PU-AgNPs. The nanoparticles exhibited a high killing activityagainst the P. falciparum strains 3D7 (IC50 = 11.44µg/mL) and RKL9 (IC50 = 12.80µg/mL). PU-AgNPs exhibited a significant hemotoxic activity (62.5 < HC50 < 125µg/mL). After 24h exposure, PU-AgNPs were most lethal against Aedes aegypti (LC50 = 11.75µg/mL). The preliminary findings are encouraging for the development of an effective PU-AgNPs-based endectocide. These data should be consolidated with complementary analyses (e.g., in vivo validation, cytotoxicity on mammalian cells, or pharmacokinetic profiling).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04531-y.

The agricultural reuse of municipal biosolids is constrained by heavy metal contamination. This study assessed the ecotoxicity, speciation, and bioavailability of metals in biosolids from ten sewage treatment plants across India. Metal concentrations in matured biosolids decreased in the order: Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd > Mo > As > Se. Wheatgrass cultivation in soils amended with 2%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) biosolids was used to evaluate growth response, metal uptake, and stability. Metal mobility, quantified using the Immobilization Ratio (IR), was highest for Cd and Zn (0.208-0.29), indicating greater bioavailability, and lowest for Cu and Pb (0.45-0.55), reflecting higher stability. Biosolid application enhanced plant growth, with 10% amendment producing maximum biomass and shoot length. Over time, declining soil and plant metal concentrations indicated active uptake, with Cr showing the highest accumulation, followed by Mo > Zn > Ni, while As, Se, Cd, and Pb were minimally absorbed. Cr and Mo uptake remained substantial even at lower application rates, underscoring the role of dose in metal transport. Findings highlight that biosolid amendments modify metal bioavailability and plant uptake patterns, and that the IR index is a useful tool for guiding safe land application to limit heavy metal transfer into the food chain.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04491-3.

Escherichia coli is widely used in biopharmaceutical production due to its ability to grow aerobically and produce proteins intracellularly. However, the limitation of the E. coli fermentation process is acetate accumulation, a by-product of overflow metabolism during high-glucose aerobic growth, which negatively impacts cell growth and protein expression. Traditional strategies to mitigate this include genetic modifications or low-density fermentation, which have significant limitations. In the present study, a novel fed-batch fermentation strategy was developed to reduce acetate accumulation and enhance the production of recombinant pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA). A design of experiments (DOE) was conducted to optimize the culture media and develop a real-time, feedback-controlled feeding strategy that prevents acetate accumulation without requiring genetic alterations. Initial runs with 20g/L glucose resulted in acetate accumulation of 7-8g/L and limited biomass growth. By lowering glucose concentration to 10g/L and inducing a carbon-limited phase via controlled feeding, E. coli cells switched from acetate production to consumption through the reverse Pta-AckA pathway. This shift led to an over 80% reduction in acetate levels. Optimized conditions consistently yielded higher cell densities. OD₆₀₀ values of 100-120 were achieved.The desired yield of the protein pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA) was 3.0 g/L, representing a 2.0-fold increase over unoptimized runs. SDS-PAGE and quantitative analyses confirmed consistent robust protein expression. The strategy was validated across multiple batches, proving reproducible, scalable, and regulatory friendly. This approach offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative to genetic modification for controlling overflow metabolism and enhancing recombinant protein yields in E. coli.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-025-04465-5.