Search Results (4,153)

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews) is a tropical orchid of high economic value, with an annual production of 8000 to 10,000 t and a market exceeding 800 million USD in over 40 countries. In vitro propagation has strengthened the innovation, production, and conservation of this species. Bibliometrics, as a quantitative approach, systematically examines the patterns, dynamics, and evolutionary trends of scientific production. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science until December 2025, using the terms “vanilla” and “micropropagation”. A total of 53 documents were identified in Scopus (1997–2025) and 39 in Web of Science (2000–2025). The evaluated indicators included: year of publication, country of origin, language, areas, main categories, document typology, authorship, and keyword distribution. VOSviewer was used for keyword analysis to identify author collaboration networks and emerging trends. The years with the most information were 2024 and 2025, with Mexico and India standing out prominently. The main thematic areas were Agricultural and Biological Sciences, and the role of researcher Ramírez-Mosqueda was highlighted. The keywords with the highest correlation and impact were bioreactors, vanillin, and cryopreservation. This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive perspective on scientific production related to vanilla micropropagation. The results highlight the multidisciplinary nature of biotechnology applied to this crop, integrating contributions from various areas of knowledge for the benefit of the main actors in the value chain. Full article

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) beans represents a significant threat to international food safety standards. This study evaluated the efficacy of microbial inoculants (efficient microorganism, EMs) combined with tropical fruit extracts (Musa × paradisiaca, Artocarpus heterophyllus, and Passiflora edulis) on mitigating Cd levels during cocoa fermentation. During fermentation, all treatments exhibited a progressive increase in pH and temperature, alongside a decline in total soluble solids, reflecting intensified microbial metabolic activity. Cd reduction was found to be dose-dependent on EM concentration and fruit extract, and synergistic effects were shown by EM and fruit extracts. The most effective treatment, i.e., 80% EMs + P. edulis extract, reduced 33.5% Cd levels, i.e., from 3.67 mg/kg to 2.44 mg/kg. Additionally, these biotechnological approaches improved post-harvest cocoa quality, with fermentation levels exceeding 95% for well-fermented beans and reducing defective beans to near zero. In conclusion, directed fermentation using EMs and tropical fruit extracts provides a robust strategy for Cd mitigation and qualitative enhancement of cacao beans. Full article

This study proposes a novel data-driven machine learning (ML) framework for multi-criteria environmental, social, and governance (ESG) evaluation. The framework aims to address the transparency, consistency, and subjectivity limitations of existing ESG evaluation systems by employing a fully data-driven, modular, and ML-supported architecture. It comprises three main modules: (i) ESG data preprocessing with missing-data imputation by the MissForest algorithm; (ii) a three-plane ESG feature selection workflow that integrates clustering, feature importance, and classification algorithms to identify representative ESG indicators; and (iii) a hybrid weighting and ranking procedure that combines unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods. A recent 2024 real-world application involving 57 listed Chinese pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and 70 ESG indicators demonstrates the framework’s practical utility in producing transparent and objective ESG rankings. The main contributions of this work are fourfold: (1) the development of an end-to-end, entirely data-driven ML framework for ESG evaluation; (2) the introduction of an innovative three-plane ESG feature selection workflow within the framework; (3) the first study for designing a hybrid PCA-CRITIC-TOPSIS approach in ESG weighting and ranking; (4) the validation of the framework through a real-world industry application using recent and authentic ESG data. Full article

Psychrophilic organisms are able to grow at temperatures down to −15 °C, while hyperthermophiles can multiply at temperatures up to 122 °C. What structural changes in extremophile proteins are needed to maintain stable and biochemically active structures under such conditions? Understanding how such extremophiles accomplish this is relevant for human health, biotechnology, and our search for life elsewhere in the universe. The purpose of the current study is to report and compare the structures of four rubredoxins (Rds), the first ever two experimental psychrophile bacteria structures (from Gram-positive Clostridium psychrophilum and Gram-negative Polaromonas glacialis) and two hyperthermophiles from the Gram-negative Thermotoga maritima bacterium and the archaeon Pyrococcus yayanosii, also a piezophile, as part of a program to understand structural variations that support both stability and function under extreme conditions. These structures were obtained using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction at 100 K. All four structures had the expected overall rubredoxin fold. Rubredoxin from the only aerobic psychrophilic bacterium Polaromonas glacialis had larger variations in sequence and structure, whereas the other psychrophilic bacterium showed properties closely related to hyperthermophile rubredoxins. Multi-subunit structures showed similar RMSD variability independent from their thermal adaptation status. We propose including functional information in the analysis since temperature optimization may not be the only determinant for a specific protein adaptation. Full article

The broad substrate specificity of enzymes, while advantageous for catalytic diversity, often leads to undesired side reactions and reduced product yields in engineered metabolic pathways. To address this challenge, we developed a programmable protein scaffold based on a self-assembled γPFD-SpyCatcher hydrogel for the in vivo co-immobilization of SpyTag-cyclized cascade enzymes, enabling the co-immobilization of cascade enzymes in a spatially organized manner. Enzymes with broad substrate specificities were linearly fused with SpyTags, facilitating their spatial organization on the nanoscaffold within engineered E. coli to ensure directed catalytic flux. Using this strategy, the yields of pinene and caffeoyl-CoA were enhanced by 5.8-fold (reaching 94.5 mg/L) and 2.4-fold (reaching 78.6 mg/L), respectively, compared to free enzyme systems. This work establishes an effective approach to mitigate the limitations posed by broad enzyme specificity and demonstrates its potential for applications in synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology. Full article

The transition towards a circular bioeconomy is essential to mitigate the environmental pressures caused by the increasing global demand for food and energy. Agro-food waste (AFW) is a plentiful, inexpensive feedstock, exploitable in biorefineries to produce valuable molecules. The aim of this study was to isolate native non-conventional yeasts (NCY) from various AFW and to evaluate their potential for the ‘natural’ synthesis of aroma compounds via fermentation. Ten strains were isolated and identified as belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia kluyveri, Pichia californica and Wickerhamomyces anomalus species. The fermentative performance and production of aroma volatile compounds were tested using different household wastes as substrates. Figs containing substrate, which is the richest in fermentable sugars, allowed for the fastest microbial adaptation and highest yields of volatile compounds. HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis revealed that the most prominent compounds were isoamyl alcohol, ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate with the highest production levels showed by W. anomalus YDSCYP4 and P. kluyveri YDSCYP5. Enzymatic profiling revealed significant arylamidase and esterase activities in the selected strains, related to their role in the hydrolysis of aroma precursors. These findings demonstrate the efficiency of these autochthonous yeasts for the sustainable production of aroma compounds, supporting the development of eco-friendly biotechnological processes. Full article

The efficacy of postbiotics varies significantly between different strains and preparation processes. We aimed at evaluating the effect of an innovative postbiotic product (iPB) generated through the sequential fermentation of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NPB-01, compared to single-strain postbiotics, on epithelial barrier integrity and innate immunity in human enterocytes using a Caco-2-cell-based experimental model by measuring human enterocyte proliferation and differentiation (lactase expression), tight junction proteins (occludin and zonula occludens 1, ZO-1), and mucus protein Mucin-2 (Muc-2) expression. The modulatory action on the major innate immunity peptide, Human Beta-Defensin 2 (HBD-2), production was also assessed. The iPB exposure resulted in a higher up-regulation of human enterocyte proliferation and differentiation, as suggested by higher lactase expression, and of occludin, ZO-1, and MUC2 expression compared with the single-strain postbiotics, suggesting a beneficial synergistic action in modulating the epithelial gut barrier. Furthermore, iPB induced a higher production of HBD-2, suggesting a synergistic enhancement of innate immune response. Our findings suggested that the sequential fermentation process could act as a biotechnological catalyst, optimizing the gut-barrier-protective properties and the immunomodulatory action of Lacticaseibacillus strains. This study introduces iPB as a high-performance postbiotic candidate for the prevention and management of conditions characterized by alterations in epithelial gut barrier and innate immunity. Full article

Municipal wastewater represents an underutilized secondary biomass resource rich in organic carbon and nutrients that can be valorized through biotechnological conversion. In this study, we developed an integrated multi-microbial biorefinery platform to transform municipal wastewater into value-added biofuel via sequential bacterial treatment, microalgal biomass generation, and fungal-assisted harvesting. Wastewater was first pretreated with Bacillus subtilis to enzymatically hydrolyze complex organic substrates and enrich the medium with bioactive metabolites, including auxins and gibberellins. The conditioned wastewater was subsequently used to cultivate Chlorella vulgaris, followed by biomass recovery using Trichoderma viride pellets as a sustainable bioflocculant. The integrated consortium significantly enhanced nutrient removal efficiency and promoted algal biomass accumulation, lipid enrichment, and biodiesel productivity compared to monoculture controls. Elevated hydrolytic enzyme activities (cellulase, protease, and amylases) facilitated organic matter conversion into bioavailable substrates, while increased phytohormone levels stimulated algal growth and lipid biosynthesis. Additionally, fungal bioflocculation substantially improved biomass recovery efficiency, reducing the need for energy-intensive harvesting technologies. This work highlights the potential of a biotechnology-driven approach for integrating wastewater remediation with biofuel production. By integrating microbial metabolism, enzymatic transformation, and sustainable separation processes, the proposed biorefinery system suggests a potentially low-carbon approach for simultaneous environmental remediation and biomass valorization, although further life cycle and energy balance analyses are required to validate this aspect. Full article

Oxidative stress critically affects cellular viability and function under in vitro culture conditions, often compromising physiological integrity of somatic cells used in livestock biotechnology. This study aimed to investigate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress in buffalo fibroblasts and evaluated the cytoprotective effects of melatonin, focusing on redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and antioxidant defence. Fibroblasts were exposed to graded concentrations of H₂O₂ (100–1000 µM) for 2 h, followed by treatment for 72 h in culture media with and without melatonin (10⁻⁹ M). Oxidative stress markers, including GSSG/GSH ratio, ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and apoptosis, were assessed using flow cytometry and biochemical assays, while antioxidant (GPx, SOD, CAT) and apoptotic (BAX, Caspase 9) gene expression was analyzed by qPCR. H₂O₂ exposure induced a dose-dependent increase in oxidative stress, evidenced by elevated ROS, redox imbalance, mitochondrial depolarization, and enhanced apoptosis. Severe oxidative damage was observed at higher H₂O₂ (500–1000 µM) concentrations. Melatonin (MT) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) alleviated oxidative stress under mild to moderate conditions (100–200 µM H₂O₂) by restoring redox homeostasis, preserving mitochondrial integrity, suppressing ROS accumulation, enhancing antioxidant defence, and reducing apoptosis. However, its protective efficacy was lost under severe oxidative stress, indicating a defined redox threshold beyond which cellular damage becomes irreversible. These findings suggest that melatonin exerts cytoprotective effect against oxidative stress within a limited oxidative window and provide mechanistic insights for improving fibroblasts culture systems in livestock biotechnology and regenerative applications. Full article

The genus Passiflora includes species important for fruit production, ornamental value, and breeding programs. Conventional methods, such as seed propagation and vegetative cuttings, face challenges like genetic heterogeneity, pathogen transmission, and long juvenile phases, limiting large-scale cultivation and breeding efficiency. In vitro culture technologies are essential for clonal propagation, germplasm conservation, and improving Passiflora species using biotechnology. This review critically evaluates current progress in micropropagation and regeneration systems in Passiflora spp. and examines the prospects of haploid and doubled haploid technologies as future breeding tools. Unlike previous reviews, which primarily focus on summarizing tissue culture protocols, this study integrates regeneration biology, developmental constraints, and emerging biotechnological approaches to provide a broader framework for research. Additionally, this review offers a comparative analysis of various regeneration systems across Passiflora species and highlights the challenges of genotype-dependent methods. By synthesizing recent advancements in haploid technology, it provides new insights into the potential for accelerating breeding programs in Passiflora, a field where robust protocols are still lacking. Full article

The genus Streptomyces is a major driver of the soil microbial community. These filamentous, exospore-producing bacteria are copious producers of bioactive compounds that are not only used as antibiotics but also affect the soil microbial community in composition and activity. With an average of about 30 different bioactive compounds produced per species, the bacteria use complex regulatory mechanisms that respond to environmental as well as community signals. Understanding these mechanisms will be useful in harnessing the full potential of Streptomyces in biotechnology, e.g., to tackle the antibiotic resistance crisis. This includes the discovery of new antibiotics that are not produced under standard laboratory conditions, as well as being able to modulate the signaling cascades to produce other biotechnology products. As an example, the genus Streptomyces, as one of the few bacterial and archaeal taxa, produces cobalamin de novo through both the oxic and anoxic biosynthesis pathways. This feature adds to the importance of this genus for the soil microbial communities, as well as for applications in fermentation. Full article

The necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum compromises the physiological and anatomical integrity of cotton, leading to substantial economic losses due to rapid tissue necrosis, stem blight, boll rot, and leaf wilting. In this context, the use of endophytic microorganisms emerges as a promising strategy for the biocontrol of white mold. This study tested the hypothesis that endophytic fungal strains isolated from the roots of Butia purpurascens, a palm tree endemic to the Cerrado biome, could mitigate disease symptoms in Gossypium hirsutum L. To evaluate this, cotton plants were subjected to biotic stress imposed by S. sclerotiorum to assess the effectiveness of seven fungal strains in attenuating disease. The impact of the pathogen was monitored through growth variables, gas exchange, leaf temperature, chlorophyll a fluorescence, antioxidant enzyme activity, proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the incidence of rot in petioles, leaves, and flower buds. Overall, inoculation with endophytic fungi significantly alleviated the effects of the phytopathogen, promoting vegetative growth and optimizing physiological performance. Treated plants exhibited alleviated stress in primary photochemistry, reduced non-photochemical energy dissipation, and stable carbon fixation. Additionally, efficient modulation of the antioxidant system and preservation of anatomical structures were observed, minimizing the severe symptoms of white mold. Notably, the non-pathogenic strains BP10EF (Gibberella moniliformis), BP16EF (Penicillium purpurogenum), and BP33EF (Hamigera insecticola) acted as potent physiological modulators, yielding responses similar to those of healthy plants. These results highlight the biotechnological potential of these endophytic strains, which can be explored as both growth promoters and resistance inducers in cotton against white mold. Full article

Since its discovery in higher plants, melatonin has attracted considerable attention for its antioxidant properties and its diverse roles in plant physiology and stress responses. However, its biosynthetic pathway remains only partially elucidated, particularly in horticultural crops of economic and nutritional importance, such as pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits. In our previous work, we identified five genes encoding tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), the first enzyme in the melatonin biosynthetic pathway in pepper. The present study expands on this by identifying and characterizing additional genes encoding enzymes involved in subsequent steps of the pathway, including four tryptamine 5-hydroxylase (T5H) genes, two serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) genes, three N-acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT) genes, two caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes, and one N-acetylserotonin deacetylase (ASDAC) gene, representing a total of twelve newly identified genes. We further examined their expression in sweet pepper fruits and found that only nine of the identified genes are expressed in the fruit, with generally higher transcript levels during the unripe stages. Melatonin quantification in the California-type ‘Masami’ cultivar using UPLC with fluorescence detection (FD) revealed concentrations of 623 ng melatonin·g⁻¹ dry weight (DW) in green fruits and 431 ng melatonin·g⁻¹ DW in red fruits, consistent with the higher expression of melatonin biosynthetic genes in unripe fruit. Expression analysis of these genes by means of RNA-seq revealed differential modulation in response to exogenous melatonin treatments (20, 50, and 100 µM). To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that exogenous melatonin regulates the expression of genes involved in its own biosynthetic pathway in sweet pepper fruits. Notably, treatment with 100 µM melatonin delayed ripening in these non-climacteric fruits, highlighting its potential biotechnological application for controlling fruit ripening and improving postharvest management. Full article

The microbial valorization of agro-industrial residues is a promising strategy for sustainable bioprocesses and the development of a circular bioeconomy. In this study, mixed fruit peel waste was anaerobically fermented in a stirred-tank bioreactor using Wickerhamomyces sp. UFFS-CE-3.1.2 to produce organic acids and a multifunctional enzymatic bioproduct. During fermentation, sugars decreased from 6.51 to 0.22 g L⁻¹, leading to the formation of citric acid (7.65 g L⁻¹), ethanol (3.77 g L⁻¹), glycerol (0.53 g L⁻¹), and acetic acid (0.37 g L⁻¹). The accumulation of organic acids likely imposed metabolic stress on the yeast, triggering physiological responses that mitigate oxidative stress. Consequently, the resulting enzymatic extract exhibited high lipase activity (185.63 U mL⁻¹), late catalase induction (520.97 U mL⁻¹), and stable superoxide dismutase activity (50 U mL⁻¹). This enzymatic profile indicates the formation of a stress-adapted microbial system with potential applicability in processes involving lipid hydrolysis and oxidative mechanisms. The process was conducted without supplementation of synthetic medium and operated stably in a stirred-tank bioreactor. Overall, these results suggest a feasible microbial strategy for converting fruit waste into value-added bioproducts, contributing to the development of sustainable biotechnological processes. Full article

Carotenoids are natural pigments of high industrial value, with recognized antioxidant properties, and are widely used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Oleaginous yeasts, such as Rhodotorula glutinis, represent a promising alternative for the sustainable production of these compounds through submerged fermentation, compared to their extraction from plant sources or chemical synthesis. This study aimed to optimize culture conditions to maximize biomass and carotenoid production in R. glutinis P4M422. To this end, the effects of various culture factors, including light, carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio, temperature, pH, and glycerol addition, on cell growth and pigment biosynthesis were evaluated. The results showed that agitation speed and C/N ratio are key variables in system performance, significantly influencing both growth and carotenoid accumulation. Under the established optimal conditions (210 rpm, C/N ratio of 50, red light, and 30 °C), a maximum volumetric yield of 343.1 mg/L and a productivity of 4.8 mg/L/h were achieved, representing a substantial improvement in process efficiency. These values position the R. glutinis P4M422 strain as a competitive alternative for the biotechnological production of carotenoids. Taken together, these findings confirm the efficiency of submerged culture as a platform for obtaining high-value-added biopigments and reinforce the potential of microbial fermentation systems as a sustainable, scalable, and controllable strategy for their production. Full article