Potential risks of nicotine on the germination, growth, and nutritional properties of broad bean.

This study evaluated the allelopathy, uptake and accumulation, and potential agricultural and food safety risks of nicotine in broad bean (Vicia faba L.) during seed germination and seedling growth. Nicotine stress has an allelopathic inhibitory effect on seeds and a hormesis effect on germinated seeds and seedlings, which has an enhancement effect (<50 mg kg-1) and an inhibition effect (>100 mg kg-1) on the germinated seeds and an enhancement effect (<100 mg kg-1) and an inhibition effect (>200 mg kg-1) on the seedlings. Exogenous nicotine can be absorbed by broad bean roots from nicotine-contaminated soil and accumulated in the main organs of the seedlings, especially the leaves, which exceeded the maximum residue level (0.03 mg kg-1 DW) at 50 mg kg-1. Moreover, nicotine resulted in a bitter taste in the edible broad bean leaves, disrupting the balance of basic nutritional properties, decreasing sucrose, and increasing bitter substances such as choline and procyanidin. These results demonstrated that residual nicotine in the soil not only poses potential risks to sustainable agricultural development but also a food safety risk for consumers. The present study provides insight into the potential risks of nicotine in agroecosystems.

Predictive value of serum Golgi protein 73 for prominent hepatic necroinflammation in chronic HBV infection.

As a noninvasive marker, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) has limitations, because a large proportion of patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) suffer from severe hepatic necroinflammation, but have normal or mildly elevated ALT. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential value of serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in predicting significant hepatic necroinflamation among chronic HBV infected patients. A cohort of 497 chronic HBV infected patients was retrospectively recruited. Liver biopsy was performed in all patients and serum GP73 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum GP73 increased in parallel with the increase in hepatic necroinflammatory activity grade (r = 0.682) and the stage of liver fibrosis (r = 0.539). The positive correlation of serum GP73 with the degree of hepatic necroinflammatory activity was statistically significant, while serum GP73 with the stage of liver fibrosis was weaker than that with hepatic necroinflammation. Furthermore, serum GP73 levels were significantly greater in patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT and significant hepatic necroinflammation (≥G2) than in patients with minimal to mild hepatic necroinflammation. The sensitivity and specificity of GP73 for the diagnosis of G2 hepatic necroinflammation was 42.35% and 95.0%, respectively, at a cut-off value of 88.38 ng/mL. When the cut-off value was set at 124.76 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of GP73 for the diagnosis of G3 hepatic necroinflammation was 55.56% and 97.29%, respectively. These findings indicate that GP73 holds promise as an important candidate for diagnosing significant hepatic necroinflammation.

Managing tobacco black shank disease using biochar: direct toxicity and indirect ecological mechanisms.

Black shank disease in tobacco, caused by Phytophthora nicotianae, can lead to yield losses of 30%-50% upon outbreak. Recently, biochar derived from agricultural waste has shown significant potential in controlling soil-borne diseases, though its mechanisms remain unclear. Over a 3-year observation period, we found that the incidence of black shank was significantly lower in plots amended with biochar compared with normal cultivation plots. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we studied both the direct and indirect effects of biochar on black shank. Direct antifungal assays indicated that biochar reduced the total number of sporangia by 53.91%. Further pot experiments revealed a 62.34% reduction in the P. nicotianae population in the soil following biochar application. Additionally, biochar application led to notable changes in soil physicochemical properties and microbial community composition. Microbial species analysis showed that biochar promoted the aggregation of beneficial microbes such as Sphingomonas, Flavisolibacter, and Mucoromycota. Functional predictions using the PICRUSt 2 software revealed that biochar enhances bacterial functions related to antimicrobial substance synthesis (Tetracycline biosynthesis), detoxification metabolism (D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism), and lipid and fatty acid metabolism (Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis), while fungal functions showed no significant changes. This suggests that rhizosphere bacteria play a more prominent role in the suppression of black shank by biochar, a finding supported by partial least squares path modeling analysis. Therefore, we hypothesize that biochar not only directly inhibits P. nicotianae growth but also regulates the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community, inducing the production of antimicrobial substances by rhizosphere bacteria, effectively preventing P. nicotianae invasion.IMPORTANCEBlack shank, a global soil-borne fungal disease in tobacco, currently lacks effective control methods. Notably, biochar derived from agricultural waste has shown significant potential in controlling soil-borne diseases. Over a 3-year observation period, we found that plots amended with biochar had a significantly lower incidence of black shank compared with normal cultivation plots. However, the mechanisms of disease suppression remained unclear. Through in vitro antifungal assays and pot experiments, we discovered that tobacco-derived biochar can directly inhibit the growth of the pathogen. Additionally, biochar regulates the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community, inducing rhizosphere bacteria to produce antimicrobial substances, effectively preventing pathogen invasion. This discovery reveals both the direct and indirect mechanisms by which biochar suppresses black shank in tobacco. It provides a scientific basis for developing green control technologies for black shank and offers theoretical support for the application of biochar in managing soil-borne diseases in tobacco cultivation areas.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YN201732 Produces Lipopeptides With Promising Biocontrol Activity Against Fungal Pathogen Erysiphe cichoracearum.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YN201732 is an endophytic bacteria with high biocontrol efficiency and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. In order to clarify the main active ingredients and their antifungal mechanisms against powdery mildew of tobacco, this study is focused on lipopeptide obtained through acid precipitation and organic solvent extraction. HPLC and LCMS-IT-TOF were used to separate and identify antimicrobial lipopeptides. Findings revealed that bacillomycin D plays an important role against surrogate fungal pathogen Fusarium solani. Synthetic pathways of sfp, bacillomycin D, and fengycin were separately disrupted. The sfp gene knockout mutant B. amyloliquefaciens YN201732M1 only showed minor antagonistic activity against F. solani. While Erysiphe cichoracearum spore germination was inhibited and pot experiments displayed a significant decrease in tobacco powdery mildew. The spore inhibition rate of YN201732M1 was only 30.29%, and the pot experiment control effect was less than 37.39%, which was significantly lower than that of the wild type. The inhibitory effect of mutant YN201732M2 (deficient in the production of bacillomycin D) and mutant YN201732M3 (deficient in the production of fengycin) on the spore germination of E. cichoracearum were 50.22% and 53.06%, respectively, suggesting that both fengycin and bacillomycin D had potential effects on spore germination of powdery mildew. Interestingly, in a greenhouse assay, both B. amyloliquefaciens YN201732M2 and YN201732M3 mutants displayed less of a control effect on tobacco powdery mildew than wild type. The results from in vitro, spore germination, and greenhouse-pot studies demonstrated that antimicrobial lipopeptides especially bacillomycin D and fengycin may contribute to the prevention and control of tobacco powdery mildew. In addition, gene mutation related to lipopeptide synthesis can also affect the biofilm formation of strains.

Soil acidification in continuously cropped tobacco alters bacterial community structure and diversity via the accumulation of phenolic acids.

Studying the obstacles associated with continuous cropping is necessary for sustainable agricultural production. Phenolic acids play an important role in continuous cropping systems, although their mechanism of action in these systems remains unclear. Using High-performance Liquid Chromatography, we characterized the changes in phenolic acid contents in soils that had been continuously cropped with tobacco for different time periods and evaluated the interactions between soil physicochemical properties, bacterial community structure and diversity, and phenolic acids. Prolonged continuous cropping was associated with a significant increase in the content of phenolic acids and a significant decrease in soil pH and bacterial diversity. A significant negative correlation between pH and phenolic acids content was observed, suggesting that soil acidification potentially leads to the accumulation of phenolic acids. The Mantel test indicated that phenolic acids were positively associated with relative bacterial abundance (R = 0.480, P < 0.01), signifying that the accumulation of phenolic acids is a potential factor leading to changes in bacterial community structure. Continuous cropping lowered the soil pH, which stimulated phenolic acid accumulation and consequently altered the bacterial community structure and diversity, ultimately impacting tobacco plant growth.

Serum Golgi protein 73 levels and liver pathological grading in cases of chronic hepatitis B.

The present study was designed to assess the correlation between serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) and liver pathological grading and staging in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Two hundred and fifty­three patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections were enrolled in the present study. All patients received a serum GP73 test, and 91 CHB patients underwent liver biopsy. GP73 expression in liver tissue was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. The results indicated that serum GP73 levels were positively correlated with disease progression in patients with chronic HBV infection (r=0.677). There was no significant difference in serum GP73 levels between hepatitis B e antigen­positive and ­negative patients (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in serum GP73 levels among specimens with varying HBV DNA contents (P>0.05). Serum GP73 levels were positively correlated with increased liver pathological grading (r=0.737) and staging (r=0.692), and immunohistochemical analysis indicated that GP73 protein expression increased concurrently with liver pathological grading and staging. In conclusion, serum GP73 was found to be correlated with liver pathological grading and staging in patients with CHB, and may be an effective indicator for the evaluation of disease progression. However, serum GP73 levels were not associated with HBV replication.

Serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a diagnostic and prognostic marker of chronic HBV liver disease.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is the most commonly used marker of liver injury, but normal ALT levels are seen in a proportion of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients with severe liver injury. Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a promising alternative marker of liver injury. This study assessed the relation between GP73 levels and liver disease severity, monitored the kinetic changes in GP73 levels in chronic HBV patients receiving entecavir (ETV) therapy, and investigated the potential diagnostic and prognostic values of serum GP73 as a new liver injury biomarker in chronic HBV infections. This study enrolled 1150 patients with chronic HBV infections, 200 of whom were retrospectively enrolled in this study after receiving 1 year of ETV treatment. GP73 expression in liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. GP73 levels in single or serial serum samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that GP73 protein expression in the liver increased progressively with pathologic progression from nonexistent or mild hepatitis to severe hepatitis and cirrhosis during chronic HBV infection. Serum GP73 levels were positively correlated with the disease severity of chronic HBV infections (r = 0.58, P < 0.001). In patients with normal ALT levels, serum GP73 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with prominent hepatic inflammatory injury and fibrosis than in patients without hepatic inflammatory injury or fibrosis. Serum GP73 concentrations and GP73 protein expression were decreased in the liver tissues of patients whose ALT levels normalized after 1 year of ETV antiviral therapy. Changes in serum GP73 levels were closely associated with changes in liver injury severity, and, therefore, GP73 may be an effective new liver inflammatory injury biomarker, and could be useful for monitoring the prognosis of chronic HBV infectious patients with normal ALT levels.

Effects of different therapeutic methods and typical recipes of Chinese medicine on activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in kupffer cells of rats with fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of different therapeutic methods and the recipes of Chinese medicine (CM) on the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in Kupffer cells of rats with fatty liver disease and to explore the mechanisms of these therapeutic methods. METHODS: By using a random number table, 98 rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: control group, model group, and 5 treatment groups, including soothing Liver (Gan) recipe group, invigorating Spleen (Pi) recipe group, dispelling dampness recipe group, promoting blood recipe group, and complex recipe group. Rats in the control group were fed with normal food and distilled water by gastric perfusion, while rats in the model group were fed with high-fat food and distilled spirits by gastric perfusion. Rats in the 5 treatment groups were fed with high-fat food and corresponding recipes by gastric perfusion. Twelve weeks later, all rats were sacrificed and liver tissues were stained for pathohistological observation. Kupffer cells were isolated from livers of rats to evaluate JNK and phospho-JNK expressions by Western blotting. RESULTS: The grade of hepatic steatosis was higher in the model group than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the grade of fatty degeneration in soothing Liver recipe group and invigorating Spleen recipe group were significantly ameliorated (P<0.05). Expressions of JNK and phospho-JNK in Kupffer cells were significantly higher in the model group than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, expressions of JNK in all treatment groups decreased, especially in invigorating Spleen recipe group and promoting blood recipe group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, expressions of phospho-JNK in all treatment groups declined significantly (P<0.01), especially in soothing Live recipe group and invigorating Spleen recipe group. CONCLUSIONS: The high expressions of JNK and phospho-JNK in Kupffer cells might play an important role in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease in rats. The recipes of CM, especially invigorating Spleen recipe and soothing Liver recipe, might protect liver against injury by reducing the total JNK protein content and inhibiting the activation of JNK protein in Kupffer cells of fatty liver model rats, which showed beneficial effects on fatty liver disease.