Endophytic fungi: A future prospect for breast cancer therapeutics and drug development.

Globally, breast cancer is a primary contributor to cancer-related fatalities and illnesses among women. Consequently, there is a pressing need for safe and effective treatments for breast cancer. Bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi that live in symbiosis with medicinal plants have garnered significant interest in pharmaceutical research due to their extensive chemical composition and prospective medicinal attributes. This review underscores the potentiality of fungal endophytes as a promising resource for the development of innovative anticancer agents specifically tailored for breast cancer therapy. The diversity of endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants, success stories of key endophytic bioactive metabolites tested against breast cancer and the current progress with regards to in vivo studies and clinical trials on endophytic fungal metabolites in breast cancer research forms the underlying theme of this article. A thorough compilation of putative anticancer compounds sourced from endophytic fungi that have demonstrated therapeutic potential against breast cancer, spanning the period from 1990 to 2022, has been presented. This review article also outlines the latest trends in endophyte-based drug discovery, including the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, multi-omics approaches, and high-throughput strategies. The challenges and future prospects associated with fungal endophytes as substitutive sources for developing anticancer drugs targeting breast cancer are also being highlighted.

Morphophylogenetic evidence reveals four new fungal species within Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) from tropical and subtropical forest in China.

Tetraplosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) is a family with many saprobes recorded from various hosts, especially bamboo and grasses. During a taxonomic investigation of microfungi in tropical and subtropical forest regions of Guizhou, Hainan and Yunnan provinces, China, several plant samples were collected and examined for fungi. Four newly discovered species are described based on morphology and evolutionary relationships with their allies inferred from phylogenetic analyses derived from a combined dataset of LSU, ITS, SSU, and tub2 DNA sequence data. Detailed illustrations, descriptions and taxonomic notes are provided for each species. The four new species of Tetraplosphaeriaceae reported herein are Polyplosphaeriaguizhouensis, Polyplosphaeriahainanensis, Pseudotetraploayunnanensis, and Tetraploahainanensis. A checklist of Tetraplosphaeriaceae species with available details on their ecology is also provided.

Unambiguous identification of fungi: where do we stand and how accurate and precise is fungal DNA barcoding?

True fungi (Fungi) and fungus-like organisms (e.g. Mycetozoa, Oomycota) constitute the second largest group of organisms based on global richness estimates, with around 3 million predicted species. Compared to plants and animals, fungi have simple body plans with often morphologically and ecologically obscure structures. This poses challenges for accurate and precise identifications. Here we provide a conceptual framework for the identification of fungi, encouraging the approach of integrative (polyphasic) taxonomy for species delimitation, i.e. the combination of genealogy (phylogeny), phenotype (including autecology), and reproductive biology (when feasible). This allows objective evaluation of diagnostic characters, either phenotypic or molecular or both. Verification of identifications is crucial but often neglected. Because of clade-specific evolutionary histories, there is currently no single tool for the identification of fungi, although DNA barcoding using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) remains a first diagnosis, particularly in metabarcoding studies. Secondary DNA barcodes are increasingly implemented for groups where ITS does not provide sufficient precision. Issues of pairwise sequence similarity-based identifications and OTU clustering are discussed, and multiple sequence alignment-based phylogenetic approaches with subsequent verification are recommended as more accurate alternatives. In metabarcoding approaches, the trade-off between speed and accuracy and precision of molecular identifications must be carefully considered. Intragenomic variation of the ITS and other barcoding markers should be properly documented, as phylotype diversity is not necessarily a proxy of species richness. Important strategies to improve molecular identification of fungi are: (1) broadly document intraspecific and intragenomic variation of barcoding markers; (2) substantially expand sequence repositories, focusing on undersampled clades and missing taxa; (3) improve curation of sequence labels in primary repositories and substantially increase the number of sequences based on verified material; (4) link sequence data to digital information of voucher specimens including imagery. In parallel, technological improvements to genome sequencing offer promising alternatives to DNA barcoding in the future. Despite the prevalence of DNA-based fungal taxonomy, phenotype-based approaches remain an important strategy to catalog the global diversity of fungi and establish initial species hypotheses.

Striatiguttulaceae, a new pleosporalean family to accommodate Longicorpus and Striatiguttula gen. nov. from palms.

Palms represent the most morphological diverse monocotyledonous plants and support a vast array of fungi. Recent examinations of palmicolous fungi in Thailand led to the discovery of a group of morphologically similar and interesting taxa. A polyphasic approach based on morphology, multi-gene phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimates supports the establishment of a novel pleosporalean family Striatiguttulaceae, which diversified approximately 39 (20-63) MYA (crown age) and 60 (35-91) MYA (stem age). Striatiguttulaceae is characterized by stromata or ascomata with a short to long neck, trabeculate pseudoparaphyses and fusiform to ellipsoidal, 1-3-septate ascospores, with longitudinal striations and paler end cells, surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath. Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis showed that taxa of Striatiguttulaceae form a well-supported and distinct monophyletic clade in Pleosporales, and related to Ligninsphaeriaceae and Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae. However, these families can be morphologically demarcated by the slit-like ascomata and extremely large ascospores in Ligninsphaeriaceae and the rather narrow fusiform ascospores in Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae. Eight strains of Striatiguttulaceae formed two monophyletic sub-clades, which can be recognized as Longicorpus gen. nov. and Striatiguttula gen. nov. Morphologically, the genus Longicorpus can be differentiated from Striatiguttula by its elongated immersed ascomata and fusiform ascospores with relatively larger middle cells and paler end cells. Two new species Striatiguttulanypae and S.phoenicis, and one new combination, Longicorpusstriataspora are introduced with morphological details, and phylogenetic relationships are discussed based on DNA sequence data.

A systematic review on black pepper (Piper nigrum L.): from folk uses to pharmacological applications.

Considered as the "King of spices", black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a widely used spice which adds flavor of its own to dishes, and also enhances the taste of other ingredients. Piper nigrum has also been extensively explored for its biological properties and its bioactive phyto-compounds. There is, however, no updated compilation of these available data to provide a complete profile of the medicinal aspects of P. nigrum. This study endeavors to systematically review scientific data on the traditional uses, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological properties of P. nigrum. Information was obtained using a combination of keywords via recognized electronic databases (e.g., Science Direct and Google Scholar). Google search was also used. Books and online materials were also considered, and the literature search was restricted to the English language. The country with the highest number of traditional reports of P. nigrum for both human and veterinary medicine was India, mostly for menstrual and ear-nose-throat disorders in human and gastrointestinal disorders in livestock. The seeds and fruits were mostly used, and the preferred mode of preparation was in powdered form, pills or tablets, and paste. Piper nigrum and its bioactive compounds were also found to possess important pharmacological properties. Antimicrobial activity was recorded against a wide range of pathogens via inhibition of biofilm, bacterial efflux pumps, bacterial swarming, and swimming motilities. Studies also reported its antioxidant effects against a series of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species including the scavenging of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, DPPH, ABTS, and reducing effect against ferric and molybdenum (VI). Improvement of antioxidant enzymes in vivo has also been reported. Piper nigrum also exhibited anticancer effect against a number of cell lines from breast, colon, cervical, and prostate through different mechanisms including cytotoxicity, apoptosis, autophagy, and interference with signaling pathways. Its antidiabetic property has also been confirmed in vivo as well as hypolipidemic activity as evidenced by decrease in the level of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein and increase in high-density lipoprotein. Piper nigrum also has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective effects. The major bioactive compound identified in P. nigrum is piperine although other compounds are also present including piperic acid, piperlonguminine, pellitorine, piperolein B, piperamide, piperettine, and (-)-kusunokinin, which also showed biological potency. Most pharmacological studies were conducted in vitro (n = 60) while only 21 in vivo and 1 clinical trial were performed. Hence, more in vivo experiments using a pharmacokinetic and pharmacokinetic approach would be beneficial. As a conclusive remark, P. nigrum should not only be regarded as "King of spices" but can also be considered as part of the kingdom of medicinal agents, comprising a panoply of bioactive compounds with potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Early bacterial biofilm colonizers in the coastal waters of Mauritius

Background: The past years have witnessed a growing number of researches in biofilm forming communities due to their environmental and maritime industrial implications. To gain a better understanding of the early bacterial biofilm community, microfiber nets were used as artificial substrates and incubated for a period of 24 h in Mauritian coastal waters. Next-generation sequencing technologies were employed as a tool for identification of early bacterial communities. Different genes associated with quorum sensing and cell motility were further investigated. Results: Proteobacteria were identified as the predominant bacterial microorganisms in the biofilm within the 24 h incubation, of which members affiliated to Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were among the most abundant classes. The biofilm community patterns were also driven by phyla such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. The functional analysis based on KEGG classification indicated high activities in carbohydrate, lipid and amino acids metabolism. Different genes encoding for luxI, lasI, agrC, flhA, cheA and cheB showed the involvement of microbial members in quorum sensing and cell motility. Conclusion: This study provides both an insight on the early bacterial biofilm forming community and the genes involved in quorum sensing and bacterial cell motility.

Is a Nutrition Education Intervention Associated with a Higher Intake of Fruit and Vegetables and Improved Nutritional Knowledge among Housewives in Mauritius?

The purpose of the study was to assess the determinants of nutrition behaviors and body mass index and determine the impact of a nutrition education intervention (NEI) among Mauritian housewives. A pretest-posttest design was used assessing Nutrition Knowledge (NK), Nutrition Attitudes, Fruit and Vegetable Intake (FVI), body mass index (BMI). Two hundred Mauritian housewives were recruited. The NEI was in the form of a lecture and lasted for twenty minutes. Statistical tests performed revealed that the mean NK score at baseline was 65.8 ± 6.92 and a significant increase of +17.1 at post-test and +16.1 at follow-up was observed. Determinants of NK were age, presence of elderly people, and BMI. Mean nutrition attitude score at baseline was 2.37 ± 0.22 with significant increase of +0.2 (post-test) and +0.17 at follow-up. Age, level of education, presence of elders, and NK were linked to a positive attitude. FVI was predicted by age, income, presence of elders, NK, and nutrition attitudes. Baseline FVI was 4.77 ± 1.11 which increased significantly (p < 0.001) to 4.98 ± 1.13 at post-test and 5.03 ± 1.20 at follow up. NEI had a positive impact suggesting the benefits of such intervention in the promotion of healthy nutrition behaviors.

A Pre and Post Survey to Determine Effectiveness of a Dietitian-Based Nutrition Education Strategy on Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Energy Intake among Adults.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent nutrition education program among adults. A pretest-posttest design was used assessing Nutritional Knowledge (NK), BMI, Energy Intake (EI), Physical Activity Level (PAL), Dietary Intake (DI) and attitudes. 353 adults aged 19-55 years (178 control group (CG) and 175 intervention group (IG)) were recruited. IG participants attended nutrition education sessions evaluated through a post-test given at the end of the 12-week program. Statistical tests performed revealed that compared to CG, participants in IG increased fruit intake and decreased intake of snacks high in sugar and fat significantly (p < 0.05). NK and attitudinal scores also increased significantly in the IG (p < 0.05). No intervention effect was found for vegetables intake, EI, BMI and PAL (p > 0.05). Factors influencing NK were age, gender and education level. "Taste" was the main barrier to the application of the nutrition education strategy. Findings are helpful to health practitioners in designing their intervention programs.

Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Benefits and Progress of Nutrition Education Interventions- Narrative Review Article.

BACKGROUND: Sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases and body weight management but the exact mechanism is unknown. The World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture of the United Nation reports recommend adults to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day excluding starchy vegetables. This review focuses on the importance of fruits and vegetables as well as the benefits and progress of nutrition education in improving intake. METHODS: For this narrative review, more than 100 relevant scientific articles were considered from various databases (e.g Science Direct, Pub Med and Google Scholar) using the keywords Fruit and vegetable, Nutrition education, Body weight, Obesity, Benefits and challenges. RESULTS: Existing data suggests that despite the protective effects of fruits and vegetables, their intakes are still inadequate in many countries, especially developing ones. Consequently enhancing strategies to promote fruit and vegetable intake are essential for health promotion among population. A number of reviews confirm that a well planned and behaviour focused nutrition education intervention can significantly improve behaviour and health indicators. CONCLUSION: Despite challenges in nutrition education intervention programs, they are considered as a good investment in terms of cost benefit ratio. Rapid improvement in trends of nutrition education can be seen in many countries and majority of interventions has been successful in increasing fruits and vegetables intake. It is recommended that health professionals use multiple interventions to deliver information in several smaller doses over time to ensure improved outcomes.

Healthy Diet and Nutrition Education Program among Women of Reproductive Age: A Necessity of Multilevel Strategies or Community Responsibility.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive years represent a major proportion of women?s life. This review focuses on recommended nutritional considerations, physical activity pattern as well as the effect of nutrition education (NE) on behavior modification and health outcomes of women of reproductive age using either single-level, multiple-level or community-level interventions. METHODS: For this narrative review, numerous searches were conducted on databases of PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar search engine using the keywords women, reproductive age, NE, interventions, community-based. RESULTS: Even though single intervention is effective, multiple intervention programmes in addition to behavior modification components are even more successful in terms of modified behaviors and health outcomes. Moreover, community based interventions using multilevel strategies are further useful for improved health outcomes and behavior modification. CONCLUSION: NE programmes have been effective in positive behavior modification measured in terms of eating pattern and health quality. Thus, it is recommended that health professionals use multiple intervention strategies at community level to ensure improved outcomes. Political support is also required to create culturally sensitive methods of delivering nutritional programmes. Finally, as policy is dependent on program cost, nutritional programmes need to combine methods of cost analysis to show cost effectiveness of supplying adequate nutrition for women throughout the lifecycle.

Overweight and obesity epidemic in developing countries: a problem with diet, physical activity, or socioeconomic status?

Obesity is a significant public health concern affecting more than half a billion people worldwide. Obesity rise is not only limited to developed countries, but to developing nations as well. This paper aims to compare the mean body mass index trends in the World Health Organisation- (WHO-) categorised regions since 1980 to 2008 and secondly to appraise how socioeconomic disparities can lead to differences in obesity and physical activity level across developing nations. Taking into account past and current BMI trends, it is anticipated that obesity will continue to take a significant ascent, as observed by the sharp increase from 1999 to 2008. Gender differences in BMI will continue to be as apparent, that is, women showing a higher BMI trend than men. In the coming years, the maximum mean BMI in more developed countries might be exceeded by those in less developed ones. Rather than focusing on obesity at the individual level, the immediate environment of the obese individual to broader socioeconomic contexts should be targeted. Most importantly, incentives at several organisational levels, the media, and educational institutions along with changes in food policies will need to be provided to low-income populations.

A Scientific Assessment of Sociodemographic Factors, Physical Activity Level, and Nutritional Knowledge as Determinants of Dietary Quality among Indo-Mauritian Women.

A healthy diet is of particular concern throughout the life of women to avoid many chronic illnesses especially during their 30s to 50s. There are published data on dietary quality and its determinants among women, but there is a lack of similar data regarding women in Mauritius. This study aimed to investigate the association between age and dietary quality in relation to sociodemographic factors, physical activity level (PAL) and nutritional knowledge (NK). A survey-based study was conducted in 2012 among Indo-Mauritian women including 117 young (21.35 ± 1.98), 160 reaching middle age (34.02 ± 5.09) and 50 middle-aged (37.85 ± 8.32). Validated questionnaires were used to elicit information on the determinants. A food frequency table consisting of 18 food items was used to assess dietary quality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association between various factors and dietary quality. The mean dietary score of middle-aged women (18.70 ± 2.67) was closer to recommended dietary guidelines compared to young women (17.22 ± 3.40), and women reaching middle age (17.55 ± 3.29). Educational level, PAL, NK, and age were main determinants of dietary quality among Indo-Mauritian women (P < 0.05). Younger women with low educational level, PAL, and NK are at risk of poor dietary quality.

Effectiveness of a theory-driven nutritional education program in improving calcium intake among older Mauritian adults.

Background. Low calcium intake, a risk factor of osteoporosis and subsequent fractures, has been previously reported among post-menopausal women in Mauritius. Objective. To assess the effectiveness of a theory-based educational intervention in improving the calcium intake, self-efficacy, and knowledge of older Mauritians. Methodology. The study was conducted as a pre- and post-test design which was evaluated through a baseline, immediate postintervention, and 2-month follow-up assessments. Participants were adults (n = 189) aged ≥40 years old from 2 urban community-based centres. The intervention group (IG) (n = 98) participated in 6 weekly interactive lessons based on the health belief model (HBM). The main outcome measures were calcium intake, HB scale scores, knowledge scores, and physical activity level (PAL). Anthropometric measurements were also assessed. Results. The IG significantly increased its baseline calcium intake, knowledge and self-efficacy (P < 0.001) at post-assessments. A significant decrease in waist circumference in the IG was noted (P < 0.05) after intervention. PAL significantly increased by 12.3% at post-test and by 29.6% at follow-up among intervention adults when compared to the CG (P < 0.001). Conclusion. A theory-driven educational intervention is effective in improving the dietary calcium intake, knowledge, self-efficacy, and PAL of older community-based Mauritian adults.

Multi-gene phylogeny and morphotaxonomy of Amniculicola lignicola: a novel freshwater fungus from France and its relationships to the Pleosporales.

A collection of submerged wood samples in the Pyrénées, France, led to the discovery of a new freshwater Dothideomycetes genus. Amniculicola lignicola gen sp. nov, is described and illustrated. In addition, rDNA and RPB2 gene sequences are analysed phylogenetically to investigate its ordinal and familial placement. Morphologically, Amniculicola resembles species of Ostropella and Xenolophium in having subglobose ascomata with prominent lips surrounding a slit-like ostiole. However, it is readily distinguished from Ostropella and Xenolophium by ascus shape and in having a short pedicle and thin peridium. Phylogenetic analyses based on 28S rDNA sequences also indicated that A. lignicola and O. albocincta (type species of Ostropella) are phylogenetically distinct. Morphological characters indicate that Amniculicola belongs in the Pleosporales and this is supported by molecular data. Sequences analyses from three loci suggest that it is closely related to anamorphic fungi, such as Anguillospora longissima, Spirosphaera cupreorufescens, and Repetophragma ontariense; however, its affinities with known Dothideomycetes and its familial placement are still unresolved.

The polyphyletic nature of Pleosporales: an example from Massariosphaeria based on rDNA and RBP2 gene phylogenies.

Massariosphaeria is a loculoascomycetous fungus currently accommodated within the Pleosporales. However, based on morphology alone, it has been difficult to assess its familial position and its affinities to other fungi with bitunicate asci. In order to establish its evolutionary relationships, two regions of the rDNA (18S and 28S) and two regions of the RPB2 protein-coding gene were sequenced and analysed phylogenetically. Multigene phylogenies revealed that Massariosphaeria is not monophyletic and results are in disagreement with existing morphological-based classification schemes. Characters, such as ascomatal shape and ascospore morphology, have evolved more than once within the Pleosporales. The familial placement of several species is still obscure, except M. grandispora, which could be confidently assigned to the Lophiostomaceae. M. typhicola is closely related to Trematosphaeria hydrela (Melanommataceae), whereas M. triseptata is related to Melanomma radicans but shares close affinities to the Sporormiaceae. The placement of M. roumeguerei is still unresolved, and it does not appear to have any close evolutionary relationship to any known melanommataceous or pleosporaceous genera. Our molecular data also refute the monophyly of Kirschsteiniothelia, Massarina, Melanomma, and Pleospora, and support previous phylogenetic hypotheses that Melanommataceae is polyphyletic. There is a need for more phylogenetic (and taxonomic) studies within the Pleosporales, especially incorporation of more anamorphic taxa and type species.

The family Pleosporaceae: intergeneric relationships and phylogenetic perspectives based on sequence analyses of partial 28S rDNA.

The Pleosporaceae is an important loculoascomycete family. There has been disagreement, however, regarding the taxonomic placement of many genera within this family. This study investigates phylogenetic relationships among the genera Cochliobolus, Kirschsteiniothelia, Leptosphaerulina, Macroventuria, Pleospora, Pyrenophora, and Wettsteinina. Partial 28S rDNA sequences from taxa within these genera were analyzed with maximum parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian methods. Cochliobolus can be segregated broadly into two groups as previously proposed. Pleospora is polyphyletic in its current sense. Taxa with Stemphylium anamorphs are closely related to Cochliobolus and fit within the Pleosporaceae, whereas the affinities of Pleospora herbarum and P. ambigua are still ambiguous. Pyrenophora constitutes a monophyletic group within the Pleosporaceae, whereas Leptosphaerulina and Macroventuria appear to share phylogenetic affinities with the Leptosphaeriaceae and Phaeosphaeriaceae. Phylogenies indicate that Wettsteinina should be excluded from the Pleosporaceae. Similar findings are reported for Kirschsteiniothelia, which is probably polyphyletic. Anamorphic characters appear to be significant (especially in Cochliobolus) while ascospore morphologies, such as shape and color and substrate occurrence are poor indicators of phylogenetic relationships among these loculoascomycetes.

Ribosomal and RPB2 DNA sequence analyses suggest that Sporidesmium and morphologically similar genera are polyphyletic.

Sporidesmium and morphologically similar dematiaceous, hyphomycetous genera are characterised by holoblastic phragmoconidia produced on proliferating or non-proliferating conidiophores. They include a number of asexual (anamorphic) genera taxonomically segregated from Sporidesmium sensu lato and are similar in having schizolytic conidial secession. The taxonomy of these ubiquitous asexual fungi and their affinities with known Ascomycetes are, however, still obscure. This study incorporates a phylogenetic investigation, based on the LSU nu-rDNA and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) gene sequence, to assess the possible familial placement of Ellisembia, Linkosia, Repetophragma, Sporidesmiella, Sporidesmium and Stanjehughesia, and justify whether anamorphic characters are proper phylogenetic indicators. Phylogenies provide conclusive evidence to suggest that Sporidesmium is not monophyletic and species are phylogenetically distributed in two major ascomycete classes, Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes. Morphologies currently used in their classification have undergone convergent evolution and are not phylogenetically reliable. The possible teleomorphic affinities of these anamorphic genera are discussed in light of morphology and molecular data. As these anamorphs, in most cases, are the sole known morph of the holomorph, it is proposed that in the absence of or failure to detect their teleomorphic phase, the anamorph names should be used for the holomorph.

Molecular systematics of Zopfiella and allied genera: evidence from multi-gene sequence analyses.

This study aims to reveal the phylogenetic relationships of Zopfiella and allied genera in the Sordariales. Multiple gene sequences (partial 28S rDNA, ITS/5.8S rDNA and partial beta-tubulin) were analysed using MP and Bayesian analyses. Analyses of different gene datasets were performed individually and then combined to infer phylogenies. Phylogenetic analyses show that currently recognised Zopfiella species are polyphyletic. Based on sequence analyses and morphology, it appears that Zopfiella should be restricted to species having ascospores with a septum in the dark cell. Our molecular analysis also shows that Zopfiella should be placed in Lasiosphaeriaceae rather than Chaetomiaceae. Cercophora and Podospora are also polyphyletic, which is in agreement with previous studies. Our analyses show that species possessing a Cladorrhinum anamorph are phylogenetically closely related. In addition, there are several strongly supported clades, characterised by species possessing divergent morphological characters. It is difficult to predict which characters are phylogenetically informative for delimiting these clades.