Biochar aided priming of carbon and nutrient availability in three soil orders of India.

In recent years biochar (BC) has gained importance for its huge carbon (C) sequestration potential and positive effects on various soil functions. However, there is a paucity of information on the long-term impact of BC on the priming effect and nutrient availability in soil with different properties. This study investigates the effects of BC prepared from rice husk (RBC4, RBC6), sugarcane bagasse (SBC4, SBC6) and mustard stalk (MBC4, MBC6) at 400 and 600 °C on soil C priming and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) availability in an Alfisol, Inceptisol, and Mollisol. BC properties were analyzed, and its decomposition in three soil orders was studied for 290 days in an incubation experiment. Post-incubation, available N, P, and K in soil were estimated. CO2 evolution from BC and soil alone was also studied to determine the direction of priming effect on native soil C. Increasing pyrolysis temperature enhanced pH and EC of most of the BC. The pyrolysis temperature did not show clear trend with respect to priming effect and nutrient availability across feedstock and soil type. MBC6 increased C mineralization in all the soil orders while RBC6 in Alfisol and SBC6 in both Inceptisol and Mollisol demonstrated high negative priming, making them potential amendments for preserving native soil C. Most of the BC showed negative priming of native SOC in long run (290 days) but all these BC enhanced the available N, P, and K in soil. SBC4 enhanced N availability in Alfisol and Inceptisol, RBC4 improved N and P availability in Mollisol and P in Alfisol and MBC6 increased K availability in all the soils. Thus, based on management goals, tailored BC or blending different BC can efficiently improve C sequestration and boost soil fertility.

Impact of diversified grazing systems on milk production, nutrient use and enteric methane emissions in dual-purpose cows.

This study evaluated three continuous grazing systems: Brachiaria Brizantha, Clitoria ternatea and naturalized pastures, complemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage on milk yield, nutrient use and enteric methane (CH4) emissions. Nine multiparous cows of local Zebu breeds, with an average weight of 448 ± 87 kg, were used. The chemical composition of the food was determined. Live weight, milk production, and quality were assessed. Furthermore, serum urea, urea nitrogen, creatinine and glucose in blood were monitored, and nitrogen use efficiency were calculated. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions were estimated using Tier-2 methodology. A 3 × 3 latin square experimental design was applied. The grazing systems of B. brizantha and C. ternatea had the greater live weights of 465.8 and 453.3 kg/cow, although the latter is similar to naturalized pasture. Milk production and quality were not affected by grazing system, with the exception of the non-fat solids, where the C. ternatea system was lower (102.2 g/kg) than the other grazing systems. The crude protein and N intake, and N excretion in feces and urine were lower in naturalized pasture systems (1139.0 g/day). N outputs in milk was high in the C. ternatea system (56.3 g/cow/day). The naturalized pastures systems showed the better feed use efficiency (25.7%) compared to others. Serum urea and blood urea nitrogen were greater in B. brizantha followed by C. ternatea. Enteric CH4 emissions were indifferent among grazing systems when expressed as a percentage of greenhouse gases (7.1%). In conclusion, the grazing C. ternatea supplemented with commercial concentrate and C. ternatea silage maintains milk production and quality, reduced cow/day emissions (by 2.5%) and lowered energy losses as methane.

Phytoplankton-derived polysaccharides and microbial peptidoglycans are key nutrients for deep-sea microbes in the Mariana Trench.

BACKGROUND: The deep sea represents the largest marine ecosystem, driving global-scale biogeochemical cycles. Microorganisms are the most abundant biological entities and play a vital role in the cycling of organic matter in such ecosystems. The primary food source for abyssal biota is the sedimentation of particulate organic polymers. However, our knowledge of the specific biopolymers available to deep-sea microbes remains largely incomplete. One crucial rate-limiting step in organic matter cycling is the depolymerization of particulate organic polymers facilitated by extracellular enzymes (EEs). Therefore, the investigation of active EEs and the microbes responsible for their production is a top priority to better understand the key nutrient sources for deep-sea microbes. RESULTS: In this study, we conducted analyses of extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs), metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics from seawater samples of 50-9305 m from the Mariana Trench. While a diverse array of microbial groups was identified throughout the water column, only a few exhibited high levels of transcriptional activities. Notably, microbial populations actively transcribing EE genes involved in biopolymer processing in the abyssopelagic (4700 m) and hadopelagic zones (9305 m) were primarily associated with the class Actinobacteria. These microbes actively transcribed genes coding for enzymes such as cutinase, laccase, and xyloglucanase which are capable of degrading phytoplankton polysaccharides as well as GH23 peptidoglycan lyases and M23 peptidases which have the capacity to break down peptidoglycan. Consequently, corresponding enzyme activities including glycosidases, esterase, and peptidases can be detected in the deep ocean. Furthermore, cell-specific EEAs increased at 9305 m compared to 4700 m, indicating extracellular enzymes play a more significant role in nutrient cycling in the deeper regions of the Mariana Trench. CONCLUSIONS: Transcriptomic analyses have shed light on the predominant microbial population actively participating in organic matter cycling in the deep-sea environment of the Mariana Trench. The categories of active EEs suggest that the complex phytoplankton polysaccharides (e.g., cutin, lignin, and hemicellulose) and microbial peptidoglycans serve as the primary nutrient sources available to deep-sea microbes. The high cell-specific EEA observed in the hadal zone underscores the robust polymer-degrading capacities of hadal microbes even in the face of the challenging conditions they encounter in this extreme environment. These findings provide valuable new insights into the sources of nutrition, the key microbes, and the EEs crucial for biopolymer degradation in the deep seawater of the Mariana Trench. Video Abstract.

The role of insect gut microbiota in host fitness, detoxification and nutrient supplementation.

Insects are incredibly diverse, ubiquitous and have successfully flourished out of the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of evolutionary processes. The resident microbiome has accompanied the physical and biological adaptations that enable their continued survival and proliferation in a wide array of environments. The host insect and microbiome's bidirectional relationship exhibits their capability to influence each other's physiology, behavior and characteristics. Insects are reported to rely directly on the microbial community to break down complex food, adapt to nutrient-deficit environments, protect themselves from natural adversaries and control the expression of social behavior. High-throughput metagenomic approaches have enhanced the potential for determining the abundance, composition, diversity and functional activities of microbial fauna associated with insect hosts, enabling in-depth investigation into insect-microbe interactions. We undertook a review of some of the major advances in the field of metagenomics, focusing on insect-microbe interaction, diversity and composition of resident microbiota, the functional capability of endosymbionts and discussions on different symbiotic relationships. The review aims to be a valuable resource on insect gut symbiotic microbiota by providing a comprehensive understanding of how insect gut symbionts systematically perform a range of functions, viz., insecticide degradation, nutritional support and immune fitness. A thorough understanding of manipulating specific gut symbionts may aid in developing advanced insect-associated research to attain health and design strategies for pest management.

Dietary replacement of maggot meal for soybean meal: implication on performance indices, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilisation and carcass characteristics of grower rabbits.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with maggot meal (MM) in growing rabbits' diets on their performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics. In the 56 days feeding trials, sixty unsexed mixed breeds (New Zealand White x California) rabbits were allotted on a weight equalization basis into five dietary treatments where a standard corn-soybean meal based diet (0% of maggot meal) (MM0 diet) served as the while other diets had soybean meal replaced with MM at graded levels of 25, 50, 75 and 100% to give MM25, MM50, MM75, and MM100 diets respectively. Each treatment comprises of four replicates having three rabbits each (12 rabbits per treatment). Growth performance parameters were monitored and recorded weekly, carcass and organ weights evaluation was conducted on day 56. Nutrient digestibility commenced on the 56th day and lasted for 6 days. Feed and water were offered to the rabbits ad-libitum throughout the experimental period. All the performance parameters were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by MM inclusion in the diet of rabbits. Rabbits fed MM100 diet had the highest (P < 0.05) final weight (FW), total weight gain (TWG), and the best feed conversion ratio (FCR). The feed cost reduced (P < 0.05) with inclusion of MM in rabbit's diet. Feed cost per kg live weight (FC/LW) (1110.79 ₦/kg) and feed cost per kg weight gain (FC/WG) (1110.62 ₦/kg) was lowest (P < 0.05) for rabbits fed MM100 diet. Crude protein digestibility (CPD) (74.05%) was highest (P < 0.05) for rabbits fed the MM100 diet. The feeding of MM75 and MM100 diets to rabbits resulted in increased (P < 0.05) dry matter digestibility (DMD) (68.22 and 69.34%), nitrogen free extract digestibility (NFED) (65.52 and 65.22%) and neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFD) (70.05 and 69.58%). The highest (P < 0.05) nitrogen retained (NR) (2.10 g/d) occurred in rabbits fed the MM100 diet. The dressing percentage (DP) (71.01%) increased (P < 0.05) for rabbits fed the MM100 diet. The weight of forelimbs (10.48 and 10.45%) and hind limbs (17.42 and 18.07%) were highest (P < 0.05) for rabbits fed MM50 and MM100 diets respectively. Total gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and liver weight were highest (P < 0.05) for rabbits fed MM0 and MM100 diets respectively. It was concluded that MM can conveniently replace SBM in the diets of rabbits up to 100% for improved growth performance and increased nutrient digestibility. In addition, it can enhance DP and increase the carcass yield of rabbits.

Effects of supplementing cassava root silage to grazing dairy cows on nutrient utilization, milk production and composition in the tropics.

The current study evaluated the effects of supplementing cassava root silage (CRS) to dairy cows grazing on Megathyrsus maximus cv Mombasa on nutrient intake and digestibility, as well as on milk production and composition. Ten primiparous Girolando cows with average body weight ± (SEM) of 373.45 ± (63.55) kg were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square. Animals were subjected to five treatments: (I) grazing cows without supplementation (WCS); (II) grazing cows provided with 5 kg DM of supplement without CRS (0 g/kg DM of CRS) or including (III) 260, (IV) 520, and (V) 780 g/kg DM of CRS. Statistical analyses were performed using the PROC MIXED of SAS with significance at P < 0.05. Intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ether extract decreased (P < 0.01), while intake of non-fiber carbohydrates increased (P < 0.01), with increased CRS in the diets. Total DM intake and digestibility of DM, and digestibility of nutritional components were lower (P < 0.03) in WCS animals compared to supplemented animals, except for intake and digestibility of NDF, which was the opposite. Milk yield (MY) and fat corrected milk (FCM), as well as all milk components were unaffected (P > 0.05) by CRS inclusion. In contrast, MY, FCM, protein, lactose, casein, and non-fat milk solids (NFMS) were greater for animals that received supplementation (P < 0.05), compared to animals WCS. Milk fat and total dry extract (TMS) did not differ (P > 0.11) between two groups. In conclusion, CRS may be a potential corn meal replacer in the supplement of dairy cows under tropical conditions.

Effect of urea-treated rice straw, mixed with faba bean straw, on nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites and performance of growing lambs.

The present study aimed to use poor quality roughages, such as rice and faba bean straw, treated with or without urea, and their impacts on digestibility, rumen fermentation, some blood parameters, and growth performance of lambs. Twenty crossbred male lambs (1/4 Finland ×¾ Ossimi, 25±1.13kg live body weight) were chosen and divided into four groups. All lambs were fed rations of concentrated feed mixture at 2% of live weight with the following roughages ad libitum: URS (control group, untreated rice straw), TRS (urea-treated rice straw), FBS (faba bean straw), and TRS+FBS (mixture of TRS and FBS, 1:1). Nutrient digestibility and feeding values improved (P<0.05) with TRS+FBS lambs versus FBS, TRS and URS lambs. The highest numerical values of ruminal total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in TRS lambs were recorded 23.9 ml.eq/dl followed by TRS+FBS, URS and FBS. Regarding to the ruminal parameters, there were no differences (P>0.05) among evaluated groups except for NH3-N, the highest concentration (P<0.05) was recorded in TRS lambs at 3 h post-feeding. Lambs of TRS, FBS and TRS+FBS showed faster growth (P<0.05) than those of the control (i.e., URS). Intakes of dry matter, total digestible nutrients, and digestible crude protein were numerically increased for TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS. Feed conversion, as kg dry matter/kg gain, was improved for TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS lambs versus URS. Daily gain of lambs increased (P<0.05) with lambs of TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS but URS lambs showed a decrease (P<0.05) in daily gain. Feed conversion as kg dry matter intake/kg gain was improved (P<0.05) by feeding on TRS, FBS and TRS+FBS rations versus URS. The TRS+FBS lambs tended to have the highest economic efficiency versus URS, TRS and FBS lambs. It was concluded that urea-treated rice straw could be used as sole roughage or mixed with faba bean straw (1:1) in growing lambs' ration to improve their performance and economic efficiency without adversely affecting their health.The present study aimed to use poor quality roughages, such as rice and faba bean straw, treated with or without urea, and their impacts on digestibility, rumen fermentation, some blood parameters, and growth performance of lambs. Twenty crossbred male lambs (1/4 Finland ×¾ Ossimi, 25±1.13kg live body weight) were chosen and divided into four groups. All lambs were fed rations of concentrated feed mixture at 2% of live weight with the following roughages ad libitum: URS (control group, untreated rice straw), TRS (urea-treated rice straw), FBS (faba bean straw), and TRS+FBS (mixture of TRS and FBS, 1:1). Nutrient digestibility and feeding values improved (P<0.05) with TRS+FBS lambs versus FBS, TRS and URS lambs. The highest numerical values of ruminal total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in TRS lambs were recorded 23.9 ml.eq/dl followed by TRS+FBS, URS and FBS. Regarding to the ruminal parameters, there were no differences (P>0.05) among evaluated groups except for NH3-N, the highest concentration (P<0.05) was recorded in TRS lambs at 3 h post-feeding. Lambs of TRS, FBS and TRS+FBS showed faster growth (P<0.05) than those of the control (i.e., URS). Intakes of dry matter, total digestible nutrients, and digestible crude protein were numerically increased for TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS. Feed conversion, as kg dry matter/kg gain, was improved for TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS lambs versus URS. Daily gain of lambs increased (P<0.05) with lambs of TRS, FBS, and TRS+FBS but URS lambs showed a decrease (P<0.05) in daily gain. Feed conversion as kg dry matter intake/kg gain was improved (P<0.05) by feeding on TRS, FBS and TRS+FBS rations versus URS. The TRS+FBS lambs tended to have the highest economic efficiency versus URS, TRS and FBS lambs. It was concluded that urea-treated rice straw could be used as sole roughage or mixed with faba bean straw (1:1) in growing lambs' ration to improve their performance and economic efficiency without adversely affecting their health.

Effect of feeding Bengal gram residual forage-based pelleted total mixed ration on growth performance, nutrient availability, carcass traits and composition in finisher Barbari kids.

The study aimed to assess the impact of feeding Bengal gram residual forage-based pelleted Total Mixed Ration (TMR) with varying concentrate (C) to roughage (R) ratios on feed intake, nutrient utilization, growth, and carcass characteristics in Barbari kids. Sixteen weaned male Barbari kids (av. age, 233 ± 11 days; weight, 13.86 ± 0.76 kg) were divided into two groups (T1 and T2), each receiving different pelleted diets (TMR) with distinct concentrate to roughage ratios (T1 with 60:40; T2 with 40:60). The kids were fed for 133 days, and a digestion trial was conducted at the end of the study. After completion, all kids were slaughtered. Although, kids under T1 consumed higher (P < 0.001) amount of dry matter, and crude protein compared to T2, which was due to a higher concentrate to roughage ratio in T1. But, the average daily body weight gain (ADG) of finisher kids was 88.53, and 79.83 g/d/kid in T1 and T2, respectively; however, the difference was non-significant. Digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, and total carbohydrate was also greater in T1 compared to T2. Total digestible nutrients intake was higher (P < 0.001) in T1; similarly intake of digestible energy, and metabolizable energy were significantly increased (P < 0.01) in T1 compared to T2. Concentrations of volatile fatty acids and NH3-nitrogen were also enhanced (P < 0.05) in T1 compared to T2. We observed similar carcass weight, and dressing percentage in both groups, and carcass composition remained unaffected. The pelleted diet containing greater ratio of concentrate: roughage (60:40) had no additional benefits in terms of ADG, and carcass traits in finisher kids. Therefore, it may be concluded that the Bengal gram residual forage-based pelleted TMR diet containing C40: R60 (TDN 57.13%, DCP 7.64%, ME 9.11MJ/kg feed) is suitable for optimizing growth performance with desirable carcass traits, and meat composition in finisher Barbari kids reared under the intensive system.

'Dust you shall eat': The complex nutritional and functional considerations underlying a simple diet.

Animals assimilate macronutrients and mineral nutrients in specific quantities and ratios to maximise fitness. To achieve this, animals must ingest different foods that contain the needed nutrients or facilitate the digestion of those nutrients. We explored how these multidimensional considerations affect the desert isopods (Hemilepistus reaumuri) curious food selection, using field and laboratory experiments. Wild isopods consumed three-fold more macronutrient-poor biological soil crust (BSC) than plant litter. Isopods tightly regulated macronutrient and calcium intake, but not phosphorus when eating the two natural foods and when artificial calcium and phosphorus sources substituted the BSC. Despite the equivalent calcium ingestion, isopods performed better when eating BSC compared to artificial foods. Isopods that consumed BSC sterilised by gamma-radiation ate more but grew slower than isopods that ate live BSC, implying that ingested microorganisms facilitate litter digestion. Our work highlights the need to reveal the multifaceted considerations that affect food-selection when exploring trophic-interactions.

Nucleic acid-extracted torula yeast from the paper industry as a protein feed for ruminants: A comparison with soybean meal.

We compared nucleic acid-extracted torula yeast (NTY) with soybean meal (SBM) to evaluate NTY as a potential protein feed for ruminants in a metabolic trial using four castrated male goats. NTY was replaced isonitrogenously with SBM at a 25% crude protein (CP) level on a dry matter (DM) basis. NTY has 55% CP and 74% total digestive nutrients on DM. Absorbed N was lower on the NTY diet, but since the urinary N excretion was lower on the NTY diet, no significant between-diet difference in retained N was observed. The efficiency of N utilization (retained N/absorbed N) was significantly higher on the NTY diet. The Lys and Met contents (presumed limiting amino acids for dairy cattle) were higher in NTY than SBM, which may be why N utilization efficiency was higher for the NTY diet. Ruminal ammonia-N and blood serum N were lower on the NTY diet, suggesting that NTY has more rumen undegradable protein than SBM. There was no significant between-diet difference in the visceral disorder indicators or antioxidant activities. Our results indicate that NTY is a safe protein feed with a high CP ratio and high-quality amino acid profile for ruminants that is equivalent to SBM.

Evaluation of internal markers in digestibility estimation for sheep and goats.

The objective of this study was to compare the indirect methods of obtaining digestibility with the direct method of total fecal collection to estimate the apparent digestibility of nutrients in sheep and goats supplemented with non-protein nitrogen. Five goats and five sheep with no defined racial pattern were used, distributed in two 5 × 5 Latin squares, with split plots, considering the diets as plots and the apparent digestibility determination methodologies as subplots. The diets were composed of buffelgrass hay and the addition, via ruminal infusion, of increasing amounts of nitrogen supplementation in order to gradually raise the CP level of the basal diet in intervals of 2% points, that is, + 2, +4, + 6 and + 8%. Samples of the feeds offered, and the leftovers were collected daily during the five days of collection to determine the nutrient intake, as well as the total collection of feces to determine the apparent digestibility of the nutrients. The amount of fecal dry matter excreted was estimated by the concentration of Indigestible Acid Detergent Fiber (ADFi), Indigestible Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDFi), Indigestible Dry Matter at 244 h (DMi 244 h) and Indigestible Dry Matter at 264 h (DMi 264 h). Among the evaluated markers, DMi 264 h had the lowest accuracy in estimating fecal excretion and nutrient digestibility. For the goat species, the markers ADFi and DMi 244 h proved to be able to adequately predict fecal excretion and digestibility indices, while NDFi stood out for both species. Among the evaluated markers, NDFi is the one that most accurately estimates the nutrient digestibility of the diet for goats and sheep.

Roles of Nutrients in the Brain Development, Cognitive Function, and Mood of Dogs and Cats.

The brain is the central commander of all physical activities and the expression of emotions in animals. Its development and cognitive health critically depend on the neural network that consists of neurons, glial cells (namely, non-neuronal cells), and neurotransmitters (communicators between neurons). The latter include proteinogenic amino acids (e.g., L-glutamate, L-aspartate, and glycine) and their metabolites [e.g., γ-aminobutyrate, D-aspartate, D-serine, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and monoamines (e.g., dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and serotonin)]. In addition, some non-neurotransmitter metabolites of amino acids, such as taurine, creatine, and carnosine, also play important roles in brain development, cognitive health, behavior, and mood of dogs and cats. Much evidence shows that cats require dietary ω3 (α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) and ω6 (linoleic acid and arachidonic acid) polyunsaturated fatty acids for the development of the central nervous system. As an essential component of membranes of neurons and glial cells, cholesterol is also crucial for cognitive development and function. In addition, vitamins and minerals are required for the metabolism of AAs, lipids, and glucose in the nervous system, and also act as antioxidants. Thus, inadequate nutrition will lead to mood disorders. Some amino acids (e.g., arginine, glycine, methionine, serine, taurine, tryptophan, and tyrosine) can help to alleviate behavioral and mood disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety and aggression). As abundant providers of all these functional amino acids and lipids, animal-sourced foods (e.g., liver, intestinal mucosa, and meat) play important roles in brain development, cognitive function, and mood of dogs and cats. This may explain, in part, why dogs and cats prefer to eat visceral organs of their prey. Adequate provision of nutrients in all phases of the life cycle (pregnancy, lactation, postnatal growth, and adulthood) is essential for optimizing neurological health, while preventing cognitive dysfunction and abnormal behavior.

Maternal nutrient metabolism in the liver during pregnancy.

The liver plays pivotal roles in nutrient metabolism, and correct hepatic adaptations are required in maternal nutrient metabolism during pregnancy. In this review, hepatic nutrient metabolism, including glucose metabolism, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and protein and amino acid metabolism, is first addressed. In addition, recent progress on maternal hepatic adaptations in nutrient metabolism during pregnancy is discussed. Finally, the factors that regulate hepatic nutrient metabolism during pregnancy are highlighted, and the factors include follicle-stimulating hormone, estrogen, progesterone, insulin-like growth factor 1, prostaglandins fibroblast growth factor 21, serotonin, growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone, melatonin, adrenal hormone, leptin, glucagon-like peptide-1, insulin glucagon and thyroid hormone. Our vision is that more attention should be paid to liver nutrient metabolism during pregnancy, which will be helpful for utilizing nutrient appropriately and efficiently, and avoiding liver diseases during pregnancy.

Nutrient-induced acidification modulates soil biodiversity-function relationships.

Nutrient enrichment is a major global change component that often disrupts the relationship between aboveground biodiversity and ecosystem functions by promoting species dominance, altering trophic interactions, and reducing ecosystem stability. Emerging evidence indicates that nutrient enrichment also reduces soil biodiversity and weakens the relationship between belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functions, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we explore the effects of nutrient enrichment on soil properties, soil biodiversity, and multiple ecosystem functions through a 13-year field experiment. We show that soil acidification induced by nutrient enrichment, rather than changes in mineral nutrient and carbon (C) availability, is the primary factor negatively affecting the relationship between soil diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. Nitrogen and phosphorus additions significantly reduce soil pH, diversity of bacteria, fungi and nematodes, as well as an array of ecosystem functions related to C and nutrient cycling. Effects of nutrient enrichment on microbial diversity also have negative consequences at higher trophic levels on the diversity of microbivorous nematodes. These results indicate that nutrient-induced acidification can cascade up its impacts along the soil food webs and influence ecosystem functioning, providing novel insight into the mechanisms through which nutrient enrichment influences soil community and ecosystem properties.

Crosstalk between metabolism and cell death in tumorigenesis.

It is generally recognized that tumor cells proliferate more rapidly than normal cells. Due to such an abnormally rapid proliferation rate, cancer cells constantly encounter the limits of insufficient oxygen and nutrient supplies. To satisfy their growth needs and resist adverse environmental events, tumor cells modify the metabolic pathways to produce both extra energies and substances required for rapid growth. Realizing the metabolic characters special for tumor cells will be helpful for eliminating them during therapy. Cell death is a hot topic of long-term study and targeting cell death is one of the most effective ways to repress tumor growth. Many studies have successfully demonstrated that metabolism is inextricably linked to cell death of cancer cells. Here we summarize the recently identified metabolic characters that specifically impact on different types of cell deaths and discuss their roles in tumorigenesis.

Losses of low-germinating, slow-growing species prevent grassland composition recovery from nutrient amendment.

Nutrient enrichment often alters the biomass and species composition of plant communities, but the extent to which these changes are reversible after the cessation of nutrient addition is not well-understood. Our 22-year experiment (15 years for nutrient addition and 7 years for recovery), conducted in an alpine meadow, showed that soil nitrogen concentration and pH recovered rapidly after cessation of nutrient addition. However, this was not accompanied by a full recovery of plant community composition. An incomplete recovery in plant diversity and a directional shift in species composition from grass dominance to forb dominance were observed 7 years after the nutrient addition ended. Strikingy, the historically dominant sedges with low germination rate and slow growth rate and nitrogen-fixing legumes with low germination rate were unable to re-establish after nutrient addition ceased. By contrast, rapid recovery of aboveground biomass was observed after nutrient cessation as the increase in forb biomass only partially compensated for the decline in grass biomass. These results indicate that anthropogenic nutrient input can have long-lasting effects on the structure, but not the soil chemistry and plant biomass, of grassland communities, and that the recovery of soil chemical properties and plant biomass does not necessarily guarantee the restoration of plant community structure. These findings have important implications for the management and recovery of grassland communities, many of which are experiencing alterations in resource input.

Nutrient depletion and heat stress impair the assimilation of nitrogen compounds in a scleractinian coral.

Concentrations of dissolved nitrogen in seawater can affect the resilience of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis to climate change-induced bleaching. However, it is not yet known how the assimilation and translocation of the various nitrogen forms change during heat stress, nor how the symbiosis responds to nutrient depletion, which may occur due to increasing water stratification. Here, the tropical scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata, in symbiosis with dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, was grown at different temperatures (26°C, 30°C and 34°C), before being placed in nutrient-replete or -depleted seawater for 24 h. The corals were then incubated with 13C-labelled sodium bicarbonate and different 15N-labelled nitrogen forms (ammonium, urea and dissolved free amino acids) to determine their assimilation rates. We found that nutrient depletion inhibited the assimilation of all nitrogen sources studied and that heat stress reduced the assimilation of ammonium and dissolved free amino acids. However, the host assimilated over 3-fold more urea at 30°C relative to 26°C. Overall, both moderate heat stress (30°C) and nutrient depletion individually decreased the total nitrogen assimilated by the symbiont by 66%, and combined, they decreased assimilation by 79%. This led to the symbiotic algae becoming nitrogen starved, with the C:N ratio increasing by over 3-fold at 34°C, potentially exacerbating the impacts of coral bleaching.

Changes of soil nutrients and organic carbon fractions in Caragana korshinskii forests with different restoration years in mountainous areas of southern Ningxia, China.

Vegetation restoration can effectively enhance soil quality and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. In this study, the distribution characteristics of soil nutrients and SOC along soil profile (0-100 cm), and their responses to restoration years (16, 28, 38 years) were studied in Caragana korshinskii plantations in the southern mountainous area of Ningxia, compared with cropland and natural grassland. The results showed that: 1) the contents of SOC, soil total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) and the proportion of particulate organic carbon to total organic carbon (POC/SOC) all decreased with increasing soil depth. The ratio of mineral-associated organic carbon to total organic carbon (MAOC/SOC) exhibited an opposite trend. 2) The contents of SOC, TN, TP, C:P, N:P, POC and MAOC gra-dually decreased as the restoration years increased. However, the C:N ratio showed no significant change. The POC/SOC ratio initially increased and then decreased, while the MAOC/SOC ratio decreased initially and then increased. 3) In three different types of vegetation, POC, MAOC, and SOC showed a highly significant positive linear correlation, with the increase in SOC mainly depended on the increase in MAOC. The SOC, TN, TP, POC and MAOC contents in natural grassland and C. korshinskii plantations were significantly higher than those in cropland. In conclusion, soil nutrients and POC and MAOC contents of C. korshinskii plantations gradually decreased with the increases in restoration years. However, when compared with cropland, natural grassland and C. korshinskii plantations demonstrated a greater capacity to maintain and enhance soil nutrient and carbon storage.

Immunomodulation through Nutrition Should Be a Key Trend in Type 2 Diabetes Treatment.

An organism's ability to function properly depends not solely on its diet but also on the intake of nutrients and non-nutritive bioactive compounds that exert immunomodulatory effects. This principle applies both to healthy individuals and, in particular, to those with concomitant chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. However, the current food industry and the widespread use of highly processed foods often lead to nutritional deficiencies. Numerous studies have confirmed the occurrence of immune system dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. This article elucidates the impact of specific nutrients on the immune system function, which maintains homeostasis of the organism, with a particular emphasis on type 2 diabetes. The role of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and selected substances, such as omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10, and alpha-lipoic acid, was taken into consideration, which outlined the minimum range of tests that ought to be performed on patients in order to either directly or indirectly determine the severity of malnutrition in this group of patients.

Dairy Matrix Effects: Physicochemical Properties Underlying a Multifaceted Paradigm.

When food products are often considered only as a source of individual nutrients or a collection of nutrients, this overlooks the importance of interactions between nutrients, but also interactions between nutrients and other constituents of food, i.e., the product matrix. This product matrix, which can be defined as 'The components of the product, their interactions, their structural organization within the product and the resultant physicochemical properties of the product', plays a critical role in determining important product properties, such as product stability, sensory properties and nutritional and health outcomes. Such matrix effects can be defined as 'the functional outcome of specific component(s) as part of a specific product matrix'. In this article, dairy matrix effects are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the nutrition and health impact of dairy products. Such matrix effects are critical in explaining many effects of milk and dairy products on human nutrition and health that cannot be explained solely based on nutrient composition. Examples hereof include the low glycemic responses of milk and dairy products, the positive impact on dental health, the controlled amino acid absorption and the absence of CVD risk despite the presence of saturated fatty acids. Particularly, the changes occurring in the stomach, including, e.g., coagulation of casein micelles and creaming of aggregated fat globules, play a critical role in determining the kinetics of nutrient release and absorption.