Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an emerging tick-borne zoonosis, has been rapidly spread in many Asian counties since 2010, which raises the great concern in East Asia. Nevertheless, the infection status of SFTS in Taiwan remains unclear. To investigate the existence of SFTSV in Taiwan, a total of 151 serum samples collected from 31 sheep, 63 bovine and 57 dogs were enrolled this study. Furthermore, 360 adult female Rhipicephalus microplus were also included. One-step RT-nested PCR and IgG ELISA were conducted to test SFTSV specific RNA and antibodies, respectively. The result provided the first evidence of the existence of SFTSV RNA and antibodies in ruminants and ticks in Taiwan.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in many developed countries, including Taiwan. Quercetin, a widely distributed bioflavonoid, is well known to induce growth inhibition in a variety of human cancer cells. Quercetin glucuronides are the main circulating metabolites after dietary supplements with quercetin in humans. However, there is little information available as to how quercetin glucuronides affect human cancer cells. We investigated the effects of quercetin glucuronides in a human lung cancer cell line NCI-H209. We checked the cell viability, cell cycle checkpoint proteins, pro- and antiapoptotic proteins, caspase-3 activity, and gene expression by flow cytometry and Western blot. The viability of cells decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed a significant increase of the proportion of cells in G₂/M phase and subG₀/G₁ phase (corresponding to apoptotic cells). Moreover, quercetin glucuronides increased the expressions of cyclin B, Cdc25c-ser-216-p, and Wee1 proteins, indicating the G₂/M arrest. We also demonstrated a concurrent decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, up-regulation of Bax, down-regulation of Bcl-2, and activation of caspase-3, and subsequently, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In addition, quercetin glucuronide-induced apoptosis was totally blocked by the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethylketone. Taken together, we demonstrated that quercetin glucuronides inhibited proliferation through G₂/M arrest of the cell cycle and induced apoptosis via caspase-3 cascade in the human lung cancer cell line NCI-H209. Delineation of the biological effects of specific major quercetin metabolites on chemotherapeutic potential or chemoprevention of human cancers warrants further investigation.

The utilization of algae in aquaculture is environmentally friendly, safe, and cost-effective and can effectively substitute for fish meal and fish oil in aquatic feeds. Incorporating algae as dietary supplements leads to significant enhancements in aquatic animals’ health and also improves the aquatic ecosystem. Algae are rich sources of nutrients and serve as the foundational food source in the aquatic food chain. Currently, 40 different algae species are employed in aquaculture. Furthermore, algae contributes to elevating the overall quality of aquatic feed products. Aquaculture stands as the most vital food production sector globally; however, challenges such as infection outbreaks and aquatic environmental pollution pose significant threats to the sustainable growth of this industry. An alternative strategy for mitigating environmental issues and improving aquatic production involves the utilization of algae. The novelty in the applications of algae in aquaculture stems from their multifaceted roles and benefits, such as their capacity to improve water quality, serve as nutrient-rich feed supplements, and enhance the overall health and productivity of aquatic species. These versatile applications of algae represent a fresh and innovative approach to sustainable aquaculture practices. This review furnishes insights into the use of algae, algae extracts, or components derived from algae to enhance water quality. Additionally, it covers the utilization of algae-based feed supplements, boosting of the immune system, enhanced growth performance, and disease resistance in aquatic animals.

Probiotics, known for their health benefits as living microorganisms, hold significant importance across various fields, including agriculture, aquaculture, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Optimal delivery and storage of probiotic cells are essential to maximize their effectiveness. Biopolymers, derived from living sources, plants, animals, and microbes, offer a natural solution to enhance probiotic capabilities and they possess distinctive qualities such as stability, flexibility, biocompatibility, sustainability, biodegradability, and antibacterial properties, making them ideal for probiotic applications. These characteristics create optimal environments for the swift and precisely targeted delivery of probiotic cells that surpass the effectiveness of unencapsulated probiotic cells. Various encapsulation techniques using diverse biopolymers are employed for this purpose. These techniques are not limited to spray drying, emulsion, extrusion, spray freeze drying, layer by layer, ionic gelation, complex coacervation, vibration technology, electrospinning, phase separation, sol-gel encapsulation, spray cooling, fluidized, air suspension coating, compression coating, co-crystallization coating, cyclodextrin inclusion, rotating disk, and solvent evaporation methods. This review addresses the latest advancements in probiotic encapsulation materials and techniques, bridging gaps in our understanding of biopolymer-based encapsulation systems. Specifically, we address the limitations of current encapsulation methods in maintaining probiotic viability under extreme environmental conditions and the need for more targeted and efficient delivery mechanisms. Focusing on the interactions between biopolymers and probiotics reveals how customized encapsulation approaches can enhance probiotic stability, survival, and functionality. Through detailed comparative analysis of the effectiveness of various encapsulation methods, we identify key strategies for optimizing probiotic deployment in challenging conditions such as high-temperature processing, acidic environments, and gastrointestinal transit. The findings presented in this review highlight the superior performance of novel encapsulation methods using biopolymer blends and advanced technologies like electrospinning and layer-by-layer assembly, which provide enhanced protection and controlled release of probiotics by offering insights into the development of more robust encapsulation systems that ensure the sustained viability and bioavailability of probiotics, thus advancing their application across multiple industries. In conclusion, this paper provides the foundation for future research to refine encapsulation techniques to overcome the challenges of probiotic delivery in clinical and commercial settings.

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