This article reviews the beneficial and adverse effects of high-dose vitamin E supplementation on the vitamin E status and renal function in human and rodent studies. The high doses of vitamin E, which can cause renal effects, were compared to upper limits of toxicity (UL) as established by various authorities worldwide. In recent mice studies with higher doses of vitamin E, several biomarkers of tissue toxicity and inflammation were found to be significantly elevated. In these biomarker studies, the severity of inflammation and the increased levels of the biomarkers are discussed together with the need to re-evaluate ULs, given the toxic effects of vitamin E on the kidney and emphasizing oxidative stress and inflammation. The controversy in the literature about vitamin E effects on the kidney is mainly caused by the dose-effects relations that do not give a clear view, neither in human nor animals studies. In addition, more recent studies on rodents with new biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation give new insights into possible mechanisms. In this review, the controversy is shown and an advice given on the vitamin E supplementation for renal health.

(1) Background: Interest in plant analogues for food of animal origin is increasing. There are some pro-healthy food ingredients, such as odd-chain, cyclic, and branched fatty acids, that are perceived to be characteristic for food of animal origin or fermented. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether commercial plant drinks can be valuable nutrient mediums for the multiplication of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The goal was also to determine their potential for the production of the above-mentioned groups of fatty acids; (2) Methods: Commercial almond and oat beverages were used to produce 16 new variants of fermented beverages using 3 strains of lactic acid bacteria and 5 strains of yeasts. The apparent viscosity, volatile compounds (e-nose), and fatty acids composition (GC-MS) were analyzed; (3) Results: After 48 h of fermentation, acidity increased in both types of drinks. The gelation of proteins in the majority of the almond beverages increased the apparent viscosity. The highest content of minor fatty acids was determined in oat beverages fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PK 1.1 and Kluyveromyces marxianus KF 0001 and in the almond beverage fermented by Candida lipolytica CLP 0001. Among the used strains, Yarrowia lipolytica YLP 0001 was found to be a major producer of aromas in both beverages.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of extruded and fermented wheat bran (WBex-f) to the quality of wheat bread (BR), including the volatile compounds (VC) profile and VC relationship with emotions induced for consumers. A comparison study of BR (prepared with 5%, 10%, and 15% untreated wheat bran (nWB) and WBex-f) quality parameters was performed. It was established that nWB increases dough hardness and reduces BR specific volume. The addition of 5% and 10% of WBex-f was not significant on BR porosity and led to the formation of a high number of large pores. nWB and WBex-f increases the mass loss of BR after baking (by 13.38%), and the control breads showed the highest crust darkness, yellowness, and redness. nWB and WBex-f reduces BR firmness during storage, and WBex-f increases the overall acceptability (OA) of BR (by 26.2%). A strong positive correlation was found between OA and the emotion ‘happy’ (r = 0.8696). In BR prepared with WBex-f, a higher content of pyrazine, methyl-; pyrazine, 2-ethyl-; pyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methyl-; furfural; ethanone, 1-(2-furanyl)-; benzaldehyde; and 3-furanmethanol was found. Finally, it can be stated that WBex-f could prolong the shelf life of BR and leads to the formation of a specific VC profile, which is associated with a higher OA of the product.

In recent years, special attention has been paid to climate change assessment and research into our changing environment. The greatest economic losses worldwide are due to the negative effects of drought stress and extreme temperature on the plants’ morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties which limit crop growth and productivity. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most popular plants widely grown around the world as a spice, as well a medicinal, aromatic plant. The seedlings with 5–6 true leaves were divided into two groups, and one group of seedlings was sprayed with 10 mM potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃). Three days after potassium bicarbonate treatment, half of the plants from each group were subjected to a water deficit (drought stress), and the other half were grown under stress-free conditions (well-watered). The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃) on morphophysiological parameters, phenolics content and the antioxidant activity of basil under drought conditions. The application of potassium bicarbonate to drought stressed plants significantly increased the chlorophyll content, fresh and dry weight, phenolics content in the two of tested cultivars, and antioxidant activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS methods. Principal component analysis showed that the first factor was highly and positively related to all the investigated parameters. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the first cluster was formed by being well-watered, well-watered and sprayed with potassium bicarbonate, and grown under drought conditions and sprayed with potassium bicarbonate basil cultivars, while the second cluster was formed by all the tested cultivars grown under drought conditions.

Climate change poses a significant threat to food security, with projections indicating a decline in crop yield due to reduced crop growth in the face of rising temperatures. This study evaluated the effects of L-Isoleucine, L-Methionine, L-Glutamine, L-Tryptophan, and L-Phenylalanine on the morphophysiological parameters, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) under high-temperature stress. Ten cultivar varieties of the sweet basil, “Rosie”, “Red Opal”, “Bordeaux”, “Dark Opal”, “Red Rubin”, “Genovese”, “Cinamon”, “Italiano Classico”, “Marseillais”, and “Thai”, were grown in a controlled-environment growth chamber. The seedlings with 5–6 true leaves were divided into seven groups: the first group of seedlings had no treatment and was grown under 25/22 °C (day/night) temperature, the second group of seedlings had no treatment and was grown under 35/30 °C (day/night) temperature, and the remaining five groups were sprayed with 100 mg L⁻¹ of L-Isoleucine, L-Methionine, L-Glutamine, L-Tryptophan, or L-Phenylalanine. As our results show, L-Tryptophan increased fresh and dry biomass in green sweet basil, while L-Methionine had the greatest effect on biomass in purple varieties. L-Phenylalanine increased chlorophyll a and b in heat-stressed “Bordeaux” (purple variety) and “Marseillais” (green variety). L-Isoleucine and L-Glutamine increased total phenolic compounds (TPCs) in purple cultivars (“Rosie”, “Red Opal”, “Dark Opal”, and “Red Rubin”), while L-Tryptophan (“Cinamon” and “Italiano Classico”) and L-Phenylalanine increased TPCs in “Cinamon”, “Marseillais”, and “Thai” green cultivars. Antioxidant activity (ABTS) was highest in “Dark Opal” and “Bordeaux” treated with L-Tryptophan or L-Phenylalanine under heat stress, while “Thai” benefited most from L-Isoleucine. The exogenous application of amino acids could serve as a viable solution to alleviate the negative effects of temperature stress on sweet basil and serve as an environmentally friendly agricultural strategy.

Rumen microbial fermentation plays a central role in nutrient utilization and milk production in dairy cows. This study evaluated the effects of supplementation with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, alone or in combination with live yeast on rumen microbiota, fermentation characteristics, nitrogen-related metabolites, and production performance during the transition from outdoor grazing to indoor housing. Thirty Lithuanian Red dairy cows were assigned to control (CTR), enzyme (E), or enzyme plus yeast (YE) treatments across outdoor (OD) and transit (T) periods, while nine cows (three per group) were selected for rumen and microbiota analysis. Rumen bacterial communities were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and functional parameters were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. Supplementation resulted in selective changes in several bacterial genera, including Blautia spp., WPS-2, Ruminococcus spp., Erysipelotrichaceae UCG-009, Sharpea spp., uncultured Bacteroidales, and Prevotellaceae UCG-003, and was associated with alterations in fermentation patterns, particularly propionate concentration, and in nitrogen metabolism, including putrescine dynamics. The transition period significantly influenced microbial diversity and total bacterial abundance across treatments. Cows in the YE group maintained higher milk yield during the transition period. Overall, dietary supplementation modulated specific rumen metabolic responses and contributed to production stability without causing large-scale changes in overall microbial structure.