Stingless bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae, and Trigona) honey is a remarkable “miracle liquid” with a wide range of medical benefits for conditions including gastroenteritis, cataracts, and wound healing. Our study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize acid-resistant Lactobacillus spp. from sour honey distributed in Yunnan, China. To assess the safety of an entirely novel Lactobacillus pentosus strain, S4 (OM618128), based on probiotic property evaluation and whole-genome sequencing analysis. A 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that Lactobacillus was abundant at the genus level in sour honey. Seven Lactobacillus strains (viz. S1–7) were isolated from sour honey using a multiple-anaerobic culture enrichment method. One potential acid-resistant isolate, Lactobacillus sp. S4, was obtained after screening the seven Lactobacillus isolates, and it had the highest lactic acid production (17.62 g/L), followed by Lactobacillus sp. S3 (17.07 g/L). Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of conserved sequence regions have shown that all seven strains are phylogenetically located in the Lactobacillus pentosus sub-cluster. In L. pentosus SYBC-MI, there is a circular chromosome (3288615 bps) and 11,466 bps plasmids. GC content is 44.03%. The number of predicted genes is 3,129, with 16 rRNAs and 74 tRNAs present. During the fermentation of foxtail millet by seven Lactobacillus pentosus (S1–7) strains isolated from sour honey, a potential tryptophan accumulating isolate, Lactobacillus pentosus S4, was obtained, which could reach a maximum tryptophan content of 238.43 mgL^-1 that is 1.80 times the initial tryptophan content in the fermentation broth. This strain has strong acid tolerance, salt tolerance, and fermentation acid production abilities. This strain degrades nitrite at a rate of over 99%, and it has high probiotic potential as well. This project has established a solid foundation for further exploring the excellent lactic acid bacteria in sour honey. It is also investigating the key taxa and their role in the environment. According to the results of our studies, these LAB isolates provide a lot of potential for use in the future, as a source of probiotics for human, animals, and starter cultures for food applications.

Brassica napus (B. napus) is susceptible to multiple abiotic stresses that can affect plant growth and development, ultimately reducing crop yields. In the past, many genes that provide tolerance to abiotic stresses have been identified and characterized. Peroxidase (POD) proteins, members of the oxidoreductase enzyme family, play a critical role in protecting plants against abiotic stresses. This study demonstrated a comprehensive investigation of the POD gene family in B. napus. As a result, a total of 109 POD genes were identified across the 19 chromosomes and classified into five distinct subgroups. Further, 44 duplicate events were identified; of these, two gene pairs were tandem and 42 were segmental. Synteny analysis revealed that segmental duplication was more prominent than tandem duplication among POD genes. Expression pattern analysis based on the RNA-seq data of B. napus indicated that BnPOD genes were expressed differently in various tissues; most of them were expressed in roots rather than in other tissues. To validate these findings, we performed RT-qPCR analysis on ten genes; these genes showed various expression levels under abiotic stresses. Our findings not only furnish valuable insights into the evolutionary dynamics of the BnPOD gene family but also serve as a foundation for subsequent investigations into the functional roles of POD genes in B. napus.

A number of consequences of climate change, notably salinity, put global food security at risk by impacting the development and production of lentils. Salinity-induced stress alters lentil genetics, resulting in severe developmental issues and eventual phenotypic damage. Lentils have evolved sophisticated signaling networks to combat salinity stress. Lentil genomics and transcriptomics have discovered key genes and pathways that play an important role in mitigating salinity stress. The development of saline-smart cultivars can be further revolutionized by implementing proteomics, metabolomics, miRNAomics, epigenomics, phenomics, ionomics, machine learning, and speed breeding approaches. All these cutting-edge approaches represent a viable path toward creating saline-tolerant lentil cultivars that can withstand climate change and meet the growing demand for high-quality food worldwide. The review emphasizes the gaps that must be filled for future food security in a changing climate while also highlighting the significant discoveries and insights made possible by omics and other state-of-the-art biotechnological techniques.

In recent years, the bacterial blight of cassava has caused substantial economic losses to the Chinese cassava industry. Chemical control methods have become the primary approach to control this disease; however, their widespread usage and harmful residues have raised concerns about environmental pollution. In order to avoid this, it is urgent to seek a green ecological method to prevent and control it. Biological control through the utilization of microorganisms not only effectively inhibits the disease, but also gives consideration to environmental friendliness. Therefore, investigating an endophytic biological control method for cassava bacterial blight is of great importance. In this study, cassava leaf tissues were used as test specimens in order to isolate endophytic bacteria by using dilution and separation methods. Bacillus ME9, derived from cassava endophytic bacteria, exhibits good antagonism against a diverse range of pathogens, including Xpm11. Its genome consists of a series of genes encoding antibacterial lipopeptides, which may be directly related to its antibacterial capabilities. Furthermore, inoculation resulted in a substantial change in the diversity of the endophytic bacterial community, characterized by improved diversity, and displayed an obvious inhibition of pathogenic bacterial growth, demonstrating successful colonization within plants. The results laid a foundation and provided theoretical support for the development and utilization of cassava endophytic bacterial diversity and endogenous disease control strategies.

A growing figure of data proposes that outcomes with Coronavirus Disease 2019 are worse in those suffering from obesity and that a significant proportion of those requiring intensive care suffers from overweight or obesity [1].

Brassica napus L. (B. napus) is well known edible oil crop globally threatened by heavy metal pollution, particularly vanadium (V), which severely damaged plant growth, biomass accumulation, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant defense by inducing oxidative stress. Melatonin (MT), a multifunctional phytohormone, has emerged as a potent regulator of plant responses to abiotic stress; however, its role in mitigating V-induced phytotoxicity remains largely unexplored in B. napus. In this study, we evaluated the physio-biochemical and transcriptomic responses of B. napus seedlings under V stress (100 mg L⁻¹) with or without MT supplementation (100 µM). MT treatment significantly reduced V uptake (~66.79%) and alleviated V-induced phenotypic and physiological damages, restoring biomass, water content, and photosynthetic pigment accumulation. Notably, MT enhanced chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange parameters, and ROS-scavenging by up-regulating antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APX) and their corresponding genes. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1767 deferentially expressed genes (DEGs), with MT reversing V-down-regulated gene expression and promoting stress-responsive pathways. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) revealed four key modules (turquoise, blue, brown, yellow), where gene expression was predominantly up-regulated in MT+V treatments. GO and KEGG enrichment highlighted MT-induced activation of pathways related to abiotic stress responses, including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid metabolism, and ROS detoxification. Notably, genes involved in flavonoid (PAL, FLS, CYP73A), lignin (PODs, CAD, COMT), and sinapine biosynthesis were significantly up-regulated by MT, correlating with reduced H₂O₂ accumulation and enhanced stress resilience. This study provides novel insights into the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which MT mitigates V toxicity in B. napus, underscoring its potential application in enhancing heavy metal stress tolerance in crops through sustainable bio-stimulant strategies.