Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that is crucial for human health. As a key component of various enzymes and proteins, selenium primarily exerts its biological functions in the form of selenoproteins within the body. Currently, over 30 types of selenoproteins have been identified, with more than 20 of them containing selenocysteine residues. Among these, glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), thioredoxin reductases (TrxRs), and iodothyronine deiodinases (DIOs) have been widely studied. Selenium boasts numerous biological functions, including antioxidant properties, immune system enhancement, thyroid function regulation, anti-cancer effects, cardiovascular protection, reproductive capability improvement, and anti-inflammatory activity. Despite its critical importance to human health, the range between selenium’s nutritional and toxic doses is very narrow. Insufficient daily selenium intake can lead to selenium deficiency, while excessive intake carries the risk of selenium toxicity. Therefore, selenium intake must be controlled within a relatively precise range. This article reviews the distribution and intake of selenium, as well as its absorption and metabolism mechanisms in the human body. It also explores the multiple biological functions and mechanisms of selenium in maintaining human health. The aim is to provide new insights and evidence for further elucidating the role of selenium and selenoproteins in health maintenance, as well as for future nutritional guidelines and public health policies.

Benzimidazole fungicides are a class of highly effective, low-toxicity, systemic broad-spectrum fungicides developed in the 1960s and 1970s, based on the fungicidal activity of the benzimidazole ring structure. They exhibit biological activities including anticancer, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects. Due to their particularly outstanding antibacterial properties, they are widely used in agriculture to prevent and control various plant diseases caused by fungi. The main products of benzimidazole fungicides include benomyl, carbendazim, thiabendazole, albendazole, thiophanate, thiophanate-methyl, fuberidazole, methyl (1-{[(5-cyanopentyl)amino]carbonyl}-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate, and carbendazim salicylate. This article mainly reviews the physicochemical properties, toxicological properties, disease control efficacy, and pesticide residue and detection technologies of the aforementioned nine benzimidazole fungicides and their main metabolite (2-aminobenzimidazole). On this basis, a brief outlook on the future research directions of benzimidazole fungicides is presented.

Background: Plant fungi (e.g., Pellicularia sasakii, Gibberella zeae, Fusarium oxysporum, and Cytospora mandshurica and Phytophthora infestans) and bacteria (e.g., Ralstonia solanacearum) are extremely difficult to manage in agricultural production. The high incidence of plant mortality and the lack of effective control methods make P. sasakii and R. solanacearum two of the world’s most destructive plant pathogens. Pathogenic fungi and bacteria are responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Thus, we designed an active amide structure and synthesized a series of novel amide derivatives containing a triazole moiety to discover new bioactive molecules and pesticides that can act against fungi and bacteria. Results: A series of amide derivatives containing a triazole moiety were synthesized. All the obtained compounds were characterized through proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Preliminary antifungal activity test showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activity against P. sasakii, G. azeae, F. oxysporum, C. mandshurica, and P. infestans at 50 mg/L. Compound 4u displayed more potent antifungal activity against P. sasakii and G. azeae than hymexazol. Preliminary antibacterial activity results showed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited high anti-bacterial activity against R. solanacearum at 200 mg/L. Compounds 4m and 4q displayed high antibacterial activity against R. solanacearum, with 71% and 65% inhibitory rates, respectively. Conclusions: A series of novel amide derivatives containing 1,2,4-triazole moiety were synthesized through the reaction of intermediate 3 with different acyl chlorides and anhydrous potassium carbonates in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran at 50°C, using 2,4-dichloroacetophenoneas as a starting material. The title compounds exhibited high inhibitory effects against P. sasakii, R. solanacearum, and G. azeae.

During our investigation of saprobic fungi in southwestern China, three micro-hyphomycetous fungi were isolated from dead wood in freshwater and terrestrial habitats in Guizhou Province. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS, LSU, and SSU sequences, performed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods, confirmed that these isolates belong to Kirschsteiniothelia. Based on distinct morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic evidence, we describe three new species: Kirschsteiniothelia guizhouensis, K. weiningensis, and K. xishuiensis. Furthermore, the effectiveness of three DNA markers for species-level identification within Kirschsteiniothelia was evaluated using Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) analysis, which identified the ITS nucleotide sequences as the most reliable marker for species differentiation within the genus.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that is crucial for human health. As a key component of various enzymes and proteins, selenium primarily exerts its biological functions in the form of selenoproteins within the body. Currently, over 30 types of selenoproteins have been identified, with more than 20 of them containing selenocysteine residues. Among these, glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), thioredoxin reductases (TrxRs), and iodothyronine deiodinases (DIOs) have been widely studied. Selenium boasts numerous biological functions, including antioxidant properties, immune system enhancement, thyroid function regulation, anti-cancer effects, cardiovascular protection, reproductive capability improvement, and anti-inflammatory activity. Despite its critical importance to human health, the range between selenium's nutritional and toxic doses is very narrow. Insufficient daily selenium intake can lead to selenium deficiency, while excessive intake carries the risk of selenium toxicity. Therefore, selenium intake must be controlled within a relatively precise range. This article reviews the distribution and intake of selenium, as well as its absorption and metabolism mechanisms in the human body. It also explores the multiple biological functions and mechanisms of selenium in maintaining human health. The aim is to provide new insights and evidence for further elucidating the role of selenium and selenoproteins in health maintenance, as well as for future nutritional guidelines and public health policies.