Ochradenus baccatus Delile (Resedaceae) is a desert plant with edible fruits native to the Middle East. Few investigators have reported antibacterial, antiparasitic and anti-cancer activities of the plant. Herein we evaluated the cytotoxic activity of O. baccatus using four cell lines and a zebrafish embryo model. Additionally, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy was performed to characterize the extract's main constituents. The highest cytotoxicity was observed against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), with CC₅₀ of 39.1 µg/mL and a selectivity index (SI) of 7.23 (p < 0.01). Metabolic analysis of the extract resulted in the annotation of 57 metabolites, including fatty acids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, nitrile glycosides, in addition to organic acids. The extract showed an abundance of hydroxylated fatty acids (16 peaks). Further, 3 nitrile glycosides have been identified for the first time in Ochradenus sp., in addition to 2 glucosinolates. These identified phytochemicals may partially explain the cytotoxic activity of the extract. We propose O. baccatus as a possible safe food source for further utilization to partially contribute to the increasing food demand specially in Saharan countries.

Geographical origin determination for seafood products is a fundamental aspect due to its implications for fraud prevention, ensuring food safety, and promoting resource sustainable management. In this research, different machine learning (ML) models based on random forests, support vector machines, and artificial neural networks were fed with trace element fingerprinting (TEF) and stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) to determine the origin of mussels that have been farmed in eight regions and ten locations around the world (areas of the European Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific coast of Chile). Fourteen trace elements in shells and carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of mussel tissue were used singly, in combination, or reduced to develop the different approach models. All the selected models present high prediction accuracies for the independent variables (except for SIRA models), for their combination, or for their optimisation, highlighting the artificial neural network and random forest models that presented a 100% accuracy for all cases using a combination of variables selected based on a random forest model TEF to predict region and location, respectively. This fact confirms that ML models are suitable approximation techniques to determine the region and location of Mediterranean mussel origin, with key applications in food safety and global sustainability.

In recent decades, plastic consumption has risen across various industries and everyday products, leading to greater plastic use and the generation of waste, which results in the leaching of micro- and nanoplastics into the environment. This review summarizes recent analytical methods for the detection of nanoplastics (NPs) in several marine matrices, divided into three main stages: extraction, separation, and identification. The literature reviewed indicates that chemical and enzymatic digestion are the most commonly used procedures for the extraction step. For the separation step, flotation, filtration, and centrifugation are the most used techniques. Finally, two groups of techniques may be used for the identification step. The first category consists of methods used for qualitative identification, with spectroscopic methods such as Raman and FTIR being the most frequently used. The second category comprises those used for the quantitative analysis of NPs, where fluorescence-based methods and nanoparticle tracking analysis are increasingly used for this assessment. Despite these advances, significant challenges remain, such as matrix interferences caused by salinity and organic matter, low environmental concentrations of NPs, and the lack of standardized protocols. This review highlights the need for standardized protocols, validated reference materials, and integrated multi-technique approaches to improve the comparability of nanoplastics measurements in marine environments.