The nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, resulted in effects both locally and farther away. Most of the contaminated areas were the agricultural fields and forests. Experimental fields were established near Chernobyl—radioactively contaminated fields localized 5 km from Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant as well as the remediated soil that is localized directly in the Chernobyl town. Two flax varieties growing under chronic exposition to ionizing radiation were used for this study—the local Ukrainian variety Kyivskyi and a commercial variety Bethune. The screening of the length polymorphism generated by transposable elements insertions were performed. All known types of common flax transposon, retrotransposons and iPBS approach were used. In the iPBS multiplex analyze, for the Kyivskyi variety, a unique addition was found in the seeds from the radioactive contaminated field and for the Bethune variety, a total of five amplicon additions were obtained and one deletion. For the TRIM Cassandra fingerprints, two amplicon additions were generated in the seeds from radioactive contaminated fields for the Bethune variety. In summary, the obtained data represent the genetic diversity between control and irradiated subgroups of flax seeds from Chernobyl area and the presence of activated transposable elements due to the irradiation stress.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ethanol extracts from sea buckthorn and Cornelian cherry fruits and leaves on physiology of gastrointestinal tract cells. We used three cell lines relevant to the types of cells, which are exposed to bioactive compounds after oral administration, namely intestinal absorptive cells (Caco-2/HT-29 MTX model), hepatocytes (HepG2 cells) and immunocompetent cells (RAW 264.7 and P388D1 monocytes). The contents of antioxidant and bioactive polyphenols, such as cinnamic, caffeic and p-coumaric acids, rutin, myricetin, resveratrol, quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol, were assessed in the extracts using HPLC chromatography. The application of the extracts to Caco-2/HT-29-MTX cultures increased enterocyte differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase and villin1 level) and goblet cell markers (mucins) over a fortnight. The extracts reduced lipid droplet size in hepatocytes challenged with hyperglycaemic glucose concentration, insulin and palmitate. Sea buckthorn leaf, fruit and Cornelian cherry leaf extracts blocked oxidative burst in the PMA-stimulated monocytes, while the sea buckthorn leaf and Cornelian cherry fruit extracts downregulated lipopolysaccharide-induced NO and IL-1β, respectively. The results indicate that the tested extracts modulate the behaviour of cells in the gastrointestinal tract in a beneficial way, especially regarding lipid accumulation and innate immunity actions.

This study was focused to determine an individual and combined effect of mycotoxin citrinin (CIT) and two compounds of the stilbene family- resveratrol (RES) and his dimethyl ether analogue pterostilbene (PTE) which have many health benefits. As a model the human adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 was used which may exhibits the properties of small intestine cells. Viability, plasma membrane integrity, lysosomal functionality, intracellular production of superoxide anions and superoxide dismutase activity were examined. The results indicate that concentrations of 50 and 100 μg/mL of the tested compounds were cytotoxic in mostly monitored parameters and probably caused apoptosis. HT-29 cells were more sensitive to PTE than to RES with a higher antioxidant effect of PTE than RES, which may be caused by its chemical structure. Both stilbenes at medium doses act as effective superoxide anions scavengers leading to reduction of oxidative stress and consequent cell damage. The nontoxic concentration of RES (25 µg/mL) protects the HT-29 cell line faced to the toxicity of CIT at 25 µg/mL by increasing viability of cells and by reducing the superoxide production induced by CIT concentrations of 12.5 µg/mL and 25 µg/mL.

Medicinal plants have been a part of human life from a very early age. In the field of plant genetics, they are still widely investigated for their genomic variability. This study used two DNA marker techniques to obtain polymorphic profiles in selected species from Lamiaceae. Both are based on the variability of plant genes that code for allergens - BBAP (Bet v 1-Based Amplicon Polymorphism) and PBAP (Profilin-Based Amplicon Polymorphism). Variability of Bet v 1 homologues within individual genomes showed similarity of basil and oregano as well as basil with common sage and rosemary with creeping thyme. PBAP profiles were the most similar profiles for basil and rosemary.

The increasing global demand for animal-derived food products, combined with growing environmental and public health concerns, has intensified the search for sustainable strategies in livestock production. Among emerging nutritional approaches, phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) have gained attention as natural alternatives to conventional synthetic growth promoters. PFAs, derived from herbs, spices, essential oils, and plant extracts, contain diverse bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins. These compounds exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities that can support animal health, productivity, and product quality. Current research indicates that PFAs positively influence digestive physiology by modulating gut microbiota, improving intestinal integrity, and stimulating digestive enzyme secretion. These mechanisms enhance nutrient utilization, feed efficiency, and growth performance. In addition, the antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties of plant-derived compounds strengthen the ability of animals to cope with physiological stress and disease, potentially reducing reliance on synthetic antimicrobials and supporting antibiotic-free production systems. PFAs may also improve reproductive performance and physiological stability, particularly in small livestock species and indigenous breeds. Beyond productivity benefits, phytogenic additives contribute to environmental sustainability by improving feed conversion efficiency and reducing nutrient excretion. The present literature review confirms that although variability in plant composition and the need for standardization remain challenges, PFAs represent a valuable component of integrated nutritional strategies aimed at achieving resilient, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable livestock production systems.

Food allergies represent a growing public health concern, and current diagnostic tools often fail to detect sensitizations to minor or less-studied allergens. Although herbs have been used for millennia in traditional medicine and nutrition, their allergenic potential remains insufficiently investigated. Evidence indicates that individuals allergic to birch pollen may experience cross-reactive allergic responses to certain herbs and spices due to shared allergenic proteins. This phenomenon, classified as pollen–plant food allergy syndrome, involves IgE cross-reactivity to homologues of PR-10 proteins, profilins, and nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of ypr-10 and profilin homologues in the genomes of 11 commonly used European herbs (Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Tilia cordata, Urtica dioica, Rosa canina, Thymus serpyllum, Plantago lanceolata, Sambucus nigra, Hypericum perforatum, Agrimonia eupatoria, Tanacetum vulgare) belonging to various plant families. Two DNA marker-based methodologies, BBAP and PBAP, were applied to identify allergen homologues and assess genetic relatedness among species. All studied herbs were found to contain homologues of the investigated allergen families. Dendrograms based on Jaccard genetic distance indices revealed distinct clustering patterns. Using the PBAP method, two principal clusters were identified, one comprising primarily members of the order Lamiales (Mentha piperita, Thymus serpyllum, Melissa officinalis, Plantago lanceolata), with the exception of Agrimonia eupatoria (Rosales). The Jaccard index for this cluster ranged from 0.818 to 0.947. In contrast, dendrograms generated with the BBAP method did not align with taxonomic relationships, however the lowest genetic distance (0.545) was observed between M. officinalis and M. piperita. These findings demonstrate that DNA marker systems such as BBAP and PBAP provide cost-effective, rapid tools for screening allergen homologues in medicinal and culinary herbs. This approach may facilitate the identification of potential cross-reactive allergens and improve understanding of herb-related allergic sensitization mechanisms.