Phytolacca americana fruits exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. This study aims to investigate the phenolic profile of hydroethanolic extracts from both fresh (PEC) and dried (PEU) fruits of P. americana using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and to evaluate their impact on anxiety-like behavior, memory, oxidative stress, and cholinergic status in zebrafish (Danio rerio, Tübingen strain) treated with scopolamine (SCO, 100 μM). Acute administration of PEC and PEU (0.1, 0.5, and 1 mg/L) was conducted for one hour per day. In silico analyses were performed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the phenolic compounds discerned in the two extracts, using platforms such as SwissAdme, Molinspiration, ProToX-III, AdmetLab 3.0, PKCSM, and PASS. Anxiety-like behavior and memory performance were assessed through specific behavioral assays, including the novel tank test (NTT), light/dark test (LD), novel approach test (NAT), Y-maze, and novel object recognition (NOR). Subsequently, the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and the extent of oxidative stress in the zebrafish brain were investigated. Our findings suggest that both PEC and PEU possess anxiolytic effects, alleviating SCO-induced anxiety and enhancing cognitive performance in amnesic zebrafish. Furthermore, these extracts demonstrated the ability to mitigate cholinergic deficits by inhibiting AChE activity and supporting antioxidant defense mechanisms through increased activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduced lipid and protein peroxidation. These results highlight the potential use of P. americana fruit extracts in managing anxiety and cognitive impairments related to dementia conditions.

Background/Objectives: Scopolamine (SCO) is widely employed as a pharmacological model of anxiety and amnesia in both rodents and zebrafish, the latter representing a valuable translational model in neuropsychopharmacology. The present study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective and antioxidant potential of chronic administration of an ethanolic extract from Calendula officinalis flowers (CEE). Methods: Adult zebrafish (n = 10/group, both sexes) were exposed to CEE at concentrations of 1, 3, and 10 mg/L, administered daily for 22 consecutive days. After the initial 7-day pretreatment period, fish were challenged with SCO (100 μM, immersion for 30 min) followed by behavioral testing, including the Novel Tank Diving Test, Light/Dark Test, Novel Approach Test, Y-Maze, and Novel Object Recognition. Subsequently, brain homogenates were analyzed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase—SOD, catalase—CAT, glutathione peroxidase—GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyls, and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results: Chronic CEE administration significantly attenuated scopolamine-induced anxiety-like behaviors and improved spatial memory (Y-maze) and recognition memory (NOR), as well as reduced anxiety-like behavior in the SCO-induced zebrafish model. Biochemical analyses revealed that CEE restored AChE activity, enhanced the activity of SOD, CAT, and GPx, and increased GSH levels, while concomitantly reducing protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation. The most pronounced effects were observed at 3 mg/L, which nearly normalized both behavioral and biochemical parameters. Conclusions: The CEE exerted anxiolytic and procognitive effects in zebrafish through combined cholinergic and antioxidant mechanisms. These findings highlight its translational potential as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of anxiety-related and cognitive disorders.

Native genotypes of fruit species are an important source of phenotypic variability for breeding and provide valuable material for the creation of new cultivars. Therefore, the present study was conducted to characterize and decipher the phenotypic variability of 39 native cherry genotypes (Prunus avium L.) with some bitter taste from spontaneous or cultivated flora from the Northeast European region, in Romania. The research was conducted during 2018–2022 and aimed to analyze the biochemical composition and physical characteristics of the fruits in order to identify the most useful traits for dissemination. All genotypes presented small fruits but with exceptional nutraceutical properties. The highest fruit weight was observed in G10 and G11 (3.2 g). The highest total soluble solids was found in G19 and G25 (28.2°Brix and 26.0°Brix, respectively), and in terms of antioxidant capacity, the highest level was observed in G32 and G33 (98.22% and 96.71%, respectively). In the cluster analysis, wild cherry accessions were clustered into five groups of related genotypes, indicating that they were useful for evaluating the characterization of cherry germplasm due to the superior fruit weight and phenolic compounds content. The genotypes studied represent valuable phenotypic resources for enriching the cherry gene pool and improving important horticultural traits for increasing production and thus nutrition.

This review aims to explore the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using various species of the genus Artemisia. The synthesis processes commonly involve aqueous or organic extracts of plant parts (e.g., leaves, stems, and roots), which react with metal salt solutions (e.g., AgNO₃, Zn(NO₃)₂, HAuCl₄, Cu(NO₃)₂) under controlled parameters, including pH, temperature, and light exposure. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized using techniques such as UV–Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis. These approaches provide information on nanoparticle size, morphology, crystallinity, surface chemistry and charge, which are significantly influenced by synthesis parameters and the specific Artemisia species used. The biosynthesized nanoparticles have demonstrated promising multifunctional applications, including broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains, antioxidant capacity, anticancer potential, as well as applications in agriculture and environmental remediation.

Metal(loid) contamination is a persistent environmental stressor in terrestrial ecosystems, yet field-based evidence linking cumulative soil contamination to physiological responses in social insects remains limited. In this study, we investigated an industrial pollution gradient by measuring soil concentrations of potentially toxic elements across multiple sites and integrating multi-element exposure into a cumulative pollution index. Two ant taxa, Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758) and Tetramorium cf. caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758), were sampled using a standardized field design, and biochemical endpoints were assessed to characterize antioxidant defense, thiol-based redox status, oxidative damage, and neuroenzymatic responses. Ant homogenates were analyzed spectrophotometrically for antioxidant enzymes, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and acetylcholinesterase activity compared with the local low-contamination reference site. In addition, PLI showed positive site-level associations with multiple biomarkers, suggesting coordinated covariation between cumulative soil contamination and biochemical responses. Because these analyses were based on site-level mean values and direct tissue metal burdens were not measured, the findings should be interpreted as field-based associations rather than evidence of direct internal dose–response or metal-specific causality. These findings suggest that cumulative soil metal(loid) contamination is linked to integrated oxidative and neuroenzymatic stress responses in ants and support the use of ant-based biomarkers as informative tools for ecological biomonitoring under field conditions.

Dementia-related neurotoxicity induced by environmental metals remains a public health concern, and experimentally tractable vertebrate models that integrate behavioral and molecular endpoints are needed. Here, we established an adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) co-exposure paradigm using aluminum chloride (AlCl₃; 0.75 and 1.50 μM) and lead acetate (AcPb; 0.26 and 0.53 μM) and assessed anxiety-like behavior and cognition together with cholinergic and oxidative stress biomarkers. In the Novel Tank Diving Test, co-exposure increased latency to the top zone and reduced vertical exploration (top/bottom time ratio), with enhanced freezing, while average speed and total distance were not significantly altered, indicating an anxiogenic phenotype without major locomotor impairment. In the Novel Approach Test, the high co-exposure condition (AlCl₃ 1.5 μM + AcPb 0.53 μM) produced the strongest avoidance of the inner zone and increased immobility, effects attenuated by mexazolam (10 µM). Cognitive performance was markedly impaired under combined exposure: in the Novel Object Recognition Test, the novel-object preference index decreased from 64.83% (control) to 35.75–36.73% (co-exposure; p = 0.0016), whereas galantamine improved preference (58.60%). In the Y-maze test, spontaneous alternation dropped from 78.22% (control) to ~42.90–44.94% in AlCl₃ 200 and both co-exposures (p = 0.0048), and time in the novel arm decreased from 26.09 s to 10.53–11.35 s (p < 0.0001). Biochemically, metals inhibited brain acetylcholinesterase, most strongly under high co-exposure (7.60 vs. 15.92 nmol ATCh/min/mg; ~52%), and induced severe oxidative stress, evidenced by decreased superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione, alongside increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyls (with MDA doubling to 14.90 vs. 7.04 nmol/mg). Pearson correlations supported coupling between the cholinergic/redox axis and novelty-related behaviors. Overall, this easy-to-implement zebrafish Al–Pb model provides a practical platform for mechanistic studies and in vivo screening of candidate neuroprotective agents.