The importance of functional food’s role in human nutrition as well as in the prevention of diseases, especially the treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, is an innovative field of research. Based on the studies regarding the antioxidant potential of oyster mushroom extract, it is evident that it has anticancer properties. The current article reviews the health benefits of edible oyster-mushroom-derived bioactive compounds, and how they specifically activate or regulate the immune system by affecting the maturation, differentiation, and proliferation of immune cells, thereby inhibiting cancer cell metastasis and growth. Mushrooms show anticancer potential by regulating a single molecule of a specific signaling pathway or by having multiple targets in the same or different signaling pathways. In addition, the prebiotic effects of mushrooms could enhance quality of life during and after cancer therapy by recovering the intestinal microbiota. More clinical research on oyster mushrooms needs to be conducted, and future studies should investigate the preventive aspects, which aid in reducing the rate of cancer occurrence, and the positive impact in cancer patients to prove that oyster mushrooms are preventive as a functional food as well as a curing dietary supplement for cancer patients.

Aims: The aim was to quantify the nitrogen (N) transferred via the extra-radical mycelium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungusGlomus intraradicesfrom both a dead host and a dead non-host donor root to a receiver tomato plant. The effect of a physical disruption of the soil containing donor plant roots and fungal mycelium on the effectiveness of N transfer was also examined.Methods: The root systems of the donor (wild type tomato plants or the mycorrhiza-defectivermcmutant tomato) and the receiver plants were separated by a 30 μm mesh, penetrable by hyphae but not by the roots. Both donor genotypes produced a similar quantity of biomass and had a similar nutrient status. Two weeks after the supply of¹⁵ N to a split-root part of donor plants, the shoots were removed to kill the plants. The quantity of N transferred from the dead roots into the receiver plants was measured after a further 2 weeks.Results: Up to 10.6 % of donor-root¹⁵N was recovered in the receiver plants when inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF). The quantity of¹⁵N derived from the mycorrhizal wild type roots clearly exceeded that from the only weakly surface-colonisedrmcroots. Hyphal length in the donorrmcroot compartments was only about half that in the wild type compartments. The disruption of the soil led to a significantly increased AMF-mediated transfer of N to the receiver plants.Conclusions: The transfer of N from dead roots can be enhanced by AMF, especially when the donor roots have been formerly colonised by AMF. The transfer can be further increased with higher hyphae length densities, and the present data also suggest that a direct link between receiver mycelium and internal fungal structures in dead roots may in addition facilitate N transfer. The mechanical disruption of soil containing dead roots may increase the subsequent availability of nutrients, thus promoting mycorrhizal N uptake. When associated with a living plant, the external mycelium ofG. intraradicesis readily able to re-establish itself in the soil following disruption and functions as a transfer vessel.

Poultry litter waste management poses a significant global challenge, attributed to its characteristics (odorous, organic, pathogenic, attracting flies). Conventional approaches to managing poultry litter involve composting, biogas generation, or direct field application. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in a novel technology that involves the bioconversion of organic waste utilizing insects (known as entomoremediation), particularly focusing on black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), and has demonstrated successful transformation of various organic waste materials into insect meal and frass (referred to as organic frasstilizer). Black soldier flies have the capacity to consume any organic waste material (ranging from livestock litter, food scraps, fruit and vegetable residues, sewage, sludge, municipal solid waste, carcasses, and defatted seed meal) and convert it into valuable BSFL insect meal (suitable for animal feed) and frass (serving as an organic fertilizer). The bioconversion of poultry litter by black soldier flies offers numerous advantages over traditional methods, notably in terms of reduced land and water requirements, lower emissions, cost-effectiveness, swift processing, and the production of both animal feeds and organic fertilizers. This review focuses on the existing knowledge of BSFL, their potential in bioconverting poultry litter into BSFL meal and frass, and the utilization of BSFL in poultry nutrition, emphasizing the necessity for further innovation to enhance this sustainable circular economy approach.

Mushrooms offer a promising solution for sustainable food production due to their nutritional value, low resource requirements, and ability to grow in diverse environments. As interest in mushrooms grows, it is important to understand where current research is focused and where key gaps remain. A bibliometric analysis of 776 research articles indexed in Web of Science revealed a strong emphasis on yield, substrate reuse, and enzymatic degradation, but limited attention to molecular approaches, climate adaptation, and studies from arid regions such as the Middle East. Building on these findings, this review explores the ecological diversity of mushrooms and their adaptations across tropical, temperate, boreal, and arid ecosystems. It discusses the role of mycorrhizal and microbial interactions in nutrient cycling and environmental resilience, including desert truffle symbioses. Key pathways and genetic regulation involved in lignin degradation are outlined, along with recent advancements in transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, and metagenomics that support improved cultivation and bioactive compound production. The review also addresses sustainable practices, such as microbiome integration and resource recycling, to enhance mushroom farming. The aim is to bring together ecological insights and molecular strategies to support sustainable mushroom production, particularly in regions facing resource and climate challenges.

This study was conducted to access the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of United Arab Emirates (UAE) native chickens to support conservation of their genetic resources. A total of 161 native chickens were examined for genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis using partial mitochondrial d-loop sequences (758 bp). The observed haplotype and nucleotide diversities were 0.670 and 0.0028 respectively, A total of 31 polymorphic site and 20 haplotypes were identified. These haplotypes were classified into four distinct haplogroups (A, B, C, and E), with E (95.6%) being the prominent maternal lineages of UAE native chickens. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the haplogroup E of UAE native chickens clustered with the Indian Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus murghi), suggesting a South Asian maternal origin. This lineage may have arrived in the country via an ancient trading network, especially through the maritime routes of the Indian Ocean. Other haplogroups were associated with East Asia and Southeast Asia origin. These results suggest that UAE native chickens have multiple maternal origins. The genetic diversity identified in this research will aid in the conservation and breeding of these chickens, focusing on economically advantageous traits.