Carotenoids are tetraterpene compounds acting as precursors to vitamin A, with functions that include protecting eyesight, enhancing immunity, promoting cell growth and differentiation, and providing antioxidative benefits. Lycopene, β-carotene, and astaxanthin are particularly critical for health and have diverse applications in food, health products, and medicine. However, natural carotenoids are encased within cell structures, necessitating mechanical methods to disrupt the cell wall for their extraction and purification—a process often influenced by environmental conditions. Thus, improving the efficiency of carotenoid extraction from natural resources is of great interest. This review delves into the research progress made on the extraction processes, structures, and biological functions of carotenoids, focusing on lycopene, β-carotene, and astaxanthin. Traditional extraction methods primarily involve organic solvent-assisted mechanical crushing. With deeper research and technological advancements, more environmentally friendly solvents, advanced machinery, and suitable methods are being employed to enhance the extraction and purification of carotenoids. These improvements have significantly increased extraction efficiency, reduced preparation time, and lowered production costs, laying the groundwork for new carotenoid product developments.

The escalating global prevalence of obesity underscores the need for effective and sustainable nutritional interventions. Functional foods, especially white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), show a promising avenue to link fundamental biochemical insights with clinically feasible interventions, supporting their potential as an adjunct dietary strategy for managing and preventing obesity. This review critically examines the mechanistic roles of white kidney bean in weight regulation, which includes suppression of starch digestion, attenuation of postprandial glycemia, modulation of appetite and satiety, and hypolipidemic effects. Clinical and preclinical evidence supports the potential of white kidney bean as a nutraceutical for metabolic health, demonstrating consistent reductions in body fat mass, glycemic excursion, and overall weight. Nevertheless, significant limitations persist, including heterogeneity in trial designs, absence of dose standardization, and inadequate long-term safety assessments. Furthermore, this review addresses food fortification, advancements in supplement formulation, and cooking techniques that enhance both consumer acceptability and the bioactivity of white kidney bean (WKB), along with the significance of regulatory standards to ensure safety and quality. Future research should integrate clinical, molecular and food technology methods to improve the translation of experimental findings into precision nutritional strategies for obesity management.

Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a major constraint on rice production, and its management still relies mainly on chemical fungicides. We evaluated the biocontrol agent Bacillus cereus AR156 against the disease and examined the transcriptional and biochemical changes in rice that accompany protection. AR156 achieved a biocontrol efficacy of 71.81% at 6 days after inoculation. RNA sequencing compared AR156-treated and control plants with and without pathogen challenge, and we identified 4554 and 2740 differentially expressed genes at 24 and 48 h after inoculation, respectively. AR156-responsive genes were enriched in secondary metabolism, plant-pathogen interaction, hormone signaling, phosphoinositide signaling, and membrane transport. Of the defense-associated DEGs, 97 TF/TRs and 86 predicted PRGs were shared between 24 and 48 h, most of which reversed their direction of change over time. Prominent TF/TR families included SNF2, bHLH, MYB, MYB-related, FAR1, PHD and WRKY, with KIN and RLK prominent among the predicted PRG classes. Quantitative RT-PCR and enzyme assays showed higher expression of several pathogenesis-related and hormone-associated markers, together with increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activity after challenge. Together, these results indicate that AR156 suppresses rice sheath blight by temporally reshaping coordinated transcriptional and biochemical defenses rather than a single pathway.