Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants belonging to the family Solanaceae are cultivated worldwide. The rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology facilitates the identification of viruses and viroids infecting plants. In this study, we carried out metatranscriptomics using RNA sequencing followed by bioinformatics analyses to identify viruses and viroids infecting tomato and pepper plants in Vietnam. We prepared a total of 16 libraries, including eight tomato and eight pepper libraries derived from different geographical regions in Vietnam. We identified a total of 602 virus-associated contigs, which were assigned to 18 different virus species belonging to nine different viral genera. We identified 13 different viruses and two viroids infecting tomato plants and 12 viruses and two viroids infecting pepper plants with viruses as dominantly observed pathogens. Our results showed that multiple infection of different viral pathogens was common in both plants. Moreover, geographical region and host plant were two major factors to determine viral populations. Taken together, our results provide the comprehensive overview of viral pathogens infecting two important plants in the family Solanaceae grown in Vietnam.

The food industry generates substantial keratin waste, particularly chicken feathers, which are rich in amino acids and essential nutrients. However, the insolubility of keratin presents a significant challenge to its conversion. Keratinase, an enzyme produced by certain fungi and bacteria, offers a promising solution by degrading feather keratin into amino acids and soluble proteins. Among these, bacterial keratinase is notable for its superior stability and activity, although its production remains constrained, necessitating continued research to identify efficient microbial strains. Keratin‐derived hydrolyzates, recognized for their biological and immunological properties, have garnered significant research interest. This review examines the structural characteristics of chicken feather keratin, its resistance to conventional proteases, and advances in keratinase production and purification techniques. Additionally, the keratin degradation mechanism and the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies for managing feather waste are explored. Finally, the review highlights the potential applications of keratinase across diverse industries, including animal feed and cosmetics.

The pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causes anthracnose disease, which is an important fungal disease affecting the production of numerous crops around the world. The presence of mycoviruses, however, may have an impact on the pathogenicity of the fungal host. Here, we describe a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus, which was isolated from a field strain of C. gloeosporioides, Ssa-44.1. The 2939 bp genome sequence comprises two open reading frames (ORFs) that encode for a putative protein and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The Ssa-44.1 mycovirus is a member of the unclassified mycovirus family named Colletotrichum gloeosporioides RNA virus 1 strain Ssa-44.1 (CgRV1-Ssa-44.1), which has a phylogenetic similarity to Colletotrichum gleosporioides RNA virus 1 (CgRV1), which was isolated from citrus leaves in China. In C. gloeosporioides, CgRV1-Ssa-44.1 was shown to be linked to hypovirulence. CgRV1-Ssa-44.1 has a low spore transfer efficiency but can successfully spread horizontally to isogenic virus-free isolates. Furthermore, CgRV1-Ssa-44.1 had a strong biological control impact on C. gloeosporioides on mango plants. This study is the first to describe a hypovirulence-associated mycovirus infecting C. gloeosporioides, which has the potential to assist with anthracnose disease biological management.

This study explored the impact of incorporating coir pith, a byproduct of the coconut industry, into the vermicomposting substrate of Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms. The groups were compared based on their diets: cow manure only or cow manure mixed with varying amounts of coir pith. The aim was to assess the effects of coir pith on earthworm growth, mortality and the microbial community involved in vermicomposting. Earthworms fed with higher proportions of coir pith (70 % w/w) experienced reduced growth (0.81 g/worm) and increased mortality (24.67 %) after 5 weeks of vermicomposting. These effects were attributed to the high level of total phenolic content in the system. Coir pith required specific bacteria for digestion and detoxification, and excessive intake disrupted the earthworms' digestion, thus hindering nutrient absorption. The study also examined the microbial composition of the vermicast samples and identified variations based on the diet. Bacterial taxa involved in lignocellulose degradation, such as Bacteriodota, Azospirillum, Chitinophagaceae, Marinomonas and Pantoea, exhibited decreased abundances in treatments with coir pith. Conversely, the abundances of potentially harmful bacteria, such as Aeromonas, increased with higher coir pith inclusion levels. This pioneering investigation sheds light on the feasibility of coir pith use in vermicomposting and emphasises the importance of optimising earthworm diets to enhance microbial ecological functions and improve vermicompost quality.