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Due to biomass recalcitrance, the pulping and bleaching processes are usually needed to break down the resistance of the lignocellulosic matrix for nanocellulose extraction. In this study, an acidic deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on choline chloride-oxalic acid dihydrate was used to directly pretreat raw ramie fibers (RFs) without further bleaching/purification steps for producing cellulose nanomaterials. Raw RFs, DES pretreated RFs, and degummed RFs were comparatively studied as starting materials for the preparation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) by ball milling. There was no significant difference between CNF samples prepared from the DES pretreated RFs after 6 h of ball milling and those from the degummed RFs after 12 h of ball milling. After 4 h DES pretreatment at 100 °C, the obtained CNFs had a high purity of glucan up to 90.31% and an average width of 14.29 nm. They also showed high crystallinity (79.17%) and high thermal stability (> 316.7 °C). The tensile strength and elastic modulus for the CNF films were 98.071 MPa and 2.749 GPa, respectively. Overall, with the choline chloride-oxalic acid dihydrate DES pretreatment, no additional pulping/bleaching processes were required for the preparation of nanocellulose from raw cellulosic fibers while the properties of the as-prepared nanocellulose were preserved.Graphic abstract

The use of plastic film in agriculture has the serious drawback of producing vast quantities of waste. In this work, films were prepared from natural fibers and biodegradable polymers as potential substitutes for the conventional non-biodegradable plastic film used as mulching material in agricultural production. The physical properties (e.g., mechanical properties, heat preservation, water permeability, and photopermeability) and degradation characteristics (evaluated by micro-organic culture testing and soil burial testing) of the films were studied in both laboratory and field tests. The experimental results indicated that these fiber/polymer films exhibited favorable physical properties that were sufficient for use in mulching film applications. Moreover, the degradation degree of the three tested films decreased in the following order: fiber/starch (ST) film > fiber/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film > fiber/polyacrylate (PA) film. The fiber/starch and fiber/PVA films were made from completely biodegradable materials and demonstrated the potential to substitute non-biodegradable films.

Bacterial canker is a devastating disease in kiwifruit production, primarily caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae . In this study, a strain of Bacillus velezensis named JIN4, isolated from a kiwifruit branch, showed antagonistic activity. The B . velezensis JIN4 strain was identified based on its morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, 16S rDNA, and gyrA sequences. Furthermore, the complete genome of the strain was elucidated, revealing the presence of three genes that confer resistance to antibiotics, including tetracycline, lincomycin, and streptomycin. Additionally, a cluster of nine secondary metabolite synthesis genes was identified. In the laboratory, the JIN4 strain exhibited nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) production, demonstrating plant growth-promoting and broad-spectrum inhibitory activities against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In the field, the JIN4 strain demonstrated effective colonization of kiwifruit, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, induced resistance in kiwifruit plants, and achieved a control efficiency of 60.22% against kiwifruit bacterial canker. These results indicate that B . velezensis JIN4 is a potential biocontrol agent against kiwifruit bacterial canker.

Lily Fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium spp. spreads rapidly and is highly destructive, leading to a severe reduction in yield. In this study, lily (Lilium brownii var. viridulum) bulbs were irrigated after planting with suspensions of two Bacillus strains that effectively control lily Fusarium wilt disease to assess their effects on the rhizosphere soil properties and microbial community. A high-throughput sequencing of microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil was performed and the soil physicochemical properties were measured. The FunGuild and Tax4Fun tools were used for a functional profile prediction. The results showed that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BF1 and B. subtilis Y37 controlled lily Fusarium wilt disease with control efficacies of 58.74% and 68.93%, respectively, and effectively colonized the rhizosphere soil. BF1 and Y37 increased the bacterial diversity and richness of the rhizosphere soil and improved the physicochemical properties of the soil, thereby favoring the proliferation of beneficial microbes. The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria was increased and that of pathogenic bacteria was decreased. Bacillus abundance in the rhizosphere was positively correlated with most soil physicochemical properties, whereas Fusarium abundance was negatively correlated with most physicochemical properties. Functional prediction revealed that irrigation with BF1 and Y37 significantly upregulated glycolysis/gluconeogenesis among metabolism and absorption pathways. This study provides insights into the mechanism by which two Bacillus strains with antifungal activity, BF1 and Y37, antagonize plant pathogenic fungi and lays the foundation for their effective application as biocontrol agents.

(1) Background: Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered “green” solvents and have been widely used in the extraction and separation field in recent years; (2) Methods: In this study, some common ILs and functionalized magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) were used as adjuvants for the solvent extraction of paclitaxel from Taxus x media (T. x media) using methanol solution. The extraction conditions of methanol concentration, IL type and amount, solid–liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and ultrasonic irradiation time were investigated in single factor experiments. Then, three factors of IL amount, solid–liquid ratio, and ultrasonic irradiation time were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM); (3) Results: The MIL [C4MIM]FeCl3Br was screened as the optimal adjuvant. Under the optimization conditions of 1.2% IL amount, 1:10.5 solid–liquid ratio, and 30 min ultrasonic irradiation time, the extraction yield reached 0.224 mg/g; and (4) Conclusions: Compared with the conventional solvent extraction, this ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) using methanol and MIL as adjuvants can significantly improve the extraction yield, reduce the use of methanol, and shorten the extraction time, which has the potentiality of being used in the extraction of some other important bioactive compounds from natural plant resources.

Hepatocytes are the main parenchymal cells of the liver and play important roles in liver homeostasis and disease process. The heterogeneity of normal hepatocytes has been reported, but there is little knowledge about hepatocyte subtype and distinctive functions during liver cholestatic injury. Bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced mouse liver injury model was employed, and single-cell RNA sequencing was performed. Western blot and qPCR were used to study gene expression. Immunofluoresence was employed to detect the expressions of marker genes in hepatocytes. We detected a specific hepatocyte cluster (BDL-6) expressing extracellular matrix genes, indicating these hepatocytes might undergo epithelia-mesenchymal transition. Hepatocytes of BDL-6 also performed tissue repair functions (such as angiogenesis) during cholestatic injury. We also found that four clusters of cholestatic hepatocytes (BDL-2, BDL-3, BDL-4, and BDL-5) were involved in inflammatory process in different ways. To be specific, BDL-2/3/5 were inflammation-regulated hepatocytes, while BDL-4 played a role in cell chemotaxis. Among these four clusters, BDL-5 was special. because the hepatocytes of BDL-5 were proliferating hepatocytes. Our analysis provided more knowledge of hepatocyte distinctive functions in injured liver and gave rise to future treatment aiming at hepatocytes.

Plastic agricultural nonwoven films are traditionally used as covering materials, and are prone to cause various ecological problems due to their poor biodegradability. In this paper, a ramie fiber/starch nonwoven film was prepared, and was used as bedding material, that was covered by cultivated soil as opposed to covering it. The biodegradability and porosity characteristics of the film were analyzed, and its effect on oxygen supply to soil was investigated. Results showed that the prepared film had good biodegradability (65.6% after 72 days), and had a loose and porous structure, with the main pore size being in the range of 250–300 μm. After the soil moisture content was reduced to about 44%, the oxygen concentration in the soil that was in close contact with the film, which padded the bottom surface of the plate, rose sharply and then kept stable at 20.1%, whereas soil directly in contact with the plate remained extremely anoxic (0.2%). It was concluded that use of the prepared film increased the oxygen supply to the soil in contact with it, which sufficiently compensated for the oxygen consumption caused by soil microbial activities. Thus, the prepared film is very suitable in short-term plant cultivation within containers where anoxia often occurs.

The magnetic aqueous micellar two-phase system (MAMTPS) has the advantages combined of magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) and aqueous micellar two-phase system (AMTPS). Thus, MAMTPS based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and a nonionic surfactant Triton X-114 (TX-114) was developed for the extraction, enrichment and removal of three dyes (Congo red, methyl blue, and methyl violet) from aqueous solutions in this study. The MNPs Fe3O4@NH2 was screened as the optimal MNPs benefiting the extraction. Then, the influencing factors of MNPs amount, TX-114 concentration, vibration time, and extraction temperature were investigated in detail. The results showed that the extraction efficiencies of three dyes almost reached 100% using MAMTPS under the optimal conditions; MAMTPS had higher extraction ability than the individual MSPE or AMTPS. Thus, MAMTPS had the advantages of simple operation, high extraction ability, easy recycling of MNPs, and short phase-separation time, which showspotential for use in the extraction and analysis of contaminants from water samples.

As a new type of green solvents, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as pretreatment media for the nanofibrillation of ramie fibers (RFs). Two DESs, choline chloride-oxalic acid dihydrate (CO) and choline chloride-urea (CU), were formed at 100 °C and then applied to decompose RFs. The DES-pretreated fibers were nanofibrillated using a planetary ball mill, and their properties were analyzed. During the DES pretreatment, CU DES could only dissolve some of hemicelluloses in raw RFs, while CO DES could degrade some oligosaccharides and a part of amorphous cellulose to loosen the fiber structure. Therefore, only the CO DES pretreatment could significantly enhance nanofibrillation of the RFs with a low hemicellulose content in this study, as indicated by the decrease of milling time (from 11 to 5 h) to obtain desirable cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). After 7 h CO DES pretreatment at room temperature and a subsequent ball milling process, a turbid and gel-like CNF suspension with a mean equivalent spherical diameter of 262 nm was obtained from RFs, and the mass yield of CNFs reached 94.06%. The CNFs also showed a crystallinity index of 66.51% and a thermal stability with T max  = 322.6 °C, and the produced CNF film had a tensile strength of 52 MPa. Overall, the CO DES pretreatment has great potential for use in the production of CNFs from RFs. Graphical abstract

BackgroundNeutrophil infiltration and hepatocyte damage are indispensable hallmarks in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), yet the underlying crosstalk between neutrophils and hepatocytes and its role in AH pathogenesis remain unclear.ObjectiveWe investigate the regulatory role of leucocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) in hepatocyte–neutrophil interaction and its impact on AH progression.DesignWe used bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify hepatocyte-secreted factors targeting neutrophils. We analysed serum and liver samples from AH patients and employed genetically modified mice alongside in vitro studies.ResultsRNA-sequencing analysis identified several neutrophil chemokines that are elevated in hepatocytes from AH patients, including LECT2 whose role in AH remains largely unknown. AH patients exhibited increased levels of LECT2 in hepatocytes, positively correlating with the severity of AH. Ethanol-fed mice also exhibited elevated liver LECT2, which was abolished by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress. Functional studies revealed that ethanol-induced liver injury was ameliorated in Lect2-deficient mice but was exacerbated in mice with hepatic overexpression of Lect2. Furthermore, LECT2 exacerbated ethanol-induced liver injury by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) through its interaction with prohibitin 2 (PHB2), a neutrophil membrane protein. By directly binding to PHB2, LECT2 disrupts the stable structure of PHB1/PHB2 heterodimerisation, consequently leading to PHB2 degradation, ROS accumulation, neutrophil activation and neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Moreover, therapeutic intervention of LECT2 via Lect2 shRNA ameliorated ethanol-induced liver injury.ConclusionOur studies identified a novel vicious cycle between neutrophils and hepatocytes through the LECT2–PHB2 interaction, presenting a promising therapeutic intervention by targeting LECT2 to mitigate AH in patients.