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The MMPs are endogenous proteolytic enzymes that require zinc and calcium as cofactors. MMP9 is one of the most complex matrix metalloproteinases in the gelatinase family and has many biological functions. In mammals, mmp9 is thought to be closely associated with cancer. However, studies in fish have rarely been reported. In this study, to understand the expression pattern of the ToMMP9 gene and its association with the resistance of Trachinotus ovatus to Cryptocaryon irritans, the sequence of the MMP9 gene was obtained from the genome database. The expression profiles were measured by qRT–PCR, the SNPs were screened by direct sequencing, and genotyping was performed. The ToMMP9 gene contained a 2058 bp ORF encoding a putative amino acid sequence of 685 residues. The homology of the ToMMP9 in teleosts was more than 85%, and the genome structure of ToMMP9 was conserved in chordates. The ToMMP9 gene was expressed in different tissues of healthy individuals and was highly expressed in the fin, the gill, the liver and the skin tissues. The ToMMP9 expression in the skin of the infected site and its adjacent sites increased significantly after C. irritans infection. Two SNPs were identified in the ToMMP9 gene, and the SNP (+400A/G) located in the first intron was found to be significantly associated with the susceptibility/resistance to C. irritans. These findings suggest that ToMMP9 may play an important role in the immune response of T. ovatus against C. irritans.

Nuclear dimorphism is a fundamental feature of ciliated protozoa, which have separate somatic and germline genomes in two distinct organelles within a single cell. The transcriptionally active somatic genome, contained within the physically larger macronucleus, is both structurally and functionally different from the silent germline genome housed in the smaller micronucleus. This difference in genome architecture is particularly exaggerated in Oxytricha trifallax, in which the somatic genome comprises tens of thousands of gene-sized nanochromosomes maintained at a high and variable ploidy, while the germline has a diploid set of megabase-scale chromosomes. To examine the compositional differences between the nuclear structures housing the genomes, we performed a proteomic survey of both types of nuclei and of macronuclear histones using quantitative mass spectrometry. We note distinct differences between the somatic and germline nuclei, with many functional proteins being highly enriched in one of the two nuclei. To validate our conclusions and the efficacy of nuclear separation, we used protein localization through a combination of transformations and immunofluorescence. We also note that the macronuclear histones strikingly display only activating marks, consistent with the conclusion that the macronucleus is the hub of transcription. These observations suggest that the compartmentalization of different genome features into separate structures has been accompanied by a similar specialization of nuclear components that maintain and facilitate the functions of the genomes specific to each nucleus.

Artesunate (ART) is a widely used antimalarial agent; however, dose-dependent nephrotoxicity limits its clinical utility. Bergenia Ciliata, a medicinal plant with established renoprotective traditional use, was investigated as a potential nephroprotective agent against ART-induced kidney injury. Bioactive metabolites from B. ciliata root extract were identified via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and filtered through in silico ADME profiling. Network pharmacology was employed to identify key hub genes implicated in ART-induced renal injury, with PPARγ emerging as the primary therapeutic target. Molecular docking and 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed to evaluate binding affinity and complex stability. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay on HEK293 cells. In vivo nephroprotective activity was evaluated in Wistar albino rats administered high-dose ART (150 mg/kg), with or without B. Ciliata root extract (200 and 400 mg/kg). Rutin (CID 5280805) demonstrated the highest docking score (-10.307 kcal/mol) and binding affinity (MM-GBSA: -71.66 kcal/mol) against PPARγ, with stable complex dynamics confirmed over 200 ns. B. ciliata extract showed negligible cytotoxicity (>90% cell viability across all concentrations). In vivo, co-administration of B. Ciliata with ART significantly reduced elevated serum urea, uric acid, and creatinine levels in a dose-dependent manner, with the 400 mg/kg dose producing the most pronounced renoprotection. Histopathological evaluation confirmed measurable recovery of renal tissue architecture. The integrated in-silico and experimental findings suggest that B. Ciliata root extract exerts nephroprotective effects against ART-induced kidney injury, likely through PPARγ activation mediated by rutin. The combination of B. Ciliata with ART demonstrated superior renoprotection compared to silymarin, supporting its potential as a complementary therapeutic strategy in high-dose antimalarial regimens.

Cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4-Nps) have many applications and now a days the green methods of synthesis of these NPs are preferred over other methods because of associated benefits. In this study, Co3O4-Nps were synthesized by using leaves extract of Populus ciliata (safaida) and cobalt nitrate hexa hydrate as a source of cobalt. The synthesized NPs were analyzed by different techniques such as fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antibacterial activities of the synthesized Co3O4-Nps were evaluated against gram negative and gram positive bacteria and found active against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebseilla pneumonia (K. pneumonia), Bacillus subtillus (B.subtillus) and Bacillus lichenifermia (B. lichenifermia). The activity results were analyzed statistically by one-way ANOVA, with 'Dunnett's Multiple Comparison Test'. The maximum mean activity (21.8 0.7) was found for B. subtilis and minimum mean activity (14.0 0.6) was observed for E. coli.

Rhizome extract of Bergenia ciliata was used as a bio-functional reducing material for the green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). CuO NPs were characterized using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). XRD analysis revealed the monoclinic phase of synthesized CuO NPs with an average particle size of 20 nm. Spherical shaped nanoscale CuO particles were observed by EDX and SEM confirming the Cu and O presence in the synthesized NPs. CuO NPs showed antibacterial effects against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli , Salmonella typhi . The antioxidant effect was measured and IC 50 values for 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and Ferric reducing antioxidant power assays were found to be 91.2, 72.4 and 109 μg mL − 1 respectively. Under sunlight, the CuO NPs reported extraordinary photocatalytic activity against Methylene Blue and Methyl Red degradation with efficiencies of 92–85%. CuO NPs have excellent potential application for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and in the development of antibacterial materials. This study offers new insights in the field of inexpensive and green synthesis-based antimicrobial effective CuO photocatalysts from B. ciliata to remove harmful dyes from industrial-based waters with high degradation efficiency, which is environmentally friendly.

Cockroaches are important sanitary pests and very difficult to control worldwide. With public concern about traditional insecticides, cockroach control agents should be environmentally friendly, highly efficient, and economical. In this article, 12 essential oils were screened to test their repellent effect against Blattella germanica. To develop essential oils as repellent agents, the oils were further examined in binary synergistic combinations. Ilex chinensis Sims (Sapindales: Aquifoliaceae) oil, Lavandula spp (Tubiflorae: Labiatae) oil, and Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyland (Tubiflorae: Labiatae) oil showed excellent repellent activities with lower RD50 (repellency dose for 50% of treated adults) values of 218.634, 154.590, and 223.989 µg/cm2, respectively, compared to those of other oils and the positive control. The I. chinensis oil and E. ciliata oil (weight ratio of 1:1.41) combination also displayed a remarkable synergistic effect against B. germanica. Their cotoxicity coefficient was 214.4. The major chemical constituents in E. ciliata and I. chinensis oils were respectively 3,7-dimethyl-1, 6-octadien-3-ol and methyl salicylate. The binary oil mixtures were formulated as a sustained release agent with γ-CD. The optimal preparation should be an 8:1 ratio of γ-CD to oils, with a 1 h stirring time, 50°C stirring temperature, and 1:12 ratio of γ-CD to ddH2O. The results of this study suggest that sustained release of binary oil-γ-CD exhibited a prolonged repellent activity (10 h) against B. germanica. This sustained-release agent could be further investigated and developed as a novel repellent preparation. Graphical Abstract

Mitochondria are specialized eukaryotic organelles that have a dedicated function in oxygen respiration and energy production. They evolved about 2 billion years ago from a free-living bacterial ancestor (probably an alphaproteobacterium), in a process known as endosymbiosis 1 , 2 . Many unicellular eukaryotes have since adapted to life in anoxic habitats and their mitochondria have undergone further reductive evolution 3 . As a result, obligate anaerobic eukaryotes with mitochondrial remnants derive their energy mostly from fermentation 4 . Here we describe ‘ Candidatus Azoamicus ciliaticola’, which is an obligate endosymbiont of an anaerobic ciliate and has a dedicated role in respiration and providing energy for its eukaryotic host. ‘ Candidatus A. ciliaticola’ contains a highly reduced 0.29-Mb genome that encodes core genes for central information processing, the electron transport chain, a truncated tricarboxylic acid cycle, ATP generation and iron–sulfur cluster biosynthesis. The genome encodes a respiratory denitrification pathway instead of aerobic terminal oxidases, which enables its host to breathe nitrate instead of oxygen. ‘ Candidatus A. ciliaticola’ and its ciliate host represent an example of a symbiosis that is based on the transfer of energy in the form of ATP, rather than nutrition. This discovery raises the possibility that eukaryotes with mitochondrial remnants may secondarily acquire energy-providing endosymbionts to complement or replace functions of their mitochondria. ‘ Candidatus Azoamicus ciliaticola’ transfers energy to its ciliate host in the form of ATP and enables this host to breathe nitrate, demonstrating that eukaryotes with remnant mitochondria can secondarily acquire energy-providing endosymbionts.

The present study reports on the encapsulation of Elsholtzia ciliata ethanolic extract by freeze-drying method using skim milk, sodium caseinate, gum Arabic, maltodextrin, beta-maltodextrin, and resistant-maltodextrin alone or in mixtures of two or four encapsulants. The encapsulation ability of the final mixtures was evaluated based on their microencapsulating efficiency (EE) of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and the physicochemical properties of freeze-dried powders. Results showed that the freeze-dried powders produced using two encapsulants have a lower moisture content, but higher solubility, Carr index, and Hausner ratio than freeze-dried powders produced using only one encapsulant in the formulation. The microencapsulating efficiency of TPC also varied depending on encapsulants used. The lowest EE% of TPC was determined with maltodextrin (21.17%), and the highest with sodium caseinate (83.02%). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that freeze-drying resulted in the formation of different size, irregular shape glassy particles. This study demonstrated good mucoadhesive properties of freeze-dried powders, which could be incorporated in buccal or oral delivery dosage forms. In conclusion, the microencapsulation of E. ciliata ethanolic extract by freeze-drying is an effective method to produce new value-added pharmaceutical or food formulations with polyphenols.

Altered precipitation patterns associated with anthropogenic climate change are expected to have many effects on plants and insect pollinators, but it is unknown if effects on pollination are mediated by changes in water availability. We tested the hypothesis that impacts of climate on plant–pollinator interactions operate through changes in water availability, and specifically that such effects occur through alteration of floral attractants. We manipulated water availability in two naturally occurring Mertensia ciliata (Boraginaceae) populations using water addition, water reduction and control plots and measured effects on vegetative and floral traits, pollinator visitation and seed set. While most floral trait values, including corolla size and nectar, increased linearly with increasing water availability, in this bumblebee-pollinated species, pollinator visitation peaked at intermediate water levels. Visitation also peaked at an intermediate corolla length, while its relationship to corolla width varied across sites. Seed set, however, increased linearly with water. These results demonstrate the potential for changes in water availability to impact plant–pollinator interactions through pollinator responses to differences in floral attractants, and that the effects of water on pollinator visitation can be nonlinear. Plant responses to changes in resource availability may be an important mechanism by which climate change will affect species interactions.

A recent in vivo study in pigs demonstrated the hypotensive properties of essential oil extracted from the blossoming plant Elsholtzia ciliata. This study was designed to examine the effect of E. ciliata essential oil (EO) on smooth muscle contraction. Tension measurements were performed on prostate strips and intact aortic rings isolated from rats. Results showed that EO caused a concentration-dependent reduction in phenylephrine-induced contraction of both the prostate and aorta, with a more pronounced inhibitory effect in the prostate. The IC50 of EO for the prostate was 0.24 ± 0.03 µL/mL (n = 10) and for the aorta was 0.72 ± 0.11 µL/mL (n = 4, p < 0.05 vs. prostate). The chromatographic analysis identified elsholtzia ketone (10.64%) and dehydroelsholtzia ketone (86.23%) as the predominant compounds in the tested EO. Since both compounds feature a furan ring within their molecular structure, other furan ring-containing compounds, 2-acetylfuran (2AF) and 5-methylfurfural (5MFF), were examined. For the first time, our study demonstrated the relaxant effects of 2AF and 5MFF on smooth muscles. Further, results showed that EO, 2AF, and 5MFF altered the responsiveness of prostate smooth muscle cells to phenylephrine. Under control conditions, the EC50 of phenylephrine was 0.18 ± 0.03 µM (n = 5), while in the presence of EO, 2AF, or 5MFF, the EC50 values were 0.81 ± 0.3 µM (n = 5), 0.89 ± 0.11 µM (n = 5), and 0.69 ± 0.23 µM (n = 4), respectively, p < 0.05 vs. control. Analysis of the affinity of EO for α1-adrenergic receptors in the prostate suggested that EO at a certain range of concentrations has a competitive antagonistic effect on α1-adrenergic receptors. In conclusion, EO elicits a relaxant effect on smooth muscles which may be related to the inhibition of α1-adrenoreceptors.