As biostimulants have become a strategic tool for sustainable crop production in the face of changing environmental conditions, there is a continual demand for the development of innovative and more effective formulations. A novel approach that utilizes plasma treatment to enhance the extraction process in biostimulant production has recently emerged. This study investigated the plant-based biostimulant (prepared from horsetail, dog rose, and soapwort) and the potential of using gliding arc cold plasma (GA) and low-pressure microwave (MW) discharges to improve its efficacy. The experiment evaluated the effects of untreated versus plasma-treated biostimulants on soybean plant growth and vitality while elucidating their mechanisms. The results revealed that biostimulant application had a positive effect (p < 0.05) on different microbial groups in the soil. The treated plants presented greater root length and biomass (p < 0.05) as well as increased shoot height (p < 0.05). Generally, treatment with biostimulants increased lignification, as reflected by higher acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) fractions, as well as elevated peroxide levels, total isoflavone content, and antioxidant potential of plants measured by DPPH and ABTS assays. All biostimulants strongly upregulated the pathogenesis-related protein genes CHIA1 (encoding chitinase A1) and GLU (encoding β-1,3-glucanase) in the leaves of soybean plants. Elevated expression of selected genes related to jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling, cellular detoxification, and redox homeostasis was also observed. Overall, all the tested biostimulant variants improved the growth parameters of the soybean plants. Biostimulant application triggered complex defence responses involving changes in gene expression, antioxidant potential, secondary metabolite levels, and cell wall composition. The formulation generated by GA outperformed the other tested variants (MW discharge and untreated biostimulants), highlighting the potential of this technology to enhance biostimulant efficacy.
This study provides a phytochemical characterization of Sambucus nigra L. (elderflower) and correlates its chemical profile with anti-inflammatory bioactivity, establishing an optimized extraction methodology. A comparative analysis of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and shaking maceration was conducted using solvents of varying polarity (ethanol, ethanol–water mixture (1:1, v/v), and water). High-resolution fingerprinting via HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmed a rich polyphenolic profile, dominated by flavonoids such as rutin, naringenin, and phenolic acids, notably chlorogenic acid. Quantitative analysis revealed that UAE with ethanol–water mixture (1:1, v/v) for 20 min yielded the highest recovery of rutin (4.87%) and chlorogenic acid (8.22%). The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in TNFα-stimulated HaCaT NF-κB Luc reporter keratinocytes. Anhydrous ethanolic extracts demonstrated superior efficacy, significantly inhibiting NF-κB pathway activation at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Chemometric analysis, specifically PLS-DA, identified naringenin as a principal contributor to this observed anti-inflammatory effect. These findings underscore the critical role of solvent selection in modulating the phytochemical composition and resultant bioefficacy of elderflower extracts. The potent, naringenin-driven inhibition of NF-κB in keratinocytes highlights the significant therapeutic potential of optimized S. nigra extracts for applications in dermatological and cosmetic formulations aimed at managing inflammatory skin disorders.
This study investigated the gastrointestinal bacteria of the snail Cornu aspersum aspersum under capnophilic and aerobic conditions using MALDI-TOF-MS (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry). Under capnophilic conditions, 13 different bacterial species were identified: Acinetobacter pittii, Aeromonas eucrenophila, Aeromonas hydrophila, Buttiauxella agrestis, Buttiauxella gaviniae, Enterococcus caseliflavus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Lactococcus lactis, Leclercia adecarboxylata, Pantoea agglomerans, Raoultellaplanticola, and Raoultella terrigena. In contrast, bacterial identification under aerobic conditions revealed 12 species: Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 4), Aeromonas sobria (n = 2), Buttiauxella agrestis, Buttiauxella izardii, Buttiauxella warmboldiae (n = 3), Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia vulneris, Klebsiella oxytoca, Morganella morganii (n = 2), Myroides odoratimimus, Proteus vulgaris (n = 4), and Providencia rettgeri. Although several species (e.g., Aeromonas hydrophila, Buttiauxella agrestis, Klebsiella oxytoca) were identified under both conditions, some species, such as Acinetobacter pittii, Aeromonas eucrenophila, Buttiauxella gaviniae, Enterococcus caseliflavus, Lactococcus lactis, Leclercia adecarboxylata, Pantoea agglomerans, Raoultella planticola, and Raoultella terrigena, were found exclusively under capnophilic conditions. The results of the study suggest that aerobic and capnophilic bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract of C. aspersum may play an important epidemiological role as a potential source or reservoir of pathogens harmful to humans and animals.
Grape pomace is a major by-product of winemaking with increasing potential for valorization; however, the role of stabilization as a determinant of its chemical and functional properties remains insufficiently resolved. This study compared three stabilization strategies: convective drying, freezing, and microwave-assisted processing applied to grape pomace from ten temperate climate grape cultivars (red and white). Phenolic composition, lipid-related compounds, and color attributes were assessed using HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS, and responses to stabilization were evaluated using mixed-effects models accounting for cultivar background. Stabilization strategy exerted a clear and non-neutral influence on pomace properties. Freezing caused a pronounced reduction in lightness (L*), independent of phenolic concentration, indicating dominant matrix-level optical effects. Convective and microwave-assisted drying yielded comparable lightness, while microwave processing enhanced the extractability of lipid-related compounds. At the fraction level, phenolic composition was primarily governed by cultivar, with stabilization inducing only modest changes in total procyanidins and anthocyanins. In contrast, compound-resolved analyses revealed strong structure- and cultivar-dependent responses, particularly among phenolic acids, underscoring the limitations of aggregate phenolic metrics. This study indicated that stabilization is not a chemically neutral preparatory step but a defining procedure that conditions matrix accessibility, compound detectability, and visual properties, with direct implications for grape pomace valorization strategies.
Hippeastrum is among the most widely cultivated geophytes, utilized for both cut flowers and potted plants. The range of cultivars is expanding, with an average of 33 new cultivars registered annually in the international register maintained by the Royal General Bulb Growers’ Association in the Netherlands. This study focused on the morphological and genetic diversity of 15 Polish breeding clones derived from H. × chmielii and H. hybridum. The study encompassed phenotypic evaluation, assessment of the number and length of stomata, and the use of RAPD and ISSR markers across all genotypes examined. Phenotypic analysis, conducted in accordance with the descriptors of The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the RHS Colour Charts, facilitated the identification of three promising breeding clones. These clones (0037-13 with flowers of the greyed-purple colour group, 185A; 0021-10 with orange-red flowers, 34A; and 0023-11 with orange-red, 35B) produced a greater number of larger flowers than the maternal forms of H. × chmielii. The population exhibited significant variation in the number and length of stomata, with an inverse correlation between stomatal length and number. The use of RAPD and ISSR markers showed high genetic similarity between the initial forms and breeding clones in the range of 74–85
