Zn2+ play an important role in maintaining the normal functioning of living organisms, and excessive or insufficient levels can cause serious health problems. Zn2+ play a vital role in maintaining normal biological functions, and abnormal levels Zn2+ may lead to a range of severe health issues. Therefore, real-time and accurate detection of Zn2+ is critically important. Given the widespread presence of Zn2+ in living organisms and external environments, developing probes suitable for multi-scenario Zn2+ detection is of significant practical value. In this study, a novel probe SSD was synthesized using salicylaldehyde as the precursor, enabling ultra-sensitive Zn2+ detection with a detection limit as low as 9.1 nM. The probe SSD was successfully applied to the detection of Zn2+ in water, soil, and food samples. In addition, an SSD-based Zn2+ smartphone detection platform was developed, which can quickly detect the content of Zn2+ in actual samples. Moreover, due to its excellent optical properties and low toxicity, SSD was able to detect both intracellular and extracellular Zn2+. Most importantly, probe SSD demonstrated the capability to monitor real-time changes in Zn2+ concentrations during cellular oxidative damage, providing valuable insights for research on related physiological diseases.

Background: Herbicides are chemical agents that promote plant and crop growth by killing weeds and other pests. However, unconsumed and excessively used herbicides may enter groundwater and agricultural areas, damaging water, air, and soil resources. Mesotrione (MT) is an extensively used herbicide to cultivate corn, sugarcane, and vegetables. Excessive consumption of MT residues pollutes the soil, water, and environmental systems. Methods: Henceforth, the potential electrocatalyst of the tungsten trioxide nanorods on the carbon microsphere (WO3/C) composite was synthesized for nanomolar electrocatalytic detection of MT. The electrocatalysts of WO3/C were synthesized hydrothermally, and the WO3/C composite was in-situ constructed by using the reflux method. Significant findings: Remarkably, the as-prepared WO3/C composite displayed a fantastic sensing platform for MT, characterized by an astonishingly nanomolar detection limit (10 nm), notable sensitivity (1.284 mu A mu M-1 cm-2), exceptional selectivity, and amazing stability. The actual sample test was carried out using MT added in food and environmental samples of corn, sugar cane, sewage water, and river water. The minimum MT response recovery in vegetable and water samples was determined to be approximately 97 % and 99 %, respectively. The results indicate that the WO3/C composite is an effective electrode material for real-time MT measurement in portable devices.

Hypochlorite (ClO-) is a highly reactive chemical extensively used in households, public areas, and various industries due to its multiple functions of disinfection, bleaching, and sterilization. However, overuse of ClO- may contaminate the water, soil, air and food, leading to negative impacts on the environments, ecosystems and food safety. Meanwhile, excessive ClO- in human body can also cause severe damage to the immune system. Thus, the development of effective and precise detection tools for ClO- is of great significance to better understand its complicated roles in environments and biosystems. Herein, a new high-performance ratiometric fluorescent probe 2-amino-3-((10-propyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)methylene)-amino)maleonitrile (PD) was developed for effective detection of ClO- in various bio/environmental and food samples. Probe PD exhibits highly-specific ratiometric fluorescent response to ClO- with rapid response (< 1 min), excellent sensitivity (detection limit, 47.4 nM), wide applicable pH range (4 -12), and excellent versatility in practical applications. In practical applications, PD enables the sensitive and quantitative detection of ClO- levels in various water samples, bio-fluids, dairy products, fruits and vegetables with high-precision (recoveries, 97.00 -104.40 %), as well as the successful application for visual tracking ClO- in fresh fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, test strips containing PD offer a visual and convenient tool for quick identification of ClO- in aqueous media by the naked eye. Importantly, the good biocompatibility of PD enables its practical applications in real-time bioimaging of endogenous/exogenous ClO- levels in living cells, bacteria, onion cells, Arabidopsis, as well as zebrafish. This study provided an effective method for visual monitoring and bioimaging of ClO- levels in various environments, foods and living biosystems.

Food packaging is one of the most commonly used materials today due to its affordability and convenience. However, this type of packaging is challenging to handle after use, leading to significant environmental waste since it is often made from petrochemical polymers that take a long time to decompose. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a low-cost, safe, and biodegradable polymer with high potential for food packaging, offering a solution to waste issues in the polymer industry. However, its limited hydrophilicity, bactericidal properties, and poor performance in humid conditions hinder its practicality. Enhancing the mechanical properties and water resistance of PVA-based composite films can significantly improve their applicability, particularly in food packaging. In this study, nanocomposite films based on PVA were reinforced with nanocellulose fiber (CNF) and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), and cross-linked using citric acid (CA) through the film casting method. The incorporation of CNF and AgNPs improved the structural integrity and thermal stability of the film, while CA crosslinking significantly enhanced water resistance and mechanical properties. The (PVA/CNF/Ag)-CA film exhibited the highest tensile strength (89.44 MPa), Young's modulus (3.29 GPa), and water contact angle (similar to 90 degrees), alongside the lowest water absorption (78.6 %) and a reduced water vapor transmission rate of 6.62 g x h(-1) x m(-2). Compared to pure PVA film, the resulting crosslinked nanocomposite films showed a 32.3 % increase in modulus and a 22.64 % increase in tensile strength. Additionally, the (PVA/CNF/Ag)-CA film exhibited higher thermal stability with 13 % more residue content than uncrosslinked counterparts, reduced moisture absorption, minimal swelling, and water insolubility. However, the CA crosslinking process promoted AgNP aggregation, reducing the antibacterial activity of the (PVA/CNF/Ag)-CA film against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and slowed down its biodegradation in soil. Nevertheless, after seven days of storage under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, the nanocomposite coatings effectively minimized mass loss and microbial growth on fresh chili peppers. These results highlight the synergistic contribution of CNF/Ag reinforcement and CA crosslinking in enhancing the mechanical strength, thermal stability, and water resistance of PVA-based films for potential food packaging applications.

Purpose of ReviewThis review imparts the information on melanin as a multifunctional biomolecule, emphasizing the diversity of sources like microbial, plant, and human, and accentuating its potential as a sustainable material. It deliberately focuses on current advances in utilizing melanin for inventive applications in important areas such as food, cosmetics, environmental improvement, and agriculture, as well as its increasing significance in promoting eco-friendly and industrial solutions.Recent FindingsMelanin derived from microbial, plant, and human sources has a broad spectrum of bioactivities, which includes protection from UV radiation, strong antioxidant capabilities, and the strong ability to affiliate and neutralize environmental contaminants. Recently its natural origin and biocompatibility have caught the eye in its usage as a food coloring and preservation. Not only this, it is also known to create a spark in the cosmetic industry by providing skin protection, pigmentation balance, and anti-aging effects, with both plant- and human-derived melanin playing their important roles.Environmentally, microbial and plant-based melanin built a strong resilience in the elimination of heavy and toxic metals and compounds. In agriculture, microbial melanin is well known for improving soil health in addition to increasing plant tolerance to stress and shielding biocontrol chemicals from UV destruction and showing their high capacity and significant role in different industries, making it one of the most promising byproducts of the cellular process.Recent FindingsMelanin derived from microbial, plant, and human sources has a broad spectrum of bioactivities, which includes protection from UV radiation, strong antioxidant capabilities, and the strong ability to affiliate and neutralize environmental contaminants. Recently its natural origin and biocompatibility have caught the eye in its usage as a food coloring and preservation. Not only this, it is also known to create a spark in the cosmetic industry by providing skin protection, pigmentation balance, and anti-aging effects, with both plant- and human-derived melanin playing their important roles.Environmentally, microbial and plant-based melanin built a strong resilience in the elimination of heavy and toxic metals and compounds. In agriculture, microbial melanin is well known for improving soil health in addition to increasing plant tolerance to stress and shielding biocontrol chemicals from UV destruction and showing their high capacity and significant role in different industries, making it one of the most promising byproducts of the cellular process.SummaryMelanin, derived from different sources-microorganisms, plants, and humans-represents a flexible and sustainable biomaterial that is becoming increasingly important in the various fields. Its multifunctional qualities make it extraordinary application for use in food preservation, cosmetics, environmental improvement, and sustainable agriculture. This review summarizes melanin's potential for long-term innovation and industrial progress by amalgamating the ideas from several biological sources.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are important plant symbionts that provide plants with nutrients and water as well as support plant defences against pests and disease. Consequently, they present a promising alternative to using environmentally damaging and costly fertilisers and pesticides in agricultural systems. However, our limited understanding of how agricultural practices impact AM fungal diversity and functions is a key impediment to using them effectively in agriculture. We assessed how organic and conventional agricultural management systems shaped AM fungal communities. We also investigated how AM fungal communities derived from these agricultural management systems affected crop biomass and development. Six soil samples from five organically and five conventionally managed agricultural sites were used to cultivate Sorghum bicolor. Plant growth, plant nutrient concentrations and AM fungal colonisation rates were analysed alongside DNA metabarcoding of community composition. We observed that soil from conventional agricultural fields resulted in a pronounced reduction in sorghum biomass (-53.6%) and a significant delay in flowering compared to plants grown without AM fungi. Sorghum biomass was also reduced with soil from the organic system, but to a lesser extent (-30%) and without a delay in flowering. Organic systems were associated with a large proportion of AM fungal taxa (50.5% of VTs) not found in conventional systems, including Diversispora (r(2) = 0.09, p < 0.001), Archaeospora (r(2) = 0.07, p < 0.001) and Glomus (r(2) = 0.25, p < 0.001) spp., but also shared a large proportion of taxa with conventional systems (42.3% of VTs). Conventional systems had relatively few unique taxa (7.2% of VTs). Our results suggest that conventional agricultural practices selected against AM fungi that were, in this context, more beneficial for host plants. In contrast, organic management practices mitigate this negative effect, likely due to the presence of specific key AM fungal taxa. However, this mitigation is only partial, as less beneficial AM fungal taxa still persist, probably due to abiotic factors associated with agricultural management and the sensitivity of AM fungi to these factors. This persistence explains why the effect is not entirely eradicated. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Transforming waste materials into valuable commodities is a promising strategy to alleviate challenges associated with managing solid waste, benefiting both the environment and human well-being. This study is focused towards harnessing the potential of waste eggshell microparticles (ESMP) (0.10, 0.15, 0.20 g/150 mL) as reinforcing biofiller and orange peel essential oil (OPEO) (14 %, 25 % and 36 %, w/w) as bioactive agent with pectin (2.80, 2.85, 2.90, and 3.00 g/150 mL) to fabricate five different biocomposite films using particle dispersion and solvent casting technique. The addition of ESMP and OPEO progressively increased film thickness and led to variations in transparency. Micromorphological analysis and vibrational spectroscopy indicated hydrophobicity and compactness, as showed by the loss of free O- H bonds, sharpening of aliphatic C- H and stretching of C = C, C- O and C- O- C bonds with increasing filler content. Noticeable improvements in thermal stability and tensile strength were observed, while the flexibility was minimized. The films displayed remarkable barrier properties against hydrological stress, as evidenced by a reduction in water activity, moisture content, water uptake capacity, and solubility. The antioxidant activity against DPPH radicals suggested efficient release of bioactive compounds. Antibacterial assessment revealed inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. During soil burial, notable weight loss along with shrinkage confirmed the film biodegradability. In conclusion, the pectin-ESMP-OPEO biocomposite films show potential characteristics as food packaging materials, warranting further performance testing on food samples.

The environmental impact of food packaging, transportation and disposal are escalating, contributing significantly to global solid waste. There's an increasing focus by industry and research on seeking new sustainable solutions for waste valorization. This study investigates the isolation process of biopolymers from legumes (lentil) products and fish (gilthead seabream) waste, with the aim of producing composite films. The developed films were characterized for optical, mechanical and water barrier properties, hydrophobicity (via contact angle measurement), moisture content, water solubility, and biodegradability. Results indicated that lentil and fish protein concentrates may be effectively utilized to fabricate biodegradable packaging materials with adequate moisture barrier properties and excellent optical characteristics. The composite materials from lentil proteins and pectin had higher elongation at break compared to the respective value of the films produced using fish protein and gelatin (44.94 +/- 2.81 % and 10.52 +/- 1.21 %, respectively). Regarding the composite animal based film, the WVTR and WVP values were measured at 119.50 +/- 2.90 g x s(-1) x m(-2) and 5.04 +/- 0.06 x 10(-8) x g x m(-1) x s-(1)xPa(-1), respectively. The composite plant based materials had higher WVTR and WVP (139.17 +/- 8.01 g x s(-1) x m(-2) and 7.80 +/- 0.91 x 10(-8) x g x m(-1) x s-(1)xPa(-1), respectively). The composite film of pectin and concentrated lentil protein exhibited hydrophobic behavior (contact angle 98.63 +/- 3.78 degrees), whereas for gelatin and concentrated fish protein films, the contact angle was determined as 57.37 +/- 4.00 degrees, indicating hydrophilic behavior. All produced films biodegraded in <20 days during burial test in soil with high relative humidity (80 %). The results of the study show the utilization of food industry potential waste for producing environmentally friendly packaging materials.

The adoption of sustainable farming practices will improve food security around the world. The evidence that food is produced sustainably has become important for maintaining access to global markets and is influencing commodity marketing and pricing. This paper explores the current state of global sustainability reporting and examines whether yield data could improve the sustainability of farming by adding more rigour and transparency to the evidential basis of sustainability. The Australian grains and oilseeds industry is used as a case study with most of the Australian grain and oilseed crop grown for export markets. Sustainability policies in the European Union, United States of America and Australia are contrasted, with a focus on the improved management of nitrogenous fertiliser, which is viewed as the most efficient way to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Generally, sustainability reporting is based on a suite of indicators that are easy to measure and interpret, sensitive to change, technically sound and cost-effective. These indicators serve as a mechanism to quantify and document the practices used to produce crops but some of the current measures are relatively coarse and lack transparency. The time and cost incurred to collect these measurements could be reduced by using secondary data to report on sustainability. Yield data are already collected by many grain, and oilseed growers, and provide a transparent, evidence-based way to optimise and report on fertiliser application at fine scale. Yield data can help to maintain soil health and farm profit, reduce environmental damage and generate quantitative data for reporting on agricultural sustainability, but some challenges remain before it could be implemented as a universal reporting measure.

Plant polyphenols represent valuable additives for food packaging; however, their poor hydrophilicity necessitates complex pre-treatments. In this study, we propose a simple and eco-friendly strategy for the direct incorporation of hydrophobic polyphenols into packaging films. Using carboxymethyl chitosan and oxidized carrageenan as substrates, we successfully introduced hydrophobic polyphenols into multifunctional hydrogel films through borate ester bonds. The mechanical strength of these films was further enhanced by schiff base bonds. The prepared hydrogel films exhibited antibacterial rates exceeding 98 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and demonstrated excellent antioxidant and UV shielding properties. As the oxidation degree of carrageenan increased, the water vapor permeability rate of the hydrogel films decreased from 1.34 x 10-1 0 g & sdot;m-1 & sdot;s-1 & sdot;Pa-1 to 3.13 x 10-1 1 g & sdot;m-1 & sdot;s-1 & sdot;Pa-1 , while the oxygen permeability rate decreased from 40.61 meq/kg to 20.04 meq/kg. This design effectively mitigates the deterioration of fruits and vegetables caused by dehydration and oxidation. Furthermore, the hydrogel films containing carrageenan with a medium oxidation degree exhibited superior mechanical properties, with tensile strength increasing by 4.8-fold and the ability to bear a load of 200 g. The banana preservation experiments demonstrated that hydrogel films can effectively delay the deterioration of bananas. Notably, the film exhibited excellent biodegradability, degrading by 90 % in soil within 60 days, underscoring its significant potential for developing functional and environmentally friendly food packaging systems.