By mechanistically linking nutrient assimilation to biological value, JTT04 offers a transformative strategy for the sustainable biofortification of Ashwagandha.
Abstract
Despite the medicinal importance of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha), a significant knowledge gap remains regarding how endophytic microbes mechanistically reprogram host metabolism to enhance both growth and biological value. This study addresses this gap by exploring the biofortification capacity of Jidongwangia sp. JTT04, a newly isolated endophytic actinobacterium from Tribulus terrestris, in enhancing the growth, biochemical profile, and functional properties of Ashwagandha. Inoculation with JTT04 significantly improved shoot biomass and enhanced carbon assimilation provides the essential precursors for primary metabolism, driving a significant surge in glucose, fructose, and starch. These carbohydrates serve as the carbon skeleton for the accelerated synthesis of organic acids (citric and succinic) and amino acids, alongside an enriched pool of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. This robust primary metabolic foundation subsequently fuels the shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways, triggering the overproduction of high-value secondary metabolites, including phenolic acids (caffeic, rosmarinic) and flavonoids (rutin, kaempferol). Consequently, this integrated metabolic redirection directly translates into superior biochemical and functional values, evidenced by a 1.51-fold increase in antioxidant capacity (FRAP), potent anti-inflammatory effects (Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition), and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. By mechanistically linking nutrient assimilation to biological value, JTT04 offers a transformative strategy for the sustainable biofortification of Ashwagandha.
In vitro data demonstrate enhanced probiotic metabolite production and suggest potential neuroprotective relevance, supporting future confirmatory in vivo investigations.
M. Praveen, Long Yu, Caterina Selva et al.· Food Chemistry· 0 citations
Introduction Siderophore-producing bacteria and their metabolites represent promising components of next-generation biofertilizers, yet their effects on plant physiology and soil microbiome structure remain insufficiently understood. Methods We developed a liquid biofertilizer based on siderophores and siderophore-accompanying metabolites (SSAM) produced by Pseudomonas sp. ANT_H12B and formulated with molasses as an organic carrier. Its effects on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were evaluated by assessing plant growth, photosynthetic performance, lipid peroxidation, elemental composition, soil enzyme activities, and bacterial community structure using full-length 16S rRNA nanopore sequencing. Results The combined SSAM+molasses formulation significantly enhanced plant growth, increasing leaf dry biomass by nearly 180%, leaf number by more than 300%, and stem length by approximately 40–50% compared with untreated plants. Improved plant performance was accompanied by enhanced photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/FM) and a marked reduction in oxidative stress, as reflected by nearly 50% lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared with the molasses-only treatment. Although elemental analysis revealed no major disturbances in plant nutrient balance among treatments, soil supplementation with the combined formulation strongly affected rhizosphere functioning and microbiome composition. In particular, the SSAM+molasses treatment coincided with approximately 35–50% higher β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities and clear shifts in microbial community structure. Discussion These findings suggest that molasses-enriched siderophore metabolites may act as effective biostimulants by promoting plant growth and mitigating oxidative stress, partly through modulation of rhizosphere microbiome structure and function.
M. Musiałowski, A. Bernatowicz, Ł. Kowalewska et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Strigolactones (SLs) regulate plant growth and metabolism, but their concentration-dependent effects on leafy vegetable quality remain unclear. We investigated how the synthetic SL analog GR24 affects physiological and metabolic processes in pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis). Mantel correlation analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed distinct response patterns. The 1 μmol·L−1 treatment (T2) enhanced photosynthesis, carbon‑nitrogen assimilation, mineral accumulation, and GA3, ZT, ABA, and JA levels, whereas the 10 μmol·L−1 treatment (T3) promoted carotenoid and phenolic accumulation, including rutin, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid. Multivariate analysis linked phenolic acid accumulation mainly to nitrogen and amino acid metabolism, with additional associations with P status. Overall, T2 broadly enhanced primary metabolism and nutrition, whereas T3 favored secondary and antioxidant-related metabolism, providing a framework for optimizing GR24 application in high-quality leafy vegetable production.
Yufeng Ma, Qitong Cai, Cheng Wang et al.· Food Chemistry: X· 0 citations
A side-by-side benchmark of these two marine diatoms is provided, offering a data-driven reference for process development and industrial deployment of microalgae-derived fucoxanthin, and high-yield induction methods from the dimensions of nutrient regulation, light optimization, exogenous induction, and strain improvement are summarized.
Man Zhang, Hao-Yu Li, Feichao Du et al.· Marine Drugs· 0 citations
Pueraria thomsonii
is rich in isoflavonoids; however, its glycoside-dominated forms exhibit limited intestinal absorption and metabolism, and the material possesses undesirable sensory traits. This study employs a defined co-culture of
Saccharomycopsis fibuligera
and
Bacillus velezensis
to achieve coordinated starch hydrolysis, cell-wall degradation, and
β
-glucosidase-mediated deglycosylation. We investigate the resulting nutritional, metabolic, and volatile profiles through integrated multi-omics, establishing this consortium as a bioprocessing method for value-added
P. thomsonii
.
Solid-state fermentation (SSF) was conducted at 30 °C for 72 h under microaerophilic conditions across five treatments: raw
P. thomsonii
(Y), natural fermentation (K), single-strain fermentation with
S. fibuligera
YPD01 (S) or
B. velezensis
NA03 (B), and co-fermentation with both strains at a 1:1 ratio (M). Nutritional components, total flavonoids, and total phenolics were quantified. Activities of
α
-amylase,
β
-glucosidase, and cellulase were assayed. The microbial community structure and functional genes were characterized through metagenomic sequencing. Untargeted metabolomics was performed using UPLC–MS, and volatile compounds were analyzed by GC–MS.
Co-fermentation achieved the highest nutritional quality, yielding reducing sugars (15.45 ± 0.26 mg/g), total flavonoids (9.30 ± 0.17 mg RUT/g), total phenolics (13.19 ± 0.25 mg GAE/g), total amino acids (52.11 ± 0.53 g/kg), and crude protein (12.56 ± 0.26%), all significantly surpassing other treatments. Both inoculated strains effectively colonized the substrate. Co-fermentation exhibited the highest activities of
β
-glucosidase (90.67 ± 2.66 U/g) and cellulase (343.77 ± 10.75 U/g). Metagenomic analysis generated approximately 659 million reads, identifying 7,737 KEGG entries, with enriched CAZy families in co-fermentation. Untargeted metabolomics identified 1,693 metabolites, with co-fermentation uniquely enriching isoflavone aglycones, peptides, and esterase-related compounds. GC–MS analysis revealed that co-fermentation produced the highest levels of fruity esters, including ethyl linoleate (1009.73 ± 32.51 μg/g) and ethyl palmitate (335.85 ± 9.76 μg/g), while hexanal was eliminated in all fermented groups.
The
S. fibuligera
–
B. velezensis
consortium enhanced the nutritional, metabolic, and aromatic quality of
P. thomsonii
through enzymatic biotransformation and metabolic complementarity. Co-fermentation outperformed both natural and single-strain fermentations in the release of phenolic compounds and isoflavone aglycones, amino acid enrichment, and flavor development. These findings provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for developing high-value fermented foods and offer a reference framework for the precision microbial transformation of medicinal and edible homologous materials.
Lei Li, Xu Yang, Yibo Ning et al.· Frontiers in Nutrition· 0 citations
The metabolic cooperation between plants and their endophytic fungi represents a promising frontier in the biosynthesis of natural products. This study elucidates the contribution of the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum Po18 to the production of aromatic polyketides that drive specialized metabolism in Peperomia obtusifolia. Cultivation parameters for F. oxysporum were optimized using a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD), revealing that mild temperatures (28 °C) and extended incubation (9 days) maximized orsellinic acid accumulation. LC–MS/MS identified orsellinic acid as [M–H]– at m/z 167.0356, with the diagnostic fragment ion m/z 122.8924, and quantified by HPLC–DAD, achieving a concentration of 132 μg/mL under optimized conditions. Comparative metabolomic analysis and molecular networking (GNPS) revealed related fungal metabolites, including lecanoric acid, 6-methylsalicylic acid, and citrinin, all derived from the fungal polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway. These metabolites are proposed to act as biosynthetic precursors for chroman and benzopyran derivatives previously reported in P. obtusifolia. The results provide the first experimental evidence of a biosynthetic partnership between Fusarium and Peperomia, in which the endophyte may supply aromatic scaffolds that could subsequently undergo downstream modifications in the host plant. This study expands the understanding of fungal–plant metabolic interactions and highlights F. oxysporum as a sustainable biotechnological source of aromatic polyketides with potential applications in natural product chemistry and biocatalysis.
Wellington Gomes de Lima, A. D. A. Morandim-Giannetti, João Luiz Bronzel Junior et al.· ACS Omega· 0 citations
