Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology

Natural products and their structural analogues have historically made a major contribution to pharmacotherapy, especially for cancer and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, natural products also present challenges for drug discovery, such as technical barriers to screening, isolation, characterization and optimization, which contributed to a decline in their pursuit by the pharmaceutical industry from the 1990s onwards. In recent years, several technological and scientific developments - including improved analytical tools, genome mining and engineering strategies, and microbial culturing advances - are addressing such challenges and opening up new opportunities. Consequently, interest in natural products as drug leads is being revitalized, particularly for tackling antimicrobial resistance. Here, we summarize recent technological developments that are enabling natural product-based drug discovery, highlight selected applications and discuss key opportunities.

Over the past two decades, extensive studies have revealed that inflammation represents a major risk factor for various human diseases. Chronic inflammatory responses predispose to pathological progression of chronic illnesses featured with penetration of inflammatory cells, dysregulation of cellular signaling, excessive generation of cytokines, and loss of barrier function. Hence, the suppression of inflammation has the potential to delay, prevent, and to treat chronic diseases. Flavonoids, which are widely distributed in humans daily diet, such as vegetables, fruits, tea and cocoa, among others, are considered as bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory potential. Modification of flavonoids including hydroxylation, o-methylation, and glycosylation, can alter their metabolic features and affect mechanisms of inflammation. Structure-activity relationships among naturally occurred flavonoids hence provide us with a preliminary insight into their anti-inflammatory potential, not only attributing to the antioxidant capacity, but also to modulate inflammatory mediators. The present review summarizes current knowledge and underlies mechanisms of anti-inflammatory activities of dietary flavonoids and their influences involved in the development of various inflammatory-related chronic diseases. In addition, the established structure-activity relationships of phenolic compounds in this review may give an insight for the screening of new anti-inflammatory agents from dietary materials.

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Vermiculariopsiella eucalypti, Mulderomyces natalis (incl. Mulderomyces gen. nov.), Fusicladium paraamoenum, Neotrimmatostroma paraexcentricum, and Pseudophloeospora eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus spp., Anungitea grevilleae (on leaves of Grevillea sp.), Pyrenochaeta acaciae (on leaves of Acacia sp.), and Brunneocarpos banksiae (incl. Brunneocarpos gen. nov.) on cones of Banksia attenuata. Novel foliicolous taxa from South Africa include Neosulcatispora strelitziae (on Strelitzia nicolai), Colletotrichum ledebouriae (on Ledebouria floridunda), Cylindrosympodioides brabejum (incl. Cylindrosympodioides gen. nov.) on Brabejum stellatifolium, Sclerostagonospora ericae (on Erica sp.), Setophoma cyperi (on Cyperus sphaerocephala), and Phaeosphaeria breonadiae (on Breonadia microcephala). Novelties described from Robben Island (South Africa) include Wojnowiciella cissampeli and Diaporthe cissampeli (both on Cissampelos capensis), Phaeotheca salicorniae (on Salicornia meyeriana), Paracylindrocarpon aloicola (incl. Paracylindrocarpon gen. nov.) on Aloe sp., and Libertasomyces myopori (incl. Libertasomyces gen. nov.) on Myoporum serratum. Several novelties are recorded from La Réunion (France), namely Phaeosphaeriopsis agapanthi (on Agapanthus sp.), Roussoella solani (on Solanum mauritianum), Vermiculariopsiella acaciae (on Acacia heterophylla), Dothiorella acacicola (on Acacia mearnsii), Chalara clidemiae (on Clidemia hirta), Cytospora tibouchinae (on Tibouchina semidecandra), Diaporthe ocoteae (on Ocotea obtusata), Castanediella eucalypticola, Phaeophleospora eucalypticola and Fusicladium eucalypticola (on Eucalyptus robusta), Lareunionomyces syzygii (incl. Lareunionomyces gen. nov.) and Parawiesneriomyces syzygii (incl. Parawiesneriomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Syzygium jambos. Novel taxa from the USA include Meristemomyces arctostaphylos (on Arctostaphylos patula), Ochroconis dracaenae (on Dracaena reflexa), Rasamsonia columbiensis (air of a hotel conference room), Paecilomyces tabacinus (on Nicotiana tabacum), Toxicocladosporium hominis (from human broncoalveolar lavage fluid), Nothophoma macrospora (from respiratory secretion of a patient with pneumonia), and Penidiellopsis radicularis (incl. Penidiellopsis gen. nov.) from a human nail. Novel taxa described from Malaysia include Prosopidicola albizziae (on Albizzia falcataria), Proxipyricularia asari (on Asarum sp.), Diaporthe passifloricola (on Passiflora foetida), Paramycoleptodiscus albizziae (incl. Paramycoleptodiscus gen. nov.) on Albizzia falcataria, and Malaysiasca phaii (incl. Malaysiasca gen. nov.) on Phaius reflexipetalus. Two species are newly described from human patients in the Czech Republic, namely Microascus longicollis (from toenails of patient with suspected onychomycosis), and Chrysosporium echinulatum (from sole skin of patient). Furthermore, Alternaria quercicola is described on leaves of Quercus brantii (Iran), Stemphylium beticola on leaves of Beta vulgaris (The Netherlands), Scleroderma capeverdeanum on soil (Cape Verde Islands), Scleroderma dunensis on soil, and Blastobotrys meliponae from bee honey (Brazil), Ganoderma mbrekobenum on angiosperms (Ghana), Geoglossum raitviirii and Entoloma kruticianum on soil (Russia), Priceomyces vitoshaensis on Pterostichus melas (Carabidae) (Bulgaria) is the only one for which the family is listed, Ganoderma ecuadoriense on decaying wood (Ecuador), Thyrostroma cornicola on Cornus officinalis (Korea), Cercophora vinosa on decorticated branch of Salix sp. (France), Coprinus pinetorum, Coprinus littoralis and Xerocomellus poederi on soil (Spain). Two new genera from Colombia include Helminthosporiella and Uwemyces on leaves of Elaeis oleifera. Two species are described from India, namely Russula intervenosa (ectomycorrhizal with Shorea robusta), and Crinipellis odorata (on bark of Mytragyna parviflora). Novelties from Thailand include Cyphellophora gamsii (on leaf litter), Pisolithus aureosericeus and Corynascus citrinus (on soil). Two species are newly described from Citrus in Italy, namely Dendryphiella paravinosa on Citrus sinensis, and Ramularia citricola on Citrus floridana. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS nrDNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Malaysia: Castanediella eucalypti from Eucalyptus pellita, Codinaea acacia from Acacia mangium, Emarcea eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana, Myrtapenidiella eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus pellita, Pilidiella eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana and Strelitziana malaysiana from Acacia mangium. Furthermore, Stachybotrys sansevieriicola is described from Sansevieria ehrenbergii (Tanzania), Phacidium grevilleae from Grevillea robusta (Uganda), Graphium jumulu from Adansonia gregorii and Ophiostoma eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus marginata (Australia), Pleurophoma ossicola from bone and Plectosphaerella populi from Populus nigra (Germany), Colletotrichum neosansevieriae from Sansevieria trifasciata, Elsinoë othonnae from Othonna quinquedentata and Zeloasperisporium cliviae (Zeloasperisporiaceae fam. nov.) from Clivia sp. (South Africa), Neodevriesia pakbiae, Phaeophleospora hymenocallidis and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola on leaves of a fern (Thailand), Melanconium elaeidicola from Elaeis guineensis (Indonesia), Hormonema viticola from Vitis vinifera (Canary Islands), Chlorophyllum pseudoglobossum from a grassland (India), Triadelphia disseminata from an immunocompromised patient (Saudi Arabia), Colletotrichum abscissum from Citrus (Brazil), Polyschema sclerotigenum and Phialemonium limoniforme from human patients (USA), Cadophora vitícola from Vitis vinifera (Spain), Entoloma flavovelutinum and Bolbitius aurantiorugosus from soil (Vietnam), Rhizopogon granuloflavus from soil (Cape Verde Islands), Tulasnella eremophila from Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Morocco), Verrucostoma martinicensis from Danaea elliptica (French West Indies), Metschnikowia colchici from Colchicum autumnale (Bulgaria), Thelebolus microcarpus from soil (Argentina) and Ceratocystis adelpha from Theobroma cacao (Ecuador). Myrmecridium iridis (Myrmecridiales ord. nov., Myrmecridiaceae fam. nov.) is also described from Iris sp. (The Netherlands). Novel genera include (Ascomycetes): Budhanggurabania from Cynodon dactylon (Australia), Soloacrosporiella, Xenocamarosporium, Neostrelitziana and Castanediella from Acacia mangium and Sabahriopsis from Eucalyptus brassiana (Malaysia), Readerielliopsis from basidiomata of Fuscoporia wahlbergii (French Guyana), Neoplatysporoides from Aloe ferox (Tanzania), Wojnowiciella, Chrysofolia and Neoeriomycopsis from Eucalyptus (Colombia), Neophaeomoniella from Eucalyptus globulus (USA), Pseudophaeomoniella from Olea europaea (Italy), Paraphaeomoniella from Encephalartos altensteinii, Aequabiliella, Celerioriella and Minutiella from Prunus (South Africa). Tephrocybella (Basidiomycetes) represents a novel genus from wood (Italy). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antarctica: Cadophora antarctica from soil. Australia : Alfaria dandenongensis on Cyperaceae , Amphosoma persooniae on Persoonia sp., Anungitea nullicana on Eucalyptus sp., Bagadiella eucalypti on Eucalyptus globulus , Castanediella eucalyptigena on Eucalyptus sp., Cercospora dianellicola on Dianella sp., Cladoriella kinglakensis on Eucalyptus regnans , Cladoriella xanthorrhoeae (incl. Cladoriellaceae fam. nov. and Cladoriellales ord. nov.) on Xanthorrhoea sp., Cochlearomyces eucalypti (incl. Cochlearomyces gen. nov. and Cochlearomycetaceae fam. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua , Codinaea lambertiae on Lambertia formosa , Diaporthe obtusifoliae on Acacia obtusifolia , Didymella acaciae on Acacia melanoxylon , Dothidea eucalypti on Eucalyptus dalrympleana , Fitzroyomyces cyperi (incl. Fitzroyomyces gen. nov.) on Cyperaceae , Murramarangomyces corymbiae (incl. Murramarangomyces gen. nov., Murramarangomycetaceae fam. nov. and Murramarangomycetales ord. nov.) on Corymbia maculata , Neoanungitea eucalypti (incl. Neoanungitea gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua , Neoconiothyrium persooniae (incl. Neoconiothyrium gen. nov.) on Persoonia laurina subsp. laurina , Neocrinula lambertiae (incl. Neocrinulaceae fam. nov.) on Lambertia sp., Ochroconis podocarpi on Podocarpus grayae , Paraphysalospora eucalypti (incl. Paraphysalospora gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus sieberi , Pararamichloridium livistonae (incl. Pararamichloridium gen. nov., Pararamichloridiaceae fam. nov. and Pararamichloridiales ord. nov.) on Livistona sp., Pestalotiopsis dianellae on Dianella sp., Phaeosphaeria gahniae on Gahnia aspera , Phlogicylindrium tereticornis on Eucalyptus tereticornis , Pleopassalora acaciae on Acacia obliquinervia , Pseudodactylaria xanthorrhoeae (incl. Pseudodactylaria gen. nov., Pseudodactylariaceae fam. nov. and Pseudodactylariales ord. nov.) on Xanthorrhoea sp., Pseudosporidesmium lambertiae (incl. Pseudosporidesmiaceae fam. nov.) on Lambertia formosa , Saccharata acaciae on Acacia sp., Saccharata epacridis on Epacris sp., Saccharata hakeigena on Hakea sericea , Seiridium persooniae on Persoonia sp., Semifissispora tooloomensis on Eucalyptus dunnii , Stagonospora lomandrae on Lomandra longifolia , Stagonospora victoriana on Poaceae , Subramaniomyces podocarpi on Podocarpus elatus , Sympoventuria melaleucae on Melaleuca sp., Sympoventuria regnans on Eucalyptus regnans , Trichomerium eucalypti on Eucalyptus tereticornis , Vermiculariopsiella eucalypticola on Eucalyptus dalrympleana , Verrucoconiothyrium acaciae on Acacia falciformis , Xenopassalora petrophiles (incl. Xenopassalora gen. nov.) on Petrophile sp., Zasmidium dasypogonis on Dasypogon sp., Zasmidium gahniicola on Gahnia sieberiana . Brazil : Achaetomium lippiae on Lippia gracilis , Cyathus isometricus on decaying wood , Geastrum caririense on soil, Lycoperdon demoulinii (incl. Lycoperdon subg. Arenicola ) on soil, Megatomentella cristata (incl. Megatomentella gen. nov.) on unidentified plant, Mutinus verrucosus on soil, Paraopeba schefflerae (incl. Paraopeba gen. nov.) on Schefflera morototoni , Phyllosticta catimbauensis on Mandevilla catimbauensis , Pseudocercospora angularis on Prunus persica , Pseudophialophora sorghi on Sorghum bicolor , Spumula piptadeniae on Piptadenia paniculata . Bulgaria : Yarrowia parophonii from gut of Parophonus hirsutulus . Croatia : Pyrenopeziza velebitica on Lonicera borbasiana . Cyprus : Peziza halophila on coastal dunes Czech Republic : Aspergillus contaminans from human fingernail. Ecuador : Cuphophyllus yacurensis on forest soil, Ganoderma podocarpense on fallen tree trunk. England : Pilidium anglicum (incl. Chaetomellales ord. nov.) on Eucalyptus sp. France : Planamyces parisiensis (incl. Planamyces gen. nov.) on wood inside a house. French Guiana : Lactifluus ceraceus on soil. Germany : Talaromyces musae on Musa sp. India : Hyalocladosporiella cannae on Canna indica , Nothophoma raii from soil. Italy : Setophaeosphaeria citri on Citrus reticulata , Yuccamyces citri on Citrus limon . Japan : Glutinomyces brunneus (incl. Glutinomyces gen. nov.) from roots of Quercus sp. Netherlands (all from soil): Collariella hilkhuijsenii , Fusarium petersiae , Gamsia kooimaniorum , Paracremonium binnewijzendii , Phaeoisaria annesophieae , Plectosphaerella niemeijerarum , Striaticonidium deklijnearum , Talaromyces annesophieae , Umbelopsis wiegerinckiae , Vandijckella johannae (incl. Vandijckella gen. nov. and Vandijckellaceae fam. nov.), Verhulstia trisororum (incl. Verhulstia gen. nov.). New Zealand : Lasiosphaeria similisorbina on decorticated wood. Papua New Guinea : Pseudosubramaniomyces gen. nov. (based on Pseudosubramaniomyces fusisaprophyticus comb. nov.). Slovakia : Hemileucoglossum pusillum on soil. South Africa : Tygervalleyomyces podocarpi</jats:ital

Summary In vitro activity of nine cyanobacterial and ten microalgal newly isolated or culture collection strains against eight significant food‐borne pathogens has been evaluated and compared. Water extracts and culture liquids of G loeocapsa sp. and S ynechocystis sp. demonstrated the widest spectrum of activity with minimal inhibitory concentration ( MIC ) ranging from 1.56 to 12.5 mg mL −1 . Culture liquid of A nabaena sp. had the highest activity ( MIC = 0.39 mg mL −1 ) but only to Gram‐positive bacteria. Ethanol extracts and fatty acids from all cyanobacteria and microalgae were active against S treptococcus pyogenes and/or S taphylococcus aureus . The fatty acids of S ynechocystis sp. inhibited the growth of B acillus cereus , E scherichia coli and C andida albicans ( MIC values of 2.5–1.25 mg mL −1 , respectively). Exopolysaccharides ( EPS ) of G loeocapsa sp. were the sample that exhibited activity against all test pathogens with lowest MIC values (0.125–1 mg mL −1 ). High activity with a narrower range of susceptible targets demonstrated the exopolysaccharides of S ynechocystis sp. and R hodella reticulata . Antimicrobial activity was proven for phycobiliproteins isolated from S ynechocystis sp., A rthrospira fusiformis , P orphyridium aerugineum and P orphyridium cruentum , respectively. In conclusion G loeocapsa sp. and S ynechocystis sp. and especially their exopolysaccharides showed the most promising potential against the examined food pathogens.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Chaetomella pseudocircinoseta and Coniella pseudodiospyri on Eucalyptus microcorys leaves, Cladophialophora eucalypti , Teratosphaeria dunnii and Vermiculariopsiella dunnii on Eucalyptus dunnii leaves, Cylindrium grande and Hypsotheca eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus grandis leaves, Elsinoe salignae on Eucalyptus saligna leaves, Marasmius lebeliae on litter of regenerating subtropical rainforest, Phialoseptomonium eucalypti (incl. Phialoseptomonium gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus grandis × camaldulensis leaves, Phlogicylindrium pawpawense on Eucalyptus tereticornis leaves, Phyllosticta longicauda as an endophyte from healthy Eustrephus latifolius leaves, Pseudosydowia eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus sp. leaves, Saitozyma wallum on Banksia aemula leaves, Teratosphaeria henryi on Corymbia henryi leaves. Brazil , Aspergillus bezerrae , Backusella azygospora , Mariannaea terricola and Talaromyces pernambucoensis from soil, Calonectria matogrossensis on Eucalyptus urophylla leaves, Calvatia brasiliensis on soil, Carcinomyces nordestinensis on Bromelia antiacantha leaves, Dendryphiella stromaticola on small branches of an unidentified plant, Nigrospora brasiliensis on Nopalea cochenillifera leaves, Penicillium alagoense as a leaf endophyte on a Miconia sp., Podosordaria nigrobrunnea on dung, Spegazzinia bromeliacearum as a leaf endophyte on Tilandsia catimbauensis , Xylobolus brasiliensis on decaying wood. Bulgaria , Kazachstania molopis from the gut of the beetle Molops piceus . Croatia , Mollisia endocrystallina from a fallen decorticated Picea abies tree trunk. Ecuador , Hygrocybe rodomaculata on soil. Hungary , Alfoldia vorosii (incl. Alfoldia gen. nov.) from Juniperus communis roots, Kiskunsagia ubrizsyi (incl. Kiskunsagia gen. nov.) from Fumana procumbens roots. India , Aureobasidium tremulum as laboratory contaminant, Leucosporidium himalayensis and Naganishia indica from windblown dust on glaciers. Italy , Neodevriesia cycadicola on Cycas sp. leaves, Pseudocercospora pseudomyrticola on Myrtus communis leaves, Ramularia pistaciae on Pistacia lentiscus leaves, Neognomoniopsis quercina (incl. Neognomoniopsis gen. nov.) on Quercus ilex leaves. Japan , Diaporthe fructicola on Passiflora edulis × P . edulis f. flavicarpa fruit, Entoloma nipponicum on leaf litter in a mixed Cryptomeria japonica and Acer spp. forest. Macedonia , Astraeus macedonicus on soil. Malaysia , Fusicladium eucalyptigenum on Eucalyptus sp. twigs, Neoacrodontiella eucalypti (incl. Neoacrodontiella gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus urophylla leaves. Mozambique , Meliola gorongosensis on dead Philenoptera violacea leaflets. Nepal , Coniochaeta dendrobiicola from Dendriobium lognicornu roots. New Zealand , Neodevriesia sexualis and Thozetella neonivea on Archontophoenix cunninghamiana leaves. Norway , Calophoma sandfjordenica from a piece of board on a rocky shoreline, Clavaria parvispora on soil, Didymella finnmarkica from a piece of Pinus sylvestris driftwood. Poland , Sugiyamaella trypani from soil. Portugal , Colletotrichum feijoicola from Acca sellowiana. Russia , Crepidotus tobolensis on Populus tremula debris, Entoloma ekaterinae , Entoloma erhardii and Suillus gastroflavus on soil, Nakazawaea ambrosiae from the galleries of Ips typographus under the bark of Picea abies. Slovenia , Pluteus ludwigii on twigs of broadleaved trees. South Africa , Anungitiomyces stellenboschiensis (incl. Anungitiomyces gen. nov.) and Niesslia stellenboschiana on Eucalyptus sp. leaves, Beltraniella pseudoportoricensis on Podocarpus falcatus leaf litter, Corynespora encephalarti on Encephalartos sp. leaves, Cytospora pavettae on Pavetta revoluta leaves, Helminthosporium erythrinicola on Erythrina humeana leaves, Helminthosporium syzygii on a Syzygium sp. barkcanker, Libertasomyces aloeticus on Aloe sp. leaves, Penicillium lunae from Musa sp. fruit, Phyllosticta lauridiae on Lauridia tetragona leaves, Pseudotruncatella bolusanthi (incl. Pseudotruncatellaceae fam. nov.) and Dactylella bolusanthi on Bolusanthus speciosus leaves. Spain , Apenidiella foetida on submerged plant debris, Inocybe grammatoides on Quercus ilex subsp. ilex forest humus, Ossicaulis salomii on soil, Phialemonium guarroi from soil. Thailand , Pantospora chromolaenae on Chromolaena odorata leaves. Ukraine , Cadophora helianthi from Helianthus annuus stems. USA , Boletus pseudopinophilus on soil under slash pine, Botryotrichum foricae , Penicillium americanum and Penicillium minnesotense from air. Vietnam , Lycoperdon vietnamense on soil. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related joint degenerative disease associated with pain, joint deformity, and disability. The disease starts with cartilage damage but then progressively involves subchondral bone, causing an imbalance between osteoclast-driven bone resorption and osteoblast-driven remodeling. Here, we summarize the data for the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in OA pathology and discuss how these two processes are integrated during OA progression, as well as their contribution to abnormalities in cartilage/bone metabolism and integrity. At the cellular level, oxidative stress and inflammation are counteracted by transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid p45-related factor 2 (NRF2), and we describe the regulation of NRF2, highlighting its role in OA pathology. We also discuss the beneficial effect of some phytonutrients, including the therapeutic potential of NRF2 activation, in OA.

Plant tissue and organ cultures in vitro usually face technological challenges. When submerged cultivation of plant cells in a controlled environment is desired, the characteristic growth morphology and physiology of differentiated organ cultures present a problem in process scale‐up. Temporary immersion systems (TIS) were developed several decades ago. These systems are providing the most natural environment for in vitro culture of plant shoots and seedlings. Over the past few years, TIS have been recognized as a perspective technology for plant micropropagation, production of plant‐derived secondary metabolites, expression of foreign proteins, and potential solutions in phytoremediation. Nowadays, several TIS, operating on similar or divergent technological principles, have been developed and successfully applied in the cultivation of various plant in vitro systems, including somatic embryos and transformed root cultures. In this article, the operational principle and technological design of the most popular TIS are reviewed. In addition, recent examples of the application of temporary immersion technology for in vitro cultivation of plant tissue and organ cultures at laboratory and pilot scales are discussed. Finally, future prospects and challenges to the industrial realization of that fast‐developing technique are outlined.

systems. These include metabolic engineering and CRISPR/Cas9 technology for the regulation of plant metabolism through overexpression/repression of single or multiple structural genes or transcriptional factors. The use of NMR-based metabolomics for monitoring metabolite concentrations and additionally as a tool to study the dynamics of plant cell metabolism and nutritional management is discussed here. Different types of bioreactor systems, their modification and optimal process parameters for the lab- or industrial-scale production of plant secondary metabolites are specified.

Intensive exploitation, poor recycling, low repeatable use, and unusual resistance of plastics to environmental and microbiological action result in accumulation of huge waste amounts in terrestrial and marine environments, causing enormous hazard for human and animal life. In the last decades, much scientific interest has been focused on plastic biodegradation. Due to the comparatively short evolutionary period of their appearance in nature, sufficiently effective enzymes for their biodegradation are not available. Plastics are designed for use in conditions typical for human activity, and their physicochemical properties roughly change at extreme environmental parameters like low temperatures, salt, or low or high pH that are typical for the life of extremophilic microorganisms and the activity of their enzymes. This review represents a first attempt to summarize the extraordinarily limited information on biodegradation of conventional synthetic plastics by thermophilic, alkaliphilic, halophilic, and psychrophilic bacteria in natural environments and laboratory conditions. Most of the available data was reported in the last several years and concerns moderate extremophiles. Two main questions are highlighted in it: which extremophilic bacteria and their enzymes are reported to be involved in the degradation of different synthetic plastics, and what could be the impact of extremophiles in future technologies for resolving of pollution problems.

Phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) are generally water-soluble phenolic compounds that occur in many medicinal plants. Until June 2020, more than 572 PhGs have been isolated and identified. PhGs possess antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, antioxidant, antiviral, and neuroprotective properties. Despite these promising benefits, PhGs have failed to fulfill their therapeutic applications due to their poor bioavailability. The attempts to understand their metabolic pathways to improve their bioavailability are investigated. In this review article, we will first summarize the number of PhGs compounds which is not accurate in the literature. The latest information on the biological activities, structure-activity relationships, mechanisms, and especially the clinical applications of PhGs will be reviewed. The bioavailability of PhGs will be summarized and factors leading to the low bioavailability will be analyzed. Recent advances in methods such as bioenhancers and nanotechnology to improve the bioavailability of PhGs are also summarized. The existing scientific gaps of PhGs in knowledge are also discussed, highlighting research directions in the future.

BACKGROUND: Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a nutritionally balanced and flavonoid-rich crop plant that has been in cultivation for 4000 years and is now grown globally. Despite its nutraceutical and agricultural value, the characterization of its genetics and its domestication history is limited. RESULTS: Here, we report a comprehensive database of Tartary buckwheat genomic variation based on whole-genome resequencing of 510 germplasms. Our analysis suggests that two independent domestication events occurred in southwestern and northern China, resulting in diverse characteristics of modern Tartary buckwheat varieties. Genome-wide association studies for important agricultural traits identify several candidate genes, including FtUFGT3 and FtAP2YT1 that significantly correlate with flavonoid accumulation and grain weight, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the domestication history of Tartary buckwheat and provide a detailed resource of genomic variation to allow for genomic-assisted breeding in the improvement of elite cultivars.

Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is widely distributed in plant species of Lamiaceae and Boraginaceae families, among others. Structurally RA is an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid with well explored biosynthetic pathway, physiological functions in plants and (potential) biological activities. Great number of herbal preparations and food supplements, containing RA, are marketed with claims for beneficial health effects. Furthermore, due to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and bacterial growth, RA is approved for use as natural antioxidant and/or preservative in food industry. Scope and approach: The present review will explore the contemporary biotechnological approaches for RA mass-production and will attempt to summarize its main biological properties based on recent studies. Future applications in food industry and potential functional food development will be proposed. Implications for technological and chemical modification of RA aiming to improve its bioavailability will be presented. Key findings and conclusions: The advances in biotechnological production of RA provide effective and “green” approach which worth further implementation to a large-scale application. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies confirm many of the claimed health-promoting effects of RA, as well as, its value as food additive. Despite the recent improvements in RA stability and bioavailability, its use in food products should be thoroughly evaluated until a tight balance between safety and efficiency is set.

During the past decade metabolomics has emerged as one of the fastest developing branches of "-omics" technologies. Metabolomics involves documentation, identification, and quantification of metabolites through modern analytical platforms in various biological systems. Advanced analytical tools, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC/MS), and non-destructive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, have facilitated metabolite profiling of complex biological matrices. Metabolomics, along with transcriptomics, has an influential role in discovering connections between genetic regulation, metabolite phenotyping and biomarkers identification. Comprehensive metabolite profiling allows integration of the summarized data towards manipulation of biosynthetic pathways, determination of nutritional quality markers, improvement in crop yield, selection of desired metabolites/genes, and their heritability in modern breeding. Along with that, metabolomics is invaluable in predicting the biological activity of medicinal plants, assisting the bioactivity-guided fractionation process and bioactive leads discovery, as well as serving as a tool for quality control and authentication of commercial plant-derived natural products. Metabolomic analysis of human biofluids is implemented in clinical practice to discriminate between physiological and pathological state in humans, to aid early disease biomarker discovery and predict individual response to drug therapy. Thus, metabolomics could be utilized to preserve human health by improving the nutritional quality of crops and accelerating plant-derived bioactive leads discovery through disease diagnostics, or through increasing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs via more personalized approach. Here, we attempt to explore the potential value of metabolite profiling comprising the above-mentioned applications of metabolomics in crop improvement, medicinal plants utilization, and, in the prognosis, diagnosis and management of complex diseases.

Plant cells contain a wide range of interesting secondary metabolites, which are used as natural pigments and flavoring agents in foods and cosmetics as well as phyto‐pharmaceutical products. However, conventional industrial extraction from whole plants or parts of them is limited due to environmental and geographical issues. The production of secondary metabolites from in vitro cultures can be considered as alternative to classical technologies and allows a year‐round cultivation in the bioreactor under optimal conditions with constant high‐level quality and quantity. Compared to plant cell suspensions, differentiated plant in vitro systems offer the advantage that they are genetically stable. Moreover, the separation of the biomass from culture medium after fermentation is much easier. Nevertheless, several investigations in the literature described that differentiated plant in vitro systems are instable concerning the yield of the target metabolites, especially in submerged cultivations. Other major problems are associated with the challenges of cultivation conditions and bioreactor design as well as upscaling of the process. This article reviews bioreactor designs for cultivation of differentiated plant in vitro systems, secondary metabolite production in different bioreactor systems as well as aspects of process control, management, and modeling and gives perspectives for future cultivation methods.

Chitin is one of the most abundant biopolymers and is present in many organisms in different forms. Its resistance to degradation has caused many problems in industry (waste decomposition) and agriculture (as protective structures in pests); this has led to increased interest in chitin‐hydrolyzing enzymes: chitinases. Chitinases are enzymes that break down the 1→4 β‐glycoside bond of N ‐acetyl d ‐glucosamine in chitin to produce mono‐ and oligomers. The inducible nature of chitinases, low activity of synthesized enzymes, and inertia of the substrate are only a few of the problems that can be solved by biotechnology to meet industry demands for green, energy‐efficient, pollution‐free, and economically profitable chitin use. This review aims to present the pitfalls and successes in research and production of chitinolytic enzymes, as well as to promote the use of chitinases in everyday practice. The focus is on the biosynthesis of chitinases: inducers, type of fermentation, and media composition. Methods for purification and future perspectives are also discussed.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Austroboletus asper on soil, Cylindromonium alloxyli on leaves of Alloxylon pinnatum, Davidhawksworthia quintiniae on leaves of Quintinia sieberi, Exophiala prostantherae on leaves of Prostanthera sp., Lactifluus lactiglaucus on soil, Linteromyces quintiniae (incl. Linteromyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Quintinia sieberi , Lophotrichus medusoides from stem tissue of Citrus garrawayi , Mycena pulchra on soil, Neocalonectria tristaniopsidis (incl. Neocalonectria gen. nov.)and Xyladictyochaeta tristaniopsidis on leaves of Tristaniopsis collina, Parasarocladium tasmanniae on leaves of Tasmannia insipida , Phytophthora aquae-cooljarloo from pond water, Serendipita whamiae as endophyte from roots of Eriochilus cucullatus , Veloboletus limbatus (incl. Veloboletus gen. nov.)onsoil. Austria , Cortinarius glaucoelotus onsoil. Bulgaria , Suhomyces rilaensis from the gut of Bolitophagus interruptus found on a Polyporus sp. Canada , Cantharellus betularum among leaf litter of Betula , Penicillium saanichii from house dust. Chile , Circinella lampensis on soil, Exophiala embothrii from rhizosphere of Embothrium coccineum . China, Colletotrichum cycadis on leaves of Cycas revoluta . Croatia , Phialocephala melitaea on fallen branch of Pinus halepensis . Czech Republic , Geoglossum jirinae on soil, Pyrenochaetopsis rajhradensis from dead wood of Buxus sempervirens. Dominican Republic , Amanita domingensis on litter of deciduous wood, Melanoleuca dominicana on forest litter. France , Crinipellis nigrolamellata (Martinique) on leaves of Pisonia fragrans , Talaromyces pulveris from bore dust of Xestobium rufovillosum infesting floorboards. French Guiana , Hypoxylon hepaticolor on dead corticated branch. Great Britain , Inocybe ionolepis on soil. India , Cortinarius indopurpurascens among leaf litter of Quercus leucotrichophora . Iran , Pseudopyricularia javanii on infected leaves of Cyperus sp., Xenomonodictys iranica (incl. Xenomonodictys gen. nov.) on wood of Fagus orientalis . Italy , Penicillium vallebormidaense from compost. Namibia , Alternaria mirabibensis on plant litter, Curvularia moringae and Moringomyces phantasmae (incl. Moringomyces gen. nov.) on leaves and flowers of Moringa ovalifolia, Gobabebomyces vachelliae (incl. Gobabebomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Vachellia erioloba, Preussia procaviae on dung of Procavia capensis . Pakistan , Russula shawarensis from soil on forest floor. Russia , Cyberlindnera dauci from Daucus carota . South Africa , Acremonium behniae on leaves of Behnia reticulata, Dothiora aloidendri and Hantamomyces aloidendri (incl. Hantamomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Aloidendron dichotomum , Endoconidioma euphorbiae on leaves of Euphorbia mauritanica , Eucasphaeria proteae on leaves of Protea neriifolia , Exophiala mali from inner fruit tissue of Malus sp., Graminopassalora geissorhizae on leaves of Geissorhiza splendidissima , Neocamarosporium leipoldtiae on leaves of Leipoldtia schultzii , Neocladosporium osteospermi on leaf spots of Osteospermum moniliferum , Neometulocladosporiella seifertii on leaves of Combretum caffrum , Paramyrothecium pituitipietianum on stems of Grielum humifusum , Phytopythium paucipapillatum from roots of Vitis sp., Stemphylium carpobroti and Verrucocladosporium carpobroti on leaves of Carpobrotus quadrifolius , Suttonomyces cephalophylli on leaves of Cephalophyllum pilansii . Sweden , Coprinopsis rubra on cow dung, Elaphomyces nemoreus fromdeciduouswoodlands. Spain , Polyscytalum pini-canariensis on needles of Pinus canariensis , Pseudosubramaniomyces septatus from stream sediment, Tuber lusitanicum on soil under Quercus suber . Thailand , Tolypocladium flavonigrum on Elaphomyces sp. USA , Chaetothyrina spondiadis on fruits of Spondias mombin, Gymnascella minnisii from bat guano, Juncomyces patwiniorum on culms of Juncus effusus , Moelleriella puertoricoensis on scale insect, Neodothiora populina (incl. Neodothiora gen. nov.) on stem cankers of Populus tremuloides , Pseudogymnoascus palmeri fromcavesediment. Vietnam , Cyphellophora vietnamensis on leaf litter, Tylopilus subotsuensis on soil in montane evergreen broadleaf forest. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

Anthocyanins, the color compounds of plants, are known for their wide applications in food, nutraceuticals and cosmetic industry. The biosynthetic pathway of anthocyanins is well established with the identification of potential key regulatory genes, which makes it possible to modulate its production by biotechnological means. Various biotechnological systems, including use of in vitro plant cell or tissue cultures as well as microorganisms have been used for the production of anthocyanins under controlled conditions, however, a wide range of factors affects their production. In addition, metabolic engineering technologies have also used the heterologous production of anthocyanins in recombinant plants and microorganisms. However, these approaches have mostly been tested at the lab- and pilot-scales, while very few up-scaling studies have been undertaken. Various challenges and ways of investigation are proposed here to improve anthocyanin production by using the in vitro plant cell or tissue culture and metabolic engineering of plants and microbial culture systems. All these methods are capable of modulating the production of anthocyanins , which can be further utilized for pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food applications.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Although much attention has been given to the biological effects of its lipid A portion, a great body of evidence indicates that its O chain polysaccharide (O antigen) portion plays an important role in the bacterium-host interplay. In this work we have studied in-depth the role of the O antigen in Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8 pathogenesis. We made a detailed virulence analysis of three mutants having different O antigen phenotypes: (i) LPS with no O antigen (rough mutant); (ii) LPS with one O unit (semirough mutant) and (iii) LPS with random distribution of O antigen chain lengths. We demonstrated that these LPS O antigen mutants were attenuated in virulence regardless of the infection route used. Co-infection experiments revealed that the rough and semirough mutants were severely impaired in their ability to colonize the Peyer's patches and in contrast to the wild-type strain they did not colonize spleen and liver. The mutant with random distribution of O antigen chain lengths, however, survived better but started to be cleared from mouse organs after 8 days. As an explanation to this attenuation we present here evidence that other Yersinia virulence factors depend on the presence of O antigen for their proper function and/or expression. We demonstrated that in the rough mutant: (i) the YadA function but not its expression was altered; (ii) Ail was not expressed and (iii) inv expression was downregulated. On the other hand, expression of flhDC, the flagellar master regulatory operon, was upregulated in this mutant with a concomitant increase in the production of flagellins. Finally, expression of yplA, encoding for the Yersinia phospholipase A, was also upregulated accompanied by an increased flagellar type III secretion system mediated secretion of YplA to culture medium. Together these findings suggest that the absence of O antigen in the outer membrane of Yersinia either directly or indirectly, for example through a cellular or membrane stress, could act as a regulatory signal.