Volume 14, Issue 1, 2026

Plant polyphenols are known for their numerous health-promoting properties. This article reviews the current state of research in two related fields, namely beneficial effects of flavonoids for human health, e.g., gut microbiome, and supercritical fluid extraction applied to flavonoids of plant origin. The review covered research articles registered in eLIBRARY.RU, PubMed, and Science Direct in 2005–2025. Polyphenolic compounds obtained from various berries were reported to have a positive impact on gut microbiota, e.g., they stimulated the growth of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and other beneficial microorganisms, as well as improved the adhesion of probiotic and pathogenic microbes to intestinal epithelial cells. The review revealed some promising application areas for berry extracts in the functional food industry. Polyphenols can be part of meat formulations due to their strong antioxidant activity. Their antimicrobial effect against a wide range of contaminants renders them good prospects in protecting food products from microbial spoilage. Supercritical extraction is a promising method that isolates biologically active substances from plant materials. The review summarizes its advantages and limitations, as well as the range of prospective co-solvents. Ultrasonication, pulse electric field, and enzymic pretreatment make supercritical extraction more efficient. In general, this extraction method proved to be an excellent means of isolating flavonoids and related compounds from various plants and their parts.

Dietary consumption of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) is considered to be a high-risk factor that substantially contributes to the development of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity in humans. This study provides ample evidence for the plausible association between mutagenicity or carcinogenicity development and dietary intake of heterocyclic amines in humans. The current study intends to assess the degree of heterocyclic amine contaminants in high-temperature cooked meats, their subsequent food intake, and potential health risk estimations. The meat samples were homogenized, filtered, extracted, and eluted. The list of heterocyclic amines to be identified and quantified included PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine), IQ (2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f] quinolone), and MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline). They were simultaneously isolated and studied using the method of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest heterocyclic amine concentration was found in chicken (2705.99 ± 6.12 ng/g), beef (574.09 ± 1.52 ng/g), and mutton (342.41 ± 3.69 ng/g). PhIP (73%) was the main heterocyclic amine in chicken. The estimated daily dietary intake or exposure in chicken, mutton, and beef was 0.690, 0.050, and 0.144 ng/kg body weight, respectively. The values for margin of exposure were within the range identified by the European Food Safety Authority for mutton (102.06) and chicken (13.250), but not for beef (3.784). This significantly high prevalence of heterocyclic amines and the associated health risks are sufficient to warn the public about the high dietary intake of meat and its carcinogenic health hazards. The mutational patterns induced by heterocyclic amines resemble those in human tumors, requiring the use of specific biomarkers like HAA-DNA and HAA-protein adducts. Future prospects are high for integrating these biomarkers into epidemiological studies, which could provide a comprehensive assessment of health risks associated with dietary heterocyclic aromatic amines in human cancer.

Livestock management is a critical aspect of agricultural sustainability and food security. Today, there is a pressing need for advanced tools in cattle behavior analysis to improve livestock welfare and productivity. We aimed to enhance cattle behavior classification by using accelerometers fitted in wearable collars. Deep learning techniques were employed to classify behavioral patterns in cattle such as feeding, moving, and lying. Ultimately, our study sought to improve livestock management practices, including the monitoring of health and overall well-being. The study was conducted in a local barn, where cattle were outfitted with specially designed collars with accelerometer sensors. These sensors recorded intricate movements, facilitating the collection of comprehensive behavioral data. Deep learning algorithms were used to process and analyze the accelerometer data, enabling precise classification of various behaviors exhibited by the cattle. Our results showed the effectiveness of AI-driven classification techniques in distinguishing cattle behaviors with a high degree of accuracy. Our findings underscore the potential of deep learning techniques in optimizing livestock management practices. This research significantly advances livestock management by offering a simple continuous monitoring solution for cattle behavior. Deep learning techniques not only enhance our understanding of cattle behavior but also pave the way for intelligent systems that empower farmers to make informed decisions. By promoting healthier and more productive livestock, this research contributes to the broader goal of enhancing global food security and sustainability in the livestock industry.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for optimal rice growth and yield. Many Nigerian rice fields encounter difficulties in their production process because of insufficient nitrogen in the soil leading to reduced crop yields. However, the sole reliance on expensive inorganic nitrogen fertilizers is economically challenging for small farmers in Nigeria’s derived savannah. Therefore, integrated approaches to nutrient management have been put into practice to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and improve crop productivity in lowland rice cultivation. We aimed to investigate the impact of integrated nutrient inputs on the performance of NERICA L-34 and ARICA 3 rice varieties during the years 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Various treatments were administered, namely 100 kg of nitrogen/ha (NPK), 75 kg/ha (NPK) + 25 kg/ha (manure), 50 kg/ha (NPK) + 50 kg/ha (manure), 25 kg/ha (NPK) + 75 kg/ha (manure), and 100 kg/ha (manure). A control group was samples without fertilizers. Key physiological parameters were assessed, including partial factor productivity, nitrogen uptake, nitrogen utilization efficiency, nitrogen internal utilization efficiency, physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency, total leaf area index, chlorophyll content, as well as root fresh and dry weights. Our research followed a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement, replicated three times. The data underwent analysis of variance and the Duncan multiple range test (with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05), and GENSTAT was used to compare the physiological traits of the rice varieties.
Our findings revealed that the combination of 75 kg/ha (NPK, inorganic) and 25 kg/ha (manure, organic) significantly enhanced nutrient recovery and uptake in the NERICA L-34 rice variety, resulting in improved nitrogen absorption. While the ARICA 3 variety consistently exhibited higher chlorophyll content, especially with the application of 100 kg nitrogen/ha (organic), NERICA L-34 displayed superior overall nutrient absorption, recovery, and nitrogen utilization. Therefore, we recommend that rice farmers prioritize cultivating NERICA L-34 for its high productivity and potential for sustainable rice farming.
Our findings can also guide farmers towards feasible integrated soil fertility management practices to enhance nutrient utilization efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to sustainable rice production in the derived savannah region of Nigeria.

A quarter of the world’s population has no access to safe foods of high quality due to the inability of traditional agriculture to meet the growing needs. Therefore, cultivated meat produced from a large mass of animal cells in a laboratory is becoming a promising alternative to animal products. In this study, we aimed to develop a technology for obtaining a hybrid cultured meat product from rabbit cells, sodium alginate, and sunflower protein, as well as to analyze its morphological and functional characteristics.
We used rabbit stem cells isolated from the greater omentum and exposed to lipogenic and myogenic differentiation, as well as rabbit skin fibroblasts. The cells were placed in a hydrogel of sodium alginate and sunflower protein and cultured for 72 h to biofabricate tissue constructs by using 3D bioprinting. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy was applied to analyze the morphological and functional characteristics of the cells in the constructs.
Using 3D bioprinting, we obtained tissue constructs of 30×40×3 mm from rabbit cells, sodium alginate, and sunflower protein. According to confocal microscopy, the cells in the tissue constructs remained viable for at least 72 h. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the cells formed tight junctions and were metabolically active for at least 72 h, with fibroblasts secreting procollagen and lipoblasts secreting lipid droplets.
The resulting cellular meat was obtained from a combination of fibroblasts, lipocytes, and myogenic cells, as well as two ink components. The cellular meat product was safe and ready for consumption.