Baobab Index

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a valuable freshwater fish species widely cultured globally and in China. Its aquaculture production is challenged by Streptococcus agalactiae, the primary etiological agent of streptococcosis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a critical role in the innate immune system of fish, exhibiting defensive and inhibitory effects against a wide range of pathogens. This study aimed to identify antimicrobial peptides and histone-derived cryptides in the Nile tilapia. We combined high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of S. agalactiae-infected tilapia hepatic tissue with in silico alignment against specialized AMP databases (APD and DRAMP). Putative candidates were evaluated via AlphaFold 3 structural modeling and validated in vivo through quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) over a 48-hour post-infection period. Our transcriptomic profiling identified 13 high-confidence candidates: 7 classical candidates including two conserved transcripts (NK-lysin, hepcidin), two structural variants (piscidin 2, piscidin 3), and three (LEAP-2, thymosin β4, and lysozyme C) to be experimentally validated for the first time, alongside 6 novel histone-derived cryptides (Acipensin 1, Acipensin 2, Acipensin 6, Hipposin, SpHistin, and VK10) in Nile tilapia liver. In addition, AMPs and cryptides were subjected to sequence characterization and protein structure analysis. The expression change patterns of 7 AMP candidates alongside the canonical H2A (representative of histone proteins) were examined using qPCR. Significantly, our findings highlight the structural divergence of piscidin variants and the prediction of non-classical cryptides, which coincide with the transcriptional shutdown of canonical histone H2A. While classical AMPs exhibited a coordinated time-dependent expression pattern, progressing from an early enzymatic response to late nutritional immunity, this study fundamentally expands the known teleost immunological repertoire with these newly identified AMP molecules, emphasizing the defensive role against S. agalactiae infection.

Sheep and goats are essential components of global livestock systems, supporting smallholder livelihoods and contributing substantially to meat, milk, and fiber production. However, many small ruminant production systems remain extensive and constrained by limited infrastructure, labor availability, and challenges in continuous animal monitoring. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for precision livestock management through automated data analysis, early detection of production- and health-related changes, and improved decision support. This systematic review aimed to characterize current AI applications in sheep and goat production, summarize reported performance outcomes across all major application domains, and identify barriers affecting practical implementation. A systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed identified peer-reviewed studies published between January 2020 and December 2025. From 11,035 records screened, 92 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized narratively; meta-analysis was not conducted due to substantial methodological heterogeneity across studies. AI applications spanned six domains: behavior and activity recognition (26.1%, n = 24; mean accuracy 92.4%, range 66.7-100%), individual animal identification (19.6%, n = 18; mean accuracy 97.3%, range 93.3-99.9%), health, welfare, and disease detection (19.6%, n = 18; mean accuracy 89.7%, range 62.0-99.0%), growth and body measurement (9.8%, n = 9; mean R Current evidence indicates that AI has strong potential to enhance small ruminant production, particularly for automated monitoring and biometric identification under controlled conditions. However, translation into sustainable real-world applications remains limited by methodological inconsistencies, restricted validation across farms and breeds, and insufficient representation of extensive production environments. Future progress will require standardized public datasets, transparent domain-appropriate metric reporting, rigorous independent validation, and deployment-focused evaluation under practical farming conditions.

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint that severely limits the growth and nutritional yield of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show strong potential in agricultural settings, hybridizing them with biopolymers facilitates application under environmental conditions. This study aimed to develop a novel biostimulant by synthesizing chitosan-encapsulated mono-metallic (Zn-MOF) and di-metallic (Zn/Ca-MOF) frameworks and evaluating their efficacy in quinoa under saline field conditions. The composites were synthesized and characterized for their structural and chemical properties. Quinoa plants were cultivated under saline field conditions and treated with chitosan-MOF composites to assess physiological and biochemical responses, with a focus on nutritional value and the antioxidant defense system. Our findings revealed that application of the chitosan-MOF composites-most notably the bimetallic Zn/Ca formulation-substantially enhanced plant growth, biomass accumulation, and physiological performance under saline field conditions. Treatment with the composite enhanced the accumulation of key nutritional constituents in the seeds, specifically increasing the relative proportions of phytosterols, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential amino acids. Furthermore, application of the composite enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (including SOD and POD), which was accompanied by a marked reduction in lipid peroxidation (45%) and hydrogen peroxide levels (57%). These physiological improvements corresponded to significant gains in plant biomass and seed quality parameters under saline field conditions. Overall, this study demonstrates that chitosan-encapsulated di-metallic frameworks serve as an effective, multi-functional strategy for enhancing salt tolerance in quinoa, offering a sustainable approach to improving crop resilience and food security in saline environments.

Throughout the history of therapeutic science enzymes play a crucial role in traditional and modern therapeutic practices, with microbial enzymes being a sustainable and efficient biocatalytic resource for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. This review provides a comprehensive examination of microbial enzymes, covering their structural and biochemical properties, production optimization, purification methods, kinetic behavior, and their applications in pharmaceutical and therapeutic fields. We systematically surveyed the peer-reviewed literature to synthesize current knowledge on microbial enzyme sources, strain development strategies, fermentation optimization, downstream purification, kinetic characterization, and pharmaceutical applications. Microbial enzymes dominate the global enzyme market due to their selectivity, efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering have led to the development of enzymes with enhanced stability and activity. Immobilization and nanotechnology have further improved enzyme stability, reduced degradation, and lowered production costs, expanding their pharmaceutical and therapeutic potential. Microbial enzymes are versatile biocatalysts with significant pharmaceutical value, and ongoing research into novel enzyme candidates and advanced biotechnological approaches is crucial for enhancing enzyme-based therapies. We contend that microbial enzymes will remain central to future drug development, offering sustainable, biocompatible, and highly specific solutions to unmet medical needs across oncology, metabolic disorders, inflammation, and infectious disease.

Ecological theory predicts that obligate cross-feeding of metabolites is common in microbial communities. However, systematic studies testing this prediction in natural microbial communities such as soil are missing, thus hindering the understanding of these ecologically important ecosystems. Here we address this gap by analysing 6,931 bacterial isolates from 27 soil microbial communities sampled in Germany. We find that the growth of up to 50% of community members depended on supplementation with amino acids, vitamins or nucleobases. For 73% of isolates, supplementation with multiple amino acids was necessary. Genomic analysis of 62 strains revealed that accumulation of insertion sequences and gene loss was associated with the observed auxotrophic phenotypes. Genome-scale metabolic models, computational analyses and cocultivation experiments suggest other co-occurring genotypes complement the metabolic needs of auxotrophs, thus enabling their growth and survival. Together, our results indicate that soil bacteria probably exist within integrated metabolic networks rather than as metabolically autonomous units.

Phytotoxic effects from allelopathy occur due to signaling pathways that induce alterations in hormonal balance within the plants, thereby hindering weed growth. Signaling crosstalk between various hormones and signaling pathways (Ca

Angola remains one of the least explored countries in Africa, and several groups of reptiles still require taxonomic and phylogenetic revision. To shed light on the true diversity of geckos in this gecko diversity hotspot of southwestern Africa, we conducted fieldwork in some of the less explored coastal regions of southern Angola. As a result, we identified previously unknown populations of Namib day geckos (genus

Aquatic macrophytes are photosynthetic macroscopic organisms that grow permanently or periodically submerged or floating on the surface of the water. The aim of this study is to compile a checklist of fresh-water aquatic vascular plant macrophytes occurring in Angola, focusing on their origins, life forms, conservation status and distribution throughout the country. The checklist was compiled through a literature review of previous studies carried out in Angola, herbarium collections and online databases. A total of 526 species of macrophytes in 196 genera and 70 families was recorded. Cyperaceae was the most abundant family, followed by Poaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Lythraceae, Eriocaulaceae, Araceae, Podostemaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Onagraceae and Plantaginaceae. The highest number of macrophytes was recorded from Huíla Province, followed by Moxico and Cuando Cubango Provinces, respectively, while Lunda Norte, Uíge and Zaire were poorly represented. From the aquatic macrophytes recorded, it was possible to identify the category of origin of 511 species. From these, 472 species are native, 23 introduced and 16 are endemic to Angola and the conservation status of these species was also assessed. The results obtained in this study show that there are still some gaps, especially with regard to the distribution of aquatic macrophytes in Angola, since many species are documented as native, but there is a lack of data on their distribution.

The Landim pigs of Mozambique are an important local breed, reared by smallscale farmers in extensive systems, predominantly sustained on leftover food. These pigs serve as a cornerstone of the economic stability of these communities. However, their existence is currently threatened by uncontrolled crossbreeding with commercial pig breeds. Preserving these local pigs is also crucial, given their role as a source of genetic diversity. Whole-genome resequencing of samples derived from six Landim pigs,was conducted, to characterise their genetic makeup and establishing their relationship with pig breeds worldwide. Our findings suggest that Landim pigs are more closely related to Angolan pigs, although recent introgression from European cosmopolitan breeds has occurred. Results show that Landim pigs display a unique genetic signature, with positive selection detected in variants of genes acting within the neuroimmune axis, which is fundamental for survival and immune response.