Mae Fah Luang University

Various attempts have been made to use abscisic acid (ABA) as a plant bioregulator (PBR). Recently, a new ABA formulation, produced through microbial fermentation, has been commercialized in Japan as a PBR for improving grape peel color. Nonetheless, the horticultural application of ABA remains limited compared to other plant hormones. Generally, the vital functions of ABA include the regulation of abiotic stress tolerance and plant dormancy via metabolic changes associated with the antioxidant system and the modulation of sugar biosynthesis/translocation, respectively. These metabolic changes are crucial for the quality of fruit, suggesting the potential of ABA for promoting the production of high-quality fruit. In non-climacteric fruit, ABA plays a pivotal role in anthocyanin pigmentation, a significant component of the antioxidant machinery. Studies in grapes and strawberries have shown that the responses to ABA differ depending on the type of ABA agonist used and the specific organs to which it is applied. Herein, the influence of ABA on climacteric fruit exhibiting ethylene-regulated ripening is discussed. ABA-mediated ethylene induction followed by ripening suggests a shared regulatory mechanism that underlies ripening in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits that involves crosstalk between ABA and ethylene. This review firstly summarizes the historical challenges with ABA and its agonist for application as PBRs and discusses the role of ABA in the ripening of non-climacteric fruit, particularly grapes. Subsequently, the molecular background of ABA in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruit ripening is explained, with a focus on peel coloration, sugar synthesis, and aroma volatile synthesis.

Hyphomycetes are asexually reproducing parts in a fungal life cycle, and is an artificial classification. Hyphomycetes are fungi with diverse lifestyles, including saprobes, endophytes, plant and animal pathogens, hyperparasites, lichenized forms and extremophiles. Traditionally, morphological characters have been used to identify and classify hyphomycetes, which has led to many taxonomic controversies. Modern molecular methods based on DNA sequence data have developed a more reliable and natural classification of hyphomycetes. The present study revises the taxonomy of the brown-spored hyphomycetes based on both morphology and phylogeny. In total, 1,041 genera with brief notes are provided. Of these, 1,032 genera belong to Ascomycota (Dothideomycetes: 362; Eurotiomycetes: 34; Leotiomycetes: 22; Pezizomycetes: 7; Sordariomycetes: 210; Ascomycota genera incertae sedis: 397), and nine genera belong to Basidiomycota. In addition, 363 brown-spored hyphomycetous genera published since 2010 are listed. Multi-locus phylogeny, including 658 brown-spored hyphomycete genera within Ascomycota, are carried out using 28S nrDNA, 18S nrDNA and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), and the results show that 374 genera are phylogenetically placed in Dothideomycetes, 39 genera in Eurotiomycetes, 26 genera in Leotiomycetes, 6 genera in Pezizomycetes and 213 genera in Sordariomycetes. Based on the morphology and multi-gene phylogeny, 45 fresh collections are described in this study, including seven new genera, viz. Murihylinia, Pseudobrachysporiella, Saprosporodochifer, Solitariconidiophora, Tenebrosynnematica, Xenoberkleasmium, Xenostanjehughesia; 17 new species, viz. Acrodictys thailandica, Alfaria fusiformis, Conioscypha punctiformis, Gamsomyces breve, Murihylinia guizhouensis, Parafuscosporella atricolor, Pleocatenata thailandica, Polyplosphaeria appendiculata, Pseudobrachysporiella pyriforme, Saprosporodochifer fuscus, Solitariconidiophora guizhouensis, Sporidesmiella obovoidispora, Stachybotrys ellipsoidea, Tenebrosynnematica obclavata, Vanakripa obovoidea, Xenoberkleasmium chiangraiense, Yunnanomyces muriformis; one new combination, viz. Xenostanjehughesia polypora; nine new records, viz. Aquatisphaeria thailandica, Bahusandhika indica, Corynespora submersa, Fusariella sinensis, Helicodochium aquaticum, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Rhexoacrodictys erecta, Vikalpa dujuanhuensis, Virgaria nigra. Detailed descriptions and morphological illustrations are provided for these new taxa. Current taxonomic difficulties are discussed.

Rubber seeds, the abundant by-products of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), have been studied for sustainable utilization. Nevertheless, there is no information available regarding activity against skin aging. The study aimed to prepare rubber seed oil (RSO) and evaluate fatty acid compositions by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC/MS), linamarin contamination by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Additionally, cytotoxicity assay and anti-skin aging activities, including cell proliferating stimulation, cellular antioxidant, collagen stimulation, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) inhibition, were analyzed in immortalized human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and human dermal fibroblasts. RSO was pale-yellow oily liquid with an extraction yield of 35.79 ± 0.52%. Principal fatty acids were comprised of oleic (43.37 ± 0.76%), linoleic (38.49 ± 0.81%), palmitic (11.47 ± 0.12%), and stearic (6.66 ± 0.05%) acids. Linamarin contamination was not detected in 100 µg/mL RSO, demonstrating the absence of a cyanogenic glucoside. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of RSO in both cells were in the range of 0.0001–0.1 mg/mL. Activities of RSO against skin aging included the cell proliferating stimulation, the antioxidant activity, the collagen stimulation, and the MMP-2 suppression at mRNA expression level and enzymatic activity. Study results have suggested that rubber seeds can probably be employed as a promising ingredient in the preparations designed for deceleration of skin aging. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-81035-4.

The increasing occurrence of hospital-associated infections, particularly bacteremia, caused by extensively drug-resistant (XDR) carbapenemase-producing colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae highlights a critical requirement to discover new therapeutic alternatives. Bacteriophages having host-specific bacteriolytic effects are promising alternatives for combating these pathogens. Among 12 phages isolated from public wastewater in Thailand, two phages-vB_kpnM_05 (myovirus) and vB_kpnP_08 (podovirus) showed broad-host range, producing bacteriolytic activities against 81.3% (n = 26) and 78.1% (n = 25) of 32 XDR carbapenemase-producing colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae, with capsular types—K15, K17, K50, K51, K52/wzi-50 and K2/wzi-2. Both phages showed short replication times, large burst sizes with rapid adsorptions. They exhibited significant stability under various environmental conditions. Genomic analysis revealed that both phages are genetically distinct phages from Myoviridae and Podoviridae family, with the lack of toxin, virulence, lysogeny and antibiotic resistance genes. These characteristics highlighted their promising potential for utilizing in phage therapy for combating XDR K. pneumoniae. Although phage cocktail combining vB_kpnM_05 and vB_kpnP_08 provided significant bacteriolysis for longer duration (8 h) than its monophage (6 h), bacterial regrowth was observed which suggested an evitable development of phage resistance under phages’ selection pressures. Future study will be undertaken to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which these XDR K. pneumoniae developed phage resistance and their associated fitness cost. Remarkably, combining phage cocktail with amikacin at their sub-inhibitory concentrations produced potent synergy by completely suppressing bacterial regrowth in vitro. Our study demonstrated the significant therapeutic and prophylactic effectiveness of a phage cocktail-amikacin combination as a promising alternative strategy for overcoming bacteremia associated with XDR K. pneumoniae having carbapenemase and colistin resistance in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-79924-9.

Background Based on unique morphological features and phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU and ITS sequences, Paramirandina guttulata is established as the third species in Paramirandina, along with P. aquatica and P. cymbiformis. All three species of Paramirandina were reported from freshwater habitats in China. New information Paramirandina guttulata sp. nov. is a morphologically conspicuous hyphomycetes species, collected from a plateau lake (Dujuanhu Lake) in Yunnan Province, China. The key distinguishing characteristics of P. guttulata are scattered or gregarious conidiophores, polyblastic, terminal, sympodial conidiogenous cells and fusiform, cymbiform, 4–6-septate, guttulate, hyaline conidia that are solitary or in chains and with truncate base and obtuse apex. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for the new species.

Background During surveys of hypogeous fungi in the Hengduan Mountains, south-western China, three specimens of the genus Truncocolumella were discovered in Sichuan Province. New information Morphological and molecular analyses revealed that the collections represent a new species, Truncocolumella pseudocolumella. This article describes the new species and discusses its relationship with the other two members of the genus.

Background Dermatologists consistently face challenges in treating demodicosis due to its high recurrence rate and difficulty normalizing the Demodex density (Dd) even after clinical improvement. Oral ivermectin has proven to be an effective treatment for demodicosis. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information on the clinical and acaricidal effects of oral ivermectin in treating demodicosis. Purpose This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of oral ivermectin on clinical symptoms and Dds of patients with demodicosis. Methods This prospective, quasi-experimental study included 40 demodicosis patients (20 with Demodex densities (Dds) < 20 D/cm², 20 with Dds ≥20 D/cm²). Both groups of patients were treated with oral ivermectin (200 µg/kg/week) until excellent clinical improvement (Grade 4 according to the Quartile Grading Scale), and Dds ≤ 5 D/cm² or treated with oral ivermectin for a total of eight weeks period. Results In our study, 75% of patients achieved clinical remission, showing excellent clinical improvement with Dds ≤ 5 D/cm². All patients with a Dds <20 D/cm² experienced remission, while 50% with a Dds ≥20 D/cm² achieved remission. The median time to remission after oral ivermectin treatment was 28 days for Dds <20 D/cm² and 56 days for Dds ≥20 D/cm² (p < 0.001). Conclusion Oral ivermectin effectively improves clinical symptoms and normalizes Dds in patients with demodicosis. Patients with higher Dds require a longer treatment than those with lower Dds.

A novel genus, Paradingleyomyces was introduced to accommodate Pa. lepidopterorumsp. nov., based on a multigene phylogenetic analysis and its distinct morphological characteristics. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference analyses (BI) of ITS, SSU, LSU, tef-1α, rpb1, and rpb2 sequence data shown that Pa. lepidopterorum formed an independent lineage nested between Perennicordyceps and Dingleyomyces. Morphologically, Paradingleyomyces is distinguished from Perennicordyceps by the presence of a white subiculum on the stromata of Ophiocordyceps cf. cochlidiicola. Perithecia are produced sporadically from the base to the apex of the stromata, and the secondary ascospores exhibit a notable length-to-width ratio. These characteristics distinguish Paradingleyomyces from Perennicordyceps which exhibits tortuous, branched, clavate to cylindrical stromata with rhizomorphs, parasitism of coleopteran and hemipteran larvae, and colonizes a broader range of fungal hosts. Additionally, perithecia in Perennicordyceps typically arise from the middle to the upper regions of the stromata, with secondary ascospores displaying a comparatively lower length-to-width ratio. Paradingleyomyces is morphologically identical to Dingleyomyces in its direct production of superficial perithecia on the stromata of Ophiocordyceps species. However, the phylogenetic analysis indicates that Paradingleyomyces and Dingleyomyces are not congeneric. Moreover, this study introduces another novel species, Polycephalomyces tengchongensis, and a novel sexual morph of Pleurocordyceps yunnanensis. Dimorphic phialides and conidia of Pleurocordyceps parvicapitata were observed and described for the first time based on a fresh collection from Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China.

Heat-moisture treatment (HMT) at 110 °C for 6 h (25% moisture content) of finger millet flour (FMF) and starch (FMS) was conducted to assess the effect on their functional, physico-chemical, and in vitro digestibility properties. Water activity (aw) and pH decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 0.31 to 0.25 and 6.7 to 6.3 respectively for HMT samples. The oil absorption capacity (OAC), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), and swelling power (SP) also significantly (p < 0.05) increased due to heat-moisture treatments of the samples. The values for the OAC, WAI, WSI, and SP were in the ranges of 1.9–2.5 g g⁻¹, 2.1–10.7 g g⁻¹, 0.14–0.44%, and 3.4–18.4 g g⁻¹, respectively. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) revealed that the HMT-modified samples showed a significant decrease in the relative crystallinity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the FMF sample became clumpier, and the surface of FMS showed more porosity and cracks due to the HMT process. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the presence of hydroxyl (–OH), alkane (–CH), amine (–NH), carbonyl (–COH), and alkene ( 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 11111111 00000000 11111111 00000000 00000000 00000000 CH) functional groups in the regions of 3300–3250, 2930–2850, 1750–1630, 1180–1070, and 930–860 cm⁻¹, respectively. There were no significant changes observed in the number of peaks of the samples due to the HMT process. The rapidly digestible and slowly digestible starch fractions increased significantly (p < 0.05), while the resistant starch fraction decreased due to the HMT process. RDS, SDS, and RS values were in the ranges of 14.3–22.4%, 28.0–60.9%, and 30.9–55.7%, respectively. This study provides a new way of utilizing this starch source for the development of food products and can reduce dependence on other starch sources such as rice and corn.

Estimates of global fungal diversity have varied widely, suggesting a range from fewer than one million to over 10 million species, with each of the estimates drawing data from various criteria. In 2022, Fungal Diversity published a special issue on fungal numbers. It had been hoped that the editorial would provide a more accurate account of the numbers of fungi. Instead, it was concluded that this was not possible based on present evidence and instead, some of the data necessary for accurate assessments was put forward, and the present paper expands on this short article. The review first looks at estimates of fungal numbers and what these estimates are based on. It then presents future research needs that will help us to gain a more accurate estimate of fungal numbers. This includes work that needs to be done in tropical rainforests, where the greatest diversity is expected, where whole rainforests, canopy diversity, and palm fungi are addressed. Case studies for lichens and associated fungi, soil and litter fungi, evidence from particle filtration, freshwater fungi, marine fungi, mushrooms, and yeasts will also be given. Once we have such information, we can obtain a more accurate estimate of fungal numbers.

Non-linear and non-stationary signals are analyzed and processed in the time-frequency (TF) domain due to interpretation simplicity. Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) delivers a very sharp resolution of non-stationary signals in the TF domain. However, cross-terms occur between true frequency modes due to their bilinear nature. Masked WVD reduces cross-terms by multiplying the time-frequency representation (TFR) obtained from the WVD with the TFR of the same signal obtained from another method, while S-transform (ST) is a linear signal analysis method that combines the advantages of short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and wavelet transform (WT). This paper investigated WVD masking with both original and modified STs to compare their cross-term reduction results. Moreover, additional parameters are integrated into the ST to deliver the better resolution of the ST and, consequently, more satisfactory cross-term reduction. However, these parameters must be carefully optimized by expert users in their respective application fields.

Sand flies are potential carriers of various diseases that are transmittable to humans and animals. In this study, United States Centers for Disease Control light traps were set up in four tourist caves in the Thai provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, and Chumphon to capture Idiophlebotomus asperulus sand flies. Over a period of three months, April to June, in 2017, a total of 181 female Idiophlebotomus asperulus sand flies were captured during nightly operations. The sand flies were dissected into 23 external and internal parts to identify their morphological characteristics. Statistical analysis was then conducted on these morphological characteristics, involving both univariate analysis (one-way analysis of variance and the Kruskal–Wallis test) and multivariate analysis (canonical discriminant analysis). Levene’s, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov, and Box’s M tests were used for the preliminary statistical screening of the data. The test results revealed significant morphological differences in the sand flies from the four provinces with regard to their antenna segments 5, palpal segments 3, pharynxes, hindlegs, femurs, and spermathecae. These morphological differences in the southern Thai Idiophlebotomus asperulus sand fly population suggest the possibility that at least three morphologically different populations are found in this region.

Pleosporales represents the largest order within the class Dothideomycetes (Fungi), comprising phytopathogenic, saprobic, and endophytic taxa with a widespread presence in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Rice (Oryza sativa) is a primary economic crop in numerous tropical countries, particularly in Thailand. Studying fungal species associated with rice holds the potential to enhance our understanding of fungal diversity, lifestyles, and biology of rice, offering valuable insights for future research aimed at disease management and yield improvement. Thirty-nine pleosporalean isolates were obtained from various parts of rice plants collected across diverse regions in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Species identification involved a combination of morphology and molecular phylogeny, utilizing multi-locus sequence analyses of the ITS, LSU, SSU, gapdh, rpb2, tef 1, and tub2 genes. The isolates were identified in 18 taxa distributed across five families and ten genera, including five new species (Bipolaris chiangraiensis, Ophiosphaerella oryzae, Paraphaeosphaeria oryzae, Pyrenochaetopsis oryzicola, and Setophoma oryzicola). Additionally, six new host records and two new geographical records are documented. Photoplates, detailed morphological descriptions, and phylogenetic trees are provided to elucidate the placement of both known and novel taxa.

Tea is a rich source of phytochemicals; their composition in tea extracts varies depending on the cultivar, climate, production region, and processing and handling processes. The method of extraction plays a crucial role in determining the biological effects of the bioactive compounds in tea leaves. However, reports on the catechin profiles and antioxidant activities of the extracts obtained from leaves at different stages of maturity are limited. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and different drying methods, freeze drying (FD) and spray drying (SD), on the composition of bioactive compounds, phenolic composition, and antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from different part of leaves, top (TT), middle (ML), and mature (MT), of Assam tea cultivar (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) cultivated in Thailand (Thai Assam tea). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the extracts obtained by UAE with FD from TT leaves (UAEFD-TT) had the highest catechins (341.38 ± 0.11 mg/g extract) and caffeine (93.20 ± 0.36 mg CF/g extract) contents compared with those extracted from ML and MT using the same method as well those obtained by SD. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were the highest in UAEFD-TT extracts (456.78 ± 4.31 mg GAE/g extract and 333.98 ± 0.83 mg QE/g extract, respectively). In addition, UAEFD-TT exhibited the highest antioxidant activity; the IC50 values obtained by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays were 1.31 ± 0.02 and 7.51 ± 0.03 μg/mL, respectively. In the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, the UAEFD-TT extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity (324.54 ± 3.33 μM FeSO4/mg extract). These results suggest that extraction from TT using UAE followed by FD produced the highest amount of antioxidant compounds in Thai Assam tea extracts.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on individuals’ mental health and well-being worldwide. This study investigated the prevalences of and association between mental health and quality of life (QOL) in Thailand after the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Thai individuals aged ≥ 20 years across all regions. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between mental health and QOL. A total of 1,133 participants (mean age: 35.1 ± 17.2 years) completed the survey. The prevalence of depression with PHQ-9 instrument was 19.4%. Depression was significantly associated with those who have had family members die from COVID-19 infection (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.13–4.52]). The percentages of depression, anxiety, and stress with DASS-21 instrument were 32.4%, 45.4%, and 24.1%, respectively. Smokers and alcohol consumption had approximately 1.5-time higher risk of stress compared with non-smokers and no alcohol consumption (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.01–2.24], AOR = 1.48, 95% CI [1.09–2.02], respectively). An association was observed between socioeconomic factors such as job and income loss and mental health outcomes. Depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly negatively associated with QOL. This study demonstrates a strong association between mental health and QOL among Thai people after the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings underscore the need for interventions targeting lifestyles, including those addressing alcohol consumption and smoking, especially among those who have had family members die from COVID-19 infection and mental health support services that can address depression, anxiety, and stress to improve the overall well-being of the population.