Old growth forests and large old trees as critical organisms connecting ecosystems and human health. A review

Environmental and social impacts of carbon sequestration

Climate change requires major mitigation efforts, mainly emission reduction. Carbon sequestration and avoided deforestation are complementary mitigation strategies that can promote nature conservation and local development but may also have undesirable impacts. We reviewed 246 articles citing impacts, risks, or concerns from carbon projects, and 78 others related to this topic. Most of the impacts cited focus on biodiversity, especially in afforestation projects, and on social effects related to avoided deforestation projects. Concerns were raised about project effectiveness, the permanence of carbon stored, and leakage. Recommendations include accounting for uncertainty, assessing both mitigation and contribution to climate change, defining permanence, creating contingency plans, promoting local projects, proposing alternative livelihoods, ensuring a fair distribution of benefits, combining timber production and carbon sequestration, ensuring sustainable development and minimizing leakage. A holistic approach that combines carbon sequestration, nature conservation, and poverty alleviation must be applied. The potential occurrence of negative impacts does not invalidate carbon projects but makes it advisable to conduct proper environmental impact assessments, considering direct and indirect impacts, minimizing the negative effects while maximizing the positive ones, and weighing the trade-offs between them to guide decision-making. Public participation and transparency are essential. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-27. © 2024 SETAC.

A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe

Climate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substantial co-benefits for human health. The objective of this scoping review was to examine research trends related to the interdisciplinary nexus between forests as carbon sinks and human health co-benefits. We developed a conceptual framework model, supporting the inclusion of exposure pathways, such as recreational opportunities or aesthetic experiences, in the co-benefit context. We used a scoping review methodology to identify the proportion of European research on forest-based mitigation strategies that acknowledge the interconnection between mitigation strategies and human impacts. We also aimed to assess whether synergies and trade-offs between forest-based carbon sink capacity and human co-benefits has been analysed and quantified. From the initial 4,062 records retrieved, 349 reports analysed European forest management principles and factors related to climate change mitigation capacity. Of those, 97 studies acknowledged human co-benefits and 13 studies quantified the impacts on exposure pathways or health co-benefits and were included for full review. Our analysis demonstrates that there is potential for synergies related to optimising carbon sink capacity together with human co-benefits, but there is currently a lack of holistic research approaches assessing these interrelationships. We suggest enhanced interdisciplinary efforts, using for example multideterminant modelling approaches, to advance evidence and understanding of the forest and health nexus in the context of climate change mitigation.

Ancient trees are essential elements for high-mountain forest conservation: Linking the longevity of trees to their ecological function

Mature forests and their extremely old trees are rare and threatened ancient vestiges in remote European high-mountain regions. Here, we analyze the role that extremely long-living trees have in mature forests biodiversity in relation to their singular traits underlying longevity. Tree size and age determine relative growth rates, bud abortion, and the water status of long-living trees. The oldest trees suffer indefectible age-related constraints but possess singular evolutionary traits defined by fitness adaptation, modular autonomy, and a resilient metabolism that allow them to have irreplaceable roles in the ecosystem as biodiversity anchors of vulnerable lichen species like Letharia vulpina. We suggest that the role of ancient trees as unique biodiversity reservoirs is linked to their singular physiological traits associated with longevity. The set of evolutionarily plastic tools that can only be provided by centuries or millennia of longevity helps the oldest trees of mature forests drive singular ecological relationships that are irreplaceable and necessary for ecosystem dynamics.

Phosphorus/nitrogen sensing and signaling in diverse root-fungus symbioses

Establishing mutualistic relationships between plants and fungi is crucial for overcoming nutrient deficiencies in plants. This review highlights the intricate nutrient sensing and uptake mechanisms used by plants in response to phosphate and nitrogen starvation, as well as their interactions with plant immunity. The coordination of transport systems in both host plants and fungal partners ensures efficient nutrient uptake and assimilation, contributing to the long-term maintenance of these mutualistic associations. It is also essential to understand the distinct responses of fungal partners to external nutrient levels and forms, as they significantly impact the outcomes of symbiotic interactions. Our review also highlights the importance of evolutionarily younger and newly discovered root-fungus associations, such as endophytic associations, which offer potential benefits for improving plant nutrition. Mechanistic insights into the complex dynamics of phosphorus and nitrogen sensing within diverse root-fungus associations can facilitate the identification of molecular targets for engineering symbiotic systems and developing plant phenotypes with enhanced nutrient use efficiency. Ultimately, this knowledge can inform tailored fertilizer management practices to optimize plant nutrition.

Effects of Different Donor Ages on the Growth of Cutting Seedlings Propagated from Ancient Platycladus orientalis

The effects of tree age on the growth of cutting seedlings propagated from ancient trees have been an important issue in plant breeding and cultivation. In order to understand seedling growth and stress resistance stability, phenotypic measurements, physiological assays, and high-throughput transcriptome sequencing were performed on sown seedlings propagated from 5-year-old donors and cutting seedlings propagated from 5-, 300-, and 700-year-old Platycladus orientalis donors. In this study, the growth of cutting seedlings propagated from ancient trees was significantly slower; the soluble sugar and chlorophyll contents gradually decreased with the increase in the age of donors, and the flavonoid and total phenolic contents of sown seedlings were higher than those of cutting seedlings. Enrichment analysis of differential genes showed that plant hormone signal transduction, the plant-pathogen interaction, and the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways were significantly up-regulated with the increasing age of cutting seedlings propagated from 300- and 700-year-old donors. A total of 104,764 differentially expressed genes were calculated using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and 8 gene modules were obtained. Further, 10 hub genes in the blue module were identified, which revealed that the expression levels of JAZ, FLS, RPM1/RPS3, CML, and RPS2 increased with the increase in tree age. The results demonstrated that the age of the donors seriously affected the growth of P. orientalis cutting seedlings and that cutting propagation can preserve the resistance of ancient trees. The results of this study provide important insights into the effects of age on asexually propagated seedlings, reveal potential molecular mechanisms, and contribute to an improvement in the level of breeding and conservation of ancient germplasm resources of P. orientalis trees.

Interaction of Laurusides 1 and 2 with the 3C-like Protease (Mpro) from Wild-Type and Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Laurus nobilis (bay laurel) is a natural source of biological compounds, and some of its extracts and phytocompounds are also endowed with antiviral activity toward the family of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated β-coronaviruses. Some glycosidic laurel compounds such as laurusides were proposed as inhibitors of important protein targets of SARS-CoV-2, which clearly recalls their potential as anti-COVID-19 drugs. Due to the frequent genomic variations of the β-coronaviruses and the consequent importance of evaluating a new drug candidate with respect to the variants of the target β-coronavirus, we decided to investigate at an atomistic level the molecular interactions of the potential laurel-derived drugs laurusides 1 and 2 (L01 and L02, respectively) toward a well-conserved and crucial target, the 3C-like protease (Mpro), using the enzymes of both the wild-type of SARS-CoV-2 and of the more recent Omicron variant. Thus, we performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of laurusides—SARS-CoV-2 protease complexes to deepen the knowledge on the stability of the interaction and compare the effects of the targeting among the two genomic variants. We found that the Omicron mutation does not significantly impact the lauruside binding and that L02 connects more stably with respect to L01 in the complexes from both variants, even though both compounds prevalently interact within the same binding pocket. Although purely in silico, the current study highlights the potential role of bay laurel phytocompounds in the antiviral and specifically anti-coronavirus research and shows their potential binding toward Mpro, corroborating the important commitment of bay laurel as functional food and disclosing novel scenarios of lauruside-based antiviral therapies.

Exploring the Protective Effect of Food Drugs against Viral Diseases: Interaction of Functional Food Ingredients and SARS-CoV-2, Influenza Virus, and HSV

A complex network of processes inside the human immune system provides resistance against a wide range of pathologies. These defenses form an innate and adaptive immunity, in which certain immune components work together to counteract infections. In addition to inherited variables, the susceptibility to diseases may be influenced by factors such as lifestyle choices and aging, as well as environmental determinants. It has been shown that certain dietary chemical components regulate signal transduction and cell morphologies which, in turn, have consequences on pathophysiology. The consumption of some functional foods may increase immune cell activity, defending us against a number of diseases, including those caused by viruses. Here, we investigate a range of functional foods, often marketed as immune system boosters, in an attempt to find indications of their potential protective role against diseases caused by viruses, such as the influenza viruses (A and B), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in some cases mediated by gut microbiota. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms that govern the protective effects of some functional foods and their molecular constituents. The main message of this review is that discovering foods that are able to strengthen the immune system can be a winning weapon against viral diseases. In addition, understanding how the dietary components function can aid in the development of novel strategies for maintaining human bodily health and keeping our immune systems strong.

Ancient trees: irreplaceable conservation resource for ecosystem restoration

Ancient trees contribute multifaceted ecosystem benefits to old-growth forests, rewilding, and human cultural landscapes. As such, we call for international efforts to preserve these hubs of diversity and resilience. A global coalition utilizing advanced technologies and community scientists to discover, protect, and propagate ancient trees is needed before they disappear.

Public Awareness and Sentiment toward COVID-19 Vaccination in South Korea: Findings from Big Data Analytics

Despite a worldwide campaign to promote vaccination, South Korea is facing difficulties in increasing its vaccination rate due to negative perceptions of the vaccines and vaccination policies. This study investigated South Koreans' awareness of and sentiments toward vaccination. Particularly, this study explored how public opinions have developed over time, and compared them to those of other nations. We used Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, and AstraZeneca as keywords on Naver, Daum, Google, and Twitter to collect data on public awareness and sentiments toward the vaccines and the government's vaccination policies. The results showed that South Koreans' sentiments on vaccination changed from neutral to negative to positive over the past two years. In particular, public sentiments turned positive due to South Koreans' hopeful expectations and a high vaccination rate. Overall, the attitudes and sentiments toward vaccination in South Korea were similar to those of other nations. The conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccines had a significant effect on the negative opinions in other nations, but had little impact on South Korea.

Nucleic Acids as Biotools at the Interface between Chemistry and Nanomedicine in the COVID-19 Era

The recent development of mRNA vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection has turned the spotlight on the potential of nucleic acids as innovative prophylactic agents and as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Until now, their use has been severely limited by their reduced half-life in the biological environment and the difficulties related to their transport to target cells. These limiting aspects can now be overcome by resorting to chemical modifications in the drug and using appropriate nanocarriers, respectively. Oligonucleotides can interact with complementary sequences of nucleic acid targets, forming stable complexes and determining their loss of function. An alternative strategy uses nucleic acid aptamers that, like the antibodies, bind to specific proteins to modulate their activity. In this review, the authors will examine the recent literature on nucleic acids-based strategies in the COVID-19 era, focusing the attention on their applications for the prophylaxis of COVID-19, but also on antisense- and aptamer-based strategies directed to the diagnosis and therapy of the coronavirus pandemic.

Forest Bathing Is Better than Walking in Urban Park: Comparison of Cardiac and Vascular Function between Urban and Forest Parks

Forest bathing is beneficial for human health. To investigate whether walking in forest or urban parks affects cardiovascular functions (CVFs), the present study was conducted in five forest trails in the Xitou Experimental Forest and in five urban parks in Taipei city. We recruited 25 adult volunteers for an observational pilot study in forest parks (n = 14) and urban parks (n = 11). CVFs were assessed by measuring the arterial pressure waveform using an oscillometric blood pressure (BP) device. The baseline and paired differences of systolic BP (SBP), central end SBP, heart rate, left ventricle (LV) dP/dt max and cardiac output in participants were lower before and after walking in a forest park than those in an urban park. In addition, the systemic vascular compliance and brachial artery compliance of those who walked in a forest park were significantly higher compared with those in an urban park. Linear mixed models demonstrated lower levels of SBP by 5.22 mmHg, heart rate by 2.46 beats/min, and cardiac output by 0.52 L/min, and LV dP/dt max by 146.91 mmHg/s among those who walked in forest compared to those in an urban park after controlling covariates. This study provides evidence of the potential beneficial effects of walking exercise in forest parks on CVFs.

The Healing Power of Clean Rivers: In Silico Evaluation of the Antipsoriatic Potential of Apiin and Hyperoside Plant Metabolites Contained in River Waters

Humanity may benefit greatly from intact riverine ecosystems not only because they supply water to be used in the most common human activities, but also for the effects that clean rivers can have on human health. Herein, we used a computational approach to show that some phytochemicals produced by riparian plants as secondary metabolites, which are naturally released into river waters, can have therapeutic properties. These include antipsoriatic activities which we demonstrated in silico by modelling the interaction of apiin, guanosine and hyperoside, a few main river plant metabolites, with NF-kB, IL-17 and IL-36, which are recognized targets involved in psoriasis disease. In particular, we found that apiin and hyperoside are endowed with docking energies and binding affinities which are more favorable than the known reference inhibitors of the three protein targets whilst, in silico, guanosine shows comparable activity with respect to the inhibitors of IL-36 and NF-kB. The low skin permeation (logKp < −8) we predicted for apiin and hyperoside led us to hypothesize their possible utilization as topic antipsoriatic therapeutics, and in particular after PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds) score evaluation, we reached the conclusion that apiin, with no predicted tendency to react nonspecifically with the numerous targets involved in the biological cellular pathways, is particularly interesting for the desired therapeutic application.