Numerous studies have shown the multiple benefits of plant biodiversity and the crucial role of resident’s awareness in conservation and land management. Plant biodiversity is investigated in an analytical monitoring report conducted jointly with local population engaged in livestock activities and the young residents who are shifting toward hospitality and tourism. The study area, covering over 800 km2 in Sardinia, is half forested and has landscape interest. During the research, genotypes of Quercus ilex L. with sweet acorns and richer in polyphenols were discovered, the oldest ecosystem services in those rural communities. Collaborative monitoring focused attention on the benefits of plants in different habitats: 53% of these have been known to livestock farmers as food for local breeds of goats and pigs; 15% are officinal and 13% endemic. They have also been used in human nutrition within the Mediterranean diet, and they have landscape and garden interest. The study analyzes numerical data from a critical and educational perspective. These data serve as indicators of ecosystem health for the purpose of sustainable management policies, and attest to collaborative monitoring as a tool for analyzing human activities and the necessary balance between profit and biodiversity conservation, given the current challenging climate change conditions.

Global climate change, dominated by climate warming, is seriously affecting the balance of global ecosystems, but the risk of species extinction is particularly high in low-altitude mountain areas. To clarify the response of the endemic and critically endangered species Ilex nanchuanensis to climate change, this study used the MaxEnt model to simulate and predict the potential habitat of I. nanchuanensis during the Last Interglacial, Last Glacial Maximum, the current period, and two future periods (the 2050s and 2070s). The results showed that the hottest monthly minimum temperature is the most important climatic factor affecting the geographical distribution of I. nanchuanensis. Furthermore, I. nanchuanensis will be at risk of population shrinkage and extinction in the future, with the center of mass moving further northwest as concentrations of greenhouse gases increase, especially in the 2070s, when its geographical distribution shrinks the most under the RCP6 scenario. Global warming is causing habitat degradation for many species and will continue to migrate to higher altitudes and latitudes in the future, seriously affecting the global ecosystem balance. Therefore, to actively respond to the impacts of climate change, protected areas should be established around the geographical distribution centers of species, and core, buffer, and experimental areas should be scientifically and rationally delineated for the conservation and cultivation of germplasm resources.

One mechanism by which fructose could exert deleterious effect in metabolism and inflammation is via its potency vis-à-vis de Maillard reaction. We employed simulated stomach and duodenum digestion of ovalbumin to test the hypothesis that indeed AGEs are formed by fructose during simulated digestion of an ubiquitous food protein with intrinsic allergenic potential and under model physiological conditions. Methods: OVA was subjected to simulated gastric and intestinal digestion using standard models, in presence of fructose or glucose (0-100 mM). Peptide fractions were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy and intensity at Excitation: λ370 nm, Emission: λ 440nm. Results: AGE adducts form between fructose and OVA which can be found in peptide fractions (< 5 kDa) at times (30 min) and concentration ranges (10 mM) plausibly found in the intestines, whereas no reaction occurs with glucose. The reaction is inhibited by chlorogenic acid at concentrations compatible with those found in the gut. The reaction is inhibited by AG, a specific antiglycation agent. Conclusion: Our proof of principle study shows that fructose-AGE formation on an ubiquitous allergenic protein indeed occurs in one hour and thereby may pave the way for the study of yet another mechanism by which the excess fructose in our Western diets is contributing to disease: intestinal AGE formation, absorption and RAGE engagement.