Evidence cluster — Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) toxicology (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC)

Evidence: Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) toxicology

Source: Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search — first-hand peer-reviewed abstract records, pulled 2026-08-01. Queries covered toxicology, poisoning, intoxication, heavy metals, mycotoxins and (for relevant taxa) envenomation for Petaurus breviceps. The cluster returns 12 representative studies with abstracts below. Abstract text is verbatim from source; each study is traceable by PMID.

Studies

• PMID 42358415 (2026, Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology) — Growth responses and metabolic adaptations to sugar mill effluents in &lt;i&gt;Terminalia arjuna&lt;/i&gt;.. Abstract (opening): This study examined the growth performance, physiological and biochemical responses, and phytoremediation potential of <i>Terminalia arjuna</i> across sugar mill effluent (SME) concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). Physicochemical characterization of the SME indicated elevated heavy metals and other toxic constituents. A pot experiment showed that at a 10% effluent concentration, plants experienced significant increases in shoot and root lengths, biomass, and photosynthetic pigments, with only slight changes in stress indicators. However, increasing the effluent concentration to 25-75% led to declines in growth and pigment production, along with an increase in biochemical stress markers. At the highest effluent concentration (100%), pronounced reductions were recorded in morphological traits, with shoot length decreasing by 86%, root length by 55%, fresh weight by 90%, and dry weight by 136% compared with the control. Photosynthetic pigments were also strongly affected, including chlorophyll <i>a</i>, chlorophyll <i>b</i>, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids. Non-protein thiols declined, whereas oxidative stress indicators such as hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation increased substantially. In response to effluent-induced stress, antioxidant defense mechanisms were activated, with enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Heavy metal analysis revealed high accumulation in plant roots, surpassing concentrations in shoots. The findings indicate that <i>T. arjuna</i> can tolerate and accumulate heavy metals from sugar mill effluent. This study is the first to detail its adaptations under SME stress and to emphasize its potential for phytoremediation of contaminated environments.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42358415/

• PMID 41504995 (2026, Biotechnology letters) — Encapsulation of crocin using low-molecular-weight Penicillium expansum-derived chitosan and process optimization via Taguchi orthogonal array design.. Abstract (opening): The aim of this study was to produce fungal chitosan from a potential fungus using a cost-effective substrate (sugar beet molasses) and optimize the growth conditions using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array (OA). The obtained fungal chitinous chitosan (FC) was then used for the microencapsulation of crocin. Optimal conditions were found as 120 mL/L molasses, initial pH at 6 and 5 g/L magnesium sulphate. The dried biomass was weighed as 22.7 g/L, while 8.1 g/L alkali insoluble material (AIM), 5.3 g/L FC and 2.7 g/L native chitosan (NC) were obtained. Deacetylation degree (DD) of the obtained chitosan was calculated as 80.27 and 78.81% for NC and FC, respectively. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was employed for molecular weight detection of the chitosan samples. Molecular weights were found for FC and commercial chitosan (CC) as 145 and 219 kDa, respectively. The solubility of NC and FC in 1% acetic acid was found as 84 and 78% respectively. The fungus was isolated from jujube fruit which was identified as Penicillium expansum HNP11 (GenBank Accession Number: PQ057454). To deepen the research, antimicrobial activity was carried out. The zeta potential of crocin loaded alginate-chitosan microparticles was about - 49 mV and loading capacity was found as 46%. Cytotoxicity of FC was found lower than CC at low concentrations. Consequently, P. expansum has higher antimicrobial activity and minimal toxic structure and Taguchi orthogonal array contributes economic chitosan production.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41504995/

• PMID 41320755 (2026, Journal of applied toxicology : JAT) — Monocrotophos-Induced Redox Imbalance and Genotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster: Implications for Nontarget Organisms.. Abstract (opening): The present study explored the chronic effect of a pesticide, monocrotophos (MCP), applied predominantly on cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, potato, peanuts, and tomatoes. Chronic LC₅₀ value of MCP has already been established, i.e., 0.68 μg/mL in third instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. Based on this LC₅₀ value, five sublethal concentrations, viz., 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, and 0.4 μg/mL, were selected to unveil the impact of MCP on the nontarget organism D. melanogaster at the cellular and subcellular levels. The present study uncovered significant damage in the gut and fat body after chronic MCP exposure. Remarkable upregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, viz., SOD, catalase, and oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl contents, was also evident, which indicates ROS generation. Interestingly, larvae exposed to graded concentrations of MCP exhibit altered CYP450 and GST activities, which indicate detoxification via Phase I and II systems. Lipid droplets were observed in the gut in treated ones, which signifies stress-induced mitochondrial damage and metabolism error. These anomalies finally lead to genotoxicity, which was investigated by nuclear fragmentation in gut tissue by DAPI staining. Comet assay has been performed to investigate DNA damage in fat bodies. Thus, the findings of the present study reveal MCP-induced redox imbalance followed by cellular as well as DNA damage in the nontarget insect D. melanogaster. Since D. melanogaster shares significant genetic and physiological homologies with higher vertebrates, the present study findings seek serious attention for the well-being of other nontarget organisms including humans because of direct or indirect chronic exposure to MCP.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41320755/

• PMID 41867309 (2026, ACS environmental Au) — Sublethal Effects of the Insect Growth Regulator Novaluron on the Midgut Integrity and Survival of Adult Honey Bee &lt;i&gt;Apis mellifera&lt;/i&gt; Workers.. Abstract (opening): The insect growth regulator novaluron is a benzoylurea compound that disrupts the polymerization of chitin filaments. It is commonly used to control agricultural pests, particularly during their immature stages, and is generally considered nontoxic to adult insects. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the potential side effects of this insecticide on nontarget organisms, such as pollinating bees. In honey bees, the midgut is the primary organ responsible for digestion and nutrient absorption, where ingested food is surrounded by the peritrophic matrix, a structure composed of chitin microfibrils, glycosaminoglycans, and glycoproteins synthesized by digestive cells along the midgut. This study investigated whether chronic oral exposure to novaluron affects adult workers of the honey bee <i>Apis mellifera</i>. Specifically, we assessed the effects of the insecticide on the composition and permeability of the peritrophic matrix, the histopathology of the midgut, and worker mortality. Bees exposed chronically to a sublethal concentration of novaluron for 10 days showed reduced chitin levels in the peritrophic matrix, which appeared disorganized and diffuse, along with increased permeability of this barrier. Furthermore, exposed bees exhibited histopathological alterations in the midgut epithelium and elevated mortality rates. These findings indicate that, in the context of chronic oral exposure, commercial formulation of the insecticide novaluron, although classified as an insect growth regulator, is toxic to adult <i>A. mellifera</i> workers at the tissue level.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41867309/

• PMID 41995745 (2026, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology) — Aluminium Exposure in Understory Birds of Atlantic Forest Fragments in Brazil.. Abstract (opening): The combination of contaminated and fragmented habitat puts the most sensitive species at risk and can function as an ecological trap. Therefore, it is expected that forest birds that inhabit fragments surrounded by agricultural activities present some level of contamination by non-essential metals. Thus, this work sought to identify, using feathers, whether wild understory birds are contaminated by aluminum from sugarcane crops and agricultural. Thus, this work assessed body condition and sought to identify, using feathers, whether wild understory birds are contaminated by aluminum in forest fragments surrounded from sugarcane crops and agricultural pastures. The study was carried out, between September 2021 and October 2022, in three fragments of Atlantic Forest protected, in Alagoas, Brazil. For analysis, 10 breast feathers of 35 individuals, belonging to 15 species were collected and grouped by date and location. The samples were macerated, lyophilized, weighed, stored in a desiccator, and digested in a microwave oven, and analyzed using Optical Emission Spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma, to determine the concentrations of aluminum. The presence of aluminum was detected in all samples (57, 92—552, 62 mg/kg). There is no consensus on the exact universal cutoff value for aluminum contamination in feathers. However, values above 200 mg/kg are not considered normal. Furthermore, the results showed the need to pay attention in the protected areas studied, which may be functioning as ecological traps, bringing harm to the reproductive success of several species, especially endemic and threatened ones, which tend to have their populations already reduced for other reasons.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41995745/

• PMID 41786811 (2026, Scientific reports) — An explainable deep learning framework for few shot crop disease detection in rice and sugarcane using CNN based feature extraction.. Abstract (opening): Where crop health is essential to global food security. Our focus is on early crop disease detection in the field of agriculture, especially Rice and Sugar cane leaf disease. This prompts researchers to consider quick, automated, cost-effective, precise, and efficient methods of identifying the kinds of diseases utilizing contemporary technologies like image processing, artificial intelligence (AI), and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). This paper proposes an framework to detect pest infestation for rice and Sugar cane cultivation and suggests an effective framework for rice and Sugar cane disease detection and forecasting that uses image processing to standard, resizing, and normalization rice and Sugar cane images then, using feature extractor using CNN after that we using few-shot learning (FSL) techniques such as like Prototypical Networks and Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML) learning techniques for superior decision-making in smart farming systems. The experimental findings demonstrated the Accuracy and specificity of the suggested framework in identifying and effectively predicting the kind of disease. According to the results, the suggested framework outperformed the state-of-the-art benchmark algorithms in disease prediction while producing results that were plausible. With Prototypical Networks and MAML for rice leaf disease datasets, it increased by up to 97.6% and 95.27%, respectively. For effective rice disease identification, Prototypical Networks and MAML for Sugar cane leaf disease datasets increased by up to 91.68% and 90.27%, respectively. Interpretable AI-driven insights were further made possible by the combination of proposed system with Grad-CAM Explanation, which improved decision-making transparency.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41786811/

• PMID 42197626 (2026, Plants (Basel, Switzerland)) — Seed Treatment Alternatives with Improved Ecological Profiles for Controlling Wireworms in Maize and Early-Season Sugar Beet Pests.. Abstract (opening): The ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments in the EU has created major challenges for maize and sugar beet production, as these chemicals have been highly effective in controlling early-season pests, including wireworms (<i>Agriotes</i> spp.), sugar beet weevil (<i>Asproparthenis punctiventris</i> Germar) (SBW) and sugar beet flea beetles (<i>Chaetocnema tibialis</i> Illiger) (SBFB). However, adequate alternatives have not yet been introduced. The aim of this research was to get insights on the biological activity of insecticides with distinct modes of action and comparatively more favorable ecotoxicological profiles than neonicotinoids, chlorantraniliprole, spinosad, and azadirachtin, applied as seed treatments in maize and sugar beet against wireworms in maize and against SBW and SBFB in sugar beet. In laboratory trials, each insecticide was tested as a seed treatment at three different doses. Thiamethoxam was included as the standard treatment (positive control). Among the tested insecticides, spinosad seed treatment showed the highest efficacy against wireworms and was superior to both the standard insecticide and chlorantraniliprole, while azadirachtin showed no effect. None of the tested insecticides provide satisfactory control of SBW. In contrast, SBFB responded to all three insecticide treatments, with efficacy comparable to, or even better than, the standard insecticide. These results suggest that chlorantraniliprole, azadirachtin, and spinosad may all represent promising candidates for sugar beet seed treatment to protect young plants against SBFB. Future research should focus on developing seed treatment formulations and field and semi-field trials as well as evaluating combinations of active ingredients and their suitability for integration into IPM programs. These findings provide a basis for further development of seed treatment strategies aimed at reducing dependence on neonicotinoids in maize and sugar beet production.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42197626/

• PMID 41820500 (2026, Scientific reports) — North-South asymmetry of Parkinson's disease mortality in Brazil between 2009 and 2023: a spatial analysis.. Abstract (opening): This study investigated potential regional disparities in the mortality of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Brazil. A nationwide ecological study was conducted investigating the spatial distribution of sex- and age-adjusted mortality rates of individuals with PD, whose deaths were caused or associated with the disease, in the Brazilian intermediate regions between 2009 and 2023. Global and local spatial analyses were conducted using the global and local Moran’s indices at a 95% confidence level to assess the presence of spatial dependence in mortality rates and identify spatial clusters in the country. The findings demonstrated that the PD mortality adjusted rates are uneven across the Brazilian territory, with higher rates in the south and lower in the north. It is hypothesized that the well-established gradient between the north and south can be caused by various factors, including population ageing, longer survival among people with PD, as well as environmental factors but can also be influenced by socio-economic vulnerabilities and disparities in access to specialized health services. In Brazil, PD has become a serious public health problem with marked regional differences over the years. It is therefore essential to develop public policies in Brazil that protect the health of residents with PD, mitigate risk factors, and ensure better living conditions throughout the disease’s progression.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41820500/

• PMID 41714571 (2026, Environmental science and pollution research international) — Evaluating DNA damage in a South American marsupial through exfoliated cells of the buccal mucosa.. Abstract (opening): The edge effect alters microclimatic conditions and increases heavy metal pollution in monoculture landscapes, thereby exposing wildlife to toxic substances. This highlights the need for genotoxicity assessments in fragmented environments. The micronucleus test is a valuable biomarker for detecting DNA damage, though its use in wild mammals is recent. In this pioneering study, we applied the text to exfoliated buccal mucosa cells of Gracilinanus agilis, a South American marsupial, using the micronucleus test. Individuals were captured in a semideciduous forest in southern Goiás, central Brazil. We collected buccal cells from 41 individuals (13 females and 28 males) across 13 sampling sites. We identified six types of nuclear abnormalities: micronuclei, karyolysis, pyknosis, binucleated cells, karyorrhexis, and nuclear buds. Karyolysis, pyknosis, and binucleated cells were most frequent at the forest edge compared to the interior, indicating greater genotoxic stress in edge habitats. Our findings support the use of the micronucleus test as a non-invasive tool for monitoring DNA damage in wild populations and demonstrate that marsupials inhabiting forest edges are more susceptible to genotoxic effects.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41714571/

• PMID 41600061 (2026, Plants (Basel, Switzerland)) — Physiological and Metabolic Changes Induced by Fullerene C₆₀ Derivatives in Zinc-Stressed Cucumber.. Abstract (opening): Zinc (Zn) in excess is very toxic for plants and can limit agriculture. Carbon-based engineered nanomaterials with high electron mobility and electron-accepting capability may be essential for mitigating heavy metal stress. In the present study, the protective role of some fullerene C₆₀ derivatives (fullerenol [C₆₀(OH)_22-24] and the arginine C₆₀ [C₆₀(C₆H₁₃N₄O₂)₈H₈]) were tested for the first time against Zn toxicity in <i>Cucumis sativus</i> L. (cucumber). Plants were grown hydroponically at three concentrations of fullerenes (0, 2, and 10 mg L^-1) without or with 40 µM Zn for 17 days. Plant growth, leaf chlorosis, and nutritional imbalances in combination with a metabolomics approach were analyzed. The Zn-treated plants show chlorotic leaves, the retarded growth of shoots (-20%), and roots (-49%) and nutrient imbalance. Addition of fullerene C₆₀ derivatives suppressed loss in the dry biomass of leaves (15%) and roots (40%; fullerenol only) induced by high Zn. However, they did not alter leaf chlorophyll, shoot dry biomass, and elemental composition, including leaf Zn. Moreover, the Zn of xylem sup from roots remained unchanged by fullerenes. In an adsorption experiment, the amounts of Zn adsorbed by tested C₆₀ were below the detection limits. The addition of C₆₀ derivatives slightly changed the metabolite profiling in stressed plants. Nevertheless, in fullerene-treated plants, the abundance of some Zn-responsible metabolites tended to be altered in the opposite direction as compared with the metabolic responses to excessive Zn alone. There were several up-regulated metabolites protecting plants under oxidative stress. We speculate that fullerene C₆₀ derivatives have the ability to increase antioxidant non-enzyme activity at least, improving some growth parameters. However, fullerenes did not reduce Zn transport from the root to the shoots. We concluded that the low capacity of these compounds to buffer Zn in the root zone might limit the efficiency of fullerene derivatives against Zn toxicity. Our results provide new evidence for the crucial role of Zn-fullerene interactions in the amelioration of Zn toxicity in plants.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41600061/

• PMID 41714414 (2026, Scientific reports) — Virus-mediated changes in insect vector tolerance to a neonicotinoid insecticide.. Abstract (opening): Beet curly top virus (BCTV), the causal agent of curly top disease, is an important viral pathogen of sugar beets in the western United States. BCTV is exclusively transmitted by the beet leafhopper (BLH, Neoalitarus tenellus (Baker), also referred to as Circulifer tenullus) in a circulative, non-propagative manner and is primarily managed through insecticides targeting vector. Vector-borne plant viruses have been shown to modify vector biology, behavior, or both, thereby favoring their transmission. In this study, viruliferous BLHs demonstrated increased survival compared to non-viruliferous insects when exposed to a neonicotinoid insecticide at a sub-lethal rate of 0.1x rate but not at the 1x rate. In contrast, no significant difference in survival was observed between viruliferous and non-viruliferous insects treated with a pyrethroid insecticide at either 0.1x or 1x rates. Transcriptomic analysis of BLHs exposed to a 0.1x neonicotinoid treatment revealed that differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) associated with detoxification, ubiquitination, and proteolysis, innate immunity, and stress were upregulated in viruliferous BLHs, potentially contributing to their enhanced survival. In contrast, DETs associated with locomotion and cuticular structure were concomitantly downregulated, suggesting that virus-mediated behavioral adaptations are unlikely to contribute to neonicotinoid tolerance in BLHs. This study represents the first comprehensive transcriptomic investigation of virus-mediated tolerance to a neonicotinoid insecticide.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41714414/

• PMID 42303666 (2026, Scientific reports) — Optimized atrazine biodegradation in Egyptian soils via native bacterial isolates and molecular insights using different statistical methods.. Abstract (opening): Forty four bacterial candidates isolated from Egyptian atrazine polluted soil sites, were examined to select atrazine bio-degraders. Among them thirty four were proved their ability to use it as nitrogen source. Strains HA19 and A7 gave the highest efficient rate to biodegrade atrazine with efficiency of 81% and 81.3%. They were identified and belonging taxonomically to Klebsiella sp. and Ochrobactrum sp. according to sequencing of 16S rRNA and phylogenetic analysis. Both of them confirmed their possession of atrazine degrading genes like atzA, atzC and atzD while atzB was appeared as faint band with strain A7 only. HPLC analysis indicated that the two strains degraded atrazine via the pathway of producing deethylatrazine as an important intermediate. Thus interesting data revealed the possibility of acquisition of these strains for two couples of atrazine degrading mechanisms located on chromosomal and plasmid sites. Applying the advanced statistical method of response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) model has contributed to increase the biodegradation process with both strains by a rate of (94.2%) and (96.7%) on respectively. For our knowledge this article is one of condensed work and applicable way that will introduce bio safety solution for bioremediating atrazine and reducing its toxicity in agricultural polluted fields, as there is little reports from Egypt published before concerning atrazine bioremediation.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42303666/

Source text: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_sugar_glider_toxicology_2026-08-01.txt (Europe PMC first-hand abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01).