A comparative analysis of the nutrient and phytochemical richness among different varieties of quinoa in China.

Quinoa is a nutrient-dense pseudocereal that has garnered global attention for its potential to bolster food security and nutrition. Despite its celebrated status, the detailed nutritional profiles of various quinoa varieties remain poorly understood, which poses a significant barrier to the strategic cultivation and utilization of quinoa's genetic diversity to combat malnutrition. The impetus for this research lies in the urgent need to identify superior quinoa strains that can be tailored to meet specific nutritional requirements and adapt to diverse agro-ecological zones. Our findings reveal substantial variation in nutrient content across different quinoa varieties, highlighting the variety ZLZX-8 as a particularly nutrient-rich strain with the highest levels of protein, fat, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and key minerals such as Mg, K, and Zn. Moreover, ZLZX-8's exceptional antioxidant capacity suggests it may have additional health benefits beyond its macronutrient profile. In contrast, ZLZX-7 stands out for its dietary fiber and phenolic content, which are critical for digestive health and disease prevention, respectively. Meanwhile, ZLZX-5, with its high starch content, could be better suited for energy production in dietary applications. Notably, the study also uncovers a correlation between grain color and nutrient profile, with colored quinoa varieties exhibiting superior fiber, inositol, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity compared to their white counterparts. This work lays the groundwork for an informed selection of quinoa varieties that can enhance dietary quality, support local and global food systems, and contribute to the fight against malnutrition.

Impact of Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite Mining Activities on Endophytic Bacterial Communities and Functions in the Root Systems of Local Plants.

This study utilized 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the community structure and function of endophytic bacteria within the roots of three plant species in the vanadium-titanium-magnetite (VTM) mining area. The findings indicated that mining activities of VTM led to a notable decrease in both the biodiversity and abundance of endophytic bacteria within the root systems of Eleusine indica and Carex (p < 0.05). Significant reductions were observed in the populations of Nocardioides, concurrently with substantial increments in the populations of Pseudomonas (p < 0.05), indicating that Pseudomonas has a strong adaptability to this environmental stress. In addition, ß diversity analysis revealed divergence in the endophytic bacterial communities within the roots of E. indica and Carex from the VTM mining area, which had diverged to adapt to the environmental stress caused by mining activity. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that VTM mining led to an increase in polymyxin resistance, nicotinate degradation I, and glucose degradation (oxidative) (p < 0.05). Interestingly, we found that VTM mining did not notably alter the endophytic bacterial communities or functions in the root systems of Dodonaea viscosa, indicating that this plant can adapt well to environmental stress. This study represents the primary investigation into the influence of VTM mining activities on endophytic bacterial communities and the functions of nearby plant roots, providing further insight into the impact of VTM mining activities on the ecological environment.

Application of Strain Selection Technology in Alcoholic Beverages: A Review.

The diversity of alcohol beverage microorganisms is of great significance for improving the brewing process and the quality of alcohol beverage products. During the process of making alcoholic beverages, a group of microorganisms, represented by yeast and lactic acid bacteria, conducts fermentation. These microorganisms have complex synergistic or competitive relationships, and the participation of different microorganisms has a major impact on the fermentation process and the flavor and aroma of the product. Strain selection is one of the key steps. Utilizing scientific breeding technology, the relationship between strains can be managed, the composition of the alcoholic beverage microbial community can be improved, and the quality and flavor of the alcoholic beverage products can be increased. Currently, research on the microbial diversity of alcohol beverages has received extensive attention. However, the selection technology for dominant bacteria in alcohol beverages has not yet been systematically summarized. To breed better-quality alcohol beverage strains and improve the quality and characteristics of wine, this paper introduces the microbial diversity characteristics of the world's three major brewing alcohols: beer, wine, and yellow wine, as well as the breeding technologies of related strains. The application of culture selection technology in the study of microbial diversity of brewed wine was reviewed and analyzed. The strain selection technology and alcohol beverage process should be combined to explore the potential application of a diverse array of alcohol beverage strains, thereby boosting the quality and flavor of the alcohol beverage and driving the sustainable development of the alcoholic beverage industry.

The Diversity and Community Composition of Three Plants' Rhizosphere Fungi in Kaolin Mining Areas.

Mining activities in the kaolin mining area have led to the disruption of the ecological health of the mining area and nearby soils, but the effects on the fungal communities in the rhizosphere soils of the plants are not clear. Three common plants (Conyza bonariensis, Artemisia annua, and Dodonaea viscosa) in kaolin mining areas were selected and analyzed their rhizosphere soil fungal communities using ITS sequencing. The alpha diversity indices (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, observed-species, pielou-e) of the fungal communities decreased to different extents in different plants compared to the non-kauri mining area. The ß-diversity (PCoA, NMDS) analysis showed that the rhizosphere soil fungal communities of the three plants in the kaolin mine area were significantly differentiated from those of the control plants grown in the non-kaolin mine area, and the extent of this differentiation varied among the plants. The analysis of fungal community composition showed that the dominant fungi in the rhizosphere fungi of C. bonariensis and A. annua changed, with an increase in the proportion of Mycosphaerella (genus) by about 20% in C. bonariensis and A. annua. An increase in the proportion of Didymella (genus) by 40% in D. viscosa was observed. At the same time, three plant rhizosphere soils were affected by kaolin mining activities with the appearance of new fungal genera Ochrocladosporium and Plenodomus. Predictive functional potential analysis of the samples revealed that a significant decrease in the potential of functions such as biosynthesis and glycolysis occurred in the rhizosphere fungal communities of kaolin-mined plants compared to non-kaolin-mined areas. The results show that heavy metals and plant species are the key factors influencing these changes, which suggests that selecting plants that can bring more abundant fungi can adapt to heavy metal contamination to restore soil ecology in the kaolin mining area.

Insights into Cold Plasma Treatment on the Cereal and Legume Proteins Modification: Principle, Mechanism, and Application.

Cereal and legume proteins, pivotal for human health, significantly influence the quality and stability of processed foods. Despite their importance, the inherent limited functional properties of these natural proteins constrain their utility across various sectors, including the food, packaging, and pharmaceutical industries. Enhancing functional attributes of cereal and legume proteins through scientific and technological interventions is essential to broadening their application. Cold plasma (CP) technology, characterized by its non-toxic, non-thermal nature, presents numerous benefits such as low operational temperatures, lack of external chemical reagents, and cost-effectiveness. It holds the promise of improving proteins' functionality while maximally retaining their nutritional content. This review delves into the pros and cons of different cold plasma generation techniques, elucidates the underlying mechanisms of protein modification via CP, and thoroughly examines research on the application of cold plasma in augmenting the functional properties of proteins. The aim is to furnish theoretical foundations for leveraging CP technology in the modification of cereal and legume proteins, thereby enhancing their practical applicability in diverse industries.

Exploring the Potential of Plant-Derived Exosome-like Nanovesicle as Functional Food Components for Human Health: A Review.

Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs) are bilayer membrane-enclosed nanovesicles secreted by plant cells, serving as carriers of various substances such as proteins, RNA, and metabolites. The mounting evidence suggests that PELN plays a crucial role in transmembrane signaling, nutrient transportation, apoptosis, and regulation of gut microbiota composition. This makes it a promising "dark nutrient" for plants to modulate human physiology and pathogenesis. A comprehensive understanding of PELN formation, uptake, and functional mechanisms can offer novel insights into plant nutrition and functional properties, thereby facilitating the precise development of plant-based foods and drugs. This article provides a summary of PELN extraction and characterization, as well as absorption and delivery processes. Furthermore, it focuses on the latest discoveries and underlying physiological mechanisms of PELN's functions while exploring future research directions.

Endophytic fungi in buckwheat seeds: exploring links with flavonoid accumulation.

Buckwheat is a famous edible and medicinal coarse cereal which contain abundant of bioactive flavonoids, such as rutin. In this study, the composition and diversity of endophytic fungi in eight different buckwheat seeds were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of ITS rDNA. Results showed that, the fungal sequences reads were allocated to 272 OTUs, of them, 49 OTUs were shared in eight buckwheat seeds. These endophytic fungi could be classified into 6 phyla, 19 classes, 41 orders, 79 families, 119 genera, and 191 species. At genus level, Alternaria sp. was the domain fungal endophyte. Besides, fungal endophytes belonged to the genera of Epicocum, Cladosporium, Botrytis, Filbobasidium, Stemphylium, and Vishniacozyma were highly abundant in buckwheat seeds. The total flavonoids and rutin contents in tartary buckwheat cultivars (CQ, XQ, CH, K2) were much higher than those in common buckwheat cultivars (HT, T2, T4, T8). For tartary buckwheat cultivars, the total flavonoids and rutin contents were ranging from 2.6% to 3.3% and 0.9% to 1.3%, respectively. Accordingly, the tartary buckwheat samples displayed stronger antioxidant activity than the common buckwheat. Spearman correlation heat map analysis was successfully found that certain fungal species from the genera of Alternaria, Botryosphaeria, Colletorichum and Diymella exhibited significant positive correlation with flavonoids contents. Results of this study preliminary revealed the fungi-plant interaction relationship at secondary metabolite level, and could provide novel strategy for increasing the flavonoids accumulation of buckwheat seeds, as well as improving their quality.

The Quality Evaluation of Highland Barley and Its Suitability for Chinese Traditional Tsampa Processing.

The physicochemical traits of highland barley prominently affect the quality of Tsampa. To find out the relevance between the physicochemical properties of raw material and the texture parameters of processed products, twenty-five physicochemical traits and ten quality parameters for seventy-six varieties of highland barley were measured and analyzed. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the physicochemical indexes for highland barleys of various colors. The dark highland barley generally has more fat, protein, total dietary fiber, phenolic, Mg, K, Ca, and Zn and less amylose, Fe, Cu, and Mo than light colored barley. Then, these highland barleys were made into Tsampa. A comprehensive quality evaluation model based on the color and texture parameters of Tsampa was established through principal component analysis. Then, cluster analysis was used to classify the tested samples into three edible quality grades predicated on the above evaluation model. At last, the regression analysis was applied to establish a Tsampa quality predictive model according to the physicochemical traits of the raw material. The results showed that amylose, protein, ß-Glucan, and a* and b* could be used to predict the comprehensive quality of Tsampa. The predicted results indicated that 11 of 14 validated samples were consistent with the actual quality, and the accuracy was above 78.57%. Our study built the approach of the appropriate processing varieties evaluation. It may provide reference for processing specific highland barley.

Analogy of silicon and boron in plant nutrition.

Silicon (Si) and boron (B) are a class of elements called metalloids, which have properties like metals and non-metals. Si is classified as a quasi-essential element, while B is a micronutrient element for plants. Nowadays, numerous discoveries have shown the analogy of silicon and boron in plant nutrition. In this minireview, the molecular mechanisms for the transport of these two metalloids are compared. We also discussed the chemical forms of Si and B and their functional similarity in response to environmental stresses in plants. In conclusion, it can be proposed that cell wall-bound silicon rather than silica might partially replace boron for plant growth, development, and stress responses, and the underlying mechanism is the Si contribution to B in its structural function.

Role of MicroRNAs in Dietary Interventions for Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases.

Obesity and related metabolic syndromes pose a serious threat to human health and quality of life. A proper diet is a safe and effective strategy to prevent and control obesity, thus maintaining overall health. However, no consensus exists on the connotations of proper diet, and it is attributed to various factors, including "nutritional dark matter" and the "matrix effect" of food. Accumulating evidence confirms that obesity is associated with the in vivo levels of miRNAs, which serve as potential markers and regulatory targets for obesity onset and progression; food-derived miRNAs can regulate host obesity by targeting the related genes or gut microbiota across the animal kingdom. Host miRNAs mediate food nutrient-gut microbiota-obesity interactions. Thus, miRNAs are important correlates of diet and obesity onset. This review outlines the recent findings on miRNA-mediated food interventions for obesity, thereby elucidating their potential applications. Overall, we provide new perspectives and views on the evaluation of dietary nutrition, which may bear important implications for dietary control and obesity prevention.

Genome-Wide Identification of Histone Deacetylases and Their Roles Related with Light Response in Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum).

Histone deacetylases (HDACs), known as histone acetylation erasers, function crucially in plant growth and development. Although there are abundant reports focusing on HDACs of Arabidopsis and illustrating their important roles, the knowledge of HDAC genes in Tartary buckwheat (Polygonales Polygonaceae Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) is still scarce. In the study, a total of 14 HDAC genes were identified and divided into three main groups: Reduced Potassium Dependency-3/His-52 tone Deacetylase 1 (RPD3/HDA1), Silent Information Regulator 2 (SIR2), and the plant-53 specific HD2. Domain and motif composition analysis showed there were conserved domains and motifs in members from the same subfamilies. The 14 FtHDACs were distributed asymmetrically on 7 chromosomes, with three segmental events and one tandem duplication event identified. The prediction of the cis-element in promoters suggested that FtHDACs probably acted in numerous biological processes including plant growth, development, and response to environmental signals. Furthermore, expression analysis based on RNA-seq data displayed that all FtHDAC genes were universally and distinctly expressed in diverse tissues and fruit development stages. In addition, we found divergent alterations in FtHDACs transcript abundance in response to different light conditions according to RNA-seq and RT-qPCR data, indicating that five FtHDACs might be involved in light response. Our findings could provide fundamental information for the HDAC gene family and supply several targets for future function analysis of FtHDACs related with light response of Tartary buckwheat.

Analysis of synonymous codon usage patterns in mitochondrial genomes of nine Amanita species.

Introduction: Codon basis is a common and complex natural phenomenon observed in many kinds of organisms. Methods: In the present study, we analyzed the base bias of 12 mitochondrial core protein-coding genes (PCGs) shared by nine Amanita species. Results: The results showed that the codons of all Amanita species tended to end in A/T, demonstrating the preference of mitochondrial codons of Amanita species for a preference for this codon. In addition, we detected the correlation between codon base composition and the codon adaptation index (CAI), codon bias index (CBI), and frequency of optimal codons (FOP) indices, indicating the influence of base composition on codon bias. The average effective number of codons (ENC) of mitochondrial core PCGs of Amanita is 30.81, which is <35, demonstrating the strong codon preference of mitochondrial core PCGs of Amanita. The neutrality plot analysis and PR2-Bias plot analysis further demonstrated that natural selection plays an important role in Amanita codon bias. In addition, we obtained 5-10 optimal codons (ΔRSCU > 0.08 and RSCU > 1) in nine Amanita species, and GCA and AUU were the most widely used optimal codons. Based on the combined mitochondrial sequence and RSCU value, we deduced the genetic relationship between different Amanita species and found large variations between them. Discussion: This study promoted the understanding of synonymous codon usage characteristics and evolution of this important fungal group.

Study on morphological traits, nutrient compositions and comparative metabolomics of diploid and tetraploid Tartary buckwheat sprouts during sprouting.

Tartary buckwheat (TB) sprout is a kind of novel nutritional vegetable, but its consumption was limited by low biomass and thin hypocotyl. The tetraploid TB sprouts was considered to be able to solve this issue. However, the nutritional quality of tetraploid TB sprouts and differences between conventional (diploid) and tetraploid TB sprouts remain unclear. In this study, the morphological traits, nutrient compositions and metabolome changes of diploid and tetraploid TB sprouts were analyzed. The water, pigments and minerals contents of TB sprouts increased during sprouting, while the contents of total soluble protein, reducing sugar, cellulose, and total phenol decreased. Compared with diploid sprouts, tetraploid sprouts had higher biomass and thicker hypocotyl. Tetraploid sprouts had higher ash and carotenoid contents, but had lower phenol and flavonoid accumulation. 677 metabolites were identified in TB sprouts by UPLC-MS analysis, including 62 diseases-resistance metabolites and 43 key active ingredients. Some key bioactive metabolites, such as rimonabant, quinapril, 1-deoxynojirimycin and miglitol, were identified. 562 differential expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified during sprouting with seven accumulation patterns, and five hormones were found to be involved in sprout development. Additionally, 209 DEMs between diploid and tetraploid sprouts were found, and some key bioactive metabolites were induced by chromosome doubling such as mesoridazine, amaralin, atractyloside A, rhamnetin and Qing Hau Sau. This work lays a basis for the development and utilization of TB sprouts and provides evidence for the selection of tetraploid varieties to produce sprouts with high biomass and quality.

Insect Cell-Based Models: Cell Line Establishment and Application in Insecticide Screening and Toxicology Research.

During the past decades, research on insect cell culture has grown tremendously. Thousands of lines have been established from different species of insect orders, originating from several tissue sources. These cell lines have often been employed in insect science research. In particular, they have played important roles in pest management, where they have been used as tools to evaluate the activity and explore the toxic mechanisms of insecticide candidate compounds. This review intends to first briefly summarize the progression of insect cell line establishment. Then, several recent studies based on insect cell lines coupled with advanced technologies are introduced. These investigations revealed that insect cell lines can be exploited as novel models with unique advantages such as increased efficiency and reduced cost compared with traditional insecticide research. Most notably, the insect cell line-based models provide a global and in-depth perspective to study the toxicology mechanisms of insecticides. However, challenges and limitations still exist, especially in the connection between in vitro activity and in vivo effectiveness. Despite all this, recent advances have suggested that insect cell line-based models promote the progress and sensible application of insecticides, which benefits pest management.

Isolation and purification of Tartary buckwheat polysaccharides and their effect on gut microbiota.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is rich in polysaccharides that can be utilized by the gut microbiota (GM) and provide several health benefits. However, the mechanisms underlying the action of these polysaccharides remain unclear to date. In this study, Tartary buckwheat polysaccharides (TBP) were purified, and five fractions were obtained. The composition of these fractions was determined using ion chromatography. Different TBP components were investigated regarding their probiotic effect on three species of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. In addition, the effect of TBP on GM and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was evaluated. Results showed that the probiotic effect of TBP fraction was dependent on their composition. The polysaccharides present in different fractions had specific probiotic effects. TBP-1.0, mainly composed of fucose, glucose, and d-galactose, exhibited the strongest proliferation effect on L. rhamnosus, while TBP-W, rich in glucose, d-galactose, and fructose, had the best promoting effect on Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium adolescentis growth. Furthermore, TBP-0.2, composed of d-galacturonic acid, d-galactose, xylose, and arabinose, exhibited its highest impact on Bifidobacterium breve growth. The composition of GM was significantly altered by adding TBP during fecal fermentation, with an increased relative abundance of Lactococcus, Phascolarctobacterium, Bacteroidetes, and Shigella. Simultaneously, the level of SCFA was also significantly increased by TBP. Our findings indicate that Tartary buckwheat can provide specific dietary polysaccharide sources to modulate and maintain GM diversity. They provide a basis for Tartary buckwheat commercial utilization for GM modulation.

Bioactive compounds, health benefits, and industrial applications of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum).

Tartary buckwheat belongs to the family Polygonaceae, which is a traditionally edible and medicinal plant. Due to its various bioactive compounds, the consumption of Tartary buckwheat is correlated to a wide range of health benefits, and increasing attention has been paid to its potential as a functional food. This review summarizes the main bioactive compounds and important bioactivities and health benefits of Tartary buckwheat, emphasizing its protective effects on metabolic diseases and relevant molecular mechanisms. Tartary buckwheat contains a wide range of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoid glycosides, bioactive polysaccharides, and bioactive proteins and peptides, as well as D-chiro-inositol and its derivatives. Consumption of Tartary buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat-enriched products is linked to multiple health benefits, e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Especially, clinical studies indicate that Tartary buckwheat exhibits remarkable antidiabetic activities. Various tartary buckwheat -based foods presenting major health benefits as fat and blood glucose-lowering agents have been commercialized. Additionally, to address the safety concerns, i.e., allergic reactions, heavy metal and mycotoxin contaminations, the quality control standards for Tartary buckwheat and its products should be drafted and completed in the future.

Fast and sensitive UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of typical α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes and malondialdehyde in various vegetable oils and oil-based foods.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a method for simultaneously analyzing malondialdehyde (MDA) and two typical toxic α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes, 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE), and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). The method possessed widely linear range (10-1000 ng/mL). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of MDA, HHE, and HNE were 2.0 and 5.0 ng/g, 2.0 and 5.0 ng/g, and 0.1 and 0.3 ng/g, respectively; the recovery rates all fall into 95.56-104.22 %. The method was sufficiently precise (<5%), and not affected by the analysis matrix. Application to 17 food products revealed total MDA, HHE, and HNE contents were 0.11-3.56, 0.05-3.32, and 0.09-3.70 µg/g, respectively. It will be useful in future research on the influence of food composition and main substrate structure on the generation and distribution of these three aldehydes and the implementation of corresponding control methods.

Study on dietary intake, risk assessment, and molecular toxicity mechanism of benzo[α]pyrene in college students in China Bashu area.

As an extremely strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen, benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) is often produced during food processing at high temperatures. Recently, food safety, as well as toxicity mechanism and risk assessment of BaP, has received extensive attention. We first constructed the database of BaP pollution concentration in Chinese daily food with over 104 data items; collected dietary intake data using online survey; then assessed dietary exposure risk; and finally revealed the possible toxicity mechanism through four comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The statistical results showed that the concentration of BaP in olive oil was the highest, followed by that in fried meat products. The margins of exposure and incremental lifetime cancer risk both indicated that the dietary exposure to BaP of the participants was generally safe, but there were still some people with certain carcinogenic risks. Specifically, the health risk of the core district population was higher than that of the noncore district in Bashu area, and the female postgraduate group was higher than the male group with bachelor degree or below. From MD trajectories, BaP binding does not affect the global motion of individual nucleic acid sequences, but local weak noncovalent interactions changed greatly; it also weakens molecular interactions of nucleic acid with Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase I large fragment (BF), and significantly changes the cavity structure of recognition interface. This work not only reveals the possible toxicity mechanism of BaP, but also provides theoretical guidance for the subsequent optimization of food safety standards and reference of rational diet.

Effects of Storage Temperature, Packaging Material and Wash Treatment on Quality and Shelf Life of Tartary Buckwheat Microgreens.

Tartary buckwheat microgreens (TBM) are popular worldwide products but display an extremely short shelf life. Thus, the effects of storage temperature, packaging material, and wash treatment on the quality and shelf life were analyzed. Headspace composition, weight loss, electrolyte leakage, microbial population and sensory quality were investigated during storage. Results showed that shelf life and quality of TBM decreased with the increment of storage temperature when stored at 5-25 °C. During 5 °C storage, LDPE bags were the best packaging materials for preserving the quality of LDPE, PE and HDPE bags. On the basis of 5 °C and LDPE packages, ClO2 + citric acid wash treatment could further inhibit quality deterioration and extend the shelf life. The results demonstrated bioactive constituents and antioxidant capacity were significantly affected by storage time. The study provides insights into developing optimal packaging and storage conditions for TBM.

Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis and Autophagy Participate in Buprofezin-Induced Toxic Effects in Non-Target A549 Cells.

Buprofezin (BUP) is an insecticide used for control of sucking pests. Its widespread use has raised concerns about possible adverse effects on the environment, and especially human health. The mechanism of toxicity of BUP, with respect to human health, is still unclear. Consequently, human A549 cells were employed to clarify the cytotoxicity and toxic mechanism of BUP at the molecular and cellular levels. The outcomes revealed BUP latent toxicity to A549 in a time- and dose-related way. Moreover, BUP induced mitochondrial dysfunction associated with mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, mitochondrial calcium overload, and ROS aggregation, ultimately resulting in the apoptosis and autophagy of A549 cells. Symbolic apoptotic and autophagic modifications were detected, including leakage of cyt-c, elevation of Bax/Bcl-2, activation of cas-9/-3, constitution of autophagic vacuoles, promotion of Beclin-1, conversion of LC3-II, and reduction of p62. Additionally, in total, 1216 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were defined after BUP treatment. Several apoptosis- and autophagy-related genes, such as BCL2, ATG5, and ATG16, down- or upregulated at the RNA transcription level, and functional DEGs enrichment analysis showed their involvement in the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, mTOR signalling pathway, and AMPK signalling pathway. Results confirmed that BUP could induce cytotoxicity associated with mitochondria-mediated programmed cell death in A549 cells.