Giovanna Liguori

Objective: To systematically map the current landscape of generative AI (GenAI) and large language model applications for clinical documentation and client communication in veterinary medicine, critically appraise validation depth, and identify barriers to real-world adoption. Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, and IEEE Xplore were searched for original research published between January 2020 and June 2026. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data using a 4-dimensional validation matrix (technical accuracy, clinical quality and safety, operational impact, and human-centric impact). Synthesis was conceptually grounded in the job demands-resources model. Results: 10 studies met the inclusion criteria: 6 addressed clinical documentation (automated clinical coding, information extraction, and generation of subjective, objective, assessment, and plan [ie, SOAP] notes), and 4 addressed client communication (veterinary triage and automated query responses). While technical accuracy was frequently assessed, operational impact was evaluated in only 1 study, and no study employed validated psychometric instruments to measure burnout. Key barriers included clinical hallucinations, data privacy concerns, poor interoperability with practice information management systems, and absence of veterinary-specific fine-tuning. Conclusions: GenAI demonstrates substantial technical promise for automating veterinary documentation and client communication tasks, yet the evidence base is characterized by a pronounced validation gap: operational and human-centric outcomes remain virtually unquantified. Clinical Relevance: Until rigorous evidence emerges, veterinarians should approach commercially available AI tools with cautious optimism. Future research must prioritize pragmatic, multicenter prospective trials employing multidimensional validation frameworks to generate evidence supporting safe clinical deployment.

Neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly recognized as disorders of cellular proteostasis characterized by progressive protein imbalance, defective stress adaptation, and neuronal dysfunction. Recent discoveries have established biomolecular condensates generated through liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) as essential regulators of neuronal organization, coordinating RNA metabolism, protein quality control, stress responses, and intracellular signaling. Alterations in condensate composition, material properties, and turnover are now considered important contributors to the conversion of physiological protein assemblies into persistent pathological structures, thereby influencing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and related disorders. Natural compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals, have gained increasing attention due to their broad neuroprotective activities; however, their potential ability to influence condensate biology remains incompletely characterized. This review provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of current evidence connecting natural compounds with biomolecular condensate homeostasis, including direct effects on phase separation as well as indirect regulation through stress granule remodeling, molecular chaperone activity, autophagy, mitochondrial function, oxidative balance, neuroinflammatory pathways, and proteostasis networks. Particular emphasis is placed on the molecular mechanisms through which these bioactive molecules may affect aggregation-associated pathways involving amyloid-β, tau, α-synuclein, TDP-43, and FUS. Finally, current experimental limitations, translational challenges, and future perspectives are discussed, highlighting biomolecular condensates as emerging therapeutic targets and natural compounds as potential multimodal modulators capable of preserving physiological phase behavior while limiting pathological protein maturation. This emerging framework may provide new opportunities for the development of disease-modifying strategies in neurodegenerative disorders.

The global obesity epidemic underscores the urgent need to dissect the molecular mechanisms driving the transition from benign adipose tissue expansion to pathological dysfunction, with adipocyte death representing a critical tipping point in this process. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed literature concerning the emerging role of ferroptosis in adipose tissue dysfunction, examining the core molecular machinery of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, the GPX4-glutathione defense axis, and the Nrf2-Keap1 cytoprotective pathway within the specific context of obese adipose tissue biology. The analysis reveals that the obese adipose microenvironment, characterized by pathological iron accumulation, enrichment of peroxidation-prone polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing phospholipids, and a chronically besieged antioxidant defense network, creates conditions uniquely favorable to ferroptotic execution. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that signals released from ferroptotic adipocytes are likely to promote macrophage polarization toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype, establishing a self-amplifying pathogenic loop that propagates local and systemic metabolic dysregulation. The review identifies multiple plant-derived nutraceuticals, including curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, bergamot polyphenolic fraction, sulforaphane, oleuropein, and astaxanthin, as promising multi-targeted modulators capable of intercepting the ferroptotic cascade at the levels of iron catalysis, lipid radical propagation, and Nrf2-dependent antioxidant defense potentiation. These findings position adipocyte ferroptosis as a novel therapeutic target in obesity and support the rationale for mechanism-based nutraceutical interventions aimed at protecting the adipose organ from pathological cell death.

Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) is one of the oldest medicinal plants known to humankind, valued across ancient civilisations for treating parasitic, microbial, and metabolic diseases. Its exceptionally rich phytochemical composition, dominated by punicalagins, ellagic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, piperidine alkaloids, and the unique conjugated fatty acid punicic acid, confers a remarkably broad spectrum of biological activities of direct relevance to contemporary veterinary medicine. While human-health applications have been extensively reviewed, a comprehensive synthesis of veterinary evidence across multiple species remains lacking. This review consolidates current preclinical and field knowledge on the pharmacological effects of pomegranate preparations in poultry, ruminants, swine, fish, companion animals, and laboratory models. In poultry—the most extensively studied taxon—dietary inclusion of pomegranate peel powder or extract consistently enhances growth performance, antioxidant status, and humoral immunity while exerting meaningful anticoccidial activity. The antiparasitic properties are compellingly supported by evidence against gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants, tapeworms, schistosomes, and protozoa including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Leishmania spp., as well as monogenean fish parasites. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity extends to major veterinary pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), and Clostridium perfringens. Rodent models have validated antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and reproductive benefits, including improved post-thaw sperm quality and enhanced litter size. The safety profile is generally favourable at conventional doses, although high dietary inclusion elicits anti-nutritional effects from condensed tannins, and potential drug interactions via cytochrome P450 inhibition warrant clinical caution. Despite this substantial evidence, significant translational barriers persist, including extract heterogeneity, absence of pharmacokinetic data in target species, and scarcity of controlled clinical trials. By providing a species- and pathology-driven synthesis, this review identifies critical research priorities and highlights the immense potential of this ancient, accessible, and economically viable phytobiotic as a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters and synthetic antiparasitics in veterinary practice.

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance among ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens has become a major global health threat, significantly reducing the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics. Plant-derived compounds have emerged as promising antibiotic adjuvants capable of restoring antibiotic activity through multiple resistance-modulating mechanisms. This review aims to critically evaluate the current evidence regarding phytochemicals that enhance antibiotic efficacy against drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Methods: Relevant studies investigating plant-derived compounds with antibiotic adjuvant activity against ESKAPE pathogens were identified and critically analyzed. Particular attention was given to mechanisms of action, synergistic interactions with conventional antibiotics, structure–activity relationships, and translational evidence from in vivo studies. Results: Numerous phytochemicals have demonstrated the ability to potentiate antibiotic activity through efflux pump inhibition, biofilm disruption, membrane permeabilization, and quorum sensing interference. For instance, the flavonoid quercetin inhibits the NorA efflux pump in Staphylococcus aureus, restoring ciprofloxacin susceptibility, while the sulfur-containing compound ajoene from garlic disrupts quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, sensitizing biofilms to tobramycin. Although several compounds exhibit promising synergistic effects in vitro, significant barriers remain regarding bioavailability, standardization, pharmacokinetics, and clinical translation. Conclusions: Plant-derived antibiotic adjuvants represent a promising strategy to combat multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. However, greater emphasis on translational research, standardized methodologies, and clinically relevant experimental models is required to facilitate their development toward therapeutic applications.

The integration of precision nutrition with pharmacological therapies has been proposed as a strategy to optimize therapeutic efficacy, tolerability, and patient-centered outcomes in chronic metabolic diseases. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have substantially advanced the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus by promoting substantial weight loss and improving glycemic control and cardiometabolic risk profiles. However, significant interindividual variability in therapeutic response, frequent gastrointestinal adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation, and the potential loss of lean body mass remain major clinical challenges that limit real-world therapeutic efficiency. Emerging evidence suggests that nutritional status, dietary patterns, body composition, inflammatory burden, and gut microbiota composition may influence both the efficacy and tolerability of GLP-1-based therapies. This review explores the role of precision nutrition as an adjunctive strategy to support GLP-1 RA treatment outcomes through personalized dietary interventions and targeted nutritional support. Particular attention is given to protein intake optimization for lean mass preservation, micronutrient adequacy, microbiota modulation, anti-inflammatory dietary approaches, and the management of gastrointestinal symptoms. Furthermore, the review explores the emerging contribution of nutrigenomics, metabolomics, microbiome-based stratification, digital health technologies, and artificial intelligence in advancing pharmacometabolic personalization. The potential pharmacoeconomic implications of integrated nutritional–pharmacological strategies are discussed, including the potential for improved adherence to reduce treatment-related costs, prevent complications, and enhance long-term metabolic sustainability. While current evidence supports the mechanistic rationale for combining precision nutrition with GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, it must be emphasized that direct evidence from prospective clinical trials evaluating such integrated strategies is limited. Most recommendations are based on indirect evidence from general weight-loss or metabolic disease populations, and their efficacy, specifically in GLP-1 RA-treated patients, remains to be demonstrated.

The simultaneous presence of multiple pesticide residues in the environment impairs honeybee health and survival. The toxicological interactions could result in additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects as documented in previous studies. In most cases, the co-exposure produces an amplification of the singular toxicity, resulting in additive or synergistic effects. More rarely, the interaction of active principles leads to antagonistic effects. Previous studies demonstrated that deltamethrin (DMT, a type II pyrethroid) and flupyradifurone (FLU, a butenolide insecticide) produce antagonistic toxicity when co-administered orally to caged Apis mellifera workers, and that dietary supplementation with the bergamot polyphenolic fraction (BPF) independently protects against FLU- and DMT-induced intoxication. The present study investigates the three-way interaction of DMT, FLU, and BPF on honeybees. Survival rate, solution consumption, and abnormal behavior have been recorded over a 72-h exposure period in groups of twenty caged honeybees orally treated with DMT (21.6 mg/L), FLU (50 or 100 mg/L), their binary combinations, or their ternary combinations with BPF (1 mg/kg). Results demonstrate that BPF alone did not differ from control (p > 0.05) at any time point, confirming its safety. Binary combinations of DMT and FLU showed antagonistic survival profiles consistent with our previous report. The addition of BPF to both binary pesticide combinations significantly improved survival (p < 0.001), reduced abnormal behavioral frequencies (p < 0.05), and increased solution intake (p < 0.05) compared to the respective DMT + FLU groups. These results suggest that BPF exerts a protective effect that extends to complex multi-pesticide exposure scenarios. These effects may be associated with antioxidant and detoxification-related pathways, although further biochemical and molecular analyses are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants of global concern due to their bioaccumulative and toxic properties. Raptors, as apex predators, are valuable sentinel species for monitoring PFAS contamination because of biomagnification along food chains. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on PFAS occurrence, tissue distribution, temporal and spatial trends, and associated health effects in raptors worldwide. Studies consistently demonstrate PFAS ubiquity in raptor tissues (liver, blood, eggs, feathers), with piscivorous species generally exhibiting higher concentrations than terrestrial ones. Legacy long-chain PFAS (≥C8), particularly PFOS, consistently biomagnify in raptor food webs and often exceed proposed toxicological thresholds. Temporal trends show declining PFOS levels in some regions following regulatory restrictions, though replacement PFAS remain poorly characterized. Tissue-specific patterns reveal eggs and liver as suitable matrices for assessing maternal transfer and long-term accumulation, while blood and feathers enable minimally invasive monitoring. Sublethal effects in raptors, combined with parallels in human epidemiology, underscore the relevance of a One Health approach. Standardized, multi-matrix, long-term biomonitoring programs using raptors and complementary sentinel species are recommended to evaluate regulation effectiveness and inform evidence-based mitigation strategies.