Biochanin A

Biorefining of grasses and legume forages is carried out commercially to recover feed proteins for monogastric animals. The biorefining produces a fiber-rich pulp byproduct with additional valorization potential. Here, we explored whether pulp products from several biorefined plants could exhibit bioactivity against animal parasites. Among the tested plants, extracts derived from red clover possessed exceptionally high bioactivity against Ascaris suum larvae. GC-MS analysis revealed the antiparasitic compounds to be phytoestrogens, especially biochanin A and to a lesser extent formononetin. Higher concentrations of biochanin A and formononetin were found in biorefined pulp compared with unfractionated plants. These results underscore the dual benefit of biorefining: producing sustainable protein feed and valorizing residues for antiparasitic applications. These findings may offer a potential alternative to synthetic anthelmintics in addressing drug resistance challenges in livestock parasite management. Moreover, they pave the way for cost-effective, ecofriendly feed supplements, promoting circular economy principles in agriculture.

Plant root exudates serve as critical mediators of rhizospheric cross-kingdom interactions. Beneficial microorganisms have been demonstrated to promote plant fitness by re-assembling the soil nematode community, yet the mechanisms by which beneficial microorganisms alter the nematode community remain unclear. This study elucidates the fungal-induced nematode recruitment mechanisms through root exudate signaling. By testing the chemotactic responses of nematodes to 14 primary metabolites in root exudates, we identified low concentrations of flavonoids (Biochanin A, Isoliquiritigenin, and Quercetin) that significantly attract nematodes. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of nematodes revealed that genes related to olfactory transduction and neural network pathways were activated when these compounds attracted them. Molecular modeling and docking further showed that the three flavonoids were tightly bound to the proteins of the nematode, Deg-3, Y70D2A.1, Lgc-27, and B0207.7, providing supportive data for flavonoids as signaling molecules for nematode recruitment. Finally, soil microcosm experiments revealed that flavonoids can alter soil nematode community composition, increase community diversity, and selectively enrich omnivorous nematodes. Overall, our findings highlight the pivotal role of flavonoids in mediating plant-nematode interactions and guide us toward novel nematode management strategies.