Fungal toxins contaminating food and animal feed pose a major threat to livestock health. In particular, deoxynivalenol (DON), a toxin produced by Fusarium fungi, can severely damage pig gut cells. A recent study in China reveals that lycopene, a natural antioxidant derived from tomatoes, helps protect these cells from DON-induced injury. It does so by blocking PGAM5, a key protein involved in cellular stress-highlighting its potential in preventing toxin-related damage.

Children who need life‑saving emergency surgery after a serious injury are almost six times more likely to die if in poorer countries than in wealthier ones, according to an international study led by the University of Cambridge.