Beyond Polysaccharides: Multifunctional Roles of Plant-Derived Conjugates in Sensory Enhancement and Food Quality Improvement.

Boundary cap neural crest stem cells (BCs) constitute a transient, but highly specialized population that resides at the dorsal and ventral root transitional zones during embryonic development, forming the interface between the central and peripheral nervous systems. These cells retain broad multipotency: in vitro they can differentiate into multiple neuronal and glial subtypes, while in vivo transplantation studies have demonstrated their capacity to integrate into both the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system. Beyond their neural potential, BCs and BC-derived glial cells exert remarkably protective effects on vulnerable or diseased tissues, including insulin-producing β-cells and degenerating motor neurons. BC-derived glial cells also display extraordinary resistance to oxidative stress and metabolic challenge. These features—developmental plasticity, stress tolerance, and robust trophic support—identify BCs as an excellent model for exploring cellular responses to extreme environmental conditions. Spaceflight represents one such extreme environment. Microgravity induces profound alterations in cytoskeletal organization, cell polarity, metabolism, and proliferation across diverse cell types. However, spaceflight experiments also involve prolonged pre-launch handling, transport, sealed culture conditions, and delayed recovery, which may additionally influence cellular behavior. Understanding how stem cells adapt to these conditions, including microgravity, is crucial both for human space exploration and for fundamental cell biology, as these conditions unmask mechanisms of cellular plasticity that are less evident on Earth. Previous experiments using MASER 14 and MASER 15 sounding rockets revealed that BCs withstand brief exposure to microgravity, retain their differentiation capacity, and unexpectedly exhibit increased proliferation after flight. These short-duration missions, however, did not elucidate the limits of BC survival or the strategies they employ under long-term microgravity, nutrient restriction, and absence of regulated atmospheric and incubator conditions.