Band 21, Heft 1

Abstracted from real compounds, chemical elements can be considered a system tied by chemical bonds (or bonding relationships) between two elements, namely the chemical element and chemical bond system. Then, elements, bonds and their properties can be studied from the view of complex networks. Based on the previous work, we introduce bond polarity to judge edge direction and select four electronegativity scales to build the directed chemical bond networks. Taking node importance and element electronegativity as an example, we discuss the relationships of properties between chemistry and networks. Through quantitative analysis, the importance scale changing trends in all networks are found to follow the similar periodic laws. And there exist statistically significant correlations between most of scale pairs. The further analysis proves the similar chemical meanings between above two scales. All these conclusions are unassociated with specific electronegativity scales, even if their networks have different nodes and edges, which prove the rationality and universality of the proposed method. Our research gives a network explanation on element electronegativity, and we can study more objects and chemical properties from the view of complex networks.

To investigate the effect of pomegranate juice (PJ) on the cyclosporine (CsA)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats, 80 rats were divided into four groups. The first group was regarded a negative control group, and the others were as follows: group 2 (CsA group) received CsA in a dose of 25 mg/kg/day orally, group 3 (treated group) received CsA in a dose of 25 mg/kg/day plus 2.5 mL/day of PJ, and group 4 (PJ group) received 2.5 mL of PJ daily. By the end of the 21st day, plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine clearance, urinary KIM-1, and NGAL were determined. Histopathological investigation and the determination of malondialdehyde and antioxidant enzymes were analyzed in kidney tissues. The results show that plasma creatinine, BUN, creatinine clearance, and kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were significantly altered in the CsA group. The supplement of PJ attenuated the alteration in these parameters. The treatment with PJ also prohibits the CsA-induced alteration in the histopathology, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes. We can conclude that PJ protects against CsA-induced nephrotoxicity due to its antioxidant effects. Graphical abstract

The structural, elastic, anisotropic, and lattice dynamical properties of cubic perovskite compounds XInO 3 (X = K, Rb, and Cs) are investigated using first-principles calculations. Electronic band structures and state densities revealed that the electronic nature of the studied materials exhibited half-metallicity properties. The existence of O p–d states close to the Fermi level contributes to the half-metallic properties. Moreover, polycrystalline properties, such as bulk, Young, and shear moduli and Pugh and Poisson ratios, have been determined. As a result of these characteristics, the compounds under consideration exhibited ductility behavior. As far as is known, since this is the first study of XInO 3 (X = K, Rb, and Cs) compounds, this work sheds light on future works.

The Mu Us Desert in China is significantly affected by seasonal freeze–thaw processes. In order to evaluate the adaptation potential of reconstituted soil with different proportions of feldspathic sandstone and sand to extreme environment, the laboratory simulation freeze-thaw experiments was conducted to study the characteristics of soil C and N under freeze–thaw conditions. The results showed that the content of soil organic matter reached the peak after two cycles of freezing and thawing in T1, T2 and T3, compared to before freeze–thaw cycle, the soil organic matter content increased by 70, 55 and 59%. After ten cycles of freezing and thawing, the content of soil organic matter increased significantly in T2 and T3. After one cycle of freezing and thawing, soil nitrogen content reached the peak. After ten cycles of freeze–thaw cycle, compared to before freeze–thaw cycle, the contents of ammonium nitrogen increased by 10, 49 and 11%, and the contents of nitrate nitrogen increased by 14, 39 and 34% in T1, T2 and T3. In conclusion, short-term freeze–thaw cycles in the Mu Us Desert significantly increased the accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen reconstructed by different ratios of feldspathic sandstone and sand, and T2 and T3 treatments had better retention performance on soil organic matter and nitrogen, which has a good adaptability to the extreme environment.

In this article, the theory of fractional control and state estimation applied to biological science is studied, particularly in hybrid wastewater treatment. For nonlinear systems with stable and known states, an interconnected fractional robust control design with high gain state estimation is proposed to generate a control insensitive to nutritional perturbations originated by an advanced oxidation process in a microalgae culture. An online study is proposed for the mineralization of glyphosate and its feedback in a microalgae cultivation process where through the designed control the light dynamics is manipulated to robustly and automatically regulate the biomass signal provided by an analog sensor and nutrient estimation via state observers. In the literature, there are few results developed with real-time results. This work is a multidisciplinary study with online results where the performance and improvement of the proposed complex process are concluded.

The absorption, distribution, and transport trends of organic and inorganic arsenic (As) in honesuckle ( Lonicera japonica ) were studied using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-XRF). The root, stem, and leaf samples were analyzed by μ-XRF, proving that in the presence of dimethyl arsenate acid, a small amount of As accumulated in local areas of the epidermis and cortex of roots, while most of As migrated to the upper plant through the middle vascular column. After reaching the stem, As was mainly distributed in the outer skin, indicating that the root and stem of L. japonica blocked the transport of As in the plant. In the presence of As( iii ), A large amount of As accumulated in the epidermis and cortex of the root, reducing its further transport from the plant roots. Once As entered the stem of L. japonica from the root, it achieved a strong transport capacity, thus causing severe harm to plants. The element correlation analysis revealed that As in L. japonica had the strongest correlation with Cu and Zn elements, for the future research on the influence of As pollution on plants, the interference based on the above two elements can be considered.

In this study, the effects of cutting speed, tool geometry, and machining parameters on surface roughness and cutting forces in the turning of Nilo 36 superalloy have been investigated. An experimental design of the turning process was made with the Taguchi technique. In this way, optimum values were estimated with a small number of experiments. The grey correlation analysis method was used to determine the best parameter levels and plausible factors. While the most ideal value for the cutter with traditional geometry was achieved with experiment number 3, indicated by the GRA (grey relationship analysis) Rank value no. 1, the worst result was obtained with experiment number 9, and while the most ideal value for the cutter with wiper geometry was achieved with experiment number 2, indicated by the GRA Rank value no. 1, the worst result was obtained with experiment number 6. Results showed that experiments made by GRA-based parameters give better results on surface roughness and cutting forces.

The effect of different vacuum impregnation (VI) pre-treatments of potato strips [in water (control), NaCl, KCl or CaCl 2 (0.1 M) for 10 and 15 min] on acrylamide formation in French fries after deep frying in sunflower oil at 175°C for 5 min was determined. The acrylamide content of fries prepared with potato strips pre-treated by VI in distilled water decreased from 0.82 to 0.24 µg/g when time increased to 15 min. Moreover, the acrylamide content of fries from 10 min-KCl pre-treatment (0.35 µg/g) decreased significantly to 0.04 µg/g when time was 15 min ( p < 0.05). In comparison to control (10 min), the VI pre-treatment in KCl and NaCl for 15 min reduced the relative content of acrylamide by 95 and 91%, respectively, and VI in distilled water was able to decrease this value by 71%. Results indicated that monovalent cations (K and Na) were more effective in reducing acrylamide formation than divalent cation (Ca 2+ ) when the VI pre-treatment time increased to 15 min. In conclusion, VI as a pre-treatment for mono- and divalent cations in fried potato production could be a useful technique in industrial applications to reduce acrylamide formation in fries in a short time.

The fruit of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. and Maxim.) has been newly developed for the treatment of blood deficiency syndrome clinically, but the effective constituents are still unclear, restricting its quality control and the new medicinal development based on it. This study elucidated the efficacy of A. senticosus fruit (ASF) for treating blood deficiency syndrome and accurately characterize the constituents. Chinmedomics strategy was used to identify the metabolic biomarkers of the model and the overall effect of ASF was evaluated based on the biomarker when it showed intervention effects for blood deficiency syndrome. ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the components in the blood absorbed from A. senticosus fruit, and the components highly relevant to the biomarker are regarded as potential effective constituents for blood deficiency syndrome. Twenty-two of the 28 urine metabolites of blood deficiency syndrome were significantly regulated by A. senticosus fruit, 97 compounds included 20 prototype components, and 77 metabolites were found in vivo under the acting condition. The highly relevant constituents were isofraxidin, eleutheroside B, eleutheroside B1, eleutheroside E, and caffeic acid, which might be the effective constituents of A. senticosus fruit. It is a promising new medicinal resource that can be used for treating blood deficiency syndrome.

The rhizomes of Pinellia ternata have a long history of being used as a traditional Chinese herb. To determine the chemical constituents of Pinelliae rhizome , Xi banxia and Jing banxia were collected from two different producing regions and subjected to analysis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 573 metabolites were identified in 12 different categories. Next, cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed, which revealed a distinct separation between the two species. The analysis of the differential metabolites revealed that among the 155 metabolites in Xi banxia, 68 metabolites were upregulated, and 87 metabolites were downregulated. The relative concentration of flavonoids in Xi banxia was higher than that in Jing banxia, while the relative concentrations of alkaloids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids were higher in Jing banxia. These results would provide a theoretical basis for the pharmacological activity analysis and functional study of P. ternata .

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia obtains the most desalination water from the Red Sea. In Saudi Arabia, 14 desalination plants receive water from the Red Sea, and three are located in the country’s east and rely on the Arabian Gulf. The study has observed 16 desalination plants out of 17 desalination plants in the kingdom. Most of the desalination plants in Saudi Arabia currently use the advanced technologies to produce potable water with less impact on the surrounding environment. The current study examined the variation of hydrographic parameters along all available desalination plants in Saudi Arabia. This is the first inter-annual database of hydrographic parameters in the last 4 years. The peak salinity was measured at the Duba desalination plant in 2020, and it was 67.2 ppt. During 2018, the Azizia desalination plant reported the lowest value of 36.8 ppt. The maximum temperature recorded at the Qunfudah desalination plant in 2019 was 34.6°C. In 2017, the minimum temperature was 19.1°C at the Jubail desalination plant. The level of dissolved oxygen and pH were likewise not significantly changed along the brine outflow and in the outfall, in contrast to temperature and salinity. On the basis of 4 years’ of data from observed desalination facilities, the current study sheds light on the less environmental impact with regard to hydrographic factors.

Jujube leaf tea is a functional beverage that soothes the nerves. In this study, we evaluated the effects of carbendazim and harpin on disease index, biomass accumulation, H 2 O 2 , antioxidant contents, and phenyl alanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity in young jujube leaves. Compared to harpin, carbendazim decreased the disease index and induced higher H 2 O 2 content. Additionally, the pesticide reduced young leaf biomass accumulation. In contrast, harpin increased vitamin C, glutathione, total phenolics, and total antioxidant capacity in young leaves compared to carbendazim. Compared with the control, harpin enhanced the PAL activity. Carbendazim residues were present in treated leaves for 14 days. Our study findings provide a method for improving jujube leaf tea quality from a pesticide utilization perspective. Graphical abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of in ovo injection of sodium borate on hatching power, chick weight, chick length in fertile broiler eggs. A total of 256 fertile broiler eggs were incubated in the study. On Day 18 of incubation, two groups were injected with 0.1 mL of 0.5 mg and 1 mg of sodium borate dissolved in saline, and two groups were used as sham control (injected with 0.1 mL of saline) and uninjected control. Hatching power was apparently increased ( P ≤ 0.05) by in ovo injection of sodium borate (0.5 mg) rather than control groups and sodium borate (1 mg) group. While there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of chick weights, a significant difference was found between group B and other experimental groups in terms of chick length ( P < 0.05). In ovo sodium borate injection (0.5 mg) had a positive effect on villus length, crypt width, villus absorption surface (HASA), and the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive crypt cells.

Machinability and optimization are the two objectives of researchers who guide us to enhance the manufacturing industry. Examining and analyzing the parameters such as surface roughness, tool wear, and cutting force during the processing would be beneficial that are used in various fields in the manufacturing industires. This study examined the effect of cutting forces to surface roughness on the material surface. Experimental studies were carried out by using constant feed rate (0.1 mm/rev), depth of cut (1 mm), three different coolants (CO 2 , minimum quantity lubrication, and dry), and cutting speeds (100, 140, 180, 220 m/min). In this study, grey relational analysis modeling and analysis of relationships between F x , F y , and F z forces on the surface roughness of Inconel 718 material, which is an important alloy in aviation, is examined. The influence of machinability parameters on F top and R a was calculated using variance analysis, which determined that cutting speed was the most significant machining parameters.

This study was performed to investigate the phytochemical profile, and the, in vitro, and, in silico, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the essential oil (EO) extracted from Origanum compactum . EO phytochemical screening was examined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The antioxidant potential, in vitro , was assessed using reducing power(FRAP), free 2,2 diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity tests. Antibacterial properties against two Gram (−) and two Gram (+) bacteria were assessed using the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the disc diffusion methods. By use of molecular docking, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of oregano EO were also tested. Thymol (75.53%) was the major compound among the nine compounds identified in the EO of Origanum compactum , followed by carvacrol (18.26%). Oregano EO showed an important antioxidant capacity, as tested by FRAP and DPPH assays, with EC 50 and IC 50 values of 13.300 ± 0.200 and 0.690 ± 0.062 mg/mL, respectively. The same EO has a total antioxidant capacity of 173.900 ± 7.231 mg AAE/g EO. The antibacterial results showed significant activity of Origanum compactum EO against all tested bacteria, especially against S. aureus (MIC = 0.25 mg/mL) and B. subtilis (MIC = 0.06 mg/mL). In silico , carvacrol was the most active molecule against nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (2CDU) and S. aureus nucleoside diphosphate kinase (3Q8U) with a glide score of −6.082, and −6.039 kcal/mol, respectively. Regarding the inhibition of E. coli beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase (1FJ4), piperitenone was the most active molecule with a glide score of −7.112 kcal/mol. In light of the results obtained, the EO of Origanum compactum Moroccan species can be used as promising natural food conservatives and an agent to fight antibiotic-resistant nosocomial microbes.

This study investigates the effect of substituting tungsten( vi ) oxide/gadolinium( iii ) fluoride in tellurite glasses whose densities varies from 5.0879 to 5.3246 g/cm 3 on gamma-ray absorption properties. A range of fundamental absorption parameters, including attenuation coefficients, half-value layer thicknesses, effective atom and electron numbers, effective conductivity, exposure, and energy absorption buildup factors, were studied for five different glass samples with varying substitution ratios. The ratio of tungsten( vi ) oxide to gadolinium( iii ) fluoride varied between 0 and 20 mol%, as well as the TeO 2 ratio in the composition was maintained between 90 and 80 mol%. The sample with the composition of 80–20 mol% TeO 2 /WO 3 , which attained the maximum density value with 20 mol% WO 3 addition, showed the highest gamma-absorption capabilities based on the obtained findings in the range of 0.015–15 MeV. In consideration of the mechanical and physical properties of WO 3 in tellurite glasses, it can be concluded that WO 3 incorporation is a crucial monotonic process that may be utilized to further improve the properties of glass shields.

We report the mechanical properties, elastic moduli, and gamma ray attenuation properties of some TeO 2 –WO 3 –GdF 3 glasses. Using the chemical composition of the selected glasses, the dissociation energy per unit volume ( G t ) and the packing density ( V t ) were calculated. Using the G t and V t values, Young’s, Shear, Bulk, Longitudinal Modulus, and Poisson’s ratio of the glasses are calculated. Next several fundamental gamma ray attenuation properties such as linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer, mean free path, effective atomic number, effective electron density, effective conductivity, exposure, and energy absorption buildup factors are calculated in 0.015–15 MeV energy range. As a consequence of WO 3 –GdF 3 substitution, the glass densities are observed in different values. The overall gamma ray attenuation properties are found to be enhanced through WO 3 addition. Moreover, the increasing WO 3 incorporation into glass configuration decreases the overall elastic moduli of glasses. It can be concluded that increasing WO 3 may be a useful tool for enhancing the gamma ray attenuation qualities and decreasing the elastic moduli of TeO 2 –WO 3 –GdF 3 in situations where a material with versatile mechanical properties is required.

The management of sheep reproduction requires the induction and synchronization of the estrus cycle and ovulation for the ewe out-of-season and/or synchronized lambing. These managements are based on the insertion of an intravaginal device of controlled internal drug release (CIDR or sponge) and then the administration of a hormonal injection, such as PMSG, eCG, hCG, or GnRH. This study aimed to compare the impact of CIDR or sponges, with PMSG and GnRH injection, respectively, for inducing estrus synchronization, lambing rate, twining, and sex preselection rate in Naimi sheep. A total of 86 Naimi sheep ewes and six male rams with proven fertility were used in this study. The results showed that the first ewes or CIDR group had the highest ewe fertility rate of 26/28 (92.59%) with a 35/92 (38.04%) lamb production ratio. The offspring sex ratio was 22/35 males (62.85%) and 13/35 female lambs (37.14%). Their twin ratios were 9/22 (34.4%), producing 14 males (77.77%) and 13 females (37.14%). The second or sponge ewe group’s fertility ratio was 16/26 (61.53%). They sired the lowest offspring ratio of 20/92 total lambs (21.73%) and had sex ratios of 11/20 males (55.0%) and 9/20 (45.0%) female lambs. The twin production ratios were 4/22 (25% with two males and two males with female twins). Their twin sex ratio was six males (77.77%) and two females (22.34%). The third or control ewe group’s fertility rate was 29/33 (87.87%). They produced 37/92 (40.27%) lambs, and the total sex ratios were 22/37 male lambs (59.45%) and 15/35 (40.45%) female lambs. They produced eight twins (27.58%), and their twins’ sex was equal to six male and six female (50%) lambs. Regarding the progesterone and testosterone hormone levels, no differences during pre- or post-intravaginal insertion were observed, but the estrogen level showed some differences during pre-insertion. In conclusion, the use of CIDR with hormone injection is better for reproduction management, male lambing, and sex preselection rate. The control group produced approximately the same fertility rate with equal male and female lambing sex preselection rates.

Energy cost and consumption are increasing, so that efficiency becomes more important, from the production to the end users. Energy reserves are limited; increasing demand and environmental concerns make efficiency important. To provide cost-effective and clean power generation, gas turbines and cogeneration are becoming the key technology that must be researched and developed. Three different cogeneration cycles are analyzed by using first and second laws of thermodynamics and exergy analysis method. The three cycles are basic, air heated, and fuel air heated cycles. The performance analysis of the devices such as turbine, recuperator, combustion chamber, compressor, and heat exchanger for the whole cycle is obtained and discussed. For different excess air rates, compression ratios ( r ), and ambient (inlet air) temperatures, the Z factor (ratio of lost exergy to useful exergy), specific fuel consumption, and specific work and other performance parameters of the devices were obtained and discussed. It is found that excess air rates have the most effect on the performance of the three cycles.

Plants are considered as a source of medicine to treat skin-related disorders since decades. Seeds of Psoralea corylifolia were used thousands of years ago for re-pigmentation in vitiligo patients especially in South Asia. It is a well-known fact that melanocytes, which are the specialized cells in the skin causes vitiligo through a series of chemical and enzymatic reactions, mainly due to the copper containing enzyme tyrosinase. Conditions associated with overproduction of melanin are termed hyperpigmentation. The treatment options are generally limited due to the complicated and slow pathogenesis of the disease. Therefore, therapeutic repigmentation modalities for the treatment of vitiligo are highly desirable. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various doses of ethanol and water extracts of P. corylifolia seeds on proliferation of normal human cultured melanocytes and its gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profiling. Graphical abstract

In this report, the stoichiometric ratio ( R ) for the interaction of diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with the antioxidant was employed as an evaluation index for the DPPH radical scavenging activity of antioxidants. This evaluation index was related only to the stoichiometric relationship of DPPH radicals with the antioxidant and had no relationship with the initial DPPH amount and the sample volume, which could offer a solution to the problem of poor comparability of EC 50 values under different conditions. A novel electrochemical micro-titration method was proposed for the determination of the stoichiometric ratio ( R ) for the interaction of DPPH radicals with the antioxidant. This electrochemical micro-titration model was verified using caffeic acid as the DPPH radical scavenger, with the stoichiometric ratio ( R ) of DPPH radicals to caffeic acid determined to be in the range of 2.003–2.046. The calculated EC 50 values were 0.513, 1.011, and 1.981 × 10 –5  mol/L for 2.10, 4.05, and 8.02 × 10 –7  moL of added DPPH radicals, respectively. The proposed method showed no differences from the conventional method, but had better precision and reliability, and used a smaller amount of sample.

As the population grows and the demand for water rises, the development of efficient and sustainable water purification techniques is becoming increasingly important to ensure access to clean and safe water in the future. The pollution of surface and groundwater by nitrate ( NO 3 − {\text{NO}}_{3}^{-} ) is a growing global concern due to the rise in nitrogen-rich waste released from agriculture and industry. The removal of nitrate ions from aqueous media using bimetallic catalysts loaded on several supports was studied. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide/multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 were used as supports to synthesize these bimetallic catalysts. The effects of the support type, supported metal, and catalyst reduction method on the nitrate reduction activity in water were investigated. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, and field emission gun scanning transmission electron microscope. In terms of nitrate conversion, high-temperature hydrogen reduction of the catalysts was a more effective method of catalyst preparation than NaBH 4 reduction. Except for the carbon nanotube-TiO 2 composite, pH fixation using CO 2 flow improved the efficiency of supported catalysts. The catalysts 1Pd–1Cu/TiO 2 and 1Pd–Cu/SBA-15 presented the highest catalytic activity, but the latter was the most selective to nitrogen. Graphical Abstract

Cancer is the second largest cause of mortality worldwide. Many natural bioactive chemicals generated from plants have favorable impacts on health, including cancer chemoprevention, compared to their manufactured counterparts. Persicaline, a novel sulfur-containing imidazoline alkaloid derived from Salvadora persica , has been shown to display promising antioxidant activity. In this study, the antiproliferative activity of persicaline was tested against different cancer cells using (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. The cell death mode and cell-cycle arrest were examined using flow cytometry analysis. In addition, the proapoptotic and molecular mechanism effects of persicaline against mammary MCF-7 cell line were explored. Furthermore, the impact of persicaline on apoptotic genes markers, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential were monitored. It was found that persicaline inhibits cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Persicaline-treated MCF-7 cells also showed initiation of apoptotic events and G1 cell-cycle arrest. In addition, persicaline treatment led to an increase in ROS generation, Bax and caspase upregulation while the Bcl-2 was downregulated. Hence, for the first time, this study showed that persicaline causes G1 phase arrest and apoptosis induction in MCF-7 cells. Increased proapoptotic genes and ROS levels were required for the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of persicaline.

Shammah is one of the forms of smokeless tobacco (SLT) prepared by mixing tobacco powder with other ingredients to increase its acceptability. Nicotine (NT) is the main alkaloid present in tobacco and is a precursor for carcinogenic metabolites including tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). In this study, eight varieties of Shammah samples, collected from Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, were analyzed for NT content by a validated high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method. Electrospray ionization was used with the multiple reaction monitoring in the positive mode for data acquisition. The method was fast and short retention times (RT) of 1.4 and 3.1 min were observed for NT and lapatinib used as internal standard (IS), respectively. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision results met the acceptance criteria of United States Food and Drug Administration and International Council for Harmonisation validation guidelines. The developed method was successfully applied for the detection of NT contents in various Shammah samples. NT concentration was found to be in the range of 6.94 ± 0.16 to 31.69 ± 0.79% with the maximum level detected in special Shammah from Ahad Al Masarihah and the lowest level in Khadrah Shammah from Samtah city. The results of this investigation have warranted further research to determine the minor Shammah contents including additive materials and assessment of associated health effects.

The importance of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of burn injuries has been shown in various studies. Glutathione (GSH) and thiols have important roles in antioxidant protection and detoxification. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between pediatric burn trauma and GSH and thiol homeostasis. Twenty-nine children with thermal-burn injuries and 29 healthy peers are included in this prospective randomized study. Children with burn wounds of 15–25% of total body surface area (TBSA) were included in the patient group. The control group was created from healthy peers of both sexes. All children were 1–10 years of age. Serum GSH, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), redox ratio (GSH/GSSG), and thiol–disulfide (SS) tests were conducted in both groups, and the changes between admission and day 7 were analyzed in patients with burn injuries. The mean age was 4.09 ± 2.54 years for the patient group and 4.28 ± 2.55 years for the controls ( p > 0.05). Total thiol (TT), native thiol (SH), and SS levels were significantly lower in the patient group than in the controls (TT = 291.69 ± 7.93 vs 346.79 ± 18.89 μmol/L, SH = 259.39 ± 7.90 vs 297.64 ± 12.81 μmol/L, SS = 16.15 ± 4.68 vs 24.58 ± 5.76 μmol/L; p < 0.001). SH/TT ratio was higher in the patient group (89.05 ± 3.00 vs 85.93 ± 3.01 μmol/L; p < 0.001). The SS/SH and SS/TT ratios were significantly lower in the patient group, while the SH/TT ratio was significantly higher ( p < 0.001). The patients had significantly decreased GSH levels (26.12 ± 2.42 vs 34.80 ± 2.26) and GSH/GSSG ratios (1.69 ± 0.12 vs 3.05 ± 0.29) and increased GSSG levels (16.09 ± 0.34 vs 11.48 ± 1.17, p < 0.001 for all). The GSSG level and GSSG/SH and GSSG/TT ratios were higher in the patient group than in the controls while the SH, TT, and SS levels, and SS/SH and SS/TT ratios were lower in the patient group. Analysis of serum GSSG levels, and ratios with SH and TT homeostasis, might be useful in order to determine burn damage in children.

The study area is situated in the central part of the Western Desert of Egypt between latitude 28°00′ to 30°00′ N and longitude 25°00′ to 30°00′ E. That region is distinguished by a featureless plain that is divided by depressions in Siwa, Qattara, and Bahariya. The purpose of the current study is to study the predominant structures in the area and how they relate to basin structure. Utilizing aerogravity data (Bouguer gravity, residual gravity, downward continuation, and Euler deconvolution) and aeromagnetic data (reduced to the northern Pole [RTP] anomalies and tilt derivative) is essential to accomplish this purpose. Through both qualitative analyses, these data were submitted to various processing and interpretation approaches. The subsurface structure configuration trending in E–W, N–S, NW–SE, NE–SW, ENE–WSW, and NNE–SSW directions has been simulated by utilizing aerogravity and aeromagnetic data. According to these maps, the study area is divided by around 44 faults. The study's findings indicated that the direction of the basement structure was almost NE–SW and N–S. The optimum Euler depth deconvolution at structure index, SI = 0 shows several features in the study area, including Sill, Dyke, Ribbon, and Step structures.

We report the role of the chemical modifications on various gamma-ray attenuation properties of four different tellurite glasses reinforced through WO 3 . The chemical compositions and glass densities are used in terms of determining some critical attenuation properties, such as linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer, and effective atomic number values. Based on the rise in density, it was determined that the maximum concentration of WO 3 also resulted in a significant change in the overall gamma-ray absorption properties, when all of the study’s findings were examined. It was observed that the glass sample, in which TeO 2 and WO 3 were 40 mol%, had the highest density. It was found that this glass with the highest density has the highest linear attenuation coefficient and mass attenuation coefficient and the lowest half value layer among the four samples specified. This demonstrates that WO 3 inclusion is a functional component that may be used in tellurium glasses and is a suitable material for situations requiring increased gamma-ray absorption properties.

The reaction protocols and their continuous development to achieve the desired selectivity remain a primary target of organic chemistry, which is addressed here with the specific role of the cesium ion. The pharmacophore “2-styryl quinoline” was taken as a reference here because of the continuation of our work, where it was found fit as fusion inhibitors and anti-viral agents. The present protocol defines its importance for the synthesis of O -alkylated products. However, in most cases, N -alkylation proceeds because of nitrogen atoms’ more nucleophilic nature and electronic density. The cesium effect makes this possible because of the large cationic size and its affection for the oxygen atom. The plausible mechanism and its progression were demonstrated here with the help of density function theory calculation by analyzing the energy of intermediates. The protocol is also found suitable with microwave irradiation. Moreover, it gives the product a better yield in less reaction time. The present reaction protocol and its importance will address some of the crucial issues related to the synthesis of the complex molecule, and the present protocol will open up hope, where the selectivity and product yield would be a concern.

Austenitic stainless steels (SSs) are commonly used as in-core and surrounding structural materials in today’s industrial BWR and PWR systems. Such adaptable steels have also been the primary materials studied and used in several advanced nuclear reactor technologies, such as fast breeding and magnetic fusion reactors. In this study, some critical material properties, such as structural, physical, and radiation-shielding properties of REX-734 and 316L SS, were experimentally evaluated and compared to those of a number of other alloys. In addition to homogeneous element distribution, both alloys exhibit strong crystal orientation. The REX-734 alloy has a tensile strength of 1,259 MPa, whereas the 316L SS alloy has a tensile strength of 495 MPa. Moreover, nitrogen in the REX-734 alloy formed ultra-hard nitrides with Cr, Nb, and Si and precipitated into the structure and increased the strength. According to our findings, the mass attenuation coefficient values of the 316L SS sample were slightly higher than those of the REX-734 sample at all energies. It can be concluded that the REX-734 sample, with its exceptional strength qualities and excellent radiation attenuation capabilities, may be a viable nuclear power plant material for future investigations.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the bones and soft tissues that support the tooth as a result of inflammatory reactions. YKL-40 is an inflammatory marker associated with inflammation and is also associated with periodontal diseases. Moringa oleifera (MO) is a plant rich in high nutritional values, minerals, vitamins, and other essential phytochemicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MO administration on serum YKL-40 levels in an experimental periodontitis model. In the study, a total number of 24 female Wistar albino rats, which were 4–5 months old with a body weight of 275 ± 25 g, were used. Animals were divided into three groups. 1st group: Control ( n = 8), 2nd group: periodontitis group (PG) ( n = 8), 3rd group: Periodontitis group (PG + MO) with an additional 200 mg/kg/4 weeks MO ( n = 8). In the PG and PG + MO were formed experimental periodontitis model. Compared to the PG, the decrease in the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and YKL-40 values in the PG + MO ( p < 0.05, p < 0.05) was found to be significant in terms of statistical evaluation. As a result, MO decreased YKL-40 levels in the experimental periodontitis model. Although further research is needed, drugs containing MO can be used in the treatment of periodontal diseases.

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) rate within the atmosphere has been rising for decades due to human activities especially due to usage of fuel types such as coal, cement, flaring, gas, oil, etc. Especially in 2020, COVID-19 pandemic caused major economic, production, and energy crises all around the world. As a result of this situation, there was a sharp decrease in the global CO 2 emissions depending on the fuel types used during this pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of “CO 2 emissions due to the fuel types” on “percentage of deaths in total cases” attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic using generalized linear model and generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) approaches with inverse Gaussian and gamma distributions, and also to obtain global statistical inferences about 169 World Health Organization member countries that will disclose the impact of the CO 2 emissions due to the fuel types during this pandemic. The response variable is taken as “percentage of deaths in total cases attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic” calculated as “(total deaths/total confirmed cases attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic until December 31, 2020)*100.” The explanatory variables are taken as “production-based emissions of CO 2 from different fuel types,” measured in tonnes per person, which are “coal, cement, flaring, gas, and oil.” As a result of this study, according to the goodness-of-fit test statistics, “GLMM approach with gamma distribution” called “gamma mixed regression model” is determined as the most appropriate statistical model for investigating the impact of CO 2 emissions on the COVID-19 pandemic. As the main findings of this study, 1 t CO 2 emissions belonging to the fuel types “cement, coal, flaring, gas, and oil” per person cause increase in deaths in total cases attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic by 2.8919, 2.6151, 2.5116, 2.5774, and 2.5640%, respectively.

The radiation attenuation characteristics of WO 3 -Li 2 O-ZnO-P 2 O 5 glasses have been examined using Phy-X software. The linear attenuation coefficient is correspondingly increased with the inclusion of WO 3 , which indicates the existence of a reducing tendency in the photon transmission correlating with an increment in the WO 3 content in the glasses. When density is increased, there is a considerable reduction in the half-value layer (HVL), which is most noticeable between 80 and 100 keV. Because the HVL reaches high values at 100 keV for the samples, it can be deduced that the HVL steadily increases as the energy increases. Additionally, increasing the amount of WO 3 in the glasses causes the mean free path (MFP) to decrease. The MFP for the glasses was compared with that of different heavy concretes, and the comparison demonstrated that the chosen systems have the potential to be used for the fabrication of protection masks that are utilized during diagnostic radiation treatment. We determined the ratio between the tenth value layer for the free-WO 3 sample and the sample with 10 mol% and we found that the ratio is higher than 1, which suggests that the tenth value layer is decreased with the addition of WO 3 to the glasses.

In this study, we used tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC), diethanolamine (DEA), and N -methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) to prepare ternary DES and binary DES to absorb CO 2 . We found that their formation was due to the hydrogen bond interaction between hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donor (HBD). Surprisingly, TEAC/MDEA/DEA can react with CO 2 , but TEAC/MDEA cannot react with CO 2 . Unexpectedly, after adding DEA to TEAC/MDEA, the ternary TEAC/MDEA/DEA DES can react with CO 2 . Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier infrared spectroscopy results showed that the accidental CO 2 absorption behavior mainly depended on the HBD DEA, because the imine group in DEA reacted with CO 2 to form carbamate, thereby absorbing CO 2 , while the hydroxyl group on MDEA and the hydroxyl group of DEA did not interact with CO 2 . Through thermal stability analysis, TEAC/MDEA/DEA system with the molar ratio of 1:3:4 is more stable. We further studied the influence of molar ratio, temperature, water content, and other factors on the absorption of CO 2 by ternary DES. In addition, TEAC/MDEA/DEA (1:3:4) was regenerated at 80°C, and the absorption capacity of DES was almost unchanged after five absorption–desorption cycles.

Aircraft engines such as gas turbines and detonation engines have very important attention by the researchers in the last decades. However, using detonation engines for producing electrical and heat power was not researched efficiently. In this study, gas turbine and pulse detonation engines cogeneration systems were analyzed and compared by using first and second laws of thermodynamics and exergy analysis method. Three different cycles, namely, basic gas turbine, Zeldovich–von Neumann–Döring (ZND) detonation engine and steam injected regenerative ZND detonation engine cogeneration systems were investigated. The performance analyses and the advantage of these three cycles were obtained and discussed. The performance analyses were done for different compression ratios ( r ), and the combustion outlet temperatures and pressures, exergy efficiencies, specific fuel consumption, electrical efficiency, exergy fuel consumption, electrical heat rates and other performance parameters of the three cycles were obtained and discussed. It is found that gas turbine cogeneration systems have some advantages and disadvantages in some conditions than ZND cycle. The steam injected regenerative ZND detonation engine cogeneration systems can compete with the Brayton cycle cogeneration systems.

Numerous studies highlighted the impact of natural products, particularly phytosterols, in wound healing while providing less expensive alternatives to chemically synthesized drugs, with less side effects. Centaurea pumilio L. (family Asteraceae) is a rare and endangered species of genus Centaurea with few reports concerning its chemistry. Our phytochemical investigation for the non-polar fraction of its aerial parts led to the isolation and identification of the new compound ( 6 ) identified as stigmast-1,5-dien-3- O -β- d -glucopyranoside along with five known sterols and triterpenes ( 1–5 ) identified as taraxasterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol glucoside, and stigmasterol-3- O -β- d -glucopyranoside. Structures of the isolated compounds have been characterized using 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectral analyses. The cell viability and proliferative activity of the isolated compounds were evaluated using an MTT assay on cultured human primary umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). None of the compounds exhibited any sign of cytotoxicity. Nonetheless, compounds 5 and 6 moderately enhanced the HUVEC cell growth by 14 and 16%, respectively, at the maximal tested dose (50 µg/mL). As inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β) enzyme is important to enhance the wound healing process; therefore, molecular docking was performed to understand the possible interactions between bioactive compounds 5 and 6 and GSK-3β binding pocket active amino acid residues. Both compounds were able to bind to the substrate‑binding site of GSK-3β and potentially interact with the key active site residues, forming strong π and hydrogen interactions with the catalytic site residues, revealing lower binding energy (−7.185 and −6.303 kcal/mol, respectively) than that of indirubin-3-monooxime (−5.303 kcal/mol); thereby representing strong natural replacements candidates for GSK-3β inhibitors. Graphical abstract

The composition and content of aroma substances in flue-cured tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) will affect the quality of tobacco. To investigate the correlation between various aroma substances of K326 before and after flue-curing, and their impact on tobacco quality and diversity, this study employed the middle leaves of K326 and KRK26 as test materials. Samples were collected both before and after flue-curing for untargeted metabolomics analysis. The results of K326 showed that 584 metabolites were significantly different and there were 44 aroma-related metabolites, including alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, organic acids, etc. The analyzed aroma compounds consist of 37 known tobacco aroma substances, while 7 metabolites, previously not associated with tobacco aroma, have been identified as aroma substances in other food products. These findings suggest that these seven metabolites might may be potential tobacco aroma compounds. Further analysis showed that the content of phenols, alcohols, and aldehydes increased significantly after flue-curing, but the content of organic acids decreased. Furthermore, the analysis of KRK26 revealed a correlation between the quantity of aroma substances and the type of tobacco. These findings serve as a reference for enhancing the flue-curing process of K326 and optimizing the industrial production of cigarettes that use cured K326 tobacco leaves.

The homeostasis of calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) is disturbed during menopause. The present study aimed to determine the effects of Ca-enriched pumpkin on Fe status in ovariectomized rats. A total of 48 female Wistar rats were divided into six groups. One group was fed a standard diet (C), while the other five groups were ovariectomized and fed a standard diet (OVX), a calcium lactate diet (CaL_OVX), calcium lactate-enriched pumpkin (PCaL_OVX), calcium lactate and alendronate (CaL_OVX_B), and calcium lactate-enriched pumpkin and alendronate (PCaL_OVX_B), respectively. The nutritional intervention lasted 12 weeks and rats were euthanized. Tissue samples were collected, and the iron content in the samples was assessed. A comparison of all groups showed a reduction in iron concentrations in femurs, liver, hair, spleen, and kidneys in the ovariectomized groups than in the control group. The PCaL_OVX_B group had a significantly higher blood hemoglobin concentration than the control group. Moreover, spleen and liver Fe concentrations were the highest in PCaL_OVX and PCaL_OVX_B rats among the treated groups and were comparable with the control group. These results indicate that ovariectomy decreases Fe status in rats. Calcium lactate-enriched pumpkin with and without alendronate can increase Fe concentration in liver and spleen in ovariectomized rats.

This article examines energy consumption, microstructure, mechanical properties, and the change in the wear amount during the machining of GGG-42 cast iron material with two types of guide cutting tool produced by powder metallurgy and casting method The tap. tool samples used as cutting tool material were first subjected to the traditional hardening process and then to two different cryogenic treatments (24–16 h) at −90°C. The internal structures of the guide samples obtained from conventional heat treatment and cryogenic treatment were examined with an optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope. The hardness changes were checked with Vickers measurement method. The wear amount forming after the threading process was measured with CLEMEX program in a light microscope. In addition, by measuring the current amount drawn during the machining of the cast iron with guide cutter tools, instantaneous power consumption during cutting and power consumption during chip removal were calculated. The application of heat treatment and cryogenic process increased the hardness of the guides. Moreover, the power consumption during the chip removal was also seen to increase. This can be commented that cutting tools produced with powder metallurgy perform better than the cutting tools produced via casting and 30% energy saving.

The ultra-high pressure-assisted extraction (UHPE) of total phenols from Eucommia ulmoides leaves (TPEU) was optimized and its antioxidant activity on Eucommia ulmoides seed oil was studied. The effects of UHPE pressure, UHPE time, and ethanol concentration on the extraction yield of TPEU were examined by response surface methodology. In addition, TPEU was added to Eucommia ulmoides seed oil, and the effects of TPEU on the antioxidant activity (acid value, peroxide value) of Eucommia ulmoides seed oil during storage were studied. The optimal UHPE conditions were as follows: UHPE pressure, 406 MPa; UHPE time, 8.3 min; and ethanol concentration, 60.2%. Under these UHPE conditions, the yield of TPEU was 7.58%. TPEU had a good antioxidant effect when the TPEU content was 0.06%. The antioxidant effect of TPEU was lower than that of BHA. Both TPEU and BHA have a synergistic effect.

Enzymatic browning causes quality losses in the soybean sprout industry. Herein, the effects of harpin, a proteinaceous bacterial elicitor isolated from Erwinia amylovora , in regulating enzymatic browning and antioxidant nutrient accumulation in stored soybean sprout were investigated. Enhanced soybean sprout growth (evaluated by sprout length and fresh weight) occurred after spraying three times (0, 2, and 4 days after sowing) with 30 mg L −1 harpin during the growth stage. The decline in vitamin C and total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity (evaluated by Fe 3+ reducing power) were attenuated by harpin during storage. Harpin increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, NADPH oxidase (NOX), superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities and inhibited polyphenol oxidase activity and enzymatic browning in soybean sprouts during storage. However, this harpin-promoted sprout growth, enhanced antioxidant accumulation and enzyme activity and improved sprout quality could be partly, but drastically, abolished using diphenyleneiodonium chloride, a specific inhibitor of NOX. Moreover, the mechanisms by which harpin influences antioxidant accumulation and enzymatic browning in soybean sprouts during storage were discussed from the perspective of NOX-mediated H 2 O 2 signalling. Graphical abstract

Carvacrol is a major component of many essential oils of the genus Thymus, Satureja, and Origanum , determining their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate some physicochemical and biological properties of pure carvacrol. The surface tension and density were measured at six different temperatures (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80°C). The surface tension values were between 53.11 and 60.38 mN/m, while density varied from 0.978 to 0.99 kg/m 3 . The antibacterial activity against seven pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria was investigated. The diameter of the inhibition zones was determined in the range of 3.9–4.9 mm. The antioxidant activity was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (1687.0 µmol TE/mL) method.

Radix puerariae has become the most commonly used medicine for diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the mechanism of Radix puerariae in the treatment of DN is not completely clear. This study is to determine the active ingredients, targets, and signaling pathways of Radix puerariae for the treatment of DN using network pharmacology analysis and animal experiments to confirm its possible mechanism of action. A total of 12 potential effective components and 10 key therapeutic targets were obtained. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that the use of Radix puerariae in DN treatment mainly involves HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling, and VEGF signaling pathway. Molecular docking proved that the combined activity of the components with potential key targets were excellent. Animal experiments showed that Radix puerariae could improve the renal pathological structure in DN rats. Radix puerariae could decrease the content of AKT1, IL-6, INS, and reduce the expression levels of p-Akt/Akt and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 in renal tissue of DN rats. This study provides insight into the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of Radix puerariae for treating DN.

The current study aimed to assess the neuroprotective effect of Zn and Fe oxide nanoparticles biofabricated by Taverniera glabra in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The experimental animals (160–200 g) were divided into nine groups ( n = 9). The blood glucose, body weight, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase test (CAT), lipid peroxidation (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities were determined. Oral administration of nanoparticles and T. glabra methanol extract (TGME; 10 and 15 mg/kg b.w) significantly decreased the glucose level, increased the body weight, controlled the quantitative level of G6PD, and significantly decreased the levels of ALT, ALP, cholesterol, and creatinine. Moreover, TGME and their Zn and Fe oxide nanoparticles significantly restored the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH) that decreased during induced diabetes. In the diabetic group, a significant increase in TBARS was noted and recovered in diabetic animals ( p < 0.05) as compared to glibenclamide. The AChE activity was significantly recovered by nanoparticles and TGME both in the blood and brain of the diabetic group ( p < 0.05). Taken together, it can be suggested that TGME and Zn and Fe oxide nanoparticles significantly improved memory and could be considered as an effective biogenic nanomaterial for diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and oxidative stress.

The effect of CdS/ZnS composite-sensitized TiO 2 nanotube array (TNTA) on the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 was studied. CdS/ZnS quantum dots sensitized TNTA by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) cycle method, and CdS/ZnS-TNTA composite semiconductor materials were prepared. The loading amount of CdS/ZnS depends on the number of SILAR cycles. The effects of SILAR cycle times, the CO 2 volume flow, and light intensity on the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction performance were studied. The main product of the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 was methanol; the performance was 2.73 times higher than that of bare TNTA, the optimal SILAR cycle was 10, the light absorption sideband was red shifted to 524 nm, and the optimal CO 2 volume flow rate was 20.5 mL/min. The final yield was as high as 255.49 nmol/(cm 2 -cat h). CdS/ZnS quantum dot sensitization mainly broadened the wavelength range of the catalyst’s response to visible light, inhibited the recombination of electron–hole pairs to a certain extent, and greatly improved the photocatalytic performance under visible light.

Epoxy resins with varying amounts of MoO 3 were theoretically investigated for their radiation shielding ability at low energies (between 0.0395 and 0.344 MeV). The quantity of MoO 3 varied from 0 to 30%, and relevant shielding parameters were obtained and analyzed from Phy-X software. The half value layer (HVL) of the resins demonstrated that increasing MoO 3 content improved the space-efficiency of the prepared samples at all tested energies, leading to the Mo4 sample, the epoxy resin with the greatest MoO 3 content having the smallest HVL. Additionally, the mean free path of the materials has an inverse relationship with their density, which increased with additional MoO 3 . The tenth value layer ratio between Mo1 and Mo4 illustrated how the introduction of Mo has a much greater effect on thickness reduction at lower energies than at higher energies due to photoelectric phenomena. The Z eff and N eff parameters showed how the epoxy samples benefitted from the introduction of MoO 3 at different energies.

Morus nigra , black mulberry, is the most attractive among mulberry species. The study aimed to determine human health-promoting content and antifungal activity in fruits of seven black mulberry genotypes grown in the Tortum district of Turkey. The genotypes exhibited significant differences in most of the human health-promoting content. Among individual sugars and organic acids, glucose (6.98–8.03 g/100 g fresh weight base) and malic acid (6.33–10.45 g/100 g fresh weight base) were predominant. The ascorbic acid content of genotypes was found between 18.13 and 26.77 mg/100 g fresh weight base, indicating that black mulberry fruits had moderate ascorbic acid content. Total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, and total anthocyanin contents in fruit extracts of seven black mulberry genotypes were also investigated. The results showed that the levels of the aforementioned parameters changed depending on genotypes. The total phenolic and total anthocyanin contents were in the range of 1,656–2,348 μg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 623–804 μg C3GE (cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent)/g, respectively. The genotypes had antioxidant capacity between 17.41 and 3.86 μg/mL and between 10.08 and 14.11 μmol TE/g measured by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, respectively. Some of the genotypes (TOR-1 and TOR-2) had high antifungal activity particularly against C. albicans . It was determined that the people living in the region traditionally use mulberries as blood enhancer, immune system booster, and mouth lesion treatments to protect themselves against different types of cancers and against inflammation. The present results confirm that attractive fruits of black mulberry are a rich natural source of phenolic antioxidants and can contribute to the dietary intake of antioxidants, depending on genotypes.

The objective of this work was to characterize the phytochemical composition of essential oil from Juniperus thurifera (L.) fruits (EOFT) and study its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. EOFT was extracted by hydrodistillation and fingerprinted by using GC–MS. The antioxidant effect of EOFT was evaluated using 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric iron reduction assay (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. Importantly, the antimicrobial activity of EOFT was performed against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis , and Proteus mirabilis . In addition, the inhibitory capacity of NADPH oxidase and human acetylcholinesterase was also investigated using molecular docking. The results of the chemical composition reveal that EOFT constituted 11 terpenic compounds with dominance of elemol (33.86%), terpinen-4-ol (27.80%), and cryptomeridiol (18.36%). The antioxidant power of EOFT recorded IC 50 values of 197.07 ± 0.09 μg/mL (DPPH) and 216.34 ± 0.06 μg/mL (FRAP), while TAC of EOFT was determined to be 181.06 μg AAE/mg. The antibacterial potency on solid medium revealed that EOFT induced inhibition zone diameters reaching 14 mm, and a minimum concentration up to 2.78 µg/mL against the studied bacterial strains. The EOFT also showed an important antifungal effect as the inhibition reached 42%, and the MIC was between 7.50 and 22.25 µg/mL. The in silico study showed that o -Cymene was the most active molecule against NAD(P)H oxidase followed by cadinol with a Glide score of −5.344 and −5.143 kcal/mol, respectively. Due to their promising results, the outcome of this work suggests that EOFT could be used as an interesting natural weapon to control microbial and freed radical-related diseases.

Oxidation is a prominent degradation route of biological molecules that produces a wide variety of degradation products through complex mechanisms and hence qualifies to be a vital pharmaceutical process. This article presents the kinetic and spectral study of the oxidation of an antimigraine drug rizatriptan benzoate (RTB) in an acid medium with the aid of a mild biocidal oxidant N -chloro- p -toluenesulfonamide, referred to as chloramine-T (CAT). The kinetic experimental studies reported here, such as fractional order dependency on RTB, pseudo-first-order dependency on CAT, negative fractional order dependency on the acid medium, independent of the rate on the ionic concentration and increasing rate with increasing dielectric constant, have led to the evaluation of stoichiometry, thermodynamic properties, and derivation of a rate equation. Effective interpretation of UV–Vis, IR, 1 H and 13 C NMR investigation was performed to identify and confirm the identity of the oxidation products and discuss the involved plausible mechanism. This study provides an extended insight into the products of oxidation formed during the metabolism of RTB.

Juniperus phoenicea (L.) is a medicinal plant that has been used in phytotherapy as a treatment of certain pathological infections. In this context, the present work aimed to valorize the essential oil of J. phoenicea seeds (EOGP) by studying its chemical composition, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The EOGP was extracted by use of hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography (GC–MS). The antioxidant power was evaluated by three methods (TAC, DPPH, and FRAP). The antimicrobial power was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6633), Escherichia coli (K12), Bacillus subtilis (DSM6333), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC29906), Candida albicans (ATCC10231), Aspergillus niger (MTCC282), Aspergillus flavus (MTCC9606), and Fusarium oxysporum (MTCC9913). The GC/MS results revealed a total identification of 99.98% with a dominance of carvacrol (39.81%) followed by p -cymen-3-ol (34.44%) and o -cymene (13.60%). Findings showed that EOGP exhibited important antioxidant power as IC50 was determined to be 26 µg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, while EC50 was 216.34 µg/mL for ferric reducing antioxidant power and total antioxidant capacity was 720 mg AAE/g. The antimicrobial power on solid medium revealed that the inhibition diameters ranged from 11.30 ± 0.58 to 20 mm for the bacterial strains and from 9.33 ± 0.57 to 54.43 ± 0.29 mm for fungi. Notably, minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 18 to 19 µg/mL for bacterial strains and from 5.04 to 10.09 µg/mL for fungal strains. Overall, our results demonstrated the importance of EOGP as a source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial medicines against clinically relevant pathogenic strains.

Bioactive compounds produced by fungal endophytes have potential benefits, such as low cost, rapid growth, facile genetic manipulation, and industrial scale-up with fewer negative effects. Millingtonia hortensis is a valuable medicinal plant found throughout South Asia. To the best of our knowledge, no reports are available for the screening of endophytic fungal taxol in this medicinal plant. Hence, seven previously reported endophytic fungi from Millingtonia hortensis L. were used in the present study. Of these, five were found to produce taxol. The agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antibacterial and antifungal activities of partially pure fungal taxol against human and fungal pathogens. Fungal taxol effectively inhibited all tested pathogens. Based on the significant antibacterial activity, the sorting of bacterial cells against the compounds (MID6 and MID9) was analyzed by flow cytometry. MID9 showed a moderate level of cell death compared to the control. The MTT assay was used to examine the cytotoxic effects of fungal taxol against the human liver cancer cell line HepG2. A significant decrease (0.05–0.5 μM) was observed in the cell viability and IC 50 dosage was fixed as 0.25 μM after 24 h of treatment. Morphological changes were also observed. From these results, we conclude that this is the first description of the taxol-yielding potential of Cochliobolus hawaiiensis . In addition, fungal taxols exhibit potential antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer effects. In the future, Cochliobolus hawaiiensis could be a new source of taxol, a revolutionary therapeutic drug.

Cytisus villosus Pourr. ( C. villosus ) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Fabaceae family, which grows in the Mediterranean area. It is used in traditional medicine against diseases related to inflammation. The objective of the present study was to identify the mineral and polyphenolic composition as well as to evaluate some biological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of C. villosus leaf aqueous extract. The chemical constituents were identified and quantified using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) methods. The antioxidant properties of C. villosus leaves were tested using reducing power (RP), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The anti-inflammatory potency was evaluated in vitro and in vivo using the albumin denaturation test and the carrageenan test, respectively. Furthermore, the analgesic effect was performed in vivo using tail flick, acetic acid-induced contortion, and plantar tests. Mineralogical analysis revealed that potassium and calcium were the most abundant minerals. The analysis and quantification of the phytochemical composition using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS showed that quinic acid (57.478 ± 1.72 mg/kg) was the major compound of the aqueous extract, followed by salicylic acid (17.38 ± 0.2 mg/kg), isoquercetin (16.895 ± 1.01 mg/kg), and gallic acid (15.914 ± 1.51 mg/kg). The extracts showed potent antioxidant activity for all tests used. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for the DPPH, ABTS and RP methods, with an IC 50 of 3.94 ± 0.09, 2.88 ± 0.07, and 1.94 ± 0.10 μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, using the most frequent analgesic assays, the aqueous extract at a dose of 500 mg/kg exhibited a potent analgesic activity. Notably, an interesting inhibition of albumin denaturation was recorded with an IC 50 of 383.94 μg/mL, corroborating the in vivo test. Overall, the results presented here may represent a scientific basis for the traditional use of C. villosus in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases.

In Saudi Arabia, breast cancer is the second-most frequently identified common malignant cause of death for women. The present investigation was carried out to assess the impact of different Soxhlet solvent extracts of Annona muricata on apoptosis induction in breast cancer cells. Cell survival was estimated by post-incubation of cells with the extract for 24 h using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. Acridine orange (AO)/propidium iodide (PI) and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining were employed to study cell apoptosis. qRT-PCR was also employed to assess apoptotic genes’ expression, such as BAX and P53 genes. The results of the MTT assay showed that the chloroform extract inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells dose-dependently. AO/PI and DAPI staining showed chromatin condensation and fragmentation. In treated cells, P53 expression significantly increased, correlated with the increase in BAX activity. The findings suggest that apoptosis may have been triggered post-chloroform extract treatment. Combining chloroform extract of A. muricata and doxorubicin at a 1:1 ratio increased the IC50 value (292.3 µg/mL). The chloroform extract of A. muricata contained a variety of substances, including diethyl carbonate (7.38%), 4-acetoxy-2,11-dodecadiene (58.13%), and hexadecanoic acid (34.48%), according to the results of the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. As a result, future research on the A. muricata chloroform extract as a potential anticancer drug could be suggested.

The importance and aim of this experimental study is that raw artificial anterior cruciate ligament samples were produced with various 3-D braiding constructions with various technical yarns using the 3-D braiding method. Later, it is aimed to determine the chemical bond changes between raw samples with ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization and bio-chemical finishing samples by applying padding process and EtO sterilization processes for all samples with 3-D braiding structures, due to the cross-linking of biocompatible chitosan (CHI) with biological cross-linker glutaraldehyde (GA). The importance of this experimental study is that it is the first experimental chemical analysis in this field in the world scientific study. Padding and EtO sterilization processes were applied on all samples and compared to various technical yarns with 3-D braiding structures thanks to biocompatible CHI. Chemical analysis was interpreted for all samples. It was determined that the applied temperature, concentration, pH, yarn types, characteristic bonds in the chemical structure of the technical yarns, applied bio-chemical finishing process and EtO sterilization had effect on the formation, shifting and breaking of chemical bonds. It was determined that the yarn number, braiding geometry, braiding angle (°) and braid construction had no effect on the formation or shifting of chemical bonds. New bonds were formed thanks to CHI and GA due to their extremely reactive between 5 and 5.5 pH. They reacted quickly with Schiff base bond in all samples. CHI was ionized in all samples. It was determined that new bonds were formed in UHMWPE, PPD-T and HT PET structures. The most common bond formations were HT PET > PPD-T > UHMWPE. The reasons for these chemical structure changes in all samples depended on their chemical structures, bond types, molecular weights, reactivities, ease and speed of diffusions, crystallinities of technical yarns and all chemicals used. In order to increase the formation of new chemical bonds the pH should be between 5 and 5.5. GA concentration should be a minimum of 25% or higher. The dissolution time of CHI should be minimum 3 h or more. The dissolution process temperature of CHI should be minimum of 70°C or higher. The absorption, adsorption and chelation properties of CHI on all samples will also be evident successfully as in this experimental chemical study.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and trends of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in two hospitals in Riyadh, as well as to judge the best type of tests to ensure blood transfusion safety. By using serological and nucleic acid test (NAT) tests, these donors were screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), human T-lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2), syphilis, and malaria infection as a first time of donation. Out of 58,898 blood units, 336 units were reacted for HBsAg, 5,318 units for HBcAbs, 506 units for HCV antibodies, 214 units for HIV Ab/Ag combinations, 206 units for HTLV antibodies, 355 units for syphilis antibodies, and 81 units for malaria. Moreover, the genotypic prevalence of these products showed that 349 units reacted for HBV DNA, HCV RNA, and HIV RNA in blood donation. This study reflects the seriousness of the residual risk of TTI, which is still a threat factor for the transmission of blood-borne infectious diseases. It was discovered that utilising (NAT) could increase test sensitivities while also lowering residual TTI risks, improving blood safety, and being cost-effective.

The identification of novel anti-infective agents of synthetic and natural origin represents one of the main aims of contemporary drug discovery. In the current work, four different varieties of Nicotiana tabacum , namely, K399, SPG28, Swat No. 1, and Swat No. 2, were studied to assess the antibacterial and antifungal properties of their extracts. The extracts contain anthraquinones, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, resins, steroids, proteins, and carbohydrates, and the antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated toward four bacterial and four fungal strains. N. tabacum K399 showed the highest zone of inhibition against E. coli . Similarly, K399 showed the highest antifungal potential, as the highest zone of inhibition for the set was detected against C. albicans . Then, the underlying molecular mechanism was further investigated, and the extracts were tested for their inhibitory potential against urease, an enzyme which is conserved in bacteria and fungi. Additionally, computational tools were enrolled to assess the role of rutin and chlorogenic acid, which are among the main constituents of N. tabacum leaves, in interacting with urease through molecular docking. Combined together, the computational and experimental results support the antibacterial and antifungal potential of N. tabacum extracts, particularly, that obtained from K399 variety.

Polypropylene, steel, and carbon fibers are used to increase the ductility and toughness of concrete materials. In recent years, studies on the use of natural fibers have increasingly continued. Among natural fibers, hemp fiber has the highest tensile strength value. The aim of this study was to discuss and present the results of the experimental study on the use of cement-based hemp shives and fibers to increase the ductility of mortars. Another aim is to increase the use of hemp in the construction field by using more economical and natural fibers. Various binders and different amounts of fibers and shives were added and their effects on flexural strength were investigated. Water absorption and flexural tests and scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed on the produced samples. Particle and hole size distributions and stereo microscope images of the samples are given. The use of hemp fibers was observed to improve flexural strength, while shives were not significantly improved flexural strength.

In this study, the X-ray shielding competence of the 15Bi 2 O 3 + 75H 3 BO 2 + 10Sm 2 O 3 , 15Bi 2 O 3 + 75H 3 BO 2 + 10Nd 2 O 3 , and 15Bi 2 O 3 + 75H 3 BO 2 + 10CeO 2 glasses was investigated using the Phy-X/PSD simulation software and validated using the XCOM simulation software. The Sm 3+ -doped bismuth-borate glass gave the highest linear attenuation coefficients and effective atomic number, and the lowest half-value layer, tenth-value layer, and mean free path. Thus, it is the most effective radiation shielding material compared to the Nd 3+ - and Ce 4+ -doped bismuth-borate glasses. It was also observed that the Sm 3+ -doped bismuth-borate glass also has better radiation-shielding competence than various glass systems that have been recently investigated in the literature. Graphic abstract X-rays are an ionizing radiation that is used in various industries such as the food industry, nuclear research facilities, nuclear power plants, radiography, dentistry, and gas supply pipeline maintenance. Exposure to this radiation poses health risks to humans. As a result, it is vital to shield them as much as possible. This can be performed using numerous materials that have high density and high X-ray attenuation coefficients. Metallic lead and concrete are the conventional materials that have been used for shielding X-rays in hospitals and nuclear facilities. However, lead is very toxic to humans, and it is no longer preferred in radiation shielding. The disadvantage of concrete is that it is not transparent. As a result, different researchers have been developing heavy-element based glasses and testing their radiation-shielding competence so that they can be used as an alternative to lead and concrete. A few years ago, new bismuth-borate glasses, which are doped with Sm 3+ , Nd 3+ , and Ce 4+ , were developed. Their X-ray shielding properties were simulated, in this work, using the Phy-X/PSD software and verified using the XCOM software. The results show that the Sm 3+ -doped bismuth-borate glass is, by far, the most effective radiation-shielding glass compared to the Nd 3+ - and Ce 4+ -doped glasses. This is illustrated with the figure above, which depicts the linear attenuation coefficient of the three glasses in the photon energy range of 30–300 keV. In this figure, SSm, SNd, and SCe refer to the Sm 3+ -, Nd 3+ -, and Ce 4+ -doped bismuth-borate glasses, respectively. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the SSm glass is also more effective than 15Bi 2 O 3 + 10Li 2 O + 10ZnO + 10GeO 2 + 55TeO 2 glass, which was found to be the most effective sample in one of the recent studies in the literature.

A green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated Mentha longifolia root extract-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrid material has been described. Initially, the Mentha longifolia root was coated on GO’s surface. The phytochemicals of the plant acted as reducing agent for reduction of silver ions and GO to form the rGO- Mentha /Ag nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was characterized using FE-SEM, EDX, FT-IR, TEM, elemental mapping, and XRD analysis. The cells treated with rGO- Mentha /Ag nanocomposite were assessed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay for 48 h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human ovarian cancer properties on normal (HUVEC) and human ovarian cancer cell lines, i.e., SKOV3 and A2780. The IC 50 of rGO- Mentha /Ag nanocomposite were 181.2 and 196.4 µg/mL against SKOV3 and A2780cell lines, respectively. The viability of malignant human ovarian cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of rGO- Mentha /Ag nanocomposite. After clinical study, rGO- Mentha /Ag nanocomposite can be introduced as a novel composite in the treatment of human ovarian cancer.

Dual functionalization of targeting vectors, such as peptides and antibodies, is still synthetically challenging despite the increasing demand for such molecules serving multiple purposes (i.e., optical and nuclear imaging). Our strategy was to synthesize a versatile building block via the orthogonal incorporation of chemical entities (e.g., radionuclide chelator, fluorescent dye, cytotoxic drugs, click handle, and albumin binder) in order to prepare various dual functionalized biovectors. The functional groups were introduced on the building block using straightforward chemical reactions. Thus, an azidolysine and a biogenic lysine were installed into the building block to allow the coupling of the second functional group and the regioselective conjugation to the biovector via the strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition, while the first functional group was inserted during the solid-phase peptide synthesis. To extend the applicability of the building block to large biomolecules, such as antibodies, a DBCO-maleimide linker was clicked to the azidolysine to present a maleimide group that could react with the exposed sulfhydryl groups of the cysteine residues. To exemplify the possibilities offered by the building block, we synthesized two dual-functionalized compounds containing a 2,2′,2″′,2‴-(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl) tetraacetic acid chelator and an albumin binder ( 4a ) to extend the blood half-life of radiolabeled biovectors or a click handle ( 4b ) to enable the late-stage click reaction; 4a and 4b were conjugated to a model cyclic peptide bearing a short thiolated linker at the N -terminal position, in a single step via the thiol–maleimide Michael addition. Both dual-functionalized peptides, 9a and 9b , were obtained rapidly in high chemical purity (>95%) and labeled with [ 111 In]InCl 3 . Both radiopeptides showed good stability in mouse serum and PBS buffer.

Herein, the bio-inspired synthesis of Au nanoparticles (NPs) adorned Thymbra spicata extract functionalized Fe 3 O 4 NPs as a novel magnetic nanocomposite has been demonstrated. The plant phytochemicals act as a natural and non-toxic reductant as well as the in situ stabilizing agent of the NPs. The Au– Thymbra @Fe 3 O 4 composite was characterized over a range of advance physicochemical techniques like fourier transformed infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, elemental mapping, vibrating sample magnetometer and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. Toward its bio-applications, the material was employed investigating the cytotoxicity and leukemic potential against several related cell lines, viz, 32D-FLT3-ITD, HL-60/vcr (acute myeloid leukemia) and MOLT-3, TALL-104 (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) in vitro , following MTT assay. The corresponding inhibition concentration by 50% level, i.e., IC 50 were evaluated as 125, 150, 133 and 170 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, the Au– Thymbra @Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite proved to be a good antioxidant, which was validated from DPPH radical quenching assay and a significantly good IC 50 value.

We report the gamma-ray shielding properties of five different lithium silicate glasses based on the (40 − x ) Li 2 O–10Pb 3 O 4 –50SiO 2 nominal composition. Transmission factor values and some basic shielding parameters such as linear ( µ ) and mass attenuation coefficients ( µ / ρ ), half-value layer, tenth value layer, and mean free path (MFP) values of the investigated glass samples are determined in a large photon energy range. Using the G–P fitting method at various MFP values, the exposure buildup factor and energy absorption buildup factor values of the examined glasses are also calculated. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the S5 glass specimen, which exhibits the greatest Ag 2 O additive and density among the various glass samples, represents a favorable choice for the purpose of shielding against gamma radiation.

The potentials held by stimuli-responsive polymers in wound dressing have led to the present research in formulating a hydrogel base formulation with polymers having pH and thermo-sensitivity. Thus, hyaluronic acid (pH-sensitive polymer), and Pluronic F-127 (thermo-sensitive polymer) with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (mucoadhesive polymer) were incorporated to obtain an in situ hydrogel containing gentamicin and naringenin (NAR). The optimization of the stimuli-responsive formulation was performed by the Box–Behnken statistical design to acquire variable parameters that influence the gelling temperature and viscosity. Thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to confirm the suitability of incorporating the selected polymers with drugs. The optimized formulations (blank and drug-loaded) were found to possess satisfactory characteristics of gelling temperatures (30–33°C), viscosities (174 ± 3 to 184 ± 4 cP), and mucoadhesive properties (0.29 ± 0.01 to 0.31 ± 0.01 N) with a spray diameter of 16.8 ± 1.4 to 18.9 ± 1.2 cm 2 to facilitate the application at the wound environment. The in vitro drug release study depicted a sustained release profile over a time frame of 8 h with a cumulative release of 56.18 ± 4.59% NAR. The drug-containing in situ hydrogels showed superior potency by producing a larger zone of inhibition (2.03 ± 0.12 cm). Furthermore, a cytotoxicity study of the developed formulations in HaCaT cells revealed no toxicity of the drug-loaded formulations when compared to the blank hydrogel. These findings indicate the potential of the in situ hydrogel as an effective wound dressing for chronic wounds; however, additional investigation is needed for further implementation.

The major bioactive component of black pepper ( Piper nigrum ) is piperine which has demonstrated beneficial therapeutic properties. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different irradiation doses on the content of piperine in black pepper. Samples were irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays (at absorbed doses of 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12 kGy). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and UV–Vis spectrophotometry methods were used for measuring the piperine content in the samples. TLC was performed using three mobile phases (1. toluene:ethyl acetate, 7:3 v/v; 2. acetone: n -hexane, 6:4 v/v; 3. toluene:methanol, 8.5:1.5 v/v) and the retention factor ( R f ) value for piperine was equal to 0.66, 0.94, and 0.67, respectively. The content of piperine in γ-irradiated samples of black pepper was found to be between 0.04 and 1.05% w/w from the spectrophotometry analyses. Irradiation slightly decreased the piperine content of black pepper. It was found that piperine crude yield from black pepper was from 1.10 (the unirradiated sample) to 1.69, 1.07, 0.60, 0.90, 0.30, 1.20, 0.80% for irradiated samples, respectively. Microbiological analyses were performed with standard plate count method, which resulted in a decreasing number of the total cell count of microbial cells with increasing the radiation dose. Treatment with irradiation reduced the population of bacteria by 4 logs.

The study investigated the potential use of pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) shoots and standard and unconventional yeast strains for the production of low-alcohol IPA beer. For this purpose, control worts without added shoots, and worts enriched with pine shoots at 10 g/L were prepared. Worts were inoculated with yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. chevalieri SafBrew™ LA-01, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii , Pichia kluyveri NEER™, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Safale US-05. The final beer was tested for yeast cell number, basic physicochemical properties, effects on cell line and antioxidant properties. Pine shoots and the tested yeast strains were shown to be suitable for developing low-alcohol beers with potential functional effects. Pine shoots have no negative impact on the beer-making process and may increase the antioxidant potential of beer. Beers supplemented with pine shoots were shown to increase the ability to quench DPPH free radicals in vitro , while all low-alcohol beers tested were found to have the ability to reduce nitrite production by lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7. Depending on the yeast used, pine shoots affect the flavour and aroma profile differently, possibly masking foreign aftertastes and odours resulting from the use of unconventional yeast.

The objective of the current research was to identify and evaluate the possibility of production of pectinase, also known as pectin degrading enzymes, from indigenous bacterial strains. Qualitative screening of isolated bacterial strains showed that among 29 bacterial strains, 5 have maximum enzymatic activity. The highest pectinase producing strains were quantitatively analyzed for enzyme production. SH7 strain was found as highest pectinase producer (0.77 IU/mL) that was further analyzed to molecular level by amplification of 16s rRNA. It was found 100% similar with other reported strains of Bacillus thuringiensis . Medium optimization was performed to optimize fermentation conditions for maximum enzyme yield. An experimental design containing 12 experimental runs was designed by Plackett–Burman design (PBD). Maximum pectinase activity was obtained at 45°C after 24 h when the growth medium was supplemented with 2.5% nitrogen, 5.0% substrate, MgSO 4 as metal ion, 1% inoculum size, and pH was adjusted to 6. Factorial regression analysis of the PBD design was performed and the overall design was also found significant in terms of R square value. In PBD, the most significant factors for production were temperature, pH, metal ion concentration, and nitrogen source. Central composite design (CCD) design consisting of 26 experimental runs was employed to optimize these four significant factors. The overall model summary showed maximum pectinase activity (19.2 IU/mL) at 37°C temperature, 0.08 NaCl, 1.7% nitrogen source, and pH 8.4. In CCD, NaCl, nitrogen source, and pH were also reported as significant factors by the Pareto chart, probability plots, and 3D interactions.

The polyphenolic composition of the same variety of winter jujube was determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). A metabolomic approach was employed to determine polyphenols at different developmental stages (S1, S2, and S3). The total phenolic content of Chinese jujube was quantified, and the metabolites were statistically analyzed using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) for differential metabolite screening and clustering analysis of key components. The findings revealed that 128 polyphenolic components of Chinese jujube had been identified. Different developmental periods could not be clearly distinguished in principal component analysis, and there was a crossover between S2 and S3 stages. In contrast, the OPLS-DA score plot could effectively distinguish between samples of different developmental periods, and its differential metabolites could be visualized by a volcano plot based on OPLS-DA. Ten phenolic differential metabolites in different developmental periods were clustered and analyzed, among which N ′- p -coumaroylguanidinium, N - p -coumaroylbutylamine, caffeoyl guanidinium, N -feruloyl guanidinium, pianoside, isorhamnetin 5- O -hexoside, isorhamnetin O -acetyl-hexoside, quercetin, and lignan O -hexosyl- O -pentoside were higher in the S1 period and chrysoeriol 6- C -hexoside was higher in the S2 and S3 periods. In this study, the differences in jujube polyphenols were elucidated, which provided scientific guidance for the application of jujube polyphenols.

Salinity induces antioxidant accumulation but always enhances disease susceptibility in plants. However, the effects of NaCl in regulating disease infection in soybean sprouts have not been well studied under conditions that are not strictly aseptic. Here, the effects of harpin and NaCl in controlling disease development and antioxidant accumulation were investigated in soybean sprouts under non-sterile conditions. After storage for 0 and 7 days, NaCl-enhanced disease severity was drastically suppressed by application of either harpin or salicylic acid (SA), relative to controls. Moreover, the decrease in SA content due to salinity was partially restored by harpin. Interestingly, the combined treatment with both NaCl and harpin drastically enhanced the accumulation of antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acid and phenolics) and the total antioxidant ability (evaluated by Fe 3+ reducing power) in soybean sprouts, compared with individual NaCl and harpin treatments. Compared with individual treatments, the synergistic effects of NaCl and harpin in eliciting phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol oxidase activities were also examined in postharvest soybean sprouts. The results suggest that harpin drastically improved the quality of salt-treated soybean sprouts by reducing disease severity and elevating antioxidant accumulation during storage under non-sterile conditions. Graphical abstract

Biotic stress caused by pests on citrus trees has become a major problem for ecologists around the world, hence the need to develop ecological approaches to surmount this stress. To evaluate the effectiveness of diverse control methods on the pest Panonychus citri and its predators, Euseius stipulatus , Phytoseiulus persimilis , and Typhlodromus sp. Different treatments were applied in orchards planted by Citrus clementina in the Gharb area of Morocco (T0 = treated by water only, T1 = spirodiclofen (the molecular formula is C21H24Cl2O4). 0.5 L/ha, T2 = 5% black soap 125 L/ha, Its ingredients are: argan oil, olive oil, black olive, salt, water, vegetable potash, without chemicals. T3 = mixture of two detergents; Oni product is composed of the following ingredients (sodium C12-13 parenth sulfate, and sodium C14-17 alkyl sec sulfonate) and Tide product with the following ingredients (sodium C10-16 alkylbenzene sulfonate, propylene glycol and sodium borate). Results obtained during the follow-up period showed that the black soap, spirodiclofen, and two detergent treatments provided a decrease in the P. citri population in comparison with plot treated by water during the whole monitoring period. We found 5,044 mobile forms of P. citri in the plot treated by water only, 1,544 forms in the plot treated with spirodiclofen, 3,002 forms in the plot treated with black soap, and 1,567 mobile forms in the plot treated with two detergents. This study demonstrated that all three treatments had a negative effect on the predators that survived in comparison to the control (T0), while the negative impact of spirodiclofen on beneficial phytoseiid mites was greater than that of black soap and detergents. However, the increase in temperature according to the follow-up weeks showed a significant effect on the evolution of the density of the studied mites. Unfortunately, the chemical products like spirodiclofen used against various citrus pests are considered toxic to phytoseiids and to the agro-ecosystem in general. This comparison aims to detect the effectiveness of black soap and mixtures of two detergents on P. citri and their impacts on its predators: E. stipulatus , P. persimilis , and Typhlodromus sp. to replace the use of pesticides by these alternative methods, which remain effective and environmentally friendly.

The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, it is essential to explore alternative strategies to effectively combat medically significant resistant pathogens. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a promising alternative source of antimicrobial agents. While nanoscale particles were traditionally synthesized using chemical techniques, the development of metallic NPs using biological methods has garnered attention. This current study focuses on the synthesis of iron NPs (Fe NPs) using metal-tolerant fungal strains, as numerous microorganisms serve as environmentally safe and durable precursors to produce persistent and bi-functional NPs. The study involved the isolation and evaluation of ten fungal strains that are resistant to heavy metals to determine their ability to produce Fe NPs. The biologically synthesized Fe NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The XRD results indicated the presence of Fe in nanopowder form, displaying a series of reflection angles (2 θ ) at 65° and 75° indicating the existence of cubic planes. EDX analysis revealed the presence of ferrous and ferric elements, along with zero-valent Fe NPs. Micrographs of the surface topology displayed spherical aggregation of the synthesized NPs. Furthermore, the Fe NPs exhibited promising antibacterial potential against selected bacterial strains, including Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, Listeria innocua, and Enterococcus fecalis . This study demonstrates that the biological synthesis of metallic NPs is environmentally safe, and Fe NPs produced through mycological means could be utilized to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains.

NaCl has beneficial effects in preventing fish disease. However, the effects of NaCl in regulating fish growth and survival at different food supply levels under hypoxic conditions are unknown. Herein, the effects of NaCl on body weight, survival rate (SR), H 2 O 2 content, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, antioxidant (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], and glutathione peroxidase [GPX]) enzyme activities, and the glutathione (GSH) content were investigated in goldfish ( Carassius auratus ) livers at three food supply levels (50, 200, and 400 mg day −1 fish −1 ) under hypoxic conditions. The highest and lowest SRs were detected in the 200 and 400 mg food groups, respectively. Interestingly, 50 mM NaCl markedly elevated survival, but not the body weight of goldfish. Enhanced H 2 O 2 content; SOD, CAT, and GPX activities; GSH content; and reduced lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation were detected in goldfish livers after NaCl treatment compared with those in the control. However, these effects of NaCl were dramatically attenuated by 50 µM hydroxychloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy. This showed that nutrition stress reduced goldfish survival, which could be improved by NaCl via regulation of the antioxidant system and autophagy under hypoxic conditions. Graphical abstract

This study presents the results of an investigation into the physical, optical, and mechanical characteristics of glasses prepared from a mixture of ZnO, MgO, B 2 O 3 , and PbO. It was found that increasing the concentration of PbO in the glasses led to an increase in both the density ( ρ ) and molar mass ( M ). The addition of PbO also affected the packing arrangement of oxygen atoms in the glass network, resulting in changes to the oxygen molar volume ( V o ) and oxygen packing density. Furthermore, the investigation found that the optical basicity ( Ʌ th ) of the glass elevated with increasing PbO concentration. Finally, the behavior of the average electronegativity (χ av ) and electronic polarizability ( α o − 2 {\alpha }_{{\rm{o}}}^{-2} ) with respect to the concentration of PbO in the glasses is discussed, whereby the addition of PbO affected the glasses’ mechanical characteristics as follows: (i) the addition of PbO increased the complexity of the glass network by enhancing the average cross-link density ( n c ̅ \bar{{n}_{{\rm{c}}}} ) and the number of bonds per unit volume of the glasses ( n b ); (ii) the glasses’ Young’s modulus ( E ), bulk modulus ( B ), and shear modulus ( G ) declined as the mol percent of the PbO increased; (iii) the longitudinal modulus ( L ) reduced but remained greater than G ; (iv) the glass network cross-linking reduced the Poisson ratio ( σ ); (v) the glasses’ fractal bond connectivity (d) values indicated a three-dimensional network; and (vi) lead oxide hardened the glass, suggesting that a stronger structure manifests. These findings collectively demonstrate that PbO improves the rigidity and interconnectivity of glass. The gamma radiation-shielding characteristics of the glasses were evaluated using the Phy-X software in the 0.015–15 MeV energy range. The radiation-shielding properties of the studied glasses can be compared with other materials by introducing a new parameter known as the radiation coefficient ratio ( R ). It is observed that Q4 glass sample had superior shielding performance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global epidemic on March 11, 2020, as the infectious disease that threatens public health fatally. In this study, the main aim is to model the impact of various air pollution causes on mortality data due to the COVID-19 pandemic by Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) approach to make global statistical inferences about 174 WHO member countries as subjects in the six WHO regions. “Total number of deaths by these countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic” until July 27, 2022, is taken as the response variable. The explanatory variables are taken as the WHO regions, the number of deaths from air pollution causes per 100.000 population as “household air pollution from solid fuels,” “ambient particulate matter pollution,” and “ambient ozone pollution.” In this study, Poisson, geometric, and negative binomial (NB) regression models with “country” taken as fixed and random effects, as special cases of GLMM, are fitted to model the response variable in the aspect of the above-mentioned explanatory variables. In the Poisson, geometric, and NB regression models, Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares parameter estimation method with the Fisher-Scoring iterative algorithm under the log-link function as canonical link function is used. In the GLMM approach, Laplace approximation is also used in the prediction of random effects. In this study, six different Poisson, geometric, and NB regression models with fixed and random effects are established for 174 countries all over the world to make global statistical inferences for investigating the relationships between “total number of deaths” by these countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic and “air pollution causes.” As a result of this study, “NB mixed-effects regression model” as the most appropriate GLMM is used to make global statistical inferences about the impact of the various air pollution causes on the mortality data due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this work, a novel In( iii ) coordination polymer, i.e., {[In(L)(im)(H 2 O)](H 2 O)} n ( 1 ) was produced from the synthetic reactions in water and dimethylformamide mixed solvents and using methyl-3-hydroxy-5-carboxy-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid (H 2 L) and imidazole (Him) as the co-ligands, and then successfully loaded with dexamethasone. The injectable hydrogels were prepared from natural polysaccharide hyaluronic acid with good biocompatibility and successfully loaded with In( iii ) complex. The suppressive inhibitory effect of hydrogels toward U251 human glioma cell line viability was assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay kit, and the relatively expressed levels of the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway were determined by real-time RT-PCR.

As one of the most important parameters to express radiation's harmful effects is excess lifetime cancer risk, which is presented in the literature with the empirical relationship, an alternative association was developed for excess lifetime cancer risk in this study. This relationship included radiological risk parameters and the average life expectancy and also does not require a coefficient recommended by organizations. The selected area is Çünür district of Isparta province in Türkiye, which is approximately 12.5 km 2 . The gamma-ray spectrometry studies were carried out at 270 different points. In this study, the radioactive elements (U, Th, and K) are directly measured on the geological materials (trachyandesite, flysch, limestone, and soil) using a gamma-ray spectrometer device. Maps were created to compare the outcomes of excess lifetime cancer risk determined with the new approach and calculated using the existing relationship in the literature. Also, the calculated radiological risk parameters were mapped to evaluate the study area in general. In addition to these, the relationships between each other radioactive elements and the relationships between the radioactive elements and the radiological risk parameters were investigated.

Panax ginseng has many therapeutic uses in medicine. In the recent research, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were formulated by the Panax ginseng aqueous extract. The synthesized AgNPs’ characterization was analyzed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and elemental mapping. The AgNPs were analyzed for their surface morphology by SEM. The successful synthesis of AgNPs was evident with TEM images. The AgNPs had a uniform distribution and homogenous spherical shaped morphology with mean diameter in the range of 20–30 nm. The cytotoxic and anti-lung adenocarcinoma ‎potentials of biologically formulated AgNPs‎ against NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells were determined. The anti-lung adenocarcinoma ‎ properties of the AgNPs ‎ removed NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells. The AgNPs’ IC 50 ‎ were 193, 156, 250, and 278 µg/mL against NCI-H1563‎, NCI-H1437‎, NCI-H1299‎, and NCI-H2126 cells, respectively. Also, AgNPs presented high antioxidant potential.

The aim of this study is to determine the suitable conditions for enzyme-assisted hydrolysis and the production of instant tea from hydrolysed ginger. Several parameters of ginger hydrolysis were investigated, such as the enzyme concentration from 0.1 to 0.4 g/100 g ginger powder (w/w), material/water ratios of 1/10; 1/15; 1/20; and 1/25 (w/w), pH from 3.5 to 5.0; temperature of hydrolysis process from 45 to 60°C, and time of hydrolysis process from 90 to 150 min. Subsequently, the hydrolysed ginger was spray-dried to produce instant products with surveyed parameters, including the maltodextrin concentration from 15 to 35 g/100 g ginger extraction, feed flow rates from 120 to 600 mL/h, and the temperatures of spray drying from 120 to 150°C. The suitable parameters for enzyme-assisted hydrolysis and production of instant tea were determined, including enzyme concentration as 0.2 g/100 g ginger powder (w/w), material/water ratio as 1/10 (w/w), pH at 5.0, temperature process as 55°C, the time of hydrolysis process as 120 min, the maltodextrin concentration as 15 g/100 g extraction (w/w), feed flow rate as 240 mL h −1 , and the inlet temperature as 140°C. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the product were identified with moisture content as 2.36 ± 0.09%, total phenolic content as 98.34 ± 0.59 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DW, and IC 50 value as 1,082 µgAA/mL.

A green and low-cost approach was run to synthesize zinc nanoparticles (NPs) using rosemary extract. The NPs were identified by various methods, i.e., ultraviolet-visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, FE-scanning electron microscope imaging, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The radical scavenging activity and MTT assays were used to evaluate the biological activity of ZnO-NPs@Rosemary. The results revealed a spherical shape for ZnO-NPs@Rosemary with a crystal size of 30.74 nm. ZnO-NPs@Rosemary could scavenge the free radicals of DPPH with an IC 50 of 87.62 ± 0.47 μg/mL. An MTT assay was run to investigate the anti-cancer activity of ZnO-NPs@Rosemary against PC-14, LC-2/ad, and HLC-1 as the selected lung cancer cell lines. The highest sensitivity of NPs was found against PC-14 with IC 50 of 178.84 ± 2.13. A dose-dependent activity was observed for ZnO-NPs@Rosemary against the chosen cell lines. The outcomes of the present study revealed an acceptable anti-lung cancer activity of ZnO-NPs@Rosemary.

In this study, our objective was to explore the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and second trimester maternal plasma levels of lipoxin A4 (LXA4), along with proinflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and the anti-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) in pregnant women. The study included a cohort of 30 pregnant women with GDM and a control group of 30 normoglycaemic pregnant women matched for age, body mass index, and gestational age. Plasma samples were collected and analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess specific biomarkers. The GDM group had significantly lower levels of LXA4 and higher levels of TNF-α and VEGFR-1 compared to the control group ( p = 0.038, p = 0.025, and p = 0.002, respectively). A statistically significant decrease in the LXA4/TNF-α ratio was observed in the GDM group ( p = 0.004). The results suggest that each unit decrease in the LXA4/TNF-α ratio is associated with a 1.280-fold increase in the risk of GDM. These findings suggest a potential diagnostic role for the LXA4/TNFα ratio as a marker for women with GDM. This work provides new insights into the pathogenesis of GDM and highlights the important interplay between inflammation and metabolic dysregulation.

This work evaluates the in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of two metformin hydrochloride-based Schiff bases. Moreover, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to examine the in vitro cytotoxic effects of HL1 and HL2 on the A549 lung cancer cell line. The two Schiff bases that have been previously synthesized by using two effective, green techniques, namely stirring and microwave-assisted, are N , N -dimethyl- N ′-[( Z )-(2-nitrophenyl) methylidene] imidodicarbonimidic diamide and N , N -dimethyl- N ′-[( Z )-(4-nitrophenyl) methylidene] imidodicarbonimidic diamide, indicated by HL1 and HL2, respectively. Studies of antidiabetic efficacy using alpha-amylase revealed that HL2 has a higher inhibition than HL1, but the results on sucrase enzyme showed that HL1 had the highest inhibitory action, whereas the outcome of the antioxidant test with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay demonstrated that HL2 was the most effective antioxidant, followed by ascorbic acid and HL1. In the MTT assay, HL1 had the best result, with an IC 50 value of 57.13 µg/mL compared to HL2 with an IC 50 value of 76.83 µg/mL. It was observed that HL1 was the most effective against the human lung cancer cell line A459. The findings were supported by computational and pharmacokinetic studies (SwissADME). Based on empirical and computational studies, we suggest that HL1 and HL2 are promising candidates as antioxidants and antidiabetics after being examined in vivo . Graphical abstract

Grapes ( Vitis vinifera ), grape extracts, and grape products are known to possess beneficial effects. Antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibition activities of Tayfi grape ( Vitis vinifera ) extracts were studied and compared to standards. The IC 50 values of the ethanol extract of the Tayfi grape’s scavenging abilities for ABTS˙ + and DPPH˙ radicals were found to be 5.9 and 16.1 μg/mL, respectively, higher than those of positive controls. Also, the phenolic and flavonoid ingredients of the Tayfi grape seed ethanol extract were measured to be 82.8 mg GAE/g and 91 mg QE/g. The Tayfi grape seed water and ethanol extracts exhibited IC 50 values of 5.3 and 5.8 μg/mL toward α-glycosidase, respectively; 385.2 and 567.6 μg/mL toward α-amylase; 27.1 and 13.8 μg/mL toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE); and 54.7 and 12.6 μg/mL toward CA II. Twenty-two biomolecules were detected by LC-MS/MS. The four types of conventional antibiotics utilized by hospitals proved ineffective against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. The Tayfi grape ethanol and water extracts had high AChE, α-glycosidase, and CA II inhibitions in addition to having antioxidant activity. The use of Tayfi grape extracts for pharmacological purposes in individuals with the diseases mentioned above can be sustained by clinical pharmacology studies.

The nutritional quality of milk, which is determined by its fatty acid (FA) composition, and the candidate gene stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) can be used in conjunction with these traits to improve the quality of dairy products. The aim of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the SCD gene and its associations with the milk composition and FA profiles of Najdi dairy sheep and 72 multiparous Najdi ewes under the same feeding system. Milk and blood samples were taken during the first lactation (<30 days in milk). Analysis and alignment DNA sequences identified SNP g.87C>A in the promoter and SNP g.1033G>A in exon 2 of the SCD gene. Association analysis showed that SNP g.87C>A was significantly associated ( P ≤ 0.05) with palmitic acid (C16:0), alpha linoleic acid (ALA – C18:3-n3), linolenic acid (LA – C18:2-n6), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). In addition, the SNP g.1033G>A showed a significant ( P < 0.05) association with odd-chain FAs (heptadecanoic acid [C17:0] and heneicosanoic acid [C21:0]). The results showed that SCD gene may be important in the synthesis of PUFA and contributes to healthier dairy products. Overall, the Najdi breed SNP SCD gene showed that the association with milk traits is crucial, particularly with essential fatty acids: ALA-n3 and LA-n6 in milk fat.

Herein, a link has been established between cold acclimation and Cd uptake in Spirogyra aequinoctialis. The water samples supplemented with cadmium (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/L) were used for plant growth at two different temperatures. Cold-acclimated plants accumulated high concentrations (0.40 ± 0.02 µg/dry biomass) of Cd as compared to non-acclimated plants (0.30 ± 0.08 µg/dry biomass). The negative effects of Cd on the biomass, carotenoids, and chlorophyll contents in non-acclimated plants were more pronounced in non-acclimated plants as compared to the cold-acclimated plants. High concentrations of free proline and total phenolics in cold-acclimated plants were observed as compared to the non-acclimated plants. About 13 different phenolic compounds were identified using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Cold acclimation as well as the presence of Cd in water highly increased the concentrations of polyphenolics, while synergistic increase was recorded with the combination of cold acclimation and Cd treatments. The highest increase in the concentration of polyphenolics was recorded for syringic acid. Significant positive correlations of total phenolics were noted with dry biomass ( R 2 = 0.51) and Cd accumulation ( R 2 = 0.59) in plant tissues. Free proline concentration also showed positive correlations with dry biomass, Cd accumulation, and chlorophyll contents ( R 2 = 0.80).

Objective The differences in the chemical composition of Morus nigra ( M. nigra ) extracts from four different extraction methods, ultrasound-assisted extraction with pure water (WU), pure water decoction extraction (WD), ultrasonic-assisted extraction with formic acid water (FAU), and pure water heat reflux extraction (WHR), were identified using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technology. Method A Waters ACQUITY BEH C18 (1.7 μm, 2.1 mm × 100 mm) was used, with a column temperature of 45°C, mobile phase of methanol and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution, and gradient elution with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Detection was performed in positive and negative ion modes, and compounds were identified using Progenesis QI software and mass spectrometry data reported according to the literature and laboratory self-built databases of the Mulberry genus. Multivariate statistical techniques, such as principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis, were applied to differential cluster metabolic profiles and chemical components and to screen the differential chemical components of M. nigra leaves. Results There were significant differences in the chemical composition between WD and the other extraction methods of M. nigra leaves. A total of 13 differential metabolites (4 flavonoids, 3 organic acids, 3 phenylpropanoids, 2 alkaloids, and 1 trisaccharide) were identified. Conclusion The multivariate statistical analysis and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method established in this study identified the differential chemical constituents of Xinjiang M. nigra leaves using different extraction methods, which provides a basis for the quality control of M. nigra leaves, and provides basic data for revealing the influence of extraction methods on the synthesis and accumulation of M. nigra leaf metabolites, which has certain reference significance.

With the rapid growth of natural gas consumption capacity, the important role of gas storage in seasonal peak shaving and emergency response is gradually emerging. Long-term forced production and injection of gas storage will lead to problems such as wellhead equipment leakage and string seal failure. Replacing the string is not only costly but also takes a long time. Aiming at thread leakage caused by multiple rounds of forced production and injection in gas storage, a Pickering emulsion differential pressure plugging agent with a self-sealing function under a certain pressure difference was developed. We selected carboxyl nitrile latex with a self-polymerization function and modified the nano-stabilizer Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 . The Pickering differential pressure plugging agent with excellent plugging performance was prepared by the combination of modified particles and non-ionic emulsifier OP-10. The plugging test was carried out for the simulated oil pipe thread. When the leakage rate was 50 mL/min, no leakage occurred under a pressure of 20 MPa after plugging. The differential pressure plugging agent is expected to achieve plugging without moving the pipe string and rebuild the integrity of the wellbore.

Shengdong coal was single-step and multi-step pyrolyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In the single-step pyrolysis process, Mono-ring aromatics contents reach a maximum value at 800°C, while phenolic contents are significantly reduced, which might be attributed to the dehydroxylation of phenolics. Naphthalene content also reaches a maximum value at 800°C in the single-step pyrolysis process; however, naphthalene was not detected in the multi-step pyrolysis process. So naphthalene might come from the ring-opening of multi-ring aromatics or the cyclization of mono-ring aromatics in the single-step pyrolysis process. Only phenol and o -cresol were detected, but no p -cresol in the multi-step pyrolysis process; however, p -cresol content reaches a maximum value at 800°C, meanwhile, phenol content was decreased and o -cresol was disappeared in the single-step pyrolysis process, which suggests that p -cresol may be derived from isomerization of o -cresol or alkylation of phenol. It provides an idea for strengthening more basic research related to the rapid pyrolysis of coal. Graphical abstract

In the current study, we used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to investigate and analyze the methanolic extract of Salvia rosmarinus leaves. HPLC analysis showed that the extract revealed a diverse array of polyphenolic compounds, including apigenin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, daidzein, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, hesperetin, kaempferol, methyl gallate, naringenin, pyrocatechol, quercetin, rutin, syringic acid, and vanillin. Furthermore, three fungal isolates from symptomatic strawberry plants were obtained and identified as Botrytis cinerea (OR116486), Fusarium oxysporum (OR116505), and Rhizoctonia solani (OR116525). The extract’s antifungal activity was evaluated at concentrations of 0, 50, 150, 200, and 300 µg/mL. At 200 µg/mL, the extract showed growth inhibition percentages of 74.56, 58.19, and 56.67% for R. solani , F. oxysporum , and B. cinerea , respectively, while at 300 µg/mL, all the tested fungi were completely suppressed. The GC–MS analysis revealed that the major compounds of the methanolic extract identified based on their retention times and relative peak areas (%) included β-caryophyllene (12.06%), germacrene d (13.55%), caryophyllene oxide (3.13%), methyl palmitate (5.26%), hexadecanoic acid (4.9%), and methyl stearate (6.02%). These results show rosemary extract’s potential as a source of natural antifungal agents against plant photogenic fungi. As a result, it provides a safer alternative to the current protective approaches for plant disease management.

Nanotechnology can solve many biomedical problems and cause transformation in the field of health and pharmaceuticals. The use of this technology in removing pathogenic bacteria is of great interest. The introduction of a strong antibacterial agent is very important to control pathogenic bacteria, especially strains resistant to antibiotics. The aim of this research was to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with the help of Abelmoschus esculentus aqueous extract and investigate its antibacterial properties against oral pathogens. Our study examined the ability of AgNPs to inhibit the dental bacterial growth and anti-adherence in vitro . The biosynthesized AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus were characterized by FT-IR, UV–Vis, and SEM tests. The physical and chemical investigation of the synthesized AgNPs showed that the particles were produced in nano dimensions, spherical shape, and without any impurities. In antibacterial test, the 8 µg/mL exhibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus mutans (MIC = 8 µg/mL). In vitro adherence of S. mutans was significantly prevented by AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus (MIC = 8–16 µg/mL). According to the results, the AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus may be good candidates for the oral hygiene agents to prevent periodontopathic conditions and dental caries.

Gallic acid is recognized as a notable bioactive compound among secondary polyphenolic metabolites. In the current study, gallic acid-enriched extracts were obtained from mango peels using different solvents (ethanol or water) via ultrasound-assisted extraction, and optimized yields were compared with the conventional extraction technique (decoction). Independent variables for the optimization through response surface methodology were ethanol concentration (0–60%), solvent ratio (10–50 mL/g), temperature (30–60℃), and time (10–30 min) for ethanolic extraction. However, extraction carried out by using water had extraction conditions of pH (2–8), solvent ratio (20–0 mL/g), extraction temperature (40–70℃), and time (30–60 min). The optimized yield of gallic acid obtained through ethanol was 5.75 ± 0.21 mg/g, whereas 3.14 ± 0.24 mg/g of gallic acid was quantified in extraction through water. The results were compared with the aforementioned conventional method of decoction, and it was concluded that the ethanolic extracts of mango peels showed the highest gallic acid yield and total flavonoid contents. The obtained extracts could be a potential source of polyphenolics, especially gallic acid, for use in nutraceuticals as well as in other food applications.

Ceramics have enormous potential in several emerging technologies, including nuclear reactors. Materials with chemical inertness, high-temperature operation, and physical properties stability under applied radiation with high energy are all desired in this field of technology. Given these broad specifications, bismuth titanate ceramics may prove to be a valuable material. Regarding this task, the effect of gamma rays on the structural, optical, and ferroelectric properties of samarium-modified bismuth titanate ceramics was investigated. The Bi 3.15 Sm 0.85 Ti 3 O 12 (BSmT) compound was irradiated for 0, 50, 100, and 200 kGy using a 60 Co gamma source at a dose rate of 10 kGy h −1 . The phase structure confirmed the orthorhombic, single-phase nature even after gamma irradiation. The results show that the unit cell volume decreases from 966.39 to 962.38 Å 3 with an increase in gamma dose from 0 to 200 kGy. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study shows an irradiation-induced defect in the host matrix. The results show that the bandgap energy, dielectric constant, Curie temperatures, and remnant polarization slightly decreased with an increase in gamma irradiation. According to the findings of this study, the BSmT exhibits adequate stability against gamma irradiation, which offers tremendous promise in their utilization in nuclear reactor technology. Graphical abstract To fully understand how irradiation affects the structural, optical, dielectric, and ferroelectric characteristics of BSmT ceramics, a systematic study is needed. The characteristics of BSmT ceramics were minimally affected by different gamma doses, and they demonstrated high stability against gamma irradiation, which offers considerable promise for their use in nuclear reactor technology.

Curcuma sahuynhensis Škorničk. & N.S. Lý has been discovered recently whose antiviral potential is unknown, thus deserved for discovery-phase screening. A combination of experimental characterization, quantum calculation, molecular docking simulation, physicochemical analysis, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) was designed for the theoretical argument on the potentiality of oil-based components (1−27) against H5 hemagglutinin in influenza A virus (PDB-5E32), wild-variant SARS-CoV-2 main protease (PDB-6LU7), and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein (PDB-7T9J). Theoretical arguments based on various computational platforms specify the most promising bio-inhibitors, i.e. 23 (bio-compatibility: ground energy −966.73 a.u., dipole moment 3.708 Debye; bio-inhibitability: DS ̅ \bar{{\rm{DS}}} −12.5 kcal mol −1 ; drug-likeness: mass 304.7 amu, log  P 1.31; polar-interactability: polarizability 32.8 Å 3 ) and 26 (bio-compatibility: ground energy −1393.66109 a.u., dipole moment 5.087 Debye; bio-inhibitability: DS ̅ \bar{{\rm{DS}}} −11.9 kcal mol −1 ; drug-likeness: mass 437.5 amu, log  P 4.28; polar-interactability: polarizability 45.7 Å 3 ). The pkCSM-ADMET model confirms their favorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacology. The total essence is unsuitable for use as an antiviral source in its pure form since the most bioactive candidates are accountable for the small content. Particularly, 23 (7β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone) and 26 (ethyl cholate) are recommended for further experimental efforts of isolation and bioassaying trials.

This study provides insights into the effects of Bi 2 O 3 on the physical, mechanical, and gamma ray shielding properties of Bi 2 O 3 –BaO–B 2 O 3 –ZnO–As 2 O 3 –MgO–Na 2 O glasses. The higher Bi 2 O 3 concentrations result in increased density and molecular weight of the glasses. The molar volume also increases with higher Bi 2 O 3 percentages, accompanied by a decrease in the average distance between boron atoms and a reduction in polaron radius and inter-nuclear distance. Electronegativity decreases and electronic polarizability increases with increasing Bi 2 O 3 concentration, indicating higher electron-donating capacity and greater susceptibility to external electric field distortion. The elastic moduli exhibit a downward trend with increasing Bi 2 O 3 concentration, indicating a decreased degree of elastic behaviour. The decrease in cross-linking is further supported by the reduction in Poisson’s ratio. The decrease in values of the hardness also indicates a decline in the stiffness and connectivity of the glass network. The linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) of three different glasses were obtained using Phy-X software in 0.015–15 MeV energy range. Also, the effective atomic numbers are calculated for the selected glasses. The LAC has the highest values for Bi21, indicating that the addition of Bi 2 O 3 causes an improvement in the LAC.

A novel Cd(II) compound, namely [Cd 6 (TCA) 4 (4-bpmh)(DMA) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] n ·4 n (H 2 O) (denoted as 1 , H 3 TCA = 4,4′,4″-tricarboxytriphenylamine, 4-bpmh = N , N -bis(pyridin-4-ylmethylene)hydrazine, and DMA = N , N′ -dimethylacetamine), has been solvothermally prepared via a dual-ligand strategy that employs two organic ligands to fulfill different functions. The solid of compound 1 shows blue luminescence at room temperature.

Aiming at the remediation of Mu Us Sandy Land, which is one of the four major sandy areas in China, the local soft rock was selected as the remediation material for sand improvement, and the soil quality changes after the compounding of soft rock and sand were analyzed. The results show that the clay minerals in the soft rock are closely cemented to each other, forming a rich pore structure with a high hydrophilic, large specific surface and interlayer space. With the treatment of 1:1 and 1:2 soft rock/sand, there are more attachments on the surface of soil particles, and most of the particles are in contact with each other. The content of polysaccharides in the compound soil after the mixture of soft rock and sand is significantly higher than that of total sand treatment. With 1:1 of soft rock/sand, the content of free ferric oxide increased gradually with the depth of the soil layer. The organic carbon content in the 0–10 and 20–30 cm soil layers showed a good change. After the addition of arsenic sandstone, the soil cementation of compound soil and the content of polysaccharides and organic carbon have been significantly changed. Soft rock is a kind of natural material conducive to the improvement of sandy soil.

The presence of abundant surface and underground waters and, consequently, fertile and flat soils favored the birth and expansion of Rome. Before the construction of the first aqueduct, the “springs” were probably the only source of drinking water in Rome. At the same time, today, many of them are only scarce outcrops that, anyway, constitute an important heritage for their hydrogeological, archaeological, and monumental significance. In the present study, a multiparametric analytical approach is reported to highlight possible differences among the still emerging and accessible sources in the area of the Roman Forum and to exclude infiltrations from the water and/or sewage network. Temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and redox potential were measured in situ , while the salt and bicarbonate content, the fixed residue, some UV-Vis indices, and the volatile organic compounds were determined in the laboratory. The microbiological water quality was evaluated by assaying Escherichia coli , intestinal Enterococci , and Salmonella , with the total bacterial count at 22 and 37°C. As expected, all samples are non-potable. Nevertheless, the comparison of data on standpipes close to the springs allowed us to exclude important infiltrations from the water network and the microbiological analysis of those from the sewer network. Graphical abstract

Type I collagen is a high-value polymer found naturally in animal species and with many applications in the biomedical field. Collagen is frequently obtained from bovine tendons, but this source presents the risk of disease transmission, thus marine collagen is becoming an alternative source of this valuable material. In the present work, we report the successful extraction and characterization of the natural collagen found in the scales of Biajaiba, a highly consumed fish native to the Gulf of Mexico. We obtained acid- and pepsin-soluble type I collagens with high denaturation temperatures, high hydroxyproline contents, and yields in the ranges reported for other fish scales. Our work proposes a useful alternative for transforming the huge quantities of discarded fish scales in our country to extract a high-value product for biomedical applications. Graphical abstract

The intestinal microbial metabolite trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) affects the formation and development of atherosclerosis (AS). The design and development of an effective targeted drug to reduce serum TMAO levels may provide new avenues for inhibiting AS morbidity. Target genes that may elevate TMAO levels in patients with AS were explored using bioinformatics, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics (MD). We expected these genes to indicate potential TMAO inhibitors. Of these genes, hFMO 3 was responsible for increasing TMAO levels. Four small-molecule compounds (SMC-1, SMC-2, SMC-3, and SMC-4) with the lowest binding energy and CGenFF penalty < 10 were connected to the main binding pocket of hFMO 3 by hydrogen and/or cation–pi interactions. A 100 ns MD simulation showed that the four systems quickly reached equilibrium. The root mean square deviation of all four small-molecule compounds was less than 0.35 nm, that of the four ligand complexes was less than 0.40 nm, and the average deviations of each amino acid residue from the reference position over time did not differ. Molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area analyses showed that SMC-2, SMC-3, and SMC-4 bound very well to hFMO 3 , and the energy contribution of the key residues LEU40 and GLU32 was more remarkable in SMC-2, SMC-3, and SMC-4. These four small-molecule compounds may be useful as targeted drugs to reduce serum TMAO levels, inhibiting atherosclerosis formation.

To help discover a reasonable and eco-friendly insecticide, we undertook a study on the insecticidal potential of carvacrol and essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus from the plant species Nigella sativa seeds essential oils of Nigella sativa (EONS) on Callosobruchus maculatus adults. Several tests including contact toxicity, repellent effect, topical contact test, and inhalation effect were conducted. Adults of C. maculatus have been exposed to the toxic effects of different concentrations of these essential oils as well as with carvacrol. The results obtained showed that both EONS and carvacrol exhibited a moderate repellent effect (class II) on C . maculatus adults. EONS showed the highest toxicity by inhalation test, with an LD 50 of 13.386 and an LD 95 of 33.186 μL/cm 2 , compared to carvacrol (LD 50 = 21.509 and LD 95 = 38.877 μL/cm 2 ). The EONS by contact test exhibited more toxic effects, with an LD 50 of 23.350 µL/100 g and an LD 95 of 45.315 µL/100 g, compared to carvacrol (LD 50 = 27.853 µL/100 g and LD 95 = 45.184 µL/100 g). For the topical contact test results, carvacrol was more toxic, with an LD 50 of 3.915 and an LD 95 of 7.696 µL/mL, compared to EONS (LD 50 = 14.509 and LD 95 = 25.516 µL/mL). The high toxicity of EONS can be explained by the presence of 25.8% of o -cymene, 8.53% of cyclofenchene, and 7.71% of beta-pinene, as well as 4.6% of carvacrol, in its chemical composition. Unmitigatedly, these data suggest that the essential oils of N. sativa may present a raw material for the development of new bio-insecticidal products against C. maculatus , one of the main pests of stored foodstuffs.

One-pot synthesis of polymerized methyl imidazole silver bromide (CH 3 C 6 H 5 AgBr) 6 Compound 1 was carried out by the reaction of methylimidazole, 1,2-dibromoethane, and Ag 2 O in tetrahydrofuran at 60°C for 2 h. Compound 1 was characterized by elemental analysis, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal cell parameters of Compound 1 are as follows: a = 8.916(4) Å, b = 17.655(9) Å, c = 9.024(4) Å, α = 90°, β = 103.621(7)°, γ = 90°, V = 1380.6(12) Å 3 , and Z = 4. The silver atoms in Compound 1 are pentacoordinated with three bromine atoms, one silver atom, and one nitrogen atom of methyl imidazole, and polymeric methyl imidazole silver bromide was formed based on this structure. The catalytic effects under optimized conditions were investigated in this study, and the results showed that Compound 1 possesses a strong catalytic effect on the oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene with a conversion rate of 77.15% by using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant at 80°C for 3 h. The catalytic mechanism was explored simultaneously.

Since biodiesels are widely considered more environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable than fuels derived from petroleum – as well as producing greener energy at a lower price – this belief has encouraged the growth of the bio-economy. The primary objective of this work was to investigate the use of a novel non-edible feedstock obtained from date seed oil for the production of environmentally friendly biodiesel. This was achieved via the application of creative and different hydroxyapatite (HAPT) heterogeneous catalysts. These catalysts were obtained from discarded fish bones that were synthesized from dried fish bone and subjected to calcination at different temperatures. This study used several analytical methods, including transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis, to investigate the properties of a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable catalyst derived from waste fish bones. HAPT is the key component of calcined catalysts, and this was confirmed using XRD analysis. The findings revealed that the transesterification activity was optimal when the catalyst was calcined at 900°C. Moreover, this produced a maximum yield of 89% fatty acid ethyl esters (FAMEs) when optimal reaction conditions were achieved (3-h reaction time, 9:1 ethanol/oil molar ratio, and catalyst amount of 4.5 wt%). Additionally, the catalyst was found to be durable and reusable throughout the biodiesel production process. The confirmation of FAME production was achieved using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. This approach could facilitate the production of low-cost, environmentally friendly technology. Additionally, it was established that the characteristics of the biodiesel complied with ASTM D6571, an American fuel regulation. Green energy approaches can also be beneficial for the environment, which could ultimately improve societal and economic development for the biodiesel business on a larger scale.

A study was conducted to investigate how the addition of WO 3 affects the mechanical, optical, and photon attenuation properties of TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass systems. In this study, four glass systems categorized as W5, W10, W15, and W20 were studied to evaluate the impact of WO 3 on TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass systems in view of the feature of mechanical, optical, and photon attenuation. The rising values of elastic moduli suggest that increasing WO 3 on TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass systems makes the glassy structure more stable. Incorporating WO 3 into TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass systems results in an increased energy band gap, rising from 2.83 to 2.95 eV. This phenomenon, in turn, leads to a decrease in the refractive index, dielectric constant, and optical dielectric constant values from 2.444 to 2.411, 5.975 to 5.811, and 4.975 to 4.811, respectively. While the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the examined glass systems (W5, W10, W15, and W20) displayed a comparable pattern, the LAC value of glass sample W20 stood out as the highest among them. However, due to the addition of WO 3 on the TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass system, at a lower energy region from 0.0284 to 0.06 MeV, there was a little variation among the mass attenuation coefficients of these glass systems studied herein, but a negligible variation was found from 0.662 to 2.51 MeV. The studied glass sample W20 with the highest amount of WO 3 (20 mol%) on the TeO 2 –Na 2 O glass system displayed the lowest half-value layer. However, glass samples W5, W10, and W15 exposed 1.29, 1.07, and 1.03 times higher values of mean free path than W20. In addition, the values of the half-value layer were compared with the literature data of WO 3 –MoO 3 –TeO 2 , BaO–Li 2 O–B 2 O 3 , and CaF 2 –BaO–P 2 O 5 glass systems. Studied glass sample W20 showed the maximum shielding performance from energy 0.284 to 2.51 MeV.

This study evaluated the protective effects of naringin (NRG) against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-elicited neurotoxicity. The animals were orally administered with NRG and subsequently injected with 5-FU. Injection of 5-FU caused depression in cerebral antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and total protein levels, whereas malondialdehyde and acetylcholinesterase levels/activities were considerably upregulated. In addition, 5-FU-triggered cerebral pro-inflammation was shown via significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inducible nitric oxide synthase, nuclear factor-ĸB, and caspase-3. Furthermore, necrotic and inflammatory histopathological lesions were observed in the cerebral tissues. Interestingly, the NRG administration considerably inhibited 5-FU-instigated cerebral oxido-inflammatory and apoptotic parameters in the treated animals. Thus, NRG could mitigate the neurotoxicity of 5-FU via the inhibition of oxido-inflammation and apoptosis in rats. These results suggested that NRG may have a relevant therapeutic importance in the management of 5-FU-elicited neurotoxicity.

Using microbial endophytes to produce bioactive compounds is a reliable scientific method. This investigation aimed to use the Acacia plant for isolating an endophytic fungal strain that has a bio-ability to produce a bio-crude extract. This study also encompassed the assessment of the extract’s biological efficacy as an antibacterial and anticancer agent. Samples of the Acacia plant were collected from “Shuaib Huraymila,” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The isolation and identification of fungal endophytes was done, and then, the production of crude extract was performed using the isolated endophytes. The profile gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy of the extract was determined, followed by the assessment of its biological activity against drug-resistant infections and cancer cells through in vitro examination. The findings showed that the fungal endophyte was Alternaria ( Alternaria sorghi ), according to internal transcribed spacer sequencing and basic local alignment search tool analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extract were 9.1 and 4.5 mg/mL for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and drug-resistant Candida auris , respectively, and the IC50% values were 46.6 and 23.7 mg/mL for MCF-7 and A549, respectively. The findings showed that this strain had no antagonistic action against Culex pipiens . This study concluded that the fungal endophyte isolated from the Acacia plant has the bio-ability to produce antimicrobial and anticancer agents.

In this research, we have used a green approach to vanadium nanoparticle (NP) synthesis by the Salvia leriifolia watery extract. The NP characterization was performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The NPs materialized in spherical morphology with an average size of 26.26 nm. The antioxidant activity was assessed using 2-2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) assay, while the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to measure anti-colorectal cancer (against HCT-15‎, COLO 320, Caco-2, DLD-1‎, HT-29, and HCT-116 cell lines) and cytotoxicity (against HUVEC cell line) activity of vanadium NPs. Cancer cell line viability decreased dose dependently in the presence of V NPs. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of V NPs were 149, 125, 173, 83, 131, and 105 µg/mL against Caco-2, COLO 320, DLD-1‎, HCT-15‎, HCT-116‎, and HT-29 cell lines, respectively. In radical scavenging activity, V NPs scavenged DPPH with the IC 50 value of 33 µg/mL.

The current study was aimed to develop a low cost HPLC method for determination of caffeine content in coffee samples in some coffee shops in Jeddah local market. Caffeine was extracted with water and separated through ZORBAX Eclipse XDB C-18 column using methanol/water (40:60) as mobile phase. The average peak response time for caffeine was 2.747 min with a relative standard deviation of 1.061. The proposed assay was able to detect caffeine in the concentration range from 5 to 45 ppm with limits of detection (LOD = 3 σ / b ) and quantification (LOQ = 10 σ / b ) of 1.086 and 3.619 ppm using two-channel UV detector set at 274 and 264 nm with correlation coefficient ( R 2 ) of 0.9996, respectively. The assay was adopted for the determination caffeine content in 30 coffee samples collected from eight brand coffee shops and from local market. Each sample was injected in triplicate ( n = 3) and the average and confidence limit of the mean were calculated. The concentration of caffeine in coffee brand shops varied from 513.82 ± \pm 12.91 to 8080.05 ± \pm 3.06 ppm, whereas in beans and instant coffee its content was diverse from 360.18 ± \pm 86.72 to 1306.98 ± \pm 27.31 ppm. These results were validated using Student’s t -test at 95% confidence level.

Reported here is a new Cu( ii ) compound with the formula of {Cu 4 ( μ 2 -Cl) 6 ( μ 4 -O)(4-NH 2 -py) 4 } n ( 1 , 4-NH 2 -py = 4-amino-pyridine). The analysis of X-ray diffraction shows that the complex 1 indicates a 0D separated skeleton with {Cu 4 ( μ 2 -Cl) 6 ( μ 4 -O)} tetranuclear cluster. The interactions of H-bond between the amino groups and μ 2 -Cl anions from adjacent 0D cluster further extended this 0D cluster into a 3D supramolecular framework. In addition, this compound has excellent photocatalytic activities for the degradation of methyl blue under UV radiation. The cyclic testing results indicate that complex 1 exhibits good recyclability, as it can be repeated for as many as five cycles with no noticeable loss of performance, revealing its potential application in pollutant degradation within the environmental field.

The old, but eco-friendly pesticide, Bordeaux mixture (Bm), is widely used in agriculture. Here, the effects of Bm on preharvest fruit ripening, and postharvest senescence of fruit and the accumulation of antioxidants were studied in Ziziphus jujuba . A 200× dilution of Bm enhanced preharvest ripening and retarded jujube fruit postharvest senescence. Treatment with Bm increased the reddening index and promoted the accumulation of total phenolics (TP) and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in preharvest fruit. However, this Bm-accelerated ripening could be partly reversed using dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a specific scavenger of reactive oxygen species. Compared with preharvest fruit, Bm treatment decreased weight loss and decay and increased firmness in postharvest fruit. Similarly, Bm-delayed senescence was partly reversed using dimethylthiourea. Moreover, the decrease in TP and TAC during storage was partly impeded by Bm. A higher H 2 O 2 content was detected in preharvest fruit than in postharvest fruit. Moreover, this Bm-induced H 2 O 2 accumulation was significantly mitigated using dimethylthiourea. Interestingly, both preharvest and postharvest spraying with Bm significantly enhance copper and calcium accumulation in fruit. Thus, Bm can be widely used before or after harvest to improve fruit quality. Graphical abstract

In this study, a novel Ho( iii ) coordination complex with the chemical composition of [Ho 6 (acac) 4 L 4 (CH 3 O) 6 ]· x CH 3 OH ( 1 ) has been prepared via using a polydentate Schiff base ligand N′-(2,3-dihydroxybenzylidene) picolinohydrazide (H 2 L) and a β-diketone (Hacac = acetylacetone) co-ligand, and then successfully loaded with drug omeprazole. Hyaluronic acid, a natural polysaccharide with good biocompatibility, was used as raw material to prepare drug carriers that can be injected into hydrogels based on chemical synthesis method. The internal microstructure of the hydrogel was observed by scanning electron microscope, which showed a good three-dimensional connected porous structure. After the synthesis of the hydrogel, the value of their application in the treatment of pancreatitis was evaluated and the related mechanisms were explored at the same time.

2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole (BTD) is a key motif for the chemistry of photoluminescence molecules and its application in lightening technology as well as cell imagining. Evaluating the characteristics and reaction mechanisms of the BTD derivatives in molecular is critical for molecular designing. Research has been turned to BTD-extended derivatives owing to their possible usage in organic photovoltaics, organic light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal devices, dye-sensitized solar cells, and many other applications. Herein, three small molecules with a BTD core, 4,7-di- m -tolylbenzo[ c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (NK1), 4,7-bis(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)benzo[ c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (NK2), and 4,7-bis(5-( m -tolyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[ c ][1,2,5]thiadiazole (NK3), were designed and synthesized and their molecular structures were elucidated. Additionally, their photophysical and electrochemical behaviors as well as the aggregation-induced enhanced emission properties were examined to investigate their possible usage in cell imaging and organic electronic applications. The HOMO energy level of molecules has been found as −5.96, −5.58, and −5.60 eV, respectively. In the emission spectra, it was seen that molecules showed green, blue, and red emission, respectively. Graphical abstract

This report presents the synthesis of pristine barium calcium titanate (BCT) and composite samples of [ x (HA)–100 − x (BCT)]; (0 ≤ x ≤ 20) through solid-state reaction with microwave sintering. Hydroxyapatite (HA)–BCT composites have been developed to minimize grain growth, thereby boosting the material’s physical, mechanical, and electrical properties. The evaluated samples were examined for the Fourier transform-infrared spectra, and the results showed a correlation with the X-ray diffraction patterns. The real and imaginary dielectric permittivity was applied to determine the AC conductivity, and the findings indicate a drop in the frequency exponent values ( S ) from 1 to 0.67 for samples with x = 0. Similarly, for samples with x = 5, the value of S decreases from 0.90 to 0.55. For samples with x = 10, the value of S reduces from 0.7 to 0.54. Lastly, for samples with x = 20, the value of S decreases from 0.63 to 0.45. The exponent S and temperature relationship may be attributed to a thermal activation mechanism. The grains and grain boundary resistivity were estimated using a Cole–Cole plot, and the results showed that the grain boundary resistivity is higher in comparison to the resistivity exhibited inside the grains. This demonstrated the distinct electrical conductivity at the interfaces between the grains in comparison to the interior of the grains. The analysis of hardness indicates that the average hardness of the samples ranges from 5.22 to 4.77 GPa, which is maintained at different HA concentrations. The data suggest that this composite may have the potential to be a biomedically helpful substance.

Skin wounds are prone to fungal infections and may threaten patients’ lives in severe cases. However, conventional treatment protocols rarely promote skin wound repair by modulating microRNA (miRNA). A novel binuclear cobalt( ii ) complex with the chemical formula [Co 2 (MBBA) 2 (HPT) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O ( 1 ) was synthesized through the reaction of 2-(4-methylbenzoyl) benzoic acid and 3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1 H -1,2,4-triazole in the presence of 3,4-pyridine dicarboxylic acid as the template reagent. With natural polysaccharide hyaluronic acid and carboxymethyl chitosan as raw material, based on the chemical synthesis of epidermal cell growth factor for the load of metal gel particles, the microstructure and skin wound healing effect were studied. Molecular docking simulation showed that neither the carboxyl nor triazole group formed binding interactions with the active sites on proteins. Instead, the carbonyl group interacted with the active sites through hydrogen bonding. This study not only provides an effective solution to promote skin wound repair by modulating miRNAs but also provides useful ideas for synthesizing organometallic ligand-based hydrogels and their applications in biomedical fields.

The growing interest in exploring mushrooms and their bioactive components as potential therapies for diabetes and inflammatory conditions has prompted our investigation. In this study, we examined the methanolic extract, as well as the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions, derived from the fruiting bodies of Hypsizygus ulmarius and assessed the potential in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects. The inhibition of salivary α-amylase, salivary sucrase, and α-glucosidase enzymes by the methanolic extract and its fractions was used to measure the level of antidiabetic activity. Further, the inhibitory effects of the enzymes lipoxygenase (LOX), cyclooxygenase (COX), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were tested to assess the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the methanolic extract and its fractions. The fraction containing ethyl acetate has been demonstrated to have the highest level of in vitro antidiabetic effect, exhibiting IC 50 values of 44.93, 27.70, and 44.75 μg/ml for salivary α-amylase, salivary sucrase, and α-glucosidase enzymes, respectively. Moreover, the fraction of ethyl acetate revealed the greatest in vitro anti-inflammatory action, with IC 50 values of 25.67 μg/ml for LOX, 34.04 μg/ml for COX, and 38.71 μg/ml for MPO. Graphical abstract

Adenine polycrystals were obtained from their powder form under effective crystallization conditions by adjustment of the concentration of chemical solutions. The adenine samples were irradiated with a 60 Co gamma-ray source at room temperature for 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, and then these samples were investigated between 240 and 400 K using an electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer. No signals were observed in the non-irradiated samples irradiated for 12, 24, and 48 h; however, when irradiated for 72 h, the samples exhibited complex ESR spectra. The analysis indicated the presence of a radical structure, NH ̇ \dot{{NH}} . The hyperfine splitting and g -values were calculated from the spectra by simulation programs. Also, during the measurements, it was observed that the shapes of the ESR lines changed slightly with the temperature.

The Bi 2 O 3 –ZnO–PbO–B 2 O 3 (BiZPB) glasses are prepared using the melt-quenching technique. As the concentration of lead oxide increases, the band gap energy ( E g ) decreases from 2.864 to 2.671 eV. The BiZPB glasses exhibit remarkable stability under thermal stress, as indicated by the thermogravimetric analysis graph, with only a marginal 0.5% loss in their initial mass. The decrease in the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of BiZPB glasses, with an increase in the PbO concentration, can be attributed to the specific influence of PbO on the glass structure and properties. The radiation shielding performance for the prepared glasses is evaluated using Phy-X software. The transmission factor (TF) for the 10B 2 O 3 –10ZnO–40PbO–40B 2 O 3 glass sample is almost zero at 0.122 MeV, which means that this glass sample can attenuate almost all the photons with an energy of 0.122 MeV, whereas the TF values for this sample with thicknesses of 0.5 and 1 cm are 88 and 77%, respectively., it can be observed from the TF values that the prepared glasses have good attenuation performance against low energy (0.122, 0.245, and 0.344 MeV), while they have weak shielding performance against high energy radiation. The addition of PbO causes a reduction in TF, which means that the addition of an extra amount of PbO into the glasses results in an enhancement in the radiation shielding competence of the samples. The average half-value layer ( HVL ̅ \bar{{\rm{HVL}}} ) is also calculated. The results demonstrated that HVL ̅ \bar{{\rm{HVL}}} is at its lowest between 0.248 and 0.411 MeV, ranging between 0.396 and 0.513 cm.

In this work, in order to develop new, efficient, and environmentally friendly methods for the preparation of practically valuable esters of carboxylic acids, the hydroalkoxycarbonylation reaction of octene-1 with various alcohols in the presence of metal–complex catalysts based on palladium phosphine complexes has been studied. Three-component systems based on PdCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 containing different ligands as stabilizers and Lewis acids as promoters were studied as catalysts. It is shown that the three-component system PdCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 –PPh 3 –AlCl 3 has the highest catalytic activity in the reactions studied. It was found that the reaction of hydroalkoxycarbonylation of octene-1 proceeds with the formation of a mixture of linear (ethyl ester of pelargonic acid) and branched (ethyl ester of 2-methylcaprylic acid) products. The influence of the ratio of initial reagents (different olefins and alcohols) and components of catalytic systems (different Pd complexes, ligands, and promoters) on the course of the process has been investigated, in which the conversion of octene-1 reached 88.5%. The optimal parameters of the reactions studied were determined.

A synthesized Schiff base ligand 4-{( Z )-[(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)methylene]amino}-4-antipyrene (H-NAPP) was confirmed by single crystal diffraction analysis. The H-NAPP was crystalized in the P 21 21 21 space group and orthorhombic crystal system. The Schiff base ligand H-NAPP bears potential donor sites and therefore it was reacted with transition metal ions Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Zn 2+ to yield respective metal complexes. All reaction products were investigated by elemental analyses and IR spectroscopic techniques. The combined spectroscopic characterizations revealed the distorted square planar geometries for all the synthesized metal complexes. The metal complexes were further studied for their thermal stabilities using TG techniques and proved to be thermally cleaved in the temperature range of 30–1,000°C in air. Pseudo-mirrored 2D fingerprint plots were used for the short interatomic interactions in the crystal structure. The major short interatomic interactions involve the hydrogen bonding which covers the Hirshfeld surfaces {H···H, O···H and C···H}. The ligand and complexes were investigated for a potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. While relatively inactive throughout, some notable differences were observed and, surprisingly, the ligand was found to be more active than its complexes.

Eye retinopathy means damage to the retina of the eye, which can have various causes, both congenital and acquired. Diabetes is one of the important causes of eye retinopathy. Retinopathy can develop slowly or quickly, get better on its own, or lead to permanent damage. No treatment is recommended in the early and mild stages. However, close monitoring is essential. Severe form of the disease may require treatment. Recently, the researchers have focused on new options for the treatment of the retinal damages. Present investigation discloses the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesizing capability of the leaves of pharmacologically important Abelmoschus esculentus . Rapid, cost-effective, one-step process of formulation has been achieved. New genre AgNPs were characterized by involving ultraviolet- visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis. Effect of AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus was assessed on the retinal injury of diabetic rats in this study. After inducing the diabetes by STZ, all rats were separated in to seven different groups ( n = 20) including control, diabetic retinopathy group receiving saline solution, and AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus treated group receiving AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus (20, 40, and 80 µg/kg) for a duration of 8 weeks. After completion of the treatment protocol, the body weight and blood glucose were determined. Leukocytosis, retinal vascular permeability, fundus photography, and retinal vessel diameter, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), and concentrations of IL10, NF-κB, and TNFα in the retina were assessed. AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus in all doses reduced significantly ( p ≤ 0.01) the weight, glucose, NF-κB, and TNFα concentrations, retinal leukocytosis, and vascular permeability and increased the concentrations of SOD, CAT, GSH, and IL10. Thus, the present research concludes that AgNPs@ Abelmoschus esculentus effectively manages the diabetic retinopathy at the best.

Sepsis is a common and deadly syndrome that despite all the progress in its control, the death rate caused by it is high. Sepsis is a serious problem that needs immediate attention and treatment. This infection, especially if it is caused by bacteria resistant to several drugs, causes high mortality. About two-thirds of sepsis cases occur in hospitalized patients. Several factors such as increasing the age of the population, increasing the duration of chronic diseases, high consumption of antibiotics and corticosteroids, use of mechanical devices and intravascular devices play a role in increasing its incidence. We herein demonstrate the biogenic procedure for the in situ immobilizing gold nanoparticles over lignin (Lig)-modified Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles mediated by Cydonia leaf extract (Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs) and its catalytic activity on the acetylation of alcohols using acetic anhydride and subsequent biological performances. The successful synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs was assessed using an array of advanced techniques like field emission scanning electron microscopy, fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy EDX, elemental mapping, vibrating-sample magnetometer, and X-ray diffraction. Cecal ligation and puncture was used for inducing the sepsis model in rats. Several doses of Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs (45, 15, and 5 µg/kg) on oxidant–antioxidant, inflammatory mediators mRNA such as IL-1 and TNF-α, and its effects on the levels of expression were assessed in the kidney, liver, duodenum, lung, and stomach. When septic rats kidney, liver, duodenum, lung, and stomach were compared with those of the control group, it was found that Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs dose-dependent administration raised glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activity and significantly reduced the levels of malondialdehyde. The Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs (45 µg/kg) indicated greater anti-oxidative effects than the 5 and 15 µg/kg doses for all the assessed parameters. In addition, the expression of TNF-α mRNA in the CLP + 45 µg/kg group was decreased in comparison with the control group. Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs reduced oxidative stress by enhancing the free radicals scavenging effects and supporting endogenous antioxidants. The Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs potent antioxidant property may be related to the cytokine cascade suppression during sepsis. The above findings offer that Fe 3 O 4 @Lig-Ag NPs administration may indicate a modern treatment for the inhibition of liver, kidney, lung, duodenum, and stomach tissues damage caused by septic conditions.

We herein demonstrate a novel green mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Pistacia atlantica bark aqueous extract for the treatment of gastric cancer under in vitro conditions. Physicochemical and structural features of the nanocomposite biomaterial were assessed by several techniques like UV-Vis spectrum, transmission electron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The Ag NPs showed high antioxidant activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The IC 50 of Ag NPs and Butylated hydroxytoluene against DPPH were 132 and 77 µg/mL, respectively. In the oncological part of this research, the status of normal and gastric cancer AGS and KATO III cell lines was determined. The IC 50 of AgNPs was 193 and 250 µg/mL against AGS and KATO III. It seems that the prepared NP have stopped the growth of gastric cancer cells and the recent cancer cells have been removed with high concentration of NPs.

We fabricated porcelain ceramics embedded with WO 3 nanoparticles (NPs) for radiation shielding applications. The linear attenuation coefficients were experimentally determined to study the efficiency of the manufactured samples against gamma rays. When the thickness increases from 0.5 to 2 cm, there is a reduction in the photon transmission through the ceramics. At 0.662 MeV, the transmission factor for Porc-1 changes from 0.91 (thickness: 0.5 cm) to 0.83 (thickness: 1 cm), and to 0.69 (thickness: 2 cm). From I / I 0 results, we found that attenuation performance is improved as the sample thickness increases. We evaluated the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) and examined the influence of the concentration of WO 3 NPs on the MAC. We found that Porc-5 which contains a greater quantity of WO 3 NPs compared to the other samples has the highest MAC. At 0.06 MeV, the HVL (half value layer) for Porc-1 is 1.063 cm, while at 1.333 MeV this increases to 5.247 cm. Meanwhile, for Porc-2, at 0.06 MeV, a thin layer of thickness 0.806 cm is required to shield 50% of the photons, and at 1.333 MeV, the thickness of the layer must increase to 5.058 cm to shield the photons.

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) plays a crucial role in causing tissue damage in various chronic and inflammatory disorders, making it a target for treating inflammatory diseases. While some inhibitors of HNE’s activity have been identified, only a few have made it to clinical trials. In this study, computational methods were employed to identify potential natural products (NPs) capable of targeting the active site of HNE. The protein–ligand complex has been used to generate a pharmacophore model. A library of 449,008 NPs from the SN3 database was screened against the generated model, resulting in 29,613 NPs that matched the pharmacophore hypothesis. These compounds were docked into the protein active site, resulting in the identification of six promising NPs with better docking scores than the bound ligand to HNE. The top two NPs (SN0338951 and SN0436937) were further evaluated for their interaction stability with HNE through molecular dynamics simulations. Further, the pharmacokinetics and toxicity properties of these compounds were predicted. The results indicated that these two compounds have stable interactions with HNE, as well as, acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. These findings pave the path for further in vitro and in vivo studies of SN0338951 and SN0436937 as promising agents against inflammatory diseases.

The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of anthraquinone (AQ) compounds on the activity of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST). The interaction between GST and some AQs (alizarin, purpurin, quinizarin, and dantron) was investigated, and IC 50 and K i levels were determined for each compound. The results obtained reveal that these compounds are potent GST inhibitors. K i values of these compounds against GST were found ranging from 9.133 ± 0.895 to 36.992 ± 6.194 μM. In the in vitro study, purpurin was identified as the most potent AQ against GST. Thereafter, binding mode exploration of purpurin to the enzyme was undertaken to elucidate its mechanism of action. To this end, molecular docking was conducted. According to the docking results, purpurin can bind to the enzyme and form a stable complex. Together with this, binding potential of purpurin was less than the standard ligand. Examination of both the inhibitory activity in vitro and molecular docking interactions of these anticancer agents with GST, an enzyme important for detoxification metabolism, led to the identification of important relationships between these compounds and GST. The findings may offer structural direction for developing superior anticancer drugs or powerful GST inhibitors.

The objective of this study is to increase the natural clay mineral-based bricks’ ability to shield γ-rays without the use of external doping materials. Six brick samples were consequently developed at various pressure rates (PRs). The chemical composition and structure of the manufactured bricks are unaffected by the PR applied. The main constituents in the clay used to make bricks are illite and quartz minerals, according to an X-ray diffraction pattern. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion X-rays have demonstrated the morphology and chemical composition of the used clay. Besides, the Mh-300A density meter shows an increase in the fabricated bricks’ density by increasing the PR, where the brick’s density increased by 32.92% by increasing the PR from 7.61 to 114.22 MPa, respectively. Also, the effects of the PR on the radiation shielding properties of the fabricated bricks were investigated using a NaI (Tl) detector. The data reveal that increasing the PR between 7.61 and 114.22 MPa improved the linear attenuation coefficient by 44.5, 23.8, 24.2, and 24.8%, respectively, for gamma-ray energies of 0.662, 1.173, 1.252, and 1.332 MeV. The capacity of fabricated bricks to shield against radiation increases as the linear attenuation coefficient increases. The lead’s equivalent thickness and half-value thickness of the fabricated clay-based bricks, on the other hand, decreased. As a result, the compacted natural clay brick, which is a lead-free material, provides a suitable alternative for gamma-ray shielding in radioactive locations.

Orevactaene yellow pigment was produced by solid-state fermentation of broken rice using Epicoccum nigrum . The pigment was extracted using water as a solvent and subjected to stability studies at different temperatures (30, 40, 60, and 80°C), pH (4, 6, and 8), sterilization, and sunlight exposure treatment. The observed data were fitted in the first-order kinetic model. Yellow pigment stability was found to vary at different temperatures studied. At 30°C, only a 4% decrease in color intensity was observed after 2 h; at 40°C, an 8% decrease was observed, and at 80°C and pH 6.0, 17% of color intensity was lost. These results showed that the orevactaene pigment produced by E. nigrum is heat-sensitive and changes in color intensity should be expected in heat-processed products. After 180 min at 80°C, yellow pigments maintained 82 and 76% of the initial color at pH 6 and 8, while a 65% decrease in color intensity was observed at 80°C, pH 4. Autoclaving resulted in 69% decay and exposure of pigment to sunlight for 2 h showed 1% decay. The half-life period of the pigment at different temperatures varied from 82.5 to 5.25 h. The decimal reduction time decreased from 275 to 17.5 h with an increase in the temperature. Thermodynamic parameters for pigment decay at pH 6.0 were represented in terms of enthalpy ∆ H , activation energy E a , free energy ∆ G, and entropy ∆ S . The values observed were 44.52–44.93, 48.48, 96.60–105.18 kJ/mol, and −170.50 to −171.85 J/mol/K, respectively. All these parameters help in predicting the quality changes in terms of appearance during thermal processing and optimizing the process.

Stomatitis or generalized inflammation of the mouth includes inflammation or pain in the mouth. Natural compounds are one of the best options for stomatitis treatment. Silybum marianum has many medicinal properties in traditional medicine. In recent research, iron nanoparticles were formulated by S. marianum . The research aim was to determine the Fe nanoparticles’ (FeNPs) efficacy in denture stomatitis treatment. FeNPs were characterized by TEM, FE-SEM, and UV-Visible. This was a clinical trial study with 60 patients who received FeNPs. The patients in 14 days were suggested to use mouthwash 1 time per 6 h each time 15–20 drops for 120–180 s and after that they should avoid drinking and eating for 0.5 h; patients in the two groups were offered to apply the drug. At each visit, mycological samples were taken for culture from the palatal mucosa. Inflammation amount and erythema were determined in each session and determined with a graded blade and recorded. The erythema surface of the palatal was significantly decreased in the group at follow-up visits compared to the pretreatment condition.

The current study aimed to analyze the stabilization of sunflower oil using white mustard ( Brassica hirta ) leaf extracts as well as their antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity. Selected plant leaves were macerated in different solvents such as n -hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n -butanol, and methanol. The total flavonoid contents, total phenolic contents, the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay, and the inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation were also examined. Moreover, the stabilization of sunflower oil was evaluated by calculating the conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes, peroxide value, p -ansidine, and free fatty acid values. The cytotoxicity study in terms of the hemolytic activity of B. hirta leaf extract was evaluated and the maximum percentage of lysis was found to be safe (less than 5%). The results of the present study revealed that among others, methanolic white mustard ( B. hirta ) leaf extract possessed higher antioxidant potential and might be safely employed for the stabilization of vegetable oils.

The aim of this work was to assess the physical properties of Langmuir monolayers of three new oil blends “RBWg” (obtained by mixing rapeseed oil, black cumin oil, and wheat germ oil), “REp” (rapeseed oil and evening primrose oil), and “CRb” (camelina oil and rice bran oil), as well as to characterize the molecular dynamics of their protons using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) method. The studied blends are rich in oleic acid (C18:1), linolenic acid (C18:2), and α-linolenic acid (18:3). The chromatographically determined ratio of n6 to n3 fatty acids was found to be in the range of 5.18–5.27. The appropriate n6/n3 fatty acid ratio was also confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The spin–lattice relaxation rate ( R 1 ) and spin–spin relaxation time ( R 2 ) measured by LF NMR method were similar for the RBWg and REp blends but different from the third oil blend (CRb), which indicates lower proton mobility in CRb. The observed changes in the properties of monolayers of oil blends suggest that the refined rice bran oil in the CRb blend also significantly changes the viscoelastic properties of this blend. The results obtained in this study provide a theoretical basis for the development of a well-balanced approach to using oils in food production technology. Graphical abstract

This work provides data on strategies for single GdSrFeO 4 phase solid state synthesis. Earlier works have shown that under the solid-state synthesis conditions, the GdSrFeO 4 preparation is hampered by the formation of non-target product: Gd 2 SrFe 2 O 7 . This work approach led to the solid-phase synthesis GdSrFeO 4 scheme change. GdSrFeO 4 was characterized by X-Ray, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dilatometry and complex thermal analysis methods. GdSrFeO 4 is stable in the wide range of studied temperatures 40–1,400°C in air. The sintering start temperature was determined to be 985°C. GdSrFeO 4 has a thermal expansion coefficient of 30 × 10 −6 K −1 . The thermal stability is excellent for further investigation and potential for application of the materials as SOFC, for example. The study of catalytic stability of the obtained GdSrFeO 4 is to be a subject of future work as well.

Host defense peptides (HDPs) are encouraged as anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of oleic acid (OA)- and linoleic acid (LA)-loaded nanosomes on the gene expression of beta-defensin-4 (BD-4) as a member of HDPs. The OA and LA nanosomes were prepared and characterized in terms of particle size and surface charge as lymphatic delivery systems. Afterwards, the effect of fatty acid (FA)-loaded nanosomes on BD-4 gene expression in mice dermal cells was investigated using polymerase chain reaction at 6, 12, and 24 h intervals. The epigenetic effect of OA and LA on histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC6) was studied using the molecular operating environment (MOE) docking. Moreover, the cytotoxic effect of free and FA-loaded nanosomes was investigated using 375 cell lines. The present results indicated that the prepared OA and LA nanosomes have a nanosize range (258–275 nm), negative zeta potential (−26 to −32 mV), and are homogenous polydispersity index (0.200–0.400). Moreover, free, and FA-loaded nanosomes induced significant upregulation of BD-4 mRNA expression after 6 and 12 h compared to the control mice BD-4 gene expression by several folds. However, after 24 h, the BD-4 mRNA expression significantly decreased compared to 12 h. Molecular docking studies revealed that OA and LA inhibit HDAC6 by binding with the active site. Treating the melanoma cell line with free or OL- and LA-loaded nanosomes induced significant cell death compared to negative control. This study suggests new insight into the effect of OA and LA on HDPs production. Consequently, the consumption of oils enriched with OL and LA stimulates the host immune system to fight microbial invasion and cancer. Moreover, Nanosomes are suggested as influential tactics for the specific lymphatic delivery of cytotoxic medicines. Graphical abstract

This study sought to assess the heavy metal content, phytochemical composition, antibacterial activity, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties of Bombax ceiba L. tree. The heavy metal content of the plant roots was determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry technique, and it was found that only Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni concentrations were above the permissible limits for edible plants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 11 phytochemicals in the aqueous extract of the plant. Both in vitro and in silico confirmed the extract’s antibacterial efficacy. The aqueous extract showed significant antibacterial activity, with minimal inhibition concentration values of 125 µg/mL against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Streptococcus pyogenes . Among the 11 identified compounds, 1,8-Dioxa-5-thiaoctane,8-(9-borabicyclo[3,3,1]non-9-yl)-3-(9 borabicyclo[3,3,1]non-9-yloxy)-1-phenyl- showed the highest docking score (−8.31 kcal/mol) when docked into the active site of E. coli MenB protein (PDB id: 3t88). It formed four hydrogen bonds with GLY86, GLY85, GLY132, and GLY133. Furthermore, the identified compounds were analyzed for ADME properties, most of them showed very good pharmacokinetic properties and did not violate Lipinski’s Rule of Five. Additional research is required to determine the medicinal potential of the compounds that have antibacterial activity. Graphical abstract

Recently, the plant extracts used to synthesize nanoparticles (NPs) have been considered an excellent alternative to physical and chemical ways. The applications of NPs in the fields of agriculture, industry, and medicine are so many and diverse that they cannot be counted. In recent years, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted the consideration of several scientists because of their special characteristics and many applications in various fields, including optoelectronic catalysts, biological markers, and pharmaceutical and medical applications. In the current experiment, the cytotoxic potential of the properties of AgNPs green formulation using green tea on human colorectal cancer cells were determined. The NPs characterization was done by field emission-scanning electron microscopes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The average diameter of the particles was about 35 nm. The presence of (111), (200), (220), and (311) peaks at the positions of 38°, 44°, 63°, and 77° indicate the presence of AgNPs, which confirms the correct synthesis of AgNPs. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2 H -tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure anti-colorectal carcinoma (on HCT-8, HT-29, MDST8, HCA-7 Colony 29, HCT 116, and Ramos.2G6.4C10 cells) properties of AgNPs. The findings indicate that in 3 days, the cancer cell survival percentage in various dilations reduced as much as the NPs concentration increased. The best anticancer effect was reported at 1,000 μg/mL dilation. The IC 50 was 141, 46, 149, 125, 125, and 44 µg/mL against HCT-8, HT-29, MDST8, HCA-7 Colony 29, HCT 116, and Ramos.2G6.4C10 colorectal cancer cells, respectively. The results indicated that these NPs could inhibit colorectal cancer cells more strongly than normal cells. After doing the clinical trial studies, the recent AgNPs are a suitable option for colorectal cancer treatment.

This study presented the adsorption of naproxen on adsorbents filled with Cu, Fe, and Cu/Fe nanoparticles (NPs) obtained by the green synthesis method from pepper stem waste. The resulting adsorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The amount of naproxen not adsorbed in the solution was determined from the cyclic voltammetry method, which is one of the electrochemical methods. The equation of the calibration curve used in the conversion of current to concentration and the R 2 value were y = 2.6165 x − 288.22 y=2.6165x-288.22 and 0.999, respectively. While the adsorption with the BS-extract was 3.3%, it was 46.142% for Cu-NP, 92 mg/g, and 57.622% for Fe-NP. With 116.0 mg/g Cu/Fe-NP, 82.406% and 165.0 mg/g capacity were reached. In the isotherm calculations, since the R 2 values for each adsorbent were in the range of 0.998–0.997, it was determined that the Freundlich and Halsey isotherms were compatible. Accordingly, under these conditions, Naproxen adsorption was multilayered and the adsorbent surface had a heterogeneous structure. Graphs drawn from the kinetic data showed that the adsorption obeyed the second-order kinetics. The R 2 value of the kinetic curves was 1 for all adsorbents. Thermodynamic data were determined by Van’t Hoff curves with R 2 values in the range of 0.998–0.996. The enthalpy value for Cu/Fe-NP was calculated to be 31.854 kJ/mol, the entropy value was 0.1993 kJ/mol-K, and the free energy was −27.5374 kJ/mol. These values were 34.605 kJ/mol, 0.272 kJ/mol-K, and −46.451 kJ/mol for Fe-NP, respectively; and 19.79 kJ/mol, 0.247 kJ/mol-K, and −54.3226 kJ/mol for Cu-NP. While all NPs (except Cu-NP) had a high recovery percentage in three cycles, this decreased to 80% at pH 10. For Cu-NP, the recovery percentage decreased at pH 8.5 and 7, but surprisingly it increased at pH 10. As a result, it can be inferred that NPs play a good role in adsorbent development, and Fe and Cu NP-doped BS adsorbents have a better effect on naproxen adsorption and have been evaluated as adsorbents suitable for use several times. Graphical abstract

In this study, we prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) employing ultrasound and chitosan (CS) in the presence of Pistacia atlantica aqueous extract as a non-toxic stabilizing and reducing agent for capping AgNPs with CS in a simple single-step process. The reduction of Ag + ions into Ag 0 NPs was indicated by a visual transform in color. UV-Vis studies revealed that the characteristic surface plasmon resonance band appeared at around 460 nm. FT-IR, TEM, SEM, EDX, elemental mapping, XRD, and UV/Vis analytical methods were employed to characterize the AgNPs@CS nanocomposite. TEM study revealed nanoflowers-shaped NPs having various particle sizes. In the oncological part of this research, the status of normal and gastric cancer cell lines (MKN45, MKN28, NCI-N87, SNU-16, SNU-5, SNU-1, AGS, and KATO III) against the proposed nanomaterial were determined. The IC 50 of AgNPs was 265, 304, 325, 127, 297, 318, 125, and 114 µg/mL against MKN45, MKN28, NCI-N87, SNU-16, SNU-5, SNU-1, AGS, and KATO III, respectively. It seems that the prepared NPs have stopped the growth of gastric cancer cells and the recent cancer cells have been removed with a high concentration of NPs. DPPH test results indicated removing 50% radicals by nanocomposite and butylated hydroxytoluene in the doses of 183 and 45 μg/mL.

Multiple beneficial effects have been reported to numerous species of Capparis genus. Among these, Capparis spinosa has exhibited several biological benefits, including anti-inflammatory hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. Herein, C. spinosa was extracted with different solvents and the ability of these fractions to suppress nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells were assessed via Griess reagent. The effects of C. spinosa fractions on different inflammatory markers were also determined in THP-1 and Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ultra-violet was employed to estimate the presence of three flavonoid compounds, namely, apigenin, kaempferol, and rutin. Our results indicate that chloroform (CHCl 3 ) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions of C. spinosa exhibited a promising anti-inflammatory activity via in vitro inhibition of NO in lipopolysaccharide stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Pretreated stimulated THP-1 cells with either CHCl 3 or EtOAc fractions showed decreased expression of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor Alpha in a dose-dependent manner. In HUVEC cells, both fractions downregulate the expression of IL-1β, upregulate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha PPAR-α while no significant impact was observed on PPAR-ϒ gene expression. The presence of apigenin, kaempferol, and rutin in the crude extract has been confirmed through HPLC method. Collectively, these results support the ethnopharmacological usage of C. spinosa as a potential therapy for inflammation related conditions including atherosclerosis.

Electro-spark deposition (ESD) is one of the most effective methods for improving the surfaces of metallic materials by applying ceramic-based cermet coatings. In this study, TiC and WC coatings were deposited on the surface of AISI M2 high-speed steel using the ESD method. Subsequently, the coated surfaces were examined through microstructure, phase structure, microhardness, friction, wear, and electrochemical corrosion tests, and compared with untreated AISI M2 steel. The TiC and WC phase coatings obtained with ESD resulted in a significant improvement, with hardness levels exceeding four times that of AISI M2 steel, leading to reduced wear volume losses and friction coefficients. Furthermore, the cermet coatings formed on the surface exhibited 2–3 times improvement in corrosion resistance due to their lower conductivity. This study demonstrates that WC coatings may offer a more effective solution for enhancing the wear resistance of AISI M2 steel, while TiC coatings could be more effective in improving corrosion resistance.

In a recent study, we evaluated the remedial properties of gold nanoparticles (gold NPs) green-formulated by Origanum majorana on spinal cord injury in rats. UV-Vis, FE-SEM, FT-IR, and TEM tests were applied to characterize the recent gold NPs. The IC 50 values of O. majorana , gold NPs, and butylated hydroxytoluene were 382, 250, and 165 µg/mL, respectively, against DPPH. In in vivo tests, 40 male rats were grouped into four groups: the sham, intact, control, and gold NP (50 µg/kg) groups. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was done to test the lesions post-injury. To determine the neural conduction recovery, somatosensory evoked potential experiments were carried out. For determining the astrogliosis, the GFAP expression was evaluated. All rats were assessed for behavior outcomes using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores every week after spinal cord injury onset. The neuroprotective effects of gold NPs caused improvement in the spinal cord injury contusive model in Wistar rats. Delayed responses were reduced significantly and BBB scores were raised significantly in the gold NP group on sensory tests. The highest reduction in GFAP was evident in the gold NP group. The ventral motor neuron number raised significantly and cavity areas reduced significantly in the gold NP group. Electromyography findings indicated notable improvement of hindlimbs in the gold NP (50 µg/kg) group.

Melanin is an almost ubiquitous pigment of brown to dark black color synthesized by living organisms. It has excellent potential for application in several fields, especially in pharmaceuticals. Yeasts are known for their ability to synthesize pigments, including melanin. These yeasts are considered black yeasts. However, there is little information on the synthesis of melanin by these yeasts. This work was designed to study the ability of black yeast to produce a diffusible dark pigment on agar. Two strains of black yeast, SN1 and SN2, were isolated from hydrocarbon-polluted soils. Based on morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses, the two strains SN1 and SN2 were identified as new species of the Exophiala phaeomuriformis strain. After pigment extraction, melanin was characterized using UV and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We found that melanin synthesis is strongly affected by light and optimal parameters such as temperature 30°C, salinity between 10 and 30 ppt, and basic pH. Both melanin extracts also showed inhibitory activity against pathogenic germs, and activities were observed on E. coli (33.33 ± 2.88 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (29.33 ± 4.61 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus (24.3 ± 7.65 mm). It was concluded that the melanin of the E. phaeomuriformis strain isolated from oil-polluted soils had high antibacterial activity. This high antibacterial activity could be a suitable source of new antibacterial natural products.

An ecofriendly and green procedure was adopted to immobilize Ag NPs over acacia gum (GA)-modified magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -GA/Ag NPs) with analgesic and anesthetic properties. In the stepwise modification method, the pre-synthesized Fe 3 O 4 NPs were coated by the gum acacia (GA) that has hydroxyl groups on its backbone and can be used for as a capping, reducing, and stabilizing agent for immobilized Ag nanoparticles. The capped Ag ions were reduced and immobilized over the acacia gum because of hydrogen bonding of the hydroxyl groups. The final bio-material was characterized by various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission microscope, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and fourier transformed infra red spectroscopy. In the in vivo design, the results of anesthetic activity indicated that the Fe 3 O 4 -GA/Ag NPs made local anesthetic effects in guinea pig and frog models. After oral administration of Fe 3 O 4 -GA/Ag NPs, paw edema was significantly decreased in mice. Acetic acid-induced writhing episodes were dose-dependently and significantly decreased in all groups treated with Fe 3 O 4 -GA/Ag NPs. In addition, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties were determined in several doses of Fe 3 O 4 -GA/Ag NPs. The above results protect the analgesic and anesthetic properties of silver nanoparticles supported over biodegradable acacia gum-modified magnetic nanoparticles for the next research or clinical trial studies in human.

Among various diseases in humans, diabetes is one of the most complicated disorders resulting either from the malfunctioning of β cells, causing a poor discharge of insulin from them, or poor functioning of the liberated insulin. A wide array of chemical compounds so-called secondary metabolites are present in plants. These phytochemicals are produced as by-products of metabolism and play a key role in plant protection. However, in humans, they offer several beneficial functions. Polyphenols are an important class of phytochemicals and apart from fruits, they are also found in their major wastes mainly including the peel, pomace, and seed. The current review is aimed to focus on the potential sources, distribution, and extraction/isolation of polyphenols from major fruit wastes along with highlighting their medicinal and therapeutic benefits, especially in the management of diabetes. Graphical abstract

Amaryllidoideae is a subfamily belonging to the Amaryllidaceae and is widely distributed in the southern hemisphere. The subfamily is well known for its content of pharmacologically active alkaloids and represents an important epicenter of Amaryllidaceae-alkaloid diversity. Other metabolites from Amaryllidoideae such as phenolics including flavonoids, lignans, chromones, and acetophenones, in addition to terpenoids and ceramides, have been reported and received less attention compared to alkaloids. Currently, 224 non-alkaloidal compounds have been isolated and identified from ∼7% of the subfamily members. Many of the isolated compounds showed interesting biological activities. Isolation of certain compounds such as flavans and phytosterols from Amaryllidoideae has significant taxonomical value among the Amaryllidaceae subfamilies. This article represents an extensive review of the non-alkaloidal chemical constituents of Amaryllidoideae and their biological activities including a brief discussion of their chemotaxonomical importance.

Caterpillar fungus ( Cordyceps sinensis ) has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for several decades. It is essential to clarify the product composition, structural characteristics, and pharmacological functions of caterpillar fungus. In this review, we comprehensively and systematically summarized the various bioactive components isolated from caterpillar fungus, including nucleosides, d -mannitol, sterols, flavonoids, fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, peptides, amides, proximate, and mineral composition. Meanwhile, peptides, nucleosides, and polysaccharides serve as the main active components in this genus, which possess immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-malaria, and antifungal activities. Consequently, the active components of caterpillar fungus demonstrate a vital source of treatment for various diseases and can be used as possible leads for drug discovery. This article reviews the composition and pharmacological action of caterpillar fungus, which is the key to ensuring the safety and effectiveness of caterpillar fungus, and will be of interest for future research. Graphical abstract

The two most prominent areas of nanotechnology and nanoscience are environmental remediation and biomedical applications, which has a strong need to develop cleaner and more eco-friendly methods for preparing functional nanomaterials. This involves incorporating non-toxic chemicals and reagents for converting metal cations into metal or metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), using readily available plant reagents and microbes as redox mediators. The extracts of these plants and microbes contain varying amounts of phytochemicals and metabolites that act as redox mediators and capping agents to stabilize biosynthesized NPs. Considering these natural reagents for forming metal/metal oxide NPs, the present work aims to provide a complete review of the green fabrication of nickel oxide (NiO) NPs using extracts from various plant and microbial sources. In addition, the performance of various biosynthesized NiO NPs and their potential uses in biological applications are discussed.

Curcumin is an isolated phytopolyphenol pigment found in the Curcuma longa , commonly known as turmeric, with various pharmacological properties. It has many effects, including anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidation, and hypoglycemic properties. However, due to its oral bioavailability, the use of the drug in the clinical environment is limited. Moreover, curcumin’s low bioavailability is attributed to its insoluble nature, poor permeability, and inhibition of P-glycoprotein efflux and enzyme metabolism. Several new dosage forms of curcumin have been developed based on its physical properties to improve oral administration. However, the curcumin oral administration system still needs to be improved from the perspective of both research and clinical applications.

St. John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) is a medicinal plant with a rich history of traditional use. It has been shown to possess a range of beneficial health properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the content of flavonoids and the antioxidant activity of commercially available dried and wild-grown samples were analyzed using the LC–MS/MS method. In addition, these samples were evaluated for their functional constituents, such as phenolic acids (ferulic, caffeic, chlorogenic, and gallic acids), quercetin, rutin, pseudohypericin, and hypericin using the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. The most important antioxidant constituents in the samples analyzed were polyphenols with chlorogenic acid as the predominant compound. The content of the most important biocomponents with antidepressant activity was also analyzed. The results suggest that wild plants exposed to more stress factors have higher amount of compounds with antidepressant effects than plants grown in controlled conditions.

The present research study was aimed to investigate the efficiency of selected medicinal plants against Plasmodium vivax. Crude methanolic extracts from the seeds of leaves of Datura stramonium , Parthenium hysterophorus , Calotropis procera , and Dodonaea viscosa were prepared. In addition, Atropine was also isolated from alkaloid components of Eucalyptus obliqua to evaluate their in vitro anti-plasmodial effects. It was observed that proguanil (positive control) and Atropine displayed strong anti-plasmodial activity (94.04 and 68.02%, respectively) against P. vivax at 0.1 mg/mL concentration while the leaf extracts of other medicinal plants did not exhibit any notable anti-plasmodial activity. It was concluded that alkaloids of E. obliqua plant’s extracts were rich in anti-plasmodial compound Atropine, which exhibit a remarkable anti-plasmodial activity against P. vivax . Anti-plasmodial action of medicinal plants are attributed to these phytochemicals. In vitro studies using medicinal plant’s extracts and standardized methods will help to make more powerful and cost-effective anti-plasmodial compounds.

There is substantial evidence for the probiotic activity of anthocyanins, but the relationship between anthocyanins involved in the regulation of microbiota and intestinal inflammation has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of black rice anthocyanin extract (BRAE) on intestinal microbiota imbalance in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis. DSS was added into drinking water to induce a mouse model of chronic experimental colitis, and BRAE was given by gavage (200 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Body weight, fecal viscosity, and hematochezia were monitored during administration. After mice were sacrificed, the serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the composition of intestinal flora was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that BRAE significantly suppressed DSS-induced colonic inflammatory phenotypes and maintained colon length in mice. In addition, BRAE reduced intestinal permeability and improved intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice with colitis. Gut microbiota analysis showed that BRAE significantly improved the imbalance of intestinal microecological diversity caused by DSS, inhibited the increase in the relative abundance of inflammatory bacteria, and promoted the abundance of anti-inflammatory probiotics including Akkermansia spp.

Background Bacterial resistant to antibiotics represents an obstacle in medication management in hospitals. Biofilm can be easily formed by bacteria in indwelling medical devices. By increasing numbers of patients using indwelling medical devices, we have to find an effective antibiofilm for the eradication of biofilm-associated infections. Methods The present study was designed to evaluate the antibiofilm and cytotoxicity effect of methanol extract of Rumex vesicarius L. leaves (Polygonaceae). Antibacterial and antibiofilm assays were investigated in this study against different standard and pathogenic bacteria isolates from endotracheal tubes in intensive care units ( Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Proteus vulgaris , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ). Scanning electron microscopy was used to demonstrate the reduction of biofilm formation using methanol extract of R. vesicarius. Also, cytotoxicity of R. vesicarius L. was evaluated by using the lactate dehydrogenase assay. Results R. vesicarius displayed a broad spectrum and antibacterial activity against the tested organisms. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the methanol extract was 62.5–125 mg/mL for gram positive while in case of gram negative, it was 125–250 mg/mL. While the result in case of minimal bactericidal concentration was 250–500 mg/mL in case of gram positive and was 500–1,000 mg/mL in case of gram negative. Conclusion Our results recommend usage of R. vesicarius as a promising antibiofilm to combat infection in indwelling medical devices.

Litsea umbellata (Lour.) Merr. is a plant commonly grown in Vietnam and some Asian countries. The plant is used in traditional medicines and exhibits significant biological activities. However, the sesquiterpenes’ extraction in the essential oil (EO) of L. umbellata harvested from the northern region of Vietnam has been limitedly known. Therefore, in the present study, the L. umbellata leaves and stem EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation method, then determined for the phytochemical profile by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry system, and investigated the cytotoxicity activities against five cancer cell lines. Results have identified a total of 21 and 26 compounds in the EOs of L. umbellata leaves and stem, respectively, with the main sesquiterpene compounds being β-caryophyllene (16.87–11.04%), (+)-spathulenol (9.74–6.57%), β-caryophyllene oxide (26.12–18.34%), and (−)-spatulenol (11.08–8.8%). L. umbellata leaves exhibit significant anti-cancer activity with IC 50 values ranging from 29.58 to 62.96 µg/ml. Otherwise, L. umbellata EOs also exhibited the good inhibition activities against DPPH free radical and three bacteria strains. The chemical constituents and cytotoxicity activity of L. umbellata EO stems have been reported for the first time and provided the future applications of this plant.

Green production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using biological samples is the most cost-effective and environment friendly method. Plants and other biological resources might be exploited to create biologically active AgNPs. Rhynchosia capitata (an endangered species) leaf extract acted as reductant in fabrication of AgNPs in the current study; while, the fabricated particles have been characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). UV-visible spectroscopy was utilized to confirm the fabrication of the nanoparticles (NPs) via bioreduction. SEM revealed the formation of round and spherical AgNPs with sizes ranging from 2 to 60 nm. According to TGA, the synthesized R. capitata AgNPs were not much stable and high mass loss was observed at temperature from 40 to 80°C. The antioxidant potential was higher as estimated through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate assay with IC 50 value of 60 µg/mL rather than 2,2-azinobis-[3-ethylbenzthiazoline]-6-sulfonic acid assay (IC 50 120 µg/mL). The antibacterial potential against the selected bacterial strains for NPs was high as compared to aqueous extract, determined through agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration methods. These findings demonstrated that R. capitata- based NPs had greater antibacterial and antioxidant properties than plant extract and it should be potentially used as antibacterial and antioxidant agents.

Plant extracts have always been used as an alternative source of antimicrobial compounds. The recent spread of multi-drug-resistant bacteria and their increased treatment costs necessitated the study of alternative, cheap sources. The family Euphorbiaceae has over 300 genera and is widely used in traditional medicine. Euphorbia triaculeata , E. fractiflexa , and E. inarticulata were selected to study the antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract against 13 Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus ) and 2 Gram-negative isolates, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae , by the Kirby Bauer Disc diffusion test. Paper discs with different concentrations of the extracts (100, 50, and 25 µg mL −1 ) were prepared, along with the methanol control and standard antibiotic control. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was done to study the phytochemical components present in the plant methanolic extracts. A total of 50 different phytochemical compounds with antibacterial activity were detected by GC/MS analysis of the plants. Twenty-five compounds were detected in E. inarticulata , 24 in E. triaculeata , and 21 in E. fractiflexa . Out of 37 compounds found in E. inarticulata and E. triaculeata , 12 (32.43%) were common to both. Eleven (22%) compounds were unique to E. inarticulata , while 9 (18%) compounds were unique to E. triaculeata , and 13 (26%) compounds were unique to E. fractiflexa . E. fractiflexa showed the best antibacterial activity against MRSA and Gram-negative bacteria. It also showed higher unique compounds with antibacterial activity (26%), followed by E. inarticulata (11, 22%). This is the first GC/MS analysis and antimicrobial activity report of E. triaculeata and E. fractiflexa .

The present study investigated the toxic action of acrylamide (ACR) and the abrogative effect of aqueous propolis extract on ACR-induced toxicity in male albino rats. Forty adult male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups and administered the treatment doses orally by gavage. Control, treated with a physiological solution (5.0 ml/rat). ACR-treated group, treated with ACR 25 mg/kg. ACR + propolis, treated with 25 mg/kg ACR + 100 mg/kg propolis. Propolis-treated group, treated with 100 mg/kg. The treatment period was 28 days, the treatment doses were administered orally using a gavage stomach tube. The results showed that the presence of ACR increased ( P < 0.001) the level of liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (167.2 vs 90.15) and aspartate aminotransferase (120.66 vs 41.52) in the liver tissue serum and lipid peroxidation products (80.11 vs 39.3); also, it decreased ( P < 0.001) the total capacity of antioxidants (113.4 vs 189.41) compared to the control group. The histological analysis of the kidney revealed alterations induced by ACR, including atrophy, necrosis, renal glomeruli atrophy, tubular necrosis, enlargement of the glomeruli, hemorrhage, and edema surrounding the blood vessels. Also, the results showed that the rats treated with propolis improved liver and kidney functions because of propolis’s efficiency against the harmful effects of ACR. Moreover, the histological examination of the liver tissue revealed negative changes, with focal necrosis in hepatocytes. Microscopic examination showed tubular necrosis within the seminiferous tubules, sloughing, and desquamation of sperm cells into the lumen. Also, an infiltration of protein substances between the tubules and degenerative vacuolar changes between sperm cells was observed. The renal, hepatic, and testicular tissues appeared almost similar to the control group, except for some minor changes. This study proved that feeding the rats with propolis reduced these pathological effects and restored the tissues to a normal state. It is concluded that using propolis with ACR significantly reduced the biochemical and histological damage caused by ACR, and recommends using propolis as a cytoprotective agent against pathological toxicity of ACR.

The current work examined the therapeutic potential of 6-aminoflavone (6AF) against mouse model-based oxidative stress-driven synaptic and memory impairment caused by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). In the brains of the experimental mice, LPS administration for 3 weeks significantly increased oxidative stress by inhibiting antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, glutathione, and upregulating lipid peroxidase. Male albino mice were arbitrarily divided into four groups including (1) Control, (2) LPS treated (250 µg/kg, for 3 weeks), (3) LPS plus 6AF treated (30 mg/kg for 2 weeks), and (4) 6AF treated (30 mg/kg for 2 weeks). Different antioxidant enzyme assays, behavior tasks, and the western blotting technique were used to test the therapeutic potentials of this 6AF. Remarkably, the dosage of 6AF significantly reversed the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduced neuroinflammation in adult albino mice. Additionally, 6HF also improved the synapse (both pre- and post-proteins) and restored the impaired memory against LPS. In short, these findings propose that 6AF is a natural, non-toxic, and potent therapeutic agent to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

This study aimed to examine the anti-diabetic effects of an unexplored medical plant Sorbaria tomentosa Lindl. Rehder using in vitro and in vivo approaches. The extracts were tested as inhibitors of α-glucosidase and α-amylase following standard protocols. Methanolic extract was analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for tentative identification of the secondary metabolites. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several compounds. α-Amylase was more potently inhibited by chloroform and methanolic extracts (27 and 40 µg mL −1 , respectively), whereas α-glucosidase was more potently inhibited by methanolic extract (IC 50 = 530 µg mL −1 ). Methanolic extract was also subjected to in vivo studies using an alloxan-induced diabetes rat model. Diabetic animals treated with 150 mg kg −1 body weight dose of methanolic extract cause a steady decrease in blood glucose levels (529.16, 446.66, 348.00, 269.33, and 165.5 mg dL −1 , respectively, on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28). At 300 mg kg −1 dose, the blood glucose level was decreased to 111.83 mg dL −1 on day 28. Blood biochemistry results indicated that treatment with methanolic extract normalized the elevated parameters including cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, serum creatinine, blood urea, uric acid, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate aminotransferase in diabetic animals.

The current natural extract modalities for colorectal cancer are limited. This research seeks to assess the process of extracting the plant’s bioactive constituents from Cassia angustifolia and to show the anticancer role played by the plant’s aqueous extract at 0°C by identifying the genes that alter in expression after the Cassia angustifolia treatment in colon cancer cells. The bioactive components of Cassia angustifolia extract were revealed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The colon carcinoma cell lines (SW480) were treated with Cassia angustifolia macrophages at concentrations of 50, 150, and 200 µg/mL for 48 h. Apoptosis was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of Cassia angustifolia -treated and -untreated cells. Microarray analysis was performed by using human microarray chips (HG-U95A) for untreated and treated SW480 cells. Microarray data were confirmed by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The findings showed that the Cassia angustifolia aqueous extract at 0°C/24 h contained the entire absolute phenolic content of 28.43 mg/g and the entire absolute flavonoid content of 9.16 mg/g. Cassia angustifolia enhanced the hindrance of cell development and apoptosis and decreased glucose uptake. Western blot analysis showed induction in the expression of cleaved caspases 3 and 9 in SW480 cells. Microarray data identified 11 genes and 7 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) markedly altered in treated vs non-treated SW480 cells. Several of these genes have been embroiled in multiple malignancies. In conclusion, the current study provides remarkable new data for Cassia angustifolia extracted at 0°C/24 h. We discovered 7 ESTs and 11 genes that are significantly altered in the progression of SW480 cells treated with Cassia angustifolia therapy versus no treatment, with anticancer and apoptosis inducer effects.

Background Antibiotic resistance to Staphylococcal infections has prompted the pharmaceutical and scientific community to consider alternate treatments. Propolis is a natural substance produced by honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apis mellifera ) from the exudates of different plants. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of Pakistani bee propolis (PBP) against Staphylococcus aureus in both in vitro and in vivo modeling. Methods The propolis sample was collected from the Kohat district and dried in the dark until processing. The antibacterial activity of the propolis extract was examined using the agar well diffusion method. The S. aureus culture was incubated on Mueller–Hinton agar media. Five different concentrations of propolis, 100, 200, 350, 500, and 650 μg/ml, were used. Gentamicin disc was used as a positive control. For in vivo assay, BALB/c mice with an average weight of 30 g were purchased. Bacteria were inoculated into mice by the tape stripping technique. After abscess formation, mice were treated with propolis extract. Results The mean zone of inhibition and standard deviation for each concentration were 17 ± 0.816 at 650 μg/ml, 14.6 ± 0.471 at 500 μg/ml, 12 ± 1.41 at 300 μg/ml, 9.6 ± 0.942 at 200 μg/ml, and 2.3 ± 0.471 at 100 μg/ml of the propolis extract against S. aureus . It was observed that by increasing the concentration of the propolis extract, the antibacterial and antioxidant activities also increased. The extracts showed less antibacterial potential compared to gentamicin. The abscess size was also decreased in mice groups treated with the propolis extract topically and orally in comparison with the untreated mice group. Conclusions To the author’s best knowledge, this study is the first attempt to demonstrate that an ethanolic PBP extract has antibacterial potential against S. aureus- induced infections.

Environmental, soil, and groundwater pollution from toxic heavy metals, as well as food safety are all global concerns nowadays. The effect of various processes viz. washing, soaking, and cooking of rice samples (ten rice varieties, 50 samples) on the concentration of essential elements and toxic heavy metals was determined using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry technique. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, and Ni were found to be below the maximum permissible levels. The range of mean concentrations of metals (mg/kg) was recorded as Al (15.495–8.151), Fe (10.358–7.499), Ni (0.399–0.176), Cu (4.518–2.615), Zn (28.635–12.880), As (0.152–0.042), Cd (0.233–0.038), Pb (0.713–0.417), Ti (2.157 > 0.521), Sn (1.406–0.016), and W (1.114–0.017) mg/kg. Pt and Ag metals were not found in all samples. Soaking rice for 2 h was one of the most successful techniques for lowering heavy metal concentrations, followed by overnight soaking, which aided in the elimination of Al, Cd, Pb, and Pb. Heavy metal exposure has a significant impact on human health. This study creates a promising view to use a simple and accurate detection method for minimizing the effect of different processing methods on the essential elements and heavy metal contents.

In continuation of the research, the phytochemical investigation of Capparis dongvanensis (Sy, B. H. Quang & D. V. Hai) (Capparaceae). In this work, we described the isolation and identification of two novel polycyclic compounds Capparisone A ( 1 ) and Capparisone B ( 2 ). The structures of these compounds were determined based on NMR spectral data and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we evaluated the inhibitory activities of isolated compounds from C. dongvanensis leaves against five cancer cell lines, the results showed that isolated compounds exhibited good activities on four cancer cell lines. Otherwise, two isolated compounds 1 and 2 and EA extract also exhibited the anti-oxidant activity in the DPPH free radical scavenging assay.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate therapeutic potentials of Hydroxyquinoline Sulfanilamide (HSM) for Alzheimer’s disease in a mice model of Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. The antioxidant analysis of mice brain homogenates was carried out by catalase (CAT) assay, reduced glutathione (GSH) assay, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) assay. Biochemical analysis of blood plasma was conducted by peroxidase (POD) assay and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay. The expression of mice brain proteins was evaluated using Western Blotting analysis. The administration of HSM increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes including CAT, SOD, GSH, and POD and lowered LPO actions. These findings indicate that STZ may lead to diabetes in mice, followed by hypercholesterolemia, expressed as triglycerides in mice blood. However, HSM significantly decreased STZ-induced hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia in adult albino mice. The data confirmed that HSM lowered STZ-induced oxidative stress, inhibited phosphorylated JNK, NF-kB, and upregulated Nrf-2 to improve and restore the synapse and memory defects in adult albino mice. Conclusively, the current findings suggested that HSM is a safe, novel, and potential drug candidate against metabolic dysfunction and induced cognitive impairment.

An automated, qualitative and semi-quantitative micro-assay for the detection of plant lectins also known as phyto-agglutinins (glycoproteins; have exciting applications in medicines) is described as an alternative to conventional assays. The method developed in this work is based on hemagglutination (HA) assay that can simultaneously detect the presence and concentration (titer) of lectins in as many as 96 different samples without the aid of an expert eye. We used rice ( Oryza sativa L.) seeds for making clarified lectin extracts and Arabic gum as positive control in phosphate buffer saline; the method is applicable to all kinds and parts of the plants. Rabbit red blood cells were used in order to carry out the HA assay in a miniaturized experiment using U-welled microplates (MPs). 25 µL of plant extract is sufficient to carry out HA micro-assay at incubation temperature of 38°C for 20 min. The method was standardized with an expert eye and automated by using MP reader. Moreover, a standard curve for the direct interpretation of lectin concentration is also developed by conversion of absorbance values into titer. The method described will save time, material, labor, and simplify the rapid semi-quantification of plant lectins.

Inductively coupled plasma and microwave digestion are used in this article to analyze various food matrices. Different natural herbs are used in the recipes for the food items that the people of the Middle Eastern part of the world eat; they use these herbs as spices in different proportions. The study examines the potential effects on human health associated with consuming trace and toxic elements, such as Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, K, and Na. The targeted spices include sumac, za’atar, black lemon, cumin seed, and kabsa powder; these were used in a variety of recipes for the food items the people of Saudi Arabia eat but not limited to fattier, kabsa, tabbouleh, humus, haysa Al tumreya, and other traditional foods. The herbs were collected from the Saudi Arabian market. For microwave digestion, Merck's ultra-pure nitric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide were used. For elemental analysis, a highly sophisticated technique of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was applied. The average potassium values in black lemon (Loomi), kabsa powder, cumin seed, za’atar, and sumac were 1,283, 1,248, 1,739, 500, and 500 mg/100 g, respectively. These spices help fulfill the human body’s daily requirements of elemental content.

Colorectal cancer remains a challenging medical issue worldwide, and utilizing natural products and plants to produce novel, effective and safe therapies against this disease is continuously a sought-after strategy. Fruit and leaf extracts of Pithecellobium dulce ( P. dulce ) showed potential anticancer properties as they induced apoptosis of breast cancer and Dalton’s lymphoma ascites cells. Thus, the main objective of the current study is to determine whether the seed extract of P. dulce will affect apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and inflammation of LoVo colorectal cancer cells. The high-resolution liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine the chemical composition of the P. dulce seed extract, which revealed the presence of 35 phytochemicals. The findings of this study indicated a significant cytotoxic effect of seeds of this plant in colorectal cancer characterized by induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and reduction of migration. In addition, the seed extract suppressed several genes that are essential for cancer progression such as MMP2, MMP9, and IL-8, and, on the other hand, upregulated pro-apoptotic genes such as BAX and P53. This study has established P. dulce as a potential and valuable source for providing future therapies against colorectal cancer and other cancers.

Aromatic and medicinal plants in ecosystems are subject to various climatic disturbances that impact their morphological and physiological processes. Although plants have mechanisms to adapt to their climatic conditions, such as periods of drought and lack of precipitation, their metabolism is still affected. This study aimed to predict and evaluate the behavior of Salvia officinalis under climatic disturbances. Over a period of 4 years in a controlled environment, three treatments were applied to the plant: Treatment 1 with normal monthly average temperature and precipitation in the first year; Treatment 2 with a temperature increase of 5°C and a 50% reduction in water supply in the second year; and Treatment 3 with a temperature increase of 10°C and a 75% reduction in water supply in the fourth year. The results show that the percentage of primary metabolites, including nutritional values, changed with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation. Treatment 1 had 7.13% protein, 6.21% carbohydrate, 1.35% lipid, and 4% dietary fiber, while Treatment 2 had 7.05% protein, 5.12% carbohydrate, 1.01% lipid, and 3.01% dietary fiber, and Treatment 3 had 6.86% protein, 3.02% carbohydrate, 0.52% lipid, and 2.34% dietary fiber. The mineral composition of the plant also changed with each treatment, with Mg decreasing from 10.02 to 8.55 to 0.05%, Fe decreasing from 8.18 to 8 to 7.62%, K decreasing from 5.55 to 5.05 to 4.02%, Mn decreasing from 5.54 to 5.11 to 3.48%, Ca decreasing from 4.65 to 2.75 to 1.23%, and P decreasing from 3.37 to 3.05 to 2.25%. Regarding secondary metabolites, the percentage of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, tannins, and essential oil yield changed as well. Treatment 2 showed an increase in secondary metabolites, while Treatment 3 showed a decrease. Alkaloids increased from 9.56 to 13.68 to 11.3%, flavonoids increased from 7.53 to 13.48 to 10.49%, saponins increased from 5.23 to 7.44 to 6%, coumarins increased from 3.35 to 4.85 to 3.99%, tannins increased from 2.26 to 3.22 to 2.62%, and essential oil yield increased from 0.53 to 0.80 to 0.62%. Gas chromatography analysis revealed that the major compounds of the essential oils of Salvia officinalis , such as α-thujone, manool, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, viridiflorol, 1,8-cineol, and camphor, were also modified by temperature and water stress.

This study aims to contribute to the valorizing of aromatic and medicinal plants of Morocco by studying the antioxidant and antifungal properties of the essential oils (EOs) of Allium sativum (AS) (garlic) and Urginea maritima (Syn. Drimia maritima ) tested in vitro . After the hydrodistillation of EOs, we determined their physicochemical indices according to an international standard (Moroccan ISO standard), and the chemical composition of the oils was studied by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Then, the antioxidant properties were determined using the free radical scavenging capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power of these oils. The evaluation of the antifungal activity was carried out by the direct contact method against two fungal strains, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium equiseti . GC-MS analysis revealed a significant percentage of terpenes in U. maritima EO, with terpinolene (21.82%) and estragole (6.24%) as the main compounds. Biological tests have demonstrated the remarkable antioxidant activities of this EO compared with AS EO, with an IC 50 of 1.03 mg/mL and an RP 0.5 of 1.60 mg/mL. On the other hand, while A. sativum (garlic) EO showed exceptional antifungal activities, with 100% inhibition and MICs of 0.5 µL/mL for F. equiseti and 2.5 µL/mL for F. oxysporum. Also, regardless of its antioxidant properties being moderate, this EO stands out for its efficacy against fungal infections of the Fusarium genus. In summary, the results suggest that U. maritima EO could be used as a natural source of antioxidants, while garlic EO could be considered a potentially effective treatment against fungal infections caused by Fusarium fungi.

Plant diseases represent one of the major problems causing yield loss of tomato crops, especially root rot and seedling damping-off diseases caused by some phytopathogenic fungi like Fusarium solani (Fs), F. oxysporum (Fo), and Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp) frequently detected in tomato either alone or in combination infection. The objective of the present study is to assess the antifungal activity of Origanum majorana extracts against the phytopathogenic fungi, Fs, Fo, and Mp, thereby avoiding controlling the disease with chemical fungicides. In this context, the acetonic extracts of O. majorana exhibited the highest antifungal activity against the tested phytopathogens. However, F. solani exhibited high resistance to Ridomil fungicide at the tested concentrations. A chemical analysis of the O. majorana acetonic extract was conducted to determine the main phytoactive constituents exhibiting fungicidal activity. In this regard, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry confirmed that 4-terpineol was the main phytoactive compound followed by γ-terpinolene exhibiting relative percentages of 24.36 and 8.26%, respectively. These results proved that the marjoram extract may contribute to the development of an alternative and natural fungicide to protect tomato crops from damping off and root rot diseases, avoiding the usage of chemical fungicides.

Because of their prospective applications and exceptional features, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have gotten a lot of recognition as a new class of fluorescent carbon materials. One of the carbon family’s newest superstars is the GQD. Due to its exceptional optoelectrical qualities, it has sparked a lot of curiosity since its debut in 2008. Two of the most important traits are a band gap that is not zero, biocompatibility, and highly changeable characteristics. GQDs have several important characteristics. GQDs have shown potential in a variety of fields, for instance, catalysis, sensing, energy devices, drug delivery, bioimaging, photothermal, and photodynamic therapy. Because this area constantly evolves, it is vital to recognize emerging GQD concerns in the current breakthroughs, primarily since some specific uses and developments in the case of GQDs synthesis have not been thoroughly investigated through previous studies. The current results in the properties, synthesis, as well as benefits of GQDs are discussed in this review study. As per the findings of this research, the GQD’s future investigation is boundless, mainly if the approaching investigation focuses on purifying simplicity and environmentally friendly synthesis, as well as boosting photoluminescence quantum output and manufacturing output of GQDs.

The intercalation of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) herbicide into the interlayer matrix of calcium–aluminium layered double hydroxide (CaAl LDH) host has been successfully done via the co-precipitation method to form CaAl-MCPA nanocomposite, proposing an eco-friendly alternative with an adjusted delivery system for herbicide application. The intercalation process is supported by powder X-ray diffraction analysis with an expanded interlayer spacing from 8.6 to 19.6 Å for nanocomposite pH 13, which is due to the inclusion of larger size anion in the interlayer. Next, the absence of a nitrate peak at 1,326 cm −1 and the presence of a newly formed peak at 1,416 cm −1 in the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis also confirmed the process of the intercalation. The significant decrease in nitrogen content to 0.50% indicates the intercalation of MCPA using the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur analyser. The release rate of the MCPA anion in the aqueous solutions is initially rapid, followed by the slow release in the order of phosphate > carbonate > chloride and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Hence, the conducted studies exhibit the successful intercalation of the MCPA herbicide anion and its controlled release mechanism as a potential hybrid green herbicide.

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) belongs to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic family. It is mostly used for the treatment of bacterial infections and highly recalcitrant to naturally decompose. The nanocomposite was successfully constructed by zinc ferrite nanoparticle anchored onto graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (ZFNP–CNNS). The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the ZFNP–CNNS nanocomposite were investigated. Moreover, the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the ZFNP–CNNS nanocomposite was a result of the synergetic effect between adsorption and photocatalysis. The adsorption study showed that the ZFNP–CNNS nanocomposite has heterogeneous active sites with multilayers and the maximum CIP adsorption capacity was 15.49 mg g −1 . However, the photodegradation efficacy of CIP reached up to five times compared to that of pristine CNNS. The high adsorption–photocatalytic synergetic effect of the ZFNP–CNNS nanocomposite has great application in wastewater treatment.

Breast and cervical cancers are the leading cause of death in women, and chemotherapy with cytotoxins is the usual treatment. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of guava leaf ( Psidium guajava L.) extracts as an alternative chemotherapeutic drug. Although many studies related to the cytotoxic effects of guava leaf ( Psidium guajava L.) on cancer cells have been reported, the effects of guava leaf fractions on human breast and cervical cancer cells (T47D, MCF-7, and HeLa) have never been evaluated. Herein, we researched candidate activities of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n -extracts from guava leaf fractions and their effect on various human cancer cell lines (T47D, MCF-7, and HeLa cells). The cytotoxicity test was carried out using the microtetrazolium assay for all fractions. We confirmed and showed the in vitro antitumor activity of guava leaf ( Psidium guajava L.) fractions in human breast and cervical cancer cells. We found that the effectiveness of anticancer activity increased from ethanol to ethyl acetate to n -hexane fraction. This work underlines the potential of n -hexane fraction as a chemotherapeutic drug. These novel results have important implications for further isolation, identification, and characterization of Psidium guajava L. - based anti-cancer extracts.

Gold extraction from the rock is generally carried out using mercury. However, the high toxicity of mercury has a very dangerous impact on the environment and health. Various efforts have been made to reduce the use of mercury in gold extraction, one of which is the leaching method using thiosulphate and thiourea solution because they have low toxicity and are environmentally friendly. This study aimed to determine the results of gold extraction with thiosulphate and thiourea solution and determined the optimum concentration and time of extraction. The yield of the gold extract with thiosulphate solution was greater than that of thiourea solution. The thiosulphate solution had an optimum concentration of 0.3 M and an optimum time of 2 h. While the thiourea solution had an optimum concentration of 0.2 M and an optimum time of 3 h. The results of the Friedman test on the leaching time and concentration parameters show that leaching time has a significant effect on the Au leaching process, and the concentration parameter does not affect the Au leaching process from solid samples.

In marine ecosystems, living organisms are continuously exposed to a cocktail of anthropogenic contaminants, such as microplastics (MPs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Being able to adsorb organic compounds, MPs would act as an additional contamination vector for aquatic organisms. To support this hypothesis, the sorption of six EDCs on MPs, including 4- t -butylphenol, 4- t -octylphenol, 4- n -octylphenol, 4- n -nonylphenol, 17β-estradiol and its synthetic analog 17α-ethinylestradiol, has been investigated. These compounds belong to two contaminant families, alkylphenols and estrogens, included in the EU priority and watch lists of the Water Framework Directive. Sorption kinetics were studied onto polyethylene and polypropylene MPs under seawater conditions. MPs at a concentration of 0.400 mg mL −1 were added to a mix of the six EDCs, each at the individual concentration of 100 ng mL −1 . The concentrations of contaminants were chosen to be close to environmental ones and comparable with those found in literature. The results demonstrated that the hydrophobicity of the compounds and the MP type are the two factors influencing the sorption capacity. The distribution coefficient ( K d ) of each compound was determined and compared to others found in the literature. A high affinity was demonstrated between 4- n -NP and PE, with a sorption reaching up to 2,200 ng mg −1 .

A marine specimen of the Red Sea soft coral Dendronephthya sp. was extracted with a mixture of n -hexane, diethyl ether, and methanol. One new cytotoxic steroid dendronestadione ( 1 ), five known steroids: dendronesterones A-C ( 2 – 4 ), dendrotriol ( 5 ), and cholesterol ( 6 ) along with 4-oxo-pentanoic acid ( 7 ) and a polyhydroxy alkane hexitol ( 8 ) were isolated from the Dendronephthya sp. extract. The chemical structures of the isolated metabolites were elucidated by the application of several spectroscopic techniques (1D, 2D NMR, IR, and UV) and mass spectrometry. The antiproliferative effect of the isolated compounds was assessed against a panel of human cancer cell lines including HepG2, HT-29, and PC. The obtained results indicated that compounds 1 – 4 (dendronesterones A–C) exhibited a higher cytotoxic effect than that of the other co-isolated ones. Among all examined dendronesterones, dendronesterone C showed the highest IC 50 values of 19.1 ± 1.81, 32.4 ± 2.84, and 7.8 ± 0.80 µM against the three cancer cells under investigation. Interestingly, all isolated ketosteroids showed potent effects against prostate cancer cells. These findings highlight the role of ketosteroids as an antiproliferative agent against the examined cells in this study.

Acanthophora spicifera harbors a diverse array of secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize secondary metabolites from A. spicifera and then evaluate the antiproliferation, antibacterial, and biofilm prevention properties, followed by an analysis of molecular docking experiments. By employing chromatographic analysis and NMR spectroscopy, the isolated compounds were, the known flavonol, 8-hydroxyquercetagetin ( 1 ), three recognized steroids cholest-4-ene-3,6-dione ( 2 ), cholest-5-en-3β-ol ( 3 ), and 5α-cholestane-3,6-dione ( 4 ), and 2-bromohexadecanoic acid ( 5 ). These compounds exhibited antimicrobial effects against various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with inhibition zones ranging from 6.5 ± 0.2 to 17.2 ± 0.12 mm and 7.0 ± 0.4 to 15.3 ± 0.60 mm, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus . Compounds 1 – 4 demonstrated binding affinity values between −7.5 and −9.4 kcal/mol to protein 1A0G. These binding affinity values were akin to that of amoxicillin, implying that one potential antibacterial mechanism of action of these compounds may involve the inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. All compounds showed no toxicity against Artemia salina and weak activity against Lymphoma and Lewis lung carcinoma cell lines with LD 50 > 100 μg/mL.

Air quality represents one of the most important parameters determining indoor microclimate and human comfort. Thus, the current study reports a comprehensive study on the dominant sources, organic compositions, and potential health impacts of the polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmospheric particle matters (PMs) ranging from 2.5 µm (PM2.5) to 10 µm (PM10) size in the rural and urban regions of western (Jeddah city) Saudi Arabia collected over 1 year between 2014 and 2015. The levels of PAHs in two locations namely Obhur (Urban) and Hada Alsham (Rural) were monitored over 1 year (2014 and 2015) using the gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. The level of ƩPAHs in Obhur (819.25 ng/m 3 ) has a significantly high concentration of PAHs compared to Hada Alsham (Rural) (675.26 ng/m 3 ). Indeno(1,2,3-CD)pyrene was the major contributor with an average value of 215.66 ng/m 3 followed by benzo[ k ]fluranthene with a concentration of 150.68 ng/m 3 , respectively. The major contributors were indeno[1,2,3- cd ]pyrene, benzo[ k ]fluranthene, dibenzo[ a , h ]anthracene, benzo[ g , h ]perylene, and benzo[ b ]fluranthene are the major contributors with contributing percentages of 26.32, 18.39, 9.07, and 8.29%, respectively. The rest of all compounds were below 4%. The highest concentrations of PAHs in Obhur (1836.99 ng/m 3 ) and in Hada Alsham (1107.40 ng/m 3 ) were observed in winter in January 2014. PAHs with 4–6 aromatic ring components are primarily emitted by high temperature combustion. The average values for the BaA/(BaA + Chr) and Flt/(Flt + Pyr) ratios at Obhur were found 0.58 and 0.43 and at Hada Alsham were found 0.63 and 0.38, respectively, indicating that coal/biomass burning is the major source of PAHs. Hada Alsham (rural area), the transportation system, is a significant contributor to the observed PAHs. These results reflect Saudi Arabia’s traffic load in both rural and urban areas. On road sites, the impact of petroleum combustion and vehicular emissions was also identified. The sum of the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for all congeners for infants along the Obhur location was 2.13 × 10 −6 and 1.38 × 10 −6 , respectively. ILCR values were less than 1.0 × 10 −4 , implying that PAH exposure posed an acceptable potential cancer risk in this study. Various local emission sources contributed more PAHs in many Saudi urban areas, increasing the risk of lung cancer, and the health risk. PAHs have an associated large surface area and are capable of deposition in the respiratory system with high efficiency. The total health risk assessment study also helps in alarming the toxicity at both the locations.

Bio-nanotechnology provided an ecofriendly synthesis route for various metal nanoparticles by utilizing different biological systems, especially microorganisms, which act as an alternative to the physical and chemical methods. Cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) were synthesized by Periconia prolifica (Anast.) from intertidal decayed wood samples from the mangrove tree Avicennia marina (Forsk.) of Tarout Island, located in the Arabian Gulf Sea of Saudi Arabia. CoNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscope. The extract of the culture of P. prolifica was used as a bio-reductant agent, during which the culturing process proved to have great potential to be applied on an industrial scale, as it was a time-saving, inexpensive, and adequate amount of biomass being produced at the end of the process. A preliminary antibacterial test against one Gram-positive resistant bacteria (i.e., Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) and other Gram-negative resistant bacteria was performed using a disk diffusion assay. The antibacterial results witnessed the key role that metal size plays in causing higher activity and also in causing severe damage to the bacterial cells by inactivating its membrane permeability, leading to bacterial cell death.

The present study explores the combustion-mediated sol–gel preparation of the cobalt-doped ZnO (Co/ZnO) nanohybrids. The characterization results of as -prepared samples were investigated using analytical instruments like FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, UV-Vis DRS, BET, and TGA. The doping of cobalt into ZnO was achieved at a lower particle size (21.3 nm) than the pure ZnO (29.6 nm). We observed that the Co-doped ZnO grain size seems to be in abundance and diversity than that of the undoped ZnO. Further examination was carried out with photocatalytic degradation of acid red (AR) dye under visible light illumination and antibacterial performance over Spingomonous pausimobilis and Streptococcus pyrogenes to assess the catalytic performance of the prepared Co/ZnO nanohybrid. The photocatalytic degradation results from the optimum reaction conditions are 150 mg of catalyst loading, pH 2, and 10 ppm of initial AR dye concentration, and the complete degradation of AR dye in 120 min. The antibacterial performance of the Co/ZnO nanohybrid was measured and was found to be 25 and 16 mm for S. pausimobilis and S. pyrogenes, respectively, with respect to the control chloramphenicol. Graphical abstract

Because of the potential bioactivities, nanoparticles have engendered hope in scientific communities for developing novel therapeutic strategies. In the present study, it was tested whether selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) can protect the liver in mothers with gestational diabetes (DM). The gestational rats were divided into three groups ( n = 8). Group 1 (CN) received the vehicle, Group 2 (DM) received a single intraperitoneal injection of 165 mg/kg of alloxan, and Group 3 (DM + Se-NPs) received a single intraperitoneal injection of 165 mg/kg alloxan and then treated with Se-NPs at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg twice a week for 6 weeks; 1 week before gestation and continued for 5 weeks. The structure of the fabricated Se-NPs modified with ascorbic acid indicated that nano-Se was associated with a carbon matrix. The body weight of diabetic mothers was lower compared to control animals. The use of Se-NPs as a treatment has led to significant restoration of the body weight in diabetic rat mothers compared to those diabetic animals without treatment. Concentrations of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, LDH, malondialdehyde, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose were significantly increased in diabetic rats, while glutathione significantly declined in comparison to control gestational rats. Interestingly, Se-NPs in DM + Se-NPs rats were found to restore all these parameters to values close to the control levels. Se-NPs could improve the histological structure of the liver in gestational rats with diabetes (DM + Se-NPs). Our data demonstrate that Se-NPs shield the liver structure and function in gestational rats against alloxan-induced diabetes.

The objective of this work was to assess the bioactive potential of endophytic fungi, Colletotrichum brevisporum (JPSK3), Pestalotiopsis microspora (JPSK19), and Guignardia mangiferae (JPSK25), from Bergenia ciliata . The antibacterial effects were determined by the well diffusion technique against human pathogens ( Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Bacillus cereus , and Salmonella typhi ) and they showed good activities. In the antioxidant assay, the fungal extract P. microspora shows higher free radical scavenging effects in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (82.48%), hydrogen peroxide (84.91%), superoxide (78.85%), and reducing power absorbance of 0.125 at a dosage of 125 g/mL than other two fungi. The fungal extract was also subjected to phenol and flavonoid quantifications. The fungus P. microspora shows the highest phenol (89.56 0.03 mg of GAE/g of extract) and flavonoid (51.52 0.69 mg of quercetin equivalents/g of extract), respectively. The chemical composition of abundant biologically active compounds was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). Furthermore, it was confirmed through spectral and analytical analysis (thin layer chromatography, ultraviolet, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, GC-MS, and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy). In P. microspora , the compound phenol, p - tert- butyl (C 10 H 14 O), was confirmed for the first time. This fungal compound could be a potential alternative medicine in the future. This is the first work on endophytic fungal studies of ethnomedicinal plant Bergenia ciliata . Graphical abstract

This study investigates the use of halogen bonding to enhance the effectiveness of short-circuit current density ( J SC ) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). To improve the performance of DSSCs, two dyes, SQI-Br and SQI-I, based on halogen atom-functionalized unsymmetrical squaraine dyes, were designed. These dyes were tested in DSSCs using iodolyte electrolytes (Z-50 and Z-100), and their performance was further improved by the introduction of chenodesoxycholic acid (CDCA). While both dyes exhibited unique photovoltaic characteristics without CDCA, a significant improvement was observed when three equivalents of CDCA were added. The most favorable results were achieved with the SQI-I dye, three equivalents of CDCA, and iodolyte Z-100, resulting in an efficiency of 6.74%, V OC of 0.694 V, and a short-circuit current density of 13.67 mA/cm 2 of DSSCs. This enhanced performance can be attributed to the presence of a σ-hole, which strengthens the interaction between the electrolyte and the dyes on the TiO 2 substrate, thereby facilitating dye regeneration. Graphical abstract

Recently, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting reaction for hydrogen (H 2 ) production has been a competitive research route to realize clean and sustainable electric power. In this work, copper oxide (CuO) and PbS thin films were fabricated on commercial glass, respectively, using the techniques of successive ionic-layer adsorption and reaction and chemical bath deposition. These nanostructured thin films served successfully as photoelectrodes for the photogeneration of H 2 . In addition, a p-PbS/p-CuO bilayer system was also fabricated, and a remarkable boost in PEC efficiency was observed compared to pure CuO and PbS thin films. Optical examinations showed excellent absorbance properties of the p-PbS/p-CuO bilayer in the visible range, with a bandgap of ∼1.28 eV. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated a monoclinic CuO/cubic PbS crystalline structure with a particle size of ∼18 nm. The photocurrent density ( J ph ) values were obtained using a three-electrode electrochemical cell in 0.3 M Na 2 S 2 O 3 electrolyte. The p-PbS/p-CuO photoelectrode demonstrated a J ph value of −0.390 mA cm −2 , which is significantly higher than the values of −0.120 and −0.008 mA cm −2 for the pure PbS and CuO photoelectrodes, respectively. This improvement is attributed to the p-PbS/p-CuO oxide/sulfide bilayer heterojunction, which improved the visible light absorption and reduced the electron–hole (e–h) recombination. The effects of pH value, temperature light intensity, and wavelength were all additionally studied. Remarkably, the photoelectrodes were stable under a pH of ∼7, which makes them promising for H 2 production using normal drinking/seawater. These findings confirm the ability of the prepared photoelectrodes to facilitate water splitting and H 2 generation under various environmental, chemical, and illumination conditions. Graphical abstract