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Green routes for nucleation of nanostructures are recently applied for the biomedical applications, due to their affinity and feasibility. For instance, copper nanostructures are applicable for inhibition of microbial infections and ulcers. Hereby, this work is aimed at investigation for the possible contribution of Sidr honey (SH) in the formation of copper based-nanocomposites (Cu@SH). The overall results affirmed that, under the optimal experimental conditions, spherical shaped Cu@SH nanocomposites with quite small particle size of 16.2–30.1 nm were successfully clustered. The bio-fabricated Cu@SH nanocomposites showed superior antimicrobial action against all of the examined strains, whereas, the most potent inhibition was obtained against St. aureus (11 mm), E. Coli (17 mm) & C. albicans (14 mm). The nanocomposite that was prepared with higher concentration of copper precursor is exhibited with the highest percentage of cancer cell inhibition (77 %) and highest anti-inflammation action (NO percentage 89 %). In summarization, Cu@SH nanocomposites showed high affinity to be concurrently applicable as therapeutic drugs for the microbial infectious, cancer and inflammation diseases.

Oyster (Crassostrea gigas), the main ingredient of oyster sauce, has a strong umami taste. In this study, three potential umami peptides, FLNQDEEAR (FR-9), FNKEE (FE-5), and EEFLK (EK-5), were identified and screened from the alcoholic extracts of the oyster using nano-HPLC-MS/MS analysis, iUmami-Scoring Card Method (iUmami-SCM) database and molecular docking (MD). Sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis were further used to confirm their tastes. The threshold of the three peptides ranged from 0.38 to 0.55 mg/mL. MD with umami receptors T1R1/T1R3 indicated that the electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond interaction were the main forces involved. Besides, the Phe592 and Gln853 of T1R3 were the primary docking site for MD and played an important role in umami intensity. Peptides with two Glu residues at the terminus had stronger umami, especially at the C-terminus. These results contribute to the understanding of umami peptides in oysters and the interaction mechanism between umami peptides and umami receptors.

Metallic nanoparticles have found wide applications due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Green biosynthesis using plants, microbes, and plant/microbial extracts provides an environmentally friendly approach for nanoparticle synthesis. This review discusses the mechanisms and factors governing the biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles such as silver, gold, and zinc using various plant extracts and microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and algae. The phytochemicals and biomolecules responsible for reducing metal ions and stabilizing nanoparticles are discussed. Key process parameters like pH, temperature, and precursor concentration affecting particle size are highlighted. Characterization techniques for confirming the formation and properties of nanoparticles are also mentioned. Applications of biosynthesized nanoparticles in areas such as antibacterial delivery, cancer therapy, biosensors, and environmental remediation are reviewed. Challenges in scaling up production and regulating nanoparticle properties are addressed. Power Point 365 was used for creating graphics. Overall, green biosynthesis is an emerging field with opportunities for developing eco-friendly nanomanufacturing platforms using abundant natural resources. Further work on optimizing conditions, standardizing protocols, and exploring new biosources is needed to realize the full potential of this approach.

(1) Background: The non-enzymatic glycation of proteins is a significant contributor to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and intermediates that are responsible for diabetic complications. It is imperative to explore effective inhibitors to prevent protein glycation. (2) Methods: This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory potential of various aqueous ethanol extracts of poplar-type propolis on AGEs and oxidative modifications in bovine serum albumin (BSA)-glucose and BSA-methylglyoxal models. (3) Results: The results revealed that these propolis extracts exhibited significant effectiveness in inhibiting the formation of total AGEs, pentosidine, and Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML). Furthermore, the investigation discovered that these propolis extracts can effectively inhibit oxidative modification, based on measuring the levels of carbonyl and thiol groups and analyzing tryptophan fluorescence quenching. Notably, 75% ethanol extracts of propolis (EEP) exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, surpassing the chemical inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG). (4) Conclusions: The remarkable anti-glycation potency of aqueous ethanol extracts of poplar-type propolis can be attributed to their elevated contents of phenolic compounds, especially abundant flavonoids, which inhibit the formation of AGEs by scavenging free radicals, decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and capturing reactive carbonyl species (RCS) in the protein glycation process. Our results indicate that poplar-type propolis may be a potential AGE inhibitor and could be used to develop functional foods and nutraceuticals to prevent diabetic complications.

Bee products, abundant in bioactive ingredients, have been utilized in both traditional and contemporary medicine. Their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties make them valuable for food, preservation, and cosmetics applications. Honeybees are a vast reservoir of potentially beneficial products such as honey, bee pollen, bee bread, beeswax, bee venom, and royal jelly. These products are rich in metabolites vital to human health, including proteins, amino acids, peptides, enzymes, sugars, vitamins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and minerals. The advancement of nanotechnology has led to a continuous search for new natural sources that can facilitate the easy, low-cost, and eco-friendly synthesis of nanomaterials. Nanoparticles (NPs) are actively synthesized using honeybee products, which serve dual purposes in preventive and interceptive treatment strategies due to their richness in essential metabolites. This review aims to highlight the potential role of bee products in this line and their applications as catalysts and food preservatives and to point out their anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant underlying impacts. The research used several online databases, namely Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Sci Finder. The overall findings suggest that these bee-derived substances exhibit remarkable properties, making them promising candidates for the economical and eco-friendly production of NPs.

From ancient times to the present day, fermentation has been utilized not only for food preservation but also for enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of foods. This process is influenced by numerous factors, including the type of microorganisms used, substrate composition, pH, time, and temperature, all of which can significantly alter the characteristics of the final product. Depending on the parameters, fermentation enhances the bioactive content of the products and imparts the necessary properties, such as antioxidant characteristics, for the products to be considered functional. The enhancement of these properties, particularly antioxidant activity, enriches foods with bioactive compounds and functional attributes, contributing to improved health benefits. Through a review of recent research, this study elucidates how different fermentation processes can enhance the bioavailability and efficacy of antioxidants, thereby improving the nutritional and functional qualities of foods. This study investigated the multifaceted effects of fermentation on antioxidant properties by exploring various types and conditions of fermentation. It highlights specific examples from dairy products and other food categories as well as the valorization of food waste and byproducts. The findings underscore the potential of fermentation as a sustainable method to produce health-promoting foods with elevated antioxidant activities, offering new perspectives for food science and technology.

Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) have a wide range of functionality due to their nutritional and bioactive components. However, the bioactive peptides of oyster proteins are rarely reported, particularly their anti-diabetes effects and antioxidants. Oyster proteins were extracted from fresh oysters using phosphate-buffered saline and simulated gastrointestinal digestion was performed. The degree of hydrolysis (DH), structural characterization, molecular weight (Mw) distribution, free amino acid, anti-diabetic activity, and antioxidant activity were studied during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, α-amylase inhibitory activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ABTS radical scavenging activity of the oyster protein gastrointestinal digest were increased (P < 0.05) from 0 to 33.96 %, from 9.17 % to 44.22 %, from 9.01 µg trolox/mg protein to 18.48 µg trolox/mg protein, and from 21.44 µg trolox/mg protein to 56.21 µg trolox/mg protein, respectively. Additionally, the DH, β-turn structure, fluorescence intensity, free amino acid, and short peptide content (Mw < 1000 Da) increased in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. These results indicate that the digestive hydrolysates obtained from oyster proteins could be used as natural anti-diabetic and antioxidant agents.

Abstract Pigment is an important food additive that plays a major role in the sensory impact of food. And natural sources, healthy and non-toxic edible pigments are receiving a lot of attention. Algae is an important source of natural pigments, and contain chlorophyll, phycoerythrin, carotene, and other natural pigments. Besides staining, the pigment also has powerful physiological activities such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and lipid-lowering. In this paper, three pigments in seaweed were reviewed, and their main structural properties and functions are presented, filling the gap in the review of pigments with seaweed as the main object of introduction. This review provides research basis for the development of new health foods, a new direction for the use of seaweed chlorophyll in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Graphical Abstract

There are many active substances in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) explaining the variety of biological activities. In order to study the immunomodulatory activity and the mechanism of Atlantic cod peptides at the cellular level. In this study, cod peptides were isolated by 80 % ethanol extraction method, the isolated ethanol-soluble cod peptides (CP-ES) were investigated and their immunomodulatory activity was verified. Additionally, CP-ES showed lower molecular weight and more hydrophobic amino acids. CP-ES could promote the proliferation of spleen lymphocytes and T lymphocytes in mice, suggesting that CP-ES may regulate adaptive immunity. It promoted the release of NO and the expression of iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β genes in macrophages, suggesting that CP-ES may regulate innate immunity. CP-ES could promote the expression of TLR2 gene, and the peptides identified in CP-ES were docked with TLR2 to predict the peptides playing a major role in CP-ES. These results suggested that CP-ES may regulate the immune activity of both innate and adaptive lines.

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the improvement effect and serum metabolomic analysis of co‐fermented collagen peptide‐jackfruit juice (FPJ) against immunosuppression in cyclophosphamide‐induced mice. Serum samples were analyzed using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) targeted metabolomics technology, including the normal group, model group, and FPJ group, and determine if such treatments were able to revert immunosuppression‐related metabolic changes to normal status. The results showed that 32 differential metabolites were upregulated and 42 metabolites were downregulated in the model group compared with the normal group. After FPJ intervention, there was a trend of normal callback. Adenosine, inosine, guanosine, 2‐deoxyadenosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, d‐xylulose‐5‐phosphate, ribulose‐5‐phosphate, phenylpyruvic acid, hippuric acid, 3‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)‐propionic acid, 3‐ureidopropionate, uridine, dCDP and malonic acid may be used as predictive markers of immunosuppression. Notably, these biomarkers were involved in purine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, phenylalanine metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism. In this study, FPJ inhibited oxidative stress and improved the gut microbes by regulating the disorders of metabolic pathways. The metabolomics approach developed herein provides novel insight into the metabolic disturbances associated with immunosuppression, which will contribute to understanding the mechanism of FPJ on immunosuppression further and providing a basis for further research.

Ulva polysaccharide (ULP) as main active ingredient of Ulva lactuca, has good pharmacological activity. This study further explored its anti-tumor mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with wet experiments and bioinformatic analyses. Results indicate that the differential proteins after ULP treatment are mainly enriched in immunomodulatory and complement pathways, among which the immune molecule CD5L and the key proteins of the membrane attack complex (MAC) are significantly upregulated, and the expression of MAC proteins are positively correlated with the expression of CD5L. Moreover, results from TIMER2.0 indicated that CD5L expression had positive correlation with CD8 + T cell infiltration in HCC, and single cell RNA-Seq analysis showed CD5L positive macrophage cells have higher expression of CFP, C1QA, C1QB, and C1QC, which are key molecular of complement cascades. Take together, the results suggest that ULP may exerts its anti-tumor activity by induces the expression of CD5L in HCC.

Abstract Background Cancer represents one of the biggest healthcare issues confronting humans and one of the big challenges for scientists in trials to dig into our nature for new remedies or to develop old ones with fewer side effects. Halophytes are widely distributed worldwide in areas of harsh conditions in dunes, and inland deserts, where, to cope with those conditions they synthesize important secondary metabolites highly valued in the medical field. Several Tamarix species are halophytic including T.nilotica which is native to Egypt, with a long history in its tradition, found in its papyri and in folk medicine to treat various ailments. Methods LC–LTQ–MS–MS analysis and 1H-NMR were used to identify the main phytoconstituents in the n- butanol fraction of T.nilotica flowers. The extract was tested in vitro for its cytotoxic effect against breast (MCF-7) and liver cell carcinoma (Huh-7) using SRB assay. Results T.nilotica n-butanol fraction of the flowers was found to be rich in phenolic content, where, LC–LTQ–MS–MS allowed the tentative identification of thirty-nine metabolites, based on the exact mass, the observed spectra fragmentation patterns, and the literature data, varying between tannins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. 1H-NMR confirmed the classes tentatively identified. The in-vitro evaluation of the n-butanol fraction showed lower activity on MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 > 100 µg/mL, while the higher promising effect was against Huh-7 cell lines with an IC50= 37 µg/mL. Conclusion Our study suggested that T.nilotica flowers' n-butanol fraction is representing a promising cytotoxic candidate against liver cell carcinoma having potential phytoconstituents with variable targets and signaling pathways.

Introduction: Luteolin is a plant-derived flavonoid that exhibits a broad range of pharmacological activities. Studies on luteolin have mainly focused on its use for hyperlipidaemia prevention, whereas the capacity of the flavonoid to hinder hyperglycaemia development remains underexplored. Objectives: To probe the anti-hyperglycemic mechanism of 6,8-guanidyl luteolin quinone-chromium coordination (GLQ.Cr), and to assess its regulatory effect on intestinal microbiota in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice. Methods: High-sucrose/high-fat diet-induced and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin was used to develop a T2DM model. Glycometabolism related indicators, histopathology, and gut microbiota composition in caecum samples were evaluated, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of liver samples was conducted. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was further used to verify the anti-hyperglycemic activity of intestinal microbiota. Results: The administration of GLQ.Cr alleviated hyperglycaemia symptoms by improving liver and pancreatic functions and modulating gut microbe communities (Lactobacillus, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Lachnoclostridium, and Desulfovibrio). RNA-seq analysis showed that GLQ.Cr mainly affected the peroxisome proliferative activated receptor (PPAR) signalling pathway in order to regulate abnormal glucose metabolism. FMT significantly modulated the abundance of Lactobacillus, Alloprevotella, Alistipes, Bacteroides, Ruminiclostridium, Brevundimonas and Pseudomonas in the caecum to balance blood glucose levels and counteract T2DM mice inflammation. Conclusion: GLQ.Cr improved the abnormal glucose metabolism in T2DM mice by regulating the PPAR signalling pathway and modulating intestinal microbial composition. FMT can improve the intestinal microecology of the recipient and in turn ameliorate the symptoms of T2DM-induced hyperglycaemia.

Polyphenolic compounds are vital components of plants. However, their analysis is particularly difficult and challenging due to their similar chemical and structural properties. In this study, we developed a simple and reproducible HPLC-DAD protocol for determining nineteen pharmacologically important polyphenols in plant-based food samples, including fruits (apple, banana, grapefruit, peach, grapes, plum, and pear), vegetables (onion, cabbage, capsicum, garlic, lemon, tomato, potato, and spinach), and other edible items (corn, kidney beans, green tea, black tea, and turmeric). The reference standards were pooled into four different groups based on logP values and expected retention time to avoid compound co-elution. These developed methods will be useful for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biologically important polyphenolic compounds in various food samples and botanicals.

Monosodium glutamate is a non-essential amino acid in the human body that has been widely used as a food additive since 1909 due to its unique umami taste. Typical food containing monosodium glutamate include tomatoes, yeast extracts, fermented soy products, and cheese. After entering the human body, it is mainly absorbed in the small intestine by passive diffusion. Subsequent binding to TAS1R1-TAS1R3 promotes the release of intracellular calcium that ultimately activates the brain’s taste center, recognized as an umami taste of monosodium glutamate. However, more and more preclinical and clinical data indicates that monosodium glutamate exerts adverse effects on humans, including metabolic syndrome, neurotoxicity, renal toxicity, cardiovascular disease, infertility and fetal underdevelopment, cancer, immune malfunction and so on. In addition, it has been found that medicinal plants and nutraceuticals could mitigate or treat the adverse effects of monosodium glutamate adverse. Taken together, we hope to raise the correct awareness of monosodium glutamate and improve the understanding of monosodium glutamate quality approaches to maximize their use.

Fungi produce a wide range of secondary metabolites. Some of these metabolites are toxic to humans and cause various health disorders, ranging from acute poisoning to chronic diseases. Contrary to this, some fungal metabolites are valuable sources in therapeutics, such as penicillin. Herein, researchers briefly highlight the role played by different fungal metabolites in human health and diseases and give an overview of the most common fungal genera.

Abstract Cinnamon is a well-known natural spice and flavoring substance used worldwide. The objective of the present work is to explore the possible antitumor and immunomodulatory potencies of cinnamon essential oil (Cinn) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). A total of fifty female Swiss albino mice were sub-grouped into five groups (n = 10), namely, normal (a non-tumorized and non-treated) group; EAC-tumorized and non-treated group; Cinn (non-tumorized mice received Cinn, 50 mg/kg per body weight daily) group; a group of EAC-tumorized mice treated with Cinn and the final positive control group of EAC-tumorized mice received cisplatin. Eight compounds were identified from Cinn using UPLC-MS-Qtof and NMR analysis. Compared to EAC untreated group, Cinn successfully (P

Dietary phytochemicals, including polyphenols, sulfur-containing compounds, terpenoids, polysaccharides, saponins, pigments, and phytohaemagglutinins, have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and cancer-preventive or therapeutic properties. Upon entering the body, these compounds pass through the stomach, liver, small intestine, and colon in that order. Bacteria play an important role in the absorption and processing of dietary phytochemicals in the small intestine and in the large intestine. However, the specific processes by which dietary phytochemicals are absorbed and metabolized in the host colon have not been elucidated. This paper describes the metabolism of phytochemicals (including polyphenols, terpenoids, and plant organosulfides) in the colon and describes the roles played by these dietary phytochemicals in the colon, with emphasis on their effects on the gut microbiota. Upon entry into the host, phytochemicals are absorbed and metabolized mainly in the colon, and the differences in their absorption and metabolism are largely due to differences in the colonic microbiota. Moreover, phytochemicals can be absorbed in the intestine by acting on them through enzymes produced by intestinal cells and stem cells, or by interacting with the intestinal flora, thus ameliorating the associated diseases.

The use of gelatin and gelatin-blend polymers as environmentally safe polymers to synthesis electrospun nanofibers, has caused a revolution in the biomedical field. The development of efficient nanofibers has played a significant role in drug delivery, and for use in advanced scaffolds in regenerative medicine. Gelatin is an exceptional biopolymer, which is highly versatile, despite variations in the processing technology. The electrospinning process is an efficient technique for the manufacture of gelatin electrospun nanofibers (GNFs), as it is simple, efficient, and cost-effective. GNFs have higher porosity with large surface area and biocompatibility, despite that there are some drawbacks. These drawbacks include rapid degradation, poor mechanical strength, and complete dissolution, which limits the use of gelatin electrospun nanofibers in this form for biomedicine. Thus, these fibers need to be cross-linked, in order to control its solubility. This modification caused an improvement in the biological properties of GNFs, which made them suitable candidates for various biomedical applications, such as wound healing, drug delivery, bone regeneration, tubular scaffolding, skin, nerve, kidney, and cardiac tissue engineering. In this review an outline of electrospinning is shown with critical summary of literature evaluated with respect to the various applications of nanofibers-derived gelatin.

Psychotria malayana Jack (Family: Rubiaceae, local name: Salung) is a traditional herb used to treat diabetes. A previous study by our research group demonstrated that P. malayana methanolic and water extract exhibits significant potential as an effective agent for managing diabetes. Further research has been performed on the extraction optimization of this plant to enhance its inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, a key enzyme associated with diabetes, and to reduce its toxicity. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of the optimized P. malayana leaf extract (OE), to evaluate its toxicity using a zebrafish embryo/larvae model, and to analyze its metabolites. The anti-diabetic effects were assessed by investigating α-glucosidase inhibition (AGI), while the inflammation inhibitory activity was performed using the soybean lipoxygenase inhibitory (SLOXI) test. The assessment of antioxidant activity was performed utilizing FRAP and DPPH assays. The toxicology study was conducted using the zebrafish embryo/larvae (Danio rerio) model. The metabolites present in the extracts were analyzed using GC-MS and LC-MS. OE demonstrated significant AGI and SLOXI activities, represented as 2.02 and 4.92 µg/mL for IC50 values, respectively. It exhibited potent antioxidant activities as determined by IC50 values of 13.08 µg/mL (using the DPPH assay) and 95.44 mmol TE/mg DW (using the FRAP assay), and also demonstrated an LC50 value of 224.29 µg/mL, which surpasses its therapeutic index of 111.03. OE exhibited a higher therapeutic index compared to that of the methanol extract (13.84) stated in the previous state of the art. This suggests that OE exhibits a lower level of toxicity, making it safer for use, and has the potential to be highly effective in its anti-diabetic activity. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) demonstrated the presence of several constituents in this extract. Among them, several compounds, such as propanoic acid, succinic acid, D-tagatose, myo-inositol, isorhamnetin, moracin M-3′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, procyanidin B3, and leucopelargonidin, have been reported as possessing anti-diabetic and antioxidant activities. This finding offers great potential for future research in diabetes treatment.

Honeybee drone larvae are male bees that develop from unfertilized eggs and play a role in colony reproduction. The nutritional value of honeybee drone larvae is due to their high protein, lipid, and other nutrient contents, making them a profitable food source for humans in some cultures. Drone larvae lipids (DLLs) contribute to drone development; however, few studies have explored their substantial compositions and bioactive functions. In this study, we carried out DLL lipidomics analysis using UPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap–MS prior to in vitro anti-inflammatory activity analysis. The results highlighted the importance of the extraction temperature on the DLL composition. A total of 21 lipids were found in the DLL extract, mostly categorized into five groups: nine phospholipids, three sphingolipids, two neutral lipids, one plant glycoglycerolipid, four lipid acyl, and others. Drying extraction at −20 °C produced more sphingolipids, phospholipids, and unsaturated fatty acids. Of 37 fatty acids, 18 were displayed at −20 °C degrees, as shown by GC–MS quantitative analysis. Myristic (246.99 ± 13.19 μg/g), palmitic (1707.87 ± 60.53 μg/g), stearic (852.32 ± 24.17 μg/g), and oleic (2463.03 ± 149.61 μg/g) acids were the predominant fatty acids. Furthermore, we examined the significant in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of DLL (−20 °C) using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged RAW264.7 cells. Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen (ROS) production and mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-10, COX-2, and iNOS were significantly decreased, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory function of DLL. Overall, this study provided insight into the lipid composition of DLL, revealed the influence of temperature, and explored the functionality of DLL (−20 °C), allowing for further application of DLLs as functional foods.

Agaricus blazei Murrill (AbM) is a medical mushroom which has huge potential commercial value with various health-promoting functions. However, the chemical composition and therapeutic mechanisms of AbM have not been concluded systematically yet. Thus, this study aims to comprehensively summarize the phytochemical profiles and thoroughly characterize the health promotion effects such as the antitumor and antidiabetic impact of AbM in in vivo and in vitro. The AbM consists of abundant bioactive substances; polysaccharides, lipids including ergosterol, sterols, proteins, vitamin B, C and D, and phenolic compounds. Several studies have claimed that Agaricus blazei Murrill polysaccharides (AbMP) had immunoregulation, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antitumor function both in vivo and in vitro. Meanwhile, AbM extracts were thought to cure diabetes and bacterial infection, exhibiting anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic functions. But some principles behind health-promoting effects have not been clarified. Additionally, AbM related clinical trials are limited and further discovery need to be conducted. Therefore, this paper has concluded the health promotion impact with corresponding mechanisms of AbM and indicated its potential medical usage as functional food in the future.

Abstract Background Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a massive global socio-economic tragedy that has impacted the ecosystem. This paper aims to contextualize urban and rural environmental situations during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. Results An online survey was conducted, 6770 participants were included in the final analysis, and 64% were females. The majority of the participants were urban citizens (74%). Over 50% of the urban residents significantly (p

Polysaccharides are usually composed of more than ten monosaccharide units, which are connected by linear or branched glycosidic bonds. The immunomodulatory effect of natural polysaccharides is one of the most important bioactive function. In this review, molecular weight, monosaccharide (including galactose, mannose, rhamnogalacturonan-I arabinogalactan and uronic acid), functional groups (namely sulfate, selenium, and acetyl groups), types of glycoside bond connection (including β-1,3-D-glucosyl, α-1,4-D-glucosyl, β-1,4-D-glucosyl, α-1,6-D-glucosyl, β-1,4-D-mannosyl, and β-1,4-D-Xylopyranosyl), conformation and the branching degrees are systematically identified as their contribution to the immunostimulatory activity of polysaccharides. At present, studies on the structure-activity relationships of polysaccharides are limited due to their low purity and high heterogeneity. However, it is an important step in providing useful guidance for dietary supplements with polysaccharides. The chemical structures and the process of immune responses induced are necessary to be discussed. Polysaccharides may bind with the cell surface receptors to modulate immune responses. This review mainly discusses the structure-activity relationship of dietary polysaccharides.

The primary contaminants in poultry are Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Their pathogenicity together with the widespread of these bacteria, contributes to many economic losses and poses a threat to public health. With the increasing prevalence of bacterial pathogens being resistant to most conventional antibiotics, scientists have rekindled interest in using bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents. Bacteriophage treatments have also been investigated as an alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry. Bacteriophages’ high specificity may allow them only to target a specific bacterial pathogen in the infected animal. However, a tailor-made sophisticated cocktail of different bacteriophages could broaden their antibacterial activity in typical situations with multiple clinical strains infections. Bacteriophages may not only be used in terms of reducing bacterial contamination in animals but also, under industrial conditions, they can be used as safe disinfectants to reduce contamination on food-contact surfaces or poultry carcasses. Nevertheless, bacteriophage therapies have not been developed sufficiently for widespread use. Problems with resistance, safety, specificity, and long-term stability must be addressed in particular. This review highlights the benefits, challenges, and current limitations of bacteriophage applications in the poultry industry.

Melanoma is a huge worldwide health problem that must be handled more effectively with better therapeutic options. As a result, new treatment drugs are required to treat this condition. The goal of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the anthraquinone-rich fractions obtained from Asphodelus microcarpus against human melanoma cell A375. On these melanoma cell lines; the cytotoxicity of these fractions had never been studied before. Liquid chromatography linked to mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance was used to determine the chemical profiles of these fractions. The cytotoxicity of the fractions studied was determined by measuring cell viability and calculating IC50 values. Both ethyl acetate (EtOAC) and the precipitate fractions (PPT) exhibited selective cytotoxicity on human melanoma A 375 cell line with IC50 values of 83 and 65 µg/mL, respectively. The antiproliferative properties of EtOAc fraction and PPT were supported by a noticeable decrease in cell numbers during the G2/M cell cycle arrest. Our findings suggest that the anthraquinone content of A. microcarpus tubers is responsible for its anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties and that further in vivo investigations should be conducted to establish the viability of using them to treat human melanomas.

The importance of different polymorphic forms of iron oxide nanoparticles attracted a lot of attentions in various applications due to their unique electrical, optical and magnetic properties. Moreover, the excellent biocompatibility, high surface area, spherical shape, tunable nanoscale size and the availability of synthesis route make them desirable in various biological and pharmaceutical applications. To this aim, in this review, different synthesis methods of iron oxide nanoparticles were discussed, also the main characterization techniques used for elucidation of the iron oxide nanoparticles were reviewed. The exploitation of iron oxide nanoparticles-based systems as anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial agents and its involvement in drug delivery system were reviewed in details. Additionally, the influence of nanoparticles size and the reagent type and conditions utilized in synthesis and their pharmaceutical applications was highlighted.

Marine cyanobacteria are an ancient group of photosynthetic microbes dating back to 3.5 million years ago. They are prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites. Over millions of years, natural selection has optimized their metabolites to possess activities impacting various biological targets. This paper discusses the historical and existential records of cyanobacteria, and their role in understanding the evolution of marine cyanobacteria through the ages. Recent advancements have focused on isolating and screening bioactive compounds and their respective medicinal properties, and we also discuss chemical property space and clinical trials, where compounds with potential pharmacological effects, such as cytotoxicity, anticancer, and antiparasitic properties, are highlighted. The data have shown that about 43% of the compounds investigated have cytotoxic effects, and around 8% have anti-trypanosome activity. We discussed the role of different marine cyanobacteria groups in fixing nitrogen percentages on Earth and their outcomes in fish productivity by entering food webs and enhancing productivity in different agricultural and ecological fields. The role of marine cyanobacteria in the carbon cycle and their outcomes in improving the efficiency of photosynthetic CO2 fixation in the chloroplasts of crop plants, thus enhancing the crop plant’s yield, was highlighted. Ultimately, climate changes have a significant impact on marine cyanobacteria where the temperature rises, and CO2 improves the cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation.

In the process of storage and cold chain logistics, apples are prone to physical bumps or microbial infection, which easily leads to spoilage in the micro-environment, resulting in widespread infection and serious post-harvest economic losses. Thus, development of methods for monitoring apple spoilage and providing early warning of spoilage has become the focus for post-harvest loss reduction. Thus, in this study, a spoilage monitoring and early warning system was developed by measuring volatile component production during apple spoilage combined with chemometric analysis. An apple spoilage monitoring prototype was designed to include a gas monitoring array capable of measuring volatile organic compounds, such as CO2, O2 and C2H4, integrated with the temperature and humidity sensor. The sensor information from a simulated apple warehouse was obtained by the prototype, and a multi-factor fusion early warning model of apple spoilage was established based on various modeling methods. Simulated annealing–partial least squares (SA-PLS) was the optimal model with the correlation coefficient of prediction set (Rp) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.936 and 0.828, respectively. The real-time evaluation of the spoilage was successfully obtained by loading an optimal monitoring and warning model into the microcontroller. An apple remote monitoring and early warning platform was built to visualize the apple warehouse’s sensors data and spoilage level. The results demonstrated that the prototype based on characteristic gas sensor array could effectively monitor and warn apple spoilage.

Dicofol is a highly toxic residual pesticide in tea, which seriously endangers human health. A method for detecting dicofol in tea by combining stoichiometry with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology was proposed in this study. AuNPs were prepared, and silver shells were grown on the surface of AuNPs to obtain core–shell Au@AgNPs. Then, the core–shell Au@AgNPs were attached to the surface of a PDMS membrane by physical deposition to obtain a Au@AgNPs/PDMS substrate. The limit of detection (LOD) of this substrate for 4-ATP is as low as 0.28 × 10−11 mol/L, and the LOD of dicofol in tea is 0.32 ng/kg, showing high sensitivity. By comparing the modeling effects of preprocessing and variable selection algorithms, it is concluded that the modeling effect of Savitzky–Golay combined with competitive adaptive reweighted sampling–partial least squares regression is the best (Rp = 0.9964, RPD = 10.6145). SERS technology combined with stoichiometry is expected to rapidly detect dicofol in tea without labels.

Tea plants absorb chromium-contaminated soil and water and accumulate in tea leaves. Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is a very toxic heavy metal; excessive intake of tea containing Cr6+ can cause serious harm to human health. A reliable and sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was developed using Au@Ag nanoparticles as an enhanced substrate for the determination of Cr6+ in tea. The Au@AgNPs coated with carbimazole showed a highly selective reaction to Cr6+ in tea samples through a redox reaction between Cr6+ and carbimazole. The Cr6+ in the contaminated tea sample reacted with methimazole—the hydrolysate of carbimazole—to form disulfide, which led to the decrease in the Raman intensity of the peak at 595 cm−1. The logarithm of the concentration of Cr6+ has a linear relationship with the Raman intensity at the characteristic peak and showed a limit of detection of 0.945 mg/kg for the tea sample. The carbimazole functionalized Au@AgNPs showed high selectivity in analyzing Cr6+ in tea samples, even in the presence of other metal ions. The SERS detection technique established in this study also showed comparable results with the standard ICP-MS method, indicating the applicability of the established technique in practical applications.

Abstract Imidacloprid (Imid), a systemic neonicotinoid insecticide, is broadly used worldwide. It is reported to contaminate aquatic systems. This study was proposed to evaluate oxidative stress and genotoxicity of Imid on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and the protective effect of ascorbic acid (Asc). O. niloticus juveniles (30.4 ± 9.3 g, 11.9 ± 1.3 cm) were divided into six groups (n = 10/replicate). For 21 days, two groups were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of Imid (8.75 ppm, 1/20 of 72 h-LC50 and 17.5 ppm, 1/10 of 72 h-LC50); other two groups were exposed to Asc (50 ppm) in combination with Imid (8.75 and 17.5 ppm); one group was exposed to Asc (50 ppm) in addition to a group of unexposed fish which served as controls. Oxidative stress was assessed in the liver where the level of enzymatic activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in addition to mRNA transcripts and, Lipid peroxidation (LPO) were evaluated. Moreover, mitotic index (MI) and comet assay were performed, in addition, the erythrocytic micronucleus (MN), and nuclear abnormalities (NA) were observed to assess genotoxicity in fish. Imid exposure induced significant (p ˂ 0.05) changes in the antioxidant profile of the juveniles' liver by increasing the activities and gene expression of SOD, CAT and GPX as well as elevating the levels of LPO. DNA strand breaks in gill cells, erythrocytes and hepatocytes along with erythrocytic MN and NA were also significantly elevated in Imid-exposed groups. MI showed a significant (p ˂ 0.05) decrease associated with Imid exposure. Asc administration induced a significant amelioration towards the Imid toxicity (8.75 and 17.5 ppm). A significant protective potency against the genotoxic effects of Imid was evidenced in Asc co-treated groups. Collectively, results highlight the importance of Asc as a protective agent against Imid-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in O. niloticus juveniles.

In this study, we have investigated the fragmentation of the widely used steroidal pharmaceutical drugs (n = 14), complexed by a singly charged proton or alkali metal ion (Li+, Na+, K+) using Ion trap and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers. Spectra were collected by LC-MS/MS analysis using system automated collision energy i.e., of 25–60 eV. Theoretical calculations were also calculated using DFT software. The metal complexes showed different fragmentation pathways not commonly observed for protonated compounds. There was a distinct difference observed in the relative intensities of some common fragments for free vs. metallated drugs. Some major fragments from protonated and lithium adducts showed close resemblance, while sodium and potassium adducts showed different fragments. Theoretical calculations showed a distinct difference in the position of attachment of proton and metals. This adducts ion fragmentation information will be helpful for the identification of these compounds in complex samples.

Drinking water is the main source of fluoride intake for the human body and its regulated consumption helps in decreasing dental caries. However, excessive fluoride consumption over a prolonged time period causes fluorosis disease which adversely affects many tissues and organs of the body. This paper describes the evaluation of chronic intoxication of fluoride on human serum metabolome. The untargeted metabolomics approach using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS is applied for metabolomic profiling, whereas the estimation of fluoride in serum samples was carried out using the ion-selective electrode (ISE). Fluoride concentration was found to be 0.16–1.25 mg/L in serum samples of 39 fluorosis patients and 0.008–0.045 mg/L in 20 healthy samples. A total of 47 metabolites were identified based on the high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis. A volcano plot was generated to discriminate features that are significantly different between the fluorosis and healthy groups at the probability of 0.05 and fold change ≥ 2. Among all identified metabolites, intensities of ten differential identified metabolites including inosine, α-linolenic acid, guanosine, octanoyl-L-carnitine, His-Trp, phytosphingosine, lauroyl-L-carnitine, hydrocortisone, deoxyinosine and dodecanedioic acid have been found altered in disease samples compared to healthy controls. Major pathways identified based on these metabolites include energy metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, purine degradation pathway, elevated protein degradation, and increased ω-6 fatty acid linoleate signatures were observed.

Honey intake is advantageous to human health due to its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, all of which are attributed to the rich bioactive compound contents. Moreover, hepatoprotective, wound healing, and gastrointestinal protective properties have been documented. Honey’s nutritional value is significantly affected by its chemical composition, which varies depending on botanical and geographical origin. In particular, after Manuka honey, Sidr honey from the Ziziphus species is the most popular. The chemical compositions, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and sensory characteristics of two Sidr honey samples from Egypt and Saudi Arabia were investigated in the current study. Moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, free acidity (FA), total acidity, lactone hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, and diastase (α-amylase) activity were measured. By using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR), and solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography (GC-MS) analyses, the sugar profile, non-volatile, and volatile compounds were also identified. The physicochemical analysis revealed the following results for Sidr honey from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, respectively: a moisture content of 18.03 ± 0.05% and 19.03 ± 0.06%, EC values of 1.18 ± 0.05 and 1.16 ± 0.01 mS/cm, pH values of 4.87 ± 0.08 and 5.10 ± 0.01, FA of 37.50 ± 0.05 and 36.50 ± 0.05 meq/kg, total acidity of 41.06 ± 0.05 and 37.50 ± 0.05 meq/kg, lactone of 3.49 ± 0.005 and 1 ± 0.0 meq/kg, HMF of 20.92 ± 0.02 and 11.33 ± 0.01 mg/kg, and diastase of 59.97 ± 0.05 and 8.64 ± 0.06g/100 g. Honey from Saudi Arabia and Egypt displayed 22.51 ± 0.05 and 26.62 ± 0.16 % glucose, 40.33 ± 0.06 and 35.28 ± 0.01% fructose, 8.94 ± 0.17, and 8.87 ± 0.01% sucrose, and 8.22 ± 0.006 and 8.13 ± 0.01% maltose, respectively. According to the International Honey Commission (IHC) and GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) regulations, the levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose were near the standard levels. Flavonoids, sugars, vitamins, and nitrogen contents were additionally measured using LC-MS/MS, whereas GC-MS was employed to identify aldehydes, ketones, phenols, acids, esters, anthraquinone, hydrocarbons, and nitrogenous compounds. The results of a study on the effect of honey’s geographic origin on its broad quality are summarized. As a result, knowing its optimal chemical and physical characteristics served as the criterion and indicator of the honey’s quality.

Urginea maritima L. (squill) species is widely spread at the Mediterranean region as two main varieties, i.e., white squill (WS) and red squill (RS), that are recognized for several health potentials. The major secondary metabolite classes of the squill are cardiac glycosides, mainly, bufadienolides, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Herein, a multiplex MS and NMR metabolomics approach targeting secondary and aroma compounds in WS and RS was employed for varieties classification. Solid-phase micro extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (SPME-GC/MS), ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS), as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provided fingerprinting and structural confirmation of the major metabolites for both types of the squill. For comparison of the different platforms’ classification potential, multivariate data analysis was employed. While Bufadienolides, viz. “hydroxy-scilliglaucosidin-O-rhamnoside, desacetylscillirosidin-O-rhamnoside and bufotalidin-O-hexoside” as well as oxylipids, were enriched in WS, flavonoids, i.e., dihydro-kaempferol-O-hexoside and its aglycon, taxifolin derivative, were predominant in RS. A cytotoxicity screening against three cancer cell lines, including breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung (A-549), and ovarian (SKOV-3) cell lines was conducted. Results revealed that WS was more effective on A-549 and SKOV-3 cell lines (WS IC50 0.11 and 0.4 µg/mL, respectively) owing to its abundance of bufadienolides, while RS recorded IC50 (MCF7 cell line) 0.17 µg/mL since is is rich inflavonoids.

Periodontal diseases are oral inflammatory diseases ranging from gingivitis to chronic periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the major pathogens responsible for severe and chronic periodontitis. Plant extracts with antimicrobial activity could be considered possible alternatives to chlorhexidine, an antiseptic substance used in oral hygiene thatcan cause bacteria resistance. Here, two commercial extracts obtained from Cistus × incanus L. and Scutellaria lateriflora L. were chemically characterized usingUltra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with a Q-Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer. The extracts were studied for their bioaccessibility after simulated in vitro oral digestion, their antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis, their protective effects against cellular invasion by P. gingivalis, and their antibiofilm activity. The extracts were found to contain very complex mixtures of polyphenols, which were quite stable after in vitro simulated oral digestion and demonstrated mild, dose-dependent inhibitory activity against P. gingivalis growth. This activity increased with the combination of the two extracts. Moreover, the combination of the extracts induced a reduction in P. gingivalis HaCaT invasiveness, and the reduction in biofilm came to around 80%. In conclusion, a combination of C. incanus and S. lateriflora showed promising effects useful in the treatment of gingivitis.

Retracing pathways of historical species introductions is fundamental to understanding the factors involved in the successful colonization and spread, centuries after a species’ establishment in an introduced range. Numerous plants have been introduced to regions outside their native ranges both intentionally and accidentally by European voyagers and early colonists making transoceanic journeys; however, records are scarce to document this. We use genotyping-by-sequencing and genotype-likelihood methods on the selfing, global weed, Plantago major, collected from 50 populations worldwide to investigate how patterns of genomic diversity are distributed among populations of this global weed. Although genomic differentiation among populations is found to be low, we identify six unique genotype groups showing very little sign of admixture and low degree of outcrossing among them. We show that genotype groups are latitudinally restricted, and that more than one successful genotype colonized and spread into the introduced ranges. With the exception of New Zealand, only one genotype group is present in the Southern Hemisphere. Three of the most prevalent genotypes present in the native Eurasian range gave rise to introduced populations in the Americas, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, which could lend support to the hypothesis that P. major was unknowlingly dispersed by early European colonists. Dispersal of multiple successful genotypes is a likely reason for success. Genomic signatures and phylogeographic methods can provide new perspectives on the drivers behind the historic introductions and the successful colonization of introduced species, contributing to our understanding of the role of genomic variation for successful establishment of introduced taxa.

We employed a comprehensive approach of target-based virtual high-throughput screening to find potential hits from the ZINC database of natural compounds against cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 (FP2 and FP3). Molecular docking studies showed the initial hits showing high binding affinity and specificity toward FP2 were selected. Furthermore, the enzyme inhibition and surface plasmon resonance assays were performed which resulted in a compound ZINC12900664 (ST72) with potent inhibitory effects on purified FP2. ST72 exhibited strong growth inhibition of chloroquine-sensitive (3D7; EC50 = 2.8 µM) and chloroquine-resistant (RKL-9; EC50 = 6.7 µM) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Stage-specific inhibition assays revealed a delayed and growth defect during parasite growth and development in parasites treated with ST72. Furthermore, ST72 significantly reduced parasite load and increased host survival in a murine model infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. No Evans blue staining in ST72 treatment indicated that ST72 mediated protection of blood–brain barrier integrity in mice infected with P. berghei. ST72 did not show any significant hemolysis or cytotoxicity against human HepG2 cells suggesting a good safety profile. Importantly, ST72 with CQ resulted in improved growth inhibitory activity than individual drugs in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Chicken meat is among the common and relatively inexpensive source of protein consumed worldwide from the poultry industry. Many communities show concern regarding the procedure of slaughtering animals for meat consumption due to ethical, religious, or cultural reasons. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) based untargeted metabolomics of 40 chicken meat samples were evaluated to differentiate meat samples based on slaughtering methods. Samples were grouped into, Zabiha (cutting neck without detaching spinal cord) and Non-Zabiha (completely detaching neck). A volcano plot reveals at least 150 features found significantly different between the two groups having ≥ 2-fold changes in intensities with p-values ≤ 0.05. Among them 05 identified and 25 unidentified metabolites have clear differences in peak intensities. The identified features can be employed to differentiate meat obtained from different slaughtering methods. A characteristic pattern based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was observed among the groups. The results will benefit Halal certification, food safety, and security agencies to curb food fraud.

Poisonous plants are widely distributed and may have risk of phytotoxicity upon mixing with medicinal plants. Several species of Cestrum genus are poisonous and linked with many serious health issues. In the present study, cross-mixing of a toxic plant, Cestrum diurnum with morphologically resembling medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica was studied using chemical fingerprinting approach. LC-ESI-MS/MS tool was used to develop the chemical fingerprints of three toxic species of Cestrum, including, C. diurnum, C. nocturnum and C. parqui. Total forty-three compounds were identified using high-resolution LC-ESI-MS/MS data comparison. Chemometric analyses were done to compare the distribution of identified compounds present in these Cestrum species. One of the identified compounds, nornicotine (a toxic compound) was also quantified using LC-IT-MS/MS. Adulteration study was conducted by mixing toxic C. diurnum in A. vasica with various ratios (w/w) and five differentiable compounds were identified to detect the adulteration. The method was able to detect up to the limit of 5% mixing of toxic C. diurnum. Moreover, cytotoxicity of the methanolic extracts of these three species were also studied on normal human PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and all found to be toxic, while the C. nocturnum showed the highest level of toxicity with the IC50 12.5 μg/mL.

Investigation of the polysaccharides from an edible marine brown algae Undaria pinnatifida has led to obtaining three fractional sulfated polysaccharides UPPs 1–3 with molecular weights of 7.212 kDa, 13.924 kDa, and 55.875 kDa, respectively. All UPPs are composed of galactose, xylose, glucose, mannose, glucuronic acid, and mannuronic acid, while UPP-3 also consisted of fucose, arabinose, and fructose. The immunostimulatory assay revealed that UPP-3 had important effects on cell viability, nitric oxide levels, and secretion of cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the transcript-metabolite data along with western blot and immunofluorescent staining revealed that UPP-3 could stimulate the Toll-like receptor (TLR4) associated with the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 signaling pathway of RAW264.7 cells. These findings of the immunomodulatory sulfated polysaccharide will provide a basic understanding to further exploitation of U. pinnatifida polysaccharides.

Inflammation is a defense process triggered when the body faces assaults from pathogens, toxic substances, microbial infections, or when tissue is damaged. Immune and inflammatory disorders are common pathogenic pathways that lead to the progress of various chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. The overproduction of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, is an essential parameter in the clinical diagnosis of auto-inflammatory diseases. In this review, the effects of bee products have on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are discussed with respect to the current literature. The databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Sci-Finder and clinical trials were screened using different combinations of the following terms: “immunomodulatory”, “anti-inflammatory”, “bee products”, “honey”, “propolis”, “royal jelly”, “bee venom”, “bee pollen”, “bee bread”, “preclinical trials”, “clinical trials”, and “safety”. Honey bee products, including propolis, royal jelly, honey, bee venom, and bee pollen, or their bioactive chemical constituents like polyphenols, demonstrate interesting therapeutic potential in the regulation of inflammatory mediator production as per the increase of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, Il-2, and Il-7, and the decrease of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Additionally, improvement in the immune response via activation of B and T lymphocyte cells, both in in vitro, in vivo and in clinical studies was reported. Thus, the biological properties of bee products as anti-inflammatory, immune protective, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and antimicrobial agents have prompted further clinical investigation.

Biosurfactants are a functionally and structurally heterogeneous group of biomolecules produced by multiple filamentous fungi, yeast, and bacteria, and characterized by their distinct surface and emulsifying ability. The genus Bacillus is well studied for biosurfactant production as it produces various types of lipopeptides, for example, lichenysins, bacillomycin, fengycins, and surfactins. Bacillus lipopeptides possess a broad spectrum of biological activities such as antimicrobial, antitumor, immunosuppressant, and antidiabetic, in addition to their use in skincare. Moreover, Bacillus lipopeptides are also involved in various food products to increase the antimicrobial, surfactant, and emulsification impact. From the previously published articles, it can be concluded that biosurfactants have strong potential to be used in food, healthcare, and agriculture. In this review article, we discuss the versatile functions of lipopeptide Bacillus species with particular emphasis on the biological activities and their applications in food.

This study was conducted to assess the bioactive value of Tamarix gallica honey samples collected from three countries. In total, 150 Tamarix gallica honey samples from Saudi Arabia (50), Libya (50), and Egypt (50) were collected and compared, based on the results of the melissopalynological analysis, their physicochemical attributes, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and biochemical properties, together with their total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. Depending on the geographical origin, we observed different levels of growth suppression for six resistant bacterial strains. The pathogenic microorganisms tested in this study were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was a strong correlation between the polyphenol and flavonoid contents, as well as significant (p < 0.05) radical scavenging activities. The melissopalynological analysis and physicochemical properties complied with the recommendation of the Gulf and Egyptian Technical Regulations on honey, as well as the Codex Alimentarius of the World Health Organization and the European Union Normative related to honey quality. It was concluded that Tamarix gallica honey from the three countries has the capacity to suppress pathogenic bacterial growth and has significant radical scavenging activities. Moreover, these findings suggest that Tamarix gallica honey may be considered as an interesting source of antimicrobial compounds and antioxidants for therapeutical and nutraceutical industries or for food manufacturers.

Microplastics (MPs), in the form of fragments and fibers, were recently found in honey samples collected in Ecuador as well as in honey bees collected from Denmark and China. However, little is known about how MPs impact bee health. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the potential toxicity of irregularly shaped polystyrene (PS)-MP fragments on honey bee health. In the first experiment of its kind with honey bees, we chronically exposed bees with a well-established gut microbiome to small (27 ± 17 µm) or large (93 ± 25 µm) PS-MP fragments at varying concentrations (1, 10, 100 µg mL−1) for 14 days. Bee mortality, food consumption, and body weight were all studied. We found that chronic exposure to PS-MP fragments has no effect on honey bee survival, but reduced the feeding rate and body weight, particularly at 10 µg PS-MP fragments per mL, which may have long-term consequences for honey bee health. The findings of this study could assist in the risk assessment of MPs on pollinator health.