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Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), with sizes below 2 nm, have emerged as remarkable nanomaterials exhibiting unique optical, electronic, and chemical properties. Their ultra-small size imparts advantageous characteristics, including high surface area, tunable fluorescence, and excellent biocompatibility, making AuNCs highly promising for diverse applications. This article explores recent advancements in leveraging AuNCs to address critical challenges in clean energy storage and environmental remediation. For energy storage, AuNCs boost the performance of Li-based batteries by facilitating rapid electron transfer kinetics and limiting polysulfide shuttling. The review delves into mechanistic insights governing AuNC–hydrogen interactions, various synthetic approaches for tailoring AuNCs, and their emerging applications as advanced electrodes, efficient catalysts, and conductive additives enabling improved charge storage capabilities. Additionally, using plasmonic effects and hot carrier generation induced by AuNCs shows tremendous potential in photocatalytic water splitting for clean hydrogen fuel production. For environmental applications, AuNCs enable the degradation of persistent organic pollutants, heavy metal ion detection at part-per-trillion levels, and solar-driven water purification, relying on plasmon-enhanced hot carrier processes. However, the long-term ecological impacts of AuNCs remain unclear. This study thus underscores the need for further toxicological assessments and life cycle analyses to promote sustainable AuNC-based technologies through responsible research and innovation. Overall, it highlights the versatile applicability of AuNCs in addressing critical energy and environmental challenges.

Fungal endophytes are known to produce bioactive chemicals and secondary metabolites that are often identical to those produced by their host plants. The main objective of the current study was to isolate and identify endophytic fungi associated with the medicinal plant Anethum graveolens, and to investigate their potential antibacterial and anticancer properties. The ethyl acetate extracts from the isolated endophytic fungi, as well as the host plant A. graveolens, were subjected to bioactivity assays to evaluate their antibacterial and anticancer potential against multi-drug resistant bacterial strains and the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. The endophytic fungi isolated and identified from the A. graveolens samples included Diaporthe, Auxarthron, Arthrinium, Aspergillus, Microsporum, Dothiorella, Trichophyton, Lophiostoma, Penicillium, and Trichoderma species. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay revealed that the A. graveolens extract exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity, with an MIC value of 4 µg/ml, followed by the Trichoderma sp. (5 µg/ml) and Penicillium sp. (6 µg/ml) extracts. Additionally, the crude extracts of Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp. demonstrated high anticancer activity against HepG2 cells, with inhibition rates ranging from 89 to 92% at a concentration of 50 µg/ml. Interestingly, the A. graveolens extract showed the most potent anticancer activity, with a 95% inhibition rate against HepG2 cells at the same concentration. These findings highlight the significant potential of endophytic fungi associated with A. graveolens, as a source of bioactive compounds with promising antibacterial and anticancer properties. The results reinforce the hypothesis that medicinal plants and their endophytic fungi can serve as an attractive alternative for the development of novel therapeutic agents, potentially offering a more sustainable and less harmful approach to disease management compared to traditional chemical-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating a new approach to control wilt diseases using Jania ethyl acetate extract. In the current investigation, the potential impacts of Jania sp. ethyl acetate extract (JE) on Tomato Fusarium oxysporum wilt (FOW) have been studied. The in vitro antifungal potential of JE against F. oxysporum (FO) was examined. GC–MS investigation of the JE revealed that, the compounds possessing fungicidal action were Phenol,2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-,acetate, Eugenol, Caryophyllene oxide, Isoespintanol, Cadinene, Caryophylla-4(12),8(13)-dien-5à-ol and Copaen. Jania sp. ethyl acetate extract exhibited strong antifungal potential against FO, achieving a 20 mmzone of inhibition. In the experiment, two different methods were applied: soil irrigation (SI) and foliar application (FS) of JE. The results showed that both treatments reduced disease index present DIP by 20.83% and 33.33% respectively. The findings indicated that during FOW, proline, phenolics, and the antioxidant enzymes activity increased, while growth and photosynthetic pigments decreased. The morphological features, photosynthetic pigments, total phenol content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of infected plants improved when JE was applied through soil or foliar methods. It is interesting to note that the application of JE had a substantially less negative effect on the isozymes peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase in tomato plants, compared to FOW. These reactions differed depending on whether JE was applied foliarly or via the soil. Finally, the use of Jania sp. could be utilized commercially as an ecologically acceptable method to protect tomato plants against FOW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global life-threatening problem and therapeutic interventions are still encountered. IQGAP genes are involved in HCC oncogenesis. The modulatory effect of statins on the expression of IQGAP genes is still unclear. This study aims to study the effect of free SV and chitosan (CS) decorated simvastatin (SV) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (C-SV-SLNs) on HCC mortality. Methods and results: Plain, SV-SLN, and C-SV- SLN were prepared and characterized in terms of particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), and polydispersity index (PDI). The biosafety of different SLN was investigated using fresh erythrocytes, moreover, cytotoxicity was investigated using HepG2 cell lines. The effect of SLNs on IQGAPs gene expression as well as JNK, HDAC6, and HDAC8 activity was investigated using PCR and MOE-docking. The current results displayed that SV-SLNs have nanosized, negative ZP and are homogenous, CS decoration shifts the ZP of SLN into cationic ZP. Furthermore, all SLNs exhibited desirable biosafety in terms of no deleterious effect on erythrocyte integrity. SV solution and SV-SLN significantly increase the mortality of HepG2 compared to undertreated cells, however, the effect of SV-SLN is more pronounced compared to free SV. Remarkably, C-SV-SLN elicits high HepG2 cell mortality compared to free SV and SV-SLN. The treatment of HepG2 cells with SV solution, SV-SLN, or C-SV-SLN significantly upregulates the IQGAP2 gene with repression of IQGAP1 and IQGAP3 genes. MOE-docking studies revealed both SV and tenivastatin exhibit interactions with the active sites of JNK, HDAC6, and HDAC8. Moreover, tenivastatin exhibited greater interactions with magnesium and zinc compared to SV. Conclusions: This research provides novel insights into the therapeutic potential of SV, SV-SLN and C-SV-SLNs in HCC treatment, modulating critical signaling cascades involving IQGAPs, JNK, and HDAC. The development of C-SV-SLNs presents a promising strategy for effective HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erwinia amylovora, the primary cause of fire blight, is thought to be one of the most difficult crop diseases to eradicate. The study aimed to evaluate the performance of essential sesame oil (SO) and silver nanoparticle synthesized by sesame oil SO-AgNPs against E. amylovora. Using GC-MS, it was found that essential sesame oil contains the main component of the oil was sesamin, asarninin, heptane, c-Sitosterol, anethol, and trimethyl -6- ((s) - 4-methylcyclohexan – 3 – en-1-yl)) tetrahydro -2H-pyran. The diluted sesame oil (SO) was used as a reducing agent in synthesis of AgNPs in aqueous solution. By using UV-Visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), and Fourier Transformer InfraRed (FTIR) analysis, the produced Ag NPs were studied. The average particle size of the spherical Ag NPs was determined to be 54.98 nm using data from HRTEM and DLS. SO-Ag NPs (20 µg/ml) showed a promising antibacterial against E. amylovora, producing a 22.9 mm Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) against E. amylovora, followed by SO-Ag NPs (10 ug/ml) that gave 18.2 mm ZOI., compared to gentamicin that produced 13.2 mm ZOI. The most effective inducers were SO-Ag NPs at 10 ug/ml, which decreased the percentage of disease severity by 27.5 and increased the percentage of protection against disease infection by 68.39%. SO-Ag NPs was the most effective inducers which decreased the contents of Malonaldehyde (MDA) and H2O2 by 41.3% and 77.1%. Applying SO-Ag NPs or SO lowered the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and improved the fruit set and yield in infected trees. We could assume that, to prevent E. amylovora fire blight disease in pears, SO-Ag NPs, SO are safe, effective, and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional antibiotics.  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is an established risk factor for numerous malignancies, although it remains uncertain whether the disease itself or weight‐loss drugs are responsible for a greater predisposition to cancer. The objective of the current study was to determine the impact of dulaglutide on genetic and epigenetic DNA damage caused by obesity, which is a crucial factor in the development of cancer. Mice were administered a low‐fat or high‐fat diet for 12 weeks, followed by a 5‐week treatment with dulaglutide. Following that, modifications of the DNA bases were examined using the comet assay. To clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms, oxidized and methylated DNA bases, changes in the redox status, levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the expression levels of some DNA repair genes were evaluated. Animals fed a high‐fat diet exhibited increased body weights, elevated DNA damage, oxidation of DNA bases, and DNA hypermethylation. In addition, obese mice showed altered inflammatory responses, redox imbalances, and repair gene expressions. The findings demonstrated that dulaglutide does not exhibit genotoxicity in the investigated conditions. Following dulaglutide administration, animals fed a high‐fat diet demonstrated low DNA damage, less oxidation and methylation of DNA bases, restored redox balance, and improved inflammatory responses. In addition, dulaglutide treatment restored the upregulated DNMT1, Ogg1, and p53 gene expression. Overall, dulaglutide effectively maintains DNA integrity in obese animals. It reduces oxidative DNA damage and hypermethylation by restoring redox balance, modulating inflammatory responses, and recovering altered gene expressions. These findings demonstrate dulaglutide's expediency in treating obesity and its associated complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Derivatives of chitosan-ethyl formate polymers (Chs-EF) show promise as biologically relevant materials. The novelty of this study lies in the innovative use of Chs-EF doped with zinc oxide nanoparticles and beta-cyclodextrin, which significantly enhances the polymers' protective activities against Alternaria early blight disease in Vicia faba by improving both disease resistance and plant health. After doping Chs-EF with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and inserting it into the beta-cyclodextrin (CD), two products emerged: Chs-EF/ZnONPs and Chs-EF/CD. Using βCD and ZnONPs to modify the Chs-EF polymer improves the optical properties of the generated polymers. Also, the energy gab values of the modified polymers (Chs-EF/ZnONPs and Chs-EF/βCD) were 3.3 and 3.7 eV, respectively, while energy gab value of the Chs-EF polymer was 3.9 eV. In this study, the effects of ZnONPs, chitosan, β-CD, and Chs-EF/ZnONPs on Alternaria solani early blight disease in Vicia faba plants were investigated. The treatments were evaluated based on disease symptoms and a disease index (DI) to assess their ability to protect against Alternaria early blight disease blight. The results show that the modified polymer with ZnONPs and beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the modified polymer with ZnONPs (Chs-EF/ZnO NPs) provided the best protection, with DI values of 25 % and 12.5 %, respectively. Furthermore, it was discovered that the levels of carotenoids, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b in the infected plants had dropped by 52.6 %, 69.2 %, and 36.1 %, respectively. Chs-EF/ZnONPs were the most effective treatment, showing significant increases in the contents of chlorophyll a and b in infected plants by 120.8 % and 225.4 %, respectively. The study revealed that Chs-EF/ZnONPs exhibited a 131 % increase in the total phenolic content of plants, peroxidase (POD) activity (110.6 %), and a 347 % increase in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, respectively, compared to healthy plants. Malondialdhyde (MDA) decreased by 50.7 %, 49.7 %, 43.4 %, 36.6 %, 31.7 %, and 7.5 % in response to Chs-EF/ZnONPs, Chs-EF/β-CD, Chs-EF, ZnONPs, Chitosan, and β-CD, respectively. Also, application of Chs-EF/ZnONPs, Chs-EF/β-CD, Chs-EF, ZnONPs, Chitosan, and β-CD reduced the production of H 2 O 2 by 77.5 %, 62.8 %, 62.5 %, 39.6 %, 22 %, and 15.1 %, respectively, compared to infected controls. We recommend considering these substances as promising candidates for agricultural use, as they may effectively serve as control agents against early blight caused by Alternaria solani., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Declining water resources and their contamination with chemicals risk the aquatic environment. Therefore, this work was devoted to designing a magnetically recyclable photocatalyst suitable for water treatment, namely, a TiO 2- x /Fe 3 O 4 @g-C composite. Different preparation conditions were investigated together with the corresponding characteristics. The pure defective anatase TiO 2- x phase of low band gap energy was detected through XRD and DRS analyses. Low charge recombination after the formation of defects was confirmed. The performances of the prepared photocatalysts in phenol degradation under solar light were evaluated, revealing the superior efficiency of TiO 2- x prepared hydrothermally at 200 °C/24 h relative to intact TiO 2 . This best sample was incorporated with Fe 3 O 4 @g-C to facilitate its recovery and reuse. This successful combination was confirmed using XRD, Raman and XPS tools. TiO 2- x /Fe 3 O 4 @g-C 2 : 1 formulation was found to be the most photoactive and could be reused up to five times without significant loss in its efficiency. Therefore, the precisely developed magnetic photocatalyst is promising for application in the water-treatment process., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Water is a fundamental resource, yet various contaminants increasingly threaten its quality, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Sustainable polymeric adsorbents have emerged as promising materials in adsorption-based water remediation technologies, particularly for the removal of contaminants and deactivation of water-borne pathogens. Pathogenetic water contamination, which involves the presence of harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, poses a significant threat to public health. This review aims to analyze the unique properties of various polymeric materials, including porous aromatic frameworks, biopolymers, and molecularly imprinted polymers, and their effectiveness in water remediation applications. Key findings reveal that these adsorbents demonstrate high surface areas, tunable surface chemistries, and mechanical stability, which enhance their performance in removing contaminants such as heavy metals, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants from water sources. Furthermore, the review identifies gaps in current research and suggests future directions, including developing multifunctional polymeric materials and integrating adsorption techniques with advanced remediation technologies. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to advancing next-generation water purification technologies, ensuring access to clean and safe water for future generations., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

This study explores a novel method for detecting neonicotinoid insecticides, imidacloprid (IMD) and dinotefuran (DNT), in water using terbium (Tb 3+ ) ions photo probe. The optimal excitation and emission wavelengths for Tb 3+ luminescence were identified at 310 nm and 545 nm, respectively. The influence of pH and solvent on Tb-complex fluorescence was investigated. Results indicate a significant enhancement of luminescence intensity at pH 6 for IMD in DMF and pH 7.0 for DNT in DMSO. The fluorescence intensity exhibited a linear relationship with IMD and DNT concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 20 µg/mL (R 2  > 0.99). Limits of quantitation (LOQ) were determined as 0.1 µg/mL for IMD and 0.05 µg/mL for DNT. This newly developed photo probe demonstrates the potential for monitoring photolysis and photocatalytic degradation of these neonicotinoids using TiO 2 as a catalyst under controlled photoreactor conditions. The method offers a promising alternative for rapidly and sensitively detecting these prevalent insecticides in water samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Current treatment options like metformin (MET) effectively counteract hyperglycemia but fail to alleviate diabetes-associated complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, hepatopathy, and cardiovascular diseases., Aim: To propose the supplementation of cholecalciferol (CHO) and taurine (TAU) to enhance MET efficacy in controlling diabetes while minimizing the risk of associated complications., Methods: The study involved sixty rats, including ten non-diabetic control rats and fifty experimental rats with type 2 diabetes induced by streptozotocin. The experimental rats were further subdivided into positive control and treatment subgroups. The four treatment groups were randomly allocated to a single MET treatment or MET combined with supplements either CHO, TAU, or both., Results: Diabetic rats exhibited elevated levels of glucose, insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), glycated hemoglobin%, lipid markers, aspartate aminotransferase, and malondialdehyde, along with reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase). The administration of CHO and TAU supplements alongside MET in diabetic rats led to a noticeable recovery of islet mass. The antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties of the proposed combination therapy significantly ameliorated the aforementioned abnormalities., Conclusion: The supplementation of CHO and TAU with MET showed the potential to significantly improve metabolic parameters and protect against diabetic complications through its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for testicular function; however, dulaglutide's effect on the testis in obesity has received little attention. Currently, clinicians prescribe the antidiabetic drug dulaglutide only off-label for weight management in non-diabetics. Investigating the impact of this novel compound on obesity is critical for determining whether it has any disruptive effects on testicular cells. We used a well-known animal model of high-fat diet-induced obesity in this investigation, and testicular dysfunction was determined by sperm DNA damage, spermatocyte chromosomal abnormalities, and spermiogram analysis. Following a 12-week high-fat diet challenge, mice were randomly assigned to dulaglutide (0.6 mg/kg/day) or saline treatments for five weeks. Testes and sperm cells were collected 24 h after the last dulaglutide injection. Untreated obese mice had a lower testes/body weight ratio, more sperm DNA damage, diakinesis-metaphase I chromosomal abnormalities, a lower sperm count/motility, more cell morphological defects, and an altered testicular redox balance. In obese mice, dulaglutide injection efficiently restored all disturbed parameters to their control levels. Dulaglutide injection into healthy mice exhibited no significant harmful effects at the applied regimen. As a result, we infer that dulaglutide therapy might bring obese men additional benefits by recovering testicular dysfunction induced by obesity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repeated stereotypic behaviour. Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is the most potent and well-known mycotoxin in various food sources. Despite its propensity to generate significant biochemical and structural changes in human and animal tissues, the influence of AFB 1 on ASD has yet to be thoroughly studied. Mounting evidence indicates that chemokine receptors play a crucial function in the central nervous system and are implicated in developing several neuroinflammatory disorders. Chemokine receptors in individuals with ASD were elevated in the anterior cingulate gyrus astrocytes, cerebellum, and brain., Methods: The BTBR T + Itpr3 tf/ J (BTBR) mice are inbred strains that exhibit strong and consistently observed deficits in social interactions, characterized by excessive self-grooming and limited vocalization in social contexts. We examined the impact of AFB 1 on CCR3-, CCR7-, CCR9-, CXCR3-, CXCR4-, and CXCR6-expressing I-A/I-E + cells in the spleen of the BTBR mouse model of autism. We evaluated the mRNA levels of CCR3, CCR7, CCR9, CXCR3, CXCR4, and CXCR6 chemokine receptors in the brain., Results: The exposure to AFB 1 in BTBR mice resulted in a significant rise in the number of I-A/I-E + CCR3 + , I-A/I-E + CCR7 + , I-A/I-E + CCR9 + , I-A/I-E + CXCR3 + , I-A/I-E + CXCR4 + , and I-A/I-E + CXCR6 + cells. Furthermore, exposure to AFB 1 increased mRNA expression levels of CCR3, CCR7, CCR9, CXCR3, CXCR4, and CXCR6 in the brain., Conclusions: These findings highlight that AFB 1 exposure increases the expression of chemokine receptors in BTBR mice, indicating the necessity for further research into AFB 1 's role in the development of ASD., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)