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Reham Samir Hamida,1 Mohamed Abdelaal Ali,2 Fatima Tariq Sharif,3 Hana Sonbol,3 Mashael Mohammed Bin-Meferij3 1Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; 2Plant Production Department, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-CITY) New Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt; 3Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hana Sonbol, Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O.Box 84428, Email Hssonbol@pnu.edu.saPurpose: The biological synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) has become a new methodology for the eco-friendly production of NPs with high scalability and biocompatibility. Cyanobacteria are one of the most widespread microorganisms on Earth and have been proven to be successful biofactories for synthesizing NPs. It is challenging to discover new microalgae with the potential to synthesize NPs of small size with high stability.Methods: Nostoc muscorum Lukesova 2/91 was isolated, purified, and identified morphologically and genetically using microscopy and DNA sequencing. Volatile biomolecules in aqueous algal extracts were assessed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS).Results: Data showed that the main biomolecules were fatty acids and their esters, followed by secondary metabolites. Algal extract was used to convert silver nitrate (AgNO3) into silver NPs under various optimized parameters. 1 mM of AgNO3, 1:1 (V/V ratio of algal extract to AgNO3), 25 °C, under light illumination, for 24 h, at pH 7.4 were the optimum conditions for NP production (Nos@AgNPs). Nos@AgNPs were characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, FTIR, TEM, SEM, EDx, mapping, and a Zetasizer. The wavelength of Nos@AgNPs was 401.4 nm and their shapes were cubic to oval, with an average diameter of 11.8 ± 0.5 nm. FTIR spectroscopy revealed that proteins/polysaccharides could be the main reductants, whereas these molecules and/or fatty acids could be stabilizers for NP synthesis. Nos@AgNPs (86.15%) was silver and had a hydrodynamic diameter of 10.7 nm with a potential charge of − 19.7 mV. Antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities of Nos@AgNPs were evaluated. Nos@AgNPs exhibited significant inhibitory activity against lung, colon, and breast cancer cells and considerable biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Conclusion: N. muscorum Lukesova 2/91 is an excellent source for the biofabrication of small and stable AgNPs with potent inhibitory effects against cancer and bacterial cells.Keywords: green synthesis, algae, Nostoc sp., antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial

Hana Sonbol,1 Afrah E Mohammed,1 Shereen M Korany2 1Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, 11795, EgyptCorrespondence: Afrah E Mohammed, Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 566675853, Email AFAMohammed@pnu.edu.saIntroduction and Objectives: Biogenic agents in nanoparticles fabrication are gaining great interest due to their lower possible negative environmental impacts. The present study aimed to isolate fungal strains from deserts in Saudi Arabia and assess their ability in silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) fabrication and evaluate their antibacterial effect.Methods: Soil fungi were identified using 18s rDNA, and their ability in NPs fabrication was assessed as extracellular synthesis, then UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used for AgNPs characterization. The antibacterial activity of fungal-based NPs was assessed against one Gram-positive methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and three Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae). Ultrastructural changes caused by fungal-based NPs on K. pneumoniae were investigated using TEM along with SDS-PAGE for protein profile patterns.Results: The three fungal isolates were identified as Phoma sp. (MN995524), Chaetomium globosum (MN995493), and Chaetomium sp. (MN995550), and their filtrate reduced Ag ions into spherical P-AgNPs, G-AgNPs, and C-AgNPs, respectively. DLS data showed an average size between 12.26 and 70.24 nm, where EDX spectrums represent Ag at 3.0 keV peak. G-AgNPs displayed strong antibacterial activities against Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the ultrastructural changes caused by NPs were noted. Additionally, SDS-PAGE analysis of treated K. pneumoniae revealed fewer bands compared to control, which could be related to protein degradation.Conclusion: Present findings have consequently developed an eco-friendly approach in NPs formation by environmentally isolated fungal strains to yield NPs as antibacterial agents.Keywords: nanostructure, soil fungi, Phoma sp., Chaetomium sp., antibacterial, structural changes

Introduction La sclérodermie systémique (SSc) est souvent associée avec la présence d’un prurit (42,6–62,3 %) [1–3] dont la physiopathologie est mal connue. Des modifications du système immunitaire pourraient en être un des mécanismes. Notre objectif était de rechercher un lien entre la présence d’un prurit et des modifications du système immunitaire. Patients et méthodes Entre les années 2000 et 2015, 57 patients répondant aux critères de SSc ont été recrutés auprès des services de dermatologie, rhumatologie, médecine interne et pneumologie du CHU. La présence ou non de prurit, ainsi que les caractéristiques sémiologiques de ce prurit ont été obtenues à l’aide d’un questionnaire renseigné par chaque patient. Par ailleurs, nous avons colligé de façon rétrospective des données relatives à l’inflammation [CRP, électrophorèse des protéines plasmatiques], à l’immunité humorale [dosage des IgG totales, auto-anticorps (Ac) sur cellules HEp-2, Ac anti-centromère (ACA), Ac anti-Scl70/topoisomérase I (Scl70), Ac anti-cardiolipides et immuns complexes], ainsi qu’à l’immunité cellulaire (numération formule sanguine et sous-populations lymphocytaires). L’analyse a été réalisée selon deux modalités [1] étude des paramètres immunologiques en fonction de la présence ou non de prurit chez ces patients ; et 2 analyse des facteurs sémiologiques du prurit selon le profil des Ac (ACA, Scl70 ou autres). Résultats Un prurit était présent chez 64,9 % (37/57) des patients. Pour ce groupe de patients, l’âge moyen était de 63 (± 13) ans et ne différait pas statistiquement de la population sans prurit, à la différence du sex-ratio qui était de 10 (30/3) dans le groupe atteint de prurit contre 2,43 (17/7) dans la population sans prurit. Dans un premier temps, nous avons séparé les patients selon la présence ou non d’un prurit puis comparé les paramètres immunologiques (inflammation, immunité humorale, immunité cellulaire) sans mettre en évidence de différence significative. Dans un second temps, les patients ont été regroupés selon le profil des Ac, et à nouveau aucune différence n’était observée lorsque l’analyse portait sur les différents paramètres du prurit. Discussion Le prurit est un symptôme fréquemment retrouvé dans la sclérodermie [2] . La puissance statistique est certes modeste compte tenu de la taille de la population mais l’analyse du profil inflammatoire, humoral, et cellulaire n’a pas permis de mettre en évidence de différence significative entre les groupes avec et sans prurit. Cette observation renforce notre hypothèse d’une forte composante neuropathique dans le prurit (3–5). En effet, nous avions précédemment rapporté une association clinique du prurit avec des symptômes sensitifs, ainsi que la prédominance d’un prurit aux extrémités dans des zones cutanées pour certaines d’entre elles non sclérotiques [2] . Des études complémentaires par biopsie cutanée pour recherche de neuropathies des petites fibres et en particulier des fibres sensitives C non-histamino-dépendantes sont nécessaires pour confirmer cette hypothèse. En parallèle, une étude sur le profil cytokinique complet de ces patients, incluant l’IL-31, au niveau local et périphérique pourrait également nous éclairer sur la physiopathologie du prurit dans la sclérodermie. Des anomalies qualitatives et/ou quantitatives de synthèse des composants de la matrice extracellulaire voire des anomalies microvasculaires sont également à considérer [3] . Conclusion Les mécanismes physiopathologiques du prurit dans la SSc demeurent inconnus et ne paraissent pas en lien avec des facteurs inflammatoires, humoraux ou de l’immunité cellulaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological agents are getting a noticeable concern as efficient eco-friendly method for nanoparticle fabrication, from which fungi considered promising agents in this field. In the current study, two fungal species (Embellisia spp. and Gymnoascus spp.) were isolated from the desert soil in Saudi Arabia and identified using 18S rRNA gene sequencing then used as bio-mediator for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Myco-synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering techniques. Their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were investigated. In atrial to detect their possible antibacterial mechanism, Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE) and TEM analysis were performed for Klebsiella pneumoniae treated by the myco-synthesized AgNPs. Detected properties of the fabricated materials indicated the ability of both tested fungal strains in successful fabrication of AgNPs having same range of mean size diameters and varied PDI. The efficiency of Embellisia spp. in providing AgNPs with higher antibacterial activity compared to Gymnoascus spp. was reported however, both indicated antibacterial efficacy. Variations in the protein profile of K. pneumoniae after treatments and ultrastructural changes were observed. Current outcomes suggested applying of fungi as direct, simple and sustainable approach in providing efficient AgNPs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In the realm of nanotechnology, the use of algae to produce nanoparticles is an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and economically viable strategy. In the present study, the brown macroalgae Sargassum subrepandum was utilized to effectively produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Through various characterization techniques, the AgNPs' structural integrity was confirmed. AgNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Fusarium equiseti . AgNPs showed cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cell line with an IC 50 of 12.5 µg/ml. Treatment with AgNPs resulted in a marked reduction in cell viability, alongside evident apoptotic and necrotic morphological changes in the cancer cells. Through molecular docking studies, a deeper understanding of the interaction between AgNPs and crucial proteins related to cancer has been achieved, AgNPs showed a promising molluscicidal action on Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, a Schistosoma mansoni intermediate host. The half-lethal dose (LC 50 ) of AgNPs was determined to be 0.84 mg/L. The potential consequences of its administration include potential disruptions to the glycolysis profile, as well as potential impacts on the steroidal hormone's estrogen and testosterone and certain kidney function tests. This study highlights the diverse uses of algae-synthesized AgNPs, ranging from healthcare to environmental management, demonstrating their importance in advancing nano-biotechnological solutions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 El-Sayed, Abdelsalam, Morad, Sonbol, Ibrahim and Tawfik.)

The present work aimed at differentiating five Amaranthus species from Saudi Arabia according to their morphology and the ability in nanoparticle formulation. Biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized from leaf extracts of the five Amaranthus species and characterized by different techniques. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to identify the phyto-constituents of Amaranthus species. The nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The antibacterial activity of the synthesized NPs was tested against Staphylococcus aureus , E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the agar well diffusion method. Spherical NPs varying in size and functional groups from the five plant species were demonstrated by TEM, DLS and FTIR analysis, respectively. Variations in NPs characteristics could be related to the phytochemical composition of each Amaranthus species since they play a significant role in the reduction process. EDX confirmed the presence of Ag in plant fabricated AgNPs. Antibacterial activity varied among the species, possibly related to the NPs characteristics. Varied characteristics for the obtained AgNPs may reflect variations in the phytochemical composition type and concentration among Amaranthus species used for their fabrication., Competing Interests: Duilio Iamonico is an employee of Garden of the Apennine Flora of Capracotta, Italy., (©2023 Hassan et al.)

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) remains a significant public health issue, with a high relapse rate even after detoxification treatment. Family dysfunction has been identified as a closely related factor contributing to relapse in individuals with SUD. The objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of family climate in the relapse tendency among patients with SUD., Methods: The study employed a case-control design using the survey method. A total of 103 patients from the addiction unit daycare at Mansoura University Hospital were divided into 2 groups: the relapsed group and the abstinent group. The Relapse Tendency Questionnaire, the Family Climate Scale, and a structured interview were administered to collect sociodemographic data., Findings: The results revealed significant differences between the study groups in terms of sociodemographic risk factors, including marital status ( P ≤0.001), employment ( P =0.043), and economic status ( P =0.028). Additionally, a significant difference was observed between the study groups in terms of the Family Climate Scale ( P =0.038). Female participants reported that familial factors had a greater influence on their relapse compared to male participants ( P =0.005)., Conclusion: A statistically significant difference was found in the family climate subscale scores between the relapsed patients and the abstinent patients with SUD, confirming the influential role of family climate in the relapse process of SUD., Competing Interests: Competing Interests Nil., (© 2024 Kerman University of Medical Sciences.)

Bacterial-associated wound infections are an obstacle for individuals and the medical industry. Developing versatile, antibiotic-free therapies helps heal wounds more quickly and efficiently. In the current study, fungal metabolites were employed as a reducing agent in fabricating selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) for improved antibacterial and wound healing properties. Utilizing UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron microscopic examination, the properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were extensively evaluated. Myco-synthesized SeNPs demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.3125 mg/mL, reducing cell number and shape distortion in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. SeNPs' topical administration significantly reduced wound area and healing time, exhibiting the least bacterial load after six days compared to controls. After six and 11 days of treatment, SeNPs could decrease proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α production. The histopathological investigation showed a healed ulcer with moderate infiltration of inflammatory cells after exposing mice's skin to SeNPs for six and 11 days. The docking interaction indicated that SeNPs were highly efficient against the IL-6 and TNF-α binding receptors. These findings imply that myco-fabricated SeNPs might be used as topically applied antimicrobial agents for treating skin infections and wounds.

Salinity is a significant abiotic stress that has a profound effect on growth, the content of secondary products, and the genotoxicity of cells. Lime, Citrus aurantifolia , is a popular plant belonging to the family Rutaceae. The interest in cultivating this plant is due to the importance of its volatile oil, which is included in many pharmaceutical industries, but C. aurantifolia plants are affected by the NaCl salinity levels. In the present study, a comet assay test has been applied to evaluate the genotoxic impact of salinity at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mM of NaCl on C. aurantifolia tissue-cultured plants. Furthermore, terpene gene expression was investigated using a semi-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results from the two analyses revealed that 200 mM of NaCl stress resulted in high levels of severe damage to the C. aurantifolia plants' DNA tail 21.8%, tail length 6.56 µm, and tail moment 3.19 Unit. The relative highest expression of RtHK and TAT genes was 2.08, and 1.693, respectively, when plants were exposed to 200 mM of NaCl, whereas pv4CL2RT expressed 1.50 in plants subjected to 100 mM of NaCl. The accumulation of transcripts for the RTMYB was 0.951 when plants were treated with NaCl at 50 mM, and RtGPPS gene was significantly decreased to 0.446 during saline exposure at 100 mM. We conclude that the comet assay test offers an appropriate tool to detect DNA damage as well as RtHK, TAT, and pv4CL2RT genes having post-transcriptional regulation in C. aurantifolia plant cells under salinity stress. Future studies are needed to assess the application of gene expression and comet assay technologies using another set of genes that show vulnerability to different stresses on lime and other plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Darwish, Al-Osaimi, Al Kashgry, Sonbol, Alayafi, Alabdallah, Al-Humaid, Al-Harbi, Al-Qahtani, Abbas, Darwish, Ibrahim and Noureldeen.)

Major health issues, such as the rise in oxidative stress, incidences of Alzheimer's disease, and infections caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes, have prompted researchers to look for new therapeutics. Microbial extracts are still a good source of novel compounds for biotechnological use. The objective of the current work was to investigate marine fungal bioactive compounds with potential antibacterial, antioxidant, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects. Penicillium chrysogenum strain MZ945518 was isolated from the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. The fungus was halotolerant with a salt tolerance index of 1.3. The mycelial extract showed antifungal properties against Fusarium solani with an inhibitory percentage of 77.5 ± 0.3, followed by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum with percentages of 52 ± 0.0 and 40 ± 0.5, respectively. The extract also showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains using the agar diffusion technique. The fungal extract was significantly more effective with Proteus mirabilis ATCC 29906 and Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341; inhibition zones recorded 20 and 12 mm, respectively, compared with the antibiotic gentamycin, which recorded 12 and 10 mm, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the fungus extract revealed that it successfully scavenged DPPH free radicals and recorded an IC 50 of 542.5 µg/mL. Additionally, it was capable of reducing Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ and exhibiting chelating ability in the metal ion-chelating test. The fungal extract was identified as a crucial inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase with an inhibition percentage of 63% and an IC 50 value of 60.87 µg/mL. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), 20 metabolites were detected. The most prevalent ones were (Z)-18-octadec-9-enolide and 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, with ratios of 36.28 and 26.73%, respectively. An in silico study using molecular docking demonstrated interactions between the major metabolites and the target proteins, including: DNA Gyrase, glutathione S-transferase, and Acetylcholinesterase, confirming the extract's antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Penicillium chrysogenum MZ945518, a halotolerant strain, has promising bioactive compounds with antibacterial, antioxidant, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.

The viral RNA of SARS-Coronavirus-2 is known to be contaminating municipal wastewater. We aimed to assess if COVID-19 disease is spreading through wastewater. We studied the amount of viral RNA in raw sewage and the efficiency of the sewage treatment to remove the virus. Sewage water was collected before and after the activated sludge process three times during summer 2020 from three different sewage treatment plants. The sewage treatment was efficient in removing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. Each sewage treatment plant gathered wastewater from one hospital, of which COVID-19 admissions were used to describe the level of disease occurrence in the area. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA-specific target genes (N1, N2, and E) was confirmed using RT-qPCR analysis. However, hospital admission did not correlate significantly with viral RNA. Moreover, viral RNA loads were relatively low, suggesting that sewage might preserve viral RNA in a hot climate only for a short time., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The advent of new antibiotics has helped clinicians to control severe bacterial infections. Despite this, inappropriate and redundant use of antibiotics, inadequate diagnosis, and smart resistant mechanisms developed by pathogens sometimes lead to the failure of treatment strategies. The genotypic analysis of clinical samples revealed that the rapid spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) genes is one of the most common approaches acquired by bacterial pathogens to become resistant. The scenario compelled the researchers to prioritize the design and development of novel and effective therapeutic options. Nanotechnology has emerged as a plausible groundbreaking tool against resistant infectious pathogens. Numerous reports suggested that inorganic nanomaterials, specifically gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), have converted unresponsive antibiotics into potent ones against multi-drug resistant pathogenic strains. Interestingly, after almost two decades of exhaustive preclinical evaluations, AuNPs are gradually progressively moving ahead toward clinical evaluations. However, the mechanistic aspects of the antibacterial action of AuNPs remain an unsolved puzzle for the scientific fraternity. Thus, the review covers state-of-the-art investigations pertaining to the efficacy of AuNPs as a tool to overcome ESBLs acquired resistance, their applicability and toxicity perspectives, and the revelation of the most appropriate proposed mechanism of action. Conclusively, the trend suggested that antibiotic-loaded AuNPs could be developed into a promising interventional strategy to limit and overcome the concerns of antibiotic-resistance.

Infections caused by resistant bacterial pathogens have increased the complications of clinicians worldwide. The quest for effective antibacterial agents against resistant pathogens has prompted researchers to develop new classes of antibiotics. Unfortunately, pathogens have acted more smartly by developing resistance to even the newest class of antibiotics with time. The culture sensitivity analysis of the clinical samples revealed that pathogens are gaining resistance toward the new generations of cephalosporins at a very fast rate globally. The current study developed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that could efficiently deliver the 2nd (cefotetan-CT) and 3rd (cefixime-CX) generation cephalosporins to resistant clinical pathogens. In fact, both CT and CX were used to reduce and stabilize AuNPs by applying a one-pot synthesis approach, and their characterization was performed via spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy. Moreover, the synthesized AuNPs were tested against uro-pathogenic resistant clinical strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae . CT-AuNPs characteristic SPR peak was observed at 542 nm, and CX-AuNPs showed the same at 522 nm. The stability measurement showed ζ potential as -24.9 mV and -25.2 mV for CT-AuNPs and CX-AuNPs, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the spherical shape of both the AuNPs, whereas, the size by transmission electron microscopy for CT-AuNPs and CX-AuNPs were estimated to be 45 ± 19 nm and 35 ± 17 nm, respectively. Importantly, once loaded onto AuNPs, both the cephalosporin antibiotics become extremely potent against the resistant strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae with MIC 50 in the range of 0.5 to 0.8 μg/mL. The findings propose that old-generation unresponsive antibiotics could be revived into potent nano-antibiotics via AuNPs. Thus, investing efforts, intellect, time and funds for a nano-antibiotic strategy might be a better approach to overcome resistance than investing the same in the development of newer antibiotic molecule(s).