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An ample amount of fruit waste is generated as agro-industrial waste, leading to significant nutritional, economic, and environmental challenges. Fruit peels are rich in many valuable bioactive compounds with the potential for developing nanoparticles. This study examined fresh juices of two citrus fruit peel wastes (Citrus sinensis: C. sinesis and Citrus limon: C. limon) for antioxidants and total protein. Then, we investigated their ability to produce silver nanoparticles, which were further analyzed for anti-microbial activity against thirteen pathogenic microbes. Both Citrus peel juices were rich in secondary metabolites. The formation of Ag nanoparticles was initially confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy, with peaks at 400 nm for C. sinensis peel Ag nanoparticles and 430 nm for C. limon peel Ag nanoparticles. Further characterization was conducted using zeta sizer, zeta potential, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity was tested using the well diffusion method against 11 bacterial strains (five Gram-positive and six Gram-negative) and two fungal strains of Candida. TEM and SEM results revealed a spherical shape, with an average diameter of about 13 nm for C. sinensis and 21 nm for C. limon Ag. EDX confirmed the presence of silver in both nanoparticles. The FTIR spectrum of the extract indicated the presence of biomolecules, which facilitated the reduction and capping of the synthesized Ag nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles showed remarkable antimicrobial activity, but the nanoparticles from C. sinensis exhibited stronger antibacterial properties because of their smaller size. Citrus peel waste is a suitable medium for the eco-friendly production of silver nanoparticles.

Agaricus bisporus, the most widely cultivated mushroom, is safe to eat and enriched with protein and secondary metabolites. We prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from two varieties of A. bisporus and tested their antibacterial activity The synthesized AgNPs were initially confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy peaks at 420 and 430 nm for white and brown mushrooms AgNPs, respectively. AgNPs were further characterized by zeta sizer, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) prior to antibacterial activity by the well diffusion method against six bacterial strains which include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. TEM results revealed a spherical shape with an average diameter of about 11 nm in the white mushroom extract and 5 nm in the brown mushroom extract. The presence of elemental silver in the prepared AgNPs was confirmed by EDS. The IR spectrum of the extract confirmed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, carboxylic, or amide groups which aided in the reduction and capping of synthesized AgNPs. The AgNPs from both extracts showed almost the same results; however, nanoparticles prepared from brown mushrooms were smaller in size with strong antibacterial activity.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of pathological conditions, mainly of genetic origin, characterized by stereotyped behavior, such as marked impairment in verbal and nonverbal communication, social skills, and cognition. Excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalances have been recorded as an etiological mechanism of ASD. Furthermore, GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult life, is known to be much lower in both patients and rodent models of ASD. We propose correcting GABA signaling as a therapeutic strategy for ASD. In this study, 40 young male western Albino rats, 3–4 weeks in age, weighing about 60–70 g, were used. The animals were randomly assigned into six experimental groups, each including eight rats. Group I served as the control group and was orally administered phosphate-buffered saline. Groups II and III served as rodent models of ASD and were orally administered a neurotoxic dose of propionic acid (PPA). The rats in the three therapeutic groups (IV, V, and IV) received the same doses of PPA, followed by 0.2 g/kg body weight of pure Bifidobacterium infantis, a probiotic mixture of ProtexinR, and pure Lactobacillus bulgaricus, respectively, for 3 weeks. Selected variables related to oxidative stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, and gut bacteria were measured in the six groups. Both pure and mixed Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were effective in ameliorating glutamate excitotoxicity as an autistic feature developed in the PPA-induced rodent model. Their therapeutic effects mostly involved the correction of oxidative stress, restoration of depleted GABA, and up-regulation of GABA receptor gene expression. Pure Bifidobacterium was the most effective, followed by the mixture of probiotics and finally lactobacillus. In conclusion, Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli can be used independently or in combination as psychobiotics to ameliorate oxidative stress and glutamate excitotoxicity as two confirmed etiological mechanisms through the gut–brain axis.

Background Glutamate excitotoxicity can cause DNA damage and is linked to many retinal and neurological disorders. In mammals, the visual signal from the eyes to the brain is conducted only by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which can be damaged by overstimulation of glutamate receptors. Methodology We examined the protective effects of Moringa oleifera seed extract against glutamate-induced DNA damage in RGCs. RGCs cells were treated with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µg/ml of M. oleifera seed extract and glutamate separately and then assessed for DNA damage using the comet assay. We also evaluated the viability of the RGCs after both treatments using the MTT test. Additionally, RGCs were pretreated with M. oleifera seed extract (50 or 100 µg/ml) for 2 h before glutamate treatment (100 µg/ml) to determine the potential protective effects of M. oleifera. We performed a phytochemical analysis of the M. oleifera seed extract using standard reactions. Results The M. oleifera seed extract was found to be rich in many phytochemicals. We observed a significant dose-dependent elevation in all comet assay variables in glutamate-treated RGCs, whereas M. oleifera seed extract treatments did not show any significant change in DNA integrity. Conclusion M. oleifera seed extract demonstrates neuroprotective effects, which suggests it may help to prevent the development of many neurodegenerative disorders.