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Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. SARS-CoV-2 primarily infects the lungs and is associated with various organ complications. Therapeutic approaches to combat COVID-19, including convalescent plasma and vaccination, have been developed. However, the high mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 and its ability to inhibit host T-cell activity pose challenges for effective treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their extracellular vesicles (MSCs–EVs) have shown promise in COVID-19 therapy because of their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in various biological processes and can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes. Objective We aimed to investigate the role of lyophilized MSC–EVs and their microRNAs in targeting the receptors involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells as a strategy to limit infection. In silico microRNA prediction, structural predictions of the microRNA–mRNA duplex, and molecular docking with the Argonaut protein were performed. Methods Male Syrian hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2 were treated with human Wharton’s jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stem cell-derived lyophilized exosomes (Bioluga Company)via intraperitoneal injection, and viral shedding was assessed. The potential therapeutic effects of MSCs–EVs were measured via histopathology of lung tissues and PCR for microRNAs. Results The results revealed strong binding potential between miRNA‒mRNA duplexes and the AGO protein via molecular docking. MSCs–EVs reduced inflammation markers and normalized blood indices via the suppression of viral entry by regulating ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression. MSCs–EVs alleviated histopathological aberrations. They improved lung histology and reduced collagen fiber deposition in infected lungs. Conclusion We demonstrated that MSCs–EVs are a potential therapeutic option for treating COVID-19 by preventing viral entry into host cells.

Lactic acid bacteria is well-known as a vital strategy to alleviate or prevent diabetes. Similarly, the plant Saussurea costus (Falc) Lipsch is a preventive power against diabetes. Here, we aimed to determine whether lactic acid bacteria or Saussurea costus is more effective in treating a diabetic rat model in a comparative study manner. An in vivo experiment was conducted to test the therapeutic activity of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (MW719476.1) and S. costus plants against an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model. Molecular, biochemical, and histological analyses were investigated to evaluate the therapeutic characteristics of different treatments. The high dose of S. costus revealed the best downregulated expression for the IKBKB, IKBKG, NfkB1, IL-17A, IL-6, IL-17F, IL-1β, TNF-α, TRAF6, and MAPK genes compared to Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and the control groups. The downregulation of IKBKB by S. costus could be attributed to dehydrocostus lactone as an active compound with proposed antidiabetic activity. So, we performed another pharmacophore modeling analysis to test the possible interaction between human IkB kinase beta protein and dehydrocostus lactone as an antidiabetic drug. Molecular docking and MD simulation data confirmed the interaction between human IkB kinase beta protein and dehydrocostus lactone as a possible drug. The target genes are important in regulating type 2 diabetes mellitus signaling, lipid and atherosclerosis signaling, NF-κB signaling, and IL-17 signaling pathways. In conclusion, the S. costus plant could be a promising source of novel therapeutic agents for treating diabetes and its complications. Dehydrocostus lactone caused the ameliorative effect of S. costus by its interaction with human IkB kinase beta protein. Further, future studies could be conducted to find the clinical efficacy of dehydrocostus lactone.

Obesity causes metabolic syndrome disorders that are detrimental to health. The current study examined the effects of intermittent fasting (IF), fermented camel milk (FCM), and fermented camel milk incorporating 10% Sukkari date (FCM-D) on weight loss, blood profile, and antioxidant status in obese rats for 6 weeks. Subsequently, leptin and adiponectin levels and histopathological examination of adipose tissue were carried out. Results showed that IF with FCM or FCM-D decreased body weight by 0.92 and −5.45%, respectively. IF alone lowered non-fasting blood glucose (NFBG) and fasting blood glucose FBG after 6 weeks, whereas adding FCM or FCM-D reduced NFBG after 4 weeks. Intermittently fasting obese rats given FCM or FCM-D had the lowest blood glucose levels (BGL). The hypolipidemic effects of IF, FCM, and FCM-D on obese rats reduced triglycerides (TG), cholesterols (CHO), and their derivatives. FCM-D with IF presented a superior effect on lipid profile. A reduction rate of 40, 37, 66, and 40% for TG, CHO, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-c), respectively, and an increase in HDL-C by 34% were noticed. Reductions of 40, 37, 66, and 40% for TG, CHO, LDL-c, and VLDL-c, respectively, and a 34% rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were noted. Combining IF with FCM or FCM-D lowered the atherogenic index (AI) by 42% and 59%, respectively. Remarkably, treating rats with FCM+IF or FCM-D+IF effectively attenuated leptin and adiponectin levels. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly decreased in a type-dependent manner. Implementing FCM-D or FCM with IF significantly attenuated reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), MDA, and catalase (CAT) levels. The most efficient treatment was giving FCM-D with IF. Histopathologically, adipocyte lipolysis increases free fatty acids (FFAs) and promotes inflammation. Only IF+FCM-D indicated no histopathological alteration except for a few focal areas of a few inflammatory cell infiltrations in the parenchyma. In conclusion, combining IF and Probiotic-FCM or Probiotic-FCM-D effectively accelerated weight loss, attenuated metabolic markers, and reversed histopathological alterations. Thus, IF combined with Probiotic-FCM or Probiotic-FCM-D is highly recommended for weight loss, strengthening antioxidative status, and preventing health disorders.

Human milk comprises a diverse array of microbial communities with health-promoting effects, including colonization and development of the infant’s gut. In this study, we characterized the bacterial communities in the Egyptian mother–infant pairs during the first year of life under normal breastfeeding conditions. Out of one hundred isolates, forty-one were chosen for their potential probiotic properties. The selected isolates were profiled in terms of morphological and biochemical properties. The taxonomic evidence of these isolates was investigated based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic trees between the isolates’ sequence and the nearest sequences in the database. The taxonomic and biochemical evidence displayed that the isolates were encompassed in three genera: Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Lactococcus. The Lactobacillus was the most common genus in human milk and feces samples with a high incidence of its different species (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lacticaseibacillus casei). Interestingly, BlastN and Jalview alignment results evidenced a low identity ratio of six isolates (less than 95%) with database sequences. This divergence was supported by the unique physiological, biochemical, and probiotic features of these isolates. The isolate L. delbrueckii, ASO 100 exhibited the lowest identity ratio with brilliant probiotic and antibacterial features suggesting the high probability of being a new species. Nine isolates were chosen and subjected to probiotic tests and ultrastructural analysis; these isolates exhibited antibiotic resistance and antibacterial activity with high probiotic characteristics, and high potentiality to be used as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in controlling intestinal pathogens.

This study examines the potential of natural biostimulants to mitigate environmental stress and enhance growth, yield, and quality in eggplant (Solanum melongena L., cv. Black Beauty) grown in loamy sand soil. Eggplants were treated with foliar applications of ascorbic acid (AA) at 300 mg/L, chitosan (Ch) at 200 mg/L, and moringa oil (MO) at 1000 mg/L as natural biostimulants. Results indicated significant increases in plant height, branch number, leaf chlorophyll content, fruit count, and total yield per feddan (0.42 ha) with the AA, Ch, and MO treatments compared to untreated controls. Treated plants also displayed enhanced fruit characteristics, including increased weight, diameter, length, and size. Biochemical analyses revealed elevated levels of fruit dry matter, ascorbic acid content, total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Untreated plants, in contrast, showed significantly lower values across all measured parameters, indicating higher susceptibility to environmental stressors and reduced growth and fruit quality. These findings underscore the effectiveness of AA, Ch, and MO as biostimulants in enhancing eggplant growth, yield, and fruit quality under loamy sand conditions. Furthermore, the use of biostimulants could be extended to other crops, offering a sustainable approach to improving food security and sustainability in agricultural practices.

Plants use a variety of physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms to mitigate salt stress impacts. Many techniques, including the application of nanoparticles (NPs), are being used to increase plant stress tolerance. To assess the growth and productivity of Vigna unguiculata L. (cowpea) plants exposed to salt stress, cowpea has been cultivated using different saline water levels and subjected to green synthesized zinc NPs (ZnNPs) and iron NPs (FeNPs) applied via foliar spraying. The cowpea plants that grew under the lowest saline water level showed the best leaf traits, leaf water content per area (LWCA), pods, and seed yields, but when salinity levels increased, the plants’ growth and productivity slightly declined. ZnNP and FeNP treatments slow down the degradation of photosynthetic pigments and greatly mitigate the negative effects of salt stress. In both stressed and unstressed plants, ZnNP treatments produced the highest osmoprotectant concentrations (proline, protein, and total carbohydrates). As a result of salt stress, cowpea seeds showed a marked decrease in dry matter and protein content, but ZnNP and FeNP treatments increased it. Conclusively, the results obtained indicated that ZnNPs and FeNPs foliar application to cowpea plants stimulated leaf pigment and polyphenol production, which in turn increased seed dry matter, seed yield, protein content, and the plants’ ability to withstand saline stress.

The water-retaining and yield-increasing capacity of super-absorbent polymer (SAP) are essential for soil remediation in arid and semi-arid areas. Water availability is an increasing challenge to plant development and crop yield. During the growing seasons in 2021 and 2022, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the addition of different amounts of SAP on the development and yield of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Bronco) under varying water deficit stresses, compared with the control treatment without SAP and water deficit stress. The results demonstrated that a 50% reduction in water requirement (WR) resulted in significant decreases in leaf fresh weight, specific leaf area, leaf total chlorophyll content, pod number, leaf free water content, pod fresh weight per plant, and yield. Decreases were also found in pod total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, dry matter and total protein, leaf proline content, and crude fiber content. Additionally, leaf water saturation deficit was significantly increased under the stress compared with the full irrigation at 100% WR. However, irrigation at 75% WR increased pod contents of ascorbic acid, total sugars, and leaf bound water. The current study also indicated that addition of SAP significantly enhanced the above-mentioned growth characteristics under irrigation at 50% and 75% WR. Treatment with SAP at 3 g/plant was the most effective in mitigating the adverse effects of water deficiency, especially at the irrigation rate of 75% WR. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlations between the growth parameters, as well as pod yield, under water stress and SAP. This study provides a promising strategy for green bean cultivation by adding SAP to soil to alleviate water shortage stress.