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Being the second leading cause of death globally, cancer has been a long-standing and rapidly evolving focus of biomedical research and practice in the world. Recently, there has been growing interest in cyanobacteria. This focus is particularly evident in developing innovative anticancer treatments to reduce reliance on traditional chemotherapy. This study investigates the anticancer potential of the Spirulina maxima extract nanoemulsion (SMNE) technique to improve the delivery, stability, and solubility of the S. maxima extract (SME). SMNE, prepared in three concentrations (SMNEC1, SMNEC2, SMNEC3), was characterized and confirmed to successfully load SME into silica-coated nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity tests on HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines revealed a significant reduction in cell viability after 48-hour SMNE treatment, with IC50 values of 1488 µg/mL and 1721.936 µg/mL, respectively. SMNE also demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth in mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, normalizing alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and reducing oxidative stress markers such as catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Histopathological examination showed that SMNEC3-treated groups had almost normal liver architecture. Additionally, SMNE downregulated oncogenic miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p, activating cancer suppression genes p27 and PTEN. The study concludes that SMNE, with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and ability to modulate key miRNAs, enhances SME delivery and shows promise as an effective cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon black (CB) as rubber reinforcement has raised environmental concerns regarding this traditional petroleum-based filler, which is less susceptible to biodegradability. Although it has great reinforcing properties, the production technique is no longer sustainable, and its cost increases regularly. For these reasons, it is wise to look for sustainable replacement materials. Microalgal biomass (MB) has demonstrated great potential for use as biodegradable nano fillers in rubber composites. Microalgal has a high biomass productivity compared to traditional crops. They can produce a large amount of biomass per unit of land area, making them highly efficient in terms of resource utilization. In the present research, microalgal biomass was blended with CB at different concentrations for preparing two different kinds of rubber composites: Nitrile rubber Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) are two common synthetic rubbers. In this study, the researchers investigated using microalgal biomass as filler in rubber composites. They assessed the filler-matrix interaction by evaluating the processability, mechanical characteristics, Payne effect, and swelling properties of the MB/CB-filled composites and compared them to CB-filled composites. The results show that rubber composites incorporating dual fillers (microalgal biomass and carbon black) had faster cure times, increased torque, and improved mechanical properties. The results prove biomass helps to minimize bulk quantities of CB and may be used as a partial replacement while still improving the mechanical properties. According to the study, microalgal biomass can successfully replace up to 50% of the CB filler. This will reduce petroleum dependence and possibly costs, depending on current petroleum prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) as natural wastewater treatment plants are commonly utilized for wastewater treatment due to their simple design, low cost, and low-skilled operator requirements. Large-scale studies assessing the performance of WSPs using multivariate statistical models are scarce. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the performance of 16 full-scale WSPs regarding physicochemical parameters, algae, bacterial indicators, and pathogens (e.g., Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica) by using multivariate statistical models. The principal component analysis revealed that the chemical pollutants were removed significantly (p < 0.001) through the treatment stages of 16 WSPs, indicating that the treatment stages made a substantial change in the environmental parameters. The non-multidimensional scale analysis revealed that the treatment stages restructured the bacterial indicators significantly (p < 0.001) in the WSPs, implying that the bacterial indicators were removed with the progress of the treatment processes. The algal community exhibited a distinct pattern between the geographical location (i.e., upper WSPs versus lower WSPs) and different treatment stages (p < 0.001). Four out of the sixteen WSPs did not comply with the Egyptian ministerial decree 48/1982 for discharge in agriculture drainage; three of these stations are in lower Egypt (M.K., Al-Adlia, and Ezbet El-Borg), and one is in upper Egypt (Armant). The continuous monitoring of WSPs for compliance with regulatory guidelines with the aid of multivariate statistical models should be routinely performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality management is critical for the preservation of freshwater resources in semi-arid and arid areas, which are necessary for long-term development. Local authorities and water resource managers can allocate resources for potable or agricultural needs based on the quality of water in various places. A total of 14 water samples were collected and examined in this study. Microbiological, chemical and physical analyses were considered as important indicators for assessing water quality. Physical, chemical, and microbiological data were measured and evaluated as essential markers for determining water quality. A comparison was made between these characteristics and the King Saudi Water Standard (GSO149/2014). According to the findings, results of infiltration pond and Tabla Dam manifest the anthropogenic activities and natural influences of the greatest impact on water quality. Therefore, a reliable assessment approach for assessing water quality is very important for decision makers and for constructing sustainable development plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Microalgae have attracted worldwide interest resulting from their extensive applications in renewable energy and biomass production. However, in algal fuel cells, photosynthetically evolved oxygen hinders the use of algal biofilms formed at the anode surface. Here, nanostructured bio‐electrochemical systems have been designed to explore the algal bio‐electrochemistry at different illumination and growth conditions. RESULTS: Three algal strains were screened for their exoelectrogenic activity and the possibility of direct electron transfer to the chemically modified surfaces. After adjusting light and dark conditions and medium compositions, oxygen production within the fuel cells was regulated. At the anode surface, the obtained bioelectrochemical responses and the morphological characterizations suggested that Oscillatoria agardhii has the potential to serve as electron donor and the nanostructured surface is the final electron acceptor. To that end, dual‐chamber algal fuel cells were constructed and glucose (10 g L–1) was used as carbon source. CONCLUSION: Power density of 26.8 mW m–2 was produced using the biofilm formed by O. agardhii. Eventually, the consumption of organic waste was monitored, whereas the chemical oxygen demand removal reached 82%. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to grow Scenedesmus obliquus using vertical photobioreactor (PBR) and examine the oil production capacity of Scenedesmus obliquus grown under nitrogen repletion and starvation conditions. The volume of PBR was 4000 liters as a demo unit with the facility of computerized controlled system. Three dilution rates (0.125%, 0.18%, and 0.25%) were applied. The results showed that, the maximum biomass achieved with the highest dilution rate (0.25%) was 43.2 g /m².day. This was detected when the dry weight was 2.1 g/L with consuming about 62.5 ≈ g/m²/day of CO2. The maximum oil content reached to 26%±0.23 after 29 days under nitrogen repletion conditions. However, under nitrogen starvation, the oil content was dramatically increased and reached to 41.9%±0.6 after 8 days. Fatty acids profile showed that, both saturated and unsaturated were detected. The major saturated fatty acids were palmitic (C:16:0) and stearic (C:18:0). The unsaturated fractions were detected as palmetoleic (C:16:1), oleic (C:18:1), linoleic (C:18:2) and linolenic acids (C:18:3). The fatty acids with four or more double ponds were not detected. Total saturated fatty acids represented 60.47% and 67.43% under nitrogen repletion and nitrogen starvation respectively. Therefore, nitrogen content not only affects oil content but also affects oil fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae represent a rich source that satisfies the growing need for novel ingredients of nutriceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and food supplements. Haematococcus pluvialis and Dunaliella salina microalgae are isolated from the Egyptian hydro-flora and are reported for their potent antioxidant activities. The cytotoxic activity of different fractions of both microalgae was investigated on 4 cell lines HePG2, MCF7, HCT116, and A549. The carotenoid rich fraction of H. pluvialis showed potent cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cell line and moderate activity against both liver and breast cancer cell lines. On the other hand, the carotenoid rich fraction of D. salina showed mild cytotoxic activity on breast and liver cancer cell lines. The carotenoid rich fraction of H. pluvialis was analysed using LC-DAD/ESI-MS and the major carotenoids were identified either free as well as bounded to fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel is one of those renewable fuel sources developed to fuel transportation sector to replace conventional petroleum based fuels. In the present work the key concentration is directed towards highlighting engineering and biological issues to resolve the production of biofuels from microalgae to become an economic reality. This study discusses the unit processes required for algal biofuels production in municipal wastewater (i.e. growing the algae, harvesting, dewatering, extraction and conversion to biofuel) and their scalability. The economic estimation in this article is classified as a ‘‘study estimate’’ which had a range of expected accuracy from +30% to −20%. The comparison between Microcystis aeruginosa grown in lab scale and microalgae grown in the oxidation pond system demonstrated that a mixed culture of algae species could successfully be grown on wastewater nutrients and potentially scaled to commercial production. Spirulina maxima was the most dominant species of microalgae in samples collected from Matrouh wastewater treatment plant, and responsible for the over growth detected in the maturation bond. Extracted oil from both Spirulina maxima and Microcystis aeruginosa was transesterified to evaluate the fatty acid methyl ester produced and to identify the purity of the biodiesel. Complete process simulation was carried out using a process simulation software. Assuming that the rate of biodiesel production needed was 10,000 t/year, all process units required have been sized. Total capital investment, total manufacturing cost and return on investment (ROI) were all estimated. The ROI of Spirulina maxima case equaled to 86.92%, while in case of Microcystis aeruginosa was −56.5%. So, the biofuel production from Spirulina maxima grown in wastewater treatment plants is being economically feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four algal species namedScenedesmus obliquus(green algae), Oscillatoria agardhii, Oscilatoria limnetica,andAnabaena sphaerica(blue green algae) were isolated from Ismailia Canal water (Port Said, Egypt). The fat of the samples was Soxhlet extracted using hexane for 8 h. The organic fractions were purified using silica columns. Organic compounds such asn-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other hydrocarbons that can be produced from these strains were determined, separated, and identified by GC and GC/MS. The identification and quantification of the aliphatic hydrocarbons as well as PAHs have been carried out using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The total hydrocarbon content was between 11.7 and 30.4 mg/g dry weight, while the concentrations of PAHs andn-alkanes varied between 145.1–238.7 μg/L and 106.4–120.6 μg/L, respectively. On the other hand, unknown compounds were verified by Varian 4500 GC/MS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study evaluates the efficiency of a sustainable technology represented in an integrated pilot-scale system, which includes a facultative pond (FP), a high-rate algal pond (HRAP), and a rock filter (RF) for wastewater treatment to produce water that complies with the Egyptian standards for treated wastewater reuse. Still, limited data are available on pathogen removal through HRAP systems. Thus, in this study, the performance of the integrated system was investigated for the removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli), coliform bacteria, eukaryotic pathogens (Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and helminth ova), somatic coliphages (SOMCPH), and human adenovirus (HAdV). Furthermore, physicochemical parameters were determined in order to evaluate the performance of the integrated system. The principal component analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed a strong significant effect of the integrated system on changing the physicochemical and microbial parameters from inlet to outlet. The mean log10 removal values for total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli were 5.67, 5.62, and 5.69, respectively, while 0.88 log10 and 1.65 log10 reductions were observed for HAdV and SOMCPH, respectively. The mean removal of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis was 0.52 and 2.42 log10, respectively. The integrated system achieved 100% removal of helminth ova. The results demonstrated that the system was able to improve the chemical and microbial characteristics of the outlet to acceptable levels for non-food crops irrigation. Such findings together with low operation and construction costs of HRAPs should facilitate wider implementation of these nature-based systems in remote and rural communities. Overall, this study provides a novel insight into the performance of such systems to eliminate multiple microbial pathogens from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]