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IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and preservative efficacy of Thymus broussonetii Boiss. essential oil (EO) in a topically applied formulation using a challenge test.MethodsThe essential oil was extracted from the aerial part of T. broussonetii using hydrodistillation, and the obtained EO was further analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant effect of the EO was evaluated using three methods: the inhibition of free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene–linoleic acid, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The antimicrobial activity and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of this EO were assayed by the disk-diffusion method and the broth microdilution method, respectively. The preservative efficacy of T. broussonetii EO was assayed at 1% and 2% (v/w) in a topical cream formulation using a challenge test against standard-specific microorganisms recommended by the European Pharmacopoeia. Furthermore, the identified phytochemical compounds were docked for their effect on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, human casein kinase 1 alpha 1 (CSNK1A1), glycogen synthase kinase 3, Staphylococcus aureus nucleoside diphosphate kinase, Escherichia coli beta-ketoacyl-[acyl-carrier protein] synthase, Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasR ligand-binding domain, and sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51) from Candida albicans. The ADME/toxicity was predicted by analyzing the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion parameters.Results and discussionchemical composition of the EO revealed the presence of thymol (63.09%), p-cymene (11%), and γ-terpinene (8.99%) as the major components. The antioxidant assays revealed that the essential oil exhibited strong antioxidant activity, as indicated by the minimum inhibitory concentration IC50 (IC50 = 210 ± 0.3 μg/mL for the DPPH assay, IC50 = 145 ± 0.1 μg/mL for the β-carotene assay, and IC50 = 84 ± 0.21 μg/mL for the FRAP assay) when compared to quercetin and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as controls. The investigated essential oil exhibited important antimicrobial activity against all the tested microorganisms, and the MICs of the EO against bacteria and fungi were 0.02%–1%. Moreover, the EO of T. broussonetii evaluated at 2% (v/w) in a cream formulation succeeded in satisfying the A criteria for preservation efficacy against S. aureus, E. coli, and Aspergillus brasiliensis but exhibited less efficacy against P. aeruginosa (1.78 log reduction in the number of CFU/g after 7 days of evaluation) and C. albicans (1.09 log reduction in the number of CFU/g after 14 days of evaluation) when compared to the synthetic preservative phenoxyethanol 1% (v/w). In silico results showed that the antimicrobial activity of T. broussonetii EO is mostly attributed to thymol, terpinen-4-ol, and aromadendrene, while the antioxidant activity is attributed to thymol. These results indicate that the EO of T. broussonetii possesses important antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and can, therefore, be used as a natural preservative ingredient in the cosmetic industry.

This paper presents the effects of incorporating thienyl and phenyl rings as the terminal ring in the cinnamoyl counterparts of chalcones with donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) push-pull setting, on their photophysical responses. Two fluoro-methoxy substituted chalcone derivatives with distinct cinnamoyl systems, 4-methylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde (2F4MA48) and 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde (2F4MA96), were synthesized. Characterization of these chalcone derivatives was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). Comparative studies on the linear and nonlinear optical responses were carried out through both experimental analyses and theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The electronic absorption spectra computed using DFT were compared with the UV-Vis spectra to elucidate the intramolecular charge transfer mechanism via the hole-electron distribution and interfragmentary charge transfer analyses. Molecular properties were examined through electrostatic potential (ESP) maps, π-electron localization function (ELF-π), and frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). The incorporation of thienyl ring is found to give a stronger push-pull effect and greater electron delocalization. Experimental nonlinear optical responses were investigated using Z-scan technique with a continuous-wave incident laser at a wavelength of 532 nm. Both compounds showed two-photon-induced reverse saturation absorption (RSA) and self-defocusing responses. It was observed that the thienyl-based chalcone, exhibited greater optical nonlinearity in terms of nonlinear absorption (NLA), nonlinear refraction (NLR), and optical limiting. The experimental third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ(3)) was determined to be 8.04 × 10−8 esu for 2F4MA48 and 1.08 × 10−8 esu for 2F4MA96. The onset limiting threshold (FS) was found to be 2.63 kJ cm−2 for 2F4MA48 and 5.23 kJ cm−2 for 2F4MA96. The steep optical limiting traces of 2F4MA48 show superior performance compared to 2F4MA96.

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) plays a crucial role in causing tissue damage in various chronic and inflammatory disorders, making it a target for treating inflammatory diseases. While some inhibitors of HNE’s activity have been identified, only a few have made it to clinical trials. In this study, computational methods were employed to identify potential natural products (NPs) capable of targeting the active site of HNE. The protein–ligand complex has been used to generate a pharmacophore model. A library of 449,008 NPs from the SN3 database was screened against the generated model, resulting in 29,613 NPs that matched the pharmacophore hypothesis. These compounds were docked into the protein active site, resulting in the identification of six promising NPs with better docking scores than the bound ligand to HNE. The top two NPs (SN0338951 and SN0436937) were further evaluated for their interaction stability with HNE through molecular dynamics simulations. Further, the pharmacokinetics and toxicity properties of these compounds were predicted. The results indicated that these two compounds have stable interactions with HNE, as well as, acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. These findings pave the path for further in vitro and in vivo studies of SN0338951 and SN0436937 as promising agents against inflammatory diseases.

The current study aimed to compare the mechanical properties of CAD/CAM fabricated hybrid ceramic restorative materials. The current study assessed the mechanical properties of additively and subtractively manufactured CAD/CAM fabricated hybrid ceramic by conducting flexure strength test, compressive strength test, and Vickers hardness test. Flexural samples were subjected to a three-point bending test using a universal testing machine until the samples showed fracture. Moreover, samples for the compressive strength test were subjected to compression tests using a universal testing machine until samples were fractured. Samples for the Vickers hardness was tested using the Vickers hardness testing machine to determine the sample’s hardness values. There were significant differences (p = 0.0001) were observed among the additive and subtractive groups in terms of flexure strength and compressive strength test. Regarding the Vickers hardness test, significant differences (p = 0.0001) were observed between the polished and unpolished groups in additive manufacturing. However, no significant (p = 0.681) differences were observed in the subtractive manufacturing technique. The subtractive group achieved ISO specifications in terms of flexural strength and was superior to additive groups in hardness while exhibiting lower performance in compressive strength. Moreover, printing orientation had a significant influence on the performance of additive groups. Flexural strength and hardness were improved when the printing orientation was in alignment with the direction of load (90°) while compressive strength was improved when the printing orientation was perpendicular to the direction of load (0°).

The condensation of water vapor plays a crucial role in various applications, including combating water scarcity. In this study, by employing molecular dynamics simulations, we delved into the impact of graphene coatings on water vapor condensation on copper surfaces. Unique to this work was the exploration of various levels of graphene coverage and distribution, a facet largely unexplored in prior investigations. The findings demonstrated a notable increase in the rate of water vapor condensation and heat transfer performance as the graphene coverage was reduced. Using graphene coverages of 84%, 68%, and 52%, the numbers of condensed water molecules were 664, 735, and 880 molecules/ns, respectively. One of the most important findings was that when using the same graphene coverage of 68%, the rate of water vapor condensation and heat transfer performance increased as the graphene coating became more distributed. The overall performance of the water condensation correlated well with the energy and vibrational interaction between the graphene and the copper. This phenomenon suggests how a hybrid surface can enhance the nucleation and growth of a droplet, which might be beneficial for tailoring graphene-coated copper surfaces for applications demanding efficient water vapor condensation.

The study of organic molecules in meteorite and return samples allows for the understanding of the chemistry that undergoes in our Solar System. The present work aims at studying ultrasound assisted extraction technique as effective extraction method for these molecules in extraterrestrial samples and analogs. Optimal conditions were selected from the investigation of ultrasonic frequency, irradiation duration and solvent effects on amino acids, nucleobases and dipeptides extraction yields from a model clay-rich mineral matrix. Optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters were frequency of 20 kHz within 20 min irradiation time and methanol/water solvent ratio of 1. We then validated this protocol on Mukundpura and Tarda meteorite fragments and compared it to the reference extraction protocol used in astrobiology and based on 24 h extraction time at 100 °C in water We obtained similar quantitative results without any racemization with both methodologies.

A simple, fast, and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is developed, optimized, and validated for a fixed-dose combination of apixaban (APX) and clopidogrel (CLOP) tablets according to ICH guidelines. Chromatographic separation of the drugs was performed on a BDS Hypersil C18 (4.6 ∗ 150 mm, 5 μm), with acetonitrile (ACN) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the ratio 48 : 52 (v/v) as a mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.9 ml/min., injection volume of 5 μL, and column temperature 45°C. The proposed method was linear over the level 25–200% for a concentration of APX 5 μg/ml and CLOP 75 μg/ml (R2 > 0.999). The detection limit for APX and CLOP was found to be 0.3465 and 3.8496 μg/ml, whereas the quantification limit was 1.0499 and 11.6656 μg/ml, respectively. The recovery was more than 99% using the standard addition method. The developed method was found to be specific, accurate, precise, and robust against changes in column temperature (±5°C) and mobile phase composition (±5% ACN); hence, it can be used for the determination of APX and CLOP in the fixed-dose combination tablets.

The management of sheep reproduction requires the induction and synchronization of the estrus cycle and ovulation for the ewe out-of-season and/or synchronized lambing. These managements are based on the insertion of an intravaginal device of controlled internal drug release (CIDR or sponge) and then the administration of a hormonal injection, such as PMSG, eCG, hCG, or GnRH. This study aimed to compare the impact of CIDR or sponges, with PMSG and GnRH injection, respectively, for inducing estrus synchronization, lambing rate, twining, and sex preselection rate in Naimi sheep. A total of 86 Naimi sheep ewes and six male rams with proven fertility were used in this study. The results showed that the first ewes or CIDR group had the highest ewe fertility rate of 26/28 (92.59%) with a 35/92 (38.04%) lamb production ratio. The offspring sex ratio was 22/35 males (62.85%) and 13/35 female lambs (37.14%). Their twin ratios were 9/22 (34.4%), producing 14 males (77.77%) and 13 females (37.14%). The second or sponge ewe group’s fertility ratio was 16/26 (61.53%). They sired the lowest offspring ratio of 20/92 total lambs (21.73%) and had sex ratios of 11/20 males (55.0%) and 9/20 (45.0%) female lambs. The twin production ratios were 4/22 (25% with two males and two males with female twins). Their twin sex ratio was six males (77.77%) and two females (22.34%). The third or control ewe group’s fertility rate was 29/33 (87.87%). They produced 37/92 (40.27%) lambs, and the total sex ratios were 22/37 male lambs (59.45%) and 15/35 (40.45%) female lambs. They produced eight twins (27.58%), and their twins’ sex was equal to six male and six female (50%) lambs. Regarding the progesterone and testosterone hormone levels, no differences during pre- or post-intravaginal insertion were observed, but the estrogen level showed some differences during pre-insertion. In conclusion, the use of CIDR with hormone injection is better for reproduction management, male lambing, and sex preselection rate. The control group produced approximately the same fertility rate with equal male and female lambing sex preselection rates.

Rumex vesicarius (R. vesicarius or RV) is an annual plant having rounded leaves, with flowers containing seeds. RV protects liver, resists cancer, and removes free radicals in cells. The aim of this study was to illustrate the effect of the R. vesicarius water seeds extract (RVWSE) treatment on mice before and during pregnancy, and its action on the liver and kidney histology and enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, the blood urea nitrogen, the creatinine, and the uric acid. The seeds of R. vesicarius were collected, extracted, and its component analyzed via Gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Mice treated with 10 mg kg−1 RVWSE via feeding tube for 1 week before mating, or during pregnancy. The number of offspring or litter size was recorded and the blood sample was collected at the end of the experiment to test the kidney and liver enzymes, and their histology. Results showed that RVWSE contains different phytochemicals consisting of some hexane and chloroform compounds. The fertility rate of 1st treated pre-pregnancy group is 30% and the 2nd group is 35%. The offspring rate of 1st treated group showed higher new born rate (8 new born/female) than 2nd treated group (5.4 new born/female). The blood enzyme levels of the kidney and liver showed some variation between the two groups and their histology illustrates some non-significant variation between the treated and control groups of mice. The implications of the results of this study illustrate the safe use of the RVWSE, its effectiveness in improving mice fertility, and positive impact on biomarker of serum enzymes of liver and kidney with their histopathology.

This article aimed to study the antimicrobial activity, chemical composition, and acute oral toxicity of essential oils (EOs) of Mentha pulegium and Rosmarinus officinalis, two aromatic and medicinal plants widely used in the traditional Moroccan pharmacopeia. The average content of EOs was 3.2 and 2.5% for M. pulegium and R. officinalis, respectively. The chemical characterization showed a richness in some compounds identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS): R(+)-Pulegone (45.48%), Menthone (14.2%), Piperitone (8.15%), and Isomenthone (7.18%) in M. pulegium and 1,8-Cineole (46.32%), Camphene (13.4%), and α-Pinene (9.52%) in R. officinalis. These metabolites showed a significant antimicrobial effect against the tested strains (bacteria and yeasts isolated from the hospital environment) compared to synthetic antibiotics that seem to be ineffective against resistant microorganisms. Based on lethal concentration LD50 >5,000 mg/kg (body weight), the oil was found to be marginally safe according to OECD guidelines and can be further explored (bio-product with low risk).

Protozoal infections caused by species belonging to Leishmania donovani complex are responsible for the most severe form of leishmaniasis, especially in Sudan and other developing countries. Drugs commonly used for the treatment of the disease show varying levels of effectiveness and also have associated side effects. Thus, the present work highlights the synthesis of some chalcones to be used as potential anti-leishmanial agents. The activity of the synthesized chalcones has been evaluated against L. donovani. The ADMET profile of the synthesized compounds were tested using various integrated web-based tools. Moreover, in order to investigate the molecular mechanism of action, the chalcone compounds were docked into L. donovani trypanothione reductase (TR) using Autodock 4.0 and molecular dynamics were studies. Eight compounds showed the highest activity against the morphological forms. Among these compounds, chalcones 15 has shown the highest inhibitory effect with IC50 value of 1.1 µM. In addition, pharmacokinetic and toxicological investigations revealed its good oral bioavailability and low toxicity. Furthermore, chalcone 15 was found to interact with high affinity (−13.7 kcal/mol) with TR, an essential enzyme for the leishmanial parasite. Thus, this promising activity against L. donovani supports the use of chalcone 15 as a potential new therapy for visceral leishmaniasis.

Among the non-nutritive additives available for lamb nutrition, direct-fed microbial (DFM) stands out for altering rumen fermentation and increasing animal productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of DFM and weaning systems on performance, mortality, and health of newborn lambs. A total of 60 newborn lambs were divided into 4 equal groups and assigned to one of 4 treatments: Control (C) without DFM and late weaning; T1, DFM and early weaning; T2, DFM and mid weaning; and T3, DFM and late weaning. Each lamb in the treated group received 3 doses of DFM (5 mL/lamb). The mortality was reduced by 80% compared to the control group. Lambs in the T2 and T3 with DFM groups had significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weight (BW) and body weight gain (BWG) than lambs in the C group. Glucose, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels of T3 lambs were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in late weaning compared with the remining treatments. DFM supplementation and weaning system significantly (P < 0.01) reduced serum Zn concentration. These results suggest that the addition of DFM to the diet of newborn lambs and weaning at 60 days improves the overall performance and immunity of the lambs and consequently reduces the mortality rate.

The cloning between different animals known as interspecific somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) was carried out for endangered species. The iSCNT has been characterized by a poor success rate due to several factors that influence the formation of the SCNT in various cytoplasms. The cell cycle of the transferred somatic cell, the passage number of the cultured somatic cell, the mitochondria oocytes, and their capabilities are among these factors. This study investigates the role of the passage number of the Arabian Oryx somatic cell culture when transplanted to an enucleated domestic cow oocyte and embryo development in vitro. The fibroblast somatic cell of the Arabian Oryx was cultured for several passage lanes (3–13). The optimal passage cell number was found to be 10–13 Oryx cell lines that progressed to various cell stages up to the blastula stage. There was some variation between the different passage numbers of the oryx cell line. The 3–9 cell line did not show a good developmental stage. These could be attributed to several factors that control the iSCNT as stated by several investigators. More investigation is needed to clarify the role of factors that affect the success rate for the iSCNT.

Broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are non-achlorophyllous parasitic plants belonging to the Orobanchaceae family, with some species evolving to infest agricultural crops, causing substantial economic losses. This study focuses on Orobanche and Phelipenche species prevalent in Tunisia, particularly Orobanche crenata, Orobanche foetida and Phelipanche ramosa, which pose a significant threat to legume crops and other agronomically important plants. These parasitic species cause severe damage before their aboveground appearance, making early detection and management crucial. Successful breeding programs targeting their hosts necessitate a comprehensive understanding of the genetic variability within different broomrape populations. A plethora of molecular markers, including RAPD, ISSR, AFLP, SSR and SNPs, were employed to evaluate the genetic diversity of Orobanche spp., mainly in Mediterranean countries. This research seeks to analyze the genetic variability and structure of thirty-four (34) Tunisian Orobanche and Phelipanche populations infesting various crops and wild plants. The results demonstrated a higher genetic differentiation within populations rather than between populations and no clear differentiation based on the geographic origins of the populations. By measuring the genetic diversity of a large number of broomrape populations that affect both wild species and crops, this study aims to support efforts toward establishing effective management approaches.

In the present investigation, the phenolic compounds of Solanum elaeagnifolium were identified, and the plant’s anti-lipase and anti-glycation effects on hemoglobin were discovered through in vitro experiments, as well as its short-term antihyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory effects. The chemical compound composition was detected using HPLC-DAD, the anti-lipase activity was tested in vitro using 4-nitrophenyl butyrate as a substrate, and the antiglycation activity of the plant extracts was also tested in vitro using a haemoglobin model. The antihyperglycemic effect was determined by inhibiting pancreatic α-amylase and α-glycosidase activity and performing an in vivo glucose tolerance test on normal rats, and the anti-inflammatory activity was determined by inducing paw inflammation with carrageenan. In both the SEFR (fruit) and SEFE (leaf) extracts, chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside, rutin, and quercetin. SEFR inhibited the pancreatic lipase enzyme more effectively, with an IC50 of 0.106 ± 0.00 mg/mL. S. elaeagnifolium extracts demonstrated significant antiglycation activity, with 3.990 ± 0.23 mg/mL of SEFE and 3.997 ± 0.14 mg/mL of SEFR. When compared to positive and negative controls, plant extracts had very significant anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. The findings in this study and previous research on this plant encourage us to investigate other pharmacological activities of this plant besides its duiretic, cictrisant, and anti-ulcer activity.

Growing Najdi lambs were randomly selected from lambs weaned at 30, 45, and 60 days old which were treated with 3 doses of direct-fed microbial (DFM) at 5, 10, and 15 days old to investigate the carryover effect of early weaning and DFM supplementation on their growth performance and carcass characteristics. Ten lambs from each group were transferred to individual pens for a feeding trial using the total mixed ration (Wafi). Lambs treated with DFM and weaned at 60 days old showed numerically higher body weight and average daily gains compared to other groups. Concerning the carcass and meat quality, there were significant differences between all groups in all carcass and tissue measurements, except for the back-fat and body wall thickness. In conclusion, treatment did not have any significant negative effect on body weight, feed intake, and conversion ratio compared with the control, but positively affected Zn and Cu absorption. DFM also played an important role in fat metabolism, which affects fat deposits in carcasses. The most important finding was that early weaning can be performed using DFM supplementation without any negative effect on the lambs’ performance during growth.

Removal of organic pollutants and metal ions from produced water by adsorption, using prepared activated carbon (AC) from sewage sludge, with chemical activations using NaOH, KOH and ZnCl2 separately and pyrolysis at different temperatures (500, 600 and 700 °C). Pure sludge and prepared ACs were analyzed using FTIR and XRD. The results showed 18% crystallinity compared to that of commercial AC, which has 44% crystallinity. The results of FTIR demonstrate that the properties of the post-treated affect the final products depending on the method used and that it contains similar functional groups to those present in the commercial AC, but at a higher peak intensity. Adsorption treatments were carried out at 25, 35 and 45 °C solution temperatures. The results showed that the removal of pollutants from produced water using prepared AC with all types of chemical activations reached 99.5%, such as commercial AC with 0.06 g dosage of adsorbent at pyrolysis temperatures of 500 and 600 °C and a solution temperature of 25 °C. The obtained results refer to the mechanism of exothermic reaction and physical adsorption. It was observed that despite the lower dosage of adsorbent of 0.01 g, a sufficient treatment of pollutants was achieved. This reveals the effectiveness of using sewage sludge as a cheap adsorbent. Also, using pure sewage sludge, the adsorption data showed a 95.2% removal of the pollutants. This result indicated that pure sludge has an efficient adsorption capacity and can be utilized as a cheap and environmentally friendly material. For the removal of manganese and cadmium metal ions from the produced water, the resultant data showed that more than 90% of manganese was adsorbed and more than 97% of cadmium was adsorbed, especially when using pure sewage sludge and prepared activated carbon with NaOH chemical activation at pyrolysis temperatures of 500 °C and 600 °C.

Traditional otic drug delivery methods lack controlled release capabilities, making reverse gelatination gels a promising alternative. Reverse gelatination gels are colloidal systems that transition from a sol to a gel phase at the target site, providing controlled drug release over an extended period. Thermosensitive norfloxacin reverse gelatination gels were developed using a Quality by Design (QbD)-based optimization approach. The formulations were evaluated for their in vitro release profile, rheological behavior, visual appearance, pH, gelling time, and sol–gel transition temperature. The results show that the gelation temperatures of the formulations ranged from 33 to 37 °C, with gelling durations between 35 and 90 s. The drug content in the formulations was uniform, with entrapment efficiency ranging from 55% to 95%. Among the formulations, F10 exhibited the most favorable properties and was selected for a stability study lasting 60 days. Ex-vivo release data demonstrate that the F10 formulation achieved 95.6percentage of drug release at 360 min. This study successfully developed thermosensitive norfloxacin reverse gelatination gels using a QbD-based optimization approach. The selected formulation, F10, exhibited desirable properties in terms of gelling temperature, drug content, and release profile. These gels hold potential for the controlled delivery of norfloxacin in the treatment of ear infections.

Exclusive physicochemical and biological properties of carbon allotrope graphene have attracted the peer attention of researchers for the synthesis and development of newer topical remedies including films, scaffolds, microspheres, and hydrogels. Here, graphene nanoplatelets (GN) were embedded into a different ratio of polymeric ERL100/ERS100 solution and fabricated in the form of a scaffold through the electrospinning process. FTIR spectra displayed characteristic similar peaks present both in GN and GN-loaded scaffold owing to the compatibility of GN and polymeric mixture. XRD curve revealed a distinct GN peak at nearly 26° whereas from DSC/TGA thermal stability was observed between polymers and graphene nanoplatelets. FESEM images showed ultrathin architecture of GN-loaded scaffold in a range of 280 ± 90 nm. The fabricated scaffold exhibited hydrophilicity (contact angle 48.8 ± 2.8°) and desirable swelling index (646% in skin pH media) which were desired criteria for the scaffold for topical application. In vitro, antifungal activity was conducted through the broth microdilution method against different virulent dermatophytes i.e., Microsporum gypseum, M. canis, M. fulvum, and Trychophyton rubrum. For in vivo evaluation, T. rubrum inoculum was applied on the dorsal surface of each group of Swiss albino mice, and the degree and intensity of mycelial growth or erythema on skin surfaces was visually investigated. The study depicted complete signs of cure after 14 days of application of G3-loaded scaffold on the infected dorsal site. Hence graphene-loaded scaffold represented a possible alternative for the treatment of topical fungal infections caused by dermatophytes.

Undoped and codoped (Eu/Na) ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) were successfully manufactured through an economical sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated pure hexagonal wurtzite structure without secondary phases for all the samples. The size of the NCs was found to decrease with codoping by Eu3+/Na+ which is related to the existence of strain and stress in the lattice. The dominance of the E2(high) mode in Raman spectra indicates the good crystallinity of the samples. The study from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows the successful insertion of both Eu3+ and Na+ ions into the ZnO lattice and the generation of the zinc and oxygen vacancies (Vo) defects. The band gap energy was reduced and the Urbach energy increased with Na+ content, proving the distortion of the lattice. From the photoluminescence (PL) study, the activation of the Eu3+ ions by Na+ ones was evidenced. Longer PL lifetimes were obtained from Eu3+ ions when they were sensitized by Na+, which may be beneficial to several applications. A process of excitation transfer from both the ZnO host and Na+ sensitizers to the Eu3+ ions was evidenced and discussed. As an application, we tested the performances of the prepared NCs as photocatalysts for Rhodamine B photodegradation under sunlight irradiation. The ZnO NCs codoped with 1% Eu/4% Na displayed the best photodegradation rate with a good stability and a high kinetic rate constant k of 0.021 min−1. The photocatalytic mechanism is discussed in terms of longer radiative recombination from Eu3+ and the generated oxygen vacancies.

By bringing smart and advanced solutions, the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up new dimensions of innovative services and processing power for contemporary living standards. IoT has a wide range of devices and communication entities as a result of the widespread applications of these services, making network management a challenging task. Therefore, it is critical to redesign the IoT network’s management. The inherent programmability and centralized capabilities of software-defined networking (SDN) make network management simpler, enable network abstraction, make network evolution easier, and have the potential to handle the IoT network. However, security issues still present the IoT dilemma. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are among the most significant security threats in IoT systems. This paper studies in-depth DDoS attacks in IoT and in SDN. A review of different detection and mitigation techniques based on SDN, blockchain and machine learning models is conducted. A holistic, secure IoT system is proposed on the basis of SDN with multicontrollers. Blockchain is considered to guarantee security in distributed SDN-IoT networks and ANN to improve the detection and mitigation process.

This study was aimed at investigating the micro-formulation of capsules using natural biopolymers, such as cactus mucilage (CM), carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMCNa) and chitosan (Chi) as the wall material, for the transport and supply of sunflower oil. CM samples were extracted from Opuntia ficus indica (OFI) by precipitation at different supernatant pH values (2, 4 and 12). The extracted natural polysaccharide and the resulting microcapsules were characterized by different experimental techniques. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of the CM showed the presence of uronic acid units and sugars. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that most particles were adhered together, causing the formation of compact, linked agglomerates, which resulted in different microstructures with irregular shapes. All oil–core microcapsules were characterized, and the results showed that the different shell materials could be used to microencapsulate sunflower oil. Among them, the microcapsule crosslinked with CM and Chi was the most suitable, with the highest encapsulation efficiency (95 %). This coacervation led to the narrowest size distribution of the capsules, with diameters ranging from 1 to 5 μm. Optical microscopy confirmed the deposition of coacervate droplets around oil drops and clearly showed that the formation of coacervated particles and their deposition onto oil droplets were successive events.

Chalcones, either natural or synthetic, are known to exhibit various biological activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in silico activities of some chalcone analogues as potential antleishmanial agents via inhibition of the trypanothione reductase enzyme (TR). Five chalcone analogues were synthesized using Claisen-Schmidt reaction and their activity has been evaluated against Leishmania donovani and presented as IC50 values. Various integrated web-based technologies were used to assess the synthesized compounds' absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profile (ADMET). The binding affinity of the most potent chalcone for the selected target was then investigated using Auto-Dock 4.0. Additionally, the molecular dynamics was performed using WEBGRO. (E)-1-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one (Chalcone 4) has shown the highest inhibitory effect with IC50 value 0.03 ± 0.16 µM. In addition, the pharmacokinetic and toxicological investigations revealed its good oral bioavailability and low toxicity. Furthermore, chalcone 4 was found to interact with high affinity (−8.6 kcal/mole) with trypanothione reductase (TR), an essential enzyme for the leishmanial parasite. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed several interesting features responsible for the potency and stability of chalcone 4 as TR inhibitor. Thus, the promising activity against Leishmania donovani, compared to amphotericin B and other reported chalcones derivatives, proposes the use of chalcone 4 as a potential new therapy for visceral leishmaniasis.

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad (C. colocynthis) called colocynth is a wild species that belongs to the family cucurbitaceae. The present research work aimed to study the phytochemical composition, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of C. colocynthis seed extract. The chemical characterization of C. colocynthis seeds was effectuated using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The cytotoxic activity of C. colocynthis seed extract against breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) and colon cancer cell lines (HT-29) was assessed using the WST-1 bioassay. The antioxidant power was evaluated by the DPPH assay. The phytochemical characterization of C. colocynthis seed extract showed the richness of C. colocynthis seed extract in several families of bioactive compounds. Regarding the cytotoxic activity, the IC50 (the half-maximal inhibitory concentration) of C. colocynthis seed extract in inhibiting MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 were 170.34 and 132.31 µg/mL, respectively. The cancerous cell lines MDA-MB-231 seem to be more sensitive to C. colocynthis seed extract than HT-29 cell lines. C. colocynthis seed extract exhibited a strong antioxidant power with an IC50 value of 1.37 mg/mL. Insight into the results obtained, C. colocynthis seed extract may be used as a promising weapon to fight against cancer and free radicals’ damage.

Withania frutescens (W. frutescens) is a medicinal plant that is largely used in the Morrocan pharmacopeia for disease treatment. This work was conducted to investigate the chemical characterization, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and healing activities of W. frutescens. The chemical characterization of W. frutescens extract was done using HPLC; the anti-inflammatory test was performed with doses 300, 400 and 450 mg/kg, and the healing activity was assessed using two creams (extract 5% and extract 10%). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of phenolic compounds. The results of the anti-inflammatory test were more pronounced when compared with the reference drug with a maximum inhibition percentage of 82.20% ± 8.69 obtained at the dose of 450 mg/kg. Local application of 10% plant cream induced 80.17% ± 7.89 of inflammation inhibition when compared with the indomethacin drug 92.33% ± 11.27. The studied plant extract showed a promising healing activity with the following percentage: 99.03% ± 0.76 (extract 10%), 98.61% ± 1.91 (extract 5%), and 57.43% ± 2.97 (control); meanwhile, the value reached to 100% ± 0.02 for the drug that was used as a reference within the first 2 weeks. The plant studied in this work would be a promising source for conceptualizing effective drugs against inflammatory diseases.

The essential oil of Ducrosia ismaelis Asch. (Apiaceae) that grows wild in Saudi Arabia was investigated utilizing gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty constituents were characterized, representing 96.1% of the total oil. The D. ismaelis essential oil (DIEO) was distinguished by a high composition of oxygenated monoterpenes (51.6%). Decanal (40.6%), α-pinene (15.1%) and dodecanal (13.7%) were the fundamental components. Additionally, DIEO was evaluated for its cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. DIEO revealed a great cytotoxic effectiveness against the tested cancer cell lines with IC50 values between 66.2 and 137.3 μg/mL particularly against MCF-7 cancer cells. Furthermore, the induction of apoptosis against MCF-7 cells has been asserted using staining assay (annexin VFITC and/or propidium iodide (PI) dyes) and flow cytometry technique. The DIEO possessed a strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacterial and fungal strains with MIC-values between 0.07 and 0.31 mg/ml. The values of MBC or MFC were almost once higher than those of MIC’s. Moreover, the β-carotene-bleaching and DPPH free radical-scavenging tests showed that DIEO had a moderate activity (68%) as an antioxidant agent in decolouring of the β-carotene at 1.0 mg/mL and a moderate radical scavenging for DPPH (66 and 72%) at 0.50 and 1.0 mg/mL.

Solution combustion synthesis (SCS) technique was applied to produce LaMnO3+δ with the aim to investigate the effect of the chemical nature of a series of six fuel molecules (glycine, maleic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, urea) on the combustion reaction mechanism and physicochemical properties of the as-prepared powders. The whole SCS process was found to involve two types of combustion reactions depending on the used sacrificial molecules. Type I (with glycine, maleic acid and succinic acid) was characterized by a one-step exothermic reaction implying a semi-decomposed mixed nitrate-fuel complex and NO2 arising from manganese nitrate decomposition. The heat emission allows reaching the temperature suitable for well crystallized as-prepared perovskite powders. Type II (with citric acid, acetic acid and urea) was typified by a multi stage process in which intermediate decomposition reactions occurred before the formation of a mixed nitrate-fuel complex. In this case, the heat emission became lower than that expected from stoichiometric reaction, thus limiting the completion of the direct reaction for perovskite production. Consequently, part (with citric acid and acetic acid) or totally (with urea) of lanthanum and manganese remained distinctly combined in two amorphous phases (La(OH)2NO3, MnOx) that were intimately mixed. With respect to other fuels, combustion synthesis, using glycine, produced better crystallized, more defective and performant catalytic perovskite phase toward deep ethanol oxidation. Keywords: Combustion synthesis, Combustion mechanism, LaMnO3+δ, Fuel, Catalysis

This study emphasized the efficiency of unconventional delignification treatment “Acetocell” as a basic pretreatment to isolate cellulose fiber from Tamarix aphylla’s stem. Chemical proprieties of obtained cellulose were determined and its efficiency for cadmium ions adsorption was evaluated subsequently. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscope and Morfi were used to analyze the thermochemical and morphological characteristics of the fibers before and after treatment. Cellulose was used as a biosorbent to remove cadmium ions from polluted water. The effects of many parameters on the efficiency removal of cadmium were investigated; the amount of cellulose, the contact time, pH and the initial concentration of cadmium ions. The optimum conditions were 45 mg of adsorbent, 45 mg L−1, 1200 min and pH 8 which provide best adsorption capacity equal to 44.21 mg g−1. The energy value E = 6.65 kJ mol−l which confirm the physical interaction between cellulose-cadmium ions.Then Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were followed for modeling adsorption. Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second order model seems the most suitable which describe better the adsorption of cadmium ions with best R2 values which equal to 0.9937 and 0.9979, respectively.

The aim of this study was to optimize the ultrasonication method for efficient extraction of parthenolide from Tarchonanthus camphoratus leaves using Box–Behnken design for response surface methodology (RSM) and then to validate the method by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). RSM was used to optimize the extraction parameters, i.e., temperature (25–45 °C), time (35–55 min), and liquid-to-solid ratio (16–24 mL/g), to maximize parthenolide yield. Quantitative estimation of parthenolide in ethanol extract (TCEE) of T. camphoratus leaves was conducted to check the effect of all the three variables and validated by HPTLC method using n-hexane and ethyl acetate (3:1, v/v) as mobile phase. A quadratic polynomial model was found to be most suitable with regard to R (parthenolide yield), with R2/%CV = 0.9973/0.4557. The adjusted R2, predicted R2, and signal-to-noise ratio for R were 0.9937, 0.9870, and 47.94, respectively, indicating a high level of tie-in with adequate signal. There was a strong linear correlation between the predicted and experimental R values (R2 = 0.9973). In TCEE, parthenolide was detected with a Rf value of 0.15 at λmax = 590 nm. The optimized ultrasonic extraction produced 1.010% ± 0.04 %w/w with the following extraction parameters: 38.8 °C (M1), 50-min extraction time (M2), and 20.4-mL/g liquid-to-solid ratio (M3). The obtained results of optimization also endorsed by cytotoxicity results (CC50125.47 μg/mL) on human hepatoma cells (HuH7).

Benzofuran is a heterocyclic scaffold present in various natural products and possess excellent pharmacological properties including anti-tubercular activity as well. A novel series 26 compound containing 3-chlorobenzofuran derivatives are designed, synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. In vitro screening of compounds was done against multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strains. Out of these compounds 3a, 3b, 3c, 4b and 4c exhibited excellent inhibitory potency with IC 50 values in the range of 43–104 μM. Compound 3b was found to be the most potent with IC 50 value of 51.24 μM and IC 90 value of 88.04 μM. The compound may serve as lead for future development of potential and effective anti-tubercular agent.

The recent outbreak of the highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has created a global health crisis with socioeconomic impacts. Although, recently, vaccines have been approved for the prevention of COVID-19, there is still an urgent need for the discovery of more efficacious and safer drugs especially from natural sources. In this study, a number of quinoline and quinazoline alkaloids with antiviral and/or antimalarial activity were virtually screened against three potential targets for the development of drugs against COVID-19. Among seventy-one tested compounds, twenty-three were selected for molecular docking based on their pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles. The results identified a number of potential inhibitors. Three of them, namely, norquinadoline A, deoxytryptoquivaline, and deoxynortryptoquivaline, showed strong binding to the three targets, SARS-CoV-2 main protease, spike glycoprotein, and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. These alkaloids therefore have promise for being further investigated as possible multitarget drugs against COVID-19.

The study aims to treat artificial wastewater contaminated with copper (II) ions by reverse osmosis using (SEPA CF042 Membrane Test Skid-TFC BW30XFR). Several concentrations of feedstock were prepared. Different operating pressure, temperature, and flow rate were applied. The effect of these operating conditions on both the amount of Cu (II) removal and the permeate flux was monitored. The results of the study revealed that both the permeate flux and Cu (II) removal amount were directly proportional to the operating pressure and feed temperature but inversely proportional to the feed concentration. In contrast, the feed flow rate showed a negligible effect on the permeate flux and Cu (II) removal amount. The temperature correction factor (TCF) of the membrane was calculated and was found to be directly proportional to the feed temperature but inversely proportional to the applied pressure. It was seen that the concentration and flow rate of that feed did not affect the temperature correction factor. Mathematical models have been developed based on these experimental data for both permeate flux and the Cu (II) removal. It was noted that the permeate flux model matched the experimental data, while the Cu (II) removal model did not show a perfect match. In addition to the above, the research highlights for subsequent studies the possibility of a deep link between experimental work and mathematical models.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global threat impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide. Automated detection of lung infections from Computed Tomography scans represents an excellent alternative; however, segmenting infected regions from CT slices encounters many challenges. Objective: Developing a diagnosis system based on deep learning techniques to detect and quantify COVID-19 infection and pneumonia screening using CT imaging. Method: Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization pre-processing method was used to remove the noise and intensity in homogeneity. Black slices were also removed to crop only the region of interest containing the lungs. A U-net architecture, based on CNN encoder and CNN decoder approaches, is then introduced for a fast and precise image segmentation to obtain the lung and infection segmentation models. For better estimation of skill on unseen data, a fourfold cross-validation as a resampling procedure has been used. A three-layered CNN architecture, with additional fully connected layers followed by a Softmax layer, was used for classification. Lung and infection volumes have been reconstructed to allow volume ratio computing and obtain infection rate. Results: Starting with the 20 CT scan cases, data has been divided into 70% for the training dataset and 30% for the validation dataset. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed system achieves a dice score of 0.98 and 0.91 for the lung and infection segmentation tasks, respectively, and an accuracy of 0.98 for the classification task. Conclusions: The proposed workflow aimed at obtaining good performances for the different system’s components, and at the same time, dealing with reduced datasets used for training.

Brain tumor is a severe cancer and a life-threatening disease. Thus, early detection is crucial in the process of treatment. Recent progress in the field of deep learning has contributed enormously to the health industry medical diagnosis. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been intensively used as a deep learning approach to detect brain tumors using MRI images. Due to the limited dataset, deep learning algorithms and CNNs should be improved to be more efficient. Thus, one of the most known techniques used to improve model performance is Data Augmentation. This paper presents a detailed review of various CNN architectures and highlights the characteristics of particular models such as ResNet, AlexNet, and VGG. After that, we provide an efficient method for detecting brain tumors using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets based on CNN and data augmentation. Evaluation metrics values of the proposed solution prove that it succeeded in being a contribution to previous studies in terms of both deep architectural design and high detection success.

Chromium (Cr)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods with wurtzite hexagonal structure were prepared through a thermal decomposition technique. The concentration effect of the Cr doping on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the ZnO nanorods was established by correlating various measurements: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and several UV-visible studies. The obtained nanorods were investigated as photocatalysts for the photodegradation process of methyl orange (MO), under UV-vis light illumination. Different weights and time intervals were studied. A 99.8% photodegradation of MO was obtained after 100 min in the presence of 1 wt.% Cr III acetate hydroxide and zinc acetate dehydrate “ZnO-Cr1”. The kinetic rate constant of the reaction was found to be equal to 4.451 × 10−2 min−1 via a pseudo-first order rate model. Scavenger radicals demonstrated the domination of OH• radicals by those of O2•− superoxide species during the photodegradation. The interstitial oxygen site Oi is proposed to play a key role in the generation of holes in the valence band under visible irradiation. The ZnO-Cr1 photocatalyst displayed good cycling stability and reusability.

This paper investigates the potential utilization of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) muck generated from Doha’s Metro Gold Line in different construction applications. The properties of the raw TBM muck were studied, and the results were compared to the specifications of Qatari Construction Standards (QCS 2014) of concrete aggregates, fill material under buildings and road subgrades. Compared to the requirements of concrete aggregates, the results indicated that the gradation of the raw TBM muck does not comply with the QCS 2014 requirements, and hence, sieving and screening may be essential. Moreover, the tests’ results showed that the properties of the muck meet the requirements of the concrete coarse aggregates, except for the water absorption, loss by magnesium sulphate soundness, loss by Los Angeles abrasion and the acid-soluble sulphate. As fill material under buildings or road subgrades, the gradation of the TBM muck complies with the QCS 2014 requirements, while the liquid limit and plasticity index are higher than the QCS 2014 permissible limits. Additionally, the morphological structure and the elemental composition of the raw TBM muck were determined by employing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), respectively. Digital images were also taken at larger scale to draw a full picture of the TBM muck morphology. A mixture of rough-rounded to angular-elongated shaped particles with relatively large voids could be observed. The EDX analysis demonstrated the presence of silicon (Si) as the predominant component of the muck, which may alter the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) values for mixtures prepared using TBM muck. Hence, further investigations should be performed on the mechanical and thermal properties of mixtures containing TBM muck as aggregates’ replacement, and further work should be directed toward this end.

In traditional Yemeni medicine, various preparations of Loranthus regularis (L. regularis), such as powder, decoctions and infusions are commonly used to treat diabetes, kidney stone formations and inflammation. In the present study, we evaluated the antinephrotoxic effects of L. regularis extract in experimentally-induced diabetes in male Wistar rats. A single dose (60 mg/kg/day) of Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce type 1 diabetes. Animals were then treated for four weeks with L. regularis extract (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage. Renal and blood samples were subsequently harvested. Several biochemical indices, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were assessed. Additionally, histological alterations in the renal tissue were examined. Serum glucose levels were significantly (p < 0.01) lowered while insulin levels were enhanced in L. regularis-treated diabetic animals. The increased renal markers in diabetic rats were decreased by L. regularis treatment. Serum elevated lipid profiles were markedly decreased by the plant extract. The serum and renal cytokines that were significantly increased (p < 0.001) by STZ were diminished by L. regularis treatment. Finally, renal tissue antioxidant enzymatic activity was enhanced with L. regularis treatment. Taken together, the data here indicate that L. regularis possesses therapeutic ability to reduce the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) by minimizing oxidative injury and inflammation.

The seeds of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cosson and Durieu have been used in the North African Sahara as a traditional medicine to treat diabetes. The present study investigates the antidiabetic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties of the defatted hydroethanolic extract of Ammodaucus leucotrichus (DHEAM). The antidiabetic and the antihyperglycemic studies were assessed on alloxan-induced diabetic with orally administered doses of DHEAM (100 and 200 mg/kg). At the same time, its anti-inflammatory propriety was evaluated by measuring edema development in the Wistar rats paw induced with carrageenan. Treatment of diabetic mice with DHEAM for four weeks managed their high fasting blood glucose levels, improved their overall health, and also revealed an excellent antihyperglycemic activity. Following the anti-inflammatory results, DHEAM exhibited a perfect activity. HPLC results revealed the presence of seven molecules (chlorogenic acid, 3-p-coumaroylquinic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin). This work indicates that the DHEAM has an important antidiabetic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory effect that can be well established as a phytomedicine to treat diabetes.

Symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a major role in plant development, growth, and relationships with the environment through a change in the accumulation of secondary metabolites; hence, we planned to investigate AMF’s influence on sennoside A and B accumulation in Senna alexandrina (SA) and Senna italica (SI). Seeds of SA (S. alexandrina free of mycorrhizae) and SI (S. italica free of mycorrhizae) were planted in two types of soils: +mycorrhiza and—mycorrhiza. The plant leaves of SA, SI, S. alexandrina with mycorrhizae (SAM) and S. italica with mycorrhizae (SIM) were collected and extracted (with 85% methanol), and sennoside A and B content was evaluated by the HPLC–UV method. The antioxidant activity of SA, SI, SAM and SIM was evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) methods, while antimicrobial properties were evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration method (MIC). The AMF colonization was 85.66% and 85%, respectively, in the roots of SA and SI. The HPLC analysis showed a significant increase in (%) the content of sennoside A/sennoside B by 71.11/88.21, respectively, in SAM and 6.76/36.37 in SIM, which clearly indicated positive AMF effects. The DPPH/ABTS [The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50): 235.9/321.5 µg/mL] scavenging activity of SAM was comparatively higher and it also exhibited strong antibacterial action (MIC: 156.25 µg/mL), which supported the increase in sennoside content. This finding may be useful for further investigations of the symbiotic relation of mycorrhizal fungi with other plant species.