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A new ceramide, named cladamide ( 1 ), in addition to cinnamic acid ( 2 ), para -coumaric acid ( 3 ), stigmasterol-3- O - β -D-glucoside ( 4 ), and uracil ( 5 ), was isolated from the white beans culture of Cladosporium cladosporioides , a marine-derived endohpytic fungus isolated from the leaves of the mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. Structure elucidation of compound 1 was established on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques in combination with HR-ESI-MS. The ability of the isolated compounds to inhibit acetylcholine esterase was evaluated. Compound 3 showed the highest acetylcholine esterase inhibitory activity (IC 50  = 0.057 ± 0.003 µM), followed by compound 4 (IC 50  = 0.068 ± 0.003 µM) and compound 1 (IC 50  = 0.099 ± 0.005 µM) compared to donepezil, the positive control, (IC 50  = 0.044 ± 0.002 µM). Compounds 2 and 5 showed lower activity (IC 50  = 0.182 ± 0.009 and 0.236 ± 0.012 µM, respectively). The results were further validated by molecular docking study.

The fungus, Mortierella polycephala is one of the most productive sources of anticancer bioactive compounds namely those of pigment nature. During our investigation of the produced bioactive metabolites by the terrestrial M. polycephala AM1 isolated from Egyptian poultry feather waste, two main azaphilonoid pigments, monascin ( 1 ) and monascinol ( 2 ) were obtained as major products; their structures were identified by 1D ( 1 H& 13 C) and 2D ( 1 H- 1 H COSY, HMBC) NMR and HRESI-MS spectroscopic data. Biologically, cytotoxic activities of these compounds were broadly studied compared with the fungal extract. To predict the biological target for the presumed antitumor activity, an in silico study was run toward three proteins, topoisomerase II α , topoisomerase II β , and VEGFR2 kinase. Monascinol ( 2 ) was expected to be moderately active against VEGFR2 kinase without any anticipated inhibition toward topo II isoforms. The in vitro study confirmed the docked investigation consistently and introduced monascinol ( 2 ) rather than its counterpart ( 1 ) as a potent inhibitor to the tested VEGFR2 kinase. Taxonomically, the fungus was identified using morphological and genetic assessments., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Two new compounds, named 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl α-d-ribofuranoside (1) and 3β-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)olean-12-ene-23,28,30-trioic acid (2), together with thirteen known compounds, were isolated from the white beans culture of the marine derived endophytic fungus Aspergillus amstelodami. Structure elucidation of the new compounds was carried out by one-, two-dimensional spectroscopy, and high resolution electrospray ionization mass. The antimelanogenic and anti-allergic activity of the isolated compounds were investigated. Compounds 4, 7, 1, 3, 11, 6 and 9 selectively suppressed melanin production in B16 melanoma cells, using arbutin as a positive control. Their IC 50 values were 30.8±5.57, 38.5±6.08, 52.6±6.64, 98.0±1.16, 100.4±3.05, 112.0±0.22 and 144.7±2.35 μm, respectively, while that of arbutin was 151.7±1.27 μm. The tested compounds did not show any significant anti-allergic activity in RBL-2H3 cells, as compared to quercetin., (© 2019 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Background and Objective: Deficit or scarcity of water resources are considering as one of the most serious environmental phenomenon that hinder agricultural production in many countries and the present study evaluated some wheat accessions for water stress tolerance under Egyptian conditions., Material and Methods: Five wheat genotypes and their ten F1 crosses from half diallel analysis were tested under both levels of irrigation (normal and drought stress conditions) through estimating some agro-morphological traits in addition, determining DNA fingerprinting meanwhile using five RAPD-PCR primers., Results: Final results detected that 4 parents and the best 5 F1 crosses were the most desirable genotypes for water stress tolerance depending on all results obtained for all calculated parameters under normal and water deficit treatments., Conclusion: Traditional breeding and DNA fingerprinting could be used to clarify and sort all genotypes to generate the best of them for water stress resistance which will be in the future as a nucleus for producing resistance wheat varieties for drought stress under Egyptian conditions.

Background: Nephrotoxicity is a major hazard complicating the use of platinum based drugs (PBD), which can hinder using higher doses protocols to maximize the therapeutic gain. Shortage of serum creatinine level as an accurate biomarker for acute kidney injuries (AKI) necessitates searching for novel biomarkers with better sensitivity and specificity in patients on PBD., Methods: In a prospective cohort design, 132 patients receiving PBD were selected for the study. AKI was diagnosed by continuous follow up of serum creatinine level according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines 2012. Serum creatinine and urinary biomarkers (KIM-1, NGAL and cystatin C) was measured in the day of treatment and for 3 days after PBD cycle., Results: AKI occurred in 35 patients (26.52% of patients). KIM-1, Cystatin C, and NGAL showed significant increase in samples collected in the day of AKI in comparison to their corresponding basal levels (P <  0.0001). In addition, significant increase in urinary levels of the biomarkers in samples collected 1 day before AKI in comparison to their basal levels (P <  0.0001, P <  0.0001, and P = 0.013 for KIM-1, NGAL and Cystatin C respectively). Furthermore KIM-1 data showed a significant increase 2 days before serum creatinine rise in comparison to the corresponding KIM-1 levels in patients who developed AKI (P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Urinary KIM-1, Cystatin C and NGAL can predict PBD induced AKI in earlier stages than serum createnine. KIM-1 is the most sensitive biomarker for early detection of AKI in patients receiving PBD.

Two field experiments were carried out during the two growing seasons (2005/2006; 2006/2007) to investigate the role of some plant antioxidant materials such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, alpha-tocopherol and spermine in alleviating the harmful effects caused by soil salt levels (3840 and 6080 mg L(-1)) on wheat plant. The grains were pre-soaked then the plants sprayed with any of antioxidants used. Moreover, the data showed that 6080 mg L(-1) soil salt level alone or in combination with any of applied antioxidants increased the activity of total peroxidase, ascorbic peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in wheat leaves. In addition, salinity level (6080 mg L(-1)) alone or in combination with any of applied antioxidants increased the endogenous contents of ascorbic acid and glutathione and total phenols but decreased carotenoids. It could be concluded that salt soil stress depressed all of growth parameters and yield components. The data also revealed that the different antioxidants could partially alleviate the harmful effect of salinity stress which reflected on growth and yield of wheat plant.

Root rot caused by soil borne pathogenic fungi is the most sever disease attacks lupine plants. Isolation trials from diseased plants in some areas of Dakahlia Province (Egypt) was carried out. Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani proved to be the most dominant isolates. Meanwhile, Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotium rolfsii were less frequent. Efficacies of some plant resistance elicitors viz.: chitosan (CHI), Salicylic Acid (SA) and hydroquinone (HQ) in comparing to the fungicide Rhizolex T-50 as seed treatments showed significant reduction in the fungal growth in vitro. Chitosan at 8 g L(-1) and fungicide completely inhibited the growth of all isolated fungi, while SA at 1.4 g L(-1) and HQ at 1.2 g L(-1) inhibited the growth of Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum, respectively. The greenhouse experiments showed that S. rolfesii (No. 6) and R. solani (No. 2) followed by F. solani (No. 5) and F. oxysporum (No. 9) were the most aggressive root rot fungi. Soaking susceptible lupine seeds (Giza 1) in each one of the three selected elicitors showed a significant reduction in seedlings mortality. CHI at 8 g L(-1) was superior in increasing the percentage of healthy plants to record 72.5, 80.9, 62.7and 64.3%, when seeds were grown in soil infested with of F. solani, F. oxysporum, R. solani and S. rolfesii, respectively. These results were confirmed under field conditions in two different locations i.e., Tag El-Ezz and El-Serow Research Stations. CHI 8 g L(-1) proved to be the best elicitor after fungicide, in reducing lupine root rot disease. It showed 41 and 60% reduction in the plants mortality comparing to 56.37 and 69.13% in case of Rhizolex-T in Tag El-Ezz and El-Serow locations, respectively. The treatments were accompanied with a significant increase in lupine growth parameters, yield components and physiological aspects. Application of CHI at 8 g L(-1) or HQ at 1.2 g L(-1) was the most potent in this respect as compared to check treatment.

Mammary ductoscope allows visualization of the breast ductal wall and sampling of the abnormal area for diagnostic purposes. We are reporting our center experience in application of mammary ductoscope in detecting the underlying etiology of pathologic nipple discharge. Between November 2005 and December 2006 a total of 54 women, with spontaneous persistent nonlactational unilateral uniductal nipple discharge of no palpable lesions and negative breast sono-mammography, were included in the study for morphologic assessment of ductal epithelium, ductal lavage and ductoscopically guided procedures as punch biopsy and ductoscopically guided microdochectomy. Forty-one patients (76%) with nipple discharge were positive ductoscopically. Thirteen patients (24%) appeared normal. Ductoscopic lavage has a much more cellular yield than ordinary squeezing cytology. Ductal thickening by the ductoscope (11 cases) revealed to be hyperplasia on pathology (five cases), papilloma (two cases), atypical ductal hyperplasia (two cases), ductal carcinoma in situ (one case), and invasive breast carcinoma (one case). There was a significant association between intraductal visual observations and histopathologic diagnosis. Mammary Ductoscope is a promising tool in management of pathologic nipple discharge. Biopsy and ablation techniques can be performed during ductoscopy with correlation between visual findings and histopathology, but there are still some limitations of in clinical practice.