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Fusarium verticillioides, an important maize pathogen, produce fumonisins, causes stalk rot and consequentially reduce crop growth and yield. Therefore, herein we aimed to evaluate the potential use of two farmyard soil organic manures, i.e., fresh (5-6 days old) and stored (5-6 months old) organic manure, to manage F. verticillioides infections as well as borer incidence and lodging in maize plants. After 30, 60, and 90 days of sowing, samples of soil, roots, and stems were collected to isolate F. verticillioides. Moreover, we estimated ear and kernel rot induced by F. verticillioides at the final harvest. Fresh organic manure treatment increased infection rates of F. verticillioides in soil, roots, stem and kernels compared to the control treatment. In contrast, stored organic manure plots treatments decrease F. verticillioides frequency. At 90 days after sowing, stored organic manure suppressed the survival of F. verticillioides, which reduced the F. verticillioides incidence percent. These results were similar to the effect of herbicides-and insecticide-treated plots demonstrated, which show a significant decrease in F. verticillioides incidence rates. Mycological analysis on symptomless kernels revealed a higher % of pathogen infection in opened husks variety (Balady) than closed husks variety (SC10). Compared with stored organic manure, the stem borer incidence and lodging percentage were the highest in fresh organic manure plots. Finally, these results demonstrated that storing organic manure within five to six months as farmyard manure led to high-temperature centigrade within organic manure, thereby destroying spores of F. verticillioides, whereas fresh organic manure did not.

Acacia nubica is well-adapted to harsh conditions and offers valued socio-economic and environmental benefits. This research studied seed germination and seedling growth of A. nubica in vitro in response to the application of different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite, sucrose, and Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The synchrony, percentage, and rate of germination of A. nubica seed were studied. Seedling development was assessed by measuring the shoot, root, and number of nodes. Sodium hypochlorite at 10% produced the maximum germination percentage, while 5% induced a faster and more uniform emergence. Sucrose has various effects on seed emergence and germination depending on the concentrations; 30 g/L elicited the highest germination, while 10 g/L improved seed emergence rate with higher uniformity. The highest seed germination was achieved on ¼-MS medium, although 0-MS strength recorded faster and more synchronized germination. The development of A. nubica seedlings was influenced by MS medium strengths and sucrose concentrations. Full MS medium produced the highest shoot length and the highest vigor index with the addition of 20 g/L sucrose and the maximum root length with 50 g/L sucrose. Also, 30 g/L sucrose gave the maximum number of nodes and the maximum root/shoot ratio. However, ½-MS strength yields the highest seedling biomass with 30 g/L sucrose. This is the first successful report on the seed germination and seedling growth of A. nubica in vitro.

Globally, root rot disease of tomato plants caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is a severe disease leading to the death of infected plants. The effect of some commercial antiseptics and disinfectant agents, such as chloroxylenol (10%), phenic (10%) and formulated phenol (7%) on the control of root rot pathogen and its impact on growth and chemical constituents of tomato seedlings cv. Castle Rock were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The antifungal activity was measured in vitro following the poisoned food technique at different concentrations of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 µL/L. Disinfectant agents and atrio (80%) were tested in vivo by soaking 20-day-old tomato seedlings in four concentrations of 125, 250, 500 and 1000 µL/100 mL water for 5 min and thereafter planting in soil infested by S. rolfsii. Fresh and dry weight, shoot and root length, and chemical constituents of tomato seedlings infected by S. rolfsii were investigated at 35 days after planting (DAP). Experimental results indicated that chloroxylenol (10%) was the most effective on fungus in vitro, recorded an effective concentration (EC50 = 1347.74 µL/L) followed by phenic (10%) (EC50 = 1370.52 µL/L) and formulated phenol (7%) (EC50 = 1553.59 µL/L). In vivo, atrio (80%) and disinfectant agents at different concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced disease incidence, increased shoot and root lengths and increased dry and fresh weight. Additionally, it significantly increased chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids, total carbohydrates, total proteins, and total phenols. The highest reduction of root rot incidence and increase tomato growth parameters, as well as chemical compositions, were recorded on tomato seedlings treated with atrio (80%) as well as formulated phenol (7%) at different concentrations, followed by chloroxylenol (10%) at 125 and 250 µL/100 mL, whereas phenic (10%) was found to be the least effective treatment. Therefore, the application of formulated phenol (7%) could be commercially used to control tomato root rot diseases and increase the quality and quantity of tomato plants since it is promising against the pathogen, safe, and less expensive than fungicides.

Nanotechnology is one of the most recent technologies. It is uncertain whether the production of small-size nanoparticles (NPs) can be achieved through a simple, straightforward, and medicinally active phytochemical route. The present study aimed to develop an easy and justifiable method for the synthesis of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au bimetallic NPs (BNPs) by using Hippeastrum hybridum (HH) extract, and then to investigate the effects of Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs as antimicrobial and phytotoxic agents. Ag, Au, and their Ag/Au BNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, and SEM analysis. XRD analysis conferring to the face of face-centered cubic crystal structure with an average size of 13.3, 10.72, and 8.34 nm of Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs, respectively. SEM showed that Ag, Au, and Ag/Au BNPs had spherical morphologies, with calculated nano measurements of 40, 30, and 20 nm, respectively. The EDX analysis confirmed the composition of elemental Ag signal of the HH-AgNPs with 22.75%, Au signal of the HH-AuNPs with 48.08%, Ag signal with 12%, and Au signal with 38.26% of the Ag/Au BNPs. The Ag/Au BNPs showed an excellent antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Actinomycetes meriye, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Serratia marcescens bacterial strains, as well as against three fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus flavus) compared to HH extract, HH-AgNPs, and HH-AuNPs. However, further investigations are recommended to be able to minimize potential risks of application.

In the present study, biologically active compounds such as phenolic-rich extract (PRE), 7S globulin (vicilin), and 11S globulin (legumin) from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds were extracted and evaluated as antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales isolated from both animal and human sources. The overall occurrence rate of Enterobacterales was 43.6%, which significantly differed between animal (38.75%) and human (56.67%) sources. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that Enterobacterales isolates exhibited full resistance (100%) to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, followed by ampicillin (75.44%), erythromycin (71.93%), cefoxitin (70.18%), amoxicillin (66.66%), ceftriaxone (64.91%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (56.14%). Worthy of note, 97.92% of Enterobacterales isolates were MDR. The total phenolic contents (TPC; 53 ± 2 mg GAE g-1) and total flavonoid contents (TFC; 26 ± 1 mg QE g-1) were recorded. The major phenolic and flavonoid components were catechol (17.63 μg/mL) and hesperidin (11.37 μg/mL), respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed to detect the 7S and 11S globulin‘s molecular mass. The data revealed that red kidney bean protein isolate (KPI) includes two major portions: 7S and 11S globulins. The bioactive compounds of Phaseolus vulgaris were investigated for their antibacterial activities against Enterobacterales for the first time. The protein component (MIC = 0.125 – 2 μg/mL; 53.85%) and its 7S and 11S globulin subunits (MIC = 0.5 – 2 μg/mL; 30.77% each) were the most potent extracts, whereas the methanolic extract was the least effective one (MIC = 2 μg/mL; 15.38%). The results displayed the potential of protein bioactive compounds as a hopeful candidate for enhancing future medication plans for the treatment of Enterobacterales originating from animal and human sources.

The small-scale and backyard-raised poultry are extensively growing in Egypt. However, low biosecurity and/or vaccination practices are adopted. The current study was conducted to investigate and molecularly characterize Newcastle Disease (ND) strains circulating in small-scale and backyard poultry sectors in Giza governorate in Egypt from July 2018 to April 2020. Twelve broiler flocks (6 commercial and 6 backyard flocks) suffering from respiratory and/or nervous signs were included. Virus isolation and molecular characterization were conducted. The isolated viruses maintained the multi-basic motif 112RRQKR|F117 in the fusion protein cleavage site, indicating their virulent nature. Phylogenetically, the viruses are closely related to genotype VII.1.1. ND viruses and are genetically different from NDV genotype II vaccine strains. Deduced amino acid sequences of the fusion (F) protein showed an amino acid change of S278P in the heptad repeat (HRb) in the two NDV isolates from commercial farms. Other amino acid substitutions were observed, including the change at positions 442 (A/T) in the two commercial flocks isolates and position 317 (A/S) in the backyard ND isolate. Few silent nucleotide mutations were also observed in the F protein of the NDV isolate from the backyard flock. In conclusion, the current study reports the genetic identification of virulent NDV viruses from commercial or backyard flocks related to genotype VII.1.1. ND circulating in Egypt. The amino acid substitutions and nucleotide changes warrant the need for continuous surveillance of NDV in these growing poultry sectors considering their importance as a spot for extensive NDV circulation and as the main source for live bird markets in Egypt.

Climate change impacts represent one of the most important ecological and medical issues during this century. Several fungal species will change their distribution through space and time as a response to climate changes. This will rearrange many fungal diseases throughout the world. One of the most important and very common fungi is the black mold Aspergillus niger. The COVID-19 pandemic reforms the way in which mycologists think about this fungus as an emerging healthy issue. Through this work, about one thousand records of Aspergillus niger were used to model its current and future global distribution using 19 bioclimatic variables under several climate change scenarios. Maximum entropy implemented in Maxent was chosen as the modeling tool, especially with its accuracy and reliability over the other modeling techniques. The annual mean temperature (bio 1) forms the most contributed climatological parameter to black mold distribution. The produced current distribution model came compatible with the real distribution of the species with a cosmopolitan range. The rise of temperature due to global warming will form a limitation to Aspergillus niger through several parts of its range. The generated maps of the future status of this fungus under two different RCPs for 2050 and 2070, indicate several parts that become free from black mold due to temperature limitations. The present results need more intensive future evaluation using data science and GIS, especially on a local scale including more ecological parameters other than climatological data.

Malaria is a persistent illness with a great public health concern. To combat this fatal disease, developing effective antimalarial medications has become a necessity. In the present study, we described the actinomycetes associated with the Red Sea soft coral

Plant microbiome (or phytomicrobiome) engineering (PME) is an anticipated untapped alternative strategy that could be exploited for plant growth, health and productivity under different environmental conditions. It has been proven that the phytomicrobiome has crucial contributions to plant health, pathogen control and tolerance under drastic environmental (a)biotic constraints. Consistent with plant health and safety, in this article we address the fundamental role of plant microbiome and its insights in plant health and productivity. We also explore the potential of plant microbiome under environmental restrictions and the proposition of improving microbial functions that can be supportive for better plant growth and production. Understanding the crucial role of plant associated microbial communities, we propose how the associated microbial actions could be enhanced to improve plant growth-promoting mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on plant beneficial fungi. Additionally, we suggest the possible plant strategies to adapt to a harsh environment by manipulating plant microbiomes. However, our current understanding of the microbiome is still in its infancy, and the major perturbations, such as anthropocentric actions, are not fully understood. Therefore, this work highlights the importance of manipulating the beneficial plant microbiome to create more sustainable agriculture, particularly under different environmental stressors.

Trehalose regulates key physio-biochemical parameters, antioxidants, and the yield of plants exposed to a dry environment. A study was conducted to assess the regulatory roles of exogenously applied trehalose in drought-stressed sunflower plants. Two cultivars of sunflowers (Hysun 33 and FH 598) were subjected to drought stress (60% field capacity) and varying (0, 10, 20, and 30 mM) concentrations of trehalose. The data indicated that water stress significantly reduced the shoot length, root length, total soluble proteins, shoot Ca

Drug-resistant pathogens form the main threat to global health during the current century. Annually, a lot of patients die in hospitals due to infection with one or more drug-resistant bacteria especially Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In the absence of new effective antimicrobial drugs, the number of deaths said to be increased. Searching for new antibiotics in our backyard form a part of scientist strategies to solve such serious health problem. Insects consider one of such interesting sources of the new era of antimicrobial drugs. Cockroaches as an example can live and adapt in a polluted area for a long time, so through this work field cockroach, Blattella vaga was collected from two semi-wild areas around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for isolation of gut bacteria searching for new antimicrobial agents. Three species of bacteria were identified from field cockroach gut: Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, and Kocuria rosea. The three species were isolated, purified, and tested for their antimicrobial activity against four drug-resistant pathogens (three bacteria: Salmonella enterica (ATCC25566), Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Clinical strain), and Streptococcus mutans (RCMB 017(1) ATCC ® 25175™) and one fungus: Candida albicans (RCMB005003(1) ATCC® 10231™)). The results show no antimicrobial activity of Bacillus subtilis and very good activity Bacillus licheniformis and Kocuria rosea. Bacillus licheniformis gives very effective activity against Candida albicans while Kocuria rosea is effective against MRSA and Streptococcus mutans. None of the gut isolated bacteria show any activity against Salmonella enterica. Such results revealed that the metabolites of these bacteria could be used as substitutes to the already used antibiotics to overcome the problem of multidrug-resistant human pathogens.

Soil salinity is the major abiotic stress that disrupts nutrient uptake, hinders plant growth, and threatens agricultural production. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are the most promising eco-friendly beneficial microorganisms that can be used to improve plant responses against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a previously identified B. thuringiensis PM25 showed tolerance to salinity stress up to 3 M NaCl. The Halo-tolerant Bacillus thuringiensis PM25 demonstrated distinct salinity tolerance and enhance plant growth-promoting activities under salinity stress. Antibiotic-resistant Iturin C (ItuC) and bio-surfactant-producing (sfp and srfAA) genes that confer biotic and abiotic stresses were also amplified in B. thuringiensis PM25. Under salinity stress, the physiological and molecular processes were followed by the over-expression of stress-related genes (APX and SOD) in B. thuringiensis PM25. The results detected that B. thuringiensis PM25 inoculation substantially improved phenotypic traits, chlorophyll content, radical scavenging capability, and relative water content under salinity stress. Under salinity stress, the inoculation of B. thuringiensis PM25 significantly increased antioxidant enzyme levels in inoculated maize as compared to uninoculated plants. In addition, B. thuringiensis PM25-inoculation dramatically increased soluble sugars, proteins, total phenols, and flavonoids in maize as compared to uninoculated plants. The inoculation of B. thuringiensis PM25 significantly reduced oxidative burst in inoculated maize under salinity stress, compared to uninoculated plants. Furthermore, B. thuringiensis PM25-inoculated plants had higher levels of compatible solutes than uninoculated controls. The current results demonstrated that B. thuringiensis PM25 plays an important role in reducing salinity stress by influencing antioxidant defense systems and abiotic stress-related genes. These findings also suggest that multi-stress tolerant B. thuringiensis PM25 could enhance plant growth by mitigating salt stress, which might be used as an innovative tool for enhancing plant yield and productivity.

Surface-growing antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are emerging as a global health challenge due to dilemmas in clinical treatment. Furthermore, their pathogenesis, including increasingly serious antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation, makes them challenging to treat by conventional therapy. Therefore, the development of novel antivirulence strategies will undoubtedly provide a path forward in combatting these resistant bacterial infections. In this regard, we developed novel biosurfactant-coated nanoparticles to combine the antiadhesive/antibiofilm properties of rhamnolipid (RHL)-coated Fe

This study evaluated the efficacy of live and inactivated conventional GII LaSota and recombinant GVII Newcastle disease vaccines in commercial broilers. The experimental groups (G2–G7) were vaccinated on day 7 and day 21 of age with live vaccines from the same vaccine type “GII LaSota, GVII vaccine (A), GVII vaccine (B)” via eye drop; however, G3, G5, and G7 received a single dose from inactivated counterpart vaccines subcutaneously on day 7 of age. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated based on elicited humoral immunity, clinical protection, and reduction in virus shedding after challenge with virulent GVII 1.1. strain. Results demonstrated that live and inactivated recombinant GVII vaccine based on VG/GA strain backbone elicited superior protection parameters (100% protection). Although the conventional GII LaSota live and inactivated vaccination regime protected 93.3% of vaccinated birds, the virus shedding continued until 10 DPC. The post-vaccination serological monitoring was consistent with protection results. The study concludes that conventional GII ND vaccines alone are probably insufficient due to the current epidemiology of the GVII 1.1 NDV strains. Our findings further support that protection induced by recombinant GVII 1.1. ND vaccines are superior. Interestingly, the efficacy of recombinant ND vaccines seemed to be influenced by the backbone virus since the VG/GA backbone-based vaccine provided better protection and reduced virus shedding.

Fungi were used as one of the most common bioremediation methods. From this perspective, our study highlights the optimization of Alizarin Red S (ARS) dye adsorption performance for the sodium alginate (SA) by using the fungus Aspergillus terreus (A. terreus) to form a composite bead and the possibility of its reusability. This was accomplished by mixing SA with different ratios of biomass powder of A. terreus, including 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%, to form composite beads of A. terreus/SA-0%, A. terreus/SA-10%, A. terreus/SA-20%, A. terreus/SA-30%, and A. terreus/SA-40%, respectively. The ARS adsorption characteristics of these composite mixtures were analyzed at various mass ratios, temperatures, pH values, and initial concentrations. Moreover, sophisticated techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were employed to detect the morphological and chemical properties of this composite, respectively. The experimental results revealed that A. terreus/SA-20% composite beads have the highest adsorption capacity of 188 mg/g. Its optimum adsorption conditions were achieved at 45 ∘C and pH 3. Moreover, the ARS adsorption was well explained by the Langmuir isotherm (qm = 192.30 mg/g) and pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion kinetics. The SEM and FTIR findings corroborated the superior uptake of A. terreus/SA-20% composite beads. Lastly, the A. terreus/SA-20% composite beads can be employed as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to other common adsorbents for ARS.

In the current study, ten avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) isolates of the most predominant APEC serogroups isolated from broiler chickens in Egypt were screened for their virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes pattern using PCR. Five selected virulence gene patterns were further investigated for their in-vivo pathogenicity test. Results showed a 100% prevalence of the β-lactams and tetracyclines resistance genes. However, aminoglycoside and quinolone resistance genes were not detected. Also, 80% of the tested isolates harbored mcr-1 gene, colistin resistance gene. In-vivo pathogenic strains consistently harbored the virulence gene pattern of fimH, fimA, papC, iutA, and tsh. Additionally, the tsh gene was consistently detected with lethal APEC isolates in day-old chicks. These results highlighted the high prevalence of antimicrobial and virulence genes in APEC that potentially represent a public health concern. In this study, the virulence genes fimH, fimA, papC, iutA, and tsh were the most common virulence gene patterns associated with pathogenicity in day-old chicks.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates.

Two strains designated as SYSU D01084

In this study, a different design of passive air Solar Chimney(SC)was tested by installing it in the south wall of insulated test room in Baghdad city. The SC was designed from vertical and inclined parts connected serially together, the vertical SC (first part) has a single pass and Thermal Energy Storage Box Collector (TESB (refined paraffin wax as Phase Change Material(PCM)-Copper Foam Matrix(CFM))), while the inclined SC was designed in single pass, double passes and double pass with TESB (semi refined paraffin wax with copper foam matrix) with selective working angle ((30o, 45o and 60o). A computational model was employed and solved by Finite Volume Method (FVM) to simulate the air induced through the test room by SC effect. The governing equation of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model was developed by the effective heat capacity method equation to describe the heat storage and release from PCM-CFM. Practical and computational Results referred to increase in thermal conductivity of the paraffin wax that supported by CFM than 10 times, while the ventilation effect is still active for hours after sun set amount. The maximum ventilation mass flow rate with TESB collector was 36.651 kg/hr., when the overall discharge coefficient equals 0.371. Also, the experimental results referred to the best working angle range 45~60o, while the highest approaching temperature (between air and collector) was appeared for the double passes flat plate collector. Results gave higher heat storage efficiency 47% when the maximum solar radiation 780 W/m2 at 12.00 pm, and the energy summation through duration of charging time was 18460 kJ. Double passes SC at 60o angle presented the highest efficiency with value approaching to 73%, while TESB collector efficiency depicted highest efficiency value 70% at 12:00 pm.

Development of an efficient system for callus induction on different explants of fenugreek. Comparing phenolic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of seed and calli of different fenugreek explants. Fenugreek is a well-known medicinal plant for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties. For callus induction, three explants were used viz. hypocotyl, root, and cotyledons. The explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2, 4-D, NAA and TDZ in different concentrations (0.5-6 mg/L). Antioxidant activity using DPPH and Folin-ciocalteu assays, and antimicrobial activity of calli and seed extracts were evaluated. Friable callus was successfully induced on all explants and by all PGRs except 2, 4-D which failed to stimulate callus formation on root explant. Root segment was the better explants in callus induction with maximum fresh weight 5.29 g with TDZ at 2 mg/L and highest callus index was 4.3 with TDZ at 0.5 mg/L. Hypocotyl callus showed the highest phenolic content (246.9 mg GAE/g DW) compared to root callus (243.5 mg GAE/g DW), seed (176.2 mg GAE/g DW) and then cotyledons callus (64.9 mg GAE/g DW) with the lowest value. On the other hand, seed exhibited 44.3% antioxidant activity compared to 34.7%, 24.3% and 16.7% recorded by cotyledons, hypocotyl, and root calli, respectively. Regarding antimicrobial activity of studied fenugreek extracts, hypocotyl callus exhibited the maximum zone of inhibition recorded (19 mm) against E. coli. Callus of fenugreek showed potential biological activities over seed-extract.

Various research works recognized highly biological activities of sorghum vegetative portions which indicated the presence of bioactive compounds in their extracts. Considering environmental effects on the accumulation of secondary metabolites, this work aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of sorghum usingin vitroinduced leaves as source for extract.In vitroshoot explants of sorghum used subcultured on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with 6-Benzyl adenine (BA) or Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at different concentrations (0.0–2.0 mg/L). The leaves inducedin vitrowere collected dried then macerated in ethanol for 4 hours. Phytochemical composition of the sorghum leaves extract was assessed using standard procedures. The crude extracts were evaluated for antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion method. The significantly (P>0.05) maximum shoot length (5.7 cm) and the number of leaves (7.9 leaves) were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L IBA. The phytochemical composition of the leaves extract showed the presence of bioactive constituents including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and steroids and triterpenes. All the concentrations of the sorghum leaves extract showed variable antimicrobial activity against the studied bacteria strains with the strongest inhibitory effect reported (19.0 mm) againstB. subtilisat the concentration of 100 mg/L. Our findings demonstrated that thein vitroleaves extract of sorghum possess a remarkable antibacterial activity. More research is needed on the characterization of bioactive ingredients ofin vitroinduced sorghum plants and their biological activities.