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The increasing prevalence of Botrytis cinerea infections has accelerated the need for effective antifungal agents. Traditional chemical methods are often associated with environmental harm, making the green synthesis of nanoparticles an attractive alternative. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using extracts from three medicinal plants - Amaranthus viridis L., Mentha piperita L., and Ocimum basilicum L. - and evaluate their antifungal efficacy against Botrytis cinerea. AgNPs were synthesized using methanol extracts of the selected plants and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesized AgNPs exhibited peak UV-visible absorption at 425 nm, 400 nm, and 420 nm, and had average particle sizes of 1.2 nm, 21.5 nm, and 358 nm for A. viridis, M. piperita, and O. basilicum, respectively. At a concentration of 3%, the AgNPs inhibited B. cinerea growth by 51%, 40.4%, and 39%. Further, an ethyl acetate fraction from A. viridis displayed 50% fungal inhibition at a concentration of 0.20%. GC-MS analysis revealed 15 bioactive compounds in the extracts. The study confirms that AgNPs synthesized from medicinal plants exhibit significant antifungal properties, making them potential candidates for the development of eco-friendly antifungal agents. The findings offer a green and sustainable avenue for the development of new antifungal agents and suggest further studies to optimize the synthesis process and investigate the mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to quantify heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cr, Cu and Se) in eggs obtained from poultry farms and backyard raised hens by comparing the concentration of metals in their feed intake. Overall, 90 samples of egg and 12 samples of poultry feed (6 each with food and water) were collected from 3 different poultry farms and backyards located in peri-urban areas of Lahore. A di-acid digestion method was adopted for digestion, after which digested samples were analyzed under atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results showed that the concentration of Pb, Cr and Se in egg white (Pb = 0.6578, Cr = 0.18 and Se = 0.2161), egg yolk (Pb = 0.7011, Cr = 0.2617 and Se = 0.2656), feed (Pb = 2.585, Cr = 1.3039 and Se = 0.9411) and water (Pb = 0.5483, Cr = 0.1006 and Se = 0.3461) were above permissible limits in both poultry farms (study group 1) and backyards (study group 2). The concentration of metals such as Pb, Mn, Cr, Cu and Se in poultry farms eggs were higher than backyard hen eggs, which may be due to the intake of contaminated feed. So, the current study concluded that the higher concentration of metals in eggs has a positive correlation with the intake of feed contaminated with heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliomas are one of the most annihilating types of brain tumours having a high rate of annual incidence worldwide. Notch signaling is an evolutionary conserved pathway that regulates differentiation and development. Aberrations in Notch signalling pathways lead to severe pathological state such as the Gliomas. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the tiny molecules less than 200 bps in length and regulate a myriad of cellular processes. Categorically, miRNAs are divided in to oncogenic and tumours suppressor miRNAs. Accumulating data have identified miRNAs, which positively or negatively regulate Notch signaling in Gliomas. Here, we have assessed status of our understanding of the interplay between miRNA-base regulation of Notch signaling in gliomas, interaction between Notch signaling and other signaling cascades and have also discussed use of natural compounds that will help us get closer to personalized medicine for gliomas.