Search

Background: Trichinella spiralis is a worldwide intestinal nematode that can parasitize the striated muscles of its hosts at the larval stage. This study aims to evaluate potential of vitamin C for treating trichinellosis-related pathological problems in the infected muscles of mice., Materials and Methods: Thirty CD1 male Albino mice were divided into three groups (10 mice per group). Negative and positive control groups (0.9% NaCl) and the infected vitamin C group (10 mg/kg body weight). Two weeks post-infection, each group was intraperitoneally injected daily for two weeks with Vitamin C or saline. The performance of the muscles was assessed both before and after the treatment. After dissection, constant parts of striated muscles were removed for further assays. The scoring of the histological changes of infected muscles was carried out. In addition to muscle malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were measured for the oxidative and antioxidant states. Creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase were also measured in tissues to reflect the degree of muscular damage., Results: Vitamin C enhances the weakness of the muscular performance resulting from the infection. Vitamin C was able to repair some of the histological lesions that resulted from the infection. Trichinellosis caused severe changes in the biochemical markers in positive control animals. Muscle damage biomarkers and, besides, oxidative and antioxidant conditions were greatly ameliorated in infected vitamin C animals. Summing up, vitamin C can be used as a complementary drug due to its efficiency in improving pathogenesis following a trichinellosis infection. The supplement also must be tested in the intestinal stage of infection after showing promising results in the muscular stage., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Rashed et al.)

Our research aims to conduct a comprehensive ultrastructural, histochemical, and immunohistochemical examination of Tarentola annularis' tongue, utilizing various techniques such as light, scanning electron microscopy, and morphometric analysis. The complex papillary system consisted of four conical subtypes and one filiform type. The apex carried three conical subtypes (elongated, quadrilateral, and round); the midtongue carried two papillary types (quadrilateral conical and rectangular pointed filiform); and the hindtongue carried two conical subtypes (quadrilateral and elongated serrated). The dorsal papillary surface carried little taste pores on the foretongue and taste buds on the midtongue. The foretongue had a slightly stratum corneum that spread to coat the papillae, while the mid- and hindtongue did not. The glands are absent from the foretongue but are found in the interpapillary spaces of the mid- and hindtongue. Histochemical analysis reveals the presence of collagen fibers in the muscle bundles and the papillary core. The midtongue glands exhibited a strong reaction to AB and PAS, while the hindtongue showed moderate AB positivity and strong positive PAS. The cytokeratin expression in the foretongue papilla was positive, whereas the papillae in other regions were negative. The Tarentola annularis exhibits distinctive lingual structural characteristics due to its varied feeding habits influenced by available food particles., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the authors have any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel Artemisinin/Quercetin/Zinc (Art/Q/Zn) mixed ligand complex was synthesized, tested for its antiviral activity against coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and investigated for its effect against toxicity and oxidative stress induced by acrylamide (Acy), which develops upon cooking starchy foods at high temperatures. The synthesized complex was chemically characterized by performing elemental analysis, conductance measurements, FT-IR, UV, magnetic measurements, and XRD. The morphological surface of the complex Art/Q/Zn was investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (XRD). The in vitro antiviral activity of the complex Art/Q/Zn against SARS-CoV-2 and its in vivo activity against Acy-induced toxicity in hepatic and pulmonary tissues were analyzed. An experimental model was used to evaluate the beneficial effects of the novel Art/Q/Zn novel complex on lung and liver toxicities of Acy. Forty male rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, Acy (500 mg/Kg), Art/Q/Zn (30 mg/kg), and a combination of Acy and Art/Q/Zn. The complex was orally administered for 30 days. Hepatic function and inflammation marker (CRP), tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-6 (IL-6), antioxidant enzyme (CAT, SOD, and GPx), marker of oxidative stress (MDA), and blood pressure levels were investigated. Histological and ultrastructure alterations and caspase-3 variations (immunological marker) were also investigated. FT-IR spectra revealed that Zn (II) is able to chelate through C=O and C-OH (Ring II) which are the carbonyl oxygen atoms of the quercetin ligand and carbonyl oxygen atom C=O of the Art ligand, forming Art/Q/Zn complex with the chemical formula [Zn(Q)(Art)(Cl)(H 2 O) 2 ]⋅3H 2 O. The novel complex exhibited a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity even at a low concentration (IC 50 = 10.14 µg/ml) and was not cytotoxic to the cellular host (CC 50 = 208.5 µg/ml). Art/Q/Zn may inhibit the viral replication and binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor and the main protease inhibitor (M Pro ), thereby inhibiting the activity of SARS-CoV-2 and this proved by the molecular dynamics simulation. It alleviated Acy hepatic and pulmonary toxicity by improving all biochemical markers. Therefore, it can be concluded that the novel formula Art/Q/Zn complex is an effective antioxidant agent against the oxidative stress series, and it has high inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 El-Megharbel et al.)

Giardia lamblia ( G. lamblia ) is one of the most common protozoal infections and a key cause of malabsorption, some cases of mental developmental issues in children, and reduced body weight. The known antiparasitic medications, which are the standard drugs used for parasitic treatment, have several side effects and sometimes exhibit low efficacy. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the treatment with quercetin (QC) or chitosan (CH), either alone or in combination, as possible alternative therapeutic agents that may alleviate the side effects of G. lamblia infections and restore the normal architecture of the intestinal muscles. They are investigated as alternatives to other routinely administered drugs that may gradually lose their efficacy due to human resistance to therapeutic agents. This study was carried out on 50 male albino rats that were divided into five groups with 10 rats in each group: the control group (Group I), the infected non-treated group (Group II), the infected group treated with QC (Group III), the infected treated group with CH (Group IV), and the infected group treated with a combination of QC and CH (Group V). The effect was first evaluated by counting the G. lamblia fecal cysts in the stool, examining histopathological sections of the intestine with the appearance of trophozoites in the infected group, and conducting a transmission electron microscopic examination of the tissues of the small intestine. Alterations in the biochemical parameters of liver and kidney function and the antioxidant enzymes in the liver tissues of SOD, CAT, and GSH, and non-enzymatic markers of lipid peroxidation (MDA) were evaluated. The results showed a significant decline in the number of parasites in the stool samples, with a marked elevation in the number of trophozoites in the intestinal sections of the infected non-treated group as compared to the infected treated groups. The last group, which was treated with a combination of QC and CH, showed the best results in terms of a decline in the infection rate of G. lamblia in stool samples, with a marked and clear improvement in the intestinal mucosa, regular muscles with normal enteric ganglions, and reduced rates of intestinal injuries caused by G. lamblia trophozoites. Both QC and CH had non-toxic effects on the biochemical parameters of the liver and kidneys, as well as pronounced antioxidant activities due to the elevation of SOD, CAT, and GSH in conjunction with a decline in the levels of MDA. A combination of QC and CH can be considered a potent antiparasitic, anti-hepatotoxic, and antioxidant therapeutic agent; it could constitute a promising alternative treatment agent against G. lamblia infection.

Trichinellosis is a serious food-borne parasitic disease with serious community health effects, mainly causing muscle damage with no recent approved treatment. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of gallic acid (GA) as a potent antioxidant against the encysted phase of Trichinella spiralis in male (BALB/c) mice alone or combined with albendazole (ALB) and to detect their synergistic effects on the histology and ultrastructure of skeletal and cardiac muscles and some biochemical blood analyses. Forty male mice were randomly divided into five groups (8 mice/group). 1 st group: the negative control received only distilled water, 2 nd group: the positive control (infected control group without treatment), 3 rd group: infected group plus treatment with ALB (50 mg Kg -1 orally), and 4 th group: infected group and then treated with GA (30 mg Kg -1 orally) and finally 5 th infected group treated with a combination of both ALB and GA. Aspartate and Alanine aminotransferase, Lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, C-reactive protein, Interleukin-4 and Creatine kinase were used as biochemical markers of hepatic and cardiac toxicity and inflammation. Malondialdehyde level, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were evaluated in heart tissue homogenates beside histological and ultra-structural examination of heart and skeletal muscles beside parasitological analyses. Results showed that the reduction % of Trichinella sp. larvae g -1 in muscles of the group treated with the combination of GA and ALB showed overall reduction percentages. Oral administration of 30 mg kg 1 of GA led to infection reduction of T. spiralis than ALB treated group. Both administration of ALB beside GA showed the best treatment group that resulted in high infection reduction besides amelioration of both biochemical markers and restoration of histological and ultrastructures to normal state. In conclusion, GA is highly effective against T. spiralis which could be a promising alternative antioxidant drug and the GA effect was higher in the case of combination with ALB. This experiment provides a basis for further exploration of potent activities of other antioxidants against different phases of T. spiralis and the reduction of any health hazards prospectively., Competing Interests: The author declare that there is no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Klebsiella is a common dangerous pathogen for humans and animals and is widely present in the digestive system. The genus Klebsiella is ubiquitous, as it is endemic to surface water, soil, and sewage. In this study, 70 samples were obtained from soil-dwelling invertebrates from September 2021 to March 2022 from Taif and Shafa in different altitudinal regions of Saudi Arabia. Fifteen of these samples were identified as Klebsiella spp. The Klebsiella isolates were genetically identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae using rDNA sequencing. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the Klebsiella isolates was determined. Amplification of virulence genes was performed using PCR. In this study, 16S rDNA sequencing showed a similarity from 98% to 100% with related K. pneumonia from the NCBI database, and the sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank under accession numbers ON077036 to ON077050. The growth inhibition properties of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta 's leaves against K. pneumoniae strains using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method and disc diffusion were evaluated. In addition, the biofilm inhibitory potential of these extracts was investigated using crystal violet. HPLC analysis identified 19 components divided into 6 flavonoids, 11 phenolic acids, stilbene (resveratrol), and quinol, and revealed variations in the number of components and their quantities between extracts. Both extracts demonstrated interesting antibacterial properties against K. pneumoniae isolates. The 2 extracts also showed strong biofilm inhibitory activities, with percentages of inhibition extending from 81.5% to 98.7% and from 35.1% to 85.8% for the ethanolic and methanolic extracts, respectively. Rhazya stricta leaf extract revealed powerful antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against K. pneumoniae isolates and could be a good candidate for the treatment or prevention of K. pneumonia -related infections.

Background: The carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic chemicals such as aflatoxin are a worldwide health problem. Aspergillus spp., responsible for most cases of aflatoxin contamination, are common in the environment and spread easily to many different types of food. The objectives of this study were to conduct a survey of fungi associated with three soil invertebrates in Taif, Saudi Arabia, identify these isolates and explore mycotoxins formation., Methods: In total, 114 fungal isolates were collected from various soil invertebrates (millipedes, Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio laevis ) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, among them, 22 isolates were identified as Aspergillus spp. based on morphological and molecular characteristics followed by both Fusarium and Penicillium., Results: The sequences of ITS 1 and ITS 4 were utilized. Using bootstrap analysis, phylogenetic tree was split into two distinct clusters. Five sub clusters were included inside the first major cluster, and their bootstrap value was 99%. While, there were two small clusters in the second major cluster. All the tested Aspergillus strains were able to have a single PCR fragment amplified using the primer AspTef. TEF-1 DNA sequence bootstrap analysis with 1,000 replicates revealed two distinct groups. Additionally, the Aspergillus isolates were grouped into two different clusters with about 65% genetic similarity using ISSR-PCR analysis. The standard polymerase chain reaction was used to effectively amplify the Aopks, afl-A and omt -A genes in aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains. Four Aspergillus strains used in this investigation were shown to generate aflatoxin B1. While, three Aspergillus stains showed ochratoxin genes., Conclusions: In conclusion, the results indicate significant differences in the fungal community between ecoregions and soil invertebrates. Moreover, mycotoxin detection and identification among Aspergillus isolates were elucidated. This study could shed light on the risk of mycotoxin contamination along the supply chain., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Awad et al.)

A new series of nicotinonitrile derivatives 2 - 7 was designed and synthesized from the starting material ( E )-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one ( 1 ) to assess their molluscicidal activity. The newly synthesized nicotinonitrile compounds 2 - 7 were characterized based on FTIR, 1 H-NMR, and 13 C-APT NMR spectra as well as elemental microanalyses. The target compounds 2 - 7 were screened for their toxicity effect against M. cartusiana land snails and were compared to Acetamiprid as a reference compound. The results demonstrated that the nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a and 4b had good mortality compared with that of Acetamiprid. The results of the in vivo effect of the prepared nicotinonitrile molecules 2 , 4a , and 4b on biochemical parameters, including AChE, ALT, AST, and TSP, indicated a reduction in the level of AChE and TSP as well as an increase in the concentration of transaminases (ALT and AST). A histopathological study of the digestive gland sections of the M. cartusiana land snails was carried out. The nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a , b showed vacuolization, causing the digestive gland to lose its function. It could be concluded that the water-soluble nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a , b could be adequate molluscicidal molecules against M. cartusiana land snails.

The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Bosid.), is a major pest in African and Asian nations that attacks a wide variety of host plants. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of effective microorganisms (EMs) on the biological and physiological features of S. littoralis larvae. Five concentrations (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm) of EMs were tested. Antifeedant activity, food consumption index, the efficiency of converting digested food, the efficiency of converting ingested food, relative growth rate, and approximate body tissue of the fourth larval instar of S. littoralis were determined. Moreover, carbohydrate enzyme activities (amylase, trehalose, and invertase), total protein, and total lipids of S. littoralis larvae were measured to elucidate the mode of action of the tested agent in the S. littoralis’s larval stage. The EMs at 500 ppm had a substantial impact on antifeedant activity, nutritional indices, egg deposit reduction, and hatchability in S. littoralis during the five days. All concentrations interrupted S. littoralis’s life cycle and developmental phases. Furthermore, all concentrations were quite useful in lengthening the developmental stages of S. littoralis. In addition, Ems affected the biochemical activities of larvae, leading to disturbances in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein levels. From this study, EMs can be used as a bioinsecticide alternative to traditional insecticides against S. littoralis and may be compatible with integrated pest management approaches.

The current work is aimed at isolating and identifying new Entomopathogenic bacterium (EPB) strains associated with Steinernema feltiae and assessing the EPB's biocontrol potential on Aphis punicae and Aphis illinoisensis adults in the laboratory. From S. feltiae , five bacterial isolates were isolated and molecularly characterized. Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus strain TU-2, Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus strain BN-13, Serratia liquefaciens strain TU-6, Stenotrophomonas tumulicola strain T5916-2-1b, and Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum strain CCUG are the strains. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that bacterial cells were more toxic against the two aphid species than bacterial cell-free supernatants. S. tumulicola strain T5916-2-1b cells and filtrate were reported to have the strongest potential to kill A. punicae and A. illinoisensis individuals within 6 h after treatment, with 100% mortality of both insects 24 and 48 h after treatment. Based on the results of the study, it looked like endogenous Steinernema -associated EPB could be used directly as a biocontrol agent for A. punicae and A. illinoisensis ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Baazeem, Alotaibi, Khalaf, Kumar, Zaynab, Alharthi, Darwish, Alghamdi, Jat, Al-Barty, Albogami, Noureldeen and Ravindran.)

The main objective of this investigation was to characterize a collection of actinomycetes strains isolated from unexplored polluted ecosystems and to evaluate their antimicrobial potential in order to discover interesting bioactive compounds. Based on morphological and culture characters, 32 different strains were isolated: 20 strains from compost heap, seven strains from manure, and five strains from waste water. As expected, the genus Streptomyces was the most prevalent followed by the genus Micromonospora. Analysis of the antimicrobial activities of the isolated strains showed that those from compost heap were more efficient against the tested microorganisms (Candida albicans, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli). Several bioactive compounds were identified by liquid chromatography (LC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) and then analyzed by both MEDINA's database, which contains the most common secondary metabolites, and Dictionary of Natural Products Chapman & Hall. Many interesting well-known and unknown biomolecules were identified. Quinomycin A and Daidzein were the most fascinating compounds isolated, respectively, by Streptomyces sp. WW2 and Streptomyces sp. WW4. The most active strain was identified based on 16S rDNA's sequences and it seems to be a new strain. The crude extract of the strain CH12 was analyzed and the UV absorption spectra and mass spectra (MS) of the main active compound were reported. It's an interesting compound (possible purpuromycin) with the molecular formula C26H18O13., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Hydrocortisone (termed as D1) and dexamethasone (termed as D2) are corticosteroids currently used to treat COVID-19. COVID-19 is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Exploring additional chemical properties of drugs used in the treatment protocols for COVID-19 could help scientists alike improve these treatment protocols and potentially even the vaccines (i.e., Janssen, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech). In this work, the charge-transfer (CT) properties of these two corticosteroids (D1 and D2) with two universal acceptors: 7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (termed as TCNQ) and fluoranil (termed as TFQ) in five different solvents were investigated. The examined solvents were MeOH, EtOH, MeCN, CH 2 Cl 2 , and CHCl 3 . The CT interactions formed stable corticosteroid CT complexes in all examined solvents. Several spectroscopic parameters were derived, and the oscillator strength ( f ) and transition dipole moment ( μ e.g. ) values revealed that the interaction between the investigated corticosteroids with TCNQ acceptor is much stronger than their interaction with TFQ acceptor. The CT interactions were proposed to process via n → π* transition., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy aiming to destroy cancer cells. Adjuvant therapy may reduce hazards of chemotherapy and help in destroying these cells when obtained from natural products, such as medical plants. In this study, the potential therapeutic effect of Rosa damascena callus crude extract produced in vitamin-enhanced media is investigated on colorectal cancer cell line Caco-2. Two elicitors, i.e., L-ascorbic acid and citric acid at a concentration of 0.5 g/L were added to the callus induction medium. Callus extraction and the GC-MS analysis of methanolic crude extracts were also determined. Cytotoxicity, clonogenicity, proliferation and migration of Caco-2 colorectal cancer cells were investigated using MTT cytotoxicity, colony-forming, Ki-67 flow cytometry proliferation and Migration Scratch assays, respectively. Our results indicated that L-ascorbic acid treatment enhanced callus growth parameters and improved secondary metabolite contents. It showed the least IC50 value of 137 ug/mL compared to 237 ug/mL and 180 ug/mL in the citric acid-treated and control group. We can conclude that R. damascena callus elicited by L-ascorbic acid improved growth and secondary metabolite contents as well as having an efficient antiproliferative, anti-clonogenic and anti-migratory effect on Caco-2 cancer cells, thus, can be used as an adjuvant anti-cancer therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important vegetables in Bangladesh as well as across the globe. However, many of the important cucumber landraces have disappeared in Bangladesh due to climate change, particularly erratic rainfall, extreme temperature, salinity, and drought. Therefore, to protect against the extinction of the cucumber landraces, we collected 103 landraces in different geographical regions of Bangladesh, including drought and saline-prone areas, and studied their divergence for the future breeding programme for the development of cultivars suitable for the climate-changing situations. Data on morphological features, yield, and its components, which include 17 qualitative and quantitative traits, were recorded during the observation. Among the cucumber landraces, the Shannon-Weaver diversity index analysis revealed the presence of genetic diversity in these landraces. The biggest diversity appeared in the fruit-related characteristics, i.e., stem end fruit shape, bottom end fruit shape, fruit shape, and fruit skin colour at the table and harvest maturity. The descriptive statistics and analysis of variance expressed a wide range of variability for quantitative traits. A broad phenotypic variation was also observed for traits such as yield plant -1 [CV (%) 31.88, ranges 0.96 to 3.11 kg] and fruits plant -1 (CV (%), 28.71, ranges, 2.58 to 9.75). High heritability (broad sense) coupled with a high genetic gain was observed for yield and yield-contributing characteristics, indicating that these characteristics are controlled by additive gene effects, and they are more reliable for effective selection. The phenotypic correlation studies showed that fruit yield plant -1 exhibited a positive and significant correlation with fruits plant -1 , fruit length, fruit weight, fruit width, branches plant -1 , and plant height. All landraces were grouped into six clusters, and the maximum number of landraces were accommodated in cluster VI (30), followed by cluster V (22), cluster III (22), cluster IV (14), cluster I (13), and cluster II (2). Comparing cluster means with studied traits revealed that cluster III with landraces AC-14, AC-97, AC-471, AC-451, and RAI-209 were more divergent for improving average fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit width. On the other hand, cluster IV with landraces AC-201, TT-161, RAI- 217, RAI-215, and TRMR-103 were more divergent for improving average vine length, internode length, and the number of primary branches plant -1 , the number of fruits plant -1 , and yield plant -1 . According to the MGIDI index, AC-14 (G1), AC-201 (G7), AC-471 (G24), AC-97 (G30), RAI-215 (G68) and TT-161 (G 94) may be considered to be the best parents based on their qualitative and quantitative characteristics for the future breeding programme. Moreover, crossing between the landraces, which were collected from saline and drought areas, in clusters I, V, and VI with those in other clusters could produce suitable cucumber varieties for the climatic changing situation.

In this study, metal cefotaxime complexes of Ca(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Se(VI) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductance measurements, IR, electronic spectra, magnetic measurements, 1 HNMR, and XRD, as well as by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The lower values for molar conductance refer to the nonelectrolyte nature of the complexes. The FTIR and 1 H-NMR spectra for the metal complexes of cefotaxime proved that the free cefotaxime antibiotic ligand acted as a monoanionic tridentate ligand through the oxygen atoms of lactam carbonyl, the carboxylate group, and the nitrogen atoms of the amino group. From the magnetic measurements and electronic spectral data, octahedral structures were proposed for the Cr(III) and Se(VI) complexes, while the Cu(II) complex had tetragonal geometry. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cefotaxime and cefotaxime metal complexes on oxidative stress using antioxidant assays including DPPH, ORAC, FARAB, and ABTS, a metal chelation assay, as well as the inhibition of the viability of cancer cells (HepG-2). Regarding the antibacterial activity, the cefotaxime metal complexes were highly effective against both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli . In conclusion, the cefotaxime metal complexes exhibited highly antioxidant activities. The cefotaxime metal complexes with Zn and Se inhibited HepG-2 cellular viability. Thus, the cefotaxime metal complexes elicited promising results as potent antioxidant and anticancer agents against HepG-2, with potent antibacterial activities at a much lower concentration.

Exposure to cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ) causes an imbalance in the oxidant status of the body by triggering the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study investigated the effect of Rosa damascena ( R. damascena ) extract on oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity, and the injured cardiac tissue of male rats exposed to CdCl 2 . Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: the vehicle control (1 mg/kg normal saline), the CdCl 2 -treated group (5 mg/kg), the R. damascena extract group (100 mg Kg), and the combination of CdCl 2 and R. damascena extract group. Male rats exposed to CdCl 2 showed multiple significant histopathological changes in the liver and heart, including inflammatory cell infiltration and degenerative alterations. Successive exposure to CdCl 2 elevated the levels of hepatic and cardiac reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor-alpha) (TNF-α) and interleukin -6 (IL-6) and decreased antioxidant defences. The extracts significantly increased the levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), whereas it dramatically decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and the mRNA of TNF-α and IL-6. R. damascena administration prevented liver and heart injury; suppressed excessive ROS generation, LPO, and inflammatory responses; and enhanced antioxidant defences. In addition, R. damascena upregulated the mRNA of TNF-α and IL-6 in CdCl 2 -administered male rats. In conclusion, R. damascena modulated the oxidative stress and inflammation induced by CdCl 2 . The hepatic and cardiac tissue damage and histopathological alterations resulting from the CdCl 2 -induced oxidative stress were counteracted by the administration of R. damascena extracts. R. damascena enhanced antioxidant defence enzymes in male rats.

Between 2018 and 2020, 696 fish belonging to two species of sharks from the Family Triakidae ( Mustelus mustelus and M. punctulatus) were collected from the coasts of Tunisia and inspected for parasites. Six copepod taxa ( Perissopus dentatus Steenstrup & Lütken, 1861, Eudactylinella alba Wilson, 1932, Kroyeria lineata Van Beneden, 1853, Nesippus orientalis Heller, 1865 and Lernaeopoda galei Krøyer, 1837, Kroyeria sp.), four isopod species ( Anilocra physodes (Linnaeus, 1758), Emetha audouini (H. Milne Edwards, 1840), Ceratothoa parallela (Otto, 1828) and Ceratothoa oestroides (Risso, 1816)) and two monogenean species ( Erpocotyle sp1. And Erpocotyle sp2) were collected. A large number of global host records was reported, including the occurrence of E. audouini on M. mustelus and of Erpocotyle sp.2 on M. punctulatus. The study of the diversity of parasites per host species revealed that M. mustelus had a higher parasitic richness compared to M. punctulatus . In this study, it was provided for the first records on ectoparasites on Triakidae sharks from Tunisian coasts and their infection indices., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Metals and their complexes have an increasing number of medical applications. Sitagliptin (STG) acts as an antidiabetic drug. Mn(II) and Co(II) complexes were studied and characterized based on physical characterization, FT-IR, DG/TG, XRD, ESM, and TEM. Data revealed that STG acts as a bidentate ligand through the oxygen atom of a carbonyl group and the nitrogen atom of an amino group. Magnetic measurement data revealed that the Mn/STG metal complex has a square planner geometry. The experiment was performed on 40 male albino rats who were divided into four groups: the control group, STG group, group treated with STG/Mn, and group treated with Co/STG. Biomarkers for hepatic enzymes and antioxidants were found in the blood, and hepatic tissue histology was evaluated. STG in combination with Mn and Co administration showed potent protective effects against hepatic biochemical alterations induced by STG alone, as well as suppressing oxidative stress and structural alterations. These complexes prevented any stress and improved hepatic enzymatic levels more than STG alone. The STG/Mn complex was highly effective against Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumonia , while STG/Co was highly effective against Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureas . Therefore, STG combined with Mn and Co produced a synergistic effect against oxidative stress and improved the histological structure of the liver tissues. STG metal complexes with Mn and Co showed the most potential ameliorative antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.

The current investigation was carried out to estimate the protective effect of aqueous extract of Cheatomorpha gracilis (AEC) against High fat Diet (HFD) induced liver damage in mice. The results of the in vitro study showed that AEC have higher antioxidant capacities in the DPPH and hydroxyl radical-scavenging assays. Indeed, many phenolic compounds (gallic acid, quercetin, naringenin, apigenin, kaempferol and rutin) were identified in the AEC. In the animal studies, during 6 weeks, HFD promoted oxidative stress with a rise level of malonaldehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PCOs) levels and a significant decrease of the antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Interestingly, the treatment with AEC (250 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the effects of HFD disorders on some plasmatic liver biomarkers (AST, ALT and ALP) in addition to, plasmatic proteins inflammatory biomarkers (α2 and β1 decreases / β2 and γ globulins increases). It can be suggest that supplementation of MECG displays high potential to quench free radicals and attenuates high fat diet promoted liver oxidative stress and related disturbances.

Several endemic species of Blaps occur in Tunisia, and the species Blaps nefrauensis nefrauensis has been reported in Moulares (urban zone in west-central Tunisia), where it lives and reproduces in home gardens and old buildings. The aim of this work is to study the life cycle of the darkling beetle, considering both field and laboratory rearing conditions. As a result, the beetle species has different developmental stages (egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, and adult) that last about 15 months. Each year during the same period, adults emerge (early summer) and expire (late autumn), larvae hatch (late summer) and pupate (early summer). There is only one generation per year. Females began laying eggs in late July. The eggs were ovoid, white, and about 2.7 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width. Embryogenesis took an average of nine days. The first instar larvae were at initially only 4.5 mm long and ivory white in color. A brief description of the newly egg hatched larva was provided; thus, the nerve fibers innervating the apical setae in the antennae and ligula were detected. Further light microscopic examination of the embryo before hatching from the egg pointed out that the antennal sensilla are protected during the embryogenesis stage.

The main objective of the current study was to assess the impact of the water taken from the 'Tunisian Refining Industries Company' on meiobenthic nematodes, before and after a series of treatments in decantation basins followed by its discharge in Bizerte bay, Tunisia. The comparison of environmental parameters of the two types of water was clearly indicative of an improvement in the quality of treated waters after a significant reduction in their loads in hydrocarbons. Overall, the water retained a good quality after being treated by 'Tunisian Refining Industries Company' before discharge in the sea. At the end of the experiment, differential responses were observed according to the richness of sediment in organic matter and hydrocarbons. Thus, it was apparent that the nematode assemblage exposed to the treated waters was closer to controls and associated to higher values of abundance, than that under untreated ones. It was also assumed that the species Microlaimus honestus De Man, 1922, Paramonohystera proteus Wieser, 1956 and Cyartonema germanicum Juario, 1972 are sensitive bioindicators of bad environmental statues and of hydrocarbon presence in the environment. On the other hand, Metoncholaimus pristiurus (Zur Strassen, 1894) Filipjev, 1918 would rather be classified as a positive bioindicative species of this type of pollutants.

In Northern Tunisia, seasonal streams, called wadi, are characterized by extreme hydrological and thermal conditions. These freshwater systems have very particular features as a result of their strong irregularity of flow due to limited precipitation runoff regime, leading to strong seasonal hydrologic fluctuations. The current study focused on the spatio-temporal distribution of chironomids in 28 sampling sites spread across the Northern Tunisia. By emplying PERMANOVA, the results indicated a significant spatio-temporal variation along various environmental gradients. The main abiotic factors responsible for noted differences in the spatial distribution of chironomids in wadi were the conductivity and temperature, closely followed by altitude, pH, salinity, talweg slope and dissolved oxygen, identified as such by employing distance-based linear models' procedure. The Distance-based redundancy analysis ordination showed two main groups: the first clustered the Bizerte sites, which were characterized by high water conductivity, sodium concentration and salinity. The second main group comprised sites from the Tell zone and was characterized by low temperatures, neutral pH, low conductivity and nutrients content. The subfamily TANYPODIINAE (e.g., Prochladius sp., Prochladius choerus (Meigen, 1804) and Macropelopia sp.) was the dominant group at Tell zone, whereas species such as Diamesa starmachi (Kownacki et Kownacha, 1970) and Potthastia gaedii (Meigen, 1838) were found only in Tell Wadis. In contrast, chironomid species such as Diamesa starmachi (Kownacki et Kownacha, 1970), Potthastia gaedii (Meigen, 1838), Procladius choreus (Meigen, 1804) were specific for Tell Mountain. Cap Bon wadis region was dominated by genus Cladotanytarsus sp. The results of this survey liked the taxonomic composition of chironomid assemblages to the variation of hydromorphological and physic-chemical gradients across the northern Tunisia wadis.

The majority of experimental studies carried out to date, regarding the effects of pollutants on meiofauna have been conducted by means of closed systems, and rarely using open ones. The current work explored the impact of three Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), anthracene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene, applied alone or combined, on meiobenthic nematodes using both systems. The results revealed that single PAHs impacted the nematofauna similarly in closed or open systems with a higher toxicity observed for benzo[a]pyrene. However, the closed microcosms contaminated with PAHs became organically enriched, resulting in more non-selective deposit feeders and omnivores-carnivores. Taxonomic and functional effects related to combinations of PAHs were close to those of individual treatments in closed systems, however, for open ones, the outcomes were different. The caudal morphology influenced the response of taxa during their avoidance/endurance of hydrocarbons in open systems where the effects of PAHs mixtures appeared not only additive but also synergetic. Based on the results of the study, the use of open systems is preferred to closed ones as the research outcomes were more accurate and representing better conditions prevailing in nature., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To describes the epidemiology of cancer in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) treated at 2 tertiary centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Methods: This was a retrospective multi-center study evaluating the prevalence and the type of malignancy in an IIM population in King Saud University Medical City and King Abdulaziz Medical City between August 2017 to August 2018., Results: In total, 60 patients were included. Four had neoplasms (6.7%), 2 men had lymphoma, a woman had breast cancer and a second, ovarian cancer. Two patients died due to cancer or its complications. Older age (age greater than 40 years), dysphagia, necrotic rash, absence of interstitial lung disease, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a negative anti Jo-1 antibody were potentially predictive risk factors for neoplasm. All patients diagnosed with cancer-associated myositis were investigated with routine and invasive modalities. Three of the 4 patients had abnormal findings in both modalities. One patient, the routine investigations were unremarkable, but a computed tomography of the pelvis revealed an ovarian mass that was subsequently diagnosed as malignant.  Conclusion: An individualized approach might be more appropriate for high risk patients. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm the findings of the current study.