Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences最新文献

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) can be defined as an increase in the blood sugar level and a disturbance in protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Bee venom (BV) is useful for treating and preventing diabetic rats’ histological and biochemical problems. Although the medical advantages of BV have been identified, its safety has remained a substantial barrier for its application. Consequently, the goal of our work was to prepare bee venom-loaded chitosan (BV-CS) nanoparticles (NPs), which would then be physically characterized. This was followed by examining the effect of the synthetized BV-CS NPs on oxidation, inflammation and coagulation in vitro. In diabetic rats’ model [induced by streptozotocin (STZ)], the produced BV-CS NPs were tested as an anti-diabetic medication.

Results

In vivo testing on pancreatic tissue homogenates showed that BV-CS NPs have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The results showed that BV-CS NPs can be used as a safe and efficient therapy for diabetes. Up to a concentration of 250 µg/ml, the generated NPs demonstrated potential antioxidant, membrane stabilizing, and non-cytotoxic capabilities. Our findings indicated that the administration of BV-CS NPs significantly controlled blood glucose levels and metabolic abnormalities that accompanied diabetes induction.

Conclusions

BV-CS NPs were successful in treating STZ-induced diabetes in rats, stimulated insulin secretion and were safe to be used in vivo.

Graphical abstract

Background

Climate change significantly influences the geographical distribution of plant species worldwide, especially endemics. Endemic species are plants that live in limited distribution ranges of unique ecology and, thus, are the most vulnerable species to climate change. Therefore, understanding the impacts of climate change on the distribution of these species can assist in developing appropriate plans for their conservation. In this study, we aimed to apply various species distribution models (SDMs) to predict the current potential distributions of two endangered plant species, Silene leucophylla (S. leucophylla, endemic) and Silene schimperiana (S. schimperiana, near-endemic), in Saint Catherine protected area (St. Catherine PA), Egypt. Then, using the best-fit model to project their future distribution under the maximum climate emission scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5)). Six different SDMs were constructed using different geospatial raster imagery sets of environmental factors. For each model, five machine learning (ML) algorithms were used. The results of these ML algorithms were then ensembled by calculating the weighted average of their predictions.

Results

Based on the analysis of digital geospatial imageries produced by the best-fitting model, the predicted suitable areas of S. leucophylla and S. schimperiana were 23.1 km² and 125 km², respectively. These sites are located mainly in the high-elevation middle northern part of the study area. Annual precipitation, mean temperature of the driest quarter, altitude, and precipitation seasonality were the essential predictors of the distributions of both species. Future predictions of both species indicated opposing results between the studied species. Predictions in the 2050 and 2070 future conditions revealed significant range contraction for the distribution of S. leucophylla. For S. schimperiana, a range shift is predicted, with both range contraction and range expansion of its current suitable habitats, for the same future projections. Unfortunately, in 2080 predictions, both species could be projected to a complete loss from the entire area.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of including diverse types of environmental variables in SDMs to produce more accurate predictions, rather than relying only on one variable type. It also revealed the potential negative impacts of future climate change on the distributions of two endangered plant species, S. leucophylla and S. schimperiana, inhabiting St. Catherine PA. Consequently, we urgently recommend the initiation of different plans and strategies seeking their conservation.

Background

Uncontrolled cell proliferation is a major cause of cancer development and progression. Inflammation along with inflammatory mediators and cells play a significant role in cancer. Cancer ranks in second in mortality rates, following cardiac diseases. Phytochemicals from medicinal plants offer a natural and effective approach for treating Inflammation and cancer.

Main body of the abstract

Animal studies provide evidence that phytochemicals present in food acts as antioxidants, anti-aging molecules, and health promoters, thereby extending lifespan. These natural compounds include quercetin, epicatechin, resveratrol, curcumin, kaempferol, vitamin C and carotenoids. However, clinical data on humans is still awaited. Conventional allopathic cancer therapies often have severe side effects. Recently, drug repurposing has emerged as an alternative strategy offering lower costs, shorter development times and the advantage of existing clinical data. The primary goal of drug repurposing is to discover new uses for approved or experimental drugs.

Short conclusion

The current review elucidates the side effects of synthetic drugs and the beneficial effects of phytochemicals and non-oncological drugs along with their mechanisms of action for treating cancer. Additionally, it highlights clinical trial data for various cancers focusing on molecular targets. By integrating natural products, drug repurposing and molecular targets, we can develop multifaceted therapies that maximize efficacy and minimize adverse effects. This integrated approach promises more personalized and effective treatments, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Future research should identifying novel natural compounds, explore repurposing opportunities for existing drugs, and elucidate molecular targets for precise therapy. Additionally, clinical trials should be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety of these combined strategies in cancer patients.

Graphical abstract

Background

Malignant tumors of the breast are the most diagnosed cancers in females globally. Recent evidence suggests that carbohydrate restriction (CR), especially ketogenic diets, has become a potential treatment approach for many malignancies, including breast cancer. Tamoxifen (TAX) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (ERM) that can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. The current work was designed to assess the impact of CR on the proliferation of breast adenocarcinoma cells and to compare this impact with that of TAX. Study groups included: group 1: vehicle-treated mice; group 2: the Ehrlich group: injected Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells (2.5 × 10⁶) in 0.25 ml isotonic saline; group 3: CR group: mice were supplied with a diet regimen of severe CR throughout the study and injected EAC at week 7; group 4: hormonal therapy (HT) group: mice in this group injected with EAC at week 7 and then received TAX at a dose of 20 mg/kg 3 times/week orally for 3 weeks; and lastly group 5: the group of combined intervention. The mice in the CR, HT, and the combined groups received Ehrlich cancer cells at the same dose and route as the Ehrlich group.

Results

CR and HT groups demonstrated a significant decrease in levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), carbohydrate antigen (CA 15–3), hexokinase 2 (HK2), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) α, and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to the Ehrlich group. Additionally, the mean area % of caspase-3 was significantly increased, and the mean area % of Ki67 and estrogen receptor (ER)α was significantly decreased.

Conclusions

The combined treatment demonstrated the most advantageous outcome, as evidenced by reduced CA 15–3 levels, tumor size, and the mean area % of Ki67. This suggests that the addition of severe CR to the conventional therapy of breast cancer has a beneficial effect.

Background

Pectin from Taiwan Citrus depressa Hayata’s peels (CDH pectin) and sodium alginate (Na alginate) were mixed in neutral acidity to produce microhydrogel beads or microspheres. The potential use of the microspheres such as encapsulation materials for quercetin and nobiletin, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity, toxic elements absorption ability, and thermal characteristics were explored.

Results

Different ratios of CDH pectin and Na alginate produced microspheres of varying sizes and shapes. The highest yield (47.59%) with the broadest diameter was obtained at a Na alginate—CDH pectin ratio of 2:1, while the smallest yield was obtained from Na alginate—CDH pectin ratio of 1:3 (24.13%). Increasing the amount of Na alginate resulted in more spherical microspheres, higher heavy metals (cobalt and nickel) removal rates, yet a lower swelling ratio. A high pectin concentration also increased the encapsulation efficiency of quercetin and nobiletin, reaching 91.5% and 86.74%, respectively. Quercetin and nobiletin release analysis (in vitro) showed a slow release of drugs from the microspheres. Less than 20% quercetin and nobiletin were released from the microspheres in SGF (simulated gastric fluid) pH 1.2 solution after 2 h and more than 40% of the encapsulated drug was released in SIF (simulated intestinal fluid) pH 6.8 after 4 h. The strong DPPH scavenging activity of quercetin (99%) was not hindered by encapsulation materials. ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry) analysis demonstrated that the biopolymer can absorb cobalt and nickel from water. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) result showed that the combination of CDH pectin and Na alginate produced a biopolymer that exhibited a weight loss of only 1.86–4.33% at 100 °C.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that microspheres produced from CDH pectin cross-linked with sodium alginate had potential in nobiletin and quercetin encapsulation. Moreover, the polymer could absorb heavy metals and exhibit an important characteristic for hot food and beverage packaging applications.

Background

This research aims to determine the probable protective effect of nano-curcumin (N-CUR) on caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine)-induced neurotoxicity in cerebral rats.

Methods

Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control, caffeine (150 mg kg⁻¹), and caffeine (150 mg kg⁻¹) treated with N-CUR (300 mg kg⁻¹). All treatments were administrated by gavage every day for a month.

Results

Administration of caffeine significantly elevated the levels of serum interleukins 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and cyclooxygenase2 (COX-2). Also, there was a significant increase in levels of cerebral malondialdehyde (MDA), significantly diminished glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Caffeine administration significantly downregulated the gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and upregulated the expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). Administration of N-CUR caused a significant amelioration in TNF-α and IL-6 levels and a significant rise in SOD activity, while it caused a significant downregulation in NF-κB mRNA expression. Additionally, N-CUR has exerted insignificant amelioration of COX-2 and MDA contents and Nrf2 mRNA expression compared to the caffeine-treated group.

Conclusion

N-CUR may have a mild to moderate ameliorative effect on caffeine-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response in the cerebrum.

Background

The variational method, a quantum mechanical approach, estimates effective charge distributions and ground-state energy by minimizing the Hamiltonian's expectation value using trial wave functions with adjustable parameters. This method provides valuable insights into system behavior and is widely used in theoretical chemistry and physics. This paper aims to investigate ground-state energies and isoelectronic sequences using the variational method, introducing a novel approach for analyzing multi-electron systems. This technique allows for determining effective charge values and ground-state energies for 2–5 electrons sequence up to Z ≤ 20. Hydrogenic wave functions are used as a trial wave function to calculate effective charge in 1 s, 2 s, and 2p states. Two varying parameters were used to calculate an approximate wave function for the system. These values are then used in non-relativistic Hamiltonian with electron–electron interaction terms to calculate the ground-state energy of an atom.

Result

The results align with the reported experimental values, showing a marginal 1% error.

Conclusion

A Python algorithm is established based on the variational principle. It was found that, based on a few selected parameters in scripting the program, a very promising result was obtained. Furthermore, adding more variational parameters can minimize the difference between experimental and theoretical values, and this technique can be extended to elements with higher atomic numbers.

Background

Aim is to analyze alterations in third and fourth corneal higher-order aberrations using a ray tracing aberrometer (iTrace) induced by SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) refractive surgery on Algerian patients; and also to investigate how corneal aberrations vary with spherical equivalent (SE), corneal central thickness (CCT), and age. Design Prospective, non-randomized case series that were carried out at the Chiali Smile Center, Algiers, Algeria.

Participants

A total of 219 eyes from 110 myopic patients, with and without astigmatism, successfully concluded the ultimate follow-up. Participants exhibited an average age of 32.48 years, with preoperative mean corneal high-order aberrations (CHOA) measuring 0.005 ± 0.036 μm.

Methods

A tracking trend analysis of high-order aberrations (HOAs) was conducted on the three groups of patients, assessing total corneal high-order aberrations after SMILE over periods of two, six, and twelve months.

Results

A substantial increase in total corneal high-order aberrations following SMILE, with a P value < 0.05. Conversely, there was a noteworthy and significant decrease in vertical trefoil for all groups (P value = 0.000). Interestingly, the corneal higher-order aberrations were more pronounced after two months compared to the six and twelve-month intervals. Spherical aberration demonstrated a significant increase with the extent of preoperative myopia and preoperative spherical equivalent both before and after SMILE surgery (P < 0.05), particularly in cases of high myopia. Moreover, there were significant reductions in preoperative and postoperative vertical coma (P = 0.047, P = 0.004, respectively) corresponding to the degree of preoperative myopia, with a more substantial decrease in vertical coma observed in cases of low myopia.

Conclusion

In the post-SMILE period, a notable increase in vertical coma and spherical aberrations was observed, accompanied by a significant decrease in vertical trefoil across all eyes. These aberration changes were identified to be closely associated with the spherical equivalent.

Background

Vitiligo is classified as an acquired chronic depigmentation disorder that includes the destruction of epidermal melanocytes. It affects 0.5–1% of the population all over the world. Wnt signaling pathway is vital in melanocytes differentiation and development. WIF-1 is an antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway; it hinders Wnt from binding its receptors. The present study aims to detect WIF-1 expression in vitiligo skin and if it relates to the disease's severity.

Results

This case–control study included 70 subjects: 35 vitiligo patients and 35 healthy controls. Skin WIF-1 expression was estimated using quantitative real-time PCR. Assessment of the vitiligo disease activity score and vitiligo area severity index score was determined. WIF-1 expression showed significant elevation in the skin of vitiligo patients compared to the healthy control group.

Conclusion

Overexpression of WIF-1 may participate in the pathogenesis of vitiligo; hence, it should be a future therapeutic target.

Background

The increasing trend of antibiotic resistance has posed challenges for scientists, especially in developing better drug formulations. The discovery of new antibiotics could take years. Therefore, the management of an ideal drug delivery system has become a primary focus nowadays.

Main body of abstract

Almost all skin diseases could be treated with the administration of topical drugs, especially infectious skin diseases. The increasing cases of antimicrobial resistance require innovative strategies and actions. In dermatokinetics, achieving optimal drug concentrations in the deepest layers of skin tissue is a significant challenge. Human skin has remarkably complex characteristics, presenting a major obstacle in efficiently maintaining drug efficacy. Nanocarriers are an important part of nanomedicine which provide excellent drug penetration through various drug delivery systems. Lipid-based nanovesicles, such as liposome, are the oldest and most potential nanovesicles for such a purpose. Several studies have shown the efficacy of liposome-contained antibiotics and offered the lowest microbial inhibition concentration (MIC). It is suggested that liposome also delivers greater drug accumulation compared to blank drugs.

Short conclusion

Liposome is a flexible lipid-based drug delivery that enhances drug permeation through skin tissue by mimicking the lipid bilayer system of the organ. It is non-toxic, less immunogenic, and easily degraded by enzyme. The incorporation of liposome into antibiotics may reduce the inefficient drug dosage since the encapsulation will protect the active compounds prior to being released from the vehicle. Thus, the lowest MIC and less clinical side effects will be obtained.

Graphical abstract