A Comparative GC/MS Analysis of Citrus Essential Oils: Unveiling the Potential Benefits of Herb-Drug Interactions in Preventing Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Our study aimed to test the potential of Citrus oils in protecting against paracetamol (PAR)-induced hepatotoxicity. The essential oils of Pineapple sweet orange (OO), Murcott mandarin (MO), Red grapefruit (GO), and Oval kumquat (KO) were investigated using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-seven compounds were identified, with monoterpene hydrocarbons being abundant class. d-Limonene had the highest percentage (92.98 %, 92.82 %, 89.75 %, and 94.46 % in OO, MO, GO, and KO, respectively). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that octanal, linalool, germacrene D, and d-limonene were the principal discriminatory metabolites that segregated the samples into three distinct clusters. In vitro antioxidant capacities were ranged from 1.2-12.27, 1.79-5.91, and 235.05-585.28 µM Trolox eq/mg oil for 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic (ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), respectively. In vivo, citrus oils exhibited a significant reduction in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, there was an increase in glutathione reductase (GSH), and the liver architecture was nearly normal. Molecular docking revealed that d-limonene exhibited a good inhibitory interaction with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoforms 1A2, 3A4, and 2E1, with binding energies of -6.17, -4.51, and -5.61 kcal/mol, respectively.

Effect of Si Content on the Thermal Expansion of Ti15Mo(0-2 Si) Biomaterial Alloys during Different Heating Rates.

Thermal expansion measurements were used to characterize phase transformations in metastable ß-Ti alloys (Ti15MoxSi) without and with various Si additions (where x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 in wt.%) during linear heating at two heating rates of 5 and 10 °C/min up to 850 °C. For this study, five alloys were developed and examined in terms of their presence phases, microstructures, and starting and final transformation temperatures. According to the results, all of the as-cast samples primarily include an equiaxed ß-Ti phase. The influence of phase transformation on the material dimensions was discussed and compared with the variations in Si contents. The transformation was investigated using a dilatometric technique for the developed alloys during continuous heating and cooling. The dilatometric curve of heating revealed two distinct reflection points as the heating temperature increased. The starting transformation temperature (Ts) to obtain the ω-phase was reported at 359 °C without Si addition; whereas the final transformation temperature (Tf) of the dissolution of α-phase was obtained at 572 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. At 2 wt.% Si, the first derivative curves reported Ts and Tf transforming temperatures of 314-565 °C (at a 5 °C/min heating rate) and 270-540 °C (at a 10 °C/min heating rate), respectively. The Ts and Tf transforming temperatures were significantly decreased with Si additions, which decreased the ß-transus temperature. Moreover, the thermal expansion coefficient curves of the investigated alloys without and with 2 wt.% Si were studied. The transformation heating curves have an S-shaped pattern, according to the results.

Taming Food-Drug Interaction Risk: Potential Inhibitory Effects of Citrus Juices on Cytochrome Liver Enzymes Can Safeguard the Liver from Overdose Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Paracetamol overdose is the leading cause of drug-induced hepatotoxicity worldwide. Because of N-acetyl cysteine's limited therapeutic efficacy and safety, searching for alternative therapeutic substitutes is necessary. This study investigated four citrus juices: Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck var. Pineapple (pineapple sweet orange), Citrus reticulata Blanco × Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck (Murcott mandarin), Citrus paradisi Macfadyen var. Ruby Red (red grapefruit), and Fortunella margarita Swingle (oval kumquat) to improve the herbal therapy against paracetamol-induced liver toxicity. UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS profiling of the investigated samples resulted in the identification of about 40 metabolites belonging to different phytochemical classes. Phenolic compounds were the most abundant, with the total content ranked from 609.18 to 1093.26 µg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/mL juice. The multivariate data analysis revealed that phloretin 3',5'-di-C-glucoside, narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, 2-O-rhamnosyl-swertisin, fortunellin (acacetin-7-O-neohesperidoside), sinensetin, nobiletin, and tangeretin represented the crucial discriminatory metabolites that segregated the analyzed samples. Nevertheless, the antioxidant activity of the samples was 1135.91-2913.92 µM Trolox eq/mL juice, 718.95-3749.47 µM Trolox eq/mL juice, and 2304.74-4390.32 µM Trolox eq/mL juice, as revealed from 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, respectively. The in vivo paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity model in rats was established and assessed by measuring the levels of hepatic enzymes and antioxidant biomarkers. Interestingly, the concomitant administration of citrus juices with a toxic dose of paracetamol effectively recovered the liver injury, as confirmed by normal sections of hepatocytes. This action could be due to the interactions between the major identified metabolites (hesperidin, hesperetin, phloretin 3',5'-di-C-glucoside, fortunellin, poncirin, nobiletin, apigenin-6,8-digalactoside, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin, naringenin, and naringin) and cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP3A4, CYP2E1, and CYP1A2), as revealed from the molecular docking study. The most promising compounds in the three docking processes were hesperidin, fortunellin, poncirin, and naringin. Finally, a desirable food-drug interaction was achieved in our research to overcome paracetamol overdose-induced hepatotoxicity.

Worn surface topography and mathematical modeling of Ti-6Al-3Mo-2Sn-2Zr-2Nb-1.5Cr alloy.

This study aims at investigating worn surface topography and mathematical modeling of annealed Ti-6Al-3Mo-2Sn-2Zr-2Nb-1.5Cr alloy using response surface methodology (RSM). The alloy was subjected to three different regimes in order to study their effect on mechanical properties. First regime was applying cold deformation by compression until 15% drop in height at room temperature. The second regime was performing solution treated on the deformed samples at 920 °C for 15 min then air-cooled (AC) to ambient temperature. Third regime was applying aging on the deformed and solution treated specimen for 4 hr at 590 °C followed by air-cooling. Three different velocities (1, 1.5, and 2 m/s) were adopted to conduct dry sliding wear according to the experimental design technique (EDT). Gwyddion and Matlab softwares were used to detect worn surface photographs analytically and graphically. Maximum hardness of 425 HV20 was obtained for AC+Aging specimen, while minimum hardness of 353 HV20 was reported for the annealed specimen. Applying aging process after solution treatment enhanced considerably the wear property and this enhancement reached 98% as compared to the annealed condition. The relationship between input factors (hardness & velocity) and responses (Abbott Firestone zones) was demonstrated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The best models for Abbott Firestone zones (high peaks, exploitation, and voids) produced accurate data that could be estimated for saving time and cost. The results showed that the average surface roughness increases with increasing sliding velocity for all conditions except AC+Aging condition where the average surface roughness decreased with increasing sliding velocity. The results revealed that at low velocity and hardness, the material gives the highest exploitation zone (86%). While at high velocity and hardness, the material gives the lowest exploitation zone (70%). In general, the predicted results of mathematical model showed close agreement with experimental results, creating that models could be utilized to predict Abbott Firestone zones satisfactorily.

Influence of Microstructure and Alloy Composition on the Machinability of α/ß Titanium Alloys.

A comparative study was conducted for the machining of two α/ß titanium alloys, namely Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) and Ti-6Al-7Nb (Ti67), using wire electric discharge machining (WEDM). The influence of cutting speed and cutting mode on the machined surfaces in terms of surface roughness (Ra), recast layer (RL), and micro-hardness have been evaluated. Rough cut (RC) mode at a cutting speed of 50 µm/s resulted in thermal damage; Ra was equal to 5.68 ± 0.44 and 4.52 ± 0.35 µm for Ti64 and Ti67, respectively. Trim-cut mode using seven cuts (TRC-VII) at the same speed decreased the Ra to 1.02 ± 0.20 µm for Ti64 and 0.92 ± 0.10 µm for Ti67. At 100 µm/s, Ra reduced from 2.34 ± 0.28 µm to 0.88 ± 0.12 µm (Ti64), and from 1.42 ± 0.15 µm to 0.90 ± 0.08µm (Ti67) upon changing from TRC-III to TRC-VII. Furthermore, a thick recast layer of 30 ± 0.93 µm for Ti64 and 14 ± 0.68 µm for Ti67 was produced using the rough mode, while TRC-III and TRC-VII modes produced layers of 12 ± 1.31 µm and 5 ± 0.72 µm for Ti64 and Ti67, respectively. Moreover, rough cut and trim cut modes of WEDM played a significant role in promoting the surface hardness of Ti64 and Ti67. By employing the Response Surface Methodology, it was found that the machining mode followed by cutting speed and the interaction between them are the most influential parameters on surface roughness. Finally, mathematical models correlating machining parameters to surface roughness were successfully developed. The results strongly promote the trim-cut mode of WEDM as a promising machining route for two-phase titanium alloys.

Atomic-Scale Insights into the Lateral and Vertical Epitaxial Growth in Two-Dimensional Pd2Se3-MoS2 Heterostructures.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials form heterostructures in both the lateral and vertical directions when two different materials are interfaced, but with totally different bonding mechanisms of covalent in-plane to van der Waal's layered interactions. Understanding how the competition between lateral and vertical forces influences the epitaxial growth is important for future materials development of complex mixed layered heterostructures. Here, we use atomic-resolution annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy to study the detailed atomic arrangements at mixed 2D heterostructure interfaces composed of two semiconductors with distinctly different crystal symmetry and elemental composition, Pd2Se3:MoS2, in order to understand the role of different chemical bonds on the resultant epitaxy. Pd2Se3 is grown off the step edge in bilayer MoS2, and the vertical and lateral epitaxial relationships of the Pd2Se3-MoS2 heterostructures are investigated. We find that the similarity of geometry at the interface with one metal (Pd or Mo) atoms bonded with two chalcogens (S or Se) are the crucial factors to make the atomically stitched lateral junction of 2D heterostructures. In addition, the vertical van der Waal interactions that are normally dominant in layered materials can be overcome by in-plane forces if the interfacial atomic stitching is high in quality and low in defect density. This knowledge should help guide the approaches for improving the epitaxy in mixed 2D heterostructures and seamless stitching of in-plane 2D heterostructures with various complex monolayer structures.

Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-COV-2 showed wide spread of B.1.525 in February 2021 in Libya.

Alpha (B.1.1.7) SARS-COV-2 variant was detected in September 2020 in minks and humans in Denmark and UK. This variant has several mutations in the spike region (S) which could increase the transmissibility of the virus 43-90% over previously circulating variants. The National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) announced on 24 February 2021 a 25% frequency of B.1.1.7 strain in Libya using a reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR assay. This assay relies on the specific identification of the H69-V70 deletion in S gene which causes its failure of amplification (SGTF). This deletion is not specific for B.1.1.7, but is also characteristic of two other SARS-COV-2 variants. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of B.1.1.7 and identify other variants circulating in Libya in February 2021. We performed whole genome sequencing of 67 positive SARS-COV-2 samples collected on 25 February 2021 in Libya which were also tested by RT-qPCR for SGTF. Our results showed that 55% of samples had mutations specific to B.1.525 strain and only ~3% of samples belonged to B.1.1.7. These findings suggested that B.1.525 was spreading widely in Libya. The use of such RT-qPCR assay, although useful to track some variants, cannot discriminate between variants with H69-V70 deletion. RT-qPCR assays could be multiplexed to identify multiple variants and screen samples prior to sequencing. We emphasize on the need for providing whole-genome sequencing to the main COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories in Libya as well as establishing international collaboration for building capacity and advancing research in this time of the pandemic.

Travel during COVID-19 pandemic in Libya: reasons of travel, disease importation and travel regulations.

Restriction of mobility between countries is an important regulatory measure to combat pandemics such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Currently, PCR testing is required to enter the Libyan borders. However, no post-travel quarantine is employed. In this report, we briefly discuss travel regulations in Libya during the COVID-19 pandemic and disease importation by travelers. The results showed that almost half of the sample travel because of health care and therapy reasons. Tunisia was the most visited destination mainly for trading and business and receiving healthcare. Importantly, 13% of asymptomatic travelers were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Issues regarding repeated testing among very frequent travelers and variant importation needs to be addressed in a more efficient manner.

Genetic Diversity and Combining Ability of White Maize Inbred Lines under Different Plant Densities.

Knowledge of combining ability and genetic diversity are important prerequisites for the development of outstanding hybrids that are tolerant to high plant density. This work was carried out to assess general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA), identify promising hybrids, estimate genetic diversity among the inbred lines and correlate genetic distance to hybrid performance and SCA across different plant densities. A total of 28 F1 hybrids obtained by crossing eight adverse inbred lines (four local and four exotic) were evaluated under three plant densities 59,500 (D1), 71,400 (D2) and 83,300 (D3) plants ha-1 using spilt plot design with three replications at two locations during 2018 season. Increasing plant density from D1 to D3 significantly decreased leaf angle (LANG), chlorophyll content (CHLC), all ear characteristics and grain yield per plant (GYPP). Contrarily, days to silking (DTS), anthesis-silking interval (ASI), plant height (PLHT), ear height (EHT), and grain yield per hectare (GYPH) were significantly increased. Both additive and non-additive gene actions were involved in the inheritance of all the evaluated traits, but additive gene action was predominant for most traits. Inbred lines L1, L2, and L5 were the best general combiners for increasing grain yield and other desirable traits across research environments. Two hybrids L2 × L5 and L2 × L8 were found to be good specific combiners for ASI, LANG, GYPP and GYPH. Furthermore, these hybrids are ideal for further testing and promotion for commercialization under high plant density. Genetic distance (GD) among pairs of inbred lines ranged from 0.31 to 0.78, with an average of 0.61. Clustering based on molecular GD has effectively grouped the inbred lines according to their origin. No significant correlation was found between GD and both hybrid performance and SCA for grain yield and other traits and proved to be of no predictive value. Nevertheless, SCA could be used to predict the hybrid performance across all plant densities. Overall, this work presents useful information regarding the inheritance of maize grain yield and other important traits under high plant density.

Overexpression of Serum Micro-RNA 152-3p in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Significant Elevation in Progressive Nephropathy.

Modulation of the immune inflammatory system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN); nevertheless, many of the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. A possible role of micro-RNA 152-3p in T2DM and DN has been suggested due to its immunomodulatory effect on the innate immunity. This case control study aimed, first, to determine the possible role of micro-RNA 152-3p in the pathogenesis of T2DM and DN by evaluating its serum expression in T2DM and DN patients. Second, to assess the performance of serum micro-RNAs 16 and 24 as endogenous control in TaqMan assays of micro-RNA analysis by real time PCR in such disease. Quantification of the expression of micro-RNA 152-3p by qRT-PCR was performed using serum of 70 subjects enrolled in this study and grouped into 20 apparently healthy non-diabetic participants (control group), 15 patients with T2DM without nephropathy (DM group) and 35 diabetic patients with nephropathy (DN group). In diabetic patients with nephropathy (DN) (P<0.001), or without nephropathy (DM) (P 0.004), the expression of micro-RNA 152-3p demonstrated a significant elevation in comparison to the controls. Also, the level of micro-RNA 152-3p showed a positive correlation with HbA1c and the duration of diabetes mellitus. The severity of nephropathy as evaluated by markers of renal disease progression; estimated (e)GFR and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) revealed a significant correlation with the level of micro-RNA 152-3p. In the same context, serum level of micro-RNA 152-3p was elevated in diabetics with advanced stage of nephropathy (macroalbuminuria) versus the rest of diabetics (without albuminuria and with microalbuminuria). Two one sided T procedure provided a strong statistical support for equivalence of both micro-RNA s 16 and 24. In conclusion, such findings may indicate a pathologic role of micro-RNA 152-3p in Type 2 diabetes mellitus and in the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Secondary metabolites and bioactivities of Myrtus communis.

BACKGROUND: Myrtus species are characterized by the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, volatile oils and fatty acids. They are remedies for variety of ailments. This study therefore investigated medicinal effects of Myrtus communis L. METHODS: Bioactivity studies of Myrtus communis L. leaves were carried out on volatile oil, 7% methanol and aqueous extracts and the isolated compounds myricetin 3-O-ß-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-∝-rhamnopyranoside and gallic acid. RESULTS: Determination of the median lethal dose (LD(50)) revealed that the volatile oil, alcoholic and aqueous extracts were practically nontoxic and highly safe as no lethality was observed. The tested materials (volatile oil, alcoholic and aqueous extracts, myricetin 3-O-ß-glucopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-∝-rhamnopyranoside and gallic acid) showed significant antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects as compared with control groups and reference drugs. CONCLUSION: Administration of extracts of M. communis leaves could be safe at the dose used in this study.