Unveiling the silver lining: examining the effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles on the growth dynamics of in vitro olive shoots.

The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on growth behavior and leaf anatomy of in vitro growing shoots of 'Picual' and 'Dolce' olive cultivars. Biosynthesis of AgNPs was carried out using the cell-free filtrate of Fusarium oxysporum. The dimension and shape of the synthesized AgNPs have been analyzed using spectroscopy and topography analysis tools, confirming that the biosynthesis of AgNPs is a crystalline nanostructure with an average particle size of 37 nm. The shoots of the selected olive cultivars were cultured on Rugini olive medium-supplemented AgNPs at 0, 10, 20, and 30mg L- 1. The effect of genotypes on shoot multiplication was significant, 'Picual' recorded higher values of shoot growth parameters compared with 'Dolce' cultivar. Adding AgNPs to the culture medium significantly affected the growth of in vitro olive shoots. AgNPs at 20 and 30mg L- 1 produced higher values of the number of shoots, shoot length, and leaf number of Picual cv. compared with the control treatments, but the higher AgNPs concentration harmed the growth parameters of Dolce cv. and recorded lower growth values compared with the lower concentration (10mg L- 1). AgNPs had a significant effect on leaf morphology and their anatomical structure. The current results showed that the stimulatory effect of AgNPs on shoot growth of in vitro olive shoots is highly dependent on plant genotype and nanoparticle concentration.

Circulating microRNAs as novel biomarkers for measuring the potency of ginger extract against cyclophosphamide toxicity in rat renal tissues: molecular and histopathological study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore underlying molecular variations in the expression of miRNAs in kidney tissues of ginger-treated and non-treated cyclophosphamide (CP)-intoxicated rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS:   A total of 40 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 each: Group I (control: received normal food and water), Group II (received ginger at a dose of 300 mg/kg), Group III (received CP 75 mg/kg, i.p.), and Group IV (received the same dose of CP and ginger extract).  Rats received a single injection of 75 mg/kg CP on days 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, and 21. In CP-intoxicated rats, the treatment with ginger extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg was received by oral gavage starting seven days before CP and continuing throughout the duration of the experiment for four weeks. Molecular variations in the expression of miRNAs, apoptotic genes, histological kidney damage, and abnormal kidney function in control, ginger, and CP-intoxicated rats were identified by using real-time RT-PCR Analysis, immunohistochemical, and colorimetric assays. In addition, HPLC analysis and liquid chromatography spectrophotometry analysis using Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and Β-Carotene-linoleic acid reagents were applied respectively for in-vitro screening of phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity for ginger extract. RESULTS: The kidney tissues of CP-intoxicated rats displayed an increase in lipid peroxidation marker malonaldehyde (MDA), DNA damage, and fibrosis markers like hyaluronic acid (HA) and hydroxyproline Hypx) with a decrease in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). In addition, molecular expressions of mRNA fibrotic genes such as collagen, type 1, alpha 1 (COL1A1), and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA). Molecular expressions of levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCl-2) mRNA gene were down-regulated, and the expression of mRNA apoptotic; BCL2 associated X gene (Bax), caspase-3, Bax/BCl-2 ratio genes were significantly up-regulated respectively. Moreover, cellular oxidative genes, erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were down-regulated, respectively. The miR-155-5p, miR-34a-5p, miR-21-5p significantly increased while the miR-193b-3p, miR-455-3p, and miR-342-3p significantly decreased. Ginger also increased the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and BCl-2 genes in the kidneys of rats induced with CP. In addition, active phytoconstituents, particularly 6]]-shogaol and 6]]-gingerol, were significantly identified in ginger extract using HPLC analysis. Antioxidant activity of these active metabolites were shown to be higher against in vitro free radicals (DPPH and Β-Carotene-linoleic acid), suggesting the potential antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties of ginger against CP-toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with ginger in rats induced with CP resulted in significant improvement in the expression of certain molecular miRNAs. The kidney tissues of these rats showed a marked decrease in the expression of miR-155-5p, miR-34a-5p, and miR-21-5p, while the levels of miR-193b-3p, miR-455-3p, and miR-342-3p were observed to increase significantly. In conclusion, ginger can protect rats from CP-induced nephrotoxicity.

Survey and population dynamics of land snails at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.

Land snails are a destructive agricultural pest in economic crops, but the populations for that pest are highly influenced by temperature and humidity, therefore climatic changes affected their behavior, distribution and population dynamics, for these reasons researchers should follow up on the changes in their behavior, distribution, and population dynamics. In this study, a survey study was conducted to define land snail species existing at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, from January 2019 to March 2022 in horticultural, vegetable, and field crops and study the population dynamics for the dominant land snail species. Results showed that there are six species of land snails, these species were, Monacha cartusiana, Succinea putris, Eobania vermiculata, Theba pisana, Helicella vestalis, and Cochlicella acuta. The population dynamics of two prevalent land snail species (M. cartusiana and S. putris), were conducted during two successive growing seasons, the Egyptian clover harbored the highest number of M. cartusiana followed by wheat, while the onion was the lowest one during the study period. In the same trends, the land snail S. putris recorded the highest numbers during the growing season of the Egyptian clover crop. Finally, it is concluded that the land snail M. cartusiana considered the first grade of infestation existed everywhere at Sharkia Governorate, and the population density of the land snail is increase gradually after winter till reach the maximum density in spring.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor a Marker of Implantation Success in Unexplained Infertility: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Uterine receptivity and implantation are complex processes requiring coordinated expression of molecules by zygote and uterus. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is one of the most important cytokines in the reproductive tract. Without expression of LIF in the uterus, implantation of a blastocyst cannot begin. Our objectives were to measure the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) concentration in serum with or without endometrial scratch-ing in women with unexplained infertility. METHODS: This study is a randomized control trial, carried out at the infertility clinic of Qena University hospital, South Valley University, Egypt. The study included 200 women with unexplained infertility divided into two groups: Group 1 included 100 patients undergoing endometrial scratching at mid luteal phase. Group 2 included 100 patients undergoing expectant management. Serum leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) concentration was measured at mid-luteal phase of cycle and follow up of pregnancy occurrence in both groups. RESULTS: LIF was significantly higher in the group of endometrial scratching compared to group 2. LIF was significantly higher in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant ones in both the endometrial scratching group and group 2. For the endometrial scratching group, LIF was a significant marker for successful implantation at cutoff point of 97.2 with sensitivity of 97.3% and specificity of 77.8% while PPV was 72% and NPV was 98. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial scratching was associated with higher level of LIF and pregnancy rate. LIF was significantly higher in pregnant women with or without endometrial scratching.

Carvacrol mitigates vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity via regulation of IkBα/p38MAPK and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathways: an experimental study with in silico evidence.

OBJECTIVE: Despite its evident renal toxicity, vancomycin is considered an effective glycopeptide antibiotic against life-threatening positive bacterial contagions. The current study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of carvacrol as well as its underlying mechanism against vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The animals were randomly classified into four groups (8 rats per group). Group I, which served as a control group, received only vehicles. Group II received a single i.p. injection of 50 mg/kg of carvacrol for seven days. Group III received vancomycin (200 mg/kg, i.p.) as a singular daily dose for seven days. Carvacrol was administered to Group IV seven days prior to the daily vancomycin dose. RESULTS: The results revealed that carvacrol minimized vancomycin-induced renal injury as evidenced by lower serum cystatin C levels and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), in addition to a decline in renal damage caused by vancomycin as indicated in histopathological assessment. Furthermore, carvacrol significantly attenuated oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory mediators. Moreover, it downregulated Keap1, mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) genes and proteins, along with controlling the NF-κB inhibitory protein (IkBα) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) genes and proteins observed through streaming its genes. A molecular docking technique was also used to investigate the potential interactivity between carvacrol and proteins involved in regulating oxidative injury and inflammatory responses. CONCLUSIONS: The current study findings revealed that carvacrol administration before vancomycin could be a promising therapeutic approach for maceration of renal damage stimulated by vancomycin via controlling IkBα/MAPK and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling molecules.https://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/graphical-abstract-1.jpg.

Integrative application of heavy metal-resistant bacteria, moringa extracts, and nano-silicon improves spinach yield and declines its contaminant contents on a heavy metal-contaminated soil.

Microorganism-related technologies are alternative and traditional methods of metal recovery or removal. We identified and described heavy metal-resistant bacteria isolated from polluted industrial soils collected from various sites at a depth of 0-200 mm. A total of 135 isolates were screened from polluted industrial soil. The three most abundant isolate strains resistant to heavy metals were selected: Paenibacillus jamilae DSM 13815T DSM (LA22), Bacillus subtilis ssp. spizizenii DSM 15029T DSM (MA3), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa A07_08_Pudu FLR (SN36). A test was conducted to evaluate the effect of (1) isolated heavy metal-resistant bacteria (soil application), (2) a foliar spray with silicon dioxide nanoparticles (Si-NPs), and (3) moringa leaf extract (MLE) on the production, antioxidant defense, and physio-biochemical characteristics of spinach grown on heavy metal-contaminated soil. Bacteria and MLE or Si-NPs have been applied in single or combined treatments. It was revealed that single or combined additions significantly increased plant height, shoot dry and fresh weight, leaf area, number of leaves in the plant, photosynthetic pigments content, total soluble sugars, free proline, membrane stability index, ascorbic acid, relative water content, α-tocopherol, glycine betaine, glutathione, and antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e., peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase) compared with the control treatment. However, applying bacteria or foliar spray with MLE or Si-NPs significantly decreased the content of contaminants in plant leaves (e.g., Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cu), malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, superoxide radical ( O 2 · - ) , and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Integrative additions had a more significant effect than single applications. It was suggested in our study that the integrative addition of B. subtilis and MLE as a soil application and as a foliar spray, respectively, is a critical approach to increasing spinach plant performance and reducing its contaminant content under contaminated soil conditions.

Gas Identification by Simultaneous Permeation through Parallel Membranes: Proof of Concept.

This paper describes an experimental system for simultaneous permeation of a pressurized test gas through different gas permeable membranes and provides a proof of concept for a novel approach for gas identification/fingerprinting for potential construction of electronic noses. The design, construction, and use of a six-channel system which allows simultaneous gas permeation from a single pressurized gas compartment through six different parallel membranes are presented. The permeated gas is accumulated in confined spaces behind the respective membranes. The rate of gas pressure accumulation behind each membrane is recorded and used as a measure of the gas permeation rate through the membrane. The utilized gas permeable membranes include Teflon AF, silicone rubber, track-etch hydrophilic polycarbonate, track-etch hydrophobic polycarbonate, track-etch polyimide, nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide, zeolite ZSM-5, and zeolite NaY. An analogy between the rate of pressure accumulation of the permeating gas behind the membrane and the charging of an electric capacitor in a single series RC circuit is proposed and thoroughly validated. The simultaneous permeation rates through different membranes demonstrated a very promising potential as characteristic fingerprints for 10 test gases, that is, helium, neon, argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, and ethylene, which are selected as representative examples of mono-, di-, tri-, and polyatomic gases and to include some homologous series as well as to allow testing the potential of the proposed system to discriminate between closely related gases such as ethane and ethylene or carbon dioxide and propane which have almost identical molecular masses. Finally, a preliminary investigation of the possibility of applying the developed gas permeation system for semiquantitative analysis of the CO2-N2 binary mixture is also presented.

Genetic characterization of the highlander Tibetan population from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau revealed by X chromosomal STRs.

Tibetans are considered an East Asian ethnic group and primarily live in the high Tibetan plateau, the western Sichuan and Yunnan mountains of central and southern China, and areas throughout the Himalayas and around the Tibetan plateau. These people exhibit rare molecular machinery that allows them to adapt to hypoxic environments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and make them a potential candidate for providing insights related to medical genetic, molecular medicine and human population studies. In the current study, we have genotyped 549 individuals with Investigator Argus X-12 Kit. For 12 X-STRs, a total of 174 unique alleles were found, among them DXS10134 and DXS10135 were the most polymorphic loci. All of the loci were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The numbers of observed haplotypes in Highlander Tibetans males were 161,112, 96 and 108, respectively, whereas haplotype diversities (HD) were 0.9959, 0.9880, 0.9809 and 0.9873, respectively. The combined discrimination power for males (PDm) was 0.999 999 99701 and for females (PDf) was 0.999 999 999 999 9958. This study represents an extensive report on X chromosomal STR markers variation in the Highlander Tibetans population for forensic applications and population genetic studies.

Antischistosomal effects of Ficus carica leaves extract and/or PZQ on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice.

Currently, praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug of choice used for treatment of human schistosomes because of its safety and broad-spectrum activity. It is reported that the repeated chemotherapy is complicated by the occurrence of drug resistance to schistosomiasis. So there is an urgent need to develop new drug combinations therapy. The current study aimed to evaluate antischistosomal activity of F. carica leaves extract alone or in combination with PZQ on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice. Mice were experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni and orally administrated 6 weeks' post-infection with Fig leaves extract and/or PZQ. Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni)-infected mice were separated into four groups: untreated (I), treated with PZQ in dose of 200 mg/kg bw (II), treated with Fig leaves extract dose of 400 mg/kg bw (III). Group IV was treated with dose of Fig leaves extract-PZQ as in groups II and III, respectively. The effect was detected parasitologically using ova count technique and oogram pattern in intestine and liver. The greatest antischistosomal effect was achieved using orally administered Fig leaves extract-PZQ as indicated by total worm burden, tissue egg count and oogram pattern. Fig leaves extract + PZQ induced the therapeutic efficacy over the PZQ dose alone in intestine and liver as shown by a complete absence of immature worms, a very high reduction in the total numbers of tissue egg load (59.81% vs. 61.43% & 67.96% vs. 73.46%), mature eggs (37.86 ± 1.4 vs. 34.14 ± 1.9) and increasing in the total number of dead eggs (62.14 ± 1.4vs.67.29 ± 1.76). The results suggested the curcumin in combination with PZQ as a strong schistosomicidal regimen against S. mansoni. In addition, F. carica leaves extract is a promising for PZQ potentiating its antischistosomal action in animal model infected with S. mansoni. Therefore, the present work conclude that combined treatment has a synergetic effect and could be more promising in the management of schistosomiasis.

Development and Characterization of Novel Flow Injection, Thin-Layer, and Batch Cells for Electroanalytical Applications Using Screen-Printed Electrodes.

In the present paper, the design, fabrication, and analytical applications of three novel cells for flow injection, thin-layer, and batch electrochemical measurements using screen-printed electrode chips (SPECs) are described. Each cell consisted of an acrylic base and a transparent acrylic cover. The essential construction feature of each cell base was a cavity to accommodate the SPEC, whereas the construction features of the clear acrylic cover determined the cell shape and its function. The presented cells offered several common advantages, which include (i) convenient electrical connection of the SPEC to any potentiostat without the need for special cables, (ii) the SPEC was completely contained within the cell body, which eliminated the risk of its breakage, (iii) suitable for use with a large number of commercially available SPECs, and (iv) excellent SPEC sealing. The flow cell offered additional advantages of convenient customization of the cell dead volume and convenient visual inspection of the surface and the vicinity of SPEs. The presented thin-layer cell is the first report on a dedicated cell which realized a near-ideal thin-layer steady-state voltammetry using SPECs. The universal batch cell (UBC) offered extreme versatility and proved suitable for all batch applications in sample volumes ranging from 25 µL to 40 mL with an optional controlled temperature and atmosphere. Moreover, a novel way to achieve stirred-solution chronoamperometry and hydrodynamic voltammetry using SPECs (with superior signal-to-noise ratios) using the UBC is described. Electrochemical measurements to demonstrate the merits and the applicability of all cells are also presented.

Safe natural bio-pigment production by Monascus purpureus using mixed carbon sources with cytotoxicity evaluation on root tips of Allium cepa L.

By increasing the undesirable side effects of synthetic food pigments on human health, using safe natural food pigment become an urgent issue. Incorporate corn starch with oils conducted a high impact on red pigment production by Monascus purpureus. Fortification the medium with sesame oil raised the pigment production by 80% and the dry mass by 63% compared with free oil medium. Response surface methodology maximizes the production with 114.6% (12.8 A500) using medium constituents (g/l); Sesame oil 5; Corn starch 30; Yeast extract 1.5; KH2PO4 2.5 and MgSO4.7H2O 0.1. After evaluating red pigment stability in three common food components, citric acid showed a great effect on residual stability percentage compared with ascorbic and salicylic acid which decrease slightly the residual stability percentage at light and dark conditions. The mitotic index of red pigment was lower than the negative control at all tested concentrations. Different types of mitotic chromosomal abnormalities e.g. lagging chromosome, chromosomal bridge, chromosome and chromatin fragments, outside chromosome, chromosomal stickiness and micro nuclei were recorded. Insignificant increase in total mitotic aberrations percentage in all tested root tips treated with all concentrations of red pigment (1.23, 1.58, 1.63, 2.32 and 2.40%) compared with negative control (0.91%). There was a significant increase in total aberrations percentage after treatment with all concentrations (10, 15, 20 and 25%) of positive control (2.93, 3.00, 3.55 and 6.53 respectively) except (5%) which was insignificant (2.71%). From the previous data, this red pigment can be used as an alternative safe pigment in the food industry.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Tosa-Jidori sheds light on the origin and evolution of Japanese native chickens.

OBJECTIVE: In Japan, approximately 50 breeds of indigenous domestic chicken, called Japanese native chickens (JNCs), have been developed. JNCs gradually became established based on three major original groups, "Jidori", "Shoukoku", and "Shamo". Tosa-Jidori is a breed of Jidori, and archival records as well as its morphologically primitive characters suggest an ancient origin. Although Jidori is thought to have been introduced from East Asia, a previous study based on mitochondrial D-loop sequences demonstrated that Tosa-Jidori belongs to haplogroup D, which is abundant in Southeast Asia but rare in other regions, and a Southeast Asian origin for Tosa-Jidori was therefore suggested. The relatively small size of the D-loop region offers limited resolution in comparison with mitogenome phylogeny. This study was conducted to determine the phylogenetic position of the Tosa-Jidori breed based on complete mitochondrial D-loop and mitogenome sequences, and to clarify its evolutionary relationships, possible maternal origin and routes of introduction into Japan. METHODS: Maximum likelihood and parsimony trees were based on 133 chickens and consisted of 86 mitogenome sequences as well as 47 D-loop sequences. RESULTS: This is the first report of the complete mitogenome not only for the Tosa-Jidori breed, but also for a member of one of the three major original groups of JNCs. Our phylogenetic analysis based on D-loop and mitogenome sequences suggests that Tosa-Jidori individuals characterized in this study belong to the haplogroup D as well as the sub-haplogroup E1. CONCLUSION: The sub-haplogroup E1 is relatively common in East Asia, and so although the Southeast Asian origin hypothesis cannot be rejected, East Asia is another possible origin of Tosa-Jidori. This study highlights the complicated origin and breeding history of Tosa-Jidori and other JNC breeds.

Extreme environments: microbiology leading to specialized metabolites.

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant microbial pathogens due to the continued misuse and overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and medicine is raising the prospect of a return to the preantibiotic days of medicine at the time of diminishing numbers of drug leads. The good news is that an increased understanding of the nature and extent of microbial diversity in natural habitats coupled with the application of new technologies in microbiology and chemistry is opening up new strategies in the search for new specialized products with therapeutic properties. This review explores the premise that harsh environmental conditions in extreme biomes, notably in deserts, permafrost soils and deep-sea sediments select for micro-organisms, especially actinobacteria, cyanobacteria and fungi, with the potential to synthesize new druggable molecules. There is evidence over the past decade that micro-organisms adapted to life in extreme habitats are a rich source of new specialized metabolites. Extreme habitats by their very nature tend to be fragile hence there is a need to conserve those known to be hot-spots of novel gifted micro-organisms needed to drive drug discovery campaigns and innovative biotechnology. This review also provides an overview of microbial-derived molecules and their biological activities focusing on the period from 2010 until 2018, over this time 186 novel structures were isolated from 129 representatives of microbial taxa recovered from extreme habitats.

Saccharopolyspora: an underexplored source for bioactive natural products.

Actinomycetes are a rich source for secondary metabolites with a diverse array of biological activities. Among the various genera of actinomycetes, the genus Saccharopolyspora has long been recognized as a potential source for antibiotics and other therapeutic leads that belong to diverse classes of natural products. Members of the genus Saccharopolyspora have been widely reported from several natural sources including both terrestrial and marine environments. A plethora of this genus has been chemically investigated for the production of novel natural products with interesting pharmacological effects. Therefore, Saccharopolyspora is considered one of the pharmaceutical important genera that could provide further chemical diversity with potential lead compounds. In this review, the literature from 1976 until December 2018 was covered, providing a comprehensive survey of all natural products derived from this genus and their semi-synthetic derivatives along with their biological activities, whenever applicable. Moreover, the biological diversity of Saccharopolyspora species and their habitats were also discussed.

Comparative influence of dietary probiotic, yoghurt, and sodium butyrate on growth performance, intestinal microbiota, blood hematology, and immune response of meat-type chickens.

This study was conducted to assess the effects of early dietary supplementation with probiotic, yoghurt, and sodium butyrate (SB) on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota, blood hematology, and immune response of broiler chickens. A total of 180 1-day-old SASSO broiler chicks, housed in 12 equal floor pen replicates each of 15 chicks, were assigned randomly to four feeding treatments (three replicates/treatment, n = 45): T1. Basal diet (BD) (control), T2. BD incorporated 1 g of a commercial probiotic per kilogram, T3. BD mixed with 5 g of fresh yoghurt per kilogram, and T4. BD incorporated 0.6 g SB/kg. The experimental birds received the dietary treatments from 1 to 21 days of age. The dietary supplementation (g/kg) with commercial probiotic, yoghurt, and SB during the first 21 days of age did not affect broiler's growth performance variables at day 42, relative weight of immunity organs, blood hematological indices, or the ileal and cecal bacterial counts at day 42, but increased the serum IgG levels and reduced the cecal aerobes at day 21. The probiotic and yoghurt treatments increased the serum content of antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus and decreased the counts of ileal aerobes and E. coli at day 21, whereas the SB treatment increased the ileal lactobacilli count at day 21. In conclusion, the tested feed additives displayed beneficial impacts on broilers' gut microbiota at day 21 and serum IgG at day 42, but did not affect the growth performance or blood hematological indices at 42 days of age.

A preliminary molecular survey of Babesia divergens and first evidence of Theileria annulata in cattle from Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Babesia divergens causes human babesiosis in Europe where the parasite utilizes cattle as animal reservoir and Ixodes ricinus as tick vector. Importation of infected animals and passive carriage of infected ticks through migratory birds can lead to tick/pathogen geographic expansion and emergence of diseases in naïve land. Given the information that Saudi Arabia imports cattle from the European countries and that two global bird flyways pass through the country geographic coordinates, we speculate that B. divergens might be introduced into the Kingdom. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was to molecularly detect and characterize B. divergens and other piroplasms (including Theileria spp.) in cattle from Taif district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples from 20 cattle residing Taif district were collected, and polymerase chain reaction tested using wide and species-specific primers. Amplicons from a positive genus-wide reaction were purified, sequenced, and analyzed. Phylogenetic trees were constructed, and similarity to existing GenBank zoonotic piroplasms was also assessed. RESULTS: All samples were negative for B. divergens, and only one sample proved positive for Theileria annulata in a wide reaction. Phylogeny clustered our strain with T. annulata from Spanish dog and another one detected in a cow from France. BLAST analysis showed genetic distance from zoonotic piroplasms with identity ranged from 88% to 91%. CONCLUSION: Although B. divergens was not detected, we are not able to rule out or affirm the existence of the pathogen in the country. On the other hand, identifying T. annulata strain with a southern European origin strongly supports our speculation that bovine zoonotic Babesia might be introduced into KSA. This study is not only the first molecular survey of B. divergens but also the first report of the molecular identity of T. annulata in Saudi Arabia. A national-wide bovine and tick surveillance are needed to further prove our speculation.

Physiological and molecular study on the anti-obesity effects of pineapple (Ananas comosus) juice in male Wistar rat.

The present study was performed to assess anti-obesity effects of raw pineapple juice in high fat diet (HFD)-induced fatness. Based on food type, rats were divided into normal diet and HFD groups. When animals of HFD group become obese, they were given pineapple juice along with either HFD or normal diet. Blood biochemistry, liver and muscle gene expressions were analyzed. HFD induced significant elevations in body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat accumulation, liver fat deposition and blood lipids while juice restored these parameters near to their normal values. Juice significantly decreased serum insulin and leptin while adiponectin was increased. Juice administration downregulated the increment of FAS and SERBP-1c mRNA expression in liver and upregulated HSL and GLUT-2 expressions. The muscular lipolytic CPT-1 expression was upregulted by juice treatment. Pineapple juice, therefore, may possibly be used as anti-obesity candidate where it decreased lipogenesis and increased lipolysis.

Caterpillar-Induced Plant Volatiles Attract Adult Tortricidae.

Binary and ternary combinations of volatile organic compounds identified earlier from caterpillar-infested apple foliage caught more than one thousand individuals of both sexes of several adult tortricid leafroller species in several days of trials conducted in apple orchards in southern British Columbia. A series of combinations with phenylacetonitrile, benzyl alcohol, and/or 2-phenylethanol and acetic acid enabled substantial catches of both sexes of eye-spotted budmoth, Spilonota ocellana, oblique-banded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana and three-lined leafroller, Pandemis limitata. These findings suggest that new monitoring aides can be developed to seasonally track populations, enabling practical applications in surveillance of female leafroller populations for the first time. It may also be possible to develop suppression tools based on combinations of kairomone compounds originally identified from leafroller larval-damaged apple trees, given the level of attraction. The discovery of these adult tortricid attractants (aromatic compounds plus acetic acid) raises new ecological questions about evolved direct plant defences against herbivores. Larval feeding-induced attraction of adult herbivores produces signals that are potentially harmful to the plant by increasing herbivory in the same family and probably feeding guild, but evidence for effects on plant fitness is needed.

Origin and genetic diversity of Egyptian native chickens based on complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA D-loop region.

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) play a significant role, ranging from food and entertainment to religion and ornamentation. However, the details on their domestication process are still controversial, especially the origin and evolution of African chickens. Egypt is thought to be important place for this event because of its geographic location as well as its long history of civilization. However, the genetic component and structure of Egyptian native chicken (ENC) have not been studied so far. The aim of this study is to clarify the origin and evolution of African chickens through assessing the genetic diversities and structure of five ENC breeds using the mitochondrial D-loop sequences. Our results suggest there is genetic differentiation between the pure native breeds and the improved native breeds. The latter breeds were established by the hybridization of the pure native and the exotic breeds. The pure native breeds were estimated to be established about 800 years ago. Subsequently, we extensively analyzed the D-loop sequences from the ENC as well as the globally collected chickens (2,010 individuals in total). Our phylogenetic tree among the regional populations shows African chickens can be separated to two distinct clades. The first clade consists of North African (Egypt), Central African (Sudan and Cameroon), European, and West (and Central) Asian chickens. The second clade consists of East African (Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe) and Pacific chickens. It suggests the dual origins of African native chickens. The first group was probably originated from South Asia, and then migrated to West Asia, and finally arrived to Africa thorough Egypt. The second group migrated from Pacific to East Africa via Indian Ocean probably by Austronesian people. This dual origin hypothesis as well as estimated divergence times in this study is harmonious with the archaeological and historical evidences. Our migration analysis suggests there is limited gene flow within African continent. These obtained findings are important for the better understanding of the diversity and uniqueness of African native chickens.

Solamargine production by a fungal endophyte of Solanum nigrum.

AIMS: The aim was to isolate, identify and characterize endophytes from Solanum nigrum L. as a new source of the cytotoxic steroidal alkaloid solamargine. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three endophytic fungi; SNFSt, SNFL and SNFF were isolated from S. nigrum and identified by molecular methods. Preliminary TLC screening showed a common metabolite between the plant and one of these fungi, SNFSt which was identified as Aspergillus flavus based on the phylogenetic analysis of its ITS sequence. Subsequent LC-HRESIMS analysis unambiguously established the identity of the compound based on its molecular formula and its characteristic MS(2) fragmentation pattern as solamargine. To ascertain its identity, fungal solamargine was isolated using preparative TLC and its structure was fully characterized using NMR spectroscopic techniques and high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis. Solamargine production could be followed and quantified for a total of 11 generations of this fungus with a titer of ~250-300 µg l(-1) . This study represents one of the first examples where host plant-derived compounds have been demonstrated to be steadily produced by an endophytic fungi in sizeable quantities. CONCLUSIONS: The production of solamargine (found in the host plant) by a cultivable fungal endophyte at a significant yield is a new observation. Further experiments such as media optimization, OSMAC (One Strain Many Compounds) or epigenetic modifiers could be applied to enhance the fungal solamargine production. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The endophytic fungus SNFSt isolated from S. nigrum may be utilized for quantitative production of the potent cytotoxic metabolite solamargine.