EFFECT OF COMPOSITE EDIBLE COATING ON THE STORAGE OF FRIED CHICKEN PIECES

Food packaging has a great importance to increase the shelf life and safety of food,as well as packaging works as a buffer against the conditions that cause damage, such aslight, dust, oxygen, moisture and microbes, Native (NS)and modified (MS) potato starchesusing stearic acid ,and different concentrations of whey protein (WP)0-50% were used asedible coatings for the chicken pieces then kept at refrigerator (4±1°C) and deep freezingconditions (-18°C) for periods of (2,5,7) days.The effect of coating was studied todetermine the moisture loss, oil uptake ,peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid in addition tothe sensory evaluation. The results showed that all the composite edible coats improved thechemical characteristic and the best edible coat was MS50% +WP% which provided betterresults in terms of reduction the moisture loss , oil uptake and the oxidation values andimproved the score of colour ,flavor ,texture and general appearance which reflect thesensory evolution

THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF BAY LEAVES (Laurusnobilis L.)

The present study is to identify the chemical composition of bay leaves (Laurusnobilis L.) protein, oil, ash and carbohydrate which were (7.62, 8.5, 3.63, 50.83)% respectively.This paper reports the concentration of many minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper magnesium, manganese, and zink. calcium and magnesium have the highest concentration(377,550 mg /g) respectively, vitamins concentration also determined riboflavin, ascorbic acid which were (45.33, 2, 0.90 mg/g) respectively. Bay oil.Was extracted from bay leaves(L.nobilis)with petroleum ether using Soxhlet apparatus. Bay oil showed high value in unsaturated fatty acids 55% include oleic,linoleic,linolenic, and saturated fatty acids 45% include laureic, merestic, palmetic, stearic. The present study describe the reducing power and antioxidant activity for alcoholic extracts of bay leaves.rates of antioxidant activity and reducing power increases as the concentrate of bay leaves extract increasedwhich were (173.81%) and (75.61%) respectively at 5% concentration

THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF BAY LEAVES (laurusn obilis L.)

The present study is to identify the chemical composition of bay leaves(Laurusnobilis L.) protein, oil, ash and carbohydrate which were (7.62, 8.5, 3.63, 50.83)%respectively.This paper reports the concentration of many minerals calcium,Phosphorus,Potassium,Iron,Copper Magnesium, Manganese, and Zink. Calcium andMagnesium have the highest concentration(377,550 mg /g) respectively, Vitaminsconcentration also determined riboflavin, ascorbic acid which were (45.33, 2, 0.90 mg/g)respectively. Bay oil.Was extracted from bay leaves(L.nobilis)with petroleum ether usingSoxhlet apparatus. Bay oil showed high value in unsaturated fatty acids 55% includeoleic,linoleic,linolenic, and saturated fatty acids 45% includelaureic, merestic, palmetic,stearic. The present study describe the reducing power and antioxidant activity foralcoholic extracts of bay leaves.rates of antioxidant activity and reducing power increasesas the concentrate of bay leaves extract increasedwhich were (173.81%) and (75.61%)respectively at 5% concentration

ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION OF SOME FUGAL ISOLATES AND TESTING THEIR ABILITY FOR LIPOXYGENASE PRODUCTION

Eighty three local isolates of fungi were isolated from different resources (Peanuts , maize, rice, wheat, bread , domestic cheese of sheep, Milk local Cream, Iranian cream, Roquefort cheese and soil). These isolates were purified and identified, it include 14 isolates of Aspergillus flavus, 13 Aspergillus niger,8 Aspergillus terreus,3Aspergillus parasaticus,3Alternaria spp.,15Penicilliumspp.,7Fusarium spp.,5 Trichoderma spp., 11 Rhizopus spp. and 7Mucor spp. The ability of isolates for producing aflatoxin were tested, the toxic isolates(Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus terreus ,and Aspergillus parasaticus) were removed.Aspergillus niger which was isolated from maize was choosing as the best lipoxygenase producer after Primary and secondary screening. The growth of the selected isolate colonies had the largest proportion than the Colonies of Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma sp..all so the same isolate had high enzymatic activity 801.4units/ml, while Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma sp. had (559.2 and 120) units/ml respectively

Association of LOXL1 gene common sequence variants in Jordanian patients with exfoliation syndrome and exfoliative glaucoma

AIM: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LOXL1 gene with exfoliation syndrome/glaucoma (XFS/XFG) among Jordanians. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with XFS/XFG and 59 healthy control individuals were recruited in the study. Patients were diagnosed with XFS/XFG using standard clinical examination techniques. The exonic rs1048661 SNP and the intronic rs2165241 SNP in LOXL1 gene were genotyped using sequencing technique. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls using Chi-square analysis. RESULTS: The G allele of the rs1048661 SNP and the T allele of the rs2165241 SNP were common in the sample with frequencies of 86.4% and 81.4%, respectively. In addition, there were no significant differences in the genotypic and allelic distributions between patients and controls for rs1048661 SNP (P=0.770, OR=1.21, 95%CI: 0.56-2.60) and for rs2165241 SNP (P=0.605, OR=1.12, 95%CI: 0.59-2.09). In addition, no significant associations were found between haplotypes of the examined SNPs and XFS/XFG in the sample (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Variations in LOXL1 gene may not be associated with XFS/XFG in the Jordanian population. More studies are required to confirm the current findings

Silent struggles: a qualitative study exploring mental health challenges of undergraduate healthcare students

Background: Mental health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, influencing how individuals think, feel, and perform. Mental health among healthcare students has become a major concern, drawing attention due to its profound impact on their welfare, academic performance, and ability to effectively interact with patients. This paper aimed to explore the experiences of undergraduate healthcare students facing mental health challenges at Qatar University. With a focus on understanding the factors contributing to mental health issues and exploring their coping mechanisms, the research also sought to identify students’ recommendations for institutional support to improve their mental well-being. Methods: A qualitative approach using semi-structured face-to-face interviews was employed to collect data. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit students from five healthcare disciplines- Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Nursing- who had self-reported mild to moderate depressive symptoms based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21). A total of 15 interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed verbatim, with thematic analysis used to identify key themes. Results: Several themes emerged from the interviews, including academic pressure, social isolation, anxiety, coping mechanisms, fear of failure, and stigma surrounding mental health support. Academic pressure was consistently reported as a major stressor, contributing to anxiety and emotional strain. Social isolation further exacerbated mental health challenges, while many students highlighted a lack of well-established coping strategies. Stigma related to seeking mental health support was a significant barrier, preventing students from accessing available services. Conclusion: The study highlights the mental health challenges faced by healthcare students, emphasizing the need for effective institutional mental health support. Addressing academic pressures, enhancing self-coping mechanisms and social support systems, and reducing the stigma around mental health care are essential steps toward improving student well-being. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.Open access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library

Evaluation of mental health of students in healthcare education programs at Qatar University

Mental health issues among undergraduate health-care students are a growing concern. This research aims to explore the frequency of mental health issues among health-care students in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nutrition, biomedical sciences, nursing, and public health at Qatar University. Ethics approval was obtained from the institutional review board. A total of 1,378 health-care students were invited to participate. Data were collected online using two validated questionnaires including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess symptoms of depression, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and two open-ended questions investigating risk factors and recommendations for enhancing institutional support. A total of 270 health-care students completed the survey; 227 female, and 43 male students. According to PHQ-9 cut-off values, 37.7% of students had mild depression symptoms, 25.5% moderate, 14.8% moderately severe and 10% severe symptoms. DASS-21 responses revealed 34.7% displayed severe to extremely severe anxiety symptoms, 15.4% severe to extremely severe stress symptoms and 21% severe to extremely severe depression symptoms. Students aged 18-21 years had significantly higher depression (p=0.03) and stress scores (p=0.05). Qatari students had significantly higher anxiety scores (p=0.05). Responses to open-ended questions were categorized into sub-themes and grouped together into broader themes. Most students reported exam stress and workload as key factors contributing to their negative mental health. Participants' recommendations included reducing academic workload through better curricular planning, providing training to faculty to better support students with mental health issues, and improving mental health services. This study showed a significant percentage of respondents reported symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression during undergraduate studies. Participants represent the future healthcare force for the country and there is a need to identify and support students with mental health issues through close monitoring, and work with all stakeholders to improve student support services.Open access funding for this paper was provided by the Qatar National Library

The Significance of Cathepsin V and its N-terminally Truncated Form in Thyroid Physiology and Carcinogenesis

As cell biologists and specialized in proteases, our group has made significant contributions to the understanding of the role of cathepsins, in the maintenance of thyroid function. In this study, we examined the significance of cathepsin V in thyroid physiology and carcinogenesis. Immunofluorescence analysis of non-cancerous and cancerous human thyroid tissue showed the localization of cathepsin V at the apical plasma membrane domain of thyrocytes and within the follicle lumen of normal thyroid tissue, whereas cathepsin V was found within nuclei in cells of follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue. These results prompted us to explore which molecular form of cathepsin V can be secreted and/or sorted to the nuclear compartment of thyrocytes. To this end, we created two cell lines stably expressing full-length (hCV-eGFP) and N-terminally truncated cathepsin V (h56NCV-eGFP), both tagged with eGFP at their C-termini, which are referred to as Nthyori-CV and Nthyori-NCV, respectively. We found that hCV-eGFP chimeric protein follows the canonical transport pathway of cathepsins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen through the Golgi apparatus to endo-lysosomes. In addition, our results revealed that Nthyori-CV cells secrete the proform of the hCV-eGFP chimeric protein in a TSH-regulated pattern into the extracellular space. On the other hand, h56NCV-eGFP chimeric protein which lacks the ER lumen-targeting signal peptide and part of the propeptide escaped the secretory pathway, which explains its unusual presence in the cytosol and accumulation in the nuclei of Nthyori-NCV cells. In particular, it was more abundant in the nuclei during S phase, suggesting that nuclear cathepsin V might be involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression of thyrocytes. Thus, we investigated the effect of h56NCV-eGFP expression on the proliferation rate of thyrocytes. We found that Nthyori-NCV cells are more proliferative than both Nthyori-CV and wild-type controls

Development of a Millet Starch Edible Film Containing Clove Essential Oil

Medicinal plants contain various secondary metabolites. The present study analyzed the essential oil of buds from clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.; Family: Myrtaceae) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS analysis showed the presence of six major phytoconstituents, such as eugenol (66.01%), caryophyllene (19.88%), caryophyllene oxide (5.80%), phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-acetate (4.55%), and humulene (3.75%). The effect of clove essential oils (CEO) at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% (w/w) on the mechanical and barrier properties of starch films was evaluated. The tensile strength (TS) and elongation (E) of films with clove essential oil were 6.25 ± 0.03 MPa and 5.67% ± 0.08%, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the films significantly increased the millet starch film and presented the lowest antioxidant activity (0.3%) at a 30 minute incubation for the control sample, while increasing CEO fraction in the starch film lead to an increase in antioxidant activity, and the 3% CEO combined film presented the highest antioxidant activity (15.96%) at 90 min incubation. This finding could be explained by the incorporation of clove oil containing antioxidant properties that significantly increased with the incorporation of CEO (p < 0.05). A zone of inhibition ranging from 16 to 27 mm in diameter was obtained when using a concentration of CEO ranging from 1% to 3%. We also observed the presence of an antimicrobial activity on several tested microorganism including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter sp, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Trichoderma fungi. Thus, the current study reveals the possibility of using a millet starch edible film as a preservation method