MICROPROPAGATION AND START CODON TARGETED CHARACTERIZATION OF FOUR STEVIA CULTIVARS IN EGYPT

calorie crop and commercially used as a non-caloric sweetener for diabetic patients. It is also used as cosmetic ingredient, pickling agent, and dentifrice. Four cultivars (Spantia, Shou2A3, China, and High Sugar) of stevia were included to optimize in vitro micropropagation. Four different combinations of hormonal treatments were investigated [6-benzylamino purine (BAP) + Kinetin (Kin) (0.25 + 0.25 mg/l); Forchloefenuron (Cppu) + Kin (0.25 + 0.25 mg/l); Cppu+ Kin (0.5+0.25 mg/l); and the control medium (hormone-free)]. Out of the different media components, the hormone-free medium produced the best performance of explants. The analysis of variance showed that the control treatment was the most significant for all traits except the number of branches per cutting. Hardening of rooted plants was performed in plastic pots with 70% survival percentage during acclimatization. Molecular characterization, of the four stevia cultivars, was conducted using 11 SCoT primers. The SCoT analysis resulted in 122 amplicons, of which, 62 amplicons (51%) were polymorphic. The range of polymorphism was between 6 % and 91 %. The range of polymorphic amplicons per primer was between one and 12 amplicons. The SCoT-16 produced the highest number of polymorphic bands (12). Meanwhile, the SCoT-24 produced the least polymorphism (6 %). The current study provides a new micropropagation system with low cost, high efficiency, and hormone-free application. Additionally, the study provides the first molecular characterization of stevia using SCoT marker system. Finally, SCoT markers associated with cultivars having high and low contents of stevioside can further be validated by marker-assisted breeding studies

Nano Propolis, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, and Their Composites: A Novel Green Synthesis with Synergistic Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties

Nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), propolis, and the ZnO–propolis composite (ZnO-P NCs) have been synthesized using a biomimetic approach. Zeta potential analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) proved the formation and stability of nanomaterials. Findings using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), EDX-imaging, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that the particle size of ZnO-P NCs was 9.70 nm. The antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging) activity of synthesized nanomaterials was investigated. IC50 values of zinc oxide, propolis, and ZnO-P NCs nanoparticles were 2.75, 1.7, and 1.45 mg mL−1, respectively. In addition, their selectivity and anticancer activity for cancer cell lines (Hela and MCF-7) and human normal (W138) cell lines were investigated. ZnO-P NCs were highly effective against the cell line for breast cancer with an IC50 value of 18 µg/mL, indicating its anticancer-promising potent cytotoxicity in breast cancer treatment, and 23 µg/mL against cervical cancer. In addition, the higher observed safety, antioxidant, and anticancer activities for synthesized ZnO-P NCs confirmed the synergistic effect of this combination. It was obtained that the specific mechanisms underlying the synergy effect between zinc oxide nanoparticles and nanopropolis in their composite formulation varied depending on the preparation method, ratio, and concentration of the components

Obesity may be erythropoietin dose-saving in hemodialysis patients

Background : In dialysis patients, the obesity-survival paradox still requires an explanation. Anemia and high doses of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are associated with worse outcomes in the hemodialysis (HD) population. In the present study, we explored the relation between obesity and anemia control in a sample of maintenance HD patients in Egypt. Methods : This multicenter observational study included 733 patients on maintenance HD from 9 hemodialysis centers in Egypt. Clinical and laboratory data as well as average doses of ESAs and parenteral iron were recorded. The erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) was calculated. Results : Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m², was present in 22.6% of the studied population. The target hemoglobin level (10.0-11.5 g/dL) was achieved in 27.3% of non-obese and 25.3% of obese patients, with no significant difference. The median serum ferritin and the values of transferrin saturation index did not differ significantly between these two groups. The weekly ESA dose was significantly lower in obese than in non-obese patients (P = 0.0001). A trend toward higher ESA doses and ERI values was observed in patients with lower BMIs (P ＜ 0.0001). Multiple linear regression revealed that the BMI and urea reduction ratio were the strongest predictors of the ERI. Conclusion : Our study adds more evidence to obesity-associated advantages in HD patients. BMI may determine ESA response, with better responses observed in patients with higher BMIs