Magnetic Treatment Of Salted Irrigation Water And Seeds: Its Effects On Vegetable Crop Yield And Nutrition Value Of Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L)

Pot experiment was conducted in Qalin Center, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt under the natural conditions of greenhouse during the two growing winter seasons of 2020/21 and 2021/22. The experiment aims to evaluate the effect of two magneto-priming seed treatments (Un-magnetized seeds (U-MS) and magnetized seeds (MS), two magnetized water (Un-magnetized water (U-MW) and magnetized water (MW) under two levels of irrigation water salinity stresses (2500 and 5000 ppm) on seedling emergence, vegetative growth and productivity of spinach plants. The eight treatments laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Results show that sowing magnetized spinach seeds and irrigation pots with magnetized saline water (2500 or 5000 ppm) significantly out-performed sowing un-magnetized spinach seeds and irrigated with un-magnetized water for all tested vegetative growth parameters at the age of 15, 30, 45, and 55 days. Regarding magnetized seed treatment, the magnetized seed treatments significantly surpassed the untreated seed in all recorded leaves growth parameters (i.e., leaves numbers plant-1, leave length (cm), leave width (cm) and Leave Area (LA; cm2)), plant growth parameters (i.e., plant height (cm), plant fresh and dry weight in gram), root growth parameters (root length and width (cm), root fresh and dry weight in gram) and total chlorophyl (spam) at the age of 15, 30, 45, and 55 days. The percent of improvement, ranged from 2.95 to 20.92% in leaves growth parameters, 8.80-20.45% in plant growth, 13.21-17.18% in root growth and 4.40-4.82% in total chlorophyl in leaves. Similar positive effects were recorded under magnetized water compared to untreated water treatments. Where the positive effects, ranged from 3.17 to 39.96% in leaves growth parameters, 3.88-24.81% in plant growth, 27.77-66.01% in root growth and 1.95-6.48% in total chlorophyl in leaves at the age of 15, 30, 45, and 55 days. As well as both factors (magnetized seed or water) caused positive effects on nutrition value of  Spinach leaves. Results also show that, the magnetized treatments (seeds and water; T4) under 2500 or 5000 ppm salinity level significantly improved all the above-mentioned parameters compared to untreated treatment (T1) at 15, 30, 45 and 55 days. Under the conditions of this experiment, the results suggest applying irrigation with magnetized water and seeds can be recommended for reducing salinity stress which reflected in improvement productivity of spinach crops

PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ZINGIBER OFFICINALE AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED LIVER FIBROSIS

Objective: Liver plays a pivotal role in regulating various physiological processes in the body such as metabolism, secretion, and storage. It has a great capacity to detoxify toxic substances and synthesize useful principles. The current study was designed to investigate the possible protective effects of Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats.Methods: The animals were divided into four groups with eight rats in each. To induce liver fibrosis, Wistar albino rats received CCl4 (2 ml/kg diluted in corn oil) twice weekly for eight weeks. Rats were concurrently treated with Z. officinale extract at two different doses (300 and 600 mg/kg/day).Results: CCl4 ­­induced liver injury characterized by fibrotic changes, degenerated hepatocytes and focal accumulation of inflammatory cells. In addition, CCl4 administration produced a significant increase in serum aminotransferases, lipids, liver lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide. The hepatoprotective effects of Z. officinale extract were evidenced by the significant decrease in serum aminotransferases and liver lipid peroxidation. Further, concurrent treatment with either dose of Z. officinale enhanced liver glutathione and enzymatic antioxidant defenses.Conclusion: Z. officinale showed a marked hepatoprotective effect against CCl4–induced liver fibrosis and injury through the abolishment of oxidative stress and potentiation of the antioxidant defense system.Keywords: Antioxidant, Ginger, Fibrosis, Oxidative stres

Berberine mitigates methotrexate-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the cerebrum of rats

Berberine is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid with multiple beneficial therapeutic effects. This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of berberine against methotrexate (MTX)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain of rats. Rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of MTX (20 mg/kg) and orally administered 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body weight berberine for 7 days. MTX-induced rats showed significantly increased lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels in the cerebrum. Treatment of the MTXinduced rats with berberine produced a significant decrease in cerebral levels of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide. In addition, berberine induced a significant increase in reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase in the cerebrum of MTX-induced rats. Rats received MTX showed a significant up-regulation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) expression in the cerebrum, an effect that was significantly reversed following treatment with berberine. In conclusion, berberine protects against MTXinduced neurotoxicity through attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation, and boosting the antioxidant defenses

Evaluation of Salicornia bigelovii Germplasm for Food Use in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates Based on Agronomic Traits and Nutritional Composition

Climate change significantly aggravates the quality of soil and water, especially in desert regions such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt concluding in an alarming increase in salinity in the reservoirs of the natural resources. Saline farming rises as a promising solution, utilizing low-quality water and land resources to grow salt-tolerant varieties of conventional crops and halophytes. Samphire (Salicornia spp.) is among the most popular multi-purpose halophytes that are locally consumed in several countries around the world as a vegetable. Six Salicornia bigelovii genotypes (ICBA-2, ICBA-3, ICBA-4, ICBA-8, ICBA-9, ICBA-10) were evaluated for their agronomic performance and nutritional composition in Dubai in UAE and, for the first time, at the Red Sea Governorate in Egypt in the 2019–2020 season using saline groundwater for irrigation (ECw = 26 and 6.6 dS/m, respectively). ICBA-10 performed well in both locations with high green biomass and seed yield (10.9 kgm-2 and 116.3 gm-2, respectively, in UAE; 7.7 kgm-2 and 82.9 gm-2, respectively, in Egypt). ICBA-10 was, overall, also good in ion accumulation, total amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids content in both locations for shoots and seeds. Our results indicated that a lack of a drainage system and leaching fraction, the silt loam texture and the drip irrigation system might have contributed in the gradual accumulation of salts in the soil at Mubarak Valley at the end of the experiment at a higher level than ICBA. Apart from the agronomic parameters, higher salinity levels also affected ion accumulation, the amino acids and the fatty acids content for both shoots and seeds, whereas the proximate composition was affected to a lesser extent. Our findings on the high unsaturated fatty acids content under higher salinity corroborate the nutritional value of S. bigelovii oil. Due to its euhalophyte nature, S. bigelovii is a valuable source of minerals, amino acids and antioxidants that render it the most promising salt-loving plant for food use

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Expression and Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), first discovered in 2000, serves as an important counterregulatory enzyme to the angiotensin II-mediated vasoconstrictive, pro-inflammatory, and pro-fibrotic actions of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Conversion of angiotensin II to the peptide angiotensin 1–7 (ANG 1–7) exerts protective vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic actions through interaction with the MasR receptor. There are many important considerations when noting the role of ACE2 in the pathogenesis and sequelae of COVID-19 infection. ACE2, in the role of COVID-19 infection, was recognized early in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic as a cell membrane-bound and soluble binding site for the viral spike protein facilitating entering into tissue cells expressing ACE2, such as the lungs, heart, gut, and kidneys. Mechanisms exist that alter the magnitude of circulating and membrane-bound ACE2 (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral variants, patient characteristics, chronic disease states, and the degree of cell surface expression of ACE2) and the influence these mechanisms have on the severity of disease and associated complications (e.g., respiratory failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, acute myocarditis, acute kidney injury). Several medications alter the ACE2 receptor expression, but whether these medications can influence the course of the disease and improve outcomes is unclear. In this review, we will discuss what is known about the interrelation of SARS-CoV-2, ACE2 and the factors that may contribute to the variability of its expression and potential contributors to the severity of COVID-19 infection

Performance-based selection of recycling agents for asphalt pavements recycling projects

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Effects of Orlistat and herbal mixture extract on brain, testes functions and oxidative stress biomarkers in a rat model of high fat diet

This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of herbal mixture extracts of pumpkin seed oil, peanuts shell and Orlistat on brain, testes functions, oxidative stress biomarkers and histopathological changes in male albino rats administered high fat diet. Fifty male rats were divided into four groups: 1st administered normal diet, 2nd administered high fat diet, 3rd administered high fat diet with Orlistat and 4th administered high fat diet with herbal mix. A group of rats were fed with a standard control diet (1st control group was 12 rats for 22 weeks) and another group of rats were fed a diet containing 35% fat (2nd high fat diet) for 16 weeks. Then, this group of high fat diet was divided into 3 groups for the following 6 weeks: 1st group administered high fat diet only (13 rats), 2nd group administered high fat diet plus 2 mg/kg bw/day Orlistat (12 rats) and 3rd group administered high fat diet plus 5 mg/kg bw/day pumpkins and 2 mg/kg bw/day peanut shell extract (13 rats). Blood samples, brain and testes tissues were collected for biochemical assays and histopathological studies. High fat diet group showed a high significant increase (P < .001) in feed intake, body weight and body mass index. HFD showed a significant increasing in Nor Epinephrine, Dopamine, BCHE, Homocysteine and malondialdehyde contents in brain. In testes high fat diet increased malonaldehyde contents of testes. An improvement by the treatments with Orlistat and herbal mixture was observed. Histopathological examination of brain and testes sections of high fat diet rats supported the previous biochemical results. We concluded that the treatment with Orlistat and herbal mixture ameliorated the harmful effects of the high fat diet and reduce feed intake

Analytical and experimental investigations of operating mechanisms in reinforced asphalt pavements

Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye