Biochemical Characterization and Disease Control Efficacy of Pleurotus eryngii-Derived Chitosan—An In Vivo Study against Monilinia laxa, the Causal Agent of Plum Brown Rot

Chitin (Ct) is a crucial biopolymer present in fungi, algae, arthropods, and is usually obtained from crustacean shells. Chitosan (Cs) is a derivative from Ct deacetylation, and possesses numerous uses in various agro-industrial fields. Research on fungal-derived Ct and Cs is mostly focused on pharmaceutical uses, however their uses for plant disease control remain less explored. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the possibility of using chitosan obtained from mushroom Pleurotus eryngii (Cs-Pe) for controlling some phytopathogens compared to commercial chitosan (C.Cs). This study is focused on the following key areas: (i) extracting Ct from P. eryngii mycelium and converting it to Cs through deacetylation, using both bleaching and non-bleaching methods; (ii) conducting a physico-chemical characterization and in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the obtained Cs; (iii) performing an in vivo assessment of the phytotoxic and cytotoxic effects of Cs; and (iv) investigating in vivo the impact of the studied chitosan on fruit quality and its biocontrol efficacy against Monilinia laxa infections in plum fruits. Results showed that Cs-Pe, especially the unbleached one, displayed promising in vitro antimicrobial activity against the majority of tested pathogens. Regarding the cytotoxicity, the highest significant increase in cell abnormality percentage was observed in the case of C.Cs compared to Cs-Pe. In the in vivo study, Cs-Pe acted as a protective barrier, lowering and/or preventing moisture loss and firmness of treated plums. The studied Cs-Pe demonstrated notable efficacy against M. laxa which decreased the fruits’ percentage decline. These results strongly suggest that Cs derived from P. eryngii is a potential candidate for increasing plums’ shelf-life. This research shed light on the promising applications of P. eryngii-derived Cs in the agri-food field

Subclinical hypothyroidism ups the risk of vascular complications in type 2 diabetes

The incidence of thyroid dysfunction in diabetic patients is higher than that of the general population. Undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction may affect the metabolic control and enhance cardiovascular, and other chronic complication risks in diabetic patients. Few studies have examined the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and vascular complications of type 2 diabetes.Objectives: To find out the relationship between SCH and vascular complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Subjects andMethods: Our cross sectional study included 110 patients with type 2 DM (45 males and 65 females) who were followed at the Diabetes outpatient Clinics in the state of Kuwait during 6 months period. All patients subjected to complete clinical and laboratory data, including thyroid function tests, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, urinary albumin, fundus examination, ECG, and Glycosylated hemoglobin.Results: Among 110 patients, 21 (19.1%) Patients had SCH. Patients with SCHwere more significantly older, with longer duration of diabetes, higher HbA1c, total cholesterol and LDL-C than euthyroid group. However, gender (p = 0.076), BMI (p = 0.092), and smoking (P = 0.715) were not significantly different between the SCH and euthyroid groups. The SCH group had a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia (p = 0.017), diabetic nephropathy (p = 0.003) diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.004) and IHD (p = 0.011) than the euthyroid group while no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetic neuropathy (p = 0.420).Conclusions: SCH is a common endocrine disorder in patients with Type 2 diabetes. It could be associated with a higher prevalence of vascular complications in type 2 diabetes. We could not prove a relation between SCH and diabetic neuropathy.Keywords: Subclinical hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Vascular complicatio

A Comprehensive Review on the Biological, Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Properties of Secondary Metabolites Based-Plant Origin

: Natural products are compounds produced by living organisms and can be divided into two main categories: primary (PMs) and secondary metabolites (SMs). Plant PMs are crucial for plant growth and reproduction since they are directly involved in living cell processes, whereas plant SMs are organic substances directly involved in plant defense and resistance. SMs are divided into three main groups: terpenoids, phenolics and nitrogen-containing compounds. The SMs contain a variety of biological capabilities that can be used as flavoring agents, food additives, plant-disease control, strengthen plant defenses against herbivores and, additionally, it can help plant cells to be better adapted to the physiological stress response. The current review is mainly focusing on certain key elements related to the significance, biosynthesis, classification, biochemical characterization and medical/pharmaceutical uses of the major categories of plant SMs. In addition, the usefulness of SMs in controlling plant diseases, boosting plant resistance and as potential natural, safe, eco-friendly substitutes for chemosynthetic pesticides were also reported in this review

Developing Globally Competent Teacher Candidates Through Cross-Cultural Experiential Learning

An emerging imperative for teacher preparation programs is the development of globally competent teacher candidates. Employing a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the researchers analyzed data from Asia Society’s Global Competencies (2008) survey, critical reflection journals, course assignments, and field notes of 124 undergraduate teacher candidates enrolled in two teacher preparation courses during three academic years. Findings demonstrate candidates’ perceptions of learning experiences and the extent to which the experiences contributed to the development of global competencies. For educators, the study provides examples of cross-cultural experiential learning that contribute to the development of globally competent teacher candidates

Response of sesame to intercropping with maize under different sowing dates and plant distributions of sesame

Intercropping is one way to reduce the request for more environmental resources for agriculture sustainability. A field trail was implemented at Sids Agricultural Experimental and Research Station, Egypt, during 2019 and 2020 season to study the effect of sesame sowing date [3 weeks before sowing maize (D1), simultaneously with maize (D2) and 3 weeks after sowing maize (D3)] and plant distribution of sesame [1 row (S1), 2 rows (S2) and 3 rows (S3)] on yields of both crops, land use and financial benefit. Split-plot design with three replications was used. Results showed that the highest values of maize agronomic traits were observed when late intercropping of sesame at D3 with one row of sesame. In contrast, sowing 3 rows of sesame significantly reduced the productivity of maize, while introducing sesame at D1 resulted in the highest values for sesame agronomic traits. The values of LER, RCC and AYL of D2 x S1 surpassed the other intercropping treatments. Aggressivity was (+) for sesame at D1 and D2 but it was (-) at D3. Furthermore, D2 x S1 surpassed the other intercropping treatments in total return (2297 US$), MAI 633 and increased return by 61.5 % over solid maize. It can be concluded that sesame simultaneously with maize by inter seeding one row of sesame spaced into maize maximize land use, income and food sustainability. Keywords: Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), Relative crowding coefficient (RCC) Actual yield loss (AYL), total return

Biochemical Characterization, Phytotoxic Effect and Antimicrobial Activity against Some Phytopathogens of New Gemifloxacin Schiff Base Metal Complexes

String of Fe(III), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Zr(IV) complexes were synthesized with tetradentateamino Schiff base ligand derived by condensation of ethylene diamine with gemifloxacin. The novel Schiff base (4E,4’E)-4,4’-(ethane-1,2- diyldiazanylylidene)bis{7-[(4Z)-3-(aminomethyl)-4-(methoxyimino)pyrrolidin-1-yl]-1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro- 1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid} (GMFX-en) and its metal complexes were identified and confirmed by elemental analyses, FT-IR, UV/VIS, 1H-NMR spectra, magnetic susceptibility, conductometric measurements and thermal analyses. The FT-IR spectral data showed the chelation behavior of GMFX-en toward the metal ions through oxygen of carboxylate group and nitrogen of azomethine group. In the light of all spectral data, these complexes presumably have octahedral geometry configurations. Thermal analysis specified that the decaying of the metal complexes exist in two or three steps with the final residue metal oxides. Antimicrobial activity of the new prepared metal complexes was screened against some common phytopathogens and their mode of action has been also discussed. The potential phytotoxic effectiveness of the new complexes was furthermore inspected on two commonly experimental plants. The complexes showed significant antimicrobial and phytotoxic effects against the majority of tested phytopathogens and the two tested plants, respectively. The potential antimicrobial activity of the complexes proved their possibility to be used successfully in agropharmacutical industry to control many serious phytopathogens. The phytotoxicity of the studied complexes also indicated their possibility as potential bio-based herbicides alternatives to weed control in crop fields

Biochemical Characterization of New Gemifloxacin Schiff Base (GMFX‐o‐phdn) Metal Complexes and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Activity against Some Phyto‐ or Human Pathogens

Four novel ligand‐metal complexes were synthesized through the reaction of Fe(III), pleaseCo(II), Zn(II), and Zr(IV) with Schiff base gemifloxacin reacted with ortho‐phenylenediamine (GMFX‐o‐phdn) to investigate their biological activities. Elemental analysis, FT‐IR, 1H NMR, UV‐visible, molar conductance, melting points, magnetic susceptibility, and thermal analyses have been carried out for insuring the chelation process. The antimicrobial activity was carried out against Monilinia fructicola, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium italicum, Botrytis cinerea, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa. The radical scavenging activity (RSA%) was in vitro evaluated using ABTS method. FT‐IR spectra indicated that GMFX‐o‐phdn chelated with metal ions as a tetradentate through oxygen of carboxylate group and nitrogen of azomethine group. The data of infrared, 1HNMR, and molar conductivity indicate that GMFX–o‐phdn reacted as neutral tetra dentate ligand (N2O2) with metal ions through the two oxygen atoms of the car‐ boxylic group (oxygen containing negative charge) and two nitrogen atoms of azomethine group (each nitrogen containing a lone pair of electrons) (the absent of peak corresponding to ν(COOH) at 1715 cm−1, the shift of azomethine group peak from 1633 cm−1 to around 1570 cm−1, the signal at 11 ppm of COOH and the presence of the chloride ions outside the complex sphere). Thermal analyses (TG‐DTG/DTA) exhibited that the decaying of the metal complexes exists in three steps with the final residue metal oxide. The obtained data from DTA curves reflect that the degradation processes were exothermic or endothermic. Results showed that some of the studied complexes exhibited promising antifungal activity against most of the tested fungal pathogens, whereas they showed higher antibacterial activity against E. coli and B. cereus and low activity against P. fluo‐ rescens and P. aeruginosa. In addition, GMFX‐o‐phdn and its metal complexes showed strong anti‐ oxidant effect. In particular, the parent ligand and Fe(III) complex showed greater antioxidant ca‐ pacity at low tested concentrations than that of other metal complexes where their IC50 were 169.7 and 164.6 μg/mL, respectively

Groundwater Recharge Potentiality Mapping in Wadi Qena, Eastern Desert Basins of Egypt for Sustainable Agriculture Base Using Geomatics Approaches

In arid and hyper-arid areas, groundwater is a precious and rare resource. The need for water supply has grown over the past few decades as a result of population growth, urbanization, and agricultural endeavors. This research aims to locate groundwater recharge potential zones (GWPZs) using multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) in the Wadi Qena Basin, Eastern Desert of Egypt, which represents one of the most promising valleys on which the government depends for land reclamations and developments. These approaches have been used to integrate and delineate the locations of high groundwater recharge and the potential of the Quaternary aquifer in the Wadi Qena basin. After allocating weight factors to identify features in each case based on infiltration, land use/land cover, slope, geology, topology, soil, drainage density, lineament density, rainfall, flow accumulation, and flow direction, these thematic maps were combined. The results of the GIS modeling led to the division of the area’s groundwater recharge potential into five groups, ranging from very high (in the western part) to very low (in the eastern part of the basin). The zones with the best prospects for groundwater exploration turned out to be the alluvial and flood plains, with their thick strata of sand and gravel. The groundwater recharge potential map was validated using data from the field and earlier investigations. The promising recharging areas show high suitability for soil cultivation. The results overall reveal that RS and GIS methodologies offer insightful instruments for more precise assessment, planning, and monitoring of water resources in arid regions and anywhere with similar setups for groundwater prospecting and management

Evaluation of low-intensity laser radiation on stimulating the cholesterol degrading activity: Part I. Microorganisms isolated from cholesterol-rich materials

AbstractA survey was performed to isolate bacteria and fungi from cholesterol-rich sources including chicken liver, turkey giblets, salmon, lamb, egg yolk, beef brain and shrimps. A total of 34 bacterial and 22 fungal isolates were recovered from the tested sources. The highest count of isolates was recovered from the soil (12 isolates/g), followed by turkey giblets and egg yolk (8 isolates/g, for each). Out of 34 bacterial isolates, five induced the highest level in cholesterol degradation. The most potent bacterial isolate was recovered from turkey giblets and was identified as Streptomyces fradiae. In a trial to increase the cholesterol decomposing potentiality of S. fradiae, low intensity Nd-YAG laser irradiation was evaluated. The exposure of the chlorophyllin – photosensitized bacterium to 210mW Nd-YAG laser for 8min induced significant increase in cholesterol degrading activity reaching 73.8% as compared with 54.2% in the case of non-irradiated, non-photosensitized culture. Under the same conditions but using the reaction mixture containing cholesterol as a substrate and extracellular crude enzyme, the percent decomposition reached 53.7% for the irradiated culture as compared to 28.3% in the case of the control. Our data indicate the importance of the photosensitizer in enhancement of laser radiation to stimulate cholesterol decomposition of S. fradiae

ENHANCED ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF STREPTOMYCES GRISEOPLANUS L-ASPARGINASE VIA ITS INCORPORATION IN AN OIL-BASED NANOCARRIER

Objective: L-asparaginase (L-asp) is a vital enzyme used as a therapeutic agent in combination with other drugs in the treatment of acute lymphoma, melanosarcoma and lymphocytic leukemia. Immobilization of enzymes through loading on nanoemulsion (NE) results in some advantages such as enhancing their stability and increasing their resistance to proteases. Aim of the present study is to formulate L-asp loaded nanoemulsion to enhance its efficiency and thermal stability. Methods: Nanoemulsion loaded with L-asp crude extract (specific activity 13.23U/mg protein) was prepared employing oleic acid as oil, tween 20/tween 80 as surfactants and propylene glycol (PG) as co-surfactant. L-asp loaded NE underwent several thermodynamic stability studies and the optimized formulae were further examined for their biochemical properties and thermal stability. Results The developed formulations were spherical in shape and their sizes were in the nanometric dimensions with negatively charged zeta potential values. Upon comparing the enzyme activity of L-asp loaded NE employing tween 20 (F1) or tween80 (F4) at different concentrations, the results revealed that F4 NE showed higher enzymatic activity [323 U/ml] compared to F1 NE [197 U/ml] at the same concentration. The nanosized immobilized L-asp was more stable in the pH range from 8 to 8.5 as compared to free L-asp. The immobilized enzyme preserved about 59.11% of its residual activity at 50 °C; while free L-asp preserved about 33.84%. Conclusion: In the view of these results, NE composed of oleic acid, tween 80 and PG represents a promising dosage form for enhancing the activity and stability of Streptomyces griseoplanus L-asp