Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Youssif

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) poses a global health challenge, demanding innovative approaches for effective treatments. Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. (Lamiaceae) is a shrub traditionally used as a medicinal plant to treat inflammation, skin diseases, and bronchitis. This study aims to identify the main bioactive metabolites in C. infortunatum using LC-QTOF-MS/MS and investigate its potential in protecting against cognitive decline in rats with scopolamine-induced AD disease. Metabolite profiling was performed on the methanol extract of the plant’s aerial parts using LC-QTOF-MS/MS. The inhibitory activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme was measured in vitro. To evaluate the cognitive effects, the methanol extract was orally administered at three doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) to scopolamine-induced AD rats, and their cognitive functions were assessed using the novel object recognition test. Additionally, acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity, as well as the levels of acetylcholine, dopamine, noradrenaline, glutathione, malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and amyloid-β in the rat hippocampus, were measured using ELISA, followed by histopathological evaluation. A total of 79 metabolites, spanning various chemical classes, such as organic acids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids and phenylethanoids, flavonoids, coumarins, other phenolics, and fatty acids and their derivatives, were identified. The results showed that the extract promoted enhanced cognitive functions in the novel object recognition test. Scopolamine administration significantly altered the acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity and biomarker levels in the rat’s hippocampus. However, treatment with C. infortunatum at 200 and 400 mg/kg almost restored these neurotransmitter levels to normal, which was further confirmed by histopathological analysis. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of C. infortunatum in mitigating cognitive decline in AD, with its first metabolite profiling revealing a range of bioactive compounds. The extract improved cognitive function in scopolamine-induced AD rats, restored acetylcholinesterase activity, normalized neurotransmitter levels, and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings suggest that C. infortunatum is a promising candidate for the development of natural therapies targeting AD.

This study seeks to examine water as a liminal symbol that reflects and symbolizes the liminal identities of adolescents and young adults in two selected plays for young adults: Feeding the Moonfish (2011) by Barbara Wiechmann and Our Place (2015) by Terry Gabbard. Feeding the Moonfish deals with the young adults Martin and Eden who suffer from traumatic experiences. They go to the dock by the lake to rediscover themselves, and, eventually, heal by the water. In a similar setting, Our Place comprises five stories that revolve around adolescents and young adults’ feelings of loss, fragmentation, frustration, love, and death. In both plays, the characters go through the three stages of liminality defined by Arnold van Gennep: the pre-liminal, the liminal, and the post-liminal and, finally, emerge as reborn/healed. Water is a complex liminal symbol that reflects the experiences of adolescence and young adults, and combines contradictory meanings which are essential, expressive, and, most importantly, complementary for the development of the characters and for their eventual recovery. Using the concept of liminality and adolescent psychology to read scenes in which liminal experiences (confusion, indecisiveness, and disorientation) are present, this study argues that the depiction of liminal experiences near water in these plays for young adults offers complex symbols for the study of young adulthood and for encountering and responding to traumas experienced in adolescence.

This study seeks to examine water as a liminal symbol that reflects and symbolizes the liminal identities of adolescents and young adults in two selected plays for young adults: Feeding the Moonfish (2011) by Barbara Wiechmann and Our Place (2015) by Terry Gabbard. Feeding the Moonfish deals with the young adults Martin and Eden who suffer from traumatic experiences. They go to the dock by the lake to rediscover themselves, and, eventually, heal by the water. In a similar setting, Our Place comprises five stories that revolve around adolescents and young adults’ feelings of loss, fragmentation, frustration, love, and death. In both plays, the characters go through the three stages of liminality defined by Arnold van Gennep: the pre-liminal, the liminal, and the post-liminal and, finally, emerge as reborn/healed. Water is a complex liminal symbol that reflects the experiences of adolescence and young adults, and combines contradictory meanings which are essential, expressive, and, most importantly, complementary for the development of the characters and for their eventual recovery. Using the concept of liminality and adolescent psychology to read scenes in which liminal experiences (confusion, indecisiveness, and disorientation) are present, this study argues that the depiction of liminal experiences near water in these plays for young adults offers complex symbols for the study of young adulthood and for encountering and responding to traumas experienced in adolescence.

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Cuproptosis, a new form of programmed cell death, is emerging as a key regulator in tumor progression. In this review, we talk about the interplay between cuproptosis, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and epigenetic modifications in lung cancer. We performed an extensive review of recent literature to explore the function of ncRNAs in the regulation of cuproptosis, their effects on tumor microenvironment remodeling, immune response regulation, and drug sensitivity. ncRNAs were found to modulate cuproptosis by influencing copper metabolism, apoptosis, and oxidative stress response. Specific ncRNA signatures possess prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target potential in lung cancer. In addition, ncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation has significant influence on deciding lung cancer formation and treatment outcome. The integration of non-coding RNAs related to cuproptosis into therapies offers great promise for the improvement of lung cancer prognosis. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and promote their implementation in clinical practice.

Ambrosia maritima L. (family Asteraceae) is an annual herb widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean region and Africa. The herb is employed in folk medicine for the treatment of many ailments. Herein, we report a comprehensive investigation of the diverse biological potential of two sesquiterpene lactones, damsin and neoambrosin, isolated from Ambrosia maritima. 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS/MS were employed to characterize the chemical structures of both compounds. In order to identify biological targets of both compounds we investigated their potential affinity for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which are pleiotropic classes of receptors implicated in essential functions of the body. This was investigated using a luciferase assay and a calcium fluorometric assay. A carbonic anhydrase inhibition assay was also performed using stopped flow CO2 hydrase spectrophotometric assay. Our analysis revealed that unlike damsin, neoambrosin showed a selective partial agonist effect on PPARγ receptors and TRPA1 channels. Its binding mode was investigated through in silico analysis. Both compounds showed no affinity for the tested carbonic anhydrases. Overall, our study details the chemical properties of neoambrosin and damsin and highlights neoambrosin as novel, cost-effective partial agonist of PPARɣ and TRPA1 receptors despite additional in vivo studies are needed to elucidate its biological and pharmacological properties.

Drastic consequences of climate change necessitate exploring plant-microbiota of arid desert ecosystems for potential candidates recommended for future microbiota –mediate strategies of stressed agriculture. The prevalent xerophytes (Amaranthaceae, Compositae, Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Plantaginaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Zygophyllaceae) were tested for culturable associated microbiota. Representative isolates were subjected to PGP functions, API-profiling and 16S rRNA genes sequencing. Xerophytes hosted dense populations of culturable microbiota, ecto-/endo-rhizosphere (> 103–107 CFUs g−1 root). API microtube analysis confirmed the predominance of representative genera of Gram-positive/negative bacteria. Isolates expressed multi-functional PGP traits, e.g. nitrogenase activity, indole acetic acid production, P/K- solubilization, ammonia production, salt tolerance, and effective/wide enzymatic activities. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. Firmicutes represented in ecto-rhizosphere (Bacillus rugosus, B. cereus, and B. altitudinis) and endo- rhizosphere (B. halotolerans, B. safensis subsp. safensis, B. siamensis, B. licheniformis and Brevibacillus parabrevis). Gammaproteobacteria presented in ecto-rhizosphere as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Ps. hibiscicola, Ps. monteilii, Kosakonia cowanii and Serratia liquefaciens and in endo-rhizosphere as Pantoea vagans, P. conspicua and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Alphaproteobacteria, Azospirillum zeae, Azospirillum oryzae and Agrobacterium salinitolerans, were present in ecto-rhizosphere. Conformity among API profiling and 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the genus level (> 58%) indicated the reliability of API profiling as pre-identification scheme. It is concluded that the present study provides additional information regarding microbiota associated with xerophytes. Beside their taxonomic diversity, they are of potential/ functional impact that recommend their use as candidates of synthetic communities (SynCom) for the modification of economic crops introduced to arid deserts.

This study introduces an innovative, environmentally sustainable ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method with UV detection for the concurrent quantification of six clinically relevant pharmaceuticals—vardenafil, avanafil, sildenafil, dapoxetine, duloxetine, and tadalafil—frequently employed in the management of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. This study employs quality by design (QbD) concepts to optimize chromatographic settings, assuring good selectivity, precision, and resilience, while conforming to green analytical chemistry standards, in contrast to previously published approaches. A face-centered composite design was utilized to systematically optimize critical parameters, resulting in effective separation using a reversed-phase C18 column, an acetate buffer (pH 3), and a mobile phase composed of buffer and methanol (72.5:27.5, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The new approach exhibited significant sensitivity and robustness in pharmaceutical dosage forms and contaminated food samples, especially in identifying illicit sildenafil and tadalafil adulteration in honey-based products. The proposed approach was thoroughly validated in accordance with ICH principles, satisfying analytical performance criteria for linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The method's environmental impact was assessed using AGREE metrics, validating its adherence to green analytical chemistry standards. This approach, characterized by its swift analysis time, low solvent usage, and exceptional separation efficiency, serves as a significant analytical instrument for quality control laboratories, pharmaceutical analysis, and food safety monitoring.

The euglenatides are a family of hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptides produced by the unicellular algae Euglena gracilis. These compounds have antiproliferative activity against fungal pathogens and mammalian cancer cell lines. Analysis of E. gracilis extracts revealed that the algae produce not only the euglenatides, but also a corresponding family of analogs that have the same molecular weights as the euglenatides, but are lacking the characteristic triene chromophore. In comparison to the euglenatides, the activity of these analogs is greatly reduced in a mammalian cytotoxicity assay, indicating that the triene is critical to the biological activity of the euglenatides.

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The development of multifunctional materials capable of serving both as high-efficiency adsorbents and high-performance supercapacitors is a critical challenge for environmental and energy applications. In this study, a novel zeolitic imidazole framework-8/mycelial pellet (ZIF-8/MP) composite was successfully synthesized using a simple in-situ growth and staged adsorption process. The MP with its three-dimensional porous structure, served as a scaffold, facilitating the uniform distribution of ZIF-8 across the porous carbon matrix. The resulting ZIF-8 in the ZIF-8/MP composite demonstrated a remarkable adsorption capacity for Congo red (CR), with a maximum capacity of 1428.57 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism was attributed to electrostatic interactions, zinc coordination, hydrogen bonding, and π–π conjugation, as confirmed by FTIR, XPS, and DFT analyses. After adsorption, the carbonized ZIF-8/MP composite demonstrated outstanding supercapacitor performance, achieving a specific capacitance of 113.4 F/g at 1 A/g, and maintaining 93 % capacitance retention after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Additionally, the ZIF-8/MP composite effectively reduced the toxicity of CR, as demonstrated by phytotoxicity assays, underscoring its potential for environmental remediation. This innovative approach provides an eco-friendly, easily separable, efficient, and practical multifunctional material for transforming hazardous waste into valuable resources for environmental detoxification and energy storage applications.

The development of multifunctional materials capable of serving both as high-efficiency adsorbents and high-performance supercapacitors is a critical challenge for environmental and energy applications. In this study, a novel zeolitic imidazole framework-8/mycelial pellet (ZIF-8/MP) composite was successfully synthesized using a simple in-situ growth and staged adsorption process. The MP with its three-dimensional porous structure, served as a scaffold, facilitating the uniform distribution of ZIF-8 across the porous carbon matrix. The resulting ZIF-8 in the ZIF-8/MP composite demonstrated a remarkable adsorption capacity for Congo red (CR), with a maximum capacity of 1428.57 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism was attributed to electrostatic interactions, zinc coordination, hydrogen bonding, and π–π conjugation, as confirmed by FTIR, XPS, and DFT analyses. After adsorption, the carbonized ZIF-8/MP composite demonstrated outstanding supercapacitor performance, achieving a specific capacitance of 113.4 F/g at 1 A/g, and maintaining 93 % capacitance retention after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Additionally, the ZIF-8/MP composite effectively reduced the toxicity of CR, as demonstrated by phytotoxicity assays, underscoring its potential for environmental remediation. This innovative approach provides an eco-friendly, easily separable, efficient, and practical multifunctional material for transforming hazardous waste into valuable resources for environmental detoxification and energy storage applications.

Methacholine chloride (MCh), a hydrolyzable cholinergic agonist, is widely employed in bronchoprovocation tests for asthma diagnosis. However, the instability of MCh in aqueous solutions poses a major concern during the methacholine challenge test. To address this issue, the innovative ‘Green-Dip’ approach was developed for in-line potentiometric monitoring of MCh hydrolysis in inhalation solutions prepared for the challenge test. A portable, eco-friendly, and disposable screen-printed electrode (SPE) was designed and optimized to quantify MCh and monitor its hydrolytic degradation under varying pH conditions, enabling the determination of key kinetic parameters. The SPE was enhanced for improved selectivity, detection limit, and resistance to potential drift by incorporating calix[4]arene (CX4) as an ionophore within the ion-sensing membrane (ISM) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a transducing layer between the ISM and the electrode surface. The proposed sensor exhibited Nernstian behavior for MCh over a concentration range of 3.05 × 10−7 M to 1.00 × 10−2 M, with a detection limit of 8.91 × 10−8 M and a slope of 57.20 ± 0.33 mV/decade. It demonstrated excellent performance characteristics, including minimal potential drift (1.10 mV/h), a rapid response time (4 ± 1 s), and an extended operational lifetime of approximately 50 days. As part of the ‘Green-Dip’ approach and to enhance environmental sustainability, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) was utilized as an eco-friendly alternative to tetrahydrofuran (THF) for dissolving the components of the ion-sensing membrane (ISM). The proposed sensor facilitated real-time monitoring of MCh hydrolysis, enabling the evaluation of pH and temperature effects, as well as the calculation of reaction rate constants, half-life, and activation energy. This cost-effective, eco-friendly in-line tool provides a reliable solution for assessing the stability of MCh solutions in methacholine challenge tests, addressing both analytical precision and environmental concerns.

Introduction: Dentin hypersensitivity is a painful dental issue known with a transient and intense pain, when the exposed dentin reacts to various stimuli. Bioactive glass and multiple types of lasers have been tested in treating dentin hypersensitivity. Yet, none have combined them together in occluding exposed dentinal tubules.Aim of the Study: The current study focused on evaluating the effect of erbium, chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser with wavelength 2780 nm and bioactive glass nanoparticles paste either each alone or in combination with different sequences; on dentinal tubules closure.Methods: Forty healthy extracted premolar teeth were used for this study. They were distributed equally into a control group and 4 experimental groups. Control group: received no treatment. Nano-Bioactive glass group: treated with nano-bioactive glass paste only, Er,Cr:YSGG laser group: received laser irradiation only, Er,Cr:YSGG laser + nano-bioactive glass group: treated with nano-bioactive glass paste after laser irradiation. Nano-bioactive glass + Er,Cr:YSGG laser group: treated with nano-bioactive glass paste before laser irradiation. Dentin samples were evaluated morphologically by scanning electron microscope, with subsequent analysis of the mean diameter of dentinal tubules, and calcium and phosphorous analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.Results: Nano-bioactive glass + Er,Cr:YSGG laser group showed notably improved dentinal tubules closure in comparison to the other groups through scanning electron microscope imaging. The results were confirmed by the energy dispersive X-ray analysis which revealed the highest calcium and phosphorus weight %, in addition to recording the lowest mean diameter of dentinal tubules.Conclusion: The application of nano-bioactive glass and, Er,Cr:YSGG laser and the combination of both provided a satisfactory dentinal tubular closure. However, combining both nano-bioactive glass and Er,Cr:YSGG laser was found to be more efficient with superior results, rather than using each modality alone.