El-Shater, S. N., G. A. Swielim, A. tolba, M. Gamal, H. M. B. A. Zaki, and K. Abo-EL-Sooud, "Effect of in-ovo Manganese Inoculation on Hatchability, Serum and Molecular Levels of Antioxidants, Bone Development, and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicks.", Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, vol. 110, issue 2, pp. 189-199, 2026 Mar. Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the influence of in-ovo injection of manganese (Mn) on hatchability, hatching weight, bone development and mineralisation, meat quality of breast and thigh, and also the serum and molecular levels of some antioxidants in the post-hatched chicks. About 350 fertile eggs were collected from a Hubbard efficiency plus breeder's flock of 42 weeks old, incubated at normal setting temperature (37.5°C) and relative humidity (RH 60%), and randomly allocated into three treatments. The eggs were labelled and randomly assembled into three groups with four replicates, and 25 eggs each. The treatment was designed as a control non-inoculated group (CN), a vehicle-inoculated group (CP, inoculated with 0.1 mL physiological saline), and a Mn-inoculated group (0.01 mg/egg, dissolved in 0.1 mL physiological saline). The site of injection was the air cell at the broad end of the eggs on the 12th day of incubation. On the day of the hatch, the rate and the hatchling's weight were recorded. The serum-reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) were assessed in 7-day-old chicks. On the molecular level, qRT-PCR for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes was performed in the breast skeletal muscles at post-hatch day 7. Femur proximal metaphysis histo-morphometric analysis was done with computerised morphometric measurements. The thigh and breast meat quality were evaluated. In-ovo inoculation of organic manganese (Mn) showed no significant adverse effects on hatchability (p = 0.51), hatchling weight (p = 0.93), or mortality during the rearing period (p = 0.67). Conversely, Mn supplementation significantly enhanced bone mineralisation and upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes, including SOD (p = 0.027) and Nrf2 (p = 0.018), in muscle tissue. Furthermore, in-ovo Mn administration contributed to improved meat quality by significantly reducing fat content (p < 0.01) and pH (p < 0.0001), while increasing ash content (p < 0.0001), potentially extending the shelf life of broiler meat.

Soliman, M. M., S. N. El-Shater, A. M. Yassin, K. Abo-EL-Sooud, M. Ibrahim, and G. A. Swielim, "Embryonic nano lauric acid delivery modulates lipid metabolism, oxidative balance, and gut morphogenesis in broiler chicks.", Scientific reports, vol. 16, issue 1, 2026 Mar 03. Abstract

The in ovo-injection technique was employed as an early-life nutritional strategy to improve the health and productivity of birds by delivering nutrients and bioactive compounds directly to the developing embryo. This study explored the innovative use of in ovo administration of nano-lauric acid (NLA) as a strategy for the metabolic programming of broiler chicks. The goal was to improve hatchability, stimulate hepatic antioxidant activity, regulate growth-related genes, and support intestinal development in newly hatched chicks. A total of 400 fertile eggs from a 40-week-old Arbor Acres breeder flock were randomly divided into four treatment groups: a non-injected control group (CN), a vehicle-injected control group (CP; 0.1 mL of sterile distilled water), and two NLA-treated groups receiving either 2.5 mg/egg (NLA 2.5) or 5 mg/egg (NLA 5) of NLA, each dissolved in 0.1 mL of sterile distilled water. Injections were administered into the yolk sac on day 12 of incubation. Post-hatching, the hatchability percentage was recorded. Serum lipid profiles, hepatic redox status, and the expression level of hepatic genes, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (mt-SOD2), and insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2) were evaluated. Additionally, the intestinal morphology of the newly hatched chicks was examined. Hatchability % was significantly reduced in the NLA 5 group (80%) compared to the CN (98%), CP (97%), and NLA 2.5 (96%) groups. The findings showed that in ovo injection of NLA at 2.5 mg/egg was therefore identified as optimal, significantly improving lipid metabolism by reducing serum triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, and cholesterol, while increasing HDL cholesterol compared to controls (P < 0.05). Hepatic antioxidant defense was significantly improved through the decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase of reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations (P < 0.05). This enhancement was associated with the upregulation of NRF-2 and mt-SOD2 by (4.04; 3.69-folds, respectively) and stimulation of anabolic signaling genes IGF-1 and IGF-2 by (4.08 and 2.3-folds; respectively) (P < 0.05). In addition, intestinal development has been significantly promoted via increased villus height and crypt depth (P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrate that in ovo NLA supplementation at 2.5 mg/egg effectively enhances lipid utilization, activates NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathways, and stimulates anabolic signaling. This targeted nutritional strategy proves to be a safe and effective method for pre-hatch metabolic programming, with significant potential to improve post-hatch health and performance in broilers.

Abo-EL-Sooud, K., H. Hesham, M. Saeed, S. Mohamed, and F. S. Youssef, "Combined in vivo and silico assessment of melatonin's protective effects on rifampicin-induced liver damage in rats.", Scientific reports, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. 31104, 2025. Abstractmelatonin.pdf
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Liver injury is a globally serious problem that may be observed post-chemotherapeutic administration in chronic crises such as tuberculosis (TB). Rifamycin (RIF), particularly, is an indispensable treatment regimen for TB with a significant negative hepatic impact. Therefore, this research aims to assess the restorative role of melatonin (MEL) against rifampicin (RIF)-associated hepatic damage in rats. Moreover, to investigate the ultimate mechanism of the antioxidant potential of MEL with multimodal assessment and in silico molecular conformation. Adult male Wistar albino rats were weighed and divided into four groups of ten rats each. The control group received the vehicle (0.5 ml/day), the RIF-intoxicated group (100 mg/kg/day orally), the MEL-treated group (10 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally), and the Co-administered RIF and MEL group at the same regimen for 21 consecutive days. Blood and hepatic tissue samples were obtained for biochemical, histological, and molecular studies. High in vitro antioxidant scavenging potential of MEL with an IC of 94.66 µg/ml was attained using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of MEL indicated the presence of mainly cinnamic acid, m-(trimethyl-silyl ester), in addition to several reactive antioxidant moieties. The plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lipid profiles were significantly reduced in the MEL + RIF co-administered group in contrast to the RIF-treated group (P < 0.05). Moreover, MEL significantly decreased the hepatic oxidative biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA) and significantly increased the estimated antioxidant enzyme levels (P < 0.05) of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Histological evaluations revealed mild hepatic injuries and inflammatory cellular infiltration in MEL-treated animals. Molecular docking explored the high-affinity interaction of MEL and cinnamic acids with hepatic cytochrome P450 isoform 3A4 (CYP3A4) protein target, confirming their hepatic restorative potential. This study endorses the antioxidant potential role of MEL in RIF-hepatic injury.

Abd-Elhakim, Y. M., M. M. M. Hashem, K. Abo-EL-Sooud, A. E. El-Metawally, and B. A. Hassan, "Coenzyme Q10 Attenuates Kidney Injury Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles and Cadmium Co-exposure in Rats.", Biological trace element research, vol. 203, issue 8, pp. 4183-4197, 2025. Abstractcoenzyme_q10_attenuates_kidney_injury.pdf
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This study examined the possible defensive role of coenzyme Q10 (CQ10) against the impact of cadmium (Cd) and titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TNP) exposure on rat kidneys. Distilled water (1 mL/rat), corn oil (1 mL/rat), 10 mg CQ10/kg b.wt, 50 mg TNP/kg b.wt, 5 mg Cd/kg b.wt, TNP + Cd, or TNP + Cd + CQ10 was administered orally to seven groups of 70 male Sprague Dawley rats for 60 days. The findings demonstrated that TNP and/or Cd exposure considerably raised serum levels of several renal damage products, disturbed electrolyte balance including sodium, potassium, and calcium, decreased antioxidant enzyme concentration in the kidneys, and elevated malondialdehyde. In addition, rats exposed to TNP and/or Cd had significantly higher levels of renal titanium and Cd. In addition, rats exposed to TNP and/or Cd showed significant histopathological lesions and collagen deposition as revealed by H and E and Masson trichrome staining, respectively. The kidneys were severely damaged by the combined effects of TNP and Cd, although CQ10 greatly mitigated these effects. According to the study, exposure to TNP and Cd can damage the kidneys' function and structure, especially when combined. However, CQ10 can protect against TNP and Cd's nephrotoxic effects.

Labib, M. A., O. S. Saeed, S. H. Elsharkawy, M. S. Khattab, H. Y. El-Zorba, and K. Abo-EL-Sooud, "Ameliorative effects of Berberine chloride against 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiotoxicity in Sprague Dawley rats.", Scientific reports, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. 28276, 2025. Abstractameliorative_effects_of_berberine.pdf
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5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent for solid malignancies. Although it has crucial therapeutic effects, it ranks as the second most cardiotoxic antineoplastic agent. Berberine (BBR) is a quaternary benzylisoquinoline alkaloid with promising antioxidant properties. The current study aimed to assess the palliative effect of BBR on 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: negative control, which received 2% DMSO orally (PO) for 2 weeks; cardiotoxic, which received a single intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 5-FU (150 mg/kg); groups 3 and 4, which received a single IP injection of 5-FU (150 mg/kg) followed by BBR (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively) PO for 2 weeks; and a BBR-only group, which received BBR (100 mg/kg) PO for 2 weeks. On the 14th day, all groups underwent ECG evaluation. Blood and heart samples were collected 24 h after the last dose for further investigations. 5-FU induced significant alterations in the ECG pattern and caused a significant increase in cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, it led to decreased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Our data suggest that BBR could mitigate 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity by modulating cardiac injury markers, normalizing cTnI, CK-MB, and LDH levels, reducing oxidative stress by lowering MDA levels, and increasing SOD, GSH, and TAC levels. Additionally, BBR inhibited apoptotic events by suppressing caspase-3 activation and upregulating Bcl-2 expression, reduced the inflammatory response by downregulating cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression levels, and decreased the risk of thrombosis by increasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression levels. In conclusion, BBR exerts ameliorative effects against 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Mostafa, E. M., Y. Badr, M. M. Hashem, K. Abo-EL-Sooud, and A. H. Faid, "Reducing the effective dose of doxycycline using chitosan silver nanocomposite as a carriers on gram positive and gram-negative bacteria.", Scientific reports, vol. 14, issue 1, pp. 27819, 2024. Abstractscientific_reports.pdf
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Doxycycline (Doxy) is a tetracycline antibiotic with a potent antibacterial activity against a broad range of bacteria. Using nanotechnology is one feasible way to increase the antibiotics' ability to penetrate the body and increase their antibacterial effectiveness. In this work, we report the formation of a stable green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by chitosan with Doxy nanocomposite for the first time. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta-potential, UV-Visible spectroscopy and four transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRs). The antibacterial effect of doxy, AgNPs and doxy/AgNPs were determined on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia. This combined therapeutic agent restored the susceptibility of doxy and showed an antibacterial activity against tested bacteria. AgNPs has absorption peak at 445 nm, mixing of Doxy with AgNPs causes all doxy absorptions to red shift and a broadening in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for AgNPs and show a slight increase in particle size of AgNPs from 12 ± 2 nm to 14 ± 2 nm with high stability as zeta potential was 29 mv and 48.5mv for AgNPs and Doxy/AgNPs respectively. The antibacterial effect of Doxy/AgNPs nanocomposite was found to be twice effect of free doxy, suggesting a synergistic interaction between the two components. In conclusion, synergy of doxy with AgNPs is quite promising for antibiotic resistant strains. These results highlight the ability of AgNPs to boost the efficacy of the doxycycline.

Shalaby, M. A., K. Abo-EL-Sooud, H. Y. Saifan, and M. M. R. Mohamed A. Tony, Aya M. Yassin, "Effects of sodium butyrate and rosemary herb on growth performance, molecular biology of related genes, and histopathology and histomorphometry of the duodenum in broiler chickens", African Journal of Biological Sciences, vol. 6., issue Si4, pp. 4138-4152 , 2024. afjbs.pdf
Behairy, A., M. M. M. Hashem, K. Abo-EL-Sooud, A. E. El-Metwally, A. M. Soliman, S. M. Mouneir, B. A. Hassan, and Y. M. Abd-Elhakim, "Mitigating effect of gallic acid on zinc oxide nanoparticles and arsenic trioxide-induced spermatogenesis suppression, testicular injury, hormonal imbalance, and immunohistochemical changes in rats.", Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, 2024. Abstractmitigating_of_gallic_acid.pdf

The current study compared the effects of incorporated exposure to arsenic trioxide (As) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on male reproductive hormones, oxidative stress, and inflammatory biomarkers in adult rats to each metal alone. A defensive trial with gallic acid (GA) has also been studied. A total of 60 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were categorized into six groups: control, GA (20 mg/kg), ZnONPs (100 mg/kg), As (8 mg/kg), ZnONPs with As, and GA concurrently with ZnONPs and As at the same previous doses. The regimens were applied for 60 days in sequence. Current findings showed significant weight loss in all study groups, with testicular weights significantly decreased in the As and combined groups. Testosterone, follicular stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone serum levels were also considerably reduced, while serum levels of estradiol increased. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunoexpression was significantly upregulated while proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was downregulated. Moreover, there was a significant elevation of testicular malondialdehyde, reduction of testicular superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase with disruptive testes, prostate glands, and seminal vesicle alterations in all experimental groups with marked changes in the combined group. Additionally, the present results revealed the protective effects of GA on ZnONPs and As adverse alterations in rats. GA enhanced sperm picture, oxidant status, and hormonal profile. Also, it modulates iNOS and PCNA immunoexpression and recovers the histoarchitecture of the testes, prostate glands, and seminal vesicles. Ultimately, GA may be a promising safeguarding agent against ZnONPs and As-induced disturbances to reproductive parameters.

Mostafa, E. M., Y. Badr, M. A. Ramadan, M. M. M. Hashem, K. Abo-EL-Sooud, H. N. Deif, and A. H. Faid, "Laser enhanced photothermal effect of silver nanoparticles synthesized by chemical and green method on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.", BMC chemistry, vol. 18, issue 1, pp. 163, 2024. Abstractbmc_chemistry.pdf

PURPOSE: The antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are extensively identified. In large quantities, they might be harmful. So many fields of nanotechnology have shown a great deal of interest in the development of an environmentally friendly, efficient method for synthesizing metal nanoparticles. Because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties toward a wide range of microbes, chitosan silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@Cs) constitute a newly developing class of bio-nanostructured hybrid materials. Furthermore, the use of photothermal therapy (PTT) has been suggested as a means of elimination of germs. These light-stimulated treatments are minimally invasive and have a few side effects. In the present work, the antibacterial effect of AgNPs at low concentrations; prepared by chemical and green methods as antimicrobial and photothermal agents in photothermal therapy; with laser irradiation were explored as combined treatment against MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

METHODS: Silver nanoparticles were produced in two ways. First, by sodium borohydrides, second, by chitosan (as a natural eco-friendly reducing, and capping agent). The nanostructure of AgNPs and AgNPs@Cs was confirmed by UV-visible spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRs), and direct light scattering (DLS). The antibacterial activity of the prepared nanoparticles and the laser irradiation was tested against three bacterial species of zoonotic importance; MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae; and was evaluated by measuring their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC).

RESULTS: Silver nanoparticles produced by the two methods had spherical shapes with nearly the same particle size. The analysis of DLS showed that AgNPs were very stable with zeta potential - 28.8 mv, and 47.7 mv by chemical and chitosan synthesis, respectively. Furthermore, AgNPs@Cs showed higher antibacterial activity toward the tested bacterial species than AgNPs by chemical method. Additionally, the bacterial viability using photothermal laser therapy was reduced compared to laser and AgNPs alone. The bactericidal activities were higher when laser diode was coupled with AgNPs@Cs than by chemical reduction.

CONCLUSION: The laser combined treatment had a higher antimicrobial effect than AgNPs alone or laser irradiation alone.

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