Dioon rzedowskii: An antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer plant extract with multi-faceted effects on cell growth and molecular signaling

This study investigated the antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial properties of Dioon rzedowskii extract, which had not been previously explored. We aimed to determine the extract's effect on liver and breast cancer cell lines and on solid Ehrlich carcinoma (SEC) mouse model to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Three female albino mice groups were established: a tumor control group, a group treated with 100 mg/kg of the extract (D100), and a group treated with 200 mg/kg of the extract (D200) for 16 days after tumor development. Results showed that the D. rzedowskii extract inhibited cell growth in both MCF-7 and HepG2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. This was achieved by suppressing the cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. The extract also improved liver, heart, and kidney functions compared to the tumor control. Furthermore, oral administration of the extract reduced tumor volume and alleviated oxidative stress in tumor tissue. The anticancer effects were associated with overexpression of p53 and Bax and downregulation of cyclin D1 expression, which was attributed to decreased phosphorylated MAPK kinases. Additionally, D. rzedowskii exhibited antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae isolated from cancer patients. The extract inhibited bacterial growth and reduced the membrane integrity. The study suggests that D. rzedowskii has promising potential as an adjunctive therapy for cancer treatment. Further investigations are needed to explore its combined anticancer efficacy. These results emphasize the value of natural products in developing compounds with potential anticancer activity and support a paradigm shift in cancer management to improve patients' quality of life.

Antibacterial and anti-Toxoplasma activities of Aspergillus niger endophytic fungus isolated from Ficus retusa: in vitro and in vivo approach

Emergent records propose that Aspergillus niger endophytic fungus is a vital source for various bioactive molecules possessing many biological properties. The current study was designed to inspect the antibacterial and anti-Toxoplasma potentials of Ficus retusa-derived endophytic fungi. After isolation and identification (using 18S rRNA gene sequencing) of A. niger endophytic fungus, LC/MS was utilized for identification and authentication of the chemical profile of the A. niger endophyte extract. Then, the fungal extract was assessed for its antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates. Additionally, its efficacy against Toxoplasma gondii was elucidated in vivo. The fungal extract displayed antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae isolates with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 64-512 µg/mL. It also possessed a membrane potential dissipating effect using flow cytometry. Moreover, it formed distorted cells with rough surfaces and deformed shapes using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Regarding its antibiofilm activity, it resulted in a dysregulation of the genes encoding biofilm formation (fimH, mrkA and mrkD) using qRT-PCR in nine K. pneumoniae isolates. The in vivo anti-Toxoplasma potential was demonstrated by decreasing the mortality rate of mice and reducing the tachyzoites' count in the peritoneal fluids and liver impression smears of mice. In addition, the deformities of the parasite decreased, as revealed by SEM and the inflammation in tissues diminished. Thus, A. niger endophytic fungi could be a valuable source of antibacterial and anti-Toxoplasma compounds.

Detection of early prognostic biomarkers for metastasis of Ewing's sarcoma in pediatric patients

AIMS

Ewing's Sarcoma is an extremely aggressive tumor in children. The disease is associated with highly metastatic rate, especially at the time of diagnosis, contributing to a lower survival rate and poor prognosis. The study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers for metastatic Ewing's sarcoma through in-depth analysis of the plasma proteome profile of pediatric Ewing's sarcoma patients.

MAIN METHODS

Plasma samples from Ewing's sarcoma patients and control individuals were profiled using both shotgun and dimethyl-labeled proteomics analysis. Subsequently, Ewing's sarcoma patients were further stratified according to their metastatic state and chemotherapy response. Western blot was used for validation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine proteome metastasis predictors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was done to assess the diagnostic significance of the potential plasma Ewing's sarcoma biomarkers.

KEY FINDINGS

Our results revealed a set of proteins significantly associated with the metastatic Ewing's sarcoma disease profile. These proteins include ceruloplasmin and several immunoglobulins. Additionally, our study disclosed significant differentially expressed proteins in pediatric Ewing's sarcoma, including CD5 antigen-like, clusterin, and dermcidin. Stable isotope dimethyl labeling and western blot further confirmed our results, strengthening the impact of such proteins in disease development. Furthermore, an unbiased ROC curve evaluated and confirmed the predictive power of these biomarker candidates.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study presented potential empirical predictive circulating biomarkers for determining the disease status of pediatric Ewing's sarcoma, which is vital for early prediction.

A UPLC- MS/MS Method to Quantify β-Sitosterol and Ferulic Acid of Pygeum Africanum Extract in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Preparation

This study uses a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine β-Sitosterol and Ferulic acid in Pygeum africanum extract. Chromatographic separation of the two analytes was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC H-Class system coupled with Xevo TQD mass spectrometer and HSS T3 C18 column (2.1 X 50 mm, 1.8 μm). Mobile phase A consisted of an aqueous solution of 0.1% formic acid (v/v), and mobile phase B was 0.1% formic acid (v/v) in methanol pumped through a gradient elution mode. Mass spectrometer parameters were optimized using an electrospray ionization source in the positive and negative ionization modes. The quantification of the two analytes was performed using multiple reaction monitoring transitions. The method was fully validated per (FDA) guidelines regarding linearity, accuracy, precision, carryover and selectivity. The proposed method was applied successfully to determine the two investigated compounds in commercially available pharmaceutical products.

gtAI: an improved species-specific tRNA adaptation index using the genetic algorithm

The tRNA adaptation index (tAI) is a translation efficiency metric that considers weighted values (S _ij values) for codon-tRNA wobble interaction efficiencies. The initial implementation of the tAI had significant flaws. For instance, generated S _ij weights were optimized based on gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is expected to vary among different species. Consequently, a species-specific approach (stAI) was developed to overcome those limitations. However, the stAI method employed a hill climbing algorithm to optimize the S _ij weights, which is not ideal for obtaining the best set of S _ij weights because it could struggle to find the global maximum given a complex search space, even after using different starting positions. In addition, it did not perform well in computing the tAI of fungal genomes in comparison with the original implementation. We developed a novel approach named genetic tAI (gtAI) implemented as a Python package (https://github.com/AliYoussef96/gtAI), which employs a genetic algorithm to obtain the best set of S _ij weights and follows a new codon usage-based workflow that better computes the tAI of genomes from the three domains of life. The gtAI has significantly improved the correlation with the codon adaptation index (CAI) and the prediction of protein abundance (empirical data) compared to the stAI.

The medicinal activity of lyophilized aqueous seed extract of Lepidium sativum L. in an androgenic alopecia model

This study evaluated the topical effect of Lepidium sativum lyophilized seed extract (LSLE) towards Sustanon-induced alopecia in male adult Wistar albino rats in vivo, compared to minoxidil topical reference standard drug (MRD). LC-MS/MS together with molecular networking was used to profile the metabolites of LSLE. LSLE treated group revealed significant changes in alopecia related biomarkers, perturbation of androgenic markers; decline in testosterone level and elevation in 5α-reductase (5-AR); decline in the cholesterol level. On the other hand, LSLE treated group showed improvement in vascular markers; CTGF, FGF and VEGF. Groups treated topically with minoxidil and LSLE showed significant improvement in hair length. LC-MS/MS profile of LSLE tentatively identified 17 constituents: mainly glucosinolates, flavonoid glycosides, alkaloids and phenolic acids. The results point to the potential role of LSLE in the treatment of alopecia through decreasing 5(alpha)-dihydrotestosterone levels. Molecular docking was attempted to evaluate the probable binding mode of identified compounds to androgen receptor (PDB code: 4K7A).

Anti-inflammatory potential of Penicillium brefeldianum endophytic fungus supported with phytochemical profiling

Various factors contribute to the development of the acute inflammation process, like the pro-inflammatory cytokines, certain enzymes as well as oxidative stress mediators. The anti-inflammatory potential of the endophytic fungus Penicillium brefeldianum was explored in carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats. After isolation of the fungus from Acalypha hispida leaves, it was identified by 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Then, its phytochemical profile was elucidated using LC-ESI-MS/MS technique. There was a remarkable decrease in the edema weight in the endophytic fungi-treated group (200 mg/kg). Also, this group had few inflammatory cells and thickened epidermis with underlying moderate collagenosis when stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Besides, immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies of cyclooxygenase-2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha showed a decrease in the positive immune cells in the endophytic fungi treated group (200 mg/kg) in relation to the positive control. Interestingly, the levels of the inflammatory as well as oxidative stress markers, including prostaglandin E2, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde, which are hallmarks of the inflammatory process, considerably diminished (p < 0.05) in this group. qRT-PCR was utilised to elucidate the impact of the endophytic fungi treatment on the expression of interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6) genes, which decreased in comparison with the positive control group. Consequently, we can deduce that P. brefeldianum endophytic fungus has a promising anti-inflammatory potential and should be extensively studied on a broader range in the near future.

Quinoline-based thiazolidinone derivatives as potent cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing agents through EGFR inhibition

Quinoline-based thiazolidinone heterocycles exhibited potent activity in the field of cancer therapy. Hence, ten quinoline-based thiazolidinone derivatives were evaluated for their anticancer activity through cytotoxic activity, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition pathway, apoptosis investigation through flow cytometric analyses, RT-PCR gene expression, in vivo solid-Ehrlich carcinoma model, and finally in silico approach for highlighting the interaction pose. Results revealed that compound 7 exhibited cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 7.43 µM compared to 5-FU (IC₅₀  = 11.36 µM) with moderate cytotoxic activity against the FHC (IC₅₀  = 35.27 µM), and it exhibited remarkable inhibition activity of EGFR with IC₅₀ value of 96.43 nM compared to Erlotinib (IC₅₀  = 78.65 nM). Moreover, it significantly stimulated apoptotic colon cancer cell death with 171.58-fold arresting cell cycle at G2 and S-phases. Additionally, it ameliorated both biochemical and histochemical structures near normal with tumor inhibition ratio of 52.92% compared to 5-FU of 57.16%, with immunohistochemical examinations of EGFR inhibition in the treated group compared to control. Finally, molecular docking study highlighted its good binding affinity through good interactive binding pose inside the EGFR protein. In conclusion, the potent EGFR inhibitory activity of compound 7 was investigated using three integrated approaches in vitro, in vivo, and in silico, so it worth be validated and developed as a chemotherapeutic anticancer agent.

Xconnector: Retrieving and visualizing metabolites and pathways information from various database resources

Metabolomics databases contain crucial information collected from various biological systems and experiments. Developers and scientists performed massive efforts to make the database public and accessible. The diversity of the metabolomics databases arises from the different data types included within the database originating from various sources and experiments can be confusing for biologists and researchers who need further manual investigation for the retrieved data. Xconnector is a software package designed to easily retrieve and visualize metabolomics data from different databases. Xconnector can parse information from Human Metabolome Database (HMDB), Livestock Metabolome Database (LMDB), Yeast Metabolome Database (YMDB), Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB), ReSpect Phytochemicals Database (ReSpectDB), The Blood Exposome Database, Phenol-Explorer Database, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Small Molecule Pathway Database (SMPDB). Using Python language, Xconnector connects the targeted databases, recover requested metabolites from single or different database sources, reformat and repack the data to generate a single Excel CSV file containing all information from the databases, in an application programming interface (API)/ Python dependent manner seamlessly. In addition, Xconnector automatically generates graphical outputs in a time-saving approach ready for publication. SIGNIFICANCE: The powerful ability of Xconnector to summarize metabolomics information from different sources would enable researchers to get a closer glimpse on the nature of potential molecules of interest toward medical diagnostics, better biomarker discovery, and personalized medicine. The software is available as an executable application and as a python package compatible for different operating systems.

Phytochemical Profiling, In Vitro and In Silico Anti-Microbial and Anti-Cancer Activity Evaluations and Staph GyraseB and h-TOP-IIβ Receptor-Docking Studies of Major Constituents of Zygophyllum coccineum L. Aqueous-Ethanolic Extract and Its Subsequent Fractions: An Approach to Validate Traditional Phytomedicinal Knowledge

Zygophyllum coccineum, an edible halophytic plant, is part of the traditional medicine chest in the Mediterranean region for symptomatic relief of diabetes, hypertension, wound healing, burns, infections, and rheumatoid arthritis pain. The current study aimed to characterize Z. coccineum phytoconstituents, and the evaluations of the anti-microbial-biofilm, and anti-cancers bioactivities of the plant’s mother liquor, i.e., aqueous-ethanolic extract, and its subsequent fractions. The in silico receptors interaction feasibility of Z. coccineum major constituents with Staph GyraseB, and human topoisomerase-IIβ (h-TOP-IIβ) were conducted to confirm the plant’s anti-microbial and anti-cancer biological activities. Thirty-eight secondary metabolites of flavonoids, stilbene, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and coumarin classes identified by LC-ESI-TOF-MS spectrometric analysis, and tiliroside (kaempferol-3-O-(6′′′′-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside, 19.8%), zygophyloside-F (12.78%), zygophyloside-G (9.67%), and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside (4.75%) were identified as the major constituents. A superior biofilm obliteration activity established the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) for the chloroform fraction at 3.9–15.63 µg/mL, as compared to the positive controls (15.63–31.25 µg/mL) against all the microbial strains that produced the biofilm under study, except the Aspergillus fumigatus. The aqueous-ethanolic extract showed cytotoxic effects with IC₅₀ values at 3.47, 3.19, and 2.27 µg/mL against MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG2 cell-lines, respectively, together with the inhibition of h-TOP-IIβ with IC₅₀ value at 45.05 ng/mL in comparison to its standard referral inhibitor (staurosporine, IC₅₀, 135.33 ng/mL). This conclusively established the anti-cancer activity of the aqueous-ethanolic extract that also validated by in silico receptor-binding predicted energy levels and receptor-site docking feasibility of the major constituents of the plant’s extract. The study helped to authenticate some of the traditional phytomedicinal properties of the anti-infectious nature of the plant.

Dual infection with mycetoma and tuberculosis: report of two cases

Dual infection with tuberculosis and mycetoma has not been reported in literature to date. This communication is a report on two patients with such infection. It indicates the serious impact of the dual infection as each of them augments the pathological effects of the other.

BCG lymphadenitis: a report of eight cases

An increase in incidence of regional lymphadenitis following BCG vaccination of newborns at King Abdel Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh has been observed. Eight cases are described. One case also had infraclavicular gland enlargement. The only change in routine was the introduction of a Japanese strain of BCG. It is suggested that this might be a cause for the increase in the condition. All patients were given isoniazid. Discharge and scar formation followed aspiration in five cases, whereas in the two cases subjected to surgical excision there was uncomplicated healing. It is suggested that the latter combined with antituberculous therapy may be a more satisfactory form of treatment.

Postoperative endophthalmitis due to Trichosporon cutaneum

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Systemic phycomycosis

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