Heliopolis University

Skeletal muscle (SkM) accounts for 30%-40% of body mass. SkM is required for body movement, energy metabolism, and material metabolism, all of which directly impact human quality of life. This review traces the key medicinal plants used for alleviating skeletal muscle disorders (SkMDs), with a focus on lifestyle modifications and exercise. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, PubMed, and EKB. SkMDs are a broad category of conditions that affect the muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues, resulting in major impairments in movement, function, and quality of life. SkMDs affect more than 1.3 billion people worldwide and are a major cause of disability and economic hardship. Conventional therapy approaches, such as pharmaceutical interventions and surgical procedures, are typically limited by undesirable side effects, extended recovery times, and patient dissatisfaction, especially when focusing only on symptom relief. In response, complementary and alternative medicine, particularly medicinal herbs, has grown in popularity to improve SkMD management. Medicinal plants have a diverse range of pharmacologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant effects, making them promising additions to traditional treatments. Berberine, curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, (-)-epicatechin, and ginsenosides have been reported to have potential in SkMDs. These compounds exert their effects through multiple mechanisms, such as enhancing muscle protein synthesis, reducing inflammation, and modulating hormones that influence muscle mass. Overall, the study emphasizes the ability of natural supplementation approaches to improve clinical outcomes, improve patient well-being, and provide a more sustainable model for treating SkMDs.

Deverra tortuosa and Deverra triradiata are desert perennial shrubs growing extensively in Egypt. We aimed to assess the antioxidant, antiaging, and skin-whitening activities of the aqueous MeOH extract of their roots and flowers, as well as their phenolic content, using HPLC-MS-MS. D. triradiata contained higher phenolic content than D. tortuosa. Phenolic acids and flavonoids account for a significant portion of their extracts. All extracts demonstrated antioxidant activity and inhibited the enzymes elastase, collagenase, and tyrosinase. Compounds 3, 13, 14, and 19 exhibited promising binding to the three enzymes. They displayed the highest affinity to collagenase with binding energies of -9.1, -9.0, -8.4, and -9.2 kcal mol-1, respectively. In conclusion, the two Deverra species are rich in polyphenols and can be used for controlling free radicals and skin aging-related disorders.

Antibiotic residues in milk pose a food safety risk by promoting antimicrobial resistance and causing toxic effects in consumers. This study developed and optimized a sensitive chromatographic method for the simultaneous quantification of Cefazolin (CFZ), Sulfadimidine (SDD), and Marbofloxacin (MFC) residues in milk. These antibiotics are commonly used as a combination therapy for managing cattle metritis. Separation was performed on a C18 column with UV detection at 270 nm. The eluent consisted of a 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 3), acetonitrile, and methanol in a 60:35:5 ratio, flowing at 1.0 mL/min. Sample preparation included protein precipitation with acetonitrile, followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) using Enhanced Matrix Removal-Lipid (EMR-L) tubes to remove interfering lipids. Validation per ICH-Q2R1 showed a linearity range of 0.0125–0.5 µg/mL for CFZ and MFC and 0.025–0.5 µg/mL for SDD, with LOD/LOQ values between 0.01 and 0.015 µg/mL and % recoveries between 97.67% and 98.89%. The method effectively quantified the studied drug residues in real cattle milk samples after their withdrawal period, with no significant differences in accuracy or precision versus established methods. Additionally, an assessment of the method’s sustainability (Eco-scale: 71, AGREE: 0.69, RGB12: 88.8) confirmed its compliance with green and white analytical chemistry principles.

Enhancing clomipramine anti-depressive effect using a nanoformulation and investigating its effect via different routes of administration (oral and intranasal) in a depression rat model. Polyelectrolytes nanocomplexes (NC) were prepared by an all-aqueous technique and were composed of different ratios of chitosan (CS) and gum arabic (GA). Ciprofloxacin (CPX) was administered orally to adult male Wistar albino rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 14 days to induce depression. Clomipramine HCl solution and the drug-loaded nano complexes (NC) were administrated for 14 days via the oral route (50 mg/kg) and intranasal route (500 µg/kg). All the prepared drug-loaded nano-complexes (NC) were uniformly distributed (PDI ˂0.2), NC1 (composed of CS:GA 1:1) attained the smallest particle size (200.30 ± 26.07nm) and the most sustained release profile (Mean Release Time= 96.02± 8.36 min.) and has a spherical outline as detected by transmission electron microscope. Treatment with clomipramine-loaded NC via oral and intranasal routes elevated swimming time, serotonin (5-HT), excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) brain contents, decreased brain content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), and ameliorated nuclear pyknosis and degeneration of neurons compared to CPX and clomipramine solution. Clomipramine-loaded NC via intranasal routes returned the brain content of 5-HT and EAAT 2 to its normal level and has effect superior than oral route. Clomipramine-loaded NC administered via intranasal route showed an enhanced effect and a higher antidepressant activity than the traditional oral route through alleviating CPX neurological toxicity.

This work examined the integration of epigenetics and precision medicine in the management of various blood disorders, including anemias, antiphospholipid syndrome, hemochromatosis, hemophilia, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, porphyria, thalassemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, polycythemia, von Willebrand disease, and coagulopathy. It begins with an overview of key concepts and the significance of precision medicine in treating blood diseases, supported by current statistics. The role of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) is highlighted, detailing their mechanisms of action and clinical implications as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Additionally, the chapter explores natural products used in personalized medicine, examining their sources, mechanisms, and successful case studies in blood disorders. A comprehensive review of recent clinical trials provides insights into the impact of innovative therapies and FDA approvals on treatment protocols, emphasizing the importance of combination therapies. Future directions address emerging research technologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and ethical considerations surrounding genetic testing and patient consent. The synthesis of findings underscores the contributions of epigenetics and precision medicine to blood disease treatment, advocating for interdisciplinary research and ongoing education to enhance patient care and outcomes.

BackgroundIn an array to check microbial resistance against generally used antibiotics, it is essential to create innovative and efficient antimicrobial agents. Therefore, nanoparticles (NPs) with their antimicrobial activities describe an effective solution. In this study, we synthesized Selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Alternaria alternata fungus, then their characterization were evaluated using several techniques.ResultsWe explored the potential of antimicrobial impact of Se-NPs and ZnO-NPs against negative and positive grams antibiotic resistance bacterial strains in combination with penicillin, Ceftriaxone and Cefipime. Moreover, antibiotic resistance gene expression was assessed after those treatments. The results demonstrated that Se-NPs and ZnO-NPs displayed antibacterial properties, while the expression of antibiotic resistance genes decreased when exposed to a combination of NPs and antibiotics. This suggests the presence of both synergistic and additive effects in these treatments. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effects of Se-NPs and ZnO-NPs were assessed, revealing their potent anticancer properties against MCF-7, A549, and HepG2 cancer cells and lower cytotoxic values for HFB-4 standard cell line. Ultimately, the production efficiency of both NPs was enhanced through gamma irradiation.ConclusionsAccording to the results, it seems that the green synthesis of Se-NPs and ZnO-NPs promotes environmental sustainability and cost-effective approach. This study provides insights into the development of new antibacterial and anticancer agents . The eco-friendly production of nanoparticles suggests also a sustainable approach to combating bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Context Breast and liver cancers remain significant global health challenges, necessitating the discovery of novel anticancer agents. Marine cyanobacteria, such as Moorena producens belonging to the family: Oscillatoriaceae, are rich sources of bioactive compounds with potential anticancer properties. Objective This study aims to identify and characterize bioactive compounds from M. producens and evaluate their anticancer activity against breast and liver cancer cell lines. Materials and methods M. producens was collected and authenticated using 16S rRNA sequencing. The ethanolic extract was analyzed using LC-QTOF-MS/MS to identify the potential bioactive metabolites. Network pharmacology analysis was employed to predict the potential targets of these compounds. The crude extract was fractionated, and the fractions were screened for the anticancer activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines. Results LC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis identified 25 metabolites, including apocarotenoids, spirovetivane alkaloids, and toxins. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that malyngamide D, isomalyngamide I, mueggelone, 11,12-didehydrospironostoic acid, and 12-hydroxy-2-oxo-11-epi-hinesol were potential bioactive compounds targeting proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (Src), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3), and MAPK1 kinases. Molecular docking studies further supported these findings, with 11,12-didehydrospironostoic acid exhibiting strong binding affinities to Src and MAPK1 kinases. Among the nine fractions obtained, Fraction 1 showed the most potent anticancer activity against both MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines, with IC50 values, 59.63 ± 7.1 and 149.23 ± 0.9 µg/mL, respectively. Discussion and conclusion The results of this study highlight the potential of M. producens as a source of novel anticancer compounds. Further investigation of the bioactive compounds in Fractions 1 and 2 may lead to the discovery of promising anticancer agents.

Statin therapy effectively reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, thereby lowering the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) events. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed its impact on all-cause mortality, CV mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), such as heart attack, stroke, coronary revascularization, and CV hospitalization in adults with CV risk factors or established cardiovascular disease (CVD). A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central (2013-2024) included randomized controlled trials, prospective cohorts, and retrospective studies. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, CV mortality, MACE, and CV hospitalization. A random-effects model was employed, with heterogeneity assessed using the I² statistic. Seven studies, comprising 506,813 patients (118,491 statin users and 388,322 non-users), with a mean follow-up of 3.7 years, were included. Statin therapy significantly reduced all-cause mortality (relative risk (RR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-0.83, p<0.00001, I²=91%), and MACE (RR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.70-0.82, p<0.00001, I²=0%). The high heterogeneity observed in mortality outcomes likely reflects differences in study populations, statin types, and baseline risk profiles. A non-significant trend was observed toward CV mortality (RR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.53-1.02, p<0.00001, I²=90%). Additionally, no significant reduction in CV hospitalizations was observed (RR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83-1.13, p=0.58, I²=0%). Statin therapy significantly lowers all-cause mortality and MACE, reinforcing its role in CV risk management. However, its effect on CV mortality and CV hospitalization remains uncertain, warranting further investigation into complementary strategies for reducing hospital admissions.