Hormozgan University

For climacteric fruits like kiwifruit, postharvest deterioration presents a serious problem with storage and marketability. In this study, the effectiveness of an edible coating made of peppermint essential oil (Es) and Aloe vera gel (ALVG) in maintaining the quality and prolonging the shelf life of "Hayward" kiwifruit kept in cold storage for three months was examined. Treatments were applied in various concentrations (25% and 50% ALVG with 0, 500, and 1000 ppm Es), and quality parameters were evaluated at monthly intervals. The coating significantly reduced weight loss (by 41%) and fruit spoilage (by 65%), and microbial content particularly at ALVG 50%-Es1000 ppm. Additionally, it enhanced physicochemical characteristics such vitamin C retention, titratable acidity (TA), pH, and total soluble solids (TSS). Moreover, it improved antioxidant-related metrics, including phenolic and flavonoid concentrations, catalase activity, and total protein levels, while diminishing oxidative stress indicators such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The findings indicate that an edible coating infused with ALVG and peppermint essential oil provides an effective, natural method to improve postharvest quality and prolong storage life in kiwifruit.

Climate change presently constitutes one of the most serious global challenges to the environment, human well-being, and sustainable development. In fact, the specific impacts of the issue on water bodies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region involve exposing large areas covered by saline sediments. These regions are disturbed by strong winds, and the result is widespread air pollution, thus posing serious health threats to the people in those areas. A result of affecting the health and stability in the region, both physically and psychologically, is caused by this. Other than the direct health ramifications of climate change, human rights, social justice, and economic stability can really be threatened. In fact, it is the vulnerable populations that bear the biggest risk, especially those with a previous mental health diagnosis. These environmental changes exacerbate any stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, or suicidal ideation they may have previously experienced. With these challenges in view, preemptive measures in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change become indispensable. The protection of affected individuals and communities has to be one of the priorities. The focus of this chapter is on an overview of the causes and effects of climate change in the MENA region, discussing opportunities and challenges connected with adaptation, and outlining strategies to reduce the psychological impacts of climate change.

Drought stress poses a major global challenge for sugar beet crops. Applying polyamines (PAs) may offer a promising solution by enhancing the drought resistance of these plants. With the main objective to explore how foliar treatment with PAs impacts various qualitative and morphophysiological traits, a three-replicate split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design was conducted during 2020-2021 to evaluate how polyamine foliar applications affect sugar beets root yield, quality parameters, and morphophysiological characteristics under water-limited conditions. The main plots consisted of three irrigation levels (100% (I1), 75% (I2), and 50% (I3) of water requirement), while sub-plots received foliar treatments of putrescine (PUT) and spermidine (SPD) at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 millimolar for each of them, with distilled water serving as the control. In the study, polyamines were applied to sugar beet leaves in 3 three stages: at 8 leaves, 12-16 leaves, and 20-24 leaves. Statistical analysis revealed that irrigation treatments, polyamine foliar applications, and their interactions had significant effect on root yield (RY), α-amino-N content, leaf area index (LAI), total plant dry weight (TPDW), leaf greenness (SPAD), relative water content (RWC), and water use efficiency (WUE). Additionally, white sugar yield (WSY) and Proline content showed significant responses to these treatments. Applying 1 millimolar PUT at irrigation level I2 increased LAI, TPDW, RWC, SPAD, RY, and WSY by 21.1, 28.3, 21.8, 35.3, 27.7, and 47.5 percent, respectively, in comparison to the untreated control group, While PUT 1 millimolar treatment at irrigation level I3 led to a 62% increase in Proline. In general, foliar application with the tested polyamines significantly improved the morphophysiological, quantitative, and qualitative properties. Notably, when polyamines were administered under mild stress conditions, WSY of sugar beet increased, while also achieving water savings.

ABSTRACT This study seeks to apply Khoudraji asymmetric copula in a trivariate analysis of drought, focusing on the uncertainty assessment of the severity–duration–magnitude–frequency (SDMF) curve. The analysis, influenced by input data and copula parameters, was conducted in the Mina Basin, Algeria. The results showed: (1) the dependence structure of SDMF of drought characteristics can be well modelled by Khoudraji copula; (2) Gumbel and Frank copulas depart more than other copula functions in estimating SDMF curves; (3) the uncertainty of SDMF curves caused by input data is much bigger than the uncertainty caused by copula parameters; (4) an increase (decrease) in the conditional probability causes a decrease (increase) in the uncertainty band, which applies to both sources of uncertainty in this law. Conversely, increasing the threshold M also increases the uncertainty. These results are very useful for reducing uncertainty caused by estimating SDMF curves and preparing strategies for different levels of drought.

This study was undertaken to identify novel thymidylate synthase inhibitors with improved efficacy and selectivity over existing chemotherapeutics. A series of novel 6-(4-aminopiperidin-1-yl)-substituted benzyl-3-methylpyrimidine-2,4(1 H,3 H)-dione derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential anticancer agents. Among these, compound 5 h exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 15.70 ± 0.28 µM and 16.50 ± 4.90 µM against SW480 (colorectal cancer) and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell lines, respectively, which were comparable to cytometry demonstrated that 5 h significantly induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner (up to 62% at 32 µM) and caused marked S-phase cell cycle arrest. Molecular docking and 100-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed strong and stable interactions of 5 h with the active site of thymidylate synthase (TS), primarily through hydrogen bonding with Asp218 and Met311. MM/GBSA analysis further supported a favorable binding free energy profile. Density functional theory (DFT) studies indicated that 5 h possessed lower Gibbs free energy and higher electron affinity than less active analogs, suggesting enhanced binding and biological stability. binding affinity predictions showed that all derivatives met Lipinski’s criteria and had favorable intestinal absorption exhibited permeability. Collectively, these results highlight 5 h as a promising lead for further preclinical evaluation as a thymidylate synthase inhibitor and anticancer agent.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-24828-5.

Medicinal plants like Moringa oleifera, which possess high moisture content and microbial susceptibility, require prompt and efficient drying as a vital post-harvest step to ensure product stability and quality. This process is crucial for maintaining the plant's sensory attributes and preserving secondary metabolites that are fundamental to its medicinal value and therapeutic effectiveness. The presence of specific functional small molecules and organic acids such as acetic acid, butyric acid, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), salicin, and glycine further amplifies moringa's pharmacological potential. These compounds act as key signaling agents, regulating various physiological and biochemical pathways that support stress tolerance and health-promoting activities. Consequently, developing optimized drying strategies is essential to retain these beneficial bioactive components. This study evaluated the effects of three drying methods-oven drying (50°C for 24h), shade drying (120h), and sun drying (72h) on the chemical composition and bioactivity of Moringa oleifera leaves. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block with three replications. Key findings showed that sun and oven drying effectively preserved total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, salicin, and glycine. In contrast, shade drying was more effective at retaining antioxidant activity, as well as acetic acid, butyric acid, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Notably, five bioactive compounds-acetic acid, butyric acid, GABA, salicin, and glycine were confirmed and further characterized in the aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera in this study. Overall, the findings of this study revealed that various drying methods have a significant impact on the preservation of key bioactive compounds in Moringa oleifera. Sun and oven drying were more effective in maintaining phenolic and flavonoid contents, whereas shade drying was better in preserving antioxidant activity and certain organic acids such as acetic and butyric acids. Additionally, specific compounds like salicin and glycine exhibited different responses to drying conditions; salicin reached its highest levels under sun drying, while glycine was maximized with sun drying and moderately retained during oven drying. These results emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate drying techniques based on the targeted bioactive compounds to optimize the medicinal value of herbal plants.