Groundwater as a vital source of drinking water is currently become under threat from chemical and microbiological contamination. The region around Al-Khums City, Libya, suffers from disorganized residential communities and limited supplies of safe drinking water that are often contaminated by bacterial infections. It is concerning when this is combined with rising rates of microbial antibiotic resistance. The current study was concerned with isolation, identification and diagnosis of pathogenic bacteria from 100 groundwater wells in Al-Khums City to determine whether the water is suitable for drinking or not. Most probable number (MPN) technique was applied to determine the quality of water samples. Total bacterial count (TB) and total coliforms (TCs) were also investigated. Bacterial isolates were biochemically identified using API20E test. Agar disc diffusion method was used to test the bacterial resistance in the pathogenic bacterial isolates. The overall coliform readings for the contaminated wells were 7.02 × 101 ± 4.25 × 101 MPN/100mL. The highest recorded values of TB were 5.74 × 104 ± 3.06× 104 CFU/mL. From the water samples, a variety of harmful bacteria were recorded, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Citrobacter freundii and Serratia marcescens. The highest levels of bacterial resistance against the tested antibiotics were recorded against cephalexin (89.2%), cefazolin (88.2%), and cephalothin (70.6%). On the other hand, gentamycin, with a resistance level of 28.2%, and kanamycin, with a level of 38.2%, were the most active antibiotics against the bacterial isolates.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a critical food crop and a staple source of nutrition in Indonesia. However, rice productivity has experienced a decline over time due to factors such as land conversion and varying land conditions. One significant challenge in rice cultivation arises in saline environments, where high salt content adversely affects crop productivity. Although various rice varieties have been cultivated in coastal regions, certain areas exhibit elevated salinity levels that disrupt rice plant growth. This study aims to identify rice varieties that exhibit resilience to saline stress. The research employed a two-factorial Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD), incorporating both variety and environment as factors. The interaction between genotypes and environmental conditions significantly influenced the age at which 50% flowering occurred. The Inpari 34 Salin Agritan variety demonstrated the earliest age of 50% flowering at 96 hours after sowing (HSS) across both study locations, although it was not significantly different from the Inpari 35 Salin Agritan variety, which had a flowering age of 97 HSS, and the IPB 12S variety, which exhibited a flowering age of 98 HSS. Conversely, the Cilamaya Muncul variety exhibited the longest age to 50% flowering at 115 HSS, although this was not significantly different from the TP-Padi 2 variety, which reached 50% flowering at 111 HSS.

Natural lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and ginger rhizome extract are natural food products that are characterized by their delicious taste in addition to their high nutritional value due to their many active compounds and antioxidants. In our current study, we evaluated a mixture of lemon extract, ginger and apple cider vinegar against hypercholesterolemic in male rats. The animals were then randomly assigned to four groups (G1: Normal control, G2: Hypercholesterolemic control, G3: Hypercholesterolemic was treated with a 25mg/mL extract, G4: hypercholesterolemic was treated with a 50mg/mL extract. The lemon juice, ginger extract, and natural apple cider vinegar used in the study were extracted aqueously in a ratio of 25:10:2, respectively. The anti- hypercholesterolemic activity in male rats on a high-cholesterol diet was evaluated by daily dosing of the animals for four weeks at two concentrations of 25mg/mL and 50mg/mL. The free radical scavenging assay was utilized in the determination of the antioxidant activity. Both before and after treatment, body weight was measured. Lipid levels, blood glucose and liver enzymes were measured at the end of the experiment. The groups’ results showed significant differences. The high-cholesterol diet led to an increase in body weight, TC, T.G, LDL, blood sugar, and a decrease in HDL, ALT and AST in the negative control group, while a positive response was observed in G3 and G4 treated with lemon extract, ginger, and natural apple cider vinegar, leading to a decrease in body weight, lipids profile, blood sugar, and a significant increase in liver enzymes. The results confirm that the extracts of lemon, ginger, and apple cider vinegar are potent antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and lipid levels in the blood of male rats.

The Fayoum Depression (FD), renowned as one of the world’s oldest agricultural hubs and Egypt’s most productive agrarian landscape, exhibits a topography strikingly like that of Egypt itself. Qarun Lake, situated along FD’s northern boundary, mirrors Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline, while the Bahr Yusuf Canal serves as FD’s vital water source, akin to the Nile River’s role in Egypt. This research examined the floristic composition of cultivated plants, trees, and associated weeds in four public gardens: Fayoum University Gardens (FUG), Fayoum Plantation International Garden (FPIG), Fayoum Governorate Club (FGC), and Fayoum Zoo (FZ). The investigation recognized 216 species from 151 genera across 58 plant families, with Asteraceae, Moraceae, and Fabaceae emerging as the dominant families in the region’s flora. Significantly, perennial species (81%) exceeded annuals (19%), a characteristic feature of FD where perennials potentially demonstrate greater resilience to climatic variations. The study identified six life form categories, with phanerophytes (44.91%) and hemicryptophytes (38%) being the most prevalent. Additionally, four primary phytogeographical plant groups were observed: worldwide, bi-regional, pluri-regional, and mono-regional, with bi-regional and mono-regional categories exhibiting the highest representation at 21% and 53%, respectively. Notably, 27 species (13%) were classified as native to the Saharo-Arabian region. Two hundred and sixteen taxa are classified into 175 (81.4%) cultivated and 41 (19 %) wild species, all the cultivated are non-native while the wild species categorized into 18 (8.4%) native and 23 (11%) non-native species. This research contributes valuable insights into the floristic diversity and distribution of cultivated trees and weeds in the Fayoum area, enhancing our comprehension of these gardens’ ecological characteristics and informing future conservation and management approaches.

The Saharo-Arabian region comprises an extensive area in north-western Africa. Despite its floristic rarity, it provides many goods and services. The Saharo-Arabian region has many endemic species, many of which are monotypic and Palaeogenic. Hence, this research was aimed to identify the goods and services provided by desert ecosystems. This study recorded the presence of 126 Saharo-Arabian endemics (109 species, 17 subspecies) belonging to 87 genera and 37 families. South Sinai is the richest region with endemics, comprising 83 taxa. The most significant goods were medicine (68 taxa), grazing (43 taxa), and food (15 taxa). In addition, the most offered ecosystem services were sand stabilization (15 taxa), shading (11 taxa), and nitrogen fixation (11 taxa). Three categories of physical defense have been detected (hairy plants, spiny plants and plants with oduor. Most of the medicinal plants in this study contain flavonoids, followed by terpenes, and phenols, while Lipids, resins, and carotenoids have the lowest value. Remedies derived from medicinal plants are used to treat a variety of diseases. Cancer is treated with the highest number of medicinal taxa, followed by antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory taxa. The Saharo-Arabian endemic plants offer numerous goods and ecosystem services. Nonetheless, the study area's Saharo-Arabian plants have recently been threatened by a variety of anthropogenic factors. As a result, they require wise use as well as in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures from all relevant bodies to ensure their long-term viability and sustainability of its services.

Aromatic plants are considered as one of the most important species, known for their significant contributions towards the human life since from ancient times to the present day. Their key importance lies in their production of odorous aromatic chemical compounds known as essential oils. These essential oils find extensive use in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Saudi Arabia is majorly rich towards the diversity of plants which includes aromatic species. The flora of Saudi Arabia consists of a total of 68 species of aromatic plants belonging to five different families, with Lamiaceae family being the most dominant; which comprises 42 species. This study aims to provide an overview of 15 endemic medicinal and aromatic plants native to Saudi Arabia, all of which belongs to Lamiaceae family. The focus is mainly on their morphology, distribution, phytochemical properties, and the significance of the essential oils extracted from these plants. However, further research and examination are required to fully comprehend the medicinal properties and chemical content of aromatic plants, such as Ballota undulata, Otostegia fruticosa, Satureja nabateorum, and Thymus decussatus.

The biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using endophytic fungi is a potential biological nanomanufacturing technique that is cost-effective and environmentally friendly and represents a significant advancement for research in the field of nanotechnology. In this study, AgNO3 was reduced to form silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using the mycelial filtrate of Aspergillus fumigatus Eu.co.The characteristics of the AgNPs were evaluated through UV–Visible Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Elemental Diffraction X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) measurements. Furthermore, the applicability of AgNPs as antibacterial agents was detected against a numerous of pathogenic bacteria namely, Salmonella typhi (ATCC7251), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Enterobacter cloacae (ATCC13047), and Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 29906) via a well diffusion assay. The biosynthesis of the biogenic AgNPs was shown by the color shift from yellow to dark brown. The highest UV absorption peak was detected at 420 nm. FTIR analysis of the AgNPs revealed the presence of alcohols, alkanes, unsaturated ketones, and aromatic, nitro and amide groups that are associated with bioactive compounds and serve as capping agents for the nanoparticles. XRD analysis of the AgNPs indicated a high degree of crystallinity. EDX spectrum showed a strong signal attributed to Ag nanocrystals. The optimum parameters of the AgNPs were the optimum temperature of 25°C, a neutral pH, 1.0 mM concentration of AgNO3 and the reaction time of 144 hrs. AgNPs were more effective against Enterobacter cloacae ATCC13047, with an inhibition diameter of 59±1.01 mm.

Lansium domesticum, commonly known as duku in Indonesia, is a plant rich in bioactive compounds, particularly phenol and flavonoid, which shows potent antioxidant properties. However, these compounds are highly susceptible to degradation under high-temperature conditions, limiting the stability and effectiveness. To address the limitation, encapsulation technology offers a promising method to protect bioactive compounds from degradation, enhancing the stability and potential applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the most effective encapsulation method for producing microcapsules from L. domesticum leaves extract. The extraction process was carried out using the sonication method with ethyl acetate as the solvent and maltodextrin as the coating material. A total of four different encapsulation methods were evaluated, namely freeze-drying, microwave oven-drying, convection oven-drying, as well as a combination of freeze-drying and microwave oven-drying. The results showed that encapsulation method significantly influenced the yield, moisture content, particle size, phenol, and flavonoid content, including antioxidant activity of microcapsules. Among the tested methods, freeze-drying produced the highest quality microcapsules, with a total phenol content of 9.04 ± 0.3 mg AGE/g, total flavonoid content of 33.36 ± 1.8 mg QE/g, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 46.86 ± 2.6%. The results were in with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By enhancing the stability and bioavailability of natural antioxidants, this study contributed to the development of sustainable functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural-based pharmaceuticals