Explore the vast range of titles available.

This study reports, for the first time, the green synthesis of zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanoparticles (NPs) capped with Artemisia herba-alba and Calligonum extracts, benchmarked against conventional L-cysteine-capped ZnSe. Using plant extracts as natural capping agents provides an eco-friendly strategy to tailor the surface chemistry and photocatalytic behavior of ZnSe NPs. The NPs were synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL), and then evaluated for methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV irradiation. XRD revealed mixed cubic and wurtzite phases with crystallite sizes ranging from 5.6 to 7.7 nm, while the PL analysis suggested more effective charge separation in plant-extract-capped ZnSe. Photocatalytic tests demonstrated that Calligonum-capped ZnSe achieved ~ 40% MB degradation after 180 min, outperforming Artemisia-capped ZnSe (28%) and showing comparable performance to L-cysteine-capped ZnSe (38%). Kinetic analysis further revealed that Artemisia-capped ZnSe exhibited the highest rate constant, indicating superior intrinsic photocatalytic activity. The enhanced performance of plant-capped ZnSe was attributed to phytochemical-induced defect states that promote charge separation and reactive oxygen species generation. These findings establish Artemisia and Calligonum extracts as sustainable capping agents, offering a low-cost, environmentally friendly route for designing ZnSe nanocatalysts with significant potential in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

Male fertility is declining worldwide, with notable reductions in sperm counts, emphasizing the need for new therapeutic interventions. Atranorin (ATR), a lichen-derived secondary metabolite, exhibits strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study assessed the protective effects of ATR on type 1 diabetes (T1D)-induced reproductive dysfunction in rats. T1D was induced in male Wistar rats via a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan at 150 mg/kg body weight (bw). ATR significantly ameliorated T1D-related reproductive damage. At 170 mg/kg bw, ATR reduced hyperglycemia by 66% and attenuated seminal inflammation, decreasing leukocyte infiltration (−51%) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (−68%). Oxidative balance improved, as evidenced by increased total antioxidant status (TAS) (+203%) and decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (−73%), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (−45%), and total oxidant status (TOS) (−70%). Steroidogenesis was restored through enhanced 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) (+65%) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) (+102%) activities, resulting in a 90% recovery of testosterone levels. Seminal plasma function improved, with increased fructose levels (+71%), normalized pH (7.4), and enhanced hyaluronidase (HYAL) (+71%), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) (+71%), and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) (+79%) activities. Fertility biomarkers, such as adenosine deaminase (ADA) (+148%) and lactate dehydrogenase-C4 (LDH-C4) (+62%), increased, and essential minerals Zn2+ (+72%), Ca2+ (+96%), Mg2+ (+84%), and Se (+57%) were restored. Consequently, sperm density (+87%), viability (+69%), and motility (+189%) improved, while abnormalities declined (−46%). Histological findings confirmed the restoration of spermatogenesis and epididymal maturation. ATR effectively counteracts diabetes-induced reproductive dysfunction by reducing oxidative and inflammatory stress while improving hormonal and seminal parameters.

This study presents a green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) capped with Haloxylon (P1) and Calligonum (P2) extracts. The use of plant-derived biomolecules as natural capping agents offers an environmentally friendly strategy to tune surface chemistry and to enhance the photocatalytic behavior of ZnO NPs. ZnO/plant extracts nanocomposites were prepared via a hydrothermal route and systematically characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL), followed by evaluation of their photocatalytic performance against methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. XRD confirmed a wurtzite structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 8.95 to 10.93 nm, while PL spectra indicated an improved charge carrier separation in extract-capped ZnO. The characteristics and pollutant removal performance of the greenly synthesized ZnO composites were compared with those of a chemically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles reference sample. Adsorption tests under dark conditions revealed a strong difference between the materials: ZnO-P1 removed 48% of MB, whereas ZnO-P2 adsorbed only 7%, demonstrating a much higher affinity of the Haloxylon-derived surface groups toward MB. In comparison, the chemically synthesized ZnO exhibited an adsorption capacity of 54%, confirming that the Haloxylon-mediated surface provides a comparable efficient dye uptake prior to irradiation. After UV irradiation, all samples exhibited a photocatalytic activity with a total MB removal reached ~59% for the reference ZnO sample and ~53% for ZnO-P1 compared to about 13% for the ZnO-P2. Kinetic analysis also confirmed that ZnO-P1 possessed a high degradation rate constant, indicating a better intrinsic photocatalytic efficiency in addition to the strong adsorption contribution. The enhanced performance of plant-capped ZnO is attributed to phytochemical-induced surface defects, which facilitated charge separation and boosted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overall, these results demonstrate that Haloxylon and Calligonum extracts are effective and sustainable capping agents, providing a low-cost, eco-friendly approach for designing ZnO nanocatalysts composites with promising applications in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

Background and Objective: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death in females. Since its treatment is challenging and causes severe side effects, novel therapies are urgently needed. One of the potential enzymes implicated in the progression of cancers is Cytochrome 4Z1 (CYP4Z1). Its expression in ovarian cancer remains unknown. Therefore, the current study aims to assess CYP4Z1 expression in different subtypes of ovarian cancers. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to characterize CYP4Z1 expression in 192 cases of ovarian cancers along with eight normal ovarian tissues. The enzyme’s association with various clinicopathological characteristics and survival was determined. Results: CYP4Z1 was strongly expressed in 79% of ovarian cancers, compared to negative expression in normal ovarian samples. Importantly, significantly high CYP4Z1 expres-sion was determined in patients with advanced-stage cancer and a high depth of invasion (p < 0.05). Surprisingly, CYP4Z1 expression was significantly associated with a low patient survival rate. Univariate analysis revealed that patient survival was strongly associated with CYP4Z1 expression, tumor stage, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that only CYP4Z1 expression was significantly associated with patient survival (p < 0.05). Conclusions: CYP4Z1 expression is correlated with shorter patient survival and has been identified as an independent indicator of a poor prognosis for ovarian cancer patients.