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Although a broad variety of classes of bioactive compounds have already been isolated from seaweeds of the genus Dictyota, most different species are still chemically and biologically unexplored. Dictyota species are well-known brown seaweeds belonging to the Dictyotaceae (Phaeophyta). The phytochemical composition within the genus Dictyota has recently received considerable interest, and a vast array of components, including diterpenes, sesquiterepenes, sterols, amino acids, as well as saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, have been characterized. The contribution of these valued metabolites to the biological potential, which includes anti-proliferative, anti-microbial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperpigmentation activities, of the genus Dictyota has also been explored. Therefore, this is the most comprehensive review, focusing on the published literature relevant to the chemically and pharmacologically diverse biopharmaceuticals isolated from different species of the genus Dictyota during the period from 1976 to now.

Purpose The loss of flower quality after harvesting is a major concern in the floriculture industry. Because cut flower solutions are quickly contaminated with microbes, causing flower damage, they must be modified to enhance and extend the life of the vase. Methods Eco-friendly preservative solutions were examined to investigate the efficiency of natural essential oils of eucalyptus, neem and rosemary at concentrations of 200 and 400 mg L –1 each on the biological, physiological, and anatomical traits and vase life of solidago ( Solidago canadensis ) cut flower. Results Using different essential oils at both concentrations showed significant impact on cut flower longevity. The maximum vase life was obtained by solidago placed in a preservative solution containing 400 mg L –1 of neem essential oil, which enhanced water uptake and relative fresh weight and reduced both water loss and microbial count when compared to other treatments and control treatment. The chlorophyll, total phenol, flavonoid, and carotenoid content of the spikes increased in solidago cut-flower placed in a preservative solution containing neem essential oil 400 mg L −1 . Results also showed decreased malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) levels and total antioxidant activity (DPPH radical-scavenging activity) with the application of all natural oils supply. Anatomically, cut flowers that treated with essential oils had considerably clearer vessels and significantly fewer bacteria than untreated cut flowers. Conclusion The higher concentration of different essential oils gave better results than the lower concentration. These results suggest that for the floriculture industry, natural phyto-oils provide a clear viable method to extend the vase life of solidago cut flowers. Thus, neem oil at a concentration of 400 mg L –1 added to a preservative solution is considered the most promising practice for prolonging the vase life and maintaining high quality of Solidago.

The present study evaluates the potential of Sar gassum muticum (Sar) and Jan ia rubens (Jan) seaweeds for enhancing growth and mitigating soil-salinity in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.). Under control conditions, Sar and Jan extracts improved chickpea growth which was attributed to their potential for increasing photosynthetic pigments, K + and amino acids, particularly proline, in comparison with water-sprayed control. Upon stress imposition, chickpea growth was reduced in NaCl concentration-dependent manner, and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed Na + accumulation and oxidative damage as major determinants of sensitivity at high salinity. Furthermore, amino acid quantification indicated activation/deactivation of overall metabolism in roots/shoots, as an adaptive strategy, for maintaining plant growth under salt stress. Sar and Jan extract supplementations provided stress amelioration, and PCA confirmed that improved growth parameters at high salinity were associated with enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase. Besides, four key amino acids, including serine, threonine, proline and aspartic acids, were identified from roots which maximally contribute to Sar- and Jan-mediated stress amelioration. Sar showed higher effectiveness than Jan under both control and salt stress conditions. Our findings highlight “bio-stimulant” properties of two seaweeds and provide mechanistic insight into their salt-ameliorating action which is relevant for both basic and applied research.

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. The causative of the most severe forms of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, has developed resistances against all the available antimalarial drugs. In the present study, the phytochemical investigation of the green seaweed Halimeda macroloba has afforded two new compounds 1–2, along with 4 known ones 3–6. The structures of the compounds had been confirmed using 1& 2D-NMR and HRESIMS analyses. Extensive machine-learning-supported virtual-screening suggested cytochrome-C enzyme as a potential target for compound 2. Docking, absolute-binding-free-energy (ΔGbinding) and molecular-dynamics-simulation (MDS) of compound 2 revealed the strong binding interaction of this compound with cytochrome-C. In vitro testing for crude extract and isolated compounds revealed the potential in vitro inhibitory activity of both extract and compound 2 against P. falciparum. The crude extract was able to inhibit the parasite growth with an IC50 value of 1.8 ± 0.35 µg/mL. Compound 2 also showed good inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 3.2 ± 0.23 µg/mL. Meanwhile, compound 6 showed moderate inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 19.3 ± 0.51 µg/mL. Accordingly, the scaffold of compound 2 can be considered as a good lead compound for the future development of new antimalarial agents.

This study investigates the potential of Tetradesmus obliquus for lipid accumulation under heavy metal stress and evaluates it’s aviability for biodiesel production. We surveyed how different concentrations of heavy metals, including manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and zinc (Zn), influence the carbohydrate & protein, lipid yield, and fatty acid profiles of T. obliquus cultures. Our results demonstrated that while lipid content increased under heavy metal stress, the extent of accumulation was highly dependent on metal type and concentration. Notably, the algal culture treated with 0.04 mM Co²⁺ showed the highest lipid accumulation. Treatment with 0.3 mM Zn²⁺ resulted in the highest proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA). The Relative Enrichment Efficiency Coefficient (REEC) analysis demonstrated that 0.04 mM and 0.07 mM Co²⁺ led to the highest lipid and carbohydrate content stimulation. Additionally, GC-MS analysis revealed increased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) under several metal stress conditions. The study demonstrated that exposure to specific concentrations of heavy metals can significantly enhance lipid accumulation and alter the fatty acid profiles of T. obliquus , which are crucial for improving biodiesel quality. The implications of these findings suggest that heavy metal-induced stress could be a feasible approach to enhancing lipid accumulation for sustainable biodiesel production, and T.obliquus is a promising candidate for future biodiesel production.

Purpose Recently, conserving irrigation water via application of deficit irrigation is a main priority, particularly in aridity and semi- aridity conditions. However, water deficiency is one of the major issues that hinder crop production worldwide. Also, knowledge regarding the physiological efficiency of microbial inoculation (MI) to shrink drought impacts in broccoli is unclear. We hypothesized that AMF and TRI fungi may have different mechanisms to modulate the physiological state and growth of broccoli to be more tolerant to drought stress. Methods A field experiment in two seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 was conducted to assess the influence of MI on drought tolerance in broccoli. A mycorrhiza inoculum (AMF) and Trichoderma (TRI) inoculum were applied under 100, 80, 60 and 40% of irrigation requirements, IR (referred to as IR100, IR80, IR60 and IR40, respectively). Firstly, the MI was applied in the nursery after sowing the seeds in the seed trays, further, MI was applied two times, 28 and 38 days after transplanting (DAT) with the drip irrigation system, while the irrigation regimes started on 27 DAT. The treatments were designed in a strip-plot system in a complete randomized block with three replicates (trial unit size was 12 m 2 ). At 70 DAT, soil plant analysis development (SPAD), membrane stability index (MSI), relative water content (RWC), proline content, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and total antioxidant activity of broccoli leaves were assessed, while at 85 DAT the fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, leaf area and head yield were estimated. Results Findings clarified that application of AMF and TRI inoculations under different levels of drought improved significantly ( p  < 0.05) SPAD, MSI and RWC compared to the corresponding control treatments, except AMF with IR60 for SPAD and TRI with IR60 for SPAD and MSI and with IR40 for SPAD. Under IR60 regime, AMF achieved the maximum improvements ( p  < 0.05) in peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and superoxide dismutase, significantly equaling ( p  > 0.05) TRI for peroxidase. AMF×IR60 was the effective interaction for achieving the maximal values of total phenolic, total flavonoids and total antioxidant activity in broccoli, equaling ( p  > 0.05) TRI×IR60 combination in total phenolic. Compared to the counterpart control (CK) treatments the increases in proline content due to AMF or TRI applications amounted to 26.4 and 30.0% with IR80, 25.0 and 15.6% with IR60 and 36.6 and 32.5% with IR40, respectively. It is worth to observe that IR80×AMF combination achieved shoot dry weight and head yield values similar ( p  > 0.05) to IR100×AMF combination. Conclusion Briefly, it can be concluded that microbial inoculations, specifically AMF, can relieve the injuries of drought. Practically, broccoli growers can save irrigation water by 20% with inoculating plants by mycorrhiza to maintain crop productivity and quality under water deficiency circumstances.

Staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of zoonotic diseases that are of increasing epidemiological importance and have significant implications for public health. One hundred fifty ready-to-eat meat product samples were collected from local shops in Qena City, Egypt, to investigate the bacteriological profile of S. aureus and evaluate the antimicrobial effects of marine algal extracts against identified S. aureus isolates in vitro. S. aureus was detected in 30.7% of the samples examined, with the highest incidence in luncheon samples. Detection of virulence genes revealed that 58.7%, 47.8%, 0%, 13%, and 0% of S. aureus isolates harbored coa , nuc , sea , seb , and sec genes. S. aureus isolates demonstrated a high level of antimicrobial resistance. Genetic analysis of antimicrobial resistance determinants revealed that 65.2% of the isolates carried the mec A gene, 72.2% harbored the van A gene, and 33.3% contained the optr A gene. These findings indicate a significant prevalence of genetic markers associated with resistance to methicillin, vancomycin, and oxazolidinones, respectively, among the studied S. aureus isolates. In addition, these isolates produced various biofilm phenotypes. The most-produced biofilm phenotype was strong (32.6%). Luncheon meat showed the highest MRSA confirmation rate (36.4%), followed by sausage (37.5%), while burger products had the lowest confirmation rate (25.0%). Halimeda opuntia , Jania rubens , and Caulerpa racemosa marine algal extracts’ antimicrobial activity was studied. The major constituent of Caulerpa racemosa extract was spathulenol, and the methanol extract of Caulerpa racemosa (1.5 mg/ml) exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity against S. aureus . RT-PCR revealed significant downregulation of coa (98.7% reduction) and nuc (68.8% reduction) in Caulerpa racemosa extract-treated S. aureus . Algal extracts present a hopeful prospect for developing innovative antibacterial substances with great promise for application in food preservation and medicine.

Background Abiotic stresses, like drought, are the major cause of shrinking plant, growth crop yields and quality. Nanotechnology has provided a significant improvement in increasing plant growth and yield of crops under stress conditions. This work assessed the potential of silicon for mitigating the negative effects of drought against wheat. In completely randomized design with three replicates, wheat seedlings grown under three watering levels (100, 60 and 40% of water holding capacity) were treated by silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) as a normal or bulk form (Si) and SiO 2 nanoparticles (SiNPs) with concentrations of 100 and 200 mg L −1 . SiNPs was extracted from rice husk. Results Si and SiNPs treatments are shown to improve the growth of plants and increase the shoots and root weight, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, and proline in wheat. SiO 2 either normal or nanoparticles at 100 mg L −1 decreased lipid peroxidation as malondialdehyde was reduced. Also, nano-silicon increased free amino acids, antioxidant enzymes while decreased soluble sugars. Cytotoxicity assay proved the safety of nano-silicon usage. Conclusions In conclusion, the present study documented the significance of rice husk-extracted nano-silicon at rate of 100 mg L −1 for improving growth and increasing tolerance to drought in wheat grown under water deficit.

Introduction: Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodbome pathogen of public- and animal-health concern globally. The persistence of L. monocytogenes in the dairy-processing environment has multifactorial causes, including lack of hygiene, inefficient cleaning, and improper disinfection practices. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 dairy-product and environmental samples were collected from dairy-cattle facilities and local dairy shops and vendors in Qena, Egypt. Samples were screened for the incidence of Listeria spp. and to detect virulence determinants and disinfectant-resistance genes. Three marine algal species--Caulerpa racemosa, Jania rubens, and Padina pavonica--were collected from Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. Algal extracts were screened using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of some marine algal extracts, nanoparticles derived therefrom, and some disinfectants against L. monocytogenes strains were assessed in vitro using agar-well diffusion and liquid-broth methods. The impact of P. pavonica extract on the growth and survival of virulent L. monocytogenes in cheese and whey were clarified. Results and Discussion: The incidence of L. monocytogenes in dairy products and environmental samples was 15.5% and 19%, respectively. The most common toxigenic gene profile found among the isolates was [hlyA.sup.+]-[inlA.sup.+]-[prfA.sup.+]. The sensitivity pattern of L. monocytogenes strains to disinfectant containing alkyl (C12-16) dimethyl BAC was high compared to other tested quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) disinfectants tested, which showed lower log reductions against resistant strains. The QAC disinfectant-resistance gene qacH was detected in 40% of the isolates. Potent bactericidal activity of a petroleum ether extract of P. pavonica and silver nanoparticles of P. pavonica were obtained against the virulent L. monocytogenes strain. The population of L. monocytogenes in cheese curd and whey after 14 days was reduced at a rate of 9 log CFU/g and 8 log CFU/mL, respectively due to the effect of P. pavonica extract. After 28 days of storage, L. monocytogenes was completely inactivated in those dairy products. Conclusion: P. pavonica extract showed promising antimicrobial properties, calling for further comprehensive studies prior to it being applied in the food industry to enhance the safety, quality, and shelf life of products and protect public health. Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, virulence genes, cheese, qacH gene, disinfectants, algae, antimicrobial activity

LC-MS-assisted metabolomic profiling of the Red Sea-derived brown algae Sargassum cinereum “Sargassaceae” dereplicated eleven compounds 1–11. Further phytochemical investigation afforded two new aryl cresol 12–13, along with eight known compounds 14–21. Both new metabolites, along with 19, showed moderate in vitro antiproliferative activity against HepG2, MCF-7, and Caco-2. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening suggested both 5-LOX and 15-LOX as the most probable target linked to their observed antiproliferative activity. The in vitro enzyme assays revealed 12 and 13 were able to inhibit 5-LOX more preferentially than 15-LOX, while 19 showed a convergent inhibitory activity toward both enzymes. Further in-depth in silico investigation revealed the molecular interactions inside both enzymes’ active sites and explained the varying inhibitory activity for 12 and 13 toward 5-LOX and 15-LOX.