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Arid regions are mainly characterized by extreme environmental conditions, which strongly affect crop production and therefore, could not allow to satisfy the high food demand. During the past decades, chemicals fertilizers have been intensively used to increase crop yield. However, significant applications of chemical fertilizers have showed adverse effects on the environment in many previous works. Therefore, this study attempts to convert plant parts of dates palm (leaflet, petiole, and fruits) into biochar. Furthermore, this work also aims to determine the physiochemical composition of the biomaterial and its potentialities in improving plant growth of Ocimum basilicum at different levels including 0, 1.5, and 3% hydroponically. Based on our results, physiochemical parameters of the tested biochar revealed that 3% fruit biochar had the highest water drainage (42 ml), while petiole biochar at the same concentration without Hoagland had the highest pH (8.38) and EC (3452.66 µS/cm). Electrical properties, such as voltage (2.93 V) and current (0.14 mA), and plant metrics, including shoot and root growth, showed significant improvement, particularly with 3% of leaflet biochar and Hoagland application. Strong correlations between electrochemical properties (voltage, current) and plant growth were observed, with values ranging from 0.62 to 0.98. These findings suggest that biochar derived from date palm can be a valuable amendment for improving hydroponic crop production, particularly in arid regions.

Artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. and its derivatives are well-known antimalarial drugs. In addition, in vitro studies, in vivo studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that these drugs exhibit anticancer activity in human patients with cancer. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether a phytotherapeutic A. annua preparation exerts anticancer activity in veterinary tumors of small pets. Dogs and cats with spontaneous cancer (n=20) were treated with standard therapy plus a commercial A. annua preparation (Luparte®) and compared with a control group treated with standard therapy alone (n=11). Immunohistochemical analyses were performed with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor biopsies to analyze the expression of transferrin receptor (TfR) and the proliferation marker Ki-67 as possible biomarkers to assess treatment response of tumors to A. annua. Finally, the expression levels of TfR and Ki-67 were compared with the IC50 values towards artemisinin in two dog tumor cells lines (DH82 and DGBM) and a panel of 54 human tumor cell lines. Retrospectively, the present study assessed the survival times of small animals treated by standard therapy with or without A. annua. A. annua treatment was associated with a significantly higher number of animals surviving >18 months compared with animals without A. annua treatment (P=0.0331). Using a second set of small pet tumors, a significant correlation was identified between TfR and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry (P=0.025). To further assess the association of transferrin and Ki-67 expression with cellular response to artemisinin, the present study compared the expression of these two biomarkers and the IC50 values for artemisinin in National Cancer Institute tumor cell lines in vitro. Both markers were inversely associated with artemisinin response (P<0.05), and the expression levels of TfR and Ki-67 were significantly correlated (P=0.008). In conclusion, the promising results of the present retrospective study warrant further confirmation by prospective studies in the future.

Arid environments are characterized by extreme weather conditions which strongly affect plant physiology. Overstory plants layer can increase stress resilience of the understory plants than those exposed to direct sunlight. To verify this assumption, Tephrosia apollinea plant samples were collected under different canopies positions of Acacia tortilis (open area, east, and west) and subjected to phytochemical and antimicrobial analyses considering plant organ-age, and sunlight parameters. Based on the current findings, PPFD (1351.3 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 ), PFD-UV (24.87 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 ) and PFD-FR (404.78 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 ) values were greater in the open area. Calcium (2820.6 mg/100 g), phosphorous (1677.76 mg/100 g), magnesium (492.26 mg/100 g), and zinc (9.13 mg/100 g) levels were higher in the young leaves. Dry matter (62.80%), crude fibre (10.73%), ash (4.83%), TDN (66.34%), tannins (2.42%), and total flavonoids (3162.66 mg/kg) amounts were much higher in the mature leaves, and the opposite trends were noticeable in the branches. The amounts of crude protein (8.53%) were greater in the young than mature organs. Strongest antimicrobial activities effects were recorded in the young than mature organs with east and west locations showing more effects. The inhibition zones ranging from 10 to 14 mm. The findings of this study indicate that microenvironments of understory plants can greatly enhance their survival capacity, which could help in improving medicines and food production in the arid regions.

Extreme milieus are environments characterized by harsh weather conditions which strongly affect plant physiology. Previous works have attempted to examine the impacts of environmental conditions on the plants metabolism. However, there is lack of scientific data addressing these biological phenomena in the arid regions. The present work was designed to understand how arid conditions affect the phytochemical and antimicrobial analyses of Senna italica plant considering plant organ, organ-age, and elevational effects. In the first study, young and mature organs of Senna italica were subjected to pigments analyses to see how pigments contents vary according to the elevation, while the second study evaluated the effects of plant organs on the phytochemical and antimicrobial analyses of S. italica . Based on our results, plant growing from highest elevations exhibited greater values of pigments contents than the other. Higher pigments contents were recorded in the leaves than the branches. Greater values of pigment were observed in the mature than the young leaves, and young branches had more pigments levels than the matures. Calcium, manganese, ash, total flavonoids, vitamin E and B1 contents were greater in the leaves while; phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, copper, crude protein, total digestible nutrients were higher in the seeds. Branches exhibited elevated levels of sodium, dry matter, tannins and potassium, while fibers contents were greater in the fruits. Fruits extract showed higher antimicrobial effects than the other organs with the inhibition zones ranging from 14.33 to 16.33 mm. The findings of this work indicates that pigments adjustments could be one of the mechanisms of adaptations of S. italica and this adaptation could help identifying novel metabolites that could be used against drug-resistant microbes in the arid regions.

Summary P-glycoprotein is the most crucial membrane transporter implicated in tumor resistance. Intensive efforts were paid to elucidate the complex mechanism of transport and to identify modulators of this transporter. However, the borderline between substrates and modulators is very thin and identification of the binding sites within P-glycoprotein is complex. Herein, we provide an intensive review of those issues and use molecular docking to assess its ability: first, to differentiate between three groups (substrates, modulators and non-substrates) and second to identify the binding sites. After thorough statistical analysis, we conclude despite the various challenges that molecular docking should not be underestimated as differences between the distinct groups were significant. However, when it comes to defining the binding site, care must be taken, since consensus throughout literature could not be reached.

This study aims to examine the prevalence of early marriage among ever-married Somali women aged 20−49, assess differences across age groups and regions, and identify the main sociodemographic and contextual determinants. The study used the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey dataset. The survey was a representative, three-stage cluster stratified sample, and the data were collected through personal interviews. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to examine prevalence and differences by background characteristics. Logistic regression modeled the probability of women marrying before 15 or 18 while adjusting for sociodemographic and contextual variables. Three logistic regression models were run; two of these models examined women aged 20−49 for the probability of marrying below age 15 or age 18, while one considered women aged 20−29 in assessing the probability of marriage before age 18. Of the respondents, 24.3% (95% CI: 22.6–26.1) married before 15, while the overall estimated prevalence of marriage before 18 was 41.7% (95% CI: 39.3–44.2). The odds of getting married before 15 (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.16–1.99, p = 0.002) and 18 (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.68–2.58, p < 0.001) were higher for the younger age group, 20–29. Women from Somaliland showed lower odds for marrying before age 15 (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.41–0.62, p < 0.001) and below age 18 (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.46–0.66, p < 0.001). Women from lower socioeconomic status showed higher probabilities of early marriage. In the models for women aged 20–49, education had no significant effect. Only among women aged 20–29, education was unexpectedly linked to early marriage, and there were no differences by living in an urban or rural area. Odds ratios were higher for those who accepted domestic violence and lower for those who ever used the internet and participated in household decision-making.

Multidrug resistance is a major factor causing the failure of cancer chemotherapy. Efflux pumps of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family expel a large array of diverse anticancer drugs out of tumor cells thereby rendering them unresponsive to drug treatment. During the past 2 decades, we focused on three ABC transporters, i.e. P-glycoprotein (MDR1/ABCB1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2), and ABCB5 with the aim to find natural products with activity against multidrug-resistant cells. We investigated more than 102 cytotoxic medicinal plants and more than 228 isolated cytotoxic phytochemicals with defined chemical structures from 16 countries in Africa, Near East, Asia, and Europe for their activity to kill multidrug-resistant cells. A synopsis of these results is given in this review article. ABCB1-, ABCG2- or ABCB5-expressing cells were moderately or strongly cross-resistant to a considerable portion of plant extracts or phytochemicals, making them less suitable for the treatment of multidrug resistant tumors. While another large portion of compounds inhibited sensitive and multidrug-resistant cells with similar efficacy, a small fraction of medicinal plants and phytochemicals (3–8%) suppressed multidrug-resistant cells with even much better efficacy as their drug-sensitive counterparts. This hypersensitivity phenomenon is termed “collateral sensitivity”. These compounds may be exquisitely suited to kill otherwise resistant and refractory tumors. Molecular modes of action of collateral sensitivity as well as possibilities for further drug development, chemical derivatization of natural lead compounds and rationale phytotherapy are discussed.

Extreme environments significantly impact the metabolic profiles of plants, leading to variations in chemical composition and bioactivity. This study investigates the effects of altitude, plant part age, and light exposure on the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Moringa peregrina . Based on our results, mineral contents were plant location dependent; while dry matter, ash, total digestible nutrients (TDN), fibre, protein, and tannins, were greater in the samples from the mountain. Vitamin E was more concentrated in the wadi. Vitamin A, selenium, phenols, and heavy metals were undetectable in both environments. Antimicrobial assays revealed stronger activity in mountain samples than the other locations. Age-dependent analyses showed that nitrogen, protein, ash, and electrolyte leakage were higher in young plant parts, whereas chlorophyll a and b levels were elevated in mature leaves and younger branches, particularly in lower elevations. Interestingly, young leaves from mountain regions had higher chlorophyll concentrations compared to mature leaves, contrasting with trends at other elevations. Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) measurements were also highest in the mountain region. These findings suggest that M. peregrina employs diverse metabolic adaptations for survival in challenging environments, potentially offering socioeconomic value to indigenous communities through its bioactive properties.

Sweet potato is considered one of the crops enriched with valuable nutritional components, and this plant might possess strongest inhibitory allelochemicals. The present work evaluated the nutritional value and the allelopathic effects of sweet potatoes on seed germination and seedlings performance of Prosopis juliflora. The findings revealed that leaves of sweet potatoes contain more calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, protein and flavonoids than the other organs. Food exposure to direct solar positively affected the amounts of phosphorous, magnesium, zinc dry matter, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), while greater levels of sodium, potassium, protein, fibres, ash, and flavonoids were recorded indoor. Exposing the samples for 15 and 25 min showed higher values of phosphorous, sodium, fibres, TDN, flavonoids, and fat compared with the non-treated samples. While the values of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity were higher in the sweet potatoes shoot water extracts, those of pH were lower. Shoot water extracts exhibited strongest inhibitory effects on the seeds and seedlings responses than the tubers. Electrolyte leakage values were greater in the seedlings treated with shoot water extracts than the tubers. The results of this study demonstrate that growing sweet potatoes in the arid regions significantly improve its nutritional values which could be beneficial for human health. Furthermore, based on the results, proper attention should be given when drying the sweet potatoes to avoid nutrients damage. The tested shoots could be used to control the proliferation and the nuisances of P. juliflora plants in the introduced range.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare disease in children with good prognosis and high cure rate. Nevertheless, certain patients have an unfavorable prognosis due to development of refractory NPC that is unresponsive to any therapeutic strategies. The current study studies a case of a 17 years-old female with non-keratinizing NPC type IIb (T2N0M0), who passed away as a consequence of resistance to chemo-, radio- and β-interferon therapy, and to an allogenic stem cell transplantation. In order to identify factors that lead to treatment failure and fatal outcome, immunohistochemical analyses of different tumor biomarkers and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed and compared with those of eight other patients with NPC who experienced complete remission following conventional therapy. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the immunohistochemical results clearly demonstrated that staining for immunological factors (CD4, CD8 and CD56) distinguished this patient from the others. To further investigate a potential role of the immune system, lymphocytic infiltration was assessed in tumor tissue by evaluation of hematoxylin and eosin-stained tumor sections. Indeed, no tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were observed in this NPC case, while 7 out of 8 of the other NPC samples contained variable TIL amounts. The view that immunodeficiency of the patient may be a factor in the fatal outcome of treatment is supported by the fact that this patient with NPC was not positive for Epstein-Barr virus markers and also infected by several other viruses and fungi (herpes simplex virus, human herpes virus 6, Varicella zoster virus, and Candida). In conclusion, the investigation of rare NPC cases with poor prognosis may provide an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in refractory tumors and identification of novel potential therapeutic targets for NPC in the future.