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CTX-M beta-lactamases have become the predominant extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) globally, contributing to increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study investigated the prevalence of biofilm formation and CTX-M genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from Baghdad hospitals, aiming to better understand antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and support the development of targeted interventions. A total of 300 samples were collected from various clinical and hospital sources, and antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. ESBL production was also confirmed using specifically designed primers. Platanus orientalis Linn extract was evaluated for its antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against K. pneumoniae isolates. The results showed significant resistance to the majority of antibiotics, including cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, ceftazidime, and ceftriaxone. A high prevalence of the CTX-M gene (100%) was detected in the isolates, with the most frequent alleles being blaCTX-M-15 (65.2%) and blaCTX-M-1 (30%). Furthermore, 95.6% of the isolates were capable of forming biofilms. However, when treated with P. orientalis Linn extract, most isolates exhibited reduced biofilm production, becoming weak biofilm producers. Phytochemical analysis of P. orientalis Linn revealed significant amounts of phenolic compounds, tannins, and glycosides, as well as the presence of alkaloids and carbohydrates. Overall, this study demonstrates a correlation between CTX-M production and biofilm-forming ability in K. pneumoniae and highlights the potential role of P. orientalis Linn extract in combating antibiotic-resistant infections.

Chinar (Platanus orientalis L.) is used in folk medicine against tooth and knee pain, wounds, inflammation, and stomach discomfort; however, the effects of P. orientalis leaf (PO-leaf) infusion on the liver and kidney are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties of an infusion obtained from dried P. orientalis leaves against ethanol-induced oxidative stress (OS) in rats. After a toxicity test, thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control, Ethanol 20%, Ethanol 20% + Silymarin (10 mg/kg), Ethanol 20% + PO-20 mg/mL infusion, and Ethanol 20% + PO-60 mg/mL infusion. The PO-leaf infusion doses were given ad libitum during 28 days to test the biochemical and antioxidant enzyme levels. According to the results, the PO-leaf contained rich compounds such as benzaldehyde, palmitic acid, 2,4-ditert-butylphenol, stearic acid, octadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, kaempferol, and kaempferol derivatives. In the Ethanol group, AST, ALT, LDH, GGT, UA, and urea in the serum and GST and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver and erythrocyte tissues showed a significant increase compared to the Control group. AST, LDH, GGT, UA, and LDL-C levels in the serum and MDA (all tissues) significantly decreased in the Ethanol + PO-60 mg/mL group compared to the Ethanol group. SOD, GPx, and CAT activities in the kidney tissue of the Ethanol group showed a significant decrease compared to the Control group, whereas the GPx activity in kidney tissue in all of the treatment groups increased significantly compared to the Ethanol group. These findings suggest that the administration of the determined PO-leaf infusion doses might have a protective role against ethanol-induced liver and kidney damage in rats.Graphical abstract

Activated carbon (AC) was prepared from Platanus orientalis leaves by H3PO4 activation using a microwave heating method and characterized by SEM (scanning electron microscopy), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) techniques. AC exhibited a surface area of 1089.67 m2/g and a relatively high pore volume of 1.468 cm3/g. Utilization of AC for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution was researched. The adsorption efficiency was highly pH dependent and adsorption capacity of AC for Cr(VI) could reach up to 135.24 mg/g. Adsorption equilibrium could be quickly reached within 2 h. A kinetic study indicated that the adsorption of Cr(VI) conformed to the pseudo-second-order model (R2 > 0.99). An intraparticle diffusion model was applied to describe the adsorption kinetics, and the results showed that there are other factors that affect the rate. Chemical regeneration for AC saturated with Cr(VI) was performed and HNO3 displayed the best regeneration performance among the four chemical regeneration agents (HNO3, H2SO4, NaOH, NaCl). The regeneration performance increased at first and then decreased with the rise of HNO3 concentration, and regeneration reaction could reach equilibrium within 4 h in the first cycle. The FTIR spectra revealed that HNO3 successfully introduced N-H bonds onto the AC surface in the regeneration process.

Due to concerns about high water fluoride concentrations and their detrimental consequences on health, particularly dental and skeletal fluorosis, dependable and cost-effective defluoridation techniques are needed. Chinar leaves (Platanus orientalis), a common waste, might be utilized for the production of activated carbon. For Chinar leaf activated carbon (CLAC) manufacturing, two pre-pyrolysis chemical modification procedures were used: acidic HCl (H-activation) and alkaline NaOH (OH-activation). The success of fluoride removal suggests further research and implementation in locations with fluoride-related water quality issues. This study examines how CLAC dosage, fluoride concentration, temperature, pH, and contact exposure effect defluoridation efficiency. The pseudo-second-order non-linear kinetic model and Freundlich non-linear isotherm model with R  = 0.99 fit the data, resulting in a peak adsorption capacity of 30.3 mg/g for 0.3 g CLAC. In the present work, the adsorption mechanism was regulated by more than intraparticle diffusion. Adsorption occurred spontaneously as exothermic monolayer chemisorption, according to thermodynamic studies. Adsorbent activated with HCl (H-activated) showed promising results, with 73% F removal efficiency for OH-activated and 91% for H-activated CLAC.

Urban air pollution in cities, among the world’s most critical problems, has escalated to such an extent that it threatens human health in many urban centers and causes the death of millions every year. Trace metals are significant among the components of air pollution. Trace metals can endure long without undergoing biodegradation and bioaccumulation in living organisms. Moreover, their concentration in the air increases gradually. Therefore, monitoring metal concentration is extremely important for reliable indicators of environmental pollution. Biomonitoring is an effective method for describing metal concentrations in urban areas. Chromium, manganese, and zinc, selected within the present study, have various adverse effects on plants in high concentrations. Their identification is highly critical for monitoring the pollution level in their regions. This study aimed to determine the Cr, Mn, and Zn concentration changes according to organ, and age in Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Platanus orientalis L., Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, and Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carr is 30 years old. The accumulation of metals in the outer bark can be found as follows Zn > Mn > Cr in all species, although Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Platanus orientalis L. can be suitable for biomonitoring tools because concentrations change significantly depending on the airborne metal.

Studies on atmospheric dust have been limited by the high cost of instrumental monitoring methods and also sampling difficulties. The use of organisms acting as bioaccumulators has recently been proposed. In this study, the leaves of Platanus orientalis L., as a possible biomonitor of heavy metals in atmospheric dust, were evaluated to understand the likely sources of pollution in Isfahan, Iran. Concentration of Zn, Cu, Ni and Mn and Magnetic susceptibility (Xlf) were determined in washed (WL) and unwashed leaves (UL), monthly sampled from May 2012 to November 2012. By subtracting the amount of metal concentrations and Xlf in UL and WL, the amount of these parameters in dust deposited on the leaves (UL-WL) were calculated. Enrichment factor analysis, correlation coeficient, principal component analysis and cluster analysis on the UL-WL data were employed to trace the heavy metals sources. Results showed that the metal concentration in UL and WL in primary sampling times was not statistically different.

Rural greenway systems passing through woodlands to connect urban societies are valuable in terms of not only transportation but also roadside tree phenology and ecophysiology and associated recreation. Therefore, particularly during their foliation periods, monitoring and analyses of that phenological and ecophysiological course of the roadside trees will primarily indicate their gradual degree of closure and will determine their gradual degree of coverage on the road and the roadside. Hence, the leaf area index (LAI) is a significant and comprehensive canopy parameter which is referred to for those monitoring and analyses procedures. This gradual-closure indicator and coverage determinant parameter can further be used for detecting shading and recreation potential, as well as the safety level of those greenways. Major driving factors of the phenological and ecophysiological course can also be investigated by monitoring and assessing the development of and change in the mean LAI under the influence of the mean temperature, height and diameter at breast height (DBH) values. Therefore, for this study, in order to monitor and determine the development of and change in LAI, hemispherical photographs were taken beneath the tree canopies at 10 different points along part of a regionally well known greenway system, which involves alleys of Platanus orientalis L. (oriental plane) trees. This point-based hemispherical photographing procedure was applied and repeated 20 times, particularly during the foliation period between mid-March and late June, when a total of 200 photographs were obtained and analysed using a digital image processing method. The seasonal course of the LAI values was graphed for each point, and principally the daily mean LAI (ranging between 0.35 and 2.76 m2 m−2) was evaluated referring to both the air and the soil (−10 cm) temperature data. The point-based maximum LAI values (average 2.76 m2 m−2, ranging between 2.42 and 3.16) were achieved during mid-June. They were examined comparing their ranking with the rankings of the basic physiological parameters: mean height (ranging between 17.0 and 26.7 m) and mean DBH (ranging between 26.5 and 38.2 cm) and number of trees (5 to 15) within the canopy frames of the relevant points. Afterwards, the phenologically based and daily mean LAI values were discussed dependent upon their high and significant correlation, particularly with the soil temperature data (r = 0.89, P < 0.01), and the point-based maximum LAI values were also discussed dependent upon their non-correlation with the point-based mean height and mean DBH. In conclusion, the overall results of this study primarily emphasize the influence of the soil temperature on the phenological course of oriental plane canopies and on the development of their daily mean LAI, particularly during their foliation period. This current effect of the soil temperature indicates the potential alarm triggered by the early budburst dates and associated possible advance of the tree foliation period, depending on the warming capacity of the road asphalt and roadside pavement on the soil underneath, particularly during and after new-pavement and resurfacing practices.

The level of pollution has reached the dimensions that threaten human health, with the rapid urbanization and the increase of energy consumption especially in developing countries. Every year in the world, millions of people lose their lives because of air pollution. Heavy metals have a separate precaution in pollutants, especially in terms of human health, because they can remain intact in nature for long periods of time, they tend to bioaccumulate and some are toxic or carcinogenic even at low concentrations. Therefore, monitoring of heavy metal pollution and determination of risky areas is very important. Biomonitors are the most commonly used methods for monitoring heavy metal pollution. However, determining which plants and organelles are more suitable for monitoring the metal is essential in order to ensure that the monitoring is reliable. In this study, it was aimed to determine the variations of the concentration of Ni, Pb, and Cd elements depending on the traffic density in leaves, seeds, and branches of Ailanthus altissima, Biota orientalis, Platanus orientalis, and Pyracantha coccinea which are grown in areas with heavy, low dense, and non-traffic areas. As a result of the study, it was determined that concentrations of Ni, Pb, and Cd increased depending on traffic density. According to the results obtained, it was determined that seeds and branches of Biota orientalis were the most suitable species and organelles to determine Ni pollution. The leaves of Ailanthus altissima are very suitable for monitoring the pollution of Pb and Cd.

The aim of this study is to determine whether Platanus orientalis (PO) which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and diuretic properties and used in the treatment of kidney stones as traditional folk medicine, will reduce or prevent the stone formation in the urinary system. To simulate the urolithiasis model 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) and 1% ammonium chloride (AC) were applied to Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n=8). The control group was given standard drinking water for 5 weeks. EG group received 0.75% EG in their drinking water containing 0.75% EG and 1% AC. PO extract (100 mg/kg) was given orally for 5 weeks to the preventive group and for last 2 weeks to the therapeutic group, respectively. At the end of experiment, 24-hour urine and kidney samples were obtained. In urine samples, calcium and citrate levels were decreased and oxalate level was increased in the EG group. In kidney samples myeloperoxidase, caspase-3, N-acetyl-β-glycosaminidase (NAG) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β levels were increased while superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels were decreased in the EG group. These biochemical parameters returned to control levels in both PO treatment groups. Histological findings also correlate with these results. Our findings are suggested that PO treatments is effective in both preventive and therapeutic groups.

Ambient air pollution in industrial areas is one of the significant problems increasing high emissions since the 1990s. Atmospheric trace metal deposition in the industrial estate has occurred, and some have shown toxic effects on humans and non-human biota. Tree bark and annual rings have been used as convenient biomonitors due to the highly absorbing capacity of several metals for passive samplers in recent decades. It gives information about the speciation of some pollutants and their transition between organs in the trees. Systematic differences in air pollution degrees can be recorded spatial or temporal by analyzing the annual rings of the trees. In this study, Cupressus arizonica, Platanus orientalis, and Robinia pseudoacacia have been selected as landscape trees to identify Al, Cr, and Mn pollution during the past 30 years in the urban environments of the İzmit, Türkiye. The widespread type of landscape species was compared to perform the deposition degree of several sites. Metal concentrations have been detected in the barks and wood due to the industrialization of the territory year-to-year. The study’s framework indicated that the applicability of Robinia pseudoacacia L. is the better choice for assessing the degree of atmospheric metal pollution, both historical and near-past, on local scales.