Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Chemical Profiling of Commiphora myrrha Resin Extracts and Evaluation of Larvicidal, Antioxidant, and Cytotoxic Activities.

Plant extracts and essential oils can be alternative environmentally friendly agents to combat pathogenic microbes and malaria vectors. Myrrh is an aromatic oligum resin that is extracted from the stem of Commiphora spp. It is used in medicine as an insecticide, cytotoxic, and aromatic. The current study assessed the effect of Commiphora myrrha resin extracts on the biological potency of the third larval stage of Aedes aegypti, as well as its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties against two types of tumor cells (HepG-2 and Hela cell lines). It also used GC-MS to determine the chemical composition of the C. myrrha resin extracts. Fifty components from the extracted plant were tentatively identified using the GC-MS method, with curzerene (33.57%) typically listed as the primary ingredient, but other compounds also make up a significant portion of the mixture, including 1-Methoxy-3,4,5,7-tetramethylnaphthalene (15.50%), ß-Elemene (5.80%), 2-Methoxyfuranodiene (5.42%), 2-Isopropyl-4,7-Dimethyl-1-Naphthol (4.71%), and germacrene B (4.35%). The resin extracts obtained from C. myrrha exhibited significant efficacy in DPPH antioxidant activity, as evidenced by an IC50 value of 26.86 mg/L and a radical scavenging activity percentage of 75.06%. The 50% methanol extract derived from C. myrrha resins exhibited heightened potential for anticancer activity. It demonstrated substantial cytotoxicity against HepG-2 and Hela cells, with IC50 values of 39.73 and 29.41 µg mL-1, respectively. Notably, the extract showed non-cytotoxic activity against WI-38 normal cells, with an IC50 value exceeding 100 µg mL-1. Moreover, the selectivity index for HepG-2 cancer cells (2.52) was lower compared to Hela cancer cells (3.40). Additionally, MeOH resin extracts were more efficient against the different growth stages of the mosquito A. aegypti, with lower LC50, LC90, and LC95 values of 251.83, 923.76, and 1293.35 mg/L, respectively. In comparison to untreated groups (1454 eggs/10 females), the average daily number of eggs deposited (424 eggs/L) decreases at higher doses (1000 mg/L). Finally, we advise continued study into the possible use of C. myrrha resins against additional pests that have medical and veterinary value, and novel chemicals from this extract should be isolated and purified for use in medicines.

Spices as Sustainable Food Preservatives: A Comprehensive Review of Their Antimicrobial Potential.

Throughout history, spices have been employed for their pharmaceutical attributes and as a culinary enhancement. The food industry widely employs artificial preservatives to retard the deterioration induced by microbial proliferation, enzymatic processes, and oxidative reactions. Nevertheless, the utilization of these synthetic preservatives in food products has given rise to significant apprehension among consumers, primarily stemming from the potential health risks that they pose. These risks encompass a spectrum of adverse effects, including but not limited to gastrointestinal disorders, the disruption of gut microbiota, allergic reactions, respiratory complications, and concerns regarding their carcinogenic properties. Consequently, consumers are displaying an increasing reluctance to purchase preserved food items that contain such additives. Spices, known for their antimicrobial value, are investigated for their potential as food preservatives. The review assesses 25 spice types for their inherent antimicrobial properties and their applicability in inhibiting various foodborne microorganisms and suggests further future investigations regarding their use as possible natural food preservatives that could offer safer, more sustainable methods for extending shelf life. Future research should delve deeper into the use of natural antimicrobials, such as spices, to not only replace synthetic preservatives but also optimize their application in food safety and shelf-life extension. Moreover, there is a need for continuous innovation in encapsulation technologies for antimicrobial agents. Developing cost-effective and efficient methods, along with scaling up production processes, will be crucial to competing with traditional antimicrobial options in terms of both efficacy and affordability.

The Life Cycle of the Xylophagous Beetle, Steraspis speciosa (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), Feeding on Acacia Trees in Saudi Arabia.

The xylophagous beetle, Steraspis speciosa, has infected Acacia forests in Saudi Arabia, causing significant damage and even leading to the death of several trees. In the Ha'il region, in the north of Saudi Arabia, an investigation of 13 study sites shows that the Acacia population is mainly composed of three species: A. gerrardii (90.3%), A. ehrenbergiana (7.5%), and A. raddiana (2.2%) and that 21.7% of this population was infected by S. speciosa. The age of the tree (young, adult, old) and environment habitat (Dam, Wadi, Plateau) effects, and insect life-cycle were studied in the protected Machar National Park. Infection in the park, estimated at 25.4%, mainly affects the oldest trees (20.1%) more than the youngest ones (2.3%), while the driest environments (Plateau, 38.8%) are more vulnerable to infection than humid habitats (Dam, 9.4%). The life cycle of S. speciosa lasts about two years, with four stages to complete metamorphosis: mating and eggs (≈3 months), larvae (≈16 months), pupae (≈3 months), and emergency and adults (≈3 months). The larvae stage with many metamorphic instars was the most harmful for tree and takes the longest. The female beetle lays its eggs on weak stem parts. Steraspis speciosa larvae feed on the stems of Acacia trees, and the instar larvae were gathered under the bark of infected stems, harming most of the phloem and a large portion of the xylem. When combined with a prolonged period of drought, S. speciosa causes the withering of numerous branches and, in extreme cases, kills the entire tree.

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Pathogenesis-Related Protein-1 Gene (AvPR-1) with Induced Expression in Oat (Avena sativa L.) during Abiotic and Hormonal Stresses.

Pathogenesis-related protein-1 (PR-1) plays crucial roles in regulating plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the first PR-1 (AvPR-1) gene in oat (Avena sativa L.). AvPR-1 presented conserved signal peptide motifs and core amino acid composition in the functional protein domains as the protein sequence of AvPR-1 presented 98.28%, 97.7%, and 95.4% identity with known PR1 proteins isolated from Triticum aestivum PRB1-2-like, Triticum dicoccoides PRB1-2-like, and Aegilops tauschii subsp. tauschii, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the AvPR-1 protein belongs to the CAP superfamily (PF00188). Secondary and 3D structure analyses of the AvPR-1 protein were also conducted, confirming sequence conservation of PR-1 among studied species. The AvPR-1 protein harbors a calmodulin-binding domain located in its C-terminal part as previously shown for its wheat homolog TdPR1.2. Moreover, gene expression analysis showed that AvPR-1 was induced in response to many abiotic and hormonal stresses especially in leaves after treatment for 48 h. This is the first study exhibiting the expression profiles of the AvPR-1 gene under different stresses in oat.

The "Molecular Biodiversity of Bacteria Isolated from Medicago sativa Rhizosphere in Hail District, Saudi Arabia.

Global biodiversity is affected remarkably by global climate change, which in turn its effect reflected on all life aspects. Identifying microorganisms in environmental samples, particularly soil could be a valuable interest to study their effect on soil quality and plant growth. Through this study, we conducted a molecular characterization of bacteria found in the rhizosphere of Medico sativa plants grown in Hail soil and we highlighted their main properties. The sequences analyses revealed that the main bacterial isolates Pseudarthrobacter, Metabacillus, Priestia, and Massilia species. According to the sequences analysis and the phylogeny tree results, some of the identified bacteria were classified at the species level: Pseudarthrobacter was identified clearly as Pseudarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans; Metabacillus isolates grouped with Metabacillus sediminilitoris and the two Priestia isolates closely related to Priestia aryabhattai. We concluded that Hail soil is a niche of diverse bacteria with a high interest in soil environment and ecosystems. Further studies are required for further classification of all identified bacteria and to define their specific role in the environment.

COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on bees, beekeeping, and potential role of bee products as antiviral agents and immune enhancers.

COVID-19 pandemic has passed to the front all the contradictions of the beekeeping sector: the valuable role of bee products as immune enhancers and antiviral agents and the impact that unsustainability of human activities has on bees' health and survival. The COVID-19 emergency led several countries to adopt severe restriction measures to contrast the infection. The lowering of industrial and commercial activities, transports, and the general lockdown had immediate consequences on the air quality, significantly improving environmental conditions. This had a positive impact on honeybees' life's quality. On the other hand, the bee and beehive transportation limitations threaten to hit food production by affecting the pollinator service, and this is particularly true in large, food-exporting countries like the USA and China where due to the few numbers of local bees, beekeepers import them by other countries and convey by truck hives for thousands of kilometers to pollinate crops. Furthermore, honeybee products, focusing on their natural pharmacological properties, can play an essential role as a potential natural contrast to the virus by enhancing the immunity defenses of both humans and animals, and their demand by consumers is expected to increase. Several researchers in the last months focused their attention on bee products to evaluate their effect in the cure of COVID-19 patients to ameliorate the symptoms or to contrast the coronavirus directly. This review reports these preliminary results.

The Different Ecological, Medical, and Industrial Important Bacteria Harboring the Soil of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This study aims at unraveling the bacterial biodiversity of Hail soil to establish a baseline study that contributes to harnessing these bacteria in applications that benefit human beings. We collected two groups of soil samples; one group of the models contained wheat roots, and the second group was free of roots. Bacteria were isolated from these soils, DNA was extracted, 16srRNA from different isolates was amplified and sequenced, and the phylogeny tree was analyzed. The taxonomic relationship indicated that the isolates obtained were belonging to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. The bacteria affiliated with Proteobacteria's phylum were Stenotrophomonas, Klebsiella, Azospirillum, Calidifontimicrobium. Firmicutes include Bacillus and Actinobacteria represented by Nocardioides. The genera Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Calidifontimicrobium, and Nocardioides were associated with wheat's rhizosphere while the others live free in the soil. The study concluded that Hail soil is a pool of bacteria affiliated to different phyla; they share genetic traits, tolerate harsh environmental conditions that lead them to play different crucial roles in the environment, and may contribute to all aspects of human life harnessed adequately. More studies using housekeeping genes, "omics" approaches, and studies examining these isolates' ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions are recommended to view more insights about these bacteria.

In silico characterization, docking, and simulations to understand host-pathogen interactions in an effort to enhance crop production in date palms.

Food safety remains a significant challenge despite the growth and development in agricultural research and the advent of modern biotechnological and agricultural tools. Though the agriculturist struggles to aid the growing population's needs, many pathogen-based plant diseases by their direct impact on cell division and tissue development have led to the loss of tons of food crops every year. Though there are many conventional and traditional methods to overcome this issue, the amount and time spend are huge. Scientists have developed systems biology tools to study the root cause of the problem and rectify it. Host-pathogen protein interactions (HPIs) have a promising role in identifying the pathogens' strategy to conquer the host organism. In this paper, the interactions between the host Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (an invasive wood-boring pest that destroys palm) and the pathogens Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, and Klebsiella pneumoniae are comprehensively studied using protein-protein interactions, molecular docking, and followed by 200 ns molecular dynamic simulations. This study elucidates the structural and functional basis of these proteins leading towards better plant health, production, and reliability.

Phytochemical analysis of Rhazya stricta extract and its use in fabrication of silver nanoparticles effective against mosquito vectors and microbial pathogens.

Worldwide, billions of people are at risk from viruses, parasites and bacteria transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other vectors. Over exploitation of chemical pesticides to overcome the mosquito borne diseases led to detrimental effects on environment and human health. The present research aims to explore bio-fabrication of metal silver nanomaterials using Rhazya stricta extract against deadly mosquito vectors and microbial pathogens. The phytochemical profile of the R. stricta extracts was studied by HPLC-MS and 1H NMR. Further, confirmation of the bio-fabricated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was carried out by UV-vis spectroscopy and characterization through FTIR, TEM, EDX, and XRD analyses. The R. stricta-fabricated AgNPs showed acute toxicity on key mosquito vectors from two different country (India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA) strains, notably, with LC50 values of 10.57, 11.89 and 12.78 µg/ml on malarial, dengue and filarial key Indian strains of mosquito vectors, respectively, and 30.66 and 38.39 µg/ml on KSA strains of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens, respectively. In mosquito adulticidal activity, R. stricta extract alone exhibited LC50 values ranging from 304.34 to 382.45 µg/ml against Indian strains and from 738.733 to 886.886 against Saudi Arabian strains, while AgNPs LC50 boosted from 9.52 to 12.16 µg/ml and from 30.66 to 38.39 µg/ml, respectively. Moreover, it was noticed that at low concentration the tested AgNPs showed high growth retardation of important pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi with inhibition zone diameters from 11.86 to 22.92 mm. In conclusion, the present study highlighted that R. stricta-fabricated AgNPs could be a lead material for the management of mosquito vector and microbial pathogens control.