Effects of oregano and/or rosemary extracts on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, cecal bacteria, tight junction proteins, and antioxidants-related genes in heat-stressed broiler chickens.

The study examined the impact of adding oregano extract and/or rosemary to broiler diets to counteract the growth inhibition caused by heat stress (HS). It also investigated the effects on the activity of digestive enzymes, microbiological composition, and the expression of antioxidant and tight junction-related proteins. Three hundred- and fifty-day-old male broilers, were randomly assigned to 7 treatment groups, with each group comprising 5 replicates, and each replicate containing 10 chicks in a cage. The diets were: 1) a basal diet, 2) a diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg of rosemary, 3) a diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg of rosemary, 4) a diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg of oregano, 5) a diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg of oregano, 6) a combination diet containing 50 mg/kg each of rosemary and oregano, and 7) a combination diet containing 100 mg/kg each of rosemary and oregano. Dietary oregano extract enhanced the growth and feed utilization of heat-stressed birds, especially at a concentration of 50 mg/kg. Moreover, oregano extract improved jejunal protease and amylase activities. The extracts of rosemary and oregano significantly reduced IgG and IgM levels. Dietary 50 mg oregano extract significantly upregulated intestinal integrity-related genes including jejunal CLDNI, ZO-1, ZO-2, and MUC2. Dietary 50 mg oregano extract significantly downregulated hepatic NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) expressions. Our results suggest that incorporating oregano leaf extract into the diet at a concentration of 50 mg/kg improves the growth performance of broilers exposed to heat stress. This improvement could be attributed to enhanced gut health and the modulation of genes associated with oxidative stress and tight junction proteins.

Circular economy reinforcement through molecular fabrication of textile wastes with microbial synthesized ZnO nanoparticles to have multifunctional properties.

The fibrous wastes generated from the mills of textile production can be recycled and converted into high add-values products to be implemented in several applications. The current study aimed to employ commercial free cellulase enzyme to partially hydrolyze (activate) the polyester cotton blended (PET/C) fibrous wastes by creation functional groups such as OH and COOH on their surfaces. The activated fibrous wastes were then modified by coating with ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) biosynthesized by actinobacterial cultures free supernatant. The isolate was identified as Streptomyces pseudogriseolus with accession number of OR574241. The conditions that influence the actino-synthesis of ZnO-NPs were optimized and the product was characterized using spectroscopic vision, FTIR, XRD, TEM and SEM. The characteristic ZnO peaks were obviously observed by EDX analysis with 0.38 and 0.75% (wt%), respectively. TEM analyses proved the nanoscale of ZnO-NPs (5-15 nm) which was followed by cytotoxic evaluation for the produced NPs. Fortunately, the tested actino-ZnO-NPs didn't have any cytotoxicity against human normal fibroblast cell line (BJ1), which means that the product can be safely used in a direct-contact with human skin. The treated PET/C blended waste fabrics coated with ZnO-NPs showed high antimicrobial activity and ultraviolet protection values after functionalization by cellulase. EDX analysis demonstrates the presence of Zn peaks on the coated fabrics compared with their absence in blank and control samples, while SEM images showed the formation of a thin layer of ZnO-NPs on the fabric surface. The obtained smart textile can be applied several needed sectors.

Natural dyes developed by microbial-nanosilver to produce antimicrobial and anticancer textiles.

Developing special textiles (for patients in hospitals for example) properties, special antimicrobial and anticancer, was the main objective of the current work. The developed textiles were produced after dyeing by the novel formula of natural (non-environmental toxic) pigments (melanin amended by microbial-AgNPs). Streptomyces torulosus isolate OSh10 with accession number KX753680.1 was selected as a superior producer for brown natural pigment. By optimization processes, some different pigment colors were observed after growing the tested strain on the 3 media. Dextrose and malt extract enhanced the bacteria to produce a reddish-black color. However, glycerol as the main carbon source and NaNO3 and asparagine as a nitrogen source were noted as the best for the production of brown pigment. In another case, starch as a polysaccharide was the best carbon for the production of deep green pigment. Peptone and NaNO3 are the best nitrogen sources for the production of deep green pigment. Microbial-AgNPs were produced by Fusarium oxysporum with a size of 7-21 nm, and the shape was spherical. These nanoparticles were used to produce pigments-nanocomposite to improve their promising properties. The antimicrobial of nanoparticles and textiles dyeing by nanocomposites was recorded against multidrug-resistant pathogens. The new nanocomposite improved pigments' dyeing action and textile properties. The produced textiles had anticancer activity against skin cancer cells with non-cytotoxicity detectable action against normal skin cells. The obtained results indicate to application of these textiles in hospital patients' clothes.

Biosorption performance of the multi-metal tolerant fungus Aspergillus sp. for removal of some metallic nanoparticles from aqueous solutions.

The wide spread of nanotechnology applications currently carries with it the possibility of polluting the environment with the residues of these nanomaterials, especially those in the metallic form. Therefore, it is necessary to study the possibility of treating and removing various nanoscale metal pollutants in environmentally friendly ways. The present study focused on the isolation of multi-metal tolerant fungi to be applied in the bioremoval of Zn, Fe, Se, and Ag nanoparticles as potential nanoscale metal pollutants. Aspergillus sp. has been isolated as multi-metal tolerant fingus and investigated in the bioremoval of targeted nanometals from their aquoues solutions. The effect of biomass age, pH, and contact time was studied to determine the optimal biosorption conditions for fungal pellets towards metal NPs. The results showed a high percentage of fungal biosorption on the of two-day-old cells, which amounted to 39.3, 52.2, 91.7, and 76.8% of zinc, iron, selenium, and silver, respectively. The pH 7 was recorded the highest percentage of NPs removal for the four studied metals i.e. 38.8, 68.1, 80.4, and 82.0% of Zn-, Fe-, Se- and Ag-NPs, respectively. The contact time required between Aspergillus sp. and the metal nanoparticles to obtain the best adsorption was only 10 min in the case of Zn and Ag, but it was 40 min for both Fe and Se NPs. The efficiency of living fungal pellets in removing the four metallic NPs exceeded that of dead biomass by 1.8, 5.7, 2.5, and 2.5 folds for Zn, Fe, Se and Ag, respectively. However, utilization of dead fungal biomass for metallic NPs removal could be considered more applicable to the actual environmental applications.

Nano-bioremediation of textile industry wastewater using immobilized CuO-NPs myco-synthesized by a novel Cu-resistant Fusarium oxysporum OSF18.

Currently, bionanotechnologies are attracting great interest due to their promising results and potential benefits on many aspects of life. In this study, the objectives was to biosynthesis CuO-NPs using cell-free extract(s) of copper-resistant fungi and use them in bioremediation of textile industry wastewater. Out of 18 copper-resistant fungal isolates, the novel fungus strain Fusarium oxysporum OSF18 was selected for this purpose. This strain showed a high efficiency in extracellular reducing copper ions to their nano-form. The myco-synthesized CuO-NPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, HRTEM, FTIR, and XRD and were found to be spherical nanocrystals with the size range of 21-47 nm. The bio-synthesized CuO-NPs showed promising antimicrobial activity as well as high efficiency in removing heavy metals and textile dye from industrial wastewater. The myco-synthesized CuO-NPs immobilized in alginate beads exhibited superior microbial disinfection (99.995%), heavy metals removal (93, 55, and 30 % for Pb, Cr, and Ni, respectively), and dye decolorization (90%). Such results represent a promising step to produce an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and easy-to handle tool for the bioremediation of textile industry wastewater.

Application of environmental-safe fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for increasing the cinnamon biological activities.

The effect of fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae on biological properties of cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) was investigated. The study demonstrated that the extract of S. cerevisiae-fermented cinnamon (S.C.FC) has antioxidants higher than non-fermented one. The optimum results for antioxidant yield were noted with 107 CFU S. cerevisiae/10 g cinnamon and 70 mL of dH2O at pH 6 and incubated for 3 d at 35 °C. Under optimum conditions, ABTS, DPPH, and H2O2 radical-scavenging activity increased by 43.8, 61.5, and 71.9%, respectively. Additionally, the total phenols and flavonoids in S.C.FC were increased by 81.3 and 415% compared by non-fermented one. The fermented cinnamon had antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhi, and C. albicans. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties were increased from 89 to 92% after fermentation. The lyophilized extract of S.C.FC showed positive effect against Huh7 cancer cells which decreased by 31% at the concentration of 700 µg/mL. According to HPLC analysis, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, gentisic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and syringic acid were increased by 116, 33.2, 59.6, 50.6, 1.6, and 16.9%, respectively. Our findings suggest the applicability of cinnamon fermentation using S. cerevisiae as a useful tool for processing functional foods to increase their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content.

Enhancement of astaxanthin production by Haematococcus pluvialis using magnesium aminoclay nanoparticles.

Improving the content and production of high-value ketocarotenoid pigments is critical for the commercialization of microalgal biorefineries. This study reported the use of magnesium aminoclay (MgAC) nanoparticles for enhancement of astaxanthin production by Haematococcus pluvialis in photoautotrophic cultures. Addition of 1.0 g/L MgAC significantly promoted cellular astaxanthin biosynthesis (302 ± 69 pg/cell), presumably by inducing tolerable oxidative stress, corresponding to a 13.7-fold higher production compared to that in the MgAC-untreated control (22 ± 2 pg/cell). The lipid content and cell size of H. pluvialis improved by 13.6- and 2.1-fold, respectively, compared to that of the control. Despite reduced cell numbers, the overall astaxanthin production (10.3 ± 0.4 mg/L) improved by 40% compared to the control (7.3 ± 0.6 mg/L), owing to improved biomass production. However, an MgAC dosage above 1.0 g/L inhibited biomass production by inducing electrostatic cell wall destabilization and aggregation. Therefore, MgAC-induced stimulation of algae varies widely based on their morphological and physiological characteristics.

Enzymes immobilization onto magnetic nanoparticles to improve industrial and environmental applications.

Enzymes as specific natural biocatalysts are present in all living organisms and they play a key role in the biochemical reactions inside, as outside the cell. Despite the wide range of environmental, medical, agricultural, and food applications, the high cost, non-reusability, and limited stability of soluble (non-immobilized) enzymes are considered barriers to their commercial application. Immobilization techniques are an effective strategy for solving problems associated with free enzymes in terms of improving the efficiency and stability of catalytic enzymes, as well as enhancing their separation and reusability in continuous industrial applications. Out of different supporting materials, magnetic nanoparticles are considered as the future trend for enzyme immobilization due to their exceptional properties regarding stabilization, easy recovery and reuse. Some recent techniques of enzyme immobilization on magnetic nanoparticles will be detailed hereafter in the chapter.