The link between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction has been reported in many recent articles. There is currently no disease-modifying treatment available for cognitive impairment. Boswellia serrata (B. serrata) is used traditionally to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), insulin resistance (IR), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review aims to highlight current research on the potential use of boswellic acids (BAs)/B. serrata extract in T2D and AD. We reviewed the published information through June 2021. Studies have been collected through a search on online electronic databases (Academic libraries as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Egyptian Knowledge Bank). Accumulating evidence in preclinical and small human clinical studies has indicated that BAs/B. serrata extract has potential therapeutic effect in T2D and AD. According to most of the authors, the potential therapeutic effects of BAs/B. serrata extract in T2D and AD can be attributed to immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, and elimination of the senescent cells. BAs/B. serrata extract may act by inhibiting the IκB kinase/nuclear transcription factor-κB (IKK/NF-κB) signaling pathway and increasing the formation of selective anti-inflammatory LOX-isoform modulators. In conclusion, BAs/B. serrata
extract may have positive therapeutic effects in prevention and therapy of T2D and AD. However, more randomized controlled trials with effective, large populations are needed to show a definitive conclusion about therapeutic efficacy of BAs/B. serrata extract in T2D and AD.

Background: Several recent studies have stated that glycyrrhizin and licorice extract are present in most traditional Chinese medicine formulas used against SARS-CoV-2 in China. Significant data are showing that glycyrrhizin and licorice extract have multiple beneficial activities in combating most features of SARS-CoV-2. Purpose: The aim of current review was to highlight recent progresses in research that showed the evidence of the potential use of glycyrrhizin and licorice extract against COVID-19. Methodology: We have reviewed the information published from 1979 to October 2020. These studies demon- strated the effects , use and safety of glycyrrhizin and icorice extract against viral infections,bacterial infections, inflammatory disorders of lung ( in vitro and in vivo). These studies were collated through online electronic databases research (Academic libraries as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Egyptian Knowledge Bank). Results: Pooled effect size of articles provides information about the rationale for using glycyrrhizin and licorice extract to treat COVID-19. Fifty studies demonstrate antiviral activity of glycyrrhizin and licorice extract. The most frequent mechanism of the antiviral activity is due to disrupting viral uptake into the host cells and dis- rupting the interaction between receptor- binding domain (RBD) of SARS-COV2 and ACE2 in recent articles. Fifty studies indicate that glycyrrhizin and licorice extract have significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Twenty five studies provide evidence for the protective effect of glycyrrhizin and licorice extract against inflammation-induced acute lung injury and cardiovascular disorders. Conclusion: The current study showed several evidence regarding the beneficial effects of glycyrrhizin and licorice extract in combating COVID-19. More randomized clinical trials are needed to obtain a precise conclusion.

Breakthrough infections have been reported in fully vaccinated persons. Furthermore, rebound symptoms have been reported following the new FDA granted emergency use to combat SARS-CoV-2. Glycyrrhizin (GR) and boswellic acids (BAs) combination has been shown to have highly successful actions against COVID-19 in our recent clinical trial. However, the study is limited by the small sample size, and therefore, the aim of this article is to comprehensively evaluate recent evidence on the efficacy of GR and BAs in preventing the development of COVID-19 in patients with mild and moderate infections and in preventing post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment, which is the most important symptom after recovery from Covid-19 disease. We have reviewed and discussed information published since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic until July 2022 on preclinical (in vivo, in vivo and bioinformatics) and clinical studies related to the antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity of Gr and BAs. Sixteen studies were performed to determine the efficacy of GR against SARSCoV-2. Ten studies were used primarily for in vitro and in vivo assays and six used molecular docking studies. However, the
antiviral activity of BAs against SARS-CoV-2 was determined in only five studies using molecular modeling and bioinformatics. All these studies confirmed that GR n and BAs have strong antiviral activity and can be used as a therapeutic agent for COVID-19 and as a protective agent against SARS-CoV-2. They may act by inhibiting the main protease SARS-CoV-2 (Mpro) responsible for replication and blocking spike protein-mediated cell entry. Only seven rigorously designed clinical trials regarding the usefulness of GR, BAs or their combinations in the treatment of COVID-19 have been published as of July 2022. Although there is no clinical study regarding the treatment of cognitive impairment after COVID-19 that has been published so far, several preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential effect of GR and BAs in the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment by inhibiting the activity of several molecules that activate inflammatory signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of our study documented the beneficial use of GR and BAs to treat SARS-CoV-2 and
its variants and prevent post-COVID cognitive impairment. However, it warrants further studies with a larger randomized sample size to ensure that the studies have sufficient evidence of benefits against COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 symptoms.

Eight bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes included 6 lines and 2 testers were crossed in a line × tester mating design. The 12 F1’s and their parents were evaluated for grain yield/plant and 9 agronomical traits. The results indicated highly significant genetic variability for all studied traits. Line Q8 was the best combiner for early flowering date, grains/spike, grain weight/spike and 1000-kernel weight traits. While line Q10 was the best parent for tallness and grain yield/plant. The T1 (PI330456) was a potential tester parent for spike length, spikelets/spike, stem diameter, grains/spike, and grain yield/plant. While T2 (PI330458) was good combiner for earliness and 1000-kernel weight.  Several hybrids showed highly significant positive specific combining ability (SCA) for some studied traits. Mother lines played a positive influential role towards plant height, spike length, tillers/plant and grain weight/spike. While paternal testers influence was predominant for days to flowering, spikelets/spike, stem diameter, grains/spike, 1000-kernel weight and grain yield/plant. Additive gene action was found for plant height, spikelets/spike, stem diameter grains/spike and grain weight/spike. While, for days to flowering, spike length, tillers/plant, 1000-kernel weight and grain yield/plant, non-additive gene action was predominant. High estimates of broad- and narrow-sense heritability for grains/spike, grain weight/spike, plant height and 1000-grain weight. Maximum genetic advance along with high narrow-sense heritability were observed for grains/spike and plant height reflecting that a reliable selection for these traits can be made on the basis of phenotypic …

Honeybees are exposed to pesticides direct or indirect ways through their food research trips.  Herein, this study examined the toxicity effects in the laboratory of seven tested pesticide insecticides from different pesticide groups. emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, indoxacarb, lambada cyhalothrine, glyphosate, and thiophanate-methyl on honeybee workers, Apis mellifera L. through different exposure periods of time at 24,48, and72 hours. The selected pesticides were ranked based on their toxicity from the most to least one as follows: emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, indoxacarb, and lambda cyhalothrine. Further, thiophanate-methyl and glyphosate were the lowest toxicity among selected pesticides. The highest toxic pesticide during the exposure period 24,48 and72 hrs was emamectin benzoate with LC₅₀ values(0.247,0.047 and 0.020 ppm) and with LC₉₀ values(5.752,0.302 and0.072ppm) respectively, and the least one was glyphosate with LC₅₀ values of (6861.151,3366.968 and 2477.267ppm) and LC₉₀ values of (28243.795, 9033.695 and 6203.485ppm) after 24, 48 and 72hr of exposure respectively. However, chlorpyrifos ranked the third toxic pesticide at 24 and 48 hrs of treatment with LC₅₀ values of 10.226and2.731ppm and with LC₉₀ values of (101.224 and 7.496ppm for24 and48 hrs, respectively). Whereas, after 72 hrs chlorpyrifos was recorded as the fourth toxic pesticide with LC₅₀2.086ppm and LC₉₀ 5.179ppm. Based on the toxicity index, results showed that the most to least toxic pesticides were arranged as follows: emamectin benzoate>imidacloprid >chlorpyrifos >indoxacarb>lambada cyhalothrine> thiophanate -methyl > glyphosate. These results demonstrated that pesticides are very toxic to honeybee workers and must avoid applying them when bees are most active such as during flowering periods.

Several pesticides may be directly responsible for reducing the performance and losses of honeybee colonies. The action of feeding a nursing honeybee worker sugar solution with a sublethal concentration of seven pesticide groups was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Various physiological characteristics of nursing honeybees including food consumption, development of food glands, body water content, and food reserves were considered as indications for the functional status of nursing honeybee workers. Food consumption rate was significantly reduced in all treatments except two treatments, chlorpyrifos, and thiophanate-methyl. Also, the development of hypopharyngeal glands was significantly reduced in all treatments the reduction ranged between   31 to 55.62%. At the end of the nursing period, the state of metabolism as a food reservoir was determined. A maximum decrease in adult water content was recorded under the effect of lambada-cyhalothrine pesticide treatment without any significant difference in all treatments. Otherwise, the protein content of adults significantly decreased in all treatments except with lambada-cyhalothrine pesticide treatment. Fat content significantly increased in all treatments. The present data reflects the negative effects of sublethal concentration after dietary oral application of certain pesticide groups during the nursing period of the honeybee.

Potato Tuber Moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is one of the most dangerous pests infesting the potato crop in Egypt. Herein, five selected pesticides (Indoxacarb, sulfoxaflor, emamectin benzoate, thiamethoxam + chlorantraniliprole, and Bacillus thuringiensis) were evaluated on 1st instar larvae of P. operculella under laboratory conditions. As results, indoxacarb was the most potent pesticide through selected pesticides with LC50 value of 55.08 μg/ml after 24-h of exposure. After 72-h of treatment, emamectin benzoate was the most toxic pesticide among selected pesticides with LC50 value of 22.96 μg/ml. Further investigations are required to set these selected pesticides within integrated pest management (IPM) programs to control P. operculella in Egypt.