Tartrazine (Tz) is one of the most commonly used artificial food colorants in the food industry, found in a wide array of products. This study investigates the protective role of gallic acid (GA), a powerful antioxidant, against the adverse effects of Tz on the liver. Over a 30-day period, 40 rats were divided into two groups: Group 1 (control group, 10 rats) received a daily administration of a vehicle, while Group 2 (30 rats) received Tz (30 mg/kg body weight). Group 2 was further subdivided into three subgroups of 10 rats each: Subgroup 1 served as a positive control for Tz; Subgroup 2 received GA (200 mg/kg body weight); and Subgroup 3 was left untreated for an additional 30 days as a recovery group (TR). Our study revealed that GA normalized liver functions markers (ALT, AST, and bilirubin), regulated lipids (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and TG), and ameliorated the redox potentials activity of liver tissue (Catalase, GSH, SOD, LPO, Total peroxide, and Carbonyl protein), revealing its potential in mitigating the negative impact of Tz administration. Moreover, histopathological examinations, including the TUNEL assay, and histological and histochemical studies, demonstrated that GA effectively prevented the histological damage caused by Tz administration.

Microplastics (MPs) are small pieces of plastic that are widely distributed in the environment and accumulate within living organisms, so they are the most common types of pollutants at the present time. One of the most widespread types of MP in the environment is polyethylene (PE) MPs. There have been many published studies on the effect of PE MPs combined with other pollutants or chemicals such as benzoanthracene, emamectin benzoate, heavy metals and 4-nonylphenol, on some marine, amphibian, and mouse models. However, research has rarely been conducted on how single-use PE MPs affect the ileum of mammals. The current study is focused on the impact of PE MP exposure with different concentration (6, 60, 600 μg/mL PE/MPs) for 15 days, followed by 15 days of recovery on small intestine(ileum) of C57BL/6 murine model with precision and detail at the cell level by using different technique (histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscope). Results demonstrated that the intestinal tissue exhibited nuclear pyknosis, villus deformation, shortness of villi, degeneration of lamina propria, hyperplasia of goblet cells, increase of goblet cells secretion, Alcian blue and Periodic acid–Schiff stain positivity of intact goblet cells, highly significance of P53 immunoreaction expression specially in high concentrations (600 μg/day of PE/MPs) and Ki-67 immunoreaction expression.

Tartrazine (Tz) is a commonly used artificial food dye which adversely impacts the health status. A broad spectrum of literatures indicates that gallic acid (GA) exert antioxidant and cytoprotective effects. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the effect of four fold permitted dose of Tz as well as protective effects of GA on Tz-induced renotoxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Tz was administered daily at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight alone orally, in combination with GA (TG) and a group of Tz intoxicated rats was allowed to be recovered, the experiment continued for 30 days. GA administration decreased the levels of creatinine, urea and uric acid. Furthermore, it increased catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, glutathione, nitric oxide and blood glucose while it decreased lipid peroxide compared with Tz treated group. Whereas, Tz recovery group (TR) enhanced some of toxic manifestations on kidney function caused by Tz. Histological investigation revealed that Tz induced many areas of inflammation around congested blood vessels and renal tubules, hemorrhage between renal tubules and necrosis of many tubular cells. Moreover, it increased the amounts of collagen fibers and negative PAS reaction in many tubular cells in Tz group. On the other hand, TG and the recovery groups reduced the deteriorations in histo-architecture and cellular structure caused by Tz exposure. In conclusion, Tz induces many extensive biochemical and histological changes meanwhile GA and recovery period could abolish or improve these changes.

صُممت هذه الدراسة لتقييم دور أكسيد الزنك النانوي في التخفيف من الآثار الضارة للإجهاد الحراري في سمك السلور الأفريقي ( Clarias gariepinus ) من خلال تقييم معايير مثل السلوك العدواني (تردد العض ومدة المطاردة) والمؤشرات الدموية والعلامات الكيميائية الحيوية المرتبطة بالإجهاد. تم تقسيم إجمالي 96 سمكة سلور إلى أربع مجموعات مميزة (24 سمكة / مجموعة): عملت المجموعة الأولى (CON) كمجموعة تحكم، حيث تلقت نظامًا غذائيًا خاليًا من أكسيد الزنك النانوي. تعرضت المجموعة الثانية (HS) للإجهاد الحراري عند 35 درجة مئوية ± 1 درجة مئوية. تم تغذية المجموعة الثالثة (ZN) على نظام غذائي يحتوي على أكسيد الزنك النانوي بنسبة 30 مجم / كجم من النظام الغذائي، وتعرضت المجموعة الرابعة (ZHN) للإجهاد الحراري (35 درجة مئوية ± 1 درجة مئوية) وتغذت على نظام غذائي يحتوي على أكسيد الزنك النانوي بنسبة 30 مجم / كجم من النظام الغذائي. وقد أوضحت النتائج أن السلوك العدواني ومستويات الكورتيزول كانت أعلى بشكل ملحوظ ( P  < 0.05) في مجموعة HS مقارنة بمجموعتي CON و ZHN. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، كان مستوى الأسيتيل كولين استريز (AChE) أقل بشكل ملحوظ ( P  < 0.05) في مجموعة HS مقارنة بمجموعتي CON و ZHN. وفي الوقت نفسه، لوحظ انخفاض كبير ( P  < 0.05) في خلايا الدم الحمراء والهيموجلوبين وحجم الخلايا المعبأة وخلايا الدم البيضاء والفوسفاتيز القلوي والخلايا الليمفاوية في الأسماك التي تنتمي إلى مجموعة HS، بينما أظهرت مستويات ألانين أمينوترانسفيراز وأسبارتات أمينوترانسفيراز والعدلات والوحيدات زيادة كبيرة ( P  < 0.05). استعاد التكميل بأكسيد الزنك النانوي معظم المعايير الدموية والكيميائية الحيوية بشكل ملحوظ. وفي الختام، ساهم أكسيد الزنك النانوي بشكل كبير في تنظيم التأثيرات السلبية للإجهاد الحراري على الأسماك من خلال تقليل السلوك العدواني ومستويات الكورتيزول. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فقد أدى ذلك إلى تحسين مستويات AChE وبعض المعايير الدموية والكيميائية الحيوية.

Background

Levels of heavy metal pollution are increasing due to industrial activities and urban expansion. While cobalt (Co) can be toxic to plants at high levels and isn’t considered essential, it plays a beneficial role in many enzymes and is critical for various biological functions. We conducted experiments to determine how Adhatoda vasica proliferated shoots react to exposure to various Co concentrations (50–1000 µM). We employed physiological and biochemical markers to elucidate the response mechanisms of this medicinal plant. The experiment was conducted in two replicates per treatment. The statistical analysis was based on data from four biological replicates per treatment.

Results

Interestingly, the lowest Co concentration (50 µM) increased proliferated shoot growth by 41.45%. In contrast, higher Co concentrations (100–1000 µM) had detrimental effects on proliferated shoot development, water content, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations. As Co concentration increased, proliferated shoots produced excessive concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This ROS overproduction is believed to be the primary cause of oxidative damage, as evidenced by the elevated concentrations (18.46%-72.84%) of malondialdehyde (MDA) detected. In response to Co stress, non-enzymatic antioxidants were activated in a concentration-dependent manner. Co administration significantly increased the concentrations of different stress-protective compounds in shoots, including total antioxidants (133.18%), ascorbic acids (217.94%), free and bound phenolics (97.70% and 69.72%, respectively), proline (218.59%), free amino acids (206.96%), soluble proteins (65.97%), and soluble carbohydrates (18.52%). FTIR analysis further corroborated changes in the chemical composition of proliferated shoots. The analysis revealed variations in the peaks associated with major macromolecules, including phenolic compounds, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, cellulose, hemicellulose, and sugars.

Conclusions

Our study offers the first comprehensive investigation into mechanisms by which Co stress triggers oxidative damage and alters functional groups in the medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica.

Controlled and sustainable delivery of therapeutics for accurate administration at requisite location with proper number of dosages are essential to treat diverse fatal diseases by reducing patient complications and improving safety concerns related to drug administration. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a class of serious disorders that represent the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Chitosan (CS) is a natural and biocompatible polysaccharide that shows promising properties in various fields, namely, drug, gene, and therapeutic proteins delivery, and the fabrication of scaffolds and hydrogels for tissue engineering. It exhibits structural similarities with glycosaminoglycans which represent the main component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and hence possesses great potential for tissue engineering and other therapeutic purposes. CS possesses fascinating mechanical properties but poor electrical properties, therefore several modifications have been performed to enhance the electrical properties of CS-based scaffolds. To modify the characteristic features of CS, carbonaceous nanomaterials like carbon nanotube (CNT), graphene, carbon dot, carbon nanohorn (CNH), carbon nano-onion (CNO) and nanodiamond (ND) are effectively implemented. This chapter introduces the recent findings, latest developments, and innovations in the use of CS/carbon nanocomposite in drug delivery and treatment of CVDs. The beneficial effects of CS/carbon nanocomposite in cardiac tissue engineering, cell therapy, gene delivery, and its interaction with proteins are also discussed in this chapter.

We investigated the palynological organic matter (POM) recovered from shale horizons, intercalating the Nubian-type sandstones in middle Egypt, for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Our palynofacies are dominated by either amorphous organic matter (AOM) or phytoclasts whereas palynomorphs are relatively rare, but not uncommon. The palynofacies categories revealed two different palynofacies types, reflecting estuarine/tidal and fluvio-lacustrine environments for the Maghrabi and the basal Quseir formations, respectively. The kerogen composition of our investigated material and the colors of the thin-walled spores suggest possible sources of hydrocarbons, which are poorly explored in the middle and southern areas of Egypt. Our findings confirmed the previously described marine origin of the Maghrabi Formation. The complete missing of any marine palynomorphs suggests that the basal sediments of the Quseir Formation are almost exclusively of terrestrial origin. This may reveal that the worldwide Late Cretaceous transgression was not effective during deposition of these basal clastics.

An integration of geochemistry, mineralogical and palynological data is used to depict the sediment provenance and distribution, the sedimentary environment and the paleogeographic evolution of the Cretaceous Atlantic Basin of Cameroon. The basin is located along the African western coast, in the heart of the Guinea Gulf, and includes the Campo, Douala, and Rio-del-Rey sub-basins from South to North. The sediments of the Campo sub-basin are derived from rocks of intermediate composition, those of the Douala sub-basin from intermediate to mafic rocks in the southern and felsic rocks in the northern parts, and those of the Rio-del-Rey sub-basin from felsic rocks with a contribution of rocks of intermediate composition. The paleoweathering index and Index of Chemical Variability values for Campo, Douala and Rio-del-Rey sub-basins range from 71.26 to 76.88 and 0.98 to 2.12, 67.15 to 99.39 and 0.37 to 0.90, and 73.17 to 92.90 and 0.44 to 10.03, respectively, indicating sub-maturity, high maturity and sub- to high maturity deposits. Al2O3 vs. V and Al2O3 vs. P2O5 plots, and palynologic data such as marine (e.g. dinoflagellates and microforaminifera) and continental (e.g. Classopollis sp., Ephedripites sp., Botryococcus sp.) species suggest a deposition in more or less deep lacustrine (Campo sub-basin), fluvio-deltaic to shallow marine (Douala sub-basin), and marginal to shallow marine (Rio-del-Rey sub-basin) environments. The paleoweathering index values, the clay minerals (kaolinite, illite and chlorite/vermiculite) distributions, and the palynological data point to arid to semi-arid climate in the Campo sub-basin and semi-arid to periodically humid conditions in the Douala and Rio-del-Rey sub-basins. The tectonic setting diagram suggests collision tectonic events that are inconsistent with the classic geological history of the Atlantic Basin. The situation is in fact related to Precambrian events that affected the basement rocks from which the studied sediments were derived, and probably to the compressional tectonics during the evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean. Although these sub-basins share the same geological history, there are some differences, such as the degree of sediment maturity, the diagenetic effects, the lithology of rock sources, the paleoenvironments of deposition and their fluctuation, depending on the moment the tectonic of Atlantic opening reached them (northward progression of the W-E extension) and the northern shearing along the southern area of the Benue through axis (Rio-del-Rey). The geological history of the Cameroon Atlantic Basin is similar to those of Gabonese and Nigerian basins, along the African western coast, and of those of the Brazilian basins along the eastern coast (Santos Basin to Pernambuco-Paraiba Basin).

Mahmoud, M., Temraz, A., Moawad, A.-R. and Khalaf, M. 2024. Application of palynomorphs and palynofacies in Early Cretaceous paleoenvironmental reconstruction; Shushan Basin, Egypt. Acta Geologica Polonica, 74 (2), e13. An integration of palynomorph and palynofacies data from the Shushan-1X well is used to infer the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Valanginian to Middle Cenomanian (Cretaceous) section of the western Shushan Basin, northern Egypt. The data obtained contribute significantly to the depositional history of the basin. The low diversity of dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, along with the dominance of land-derived spores and pollen, suggest restricted (marginal) marine environments, in contrast to their coeval representatives from the Tethyan Realm. Open marine (inner shelf) environments developed at a few horizons in the Dahab and Bahariya formations, partly contemporary with the global Aptian and Cenomanian eustatic cycles. These environments were relatively more offshore than those described in the eastern and southeastern parts of the basin. The study of total palynological organic matter (TPOM) has contributed largely to these established environmental settings. It has also allowed the recognition of redox (suboxic to anoxic) conditions and the impact of a large magnitude of terrigenous influence