Parasitic infections pose serious threats to fish populations and the sustainability of aquaculture, as they can inflict substantial tissue damage, and may ultimately result in host mortality. This study sought to survey/characterize parasites, document their prevalence/intensity, and evaluate their histopathological impacts on the general health of three freshwater fish species of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Coptodon zillii, and Oreochromis galileus) in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Between October 2022 and November 2023, a total of 190 O. niloticus, 50 C. zillii, and 50 O. galileus were collected from fish market in Fayoum Governorate, and assessed for parasite diseases. The findings revealed that 111 out of 190 O. niloticus (58.4%) were infected with five parasite species – four Trematoda spp. (Gyrodactylus funduli, Cichlidogyrus sp., Prohemistomum sp., and Clinostomum sp.) and one Nematoda sp. (Contracaecum sp.). In C. zillii, 28 of 50 (56%) harbored one Trematoda sp. (Prohemistomum sp.) and one Nematoda sp. (Contracaecum sp.); while, in O. galileus, 23 of 50 (46%) carried two Trematoda spp. (Prohemistomum sp. and Clinostomum sp.). Concerning seasonal fluctuations, the highest infection rates in O. niloticus occur in summer (77.9%), with the lowest in winter (30%). For C. zillii, the peak infection rate was recorded in summer (90%), with the lowest in autumn (38.4%). Conversely, O. galileus exhibited the highest infection rate in winter (92.3%) and the lowest in summer (12.5%). The parasitic infection caused severe tissue destruction in tilapia fishes. In conclusion, the general health of tilapia spp. of Fayoum governorate could be affected by trematode and nematode infections.

Corn silk (CS) is a corn by-product that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Paclitaxel (PTX), a common chemotherapy, causes kidney damage by increasing reactive oxygen species, leading to kidney dysfunction. This study investigates the potential ameliorative effects of CS ethanol extract (CSEE) against PTX-induced nephrotoxicity. Adult male Sprague Dawley albino rats “Rattus norvegicus” (n=28) were randomly allotted into four groups: control (G1), CSEE (G2, 400 mg/kg body weight; orally for seven consecutive days), PTX (G3, 2 mg/kg body weight; 4 times, intraperitoneally on alternate days for seven days), and PTX + CSEE (G4). Sera were utilized to evaluate kidney function tests, while the kidney tissues were used for oxidative stress parameters, ultrastructural changes, and DNA damage investigations. The PTX had significantly impaired kidney functions, increased oxidative stress, and induced DNA damage. The kidney ultrastructure examination showed a glomerular basement membrane thickening, podocytes fusion, as well as mitochondrial damage and disarrangement. Conversely, co-administration of PTX+CSEE revealed a significant attenuation of the adverse effects of PTX in almost all parameters examined. In conclusion, CSEE could be utilized as a potential adjunct agent to alleviate the detrimental effects of PTX via reducing oxidative stress, preserving kidney ultrastructure, and protecting against DNA damage.

The current research aimed to assess the protective effects of a mixture of natural products (N.P.), containing vitamin C, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and sodium ferulate, against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced inflammation, nephrotoxicity, and oxidative stress in rats. Forty male rats were divided into four groups: a control group (G1), a N.P. mix-treated group given daily/orally (G2), a 5-FU-treated group administered intraperitoneal injections of 15 mg/kg body weight for 4 consecutive days, 6 mg/kg body weight for 4 alternative days, and 15 mg/kg body weight on day 14 (G3), and a group treated with 5-FU+N.P. mix (G4). The 5-FU treatment induced severe changes in immunity and biochemical parameters like elevated serum creatinine and urea levels, and disturbed electrolyte balance (P<0.05). Oxidative stress in the kidneys was also extremely high, as reflected by enhanced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and suppressed the antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GSH). The proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ) and complements were also significantly upregulated, while anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TGF-β) and T-cell functional cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-12) were significantly suppressed. Moreover, the histological examination showed massive renal tubular necrosis and glomerular atrophy. The immunohistochemistry also revealed overexpression of proapoptotic markers; while flow cytometry determined increased apoptosis and depletion of CD3⁺CD4⁺T-helper lymphocytes. In contrast, co-treatment with 5-FU+N.P. mix substantially alleviated these pathological changes. It normalized biochemical parameters, reduced oxidative stress, improved antioxidant status, suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, and preserved renal histoarchitecture and T-cell numbers (P<0.05). These findings may validate the efficacy of the used N.P. mix as a nephroprotective, immune-modulating adjuvant in chemotherapy.

Humans occupy different habitats across the world, they managed to invade all environments in all parts of the whole earth. Due to their drastic invasion of all natural environments, they altered the food composition and feeding ecology of several animals especially those who are sharing the humans their habitats such as gardens and fields. Two populations of hedgehogs Hemiechinus auritus and Paraechinus aethiopicus inhabiting different localities in Egypt were studied thoroughly by using stomach contents analysis between October 2022 and October 2023. Detailed stomach analysis of stomach contents of 20 hedgehogs of H. auritus and 15 hedgehogs of P. aethiopicus showed that although they live in different habitats and could not interact with each other, but the food of both is highly assorted and highly affected by humans. Adequate insects, plant materials, cooked rice, eggshells, worms, garbage, and remnants of mammals and birds are detected as diet categories of their foods regimes. Seasonal variations in their diets were obviously related to the changes in the availability of different food materials. The results elucidated that although the two hedgehogs inhabit different localities, they adapted to consume several items of food benefited directly from the great impact of humans on their native environments.

The Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is a keystone species in the Egyptian ecosystems, providing essential services like pollination and seed dispersal. However, its role as a reservoir for zoonotic diseases poses a significant health risk. The present study aimed to investigate the current and future spatial distribution patterns of the Egyptian fruit bat and evaluate the impact of environmental factors such as bioclimatic variables, ecoregion, and land cover on their habitat suitability. Using distribution records collected from the published papers, the data collected from the field surveys, and the environmental variables, a predictive model was developed using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling approach to determine its habitat suitability across Egypt. We incorporated a range of ecological covariates such as elevation above sea level, temperature, precipitation, land use, and land cover. The model output indicates that the Nile Valley, Delta, and Dakhla Oasis are highly suitable areas for R. aegyptiacus. The current predicted sizes of suitable habitats for R. aegyptiacus were 7707.37 km2 on average, while the bat's range is expected to increase slightly by 20.1% in 2050 and by 11.5% in 2070. We found that population is the most important ecological driver of bat distribution in Egypt. The results emphasized the importance of bioclimatic variables and land cover in shaping its distribution. This knowledge can contribute to the development of effective conservation strategies, ultimately aiding in the preservation of the Egyptian fruit bat and its crucial ecological roles.

Soil macroarthropods are an important component of terrestrial ecosystems due to their main regulators of crucial processes; their abundance and diversity can be used as an indicator of healthy soils. The present study assessed the effect of some ecological factors on soil macroarthropod functional groups at six different localities in Qena Governorate during one year from March 2021 to February 2022. The study revealed that a total of 54 macroarthropod taxa were identified. The Insecta were the dominant group as numerically represented with 25 taxa, followed by Arachnida with 22 taxa, then Crustacea with 5 taxa, and finally Chilopoda, which was represented by 2 taxa. The results from multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) conducted that all of air and soil temperature, soil moisture, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and organic matter exhibited highly-significant differences (P<0.01) between the studied sites. Air temperature and TDS were found to be the most effective factors on the total density of soil macroarthropods using Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression analysis. The Arachnida, Crustacea, and Insecta groups showed positive correlations with air temperature; while Chilopoda was positively correlated with soil moisture.

The objective of this research was to study the mite species occurring on date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. in Beheira governorate, Egypt, during the years 2022 and 2023. The results revealed the presence of two phytophagous, five predaceous, and two miscellaneous feeding habit mite species, on date palm trees. The dominance and frequency occurrence of the surveyed species were discussed. The tetranychid species Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) was found to be the most abundant phytophagous mite on this economic crop. Phytoseiid species formed the majority of predaceous mites inhabiting date palm trees, with Typhlodromips swirskii Athias-Henriot and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot appeared being the widest spread predatory mite species. On defected dry fruits of date palm fallen under trees, the dominant mite species were Tyrophagous putrescentiae Schrank and Caloglyphus berlesi Michael, along with five predatory mite species, where the ascid species Lasioseius bispinosus Evans was the dominant one. These findings may provide useful information for the management program of acarine pests affecting the date palm.

The present study investigated the histochemical localization and activity of five different enzymes during breeding and non-breeding seasons and at pre- and post-pubertal ages in the camel epididymis. The plasma and epididymis samples were collected from a total of 40, one-humped, male camels (Camelus dromedarius) from the slaughterhouse. The samples were taken from pre-pubertal (1.0 – 3.5 years old) and post-pubertal camels (4.0 – 13.0 years old). The intensity of the studied enzymes i.e. alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and 5`-nucleotidase (5`-Nase) differed depending upon the region of the epididymis. The rutting season was associated with marked increases in the activity of ATPase in plasma and caput region, along with a significant rise in 5`-Nase activity in the caudal region; but the G-6-Pase activity did not differ significantly by season in both the plasma and epididymal tissues. The ALP and ACP activities showed slight reduction in the caudal region of the epididymis during the rutting season. With age advanced the caudal region showed significant increases in ATPase and ALP activities. The caput region showed a significant increase in 5`-Nase activity in the post-pubertal camels. The caudal region showed intensive reactivities of ATPase, ALP, and ACP more than the caput region in both seasons and ages. On the contrarily, caput region showed more activity of 5`-Nase than the caudal region. The current study concluded that the qualitative and quantitative enzymes activities of the epididymis were closely related with seasonal changes, stage of puberty, and with age advancing.