Although medicinal plants provide various biochemicals for pharmaceutical applications, overharvesting may cause their extinction. Therefore, to preserve plant resources, the researchers must consider the microbial endophyte cultures as an alternative route for drug discovery. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the endophytic bacteria from the medicinal Hyoscyamus muticus (L.) (Egyptian henbane) plant, and investigate their bioactivities. According to the sequences of their 16S rRNA genes, the isolated bacteria from root, stem, leaf, and flower were respectively identified as Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus mojavensis, Bacillus australimaris, and Psychrobacter pulmonis. The ethyl acetate extracts of all bacterial isolates were rich in phenolics, flavonoids, and hydrocarbons such as pentacosane, eicosane, hexadecane, heneicosane, pentadecane, and tetracosane. The extracts expressed an anti-inflammatory potential against the inhibition of protein denaturation by 77–95 % at 100 µg/ ml. Moreover, these extracts displayed strong antibacterial efficacy against Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the extracts ranged from 47.12± 1.68 to 103.6± 3.8 µM Trolox equivalent/ μg extract, scavenging the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals by 43.66-90.21 %. This study highlights the potential of the endophytic bacteria associated with H. muticus as substitute producers of plant-related bioactive chemicals with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. To our knowledge, this is the first study concerning the endophytic bacteria from H. muticus.

Hemorrhagic fever diseases (HFDs) are severe viral illnesses caused by pathogens from 4 main families, mainly Filoviridae, Arenaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Bunyaviridae. These diseases are characterized by high fever, vascular leakage, and multi-organ dysfunction, with case fatality rates reaching 90 % in untreated cases. Transmission occurs through zoonotic spillover from animal reservoirs (i.e., bats, rodents, and arthropods) and human-to-human contact. Recent advances include the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine and monoclonal antibody therapies, yet most HFDs lack specific treatments. Key challenges persist in diagnostics, outbreak containment, and climate-driven geographic expansion of vectors. The aim of this review is to improve current knowledge on HFD pathogenesis, epidemiology, and control strategies, highlighting critical gaps in global preparedness. Strengthening surveillance systems, developing pan-HFD countermeasures, and implementing One Health approaches are essential for mitigating these lethal viral pathogens.

Convolvulus scammonia is a twining perennial plant with thick, fleshy roots, irregularly arrow-shaped leaves, and flowers resembling those of Convolvulus arvensis. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of C. scammonia on six genes expression (i.e., ACT1, BCR1, EFG1, AlS1, AlS3, and TEC1), known to be implicated in the development of Candida tropicalis biofilms, and define the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of C. scammonia required for this purpose. The 2,3-bis(2-metoxy-4-nitro-5-sulphophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt (XTT) assay was used to assess the anti-biofilm activity of C. scammonia in order to ascertain the formation of biofilms on C. tropicalis isolates obtained from thrush samples and evaluate the MIC of C. scammonia that inhibits the biofilms of Candida tropicalis during 24 and 48 h. Finally, the impact of C. scammonia on ACT1, AlS1, AlS3, BCR1, TEC1, and EFG1gene expression in C. tropicalis was examined using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and compared to the results obtained in the gene expression of the control C. tropicalis biofilms untreated with C. scammonia during 24 and 48 h. Through comparison, biofilms formation was found to decrease as C, scammonia concentration and time increased. Accordingly, the MIC of C. scammonia was 20 % w/v, and its minimum fungicidal - concentration (MFC) was 40 % (w/v) in biofilm-forming C. tropicalis. Additionally, gene expression level analysis revealed a decrease in ACT1, AlS1, AlS3, BCR1, EFG1, and TEC1 expression levels on treatment with C. scammonia during 24 and 48 h.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and molecular docking properties of black seed (Nigella sativa) bioactive compounds-Nigellicine, Carvacrol, Nigellidine, and Thymoquinone-compared to the antiviral drug Ribavirin, using SwissADMET predictions and molecular docking simulations. The physicochemical profiles revealed that all black seed compounds are drug-like, with molecular weights under 500 g/mol, low molecular flexibility, and adherence to Lipinski’s rule. Black seed compounds exhibit high gastrointestinal absorption and positive blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, suggesting better bioavailability and potential CNS activity than Ribavirin. Notably, Carvacrol and Nigellidine inhibit key cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP1A2 and CYP2D6), which could lead to drug-drug interactions. Molecular docking results demonstrated that Nigellidine showed the highest binding affinity and docking score against both PVX replicase (-8.9 kcal/mol) and PVX coat protein (-8.1 kcal/mol), outperforming Ribavirin. Nigellicine also exhibited promising docking scores, comparable to Ribavirin. In contrast, Carvacrol and Thymoquinone showed weaker interactions. These findings suggest that Nigellidine and Nigellicine have superior potential as antiviral agents, with stronger and more diverse interactions than Ribavirin, especially in targeting PVX proteins. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of black seed compounds for antiviral drug development and provides a foundation for future experimental validation.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), a member of the Potyvirus genus, poses a major threat to cucurbit crops worldwide. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive comparative analysis of ZYMV isolates collected from six global regions-Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania-using the Egyptian reference strain ZYMV ASSM-2025 (LC866761.1 for nucleotide, BFZ76578.1 for protein) as a benchmark. Partial nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the polyprotein and coat protein genes were aligned to assess genetic diversity, sequence identity, and regional variation. Results showed substantial sequence conservation across most isolates, with nucleotide identity ranging from 85.10 % to 98.71 %. African and European isolates displayed the highest levels of nucleotide similarity to the reference strain, while Oceania (particularly Australia) exhibited the greatest divergence. At the protein level, conservation was even more pronounced, with polyprotein and coat protein identities frequently exceeding 95 % and, in several cases, reaching 100 %. This indicates strong functional constraints on viral proteins that are essential for replication, movement, and host interactions. Despite this conservation, notable regional variations were observed; particularly in the coat protein gene, which may reflect adaptation to local hosts, environmental pressures, or vector dynamics. These differences were especially evident in recent North American and Australian isolates. Such divergence highlights the potential for ongoing viral evolution and underscores the importance of continuous surveillance. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for developing accurate diagnostic tools, effective resistance breeding programs, and region-specific management strategies to control the spread and impact of ZYMV in diverse agro-ecosystems.

Plant pathogenic microorganisms pose significant threats to agriculture, necessitating the exploration of natural alternatives to conventional pesticides. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial potential of methanolic extracts from Erica verticillata against various plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The antibacterial assays revealed substantial activity of the extract, indicating that Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Streptomyces scabiei exhibited sensitivity at a concentration of 300 µg/ mL. At the same time, Ralstonia solanacearum and Pectobacterium carotovorum displayed sensitivity at a concentration of 500 µg/ mL. Antifungal evaluations revealed potent inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani. The extract strongly inhibited B. cinerea (78.2 % at 5000 µg/ mL) outperforming copper hydroxide (58.7 %). Significant in vitro inhibition was also observed against R. solani and F. oxysporum, often exceeding the positive control. Phytochemical analysis using HPLC revealed that the predominant phenolic components were gallic acid, caffeic acid, and syringic acid, with concentrations of 2620.3, 606.5, and 580.9 µg/ g, respectively. The principal flavonoid was quercetin at a concentration of 169.4 µg/ g. Hexadecanoic acid and phorbol were the most prevalent secondary metabolites identified in the GC-MS analysis, comprising 26.4 % and 16.4 %, respectively. These findings highlight the rich phytochemical profile of E. verticillata and underscore its potential as a source of natural antimicrobial agents for managing plant diseases, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Recently, it has been shown the survival of many food-borne pathogens in meat, dairy products, and other foods. Several survived microorganisms are discussed in this review such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium spp., Salmonella spp., Aeromonas spp., and mold fungi. The aim of this study is to show an effective method of preservation to extend the shelf life of foods. Currently, multiple traditional methods of food preservation have been reported, mainly chilling, freezing, curing, cooking, smoking, drying, fermentation, pickling, canning, and thermal processing. However, these traditional methods possessed certain disadvantages as they are non-available during transportation of foods for long periods. Hence, packaging of meat, poultry, and other foods in modified atmosphere has shown promising results. Throughout modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) a mixture of gases such as CO2, N2, and O2 are used at certain concentrations based on the food type employed. MAP technology is recommended with cold temperatures and certain natural additives, including herbs extracts, modified proteins, and probiotics or their metabolites for preservation of fresh meat, processed meat, poultry products, and other foods. MAP keeps on food safety with nice sensorial properties during long storage periods.

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) presents a major threat to the global cucurbit crop production, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective vaccine strategies. This study aimed to employ a comprehensive in silico approach to identify immunogenic epitopes from the ZYMV capsid protein, targeting B-cell, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), and helper T lymphocyte (HTL) responses. B-cell epitope prediction using ABCpred and SVMTrip revealed high-scoring, overlapping sequences, particularly in the 38–57 region, with strong antigenicity and favorable safety profiles (i.e., non-allergenic and non-toxic). For CTL epitope identification, NetMHCpan analysis highlighted the potent MHC Class I binders, including ASHQQFSSW, LEYKPDQIEL, and GSHGKIVPR. Notably, GSHGKIVPR overlapped with the predicted B-cell regions, supporting its potential for inclusion in a multi-epitope vaccine. HTL epitopes predicted via NetMHCIIpan included immunodominant peptides such as PDQIELYNTRASHQQ (86–100), capable of eliciting robust CD4⁺ T-cell responses. The final vaccine construct incorporated the most promising epitopes, linked appropriately, and combined with an adjuvant. Physicochemical characterization indicated a stable, soluble, and immunogenic protein (instability index: 24.35; GRAVY: –0.722; pI: 9.11), with favorable predicted half-lives across the multiple expression systems. Structural modeling confirmed correct folding and surface accessibility of epitopes. Validation through Ramachandran plot and Z-score analysis further supported the structural integrity of the construct. Overall, these findings point to a promising multi-epitope vaccine candidate against ZYMV, meriting experimental validation and further development.

This study aimed to explore the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cymbopogon proximus (CP) extract; a medicinal plant with a rich phytochemical profile. The AgNPs were produced by mixing water extract of CP with 1 mM silver nitrate solution. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis (ZP), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antioxidant activity was determined using several assays, including total antioxidant activity (TAA), total phenolic content (TP), and total flavonoid content (TF). Chemical composition of the aqueous extract was determined using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method against several bacterial and fungal strains. Cytotoxicity was assessed on Wi38 human lung fibroblast cell line using the MTT assay. A color change and a surface plasmon resonance peak in the UV–Vis spectrum confirmed the production of AgNPs.. The nanoparticles (NP) were spherical, stable, and exhibited an average size of less than 100 nm. GC-MS analysis confirmed the existence of numerous bioactive chemicals, including piperitone, elemol, and β-eudesmol. AgNPs-CP and CP extract unveiled substantial antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans. The highest inhibition zone diameter was observed against C. albicans (32 mm). Cytotoxic analysis revealed a dose-dependent response with an IC₅₀ value of 240.67 ± 4.2 µg/ mL, indicating moderate cytotoxic potential at higher concentrations. AgNPs synthesized using CP extract demonstrated promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic properties. The findings of this study support the potential application of the AgNPs-CP as a preservative in food/ feed additives.