Egyptian Plants Research Articles

In vitro trypanocidal activity of the Egyptian plant Schinopsis lorentizii against trypomastigote and amastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas’ disease is a chronic illness caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. According to estimates, approximately 16-18 million people are infected in Latin American. Plant extracts exhibit a wide variety of secondary metabolites and can play an important role in the discovery of new compounds with biological potential. The in vitro trypanocidal activity of the extracts obtained from six plant species collected in Egypt (Parkia africana, Parkia roxburgi, Lagerstromeia speciosa, Schinopsis lorentzii, Lagerstromeia indica, and Sapindus saponaria) was assayed against trypomastigote and amastigote forms of T. cruzi. The cytotoxic activity of the most active extract was also evaluated by conducting MTT assays. S. lorentzii and S. saponaria were the most active extracts against the trypomastigote form; IC50 values were 9.9 and 27.34 g/mL, respectively. The S. lorentzii extract was also evaluated against the amastigote form (IC50 was 111.5 g/mL). The S. lorentzii extract did not exhibit significant cytotoxic activity. The selectivity index value indicated that this extract was highly selective for the parasite. The S. lorentzii and S. saponaria extracts exhibit trypanocidal activity, probably as a result of the presence of different constituents and their concentrations in the extracts.

Occurrence of Late Blight (Septoria apiicola Speg.) on Celery (Apium graveolens L.) in Egypt

Celery (Apium graveolens L., family Umbelliferae) is an important, annual crop cultivated mainly as medicinal plant aswell as vegetable plant in Egypt. The seeds and essential oil are very important and expensive yield components due to their usages as spice, in medicinal products and in folk medicine. Recently, the area cultivated is expanded in Beni-Suief Governorate as a result of the increase in exportation demand. Late blight (=Septoria leaf spot) caused by Septoria apiicola Speg. is a worldwide major foliage disease causing losses of 50-90% in commercial celery fields. In Egypt, symptoms of the disease started to appear at the end of March and during April 2015 on growing fieldplants in Beba and Somusta Counties, Beni-Suief Governorate. Symptoms appear as small, circular, water soaked spots on the leaves(about 1.3 to 1.8 mm, av. 1.6 mm - diam.), often surrounded by a faint chlorotic margins (Fig.1.). After 21 to 36 days, the spots turned dark to nearly black and became filled with minute black pycnidia (Fig.1.), which were closed, pear-shaped cups partly embedded in the infected plant tissues (Fig.2.). These symptoms were usually observed on allthe foliage plant parts at the last month of the growing season and percentages of infected plants reached 60-100% in severely infected fields with disease severity ranged between 43-90%. Moreover, about 5% plants of the total growing area were completely destroyed. According to the available literature, this is the first report of this disease in Egypt.

Metabolomics and dereplication studies of some Egyptian medicinal plants and its associated endophytes

Metabolomics and dereplication studies of some Egyptian medicinal plants and its associated endophytes

Chemical and biological investigations of the Egyptian plant Cleome africana

Cleome africana Botsch is a wild medicinal plant growing in Sinai. Chemical investigation of the ethanolic extract of its herb led to isolation of kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-glucoside and hexadecyl glucosinolate [1,2]. These compounds were isolated using different chromatographic techniques and identified by spectroscopic measurements (UV, MS and NMR). The biological study as an antidiabetic [3] of different fractions [total methanol extract (TM), chloroform (C), ethyl acetate (E), butanol (B) and the total glucosinolate (G)] in streptozotocine induced diabetic rats proved that the fraction B is the most effective (reduction of glucose level from 181 to 96 mg/dl). The anti-inflammatory effect [4] of different fractions was studied in induced diabetic rats, the results showed that, the fractions B, E, TM and G caused a significant reduction in prostaglandin E2 level than the other fractions. Finally the hepatoprotictive activity [5] of different fractions was studied by measuring of liver enzymes (ALT, AST) in rats of injured liver using CCl4. It was found that the fraction G normalized both ALT and AST in addition to creatinin and uric acid level.

SURVEY OF LEAFHOPPERS ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN EGYPT (HEMIPTERA: AUCHENORRHYNCHA: CICADELLIDAE)

Leafhoppers are common and abundant insects in worldwide. Numerous leafhopper species are considered serious plant pests, and those as vector plant diseases inflict untold economic losses in agricultural crops. the present work aims to surveyleafhoppers species infesting medicinal and aromatic plants in Egypt. Soleafhopper adults and nymphs were collected from these plants at different localities in Egypt using both sweeping net and aspirator throughout 2011 to 2015. Fifteen leafhopper species belonging into four subfamilies and fourteen genera were surveyed. Synonyms, diagnostic morphological characters and host plants were provided.

Potential Honey Bee Plants of Egypt

AbstractThere are various plants with potential feeding importance to honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies as source of pollen, nectar or both. Selection of suitable regions for apiaries mainly depends on the availability of honey bee plants in the apiary region. Identifying honey bee plants in specific region is very essential for honey and pollen production from honey bee colonies. Lacking the information about the beneficial plants for honey bees including; plant name, flowering time and potential benefit to honey bee colonies could be considered as a limitation for beekeeping development. So far honey bee plants are not well studied in Egypt. This review paper presents potential honey bee plants in Egypt using the available publications. The studies on honey bee plants in Egypt were also reviewed. This work can be considered as a guide for beekeepers and researchers. Moreover, the presented plants here can be used in comparing honey bee plants of Egypt with other countries to get a better understanding of honey bee flora. More detailed investigations on honey bee plants are strongly required to be done at all Egyptian Governorates

Insecticidal properties of essential oils against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase and adenosine triphosphatases

Essential oils from 20 Egyptian plants were obtained by using hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the isolated oils was identified by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Fumigant and contact toxicities of the essential oils were evaluated against the adults of Tribolium castaneum. In fumigation assays, the oil of Origanum vulgare (LC50 = 9.97 mg/L air) displayed the highest toxicity towards the adults of T. castaneum. In contact assays, the oils of Artemisia monosperma (LC50 = 0.07 mg/cm2) and O. vulgare (LC50 = 0.07 mg/cm2) were the most potent toxicants against the adults of T. castaneum. Biochemical studies showed that the tested oils caused pronounced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) isolated from the larvae of T. castaneum. The oil Cupressus macrocarpa (IC50 = 12.3 mg/L) was the most potent inhibitor of AChE, while the oil of Calistemon viminals (IC50 = 4.4 mg/L) was the most potent inhibitor of ATPases.

Predicting the Effects of Sand Erosion on Collector Surfaces in CSP Plants

This paper presents a methodology to predict the optical performance and physical topography of the glass collector surfaces of any given CSP plant in the presence of sand and dust storms, providing that local climate conditions are known and representative sand and dust particles samples are available. Using existing meteorological data for a defined CSP plant in Egypt, plus sand and dust samples from two desert locations in Libya, we describe how to derive air speed, duration, and sand concentrations to use within the Global CSP Laboratory sand erosion simulation rig at Cranfield University. This then allows us to predict the optical performance of parabolic trough collector glass after an extended period by the use of accelerated ageing. However the behavior of particles in sandstorms is complex and has prompted a theoretical analysis of sand particle dynamics which is also described in this paper.

Rice Husk as a Substitute Fuel in Cement Kiln Plant

A simple mathematical model of heat balance was applied to a cement kiln plant with a precalciner to estimate the effect of using rice husk as a substitute fuel for natural gas on specific heat consumption. Effects of the husk ash on the characteristics of the raw mix and clinker of ordinary Portland cement were also evaluated. Referring to Egyptian kiln plants data, it was found that the weight of rice husk required to supply fuel heat in the precalciner represented about 11-13% of the raw mix weight and about 90% of the total fuel weight (natural gas + husk). Specific heat consumption increased by about 3.7%, and the amount of combustion flue gases increased by about 20% when natural gas was completely substituted by rice husk. The use of rice husk as a substitute fuel in a cement kiln plant was accompanied by a marked decrease of lime saturation factor of the raw mix, a drastic decrease of tricalcium silicate and an increase of dicalcium silicate in the clinker. This data can provide the basis for the formation of a new type of cement such as high belite cement. The raw mix design was adjusted using pyrite as a correcting factor to keep the characteristics of the raw mix and the clinker similar to the factory data. KeywordsAlternative Fuel; Rice Husk; Natural Gas; Raw Mix Design; Clinker Mineral Composition; Raw Mix Parameters; Specific Heat Consumption Nomenclature ms1 = mass of the inlet raw mix to the preheater (kg) hs1 = specific enthalpy of the inlet raw mix to the preheater (kJ/kg) mf = mass of the fuel (kg) hf = low calorific value of the fuel (kJ/kg) hu = specific enthalpy of the fuel (kJ/kg) mA3 = mass of tertiary air from the cooler to the calciner (kg) hA3 = specific enthalpy of tertiary air from the cooler to the calciner (kJ/kg) mA5 = mass of secondary air from the precooling zone in the kiln (kg) hA5 = specific enthalpy of secondary air from the precooling zone (kJ/kg) mA6 = mass of secondary air from the cooler to the kiln (kg) hA6 = specific enthalpy of secondary air from the cooler to the kiln (kJ/kg) mG1 = mass of outlet flue gas from the preheater (kg) hG1 = specific enthalpy of outlet flue gas from the preheater (kJ/kg) ms6 = mass of clinker leaving the firing zone to the cooler (kg) hs6 = specific enthalpy of clinker leaving the firing zone (kJ/kg)  HR.c, HR.K = heat of reactions in the calciner and the kiln, respectively (kJ) Qw.p.c, Qw.k, Qw.c. = wall heat losses from the preheatercalciner, kiln, and cooler, respectively (kJ) Vaf = theoretical amount of fuel combustion air (Nm /kg fuel) Vgf = theoretical amount of fuel combustion gases (Nm /kg fuel)  = excess air factor for fuel combustion MCO2 = mass of evolved CO2 from calcination Cpg, Cpa = specific heat of flue gases and air, respectively (kJ/Nm 3 C) Tg, Ta = temperature of flue gas and combustion air, respectively ( C) h.f.o. = heavy fuel oil cli. = clinker LSF = lime saturation factor SIM = silica modulus AM = alumina modulus C3S = tricalcium silicate C2S = dicalcium silicate International Journal of Energy Engineering Apr. 2015, Vol. 5 Iss. 2, PP. 16-27 17 DOI: 10.5963/IJEE0502001 C3A = tricalcium aluminate C4AF = tetracalcium aluminate ferrite Borders of the heat balance zones, as shown in Fig. 2: [1] [2] = preheating zone [2] [3] = precalciner zone [3] [4] = bottom stage cyclone [4] [5] = heating zone of the rotary kiln [5] [6] = precooling zone [6] [7] = cooler

Algal control and enhanced removal in drinking waters in Cairo, Egypt.

Algal blooms at the major water treatment plants in Egypt have been reported since 2006. While previous studies focused on algal types and their correlation with disinfection by-products, correlation between raw water quality and algal blooms were not explored. Therefore, a survey of Nile water quality parameters at a major water intake in the Greater Cairo Urban Region was conducted from December 2011 to November 2012. Bench-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the conventional chloride/alum treatment compared with combined Cl/permanganate pre-oxidation with Al and Fe coagulants during the outbreak period. Addition of permanganate (0.5 mg/L) significantly reduced the chlorine demand from 5.5 to 2.7 mg/L. The applied alum coagulant dose was slightly reduced while residual Al was reduced by 27% and the algal count by 50% in the final treated waters. Applying ferric chloride and ferric sulfate as coagulants to waters treated with the combined pre-oxidation procedure effectively reduced algal count by 60% and better the total organic carbon reduction and residual aluminum in the treated water. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify the relationship between water quality parameters and occurrence of algae and to explain the impact of coagulants on the final water quality.

Chemical composition, insecticidal and biochemical effects of essential oils of different plant species from Northern Egypt on the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae L.

The extensive use of synthetic insecticides and fumigants for control stored-product insects has led to the development of resistance. Essential oils from aromatic plants may provide proper alternatives to currently used insect control agents. Essential oils from 20 Egyptian plants were obtained by hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the oils was identified by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. Fumigant and contact toxicities of the essential oils were evaluated against Sitophilus oryzae. The inhibitory effects of the essential oils on acetylcholinesterase and adenosine triphosphatases activities were examined. The oils were composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons (i.e., limonene, sabinene, β-pinene and γ-terpinene) and oxygenated monoterpenes (i.e., terpinen-4-ol, β–thujone, 4-terpineol, α-citral and 1,8-cineole) with the exception of the oil of Schinus terebinthifolius which was contained sesquiterpenes, and the oil of Vitex agnus-castus which contained similar amounts of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. In the fumigation assay, the oils of Origanum vulgare (LC50 = 1.64 mg/L air), Citrus lemon (LC50 = 9.89 mg/L air), Callistemon viminals (LC50 = 16.17 mg/L air), Cupressus sempervirens (LC50 = 17.16 mg/L air), and Citrus sinensis (LC50 = 19.65 mg/L air) showed high toxicity to S. oryzae. In the contact assay, the oils of Artemisia judaica, C. viminals, and O. vulgare caused the highest toxicity to S. oryzae with LC50 values of 0.08, 0.09, and 0.11 mg/cm2, respectively. The oil of A. judaica (I50 = 16.1 mg/L) invoked the highest inhibitory effect on AChE activity, while the oils of C. viminals and O. vulgare were the most potent inhibitors to ATPases activity with I50 values of 4.69 and 6.07 mg/L, respectively. The results indicate that the essential oils of A. Judaica, O. vulgare, C. limon, C. viminals, and C. sempervirens could be applicable to the management of populations of S. oryzae.

Comparative Study of Antioxidant Activity from some Egyptian Plants and Phytochemical Composition

Comparative Study of Antioxidant Activity from some Egyptian Plants and Phytochemical Composition

New diacyl flavonoid derivatives from the Egyptian plant Blepharis edulis (Forssk.) Pers.

In continuation of our phytochemical investigation of Blepharis edulis (Forssk.) Pers., family Acanthaceae; two new diacyl flavone derivatives: apigenin-7-O-(2″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (1) and apigenin-7-O-(4″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (2), along with eight known compounds: apigenin-7-O-(3″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (3), naringenin-7-O-(3″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (4), apigenin-7-O-(6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (5), naringenin-7-O-(6″-E-p-coumaroyl-β-d-glucopyranoside) (6), acacetin (7), naringenin (8), vanillic acid (9) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (10) were isolated and unambiguously identified from the ether fraction of the total extract of the wild Egyptian species B. edulis (Forssk.), family Acanthaceae. Identification and structure elucidation of the isolated compounds were carried out and confirmed through full data obtained from different 1D and 2D NMR experiments and mass spectral analyses. Compounds 1–9 were isolated for the first time from the species. Compounds 1 and 2 are new natural products isolated herein for the first time in nature.

First genome analysis and molecular characterization of Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus Egyptian isolate infecting squash.

This study aims to identifying and characterizing some molecular properties of geminiviruses co-infection in squash field crop cultivated in Egypt. Squash crops observed to be heavily infected with several insect vectors, also severe chlorosis and stunting was observed. Electron microscopic analysis has revealed geminate capsid particles which indicate the infection of Geminiviruses, especially SqLCV which represent an economic problem to squash filed crop in Egypt. We have investigated possible mixed infections with different plant viruses associated with chlorotic stunt diseases and or other genus groups of geminiviruses. The main objective of this study is to investigate the recombination events, possible recombinants and variants among these genera in the same family differing in vector transmission. This is the first report of the molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis and putative recombination events of the full length genome of the Chickpea Chlorotic Dwarf Mastrevirus in Egypt. And the first report of co-infection with another begomovirus infecting squash plants. A full length clone of both viruses were isolated and characterized at the molecular level. The complete nucleotide sequence of DNA-A was determined (2,572bp) and submitted to the genbank under accession no. KF692356. The isolate from Egypt has about 97.8% homology with the Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus (CpCDV) isolate from Syria DNA-A isolate FR687959, a 83.2% homology with the Sudan isolate AM933134 and a 82.7% homology with Pakistan isolate FR687960. To best of our knowledge this is the first report of complete genome of CpCDV that infect squash plants in Egypt and worldwide.

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) as a new insect pest on tomato plants in Egypt

Abstract Recently, the mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was recorded as a new pest on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) growing in Egypt. The mealybugs specimens were collected from tomato plants in the Qalyoubia governorate during summer season of 2014. The mealybug was identified as P. solenopsis based on the morphological characters and taxonomic key of this species. This study represents the first record of P. solenopsis as a new insect pest attacking tomato plants in Egypt

Production, mixing and provenance of Late Bronze Age mixed alkali glasses from northern Italy: an isotopic approach

Late Bronze Age glass in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece was made from silica and plant ashes. Around 1200 BC in Europe a new glass type appears of a mixed alkali composition. Although the highest concentration of this glass is found at Frattesina in the Veneto, northern Italy there is no absolute proof that it was fused there from raw materials. A variety of possible alkali raw materials have been suggested but there is still no certainty about its identity. The chemical compositions of these mixed alkali glasses are characterised by a series of mixing lines which suggest that raw materials or glasses were mixed. To address these issues we present here the first set of radiogenic isotope (87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd) results for highly coloured samples of 11th century BC raw and waste glass from Frattesina together with new isotopic results for northern Italian silica and plant samples. Although a relatively small number, the isotopic results suggest that primary production of mixed alkali glass occurred in northern Italy. Moreover, it can be suggested that two of the samples were made from a mixture of different glasses, with contrasting isotopic signatures, one probably deriving from northern Italy and the other from a non-local source. This indicates that there were two production centres for mixed-alkali glass. We have shown that Frattesina glasses were made using isotopically distinct raw materials from those used to make the slightly earlier Late Bronze Age Mesopotamian and Egyptian plant ash glasses. Even though we have tested a small number of samples the isotopic results nevertheless provide significant new evidence for these mixed-alkali glasses being the first European glasses.

Serological and Molecular Characterization of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus Affecting Cucumber Plants in Egypt

Serological and Molecular Characterization of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus Affecting Cucumber Plants in Egypt

Multicriteria decision analysis based on analytic hierarchy process in GIS environment for siting nuclear power plant in Egypt

Due to increasing demand of electrical energy and freshwater in Egypt, it is safe to assume that the decision makers will turn to nuclear power as the feasible alternative for energy. However, as time goes by, fewer sites will be available and suitable for nuclear power plant development. Site selection is a key phase of the siting process of a nuclear plant and may significantly affect the safety and cost of the facility during its entire life cycle. The siting of nuclear power plants is one of multi-criteria problems, which makes it complex. Many interrelated factors affect the process. Six constraints and twenty-two factors corresponding to safety, environment and socio-economy were considered in the siting study presented in this paper. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis was applied during the selection of nuclear power plants site using GIS software. Three spatial decision making models were applied in this paper during site selection stage. The binary overlay (Boolean logic) with Low Risk approach in which the logical OR operator is used to determine the candidate areas. All constraints were represented in binary maps, combined and a masking layer was created to eliminate the lands considered as constraints in Arc GIS Software. The 22 factors were represented in normalized maps after unifying all of them to 0–1 score scales based on the philosophy of suitability criteria (factors) using the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method. The relative scores and weight of factors which were used in the maps conducted by pairwise comparison were fed into Expert choice software that runs the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Final composite map of potential site priorities were represented by several polygons produced in MCDA add-in as an open source tool in Arc GIS 10.1. Four sites, all located along the North western and the Red Sea coasts were chosen as Candidate sites after eliminating the lowest scoring sites The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to select a suitable site by pairwise comparison and by calculating eigenvectors using Expert Choice software. The sites were ranked to determine the most desirable site. The El Dabaa site was found to be most suitable, followed by the East El Negila site on the Mediterranean Sea.

Compositional Analysis and in vitro Protective Activity against Oxidative Stress of Essential Oils from Egyptian Plants Used in Traditional Medicine

The Sinai desert in Egypt contains great variability in plants extensively used for traditional medicines such as Achillea fragrantissima, Chiliadenus montanus, Mentha longifolia and Haplophyllum tuberculatum. The essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts have been analyzed. Subsequently, their potential protective activity against oxidative stress has been evaluated, employing H2O2 as oxidant inductor and astrocytes as the cell model. The chemical composition of the essential oils was analyzed by GC/MS. Most of the compounds identified in A. fragrantissima and M. longifolia samples were oxygenated monoterpene derivatives, whereas for H. tuberculatum they were monoterpenes hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds, and for C. montanus oxygenated monoterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes predominated. The in vitro evaluation of antioxidant properties, using ORAC assay, revealed that M. longifolia essential oil possessed the highest scavenging activity against peroxyl radicals, following by H. tuberculatum, A. fragrantissima and C. montanus. Under oxidative stress conditions, M. longifolia and H. tuberculatum essential oils were the only ones that protected human astrocytoma U373-MG cells against H2O2 damage. Both essential oils prevented cell death and inhibited ROS production caused by H2O2. M. longifolia essential oil was the most active, suggesting an interesting prevention role in those CNS disorders associated with oxidative stress.

Financial analysis of NF membranes for upgrading municipal wastewater treatment

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes represent state-of-the-art membrane processes with numerous significant applications. In this paper, worldwide reported financial data on capital, operating (O&M) and unit costs were gathered, screened, and analyzed. New cost functions have been developed incorporating plant capacity and NF recovery. Further, software (NFSTP) was developed for performance and cost evaluation from the verified models. Analysis of the data represented by NF cost models indicate that the unit cost of NF treatment for secondary treated wastewater decreases by about 11%, when plant capacity is doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 m3/d for the same recovery. Moreover, the change in recovery above 70% would not significantly affect the capital, O&M, and unit costs. Application of NF system to the case of El-Gabal El-Asfar municipal wastewater treatment plant in Egypt using the developed software (NFSTP) indicates a unit cost of 0.253 $/m3 for an operational module of 100,000 m3/d.