The current study investigates the hepatoprotective effect of Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract against POPs intoxication on endogenous antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in mice liver tissue. In the present study, the mice BALB/C were assigned into four groups: group I: received saline subcutaneously for 7 days and served as negative control; group II: received subcutaneously for 7 days, 130.6 mg/100 g/b. w/day POPs mixture(mixture of PCB 28, PCB 52,, PCB 101, PCB 118, PCB 153, PCB 138 and PCB 180, alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane, beta-Hexachloro-cyclohexane, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, Aldrin, O,P'-DDE, Dieldrin, P,p DDE, O,P DDD, Endrin, P,p DDD and P,pDDT were extracted from sediments collected from Lake Mariout), and served as induced group; group III: pretreated with Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract for 7 days, as a protection dose and then treated with POPs as group II and served as protective group; and group IV: received i.p Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract of dose 0.7 mg/100 g b.wt/day for 7 days and served as positive control. After 7 days (experimental period), mice were scarified and the liver was harvested for biochemical estimation. Significant reduction in lipid peroxidation (p < 0.002) was noticed compared to POPs-protected group. The antioxidant biomarkers levels were significantly increase as the hepatic GSH and GST increased by 69.9 and 89.9%, respectively. Such increase was accompanied by a decrease in tyrosine kinase activity by 59.82%, additionally remarkable histopathological changes in liver tissue indicate the protective effect of Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract. The results of this study revealed that the Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract has the potential to diminish the destructive effect of POPs intoxication through enhancement of the endogenous antioxidant status. The hepatoprotective activity of Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract is mediated, by the antioxidant effect of its active constituents. The active constituents of Hyrtios aff. Erectus sponge extract were identified by LC-MS/MS.

In recent decades, aquaculture has played a significant role in fulfilling the vast demand for animal protein requirements and consequently in food security. However, environmental contamination and disease prevalence are considered essential challenges for the sector. In this regard, new approaches have been paved in technology to deal effectively with such challenges. Among these, nanotechnology-as a novel and innovative tool-has a broad spectrum of uses and a tremendous potential in aquaculture and seafood preservation. It can provide new technologies for management of drugs as liberation of vaccines and therefore hold the assurance for civilized protection of farmed fish against disease-causing pathogens. This article presents a review of nanotechnology and its applications in aquaculture. Additionally, it gives a brief idea about the fish disease and classical ways of controlling pathogens. On the other hand, this review sheds the light on nanotechnology as a potential novel tool which may possibly enhance the management and the control of disease prevalence. Therefore, the importance of this technology to promote sustainable aquaculture has also been highlighted. Focusing on the role of selenium nanoparticles as an efficient element is discussed also in this article.

No abstract

The current study investigates the phytochemical and pharmaceutical activities of (SVE) collected from the Suez Canal. The prescreening using cytotoxicity was tested against hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Furthermore the SVE inhibit cell growth effectively with IC50 = 20.8 µg/ml. The pharmacological studies revealed high antioxidant capacity at all examined concentrations. On the meantime, anticancer assay carried out using tyrosine kinase (PTK) and sphingosine kinase 1 inhibitor screening assays revealed inhibition with 75.73 and 80.01%; respectively. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory profiling revealed that the activities against COX1, COX2, IL6 and TNF were 77.39, 88.35, 75.38 and 71.24%; respectively. Additionally, the anti-Alzheimer results showed high activity at 1 mg with 76.33%. Finally the antiviral activities using reverse transcriptase inhibition assay give 92.24%. Consequently, it can be easily conclude that the SVE collected from the Suez Canal are excellent source of natural products for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.

Marine derived fungi are considered as a promising source of novel drugs due to their biodiversity and consequent chemo-diversity. Although marine microorganisms especially fungi are not well defined taxonomically, making this a promising frontier for the discovery of new medicines. This study focused on marine derived fungi as a model for bioactive exploration for new entities with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity. Three in-vitro assays were used to investigate the bioactive antioxidant potentiality of fungal extracts. Thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), α,α-Diphenyl-ßpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and NO assay are based on their total phenolic and flavonoid content of each extract group. Ch. globosum recorded the highest antioxidant activity (92.82%) in TBARS assay, while G. dankaliensis came first by recording 59.28% in DPPH assay in comparison with ascorbic acid (61.83%). In NO inhibition assay, N. oryzae showed 49.3% comparing with ascorbic acid (73.12%). From the preliminary result of our extracts, we can consider the marine derived fungi extracts as promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug candidate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pretreatment hepatoprotective effect of the extract of marine-derived fungus Trichurus spiralis Hasselbr (TS) isolated from Hippospongia communis sponge on hepatotoxicity. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n = 7). Group I served as −ve control, group II served as the induced group receiving subcutaneously for seven days 0.25 mg heavy metal mixtures, group III received (i.p.) TS extract of dose 40 mg for seven days, and group IV served as the protected group pretreated with TS extract for seven days as a protection dose, and then treated with the heavy metal-mixture. The main pathological changes within the liver after heavy-metal mixtures administrations marked hepatic damage evidenced by foci of lobular necrosis with neutrophilic infiltration, adjacent to dysplastic hepatocytes. ALT and AST measurements show a significant increase in group II by 46.20% and 45.12%, respectively. Total protein, elevated by about 38.9% in induction group compared to the −ve control group, in contrast to albumin, decreased as a consequence of metal administration with significant elevation on bilirubin level. The results prove that TS extract possesses a hepatoprotective property due to its proven antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties.

Background: Gracilaria has been shown to be an important source of marine bioactive natural biomaterials and compounds. No previous studies have been carried out to examine the biochemical and pharmaceutical activates of Gracilaria from Suez Canal of Egypt as an excellent source for bioactive compounds. Methods: Different advanced experimental models and analytical techniques such as cytotoxicity, total antioxidant capacity, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory profiling were applied. The phytochemical analysis of different constituents was also carried out. Results: The mineral analysis revealed the presence of copper (188.3 ppm) and iron (10.07 ppm) in addition to a remarkable wealth of selenium and sulfur contents giving up to 36% of its dry mass. The elemental analysis showed high contents of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The GC-MS profiling showed varieties of different bioactive compounds such as fatty acids, different types of carotenoids in addition to pigments, alkaloids, steroids. Many other compounds such as carbohydrates and amino acids having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities …etc. were identified. The cytotoxicity activity of Gracilaria marine extract was very effective against cancerous cell lines and showed high ability as potent antitumor due their bioactive constituents. Specialized screening assays using two anticancer experimental models, i.e., PTK and SKH1 revealed 77.88 % and 84.50 % inhibition anticancer activity; respectively. The anti-inflammatory activities investigated using four different experimental models, i.e., COX1, COX2, IL6 and TNF resulted in 68%, 81.76%, 56.02 and 78.43 % inhibition; respectively. Moreover, Gracilaria extracts showed potent anti-Alzheimer with all concentrations. Conclusion: Gracilaria proved to be a multi-product source of marine natural products for different biotechnological applications.

The present study aims to evaluate the possible hepatoprotective effect of the Red Sea Hyrtios aff. erectus sponge extract against persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The induced hepatotoxicity effects were examined by using different POPs compounds, namely, a-hexachlorocyclohexane, b-hexachlorocyclohexane, g-hexachlorocyclohexane,