The study aims to investigate the potential effect of nanocurcumin as feed additive in the diet of Oreochromis niloticus to improve its growth performance, health status and resistance against Aspergillus flavus. The control group was fed on a basal diet without nanocurcumin, and four diets T1, T2, T3 and T4 were supplemented with 10, 25, 40 and 55 mg/kg of nanocurcumin, respectively, in triplicate (20 fish/replicate). The duration of the feeding trial was 60 days. The final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate and survival rate showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased values in the nanocurcumin groups than the control. Fish fed with nanocurcumin supplementation showed improvement in RBCs, haemoglobin, total protein, albumin and globulin while there was a decrease in the liver enzymes (AST and ALT), glucose and alkaline phosphatase. The creatinine was also decreased in fish fed nanocurcumin. The digestive enzymes amylase and lipase increased in the nanocurcumin‐treated groups, and the triglycerides values showed non‐significant increase, whereas the cholesterol values showed non‐significant decrease in T1 and T4. Meanwhile, the cortisol was nearly the same in all groups. At the end of the trial, the fish were challenged with Aspergillus flavus for 15 days. Aspergillus flavus resulted in the mortality of 100% of the control group and the groups with lower doses of nanocurcumin (T1 and T2) within the first week and second week post challenge respectively. In the treatments with high doses (T3 and T4), higher survival rates were recorded in a dose‐dependent manner. The pathogenicity of Aspergillus flavus was confirmed histopathologically. It was concluded that the dietary supplementation of nanocurcumin enhanced the health status of O. niloticus by improving the haemato‐immunological response and body composition parameters of the fish, and protected it from the Aspergillus flavus infection with optimum inclusion levels of 25–40 mg/kg diet.

The purpose of this study was to discover how abundant toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins are in animal feedstuff samples. A total of ninety samples representing various types of animal feedstuff samples were collected from ninety sites in Egypt. Isolation, identification, and determination of mycotoxins (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, and ochratoxin A) were performed. The results revealed that 79 (87.77%) of the samples were contaminated with fungi, and 1.1 × 105 CFU/g were recovered, including 41 fungal species belonging to 18 genera, such as Zygomycota, which was represented by three species (7.31% of the total species number), teleomorphic Ascomycota (10 species, 24.39%), and anamorphic Ascomycota (28 species, 69.29%). When taxonomically investigated, these species were categorized into 2 phyla, 4 classes, 6 orders, and 12 families (one of them with an uncertain position). Moreover, the genus Aspergillus exhibited 16 species (39.02%). Notably, site no. 6 showed the highest Margalef species richness index at 10.87 followed by site no. 4, while the Shannon diversity index (H) of the recovered taxa was 2.20. Based on the frequency of occurrence, Aspergillus flavus recorded the highest percentage (65.56%) followed by A. niger (50%) and Penicillium chrysogenum (40%). Genus Aspergillus was recorded in 75 samples (88.33%), while Penicillium appeared only in 43 samples, accounting for 47.77% out of 90 samples. The High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was recorded in two animal feedstuff samples at a ratio of 0.851 and 1.363 µg/kg, While AFB2 was discovered in only one animal feedstuff sample at a ratio of 0.479 g/kg. The aflatoxins levels in the positive samples (AFB1 and AFB2) Beef cattle sample components were below the permissible limit for animal feedstuff which is (20 g/kg). Although aflatoxins were found in certain samples, the amounts were much below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) defined by the international authorities or Egyptian guidelines. toxigenic fungi found in contaminated animal feed samples pose a major threat to animal and poultry health, productivity, and even human health. Therefore, periodic monitoring is an excellent way to keep track of their existence and mitigate their hazards.

Fungi are attractive as reducing and stabilizing agents in the biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles due to the production of considerable amounts of proteins, high yields, simplicity of handling, and low toxicity of the residues. Nanotechnology is one of the prospective technologies that could be utilized to address the recent issues as agrichemical production lines, nanotechnology production lines can also have drawbacks. As a result, a brand-new branch of nanotechnology called as "green nanotechnology" was developed, integrating biological ideas with physical and chemical procedures to produce nanosized particles with specific uses that are ecologically friendly. Biochemical synthesis methods utilizing microorganisms and plants are being investigated and developed in an effort to create nanoparticles (NPs) in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Biological synthesis has grown in favor as a possible alternative to the drawbacks related to physical and chemical methods of synthesis. The current analysis discusses the potential for enhancing plant health and disease resistance using AgNPs produced by endophytic fungi, which will contribute to a greater level of agricultural sustainability. Future research should focus on understanding this important method, it is advised.

The antifungal activity of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Cleome amblyocarpa was investigated against the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum (MW485609) the cause of chickpea wilt. Experimental results showed that the growth of F. oxysporum started to reach 50 % inhibition at 80 𝜇g/mL of AgNPs and also with 150 𝜇g/mL plant extract. The highest reduction % on the mycelial growth was 60.4 ± 0.00 and 67.4±1.16mm with plant extract and green synthesized nanoparticles, respectively. Data also revealed that the most effective concentration of green AgNPs solution was, 200 µl/mL, which showed 5.18 % and 9.79 % early and late wilt incidence. On the other hand, early and late wilt incidence recorded 11.24 % and 16 % due to plant extract. Meanwhile, plant survival rates were 85.03 % and 72.76 %, respectively, whereas the untreated control plants recorded only 4.85 % survivals. Images proved that the green synthesized silver nanoparticles affected the morphology of fungal hyphae grown on media supplemented with (AgNPs) solution and nanoparticles appeared in fungal cell walls compared with the effect of plant extract and with fungal hypha of control plates. Moreover, observations with TEM and SEM revealed that synthesized nanoparticles damaged fungal hyphae, causing the deformation of cell membranes and inhibition of the normal budding process. The solution of AgNPs illustrates good stability at -19.8 mV at an area of 100 %, a width of 6.75 mV. The size of AgNPs ranged from 6.06 to 40.9 nm; Mean = 20.088 nm, Dev (rms) = 7.2 nm. This research demonstrates that (AgNPs) can be employed as a safe and environmentally acceptable alternative in controlling pathogenic fungi, and limits dependence on fungicides and avoids the development of fungicide-resistant phytopathogenic generations. The green synthesis of nanoparticles with the help of C. amblyocarpa was considered a practicable and environmentally friendly way.

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