Schinus polygamus (Anacardiaceae) is a shrub cultivated in Egypt for ornamental purpose. The major components of bark oil were dl-limonene (29.74%), followed by myrtenal (14.02%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.34%), while E-caryophyllene (55.86%), dl-limonene (27.71%) and βpinene (3.54%) were predominant in the leaf oil. These isolated oils were screened for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33591, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Candida albicans MTCC183 and Aspergillus niger NRRL 595, and two clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. The leaf oil showed a remarkable inhibitory effect against all tested bacterial strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 25 to 300 µg/mL, while the bark oil was active against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 only. Furthermore, the bark and leaf oils revealed potent cytotoxic effects on HepG2 and Caco-2 cells with IC 50 values of 1.56 to 24.12 µg/mL.

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Lignocelluloses are the main components of the wastes of olive oil industrial production. Partially destoned olive wastes contain a small amount of oil and water. So, olive wastes should have lower fiber content in comparison with crude olive waste. Functionalization of cellulose extracted from olive wastes enhances its importance for production of antimicrobial materials. In this work, dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC), as cross-linking agent, was successfully prepared by using periodate oxidation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which had been previously prepared from olive oil by-products. CMC was modified with hydrazine monohydrate in order to prepare carboxymethyl hydrazide (NCMC), which was reacted with DCMC through Schiff's base reaction, resulting in crosslinking of NCMC. Also, DCMC was reacted with succinic dihydrazide (SDH) through Schiff's base reaction to give CMCSH. The water uptake of the prepared samples was also studied. All the modifications and reactions were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were loaded onto the prepared cross-linked compounds and their loading was confirmed by EDX. The antimicrobial activities of the silver-loaded cross-linked compounds were investigated against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as against yeasts.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) wherever they work are at high risk of trapping infectious blood-borne pathogens, including hepatitis C virus (HCV). Epidemiological studies are needed to focus on HCWs' work profiles which represent the major threat to their health.

Background Nanotechnology has been manufactured from medicinal plants to develop safe, and effective antischistosmal alternatives to replace today’s therapies. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prophylactic effect of ginger-derived nanoparticles (GNPs), and the therapeutic effect of ginger aqueous extract, and GNPs on Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infected mice compared to praziquantel (PZQ), and mefloquine (MFQ). Methodology/principal findings Eighty four mice, divided into nine different groups, were sacrificed at 6th, 8th, and 10th week post-infection (PI), with assessment of parasitological, histopathological, and oxidative stress parameters, and scanning the worms by electron microscope. As a prophylactic drug, GNPs showed slight reduction in worm burden, egg density, and granuloma size and number. As a therapeutic drug, GNPs significantly reduced worm burden (59.9%), tissue egg load (64.9%), granuloma size, and number at 10th week PI, and altered adult worm tegumental architecture, added to antioxidant effect. Interestingly, combination of GNPs with PZQ or MFQ gave almost similar or sometimes better curative effects as obtained with each drug separately. The highest therapeutic effect was obtained when ½ dose GNPs combined with ½ dose MFQ which achieved 100% reduction in both the total worm burden, and ova tissue density as early as the 6th week PI, with absence of detected eggs or tissue granuloma, and preservation of liver architecture. Conclusions/significance GNPs have a schistosomicidal, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective role. GNPs have a strong synergistic effect when combined with etiological treatments (PZQ or MFQ), and significantly reduced therapeutic doses by 50%, which may mitigate side effects and resistance to etiological drugs, a hypothesis requiring further research. We recommend extending this study to humans.

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