Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences

A Multi-Target Assessment of Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Activities of Phenolic Compounds Fractionated from Punica granatum L. Peels Crude Extract

Radwan S. Farag, Safaa A. Abd Elwahab, Layla S. Tawfeek — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pomegranate peel is recognized as a rich source of phenolic compounds with significant biological activities. In the present study, phenolic constituents were isolated from pomegranate peel crude juice using solid-phase extraction (SPE), followed by fractionation through thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The chemical characterization of the obtained fractions was carried out using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS). The analytical results confirmed the presence of several functional groups, including hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, and aromatic structures. Five major phenolic compounds were identified, namely gallic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin, catechin, and vanillin. The biological activities of these compounds were
systematically evaluated. Ellagic acid demonstrated a pronounced antioxidant capacity, particularly in terms of metal chelation and reducing power, whereas vanillin exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity as determined by the DPPH assay. In addition, gallic acid and ellagic acid showed notable antibacterial effects against the tested bacterial strains. Regarding anticancer activity, catechin
significantly reduced the viability of human breast cancer (MCF-7) and colon cancer (HCT-116) cell lines. Importantly, the safety profile of the studied phenolic compounds was assessed using normal human skin fibroblast (BJ1) cells, where no significant cytotoxic effects were observed at the tested concentrations. These findings support the potential application of pomegranate peel-derived phenolics
as safe and effective natural agents with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties

Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai HD283 Partial Purified Thermo-Alkaline Metalloprotease Characterization

Amira M. Roshdy, Sahar E. Hamed, Azza H. Mohamed, May A. Elhefni — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objective: The study aimed to classify the alkaline protease produced by Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai HD283. Methods: The experimental methodology encompassed the following steps: preparation of the inoculum, formulation of production media, enzyme activity assays, protein quantification. Results: After ammonium sulfate fractionation, acetone precipitation, and G-100 Sephadex column chromatography purification steps, of Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai HD283 partial purified alkaline protease. The purified alkaline protease exhibited a significant activation response to H₂O₂ at concentrations of 1%, 5%, and 10% (v/v), retaining 412%, 342%, and 286% of its activity, respectively. The enzyme activity demonstrated notable increases of 224%, 226%, and 300% in the presence of 10 mM, 5 mM, and 1 mM PMSF, respectively. Alkaline protease activity was inhibited by 10 mM EDTA, AgNO3 and HgCl2 with 44, 60 and 67 % of control respectively, the enzyme's activity increased to approximately 572% in the presence of 10 mM mercaptoethanol. It also increased to 127%, 268%, 292%, and 703% compared to the control group with the addition of calcium chloride, choline chloride,
magnesium chloride, and manganese chloride (at 10 mM concentrations, respectively). Acetone at 50% concentration activated the enzyme by 177%. The optimal pH was found to be 8.0 and 10.0, and the enzyme's activity increased with temperature from 30°C to 70°C. The enzyme retained approximately 74% of its original activity at 60°C. At a protein concentration of 0.017 mg/mL, the enzyme's maximum activity was approximately about, 16.640 units/mL/min. The highest maximum velocity (Vmax) of the enzyme was achieved at 30.116 micrograms of tyrosine/ml/min, Km value of casein concentration was 5.448%. Conclusion: Based on the chemical classification scheme and the catalytic mechanism observed, the alkaline protease produced in this study was identified as belonging to the class of Thermophilic- Metallo-Alkaline Proteases.

Radioactivity and Geotechnical Studies of New Mansoura City, Egypt

Osama M. Draz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

New Mansoura is a part of eastern north of Nile Delta which located on the coast of Mediterranean Sea, 50 soil samples were taken from 50 boreholes 10 m deep. Interpreting the obtained results divided soil profile in two main types loose to medium dense, poorly graded, fine to medium-grained sand followed by high plasticity silt with sand. The main geotechnical hazards in New Mansoura is soil aggression from intrusion of sea water. Radioactively New Mansoura is safe, naturally occurring radionuclides 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in sediments were measured using Sodium Iodide Detector. The concentrations of 238U ranging from ULD to 37.05 with average 20.501 Bq Kg-1, 232Th ranging from 8.12 to 28.42 with average 18.216 Bq Kg,-1 226Ra ranging from 11.10 to 77.70 with average 36.853 Bq Kg,-1 while 40K ranging from 435.07 to 544.62 with average 469.85 Bq Kg,-1 The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 226Ra are within the acceptable limit as recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 1989) except the concentration of 40 K is higher than the acceptable limit.

Impact of Biofertilizers and Micronutrients in Combination with NPK on Yield and Quality of Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)

A.M. El-Bassiony, Z.F. Fawzy, S.M.M. El-Sawy, A. E. Hamza and, S.D. Abou-Hussein — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study was conducted at the experimental and production station of the National Research Centre in the El-Noubaria region of Beheira Governorate during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. The study examined the impact of biofertilizers and micronutrients on the yield and its attributes of bottle gourd plants. Three types of biofertilizers (nitrobin, microbin, and rizobactrin at a rate of 400g per feddan as soil dressing) and micronutrients (micromix) at two different rates (0.84 and 1.64 kg/fed. as foliar application with control) were used in the experiment. microbin, nitrobin, and rizobactrin are commonly used in Egypt as commercial bio-inoculants that aim to enhance soil fertility while reducing the environmental and financial costs associated with synthetic chemical fertilizers. The results indicated that using microbin biofertilizers significantly improved fruit length, fruit diameter, average fruit weight, and overall yield. The micromix application at a rate of 1.64 kg/fed. achieved the highest yield in both seasons. Additionally, the combined application of microbin and micromix at a rate of 1.64 kg/fed. resulted in the highest yield and fruit quality of bottle gourd. The application of biofertilizers and micronutrients enhanced the uptake of mineral fertilizers (N, P, K) and improved the quality of
bottle gourd fruits by increasing total soluble solid, vitamin C, total carotenoid content and antioxidants.

Optimizing Abdominal Wound Healing: Mass Versus Layered Closure in Myomectomy Patients

Sameh A. Abdelhamed, Heba M. Mohammed, Ahmed A.A. Badr, Kareem El- Nahhas — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Optimal abdominal wound closure remains a critical determinant of postoperative outcomes following gynecological surgery. Midline laparotomy closure techniques, particularly mass closure and layered closure, continue to be debated with respect to operative efficiency and postoperative complications. Aim of the Study was to: compare mass closure versus layered closure techniques for midline laparotomy wounds in women undergoing myomectomy, focusing on operative time and postoperative wound-related complications. Methods: This prospective comparative study included 100 women undergoing elective myomectomy via midline laparotomy. Participants were equally randomized into two groups: mass closure (n = 50) and layered closure (n = 50). Operative time for abdominal closure and postoperative complications—including wound infection, wound dehiscence, and suture sinus formation—were recorded and analyzed. Results: Mass closure significantly reduced the time required for abdominal closure compared with layered closure (p < 0.001). The incidence of wound dehiscence was significantly lower in the mass closure group (2%) than in the layered closure group (12%) (p = 0.049). Although wound infection rates were lower with mass closure (12% vs. 24%), this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11). The occurrence of suture sinus was low and comparable between groups. Conclusion: Mass closure of midline laparotomy wounds in myomectomy is a safe, efficient, and reliable technique associated with shorter operative time and reduced wound dehiscence compared with layered closure. These findings support the routine use of mass closure in gynecological abdominal surgery.

Honeybee Derivatives-Based Nano-Formulations as Effective Alternatives to Control Resistant Pathogenic Microorganisms via Echo-Friendly Approach

Maram I. Nayel, Ibrahim E. Mousa, Reham M. Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed A. Tayel — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Bee products, for instance chitosan and propolis (Pro) and bee venom (BV), possess unique features with huge importance in various fields such as antimicrobials and food biopreservation. The worldwide increasing incidence of resistant bacterial pathogens, pose a serious threat to the health of humans. In the present investigation bees' chitosan nanoparticles (BCht), Pro and Pro-mediated AgNPs and their combination with BV have been prepared in order to assess their efficacy as antimicrobial nanocompounds to combat resistant bacterial pathogens. BCht was prepared from the bees' (Apis mellifera) corpses with the mean particle diameter of 139.85 nm. Pro was utilized for AgNPs synthesis which contained the mean diameter 6.82 nm whereas Pro-BCht-BV nanoconjugate had the average diameter 182.36 nm. All the compound/composite showed excellent antibacterial activity against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium where the highest resistance was observed for S. Aureus. BCht/Pro/AgNPs was observed to be the most effective against all the studied strains. The synthesized nano-compounds/nanomaterials (BCht, Pro, Pro/AgNPs, Pro/BCht/AgNPs and BCht/BV/Pro/AgNPs) showed high performance against resistant bacterial pathogens that inhibit and kill the pathogens, where the cells were entirely killed after treatment with these compounds/composites for 10 hours as was revealed by qualitative/quantitative measurements and electron microscopy. Preparation of green nanocomposites using bees' products for the development of promising antimicrobial agents against resistant bacterial pathogens is strongly recommended.