Pyridine, 1,3,4-thiadiazole, and 1,3-thiazole derivatives have various biological activities, such as antimicrobial, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and antitubercular, as well as other anticipated biological properties, including anticancer activity. The starting 1-(3-cyano-4,6-dimethyl-2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl)-3-phenylthiourea (2) was prepared and reacted with various hydrazonoyl halides 3a–h, α-haloketones 5a–d, 3-chloropentane-2,4-dione 7a and ethyl 2-chloro-3-oxobutanoate 7b, which afforded the 3-aryl-5-substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazoles 4a–h, 3-phenyl-4-arylthiazoles 6a–d and the 4-methyl-3- phenyl-5-substituted thiazoles 8a,b, respectively. The structures of the synthesized products were confirmed by spectral data. All of the compounds also showed remarkable anticancer activity against the cell line of human colon carcinoma (HTC-116) as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) compared with the Harmine as a reference under in vitro condition. 1,3,4-Thiadiazole 4h was found to be most promising and an excellent performer against both cancer cell lines (IC₅₀ = 2.03 ± 0.72 and 2.17 ± 0.83 µM, respectively), better than the reference drug (IC₅₀ = 2.40 ± 0.12 and 2.54 ± 0.82 µM, respectively). In order to check the binding modes of the above thiadiazole derivatives, molecular docking studies were performed that established a binding site with EGFR TK.

The resistance of cancer and Helicobacter pylori to several drugs reflects a worldwide problem, and it has been the intention of numerous researchers to overcome this problem. Thus, in this study, Acacia nilotica fruits were subjected to HPLC analysis to detect their phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Moreover, A. nilotica‘s anti-H. pylori activity and its inhibitory activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2 cells) were reported. Various compounds with different concentrations, such as ferulic acid (5451.04 µg/mL), chlorogenic acid (4572.26 µg/mL), quercetin (3733.37 µg/mL), rutin (2393.13 µg/mL), gallic acid (2116.77 µg/mL), cinnamic acid (69.72 µg/mL), hesperetin (121.39 µg/mL) and methyl gallate (140.45 µg/mL), were detected. Strong anti-H. pylori activity at 31 mm was reported, compared to the positive control of the 21.67 mm inhibition zone. Moreover, the MIC and MBC were 7.8 µg/mL and 15.62 µg/mL, respectively, while the MIC and MBC of the positive control were 31.25 µg/mL. The concentration of MBC at 25%, 50% and 75% reflected H. pylori’s anti-biofilm activity of 70.38%, 82.29% and 94.22%, respectively. Good antioxidant properties of the A. nilotica flower extract were documented at 15.63, 62.50, 250 and 1000 µg/mL, causing the DPPH scavenging percentages of 42.3%, 52.6%, 65.5% and 80.6%, respectively, with a IC₅₀ of 36.74 µg/mL. HepG-2 cell proliferation was inhibited (91.26%) using 500 µg/mL of flower extract with an IC₅₀ of 176.15 µg/mL, compared to an IC₅₀ of 395.30 µg/mL used against human normal melanocytes. Molecular docking was applied to investigate ferulic acid with the H. pylori (4HI0) crystal structure to determine the best binding mode that interacted most energetically with the binding sites. Molecular docking indicated that ferulic acid was a proper inhibitor for the 4HI0 protein enzyme of H. pylori. A low energy score (−5.58 Kcal/mol) was recorded as a result of the interaction of ferulic acid with the residue’s SER 139 active site caused by the O 29 atom, which was important for its antibacterial activity.

Objective: Social distancing measures, such as stay-at-home, are currently implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the awareness and adherence of the Saudi population to these measures. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was designed with 16 questions (eight questions related to demographics, three related to the awareness of social distancing (stay-at-home) and five related to the overall practice of social distancing). Results: A total of 5105 participants completed the survey [58.4% females, 66.3% young individuals (aged 18– 37 years), 55.8% bachelor degree holders and 51.0% from the western region]. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) was the main source of information about COVID-19 for most of the participants (78.2%). High awareness (81.3%) regarding stay-at-home was observed, associated mainly with female participants, those from the middle region and those with a high education and income. The overall implementation of social distancing was satisfactory (score 3.13/5), with 37.8% never leaving home during the stay-at-home period. Better adherence to social distancing was observed among female participants, higher degree holders and those aged over 38 years. Conclusion: Organised plans by the Saudi MOH have been effective in raising awareness and improving the practice of social distancing among public. However, the observed lower practice of social distancing by individuals with a lower education and income indicates the need for targeted interventions to achieve better outcomes.

Clinical multi‐drug‐resistant bacteria continue to be a serious health problem. Plant‐derived molecules are an important source of bioactive compounds to counteract these pathogenic bacteria. In this paper, we studied the chemical composition of the methanol (80%) extract from Pithecellobium dulce seed (Hail, Saudi Arabia) and its ability to inhibit the growth of clinically relevant multi‐drug‐resistant bacteria. Molecular docking analysis was performed to predict the best compounds with low binding energy and high affinity to interact with two Staphylococcus aureus receptors. Data showed that P. dulce extract is a rich source of D‐turanose (55.82%), hexadecanoic acid (11.56%), indole‐1‐acetic acid (11.42%), inositol (5.78%), and octadecanoic acid (4.36%). The obtained extract showed antibacterial activity towards tested clinical bacterial strains with MIC values ranging from 233 mg/mL for Acinetobacter baumannii to 300 mg/mL for S. aureus and Escherichia coli. Turanose interaction has resulted in ‐7.4 and ‐6.6 kcal/mol for 1JIJ and 2XCT macromolecules, while inositol showed energy values (−7.2 and −5.4 kcal/mol) for the same receptors. Multiple identified compounds showed desirable bioavailability properties indicating its great potential therapeutic use in human. Overall, current investigation highlights the possible use of P. dulce extract as a valuable source for drug development against pathogenic drug‐resistant bacteria.

A range of natural products have been extensively studied for their chemopreventive potential for cancer, including those that inhibit growth and induce apoptosis. Sidr honey derived from the Ziziphus or Lote tree (Ziziphus spina-christi, Ziziphus lotus, or Ziziphus jujuba) is used in a wide range of traditional medicine practices. In the current study, the Saudi Sidr honey was analyzed by means of a GC–MS chromatogram and investigated for its antiproliferative effects on colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and lung cancer cells (A-549), as well as its apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest potentials against human colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116). The effects of Saudi Sidr honey on cells were determined using the MTT assay and the clonogenic assay. The induction of apoptosis was studied using Annexin V-FITC flow cytometry analysis. The propidium iodide staining method was used to detect cell cycle arrest via flow cytometry. By means of performing GS–MS and HR-LCMS analysis, 23 different chemical components were identified from Saudi Sidr honey. A dose–response analysis showed that Saudi Sidr honey was more effective against HCT-116 (IC₅₀ = 61.89 ± 1.89 µg/mL) than against MCF-7 (IC₅₀ = 78.79 ± 1.37 µg/mL) and A-549 (IC₅₀ = 94.99 ± 1.44 µg/mL). The antiproliferation activity of Saudi Sidr honey has been found to be linked to the aggregation of cells during the G1 phase, an increase in early and late apoptosis, and necrotic cell death in HCT-116 cells. Considering these promising findings that highlight the potential use of Saudi Sidr honey as an antitumor agent, further research should be carried out with the aim of isolating, characterizing, and evaluating the bioactive compounds involved in Sidr honey’s antiproliferative activity to better understand the mechanism of their action.

The green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is attracting enormous attention as a new area of study that encompasses the development and discovery of new agents for their utilization in different fields, such as pharmaceuticals and food. Nowadays, the use of plants, particularly medicinal plants, for the creation of NPs has emerged as a safe, ecofriendly, rapid, and simple approach. Therefore, the present study aimed to use the Saudi mint plant as a medicinal plant for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of AgNPs compared to mint extract (ME). A phenolic and flavonoid analysis that was conducted by using HPLC indicated the presence of numerous compounds in the ME. Through an HPLC analysis, chlorogenic acid at a concentration of 7144.66 µg/mL was the main detected component in the ME, while catechin, gallic acid, naringenin, ellagic acid, rutin, daidzein, cinnamic acid, and hesperetin were identified in varying concentrations. AgNPs were synthesized by using ME and were confirmed via UV–visible spectroscopy at 412 nm of the maximum absorption. The mean diameter of the synthesized AgNPs was measured by TEM to be 17.77 nm. Spectra obtained by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that silver was the main element formation in the created AgNPs. The presence of various functional groups, analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), indicated that the mint extract was responsible for reducing Ag⁺ to Ag⁰. The spherical structure of the synthesized AgNPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the ME showed reduced antimicrobial activity (a zone of inhibition of 30, 24, 27, 29, and 22 mm) compared with the synthesized AgNPs (a zone of inhibition of 33, 25, 30, 32, 32, and 27 mm) against B. subtilis, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. vulgaris, and C. albicans, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the AgNPs was lower than that of the ME for all of the tested micro-organisms, except for P. vulgaris. The MBC/MIC index suggested that the AgNPs revealed a higher bactericidal effect compared to the ME. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited antioxidant activity with a reduced IC₅₀ (IC₅₀ of 8.73 µg/mL) compared to that of the ME (IC₅₀ of 13.42 µg/mL). These findings demonstrate that ME could be applied as a mediator for AgNPs synthesis and natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents.