Nanotechnology is one of the most dynamic research areas and the fastest-growing market. Developing eco-friendly products using available resources to acquire maximum production, better yield, and stability is a great challenge for nanotechnology. In this study, copper nanoparticles (CuNP) were synthesized via the green method using root extract of the medical plant Rhatany (Krameria sp.) as a reducing and capping agent and used to investigate the influence of microorganisms. The maximum production of CuNP was noted at 70 °C after 3 h of reaction time. The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed through UV-spectrophotometer, and the product showed an absorbance peak in the 422–430 nm range. The functional groups were observed using the FTIR technique, such as isocyanic acid attached to stabilize the nanoparticles. The spherical nature and average crystal sizes of the particle (6.16 nm) were determined using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis. In tests with a few drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungus species, CuNP showed encouraging antimicrobial efficacy. CuNP had a significant antioxidant capacity of 83.81% at 200 g/m⁻¹. Green synthesized CuNP are cost-effective and nontoxic and can be applied in agriculture, biomedical, and other fields.

The rapid spread of late wilt disease among maize cultivations has resulted in serious economic losses in many countries. Harpophora maydis is the main cause of this destructive vascular disease. Here we evaluate the fungicidal activity of chitosan and nano-chitosan against six aggressive isolates of H. maydis collected from different Egyptian governorates. Pathogenicity tests for these isolates show that the highest disease severity was found for the Giza isolate. The isolates were tested for their response to the fungicide Permis, chitosan, and nano-chitosan treatments in vitro and in vivo. Nano-chitosan treatments fully inhibited the radial growth of H. maydis isolates at concentrations of 5 and 10 mM, compared to the full control growth (9 cm in diameter). On the other hand, in vitro, in vivo, and molecular diagnosis results showed high antifungal activity of chitosan and nano-chitosan compared to the Permis fungicide. Chitosan at the nano and normal scales proved a potent ability to enhance plant resistance in response to H. maydis. Disease severity (DS%) was extremely decreased among the tested cultivars by using nano-chitosan; the highest percentage was obtained on Giza 178 cv, where the DS% was 21.7% compared to 42.3% for the control. Meanwhile, the lowest percentage was obtained on Giza 180 cv with DS% 31.2 and the control with 41.3%. The plants treated with nano-chitosan showed the highest growth parameters for all cultivars. Such natural treatments could reduce the impact on the environment as they are non-pollutant natural compounds, protect the plants by reducing fungal activity, and induce plant resistance.

The immune response implicated in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis remains to be fully understood. The present study aimed to clarify the alterations in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ memory T cells’ compartments in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, with an emphasis on various comorbidities affecting COVID-19 patients. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 35 COVID-19 patients, 16 recovered individuals, and 25 healthy controls, and analyzed using flow cytometry. Significant alterations were detected in the percentage of CD8⁺ T cells and effector memory-expressing CD45RA CD8⁺ T cells (TEMRA) in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, altered percentages of CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, T effector (TEff), T naïve cells (TNs), T central memory (TCM), T effector memory (TEM), T stem cell memory (TSCM), and TEMRA T cells were significantly associated with the disease severity. Male patients had more CD8⁺ TSCMs and CD4⁺ TNs cells, while female patients had a significantly higher percentage of effector CD8⁺CD45RA⁺ T cells. Moreover, altered percentages of CD8⁺ TNs and memory CD8⁺CD45RO⁺ T cells were detected in diabetic and non-diabetic COVID-19 patients, respectively. In summary, this study identified alterations in memory T cells among COVID-19 patients, revealing a sex bias in the percentage of memory T cells. Moreover, COVID-19 severity and comorbidities have been linked to specific subsets of T memory cells which could be used as therapeutic, diagnostic, and protective targets for severe COVID-19.

Human milk comprises a diverse array of microbial communities with health-promoting effects, including colonization and development of the infant’s gut. In this study, we characterized the bacterial communities in the Egyptian mother–infant pairs during the first year of life under normal breastfeeding conditions. Out of one hundred isolates, forty-one were chosen for their potential probiotic properties. The selected isolates were profiled in terms of morphological and biochemical properties. The taxonomic evidence of these isolates was investigated based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic trees between the isolates’ sequence and the nearest sequences in the database. The taxonomic and biochemical evidence displayed that the isolates were encompassed in three genera: Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Lactococcus. The Lactobacillus was the most common genus in human milk and feces samples with a high incidence of its different species (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lacticaseibacillus casei). Interestingly, BlastN and Jalview alignment results evidenced a low identity ratio of six isolates (less than 95%) with database sequences. This divergence was supported by the unique physiological, biochemical, and probiotic features of these isolates. The isolate L. delbrueckii, ASO 100 exhibited the lowest identity ratio with brilliant probiotic and antibacterial features suggesting the high probability of being a new species. Nine isolates were chosen and subjected to probiotic tests and ultrastructural analysis; these isolates exhibited antibiotic resistance and antibacterial activity with high probiotic characteristics, and high potentiality to be used as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in controlling intestinal pathogens.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for serious threats to human health, causing various syndromes worldwide. Here, our purpose was to estimate the prevalence of nosocomial MRSA among isolates from King Khalid Hospital (KKH) and Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH) at Hafar Al-Batin Governorate, Saudi Arabia, and to determine the resistance of these isolates to common antibiotics used for treatment. One-hundred clinical specimens were collected from admitted patients during a six month period, and subjected to MRSA screening using traditional microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was also performed and confirmed by the VITEK2 automated system. Among the 37 S. aureus strains isolated from KKH, 23 (62.16%) were identified as MRSA. In MCH, 38 (60.31%) out 63 isolated strains were identified as MRSA. According to AST, few MRSA strains were resistant to teicoplanin, fosfomycin, linezolid, and mupirocin in both hospitals. Vancomycin resistance was not detected in any of the MRSA strains. Twelve MRSA strains from KKH and 17 strains from MCH were considered multidrug resistant (MDR). In conclusion, prevention is critical to reduce the high prevalence of MRSA.