Rice ranks second among cereals in dietary uses around the world. Rice is deficient in iron (Fe), and these are important micronutrients for infants, men, and women. Fortification of rice with iron would help to minimize nutrient deficiency disorders among humans. The current study aims to introduce nutrient-rich rice. The effects of iron on germination, growth, photosynthetic pigment, antioxidant activity, and reduction of oxidative stress were investigated in four Oryza sativa L. cultivars. O. sativa of four different cultivars (Basmati-515, PK-386, KSK-133, and Basmati-198) were grown under five treatments (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mM) of iron sulphate (FeSO₄) in soil of pH 7.5, along with control, by using six replicates. The result revealed that Fe treatment significantly affected seed germination percentage, plant growth parameters, biomass, photosynthetic pigments (chl a, chl b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids), antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic activity, and reduced oxidative stress. The findings also showed that Fe application reduced the oxidative stress including malondialdehyde content and hydrogen peroxide, by increasing the antioxidant enzymatic activity, i.e., catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), and non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds (proline, amino acid, total soluble protein, phenolics, flavonoids, reducing-non-reducing sugar, and carbohydrates) in all cultivars of O. sativa. Furthermore, FeSO₄ induced a significant increase in proline, free amino acid, and total carbohydrates in the leaves of all O. sativa cultivars, but Basmati-198 showed the significantly highest content by 169, 88, and 110%, respectively, at concentration of 500 mM. The present research work showed that soil application of FeSO₄ improved the seed germination, plant growth, and antioxidants enzymatic and non-enzymatic activity, denatured the ROS (reactive oxygen species) in alkaline soil. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms, long-term field investigations should be carried out at the molecular level to examine patterns of iron uptake and plant growth.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder with a notable increase in global incidence in recent years. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes are at an elevated risk of morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. For several years, the potential of phytochemicals as anti-inflammatory agents to improve the healing of diabetic wounds has been under investigation. Rutin, a flavonoid, is a particularly promising candidate for use in wound healing. Our study aims to investigate the potential impact of a topical application of rutin nanoformulation on wound healing in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemic rats controlled with metformin, with a focus on its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Rats are randomized into 3 groups. GI: diabetic control group; wound untreated. GII: diabetes and rutin-NP-treated wound. GIII: diabetic + β-sitosterol-treated wound. The findings suggest that topical application of rutin-NPs has the potential to enhance the wound-healing process by attenuating oxidative stress, as evidenced by restoring GSH, CAT, and SOD antioxidants, and decreasing MDA production mediated by Nrf2 activation. Also, inflammation is suppressed, as indicated by the decreased CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Molecular docking data confirm the biological data of rutin, where rutin is docked into the catalytic site of the X-ray crystallographic structures of CRP, Keap-1, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α via grid-based ligand docking. The binding affinity and binding energy of ligand-protein interactions demonstrate the affinity and binding to the specifically selected proteins.

Background: Data on dietary magnesium intake on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among children and adolescents is limited. Aim: We examined whether dietary magnesium intake was related to body mass index (BMI) percentile, and glycemic indices at baseline and at end of the HEALTHY Study for both intervention and control schools. The HEALTHY Study was a multi-component, school-based intervention, to prevent T2DM in children and adolescents from 6th to 8th grades. Methods: A secondary data analyses of 2181 ethnically diverse students with completed dietary records, BMI percentile, and plasma insulin and glucose concentrations at baseline (6th grade) and end of study (8th grade) were included from the HEALTHY Study. Dietary magnesium intake was self-reported using the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. A hierarchical multiple regression model was used to determine the relationships between dietary magnesium intake, BMI percentile, and glycemic indices at baseline and end of the HEALTHY Study, adjusting for magnesium intake from supplements, total energy intake, and fitness level. Results: Dietary magnesium intake was related to BMI percentile at baseline and at end of the HEATHY Study (β = −0.05, 95% CI = −0.02 to 0, p = 0.04; β = −0.06, 95% CI = −0.02 to −0.003, p = 0.004); R ² [regression coefficient effect size] = 0.03; R ² = 0.06). Dietary magnesium intake was not related to plasma insulin and glucose concentrations at baseline and end of the HEALTHY Study. Conclusion: Dietary magnesium intake was inversely related to BMI percentile among middle school students from the HEALTHY Study. Research is required to evaluate the dose-response relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption (good sources of magnesium) and risk of T2DM in children and adolescents. This relationship also needs to be explored among different BMI categories.

The potential therapeutic role of magnesium (Mg) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains insufficiently studied despite its known involvement in critical processes like lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This study examines the impact of Mg-focused nutritional education on lipid profile parameters, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in T2DM patients. Thirty participants with T2DM were recruited for this within-subject experimental study. Participants underwent a three-month dietary intervention focused on increasing the intake of Mg-rich foods through nutritional education. Anthropometric measurements and lipids were assessed at baseline and after the intervention period, with the primary outcome variables including changes in lipid parameters. The findings showed a significant inverse association between dietary Mg intake and total cholesterol levels (r = − 0.36, p = 0.05). However, other parameters, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C, were not found to be associated with Mg intake. The study demonstrated an inverse association between Mg intake and cholesterol level. Providing nutritional education and guidance on incorporating Mg-rich foods into the diet may be a crucial strategy for improving the health and well-being of T2DM patients in Saudi Arabia. The feasibility and practicality of focused nutritional education as an intervention make it a low-cost, scalable, and sustainable approach that can be readily implemented in clinical and community settings. Further studies are needed to explore the long-term impact of dietary Mg interventions on a larger sample with longer education periods.

A major risk for developing diabetes is prediabetes (Pre-DM). Assessing knowledge, attitude, and dietary practice (KAP) regarding Pre-DM plays a crucial role in decreasing complications. Limited previous studies on KAP among prediabetic patients exist. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Pre-DM using the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c%) indicator as well as the degree of awareness among Saudi participants in Jeddah about Pre-DM KAP across their body mass index (BMI) categories. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 large public malls, targeting 310 Saudi adults aged 30 to 55 who had no prior diagnosis of diabetes or any chronic disease. A valid questionnaire was used to assess prediabetic KAP. Data were collected through anthropometric measurements, including BMI, fat%, trunk%, and waist to hip ratio. Random blood glucose and HbA1c% were also measured to diagnose Pre-DM. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). In the final analysis, 290 participants were included. Pre-DM was found in 23.1% of participants, diabetes in 3.4%, and 73.4% were normal. Obesity was observed to be strongly associated with Pre-DM compared to a normal BMI (P = .04). Out of the participants, 44.8% had poor knowledge of Pre-DM, and 44.2% of them were overweight. Additionally, 49.8% of the total sample had a neutral attitude, with 55.7% being obese. 53.4% of the total sample reported good practice, with 33% of them being obese. Furthermore, it was found that BMI was significantly associated with knowledge (P = .025) but not with attitude or practice (P > .005). KAP results demonstrated average knowledge with a trend towards poor level, neutral attitudes, and good practice in Pre-DM among the studied Saudis sample. Interestingly, BMI was only correlated to knowledge, but not with practice or attitude, suggesting that raising public awareness is essential to improving Pre-DM prevention. Longitudinal studies with a larger sample size are warranted to better establish causality between knowledge, attitude, and dietary practices.

Diabetic nephropathy is a significant medical condition that arises from elevated blood sugar levels associated with both type I and type II diabetes. Recent research has indicated that ellagic acid (EA), either alone or in combination with other medications, can provide anti-diabetic benefits. This study aimed to explore the effects of EA and EA nanoformulations (EN) on nephropathy induced by type II diabetes in rats, while also investigating the underlying mechanisms at play. To induce type II diabetes, rats were fed a high-fat diet for four weeks, followed by a single intraperitoneal dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg), and continued on the high-fat diet for an additional four weeks. Diabetic rats were then treated with Metformin (M), EA, EN, EA + M, or EN + M for four weeks. The findings revealed that treatment with EN and the combination of M led to significant reductions in serum urea and creatinine levels, indicating an improvement in renal function. Additionally, EN and/or M effectively mitigated lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in the affected kidneys, reduced fasting serum glucose, and lowered C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Moreover, EN and/or M demonstrated the ability to prevent diabetes-induced histological alterations in the kidney glomeruli and tubules, as well as reduce collagen mesangial matrix formation. The presence of caspase 3, an apoptotic mediator, was significantly reduced in the kidneys of diabetic rats treated with EN and/or M. In conclusion, EN and/or M have the potential to prevent nephropathy induced by type II diabetes by enhancing glycemic control, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and scavenging free radicals, all of which contribute to apoptotic changes in kidney tissue.