Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide problem characterized by hyperglycemia as well as the damage of the microscopic structure of the beta cells of Langerhans pancreatic islets. In the present study, the histological, immunohistochemical, morphometric, and biochemical alterations to pancreatic beta cells in streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetes were assessed in rats treated with curcumin (CU) (100 mg/kg/day) or nano-curcumin (nCU) (100 mg/kg/day) for 1 month. Twenty-four adult male Wistar albino rats were distributed into four groups: the nondiabetic control group, the diabetic untreated group, and two diabetic groups treated with CU or nCUR, respectively. Blood glucose, serum insulin levels, and lipid profile were measured. The pancreatic tissues were collected and processed into paraffin sections for histological and immunohistochemical examination, oxidative stress markers, and real-time PCR expression for pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1). The insulin expression in beta cells was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Morphometrically, the percentage area of anti-insulin antibody reaction and the percentage area of islet cells were determined. STZ-induced deteriorating alteration in beta cells led to declines in the number of functioning beta cells and insulin immunoreactivity. In STZ-treated rats, CU and nCUR significantly reduced blood glucose concentration while increasing blood insulin level. It also caused a significant increase in the number of immunoreactive beta cells to the insulin expression and significant reduction of the immunoreactive beta cells to the caspase-3 expression. In conclusion, CU and nCUR could have a therapeutic role in the biochemical and microscopic changes in pancreatic beta cells in diabetes-induced rats through STZ administration with more bio-efficacy of nCUR.

Serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 are being utilized at an exponential rate for surveillance programs. This enterprise was designed to develop and validate a qualitative immunochromatographic test, via the Lateral Flow Assay (LFA), for detection of immunoglobulins M and G (IgM and IgG) against both nucleocapsid (N) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Both targeted proteins were cloned and expressed in baculovirus expression system utilizing insect cells Sf9. The recombinant RBD and N proteins were purified and conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to set up the coating antigens pad. Both anti-human IgG and IgM were dispensed on nitrocellulose membrane to capture human antibodies in serum samples. A home-made dispensing system was developed to draw identical test and control lines. The validity of the developed LFA was verified by testing serum samples from 103 convalescent COVID-19 patients who were PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 along with 28 control serum samples. The developed strips showed distinctive bands for IgM and IgG of both proteins (RBD and N) in positive samples. The sensitivity of RBD-based LFA was 70.9% and 39.8% for IgG and IgM, respectively, with a specificity of 100% for both. The N-based LFA exhibited a sensitivity of 73.8% and 35.9% for IgG and IgM, respectively, while its specificity was 75% and 100% for IgG and IgM, respectively. Our developed LFA could afford a tool for surveillance programs in low-resource countries. Moreover, it might be functional for rapid and inexpensive monitoring of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the sera of vaccinated individuals.

Background: Obesity, characterized by an abnormal and excessive accumulation of fat, significantly affects health by increasing the probability of chronic diseases and has become a pressing global health issue. Among natural compounds with therapeutic potential, rutin exhibits diverse biological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypolipidemic properties. Objective: The purpose of this work is to evaluate the preventive effects of rutin loaded on chitosan nanoparticles on metabolic and oxidative alterations in male albino rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Method: The rats were allocated to four distinct groups: control, HFD, HFD treated with 50 mg/kg rutin, and HFD treated with 50 mg/kg nano-rutin, respectively, for six weeks. Results: Molecular docking analysis revealed that rutin exhibits an inhibitory interaction with PPAR-γ, suggesting its potential role in suppressing adipogenesis and contributing to its preventive effect against obesity. Nano-rutin markedly improved glycemic control, reducing fasting glucose from 161.75 ± 8.37 mg/dL in the HFD group to 133.50 ± 3.55 mg/dL, compared to 92.17 ± 3.53 mg/dL in controls. Serum leptin levels decreased from 28.95 ± 1.06 ng/mL in the HFD group to 15.58 ± 0.65 ng/mL with nano-rutin, approaching the control value of 10.43 ± 0.80 ng/mL. Oxidative stress was also significantly alleviated, as shown by a reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) from 8.43 ± 0.20 U/µL in HFD rats to 6.57 ± 0.08 U/µL with nano-rutin, versus 1.29 ± 0.13 U/µL in controls. Conclusions: Rutin loaded on chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated protective effects against high-fat diet-induced obesity, mainly through modulation of leptin signaling and oxidative stress pathways. These findings highlight the promise of nano-rutin as a natural agent for preventing metabolic disorders related to obesity.

Obesity represents a major global public health challenge, currently affecting over 890 million adults worldwide and substantially increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome. Although several pharmacological agents are available for obesity management, their clinical use is often limited by adverse effects, high costs, and suboptimal long‐term efficacy. These limitations have driven growing interest in natural products as complementary or alternative therapeutic options. Bioactive compounds derived from medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and carotenoids, have shown promising anti‐obesity effects through multi‐targeted mechanisms. This narrative review summarizes current in vitro, preclinical, and clinical evidence on the role of natural products in obesity management, with particular emphasis on their ability to modulate lipid metabolism, inhibit adipogenesis, enhance energy expenditure, regulate appetite‐related pathways, influence gut microbiota, and attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation. Compounds including epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate, curcumin, resveratrol, capsaicin, and berberine have demonstrated notable efficacy in experimental models, with increasing clinical data supporting their therapeutic potential. Nonetheless, challenges related to standardization, bioavailability, quality control, and regulatory approval remain major barriers to clinical translation. Addressing these issues is essential for the rational integration of natural products into evidence‐based obesity management strategies.

One of the most dangerous environmental contaminants is carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) that induces oxidative stress damage in various pathophysiological situations. It's critical to find a potent antioxidant that can reverse CCl4-induced kidney damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of cinnamon ethanolic extract (CE) to modulate the kidney damage induced by CCl4. The CCl4 was given intraperitoneally twice a week for four weeks as a positive kidney toxic agent at a dose of 0.5 mL/kg. Compared to normal group, CCl4 increased significantly MDA level and decreased significantly both SOD and GSH levels whereas, CE significantly decreased MDA level and increased both SOD as well as GSH levels relative to CCl4 group. CCl4 also led to increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), beta-2 microglobulin (β2-MG) and kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1) which indicated the nephrotoxicity induced by CCl4. Based on its strong antioxidant activity and its phenolic and terpenoid contents, CE significantly decreased oxidative damage and pro-inflammatory markers compared to CCl4 treated group.

Background: Peptide-based therapy has emerged as a promising avenue for treating various disorders, and recent research has highlighted the potential of anti-cancer peptides (ACPs) in cancer treatment. In this context, this study aimed to design a novel peptide incorporating a tumor-homing peptide (RGD) and C-amidation to enhance its anticancer activity, particularly against liver (HepG2) and colon (HCT-116) cancer cell lines. Objectives: The primary objective was to design a peptide with improved anticancer properties by leveraging the tumor-homing capabilities of RGD and enhancing its activity through C-amidation. The study sought to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the designed peptide against red blood cells (RBCs) and normal Vero cells. Furthermore, the anticancer efficacy of the peptide was assessed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and colon cancer (HCT-116) cell lines. The specific objectives included examining the apoptotic induction and morphological changes in treated cells compared to untreated cells. Methods: The peptide was designed using the ACPred-FL bioinformatics tool, and its cytotoxicity was assessed through hemolysis assays against RBCs and normal Vero cells. Anticancer activity was evaluated against HepG2 and HCT-116 cell lines. The analysis of apoptotic induction involved measuring the relative gene expression of oncogenic marker BCL2 and apoptotic markers (BAX, BID, CAS-8). Additionally, Cytopathological examination and Western Blot analysis were employed to study morphological changes and confirm the quantification of relevant markers. Results: The designed peptide, consisting of twelve amino acids with a molecular mass of 1230.6233 Da and an isoelectric point of 9.81, exhibited low erythrocyte lysis and minimal toxicity to normal cells. The IC50 values demonstrated significant anticancer activity against both HepG2 (36.49±2.6 μg/mL) and HCT-116 (11.03±2.5 μg/mL) cell lines. Treated cells exhibited a significant decrease in the oncogenic marker BCL2 and an upregulation of apoptotic markers (BAX, BID, CAS-8). Western Blot analysis confirmed these results in addition to cytopathological examination that scattered apoptotic and degenerative changes. Conclusion: The designed peptide is considered a patent product that displayed remarkable anticancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma and colon cancer cell lines, effectively modulating apoptotic and oncogenic markers. These findings highlight the potential of the peptide as a therapeutic agent for cancer treatment, emphasizing its clinical significance in combating liver and colon cancers. Nonetheless, further research and development are warranted to explore the translational potential of this peptide in clinical studies.