American bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) is a notorious pest of different agronomical and horticultural crops. Different synthetic insecticides are recommended to control H. armigera but widespread and repeated use has led to pesticide resistance in this pest. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a novel strategy to manage the population of H. armigera. Nanotechnology is the most effective and eco-friendly approach to mitigate this problem. In the present study, the bioefficacy of green synthesized nanoparticles and two different silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles with different concentrations, viz. 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 ppm were used against the larvae. UV-vis spectrophotometer, SEM and EDX were used for nanoparticle characterization. Data were recorded daily. The result showed that in silver nanoparticles maximum larval mortality was 97%, while in zinc oxide nanoparticles, 82% was recorded against the 3rd, 4th and 5th instar of H. armigera. The effect of nanoparticles on demographic parameters was also evaluated, which increases the net reproductive rates, mean generation time and intrinsic rate in the control group compared to the treated population. After bioassay, larval and pupal duration was prolonged in the treated population compared to the control. The longevity of males, females and fecundity was also reduced. This technique will be a valuable tool in integrated pest management regimens.

This study assessed the antimicrobial, toxicity, and phytochemical profiles of Myristica fragrans extracts. Different solvent extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity against clinical and reference microbial strains, using disc and well diffusion assays and microdilution techniques. Antioxidant potential was investigated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. Cytotoxicity assay was conducted against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Acute toxicity was assessed in laboratory Swiss albino mice at a single dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight for 14 days. To assess the phytochemical constituents, spectrophotometric and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods were used. The chloroform extract revealed antimicrobial potencies against the Gram-positive bacteria and C. albicans with minimum inhibitory concentrations. In the DPPH assay, the IC₅₀ value of the chloroform extract was determined to be 1.49 mg/mL. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were 26.64 ± 0.1 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g and 8.28 ± 0.1 mg quercetin equivalents/g, respectively. The IC₅₀ value was determined to be 49 µg/mL against the HUVEC line. No mortality or morbidity was observed. GC-MS analysis indicated the presence of 2-cyclopenten-1-one (44.72%) as a major compound. The current results provide scientific support for the use of M. fragrans in folk medicine.

This study involved laboratory experiments using conventional PCR to detect the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase protein (RdRp) and Envelope (E) genes in Forty-Seven nasopharyngeal swab samples from COVID-19 patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gel electrophoresis results showed amplification of the RdRp gene in 85.1% of the samples and the E gene in 89.4%, confirming the widespread presence of these viral genes. The presence of bands in positive controls indicated the specificity of the primers whilst no bands were detected in the negative controls, indicating the absence of contamination. The study also included data collection from databases to explore the demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients. The male to female infection ratio was 363:63, significantly favoring males (P ≤ 0.05). Fever was present in 81.46% of patients (P ≤ 0.05). A significant portion (60.56%) had not contacted positive cases or traveled outside Saudi Arabia (P ≤ 0.05). The Saudi to non-Saudi ratio among patients was 24.65–75.35% (P ≤ 0.05). Age distribution showed 62.21% of patients were under 50 years old (P ≤ 0.05). ICU admission was required for 12.21% of patients (P ≤ 0.05). Co-morbidities were present in 27.46% of patients (P ≤ 0.05). The mortality rate was low, with a deceased to alive ratio of 1:141 (P ≤ 0.05). Gel electrophoresis revealed that 85.1% of samples showed amplification for the RdRp gene, and 89.4% for the E gene, confirming the widespread presence of these viral genes among the samples tested.

This investigation aimed to assess the influence of lactic acid (OLA) and formic acid (OFA) as dietary acidifiers with antioxidant potential in broiler feed on growth performance, carcass traits, blood parameters (ALT, AST, total protein, albumin, globulin, and lipids), and cecal microbial populations. A total of 300 one-day-old unsexed Ross 308 broiler chicks (42.5 ± 1.2 g) were randomly assigned to five treatments in a completely randomized design, with 5 replicate pens per treatment and 12 chicks per replicate pen. The treatments were as outlined: control - basal diet without addition; OLA1 and OLA2 - basal diet with 2 and 4 g/kg of lactic acid; OFA1 and OFA2 - basal diet with 2 and 4 g/kg of formic acid, respectively. Organic acid inclusion did not significantly alter growth performance parameters or carcass yields (P > 0.05). However, serum biochemical profiles improved significantly (P < 0.05); AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine decreased, whereas total protein, albumin, and the A/G ratio increased, exhibiting prominent linear responses (P < 0.05). Antioxidant status was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05), evidenced by elevated GPx and GST activities, higher GSH concentration (peaking in OLA2 at 81.8 nmol/L), and reduced MDA levels across all acid-supplemented groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, beneficial shifts in cecal microbial populations were observed, characterized by a significant reduction in total bacterial counts, total coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Clostridium spp., alongside an increase in Lactobacilli (P < 0.05). In conclusion, while dietary lactic and formic acid supplementation did not improve broiler growth performance or carcass yields, they significantly strengthened systemic metabolism, enzymatic antioxidant defense, and cecal microbial equilibrium.

Heat exposure can impair intestinal function, physiological homeostasis, and productive performance in broiler chickens. This study evaluated the effects of wild mint powder extract (WMPE) according to administration route and treatment level in Cobb broiler chickens reared under summer heat conditions. A total of 600 one-week-old Cobb broiler chickens were allocated to a 2 × 5 factorial arrangements comprising two administration routes (drinking water or feed) and five treatment levels (negative control, antibiotic control, and WMPE supplementation at 1, 2, or 4 mL/kg or L, according to the administration route). Significant administration route × treatment interactions were observed for cecal total bacterial and Clostridium counts, intestinal villous length, villous width, absorptive surface area, and growth performance (P<0.001). WMPE supplementation generally reduced cecal bacterial populations and improved intestinal morphometric characteristics, although the magnitude of these responses differed between administration routes and treatment levels. In particular, birds receiving 4 mL WMPE/L through drinking water exhibited the highest final body weight and daily body weight gain, whereas the corresponding dietary treatment produced a less pronounced growth response. Significant route × treatment interactions were also detected for serum lipid profile, antioxidant status, and immunoglobulin concentrations (P<0.0001). The dietary administration of 4 mL WMPE/kg produced the most pronounced responses in several antioxidant and lipid-related variables, whereas the highest serum IgG concentration was observed in birds receiving 1 mL WMPE/L through drinking water. Significant interactions were further detected for selected serum biochemical variables, carcass characteristics, and meat composition (P<0.05). Overall, the findings demonstrate that the biological responses to WMPE differed according to both administration route and treatment level, and that the most favorable response depended on the specific outcome evaluated. These findings emphasize the importance of administration route when assessing WMPE as a phytogenic supplement for broiler chickens exposed to summer heat conditions.