Citrullus colocynthis (Cucurbitaceae) is an important medicinal plant traditionally used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a recent study, it has been reported that different individuals of the same population of C. colocynthis, growing in the hot arid desert of the UAE, exhibited variations in their fruit size, color, and stripe pattern. In addition, these plants differed genetically, and their seeds showed variation in size, color, and germination behavior (hereinafter, these individuals are referred to as accessions). In the present study, the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of different fruit parts (rinds, pulps, and seeds) of three different accessions with significant genetic variations, from a single C. colocynthis population, were assessed in response to different seasonal environments. Green fruits were collected in summer and winter from three accessions growing in the botanic garden of the University of Sharjah, UAE. Methanolic extracts from different fruit parts were prepared. The TPC was qualitatively determined by a Folin–Ciocalteu assay, while the antioxidant capacity was analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging ability. The metabolic profiling of the antioxidant metabolites was determined using a gas chromatograph coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS), associated with a literature search. The results showed that the TPC and the DPPH free radical scavenging activity varied between seasons, accessions, and fruit parts. The highest phenolics were in rinds, but the highest antioxidant activities were in seeds during the summer, reflecting the role of these compounds in protecting the developed seeds from harsh environmental conditions. The metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of 28 metabolites with significant antioxidant activities relevant to fruit parts and season. Collectively, the formation of phenolics and antioxidant activity in different fruit parts is environmentally and genetically dependent.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant global contributor to mortality, predominantly affecting males aged 65 and above. The field of omics has recently gained traction due to its capacity to provide profound insights into the biochemical mechanisms underlying conditions like prostate cancer. This involves the identification and quantification of low-molecular-weight metabolites and proteins acting as crucial biochemical signals for early detection, therapy assessment, and target identification. A spectrum of analytical methods is employed to discern and measure these molecules, revealing their altered biological pathways within diseased contexts. Metabolomics and proteomics generate refined data subjected to detailed statistical analysis through sophisticated software, yielding substantive insights. This review aims to underscore the major contributions of multi-omics to PCa research, covering its core principles, its role in tumor biology characterization, biomarker discovery, prognostic studies, various analytical technologies such as mass spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, data processing, and recent clinical applications made possible by an integrative “omics” approach. This approach seeks to address the challenges associated with current PCa treatments. Hence, our research endeavors to demonstrate the valuable applications of these potent tools in investigations, offering significant potential for understanding the complex biochemical environment of prostate cancer and advancing tailored therapeutic approaches for further development.

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1–6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against Bcl-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC₅₀ concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential BCL-2 inhibition activity with IC₅₀ values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared with 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as a positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favourable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC₅₀ values compared with MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action.

: Protein denaturation in frozen minced fillets (Ehrenberg’s Snapper), stored at −25°C was studied; 50.0 mg biomass/50g mince fillets treated with cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger and 25.0 mg of vitamin C were used to slow protein denaturation. FT-IR stretching vibration of Amide-A (νNH) at 3300 cm⁻¹; Amide-I stretching (νC=O) between 1600−1690 cm⁻¹ and Amide-II stretching (νCN) and bending (δNH) between 1480 and 1575cm⁻¹ were used as marker peaks. Garlic was the most significant (P ≤0.01) in controlling the rate of protein denaturation when νNH was used as a marker peak. DSC analysis showed that turmeric presented the highest effect on delaying the denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins with a ∆H0=73.7J/g followed by garlic-treated mince fillets ∆H0=70.1J/g. All spices used were efficient in stopping the denaturation of myosin with the highest ∆H0=769.3 J/g registered for cinnamon-treated mince fillets. Actin was less vulnerable to denaturation in comparison to myosin and sarcoplasmic proteins.

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1-6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against BCL-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC50 concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential Bcl-2 inhibition activity with IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared to 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favorable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC50 compared to MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action.

Microfluidic technology, also known as lab-on-a-chip, enables the fabrication of low-cost, user-friendly, and portable detection devices. Microfluidic chips can be utilized for detecting biological and chemical analytes in various liquid samples, including water or biofluids such as urine, blood, and sweat. The specific and quantitative detection of ions has garnered increased attention in recent years due to their potential harm to environmental and human health. Inorganic ions are special chemicals that hold positive or negative charges with relatively small molecular weights. Among the various types of microfluidic platforms, paper-based systems are favored as simple analytical tools that rely on the generation of hydrophilic–hydrophobic contrast on filter paper. In this study, a paper-based microfluidic device was developed as an analytical tool for quantifying several ions, such as iron (Fe³⁺). The reaction spot was created by simply melting a wax crayon to form hydrophobic barriers that define hydrophilic zones. After spotting Fe³⁺ samples and potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) as a detection reagent on the reaction zone, an immediate and obvious color change was observed with different ion concentrations ranging between 50 and 500 ppm. While the naked-eye detection of color change was easy at high concentrations, quantifying ion concentrations in samples required the use of a smartphone camera. The captured images were then analyzed using ImageJ software (Java 1.8.0-internal (32-bit)). The developed paper-based microfluidic device exhibited good performance in quantifying Fe³⁺ ions in samples. Indeed, this simple platform is easy to store and transport, and allows the transportation of aqueous solutions without the need for external pumping or a power supply.