Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli is a major foodborne pathogen posing a critical threat to public health, particularly through the contamination of animal products. The increasing prevalence and virulence of MDR E. coli strains underscore the urgent need for alternative antimicrobial strategies. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Stevia rebaudiana as a sustainable capping and reducing agent, aligning with green chemistry principles. Of the 120 fish samples, 74.2% (89/120) were positive for E. coli contamination. Among the identified E. coli strains, 77.8% (119/153) were classified as MDR. Resistance profiling revealed 22 distinct patterns, and seven highly resistant and virulent strains were selected for further analyses. The eco-friendly auto-combustion synthesis of ZnO-NPs produced nanoparticles with semi-spherical to hexagonal shapes and an average size ranging from 12 to 25 nm. Scanning Electron Microscope–Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS) confirms that ZnO-NPs primarily consist of zinc (37.5%) and oxygen (19.9%), with carbon (42.6%) indicating the green synthesis process. ZnO-NPs demonstrated potent, dose-dependent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against the selected MDR E. coli strains. Additionally, mechanistic studies revealed that ZnO-NPs disrupt bacterial cell membranes, alter cellular morphology, and interfere with DNA integrity. These findings highlight the potential of eco-friendly ZnO-NPs as a promising nanomaterial for enhancing food safety and addressing the growing challenge of MDR foodborne bacteria.

Background and Objectives: Preventive, adjunctive and curative properties of lactoferrin have been evaluated since the first wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), a viral respiratory disease, emerged 18 years ago. Despite the discovery of new vaccine candidates, there is currently no widely approved treatment for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Strict adherence to infection prevention and control procedures, as well as vaccines, can, however, prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lactoferrin treatment in improving clinical symptoms and laboratory indices among individuals with mild to moderate coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Materials and Method: A randomized, prospective, interventional pilot study conducted between 8 July and 18 September 2020 used a hospital-based sample of 54 laboratory-confirmed participants with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Randomization into a control and two treatment groups ensured all groups received the approved Egyptian COVID-19 management protocol; only treatment group participants received lactoferrin at different doses for seven days. Clinical symptoms and laboratory indices were assessed on Days 0, 2 and 7 after starting treatments. Mean values with standard deviation and one-way analysis of variance with least significant difference of demographic and laboratory data between control and treatment groups were calculated. Results: Our study showed no statistically significant difference among studied groups regarding recovery of symptoms or laboratory improvement. Conclusions: Further research into therapeutic properties particularly related to dosage, duration and follow-up after treatment with lactoferrin in individuals with COVID-19 is required.

Cardiorenal crosstalk has gained growing scientific curiosity recently. Clinical observations have approved that heart and kidney performances are intimately interrelated; acute or chronic dysfunction of either is inevitably mirrored on the other. This coexistence usually has the poor prognosis and worsened outcome. We designed this study to explore therapeutic potentials of combined Vitis vinifera and Silymarin extracts on histopathological alterations of experimentally induced cardiorenal injury model. Moreover, to examine the pertinent role of Nrf2 in their bio-molecular actions. Sixty adult male Wistar albino rats were utilized, further subdivided into control, doxorubicin (DXR), DXR + Silymarin, DXR + Aqueous Vitis, DXR + Ethanolic Vitis, DXR + Ethanolic Vitis + Silymarin. Left ventricle and renal cortex sections from all groups were processed for histopathological examination, biochemical estimation of serum Urea, Creatinine, BUN, lipid profile and hs-CRP and real-time PCR of Nrf2 expression in cardiac and renal tissue homogenate were performed. Our results proved that combined ethanolic extract of Vitis vinifera and Silymarin restored normal renal and cardiac histomorphology. Significant improvement of Creatinine, BUN, lipid profile and hs-CRP cardiac and renal biochemical indicators confirmed our results. Moreover, significant elevation of mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 proved that combined Vitis vinifera and Silymarin action was directly related to the redox-sensitive regulator pathway. We concluded that synergistic therapeutic effect of Vitis vinifera extract and Silymarin on experimental cardiorenal injury model owes principally to promoting activation of the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in food products poses a significant threat to public health, necessitating innovative and sustainable antimicrobial solutions. This study investigates the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Stevia rebaudiana extracts to evaluate their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against MDR Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from sold fish samples. The obtained results show that the contamination with S. aureus reached 54.2% in the tested fish samples (n = 120), underscoring the urgent need for effective interventions. ZnO-NPs were successfully synthesized and characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, and TEM, confirming their formation with an average size of 15.7 nm and reflecting their suitability for antimicrobial and biological applications. ZnO-NPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity, with a maximum inhibition zone of 24.4 ± 0.4 mm at 20 μg/disk, MIC values of 6.25–25 μg/mL, and MBC values of 12.5–50 μg/mL. Additionally, biofilm formation was inhibited by up to 92.1% at 250 μg/mL. Our mechanistic study confirmed that ZnO-NPs damage bacterial membranes and DNA, leading to the intracellular leakage of cell components that lead to bacterial cell lysis. The use of S. rebaudiana in ZnO-NP synthesis aligns with green chemistry principles, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional antibiotics and enhancing the bioactivity of ZnO-NPs, and may address the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance, thereby contributing to improved food safety and public health protection.