Cancer is a major disease with a high mortality rate worldwide. In many countries, cancer is considered to be the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. The clinical management of cancer continues to be a challenge as conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, have limitations due to their toxicity profiles. Unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits are the key risk factors for cancer; having a healthy diet and lifestyle may minimize the risk. Epidemiological studies have shown that a high fruit and vegetable intake in our regular diet can effectively reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers due to the high contents of antioxidants and phytochemicals. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that phytochemicals exert significant anticancer effects due to their free radical scavenging capacity potential. There has been extensive research on the protective effects of phytochemicals in different types of cancers. This review attempts to give an overview of the etiology of different types of cancers and assesses the role of phytonutrients in the prevention of cancers, which makes the present review distinct from the others available.

Fruits maintain the image as the richest sources of vitamins. Focusing on apricots, utilization of apricot species for many applications is possible due to its various benefits. Many research studies demonstrated different perspectives of apricot, especially in medical used as it can act as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents. Moreover, in the industrial sectors, apricots can be used in the production of biofuels and batteries. All components of the apricot fruit, including seeds and kernels have been found to possess significant interest. This review is to breach the knowledge gap regarding the key nutrients and chemicals of apricot fruit, contributing to its health-promoting properties to emphasize the noble importance of this fruit in the diet and in the management of several diseases. We also cover the application of apricots in the industry that could be developed as a promising and sustainable source.

Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the important fruit enriched with an impressive list of essential nutrients and a wide range of phenolic compounds with high antibacterial compounds. In order to provide further detailed information on phenolic compounds and antibacterial activities of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera), the current study was devoted to investigate and compare three different highly consumable varieties of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) cultivars, namely Ajwa, Khalas Alkharj, and Al-Qasim for their broad spectrum antibacterial effect and phenolic compounds. The antibacterial properties of their methanolic extracts were evaluated against Streptococcus pnuemoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli. All of the three cultivars displayed a broad spectrum of inhibitory effect against these pathogenic bacteria. Moverover, the LC- Linear Ion Quadrupole Mass Spectrometric Analysis (LC-MS and LC-MS/MS Tandem Mass Spectrometry) analysis revealed the presence of 3,30-di-O-methyl ellagic acid, 7-Methoxyquercetin-O-hexose isomers, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, isomers of quercentin-rutinoside, kaempferol methylether, p hydroxybenzoic acid, phytol, punicalagin and quercetin-3-O-glucoside (isoquercitrin) were in Ajwa, 3,30-di-O-methyl ellagic acid isomers, 3,30-di-O-methyl ellagic acid, caffeic acid derivative, cafeic acid, caffeoyl glucose, caffeoylshikimic acid, ferulic acid, guaiacyl(8–5)ferulic acid hexoside isomer, isorhamnetin-3-Ohexoside, oxooctadecanoic acid, punicalagin and quercetin derivativein Al-Qasim extracts while 2(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-5-benzene propanoic acid isomer, 2(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-5-benzene propanoic acid, decanoic acid derivative, diosmetin, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, linolenic acid, oxooctadecanoic acid conjugate and punicalagin in the extract of Khalas date. The findings of the current study may increase our knowledge about the importance of dates in diet and can be utilized as natural antimicrobial agents in the foods industry.

Nigella species are widely used to cure various ailments. Their health benefits, particularly from the seed oils, could be attributed to the presence of a variety of bioactive components. Roasting is a critical process that has historically been used to facilitate oil extraction and enhance flavor; it may also alter the chemical composition and biological properties of the Nigella seed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the roasting process on the composition of the bioactive components and the biological activities of Nigella arvensis and Nigella sativa seed extracts. Our preliminary study showed that seeds roasted at 50 °C exhibited potent antimicrobial activities; therefore, this temperature was selected for roasting Nigella seeds. For extraction, raw and roasted seed samples were macerated in methanol. The antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Klebsiella oxytoca were determined by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition. The cell viability of extracts was tested in a colon carcinoma cell line, HCT-116, by using a microculture tetrazolium technique (MTT) assay. Amino acids were extracted and quantified using an automatic amino acid analyzer. Then, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was performed to identify the chemical constituents and fatty acids. As a result, the extracts of raw and roasted seeds in both Nigella species showed strong inhibition against Klebsiella oxytoca, and the raw seed extract of N.arvensis demonstrated moderate inhibition against S. pyogenes. The findings of the MTT assay indicated that all the extracts significantly decreased cancer cell viability. Moreover, N. sativa species possessed higher contents of the measured amino acids, except tyrosine, cystine, and methionine. The GC–MS analysis of extracts showed the presence of 22 and 13 compounds in raw and roasted N. arvensis, respectively, and 9 and 11 compounds in raw and roasted N. sativa, respectively. However, heat treatment decreased the detectable components to 13 compounds in roasted N. arvensis and increased them in roasted N. sativa. These findings indicate that N. arvensis and N. sativa could be potential sources of anticancer and antimicrobials, where the bioactive compounds play a pivotal role as functional components.

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with breast cancer representing the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women. Heterocyclic scaffolds containing nitrogen and sulfur, such as 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione derivatives, have shown broad pharmacological utility, including notable anticancer potential. In the present study, a novel series of 4,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-triazol-3-thione derivatives was designed, synthesized, and fully characterized using NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis. The compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative effects against MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HepG2 (liver cancer) cell lines. Most derivatives demonstrated notable cytotoxicity, with compound 6 exhibiting the most potent activity, achieving IC₅₀ values of 4.23 μM and 16.46 μM against MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, respectively, comparable to the reference drug vinblastine. Mechanistic investigations revealed that compound 6 acts via a multi-targeted pathway, significantly inhibiting α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 122.7 μM), tubulin-β polymerization (58.5% inhibition), and aromatase activity (31% reduction). Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that compound 6 induces pronounced S-phase cell cycle arrest and promotes both early and late apoptotic cell populations, along with a moderate increase in necrosis in MCF-7 cells. Additionally, compound 6 displayed dose-dependent antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ = 25.4 μM), comparable to trolox. Complementary in silico studies provided molecular-level insights into the interactions of compound 6 with its biological targets. Molecular docking showed strong binding affinities through key hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions within the active sites of tubulin, α-glucosidase, and aromatase. Molecular dynamics simulations over 100 ns confirmed the stability of these interactions, especially with α-glucosidase, supported by consistent RMSD, compactness, and favorable per-residue energy contributions. Overall, these findings identify compound 6 as a promising multi-target lead for further development as an anticancer agent, combining cytotoxic, enzyme-inhibitory, and antioxidant properties.

Laccase production was evaluated in 108 fungal isolates recovered from the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, a critical element in environmental biodegradation and biotransformation. The most active isolate was identified as Curvularia lunata MLK46 (GenBank accession no. PQ100161). It exhibited maximal productivity at pH 6.5, 30 °C, and incubation for 5 d, with 1% sodium nitrate and 1% galactose as the preferred nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. Productivity was enhanced by NaCl, CuSO₄, and FeCl₃ supplementation, with a maximum at 0.3 mM, 0.2 mM, and 61.7 mM concentrations, respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for the purified enzyme through diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-Sepharose chromatography revealed a prominent band at 71.1 kDa with maximum activity at pH 6 and stability at pH 6–9. Furthermore, it was optimally active at 50 °C and thermally stable at 50–80 °C with a half-life time (T_1/2) of 333.7 min to 80.6 min, respectively. Its activity was also enhanced by many metallic ions, especially Fe³⁺ ions; however, it was inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions. The enzyme demonstrated significant degradation of specific substrates such as 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), guaiacol, o-dianisidine, and 2,6-dichlorophenol, with a kinetic efficiency constant which ranged from 40.95 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ to 238.20 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹. UV spectrophotometry confirmed efficient oxidation peaks by electron transition against guaiacol (at 300 nm), o-dianisidine (at 480 nm), ABTS (at 420 nm), and 2,6-dichlorophenol (at 600 nm). The results collectively demonstrate the potential of laccase from C. lunata MLK46 as a promising agent for the effective biodegradation of several industrial pollutants under extreme conditions.