Nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and good practices are essential for preventing malnutrition, ensuring good health, and maintaining life quality. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have been published on the nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of Jordanian older people. For this reason, our study aimed to assess the KAPs in the Jordanian elderly. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1200 people aged 60 and over. The results revealed that 52.8% of participants had poor knowledge, 52.7% had negative attitude scores, and 72.6% had poor practices. Significant differences were found between the three regions in the KAP prevalence (p < 0.001). The northern region had a higher prevalence of nutritionally poor knowledge (65.6%) compared to 52.5% and 40.4% for the central and southern regions, respectively. Participants from the central region had a higher prevalence of a positive attitude (55.4%), whereas the northern and the southern participants had a higher prevalence of a negative attitude (65.6% and 54.4%, respectively). All regions reported poor practices, yet, significantly, the northern regions had the highest prevalence of poor practices. Participants with a low educational level reported a significantly higher prevalence of poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and poor practices compared to participants with a high educational level. The results obtained underline the importance of taking into account the lack of nutrition-related KAPs among the elderly in Jordan. It is crucial to raise awareness on this issue and to implement the national nutrition strategy, with particular attention paid to the elderly. Concrete measures must be taken to ensure that the nutritional needs of older people are met and to improve their quality of life.

There exists a multitude of pathogens that pose a threat to human and public healthcare, collectively referred to as ESKAPE pathogens. These pathogens are capable of producing biofilm, which proves to be quite resistant to elimination. Strains of A. baumannii, identified by the “A” in the acronym ESKAPE, exhibit significant resistance to amoxicillin in vivo due to their ability to form biofilm. This study aims to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation, evaluate novel silica nanoparticles’ effectiveness in inhibiting biofilm, and compare their effectiveness. Amoxicillin was utilized as a positive control, with a concentration exceeding twice that when combined with silica NPs. Treatments included pure silica NPs, silica NPs modified with copper oxide (CuO.SiO₂), sodium hydroxide (NaOH.SiO₂), and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄.SiO₂). The characterization of NPs was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while safety testing against normal fibroblast cells was employed by MTT assay. The microtiter plate biofilm formation assay was utilized to construct biofilm, with evaluations conducted using three broth media types: brain heart infusion (BHI) with 2% glucose and 2% sucrose, Loria broth (LB) with and without glucose and sucrose, and Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium/nutrient (DMEN/M). Concentrations ranging from 1.0 mg/mL to 0.06 µg/mL were tested using a microdilution assay. Results from SEM showed that pure silica NPs were mesoporous, but in the amorphous shape of the CuO and NaOH treatments, these pores were disrupted, while H₃PO₄ was composed of sheets. Silica NPs were able to target Acinetobacter biofilms without harming normal cells, with viability rates ranging from 61–73%. The best biofilm formation was achieved using a BHI medium with sugar supplementation, with an absorbance value of 0.35. Biofilms treated with 5.0 mg/mL of amoxicillin as a positive control alongside 1.0 mg/mL of each of the four silica treatments in isolation, resulting in the inhibition of absorbance values of 0.04, 0.13, 0.07, 0.09, and 0.08, for SiO₂, CuO.SiO₂, NaOH.SiO₂ and H₃PO₄.SiO₂, respectively. When amoxicillin was combined, inhibition increased from 0.3 to 0.04; NaOH with amoxicillin resulted in the lowest minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC), 0.25 µg/mL, compared to all treatments and amoxicillin, whereas pure silica and composite had the highest MBIC, even when combined with amoxicillin, compared to all treatments, but performed better than that of the amoxicillin alone which gave the MBIC at 625 µg/mL. The absorbance values of MBIC of each treatment showed no significant differences in relation to amoxicillin absorbance value and relation to each other. Our study showed that smaller amoxicillin doses combined with the novel silica nanoparticles may reduce toxic side effects and inhibit biofilm formation, making them viable alternatives to high-concentration dosages. Further investigation is needed to evaluate in vivo activity.

Purpose: Vending machines (VMs) provide quick access for snack foods and beverages for students during their study days. These vended foods have been reported to affect the student's nutritional status and contributing to obesity by increasing the caloric intake. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value of snacks and beverages provided by VM at the university campuses.Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional observational study in one large urban university with four campuses was conducted. In total, 55 VMs were found distributed over 50 buildings of the four university campuses. Of the vending slots surveyed, only 57 snacks and beverage food items were found repeated. These items were vended and analyzed using nutrient databases, and their nutritional quality was assessed using nutrient adequacy ratio and nutritional quality score.Findings: Most vended snacks were salty (77%) and sweet (23%). Neither snacks nor beverages were nutrient-dense, and the majority (65%) of snacks and beverages were calorie-dense, with high contents of sugar, sodium and saturated fat; while they were low in vitamins C and A, calcium, iron, sodium, protein and dietary fibers. None of the vended beverages met the low calorie, low sugars and high-fiber criteria.Research limitations/implications: One limitation of the current work is represented in the fact that VM snacks and beverages are not fixed throughout the year days, and exposed to continuous changes, depending on the customers' attitudes and economic and financial considerations related to the operating contractor company and the customer students. Thus, a continuous, long-term evaluation is suggested to be conducted for a more representative and reflective evaluation of the nutritional quality of vended snacks and beverages.Practical implications: Poor nutritional quality has been found for vended foods. Healthier food options should be provided to improve students' dietary intake.Social implications: Attention has to be directed toward the nutritional quality of VM foods, and how to provide adolescents and young adults with healthy options.Originality/value: This is the first study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) assessing the nutritional value of vending machine foods in university settings.

Background:Verbena officinalis, a medicinal plant native to Jordan, is renowned for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its anti-inflammatory effects remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of Verbena officinalis aqueous crude extract in PC3 prostate cancer cells, focusing on its ability to modulate inflammatory responses. Methods: The anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract was evaluated by measuring interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a pro-inflammatory stimulus, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion. Total polyphenol content was quantified using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, while antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH radical scavenging and tannic acid content analyses. Cytotoxicity was also evaluated to ensure the extract's safety. Results: The aqueous extract exhibited the highest polyphenol content and demonstrated strong antioxidant properties, including a 45.5% radical scavenging activity and 7.7 mg/ml tannic acid content. At a concentration of 50,000 µg/ml selected to assess the maximal biological effect of the crude extract the extract significantly reduced LPS-induced IL-6 production at both protein and gene levels, while enhancing IL-10 secretion. This concentration was found to be non-cytotoxic, supporting its safety profile. Conclusion: Verbena officinalis shows promise as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and potential preventive treatment for prostate cancer. The aqueous extract significantly reduced IL-6 secretion and decreased prostate cancer cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, particularly at 50,000 µg/ml. The observed increase in IL-10 levels suggests a beneficial modulation of the inflammatory response. These findings warrant further investigation into its therapeutic potential. Keywords: Anti-inflammation, IL-6, IL-10, Prostate cancer, Verbena officinalis

The Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Sciences is a decade-old international, open-access, and peer-reviewed publication that contributes to advancing and disseminating knowledge in Pharmacy and Nutrition sciences. The primary objective of this journal is to focus on the healing through appropriate and customized use of nourishment. The journal also covers the relationship between these fields to discover possible nutritional cures for various diseases. As curing is not restricted to only medication, we aim to explore other factors that support medicine. Thus, this publication is designed to support human well-being through the use of intriguing research and reciprocating it with researchers with similar interests. Publications in this journal include clinical studies, clinical case seminars, practice management issues, evidence-based publications, practice, policy, and other significant ideas related to Pharmacy and Nutrition. The journal desires to provide an educational platform for researchers to participate in research activities in pharmaceutical and nutritional sciences. We hope that JPANS could be a part of the noble cause of making global health and well-being knowledge widespread and accessible to improve quality of life.