COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge to global public health, intensifying the need for effective antiviral treatments against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Among the myriad of compounds explored, thymoquinone (TQ), a natural constituent of Nigella sativa (black seed), has garnered interest for its potential therapeutic properties. This study aims to investigate the antiviral efficacy of thymoquinone against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 through comprehensive in vitro experiments. The research utilizes two distinct protocols to assess thymoquinone’s capacity to inhibit viral replication at different stages, both as a prophylactic agent and as a post-infection treatment. Various concentrations of TQ were tested, and dose/response curves were generated to assess the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) in both protocols. Additionally, MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity due to each TQ concentration. The results demonstrate a significant inhibition of viral replication, with comparable efficacy observed between the preventive and therapeutic applications of TQ. The obtained EC50 (46,19 µM and 54,161 µM respectively for preventive and treatment approaches) suggest that TQ has a broad spectrum of action, and when comparing both EC50 to the CC50 (65,68 µM), it is evident that TQ has a favorable therapeutic index, making it a potential safe and versatile candidate for both preventive and therapeutic purposes against SARS-CoV-2

Vaccines worldwide reduce severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) consequences; however, viral evolution escapes immunity, raising global concerns about vaccine protection and requiring monitoring. Bioinformatics is crucial for studying vaccine escape, speeding up variant detection, mapping antibody evasion epitopes and ensuring updated vaccines and public health responses. This study combines bibliometric analysis of the Scopus literature (n = 416) on SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion using bioinformatics tools with descriptive analysis of the top ten most highly cited original articles. Our results showed the United States (USA) as the dominant contributor, leading in publication output, citation impact and collaboration networks. The key themes identified were immune evasion, spike protein mutations, and viral evolution, highlighting the structural, functional and immune evasion mechanisms of spike mutations. Leading authors and journals reveal a globally connected research community that is making advances in our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine evasion, and supporting the development of future treatments and vaccines. The top ten articles showed molecular docking, dynamics simulations, and protein modeling as crucial to studying vaccine escape. In conclusion, global research led mainly by the USA and supported by active contributions has used bioinformatics to elucidate SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion, guiding variant future vaccine and treatment development, variant monitoring, and preparedness for emerging variants.

The research investigates synthetic hydroxytyrosol (HT) antiviral properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses using in silico and in vitro methods. Molecular docking and ADMET analyses suggested favorable interactions of HT with ceramide and sphingomyelin (binding energies of −6.0 and −5.9 kcal/mol, respectively). Favorable predicted pharmacokinetics and safety profiles were also observed. In vitro tests provided preliminary evidence of the dose- and time-dependent virucidal effect of HT against several enveloped viruses, including HSV-1, West Nile virus, SARS-CoV-2 and various influenza A subtypes, which resulted in substantial viral load decreases at 1000 µg/mL. The viral titer of the measles virus decreased by 4.62 log₁₀ units during the 2 h of exposure. No virucidal activity was observed against the non-enveloped bovine rotavirus. Overall, these findings suggest that hydroxytyrosol may represent a promising candidate for further investigation as a virucidal agent, particularly against enveloped viruses.

Neonatal calf diarrhea represents a major health and economic burden in Moroccan cattle farming and remains a leading cause of calf mortality. It is commonly associated with infectious agents such as rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, Escherichia coli, and Cryptosporidium parvum, and is often aggravated by dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The present study aimed to update the epidemiological profile of viral pathogens involved in neonatal calf diarrhea in Morocco, with particular emphasis on rotavirus group A (RVA) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV). A total of 889 newborn calves from 20 farms located in five Moroccan regions (Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, Fes-Meknes, and Beni Mellal-Khenifra) were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Among them, 130 rectal swabs were collected from diarrheic calves between November 2022 and March 2023 and analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The results indicated that 34% of diarrheic calves tested positive for RVA and 62% for BCoV, with a co-infection rate of 24%. Infection rates were influenced by several factors, including calf age, geographic region, dam vaccination status, calving rank, production system, and farm size. RVA infection peaked in calves aged 8–14 days, whereas BCoV was most prevalent in calves aged 21–29 days. Notably, RVA positivity was higher in calves born to vaccinated dams (40%) compared to those from unvaccinated dams (20%), while BCoV infection was more frequently detected in calves from heifers than from multiparous cows. Higher infection rates in calves were also observed in intensive farming systems. Overall, these findings confirmed the major role of rotavirus and bovine coronavirus in neonatal calf diarrhea in Morocco and suggest that the limited effectiveness of vaccination may be influenced by herd management, colostrum transfer, and biosecurity practices. The potential mismatch between vaccine and circulating strains highlights the need for continuous molecular surveillance.

Since 2020, SARS-CoV-2 viral culture has been a pivotal experimental tool for elucidating viral biology and supporting translational research. This study provides a five-year (2020–2025) retrospective and bibliometric mapping of 4405 unique publications retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Quantitative science mapping was integrated with a qualitative retrospective assessment of the ten most cited articles to identify influential biological and technological landmarks. The bibliometric results show a publication peak in 2021, with the United States and China as leading contributors. Thematic evolution shifted from foundational viral isolation to variant-specific investigations (Delta and Omicron) and therapeutic development. Retrospective analysis highlights a significant technological transition from standard cell lines to engineered models, including 3D organoids and deep mutational scanning approaches for the characterization of immune escape and viral fitness. Importantly, manual verification identified author name ambiguity as a major methodological limitation distorting productivity metrics. Overall, viral culture remains a critical bridge for validating phenotypic traits and establishing infectivity windows, providing a data-driven framework for future pandemic preparedness.