Damietta University was founded in 2012 in Damietta city in Egypt (Arabic: دمياط Dumyāṭ). The Faculty of Education opened for the academic year 1976-77, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Commerce in 1985-86, The Faculty of Specific Education, in 1990-91, The Faculty of Applied Arts in 2004-05 then faculties of Agriculture, Arts and Physical Education in 2006-07.In July 2012, Presidential Decree No. 19 of 2012 establishing Damietta University in New Damietta was issued.
Purpose. Despite the high valuable and marketability of pomegranate, its cultivation in arid lands faces different stresses such as drought, poor soil, and salinity. These conditions lead to poor productivity and fruit quality, along with reduced commercial appeal. Cultivating proper cultivars while providing an effective nutrients combination could address various issues of arid climates. Methods. The study focused on assessing the potential improvements in yield and quality of the pomegranate cultivar named ‘Wonderful’ grown in saline-sandy soil as a result of lpotassium (K) and boron (B) fertilization. Spraying of potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) at rates of 0.5 and 1.0
'Barhi' dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are highly prized and widely consumed at the khalal stage, but they are only available for a short time, which highlights the importance of extending their storage life. This study examined the effectiveness of edible coatings in delaying ripening and maintaining fruit quality during cold storage (2 degrees C). The treatments tested were gelatin alone or gelatin combined with chitosan, Aloe vera gel (AVG), or gum arabic, and applied in a layer-by-layer (LbL) approach. A fifth treatment consisting of deionized water was used as a reference untreated control. The fruit parameters measured included weight loss, decay, moisture content, ripening (rutab transformation), firmness, color (lightness and hue angle), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, total sugars, total polyphenols, and enzymatic activity. Results indicated that the LbL edible coating was more effective in preserving postharvest quality. Regarding weight loss and decay rate, the results showed that the control treatment consistently had 1.5-5-fold higher deterioration indicators than the coated fruits. Among the tested treatments, the gum arabic and gelatin coating was the most effective compared to the untreated control, reducing weight loss by over 40%, lowering decay by approximately 80%, and maintaining significantly higher moisture content throughout storage. Concerning carotenoid levels, the untreated fruits exhibited approximately 1.2-1.4-fold higher carotenoid content than the coated fruits. Fruits treated with gum arabic and gelatin exhibited the best preservation effect Sby limiting TSS increase and maintaining higher TA compared with the control. This treatment best maintained antioxidant capacity and phenolic content while significantly suppressing the activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. Overall, the LbL coating strategy successfully maintained the quality of 'Barhi' dates by mitigating oxidative and enzymatic degradation throughout storage. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrated that treatments gum arabic and gelatin exhibited superior effectiveness in extending the date storage life in terms of physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity, followed by chitosan and gelatin, and Aloe vera and gelatin, compared to the control fruits over a 60-day storage period.
Abstract Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) play a substantial role in human body. Therefore, they were newly and greenly synthesized by using phlorizin (PHZ). The antidiabetic effects of PHZ and its greenly synthesized PHZ-SeNPs were tested in STZ-induced diabetes. The PHZ-SeNPs were red in color, UV-visible spectrophotometry (λmax 322 nm). Infrared spectroscopy verifies the production of Se NPs' coated with PHZ. TEM image represents spherically shaped particles (smaller average size, 5-11 nm). Zeta potential was -28.77 ± 9.5 mV with size distribution of 395 nm for PHZ-SeNPs. The loading capacity (LC) and encapsulation efficiency (EE) were 42.8% and 38.96%, respectively. FBG, HbA1c, calculating HOMA-IR, oral glucose tolerance test as well as insulin, adiponectin (ADP) and leptin using anti-rat were done. In addition, Leptin/Adiponectin ratio (LAR) were calculated. The LD50 of PHZ-SeNPs was 173.68 mg/kg. FBG level of diabetic rats was 477.67 ± 30.4 mg/dL, that after PHZ-SeNPs treatment was 206.83 ± 34.69 mg/dL and that of insulin-treated rats (237.17 ± 54.04 mg/dL). HOMA-IR levels were positively and significantly correlated with FBG, insulin level, lipid profile; expect HDL and that of leptin levels but were negatively and significantly correlated with ADP levels, and LAR. In addition, diabetes reduces liver content of glycogen which was elevated after treatments. As an in vitro study, IC50 of free PHZ was found to be 4.87 mM which was reduced up to 3.28 mM if PHZ-SeNPs were used (DPPH assay). The treatments improve liver, kidney and pancreatic histopathological finding. In conclusion: PHZ-SeNPs can be usefully used to reduce blood sugar and prevent diabetic complications. The mechanisms may involve both the intrinsic radical scavenging activity of PHZ and PHZ-SeNPs (as evidenced by DPPH assay) and the enhancement of endogenous antioxidant defenses (increased reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels), in addition to improved insulin secretion, ADP stimulation, leptin inhibition and increment in erythrocytes-glucose uptake.
Developing multifunctional nanomaterials remains critical for sustainable crop protection and the mitigation of biotic stress. This study describes the green synthesis of a ternary reduced graphene oxide/silicon dioxide/zinc oxide (rGO/SiO2/ZnO) nanocomposite, utilizing an aqueous extract of soybean (Glycine max) as a sustainable reducing and stabilizing agent. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to rGO. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the successful anchoring of crystalline ZnO and SiO2 nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 55 nm, onto the rGO matrix. The stability of the synthesized architecture was validated by a zeta potential of-30.9 mV, indicating high colloidal stability. Biological assays demonstrated significant broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. The nanocomposite achieved a 3.5-fold increase in the inhibition zone against Escherichia coli compared to monometallic ZnO NPs and exhibited significant inhibitory efficacy against Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans. Time-kill kinetics demonstrated rapid, concentration-dependent microbicidal efficacy, while TEM ultrastructural analysis of treated F. oxysporum revealed cellular degradation, characterized by expanded vacuoles and lipid droplet accumulation. In seed nanopriming experiments, soybean seeds treated with rGO/SiO2/ZnO (50-500 mg/L) exhibited improved germination percentages and reduced disease incidence. The 150 mg/L concentration was identified as the optimal treatment, yielding a 57% increase in fungicidal action against F. oxysporum relative to ZnO NPs alone. Furthermore, this treatment mitigated pathogen-induced damage, resulting in a 400% increase in germination rate over infected controls and a 197% increase in shoot fresh mass compared to healthy, unprimed controls. These findings indicate that the rGO/SiO2/ZnO nanocomposite exhibits a multifunctional profile, acting concurrently as a biostimulant and a protective agent. This suggests its potential as an integrated approach for managing fungal-induced biotic stress in soybean cultivation. This study provides a foundational step toward developing sustainable nanomaterials that may contribute to long-term crop resilience in agricultural systems.
Abstract Background Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advances in diagnostics and treatment, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Genetic variants such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may improve early detection and risk prediction. This study investigated the association of PPAR-γ rs1801282 and MTRR rs162036 polymorphisms with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) susceptibility in Egyptians and further evaluated their role through a meta-analysis. Methods A case–control study was conducted including 127 NSCLC patients and 138 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Genotyping of PPAR-γ rs1801282 and MTRR rs162036 variants was performed using the T-ARMS-PCR method. Logistic regression, stratified and multivariate analyses, and bioinformatics approaches were applied to assess genetic associations. In addition, a meta-analysis of previously published studies was performed to evaluate the overall association of these polymorphisms with cancer risk. Results The PPAR-γ rs1801282 C>G variant showed a significant association with NSCLC risk in both the dominant (adjusted OR = 6.74, p < 0.001) and allelic models (adjusted OR = 6.10, p = 0.001). Stratified analysis indicated higher susceptibility among males, older individuals, and nonsmokers. No significant association was observed for the MTRR rs162036 variant (p > 0.05). The meta-analysis findings were consistent with the overall lack of association between MTRR rs162036 and cancer risk, while supporting a potential role for PPAR-γ rs1801282 in cancer susceptibility. Conclusions The PPAR-γ rs1801282 polymorphism may serve as a potential genetic marker for NSCLC risk in Egyptians, whereas MTRR rs162036 shows no significant impact. The combined evidence from the case–control study and meta-analysis highlights the importance of population-specific genetic investigations in NSCLC.
