Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging multidrug-resistant microorganism, with limited therapeutic... more Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging multidrug-resistant microorganism, with limited therapeutical options, is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. The current study includes 19 C. auris strains collected from King Fahd Hospital of the University and King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam, identified by 18S rRNA gene and ITS region sequencing. Drug-resistance-associated mutations in ERG11, TAC1B and FUR1 genes were screened to gain insight into the pattern of drug resistance. Molecular identification was successfully achieved using 18S rRNA gene and ITS region and 5 drug-resistance-associated missense variants identified in the ERG11 (F132Y and K143R) and TAC1B (H608Y, P611S and A640V) genes of C. auris strains, grouped into 3 clades. The prophylactic and therapeutic application of hydrothermally synthesized Ag-silicalite-1 (Si/Ag ratio 25) nanomaterial was tested against the 3 clades of clinical C. auris strains. 4wt%Ag/TiZSM-5 prepared using conventional impregna...
To identify new candidate anticancer compounds, we here report the synthesis of benzimidazole der... more To identify new candidate anticancer compounds, we here report the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives: diethyl 2,2′-(2-oxo-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-1,3(2H)-diyl) diacetate and its arylideneacetohydrazide derivatives, using ultrasonic irradiation and conventional heating. The compounds were confirmed by Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy (Thermoscientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The molecular structure and electronic properties of the studied compounds were predicted for the acetohydrazide hydrazones. These compounds exist as a mixture of configurational and conformational isomerism as well as amido-amidic acid tautomerism. The NMR spectral data proved the predominance of syn-E amido isomers. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) predicted stability in the gas phase and showed that syn-E amido isomers are the most stable in the presence of an electron donating group, while the anti-isomer is the mos...
Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are a promising platform for their use in biomedical research,... more Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are a promising platform for their use in biomedical research, especially given their anticancer and antimicrobial activities. This work presents the synthesis of ZnO NPs doped with different amounts of rare-earth ions of ytterbium (Yb) and cerium (Ce) and the assessment of their anticancer and antimicrobial activities. The structural investigations indicated a hexagonal wurtzite structure for all prepared NPs. The particle size was reduced by raising the amount of Ce and Yb in ZnO. The anticancer capabilities of the samples were examined by the cell viability MTT assay. Post 48-h treatment showed a reduction in the cancer cell viability, which was x = 0.00 (68%), x = 0.01 (58.70%), x = 0.03 (80.94%) and x = 0.05 (64.91%), respectively. We found that samples doped with x = 0.01 and x = 0.05 of Yb and Ce showed a better inhibitory effect on HCT-116 cancer cells than unadded ZnO (x = 0.00). The IC50 for HCT-116 cells of Ce and Yb co-doped ZnO nanopar...
Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was empl... more Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag3PO4 exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag3PO4, Ag3PO4, and Se-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacter...
In the present work, different nanoparticles spinel ferrite series (MFe2O4, Co0.5M0.5Fe2O4; M = C... more In the present work, different nanoparticles spinel ferrite series (MFe2O4, Co0.5M0.5Fe2O4; M = Co, Mn, Ni, Mg, Cu, or Zn) have been obtained via sonochemical approach. Then, sol–gel method was employed to design core–shell magnetoelectric nanocomposites by coating these nanoparticles with BaTiO3 (BTO). The structure and morphology of the prepared samples were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), and zeta potential. XRD analysis showed the presence of spinel ferrite and BTO phases without any trace of a secondary phase. Both phases crystallized in the cubic structure. SEM micrographs illustrated an agglomeration of spherical grains with nonuniformly diphase orientation and different degrees of agglomeration. Moreover, HR-TEM revealed interplanar d-spacing planes that are in good agreement with those of the spinel ferrite phase ...
Hollow silica spheres were loaded with Fe3O4NPs (u-HSS-Fe) and calcined further to remove the non... more Hollow silica spheres were loaded with Fe3O4NPs (u-HSS-Fe) and calcined further to remove the non-degradable phenyl groups (c-HSS-Fe) for anticancer applications.
Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes recurring seizures. Thirty-five percent of p... more Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes recurring seizures. Thirty-five percent of patients remain refractory, with a higher prevalence of depression. We investigated the anticonvulsant efficacy of carbamazepine (CBZ; 20 and 50 mg/kg), imipramine (IMI; 10 and 20 mg/kg) alone, and as a low dose combination. This preclinical investigation included dosing of rats for 14 days followed by elicitation of electroshock on the last day of treatment. Along with behavioral monitoring, the rat hippocampus was processed for quantification of mTOR, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels. The histopathological analysis of rat hippocampus was performed to ascertain neuroprotection. In vitro studies and in silico studies were also conducted. We found that the low dose combinatorial therapy of CBZ (20 mg/kg) + IMI (10 mg/kg) exhibits synergism (p < 0.001) in abrogation of maximal electroshock (MES) induced convulsions/tonic hind limb extension (THLE), by reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cyto...
Epilepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by multiple seizures, hereto 35% of... more Epilepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by multiple seizures, hereto 35% of patients remain poor responders. Phenytoin (PHT; 20 and 40 mg/kg) and thymoquinone (THQ; 40 and 80 mg/kg) were given alone and as a low dose combination for 14 days (p.o), prior to challenge with maximal electroshock (MES; 180 mA, 220 V, 0.2 s). Apart from observing convulsions, hippocampal mTOR, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured. Hippocampal histomorphological analysis was also conducted. In vitro cell line studies and molecular docking studies were run in parallel. The results revealed the synergistic potential of the novel duo-drug combination regimen: PHT (20 mg/kg) and THQ (40 mg/kg) against MES-induced convulsions. MES amplified signaling through mTOR, and inflated the levels of proinflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α), which was significantly averted (p < 0.001) with the said drug combination. The computational studies revealed that PHT and THQ cooperatively bi...
This study proposes a bio-directed approach for the formation of titanium oxide and silver nanopa... more This study proposes a bio-directed approach for the formation of titanium oxide and silver nanoparticles (TiO2and Ag NPs), using a wild mushroom,Fomitopsis pinicola, identified by 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing (gene accession no. MK635350) and phenotypic examination.
In the present study, biocompatible manganese nanoparticles have been linked with zinc and iron m... more In the present study, biocompatible manganese nanoparticles have been linked with zinc and iron molecules to prepare different derivatives of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10), using an ultrasonication approach. The structure, surface morphology, and chemical compositions of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs were elucidated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) techniques. The bioactivity of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs on normal (HEK-293) and (HCT-116) colon cancer cell line was evaluated. The Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs treatment post 48 h resulted in a significant reduction in cells (via MTT assay, having an IC50 value between 0.88 µg/mL and 2.40 µg/mL). The specificity of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs were studied by treating them on normal cells line (HEK-293). The results showed that Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs did not incur any...
Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging multidrug-resistant microorganism, with limited therapeutic... more Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging multidrug-resistant microorganism, with limited therapeutical options, is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections. The current study includes 19 C. auris strains collected from King Fahd Hospital of the University and King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam, identified by 18S rRNA gene and ITS region sequencing. Drug-resistance-associated mutations in ERG11, TAC1B and FUR1 genes were screened to gain insight into the pattern of drug resistance. Molecular identification was successfully achieved using 18S rRNA gene and ITS region and 5 drug-resistance-associated missense variants identified in the ERG11 (F132Y and K143R) and TAC1B (H608Y, P611S and A640V) genes of C. auris strains, grouped into 3 clades. The prophylactic and therapeutic application of hydrothermally synthesized Ag-silicalite-1 (Si/Ag ratio 25) nanomaterial was tested against the 3 clades of clinical C. auris strains. 4wt%Ag/TiZSM-5 prepared using conventional impregna...
To identify new candidate anticancer compounds, we here report the synthesis of benzimidazole der... more To identify new candidate anticancer compounds, we here report the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives: diethyl 2,2′-(2-oxo-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-1,3(2H)-diyl) diacetate and its arylideneacetohydrazide derivatives, using ultrasonic irradiation and conventional heating. The compounds were confirmed by Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy (Thermoscientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The molecular structure and electronic properties of the studied compounds were predicted for the acetohydrazide hydrazones. These compounds exist as a mixture of configurational and conformational isomerism as well as amido-amidic acid tautomerism. The NMR spectral data proved the predominance of syn-E amido isomers. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) predicted stability in the gas phase and showed that syn-E amido isomers are the most stable in the presence of an electron donating group, while the anti-isomer is the mos...
Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are a promising platform for their use in biomedical research,... more Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are a promising platform for their use in biomedical research, especially given their anticancer and antimicrobial activities. This work presents the synthesis of ZnO NPs doped with different amounts of rare-earth ions of ytterbium (Yb) and cerium (Ce) and the assessment of their anticancer and antimicrobial activities. The structural investigations indicated a hexagonal wurtzite structure for all prepared NPs. The particle size was reduced by raising the amount of Ce and Yb in ZnO. The anticancer capabilities of the samples were examined by the cell viability MTT assay. Post 48-h treatment showed a reduction in the cancer cell viability, which was x = 0.00 (68%), x = 0.01 (58.70%), x = 0.03 (80.94%) and x = 0.05 (64.91%), respectively. We found that samples doped with x = 0.01 and x = 0.05 of Yb and Ce showed a better inhibitory effect on HCT-116 cancer cells than unadded ZnO (x = 0.00). The IC50 for HCT-116 cells of Ce and Yb co-doped ZnO nanopar...
Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was empl... more Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag3PO4 exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag3PO4, Ag3PO4, and Se-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacter...
In the present work, different nanoparticles spinel ferrite series (MFe2O4, Co0.5M0.5Fe2O4; M = C... more In the present work, different nanoparticles spinel ferrite series (MFe2O4, Co0.5M0.5Fe2O4; M = Co, Mn, Ni, Mg, Cu, or Zn) have been obtained via sonochemical approach. Then, sol–gel method was employed to design core–shell magnetoelectric nanocomposites by coating these nanoparticles with BaTiO3 (BTO). The structure and morphology of the prepared samples were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), and zeta potential. XRD analysis showed the presence of spinel ferrite and BTO phases without any trace of a secondary phase. Both phases crystallized in the cubic structure. SEM micrographs illustrated an agglomeration of spherical grains with nonuniformly diphase orientation and different degrees of agglomeration. Moreover, HR-TEM revealed interplanar d-spacing planes that are in good agreement with those of the spinel ferrite phase ...
Hollow silica spheres were loaded with Fe3O4NPs (u-HSS-Fe) and calcined further to remove the non... more Hollow silica spheres were loaded with Fe3O4NPs (u-HSS-Fe) and calcined further to remove the non-degradable phenyl groups (c-HSS-Fe) for anticancer applications.
Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes recurring seizures. Thirty-five percent of p... more Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes recurring seizures. Thirty-five percent of patients remain refractory, with a higher prevalence of depression. We investigated the anticonvulsant efficacy of carbamazepine (CBZ; 20 and 50 mg/kg), imipramine (IMI; 10 and 20 mg/kg) alone, and as a low dose combination. This preclinical investigation included dosing of rats for 14 days followed by elicitation of electroshock on the last day of treatment. Along with behavioral monitoring, the rat hippocampus was processed for quantification of mTOR, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels. The histopathological analysis of rat hippocampus was performed to ascertain neuroprotection. In vitro studies and in silico studies were also conducted. We found that the low dose combinatorial therapy of CBZ (20 mg/kg) + IMI (10 mg/kg) exhibits synergism (p < 0.001) in abrogation of maximal electroshock (MES) induced convulsions/tonic hind limb extension (THLE), by reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cyto...
Epilepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by multiple seizures, hereto 35% of... more Epilepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by multiple seizures, hereto 35% of patients remain poor responders. Phenytoin (PHT; 20 and 40 mg/kg) and thymoquinone (THQ; 40 and 80 mg/kg) were given alone and as a low dose combination for 14 days (p.o), prior to challenge with maximal electroshock (MES; 180 mA, 220 V, 0.2 s). Apart from observing convulsions, hippocampal mTOR, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured. Hippocampal histomorphological analysis was also conducted. In vitro cell line studies and molecular docking studies were run in parallel. The results revealed the synergistic potential of the novel duo-drug combination regimen: PHT (20 mg/kg) and THQ (40 mg/kg) against MES-induced convulsions. MES amplified signaling through mTOR, and inflated the levels of proinflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α), which was significantly averted (p < 0.001) with the said drug combination. The computational studies revealed that PHT and THQ cooperatively bi...
This study proposes a bio-directed approach for the formation of titanium oxide and silver nanopa... more This study proposes a bio-directed approach for the formation of titanium oxide and silver nanoparticles (TiO2and Ag NPs), using a wild mushroom,Fomitopsis pinicola, identified by 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing (gene accession no. MK635350) and phenotypic examination.
In the present study, biocompatible manganese nanoparticles have been linked with zinc and iron m... more In the present study, biocompatible manganese nanoparticles have been linked with zinc and iron molecules to prepare different derivatives of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10), using an ultrasonication approach. The structure, surface morphology, and chemical compositions of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs were elucidated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) techniques. The bioactivity of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs on normal (HEK-293) and (HCT-116) colon cancer cell line was evaluated. The Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs treatment post 48 h resulted in a significant reduction in cells (via MTT assay, having an IC50 value between 0.88 µg/mL and 2.40 µg/mL). The specificity of Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs were studied by treating them on normal cells line (HEK-293). The results showed that Mn0.5Zn0.5ErxYxFe2−2xO4 NPs did not incur any...
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