Papers by amira el-fallal
International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 2023
Egyptian Journal of Botany, Nov 1, 2017
It was identified using morphological (macro and microscopic) and molecular techniques. Complete ... more It was identified using morphological (macro and microscopic) and molecular techniques. Complete description was preformed for the collected fresh fruiting bodies and isolated pure culture. Radial growth rate of culture was estimated on Potato dextrose and Malt extract agar media (8.5 & 7.8 mm/ day, respectively). Lepista sordida and L. nuda are very close in morphological characters; hence, the identification was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of the ribosomal 5.8S rRNA gene including the flanking internal transcribed spacers (ITS). Then, its taxonomic position among some genera of Tricholomataceae and its relation with some other Lepista species was discussed. The surrounding habitat was also observed and environmental conditions were recorded as Temperature degree (29.7 o C), relative humidity (RH: 44.6) and soil moisture was (5.56). Lepista sordida was reported from South Africa and Nigeria (in the South), Algeria and Tunisia (in the Northwest) and this is first record in NorthEast Africa.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science, Dec 1, 2014
The environmental and nutritional parameters were studied aiming to give a maximal exopolysacchar... more The environmental and nutritional parameters were studied aiming to give a maximal exopolysaccharides (EPS) production by Bacillus subtilis. The basal medium (BM) was appeared to be the optimum medium among the seven tested media at 150 rpm. The highest production of EPS was obtained after 3 days incubation period, pH 7.0 and 25C. Sucrose was the best carbon source stimulating the maximum production of EPS followed by mannitol. The maximum production was achieved at concentration 4.5% of sucrose. The highest production of EPS was recorded by using yeast extract with a concentration of 0.22%.
Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2018
A number of bioactive molecules, including antitumor substances, have been identified in many mus... more A number of bioactive molecules, including antitumor substances, have been identified in many mushroom species. Polysaccharides are the best known and most potent mushroom derived substances with antitumor and immunomodulating properties. The present study is a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the role of these polysaccharide substances as antitumor agents using EAC cell line in animal mice. Five mushroom species were used as a source of these polysaccharide substances. These are Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus sajar caju, Pleurotus sp. Ganoderma applanatum and Volvariella speciosa. An extremely significant reduction of the tumor volumes in tumor bearing mice treated with most of these substances was noticed compared with those salinetreated tumor-bearing mice. This reduction in tumor volume was accompanied with a significant reduction in both liver DNA and RNA in addition to an increase in total lipids and proteins. A significant increase in serum superoxide dismutase activity and a highly significant decrease in each of the serum alkaline phosphatase, GPT and GOT in addition to MDA. On the other hand, there was an elevation in albumin concentration after treatment the groups of tumor-bearing mice with the polysaccharide substances compared with those saline-treated tumor-bearing mice. The results showed that the administration of these polysaccharide via the prophylactic treatment don't rule out its role in the antitumor effect by these substances. However, the other mode of treatment i.e. treatment by polysaccharide after tumor injection showed better results in this respect. This means that not only these polysaccharides cure but have also important prophylactic properties. The presence of βglucan in these polysaccharides was confirmed by FT-IR analysis.
Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, 2018
Mushroom polysaccharides, as the main active ingredient in the mushroom, inhibit cancer cells by ... more Mushroom polysaccharides, as the main active ingredient in the mushroom, inhibit cancer cells by activating host immune system. These special properties along with minimal side effects make mushroom polysaccharides as novel anticancer therapies. The present study involved the investigation of polysaccharides from fruit bodies of Volvariella speciosa on growth of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell lines. In a pilot study two modes of treatment were used, prophylactically and treatment after tumor injection. The prophylactic treatment doesn't rule out its role in the antitumor effect by these PS. However, the other mode of treatment showed better results. A significant reduction in tumor volumes in tumor bearing mice treated with PS was accompanied with a significant reduction in both liver DNA and RNA in addition to an increase in the total lipids and proteins. A significant increase in SOD together with decrease in MDA was noticed. A highly significant decrease in Alk-Ph, ALT and AST and an elevation in albumin after treatment the groups of tumor-bearing mice with the PS substance compared with those saline-treated tumor-bearing mice. The haematological parameters were found to be altered toward normal values. An elevation of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12 and reduction in IL-10 were recorded. In the acute toxicity tests, no mortality or sign of induced modifications in the biochemical parameters were observed after PS treatment. The IR has characteristic bands attributed to (1-3) β glucan linkage with a protein 2 moiety. These polysaccharides should be conducted in the future to achieve their use in different potential applications.
Egyptian Journal of Chemistry
Food and feed contamination with mycotoxin is a global issue that represents major health risks t... more Food and feed contamination with mycotoxin is a global issue that represents major health risks to both animals and humans. The antifungal properties of spices and Ganoderma mushroom, as food preservatives, against seven toxigenic fungi isolated from Egyptian rabbit, poultry, and cow feed were investigated in this study. The growth diameter of fungal colonies was measured separately on plates of Potato dextrose agar medium with different spices at a concentration of 60 g/L. Clove, cinnamon, and turmeric completely inhibited all of the fungi tested, while the rest of the spices had a moderate to variable inhibitory effect, and several spices (coriander, fennel, anise, and caraway) even promoted the fungal growth. The five best effective spices with 16 concentrations (0.05 to 100 g/L) were used to find minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for each fungal isolate separately. Clove and cinnamon were the most effective spices against all tested fungal isolates, with MIC of 0.05-1 g/L and MFC of 3-10 g/L. Hence, clove and cinnamon are recommended, as the best antifungal spices that can easily inhibit fungal growth at a minimal concentration. Mycelial plugs of Ganoderma mbrekobenum exhibited a high inhibition activity against the growth of Monascus ruber, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Penicillium sp. The antifungal activities of aqueous and organic extracts of Ganoderma mushroom were investigated, and the methanol-chloroform extract was shown to have the maximum activity, making it a good antifungal agent.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science
For identifying fecal pollution in water, microbial indicators, particularly those from the colif... more For identifying fecal pollution in water, microbial indicators, particularly those from the coliform groups Escherichia coli and Enterococci, have been utilized, which are considered guidelines for the quality of drinking water. The multiple-tube fermentation (MTF) and membrane filter (MF) procedures for detecting indicator organisms are recognized conventional methods, and they are compared with the multiplex PCR method. Three sets of different primers were used in combination with the multiplex PCR procedure. The first set aims to amplify 876 base pairs from the lacZ gene, which is present in all coliform bacteria, including E. coli. The second set aims to amplify 147 base pairs from the uidA gene, which is unique to E. coli. While the final set yields a tuf gene with 112 base pairs that are unique to all Enterococci. The multiplex PCR technique has been found to be an effective, sensitive, and quick method for detecting these three microbial indicators in contaminated water. In Damietta County, Egypt, three water treatment stations (El-Rahmna-El-Adlyia-El-Bostan) were evaluated for their effectiveness at removing pollutants from the water using the optimized multiplex PCR.
Asian Journal of Plant Sciences, 2003
Egyptian Journal of Botany, Apr 11, 2022
S OLID state fermentation system (SSFS) efficiency depends on the proper selection of the microor... more S OLID state fermentation system (SSFS) efficiency depends on the proper selection of the microorganisms, substrates and environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated and optimized the antioxidant activity of the SSFS constructed using Pleurotus floridanus or Paecilomyces variotii on rice straw. The genotypic effect on antioxidant activity surpassed that of the environmental conditions. Peroxidase (POX) activity was expressed only in Pleurotus floridanus, but catalase (CAT) activity was expressed in both fungi, in favor of Paecilomyces variotii. The activities of both enzymes were maximized at low pH, low temperature and with ammonium chloride as the N source, but high moisture was optimal for POX and low moisture was optimal for CAT. Phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in Paecilomyces variotii than Pleurotus floridanus, with preference for high moisture, low pH and urea in Paecilomyces variotii, and low moisture, low pH, and sodium nitrate in Pleurotus floridanus. The reducing power of Paecilomyces variotii was higher than that of Pleurotus floridanus, with positive moisture-dependence, low temperature, and gelatin preferences in Paecilomyces variotii, and negative moisture-and temperature-dependence and urea-preference in Pleurotus floridanus. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity was higher in Paecilomyces variotii than Pleurotus floridanus, with negative dependence on moisture and temperature and limited nitrogen source effects in both fungi. Regarding the incubation period, maximal antioxidant activity was observed with a shorter incubation in the Paecilomyces variotii SSFS and a longer incubation in the Pleurotus floridanus SSFS.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science
Mushrooms are of great interest in nanotechnology. Antibiotics resistance is a serious condition ... more Mushrooms are of great interest in nanotechnology. Antibiotics resistance is a serious condition that threatens the treatment of many diseases caused by bacteria. So, it becomes persistent to find new antibacterial agents. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) showed a good antibacterial activity and the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles is considered a safe method. In this study AgNPs were biologically synthesized from mycelial free filtrate of an Egyptian mushroom Agrocybe cylindracea. The shift in reaction color from pale yellow to dark brown served as a primary indication for the creation of nanoparticles. The production of AgNPs was further confirmed using UV-visible spectrophotometer and the synthesis process was optimized at different parameters. The best concentration of silver nitrate, pH and temperature values were 4 mM, 7 and 40 °C, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Zetasizer analyses were used to investigate the characteristics of the produced nanoparticles. TEM studies showed that the size of synthesized AgNPs was 3.47-13.99 nm. FTIR studies showed the presence of some functional groups (O-H, C-H and C=C) which might be involved in the reduction of silver nitrate to silver ion and stabilization of nanoparticles. Zeta potential of the nanoparticles was-3.57. Antibacterial activity of synthesized AgNPs was demonstrated against different harmful microorganisms; Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae and the best antibacterial activity was recorded against P. aeruginosa.
Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences
Food and feed contamination with mycotoxin is a global issue that represents major health risks t... more Food and feed contamination with mycotoxin is a global issue that represents major health risks to both animals and humans. The antifungal properties of spices and Ganoderma mushroom, as food preservatives, against seven toxigenic fungi isolated from Egyptian rabbit, poultry, and cow feed were investigated in this study. The growth diameter of fungal colonies was measured separately on plates of Potato dextrose agar medium with different spices at a concentration of 60 g/L. Clove, cinnamon, and turmeric completely inhibited all of the fungi tested, while the rest of the spices had a moderate to variable inhibitory effect, and several spices (coriander, fennel, anise, and caraway) even promoted the fungal growth. The five best effective spices with 16 concentrations (0.05 to 100 g/L) were used to find minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for each fungal isolate separately. Clove and cinnamon were the most effective spices against all tested fungal isolates, with MIC of 0.05-1 g/L and MFC of 3-10 g/L. Hence, clove and cinnamon are recommended, as the best antifungal spices that can easily inhibit fungal growth at a minimal concentration. Mycelial plugs of Ganoderma mbrekobenum exhibited a high inhibition activity against the growth of Monascus ruber, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Penicillium sp. The antifungal activities of aqueous and organic extracts of Ganoderma mushroom were investigated, and the methanol-chloroform extract was shown to have the maximum activity, making it a good antifungal agent.
Nova Biotechnologica et Chimica, 2022
Pigments play an important role in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in the food industry. B... more Pigments play an important role in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in the food industry. Biological synthesis of pigments has attained more revenue for easy extraction, high growth rate and high yield. The production of pigments by Monascus purpureus EG was investigated in several static batch cultures, the most suitable medium for its yellow, orange, and red extracellular pigment production was yeast glucose medium (YG), while malt extract medium (ME) had maximum production for its intracellular pigment. The effect of some physical factors on growth and pigment production was studied. Direct illumination inhibited growth and pigment production. Antimicrobial activities of pigments were observed against selected Gram-negative (G-ve) and Gram-positive (G+ve) bacteria. The antibacterial effects of red pigment on G- and G+ were highly effective compared to yellow and orange pigments. The extracted pigment was used for the reduction of the aqueous silver nitrate into silver nanop...
Essential oils (EO) are aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from plant material, such as flow... more Essential oils (EO) are aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from plant material, such as flowers, roots, bark, leaves, seeds, peel, fruits, wood, and whole plant. Essential oils are considered to be secondary metabolites and important for plant defence as they often possess antimicrobial properties. The active compounds of essential oils can be divided into four groups according to their chemical structure: terpenes such as lemon Eo, terpenoids such as jasmine EO, phenyl propenes such as vanilla EO, and others such as mustard EO which has Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) as active compound. Mustard EO showed the highest and strongest antimicrobial activity against all tested pathogens (Bacillus subtilis, E. coli ATCC25922, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer) with biggest inhibition zone diameter for R. stolonifer 20 mm, 16 mm for A. flavus, 15 mm for E. coli and 10 mm for B. subtilis following by Lemon EO which caused 12 mm for A. flavus, 10 mm for E. coli, 5 mm for B. subtil...
Journal of Cellular Biochemistry
Despite advances in therapy of breast and ovarian cancers, they still remain among the most imper... more Despite advances in therapy of breast and ovarian cancers, they still remain among the most imperative causes of cancer death in women. The first can be considered one of the most widespread diseases among females, while the latter is more lethal and needs prompt treatment. Thus, the research field can still benefit from discovery of new compounds that can be of potential use in management of these grave illnesses. We hereby aimed to assess the antitumor activity of the phytosterol α‐spinasterol isolated from Ganoderma resinaceum mushroom on human breast cancer cell lines (MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐231), as well as, on human ovarian cancer cell line (SKOV‐3). The anti‐tumor activity of α‐spinasterol, isolated from the mycelial extract of the Egyptian G. resinaceum, on human breast and ovarian cancer cell lines was evaluated by MTT cell viability assay and AnnexinV/propidium iodide apoptosis assay. The molecular mechanism underlying this effect was assessed by the relative expression of the following markers; tumor suppressor (p53, BRCA1, BRCA2), apoptotic marker (Bax) and cell cycle progression markers (cyclin dependent kinases cdk4/6) using real‐time PCR. Cell cycle analysis was performed for the three investigated cancer cell lines to explore the effect on cell cycle progression. Our findings showed that α‐spinasterol exhibited a higher antitumor activity on MCF‐7 cells relative to SKOV‐3 cells, while its lowest antitumor activity was against MDA‐MB‐231 cells. A significant increase in the expression of p53 and Bax was observed in cells treated with α‐spinasterol, while cdk4/6 were significantly down‐regulated upon exposure to α‐spinasterol. Cell cycle analysis of α‐spinasterol treated cells showed a G0‐G1 arrest. In conclusion, α‐spinasterol isolated from G. resinaceum mushroom exerts a potent inhibitory activity on breast and ovarian cancer cell lines in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. This can be reasonified in lights of the compound's ability to increase p53 and Bax expressions, and to lower the expression of cdk4/6.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science
This study aimed to compare and analyze the results of microbiological and immunological laborato... more This study aimed to compare and analyze the results of microbiological and immunological laboratory investigations of pulmonary tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis patients from Hospitals at Saudi Arabia, and also to evaluate the serodiagnosis detection of tuberculosis promptly using immunological assays in comparison with the traditional Ziehl Neelsen microbiological techniques. This is to develop reliable, effective assay, shorter duration and more specific diagnosis of active tuberculosis. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of Ziehl-Neelsen stain were 48 %, 100 % and 64 %, respectively. An identified antigen in serum samples of infected persons with pulmonary tuberculosis was detected using TB-Spot ELISA technique. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of TB-Spot ELISA for the detection of antigen were 97 %, 95 % and 98 %, respectively. The serum levels of TNF-α reach statistical difference (P< 0.0001) in patients positive for TB antigen in comparison with the levels in negative individuals for TB.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science
Optimization of cellulase production by two actinobacterial species, identified as Streptomyces a... more Optimization of cellulase production by two actinobacterial species, identified as Streptomyces auranticus and Streptomyces minoensis, was studied on Hutchinson medium containing cellulose as carbon source. The optimal incubation period, temperature and initial pH recorded for maximum enzyme yield of Streptomyces minoensis were 6 days, 35 o C and 8.0 respectively. Meanwhile, Streptomyces auranticus showed different conditions for maximum enzyme production (8 days, 35 o C and pH 7.0). The best growth for the two isolates was recorded at 30 o C. The maximum cellulase production was observed in a medium containing carboxy-methylcellulose (CMC) and xylan as carbon sources for Streptomyces auranticus and Streptomyces minoensis respectively. The addition of tryptone as a nitrogen source exhibited a maximum cellulase activity for the two identified Streptomycetes species.
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences
Background and objective Raising growing rabbits is an ideal solution to confront animal protein ... more Background and objective Raising growing rabbits is an ideal solution to confront animal protein deficiency, especially in developing countries. The presence of lignin in wheat straw causes limitation of the digestion overall process. The biological delignification is a practical and promising alternative due to improving the digestibility of wheat straw. This study aimed to enhance wheat straw digestibility and enriching it with protein and use it as a growing rabbit feedstuff. Materials and methods Enzymes production of white-rot fungi was assayed in myco-straw and the mean value was recorded. Wheat straw has been treated with the three most effective fungal species with Biological Treated Wheat Straw (BTWS). After that, the myco-straw was grounded and included in diet to evaluate the growth performance, digestibility and blood parameters of a growing V-line rabbit. Results The best three species for enzyme productions were P. sajor-caju, P. columbinus and P. floridanus. The optimum incubation period was 16 days. The fungal treatments showed significant enzymes activity of laccase, Mn-peroxidase, cellulase and xylanase. Body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio of growing V-line rabbits had improved than those of the control. But, nutrients digestibility of the diet containing BTWS and Carcass traits of growing V-line rabbits were non-significant compared with the control one. In comparison with control, the lipid profile had no differences but the total protein was improved. Conclusion White-rot fungal conversion of wheat straw is maybe one potential alternative providing a more practical, environmental-friendly and nutritionally enhancing as rabbits feedstuff. Rabbits fed BTWS-diets had significantly improved growth performance.
Mycosphere
Wood decay fungi found on living or dead trees in fruit orchards in the Nile Delta region of Egyp... more Wood decay fungi found on living or dead trees in fruit orchards in the Nile Delta region of Egypt were isolated into pure culture and their ligninolytic capabilities examined. Growth on ash sawdust was monitored by quantification of ergosterol and laccase/peroxidase activities using the model substrate ABTS. Two species from the polyporoid clade of order Polyporales exhibited faster growth and greater enzymatic activity than two isolates from the phlebioid clade but these differences were not reflected in dry weight loss of wood. Cellophane strips impregnated Remazol Brilliant Blue dye and MnCl 2 impregnated plates were used to show the distinctive spatiotemporal patterns for the four species.
Scientific Journal for Damietta Faculty of Science
Twenty marine actinomycetes were isolated from sediments and rhizosphere of some halophyte plants... more Twenty marine actinomycetes were isolated from sediments and rhizosphere of some halophyte plants from coastal regions of North Delta, Egypt. Four isolates which showed a wide range of antimicrobial activities (inhibition for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi) were selected and identified on the basis of their cellular morphology, physiological and chemotaxonomic characterization. The isolates were identified and named as Streptomyces albus strain DEG18, Streptomyces canaries strain REB9, Streptomyces sp strain REB5 and Streptomyces sp strain G12. Extraction of metabolites filtrate and biomass were carried out by ethyl acetate and acetone, respectively. In secondary screening, all four Streptomyces strains showed antibacterial activity against Enterobacter cloaca and antifungal activity toward Fusarium oxysporum, three strains out of them showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, whereas two showed activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas some strains showed activity toward Klebsiella pneumoniae and Alternaria alternata.
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Papers by amira el-fallal