👤 Ghadeer M Albadrani

Phytase is crucial in enhancing the bioavailability and release of phosphorus and other nutrients bound to phytic acid, making them more bioavailable for animal absorption. This study was carried out to inspect the effect of supplementing low phosphorus (P) diet with di-calcium phosphate (DCP) and liquid phytase enzyme (LP), which contains 1500 FTU/kg, on growth performance, intestinal morphometry, proximate body chemical composition, blood profile, immunity status, liver mitochondrial enzyme activities, the expression response and economic returns of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Three triplicate groups of fish (initial weight 5.405 ± 0.045 g, N = 90) were fed on three different diets for 90 days. The first was a control diet with zero DCP; the second was a control diet supplemented with 0.71% DCP; the third was a control diet supplemented with 0.03% LP. The groups were designated as CG, DCP and LP, respectively. Results showed that LP induced considerable improvements (p < 0.05) in FBW, body weight gain, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, HIS, viscero-somatic index, spleen-somatic index, feed conversion ratio, blood parameters and the histomorphometry assessment of intestinal villi absorptive capacity, compared with the other groups. Also, whole-body protein and lipid contents pointedly (p < 0.05) increased by LP, compared with the DCP group. A positive response (p < 0.05) to the phytase enzyme was noted in complexes I, III and IV of the mitochondrial liver complex enzyme activity. Likewise, the relative gene expression levels of (GHr-1, IGF-1, FAS and LPL) were notably (p < 0.05) upregulated by phytase enzyme, associated with DCP and control groups. Further, phytase recorded the highest total return and profit percentage. It can be concluded that Nile tilapia benefits from using phytase enzyme 1500 FTU/kg at 0.03% without adding DCP in terms of good performance and profits. Show less

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), negatively affect the economic and psychological system. For AD, there is still a lack of disease-altering treatments and promising cures due to its complex pathophysiology. In this study, we computationally screened the natural database of fungal metabolites against three known therapeutic target proteins of AD. Initially, a pharmacophore-based, drug-likeness category was employed for screening, and it filtered the 14 ( Show less

The complexity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and several side effects of currently available medication inclined us to search for a novel natural cure by targeting multiple key regulatory proteins. We initially virtually screened the natural product-like compounds against GSK3β, NMDA receptor, and BACE-1 and thereafter validated the best hit through molecular dynamics simulation (MDS). The results demonstrated that out of 2029 compounds, only 51 compounds exhibited better binding interactions than native ligands, with all three protein targets (NMDA, GSK3β, and BACE) considered multitarget inhibitors. Among them, F1094-0201 is the most potent inhibitor against multiple targets with binding energy -11.7, -10.6, and -12 kcal/mol, respectively. ADME-T analysis results showed that F1094-0201 was found to be suitable for CNS drug-likeness in addition to their other drug-likeness properties. The MDS results of RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, SSE and residue interactions indicated the formation of a strong and stable association in the complex of ligands (F1094-0201) and proteins. These findings confirm the F1094-0201's ability to remain inside target proteins' binding pockets while forming a stable complex of protein-ligand. The free energies (MM/GBSA) of BACE-F1094-0201, GSK3β-F1094-0201, and NMDA-F1094-0201 complex formation were -73.78 ± 4.31 kcal mol Show less

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition that affects about 24% of people worldwide. Increased liver fat, inflammation, and, in the most severe cases, cell death are all characteristics of NAFLD. However, NAFLD pathogenesis and therapy are still not clear enough. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) inducing NAFLD on lipolytic gene expression, liver function, lipid profile, and antioxidant enzymes in rabbits and the modulatory effects of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) on it. A total of 45 male New Zealand white rabbits, eight weeks old, were randomly divided into three groups of three replicates (5 rabbits/replicate). Rabbits in group I were given a basal diet; rabbits in group II were given a high-cholesterol diet that caused NAFLD; and rabbits in group III were given a high-cholesterol diet as well as probiotics in water for 8 weeks. The results showed that a high-cholesterol diet caused hepatic vacuolation and upregulated the genes for lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). Downregulated low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) gene, increased liver enzymes [alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)], cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), glucose, and total bilirubin. On the other hand, it decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total protein, albumin, and liver antioxidants [glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)]. Supplementing with probiotics helped to return all parameters to normal levels. In conclusion, probiotic supplementation, especially L. acidophilus, protected against NAFLD, and restored lipolytic gene expression, liver functions, and antioxidants to normal levels. Show less