Browsing by Author "Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M"

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Aspergillus from Different Habitats and Their Industrial Applications
(Springer, 6/19/2021) Mohamed, Akram H; Balbool, Bassem A; Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M
Genus Aspergillus has been considered one of the most important general fungi, since its discovery in 1729 by Pier Antonio Micheli; genus Aspergillus comprises a group of more than 340 species distributed in different habitats and environments. Most of the Aspergillus are terricolous, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter; also they are considered as plant pathogens and human pathogens. Regardless of the pathogenic role of Aspergillus species it shows an important role in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, food, and medical industries. Due to the high biodiversity and importance of genus Aspergillus it would have a great significant effect on the ecosystem; several trials have been carried out to study the taxonomy and importance of genus Aspergillus. This chapter draws an image about the biodiversity of genus Aspergillus in different habitats, plants, and human pathogens and industrial applications.
Biodiversity and Industrial Applications of Genus Chaetomium
(Springer, 6/19/2021) Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M; Abu-Elsaoud, Abdelghafar M; Abo Nahas, Hebatallah H; Abdel-Azeem, Mohamed A; Balbool, Bassem A; Mousa, Mariam K; Ali, Nehal H; Darwish, Amira M. G
When Gustav Kunze introduced genus Chaetomium, as a new genus to the science, in Mykologische Hefte (Leipzig) in 1817, the new taxon attracted the interest of the researchers in every place in the world. Genus Chaetomium is a very diverse taxon colonizing various substrates rich in cellulose such as soils, textiles, plant tissues, agricultural wastes, and seeds. The genus Chaetomium is considered one of the largest genera in saprobic ascomycetes, which belongs to order Sordariales and family Chaetomiaceae. Until now more than 500 compounds with a wide range of bioactive effects have been isolated from Chaetomium spp., but compared with its richness of species, more bioactive secondary metabolites might be found in this member of fungi. Therefore, together with its ubiquitous nature, these species have great significant impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, food production, biotechnology, and human and animal health. The goal of this chapter is to shed the light on the biodiversity of Chaetomium in different ecological habitats with its application in different industrial fields.
A Comprehensive Review about the Molecular Structure of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Insights into Natural Products against COVID-19
(MDPI, 21/10/2021) Saied, Essa M; El-Maradny, Yousra A; Osman, Alaa A; Darwish, Amira M. G; Abo Nahas, Hebatallah H; Niedbała, Gniewko; Piekutowska, Magdalena; Abdel-Rahman, Mohamed A; Balbool, Bassem A; Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M
In 2019, the world suffered from the emergence of COVID-19 infection, one of the most difficult pandemics in recent history. Millions of confirmed deaths from this pandemic have been reported worldwide. This disaster was caused by SARS-CoV-2, which is the last discovered member of the family of Coronaviridae. Various studies have shown that natural compounds have effective antiviral properties against coronaviruses by inhibiting multiple viral targets, including spike proteins and viral enzymes. This review presents the classification and a detailed explanation of the SARS- CoV-2 molecular characteristics and structure–function relationships. We present all currently available crystal structures of different SARS-CoV-2 proteins and emphasized on the crystal structure of different virus proteins and the binding modes of their ligands. This review also discusses the various therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 treatment and available vaccinations. In addition, we highlight and compare the existing data about natural compounds extracted from algae, fungi, plants, and scorpion venom that were used as antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, we discuss the repurposing of select approved therapeutic agents that have been used in the treatment of other viruses.
Fungi in Egypt: A bibliometric analysis of current research and future prospects
(Egyptian knowledge bank, 2023-12) Abotaleb, Ahmed E; Balbool, Bassem A; El-Maradny, Yousra; Halawany, Basmala A; Refaey, Maha M; Hasballah, Amany F; Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M
Fungi constitute one of the most pivotal components of our planet's ecosystems, playing multifaceted roles crucial to the environment, industries, agriculture, and beyond. Despite their profound significance, mycological research in Egypt has, to some extent, been overlooked. Over an extended period, crucial information concerning scientific activity and publication rates has been lacking. It is imperative to integrate advancements in statistical analysis with scientific research to discern future research directions and potential limitati ons. This review undertakes a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of mycological research trends in Egypt. Our study employs innovative bibliometric tools, such as bibliometrix and VOSviewer, to analyze data extracted from three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, & CABI). The study highlights the peak publishing periods, with the highest rates observed between 2012-2022 for Web of Science and 2013-2021 for Scopus & CABI. Consequently, the review enables the identification of knowledge gaps and monitoring the dynamics of research activity, fostering the growth of mycological research, and contributing to the conservation of fungi in Egypt.
Insights into Asparaginase from Endophytic Fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae: Purification, Characterization and Antileukemic Activity
(MDPI, 07/01/2022) Moubasher, Hani A; Balbool, Bassem A; Helmy, Yosra A; Alsuhaibani, Amnah Mohammed; Atta, Ahmed A; Sheir, Donia H; Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M
Endobiotic fungi are considered as a reservoir of numerous active metabolites. Asparaginase is used as an antileukemic drug specially to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The presented study aims to optimize the media conditions, purify, characterize, and test the antileukemic activity of the asparaginase induced from Lasiodiplodia theobromae. The culture medium was optimized using an experiment designed by The Taguchi model with an activity ranging from 10 to 175 IU/mL. Asparaginase was induced with an activity of 315 IU/mL. Asparaginase was purified with a specific activity of 468.03 U/mg and total activity of 84.4 IU/mL. The purified asparaginase showed an approximate size of 70 kDa. The purified asparaginase showed an optimum temperature of 37 °C and an optimum pH of 6. SDS reduced the activity of asparaginase to 0.65 U/mL while the used ionic surfactants enhanced the enzyme activity up to 151.92 IU/mL. The purified asparaginase showed a Km of 9.37 µM and Vmax of 127.00 µM/mL/min. The purified asparaginase showed an IC50 of 35.2 ± 0.7 IU/mL with leukemic M-NFS-60 cell lines and CC50 of 79.4 ± 1.9 IU/mL with the normal WI-38 cell line. The presented study suggests the use of endophytic fungi as a sustainable source for metabolites such as asparaginase, provides an opportunity to develop a facile, eco-friendly, costeffective, and rapid synthesis of antileukemic drugs, which have the potential to be used as alternative and reliable sources for potent anticancer agents. © 2022 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access.