In the wake of the emergence and worldwide respread of a viral infection called Monkeypox (Mpox), there is a serious threat to the health and safety of the global population. This viral infection was endemic to the western and central parts of Africa, but has recently spread out of this endemic area to various countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Portugal, Spain, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Israel, and Mexico. This is a timely review focusing on recent findings and developments in the epidemiology, clinical features, therapeutic targets, diagnosis, prevention mechanisms, research challenges and possible treatment for Mpox. To date (29 November 2022), there have been around 81,225 reported cases of Mpox. In most cases, this illness is mild; however, there is a fatality rate ranging from 1 to 10%, which might be increased due to associated complications and/or secondary infections. There is a real challenge in the diagnosis of Mpox, since its symptoms are very similar to those of other infections, including smallpox and chickenpox. Generally, to prevent/limit the risk and transmission of Mpox, the detection and isolation of infected individuals, as well as hand hygiene and cleanliness, are essential and effective approaches to control/combat this viral infection. Nevertheless, updated information about Mpox from different angles is lacking. Thus, this review provides updated and comprehensive information about the Mpox illness, which should highlight the global burden, pathogenicity, symptoms, diagnosis, prevention measures and possible treatment of this emerging disease.

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is regarded as one of the most frequently encountered endocrine disorders and affects millions of young women worldwide, resulting in an array of complex metabolic alterations and reproductive failure. PCOS is a risk factor for diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity and depression in patients. Estrogen receptors (ESRs) are significant candidates in endocrine function and ovarian response in women. Moreover, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs are emerging as principal mediators of gene expression and epigenetic pathways in various disease states. This study has characterized the clinical parameters in PCOS patients with comprehensive biochemical profiling compared to healthy controls and further examined the influence of allelic variations for estrogen receptor-α (ESR1 PvuII-rs2234693 T>C) and miRNA-146a (rs2910164 C>G) gene polymorphism on the risk of and susceptibility to PCOS. In this case-control study, we have used amplification refractory mutation specific (ARMS)-PCR to detect and determine the presence of these polymorphic variants in the study subjects. Our results demonstrated that most of the biochemical markers, which were analyzed in the study, show statistically significant alterations in PCOS patients, including fasting glucose, free insulin, HOMA-IR, LDL, HDL, cholesterol and hormones such as FSH, LH, testosterone and progesterone, which correlate with the established biochemical alterations in the disorder. Further, it is reported that for estrogen receptor-α (ESR1 PvuII-rs2234693 T>C), the frequency of the T allele (fT) was significantly higher among patients (0.64 vs. 0.44) compared to controls, while the frequency of the C allele (fC) was lower in patients (0.36 vs. 0.56) compared to controls. However, it was found that there was no association of an increased risk of PCOS with the ESR1 PvuII-rs2234693 C>T gene polymorphism. On the contrary, the study found strong association of miRNA-146a (rs2910164 C>G) gene polymorphism with an enhanced risk of PCOS. The frequency of the C allele (fC) was significantly higher among patients (0.52 vs. 0.36) compared to controls. The frequency of the G allele (fG) was found to be lower in patients (0.48 vs. 0.64) compared to controls. The codominant, dominant and recessive models display a statistically significant association of polymorphic variations with PCOS. Moreover, the G allele was associated strongly with PCOS susceptibility with an OR = 1.92 (95%) CI = (1.300–2.859), RR = 1.38 (1.130–1.691) p-value < 0.001.

The biological properties of plant oils are improved by their conversion to nanoemulsions (NEs). This study evaluated the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-hemolytic efficacy of coconut and salad rocket oils and their NEs. The result of the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis of the oils showed varied constituents such as palmitic acid, trimethylsilyl ester; 2,3-bis(acetyloxy)propyl laurate in salad rocket oil, 2-lauro-1,3-didecoin, n-butyl laurate; laurin, tri-; laurin in coconut oil. NEs diameter of salad rocket and coconut oils was 24.6 and 29.2 nm, respectively. More inhibitory activity of NEs compared with non-NEs form against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus was detected. Coconut oil and its NEs caused 14.3% (anti-hemolysis 85.7%) and 22% hemolysis (anti-hemolysis 78%), respectively. Salad rocket oil and its NEs caused hemolysis 3.4% and 20.9%, respectively at 1000 µg/mL. Antioxidant activity of salad rocket and coconut oil reflected more IC50 (39.3 and 109.4 µg/mL) than its NEs (35.8 and 80.5 µg/mL), respectively. Molecular docking of trimethylsilyl ester and 2-lauro-1,3-didecoin against S. aureus (PDB=7BGE) and C. albicans protein (PDB=3DRA) revealed optimal binding mode that had the most energy interaction with the binding sites.

LC-HRESIMS metabolomic profiling of Olea europaea L. cv. Picual (OEP) (Saudi Arabian olive cultivar, F. Oleacea) revealed 18 compounds. Using pharmacology networking to specify the targets of the identified compounds with a relationship to Alzheimer’s disease, it was possible to identify the VEGFA, AChE, and DRD2 genes as the top correlated genes to Alzheimer’s disease with 8, 8, and 6 interactions in the same order. The mechanism of action on cellular components, biological processes, and molecular functions was determined by gene enrichment analysis. A biological pathway comparison revealed 13 shared pathways between the identified genes and Alzheimer protein genes (beta-amyloid band tau proteins). The suggested extract’s anti-Alzheimer potential in silico screening was confirmed through in vivo investigation in regressing the neurodegenerative features of Alzheimer’s dementia in an aluminum-intoxicated rat model (protective and therapeutic effects, 100 mg/kg b.w.). In vivo results suggested that OEP extract significantly improved Alzheimer’s rats, which was indicated by the crude extract’s ability to improve T-maze performance; lower elevated serum levels of AChE, AB peptide, and Ph/T ratio; and normalize the reduced level of TAC during the study. The results presented in this study may provide potential dietary supplements for the management of Alzheimer’s disease.