Aims: Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal mushroom from Ascomycota. The aims of this study were to explore and identify the chemical compounds extracted in the non-polar fraction of the mushroom and to examine the biological potential of this extract. Methodology and results: The n-hexane extract metabolites were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and results revealed the presence of 37 compounds delivered from different chemical classes and were mainly comprised of fatty acids and their esters (72%), carboxylic acids and their esters (10.39%), and a sulphur compound (7.1%). The n-hexane extract recorded a promising antioxidant effect (80.9±1.5%) at 80 mg/mL total extract; potent cholesterol reduction activity (100%) was obtained after 96 h incubation by the total metabolites (4%). The cytotoxicity of the compounds revealed 50% cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) ˃ 1 mg/mL and anti-rotavirus SA-11 effect where inhibition of virus attachment and penetration into infected cells was recorded at 50% effective concentration (IC50) of 300±0.2 µg/mL. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: This study confirmed the impact of the fatty acids produced by C. militaris as bioactive metabolites.

Slag and the corresponding hot metal samples were collected just before tapping from electric arc furnace of Ezz Flat Steel Company (EFS) and analyzed. The temperature of hot metal was measured before tapping.The analyses of slag and hot metal together with the metal temperature were used to estimate the activity coefficient and activity of total ferrous oxides in slag, also investigate carbon and oxygen activity coefficient in steel according to the statistical theory of regular ionic solutions.The oxides capacity of the slag was also assessed. The variation of carbon and oxygen activity in hot metal with the concentration was also treated.The ratio of activity to concentration of total ferrous oxides is constant and equal to 0.0179. The activity coefficients of oxygen and carbon in steel are 0.810 and 1.0704, respectively.The oxides capacity of the slag increases with increasing carbon concentration in the bath and with increasing DRI proportion in the charge.