Guava (Psidium guajava) leaves are commonly used in the treatment of diseases. They are considered a waste product resulting from guava cultivation. The leaves are very rich in essential oils (EOs) and volatiles. This work represents the detailed comparative chemical profiles of EOs derived from the leaves of six guava varieties cultivated in Egypt, including Red Malaysian (RM), El-Qanater (EQ), White Indian (WI), Early (E), El-Sabahya El-Gedida (ESEG), and Red Indian (RI), cultivated on the same farm in Egypt. The EOs from the leaves of guava varieties were extracted by hydro-distillation and analyzed with GC-MS. The EOs were categorized in a holistic manner using chemometric tools. The hydro-distillation of the samples yielded 0.11–0.48% of the EO (v/w). The GC-MS analysis of the extracted EOs showed the presence of 38 identified compounds from the six varieties. The sesquiterpene compounds were recorded as main compounds of E, EQ, ESEG, RI, and WI varieties, while the RM variety attained the highest content of monoterpenes (56.87%). The sesquiterpenes, β-caryophyllene (11.21–43.20%), and globulol (76.17–26.42%) were detected as the major compounds of all studied guava varieties, while trans-nerolidol (0.53–10.14) was reported as a plentiful compound in all of the varieties except for the RM variety. A high concentration of D-limonene was detected in the EOs of the RM (33.96%), WI (27.04%), and ESEG (9.10%) varieties. These major compounds were consistent with those reported for other genotypes from different countries. Overall, the EOs’ composition and the chemometric analysis revealed substantial variations among the studied varieties that might be ascribed to genetic variability, considering the stability of the cultivation and climate conditions. Therefore, this chemical polymorphism of the studied varieties supports that these varieties could be considered as genotypes of P. guajava. It is worth mentioning here that the EOs, derived from leaves considered to be agricultural waste, of the studied varieties showed that they are rich in biologically active compounds, particularly β-caryophyllene, trans-nerolidol, globulol, and D-limonene. These could be considered as added value for pharmacological and industrial applications. Further study is recommended to confirm the chemical variations of the studied varieties at a molecular level, as well as their possible medicinal and industrial uses.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging pathogen of global importance. We attempted to gain an insight into the organisation, distribution and mutational load of the virus strains reported from different parts of the world. We describe transmission dynamics and genetic characterisation of CHIKV across the globe during the last 65 years from 1952 to 2017. The evolutionary pattern of CHIKV was analysed using the E1 protein gene through phylogenetic, Bayesian and Network methods with a dataset of 265 sequences from various countries. The time to most recent common ancestor of the virus was estimated to be 491 years ago with an evolutionary rate of 2.78 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year. Genetic characterisation of CHIKV strains was carried out in terms of variable sites, selection pressure and epitope mapping. The neutral selection pressure on the E1 gene of the virus suggested a stochastic process of evolution. We identified six potential epitope peptides in the E1 protein showing substantial interaction with human MHC-I and MHC-II alleles. The present study augments global epidemiological and population dynamics of CHIKV warranting undertaking of appropriate control measures. The identification of epitopic peptides can be useful in the development of epitope-based vaccine strategies against this re-emerging viral pathogen.

Thioacetamide (TAA) intoxication produces a reproducible standard animal model of induced liver and kidney injuries where free radicals are produced by phase I oxidation reactions, which eventually leads to liver and kidney failure. Wheat germ oil (WGO) is a unique food supplement with concentrated nutrient efficiency and has remarkable antioxidant functions. Olmutinib, on the other hand, is a chemotherapy drug considered safe for kidneys and the liver. Therefore, in this study, WGO and olmutinib were investigated for their effect on TAA-induced liver and kidney damage. Inflammatory markers; interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β); IL-6; and the levels of enzymatic markers ALT (Alanine aminotransferase), AST (Aspartate aminotransferase), LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase), and CK (creatinine kinase) in serum for liver and kidney were analyzed and evaluated along with histopathological changes in the tissue. Thirty male mice 4–6 weeks of age were grouped into five groups of six animals: the control group (saline) and the other groups (Groups II to V), which were given thioacetamide for two weeks. In addition, Group II continued with TAA; Group III was given olmutinib (30 mg/kg), Group IV was given the wheat germ oil (WGO) (1400 mg/kg), and Group V was given (olmutinib (30 mg/kg) + WGO (1400 mg/kg)) for five days. The results suggested that olmutinib treatment potentiated TAA-induced liver and kidney injury. At the same time, WGO efficiently alleviated TAA and TAA–olmutinib toxicity in Groups IV and V. The histological studies also showed reduced damage with WGO in the animal model. Hence, it was concluded that WGO could significantly reduce liver and kidney damage caused by TAA and olmutinib in mice.

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