Mohamed A Farag

Cairo University | CU

Diabetes mellitus is a globally metabolic endocrine syndrome marked by a deficiency of insulin secretion (type-1 DM) or glucose intolerance arising from insulin response impairment (type-2 DM) leading to abnormal glucose metabolism. With an increasing interest in natural dietary components for diabetes management, the identification of novel agents...

Guava (Psidium guajava L., Myrtaceae) is an economic grown worldwide tree, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Guavas encompass numerous cultivars (cvs.) that were discriminated in previous studies based on leaf morphological features and profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nevertheless, fruit VOCs have also shown outstandin...

Exploring novel sources of plant protein for nutrition of both humans and animals is motivated mainly by its growing demand worldwide, besides identifying healthy alternatives for animal protein. The present study evaluates metabolome diversity within 15 legume seed species. The examined samples comprised three Melilotus, four Medicago, four Trifol...

Scope Higher flavonoid intake is associated with reduced risk of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there is a large discrepancy in the effects of flavonoid supplementation on NAFLD. To fill such knowledge gap, we systematically reviewed randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to critically assess flavonoid supplementation effect on live...

Gingerols represent the main bioactive compounds in ginger drugs mostly Zinigiber officinale (F. Zingebraceae) and account for the biological activities and the strong/pungent flavor in ginger. Ginger (Z. officinale) rhizome is one of the most valued herbal drugs for ailments’ treatment in many ayurvedic medicine asides from its culinary applicatio...

Aureusidin, a derivative of aurone, imparts a vibrant yellow hue to numerous yellow‐rich plants, such as sunflowers and snapdragons. The bright yellow color provides an excellent pigment of choice for plant breeders to cultivate different‐colored hybrid species. The biosynthesis of aureusidin relies on a key aureusidin synthase enzyme, which belong...

Sugar production is a significant worldwide agro-based industry generally produced by extraction mostly from sugar plants, principally Beta vulgaris var. saccharifera and sugarcane Saccharum officinarum L. Other plant resources for sucrose include grape, mulberry, apricot, prune, fig, apple, and carob. During sucrose production, molasses is typical...

Alkaloids are major dietary components well known for their pharmacological activities. Herbal matrices require extensive processing due to their high level of complexity in order to isolate their alkaloidal contents. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailored receptors with a highly specific molecular recognition, which is the most importa...

Heat sterilization of dairy products can promote the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), protein oxidation products (POPs) and α-dicarbonyl compounds, which have a significant influence on health due to the close association of these products with diabetes complications. In this study, eight oat phenolic acids were first analyzed f...

Flavonoids are phytochemicals that widely exist in plants, fruits, and vegetables and have a variety of activities. However, due to their complex structure, it is often rarely absorbed into the blood. Intestinal bacteria regarded as the third kind of human organ have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Complex structural flavonoids can b...

Short-wave UVB (ultraviolet B) causes rapid oxidative damage to the skin. Rose water is obtained mainly from the petals of Rosa damascena Mill. (Rosaceae) and used traditionally to hydrate dry skin and reduce signs of aging. This work aimed at evaluating the possible protective potential of the prepared eco-friendly Taif rose oil nanoemulsion (ROSE...

Asparagus species is recognized as a perennial herb with several valuable functional ingredients, and has been widely used as medicine and food since ancient times. Among its main chemical constituents, saponins play a vital role in the health benefits and biological activities including anti-cancer, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-microbial, a...

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently regarded as the twenty-first century's plague accounting for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Besides its reported symptoms affecting the respiratory tract, it was found to alter several metabolic pathways inside the body. Nanoparticles proved to combat viral infectio...

Starch-based materials have viscoelasticity, viscous film-forming, dough pseudoplasticity, and rheological properties, which possess the structural characteristics (crystal structure, double helix structure, and layered structure) suitable for three-dimensional (3D) food printing inks. 3D food printing technology has significant advantages in custo...

Oil crops have become increasingly farmed worldwide because of their numerous functions in foods and health. Particularly. Oil derived from the seeds of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) (EPO) comprises essential fatty acids of the omega-6 (ω-6) series. It is well recognized to promote immune cells with a healthy balance and management of female...

Citrus polyphenols can modulate gut microbiota and such bi-directional interaction that can yield metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to aid in gut homeostasis. Such interaction provides citrus polyphenols with powerful prebiotic potential, contributing to guts' health status and metabolic regulation. Citrus polyphenols encompass un...

Dendrobium catenatum, which belongs to the Orchidaceae family, has been used as a traditional medicine and healthy food in China for over 2000 years, and is of enormous economic value. Polysaccharides and flavonoids are two major functional ingredients in D. catenatum stems that contribute to its health benefits. D. catenatum lives in close associa...

Averrhoa carambola L. tree encompasses a myriad of phytochemicals contributing to its nutritional and health benefits. The current study aims at investigating A. carambola L. the metabolite profile grown in tropical and temperate regions represented by fruit and stem for the first time using UPLC/MS-based molecular networking and chemometrics. Asid...

Tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, with several health benefits attributed for its rich chemical composition and further associated with fermentation process to improve its quality attributes. Most tea types originate from the leaves of Camellia sinensis with differences in fermentation levels yielding black tea, green tea, pouchon...

Monosodium glutamate is a non-essential amino acid in the human body that has been widely used as a food additive since 1909 due to its unique umami taste. Typical food containing monosodium glutamate include tomatoes, yeast extracts, fermented soy products, and cheese. After entering the human body, it is mainly absorbed in the small intestine by...

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile (Zygophyllaceae), also known as the desert date, is an edible fruit-producing tree popular for its nutritional and several health benets. In this study, multi-targeted comparative metabolic proling and ngerprinting approaches were conducted for the assessment of the nutrient primary and secondary metabolite heter...

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L) is an ancient perennial plant species regarded as a multipurpose plant owing to its richness in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) including α-linolenic acid (ALA). The extensive biochemical analysis of flaxseed resulted in the identification of its bioactive, i.e., lignans with potential application in the...

The number of hypercholesterolemic people is increasing rapidly worldwide, with elevated lipid profiles representing a major risk factor of coronary heart diseases. Dietary intervention was shown to improve the lipid profile, thus enhancing the quality of life. Dietary fiber is a nondigestible form of carbohydrates, due to the lack of the digestive...

Terpenes are volatile compounds responsible for aroma and the postharvest quality of commercially important xiangfei (Torreya grandis) nuts, and there is interest in understanding the regulation of their biosynthesis. Here, a transcriptomics analysis of xiangfei nuts after harvest identified 156 genes associated with the terpenoid metabolic pathway...

Obesity is one of the major metabolic syndrome risk factors upon which altered metabolic pathways follow. This study aimed to discern altered metabolic pathways associated with obesity and to pinpoint metabolite biomarkers in serum of obese rats fed on high fructose diet using metabolomics. Further, the effect of standardized green versus black caf...

The undifferentiated cambial meristematic cell (CMC) has been recognized as a value-added production platform for plant natural products in comparison to the dedifferentiated plant cell line (DDC). In a time-based approach at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h, the present study aimed at investigating the phytochemical metabolome of methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-elicit...

Biochemometric approach to reveal Terminalia bentzo € e cytotoxic effect against HepG2 cells in relation to its different organs and extraction solvents as analysed via UPLC-MS A B S T R A C T Numerous Terminalia species from the Combretaceae family have been well characterised for their potential anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inammatory activi...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are common dietary pollutants with potential carcinogenic activity, while polyphenols are potential chemopreventive antioxidants. Although several health benets are attributed to polyphenol-rich pomegranate, little is known about its interaction with BaP. This study integrates histochem...

Plants belonging to the Launaea genus have been extensively utilized ethnopharmacologically to treat a variety of diseases, including kidney disorders. Chromium is a common industrial pollutant that has been linked to kidney disease. The present work was designed for the investigation of the UPLC-QTOF–MS/MS metabolite profile of the L. mucronate et...

Desert truffles have been used as traditional treatments for numerous inflammatory disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 macrophages have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of two main desert truffles, Terfezia boudieri and T. cla...

Clinical manifestation of gastric ulcers is frequent, in addition to their costly drug regimens, warranting the development of novel drugs at lower costs. Although Bassia indica is well characterized for its anti-inammatory and antioxidant potential, capacity of its ethanol extract (BIEE) to prevent stomach ulcers' progression has not been reporte...

Legumes and cereals as staple food are typically consumed at mature stage, though also consumed at earlier stages. UPLC/MS based molecular networking and chemometrics were employed for the first time to address metabolome composition heterogeneity amongst seeds in the context of their maturity stages. The study included 5 major cereal and leguminou...

Food-gut microbiome interaction is increasingly recognized for its impact on human nutritional status from early childhood. Increasing studies confirmed that a favored gut-microbiome is directly related to the type of consumed diet leading to gut homeostasis. Disruption of such gut-microbiome symbiosis has also been involved in several degenerative...

In this study, carbon dots (CDs), cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and essential oil nanoemulsion (EON) were extracted from the aril waste of Torreya grandis following nuts production. These three nanomaterials were formulated for the preparation of a composite film to be employed for postharvest tomato storage. Visual, microscopical and physicochemical...

Commercial milk is one of the most well-known substitutes for human milk. In view of this, we performed an in-depth examination of human milk compared with camel milk. Results showed that human milk and camel milk have the same levels of saturated fatty acids. Human milk contained a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, while camel milk...

Citation: Khattab, O.M.; El-Kersh, D.M.; Khalifa, S.A.M.; Yosri, N.; El-Seedi, H.R.; Farag, M.A. Comparative MS-and NMR-based Metabolome Mapping of Egyptian Red and White Squill Bulbs F. Liliaceae and in Relation to Their Cytotoxic Effect. Plants 2023, 12, 2078. Abstract: Urginea maritima L. (squill) species is widely spread at the Mediterranean re...

Saponins, consisting of sapogenins as their aglycones and carbohydrate chains, are widely found in plants and some marine organisms. Due to the complexity of the structure of saponins, involving different types of sapogenins and sugar moieties, investigation of their absorption and metabolism is limited, which further hinders the explanation of the...

Gene therapy, an effective medical intervention strategy, is increasingly employed in basic research and clinical practice for promising and unique therapeutic effects for diseases treatment, such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, neurological pathologies, infectious diseases, and wound healing. However, naked DNA/RNA is readily hydrolyzed by nu...

Lipid analysis is an integral part of food authentication and quality control which provides consumers with the necessary information to make an informed decision about their lipid intake. Recent advancement in lipid analysis and lipidome scope represents great opportunities for food science. in this review we provide a comprehensive overview of av...

Many bioactive compounds are reported from marine organisms, which are significantly different from those found in terrestrial organisms regarding their chemical structures and pharmacological activities. Marine glycoproteins (MGs) have aroused increasing attention as a good nutrient source owing to their potential applications in medicine, cosmeti...

Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are natural bioactive ingredients produced by: bacteria, fungi, sponges, andhigher plants, possessing a lipophilic polyphenol structure with a myriad of biological properties.Focusing on the importance of ARs, several analogs can be extracted from different naturalresources. Interestingly, the composition of ARs is usually re...

Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are natural bioactive ingredients produced by: bacteria, fungi, sponges, and higher plants, possessing a lipophilic polyphenol structure with a myriad of biological properties. Focusing on the importance of ARs, several analogs can be extracted from different natural resources. Interestingly, the composition of ARs is usually...

Eucalyptus L’Hér. (Myrtaceae) is one of the economically most important and widely cultivated trees for wood crop purposes worldwide. Climatic changes together with the constant need to expand plantations to areas that do not always provide optimal conditions for plant growth highlight the need to assess the impact of abiotic stresses on eucalypt...

Untargeted metabolomics of moderately resistant wild tomato species Solanum cheesmaniae revealed an altered metabolite profile in plant leaves in response to Alternaria solani pathogen. Leaf metabolites were significantly differentiated in non-stressed versus stressed plants. The samples were discriminated not only by the presence/absence of specif...

indole-3-carbinol (i3C) is a major dietary component produced in Brassica vegetables from glucosinolates (GLS) upon herbivores' attack. The compound is gaining increasing interest due to its anticancer activity. However, reports about improving its level in plants or other sources are still rare. Unfortunately, i3C is unstable in acidic media and t...

Sesame is a valuable crop recognized for its rich composition and myriad of health benefits. The current study attempts to characterize sesame seeds’ metabolome in relation to geographical origins i.e., Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, in addition to samples from paste production lines along its different steps. UPLC-PDA-ESI-qTOF-MS was employed for untarget...

Corn starch (CS)/chitosan (CH) composite film attained higher stability by incorporating rose anthocyanins (RACNs)-encapsulated potato amylopectin nanoparticles (APNPs) as pH indicator applied for shrimp freshness detection. Apart from the physical-chemical characterization of nanoparticles, the effects of different rose anthocyanins-encapsulated b...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory disease, and in the face of limitations such as drug resistance and side effects of traditional drugs, there is growing evidence that dietary polyphenols from plant sources can aid alleviate IBD. Several polyphenolics including flavonoids and tea polyphenols can protect epithelia...

In their environment, plants interact with a multitude of living organisms and have to cope with a large variety of aggressions of biotic or abiotic origin. What has been known for several decades is that the extraordinary variety of chemical compounds the plants are capable of synthesizing may be estimated in the range of hundreds of thousands, bu...

Zizania latifolia is an aquatic and medicinal plant with a long history of development in China and the East Asian region. The smut fungus "Ustilago esculenta" parasitizes Z. latifolia and induces culm expansion to form a vegetable named Jiaobai, which has a unique taste and nutritional attributes. However, the postharvest quality of water bamboo s...

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. is a unique member of the family Nymphaeaceae, and one of the most important industrial crops with a cultural and medicinal value, especially in the traditional herbal medicines. The beautiful scent of its pink flowers had been used in many cosmetic preparations, but rarely investigated. The goal of this study was to charac...

Tomatoes show diverse phytochemical attributes that contribute to their nutritive and health values. This study comprehensively dissects primary and secondary metabolite profiles of seven tomato varieties. UHPLC-qTOF-MS assisted molecular networking was used to monitor 206 metabolites, 30 of which were first-time to be reported. Flavonoids, as valu...

Berberine (Berb) is a major alkaloid with potential protective effects against multiple neurological disorders. Nevertheless, its positive effect against 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP) induced Huntington's disease modulation has not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the possible action mechanisms of Berb against such neuro...

Background: The incidence of diseases related to the digestive tract is on the rise, with many types of complex etiologies. Dendrobium nobile Lindl. is a famous Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rich in many bioactives proven to be beneficial in several health diseases related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Purpose: At present, despite t...

Significant difficulties about the function of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in manufacture of three genuine varieties of Egyptian cheese, namely Domiati, Karish, and Ras's cheeses, are covered in this review. Benefits of implementing HACCP include complementing other quality management systems, improving food safety, making b...

Tongkat ali commonly known as Malaysian Ginseng (Eurycomalongifolia) is a herbal root worldwide available in nutraceuticals, either as a crude powder or capsules blended with other herbal products. Herein, a multiplexed metabolomics approach based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography–m...

Cucurbitaceae comprises 800 species, the majority of which are known for their nutritive, economic, and health-promoting effects. This study aims at the metabolome profiling of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) fruits in a comparative manner for the first time, considering that both species are reported to exhibit se...

Macrominerals play vital roles in multitude of physiologic systems. A myriad of biochemical reactions is dependent on or affected by these electrolytes. The current review attempts to identify the role of macrominerals as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and sulfur in human health, in addition to their absorption and homeostasis in...

DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 columns were used to isolate Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharide (EPP), which contains α-L-Rhap-(1 → 4)-α-L-Arap-(1 → 2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → 3)-β-D-Galp-(1 → structural fragment, along with α-L-Rhap-(1 → and →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → 3)-β-D-GlcpA-(1 → side bonds that connect to →3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→. The anti-ageing and hypoglycemic act...

DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 columns were used to isolate Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharide (EPP), which contains α-L-Rhap-(1 → 4)-α-L-Arap-(1 → 2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → 3)-β-D-Galp-(1 → structural fragment, along with α-L-Rhap-(1 → and →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → 3)-β-D-GlcpA-(1 → side bonds that connect to →3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1→. The anti-ageing and hypoglycemic act...

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a risk management protocol developed to ensure food safety through a precautionary approach that is believed to offer assurances in producing safe food for customers. Yogurt is made in a number of phases, commencing with the collection of raw milk and ending with consumer consumption. While this is...