With the increasing impacts of climate change, establishing more sustainable and robust plants such as desert dates (Balanites aegyptiaca) seems to be necessary. Known for its resilience in arid conditions, this tree has the potential to become a more important food source, particularly for its potential to yield edible oil. This study characterized Balanites kernel oil (BKO) as a promising oil source in arid regions, studying the influence of geographical origin and environmental factors. Moroccan and Sudanese BKO samples were analyzed and compared with Mauritanian BKO. In the fatty acid profile, unsaturated fatty acids constituted over 70% of the BKO profile, with a predominance of linoleic acid (Li), oleic acid (Ol), palmitic acid (Pa), and stearic acid (St). Consequently, the predominant triacylglycerols were PaLiLi, PaLiOl, LiLiOl, OlLiOl, and StLiOl. α-Tocopherol dominated the tocochromanol composition (324 to 607 mg/kg), followed by γ-tocopherol (120 to 226 mg/kg), constituting 90% of the total tocochromanols. The total phytosterol content in BKO ranged from 871 to 2218 mg/kg oil, with β-sitosterol dominating (58% to 74%). Principal Component Analysis revealed that the geographical origin significantly influences BKO composition, emphasizing environmental factors, particularly water deficit and/or temperatures. Notably, Moroccan BKO collected from an area characterized by high aridity and relatively low winter temperatures, showcased a unique profile in fatty acid, phytosterols, and tocochromanols. The valorization of BKO presents an opportunity for local agricultural development in arid regions and a role model for plant development and agricultural practices in other parts of the world.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by elevated blood sugar level due to a deficiency in insulin production and/or action. Balanites aegyptiaca (BA) has been employed as a hypoglycemic medication. Nanoparticles (NPs) have many advantages like minimized drug dose, sustainable drug release, maximized bioavailability and delivery of drugs. The study aimed to synthesize novel chitosan (CS) NPs loaded with BA extract (BA Ex). The prepared NPs were examined in treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. The anti-diabetic efficiency was evaluated through measuring of levels of blood glucose, insulin, lipid profile, oxidative stress markers, pro-inflammatory cytokines. GC-MS, HPLC and ICP techniques showed the presence of numerous bioactive components that have an anti-diabetic effectiveness. BA Ex-CS NPs succeeded in treatment of diabetes; where, it increased insulin secretion, lowered both FBG and FTA levels and helped in neogenesis of pancreatic islets beta cells. The regenerative activity of BA Ex-CS NPs is attributed to its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This antioxidant activity scavenged the generated free radicles that resulted from STZ administration. CS NPs raised the plant extract efficacy, prevented its degradation, and regulated the release of its components. The delivery of BA Ex bioactive components has been revolutionized by CS NPs.

Balanites aegyptiaca (B. aegyptiaca) is an African herb with traditional medical applications. Various pathogenic factors cause hepatic fibrosis and require novel treatment alternatives. Nanoformulation-based natural products can overcome the available drug problems by increasing the efficacy of natural products targeting disease markers. The current study investigated B. aegyptiaca methanolic extract using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and B. aegyptiaca/chitosan nanoparticles were prepared. In vivo, evaluation tests were performed to assess the curative effect of the successfully prepared B. aegyptiaca/chitosan nanoparticles. For 30 days, the rats were divided into six groups, typical and fibrosis groups, where the liver fibrosis groups received B. aegyptiaca extract, silymarin, chitosan nanoparticles, and B. aegyptiaca/chitosan nanoparticles daily. In the current investigation, phenolic molecules are the major compounds detected in B. aegyptiaca extract. UV showed that the prepared B. aegyptiaca /chitosan nanoparticles had a single peak at 280 nm, a particle size of 35.0 ± 6.0 nm, and a negative charge at - 8.3 mV. The animal studies showed that the synthetic B. aegyptiaca/chitosan nanoparticles showed substantial anti-fibrotic protective effects against CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats when compared with other groups through optimization of biochemical and oxidative markers, improved histological changes, and modulated the expression of Col1a1, Acta2 and Cxcl9 genes, which manage liver fibrosis. In conclusion, the current research indicated that the prepared B. aegyptiaca/chitosan nanoparticles improved histological structure and significantly enhanced the biochemical and genetic markers of liver fibrosis in an animal model.

Phenytoin-induced liver injury (PHT ILII) is a serious condition that may necessitate discontinuation of the drug. This study investigates the mechanisms of PHT ILII and evaluates the protective effects of Balanites Aegyptiaca (BA) fruit extracts on the liver. We focus on the Nrf2/MAPK/NF-κB/Beclin-1 signaling pathways involved in oxidative stress and inflammation from drug-induced liver injury. Phytochemical analyses of BA fruit extracts (Bu-F and EA-F) are conducted. Molecular docking techniques explore the interaction between phenytoin (PHT) and the Nrf2/MAPK/NF-κB/Beclin-1 pathways. Thirty-six male rats are divided into Control, Bu-F, EA-F, PHT, Bu-F/PHT, and EA-F/PHT groups, and they are observed for 45 days. EA-F extract is rich in phenolics/flavonoids, while Bu-F extract mainly contains saponins.PHT ILII causes histological damage in liver tissues and affects Nrf-2, MAPK, TNF-α, IL-1β, Mcp-1, Beclin-1, iNOS expression, and liver function markers (ALT, AST, ALP). However, EA-F/Bu-F extracts effectively improve the histological structure and significantly reduce biochemical/immunohistochemical parameters, restoring them to near-normal levels. EA-F extract is particularly effective.In conclusion, the Nrf2/MAPK /Beclin-1 pathways play a critical role in the development of PHT ILII. BA fruit extracts show promise as hepato-protective agents, with the EA-F extract demonstrating superior efficacy. These results lay the groundwork for new treatments for PHT ILII and drug-induced liver injuries.

OBJECTIVE: Nanoparticles can be employed to improve the therapeutic activity of natural products. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a serious health condition that has spread like a \"modern pandemic\" worldwide. In the present study, we developed silver nanoparticles, Ag-NPs, with an aqueous extract from Balanites aegyptiaca to investigate their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
METHODS: Aqueous extracts of Balanites aegyptiaca seeds (BAAE) were used in the synthesis of BAAE-AgNPs, which were characterized using FTIR and TEM. Different doses of BAAE-AgNP (1/50 LD50; 29.4 mg/kg b.w. and 1/20 LD50: 73.5 mg/kg b.w.) were administered to STZ-induced diabetic rats to evaluate their potential antidiabetic activity.
RESULTS: FTIR spectral data indicated the presence of flavonoids and polyphenols in BAAEAgNPs. The size of the BAAE-AgNPs, determined by TEM examination, was 49.33 ± 7.59 nm, with a zeta potential of +25.37. BAAE-AgNPs were characterized by an LD50 value of 1470 mg/kg b.w. In diabetic rats, the daily oral administration of both doses of BAAE-AgNPs (29.4 and 73.5 mg/kg b.w.) for 12 weeks resulted in a significant improvement in body weight, insulin homeostasis, HbA1c, HDL-C, MDA, and pancreatic SOD, CAT, and GSH. They reduced plasma glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. This treatment also resulted in a significant decrease in pancreatic IL-6, p53, and TNF-α in diabetic rats. Furthermore, BAAE-AgNPs down-regulated pancreatic TGF-β1 and Akt gene expression in diabetic rats and resulted in a significant decrease in the regulation of hepatic GLUT-2, as well as an increase in the regulation of hepatic GK and pancreatic B-cl2 gene expression. The histopathological results obtained indicated that BAAEAgNPs improved pancreatic tissue metabolism by enhancing antioxidant enzymes, suppressing inflammatory cytokines, and scavenging free radicals.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings implied that similar to the glibenclamide-treated groups, in the BAAEAgNPs treated group, the compromised antioxidant status normalized in STZ-induced diabetes. By scavenging free radicals, BAAE-Ag-NPs protected against lipid peroxidation while reducing the risk of complications from diabetes. Compared to the daily dose of 29.4 mg, the impact was more prominent at 73.5 mg.

Currently, microencapsulation has become a viable method of nutrient delivery for the food industry. This work microencapsulated the bioactive compounds extracted from two neglected species (Balanites aegyptiaca and Ziziphus mauritiana) by freeze-drying. A combination of wall materials (whey protein and pectin; soy protein and maltodextrin) was chosen to prepare the microcapsules. The phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of the microcapsules was then carried out. The encapsulation yield ranged from 82.77% to 96.05% for Balanites and Ziziphus, respectively, whereas the efficiency was 76.18 ± 1.39% and 80.93 ± 1.71%. The stimulated in vitro gastrointestinal test showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds. The total carotenoids were the most bioavailable compounds with 85.89 ± 0.06% for Ziziphus and 70.46 ± 1.10% for Balanites, followed by total flavonoids for Zizyphus with 63.27 ± 1.56%. Furthermore, regardless of species or wavelengths, the HPLC analysis resulted in the identification of 17 bioactive metabolites. The predominant one was epicatechin, whose level ranged from 231.52 ± 5.06 to 250.99 ± 3.72 mg/100 g DW in Ziziphus and 91.80 ± 3.85 to 116.40 ± 4.09 mg/100 g DW in Balanites. In estimating the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant power, both studied fruits showed antidiabetic, inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that natural bioactive compounds are abundant in the fruits of Z. mauritiana and B. aegyptiaca and could be a valuable source for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

This study describes the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Balanites aegyptiaca (B. aegyptiaca) leaf extract. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy with (SEM-EDS). The AgNPs showed an average size of 10-20 nm, spherical shape, and crystalline nature. The application of these synthesized AgNPs to dye degradation showed that the AgNPs removed the two organic pollutants methylene blue (MB, 93.47%) and congo red (CR, (78.57%). In vitro investigation of the antifungal activity of the AgNPs against Fusarium oxysporum, a phytopathogenic fungus, showed a maximum percent radial growth inhibition of 82.00 ± 1.00% and a spore percent inhibition of 73.66 ± 3.94 for 150 μg/ml of biosynthesized AgNPs.

BACKGROUND: Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile, commonly known as desert date, is a thorny evergreen tree belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae and subfamily Tribuloideae that is widespread in arid and semiarid regions. This plant is an important source of food and medicines and plays an important role in conservation strategies for restoring degraded desert ecosystems.
RESULTS: In the present study, we sequenced the complete plastome of B. aegyptiaca. The chloroplast genome was 155,800 bp, with a typical four-region structure: a large single copy (LSC) region of 86,562 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,102 bp, and inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 25,568 bp each. The GC content was 35.5%. The chloroplast genome of B. aegyptiaca contains 107 genes, 75 of which coding proteins, 28 coding tRNA, and 4 coding rRNA. We did not observe a large loss in plastid genes or a reduction in the genome size in B. aegyptiaca, as found previously in some species belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae. However, we noticed a divergence in the location of certain genes at the IR-LSC and IR-SSC boundaries and loss of ndh genes relative to other species. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree constructed from the complete chloroplast genome data broadly supported the taxonomic classification of B. aegyptiaca as belonging to the Zygophyllaceae family. The plastome of B. aegyptiaca was found to be rich in single sequence repeats (SSRs), with a total of 240 SSRs.
CONCLUSIONS: The genomic data available from this study could be useful for developing molecular markers to evaluate population structure, investigate genetic variation, and improve production programs for B. aegyptiaca. Furthermore, the current data will support future investigation of the evolution of the family Zygophyllaceae.

Trichophyton rubrum is one of the major disease causing pathogens in human; mainly it causes tinea pedis, tinea cruris and tinea corporis. Cytochrome P450 which considered to be an important protein that can impact ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. B. aegyptiaca is rich source of secondary metabolites with tremendous medicinal values and it has sweet pulp, leaves with spine, strong seed and oily kernel. The epicarp of the fruit was taken for this study to inhibit T. rubrum using in vitro and in silico techniques. The epicarp portion was extracted using various solvents and water. The anti-dermatophytic activity on T. rubrum of these extracts was assessed utilizing poison plate technique with 5 individual concentrations. The fractioned chloroform extract of epicarp had fully inhibited the growth of T. rubrum at 3 mg/ml. Further, the chloroform extract was subjected to LC-MS analysis, in total, 40 compounds were elucidated. Then, the derived compounds were included for predicting ADMETox properties using Qikprop module. From the analysis 40 compounds were identified to be eligible for docking process. Then the desirable compounds, drug Ketoconazole were subjected to docking analysis using Glide module of Schrödinger. It shows that Platyphylloside has better docking result than other compounds and drug Ketoconazole. Further, MD simulation was carried out for Ketoconazole-Cyp450 and Platyphylloside-CYP450 complexes using Desmond, Schrödinger. MD simulation study also confirmed that the Platyphylloside-CYP450 complex more stable. This study suggests that Platyphylloside may act as potential inhibitor and it could be further subjected to experimental analysis to inhibit the T. rubrum growth.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> The use of Doxorubicin^® (Doxo) in the treatment of different tumours is restricted due to its cardiotoxicity. The objective of this study was to determine the protective effect of<i> Balanites aegyptiaca</i> extract against cardiotoxicity induced by Doxorubicin^® in male rats. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Adult male rats (140-160) were parted into 6 groups (10 animals each) as follows: Group (1) Normal rats the control, group (2) Rats were administered BAE (200 mg kg¹) orally for 4 weeks, group (3) Rats were treated IP with the anticancer drug (Doxorubicin^®) at the dose of (0.5 mg kg¹) for 4 weeks, group (4) Administrated orally with BAE in combination with Doxo injection for 4 weeks, group (5) Rats orally with BAE before intoxication with Doxo for 4 weeks and finally group (6) Animals post-administration of BAE for 4 weeks after intoxication with Doxo. After 4 weeks of injections. <b>Results:</b> Revealed that BAE succeeded to decline the Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, this was evidenced by the significant reduction of serum LDH, CK-MB, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 as well as cardiac MDA and nitric oxide levels coupled with marked improvement in serum LDL, PON1 as well as cardiac GSH, SOD and CAT. Moreover, the BAE induced prominent regeneration of the cardiac muscle. <b>Conclusion:</b> <i>Balanites aegyptiaca</i> extract may be a promising cardio-protector against Doxorubicin^® toxicity mediated through their antioxidant and radical scavenging activities.