Bioremediation of aquaculture wastewater using the fungal biomass integrating Plackett–Burman design Hazem T. Abd El-Hamid, Muhammad A. El-Alfy, Hanan M. Hafiz, Hoda M. El-Gharabawy Biodegradation, 2026 Aquaculture wastewater contains elevated levels of nutrients and organic pollutants that can accelerate eutrophication and impair aquatic ecosystems if discharged untreated. In the study, a fungal-based remediation approach was investigated for the removal of pollutants from aquaculture wastewater collected from Baltim Station ponds (31.55244° N, 31.092855° E) near Lake Burullus, Egypt. Two native fungal isolates, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus , were employed for primary mycoremediation experiments, while Ganoderma mbrekobenum was included only in the Plackett–Burman experimental design to evaluate the influence of environmental and nutritional factors on total phosphorus (TP) removal under optimized conditions. The fungal treatment significantly improved water quality, showing substantial reductions in total protein, phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) indicating a vital role of Aspergillus species in the bioremediation of nutrient-rich aquatic environments. The Plackett–Burman design (PBD) showed that fungal treatment significantly reduced pollutant concentrations with higher metabolic activity and enzymatic production as dehydrogenase and total protein from 9 to 12 days. Moreover, PBD identified KH 2 PO 4 and MgSO₄ as the most influential variables for enhancing TP removal in the presence of G. mbrekobenum , while peptone and yeast extract exhibited the greatest effect in the non-fungal control system. The regression models demonstrated strong predictive accuracy (R 2 > 0.99), confirming the validity of the optimization approach. The results highlight the effectiveness of fungal biomass as a cost-effective and eco-friendly bioremediation strategy for mitigating nutrient pollution in aquaculture effluents and protecting sensitive aquatic environments such as Lake Burullus.
In vitro antitumor effects of methanolic extracts of three Ganoderema mushrooms Elshahat A. Toson, Amira A. El-Fallal, Marwa A. Oransa, Hoda M. El-Gharabawy Scientific Reports, 2025 Ganoderma mushrooms have a variety of pharmacological activities and may have antitumor effects. Therefore, the antitumor activity of the methanolic fruiting body extracts of three Ganoderma spp. will be evaluated by estimating cell viability, cell cycle parameters and the mode of cellular death. In this regard, Sulfo-rhodamine B staining and flow cytometry were used. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and breast ductal carcinoma (T-47D) cell lines were used as cancer models, while mouse normal liver (BNL) and oral epithelial cell (OEC) lines were used as respective controls. The results revealed that Ganoderma resinaceum extract decreased the viability of BNL at an IC50 > 100 µg/mL but not that of HepG2 at an IC50 of 72.32 µg/mL. Additionally, Ganoderma australe and Ganoderma mbrekobenum decreased the viability of OEC cell line at an IC50 of 328.29 and 271.56 µg/ mL, respectively. On the other hand, the IC50 of T-47D were 221.95 and 236.45 µg/mL, respectively. The three extracts arrested the cell life cycle at the G1 phase in each case. G. resinaceum extract stimulated total apoptosis (Q2 + Q4) of 19.99% with low necrosis (Q1). However, the percentages of total cell necrosis in the T-47D cell line treated with the other two extracts were 31.10% and 18.28%, respectively while the percentages of total cell apoptosis were 6.83% and 1.78%, respectively. Thus, G. resinaceum significantly inhibited the viability of the HepG2 cell line, while both the G. australe and G. mbrekobenum extracts significantly decreased the viability of the T-47D cell line. These results may encourage speculation about their possible use for the therapeutic management of hepatocellular carcinoma and breast ductal carcinoma after further investigation.
A Controlled-Release Biofertilizer Using Composite of Poly (Urea–Formaldehyde), Date Seeds and Sulfate of Potash-Magnesia (2MgSO4·K2SO4) as All-Biodegradable With Antimicrobial Potentials Hoda M. El‐Gharabawy, Hamada H. Abdel‐Razik, Mostafa M. Gaafar Biopolymers, 2025 Based on the combination of poly (urea‐formaldehyde) (UF), Sulfate of Potash‐Magnesia (Sul‐Po‐Mag) fertilizer (2MgSO4·K2SO4), and Date Kernel Seed (DS), a novel slow‐release fertilizer in the form of granules called UF/DS/Sul‐Po‐Mag composite was introduced. The IR, DSC, TG, and X‐ray spectra were used to characterize the synthesized composite. Characterizations revealed that the new fertilizer had good compatibility and strong hydrogen‐bond interactions with improved mechanical and slow‐release properties. An aqueous medium and soil incubation studies (up to 70 days) were used to examine the slow‐release behavior. Over time, the accessible SO4−2, K+, and Mg+2 contents showed significantly lower SO4−2, K+, and Mg+2 losses than conventional fertilizer, even for low‐polymerized materials. The fertilizer composite proved significant antimicrobial activity against all tested pathogens using the broth dilution technique. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) for tested bacteria and yeasts was 20 mg, while the maximum inhibition concentration (MAC) ranges from 40 to 60 mg. On the other hand, MIC for tested filamentous fungi was 100 mg, while MAC was 200–500 mg. These antimicrobial properties against harmful microbes and nutritional contents would enhance the growth of beneficial microorganisms and maintain good equilibrium in the microbial community.
DIVERSITY OF FEEDSTUFF MYCOBIOME IS DETERMINED BY FEEDSTUFF COMPOSITION AND CULTURING CONDITIONS Amira Ali El-Fallal, Mayada Fathy El-Fawal, Ahmed Kassem El-Sayed, Taha Mohamed El-Katony, Hoda Mohamed El-Gharabawy Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 2025 Fungal contamination of feedstuffs is a serious threat impacting domestic animals via the production of mycotoxins. This study surveys the mycobiome diversity of some Egyptian feedstuffs in relation to the type of feed and some culturing conditions viz. type of nutrient medium and incubation temperature. Poultry, rabbit and cattle feeds from the Nile Delta, Egypt were assayed for nutritional components and fungal contamination. Feed inoculants were incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and malt extract agar (MEA) at 25 °C and 30 °C to specify the appropriate culturing conditions for each feedstuff mycobiome. Poultry feed was relatively rich in protein, insoluble sugars and fat; cattle feed was rich in soluble sugars, fiber, moisture and ash; while rabbit feed had moderate composition. PDA rather than MEA favored maximal species richness, species diversity and germ load of feedstuffs. Despite its low fungal count, rabbit feed has high species diversity and species richness but cattle feed exhibited the opposite pattern. The most dominant fungal division was the Ascomycota, particularly Aspergillus spp. and Monascus ruber, followed by Zygomycota with a rarity of Basidiomycota. Some fungal species were confined to certain feedstuffs. The three fungal divisions exhibited different preferences for incubation temperature and nutrient medium. The low moisture content and fungal load refer to the hygienic nature of feedstuffs. Nevertheless, the prevalence of Aspergillus species points to a potential mycotoxin production. Each feedstuff has a unique fungal community, which is further screened by the culturing conditions. The species diversity and species richness of a feedstuff might contrast its fungal count. This study pays attention towards the consequences of seeping of mycotoxins, produced by the feed-born fungi, into the food chain from domestic animals to the humans.
Optimizing the Antioxidant Activity of Solid State Fermentation Systems with Pleurotus floridanus and Paecilomyces variotii on Rice Straw Amira A. El-Fallal, Taha M. El-Katony, Mahmoud M. Nour El-Dein, Nourhan G. Ibrahim, Hoda M. El-Gharabawy Egyptian Journal of Botany, 2022 S OLID state fermentation system (SSFS) efficiency depends on the proper selection of the microorganisms, substrates and environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated and optimized the antioxidant activity of the SSFS constructed using Pleurotus floridanus or Paecilomyces variotii on rice straw. The genotypic effect on antioxidant activity surpassed that of the environmental conditions. Peroxidase (POX) activity was expressed only in Pleurotus floridanus , but catalase (CAT) activity was expressed in both fungi, in favor of Paecilomyces variotii. The activities of both enzymes were maximized at low pH, low temperature and with ammonium chloride as the N source, but high moisture was optimal for POX and low moisture was optimal for CAT. Phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in Paecilomyces variotii than Pleurotus floridanus , with preference for high moisture, low pH and urea in Paecilomyces variotii , and low moisture, low pH, and sodium nitrate in Pleurotus floridanus . The reducing power of Paecilomyces variotii was higher than that of Pleurotus floridanus , with positive moisture-dependence, low temperature, and gelatin preferences in Paecilomyces variotii , and negative moisture- and temperature-dependence and urea-preferences in Pleurotus floridanus . The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity was higher in Paecilomyces variotii than Pleurotus floridanus , with negative dependence on moisture and temperature and limited nitrogen source effects in both fungi . Regarding the incubation period, maximal antioxidant activity was observed with a shorter incubation in the Paecilomyces variotii SSFS and a longer incubation in the Pleurotus floridanus SSFS.
