{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-08-23T10:16:08.615Z", "family": "Ali", "given": "Mohamad Moustafa", "initials": "MM", "orcid": "0000-0002-4902-0550", "affiliations": ["Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/805bc529dce14a4f8ea863e2a26a312a.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/805bc529dce14a4f8ea863e2a26a312a"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "e5f593d84221417eaf9b9e9f3db3202c", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/e5f593d84221417eaf9b9e9f3db3202c.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/e5f593d84221417eaf9b9e9f3db3202c"}}, "title": "Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin gonadal extract mitigates neurotoxicity and inflammatory signaling in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.", "authors": [{"family": "Nagy", "given": "Nehal Shawky", "initials": "NS"}, {"family": "Helal", "given": "Mohamed", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0001-6170-4907", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b3c435df5c3243a1a70fe91b191a9f9d.json"}}, {"family": "Alsawy", "given": "Eman Sheta", "initials": "ES", "orcid": "0000-0001-9018-5229", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/9aa5b12682e045d49de9faee50e366d0.json"}}, {"family": "Ali", "given": "Mohamad Moustafa", "initials": "MM", "orcid": "0000-0002-4902-0550", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/805bc529dce14a4f8ea863e2a26a312a.json"}}, {"family": "Al-Sherif", "given": "Soheir Salem", "initials": "SS"}, {"family": "Essawy", "given": "Amina Essawy", "initials": "AE"}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2024-12-18", "journal": {"title": "PLoS ONE", "issn": "1932-6203", "volume": "19", "issue": "12", "pages": "e0315858", "issn-l": "1932-6203"}, "abstract": "The present study investigates the neuroprotective effects of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus gonadal extract on rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in a Parkinson's disease (PD) rat model. Parkinson's disease, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN), is exacerbated by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The study involved fifty Wistar rats divided into five groups: control, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control, Paracentrotus lividus gonadal extract-treated, rotenone-treated, and combined rotenone with Paracentrotus lividus gonadal extract-treated. Behavioral assessments included the rotarod and open field tests, while biochemical analyses measured oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH)), antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 beta (IL-1\u03b2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-\u03b1)), and neurotransmitters (dopamine (DA), levodopa (L-Dopa)). Histological and immunohistochemical analyses evaluated the neuronal integrity and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and alpha-synuclein expression. The results showed that Paracentrotus lividus gonadal extract significantly mitigated rotenone-induced motor deficits and improved locomotor activity. Biochemically, the extract reduced oxidative stress and inflammation markers while enhancing antioxidant levels. Histologically, it restored neuronal integrity and reduced alpha-synuclein accumulation. Molecularly, it increased tyrosine hydroxylase and dopa decarboxylase gene expression, essential for dopamine synthesis. These findings suggest that Paracentrotus lividus gonadal extract exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and dopaminergic neuron integrity, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease.", "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0315858", "pmid": "39693313", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC11654954"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "PONE-D-24-33579"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T12:52:42.324Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T12:52:42.409Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "80ded4fc3f454a2d8306b1661965a54f", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/80ded4fc3f454a2d8306b1661965a54f.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/80ded4fc3f454a2d8306b1661965a54f"}}, "title": "Characterization and biological applications of gonadal extract of Paracentrotus lividus collected along the Mediterranean coast of Alexandria, Egypt.", "authors": [{"family": "Nagy", "given": "Nehal Shawky", "initials": "NS"}, {"family": "Essawy", "given": "Amina Essawy", "initials": "AE"}, {"family": "Al-Sherif", "given": "Soheir Salem", "initials": "SS"}, {"family": "Ali", "given": "Mohamad Moustafa", "initials": "MM", "orcid": "0000-0002-4902-0550", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/805bc529dce14a4f8ea863e2a26a312a.json"}}, {"family": "Alsawy", "given": "Eman Sheta", "initials": "ES"}, {"family": "Helal", "given": "Mohamed", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0001-6170-4907", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/b3c435df5c3243a1a70fe91b191a9f9d.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2024-01-02", "journal": {"title": "PLoS ONE", "issn": "1932-6203", "volume": "19", "issue": "1", "pages": "e0296312", "issn-l": "1932-6203"}, "abstract": "Marine invertebrates represent a valuable reservoir of pharmaceutical bioactive compounds with potential relevance to various medical applications. These compounds exhibit notable advantages when compared to their terrestrial counterparts, in terms of their potency, activity, and mechanism of action. Within this context, the present work aimed to extract, chemically characterize, and investigate the bioactivity of the gonadal extract of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (P. lividus) collected along the Mediterranean coast of Alexandria, Egypt. Fractions of the gonadal extract were characterized by Spectrophotometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their bioactivities were investigated in vitro. The analysis supported the extract richness of carotenoids and bioactive compounds. The extract showed promising anticancer activity against three different breast cancer cell lines with different levels of aggressiveness and causative factors, namely MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, and HCC-1954. Gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR showed that P. lividus extract inhibited the expression of crucial factors involved in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. In addition, the extract significantly inhibited the lipo-polysaccharides (LPS) induced inflammation in the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line and exerted anti-bacterial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Collectively, these results demonstrated the chemical richness and the wide-scale applicability of P. lividus gonadal extract as an anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory natural extract.", "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0296312", "pmid": "38166099", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC10760885"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "PONE-D-23-27303"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T12:52:35.716Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T12:52:35.827Z"}]}