Search Results (64,447)

Background: Oral manifestations are common among people living with HIV (PLWH) and serve as important clinical indicators of immune status and disease progression. Despite extensive global research, data from the Gulf Cooperation Council region, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain limited. Aims: In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of oral manifestations, and their associations with immunological parameters, in a large cohort of PLWH in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 1500 adult PLWH who attended the Dammam Medical Complex HIV Clinic between January and December 2023. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected through medical record review. Standardized oral examinations were performed once per participant by two calibrated dentists using World Health Organization criteria. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and independent t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The cohort had a mean age of 38.3 ± 11.5 years and was predominantly male (78.3%). Most patients (89.6%) were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), with 75.7% achieving viral suppression. The mean CD4 count was 527 ± 221 cells/μL. Common co-infections included hepatitis C virus (11.7%), tuberculosis (17.2%), and hepatitis B virus (4.3%). The prevalence of any HIV-related oral manifestation was 72.9% (n = 1093); the most common findings were xerostomia (subjective dry mouth sensation, 48.1%), oral candidiasis (21.6%), and periodontitis (42.7%). Among severely immunosuppressed patients (CD4 < 200 cells/μL, n = 114), 89.5% had oral manifestations, with oral candidiasis affecting 66.7%. Severe immunosuppression was strongly associated with ART-naive status (92.0% vs. 8.0%, χ² = 864.55, p < 0.001). The presence of HIV-related oral manifestations was significantly associated with CD4 count < 200 cells/μL (χ² = 15.96, p < 0.001). Conclusions: HIV-related oral manifestations remain highly prevalent in our large Saudi cohort, despite high ART coverage, with xerostomia and oral candidiasis as the predominant findings. Severe immunosuppression was strongly associated with both ART-naive status and opportunistic oral infections. The association between oral manifestations and immunosuppression underscores their continued clinical relevance as accessible indicators of disease status. Integration of routine oral health screening into HIV care is essential for comprehensive patient management in the region. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nickel exposure is a significant environmental and occupational risk factor associated with the onset and progression of chronic liver diseases due to its capacity to induce persistent oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatocellular injury. This study aimed to evaluate the enhanced hepatoprotective and antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects of naringin-loaded nanoliposomes (NRG-NLPs), a novel nanoformulation designed to improve the bioavailability of naringin, a citrus-derived flavonoid phytochemical, against nickel sulfate (NiSO₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Methods: Ninety rats were allocated into six groups (n = 15 each): control, NRG, NRG-NLPs, NiSO₄, NiSO₄ + NRG, and NiSO₄ + NRG-NLPs. Treatments consisted of oral administration of NRG or NRG-NLPs (80 mg/kg/day) and intraperitoneal injections of NiSO₄ (20 mg/kg/day) for three weeks. Endpoints included assessment of growth performance, serum biochemistry, hepatic antioxidant status, inflammatory mediators, apoptotic gene expression, nickel tissue accumulation, and histopathological and ultrastructural liver changes. Results: NiSO₄ exposure induced marked hepatic injury, evidenced by reduced body weight, adverse serum biochemical profiles, increased hepatic enzymes and bilirubin, elevated oxidative damage markers (MDA, protein carbonyls), increased proinflammatory cytokines, and upregulation of HMGB1, PI3K, mTOR, JAK/STAT, and proapoptotic genes, accompanied by aberrant nickel accumulation and severe histopathological alterations. Co-treatment with NRG-NLPs significantly ameliorated biochemical and histological disturbances, restored antioxidant defense systems (SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH, Nrf2, HO-1), and modulated key pathways of inflammation (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6), fibrosis (TGF-β), cell survival, and apoptosis more effectively than crude naringin. NRG-NLPs also substantially reduced hepatic nickel deposition and preserved near-normal liver architecture. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that nanoformulated naringin confers superior hepatoprotective benefits against nickel-induced liver injury through enhanced bioavailability and multi-pathway modulation, supporting its translational potential as a citrus-derived medicinal phytochemical and dietary bioactive for the prevention and therapeutic intervention of oxidative and inflammatory chronic liver disease. Full article

Clinical indicators for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) have been derived from studies on younger or middle-aged populations in high TB-burden countries. However, diagnostic clues specific to older adults remain insufficiently validated. This multicenter prospective observational study aimed to identify the clinical features that can help differentiate PTB from CAP among older patients. We enrolled patients aged ≥65 years who were diagnosed with PTB or non-TB CAP between September 2023 and September 2025. Clinical data—including demographics, symptoms, and laboratory findings, previously reported as potential discriminators of PTB—were compared between the two groups. Of 233 patients included, 57 (24%) were diagnosed with PTB. No significant difference in sex was observed between the PTB and non-TB CAP groups. The PTB group was older and had a poorer performance status than the CAP group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, PTB was significantly and independently associated with weight loss (aOR 8.17, p < 0.001); symptoms lasting ≥2 weeks (aOR 5.79, p < 0.001); and absence of general fatigue (aOR 0.19, p < 0.001) and dyspnea (aOR 0.19, p = 0.002) but not with night sweats and hemoptysis. These clinical features may be valuable indicators of PTB in older adults and inform tuberculosis control strategies in regions expected to have accelerated population aging. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic ulcers are often characterized by impaired microcirculation, delayed epithelialization, and persistent pain. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has emerged as a regenerative approach capable of modulating angiogenesis and tissue repair. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ESWT on wound healing, microvascular remodeling, sensory recovery, and joint mobility in patients with chronic ulcerative lesions. Methods: In this prospective observational study, patients with chronic ulcers underwent a standardized ESWT protocol in addition to conventional wound care. Clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up using the Bates–Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT), pain visual analogue scale (VAS), capillaroscopy, Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test (SWMT), two-point discrimination (2PD), and range of motion (ROM). Results: ESWT was associated with a significant improvement in wound status, pain, sensory function, and ROM. Capillaroscopy showed robust correlations with clinical recovery, inversely with BWAT (ρ = −0.64, p < 0.01), SWMT (ρ = −0.55, p < 0.05), and 2PD (ρ = −0.49, p < 0.05), and positively with ROM recovery (ρ = 0.58, p < 0.01). Diabetic and smoking patients required a longer healing period (5.8 ± 1.3 weeks) than non-diabetic, non-smoking patients (4.2 ± 0.9 weeks, p = 0.03), although BWAT, capillaroscopy, and ROM values converged by week 8. Conclusions: ESWT was associated with meaningful structural, microvascular, and functional improvements in chronic ulcers. Microvascular remodeling, assessed by capillaroscopy, emerged as a key correlate of clinical recovery. Despite slower early healing in diabetic and smoking patients, final regenerative outcomes were ultimately comparable across risk profiles. Full article

Background: Malnutrition is a common yet often underestimated risk factor for adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients, including heart transplant recipients. Assessing nutritional status in this population is challenging due to comorbidities, pharmacotherapy, and the urgent nature of surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of routinely measured laboratory and anthropometric parameters in diagnosing malnutrition in heart transplant patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 53 adult patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation between 2021 and 2024 at the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, Poland. Anthropometric data (gender, age, BMI) and laboratory parameters—albumin, total protein, hemoglobin, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)—were analyzed. Malnutrition was defined as BMI < 22 kg/m². Cut-off points were based on literature data. Correlations between laboratory parameters and nutritional status were assessed, and concordance in malnutrition classification was evaluated. Results: Malnutrition criteria were met by 15% of patients. Only CRP predicted malnutrition risk, though its values did not differ significantly between BMI groups (p = 0.106). Negative correlations were found between CRP and total protein (−0.342; p = 0.012), albumin (−0.666; p < 0.0001), cholesterol (−0.287; p = 0.037), and hemoglobin (−0.383; p = 0.0046). A positive correlation was observed between CRP and NLR (0.333; p = 0.014). Conclusions: Malnutrition assessment in heart transplant recipients should not rely solely on individual laboratory parameters. A multifactorial approach integrating biochemical, anthropometric, and clinical data is necessary. Further research is needed to identify novel biomarkers to improve malnutrition risk evaluation and guide nutritional interventions in this population. Full article

Chronic diseases, particularly those with progressive neurological impairment, present a significant challenge in healthcare due to their impact on millions globally and the limited availability of effective therapies. Addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches, such as leveraging individuals’ genetic features for early intervention and treatment strategies. Due to the irregular intervals of patient visits, clinical data typically appear as censored, necessitating advanced analytical methods. Thus, this study introduces GTsurvival, a novel network architecture that combines graph convolutional networks (GCN) with a neural decision tree, providing promising advancements in disease prediction. GTsurvival utilizes restricted mean survival time (RMST) as pseudo-observations and directly connects them with baseline variables. Through the joint simulation of RMST, GTsurvival can effectively utilize shared information and enhance its predictive ability for patients’ future survival status. Firstly, GTsurvival is introduced to handle complex censored data, emphasizing the crucial role of graphs utilized in GCNs for processing related information among samples. Secondly, the neural decision tree within GTsurvival enhances decision-making by mitigating uncertainty at split nodes, effectively minimizing the global loss function and optimizing survival analysis in high-dimensional datasets. Thirdly, evaluations on simulated datasets and a real-world neurodegenerative disease cohort verify that the proposed GTsurvival method surpasses existing approaches. This superiority is partly attributed to the inclusion of a generalized score test during feature selection, which helps capture variants associated with disease progression. Full article

The intraspecific taxonomy of snow sheep (Ovis nivicola) is one of the most controversial issues in Caprinae systematics. Although eight subspecies have been described using morphological traits, the validity of several taxa, particularly those in the eastern part of their geographical range, remains disputed. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity of snow sheep in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data (935 loci after filtering) and complete mitochondrial genomes from 57 individuals collected across the Russian Far East (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka Krai, Magadan Oblast, and Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)). Post SNP-genotyping nuclear genomic studies using principal component analysis (PCA), ADMIXTURE, pairwise F_ST and Neighbor-Net revealed two clearly differentiated groups within Chukotka. One included individuals from the Koryak Mountains that are genetically indistinguishable from the Koryak subspecies (O. n. koriakorum) of northern Kamchatka. The other one encompassed individuals from the Anadyr Plateau and the Chukotka Mountains cluster with the Okhotsk subspecies (O. n. alleni) of the Kolyma Mountains. Bayesian phylogeny of complete mitochondrial genomes fully corroborated the nuclear results: Koryak Mountains samples formed a monophyletic clade, while Anadyr–Chukotka samples grouped with Kolyma Mountains individuals. Genetic diversity indices (_UH_E, A_R, F_IS) in both Chukotka groups were comparable to other studied populations and showed no signs of inbreeding depression. Our results provide important insights and can be used to develop science-based strategies for preserving the population-genetic diversity of snow sheep. Full article

This study employs Gaussian kernel principal component analysis to construct a composite indicator of environmental behavior willingness from nine dimensions. Using multiple categorical ordered linear regression models and their interaction models, it examines the differential influence mechanisms of social strata (economic status, education, social prestige) and environmental perception from gender, inter-provincial, and regional perspectives. Key empirical findings are the following: (1) Environmental willingness formed within the same social stratum based on shared perception levels shows consistent characteristics, with no significant gender differences observed. (2) Higher education deepens understanding of environmental policies, promoting the shift from awareness to willingness. However, it also enhances recognition of environmental complexity, which may foster a situational sense of powerlessness, often channeled into systemic advocacy rather than the belief that individual actions are insignificant. (3) Regional disparities are evident. For example, the perception of air pollution positively correlates with willingness in Hebei and Jiangsu but negatively in Beijing and Liaoning. (4) The middle social stratum in eastern and central regions shows more stimulable environmental willingness, contributing to sustainable regional environmental engagement. Conversely, in the western region, improving the economic status of lower- and middle-stratum residents is key to significantly enhancing the sustainability of overall regional willingness. This study reveals the varied drivers of environmental willingness by integrating multidimensional indicators and a social-class perspective, highlighting the regional role of environmental perception and advancing theory on socio-cognitive interactions in environmental sociology. Practically, it provides evidence for differentiated policy design, suggesting tailored incentives across social strata and regions, including measures to address “action paralysis” among the highly educated and to combine economic support in western China for fostering sustainable public environmental participation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder whose pathogenesis is still not completely understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that alterations in epigenetic architecture may contribute to the development of this condition. Here, we present a pilot DNA methylation study from peripheral blood in a cohort of Sicilian PD patients and matched controls. Peripheral tissue analysis has previously been shown to reflect molecular and functional profiles relevant to neurological diseases, supporting their validity as a proxy for studying brain-related epigenetic mechanisms. Methods: We analyzed 20 PD patients and 20 healthy controls (19 males and 21 females overall), matched for sex, with an age range of 60–87 years (mean 72.3 years). Peripheral blood DNA was extracted and processed using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC v2.0 BeadChip, which interrogates over 935,000 CpG sites across the genome, including promoters, enhancers, CpG islands, and other regulatory elements. The assay relies on sodium bisulfite conversion of DNA to detect methylation status at single-base resolution. Results: Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) data allowed for multiple levels of analysis, including immune cell-type deconvolution, estimation of biological age (epigenetic clocks), quantification of stochastic epigenetic mutations (SEMs) as a measure of epigenomic stability, and differential methylation profiling. Immune cell-type inference revealed an increased but not significant proportion of monocytes in PD patients, consistent with previous reports. In contrast, epigenetic clock analysis did not reveal significant differences in biological age acceleration between cases and controls, partially at odds with earlier studies—likely due to the limited sample size. SEMs burden did not differ significantly between groups. Epivariations reveal genes involved in pathways known to be altered in dopaminergic neuron dysfunction and α-synuclein toxicity. Differential methylation analysis, however, yielded 167 CpG sites, of which 55 were located within genes, corresponding to 54 unique loci. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis highlighted significant overrepresentation of pathways with neurological relevance, including regulation of synapse structure and activity, axonogenesis, neuron migration, and synapse organization. Notably, alterations in KIAA0319, a gene involved in neuronal migration, synaptic formation, and cortical development, have previously been associated with Parkinson’s disease at the gene expression level, while methylation changes in FAM50B have been reported in neurotoxic and cognitive contexts; our data suggest, for the first time, a potential epigenetic involvement of both genes in Parkinson’s disease. Conclusions: This pilot study on a Sicilian population provides further evidence that DNA methylation profiling can yield valuable molecular insights into PD. Despite the small sample size, our results confirm previously reported findings and highlight biological pathways relevant to neuronal structure and function that may contribute to disease pathogenesis. These data support the potential of epigenetic profiling of peripheral blood as a tool to advance the understanding of PD and generate hypotheses for future large-scale studies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Early risk assessment of nutritional and muscular status in geriatric palliative care patients may facilitate timely, personalized care. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the CONUT score, ultrasound-assessed muscle mass, and short-term mortality at 30, 45, and 60 days. Methods: This prospective, single-center study was conducted in a tertiary palliative care unit between May and September 2024. Muscle mass was assessed via ultrasound by measuring the thickness and cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris and biceps brachii. Nutritional status was evaluated using the CONUT score (low: ≤4, high: ≥5). Mortality at 30, 45, and 60 days was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves, Cox regression, and ROC analysis. Results: In a cohort of 200 geriatric palliative care patients (mean age 78.4 ± 10.2 years; 54.5% female), those with higher CONUT scores (≥5) had significantly lower ultrasound-assessed muscle mass and higher short-term mortality rates (48.6% vs. 11.3%, p < 0.001). A CONUT score ≥ 5 and the presence of malignancy independently predicted mortality, with hazard ratios up to 3.72. The CONUT score demonstrated moderate predictive accuracy for short-term mortality, highest at 60 days (AUC = 0.736). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed significantly reduced survival among patients with higher CONUT scores. Conclusions: A CONUT score ≥ 5 and malignancy independently predicted short-term mortality, and higher CONUT scores were associated with lower muscle mass. The CONUT score may be a useful tool for early risk assessment in geriatric palliative care, though further research is warranted. Full article

Introduction: Teeth intended for use as autogenous augmentative material may carry microbiological contamination, which can compromise the safety of regenerative procedures in the oral cavity. Therefore, effective disinfection protocols are crucial to ensure the microbiological purity of dentin-derived graft materials. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 30% alkaline ethanol solution containing 0.5 M sodium hydroxide in eliminating microorganisms from dentin material intended for autogenous augmentation. Materials and Methods: The study included 44 extracted teeth that were processed using the Smart Dentin Grinder procedure. The presence of microorganisms was analysed using standard microbiological methods before and after treatment with the disinfectant solution. Additionally, the potential association between tooth eruption status and the effectiveness of the disinfection process was evaluated using Fisher’s exact test, with odds ratios calculated using the Haldane–Anscombe correction to address zero cell counts. Results: Processing dentin in a 30% alkaline ethyl alcohol solution containing 0.5 M sodium hydroxide is an effective method for eliminating microorganisms, thereby rendering the material completely microbiologically pure. Conclusions: The dentine processing procedure used appears to ensure the production of autogenous material free from microbiological contamination, indicating its potential safety in clinical applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: The influence of the vitreoretinal interface on neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) remains poorly characterized. Most previous studies relied solely on macular optical coherence tomography (OCT), which provides limited information about global posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This study evaluated (1) whether ultrasonography-defined PVD status differs between nAMD eyes and healthy controls, and (2) whether baseline PVD influences macular neovascularization (MNV) phenotype and functional outcomes following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, treatment-naïve nAMD eyes and population-based healthy controls underwent dynamic B-scan ultrasonography and spectral-domain OCT. PVD was categorized as absent, partial, or complete. nAMD eyes received intravitreal aflibercept according to a treat-and-extend protocol and were followed for 12 months. Structural parameters—including subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal fluid (IRF), and central foveal thickness—along with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were recorded. A multivariable linear regression model was performed to assess whether PVD independently predicted BCVA gain after adjusting for age, baseline BCVA, MNV subtype, SRF, atrophy, and number of injections. Results: Absence of PVD was significantly more frequent in nAMD eyes than in controls (p < 0.001), whereas complete PVD prevalence was comparable. In nAMD, absence of PVD was associated with a higher prevalence of MNV type 2 (p = 0.032), while partial/complete PVD correlated with type 1 lesions. After 12 months, eyes without PVD achieved the greatest visual improvement (mean BCVA gain +0.34 ± 0.26), outperforming eyes with complete PVD (p = 0.026). A multivariable model confirmed that absence of PVD was an independent predictor of greater BCVA gain (β = −0.27; 95% CI −0.42 to −0.12; p = 0.0008). Eyes with complete PVD required more injections (p = 0.046). SRF and foveal-thickness reductions occurred across groups, whereas IRF changes were similar. Conclusions: Ultrasonography-defined PVD status differs markedly between nAMD and healthy eyes and independently influences neovascular phenotype and functional response to anti-VEGF therapy. These findings underscore the physiological importance of the vitreoretinal interface and support the use of ocular ultrasonography as an adjunct tool for assessing global vitreous status in selected nAMD settings. Full article

The present study models the deflection of nonlinear waves over a Kirchhoff plate underlying a Pasternak-like elastic foundation. A promising version of the tanh expansion analytical method has been deployed for the construction of regular exact solutions for the model, including the application of certain ansatz functions for validations and yet construction of more solutions. The resulting frequency equation and the modulation instability spectrum have been obtained for the linearized model, including the expressions for the related phase and group velocities. In addition, the study examines the equilibrium status of the resulting dynamical system with the help of the bifurcation analysis. Numerically, nonlinear deflection and dispersion of waves have been simulated through the acquired expressions and equations. Notably, the study notes that increasing both the Pasternak-like nonlinear parameter $\eta$ and time variation (for $x>0$) decreases the nonlinear deflection in the plate, while increasing the stiffness of the Winkler foundation increases deflection in the medium. In addition, the study establishes, concerning the determined frequency equation, that increasing the Winkler foundation stiffness increases the dispersion of nonlinear waves in the medium, while an opposite trend has been noted concerning the imposed Pasternak-like nonlinear foundation. In addition, both phase and group velocities, the gain function for modulation instability, and the resulting dynamical system have been noted to be greatly affected by the variation of the imposed foundational parameters. Lastly, this study has potential applications in various engineering fields while modeling and analysis of mechanical structures supported by additional structures. Full article

Background: Nutritional status is a key determinant of surgical outcomes, but its assessment in emergency settings remains challenging. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is derived from the serum ALB concentration and lymphocyte count, is a rapid, objective measure of nutritional and immune status. This study evaluated the associations between the PNI and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a single district general hospital in England, including adult patients who underwent emergency laparotomy between January 2019 and December 2023. The PNI was calculated as PNI = serum albumin (g/L) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (cells/μL). Patients were classified as malnourished (PNI < 50) or not malnourished (PNI ≥ 50). The outcomes assessed included postoperative complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and three-year all-cause mortality. Statistical analyses included chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, logistic regression, and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses. Preoperative albumin and lymphocyte counts were obtained on admission or within 24 h prior to surgery to calculate the PNI. Results: Among 482 patients (median age 68 years; 57% male), 66% were malnourished. Malnutrition was significantly associated with higher ASA grade (p < 0.001), frailty (p = 0.028), and comorbidity burden (p < 0.001). Malnourished patients had longer LOSs (≥12 days; p < 0.001) and higher 30-day readmissions (p = 0.026). After adjustment for key confounders, low PNI remained independently associated with stoma formation and prolonged length of stay. After adjustment for ASA grade, frailty, comorbidity burden, hypotension, and sepsis, low PNI remained independently associated with stoma formation and prolonged length of stay. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed reduced three-year survival in malnourished patients (log-rank p < 0.01). Conclusions: Malnutrition, as defined by a low PNI, is highly prevalent and associated with adverse postoperative outcomes in emergency laparotomy. PNI is a simple, objective, and clinically useful tool that should be incorporated into preoperative assessments to guide early nutritional optimization. However, albumin and lymphocyte counts may be influenced by acute inflammation and resuscitation in emergency presentations, and nutritional interventions were not captured in this retrospective dataset. Full article

This study examined the effects of dietary aniseed, thyme, and basil essential oils (EOs) on growth, health, and tissue integrity of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) reared in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Juvenile carp (102 ± 2.8 g) were fed for 12 weeks four isonitrogenous diets: a control and three diets supplemented with 0.2% aniseed (V1), thyme (V2), or basil (V3) oils. Growth performance was not significantly affected (p > 0.05). Flesh biochemical composition improved, with higher protein in V1 (17.85 ± 0.22%) and lower fat in V3 (1.78 ± 0.21%) compared to the control. Hematological parameters and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx) indicated enhanced immune and oxidative status, while MDA (malondialdehyde) levels decreased. SOD activity increased in treated groups, reaching 4.329 U mg⁻¹ protein in muscle and 4.908 U mg⁻¹ protein in liver in V2, compared to 2.775–3.677 U mg⁻¹ protein (muscle) and 3.508–4.349 U mg⁻¹ protein (liver) in controls. CAT activity was highest in the same group 57.045 U mg⁻¹ protein versus 31.403 U mg⁻¹ protein in controls. Microbiological assessment revealed reduced total aerobic bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae counts in EO-fed fish. Histological analysis showed healthier hepatic and intestinal structures, reduced vacuolation, intact epithelium, and abundant goblet cells in EO-treated groups. Full article