Étude ethnobotanique, ethno-taxonomique et ethnoécologique de Anacyclus pyrethrum var. pyrethrum (L.) Link. (Asteraceae) dans la vallée d’Ait Mhamed (Région d’Azilal, Maroc)

Les racines des plantes médicinales constituent une part importante de la pharmacopée marocaine traditionnelle. Cependant, malgré le rôle intéressant que jouent ces racines en médecine traditionnelle, plusieurs questions de durabilité et éventuellement de substitution ou/et de confusion ont été soulevées. Anacyclus pyrethrum var. pyrethrum est parmi les plantes médicinales qui sont sujettes à cette situation. Le présent travail constitue une contribution à une étude ethnobotanique, ethnotaxonomique et ethnoécologique de la plante A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum dans la vallée d’Ait Mhamed, considérée comme un des derniers refuges de l’espèce dans le Haut Atlas central. Les enquêtes ethnobotaniques réalisées auprès de 28 collecteurs et 2 grossistes dans la région ont montré que la racine, considérée comme la partie la plus exploitée de l’espèce, est utilisée essentiellement en poudre ou en décoction contre le rhumatisme articulaire des membres inférieurs, des vertèbres lombaires et aussi contre la gastroentérite. En application locale, la racine est utilisée fraîche contre les maux de dents et dans l’hygiène intime des femmes. L’étude a montré que les femmes possèdent un savoir-faire plus important que les hommes dans l’usage phytothérapique de cette racine. L’étude ethnotaxonomique a montré que les collecteurs savent très bien distinguer entre la racine de iguendez (A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum ou vrai pyrèthre) et celle de tiguendizt (A. pyrethrum var. depressus ou faux pyrèthre). Les collecteurs utilisent la couleur des fleurs, la forme et la taille des racines et l’odeur pour différencier entre ces deux espèces. Cela montre bien que la substitution entre les deux racines est volontaire et que la confusion est très rare. L’étude ethnoécologique a montré qu’il y a un consensus au sein de deux groupes de collecteurs (jeunes et âgés) en ce qui concerne l’écologie de A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum. Cela montre bien qu’il y a une transmission verticale du savoir écologique entre les générations en ce qui concerne l’espèce vu son intérêt économique. Cette étude a montré également que la population locale est consciente de la raréfaction de l’espèce dans son aire de répartition naturelle et qu’elle détient un savoir-faire très important concernant son mode de gestion et de conservation in situ.The roots of medicinal plants are an important part of the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia. Several issues of sustainability of this use have been raised. Anacyclus pyrethrum var. pyrethrum is among the medicinal plants that are, according to some, to be overharvested in the wild in Morocco. The present work is a contribution to an ethnobotanical, ethnotaxonomic and ethnoecological study of the A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum in the valley of Ait Mhamed, considered one of the last refuges of the species in the central High Atlas. Ethnobotanical surveys of 28 collectors and 2 wholesalers showed that the root of A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum is used as a dry powder to treat rheumatism of the lower limbs and lumbar vertebrae and gastroenteritis, and also used fresh against toothache and in the intimate hygiene of women. The ethnoecological study has shown that there is consensus among two groups of collectors (young and old) with respect to the ecology of the plant. There is a vertical transmission of ecological knowledge between generations, with young collectors interested in the roots ecology and sustainability because of its economic importance. The ethnotaxonomic study has shown that the collectors are very good at distinguishing between the root of iguendez (A. pyrethrum var. pyrethrum, the “true pyrethrum”) and that of tiguendizt (A. pyrethrum var. depressus or “false pyrethrum”). Collectors use the colour of the flowers, the shape and size of the root and the smell to tell these two apart and clearly refer to them as different species. The detailed knowledge held by collectors suggests that the substitution of iguendez with tiguendizt is voluntary and that accidental confusion is likely rare. This study has also shown that the local population is aware of the rarefaction of the species in its natural range and has a very important know-how in terms of its mode of management and conservation in situ

Seaweed essential oils as a new source of bioactive compounds for cyanobacteria growth control: Innovative ecological biocontrol approach

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The application of natural compounds extracted from seaweeds is a promising eco-friendly alternative solution for harmful algae control in aquatic ecosystems. In the present study, the anti-cyanobacterial activity of three Moroccan marine macroalgae essential oils (EOs) was tested and evaluated on unicellular Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacterium. Additionally, the possible anti-cyanobacterial response mechanisms were investigated by analyzing the antioxidant enzyme activities of M. aeruginosa cells. The results of EOs GC-MS analyses revealed a complex chemical composition, allowing the identification of 91 constituents. Palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid were the most predominant compounds in Cystoseira tamariscifolia, Sargassum muticum, and Ulva lactuca EOs, respectively. The highest anti-cyanobacterial activity was recorded for Cystoseira tamariscifolia EO (ZI = 46.33 mm, MIC = 7.81 µg mL−1, and MBC = 15.62 µg mL−1). The growth, chlorophyll-a and protein content of the tested cyanobacteria were significantly reduced by C. tamariscifolia EO at both used concentrations (inhibition rate >67% during the 6 days test period in liquid media). Furthermore, oxidative stress caused by C. tamariscifolia EO on cyanobacterium cells showed an increase of the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was significantly elevated after 2 days of exposure. Overall, these experimental findings can open a promising new natural pathway based on the use of seaweed essential oils to the fight against potent toxic harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs).This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 823860; Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to UIDB/04423/2020, UIDP/04423/2020 and UIDB/00690/2020 (CIMO), and also FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of the Food Habits of the Moroccan Dorcas Gazelle in M’Sabih Talaa, West Central Morocco, Using the trnL Approach

Food habits of the Moroccan dorcas gazelle, Gazella dorcas massaesyla, previously investigated in the 1980s using microhistological fecal analysis, in the M’Sabih Talaa Reserve, west central Morocco, were re-evaluated over three seasons (spring, summer and autumn 2009) using the trnL approach to determine the diet composition and its seasonal variation from fecal samples. Taxonomic identification was carried out using the identification originating from the database built from EMBL and the list of plant species within the reserve. The total taxonomic richness in the reserve was 130 instead of 171 species in the 1980s. The diet composition revealed to be much more diversified (71 plant taxa belonging to 57 genus and 29 families) than it was 22 years ago (29 identified taxa). Thirty-four taxa were newly identified in the diet while 13 reported in 1986–87 were not found. Moroccan dorcas gazelle showed a high preference to Acacia gummifera, Anagallis arvensis, Glebionis coronaria, Cladanthus arabicus, Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua, Erodium salzmannii, Limonium thouini, Lotus arenarius and Zizyphus lotus. Seasonal variations occurred in both number (40–41 taxa in spring-summer and 49 taxa in autumn vs. respectively 23–22 and 26 in 1986–1987) and taxonomic type of eaten plant taxa. This dietary diversification could be attributed either to the difference in methods of analysis, trnL approach having a higher taxonomic resolution, or a potential change in nutritional quality of plants over time

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Évaluation des prescriptions d'anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens (AINS) chez les personnes âgées de plus de 65 ans dans trois départements du Grand Est de la France

Médecine général

Variabilité morphologique et allozymique de trois populations naturelles d’Atriplex halimus L.

Three natural populations of Atriplex halimus L., located in three different climatic contexts, were studied using leaf characteristics (leaf area, leaf length to maximum width ratio, average width of the leaves and leaves to branches ratio) and iso-enzymatic markers. The study showed the existence of a highly significant morphological variability. This variability is more significant as the populations are geographically distant and located in different climates. The gradual character of this morphological variability along a climatic gradient, indicates that it is about a clinale differentiation. Clones obtained from semi-woody cuttings taken on the level of each population and placed in a common parcel have maintained the same leaf characteristics as the population sources, suggesting the genetic origin of this variability. The study of four iso-enzymatic systems confirms the existence of this variability. Thus, the percentage of polymorphic loci (P), the expected heterozygosity (He) and the mean number of alleles per locus (A) are of 85.71 %, 0.360 and 2.14, respectively. The Nei genetic differentiation index (Gst’) obtained is of 0.11 and the fixation index Gis is of -0.271. The migration associated with a selection for their adaptation to the local conditions and/or the recent population bottlenecks can contribute to heterozygosity excess and to the installation of this ecoclinal variation observed.Trois populations naturelles d’Atriplex halimus L., situées dans trois contextes climatiques différents, ont été analysées à l’aide des caractéristiques foliaires (surface foliaire, rapport foliaire, largeur moyenne des feuilles et rapport feuilles sur rameaux) et des marqueurs iso-enzymatiques. L’étude a montré l’existence d’une variabilité morphologique hautement significative qui est d’autant plus importante que les populations sont éloignées géographiquement et situées sous des climats différents. Le caractère graduel de cette variabilité morphologique le long d’un gradient climatique, indique qu’il s’agit d’une différenciation clinale. D’autres part, des clones obtenus à partir de boutures semi-ligneuses prélevées au niveau de chaque population et placés dans une parcelle commune ont maintenu les mêmes caractéristiques foliaires que les populations sources supposant l’existence d’une base génétique à cette variabilité. L’étude de quatre systèmes iso-enzymatiques confirme l’existence de cette variabilité. Ainsi, le pourcentage de locus polymorphes (P), le taux d’hétérozygotie théorique (He) et le nombre moyen d’allèles par locus (A) ont été estimés respectivement à 85.71 %, 0.360 et 2.14. L’indice de différenciation génétique de Nei (Gst’) moyen est de 0.11 et l’indice de fixation Gis moyen est de -0.271. La migration associée à la sélection des populations pour leur adaptation aux conditions locales et/ou un goulot d’étranglement récent peuvent provoquer l’excès d’hétérozygotie obtenu et aussi contribuer à la mise en place de la variation écoclinale observée.Abbad Abdelaziz, Cherkaoui Mohamed, Benchaabane Abderrazzak. Variabilité morphologique et allozymique de trois populations naturelles d’Atriplex halimus L.. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 29 n°2, 2003. pp. 189-198

Phenotypic and phenological behaviours of clones of three natural populations of Atriplex halimus L. grown in a common garden

The distribution of the different phenological stages, the characters of flowerings, fruiting and the morphological features have been studied for clones of three natural populations of Atriplex halimus. The clones were planted in irrigated and non-irrigated portions of a common garden. The study has shown an important variability in phenotypic and phenological behaviours of the three populations. According to the mode of treatment (irrigation), Sidi Bouzid population have showed an important variation of the floral sex ratio (MF/FF). On the contrary, the Idelssen population have presented a less important variation. Floral sex ratio variations were generated by an important reduction of the female flowers. Less water availability affects also fruiting by a reduction of the seed weight and the variation of the phenotypic aspect expressed by H max/CS max.La répartition des différents stades phénologiques, les paramètres liés à la floraison et à la fructification, ainsi que les caractéristiques morphologiques ont été étudiés pour des clones de trois populations naturelles d’Atriplex halimus. Les clones des trois populations ont été placés dans des portions irriguées et non irriguées d’une parcelle d’expérimentation commune. L’étude a relevé une variabilité importante dans le comportement phénotypique et phénologique des trois populations. En fonction du mode de traitement (irrigation), la population de Sidi Bouzid a montré une variation importante du rapport floral (FM/FF). Au contraire, la population de Idelssen a présenté une variation moins importante. Cette variation du rapport floral est engendrée par une réduction importante des fleurs femelles. La non disponibilité de l’eau affecte également la fructification par une réduction de la taille des graines et la variation de l’aspect phénotypique exprimée par le rapport H max/CW max.Abbad Abdelaziz, El Hadrami Abdelbasset, Benchaabane Abderrazzak. Phenotypic and phenological behaviours of clones of three natural populations of Atriplex halimus L. grown in a common garden. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 29 n°2, 2003. pp. 179-188