Taxonomic Comparison, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Three <i>Ebenus pinnata</i> Ait. ecotypes (Fabaceae) from Algeria

Ebenus pinnata is not known as a traditional medicinal plant, but modern research has revealed its richness in components of medicinal value. Yet, the species remains understudied. Here, we assess the climate effect on its morphology, pollen grains size, chromosome numbers, pollen fertility, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Plant material was collected from the humid, sub-humid, and semi-arid areas of Northeastern Algeria. Data treatment by principal component analysis and/or cluster analysis and ANOVA post hoc tests revealed three significantly discriminated ecotypes correlated with the climate stage. Significant differences were detected for whole plant morphology, pollen size, and antioxidant activity. No differences were revealed for chromosome numbers, pollen fertility, and antibacterial activity. The studied material showed a chromosome number of 2n = 14, high pollen fertility (94.04 ± 2.64–95.01 ± 2.02%), small pollen grains (polar axis: 17.95 ± 1.10–19.47 ± 1.27 µm; equatorial axis: 12.80 ± 1.18–13.03 ± 0.99 µm), high antioxidant activity (TPC: 50.79 ± 0.51–56.89 ± 0.46 mg/g; DPPH: 71.18 ± 2.24–95.67 ± 2.02 mg/g; RP: 11.09 ± 1.24–25.88 ± 0.26 mg/g), and efficient antibacterial activity (Inhibition area diameter: 9.25 ± 1.06–12.00 ± 1.41 mm). The climate seems to exert a significant impact on multiple aspects of the plant’s biology. It would be interesting to assess the genetic basis of this phenomenon in E. pinnata and other species

Aqueous extract of Pituranthos scoparius as a biopreservative against lipid oxidation of an emulsion and use of SDS-PAGE to study protein-polyphenols interactions

In this work, aqueous decoctions with 5% and 10% cut and powder plant materials of Pituranthos scoparius were investigated. The best result for the total phenolic extracts was 4.39% (±0.05) for the 10% powder plant material extract, whereas the best reducing power was obtained for 5% powder plant material extract with a mean value of 2.07% (±0.06). The phytochemical profile of the polyphenol extract was characterized by the presence of chlorogenic acid as a major constituent. Oxidative stability by Rancimat test showed that all the formulations incorporated with the concentrated aqueous extract showed better resistance to oxidation than the control formulation. Moreover, Tricine SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was used to asses protein-polyphenols interactions within the aqueous phase. This efficient technique allowed revealing the formation of a characteristic dimer with molecular weights ranging from 30.3 to 32.4 kDa. Densitometric analysis allowed further to highlight the specificy of the interactions within the whey protein at high (>40 kDa) and low molecular weight. The findings of this study, showed that the polyphnolic extract of Pituranthos scoparius offers an attracting alternative for fat products as a natural biopreservative instead of the regular synthetic antioxidants used in food industry

Association between Routine Laboratory Parameters and the Severity and Progression of Systemic Sclerosis

(1) Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous connective tissue disease with a high mortality and morbidity rate. Identification of biomarkers that can predict the evolution of SSc is a key factor in the management of patients. The aim of this study was to assess the association of routine laboratory parameters, widely used in practice and easily available, with the severity and progression of SSc. (2) Methods: In this retrospective monocentric cohort study, 372 SSc patients were included. We gathered clinical and laboratory data including routine laboratory parameters: C-reactive-protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complete blood count, serum sodium and potassium levels, creatinin, urea, ferritin, albumin, uric acid, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), serum protein electrophoresis, and liver enzymes. Associations between these routine laboratory parameters and clinical presentation and outcome were assessed. (3) Results: Median (interquartile range) age was 59.0 (50.0; 68.0) years. White blood cell, monocyte, and neutrophil absolute counts were significantly higher in patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc and with interstitial lung disease (ILD) (p &lt; 0.001). CRP was significantly higher in patients with ILD (p &lt; 0.001). Hemoglobin and ferritin were significantly lower in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) including pulmonary arterial hypertension and ILD associated PH (p = 0.016 and 0.046, respectively). Uric acid and NT pro BNP were significantly higher in patients with PH (&lt;0.001). Monocyte count was associated with ILD progression over time. (4) Conclusions: Overall, our study highlights the association of routine laboratory parameters used in current practice with the severity and progression of SSc