PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE NORTHERN MOROCCAN SPECIES: WITHANIA FRUTESCENS L.

Objective: In this study, we were interested in qualitative, quantitative phytochemical characterization and evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of the total extracts of a plant from northern Morocco, the species selected for this study is Withania frutescens. Materials and Methods: Analysis of mineral elements by inductive coupling plasma-atomic absorption spectroscopy (ICP-AES), phytochemical screening, polyphenol and tannin assays, evaluation of antioxidant activity by the 1,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method and reducing power. Results: The plant contains alkaloids, saponins, tannins, mucilages, and coumarins. It has a relatively high content of total polyphenols and tannins of 19.53±0.018 μg genetic generalized epilepsy/mg MS and 6.258±0.062 μg Eqcat/mg MS, respectively. The analysis of mineral elements by ICP-AES shows that our species is rich in mineral elements which are calcium, magnesium, and sodium, and it is devoid of metallic elements such as nickel, lead, cadmium, and cobalt. The evaluation of antioxidant activity by the DPPH free radical scavenging method shows that the half maximal inhibitory concentration of the tested extracts has an antiradical activity of about 0.056±0.008 μg/ml for the ethanol extract and 0.213±0.004 μg/ml for the methanol extract compared to the butylated hydroxytoluene value of 0.009±0.0004 μg/ml which was used as a reference. The reducing capacity test shows that methanolic extract has a high antioxidant capacity (0.213±0.006) compared to ethanolic extract (0.043±0.004) but remains low compared to ascorbic acid (0.003±0.0004) which was used as reference. Conclusion: Phytochemical analysis of W. frutescens shows that this plant is rich in high quantities of alkaloids, saponins, mucilage, tannins, and coumarins. It contains an average amount of total polyphenols and tannins that confer significant antioxidant activity to the plant studied

Marketing and legal status of phytomedicines and food supplements in Morocco

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.The Phytomedicine (PM) and Food supplements (FS) Market is considerably growing in Morocco a review of state is necessarily to structure and improve it. Information was collected directly from the pharmacist through a questionnaire-based survey who was conducted in 284 pharmacies in the region of Fez-Meknes in Morocco. Data were analyzed and classified using relative frequency of citations (RFC). More than 98% of the pharmacies commercialized the PM and FS, 80% of the pharmacists deny the existence of a real area dedicated to them, the majority (94%) of them prefer phytomedicine rather than classic drugs. This study reported about 64 products as the most used by the population of the region of Fez-Meknes among them 48 FS (75%) and 16 PM (25%) and the most marketed products are used for Transit Disorders (28.34%), then Anxiety (22.17%) and ENT Disease (20.18%). Despite the fact that Morocco is a country where people use medicinal plants daily, the commercialization of the PM and FS is still unstructured. Due to legal problem the PM Sold in the market are mainly exported. To assure development and also valorization of this sector the regulation of this market is highly required.Peer reviewe

The psychological properties of the Arabic BDI-II and the psychological state of the general Moroccan population during the mandatory quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The main objective of this work is to study the psychological impact (stress and depression) of the mandatory quarantine applied on the Moroccan population in order to limit the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), then the study of the psychometric properties of the Arab BDI-II in the general Moroccan population. 263 respondents were asked to respond to a BDI-II and PSS-10 socio-demographic questionnaire conducted during the first month of quarantine. 55.9% of the respondents were in a normal state of stress and 36.1% in a moderate state. However, 38.4% and 27.8% exhibited minimal and severe depression respectively. The results of factor analysis with the varimax rotation method revealed three factors predicting 55.56% of the total variance of BDI-II, while two factors predicting 60.97% of the total variance of PSS-10. Cronbach's alpha values for BDI and PSS-10 were α = 0.93 and α = 0.58 respectively. In conclusion, the BDI-II is a reliable and valid assessment for measuring symptoms of depression in the general Moroccan population and also very important to pay more attention to the side effects of mandatory quarantine

Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. Essential Oil Antimicrobial Activity and Crop Protection against Cowpea Weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.)

Antibiotics and synthetic pesticides are now playing a role in the spread of resistant pathogens. They continue to have negative consequences for animal and plant health. The goal of this work is to identify the chemical composition of Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. essential oil (EO) using GC-MS(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer), evaluate its antimicrobial properties, and investigate its insecticidal and repellent effectiveness against Callosobruchus maculatus (C. maculatus). The GC-MS indicated the presence of 21 chemicals, with thujone (24.9%), lyratyl acetate (24.32%), camphor (13.55%), and 1,8-cineole (10.81%) being the most prominent. For the antimicrobial assay, the yeast Candida albicans was very sensitive to the EO with a growth inhibition diameter of (42.33 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.33 mm). Fusarium oxysporum is the mycelia strain that appeared to be extremely sensitive to the utilized EO (88.44%) compared to the two species of Aspergillus (A. flavus (48.44%); A. niger (36.55%)). The results obtained in the microdilution method show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was very sensitive to the EO, inhibited by a very low dose (0.0018 mg/mL). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results were between 0.0149 and 0.06 mg/mL. B. cinerea EO also demonstrated a potent insecticidal effect and a medium repulsive effect against C. maculatus. Thus, the LC50 value in the contact test was 0.61 μL/L of air, lower than that observed in the inhalation test (0.72 μL/L of air). The present study reveals that B. cinerea EO has the potential to be an antimicrobial and insecticidal agent with a better performance against several pathogenic microorganisms

Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. Essential Oil Antimicrobial Activity and Crop Protection against Cowpea Weevil Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.)

Antibiotics and synthetic pesticides are now playing a role in the spread of resistant pathogens. They continue to have negative consequences for animal and plant health. The goal of this work is to identify the chemical composition of Brocchia cinerea (Delile) Vis. essential oil (EO) using GC-MS(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer), evaluate its antimicrobial properties, and investigate its insecticidal and repellent effectiveness against Callosobruchus maculatus (C. maculatus). The GC-MS indicated the presence of 21 chemicals, with thujone (24.9%), lyratyl acetate (24.32%), camphor (13.55%), and 1,8-cineole (10.81%) being the most prominent. For the antimicrobial assay, the yeast Candida albicans was very sensitive to the EO with a growth inhibition diameter of (42.33 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.33 mm). Fusarium oxysporum is the mycelia strain that appeared to be extremely sensitive to the utilized EO (88.44%) compared to the two species of Aspergillus (A. flavus (48.44%); A. niger (36.55%)). The results obtained in the microdilution method show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was very sensitive to the EO, inhibited by a very low dose (0.0018 mg/mL). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results were between 0.0149 and 0.06 mg/mL. B. cinerea EO also demonstrated a potent insecticidal effect and a medium repulsive effect against C. maculatus. Thus, the LC50 value in the contact test was 0.61 μL/L of air, lower than that observed in the inhalation test (0.72 μL/L of air). The present study reveals that B. cinerea EO has the potential to be an antimicrobial and insecticidal agent with a better performance against several pathogenic microorganisms

In-Vivo Antidiabetic Activity and In-Silico Mode of Action of LC/MS-MS Identified Flavonoids in Oleaster Leaves

Background: Olea europea L. subsp. europaea var. sylvestris (Mill) Lehr (Oleaster) is a wild endemic olive tree indigenous to the Mediterranean region. Olea europea leaves represent a natural reservoir of bioactive molecules that can be used for therapeutic purposes. Aim of the study: This work was conducted to study antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic activities of flavonoids from oleaster leaves using alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The mode of action of flavonoids against eight receptors that have a high impact on diabetes management and complication was also investigated using molecular docking. Results: During 28 days of mice treatment with doses 25 and 50 mg/kg b.w, the studied flavonoids managed a severe diabetic state

Anacyclus pyrethrum (L): Chemical Composition, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Wound Healing Properties

Background: Anacyclus pyrethrum (A. pyrethrum) is a wild species belonging to the family Asteraceae, which is used in traditional medicines. Aim of the study: This work was undertaken to study the chemical composition, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties of hydroalcoholic extracts of different parts (roots, seeds, leaves, and capitula) of A. pyrethrum. Material and Methods: The phytochemical analysis of the studied extracts was conducted by GC-MS. The analgesic activity was evaluated in mice using acetic acid and formaldehyde methods. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested using the inhibitory method of edema induced in rats. The healing activity of the hydroethanolic extracts was explored by excision and incision wound healing models in rats. Results: The phytochemical analysis of the studied plant extracts affirmed the presence of interesting compounds, including some newly detected elements, such as sarcosine, N-(trifluoroacetyl)-butyl ester, levulinic acid, malonic acid, palmitic acid, morphinan-6-One, 4,5.alpha.-epoxy-3-hydroxy-17-methyl, 2,4-undecadiene-8,10-diyne-N-tyramide, and isovaleric acid. The extracts of different parts (roots, seeds, leaves, and capitula) exhibited promising anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound healing effects, with percentages of inhibition up to 98%, 94%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: This study might contribute towards the well-being of society as it provides evidence on the potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties of A. pyrethrum

Anacyclus pyrethrum (L): Chemical Composition, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Wound Healing Properties

Background: Anacyclus pyrethrum (A. pyrethrum) is a wild species belonging to the family Asteraceae, which is used in traditional medicines. Aim of the study: This work was undertaken to study the chemical composition, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties of hydroalcoholic extracts of different parts (roots, seeds, leaves, and capitula) of A. pyrethrum. Material and Methods: The phytochemical analysis of the studied extracts was conducted by GC-MS. The analgesic activity was evaluated in mice using acetic acid and formaldehyde methods. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested using the inhibitory method of edema induced in rats. The healing activity of the hydroethanolic extracts was explored by excision and incision wound healing models in rats. Results: The phytochemical analysis of the studied plant extracts affirmed the presence of interesting compounds, including some newly detected elements, such as sarcosine, N-(trifluoroacetyl)-butyl ester, levulinic acid, malonic acid, palmitic acid, morphinan-6-One, 4,5.alpha.-epoxy-3-hydroxy-17-methyl, 2,4-undecadiene-8,10-diyne-N-tyramide, and isovaleric acid. The extracts of different parts (roots, seeds, leaves, and capitula) exhibited promising anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound healing effects, with percentages of inhibition up to 98%, 94%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: This study might contribute towards the well-being of society as it provides evidence on the potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties of A. pyrethrum

Glycemic Control Potential of Chemically Characterized Extract from Withania frutescens L. Roots in Severe Diabetes-Induced Mice

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome that causes impairment, mortality, and many other complications. Insulin and several synthetic medications are currently used in the treatment of diabetes. However, these pharmaceutical drugs are costly, and therefore medicines place priority on alternatives to fight this lethal disease. This modest study aims to investigate the chemical composition, antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic potentials along with subacute toxicity (bodyweight change and biochemical parameters) of hydroethanol extract from Withania frutescens L. roots (WFRE). The chemical analysis was carried out using GC–MS after extract silylation. The chemical analysis identified many potentially active compounds that may determine the antidiabetic results of WFRE. The antidiabetic effect of WFRE was evaluated in mice with severe diabetes using oral administration of doses up to 400 mg/kg for 28 days. The results of the antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic tests indicate that WFRE possesses promising glucose-lowering effects and, as a result, it may serve as an antidiabetic alternative for long-term use. The 4-week treatments with different doses of plant extract did not alter the bodyweight appearance of the diabetic mice nor their biochemical parameters (AST and ALT). The findings obtained indicate that the studied plant extract controlled severe diabetes in mice. Therefore, Withania frutescens L. can serve society as it provides natural agents to control diabetes