Ampelisca lusitanica (Crustacea: Amphipoda): new species for the Atlantic coast of Morocco

Background This study reports for the first time the presence of the Lusitanian ampeliscid amphipod Ampelisca lusitanica Bellan-Santini & Marques, 1986 in the northwestern Atlantic coast of Morocco. Methods Specimens were collected in January 2015 from intertidal rock pools along the El Jadida shoreline associated with the brown algae Bifurcaria bifurcata and Sargassum muticum. Results Systematic description of the species is presented, as well as a discussion of its ecological and geographical distribution. Conclusion This new finding extends the geographical distribution from the Lusitanian (Europe) to the Mauritanian (Africa) region and increases knowledge of the ecology and the global distribution of A. lusitanica found, previously, only on Portuguese and Spanish coasts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of the antibacterial activity and efflux pump reversal of thymol and carvacrol against staphylococcus aureus and their toxicity in drosophila melanogaster

The antibacterial activity and efflux pump reversal of thymol and carvacrol were investigated against the Staphylococcus aureus IS-58 strain in this study, as well as their toxicity against Drosophila melanogaster. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the broth microdilution method, while efflux pump inhibition was assessed by reduction of the antibiotic and ethidium bromide (EtBr) MICs. D. melanogaster toxicity was tested using the fumigation method. Both thymol and carvacrol presented antibacterial activities with MICs of 72 and 256 µg/mL, respectively. The association between thymol and tetracycline demonstrated synergism, while the association between carvacrol and tetracycline presented antagonism. The compound and EtBr combinations did not differ from controls. Thymol and carvacrol toxicity against D. melanogaster were evidenced with EC50 values of 17.96 and 16.97 µg/mL, respectively, with 48 h of exposure. In conclusion, the compounds presented promising antibacterial activity against the tested strain, although no efficacy was observed in terms of efflux pump inhibition.This study was funded by the Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico— FUNCAP (BP3-0139-00077.01.00/18)