Variability in almond oil chemical traits from traditional cultivars from eastern Morocco

In Morocco, cultivation of almond tree (Prunus amygdalus L.) constitutes the second most important plantation of fruit trees after olive growing. It is mostly cultivated in two regions, « Taza, Al Houceima Taounate » in the north and « Souss Massa Draa » in the south. Almond genetic resources (Marcoma, Fournat, Ferragnes/Ferraduel and Beldi), cultivated in eastern Morocco were studied during two consecutive crop years in order to evaluate variations in kernel oil yield, fatty acid profiles, oleic /linoleic (O/L) ratio and almond oils oxydative stability (OSI,evaluated by rancimat tests) in comparison to monovarietal olive oils. Almond kernel total oil (AO), Oleic acid (C18:1), Linoleic acid (C18:2), O/L-ratio, and tocopherol contents range between: 48 - 62% for kernel total oil; 65- 77.5% for C18:1; 17- 25% for C18:2; 2.5-4 for O/L ratio and 370 - 675 μg/g oil for tocopherols, respectively. We conclude that the genotype is the main variability source for all these chemical traits of AOs. Results obtained from Ferragnes/Ferraduel may be of interest for almond breeding focused to improve kernel oil yield and fatty acid profile. Besides, tocopherols contents of AOs seem to be the most important contributor for their stability to oxidation, even though compared to monovarietal olive oils, stability of AOs were very low and OSI value range between 20-27 hours. This fragility of AOs is due to their high content of unsaturated fatty acid which not allows their use for cooking or storage for long period. However, almond oils could have many applications in the food industry as in cosmeti

Bioactive compounds from hemp (<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.) seeds: optimization of phenolic antioxidant extraction using simplex lattice mixture design and HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS² analysis

peer reviewedThe extraction of phenolic compounds from defatted hempseeds was optimized using a simplex lattice mixture design with three solvents (water, methanol, and acetone). The response variables were total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity evaluated by different spectrophotometric tests. The results showed that the binary acetone-water mixture in equal proportions is the optimal combination to achieve the maximum TPC (53.65 mg GAE per g extract) with higher antioxidant activities (265.53, 36.25, 119.03, 69.46, and 68.91 mg TE g 1 extract for the TAC, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC tests respectively). In addition, the phenolic profile analysis of defatted hemp seeds by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS2 techniques showed the predominance of hydroxycinnamic acid amides and lignanamides. It allowed visualizing the effect of each solvent mixture on the relative extracted amount of each identified phenolic compound. This study suggests that N-trans-caffeoyltyramine, cannabisin A, and cannabisin B might contribute strongly to the potent antioxidant activity of hempseed extracts. Thus, it encourages the use of defatted hemp seeds as a source of antioxidants with added value for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications

Quality and chemical profiles of virgin olive oils of three European cultivars suitable for super-high-density planting conditions in eastern Morocco

This study aims to evaluate the quality and chemical composition of virgin olive oils of Greek (Koroneiki) and Spanish (Arbequina and Arbosana) varieties grown in north-eastern Morocco under irrigated super-high-density planting system, via the study of their minor compounds, fatty acid and triacylglycerol compositions, and oxidative stability. The majority of the evaluated parameters are influenced by varietal and environmental factors. The studied varieties produced good quality oils with a chemical composition that meets the requirements of the International Olive Council. Koroneiki oil has the highest levels of total phenols (530 mg kg-1) and C18:1 (76.70%) as well as the better stability to oxidation (98.64h). Arbosana oil is distinguished by the abundance of tocopherols (449.27 mg kg-1) and an intermediate oxidative stability (74.49 h). The highest phytosterol content was recorded in Arbequina oil (1971 mg kg-1). Eleven phenolic compounds were identified and quantified. Decarboxymethylated forms of oleuropein aglycone and ligstroside aglycone were the main components in all the analyzed oils (95-165 mg kg-1 and 115-181 mg kg-1, respectively).The results of principal component analysis show a clear discrimination between the studied varieties according to antioxidant parameters, triacylglycerol and phytosterol data.Coopération Bilatérale Maroc /Wallonie, Belgique / P2-9 (2011-2014) Sur la qualité et valorisation des huiles d’olives et du cartham

Laboratory-Scale Optimization of Hemp Seed Roasting Temperature and Time for Producing a High-Quality Pressed Oil

peer reviewedRoasting is widely applied in oil processing to improve the extraction yield and desired sensory characteristics. The current study is aimed at optimizing roasting conditions (time and temperature) of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds prior to seed pressing to improve the oil yield and antioxidant capacity, using response surface methodology based on central composite design (CCD). Hemp seeds were roasted at five temperatures (132, 140, 160, 180, and 188 °C) and for five duration times (9, 15, 30, 45, and 51 min). Mathematical models have shown that roasting conditions significantly affected response variables (p < 0:05), including oil yield, total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging activity, and oxidative stability index (OSI). The CCD led to the following optimum roasting conditions: 163 °C for 15 min, which improved the extraction yield by 45% and oxidative stability by 80%. Thus, the oil produced under these conditions showed a yield of 23.09%, TPC of 121.21 mg GAE kg-1 , and OSI of 21.37 hours. In addition, roasting hemp seeds under optimal conditions did not negatively influence the oil quality. Only chlorophylls, tocopherols, and palmitic acid slightly decreased (p < 0:05) after roasting (from 39.10 to 36.54 mg kg-1 , 483.06 to 469.77 mg kg-1 , and 7.65 to 7.29%, respectively). Furthermore, the concentrations of most volatile compounds identified in unroasted hemp seeds decreased after roasting under optimal conditions, with the formation of new compounds sought for their positive attributes, such as pyrazines and aldehydes derived from the Strecker degradation, responsible for the roasted, nutty, and almond odors. The main volatile compounds in raw and roasted hemp seeds were β-myrcene (3170.30 and 1177.69 ng g-1 , respectively) and D-limonene (1347.25 and 470.35 ng g-1 , respectively). The results obtained in this study could provide valuable information for the food industry to produce hemp seed oil with high nutritional quality that meets consumer demands

Characterization of Sweet Almond Oil Content of Four European Cultivars (Ferragnes, Ferraduel, Fournat, and Marcona) Recently Introduced in Morocco

peer reviewed(is study concerns the characterization of oil content and quality indices for almond cultivars (Marcona (Mr), Fournat (Fn), Ferragnes (Fg), and Ferraduel (Fd)) recently introduced into marginal agricultural areas in eastern Morocco. (ese verities are known for their rusticity and late flowering stage. (e analyzed almond oils showed low acidity and peroxide values ranging, respectively, from 0.32 to 0.36% and 1.88 to 3.18 meq O2/kg. Fatty acid (FA) profile revealed a predominance of the unsaturated FA represented essentially by the oleic (56.64–64.03%) and linoleic FA (24.57–29.80%). Triacylglycerol (TAG) analysis allowed the determination of eleven species with a remarkable dominance of trioleylglycerol (OOO: 30%) and dioleyllinoleoylglcerol (OOL: 27.25%). Regarding the minor compounds, the results showed that the total phenol content ranges between 85.33 and 141.66 mg/kg. Concerning the tocopherol content, the studied oils showed richness in these secondary metabolites (408.99–491.77 mg/kg) with a dominance of α-tocopherol. In comparison to their homologues in the Mediterranean area, the evaluated almond oils demonstrated a slight superiority in terms of quality, in particular, to those produced in Spain

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Antimicrobial Resistance of photogenic bacteria isolated from minced meat in Eastern Morocco

Currently, Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat as far as both animal and human therapies are concerned and the monitoring of this problem plays an important role in sustainable development. It can affect anyone, anywhere.  In eastern Morocco, 51 samples of ground meat were used to study the health risks of antibiotic resistance, 34 photogenic bacteria belonging to following species Escherichia coli, salmonella and staphylococcus S. aureus were isolated. The antibiogram results showed that 100% of tested E. coli and salmonella strains are highly resistant to penicillin A, Nitrofurantoin, Erythromycin, Thiamphenicol and Tetracyclin. However, are sensitive to gentamicin and colistin, and 100 % of E. coli and S. aureus strains are susceptible to co-trimaxazole. All tested bacterial strains (E. coli, Salmonella and S. aureus) are susceptible to gentamicin and have a medium resistance to streptomycin

Physico-chemical characterization of water and metallic contamination of Mytilus galloprovincialis in the coastal zone of Saidia

Water is a vital natural resource for life. The metal pollution of aquatic ecosystems is increasing due to the effects of urbanization and industrialization. As a result, heavy metals contamination has become a serious threat to public health because of their toxicity, long persistence, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in the food chain. This investigation aims to evaluate seawater's Physico-chemical quality and assess the contamination risks of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels by Cadmium, Zinc, Iron, and Copper. The study was carried out in three stations of Saidia coast during July 2019. The seawater was analyzed for its Physico-chemical parameters, and ICP-AES determined the heavy metals content in mussels. The results show that the tested water has a pH value ranging between 7.48-7.62 with nitrate and nitrite content range between 0-4.78 mg/L, 0.007-0.181 mg/L, respectively. The recorded water conductivity and oxydability values ranged from 22 to 55 mS/cm and from 5.67 to 10.47 mg/L. The mean concentration found in the mussels were in decreasing order, Iron (13.5 mg/kg), Zinc (2.3 mg/kg), Copper (0.65 mg/kg) and Cadmium (0.02 mg/kg), respectively. The obtained results indicate that all values are below the threshold recommended by Food and agriculture organization and world health organization