Antifungal activity of different extracts of the bark of Cinnamomum cassia used in traditional medicine

The incidence of invasive fungal infections due to Candida albicans has dramatically increased since 25 years. The amphotericin B remains the best treatment despite its severe toxicity. Our work is inscribed in the frame of finding of new natural antifungals agents from a condiment widely used in our diet: the Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). This study is focused in first time, to the qualitative determination of different families of secondary metabolites from the bark of Cinnamon. On the other time, assessing the antifungal activity of some extracts of Cinnamon. The plant material was extracted by exhaustion using increased polarity solvents (hexane, diethyl ether, methanol/water and water). We have made five exhaustions for each solvent, each one was tested separately. The phytochemical study revealed the presence of terpenes, alkaloids and polyphenols represented mainly by flavonoids. Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the various extracts was carried out against references yeasts strains Candida albicans ATCC10231 and Candida albicans 444IP. Results showed that in the exception of aqueous extracts, all other extracts have an interesting activity, with inhibition zone diameters between 10 mm and 58 mm for the diethyl ether extract. Similar results were obtained for the hexane extracts. Indeed, extracts obtained from low or medium polarity solvents are the most active. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimal fungicidal concentration of the first fraction of the hexane extract were respectively 1,9 µg/ml and 3,9 µg/ml against C. albicans ATCC10231 and C. albicans 444IP. They remain comparable than those of amphotericin B against the same strains.L'incidence des infections fongiques invasives due à Candida albicans a considérablement augmenté depuis 25 ans. L’amphotéricine B reste le meilleur traitement en dépit de sa toxicité sévère. Notre travail s'inscrit dans le cadre de la découverte de nouveaux agents antifongiques naturels à partir d'un condiment très utilisé dans notre alimentation: la cannelle de Chine (Cinnamomum cassia). Cette étude s’intéresse dans un premier temps, à la détermination qualitative des différentes familles de métabolites secondaires de l'écorce de cannelle. D'autre part, à évaluer l'activité  antifongique de certains extraits de ce condiment. Le matériel végétal a été extrait par épuisement en utilisant des solvants de polarité croissante (hexane, éther diéthylique, méthanol/eau et eau). Nous avons réalisé cinq extractions pour chaque solvant. Chaque fraction a été testée séparément. L'étude phytochimique a révélé la présence des terpènes, des alcaloïdes et des polyphénols essentiellement représentés par des flavonoïdes. L'évaluation de l'activité antifongique des différents extraits a été réalisée vis-à-vis des souches de références Candida albicans ATCC 10231 et Candida albicans 444IP. L'amphotéricine B qui est un médicament antifongique standard a été utilisé comme témoin positif au cours de notre étude. Les résultats de l'activité antifongique ont montré qu’à l'exception de l’extrait aqueux, tous les autres extraits possèdent une activité antifongique, avec des diamètres des zones d’inhibition allant de 10 à 58 mm pour l’extrait d’éther diéthylique. Des résultats similaires ont été obtenus pour l’extrait hexanique. En effet, les extraits obtenus à partir des solvants de faible ou moyenne polarité sont les plus actifs. En outre, les concentrations minimales inhibitrices  et les concentrations minimales fongicides de la première fraction de l'extrait hexanique étaient respectivement de 1,9 µg/ml et 3,9 µg/ml vis-à-vis de C. albicans ATCC 10231 et and C. albicans 444IP. Ces dernières restent comparables à celles de l'amphotéricine B vis-à-vis des mêmes souches

Research of the yeasts Candida non - albicans on various medical devices in the service of resuscitation of the Teaching hospital of Tlemcen, Algeria

Background and aim: The fungic infections, more particularly the Candidiasis are frequent in the intensive care units. This had a relation with the heaviness of the pathologies, presented by the patients and the quasi-systematic recourse to various medical devices. In addition, we observe more and more and more the emergence of numerous species of Candida non- albicans in these hospital structures. That’s why we undertook this study which concerns the evaluation of the incidence of the sepathogenic on medical devices implanted during 48hours and  more on patients hospitalized in the resuscitation service of CHU of Tlemcen.  Methods:After isolation of yeast son selective mediums, the strains obtained were  identified by using chromogenicmediums (CHROMagar®Candida) and the Api identification Candidagalleries (BioMérieux®). Results:The results showed that among100 samples are taken, 15% been altered by yeasts of Candida non-albicans. Conclusion: It appears from this study that the fungal infections on medical devices are widely present in hospitals especially in the intensive care unit. The presence of Candida non- albicans yeasts is not negligible; they are 15% on the level of the various medical devices implanted

Polyphenols Content and Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Hemolytic Activities of Essential Oils from Four Selected Medicinal Plants Growing in Algeria

The Saharan and steppe spontaneous plants are very characteristic because of their particular adaptation to the desert and extreme environment. Some species have pharmacological properties that give them a medicinal interest. The aim of the present work was to determine the polyphenol contents of essential oils obtained from four endemic plants growing in Algeria (Pituranthos scoparius, Myrtus nivellei, Rosmarinus officinalis and Mentha piperita), and study its biological activity, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hemolytic. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the microdilution method against twelve strains. The antioxidant activity was carried out by two methods (DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power). However, the hemolytic effect has been evaluated against the red blood cells. P. scoparius and M. piperita showed yields of essential oils higher than 1%. All the strains showed sensitivity against the essential oils tested with the exception of the C. albicans treated by R. officinalis essential oils. The most sensitive strain was C. albicans treated by P. scoparius essential oils by MIC of 0.0781 mg/mL, it was the same plant that shows the highest polyphenol content (14.78 ± 0.72 g GAE/g DS). The antioxidant activity by the DPPH method was greater for all essential oils tested by IC50 ranging from 0.69 ± 0.07 (R. officinalis) to 30.67 ± 2.12 mg/mL (M. nivellei). The R. officinalis essential oils reported more antioxidant power than the positive control (ascorbic acid). In reducing iron, it was the R. officinalis essential oils which were found to be the most active with an EC50 concentration of 9.67 ± 1.36 mg/mL. After 120 min incubation, minimal haemolysis (10%) was obtained with essential oils of R. officinalis at a concentration of 0.39 mg/mL. We conclude that P. scoparius essential oils showed the high content of polyphenols and R. officinalis essential oils reported more antioxidant power than the positive control (ascorbic acid)

Microencapsulation of ammodaucus leucotrichus essential oil using chitosan/ TPP/vanillin chemical system

A. leucotrichus (Coss. & Dur.) Coss. & Dur., known in Algeria as “Kammûnes-sofi”, is a medicinal plant that finds culinary use by indigenous populations. Among others, it is used against stomach pain, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and to combat high blood pressure. In this work, the essential oil of A. leucotrichus, obtained by steam distillation (3h) from fruits collected in March 2015 from Tassili n'Ajjer, a vast plateau in south-east Algeria (25°30'0" N and 9°0'0" E), was chemically and biologically characterized and thereafter microencapsulated using a chitosan/TPP/vanillin system.A. leucotrichus essential oil microparticles were produced using an atomization/coagulation technique with chitosan as the shell material, sodium tripolyphosphaste (TPP) and vanillin as crosslinking agents. Comparatively to the most used chemical systems, this one presents several advantages since all the raw materials are nontoxic and no organic solvents are required. Moreover, the used microencapsulation process allows the microparticles production in a single step, without having the constrains of the traditionally used oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion based techniques. The adopted procedure comprises the following stages: (1) Chitosan solution (CS) preparation (3.0%, w/v) in acidic medium (acetic acid 3%, v/v); (2) Oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion preparation by emulsifying the essential oil (O) with the chitosan solution at O/CS ratio of 0.025 (v/v) with Tween 80 (emulsifier of HLB=15.0, 1.5%, w/v). The emulsion was homogenized at 11000 rpm during 5 min with a CAT Unidrive X homogenizer; (3) Atomization of the o/w emulsion in a Nisco VarJ30 system (flow rate: 0.3 ml/min) under pressurized nitrogen; (4) Coagulation with TPP (10%, w/v at pH 6.0) followed by vanillin crosslinking (1.0% (w/v), 50ºC at 0.5 ml/min during 2 h). Microparticles were recovered by filtration under reduced pressure, washed with distilled water and stored in the hydrated form.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical profile and bioactive properties of the essential oil isolated from Ammodaucus leucotrichus fruits growing in Sahara and its evaluation as a cosmeceutical ingredient

Ammodaucus leucotrichus is a medicinal plant commonly used in Algeria by the indigenous populations, especially due to its therapeutic effects. In this context, the aim of the present study was to chemically characterize the essential oil of A. leucotrichus fruits (EOALF) growing in Algerian Sahara, and to evaluate its bioactive properties (antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory). Considering the interest of the cosmetic industry for natural ingredients, and taking into account the obtained biological properties, the essential oil was also evaluated by incorporation in a base cosmetic (cream). The essential oil was extracted with a yield of 2.58 ± 0.17%, being perilla aldehyde identified as the main component, accounting for 85.6% of the total composition. Concerning the tested bioactivities, EOALF presented antioxidant potential, a strong anti-inflammatory activity, and was effective against the tested microbial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Eschericia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), being S. aureus the most sensitive bacteria. After incorporation in a base cosmetic, the developed formulation was able to preserve the EOALF bioactivities along 28 days under storage. The obtained results, with relevance for the strong-anti-inflammatory activity, pointed out the interest to exploit this essential oil as a cosmeceutical ingredient in the cosmetic industry.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), S.A. Heleno (SFRH/ BPD/101413/2014) and P. Costa (SFRH/BPD/101413/2014). This work was also financially supported by Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER- 006984–Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by FEDER through COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) – and by national funds through FCT and project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000006, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dietary Patterns and Oxidative Stress in a Population of Women with Breast Cancer in the North-Western Regions of Algeria (Saida and El-Bayadh)

Objective: The aim of this work is the study of risk factors for breast cancer in a population of women in the north-western regions of Algeria (Saida and El-Bayadh) Methodology: A case-control study was carried out on 40 women including 20 cancerous women and 20 control women, in order to determine the dietary patterns and general characteristics of the population studied and to compare the hematological and biochemical parameters, and markers of oxidative/antioxidant status between control women and breast cancer women. Results: The results obtained show that there is no significant difference in the average age however the body mass index was significantly increased in cancer women, revealing overweight (p <0.05), compared to control women. The marital status of the target population is predominantly a married woman status and the level of education shows a relatively low level in breast cancer cases compared to women controls. The illiteracy rate is exceptionally high in cancer women compared to controls (35% versus 20%). In addition, the levels of glucose, creatinine, HDL and ALAT are similar between the two groups of women. The contents of urea, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, ASAT, malondialdehyde and uric acid are significantly increased in women with breast cancer compared to women controls. But the vitamin C content is significantly reduced in cancer women compared to control women. Conclusion: We conclude from this study that there is an association between breast cancer and lipid alteration, oxidative stress, age, increase in BMI, socio-demographic data, professional situation, age, means of menstruation and menopause, and ultimately the lifestyle. All these factors are risk factors for breast cancer in the region of Saida and El-Bayadh. Keywords: Breast Cancer, Risk Factors, Dietary Patterns, Oxidative Stress

Optimum Inhibition of Amphotericin-B-Resistant Candida albicans Strain in Single- and Mixed-Species Biofilms by Candida and Non-Candida Terpenoids

Candida albicans is one of the most common human fungal pathogens and represents the most important cause of opportunistic mycoses worldwide. Surgical devices including catheters are easily contaminated with C. albicans via its formation of drug-resistant biofilms. In this study, amphotericin-B-resistant C. albicans strains were isolated from surgical devices at an intensive care center. The objective of this study was to develop optimized effective inhibitory treatment of resistant C. albicans by terpenoids, known to be produced naturally as protective signals. Endogenously produced farnesol by C. albicans yeast and plant terpenoids, carvacrol, and cuminaldehyde were tested separately or in combination on amphotericin-B-resistant C. albicans in either single- or mixed-infections. The results showed that farnesol did not inhibit hyphae formation when associated with bacteria. Carvacrol and cuminaldehyde showed variable inhibitory effects on C. albicans yeast compared to hyphae formation. A combination of farnesol with carvacrol showed synergistic inhibitory activities not only on C. albicans yeast and hyphae, but also on biofilms formed from single- and mixed-species and at reduced doses. The combined terpenoids also showed biofilm-penetration capability. The aforementioned terpenoid combination will not only be useful in the treatment of different resistant Candida forms, but also in the safe prevention of biofilm formation

Cosmetics Preservation: A Review on Present Strategies

Cosmetics, like any product containing water and organic/inorganic compounds, require preservation against microbial contamination to guarantee consumer’s safety and to increase their shelf-life. The microbiological safety has as main goal of consumer protection against potentially pathogenic microorganisms, together with the product’s preservation resulting from biological and physicochemical deterioration. This is ensured by chemical, physical, or physicochemical strategies. The most common strategy is based on the application of antimicrobial agents, either by using synthetic or natural compounds, or even multifunctional ingredients. Current validation of a preservation system follow the application of good manufacturing practices (GMPs), the control of the raw material, and the verification of the preservative effect by suitable methodologies, including the challenge test. Among the preservatives described in the positive lists of regulations, there are parabens, isothiasolinone, organic acids, formaldehyde releasers, triclosan, and chlorhexidine. These chemical agents have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action, depending on their chemical structure and functional group’s reactivity. Preservatives act on several cell targets; however, they might present toxic effects to the consumer. Indeed, their use at high concentrations is more effective from the preservation viewpoint being, however, toxic for the consumer, whereas at low concentrations microbial resistance can develop