Moisture Sorption Isotherms And Thermodynamic Properties Of Urtica Dioica Leaves

Urtica dioica is a Moroccon endemic plant of used for its virtues in traditional medicine. Thus, it is necessary to study the effect of preservation processes on the storage conditions of the plant. The static gravimetric method was used to determine sorption isotherms of Urtica dioica leaves at three temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C) and in the range of water activity ( w a ) ranging from 0.0572 to 0.898. Six mathematical models were used to fit the experimental data. The Enderby and Peleg models were found to be the most suitable for describing the sorption curves. The optimal water activity for conservation of Urtica dioica leaves was determined. Isosteric heats of desorption and adsorption were calculated by applying the Clausius- Clapeyron equation to the sorption isotherms at different temperatures; it decreased with increasing moisture content. A linear relation exists between the enthalpy and entropy of the sorption reaction

Case Study of Bacterial Decontamination of an Aromatic and Medicinal Plant: Decontamination of Thymus Satureioides by Gamma Radiation at Low Doses and Impact on Hygienic and Physicochemical Quality

The purpose of our study is to verify the usefulness of gamma irradiation treatment at low doses (0.25, 0.5 and 1 kGy) combined to vacuum packaging on commercial teas of Thymus satureioides deliberately contaminated with Escherichia coli. The efficiency and the influence of the process on contamination level and the shelf life of the product were studied. The phenolic composition and concentration were identified in the unirradiated and irradiated thyme. The total phenolic content (TPC) was assayed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the individual phenolic compounds were determined by high liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The plant was observed by scanning electrons microscopy and the radioactivity effect was analyzed. The results show a complete decontamination of thyme depending to the dose and the storage time. Privileged hygienic quality was found in the irradiated thyme with the highest concentrations of polyphenols. The process showed the conservation of thyme quality without any alteration of its characteristics or radioactivity effect

Valorisation of cellulosic waste basic cactus to prepare activated carbon

The cellulosic waste is the most abundant material in the earth. It is considered as a renewable polymer of wood cell walls and plant cells. It is used in different fields mainly as sustainable potential precursors and it is useful for the preparing activated carbon.The purpose of this study is the valorisation and production of activated carbon from cellulose waste, old cladodes of Ficus indica cactus optunia, and the residue of prickly pear seeds after oil extraction. Preparation and characterization of activated carbon (AC) from the two wastes by chemical treatment, phosphoric acid H3PO4 at a temperature of 450 °C has shown a very good adsorption of methylene blue and iodine. This treatment illustrated an important surface area of 820 m2/g for waste seeds and more than 470 m2/g for waste cactus cladodes. Analysis by infrared and pH point of zero charge showed a basic character for both carbons active developed. Keywords: Cactus, Activated carbon, Fig tree barbarism, Chemical activatio

Benign and malignant prolapsed uterine tumors : 4 case reports of an extremely rare entities

Prolapsed uterine tumors within the cervix or vagina, are attached to the uterine cavity by a soft tissue stalk. Malignant tumors and leiomyoma are the first diagnostic considerations for a prolapsed uterine mass with a visible stalk at MRI. This article describes 4 cases of patients who presented with large, necrotic prolapsed uterine tumors that were surgically confirmed and were diagnosed prospectively on the basis of MRI findings. Imaging, particularly MRI, plays a crucial role in the management of patients with prolapsed pedunculated uterine tumors, especially for pre-operative localization and surgical treatment. The 4 patients underwent a total hysterectomy with a complete resection of the mass. The histopathological report confirmed in the first case the diagnosis of a uterine leiomyoma with aseptic necrobiosis, in the second and third cases a sarcoma, and in the fourth case a serous adenocarcinoma

Bilateral thalamic infarcts: Percheron territory

Blood supply to the human thalami is complex and multiple variants exist. The artery of Percheron is one of those variants and is characterized by a solitary arterial trunk that branches from one of the proximal segments of either posterior cerebral artery and sup- plies blood to the paramedian thalami. Its occlusion results in bilateral paramedian thalamic infarction sometimes extending to the midbrain. We report a case of bithalamic infarction secondary to occlusion of the artery of Percheron. We will illustrate the complex clinical symptomatology and underscore the role of imaging, especially MRI, for diagnosis