An evaluation of psychiatric rehabilitation programs from Functional Rehabilitation Centers in Belgium

La vie des personnes souffrant d’une maladie mentale est souvent caractérisée par une pauvreté de la vie personnelle, professionnelle et sociale. Les programmes de réhabilitation psychiatrique ont été développés pour soutenir l’insertion sociale et professionnelle de ces personnes. Les recherches antérieures ont montré que ces programmes peuvent contribuer à l’amélioration du bien-être de l'individu. L’objectif de la présente étude a été d’évaluer les effets d’interventions cognitives et comportementales offertes par des Centres de Réadaptation Fonctionnelle (CRF) en Belgique, sur la symptomatologie clinique, le fonctionnement cognitif et social. Une étude longitudinale a été conduite dans laquelle les patients ont été évalués après 6 et 12 mois de thérapie. Les résultats soutiennent l’idée que les Centres de Réadaptation Fonctionnelle offrent des interventions thérapeutiques qui peuvent améliorer le fonctionnement social et cognitif des patients ainsi que leur symptomatologie clinique

Variations in fatty acid composition during maturation of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds

Changes in fatty acids were studied during maturation of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds cultivated in the North-Eastern region of Tunisia (Menzel Temim). The fruits matured in 49 Days after flowering (DAF). The first results show a rapid oil accumulation started in newly formed fruits (8.2%) and continued until their full maturity (16.9%). During fruit maturation, fatty acid profiles varied significantly among the three stages of maturity. Fruits development resulted mainly in an increase of petroselinic acid and a decrease of palmitic acid (C16:0). At full maturity, the main fatty acids were petroselinic acid (55.9%), followed by palmitic (23.82%), linoleic (12.40%) and pamitoleic (2.12%) acids. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids increased significantly; however, saturated fatty acids decreased during ripening of cumin seed. Results of this study indicate that the variation in the fatty acid composition of cumin seeds during maturation may be useful in understanding the source of nutritionally and industrially important fatty acids in this fruit. Cumin seed is potentially an important source of petroselinic acid which has numerous industrial applications.Keywords: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), Apiaceae, seed, fatty acids composition, petroselinic acid, maturation.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(34), pp. 5303-530

Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antileishmanial potential of Micromeria nervosa extracts and molecular mechanism of action of the bioactive compound

Aims: This study aimed to determine the antibacterial and antileishmanial potential of Micromeria nervosa extracts. The identification of the antileishmanial compound and the study of its molecular mechanism of action have also been undertaken. Methods and results: Ethanol extract showed high polyphenol content and diethyl ether extract exhibited high DPPH scavenging and low beta-carotene bleaching activity (IC50 = 13.04 ± 0.99 and 200.18 ± 3.32 μg mL−1 , respectively). However, diethyl ether extract displayed high antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 31.25 μg mL−1 ), Staph. aureus ATCC6538 (MIC = 62.5 μg mL−1 ), and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115 (MIC = 125 μg mL−1 ), as well as high antileishmanial activity against the promastigote forms of L. infantum and L. major (IC50 = 11.45 and 14.53 μg mL−1 , respectively). The active compound was purified using bioassay-guided fractionation and thin layer chromatography, and identified as ursolic acid using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and mass spectrometry. The purified compound was strongly inhibitory against the promastigote and amastigote forms of L. infantum and L. major (IC50 = 5.87 and 6.95 μg mL−1 versus 9.56 and 10. 68 μg mL−1 , respectively) without overt cytotoxicity against Raw 264.7 macrophage cells (SI = 13.53 and 11.43, respectively). The commercial compound (ursolic acid) showed similar activity against amastigotes and promastigotes forms of L. infantum and L. major. Moreover, its molecular mode of action against leishmaniasis seems to involve the expression of the ODC and SPS genes involved in thiol pathway. Conclusion: Extracts of M. nervosa can be considered as a potential alternative to antimicrobial and antileishmanial drugs