Argan tree (Argania spinosa L. skeels) vegetative propagation by cutting and grafting

L’arganier (Argania spinosa L. skeels) est un arbre oléifère endémique au Maroc et qui joue un rôle socio-économique important vue la valeur de son huile. Malgré l’importance de l’arganier, il est principalement multiplié par semis. Cette méthode de multiplication présente plusieurs inconvénients dont une longue phase de juvénilité et une variabilité génétique élevée entre les plants. Le but de ce travail est d’étudier (1) l’effet du génotype et de la source de calcium (CaCl2 et Ca(NO3)2) sur le bouturage, (2) l’étendue de l’effet du génotype du porte-greffe et du greffon sur le greffage et enfin (3) comparer entre les deux méthodes pour la production de plants d’arganier. Les résultats ont montré l’existence d’un effet génotype important sur le bouturage. En effet, chaque génotype a présenté un taux de multiplication différent. L’apport du calcium n’a pas apporté d’amélioration à l’enracinement des boutures pour l’ensemble des génotypes multipliés alors que son pouvoir désinfectant s’est révélé dépendre du génotype. Les résultats ont montré aussi que la réussite du greffage dépendait principalement de la compatibilité greffon/porte-greffe, mais peu du génotype du greffon et pas du tout du génotype du porte-greffe. La comparaison entre les deux méthodes de multiplication a montré que le greffage serait mieux adapté que le bouturage pour la production de plants d’arganier. Le meilleur taux d’enracinement obtenu par bouturage était de 66,7 %, alors que le taux de reprise par greffage a atteint 95,8 % pour les meilleures combinaisons. Mots clés: Arganier, Argania spinosa, multiplication végétative, bouturage, greffage.  The argan tree (Argania spinosa L. skeels) is an endemic species of Morocco that plays an important socio-economic role through the value of its oil. Despite the importance of the species, the main propagation method is still by seed, which presents several disadvantages including a long juvenile phase and high genetic variability between plants. The aim of this work is to study (1) the genotype and source of calcium (CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2) effects on the cutting yield, (2) the effect of the rootstock and the graft genotype on the grafting method’s success and finally (3) compare between both methods for argan massive propagation. The results showed an important genotype effect on the cutting. In fact, each of the four propagated genotypes reacted differently to this propagation method. The calcium treatment did not improve the cutting rooting whereas its disinfectant effect depended on the genotype. The grafting success depended mainly on the graft/rootstock compatibility, but little on the graft genotype and not at all on the rootstock genotype. The comparison between the two propagation methods showed that grafting is more suitable for argan tree propagation. The highest success rate reached through the cutting was 66.7 % with the best genotype whereas by grafting the best rate was off 95.8% obtained in two of the twelve tested graft/rootstock combinations. Keywords: Argan, Argania spinosa, vegetative propagation, cutting, graftin

Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of Mentha subtomentella: in sight in vitro and in silico analysis

Our research focused on assessing essential oils (MSEO) and aqueous extracts (MSAE) derived from M. subtomentella leaves, with a primary focus on evaluating their properties. From 1 kg of leaves, we successfully obtained 18 mL of essential oil. Upon conducting GC/MS analysis, we identified eleven compounds within the oil, collectively accounting for 100% of the constituents identified. Notably, the predominant compounds in the leaf oil were p-Menth-48) -en-3-one (50.48%), 9-Ethylbicyclo (3.3.1) nonan-9-ol (10.04%) (E)-3,3-Dimethyl-delta-1, alpha-cyclohexaneacetaldehyde (8.53%), and D-Limonene (7.22%). Furthermore, utilizing HPLC/DAD, we explored the phenolic profile of MSAE, extracted through decoction. This analysis revealed the presence of fifty-eight compounds, with five major components collectively constituting 61% of the total compounds identified, rosmarinic acid as the major one. We evaluated the antimicrobial effectiveness of the MSEO against ten different strains, observing its notable efficacy against A. Niger (MIC = 0.09%), P. digitatum (MIC = 0.5%), and G. candidum (MIC = 1%). However, the essential oil demonstrated comparatively lower efficacy against bacteria than fungi. In contrast, the MSAE did not exhibit any antimicrobial activity against the tested strains. Regarding antioxidant activity, the aqueous extract displayed a significantly higher antioxidant capacity than the essential oil, which exhibited relatively lower antioxidant activity. The IC50 values were determined to be 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 0.17 ± 0.01 mg/mL, and 13% ± 0.01% (V/V), for ascorbic acid MSAE and MSEO, respectively. We used a computational method called molecular docking to investigate how certain plant compounds affect antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. This involved analyzing the interactions between these compounds and specific protein targets known for their roles in these activities

Development of a food waste prevention strategy: a case study in a hotel in Eastern Morocco

The present work concerns the development of a food waste prevention strategy in a restaurant operating within a hotel in the city of Saidia in Eastern Morocco. The food service sector was chosen for this study because it is the second highest contributing sector to food waste on the global scale. Therefore, the role it plays in environmental pollution should not be neglected. The food waste prevention strategy adopted in this work consisted in performing a food waste audit at first. Then, the purchasing, storage, and handling conditions of food were improved. Finally, waste sorting was performed. The average daily food waste generated by the case study restaurant was 320.3 kg/day. The highest amount of average daily food waste (166.7 kg/day) was generated during food preparation, while storage waste had the lowest amount (30.1 kg/day). The most wasted food commodities were vegetables (50.8 kg/day), fruits (47.1 kg/day), sauces (39.9 kg/day), and cereals (38.4 kg/day). While the least wasted food commodities were eggs (10.2 kg/day) and dairy products (11.7 kg/day). The majority of the food waste generated in this study was avoidable, and fish and seafood were the food commodities with the lowest Eco-efficiency (high cost – high waste). The food waste percentage decreased from 35% to 20% within approximately 4 months following the execution of the food waste prevention strategy

Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Argania spinosa’s Extracts on the Antioxidant Activity and Mild Steel Corrosion’s Inhibition in 1 M HCl

The aim of the present research is the evaluation of the extraction process effect on the chemical composition, the antioxidant activities, and the mild steel corrosion inhibition ability of Argania spinosa’s extracts (alimentary oil (AO) and hexanic extract of roasted almonds (HERA)). The chemical composition revealed that both extracts have the same major compounds: Palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids, with their order slightly different. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), weight loss measurements, and polarization curves were used to estimate AO and HERA’s mild steel corrosion’s inhibition capacity. Based on these three methods, AO registered, respectively, 81%, 87%, and 87% inhibition efficiency while HERA registered 78%, 84%, and 82% inhibition efficiency. The antioxidant activity of AO and HERA was examined in parallel with standard antioxidants (gallic acid and quercetin) using two assays: DPPH* scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). AO had less EC50 in both techniques (DPPH*: 3559.08 ± 161.75 μg/mL; FRAP 1288.58 ± 169.21 μg/mL) than HERA (DPPH*: 3621.43 ± 316.05 μg/mL; FRAP 1655.86 ± 240.18 μg/mL). Quantum chemical and molecular dynamic studies were employed to suggest the adsorption mechanism

Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of <i>Argania spinosa</i>’s Extracts on the Antioxidant Activity and Mild Steel Corrosion’s Inhibition in 1 M HCl

The aim of the present research is the evaluation of the extraction process effect on the chemical composition, the antioxidant activities, and the mild steel corrosion inhibition ability of Argania spinosa’s extracts (alimentary oil (AO) and hexanic extract of roasted almonds (HERA)). The chemical composition revealed that both extracts have the same major compounds: Palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids, with their order slightly different. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), weight loss measurements, and polarization curves were used to estimate AO and HERA’s mild steel corrosion’s inhibition capacity. Based on these three methods, AO registered, respectively, 81%, 87%, and 87% inhibition efficiency while HERA registered 78%, 84%, and 82% inhibition efficiency. The antioxidant activity of AO and HERA was examined in parallel with standard antioxidants (gallic acid and quercetin) using two assays: DPPH* scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). AO had less EC50 in both techniques (DPPH*: 3559.08 ± 161.75 μg/mL; FRAP 1288.58 ± 169.21 μg/mL) than HERA (DPPH*: 3621.43 ± 316.05 μg/mL; FRAP 1655.86 ± 240.18 μg/mL). Quantum chemical and molecular dynamic studies were employed to suggest the adsorption mechanism