Enquête Ethnopharmacologique sur l’usage traditionnel de l’Aneth (Anethum graveolens L.) dans le Nord-Ouest de la Tunisie

Located at the crossroads of the human-Nature sciences, ethno-pharmacology is a discipline that is interested in traditional medicines whose objective is the search for new treatments of tomorrow. In this context, we conducted an ethno-pharmacological survey on the traditional use of aneth (Anethum graveolens L.) in some regions of the North-West of Tunisia to examine Tunisians' knowledge of its use for treatment and disease control. A survey was prepared with two parts, the first deals with the profile of the respondent (age, sex, level of study) and the second was devoted to identification and use of aneth (parts used, diseases treated and methods of preparation and administration, etc.). Collected data revealed that Aneth is used as a therapeutic remedy for treatment of various pathologies, mainly digestive disorders (40.7%). The investigation also revealed the mode of preparation where the respondents use it as food (50.9%) followed by infusion and decoction (24.7% and 23.7%, respectively). The most used part according to them is the leaf (29.2%) while the mode of administration is mainly oral (97.1%). In conclusion, the information obtained from inhabitants of Tabarka, Bou Salem and Nefza regions about this medicinal and aromatic plant is interesting for a possible therapeutic innovation. They could form a database for subsequent pharmacological and experimental evaluations to explore the curative potential of this plant. Keywords: Ethno-pharmacology, Traditional medicine, Dill, Aneth, Survey, TunisiaSituée à la croisée des sciences d’Homme-Nature, l’ethno-pharmacologie est une discipline qui s’intéresse aux médecines traditionnelles dont l’objectif est la recherche de nouveaux traitements de demain. Dans ce cadre, nous avons mené une enquête ethno-pharmacologique sur l'utilisation traditionnelle de l’Aneth (Anethum graveolens L.) dans quelques régions de Nord-Ouest de la Tunisie pour examiner les connaissances des Tunisiens concernant son usage pour se soigner et pour lutter contre les maladies. Une fiche d’enquête a été préparée avec deux rubriques dont la première s’intéresse au profil de l’enquêté (âge, sexe, niveau d’étude) et la deuxième a été consacrée à l’identification et à l’usage de la plante choisie (les parties utilisées, les maladies traitées et les modes de préparations et d’administration). Les données obtenues ont révélé que l’Aneth est utilisé comme remède thérapeutique pour le traitement de diverses pathologies, essentiellement les troubles digestifs (40,7%). L’enquête a également révélé dans la partie mode de préparation que les enquêtés l’utilise comme aliment (50,9%) suivis par l’infusion et la décoction de (24,7% et 23,7%, respectivement). La partie la plus utilisée selon eux est la feuille (29,2%) alors que le mode d’administration est essentiellement oral (97,1%). En conclusion, les informations obtenues des habitants des régions de Tabarka, Bou Salem et Nefza à propos de cette plante médicinale et aromatique sont intéressantes pour une éventuelle innovation thérapeutique. Elles pourraient être une base de données pour des évaluations pharmacologiques et expérimentales ultérieurs pour explorer les potentialités curatives de cette plante. Mots clés: Ethno-pharmacologie, Médecine traditionnelle, Aneth, Enquête, Tunisi

Health promoting potential of herbal teas and tinctures from Artemisia campestris subsp maritima: from traditional remedies to prospective products

This work explored the biotechnological potential of the medicinal halophyte Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (dune wormwood) as a source of health promoting commodities. For that purpose, infusions, decoctions and tinctures were prepared from roots and aerial-organs and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic and tyrosinase-inhibitory potential, and also for polyphenolic and mineral contents and toxicity. The dune wormwood extracts had high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). The main compounds were quinic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, coumarin sulfates and dicaffeoylquinic acids; several of the identified phytoconstituents are here firstly reported in this A. campestris subspecies. Results obtained with this plant's extracts point to nutritional applications as mineral supplementary source, safe for human consumption, as suggested by the moderate to low toxicity of the extracts towards mammalian cell lines. The dune wormwood extracts had in general high antioxidant activity and also the capacity to inhibit a-glucosidase and tyrosinase. In summary, dune wormwood extracts are a significant source of polyphenolic and mineral constituents, antioxidants and a-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitors, and thus, relevant for different commercial segments like the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and/or food industries.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BD/94407/2013]; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Autozygome-guided exome sequencing in retinal dystrophy patients reveals pathogenetic mutations and novel candidate disease genes

Retinal dystrophy (RD) is a heterogeneous group of hereditary diseases caused by loss of photoreceptor function and contributes significantly to the etiology of blindness globally but especially in the industrialized world. The extreme locus and allelic heterogeneity of these disorders poses a major diagnostic challenge and often impedes the ability to provide a molecular diagnosis that can inform counseling and gene-specific treatment strategies. In a large cohort of nearly 150 RD families, we used genomic approaches in the form of autozygome-guided mutation analysis and exome sequencing to identify the likely causative genetic lesion in the majority of cases. Additionally, our study revealed six novel candidate disease genes (C21orf2, EMC1, KIAA1549, GPR125, ACBD5, and DTHD1), two of which (ACBD5 and DTHD1) were observed in the context of syndromic forms of RD that are described for the first time

Tectonic events, continental intraplate volcanism, and mantle plume activity in northern Arabia: constraints form geochemistry and Ar-Ar dating of Syrian lavas

New (40)Ar/(39)Ar ages combined with chemical and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope data for volcanic rocks from Syria along with published data of Syrian and Arabian lavas constrain the spatiotemporal evolution of volcanism, melting regime, and magmatic sources contributing to the volcanic activity in northern Arabia. Several volcanic phases occurred in different parts of Syria in the last 20 Ma that partly correlate with different tectonic events like displacements along the Dead Sea Fault system or slab break-off beneath the Bitlis suture zone, although the large volume of magmas and their composition suggest that hot mantle material caused volcanism. Low Ce/Pb (<20), Nb/Th (<10), and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope variations of Syrian lavas indicate the role of crustal contamination in magma genesis, and contamination of magmas with up to 30% of continental crustal material can explain their (87)Sr/(86)Sr. Fractionation-corrected major element compositions and REE ratios of uncontaminated lavas suggest a pressure-controlled melting regime in western Arabia that varies from shallow and high-degree melt formation in the south to increasingly deeper regions and lower extents of the beginning melting process northward. Temperature estimates of calculated primary, crustally uncontaminated Arabian lavas indicate their formation at elevated mantle temperatures (T(excess) similar to 100-200 degrees C) being characteristic for their generation in a plume mantle region. The Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope systematic of crustally uncontaminated Syrian lavas reveal a sublithospheric and a mantle plume source involvement in their formation, whereas a (hydrous) lithospheric origin of lavas can be excluded on the basis of negative correlations between Ba/La and K/La. The characteristically high (206)Pb/(204)Pb (similar to 19.5) of the mantle plume source can be explained by material entrainment associated with the Afar mantle plume. The Syrian volcanic rocks are generally younger than lavas from the southern Afro-Arabian region, indicating a northward progression of the commencing volcanism since the arrival of the Afar mantle plume beneath Ethiopia/Djibouti some 30 Ma ago. The distribution of crustally uncontaminated high (206)Pb/(204)Pb lavas in Arabia indicates a spatial influence of the Afar plume of similar to 2600 km in northward direction with an estimated flow velocity of plume material on the order of 22 cm/a

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries