Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Traditional Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Fez-Meknes Region

Depression and anxiety represent a major mental health problem in the world. The majority of Moroccan people use traditional medicine for their health needs, including various forms of depression and anxiety. The aim of this work is to make an inventory of plant species used in folk medicine for the management of depression and anxiety in Fez-Meknes regions. Established questionnaires were administered to 243 interviews in 4 communities within Fez-Meknes region. With traditional health practitioners, herbalists and consumer. Plant species belonging to 31 families were reported. The most frequently cited families are Lamiaceae followed by Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Verbenaceae. Leaves were the major plant parts used forming 58% solely and 73 mixed with other parts. This was followed by seeds 17%, flowers 6%, roots 2% and fruits, bark (1% each). The current survey represents a useful documentation, which can use to preserving knowledge on the use of medicinal plants in this region and to explore the phytochemical and pharmacological potential of medicinal plants.Peer reviewe

Protective Effect of Chemically Characterized Polyphenol-Rich Fraction from Apteranthes europaea (Guss.) Murb. subsp. maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

Apteranthes europaea (Guss.) Murb. subsp. maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes (A. europaea) is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicines to treat various diseases including hepatic pathogenesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of chemically characterized polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice. The chemical characterization of A. europaea polyphenol-rich fraction was carried out using HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a diode-array detector (DAD)). Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was used to induce liver injuries in mice as described in previous works. A polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea was used at a dose of 50 mg/Kg to study its hepatoprotective effect. Next, histopathological and biochemical alterations were investigated. The HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several phenolic compounds: gallic acid, methyl gallate, rutin, ferulic acid, and resorcinol. Regarding the mice treated with a polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea up to 50 mg/Kg and carbon tetrachloride, no significant biochemical nor histological alterations occurred in their liver; meanwhile, serious biochemical and histopathological changes were noted for liver recovered from the mice treated with carbon tetrachloride only. In conclusion, A. europaea extract is a promising source of hepatoprotective agents against toxic liver injury

Caralluma europaea (Guss.) N.E.Br.: Anti-Inflammatory, Antifungal, and Antibacterial Activities against Nosocomial Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes of Chemically Characterized Fractions

Caralluma europaea (Guss.) N.E.Br.: (C. europaea) is a wild medicinal plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It is commonly used in traditional medicines for treating several diseases. The present work aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal potentials of C. europaea fractions including hydro ethanol (ET CE), n-butanol (But CE), and polyphenol (Poly CE). The chemical composition of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions from C. europaea were determined using GC-MS after silylation. The anti-inflammatory effect of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions was studied by carrageenan-induced paw edema. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and yeasts were assessed using the disc diffusion and micro-dilution assays. The findings of the chemical characterization affirmed the presence of interesting bioactive compounds in C. europaea fractions. The polyphenol-rich fraction was the best inhibitor of edema by75.68% after 6 h of treatment. The hydroethanol fraction was the most active against both bacteria and yeasts. This study contributes to society as it provides potential bioactive compounds in C. europaea extract, which may help in fighting nosocomial antibiotic-resistant microbes

Caralluma europaea (Guss.) N.E.Br.: Anti-Inflammatory, Antifungal, and Antibacterial Activities against Nosocomial Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes of Chemically Characterized Fractions

Caralluma europaea (Guss.) N.E.Br.: (C. europaea) is a wild medicinal plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It is commonly used in traditional medicines for treating several diseases. The present work aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal potentials of C. europaea fractions including hydro ethanol (ET CE), n-butanol (But CE), and polyphenol (Poly CE). The chemical composition of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions from C. europaea were determined using GC-MS after silylation. The anti-inflammatory effect of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions was studied by carrageenan-induced paw edema. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of hydroethanol, n-butanol, and polyphenol-rich fractions against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and yeasts were assessed using the disc diffusion and micro-dilution assays. The findings of the chemical characterization affirmed the presence of interesting bioactive compounds in C. europaea fractions. The polyphenol-rich fraction was the best inhibitor of edema by75.68% after 6 h of treatment. The hydroethanol fraction was the most active against both bacteria and yeasts. This study contributes to society as it provides potential bioactive compounds in C. europaea extract, which may help in fighting nosocomial antibiotic-resistant microbes

Lipids Fraction from Caralluma europaea (Guss.): MicroTOF and HPLC Analyses and Exploration of Its Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Wound Healing Effects

Caralluma europaea is a medicinal plant used in Morocco to cure a variety of illnesses. This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition, the antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activities of C. europaea lipids. The chemical composition of C. europaea was analyzed using time-of-flight mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant potential was determined using the 2,2-di-phenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests. The antiproliferative effect was evaluated by MTT assay against HL60, K562, Huh-7 cancer cells, and normal Vero cells. The anti-inflammatory potential was conducted against carrageenan-induced paw edema. The wound healing effect was evaluated against skin burns for 21 days. The identified phytochemical compounds were docked for their effect on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, caspase-3, lipoxygenase, glycogen synthase kinase-3-β, and protein casein kinase-1. The results showed the presence of some lipids, such as linoleic acid and vitamin D3. The DPPH (IC50 = 0.018 mg/mL) and FRAP (EC50 = 0.084 mg/mL) of C. europaea lipids showed an important antioxidant effect. For the anti-inflammatory test, an inhibition of 83.50% was recorded after 6 h of treatment. Our extract showed the greatest wound retraction on the 21st day (98.20%). C. europaea lipids showed a remarkable antitumoral effect against the K562 cell line (IC50 = 37.30 µg/mL), with no effect on Vero cells (IC50 > 100 µg/mL). Lignoceric acid was the most active molecule against caspase-3 (−6.453 kcal/mol). The findings indicate the growing evidence of C. europaea as a potential treatment for several diseases

Evolution of Women's Roghts in the Countries of the Arab Spring : Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia

Les droits des femmes constituent un sujet vaste et complexe, à l’intersection de plusieurs disciplines. Cette problématique concerne les inégalités et les discriminations à l’encontre d’une partie importante de la société, avec les conséquences et les pertes qui s’en suivent. Cette étude s’interroge, à l’aune des soulèvements qu’a vécu la région du Moyen Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (MOAN) sur les voies d’évolutions des droits des femmes en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. D’une part, il s’agit d’analyser les principales évolutions qu’ont connues le statut et les droits des femmes avant l’avènement des printemps arabes. Et d’autre part, il convient de comprendre l’apport du contexte des printemps arabes en étudiant les processus des réformes portant sur les droits des femmes notamment à travers les nouvelles Constitutions adoptées en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. Enfin, il convient de souligner l’importance de la place donnée aux conventions internationales telles que la Convention pour l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’encontre des femmes (CEDEF) du point de vue juridique, ainsi que le statut du référent islamique dans son rapport aux processus d’élaboration, de légitimation et d’interprétation du droit. Ces processus ont constamment opposé différentes franges de la société, appelant lors des réformes majeures l’arbitrage d’une tierce partie.Women’s rights constitute a broad and complex topic at the junction of various fields. It has posed at the international scale similar challenges related to the inequalities and discriminations against an important component of society, with the ensuing consequences and losses. This thesis raises multiple questions regarding the pathways of evolution of women’s rights in the context of the recent revolts witnessed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. On the one hand, the thesis analyses the main developments and reforms relative to women’s rights before the advent of the Arab spring. On the other hand, one of the main objectives is to strive to understand the potential of the context of the Arab spring for pushing for change in the processes of reforms regarding women’s rights, as portrayed mainly by the new Constitutions adopted in the countries of this case study. Moreover, it is of essence to emphasize the status of international conventions such as the Convention for elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), from a legal perspective and the role of the Islamic referential in the processes of elaboration, legitimation, and interpretation of the law. Indeed, these processes have continuously opposed the plurality of opinions of diverse societies, calling for mediation from a third party, during the major reforms

L'évolution des droits de la femme dans les pays du printemps arabe : Égypte, Maroc et Tunisie

Les droits des femmes constituent un sujet vaste et complexe, à l’intersection de plusieurs disciplines. Cette problématique concerne les inégalités et les discriminations à l’encontre d’une partie importante de la société, avec les conséquences et les pertes qui s’en suivent. Cette étude s’interroge, à l’aune des soulèvements qu’a vécu la région du Moyen Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (MOAN) sur les voies d’évolutions des droits des femmes en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. D’une part, il s’agit d’analyser les principales évolutions qu’ont connues le statut et les droits des femmes avant l’avènement des printemps arabes. Et d’autre part, il convient de comprendre l’apport du contexte des printemps arabes en étudiant les processus des réformes portant sur les droits des femmes notamment à travers les nouvelles Constitutions adoptées en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. Enfin, il convient de souligner l’importance de la place donnée aux conventions internationales telles que la Convention pour l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’encontre des femmes (CEDEF) du point de vue juridique, ainsi que le statut du référent islamique dans son rapport aux processus d’élaboration, de légitimation et d’interprétation du droit. Ces processus ont constamment opposé différentes franges de la société, appelant lors des réformes majeures l’arbitrage d’une tierce partie.Women’s rights constitute a broad and complex topic at the junction of various fields. It has posed at the international scale similar challenges related to the inequalities and discriminations against an important component of society, with the ensuing consequences and losses. This thesis raises multiple questions regarding the pathways of evolution of women’s rights in the context of the recent revolts witnessed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. On the one hand, the thesis analyses the main developments and reforms relative to women’s rights before the advent of the Arab spring. On the other hand, one of the main objectives is to strive to understand the potential of the context of the Arab spring for pushing for change in the processes of reforms regarding women’s rights, as portrayed mainly by the new Constitutions adopted in the countries of this case study. Moreover, it is of essence to emphasize the status of international conventions such as the Convention for elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), from a legal perspective and the role of the Islamic referential in the processes of elaboration, legitimation, and interpretation of the law. Indeed, these processes have continuously opposed the plurality of opinions of diverse societies, calling for mediation from a third party, during the major reforms

L'évolution des droits de la femme dans les pays du printemps arabe : Égypte, Maroc et Tunisie

Les droits des femmes constituent un sujet vaste et complexe, à l’intersection de plusieurs disciplines. Cette problématique concerne les inégalités et les discriminations à l’encontre d’une partie importante de la société, avec les conséquences et les pertes qui s’en suivent. Cette étude s’interroge, à l’aune des soulèvements qu’a vécu la région du Moyen Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (MOAN) sur les voies d’évolutions des droits des femmes en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. D’une part, il s’agit d’analyser les principales évolutions qu’ont connues le statut et les droits des femmes avant l’avènement des printemps arabes. Et d’autre part, il convient de comprendre l’apport du contexte des printemps arabes en étudiant les processus des réformes portant sur les droits des femmes notamment à travers les nouvelles Constitutions adoptées en Egypte, au Maroc et en Tunisie. Enfin, il convient de souligner l’importance de la place donnée aux conventions internationales telles que la Convention pour l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’encontre des femmes (CEDEF) du point de vue juridique, ainsi que le statut du référent islamique dans son rapport aux processus d’élaboration, de légitimation et d’interprétation du droit. Ces processus ont constamment opposé différentes franges de la société, appelant lors des réformes majeures l’arbitrage d’une tierce partie.Women’s rights constitute a broad and complex topic at the junction of various fields. It has posed at the international scale similar challenges related to the inequalities and discriminations against an important component of society, with the ensuing consequences and losses. This thesis raises multiple questions regarding the pathways of evolution of women’s rights in the context of the recent revolts witnessed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. On the one hand, the thesis analyses the main developments and reforms relative to women’s rights before the advent of the Arab spring. On the other hand, one of the main objectives is to strive to understand the potential of the context of the Arab spring for pushing for change in the processes of reforms regarding women’s rights, as portrayed mainly by the new Constitutions adopted in the countries of this case study. Moreover, it is of essence to emphasize the status of international conventions such as the Convention for elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), from a legal perspective and the role of the Islamic referential in the processes of elaboration, legitimation, and interpretation of the law. Indeed, these processes have continuously opposed the plurality of opinions of diverse societies, calling for mediation from a third party, during the major reforms

LC-MS/MS and GC/MS Profiling of Petroselinum sativum Hoffm. and Its Topical Application on Burn Wound Healing and Related Analgesic Potential in Rats

Parsley (Petroselinum sativum Hoffm.) is renowned for its ethnomedicinal uses including managing pain, wound, and dermal diseases. We previously highlighted the estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of parsley and profiled the phytochemistry of its polyphenolic fraction using HPLC-DAD. To extend our investigation, we here characterized the phytochemical composition of the hydro-ethanolic extract using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS upon silylation, and evaluated the antioxidant, analgesic, antimicrobial, and wound healing activities of its hydro-ethanolic and polyphenolic fraction. The antioxidant property was assessed using FRAP, DPPH, and TAC assays. The antimicrobial activity was tested against four wound infectious microbes (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). The analgesic effect was studied using acetic acid (counting the number of writhes) and formalin (recording the licking and biting times) injections while the wound healing activity was evaluated using burn model in vivo. The LC-MS/MS showed that the hydro-ethanolic contains four polyphenols (oleuropein, arbutin, myricetin, and naringin) while GC-MS revealed that it contains 20 compounds including malic acid, D-glucose, and galactofuranoside. The hydro-ethanolic (1000 mg/kg) decreased abdominal writhes (38.96%) and licking time (37.34%). It also elicited a strong antioxidant activity using DPPH method (IC50 = 19.38 ± 0.15 µg/mL). Polyphenols exhibited a good antimicrobial effect (MIC = 3.125–12.5 mg/mL). Moreover, both extracts showed high wound contraction by 97.17% and 94.98%, respectively. This study provides evidence that P. sativum could serve as a source of bio-compounds exhibiting analgesic effect and their promising application in mitigating ROS-related disorders, impeding wound infections, and enhancing burn healing