Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts obtained from the roots bark of Arbutus andrachne L. a Lebanese tree.

Context and purpose of the study: The leaves, fruits, barks and roots of Arbutus andrachne L (A. andrachne), have been adopted to have high therapeutic value resulting from the presence of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic and tannins. In the present work, three extracts obtained from A. andrachne roots bark were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities .The total phenolic content, flavonoid, condensed tannins and anthocyanins were determined in order to correlate them with the antioxidant activity of extracts.Main findings: The highest amounts of phenolic and tannins were found in the ethyl-acetate, while the anthocyanins ones were highly observed in the methanol-water extract. The lowest IC50 values for DPPH (0.6 µg/mL), and metal chelating assay (13.45µg/mL) were recorded in the ethyl-acetate extract and the methanolic one respetively. Gram positive bacteria (S. aureus and E. faecalis) were more susceptible to the antimicrobial potential of the methanol extract, while E.coli and P. aeruginosa as Gram negative bacteria turned out to be more resistant to the same extract. The ethyl-acetate extract was more effective on E. faecalis than on S. aureus; while E. coli and P. aeruginosa were the most resistant to this extract.Brief summary and potential implications: An appropriate dose of antioxidants derived from A. andrachne bark of the roots extracts in the human diet can help to avoid the risk of contracting diseases where ROS are involved in the pathogenesis. In fact, phenolic compounds in these extracts are among the natural antioxidants being studied by the scientific community due to their biological properties, e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts obtained from the roots bark of Arbutus andrachne L. a Lebanese tree.

Context and purpose of the study: The leaves, fruits, barks and roots of Arbutus andrachne L (A. andrachne), have been adopted to have high therapeutic value resulting from the presence of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic and tannins. In the present work, three extracts obtained from A. andrachne roots bark were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities .The total phenolic content, flavonoid, condensed tannins and anthocyanins were determined in order to correlate them with the antioxidant activity of extracts.Main findings: The highest amounts of phenolic and tannins were found in the ethyl-acetate, while the anthocyanins ones were highly observed in the methanol-water extract. The lowest IC50 values for DPPH (0.6 µg/mL), and metal chelating assay (13.45µg/mL) were recorded in the ethyl-acetate extract and the methanolic one respetively. Gram positive bacteria (S. aureus and E. faecalis) were more susceptible to the antimicrobial potential of the methanol extract, while E.coli and P. aeruginosa as Gram negative bacteria turned out to be more resistant to the same extract. The ethyl-acetate extract was more effective on E. faecalis than on S. aureus; while E. coli and P. aeruginosa were the most resistant to this extract.Brief summary and potential implications: An appropriate dose of antioxidants derived from A. andrachne bark of the roots extracts in the human diet can help to avoid the risk of contracting diseases where ROS are involved in the pathogenesis. In fact, phenolic compounds in these extracts are among the natural antioxidants being studied by the scientific community due to their biological properties, e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Thymoquinone, the Nigella sativa Bioactive Compound, Prevents Circulatory Oxidative Stress Caused by 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine in Erythrocyte during Colon Postinitiation Carcinogenesis

We have performed this study to investigate the modulatory effect of thymoquinone (TQ), the Nigella sativa active compound, on erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status during 1,2-dimethylhydrazine- (DMH-) induced colon carcinogenesis after initiation in male Wistar rats. Rats exposed to DMH showed an increase of malondialdehyde and conjugated diene levels, and an augmentation of enzyme activities like catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities was also noted. The TQ pretreatment restored the parameters cited above to near-normal values. However, the posttreatment shows an activity similar as that presented by DMH. Therefore, our investigation revealed that TQ was a useful compound preventing DMH-induced erythrocyte damages

Human Alu insertion polymorphisms in North African populations

Several features make Alu insertions a powerful tool used in population genetic studies: the polymorphic nature of many Alu insertions, the stability of an Alu insertion event and, furthermore, the ancestral state of an Alu insertion is known to be the absence of the Alu element at a particular locus and the presence of an Alu insertion at the site that forward mutational change. This study analyses seven Alu insertion polymorphisms in a sample of 297 individuals from the autochthonous population of Tunisia (Thala, Smar, Zarzis and Bou Salem) and Libya with the aim of studying their genetic structure with respect to the populations of North Africa, Western, Eastern and Central Europe. The comparative analyses carried out using the MDS and AMOVA methods reveal the existence of spatial heterogeneity, and identify four population groups. Study populations (Libya, Smar, Zarzis and Bou Salem) are closest to North African populations whereas Thala is isolated and is closest to Western European populations. In conclusion, Results of the present study support the important role that migratory movements have played in the North African gene pool, at least since the Neolithic period

MMP-2 and MMP-9 polymorphisms and preeclampsia risk in tunisian arabs : a case-control study

The abnormal production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9 and MMP-2, plays a pivotal role in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and as such, can influence the development of preeclampsia. These alterations may result from functional genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region of MMP-9 and MMP-2 genes, which modify MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression. We investigated the association of MMP-9 polymorphism rs3918242 (-1562 C>T) and MMP-2 polymorphism rs2285053 (-735 C>T) with the risk of preeclampsia. This case–control study was conducted on 345 women with preeclampsia and 281 age-matched women with normal pregnancies from Tunisian hospitals. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood collected at delivery. Genotypes for -1562 C>T and -735 C>T polymorphisms were performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). An increased frequency of heterozygous MMP-9 -1562 C/T genotype carriers was observed in women with preeclampsia compared to healthy controls (p = 0.03). In contrast, the MMP-2 -735 C>T polymorphism was not significantly different regarding frequency distribution of the allele and genotype between healthy pregnant women and women with preeclampsia. Our study suggests that the MMP-9 -1562 C/T variant, associated with high MMP-9 production, could be a genetic risk factor for preeclampsia in Tunisian women

Contribution of type 2 diabetes associated loci in the Arabic population from Tunisia: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Candidate gene and genome-wide association studies have both reproducibly identified several common Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that confer type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk in European populations. Our aim was to evaluate the contribution to T2D of five of these established T2D-associated loci in the Arabic population from Tunisia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case-control design comprising 884 type 2 diabetic patients and 513 control subjects living in the East-Center of Tunisia was used to analyze the contribution to T2D of the following SNPs: E23K in <it>KCNJ11/Kir6.2</it>, K121Q in <it>ENPP1</it>, the -30G/A variant in the pancreatic β-cell specific promoter of Glucokinase, rs7903146 in <it>TCF7L2 </it>encoding transcription factor 7-like2, and rs7923837 in <it>HHEX </it>encoding the homeobox, hematopoietically expressed transcription factor.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>TCF7L2</it>-rs7903146 T allele increased susceptibility to T2D (OR = 1.25 [1.06–1.47], <it>P </it>= 0.006) in our study population. This risk was 56% higher among subjects carrying the TT genotype in comparison to those carrying the CC genotype (OR = 1.56 [1.13–2.16], <it>P </it>= 0.002). No allelic or genotypic association with T2D was detected for the other studied polymorphisms.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the Tunisian population, <it>TCF7L2</it>-rs7903146 T allele confers an increased risk of developing T2D as previously reported in the European population and many other ethnic groups. In contrast, none of the other tested SNPs that influence T2D risk in the European population was associated with T2D in the Tunisian Arabic population. An insufficient power to detect minor allelic contributions or genetic heterogeneity of T2D between different ethnic groups can explain these findings.</p

Polymorphism of Interleukin 6 -174 G/C in Behcet Disease: Case Series and Review of Literature

To assess the association between polymorphisms of the IL-6 -174 G/C and Behçet's disease (BD) in Tunisian patients. DNA was extracted from blood samples taken from 43 Tunisian patients and 43 healthy controls. The polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR with the PCR-RFLP. No significant association was found between patients and controls concerning polymorphism of IL6 -174 G/C between the (allelic frequency: C (17.44 vs 8, 13%; P=0.17) et G (82,55 vs 91,86%; P= 0.21). Neither age of onset of BD nor sex appears to be influenced by allelic variation of SNP-174 G / C of IL6. Disease duration of BD was longer in patients having the form 174 G-allele. SNP -174G/C was more frequent in patients without significant association (32.5 vs 16,26% ; P=0.07). SNP -174 G/C was not associated with the HLA B51. Neither age of onset of BD nor sex appears to be influenced by SNP-174 G / C of IL6. Disease duration of BD was longer in the absence of the SNP-174 G/C IL6, with no significant difference (79.2 + / -45.095 vs.70.28 + / - 47.034 months, P=0.59). The polymorphism of IL6 -174 G/C does not modulate clinical expression of BD. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL-6 do not appear to be associated with BD reconstruction

Evaluation of anxiety and depression disorders and the associated factors among hemodialysis subjects

Identifying anxio-depressive disorders, evaluating their prevalence and determining the different factors that can intervene in their hap- pening to the patients suffering from hemodialysis. Transversal descriptive and analytical study over 70 patients, real- ized at the dialysis unit of the Idrissi regional hospital’s department of medicine at Kenitra, Morocco, over a period of three months starting from 27 March to 26 June 2015. The data were acquired from a survey and psychiatric evaluation scales: The scale HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ) to evaluate anxiety and depression and the scale of « Big Five French Inventory to evaluate the treats of personality» (BF-Fr). Average age was from 54,66±15,96 years. The seniority of the hemodialysis was on average 5,20±3,23 years. The studied traits of personality show a decrease regard to the average score of dimen- sion O (overture of sense) and of the dimension E score (extraversion) versus an evaluation of the dimension N score (Neu ro ticism). The prevalence of anxio-depressive troubles were as the following; 74,29% presented an anxious state (suspected or proven) and 70% had a depressive state (suspected or proven). The anxious troubles were correlated to age and to N and O characters of personality traits BFI-Fr. the depressive troubles were correlated to N charac- ters traits of personality BFI-Fr, and the anxious troubles were pos- itively correlated to depressive troubles. The prevalence of anxio-depressive troubles among hemodialysis subjects was elevated with repercussions on the personality. The involvement of a psychologist in the processes of taking charge is obligatory