Assessment of Color, Capsaicinoids, Carotenoids and Fatty Acids Composition of Paprika Produced from Moroccan Pepper Cultivars (Capsicum Annuum L.)

Analysed quality parameters of paprika powder (Capsicum annuum L.) collected from three localities in Morocco (Tadla, Gharb and Elkalaa des Sraghna) were color, total capsaicinoids, total carotenoid, fat content and fatty acid composition. The oil contents of paprika powder collected from the three localities varied relatively from 7.55g to 8.67 g/100 g. The main fatty acids among the different paprika oils were linoleic acid (60.1–70.9%), oleic acid (12.1–16.1%) and palmitic acid (7.7-14.5%). Remarkable amounts of capsaicinoids were found in the different locations, with a maximum obtained for Elkalaa des Sraghna paprika (184.97mg/kg). Total carotenoid content values averaged from 2323.66 to 3025.05 mg/kg dw with the high content obtained for the Tadla paprika. The ASTA Values differ significantly between the three localities; the high value of ASTA 20 was obtained for Tadla paprika. The present study showed that the different paprika powders are a potential source of valuable oil and Color that could be used for edible and industrial applications. Keywords: Capsicum annuum L., Paprika, Oil, Fatty acid, Capsaicinoids, Total carotenoid, ASTA, Color

Morphological characterization and quality evaluation of some cultivated paprika morphotypes (Capsicum annuum L.) from Tadla-Azilal region of Morocco

To characterize eleven different morphological forms of Moroccan paprika grown under field conditions in Tadla-Azilal region, analysis of morphometric data of different morphotypes (variants) was performed. The 11 morphotypes were evaluated for their qualitative traits of ripe fruits. Statistically significant differences among these variants were found for all the fruit characters studied. The evaluated morphotypes differed also in vitamin C, capsaicin, ASTA value and coordinated chromatic of color. The morphotype fruits evaluated had high genetic diversity and potential to fulfill the industry requirements. Morphotype 1 had the most desired commercial trait such as high ASTA value, high DW/FW ratio and low pungency. The results obtained in this study can be used as accurate information to establish a program of breeding to develop new commercial hybrids with fruits enriched for more desired commercial traits. Key words: Paprika, Morphological traits, commercial traits, Vitamin C, ASTA; Carotenoids, Capsaicinoids

Bioactive Components and Antioxidant Activity of Moroccan Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) at Different Period of Harvesting and Processing

In the present study the total phenols, flavonoids, flavonols, carotenoids content and ASTA of extracts of paprika powder produced at four periods of harvesting and processing were investigated for their antioxidant activity. A different composition between the four periods was evidenced. Paprika produced in November presented a major content of phenols, carotenoids, and ASTA (1360 mg/100g DW, 3727.54 mg/kg DW, 167.15 unit) respectively. Also it showed the highest radical scavenging activity in DPPH assay (IC50 of 260?g/ml). Total flavonol and total flavonoid contents show a little variation depending on the time of harvesting and processing. The total phenolic and carotenoid contents were highly correlated with DPPH values (R2= 0.95 and R2= 0.96) respectively. Therefore, the total phenolic and carotenoid contents can serve as a useful indicator for the antioxidant activity of paprika. The obtained results suggest that Moroccan paprika could be used as valuable flavor with functional properties for foods. Keywords: Niora, ground paprika, ASTA, carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, antioxidant activity.

Rheological Quality and Influence Factor of Moroccan Prickly Pear Juice (Opuntia ficus indica L.)

Rheological properties of prickly pear juice fruit of cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) and impacts of temperature, shearing rate and pH value on its viscosity were studied using a rotational concentric cylinders viscometer. The results show that the viscosity of prickly pear juice decreases with the increase of its temperature and shearing rate. The solution presents pseudo-plasticity fluid, which shows the characters of shear thinning as follows: first, its viscosity decreases gradually as the temperature increases. The viscosity decreases sharply at both acid and alkaline conditions, indicating that it is influenced apparently by pH value. Keywords: Prickly Pear, Juice, temperature, shearing rate, pH, Viscosity

Characterization of greater middle eastern genetic variation for enhanced disease gene discovery

The Greater Middle East (GME) has been a central hub of human migration and population admixture. The tradition of consanguinity, variably practiced in the Persian Gulf region, North Africa, and Central Asia1-3, has resulted in an elevated burden of recessive disease4. Here we generated a whole-exome GME variome from 1,111 unrelated subjects. We detected substantial diversity and admixture in continental and subregional populations, corresponding to several ancient founder populations with little evidence of bottlenecks. Measured consanguinity rates were an order of magnitude above those in other sampled populations, and the GME population exhibited an increased burden of runs of homozygosity (ROHs) but showed no evidence for reduced burden of deleterious variation due to classically theorized ‘genetic purging’. Applying this database to unsolved recessive conditions in the GME population reduced the number of potential disease-causing variants by four- to sevenfold. These results show variegated genetic architecture in GME populations and support future human genetic discoveries in Mendelian and population genetics

Quality characteristics of Moroccan sweet paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) at different sampling times

"La Niora" is a red pepper variety cultivated in Tadla Region (Morocco) which is used for manufacturing paprika after sun drying. The paprika quality (nutritional, chemical and microbiological) was evaluated immediately after milling, from September to December. Sampling time mainly affected paprika color and the total capsaicinoid and vitamin C contents. The commercial quality was acceptable and no aflatoxins were found, but the microbial load sometimes exceeded permitted levels

Invasive pneumococcal disease among children younger than 5 years of age before and after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Casablanca, Morocco

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence rate of invasive pneumococcal disease, the rates of antibiotic resistance and serotype distribution among children ≤5 years old before and after PCVs introduction in Casablanca, Morocco. Methods: This study was conducted at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital Centre of Casablanca during two periods encompassing pre-and post-implementation of PCVs, respectively from January 2007 to October 2010 and from January 2011 to December 2014. All the non-duplicate invasive S. pneumoniae isolates recovered during the study periods were included. Results: There were 136 cases of IPD, 91 before and 45 after PCVs introduction. The greatest decrease in incidence rate of IPD occurred in children ≤ 2 years of age declining from 34.6 to 13.5 per 100,000 populations (p < 0.0001) before and after vaccination, respectively. The incidence rate of PCV-7, PCV-10 non-PCV-7 and PCV-13 non-PCV-10 serotypes decrease significantly from 18.0 to 4.6, from 5.7 to 1.3 and from 5.7 to 0.8/100,000 population (p < 0.001) in the same age, respectively. Conclusion: Shifts in the distribution of IPD serotypes and reductions in the incidence rate of disease suggest an effective reduction of the burden of IPD in children, but continued high quality surveillance is critical to assess the changes in serotype distributions

Caractéristiques physicochimiques, nutritionnelles et antioxydantes du paprika produit par procédé semi-industriel à partir de la Niora (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivée dans trois régions Marocaines

Le procédé de production du paprika à partir de la Niora (Capsicum annuum L.) au Maroc consiste essentiellement en une récolte manuelle des fruits en pleine maturité, en un séchage traditionnel au soleil et en un broyage dans des unités de transformation traditionnelles et se termine par un huilage (l’enlèvement du pédoncule est facultatif). Les détails concernant les opérations de transformation sont rapportés. Dans un deuxième volet une étude comparative de la qualité du paprika provenant de trois régions productrices de l’épice au Maroc a été abordée à travers l’analyse de leurs paramètres physico-chimiques et nutritionnels, de leur composition en métabolites secondaires et de leur pouvoir antioxydant. Les paprikas des 3 provenances ont montré des valeurs d’ASTA qui variaient de 104 à144 Unités. Les principaux acides gras composant le paprika sont l'acide linoléique, l'acide palmitique et l’acide oléique. En matière de composition minérale, les paprikas issus des 3 régions sont riches en potassium, en magnésium et relativement pauvre en sodium. Le paprika d’El Kalâa des Sraghna a montré les valeurs les plus élevées en capsaicinoïdes totaux (184,97 mg/kg PS). Les meilleures capacités antioxydantes ont été obtenues par le paprika du Tadla (IC50 de 260 µg/ml pour le test de DPPH et de 43,03 µg/ml pour le test d’ABTS)

Epidemiological profile of Neisseria meningitidis in Casablanca, Morocco: 2010–2019

International audienceSurveillance of invasive meningococcal diseases (IMD) must be carried out regularly and continuously in order to detect the emergence of strains of reduced susceptibility to antibiotics for therapeutic and prophylactic use and the appearance of new invasive clones. Molecular-typing approaches allow reliable traceability and powerful epidemiological analysis. This is an epidemiological study of Neisseria meningitidis causing meningitis in Casablanca, Morocco. The grouping was confirmed by PCR mainly on the isolates from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A total of 245 confirmed isolates of N .meningitidis were obtained between 2010 and 2019 of which 93 % are of group B. Overall, 24 % of all the isolates have a reduced susceptibility to penicillin G, but no resistance to penicillin G has been reported. All the isolated strains are susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs). Genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of a selection of 18 strains showed that the majority of isolates belong to the invasive clonal complex CC 32(9/18) followed by the CC 41/44(3/18)