Ali Mtiraoui

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and the Phenolic Content of Infusion, Decoction and Methanolic Extracts of Thyme and Rosmarinus Species

BACKGROUND The plant species Rosmarinus officinalis (RO), Thymus algeriensis (TA) and Thymus capitatus (TC) are widely used in traditional medicine in Tunisia. Their bioactivities have been reported before and particularly referred to their essential oils. The main objective of this work was to assess the phytochemical composition, the antioxidant activity, the antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic potential of these 3 plants. METHOD The High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), chemical tests and spectrophotometric methods were used for screening, quantification of phytochemicals and for antioxidant activities. Extracts were evaluated for antibacterial potential by the microdilution method. Antifungal activities were tested using the Poisoned food method against: Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. The cytotoxic potential of the plant extracts was checked using HCT 116 cultures. RESULTS Results revealed that aqueous extracts are not toxic compared to the methanolic extracts. Phenolic compounds were detected and these extracts showed excellent antioxidant activity presenting dose-dependent relationship. For antibacterial potential, all tested strains are more sensitive to Thymus extracts than Rosmarinus extracts. However, for antifungal activities, only Rosmarinus extracts inhibited mycelial growth. HPLC analysis allowed the identification of ten compounds with the abundance of gallic acid. CONCLUSION This study showed important bioactivities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, and safety potential) of the plant species RO, TA and TC used in traditional medicine.

Mobile Emergency Care Medical Records Audit: The Need for Tunisian Guidelines

Objective: This study was designed to assess the quality of the Gabès (Tunisia) mobile emergency care medical records and propose corrective actions.Materials and methods: A clinical audit was performed at the Gabès mobile emergency care unit (SMUR). Records of day, night and weekend primary and secondary interventions during the first half of 2014 were analysed according to a data collection grid comprising 56 criteria based on the SMUR guidelines and the 2013 French Society of Emergency Medicine evaluation guide. A non-conformance score was calculated for each section.Results: 415 medical records were analysed. The highest non-conformance rates (48.5%) concerned the “specificities of the emergency medical record” section. The lowest non-conformance rates concerned the surveillance data section (23.4%). The non-conformance score for the medical data audit was 24%.Conclusion: This audit identified minor dysfunctions that could be due to the absence of local guidelines concerning medical records in general and more specifically SMUR. Corrective measures were set up in the context of a short-term and intermediate-term action plan.

Prevalence et facteurs associes au tabagisme parmi les etudiants de la ville de Sousse (Tunisie)

Within the framework of the fight against tobacco among young people, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in 2013 to estimate the prevalence of smoking and to identify associated factors among students in Sousse. A questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of 556 students in 5 academic institutions in Sousse randomly drawn. The age of the participants was between 17 and 35 years. The prevalence of tobacco consumption in the past 12 months was 22.1% and consumption during the past 3 months was 65.3%. The average age of starting smoking was 17 years. Smoking prevalence was significantly higher for males (P < 0.001) and those aged over 25 years (P = 0.002). Students from 2 of the institutions were using more tobacco than their colleagues in the other institutions (P = 0.027). The high prevalence of smoking found among the students means that prevention measures are essential; this requires increasing self-esteem and evaluating intervention programmes implemented before smoking the first cigarette. كلذب ةطبترلما لُماوعلاو سنوتب ةسوس ةنيدم في بلاطلا ينب ينخدتلا رُاشتنا يمجعلا ايرث ،يوايرطلما ليع ،وُّ لدرغلا ميرم ،ليحاسلا ناهيج ،ماملإا لانم ،ليوللما لانم ،خيشلا نب ءماسأ ،ينيديزلا بيكش نـب نـخدتلا راـشتنا لدـعم رـيدقتل 2013 ماـع في ةـيعطقم ةـيفصو ةـسارد اـنيرجأ بابـشلا نـب غـبتلا كلاهتـسا ةـحفاكم راـطإ في :ةـصلالخا ةـيميداكأ تاـسسؤم 5 في اًـبلاط 556 نـم ةـن َّ وكم ةـلِّ ثمم ةـنيعل نايبتـسا مادختـسا مـتف .كـلذب ةـطبترلما لـماوعلا دـيدتحو ةـسوس في بلاـطلا ةقباـسلا 12 ــلا رهـشلأا في غـبتلا كلاهتـسا راـشتنا ناكـف .اًـماع 35 و 17 نـب نكراـشلما رماـعأ تـناكو .ةيئاوـشع ةـقيرطب اويرـتخا ةـسوس في نـخدتلا راـشتنا ناكو .اًـماع 17 نـخدتلا في ءدـبلا رـمع طـسوتم ناكو .65.3% ةـيضالما رهـشأ 3 ــلا للاـخ كلاهتـسلاا ناكو ،22.1% ثـحبلل نتـسسؤم ذيملات ىدـل غـبتلا كلاهتـسا ناكو .)P = 0.002( اًـماع 25 ــلا مـهرماعأ تزواـتج نـمَ ىدـلو )P < 0.001( روـكذلا ىدـل يرـثكب ىـعأ يرـبادت ذاـتخا نأ يـنعي بلاـطلا ىدـل دـجوُ يذـلا نـخدتلا راـشتنا لدـعم عاـفترا نإ .)P = 0.027( ىرـخلأا تاـسسؤلما في مـنهارقأ نـم ىـعأ .لىولأا ةراجيـسلا نـخدت لـبق ذـ َّ فنت يـتلا لـخدتلا جـمارب مـييقتو ،تاذـلا مارـحا ةـيمنت بـلطتي اذـهو .يروضر رـمأ ةـيئاقو طسوتلما قشرل ةيحصلا ةلجلما نوشرعلا و نياثلا دلجلما لولأا ددعلا

[Respiratory morbidity in family practice in the region of Sousse, Tunisia].

We determined the profile of respiratory morbidity in family practice in the region a cross-sectional study in 86 primary health care centres in Souse over 1 year (2002-03). Medical records for 3 weeks per season were randomly selected. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) was used to code recorded data. Respiratory diseases ranked first both for reason for consultation (8397/24 882, 33.7%) and for diagnosis made (7788/18 097, 43.0%). Of the 7715 respiratory complaints, cough was the most common complaint (54.8%). Of respiratory diagnoses, 37.1% were acute tonsillitis, 26.5% acute bronchitis and 21.6% were acute respiratory tract infection. Children under 5 years were most affected by acute upper respiratory tract infections (44.5%). Acute bronchitis was the primary diagnosis for patients aged over 45 years.