Nadia Dakka

Determination of Phenol Content and Antibacterial Activity of FiveMedicinal Plants Ethanolic Extracts from North-West of Morocco

The aim of this study is to screening the phytochemical content of five medicinal plants of Ouezzane province for their antibacterial activity. Ethanolic extracts were prepared using solid-liquid extraction. The total phenolic content was assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteau assay, total flavonoid content was assessed by aliminuim chloride (AlCl3) colorimetric assay. The antibacterial activity of extracts was tested against two reference strains, Escherichia coli K12 MBLA and Staphylococus aureus CECT 976 using the agar well diffusion method. The total phenol content of five ethanolic extracts ranged between 34,64 ± 1,16 and 112,48 ± 1,75 mg GAE per g extract, and the flavonoid content ranged between 9,28 ± 1,37 and 24,55 ± 0,58 mg QE/g extract. In the determination of the in vitro antimicrobial activity, flowering extracts prevented the growth of the tested strain by forming significant inhibition zones. The inhibitory activity of Ajuva Iva ethanolic extracts was especially remarkable (17,5 mm against E. coli and 21 mm against S. aureus). These species could be considered as potential sources of antibacterial compounds. Further studies are necessary for chemical characterization of the active principles and more extensive biological evaluations.

Screening of Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antileishmanial Activities of Salvia officinalis L. Extracts from Morocco

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of organic extracts from Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) collected in the province of Ouezzane. Study Design: Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of extracts and determination phenolic contents. Place and Duration of Study: After plant collection from the Province of Ouezzane, further work was carried out in Parasitology Laboratory of the National Institute of health and Laboratory of Original Research Article Et-Touys et al.; BMRJ, 16(5): 1-10, 2016; Article no.BMRJ.28307 2 Biochemistry-Immunology, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco from Novembre 2015 to Mai 2016. Methodology: The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH scavanging assay. The antibacterial activity was tested against three reference strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes serovar) by the diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by microtitration assay. The antiparasitic activity was tested against Leishmania major using MTT (3(4.5-dimethylthiazol2yl) -2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The levels of polyphenols and flavonoids extracts were estimated by colorimetric assay. Results: The methanol extract has shown a significant ability to trap the radical DPPH (IC50=65.655 μg/ml) compared to n-hexane and ethanol extracts. This value is higher than that of ascorbic acid (13.198 μg/ml) and Trolox (22.484 μg/ml) used as standards. The three extracts tests revealed the inhibitory power of three bacterial strains with a significant difference in the diameters of inhibition. The largest area was registered by the hexane and methanol extracts against S. aureus (22±8 mm), while the weakest area was 11±0.22 mm expressed by the ethanol extract against E. coli and the methanol extract against L. monocytogenes. The antileishmanial activity was moderate with a value of cytotoxicity (IC50) above 1 mg / ml. The extracts showed high concentrations of polyphenols and flavonoids, while biological activities were not very high when correlated with these levels. Conclusion: These results will be completed by the determination of the active component and the extracts will be tested on other biological systems namely antifungal and antitumor activities.

In vitro Cytotoxic Effects and Antibacterial Activity of Moroccan Medicinal Plants Aristolochia longa and Lavandula multifida

Aims: The aim of this study was the evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of organic extracts from Aristolochia longa and Lavandula multifida. Study Design: Evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of extracts. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology (Faculty of Sciences), between July 2007 and July 2008. Methodology: The aerial parts were extracted by organic solvents (hexane, dichloromethane and methanol). The antibacterial activity of extracts was tested against Rhodococcus strains using the agar well diffusion method and cytotoxic activity was evaluated against three cancerous cell lines using the MTT assay. The chemical composition of extracts was determined using GC-MS. Results: The results show that the hexanic extract of A. longa (AH) and the dichloromethanic extract of A. longa (AD) present a good inhibitory effect on the three cancerous cell growth with 15 μg/ml≤IC50≤ 250 μg/ml and a total inhibitory effect on the bacterial growth with inhibition zone 30 mm at 50 mg/ml. Whereas, the extracts of L. multifida present less important inhibiting effects on the cell growth, in particular hexanic extract of L. multifida (LH) and dichloromethanic extract of Original Research Article Aneb et al.; EJMP, 16(2): 1-13, 2016; Article no.EJMP.28534 2 L. multifida (LD) with 115 μg/ml≤IC50≤ 300 μg/ml. These extracts are also active against the three strains of Rhodococcus, with more than 20 mm rings of inhibition at 50 mg/ml. The study of the chemical composition of each these species was undertaken by means of GC-MS. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts studied showed the presence of many chemical compounds which can explain these biological activities. These preliminary results suggest the presence in the extracts of compounds such as linoleic acid chloride; oleic acid and limonene-6-ol, pivalate for A. longa, and methyl linolenate; octadecane; oleic acid; 2,3,5,8-tetramethyldecane, phenol, 2methyl-5-(1-methylethyl) for L. multifida. Conclusion: This study deserves to be pursued to characterize better the asset compounds and to clarify their mechanism of action.

Determination of Phenolic Contents, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Leaf Extracts

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of methanolic, ethanolic, ethyl acetate and n-hexanic extract from the leaves of Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) growing in Morocco. Study Design: Determination of total phenol and flavonoids content, in vitro antioxidant activity and antibacterial study of extracts. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology (Faculty of Sciences), between July 2015 and November 2015. Original Research Article Bouyahya et al.; BBJ, 14(3): 1-10, 2016; Article no.BBJ.26488 2 Methodology: The extracts were prepared using solid-liquid extraction. The total phenolic content was assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteau assay, total flavonoid content was assessed by aluminium chloride (AlCl3) colorimetric assay. The antibacterial activity of extracts was tested against five reference strains, Escherichia coli K12 MBLA, Staphylococus aureus CECT 976, Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b CECT 4032 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa IH using the agar well diffusion method and the micro-dilution assays. The antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring the ability of the extracts to scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results: The total phenol content of strawberry tree five extracts ranged between 94.51±0.08 and 141.72±0.56 mg GAE/g extract, and the flavonoid content ranged between 17.48±1.02 and 31.61±0.59 mg QE/g extract. All of the extracts presented antioxidant capacity assessed by DPPH scavenging method, but at different levels depending on the concentration and the extraction solvent are found. In addition, all extracts exhibited an antibacterial activity at different levels against strains reported as the causal agents of food borne diseases. Conclusion: Results suggest the potential use of tested A. unedo extracts as bio-preservatives in the functional food industry.

CD10 AND CD34 EXPRESSION IN CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA IN MOROCCO: Clinical Relevance and Outcome

CD10 and CD34 expression in 86 Moroccan children with acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) and the relevance to prognosis, diagnosis, and outcome during a 5-year follow-up were examined. At diagnosis, 57% of patients had CD10+ blasts, while 35% had CD34+ blasts. The CD10+ blast frequency was much higher (80%) in B-ALL than in T-ALL (20%). The frequency of CD34+ blasts was higher in B-ALL (48%) compared to T-ALL (16%). The 5-year survival curves showed that children with CD10+ B-ALL had a significantly longer survival rate than those with CD10−, as observed for T-ALL. The survival rate of B-ALL expressing CD34 was higher than that of CD34−. Thus, CD34 and CD10 expression may have prognostic value and is associated with a better clinical outcome.

Immunologic Profile and Outcome of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (all) in Morocco

Immunophenotyping in leukemia offers a precise delineation of the hematopoietic lineage and differentiation stage of the malignant cell. In this study, we used flow cytometry to determine the frequency of the immunologic types of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Moroccan children. We analyzed 100 samples from ALL patients within an age ranging from 6 months to 16 years presented over a 4-year period (1996 to 2000). Immunophenotyping allowed classification into 2 major categories: T-ALL (37%) and B-ALL (63%), with a higher percentage of males (69%). Comparison of the clinical characteristics showed that the frequency of splenomegaly was similar in B-ALL and T-ALL patients (53% and 47%, respectively). Hepatomegaly and mediastinal masses were more often associated with T-ALL (62% and 71%, respectively). Splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and mediastinal masses were more frequent in immature than mature B-ALL, whereas the reverse was observed for T-ALL. Complete remission was obtained in 88% and 84% of B-ALL and T-ALL, respectively and relapse after 1 year occurred in 30% and 37% of cases, respectively. CD10 expressing B-ALL showed a slightly higher complete remission rate, whereas the reverse was observed for CD10 expressing T-ALL. The overall 5-year survival rate of ALL was 38%, whereas patients with B-ALL showed better survival than children with T-ALL.

In vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Extracts from Endemic Moroccan Medicinal Plant Salvia verbenaca (L.) Briq. ssp verbenaca Maire (S. clandestina Batt. non L)

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the antileishmanial activities of organic extracts (methanol, n-hexane and dichloromethane extract) from Salvia clandestina (Lamiaceae) used in Moroccan medicinal plant. Study Design: Evaluation of in vitro antileishmanial activity of extracts and determination phenolic contents. Original Research Article Et-Touys et al.; EJMP, 16(1): 1-8, 2016; Article no.EJMP.27891 2 Place and Duration of Study: After plant collection from the region of Rabat-Morocco, further work was carried out in Parasitology Laboratory of the National Institute of health and Laboratory of Biochemistry-Immunology, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco from February 2015 to march 2016. Methodology: The plant was extracted using organic solvents and using Soxhlet. The antileishmanial activity of extracts was tested against three leishmanial strains, Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum in their promatigotes form, using MTT assay. The total phenolic content was assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteau assay and total flavonoid content was assessed by aluminium chloride (AlCl3) colorimetric assay. Results: The MTT based colorimetric assay showed reduced promastigotes viability on the all strains tested. The best growth inhibition was observed with n-hexane and dichloromethane extracts of Salvia clandestina (IC50≤ 155.43 μg/ml) compared to N-methyl glucamine antimoniate (Glucantime®) (IC50>1000μg/ml) used as control, after 72 h of treatment. Phenolic content of S. clandestina extracts ranged between 107.52±3.12 and 74.41±4.96 mg GAE/g extract, and the flavonoid content ranged between 24.64±3.65 and 16.31±3.69 mg QE/g extract. Conclusion: The current investigation reveals that S. clandestina extracts possess activity against three Leishmania species. S. clandestina need further investigation so that the pure bioactive antileishmanial compounds should be isolated with cost effective, promising results and less side effects.

Origanum compactum Benth: A Review on Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties

Origanum compactum Benth (O. compactum) is an important aromatic and medicinal plant in Morocco. It use as a culinary condiment and largely employed in popular medicine for the treatment of ailments. Several studies recently conducted have demonstrated that O. compactum posses an antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-mutagenic, cytotoxic, anticancer, and anti-corrosion activities. Phytochemical investigations of this genus have resulted in the extraction of a number of important bioactive compounds. This emphasizes on the need of extensive study for reporting the additional information on mechanism of action of this effects.

Phytochemistry and Ethnopharmacology of Ficus carica

Ficus carica L. (Moraceae) is a plant of great importance in the traditional Arab medicine thanks to its therapeutic properties. This work was carried out in order to contribute to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of this medicinal species. We describe phytochemical compounds and ethnopharmacological properties of F. carica, species that has been used in traditional medicine for many decades. Possible trends and perspectives for future research of this plant are discussed, as well. F. carica has been found to contain several chemical constituents, mostly polyphenols and flavonoids. With its bioactive compounds, F. carica possesses a wild range of biological activities. In traditional medicine, It was reported that F. carica was applied mainly as the remedy for ulcers, indigestion and diarrhea. Some published studies have shown a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, as well as anti-inflammatory activities. This paper reviews the main medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of this plant in order to summarize its therapeutic potential and to shed light on gaps necessitating for prospected research works. Review Article Bouyahya et al.; IJBCRR, 14(1): 1-12, 2016; Article no.IJBCRR.29029 2

In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Organic Extracts from North-West Moroccan Medicinal Plant Myrtus communis (L.)

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane extract from the leaves of Myrtus communis (L.) growing in North-West of Morocco. Study Design: In vitro evaluating of antibacterial activity and determination of total phenols and flavonoids content of extracts. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology (Faculty of Sciences), between July 2015 and November 2015. Methodology: The total phenol content and flavonoids content of methanol, ethanol, ethyl-acetate and n-hexane extracts were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method and Aluminum chloride (AlCl3) colorimetric method respectively. The antibacterial activity of extracts was tested against Original Research Article Bouyahya et al.; BJI, 16(4): xxx-xxx, 2016; Article no.BJI.28500 2 five reference strains, Escherichia coli K12 MBLA, Staphylococcus aureus CECT 976, Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b CECT 4032 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa IH using the agar well diffusion method and the micro-dilution assays. Results: The amount of the total phenolic content and total flavonoid content ranged between 86,31-137,46 gallic acid equivalents (GAE mg/g) and 14,31±1,09–31,24 quercetin equivalents (QE mg/g) of dry weight of extract, respectively. All extracts had a significant antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. The biggest zones of inhibition were observed against two positive bacteria (L. monocytogenes, S. aureus). While, Gram negative bacteria (E. coli K12, P. aeruginosa) had showed to be resistant toward extracts. Conclusion: Considering these results, M. communis leaves can be used as a source of novel antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds.