Abdelhakim BOUYAHYA
Université Mohammed V Agdal, Biologie, Faculty Member
Medicinal plants are rich sources of bioactive compounds widely used as medicaments, food additives, perfumes, and agrochemicals. These secondary compounds are produced under stress conditions to carry out physiological tasks in plants.... more
Medicinal plants are rich sources of bioactive compounds widely used as medicaments, food additives, perfumes, and agrochemicals. These secondary compounds are produced under stress conditions to carry out physiological tasks in plants. Secondary metabolites have a complex chemical structure with pharmacological properties. The widespread use of these metabolites in a lot of industrial sectors has raised the need to increase the production of secondary metabolites. Biotechnological methods of cell culture allow the conservation of plants, as well as the improvement of metabolite biosynthesis and the possibility to modify the synthesis pathways. The objective of this review is to outline the applications of different in vitro culture systems with previously reported relevant examples for the optimal production of plant-derived secondary metabolites.
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The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase, which regulates many biological processes related to metabolism, cancer, immune function, and aging. It is an essential protein kinase that... more
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase, which regulates many biological processes related to metabolism, cancer, immune function, and aging. It is an essential protein kinase that belongs to the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) family and has two known signaling complexes, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). Even though mTOR signaling plays a critical role in promoting mitochondria-related protein synthesis, suppressing the catabolic process of autophagy, contributing to lipid metabolism, engaging in ribosome formation, and acting as a critical regulator of mRNA translation, it remains one of the significant signaling systems involved in the tumor process, particularly in apoptosis, cell cycle, and cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, the mTOR signaling system could be suggested as a cancer biomarker, and its targeting is important in anti-tumor therapy research. Indeed, its dysregulation is involved in differ...
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Walnut oil, like all vegetable oils, is chemically unstable because of the sensitivity of its unsaturated fatty acids to the oxidation phenomenon. This phenomenon is based on a succession of chemical reactions, under the influence of... more
Walnut oil, like all vegetable oils, is chemically unstable because of the sensitivity of its unsaturated fatty acids to the oxidation phenomenon. This phenomenon is based on a succession of chemical reactions, under the influence of temperature or storage conditions, that always lead to a considerable change in the quality of the oil by promoting the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids through the degradation of their C–C double bonds, leading to the formation of secondary oxidation products that reduce the nutritional values of the oil. This research examines the oxidative stability of roasted and unroasted cold-pressed walnut oils under accelerated storage conditions. The oxidative stability of both oils was evaluated using physicochemical parameters: chemical composition (fatty acids, phytosterols, and tocopherols), pigment content (chlorophyll and carotenoids), specific extinction coefficients (K232 and K270), and quality indicators (acid and peroxide value) as well as the eva...
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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of peanut varieties cultivated in Morocco (Virginia and Valencia) and extraction methods (cold press, CP; Soxhlet, Sox and maceration, and Mac) on the fatty acid profile, phytosterol, and... more
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of peanut varieties cultivated in Morocco (Virginia and Valencia) and extraction methods (cold press, CP; Soxhlet, Sox and maceration, and Mac) on the fatty acid profile, phytosterol, and tocopherol contents, quality characteristics, and antioxidant potential of peanut seed oil. The DPPH method was used to determine the antioxidant activity of the oils. The results revealed that fatty acid content was slightly affected by the extraction technique. However, the CP method was shown to be an excellent approach for extracting oil with desirable quality features compared to the Sox and Mac methods. Furthermore, the peanut oil extracted via CP carried a higher amount of bioactive compounds and exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities. The findings also revealed higher oleic acid levels from the Virginia oil, ranging from 56.46% to 56.99%. Besides, a higher total phytosterol and tocopherol content and DPPH scavenging capacity were obtained from t...
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The present study investigated and compared the quality and chemical composition of Moroccan walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil. This study used three extraction techniques: cold pressing (CP), soxhlet extraction (SE), and ultrasonic... more
The present study investigated and compared the quality and chemical composition of Moroccan walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil. This study used three extraction techniques: cold pressing (CP), soxhlet extraction (SE), and ultrasonic extraction (UE). The findings showed that soxhlet extraction gave a significantly higher oil yield compared to the other techniques used in this work (65.10% with p < 0.05), while cold pressing and ultrasonic extraction gave similar yields: 54.51% and 56.66%, respectively (p > 0.05). Chemical composition analysis was carried out by GC–MS and allowed 11 compounds to be identified, of which the major compound was linoleic acid (C18:2), with a similar percentage (between 57.08% and 57.84%) for the three extractions (p > 0.05). Regarding the carotenoid pigment, the extraction technique significantly affected its content (p < 0.05) with values between 10.11 mg/kg and 14.83 mg/kg. The chlorophyll pigment presented a similar content in both oils extract...
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: Plants are a source of diverse classes of secondary metabolites with anticancer properties. Paclitaxel (Taxol) is an anticancer drug isolated from various Taxus species and is used as a chemotherapeutic agent against various cancers.... more
: Plants are a source of diverse classes of secondary metabolites with anticancer properties. Paclitaxel (Taxol) is an anticancer drug isolated from various Taxus species and is used as a chemotherapeutic agent against various cancers. The biosynthesis of paclitaxel is a complex pathway, making its total chemical synthesis commercially non-viable; hence, alternative novel sources – like plant cell culture and heterologous expression systems, are being investigated to overcome this issue. Advancements in the field of genetic engineering, microbial fermentation engineering, and recombinant techniques have significantly increased the achievable yields of paclitaxel. Indeed, paclitaxel selectively targets microtubules and causes cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, inducing a cytotoxic effect in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Innovative drug delivery formulations, like the development of albumin-bound nanoparticles, nano-emulsions, nano-suspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, have been applied to enhance the delivery of paclitaxel to tumor cells. This review focuses on the production, biosynthesis, mechanism of action, and anticancer effects of paclitaxel.
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The present study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity profiles of Erodium guttatum extracts in mice using the methods described in the guidelines of the OECD. In the acute toxicity study, the LD50 value was greater than 2000... more
The present study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity profiles of Erodium guttatum extracts in mice using the methods described in the guidelines of the OECD. In the acute toxicity study, the LD50 value was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The subacute toxicity study of E. guttatum extracts showed no significant changes in body or organ weights. The administration of E. guttatum extracts to mice at a dose of 200 mg/kg led to an increase in white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin. Moreover, the aqueous extract of E. guttatum only decreased liver aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) levels at a dose of 200 mg/kg, and creatinine and urea levels did not show any significant alterations compared to the control group. Our results showed that the extracts of E. guttatum caused a slight increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and triglycerides. The histological study showed that mice treated with E. guttatum extracts experienced some histopathological changes in the liver, partic...
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Oil oxidation is the main factor limiting vegetable oils’ quality during storage, as it leads to the deterioration of oil’s nutritional quality and gives rise to disagreeable flavors. These changes make fat-containing foods less... more
Oil oxidation is the main factor limiting vegetable oils’ quality during storage, as it leads to the deterioration of oil’s nutritional quality and gives rise to disagreeable flavors. These changes make fat-containing foods less acceptable to consumers. To deal with this problem and to meet consumer demand for natural foods, vegetable oil fabricators and the food industry are looking for alternatives to synthetic antioxidants to protect oils from oxidation. In this context, natural antioxidant compounds extracted from different parts (leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds) of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) could be used as a promising and sustainable solution to protect consumers’ health. The objective of this review was to compile published literature regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from MAPs as well as different methods of vegetable oils enrichment. In fact, this review uses a multidisciplinary approach and offers an updated overview of the technological, sustain...
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Crocus species are mainly distributed in North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, and Western Asia, used in gardens and parks as ornamental plants, while Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is the only species that is cultivated for edible... more
Crocus species are mainly distributed in North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, and Western Asia, used in gardens and parks as ornamental plants, while Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is the only species that is cultivated for edible purpose. The use of saffron is very ancient; besides the use as a spice, saffron has long been known also for its medical and coloring qualities. Due to its distinctive flavor and color, it is used as a spice, which imparts food preservative activity owing to its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. This updated review discusses the biological properties of Crocus sativus L. and its phytoconstituents, their pharmacological activities, signaling pathways, and molecular targets, therefore highlighting it as a potential herbal medicine. Clinical studies regarding its pharmacologic potential in clinical therapeutics and toxicity studies were also reviewed. For this updated review, a search was performed in the PubMed, Science, and Google Scholar database...
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Chenopodium album L., is a medicinal plant widely cultivated in Europe, North America, Iran, South Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia. This species is commonly used in folk medicine to treat many diseases such as cancer, viral... more
Chenopodium album L., is a medicinal plant widely cultivated in Europe, North America, Iran, South Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia. This species is commonly used in folk medicine to treat many diseases such as cancer, viral infections, parasitic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, as well as bacterial and fungal infections. The present review was carried out to highlight previous studies on C. album, including its botanical description, geographical distribution, genetic diversity, ecological variability, ethnomedicinal use, bioactive compounds, pharmacological properties, and toxicology. The data collected on C. album was generated using various scientific research databases such as SciFinder, PubMed, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, and Wiley Online. In this review, the data presented focus on C. album to elucidate its ethnomedicinal use, pharmacological activities, and chemical composition in order to investigate the possible therapeutic pathways of the plant. Analysis of the findings showed that C. album has a capital power in various therapeutic uses such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antipruritic, anticancer, antiulcer, antirheumatic, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory as well as other biological functions. Indeed, data on the chemical composition of the extracts and essential oils of this plant revealed its richness in secondary metabolites. The results of this paper prove that the pharmacological properties of C. album confirm its traditional importance in the international traditional pharmacopeia. This species notably exhibits various biological activities; antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant effects. However, toxicological investigations and pharmacokinetic validation are necessary in order to identify a possible toxicity of this plant for future clinical trials and to validate its bioavailability.
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L e role essentiel de l’alimentation est de fournir des substances nutritives necessaires pour couvrir les besoins nutritionnels d’un individu. Cependant, plusieurs scientifiques soutiennent l’hypothese que quelques produits alimentaires... more
L e role essentiel de l’alimentation est de fournir des substances nutritives necessaires pour couvrir les besoins nutritionnels d’un individu. Cependant, plusieurs scientifiques soutiennent l’hypothese que quelques produits alimentaires et composants de l’aliment ont des effets physiologiques et psychologiques benefiques, en plus de leur role d’apport de molecules de base, c’est de Nutritherapie (Roberfroid, 2000; Ashwell, 2002; Ven kleef et al . 2005). Aujourd’hui, la recherche sur des composants biologiquement actifs dans les produits alimentaires devient un axe de recherche tres attirant, essentiellement dans les industries agroalimentaires.
Research Interests: Humanities and Art
Recently, a new coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. SARS-CoV-2 caused a global epidemic (COVID-19), which continues to kill thousands of people... more
Recently, a new coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. SARS-CoV-2 caused a global epidemic (COVID-19), which continues to kill thousands of people around the world today. With an exclusively interhuman transmission mode, in the absence of a vaccine, the spreading of this new coronavirus is accelerating remarkably. With the studies of the molecular biology of the virus, molecular and serological diagnostic tests are implemented. However, the pathophysiology is not well understood and variable, which gives different symptoms, with a significant mortality rate. Indeed, several organs such as the lungs, brain, kidneys, immune system, and heart are affected directly and/or indirectly.
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Introduction rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease primarily affecting the joints. Arthritic disorders are associated with mutations of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene. The aim of this study is to show whether... more
Introduction rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease primarily affecting the joints. Arthritic disorders are associated with mutations of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene. The aim of this study is to show whether MEFV mutations will be involved in the pathogenesis of RA, to explore the frequency of these mutations and to study the genotype-phenotype correlation between mutations in this gene and a cohort of Moroccan patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods the present study included 100 patients with RA and 200 control group (CG) who were unrelated individuals from the same ethnic. All patients were tested for auto-antibodies: cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACPA/anti-CCP2), rheumatoid factor (RF) and were analyzed by Sanger Sequencing of the 2 and 10 exons of MEFV gene (hot-spot according to the literature). Results we detected 13 missense variants already MEFV gene mutation reported in the literature (S154T, G222A, G230L, L611H, L695A, M694V, I720M, A737L, P758S, L709A, T732A, G687A and P743L). Carrier rates of MEFV gene mutations were 24/100 (24%) for the RA group and 4/200 (4%) for CG. In the RA group, we observed that no man has presented with MEFV mutation. In the RA group, while gender, BMI, RF and ACPA were significantly higher in the mutation carrier group than those of the non-carrier group (p<0.01). The level of C-reactive protein and HAQ were slightly elevated in the carrier group but not significant. No other significant differences were observed between patients with MEFV mutations and those without MEFV mutations. Conclusion the results of this study suggest that MEFV gene mutations appear to be an aggravating factor severity of RA and consequently, patients with RA might be screened for MEFV gene mutations in countries where FMF is frequent. We report also that our study is the first one in our country Morocco.
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Throughout history, honey has been used to treat various diseases. The present work examined and assessed the in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of Moroccan thyme honey and its association with essential oils from three selected plants:... more
Throughout history, honey has been used to treat various diseases. The present work examined and assessed the in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of Moroccan thyme honey and its association with essential oils from three selected plants: Origanum vulgare L.; Mentha spicata L.; Eucalyptus globulus L. The chemical composition of the essential oils was studied, and preliminary toxicity, in vitro anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial tests were conducted. Then the anti-inflammatory effect was determined by applying carrageenan and an experimental trauma-induced paw edema test in rats. The essential oils were rich in phytochemicals and showed significant antibacterial activity against four selected ATCC bacterial strains. The results revealed the significant anti-inflammatory potential of honey and mixtures with essential oils and indicated higher efficiency of mixtures compared to honey alone. It can be concluded that the mixtures of honey and essential oils have advantageous anti-inflam...
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Trichostatin A (TSA), a natural derivative of dienohydroxamic acid derived from a fungal metabolite, exhibits various biological activities. It exerts antidiabetic activity and reverses high glucose levels caused by the downregulation of... more
Trichostatin A (TSA), a natural derivative of dienohydroxamic acid derived from a fungal metabolite, exhibits various biological activities. It exerts antidiabetic activity and reverses high glucose levels caused by the downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in Schwann cells, anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the expression of various cytokines, and significant antioxidant activity by suppressing oxidative stress through multiple mechanisms. Most importantly, TSA exhibits potent inhibitory activity against different types of cancer through different pathways. The anticancer activity of TSA appeared in many in vitro and in vivo investigations that involved various cell lines and animal models. Indeed, TSA exhibits anticancer properties alone or in combination with other drugs used in chemotherapy. It induces sensitivity of some human cancers toward chemotherapeutical drugs. TSA also exhibits its action on epigenetic modulators involved in cell t...
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Stigmasterol is an unsaturated phytosterol belonging to the class of tetracyclic triterpenes. It is one of the most common plant sterols, found in a variety of natural sources, including vegetable fats or oils from many plants. Currently,... more
Stigmasterol is an unsaturated phytosterol belonging to the class of tetracyclic triterpenes. It is one of the most common plant sterols, found in a variety of natural sources, including vegetable fats or oils from many plants. Currently, stigmasterol has been examined via in vitro and in vivo assays and molecular docking for its various biological activities on different metabolic disorders. The findings indicate potent pharmacological effects such as anticancer, anti-osteoarthritis, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Indeed, stigmasterol from plants and algae is a promising molecule in the development of drugs for cancer therapy by triggering intracellular signaling pathways in numerous cancers. It acts on the Akt/mTOR and JAK/STAT pathways in ovarian and gastric cancers. In addition, stigmasterol markedly disrupted angiogenesis in human cholangiocarcinoma by tumor necrosis fact...
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The present work was carried out to understand the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp., in various samples in Northern of Morocco. For this purpose, a random sampling was undertaken from butcher shops,... more
The present work was carried out to understand the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp., in various samples in Northern of Morocco. For this purpose, a random sampling was undertaken from butcher shops, traditional markets, and slaughterhouse. First, the research of Campylobacter was performed according to the Moroccan standard NM ISO: 10272-1 (2008). Second, the isolates were identified by biochemical tests and real time PCR. After the biochemical and molecular identification of suspected colonies, a disk diffusion method was executed to determine the sensitivity of Campylobacter spp. against 18 antibiotics. The results showed a moderate prevalence of Campylobacter species (130/466) recovered mainly on the Campylobacter blood base agar, where C. coli (108/130) were more prevalent comparable to C. jejuni (22/130) in poultry and cattle meat, raw milk, cloacal and surface swabs, and stool of patient suffering from diarrhea. The findings supported also the sensitivity of multiplex qPCR to detect Campylobacter strains compared to Moroccan standard NM ISO: 10272-1 (2008). Among our isolates, C. jejuni were the most susceptible strain toward colistin, florfenicol, gentamicin, streptomycin, and erythromycin. Nonetheless, the presence of multidrug Campylobacter resistant strains was highly observed in C. jejuni isolated, particularly, from broiler chickens toward the antibiotic classes of cephalosporin, penicillin, monobactam, quinolone, fluoroquinolone, sulfamide, as well as tetracycline. This may be due to common use of these drugs in veterinary medicine and farms as growth factor, which limits the usefulness of these molecules. Hence, the study highlights the importance of resistance profile monitoring of these pathogens in Northern of Morocco, in order to develop appropriate control measures and to reduce the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains.
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A flavone, chrysoeriol is synthetized in several plant species. It comes from several natural sources, especially medicinal plants. The identification and isolation of this compound has been carried out and verified by several research... more
A flavone, chrysoeriol is synthetized in several plant species. It comes from several natural sources, especially medicinal plants. The identification and isolation of this compound has been carried out and verified by several research teams using different spectral methods. It seems that the concentration of this molecule is variable and fluctuating depending on the source, the part extracted, the region, and the methods of extraction and characterization. The aim of this paper is to highlight the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties of chrysoeriol and to provide insight into its pharmacokinetics. Anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-osteoporosis, anti-insecticide, and neuroprotective actions have been shown in a number of studies on this chemical. Different mechanisms in theses pharmacological effects include subcellular, cellular, and molecular targets. In vivo pharmacokinetic analysis has proved the good stability of this molecule, showing it...
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Mentha spicata, also called Mentha viridis, is a medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family characterized by its potency to synthesize and secret secondary metabolites, essentially essential oils. Different populations use the aerial parts... more
Mentha spicata, also called Mentha viridis, is a medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family characterized by its potency to synthesize and secret secondary metabolites, essentially essential oils. Different populations use the aerial parts of this plant for tea preparation, and this tisane has shown several effects, according to ethnopharmacological surveys carried out in different areas around the world. These effects are attributed to different compounds of M. spicata, in which their biological effects were recently proved experimentally. Pharmacological properties of M. spicata extracts and essential oils were investigated for different health benefits such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic effects. In vitro and in vivo studies showed positives effects that could be certainly related to different bioactive compounds identified in M. spicata. Indeed, volatile compounds seem to be efficient in inhibiting different microbial agents such as bacte...
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Introduction: Albuca amoena is a Moroccan-Algerian endemic medicinal plant with various implications. The aim of this study is to identify phytochemical compounds of the plant, check its acute toxicity, and test its anti-depressive,... more
Introduction: Albuca amoena is a Moroccan-Algerian endemic medicinal plant with various implications. The aim of this study is to identify phytochemical compounds of the plant, check its acute toxicity, and test its anti-depressive, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: The estimation of chemical compounds was carried out according to coloring and precipitation reactions. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines 423 and 402 made it possible to verify the acute toxicity of the plant orally and dermally. The sedative activity was performed according to 4 tests: rotarod, hole-board, traction, and chimney tests. The anti-depressive, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects were evaluated by forced swimming, light/dark, and writhing tests, respectively. Results: The phytochemical analysis showed that A. amoena contained a mixture of phytochemical compounds like terpenes, alkaloids, and polyphenols. According to the acute toxic...
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Cancer is a complex disease resulting from the genetic and epigenetic disruption of normal cells. The mechanistic understanding of the pathways involved in tumor transformation has implicated a priori predominance of epigenetic... more
Cancer is a complex disease resulting from the genetic and epigenetic disruption of normal cells. The mechanistic understanding of the pathways involved in tumor transformation has implicated a priori predominance of epigenetic perturbations and a posteriori genetic instability. In this work, we aimed to explain the mechanistic involvement of epigenetic pathways in the cancer process, as well as the abilities of natural bioactive compounds isolated from medicinal plants (flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and ketones) to specifically target the epigenome of tumor cells. The molecular events leading to transformation, angiogenesis, and dissemination are often complex, stochastic, and take turns. On the other hand, the decisive advances in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have allowed, in recent years, for the mechanistic decryption of the molecular pathways of the cancerization process. This could explain the possibility of specifically targeting this or tha...
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The aim of this study is isolation and characterization of cyanobacteria strains from drinking water reservoirs in the region of Tetouan. The isolation was carried out using two synthetic culture media BG13 and BG130 and the strains of... more
The aim of this study is isolation and characterization of cyanobacteria strains from drinking water reservoirs in the region of Tetouan. The isolation was carried out using two synthetic culture media BG13 and BG130 and the strains of cyanobacteria were harvested during the stationary phase. The characterization isolated species was carried out based on fatty acids contents using GC-MS analysis. We have isolated eleven strains of cyanobacteria from three main aquatic reservoirs in the region of Tetouan (Nakhla, M.H.Belmehdi and SMIR dams). The morphological aspect, the specific composition in fatty acids and the total lipids contents allowed the identification of five species of cyanobacteria (Microsystis aeruginosa, Pseudanabeana galeata, Oscillatoria tenuis, Anabeana sp, and Nostoc sp.). GC-MS analysis showed variation in n-saturated, unsaturated and long chain branched fatty acids. More than 60% of detected fatty acids belong to polyunsaturated fatty acids. The study also found ...
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Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common and recurring diseases and the second leading cause of death in women. Despite prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutic options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the number of... more
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common and recurring diseases and the second leading cause of death in women. Despite prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutic options such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the number of occurrences increases every year. Therefore, novel therapeutic drugs targeting specifically different checkpoints should be developed against breast cancer. Among drugs that can be developed to treat breast cancer, natural products, such as plant-derived compounds, showed significant anti-breast cancer properties. These substances belong to different chemical classes such as flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids. They exert their in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activities against breast cancer cell lines via different mechanisms, including the inhibition of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, the arrest of the cell cycle, and the activation of autophagy. Moreover, they also exhibit anti-angiogenesis and antimetastatic action. Moreover, chemoprevention effects of these bioactive compounds were signaled only for certain drugs. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight the pharmacological actions of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds on breast cancer. Moreover, the role of these substances in breast cancer chemoprevention was also discussed.
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Grifolin is a volatile compound contained in essential oils of several medicinal plants. Several studies show that this substance has been the subject of numerous pharmacological investigations, which have yielded interesting results.... more
Grifolin is a volatile compound contained in essential oils of several medicinal plants. Several studies show that this substance has been the subject of numerous pharmacological investigations, which have yielded interesting results. Grifolin demonstrated beneficial effects for health via its multiple pharmacological activities. It has anti-microbial properties against bacteria, fungi, and parasites. In addition, grifolin exhibited remarkable anti-cancer effects on different human cancer cells. The anticancer action of this molecule is related to its ability to act at cellular and molecular levels on different checkpoints controlling the signaling pathways of human cancer cell lines. Grifolin can induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and senescence in these cells. Despite its major pharmacological properties, grifolin has only been investigated in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, further investigations concerning pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic tests are required for any...
Research Interests: Organic Chemistry, Cancer, Autophagy, Apoptosis, Medicine, and 3 moreIn Vivo, Molecules, and Cancer Cell
Heavy metals play an important role in the homeostasis of living cells. However, these elements induce several adverse environmental effects and toxicities, and therefore seriously affect living cells and organisms. In recent years, some... more
Heavy metals play an important role in the homeostasis of living cells. However, these elements induce several adverse environmental effects and toxicities, and therefore seriously affect living cells and organisms. In recent years, some heavy metal pollutants have been reported to cause harmful effects on crop quality, and thus affect both food security and human health. For example, chromium, cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury were detected in natural foods. Evidence suggests that these elements are environmental contaminants in natural foods. Consequently, this review highlights the risks of heavy metal contamination of the soil and food crops, and their impact on human health. The data were retrieved from different databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Google scholar, and the Directory of Open Access Journals. Results show that vegetable and fruit crops grown in polluted soil accumulate higher levels of heavy metals than crops grown in unpolluted soil. Moreover, heavy metals...
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Abstract Introduction Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae) is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat several diseases including oxidative stress related diseases and infectious diseases. However, the antimicrobial and antioxidant actions of... more
Abstract Introduction Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae) is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat several diseases including oxidative stress related diseases and infectious diseases. However, the antimicrobial and antioxidant actions of A. unedo and its bioactive compounds have not been well studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Arbutus unedo roots extracts and to investigate the action of their major compounds. Methods The roots were exhaustively extracted by high-pressure static extraction using the Zippertex® technology, with different solvents (water, methanol, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane). The antioxidant activity of A. unedo root extracts were examined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) procedures. The root extracts were tested against four reference health-damaging bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) by the agar well diffusion and broth dilution assays. Results The results of this study showed that ethyl acetate extract of A. unedo roots have the highest contents of phenols and flavonoids with a value of 590.31±17.62 mg GAE/g extract and 47.42 ± 1.80 mg RE/g extract, respectively. Moreover, the same extract exhibited the most potent antioxidant activity with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and half maximal effective concentration (EC50) doses of 0.02±0.01 and 0.15±0.01 mg/mL, respectively. This result is similar to those showed by ascorbic acid and quercetin. According to the broth microdilution method, the methanolic plant extract revealed the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 12.5 mg/mL. This extract was most effective against S. aureus (inhibitory zone=15.4±0.2 mm), E. coli (inhibitory zone=12.2±0.2 mm), and Salmonella (inhibitory zone=10.2±0.1 mm) as revealed in the disc diffusion assay. The antibacterial activity of the extracts confirmed by the predicted results of molecular docking studies, and same amino acids in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme interact with both catechin and reference adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in similar modes. Conclusion The present data suggest that A. unedo the root extracts have potential antioxidant activity and antibacterial effect against selected bacterial strains, which may have a potential therapeutic use against oxidative stress related pathologies and infectious diseases. However, other investigations on A. unedo extracts and their bioactive compounds are needed to consider their application as nutraceuticals and functional foods.
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ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Centaurium erythraea is an important medicinal plant in many countries, e.g. Morocco, Algeria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and countries of Balkan Peninsula. It is used in folk medicine to treat various... more
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Centaurium erythraea is an important medicinal plant in many countries, e.g. Morocco, Algeria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and countries of Balkan Peninsula. It is used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses. It is also used as an antiapoplectic, anticoagulant, anticholagogue, antipneumonic, hematocathartic, and as a hypotensive agent. AIM OF THE REVIEW In this review, previous reports on the taxonomy, botanical description, geographic distribution, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and toxicity of Centaurium erythraea were critically summarized. MATERIALS AND METHODS Scientific search engines including PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley Online, SciFinder, and Google Scholar were consulted to collect data on C. erythraea. The data presented in this work summarized the main reports on C. erythraea phytochemical compounds, ethnomedicinal uses, and pharmacological activities. RESULTS C. erythraea is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases such as diabetes, fever, rhinitis, stomach ailments, urinary tract infections, dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite, and hemorrhoids, and as diuretic. The essential oils and extracts of C. erythraea exhibited numerous biological properties such as antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, antileishmanial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, diuretic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, dermatoprotective, neuroprotective, and inhibitory agent for larval development. Phytochemical characterization of C. erythraea revealed the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites such as xanthonoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS Ethnomedicinal studies demonstrated the use of C. erythraea for the treatment of various disorders. Pharmacological reports showed that C. erythraea especially its aerial parts and roots exhibited potent, and beneficial activities. These findings confirmed the link between the traditional medicinal use and the results of the scientific biological experiments. Considering these results, further investigation using diverse in vivo pharmacological assays are strongly recommended to validate the results of its traditional use. Toxicological tests and pharmacokinetic studies are also required to validate the safety and efficacy of C. erythraea and its bioactive contents.
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Camphene (C10H16) also-called2,2-dimethyl-3-methylidenebicyclo[2.2.1] heptane is a volatile compound belonging to the terpenoid family, in particular to the group of monoterpene hydrocarbons. It is...
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Garcinia mangostana L. is medicinal plant. Its fruit, the mangosteen contains many bioactive xanthones. This study investigates the potential of organic leaf extracts of G. mangostana grown in Ivory Coast. We tested two organic leaf... more
Garcinia mangostana L. is medicinal plant. Its fruit, the mangosteen contains many bioactive xanthones. This study investigates the potential of organic leaf extracts of G. mangostana grown in Ivory Coast. We tested two organic leaf extracts: G. mangostana aqueous ethanolic leaf extract (ethanol: water, 80:20 v/v) (GMLE) and dichloromethane leaf extract (GMLD). We measured total phenolic and total Flavonoids. We analysed the in vitro anti-inflammatory, anti-radical and anti-proliferative activities of leaf extracts. Ethanol leaf extract showed a considerable amount of phenolic content (328.78±34.32 mg GAE/g) and moderate flavonoids content (43.60±1.48 mg QE/g), Dichloromethane extract had low values of phenolic (70.31±4.55 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (8.49±0.69 mg QE/g). However, GMLD extract gave a significant anti-inflammatory activity (IC50=152.79±3.34 µg/mL), comparable to the standard drug diclofenac sodium (IC50=142.30±1.22 µg/mL), contrary to GMLE extract (IC50=652.33±12.23 µg/m...
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Background: Calendula arvensis is an annual Mediterranean plant growing in Morocco between Rabat and Khemissat. C. arvensisis is known in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic remedy. However, few reports have investigated... more
Background: Calendula arvensis is an annual Mediterranean plant growing in Morocco between Rabat and Khemissat. C. arvensisis is known in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic remedy. However, few reports have investigated its pharmacological properties. Methods: The objective of the present study was to determine chemical composition of C. arvensis flowers, and to investigate their antidiabetic activities by mean of digestive enzyme inhibition. The profile of phenolic compounds was established by HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS analysis. While the antidiabetic activity was evaluated by the in vitro enzyme inhibition assays. Results: Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins as major elements. Whereas, alkaloids and terpenes were not detected in the plant samples. The chromatographic quantification identified 18 metabolites, with the caffeic acid as a major element. C. arvensis aqueous and methanolic extracts exhibited higher in...
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A series of bioactive benzimidazoles were theoretically evaluated for their effect against enteroviruses, particularly coxsackievirus B and coxsackievirus A16. The structure-activity relationship allowed to deduce a very efficient model... more
A series of bioactive benzimidazoles were theoretically evaluated for their effect against enteroviruses, particularly coxsackievirus B and coxsackievirus A16. The structure-activity relationship allowed to deduce a very efficient model that can be used as a reference for the synthesis of compounds against this type of virus. The model used is essentially based on the RML and NN method, and its validation was carried out using cross-validation. The results obtained by molecular docking and ADMET of compound 9 as an inhibitor of enterovirus A16 give the proposal of the drug of this series.
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Since its discovery in the 19th century, cutaneous leishmaniasis has been a major public health problem, especially with the appearance of more and more unusual cases of cutaneous lesions due to this parasite. Indeed, the present study... more
Since its discovery in the 19th century, cutaneous leishmaniasis has been a major public health problem, especially with the appearance of more and more unusual cases of cutaneous lesions due to this parasite. Indeed, the present study joins the previous studies and describes a typical case of a nasal lesion due to Leishmania infection. This is a 20-year-old young man, with no particular pathological history, from an epidemic focus who presented with inflammatory nasal swelling similar to a mucocutaneous form. However, the X-ray data showed that no lysis of the bones proper to the nose was detected and no damage to the underlying mucosa was observed. Nevertheless, the parasitological diagnosis confirmed the presence of amastigotes, and the results of the molecular study showed that the electrophoretic profile was comparable to that of L. tropica. After diagnosis and confirmation, treatment with meglumine antimonate at the rate of two ampoules/injection (one ampoule = 5 ml) of antimo...
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The knowledge of the plants that are used may provide insight on their properties for further exploration. This study aimed to identify and collect data about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine by the population of the... more
The knowledge of the plants that are used may provide insight on their properties for further exploration. This study aimed to identify and collect data about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine by the population of the provincial region of Taza, Morocco. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among 200 informants, competent villagers, herbalists, and traditional healers from the provincial region of Taza city through direct interviews using a structured questionnaire. The survey reported 55 plant species belonging to 28 families used in the folk medicine. Informants’ results showed that the most frequently used plants were Origanum compactum, Mentha pulegium, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Aloysia citrodora, Calamintha officinalis Moench, and Artemisia herba-alba Asso., with a relative frequency of citation of 76%, 72%, 60%, 42%, 40%, and 30%, respectively. Moreover, in this study, the Lamiaceae family was the most commonly reported plant family, and the leaves were the mos...
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Moroccan medicinal plants exhibit several pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects, which are related to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds, including... more
Moroccan medicinal plants exhibit several pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects, which are related to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. In the present review, we systematically evaluate previously published reports on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Moroccan medicinal plants. The in vitro investigations revealed that Moroccan medicinal plants inhibit several enzymes related to inflammatory processes, whereas in vivo studies noted significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects as demonstrated using different experimental models. Various bioactive compounds exhibiting in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, with diverse mechanisms of action, have been identified. Some plants and their bioactive compounds revealed specific secondary metabolites that possess important anti-inflammatory effects in clinic...
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The screening of new components from medicinal plants needs several screenings. In this review, we report our results obtained with the use of medicinal plants of the North-West of Morocco and their biological properties. The region... more
The screening of new components from medicinal plants needs several screenings. In this review, we report our results obtained with the use of medicinal plants of the North-West of Morocco and their biological properties. The region possesses a distinguish climate and floristic diversity, including medicinal plants that have been used to treat several diseases. The secondary metabolites of these plants possess important charges of phenolic, flavonoid and terpenoid compounds. Moreover, these medicinal plants showed remarkable biological properties such as antibacterial, antiparasitic, antioxidant and anticancer effects. The findings suggest that Medicinal plants of the North-West constitute a veritable source for drugs development.
Campylobacteriosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Campylobacter, mostly associated with consumption of contaminated foodstuffs and water. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli recognized as the leader of foodborne diarrheal illness... more
Campylobacteriosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Campylobacter, mostly associated with consumption of contaminated foodstuffs and water. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli recognized as the leader of foodborne diarrheal illness in humans. The frequency of these microorganisms in poultry is fairly high than Salmonella and more challenging to measure, which represent an expensive burden charge on public health due to their difficulties to master them, especially with the fast increase rates of multidrug-resistant of thermophilic Campylobacter strains. It is well recognized that Campylobacter spp. is a fastidious cell, difficult to isolate in laboratories owing to their requirements and sensibility. That’s why; these factors must be taken into consideration during recovery protocols. A variety of phenotyping tests have been reported and widely used for confirmation and identification of Campylobacter species. Nonetheless, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and Culture-Independent...