Identification and assessment of antimicrobial resistance bacteria in a hemodialysis water treatment system.

The water treatment process is a vital factor for hemodialysis (HD) patients. This study aimed to assess the degree of contamination of HD water by bacteria at the HD center of Mohammedia, Morocco, in addition to evaluating the antimicrobial resistance of isolated bacteria. Fifty-four water samples were taken, the appropriate cultures were used to isolate the pathogenic bacteria, which were identified biochemically and molecularly by 16S RNA sequencing. Their susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs was determined by the disk diffusion method. Approximately 5.5% of water samples were above the norm. The isolated bacteria that colonized the HD systems were mostly Gram-negative bacilli, such as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas spp., and Burkholderia cepacian. Results of the antibiotics test showed remarkable resistance levels. Among Pseudomonas spp. and S. maltophilia, 10 strains were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), and 4 as extensively drug-resistant (XDR). The diversity of bacterial strains isolated in the water used for HD treatments, and their worrying resistance levels pose a significant risk to patients. For these reasons, an urgent need for periodic microbiological monitoring of water after each treatment step must be applied, and the treatment process should also be optimized.

A Review on Cistus sp.: Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Activities.

Resistance to drugs is reaching alarming levels and is placing human health at risk. With the lack of new antimicrobials drugs, infectious diseases are becoming harder to treat. Hence, there is an increasing awareness of active phytochemicals with therapeutic functions. The tremendous research interest on the Cistus L. genus includes numerous plants used in traditional medicine by people living around the Mediterranean Sea, also resulted in some interesting discoveries and written literature. This review aimed at gathering scientific literature about Cistus species, describing phytochemical profiles and the various pharmacological activities. We also extensively reviewed the antimicrobial activities, including antiviral, antiparasitic, antifungal, and antibacterial potentials of Essential Oils (EO), raw extracts as well as isolated compounds. Mechanisms of action along with methods used are also investigated in this review. Considering the findings of the Cistus species extracts, this genus offers an adequate reserve of active phytochemicals since many have been used to create drugs. Therefore, this review work can serve society by providing a global view on Cistus L. sp. regarding pharmacological potentials and their chemical profiles.

Phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and antistaphylococcal activities of Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach., Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf. and Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach. from Morocco.

The purpose of this work was to assess chemical composition, antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus isolates from catheter-associated infections and antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of three lichens collected from Morocco. The phytochemical analysis of the methanol extracts of these lichens was performed by HPLC-UV method, the predominant phenolic compounds were evernic acid, physodalic acid and usnic acid for Evernia prunastri, Pseudevernia furfuracea and Ramalina farinacea, respectively. Total phenolic compounds and total flavonoid content of all extracts were also determined. As a result, Pseudevernia furfuracea extract had the strongest effect and the highest phenolic compounds content. All extracts showed antibacterial activity against all tested strains (MIC values ranging from 0.078 to 0.625 mg/mL), the strongest inhibition was obtained with the extract of Evernia prunastri.

Phytochemical Analysis, Cytotoxic, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Lichens.

BACKGROUND: Lichens present a complex symbiotic relationship between a filamentous fungus, photoautotrophic partner (algae or cyanobacteria), and bacterial community. The Objective of the Study. This study aimed at investigating the chemical composition and cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of acetone extracts of Moroccan Evernia prunastri (E. prunastri), Ramalina farinacea (R. farinacea), and Pseudevernia furfuracea (P. furfuracea). Materials and Methods. The phytochemical analysis was carried out by HPLC-UV. The cytotoxic effect was assessed on human prostate cancer (22RV1), human colon carcinoma (HT-29), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep-G2), and Hamster ovarian cancer (CHO) cells lines by WST1 assay. The antioxidant power was assessed by DPPH and FRAP assays. The antibacterial effect was obtained using the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: The findings of phytochemical analysis showed that the lichens studied possess interesting bioactive molecules such as physodalic acid, evernic acid, and usnic acid, as well as protocetraric acid. According to the American National Cancer Institute guidelines, the WST-1 test showed that all crude extracts did not show significant cytotoxic effects against all concerous cell lines, and IC50 values ranged from 42.30 to 140.24 µg/mL. Regarding the antioxidant activity, P. furfuracea extract showed the highest free-radical-scavenging ability (IC50 = 498.40 µg/mL). The most potent antibacterial extract was recorded for P. furfuracea extract with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.039 to 0.31 mg/mL. CONCLUSION: In this research work, we report that the studied lichen extracts exhibit an important biological effect, supporting that lichens represent a hopeful source of original natural products for the research of new bioactive molecules having a pharmaceutical interest.

Contamination of the Surfaces of a Health Care Environment by Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Bacteria.

Nosocomial infections (NIs) are known worldwide and remain a major problem despite scientific and technical advances in the field of health. The severity of the infection depends on the characteristics of the microorganisms involved and the high frequency of resistant pathogens in the hospital environment. The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of pathogenic bacteria (and their resistance to antibiotics) that spread on hospital surfaces, more specifically, on those of various departments in the Provincial Hospital Center (PHC) of Mohammedia, Morocco. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2017 to April 2018. Samples were collected by swabbing the hospital surfaces, and the isolated bacteria were checked for their susceptibility to antibiotics by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following the standards of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Among 200 swab samples, 176 (88%) showed bacterial growth. Gram-negative isolates were predominant at 51.5% (101/196), while the Gram-positives were at 48.5% (95/196). The main isolates are Enterobacteria weighted at 31.6% (62/196), Staphylococcus aureus reaching 24% (47/196), Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 9.2% (18/196), and Acinetobacter spp. with 3.3% (6/196). Moreover, the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates showed that about 31.7% (32/101) of the Gram-negative isolates were found to be MDR. This resistance is also high among isolates of S. aureus of which 44.7% (20/47) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Contamination of hospital surfaces by MDR bacteria is a real danger to public health. The concept of environmental bacterial reservoir is a reality that requires strict compliance with current guidelines and recommendations for hand hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection of surfaces in hospitals.

Toscana virus isolated from sandflies, Morocco.

To investigate the transmission of phleboviruses, a total of 7,057 sandflies were collected in well-known foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis and were identified to species level according to morphological characters.Collected sandflies were tested by Nested PCR for the presence of Phleboviruses and subsequently by viral isolation on Vero cells. The corresponding products were sequenced. Toscana virus was isolated, for the first time, from 5 pools of sandflies.Hence, Toscana virus should be considered a potential risk that threatens public health and clinicians should be aware of the role of Toscana virus in cases of meningitis and encephalitis in Morocco.

Molecular detection and identification of Leishmania infection in naturally infected sand flies in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in northern Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate protozoan Leishmania. During the past 20 years, cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major public health threat in Morocco. The main objective of this study was to study the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and to identify sand fly blood meal sources in an endemic locality of cutaneous leishmaniasis within Sefrou province, where the vectors of leishmaniasis were still unknown. METHODS: 2650 sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and identified morphologically. The identified sand flies were tested for Leishmania infection by nested PCR. The source of blood meal of 10 freshly engorged females: 6 Phlebotomus longicuspis and 4 Phlebotomus sergenti, was determined using the Cyt b sequence. RESULTS: The collected sand flies consisted of 10 species, seven of which belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and three to the genus Sergentomyia. The most abundant species was P. longicuspis, accounting for 72% of the total sand flies collected. In females of three P. longicuspis and four P. sergenti, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica DNA was detected, respectively.The source of blood meal of engorged females showed that all sand flies tested fed on humans. CONCLUSIONS: We report for the first time the natural infection of P. longicuspis with L. infantum in Morocco. The high frequency of this species in this region, in addition to its anthropophilic character make P. longicuspis the putative vector of L. infantum in this cutaneous leishmaniasis focus where L. tropica is confirmed as the causative agent of the disease and P. sergenti as its vector. The presence of L. infantum, and its presumed vector in this area, makes this a site of high risk of visceral leishmaniasis, mostly because of the proximity of a focus of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Phlebotomus sergenti a common vector of Leishmania tropica and Toscana virus in Morocco.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: An entomological study using CDC miniature light-traps was performed in El Hanchane locality, where cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was emerging during the summer of 2011. The aim of this study is to identify the vectors of Leishmania and of phleboviruses. METHODS: In the field, a total of 643 sandfly specimens were collected, identified by morphological keys and categorized by sex and species. A total of nine distinct species were morphologically identified where seven belonged to the Phlebotomus genus and two species to the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species (76%). Phleboviruses were detected by nested RT-PCR using 30 pooled sandflies while P. sergenti females were tested individually for infections of Leishmania species. RESULTS: By using ITS1-PCR-RFLP approach, Leishmania tropica DNA was detected in 10 females, caught in this emerging focus, and provide additional evidence in favour of the role of P. sergenti as vector of L. tropica in Morocco. Real-time PCR screening for phlebovirus RNA, using an assay targeting the polymerase gene, showed positive result in one pool of male P. sergenti. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: In this study, P. sergenti were infected by L. tropica and Toscana virus. To our knowledge, actually this is the first time that Toscana virus has been detected in P. sergenti.

9α-Hy-droxy-12-{[4-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)piperazin-1-yl]meth-yl}-4,8-dimethyl-3,14-dioxatricyclo-[9.3.0.0]tetra-dec-7-en-13-one.

The title compound, C(26)H(36)N(2)O(5), was synthesized from 9α-hy-droxy-parthenolide (9α-hy-droxy-4,8-dimethyl-12-methyl-ene-3,14-dioxatricyclo-[9.3.0.0(2,4)]tetra-dec-7-en-13-one), wich was isolated from the chloro-form extract of the aerial parts of Anvillea radiata. The mol-ecule is built up from fused five- and ten-membered rings with the meth-oxy-phenyl-piperazine group as a substituent. The ten-membered ring adopts an approximate chair-chair conformation, while the piperazine ring displays a chair conformation and the five-membered ring a flattened envelope conformation; the C(H)-C-C(H) atoms representing the flap lie out of the mean plane through the remaining four atoms by 0.343 (3) Å. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the ten-membered ring and the lactone ring is 18.12 (14)°. An intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond occurs. The crystal structure features weak C-H⋯O inter-actions.

9ß-Hy-droxy-6,9-dimethyl-3-methyl-ene-3a,4,8,9,9a,9b-hexa-hydro-azuleno[4,5-b]furan-2(3H)-one.

The title compound, C(15)H(18)O(3), was synthesized from 9α-hy-droxy-parthenolide (9α-hy-droxy-4,8-dimethyl-12-methylen-3,14-dioxa-tricyclo-[9.3.0.0(2,4)]tetra-dec-7-en-13-one), which was isolated from the chloro-form extract of the aerial parts of Anvillea radiata. The seven-membered ring of the title compound shows a chair conformation, while the five-membered rings exibit different conformations, viz a twisted one for the lactone ring and an envelope conformation for the other five-membered ring with the C atom closest to the hydroxy group forming the flap. In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect mol-ecules into dimers that are inter-connected by C-H⋯O inter-actions, producing supramolecular chains along the b axis.

Methyl 2-(1a,4a-dimethyl-2,8-dioxo-2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8-octa-hydro-1aH-1-oxacyclo-propa[d]naphthalen-7-yl)acrylate.

The title compound, C(16)H(20)O(5), was synthesized from ilicic acid [2-(8-hy-droxy-4a,8-dimethyl-deca-hydro-naphthalen-2-yl)acrylic acid], which was isolated from the chloro-form extract of the aerial part of Inula viscose (L) Aiton [or Dittrichia viscosa- (L) Greuter]. The molecule is built up from two fused six-membered rings, the epoxidized six-membered ring adopts a half-chair conformation while the other ring displays a perfect chair conformation. The crystal structure features C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Methyl 2-(8a-hy-droxy-4a-methyl-8-methyl-enedeca-hydro-naphthalen-2-yl)acrylate.

The title compound, C(16)H(24)O(3), was synthesized from ilicic acid which was isolated from the aerial part of Inula Viscosa- (L) Aiton [or Dittrichia Viscosa- (L) Greuter]. The mol-ecule contains two fused six-membered rings both in chair conformations. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked into chains running parallel to the a axis by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

10α-Hy-droxy-4,9-dimethyl-13-(morph-o-lin-4-ylmeth-yl)-3,8,15-trioxatetra-cyclo-[10.3.0.0.0]penta-decan-14-one.

The title compound, C(19)H(29)NO(6), was synthesized from 9α-hy-droxy-parthenolide (9α-hy-droxy-4,8-dimethyl-12-methyl-ene-3,14-dioxatricyclo-[9.3.0.0(2,4)]tetra-dec-7-en-13-one), which was isolated from the chloro-form extract of the aerial parts of Anvillea radiata. The mol-ecule contains a fused five- and ten-membered ring system. The ten-membered ring adopts an approximate chair-chair conformation, while the five-membered ring is in an envelope conformation, with the C atom closest to the hy-droxy group forming the flap. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect the mol-ecules into layers parallel to (001). An intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond is also present.

A pyran-2-one and four meroterpenoids from Thapsia transtagana and their implication in the biosynthesis of transtaganolides.

Four meroterpenoids (3a, 3b, 4 and 5), a prenylated pyran-2-one (2) along with the known compounds 7-O-geranylscopoletin (1), and thapsitranstagin (6) have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia transtagana. The presence of 1 and 2 supports the biogenetic hypothesis that transtaganolides, a group of bioactive metabolites, are meroterpenoids which come from an O-prenylated coumarin via successive pericyclic reactions.

Phenylpropanoids from Thapsia transtagana.

Five phenylpropanoids have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia transtagana. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic means.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil of Pulicaria odora L.

The chemical composition of the volatile oil constituent from Pulicaria odora L. roots has been analyzed by GC/MS. Twenty-seven components were identified, being thymol (47.83%) and its derivative isobutyrate (30.05%) the main constituents in the oil. Furthermore, the oil was tested against seven bacteria at different concentrations. Results showed that the oil exhibited a significant antibacterial activity.

Transtaganolides A-D: novel metabolites from Thapsia transtagana.

Four novel and unusual C-19 compounds from Thapsia transtagana, named transtaganolides A-D, have been isolated. Their structures were established by physical methods, including X-ray analysis of transtaganolides A and B. This is the first time that a 7-methoxy-4,5-dihydro-3H-oxepin-2-one ring has been found in a natural product. [structure: see text]

Diterpenoids from Tetraclinis articulata that inhibit various human leukocyte functions.

Ten new compounds, eight of them pimarane derivatives (1-8), together with a menthane dimer (9) and a totarane diterpenoid (10), were isolated from the leaves and wood of Tetraclinis articulata. The structures of 1-10 were established by using spectroscopic techniques, including 2D NMR spectra. Pimaranes 1-5 were found to possess an unusual cis interannular union of the B and C rings, which, from a biogenetic perspective, could be derived from the hydration of a carbocation at C-8. Compounds 4-6 and a mixture of 7 and 11 modulated different human leukocyte functions at a concentration of 10 microM, mainly the degranulation process measured as myeloperoxidase release and, to a lesser extent, the superoxide production measured by chemiluminescence.