Synthesis, Crystal Structures, Genotoxicity, and Antifungal and Antibacterial Studies of Ni(II) and Cd(II) Pyrazole Amide Coordination Complexes.

In this study, we synthesized two coordination complexes based on pyrazole-based ligands, namely 1,5-dimethyl-N-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (L1) and 1,5-dimethyl-N-propyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (L2), with the aim to investigate bio-inorganic properties. Their crystal structures revealed a mononuclear complex [Ni(L1)2](ClO4)2 (C1) and a dinuclear complex [Cd2(L2)2]Cl4 (C2). Very competitive antifungal and anti-Fusarium activities were found compared to the reference standard cycloheximide. Additionally, L1 and L2 present very weak genotoxicity in contrast to the observed increase in genotoxicity for the coordination complexes C1 and C2.

The efficiency of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61 strain as protective cultures in ground beef against foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli.

The aim of the study was the bio-control effectiveness of the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61 strain, isolated from traditional fermenting green olives, against Escherichia coli B805 in ground beef. The bio-control effect of L. plantarum S61 against E. coli B805 was evaluated in ground meat during storage under refrigeration at 4 °C. The results showed that L. plantarum S61 reduced the biomass of pathogenic bacteria (E. coli) in ground meat during 10 days of storage at 4 °C. Moreover, the treatment with L. plantarum S61 has no adverse effect on the sensory properties of ground meat after 10 days of storage at 4 °C. The treatment with L. plantarum S61 and storage at 4 °C effectively decreases the growth and risk of pathogenic bacteria in ground meat and, consequently, increases the product's shelf life. Therefore, the application of L. plantarum S61 during the storage of ground meat beef may help reduce the use of chemical preservatives in meat products. Consequently, L. plantarum S61 can be applied as a bio-control agent against spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in meat and meat products.

Anti-Inflammatory Study and Phytochemical Characterization of Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon L. Juices and Their Formulation.

Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon, well known as ginger and lemon, are two vegetals widely used in traditional medicine and the culinary field. The juices of the two vegetals were evaluated based on their inflammation, both in vivo and in vitro. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterize different juices from Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon. After the application of the HPLC method, different compounds were identified, such as 6-gingerol and 6-gingediol from the ginger juice and isorhamnetin and hesperidin from the lemon juice. In addition, the two juices and their formulation were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activity, in vitro by utilizing the BSA denaturation test, in vivo using the carrageenan-induced inflammation test, and the vascular permeability test. Important and statistically significant anti-inflammatory activities were observed for all juices, especially the formulation. The results of our work showed clearly that the Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon juices protect in vivo the development of the rat paw edema, especially the formulation F composed of the Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon juices, which shows an anti-inflammatory activity equal to -35.95% and -44.05% using 10 and 20 mg/kg of the dose, respectively. Our work also showed that the formulation was the most effective tested extract since it inhibits the vascular permeability by -37% and -44% at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, and in vitro via the inhibition of the denaturation of BSA by giving a synergetic effect with the highest IC50 equal to 684.61 ± 7.62 µg/mL corresponding to the formulation F. This work aims to develop nutraceutical preparations in the future and furnishes the support for a new investigation into the activities of the various compounds found in Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon.

Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Genotoxicity of Ptychotis verticillata Essential Oil: Towards Novel Breast Cancer Therapeutics.

Breast cancer is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells in breast tissue, and oxidative stress activated by an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with its development and progression. Essential oils from medicinal plants, known for their antioxidant and therapeutic properties, are being explored as alternatives. Ptychotis verticillata, also known as Nûnkha, is a medicinal plant native to Morocco, belonging to the Apiaceae family, and used for generations in traditional medicine. This study focuses on the phytochemical characterization of P. verticillata essential oil (PVEO) from the province of Oujda, Morocco, for its therapeutic properties. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation, and its volatile components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed the presence of various aromatic and terpene compounds, with carvacrol being the most abundant compound. PVEO showed antioxidant properties in several tests, including ß-carotene bleaching, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). It also demonstrated cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, with higher selectivity for MDA-MB-231. The results reveal that Ptychotis verticillata essential oil (PVEO) could be a promising natural alternative for the treatment of breast cancer.

Exploring the Multi-Faceted Potential of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua var. Rahma) Leaves from Morocco: A Comprehensive Analysis of Polyphenols Profile, Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity against Breast Cancer Cell Lines, and Genotoxicity.

The botanical species Ceratonia siliqua L., commonly referred to as the Carob tree, and locally as "L'Kharrûb", holds significance as an agro-sylvo-pastoral species, and is traditionally utilized in Morocco for treating a variety of ailments. This current investigation aims to ascertain the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic properties of the ethanolic extract of C. siliqua leaves (CSEE). Initially, we analyzed the chemical composition of CSEE through high-performance liquid chromatography with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). Subsequently, we conducted various assessments, including DPPH scavenging capacity, ß-carotene bleaching assay, ABTS scavenging, and total antioxidant capacity assays to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extract. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial properties of CSEE against five bacterial strains (two gram-positive, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis; and three gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Escherichia vekanda, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and two fungi (Candida albicans, and Geotrichum candidum). Additionally, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of CSEE on three human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-436) and assessed the potential genotoxicity of the extract using the comet assay. Through HPLC-DAD analysis, we determined that phenolic acids and flavonoids were the primary constituents of the CSEE extract. The results of the DPPH test indicated a potent scavenging capacity of the extract with an IC50 of 302.78 ± 7.55 µg/mL, which was comparable to that of ascorbic acid with an IC50 of 260.24 ± 6.45 µg/mL. Similarly, the ß-carotene test demonstrated an IC50 of 352.06 ± 12.16 µg/mL, signifying the extract's potential to inhibit oxidative damage. The ABTS assay revealed IC50 values of 48.13 ± 3.66 TE µmol/mL, indicating a strong ability of CSEE to scavenge ABTS radicals, and the TAC assay demonstrated an IC50 value of 165 ± 7.66 µg AAE/mg. The results suggest that the CSEE extract had potent antioxidant activity. Regarding its antimicrobial activity, the CSEE extract was effective against all five tested bacterial strains, indicating its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. However, it only showed moderate activity against the two tested fungal strains, suggesting it may not be as effective against fungi. The CSEE exhibited a noteworthy dose-dependent inhibitory activity against all the tested tumor cell lines in vitro. The extract did not induce DNA damage at the concentrations of 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 µg/mL, as assessed by the comet assay. However, the 100 µg/mL concentration of CSEE resulted in a significant genotoxic effect compared to the negative control. A computational analysis was conducted to determine the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the constituent molecules present in the extract. The Prediction of Activity Spectra of Substances (PASS) test was employed to forecast the potential biological activities of these molecules. Additionally, the toxicity of the molecules was evaluated using the Protox II webserver.

Biochemical characterization of an alkaline and detergent-stable Lipase from Fusarium annulatum Bugnicourt strain CBS associated with olive tree dieback.

This work describes a novel extracellular lipolytic carboxylester hydrolase named FAL, with lipase and phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity, from a newly isolated filamentous fungus Ascomycota CBS strain, identified as Fusarium annulatum Bunigcourt. FAL was purified to about 62-fold using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Superdex® 200 Increase gel filtration and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow columns, with a total yield of 21%. The specific activity of FAL was found to be 3500 U/mg at pH 9 and 40°C and 5000 U/mg at pH 11 and 45°C, on emulsions of triocanoin and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, respectively. SDS-PAGE and zymography analysis estimated the molecular weight of FAL to be 33 kDa. FAL was shown to be a PLA1 with a regioselectivity to the sn-1 position of surface-coated phospholipids esterified with α-eleostearic acid. FAL is a serine enzyme since its activity on triglycerides and phospholipids was completely inhibited by the lipase inhibitor Orlistat (40 µM). Interestingly, compared to Fusarium graminearum lipase (GZEL) and the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (Lipolase®), this novel fungal (phospho)lipase showed extreme tolerance to the presence of non-polar organic solvents, non-ionic and anionic surfactants, and oxidants, in addition to significant compatibility and stability with some available laundry detergents. The analysis of washing performance showed that it has the capability to efficiently eliminate oil-stains. Overall, FAL could be an ideal choice for application in detergents.

Purification, Biochemical and Kinetic Characterization of a Novel Alkaline sn-1,3-Regioselective Triacylglycerol Lipase from Penicilliumcrustosum Thom Strain P22 Isolated from Moroccan Olive Mill Wastewater.

A novel extracellular lipase from a filamentous fungus Ascomycota strain, P22, was isolated from olive mill wastewater, then purified and characterized. This strain was identified as Penicillium crustosum Thom based on sequencing analyses. Penicilliumcrustosum Thom strain P22 lipase (PCrL) was purified 63-fold to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on a Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column, with a total yield of 34%. The purified PCrL had a molecular mass of 28 kDa, estimated by SDS-PAGE. The 20 NH2-terminal amino-acid residues showed a high degree of homology with those of other Penicillium lipases. The specific activity of PCrL at pH 9 and 37 °C were found to be 5000 and 10,000 U/mg on olive oil and trioctanoin emulsions, respectively. PCrL exhibited clear regioselectivity toward the sn-1 position of the surface-coated triglycerides which were esterified with α-eleostearic acid at the sn-1/3 position. PCrL was completely inhibited by 53 µM of Orlistat, 5 mM of phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, and 2 mM of diiodopropyl fluorophosphate, suggesting that it belonged to the serine lipase family. PCrL showed high activity and stability in the presence of water-immiscible organic solvents, surfactant, and oxidizing agents, and showed considerable compatibility with commercial laundry detergents. Washing performance analysis revealed that it could effectively remove oil stains. Hence, PCrL has several attractive properties that make it a promising potential candidate for detergent formulations.

Crocus sativus L. Stigmas, Tepals, and Leaves Ameliorate Gentamicin-Induced Renal Toxicity: A Biochemical and Histopathological Study.

The most costly spice in the world, Crocus sativus L. (C. sativus), has been used for more than 3,000 years. It has various beneficial applications in a range of fields, including aromas, colorants, and medications, but its usefulness as a food flavoring and coloring ingredient is the highest. Large quantities of by-products from the processing of saffron are typically thrown as unwanted bio-residues. This study's goal was to assess and compare the nephroprotective effects of hydroethanolic extracts of C. sativus stigmas, tepals, and leaves on gentamicin (GM)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. For that, we used a biochemical and histological investigation to propose new pharmaceutical valorizations. Based on the biochemical and histological analyses, it is concluded that all the studied parts of C sativus showed a renoprotective effect. Markedly, tepals revealed the most significant reduction of relative liver weight (p < 0.05), water intake (p < 0.05), plasma creatinine (p < 0.01), plasma urea (p < 0.01), plasma uric acid (p < 0.05), urinary protein (p < 0.01) and albumin (p < 0.001), and renal malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001). In addition, C. sativus tepals caused a significant increase in body weight (p < 0.05), urinary creatinine (p < 0.01), creatinine clearance (p < 0.05), and urinary urea (p < 0.05) compared with the gentamicin untreated (GM) group. This is confirmed by the histopathological study which shows that treatment with stigmas, tepals, and leaves preserved kidney morphology at the glomerular and tubular cell level. The studied extracts exhibit good recovery potential for nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin. In order to create potent dietary supplements or phytomedicines, it would also be very interesting to confirm these actions through clinical research.

Preparation, characterization, immobilization, and molecular docking analysis of a novel detergent-stable subtilisin-like serine protease from Streptomyces mutabilis strain TN-X30.

We recently described the production of a detergent-biocompatible crude protease from Streptomyces mutabilis strain TN-X30. Here, we describe the purification, characterization, and immobilization of the serine alkaline protease (named SPSM), as well as the cloning, sequencing, and over-expression of its corresponding gene (spSM). Pure enzyme was obtained after ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by heat-treatment and Sephacryl® S-200 column purification. The sequence of the first 26 NH2-terminal residues of SPSM showed a high sequence identity to subtilisin-like serine proteases produced by actinobacteria. The spSM gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS and E. coli BL21-AI™ strains using pTrc99A (rSPSM) and Gateway™ pDEST™ 17 [(His)6-tagged SPSM] vectors, respectively. Results obtained indicated that the (His)6-tagged SPSM showed the highest stability. The SPSM was immobilized using encapsulation and adsorption-encapsulation approaches and three different carriers. Features of SPSM in soluble and immobilized forms were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode, X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The white clay and kaolin used in this study are eco-friendly binders to alginate-SPSM and show great potential for application of the immobilized SPSM in various industries. Molecular modeling and docking of N-succinyl-l-Phe-l-Ala-l-Ala-l-Phe-p-nitroanilide in the active site of SPSM revealed the involvement of 21 amino acids in substrate binding.

Antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria and their application in food biopreservation.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are ubiquitous bacteria associated with spontaneous lactic fermentation of vegetables, dairy and meat products. They are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and they are involved in transformation of probiotic lacto-fermented foods, highly desired for their nutraceutical properties. The antifungal activity is one of the exciting properties of LAB, because of its possible application in food bio-preservation, as alternative to chemical preservatives. Many recent research works have been developed on antifungal activity of LAB, and they demonstrate their capacity to produce various antifungal compounds, (i.e. organic acids, PLA, proteinaceous compounds, peptides, cyclic dipeptides, fatty acids, and other compounds), of different properties (hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic). The effectiveness of LAB in controlling spoilage and pathogenic fungi, demonstrated in different agricultural and food products, can be due to the synergistic effect between their antifungal compounds of different properties; where the amphiphilic-compounds allow the contact between the target microbial cell (hydrophilic compartment) and antifungal hydrophobic-compounds. Further studies on the interaction between compounds of these three properties are to de be developed, in order to highlight more their mechanism of action, and make LAB more profitable in improving shelf life and nutraceutical properties of foods.

Characterization of antimicrobial compounds obtained from the potential probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61 and their application as a biopreservative agent.

This work aimed to characterize the antimicrobial compounds obtained from the potential probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61, isolated from traditional fermented green olive, involved in their activity against fungi and bacteria responsible for food spoilage and poisonings. Their application as a biopreservative agent was also investigated. The culture of L. plantarum S61 showed substantial antifungal and antibacterial activity against yeasts (Rhodotorula glutinis and Candida pelliculosa), molds (Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizopus oryzae), and pathogenic bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19,117, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ATCC 14,028, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 6538, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 49,189), with inhibition zones > 10 mm. Likewise, the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of L. plantarum S61 showed an essential inhibitory effect against fungi and bacteria, with inhibition diameters of 12.25-22.05 mm and 16.95-17.25 mm, respectively. The CFS inhibited molds' biomass and mycelium growth, with inhibition ranges of 63.18-83.64% and 22.57-38.93%, respectively. The antifungal activity of the CFS was stable during 4 weeks of storage at 25 °C, while it gradually decreased during storage at 4 °C. Several antimicrobial compounds were evidenced in the CFS of L. plantarum S61, including organic acids, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, diacetyl, proteins, and fatty acids. The protein fraction, purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), demonstrated important antifungal activity, in relation to the fraction with molecular weight between 2 and 6 kDa. L. plantarum S61 and its CFS, tested in apple and orange fruit biopreservation, demonstrated their protective effect against P. digitatum spoilage. The CFS exhibited effectiveness in reducing Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ATCC 14,028 in apple juice. L. plantarum S61 and/or its bioactive compounds CFS represent a promising strategy for biocontrol against pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in the agro-industry.

Bio-preservation Effect of Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61 Against Rhodotorula glutinis and Listeria monocytogenes in Poultry Meat.

The objective of this work is the study of the antifungal and antibacterial activity of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S61 strains, isolated from traditional fermenting green olives against Rhodotorula glutinis UMP 22 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117, and its application in meat as bio-preservative agent. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lpb. plantarum S61 shows high inhibition zones, which are 22.45 ± 0.49 and 17.75 ± 0.35 mm, against Rhodotorula glutinis and Listeria monocytogenes. The minimum fungicidal and bactericidal concentrations of the CFS obtained are 8% (v/v) and 10% (v/v), respectively. The competition assay, realized in liquid medium by co-culture of Lpb. plantarum S61 with Rho Rhodotorula glutinis and L. monocytogenes, led to inhibition percentages of 77.72% and 89.52%, respectively. However, the antimicrobial activity of Lpb. plantarum S61 was revealed a proteinaceous nature. Lpb. plantarum S61 strain allowed the reduction of L. monocytogenes in minced poultry meat during 7 days of storage at 4 °C. In addition, Lpb. plantarum S61 improved the physicochemical and color parameters of poultry minced meat. Lpb. plantarum S61 and/or its antimicrobial compounds can be applied as bio-preservative agent in meat product and food industry.

Antioxidant Activity, Metal Chelating Ability and DNA Protective Effect of the Hydroethanolic Extracts of Crocus sativus Stigmas, Tepals and Leaves.

The present study investigated the antioxidant activity, metal chelating ability and genoprotective effect of the hydroethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus stigmas (STG), tepals (TPL) and leaves (LV). We evaluated the antioxidant and metal (Fe2+ and Cu2+) chelating activities of the stigmas, tepals and leaves of C. sativus. Similarly, we examined the genotoxic and DNA protective effect of these parts on rat leukocytes by comet assay. The results showed that TPL contains the best polyphenol content (64.66 µg GA eq/mg extract). The highest radical scavenging activity is shown by the TPL (DPPH radical scavenging activity: IC50 = 80.73 µg/mL). The same extracts gave a better ferric reducing power at a dose of 50 µg/mL, and better protective activity against ß-carotene degradation (39.31% of oxidized ß-carotene at a 100 µg/mL dose). In addition, they showed a good chelating ability of Fe2+ (48.7% at a 500 µg/mL dose) and Cu2+ (85.02% at a dose of 500 µg/mL). Thus, the antioxidant activity and metal chelating ability in the C. sativus plant is important, and it varies according to the part and dose used. In addition, pretreatment with STG, TPL and LV significantly (p < 0.001) protected rat leukocytes against the elevation of percent DNA in the tail, tail length and tail moment in streptozotocin- and alloxan-induced DNA damage. These results suggest that C. sativus by-products contain natural antioxidant, metal chelating and DNA protective compounds, which are capable of reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases associated with daily exposure to genotoxic xenobiotics.

Characterization of ß-glucosidase of Lactobacillus plantarum FSO1 and Candida pelliculosa L18 isolated from traditional fermented green olive.

BACKGROUND: Oleuropein, the main bitter phenolic glucoside responsible for green olive bitterness, may be degraded by the ß-glucosidase enzyme to release glucose and phenolic compounds. RESULTS: Lactobacillus plantarum FSO1 and Candida pelliculosa L18 strains, isolated from natural fermented green olives, were tested for their ß-glucosidase production and activity at different initial pH, NaCl concentrations, and temperature. The results showed that strains produced extracellular and induced ß-glucosidase, with a molecular weight of 60 kD. The strains demonstrated their biodegradation capacity of oleuropein, associated with the accumulation of hydroxytyrosol and other phenolic compounds, resulting in antioxidant activity values significantly higher than that of ascorbic acid. The highest production value of ß-glucosidase was 0.91 U/ml obtained at pH 5 and pH 6, respectively for L. plantarum FSO1 and C. pelliculosa L18. The increase of NaCl concentration, from 0 to 10% (w/v), inhibited the production of ß-glucosidase for both strains. However, the ß-glucosidase was activated with an increase of NaCl concentration, with a maximum activity obtained at 8% NaCl (w/v). The enzyme activity was optimal at pH 5 for both strains, while the optimum temperature was 45 °C for L. plantarum FSO1 and 35 °C for C. pelliculosa L18. CONCLUSIONS: L. plantarum FSO1 and C. pelliculosa L18 strains showed their ability to produce an extracellular and induced ß-glucosidase enzyme with promising traits for application in the biological processing of table olives.

Valorization of Moroccan Crocus sativus L. By-products: Foliar Spraying of Aqueous Tepal Extract Stimulates Growth and Confers Antioxidant Properties in Eggplant Seedling under Greenhouse Conditions.

The valorization of Crocus sativus L. by-products has become important given its interesting content of bioactive molecules. In the present study, aqueous tepal extract (ATE) studied eggplant seedling's growth and physiology under a plastic tunnel. ATE was foliage sprayed 3 times every 15 days, with various concentrations (1 mg/mL, 2 mg/mL, 3 mg/mL) in addition to a treatment containing 2 mg/mL of tepals and 0.6 mg/mL of stigmas (T+S). The concentration of 2 mg/L ATE significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the plant's height, the chlorophyll content, and decreased antioxidant activity and MDA (malondialdehyde). However, the concentration 3 mg/mL inhibited the plant growth; increased the content of ascorbic acid and polyphenol; and resulted in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities increases, indicating oxidative stress (p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, T+S significantly influenced some parameters analyzed. Our findings demonstrate that ATE can act as a biostimulant at 2 mg/mL to enhance eggplant growth in plastic tunnel production and used in plant stress situations.

The prebiotics (Fructo-oligosaccharides and Xylo-oligosaccharides) modulate the probiotic properties of Lactiplantibacillus and Levilactobacillus strains isolated from traditional fermented olive.

This study aimed to examine the influence of two prebiotics, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), on probiotic properties (resistance to low pH and bile salt, hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation), metabolites production, and antimicrobial activity of probiotic Lactiplantibacillus (L. pentosus S42 and L. plantarum S61) and Levilactobacillus (L. brevis S27) strains isolated from fermented olive. The results demonstrated the ability of strains to ferment XOS more than FOS as a sole carbon source, resulting in pH reduction. The prebiotics (FOS and XOS) significantly increased (p < 0.05) their survival in gastro-intestinal conditions (low pH and 0.3% of bile salts), as well as their hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation and production of proteins, compared to glucose (control). The major organic acids produced by Lactiplantibacillus and Levilactobacillus strains, were oxalic, malic and lactic acids from FOS, XOS and glucose, respectively. No antimicrobial activity was observed from cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactiplantibacillus and Levilactobacillus strains obtained from FOS. In the presence of XOS the organic acids, produced by Lactiplantibacillus and Levilactobacillus strains, were more diverse with high contents, and exhibited higher antifungal and antibacterial activities, more than that of FOS and glucose. The combination of L. plantarum S61 and XOS demonstrated the highest inhibition zones ranges of 20.7-22.2 mm against pathogenic bacteria and 29.2-30 mm against yeasts. This combination can be used in production of antifungal preservatives and pharmaceuticals, against pathogenic and spoilage yeasts.

Iohexol assay for direct determination of glomerular filtration rate: optimization and development of an HPLC-UV method for measurement in serum and urine.

Determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is considered the best indicator of renal function. Iohexol, a non-ionic contrast agent, is currently considered to be a reference marker since it meets all the requirements of an ideal GFR marker. The aim of our work is to develop and optimize a method for iohexol measurement by HPLC-UV. The results showing the following optimal conditions : a mobile phase with water and 5% of acetonitrile, a C18 analytical column (250 × 4 mm, 5 µm particle size) with a temperature of 40 °C and a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Serum samples are deproteinized by addition of perchloric acid (6%), while urine samples are only diluted. For both matrices, the method is linear (r2 > 0.99) and the recovery is > 98%. For selectivity, no interfering endogenous components at the retention time of iohexol was observed. The results of the matrix effect showed a clinically acceptable variation in most concentration levels except for 100 µg/mL, in urine, where the effect was slightly present. Iohexol stability in urine decreases significantly only after 3 freeze-thaw cycles and after freezing at -80 °C for two months. According to those findings results this method is simple, specific, linear, precise and robust, which allows its application for the direct measurement of the GFR after its analytical validation.

Characterization of Probiotic Properties of Antifungal Lactobacillus Strains Isolated from Traditional Fermenting Green Olives.

The aim of this work is to characterize the potential probiotic properties of 14 antifungal Lactobacillus strains isolated from traditional fermenting Moroccan green olives. The molecular identification of strains indicated that they are composed of five Lactobacillus brevis, two Lactobacillus pentosus, and seven Lactobacillus plantarum. In combination with bile (0.3%), all the strains showed survival rates (SRs) of 83.19-56.51% at pH 3, while 10 strains showed SRs of 31.67-64.44% at pH 2.5. All the strains demonstrated high tolerance to phenol (0.6%) and produced exopolysaccharides. The autoaggregation, hydrophobicity, antioxidant activities, and surface tension value ranges of the strains were 10.29-41.34%, 15.07-34.67%, 43.11-52.99%, and 36.23-40.27 mN/m, respectively. Bacterial cultures exhibited high antifungal activity against Penicillium sp. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of the cultures showed important inhibition zones against Candida pelliculosa (18.2-24.85 mm), as well as an antibacterial effect against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (10.1-14.1 mm). The neutralized cell-free supernatant of the cultures displayed considerable inhibitory activity against C. pelliculosa (11.2-16.4 mm). None of the strains showed acquired or horizontally transferable antibiotic resistance or mucin degradation or DNase, hemolytic, or gelatinase activities. Lactobacillus brevis S82, Lactobacillus pentosus S75, and Lactobacillus plantarum S62 showed aminopeptidase, ß-galactosidase, and ß-glucosidase activities, while the other enzymes of API-ZYM were not detected. The results obtained revealed that the selected antifungal Lactobacillus strains are considered suitable candidates for use both as probiotic cultures for human consumption and for starters and as biopreservative cultures in agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical industries.