RESUMEN
The irrational use of antibiotics has favored the emergence of resistant bacteria, posing a serious threat to global health. To counteract antibiotic resistance, this research seeks to identify novel antimicrobials derived from essential oils that operate through several mechanisms. It aims to evaluate the quality and composition of essential oils from Origanum compactum and Origanum elongatum; test their antimicrobial activity against various strains; explore their synergies with commercial antibiotics; predict the efficacy, toxicity, and stability of compounds; and understand their molecular interactions through docking and dynamic simulations. The essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation from the flowering tops of oregano in the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to examine their composition. Nine common antibiotics were chosen and tested alone or in combination with essential oils to discover synergistic effects against clinically important and resistant bacterial strains. A comprehensive in silico study was conducted, involving molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). O. elongatum oil includes borneol (8.58%), p-cymene (42.56%), thymol (28.43%), and carvacrol (30.89%), whereas O. compactum oil is mostly composed of γ-terpinene (22.89%), p-cymene (15.84%), thymol (10.21%), and (E)-caryophyllene (3.63%). With O. compactum proving to be the most potent, these essential oils showed antibacterial action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Certain antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin, and ampicillin, have been shown to elicit synergistic effects. To fight resistant bacteria, the essential oils of O. compactum and O. elongatum, particularly those high in thymol and (E)-caryophyllene, seem promising when combined with antibiotics. These synergistic effects could result from their ability to target the same bacterial proteins or facilitate access to target sites, as suggested by molecular docking simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations validated the stability of the examined protein-ligand complexes, emphasizing the propensity of substances like thymol and (E)-caryophyllene for particular target proteins, opening the door to potentially effective new therapeutic approaches against pathogens resistant to multiple drugs.
RESUMEN
Food hygiene is important both for its impact on the health of citizens and also for the cost of the infections that it can generate. In Morocco, it has become a concern of authorities. This work, realized for the first time in the center of Morocco, is aimed at describing the microbiological quality of foodstuffs marketed in collective catering in central Morocco. This study was conducted retrospectively from January 2015 to December 2019 in Fez city, central Morocco. The samples collected by the competent authority during official control from restaurants and food outlets were analyzed. Non-conformity was chosen as an indicator of food quality according to the official Moroccan standards. The samples were presented according to several variables: year/month/season, category/subcategory, communes, and establishment. The statistical processing of the results was done by SPSS 25. The Chi2 statistical test was calculated to determine a relationship between non-conformity and the type of analyzed matrix (year, season, and food category). The test was considered statistically significant for a p value < 0.05. A total of 2223 food samples were investigated, with an annual average of 445 samples. Overall, the rate of non-compliance during 2015-2019 was 31%, reaching its maximum in 2017 (36.4%) and its minimum in 2018 (27.5%).This rate varies by food type. Juices/drinks and meat products are the most contaminated with 71.7% and 58.1%, respectively, followed by milk and derivatives with 43.2%, seasoning sauces with 28.6%, pastries and pastry creams with 21.4%, and 14.4% for ready meals. The main causes of food non-conformity were fecal contamination germs with 67% positive fecal coliforms and 15% of total coliforms followed by total germs (7%), Staphylococcus aureus (5%), yeasts and molds (3%), sulfite-reducing anaerobes (2%), and Salmonella (1%). Given the obtained results, improving the hygienic quality of foods is necessary to ensure better consumer safety.
RESUMEN
An entomological survey was carried out in the locality of Aichoune to conduct a study on sand flies, species composition, and monthly relative abundance. This study is essential for the implementation of integrated vector management control. Insects collection was carried out twice a month from January 2013 to December 2014 by means of adhesive and CDC-type light traps. A total of 5441 sand flies were collected with the predominance of males (a sex ratio = 1.89). The sampled specimens consist of seven species divided into two genera: Phlebotomus (99.55%) and Sergentomyia (0.44%). Phlebotomus sergenti was the dominant species with an average annual proportion of 47.38%, followed by P. perniciosus (37.32%), P. longicuspis (8,56%), P. papatasi (6.23%), and P. ariasi (0.05%). The genus Sergentomyia was less common (0.44%). S.minuta was represented only by 0.36% and S. fallax by 0.07%. The species dynamics showed a unimodal evolution for P. sergenti and P. papatasi. They were active from May to October. P. perniciosus presents a trimodal trend showing the most relevant peak in August. The highest number of specimens was collected in June, when the temperature reaches an annual average value of 25.5°C. The obtained results will help us better understand the leishmaniasis transmission dynamics in the Aichoune locality and will contribute to the design of a surveillance strategy.