Evaluation of the water quality and the eutrophication risk in Ramsar site on Moroccan northern Mediterranean (Marchica lagoon): A multivariate statistical approach.

This study aimed to assess the extent of eutrophication in the Marchica lagoon, using the trophic index (TRIX), trophic status index (TSI) and Redfield ratio (N/P). Seawater samples were collected monthly from March 2018 to February 2019 from ten locations in the lagoon. The TRIX index ranged from 1.25 to 8.87, indicating oligotrophic to eutrophic conditions. TSI values ranged from 28.4 to 65.1, indicating ultraoligotrophic to supereutrophic seawater. The Redfield ratio consistently showed N/P values below 16, designating phosphorus as the limiting factor for algal growth. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) revealed distinct coastal water masses based on seasons and sampling regions. Given these findings, urgent conservation and management measures are recommended to address the eutrophication issues threatening the delicate balance of the Marchica lagoon.

The North-East Moroccan physicians' management of menopause: Prescription vs. nonprescription of hormonal treatment.

This study examined the management of North-East Moroccan physicians of menopause. The poll was carried out on a representative sample of physicians in the Nador region. The sample included gynecologists and general practitioner physicians in both public and private medical sectors. The survey contained focused and open-ended questions on the good knowledge or not of physicians about menopause, their patient population, their prescribing practices, their perceptions, and the different medical approaches to managing the symptoms of menopause. Among the general practitioners interviewed, only 16% of physicians are very knowledgeable about the management of menopause and only 3 physicians have followed continuous training. The others have mainly acquired their information from the internet, medical journals, and scientific magazines. Only one-third of physicians interviewed prescribe menopausal hormonal treatment in this region. The treatment is mainly prescribed to cope with hot flashes (97.1%) and menstrual cycle disruption (85.7%). Others are in favor of non-hormonal treatments and advise women to change their bad daily habits to relieve symptoms. In this region of Morocco, hormonal treatment for menopause is not very common and the majority of general practitioners are not familiar with menopause.

Valorization of Moroccan Bentonite Deposits: "Purification and Treatment of Margin by the Adsorption Process".

The main objective of this work was to contribute to the reduction in the contamination of phenolic compounds contained in margin by an adsorption process on two types of raw bentonite. The margin used in the studies was collected from a semi-modern oil mill located in the Nador-Morocco region. The results of the physico-chemical analyses showed that the effluents of the oil mills showed that they are highly polluted, particularly in terms of the total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and iron content of around 154.82 (mg/L), and copper content of 31.72 (mg/L). The mineralogy of bentonites studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the existence of two types of montmorillonite; theoretically, the diffraction peak (001) of the montmorillonite appears at 15 Å, with a basal spacing that corresponds to a calcium pole, and the diffraction peak (001) appears at 12Å, with a basal spacing that corresponds to a sodium pole. The specific surface area of the bentonite used is characterized by a large specific surface area, varying between 127.62 m2·g-1 and 693.04 m2·g-1, which is due to the presence of hydrated interleaved cations. This surface is likely to increase in aqueous solution depending on the solid/liquid ratio that modulates the degree of hydration. With a high cation exchange capacity (CEC) (146.54 meq/100 g), samples of margin mixed with raw bentonites at different percentages vary between 5% and 100%. The potential of Moroccan bentonite for the phenol adsorption of 9.17 (g/L) from aqueous solutions was investigated. Adsorption tests have confirmed the effectiveness of these natural minerals in reducing phenolic compounds ranging from 8.72% to 76.23% contained in the margin and the efficiency of heavy metal retention through microelements on raw bentonites. The very encouraging results obtained in this work could aid in the application of adsorption for the treatment of margin.

Improved yield, fruit quality, and salt resistance in tomato co-overexpressing LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 genes.

The K+, Na+/H+ antiporter LeNHX2 and the regulatory kinase SlSOS2 are important determinants of salt tolerance in tomato plants and their fruit production ability. In this work, we have analyzed the effects of LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 co-overexpression on fruit production, quality in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. MicroTom), and analyzed physiological parameters related to salt tolerance. Plants overexpressing LeNHX2, SlSOS2 or both were grown in greenhouse. They were treated with 125 mM NaCl or left untreated and their salt tolerance was analyzed in terms of plant biomass and fruit yield. Under NaCl cultivation conditions, transgenic tomato plants overexpressing either SlSOS2 or LeNHX2 or both grew better and showed a higher biomass compared to their wild-type plants. Proline, glucose and protein content in leaves as well as pH and total soluble solid (TSS) in fruits were analyzed. Our results indicate that salinity tolerance of transgenic lines is associated with an increased proline, glucose and protein content in leaves of plants grown either with or without NaCl. Salt treatment significantly reduced yield, pH and TSS in fruits of WT plants but increased yield, pH and TSS in fruits of transgenic plants, especially those overexpressing both LeNHX2 and SlSOS2. All these results indicate that the co-overexpression of LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 improve yield and fruit quality of tomato grown under saline conditions.

Phytochemical screening, polyphenols, flavonoids and tannin content, antioxidant activities and FTIR characterization of Marrubium vulgare L. from 2 different localities of Northeast of Morocco.

Chemical compositions, biological and antioxidant activities of plants are widely affected by several parameters and conditions, such as geographical and climatic conditions, type of extract (aqueous or organic), as well as the polarity of the extracting solvent. Therefore the present study was the first one designed to study the phytochemical composition, the content of polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids, the antioxidant activities and the chemical composition analysis by FTIR spectroscopic of organic (ethanol, methanol, ethyl Acetate, petroleum ether) and aqueous extracts of Marrubium vulgare L. leaves, collected from two different sampling localities in the North-East of Morocco: Oulad Daoud Zkhanine and the Cape Three Forks. A phytochemical screening was carried out by specific coloring and precipitation reactions. The colorimetric method Folin- Ciocalteu was used for the quantification of total phenolic content. The method of aluminum chloride was employed for the quantification of total flavonoid content and the method of vanillin for the determination of tannins. The antioxidant power was evaluated by the DPPH and ABTS methods. The chemical composition of the organic extracts was analyzed by the FTIR spectroscopy method. Depending on the sampling location of M.vulgare L., the type of extract (aqueous or organic), the polarity of the extracting solvent, and the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of the following secondary metabolites: catechic tannins, terpenoids, polyphenols and flavonoids. The total concentrations of total polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins varied respectively between 0.27 ± 0.1 and 86.91 ± 1.22 µg gallic acid equivalents/mg,6.08 ± 0.17 and 33.82 ± 0.90 µg quercetin equivalents/mg and 2.73 ± 1.15 and 252.68 ± 4.50 µg catechin equivalents/mg. The antioxidant activity that was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS method showed that ethanol extract, methanol and ethyl acetate extract had the highest percentages of inhibition, unlike petroleum ether extract. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) ranged from 324.55 ± 0.66 to 980 ± 0.62 µg/ml for DPPH and from 107.85 ± 0.19 to 890.74 ± 0.17 µg/ml for ABTS. FTIR spectroscopic analysis has revealed different characteristic peak values with various functional groups in the extracts such as amide, alcohol, phenol compounds. In general, the organic and aqueous extracts of M.vulgare L. that were harvested from Oulad Daoud Zkhanin were richer in secondary metabolites, and showed higher concentrations of polyphenol, flavonoids and tannins. In addition, they revealed a higher antioxidant capacity than the extracts of M. vulgare L.from the Cape Three Forks. Overall this study highlighted the potential benefits and richness of M.vulgare L. harvested from the two study areas and suggested it as a potential source of natural antioxidants that could be used in the food and pharmaceutical fields.

Seasonal variations of heavy metals content in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Cala Iris offshore (Northern Morocco).

Heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Zn, Co, and Pb were investigated in soft tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis coming from an aquaculture farm in Cala Iris sea of AlHoceima. Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected monthly during the period January to December 2016. The seasonal variations were affected significantly the concentrations of metals (Cd, Fe and Cr) in M. galloprovincialis. The highest heavy metal concentrations were recorded in winter (0.89 mg/kg, 673.2 and 3.330 mg/kg; for Cd, Fe and Cr, respectively) and the lowest values were founded in summer for Cd (0.646 mg/kg), and in autumn for Fe (340.1 mg/kg) and Cr (1.959 mg/kg). A significant effect of seasons on metal concentrations can be attributed to a number of biological and environmental inter-related factors. Data from this study may provide information on the use of M. galloprovincialis as a bioindicator for heavy metals pollution in the Cala Iris Sea.