Comparative analysis of some biochemical parameters of argan pulp morphotypes (Argania spinosa (L) Skeels) during maturity and according to the continentality in Essaouira region (Morocco).

Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels is an endemic forest tree for Morocco. The phytochemical compounds evaluation of four different morphotypes of their fruit pulps was investigated. The total content of sugar, protein and phenolic compounds were monitored during three different stages of maturation in the semi-continental (Mejji) and littoral regions (R'zwa). Total sugars, proteins, phenolics increased up to the ripe stage of all argan fruit morphotypes in the two regions. Spherical shape had higher sugar and protein content than other morphotypes. A significant difference (p < 0.05), was demonstrated by Pearson's test, between the different morphotypes at three stages studied for all the phytochemicals compounds. Likewise, ANOVA test established that the variation of this compounds was influenced by the stage of maturation and/or region of development and/or their interaction according to fruit shape. Results from this study revealed that the increase of these parameters level take place for the most part during the last stages of maturity which synchronize with fruit softening. Furthermore, our results showed information about the richness of argan fruit pulp in carbohydrates compounds and secondary metabolites as the possibility of their contribution in nutritive forage value especially at ripe stage.

Urine E-cadherin: A Marker for Early Detection of Kidney Injury in Diabetic Patients.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the main reason for end-stage renal disease. Microalbuminuria as the non-invasive available diagnosis marker lacks specificity and gives high false positive rates. To identify and validate biomarkers for DN, we used in the present study urine samples from four patient groups: diabetes without nephropathy, diabetes with microalbuminuria, diabetes with macroalbuminuria and proteinuria without diabetes. For the longitudinal validation, we recruited 563 diabetic patients and collected 1363 urine samples with the clinical data during a follow-up of 6 years. Comparative urinary proteomics identified four proteins Apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1), Beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), E-cadherin (CDH1) and Lithostathine-1-alpha (REG1A), which differentiated with high statistical strength (p < 0.05) between DN patients and the other groups. Label-free mass spectrometric quantification of the candidates confirmed the discriminatory value of E-cadherin and Lithostathine-1-alpha (p < 0.05). Immunological validation highlighted E-cadherin as the only marker able to differentiate significantly between the different DN stages with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95%-CI: [0.72, 0.97]). The analysis of the samples from the longitudinal study confirmed the prognostic value of E-cadherin, the critical increase in urinary E-cadherin level was measured 20 ± 12.5 months before the onset of microalbuminuria and correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with the glomerular filtration rate measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Use of two bacteria for biological control of bayoud disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) seedlings.

The Bayoud, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis (Foa), is the most destructive disease of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) in Morocco and Algeria, with no effective control strategy yet available. In this work, two bacteria, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain Ag1 (Ag) and Burkholderia cepacia strain Cs5 (Cs), were examined for their potential to control this disease. Both bacterial strains inhibited both growth and sporulation of Foa. They released compounds into the culture medium, which resulted into cytological changes in Foa's mycelial structure. When Jihel-date palm plantlets, a susceptible cultivar, were induced with these bacteria, the size of the necrosis zone, which reflected the spreading of the pathogen, was reduced by more than 70%, as compared with uninduced controls. To further investigate the mechanisms of such disease reduction, phenolic compounds and peroxidase activity were assessed. One month after inoculation, date palm defense reactions against Foa were different depending on the bacterium used, B. cepacia led to higher accumulation of constitutive caffeoylshikimic acid isomers while B. amyloliquefaciens triggered the induction of new phenolic compounds identified as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. Peroxidase activity has also been stimulated significantly and varied with the bacterial strain used and with Foa inoculation. These results add to the promising field of investigation in controlling Bayoud disease.

Structural and Biochemical Changes in Salicylic-Acid-Treated Date Palm Roots Challenged with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis.

Histochemical and ultrastructural analyses were carried out to assess structural and biochemical changes in date palm roots pretreated with salicylic acid (SA) then inoculated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis (Foa). Flavonoids, induced proteins, and peroxidase activity were revealed in root tissues of SA-treated plants after challenge by Foa. These reactions were closely associated with plant resistance to Foa. Host reactions induced after inoculation of SA-treated plants with Foa included the plugging of intercellular spaces, the deposition of electron-dense materials at the sites of pathogen penetration, and several damages to fungal cells. On the other hand, untreated inoculated plants showed marked cell wall degradation and total cytoplasm disorganization, indicating the protective effects provided by salicylic acid in treated plants.