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Forestry residues (FR) and medicinal-aromatic plant waste (MAPW) are considered potential resources for energy recovery. In this context, we explore the bioethanol production potential of three microbial strains Aspergillus niger, Zymomonas mobilis, and Trichoderma longibrachiatum using this lignocellulosic hydrolysate as a substrate. The blend of FR and MAPW was pretreated by different methods like acid sulfuric (AS), steam explosion (SE), and enzymatic (E). The ethanol yield was measured by gas chromatography (GC). Zymomonas mobilis demonstrated the highest ethanol yield of 5.95% on untreated substrate. Conversely, Aspergillus niger exhibited peak performance with an ethanol yield of 10.78% following AS, SE and E combined pretreatment. Trichoderma longibrachiatum, yielded ethanol ranging from 1.27% to 2.47%. Furthermore, the use of immobilized d' Aspergillus niger strains revealed a small decrease in ethanol yield from 11.34% in the first cycle to only 5.02% in the sixth cycle. In conclusion, Aspergillus niger emerges as a promising candidate due to its dual functionality in pretreatment and ethanol fermentation, offering pathways for advancing sustainable biofuel technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a threat to plant and animal biodiversity. It induces physiological and morphological changes in plants. This study aimed to assess the effect of climate change on the phytochemical constituents, essential oil yield and chemical composition of Inula viscosa leaves. Three samples of I. viscosa from the Taounate region of Morocco were cultivated in a closed chamber for three years under different climatic conditions: sample 1 (I. viscosa cultivated in the first year under normal temperature and precipitation conditions of Taounate region), sample 2 (I. viscosa cultivated in the second year, at 5°C increase in temperature and 50% decrease in precipitation), and sample 3 (I. viscosa cultivated in the third year, at 10°C increase in temperature and 75% decrease in precipitation). Phytochemical and mineral analyses of the three samples were done according to standard procedures. Essential oils were extracted from the leaves of the three samples by hydro-distillation using the Clavenger apparatus. Chemical composition of the essential oils was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. Phytochemical screening showed that moderately intensified climatic conditions (sample 2) led to an increase in phytochemical content, mineral composition, and essential oil yield of Inula viscosa leaves. However, at adverse climatic conditions (sample 3), the phytochemical content, mineral composition, and essential oil yield of Inula viscosa leaves decreased significantly. GC-MS analysis revealed that changes in climatic condition affected the content of major compounds in the essential oil of I. viscosa leaves. Therefore, climate change can significantly impact the chemical composition of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical origin and environmental factors have a significant impact on the constituents and the biological properties of medicinal and aromatic plants. Herein, the Inula viscosa plant grown in El Menzel - Morocco were investigated with a focus on the impact of geographical province and solvent type on the mass yield and the biological activities of plant extracts. Chemical composition was characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antimicrobial activity was determined using the disk diffusion method and the microdilution test against eight clinical fungal, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates. The chemical composition results showed that the plant has good nutritional quality in terms of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and dietary fiber. In fact, alkaloids and saponisides are the most predominant chemical compounds in Inula vuscosa. Meanwhile, eighty volatile compounds were identified, representing 95% of the total essential oil content, the main component of which is tetra-pentacontane (11.26%). Furthermore, results showed high antioxidant activity, with efficacy increasing in the order: essential oil > chloroform extract > ethereal extract > ethanolic extract. In addition, both chloroformic extract and essential oil demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against all strains tested. This study highlights the influence of geographical variations and extraction solvents on the bioactivity of Inula viscosa, offering insights into its potential applications in pharmacology and nutraceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effectiveness of using natural bio-coagulants and bio-flocculants to treat textile wastewater through the coagulation-flocculation method was examined. These bio-based agents have several advantages over chemical agents, including biodegradability, natural abundance, low toxicity, and low cost. A bio-coagulant (holm oak acorn (HOA)) and a bio-flocculant (cactus juice) were used to investigate the capacity for turbidity removal and decolorization of textile wastewater. The UV spectrophotometer was used to characterize the discharges before and after treatment, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD5) levels were calculated. Box-Behnken design (BBD) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) were utilized to optimize the process and reduce turbidity and decolorization in textile wastewater. The obtained results show that under the optimal conditions (0.5 g·L-1 of HOA, 15 mL·L-1 of cactus juice, and a pH of 7), decolorization and turbidity removal were achieved at 69% and 90%, respectively. This study demonstrates the potential of using bio-coagulants and bio-flocculants in the treatment of textile wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry waste (FW) extracted parts of medicinal-aromatic plant waste (EPW) and unused parts (UPW) are considered potential resources for energy recovery (their heating value of approximately 19 MJ/kg). In order to valorize lignocellulosic biomass, a pretreatment process is required to hydrolyze the recalcitrant lignocellulosic complex into fermentable simple sugars. The aim of this study is to determine the best method of pretreatment that takes into account treatment time, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. The mixture of FW, EPW, and UPW was treated by simple and combined treatment using different methods like acid sulfuric (Ac), steam explosion (SE), and enzymatic (E) (cellulase and hemicellulase). The results showed that the combined and simple Ac treatments are the mostefficient compared with SE and E treatments in the hydrolysis of polysaccharide of cellulose with a rate respectively of 90.5% and 77.6% and hemicellulose with a rate respectively of 80.63% and 87.14%. In addition, both of the preceding methods release an important rate of total phenolic compounds. Combined treatment demands high time but is friendly (approximately 1 day), and Ac treatment is less time-consuming (about 25 min) but harmful to the environment and causes the corrosion of equipment. In conclusion, combined treatment can be the best method and the high time required can be reduced with the progress of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a comparative analysis was carried out to characterize the content of phenolics and biological activities of the whole plant of Papaver rhoeas L. (P. rhoeas) from different geographical regions of Morocco, as well as to determine the synergistic antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of all parts of P. rhoeas. The determination of total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total anthocyanin content (TA) in extracts of whole plants of P. rhoeas from three different geographical regions: Taounate (P1E), Fez (P2E), and Sefrou (P3E) were estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu reaction, the aluminum trichloride method and the differential pH absorption technique, respectively. Two tests were used to evaluate the antioxidant power of our samples: the DPPH test and the TAC test. Using two methods, disk diffusion and microdilution, antimicrobial activity was studied against four pathogenic bacteria and one yeast. The results of TPC, TFC, and TA show that the P3E sample is the richest in polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, with values 37.33 ± 1.307 mg GAE/g, 4.72 ± 0.346 QE/g, and 1.77 ± 0.026 CGE/g, respectively. In addition, P3E showed the best antioxidant activity with an IC50 = 0.27 ± 0.001 mg/mL and TAC = 9.99 ± 0.768 mg AAE/g, respectively. The results of antimicrobial activity showed significant activity on almost all the tested strains. The lowest MIC was recorded for P3E against E. coli ATCC 25922 and E. coli CIP 53126 strains at 0.78 and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively. These results show that the geographical region can influence the plant's phytochemistry and then these biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the valorization of a biomaterial, almond shell, for the treatment of urban effluents of the city of Fez by a fixed bed column adsorption process. A parametric analysis of the process is carried out with conditions such as particle size, pH and height of the adsorbent bed to evaluate the optimal removal percent and obtain an optimal removal capacity of the adsorbent load. Characterization of the adsorbent prior to continuous adsorption was carried out by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption treatment seems to be influenced by certain parameters, such as the particle size of the biomaterial used, the height of the adsorption bed and the pH. The results suggest that this biomaterial can be used as a less expensive, available, biodegradable and very effective adsorbent to eliminate the load of urban waters on a small scale and why not on a large scale to replace chemicals in the treatment and to recover waste such as almond shell. The parameters measured reached maximum values varying between 82% for COD, 79% for EC and 71% for nitrite under well-defined operating conditions, with a particle size of 0.063 mm, a height column height of 7 cm and a pH of 6.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the entire world, the biomass plant remains an important source of renewable energy. However, in Morocco, the energy recovery of this biomass is little or badly exploited compared to other solar, hydraulic, and wind resources. The aim of this study is to know the extent to which Moroccan companies are involved in the valorization of green waste and to identify among the latter those that have great energy and industrial value. The field investigation was carried out with the use of a questionnaire to different sectors of activity. The chemical analyses of the waste samples were carried out by different methods: Van Soest to investigate the fiber content, dinitrosalicylic acid and phenol-sulfuric acid to determine sugars, while the Folin–Ciocalteu method was employed for the determination of phenolic compounds. These are the ASTM standard methods to determine elemental, proximate composition, and calorific value (CV). The results of this survey showed that solid vegetable waste is diverse and represents 68.4% of the total green waste, of which 98% is not treated. Moreover, the chemical analysis displayed that forestry waste (FW), extracted parts wastes (EPW), and unused parts wastes (UPW) of medicinal and aromatic plants have high contents of cellulose (respectively 34.75, 48.44, and 54.19%) and hemicelluloses (28.44, 27.19 and 28.50%) and containing low amounts of lignin and phenolic compounds compared to olive waste (OW), olive pomace (OP), and household waste (HW). Almost all biomass wastes, except HW, have a low moisture (<12%), ash content less than 5.1%, a significant percentage of C and H, and CV between 14.5 and 21.6 MJ/Kg. The PCA analysis showed a discrepancy in terms of components between the set formed by FW, UPW, and EPW with other solid waste. In conclusion, FW, UPW, and EPW, specially can be potentially energetic biomass and valorized together in the form of a mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Morocco, Cynara humilis L. is used in traditional medicine. The objective of this research was to research the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of hydroethanolic extracts from the C. humilis plant's leaves and roots. The content of polyphenols and flavonoids was evaluated using Folin–Ciocalteu's and aluminum chloride assays. Two techniques were used to evaluate antioxidant properties: antioxidant capacity in total (TAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH). In antimicrobial assays, five pathogenic microbial strains were studied including two Escherichia coli, one coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and one Candida albicans, by two techniques: agar disk diffusion and microdilution. Leaves had a greater content of flavonoids 27.07 mg QE/g of extract and the polyphenols 38.84 mg GAE/g of extract than root 24.39 mg QE/g of extract and 29.39 mg GAE/g of extract, respectively. The TAC test value of the 0.77 mg AAE/g extract in the leaf extract was found to be significantly greater than that of the 0.60 mg EAA/g extract in the root extract. The DPPH antioxidant assay IC50 values of the root and leaf extract were 0.23 and 0.93 µg/mL, respectively. C. humilis extracts showed an antimicrobial effect against all tested strains, the inhibitory zone (DIZ) have values in the range between 12 and 15 mm. Moreover, the root extract showed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against coagulase-negative Staphylococcus with an IC50 value of 6.25 mg/mL. The higher content of flavonoids and polyphenols in the hydroethanolic extracts of C. humilis leaves and roots demonstrates that they have a significant antimicrobial and antioxidant effect, as found in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid waste (SW) generated from extracting of essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is an abundant and renewable resource, but proper recycling is necessary to prevent negative environmental impacts from improper disposal. This study focused on converting SW from essential oil (EO) extraction industry by citric acid-catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization (c-HTC) coupled with chemical activation into a carbonaceous material to remove organic pollutants. For this purpose, an I- optimal design coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to investigate the relationship between the severity factor (SF) of the c-HTC process and citric acid dose (HTC cat) on carbon retention rate (C RR) and hydrochar mass yield (M Y). Under optimal conditions (5.32 and 2 g for SF and HTC cat , respectively), an optimized hydrochar (HC op) was characterized by a C RR and M Y of 71.02% and 56.14%, respectively. HC op was chemically activated by KOH solution (AHC op) and characterized by a specific surface area of 989.81 m2.g−1, a pore volume of 0.583 cm3.g−1, a higher heating value (HHV) of 37.3 MJ/Kg, oxygenated surface functions such as –OH, –COOH, C-O and a methylene blue (MB) removal rate of 90.71%. In addition, modelling of the adsorption isotherms found that the Freundlich isotherm better describes the experimental data, and the second-order model regulates the adsorption kinetics well. Furthermore, The maximum adsorption capacity of AHC op was 588.24 mg.g−1, with a separation factor of 0.625 under the operating conditions (t = 6 h, T = 25 °C, m (AHCop) = 0.2 g, [MB] 0 = 300 mg.L-1, and pH = 7), indicating its potential for effectively removing organic pollutants. Together, these results provide crucial information on using c-HTC to convert waste biomass into functional carbon materials to remove organic pollutants efficiently. Therefore, several studies must be conducted out to discover other application fields of this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to valorize Papaver rhoeas L. from the Taounate region of Morocco by determining the total polyphenol content (TPC), the total flavonoid content (TFC) and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of four organs. The quantification of TPC and TFC in root, stem, leaf and flower extracts (RE, SE, LE and FE, respectively) was estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu reaction and the aluminum trichloride method, respectively. Two tests were used to assess antioxidant power: the DPPH test and TAC assay. The antimicrobial activity was studied against five pathogenic bacteria and yeast, using two methods: disk diffusion and microdilution. The TPC in LE and LF was twice as high as that in RE and SE (24.24 and 22.10 mg GAE/g, respectively). The TFC values in the four extracts were very close and varied between 4.50 mg QE/g in the FE and 4.38 mg QE/g in the RE. The LE and FE showed low DPPH values with IC50 = 0.50 and 0.52 mg/mL, respectively. The TAC measurement revealed the presence of a significant amount of antioxidants in the studied extracts, mainly in LE and FE (6.60 and 5.53 mg AAE/g, respectively). The antimicrobial activity results revealed significant activity on almost all of the tested strains. The MIC of FE and SE against E. coli 57 was 1.56 and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively, while against the S. aureus it was 50 and 25 mg/mL, respectively. The low MLC value (1.56 mg/mL) was recorded against E. coli 57 by RE and SE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anchusa italica Retz has been used for a long time in phytotherapy. The aim of the present study was to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts from the leaves and roots of Anchusa italica Retz. We first determined the content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids using Folin–Ciocalteu reagents and aluminum chloride (AlCl3). The antioxidant activity was determined using three methods: reducing power (FRAP), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The antimicrobial activity was investigated against four strains of Escherichia coli, two strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and one fungal strain of Candida albicans. The results showed that the root extract was rich in polyphenols (43.29 mg GAE/g extract), while the leave extract was rich in flavonoids (28.88 mg QE/g extract). The FRAP assay showed a strong iron reduction capacity for the root extract (IC50 of 0.11 µg/mL) in comparison to ascorbic acid (IC50 of 0.121 µg/mL). The DPPH test determined an IC50 of 0.11 µg/mL for the root extract and an IC50 of 0.14 µg/mL for the leaf extract. These values are low compared to those for ascorbic acid (IC50 of 0.16 µg/mL) and BHT (IC50 0.20 µg/mL). The TAC values of the leaf and root extracts were 0.51 and 0.98 mg AAE/g extract, respectively. In vitro, the extract showed inhibitory activity against all strains studied, with diameters of zones of inhibition in the range of 11.00–16.00 mm for the root extract and 11.67–14.33 mm for the leaf extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration was recorded for the leaf extract against E. coli (ATB:57), corresponding to 5 mg/mL. Overall, this research indicates that the extracts of Anchusa italica Retz roots and leaves exert significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities, probably because of the high content of flavonoids and polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of addressing climate change, it becomes essential to anticipate how it will affect plant biodiversity and the way plants adapt physiologically and morphologically to challenging environmental circumstances. To gain a comprehensive understanding of how plants adapt to adverse climatic conditions, we conducted a year-long study with three distinct water stress levels: 25% (sample 1), 50% (sample 2), and 75% (sample 3). The findings revealed a general decrease in primary metabolites (including proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, lipids, and essential minerals like Mg, Fe, K, and Mn) as the water stress level increased. In contrast, secondary metabolites (such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and coumarins) exhibited an increase with rising water stress, although a decline became evident as conditions worsened. The same trend was observed in essential oil yield. Furthermore, gas chromatography analysis of essential oils from the plants indicated significant alterations in their chemical composition due to the influence of stressful environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]