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The antibacterial activity of different extracts of Quercus ilex bark (Fagaceae) was studied in vitro against seven reference strains of bacteria by using a disc-diffusion method and agar-dilution method. The ethyl acetate extract (QE), n-butanol extract (QB) and final aqueous layer (QA) were effective against all bacterial strains tested at MICs ranging from 128 to 512 microg/ml. The n-hexane extract (QH) and dichloromethane extract (QD) showed no activity.

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts of the jujube fruit. Design/methodology/approach: The fruit samples were harvested from Ziziphus lotus L. in three regions of Morocco: Aïn Chifae (Immouzer), Saiss (Fez) and Guercif. The fruit extracts were obtained by Soxhlet method using ethanol, methanol and water, and then a phytochemical screening was done for each extract. Total phenolic and total flavonoids contents were also determined. Afterward, the antimicrobial activity of the studied extracts was evaluated using the broth microdilution method. To estimate the total antioxidant effect of these extracts, the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging and phosphomolybdate tests were performed. Findings: Results showed that the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids was found for ethanol and methanol extracts, while the lowest content was found in the aqueous extracts for all populations studied. Thus, results showed that the highest content of phenolic compounds was recorded in the population of Fez. Methanol extract of this population was the richest in polyphenols (30.36 mg/g) and in flavonoids (13.03 mg/g). The antimicrobial tests showed that Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most sensitive (6.25 mg/ml), compared to the other tested strains. Based on the minimal bactericidal concentrations/minimal fungicidal concentration or MFC/MIC ratio, it seems that ethanol extracts showed a bactericidal effect against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtillis, and a bacteriostatic effect against Enterococcus faecalis. On the other hand, the methanol extract showed bacteriostatic effect against Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, methanol extracts of Ziziphus lotus have significant antioxidant potent. Originality/value: Methanol and ethanol extracts of Ziziphus lotus fruit have demonstrated strong antimicrobial effect. Moreover, the authors were able to show that the extract of Ziziphus lotus fruit has a very important antioxidant power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the black seeds of Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae) by electron spin resonance (ESR) revealed the presence of a high content of thymohydroquinones. Furthermore, antimicrobial tests of the crude seed extract against ten microbial species, including two fungi, showed activity against Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycobacterium phlei and methicillin sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus . The seeds are used in Moroccan traditional medicine for pulmonary diseases including coughs as well as for other ailments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is the first effort to a comprehensive evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of fractionated red wines from Morocco. The results obtained revealed that the wine samples were characterized by a higher phytochemical concentration than the same variety of wines with a different geographical origin and other more consumed red wines, confirming what was reported in a previous authors' work. The most phenolic-rich fractions were the ones containing phenolic acids and quercetin glucoronides from Syrah and Merlot wine samples while Cabernet Sauvignon exhibited the highest monomeric anthocyanin content. The antioxidant activity of wine extracts was tested by ferric reducing antioxidant power and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl assays. Samples revealed a higher reducing capacity than radical scavenging property and a good correlation between antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content values. As regards the antimicrobial properties, each fraction exhibited activity against a broad spectrum of food-borne microorganisms, revealing not only a moderate to high natural preserving capacity, but also potentially beneficial influence on human health. Practical Application: In consideration of the scarcity of data regarding composition and biological properties of Moroccan red wines, the present study may represent a valuable reference for wine consumers and producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental issues caused by the impacts of synthetic plastics use and derived wastes are arising the attention to bio-based plastics, natural polymers produced from renewable resources, including agricultural, industrial, and domestic wastes. Bio-based plastics represent a potential alternative to petroleum-based materials, due to the insufficient availability of fossil resources in the future and the affordable low cost of renewable ones that might be consumed for the biopolymer synthesis. Among the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), the polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biopolymer has been synthesized and characterized with great interest due to its wide range of industrial applications. Currently, a wide number of bacterial species from soil, activated sludge, wastewater, industrial wastes, and compost have been identified as PHB producers. This work has the purpose of isolating and characterizing PHB-producing bacteria from the agricultural soil samples of Argania spinosa in the south region of Morocco where the plant species is endemic and preserved. During this research, four heat-resistant bacterial strains have been isolated. Among them, two species have been identified as endospore forming bacteria following the Schaffer-Fulton staining method with Malachite green and the Methylene blue method. Black intracellular granules have been appreciated in microscopy at 100× for both strains after staining with Sudan black B. The morphological and biochemical analyses of the isolates, including sugar fermentation and antibiotic susceptibility tests, preliminarily identified the strains 1B and 2D1 belonging to the genus Serratia and Proteus, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]