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Totally seventeen seaweeds (nine Phaeophyceae, six Rhodophyceae and two Ulvophyceae members) were collected from the Atlantic coast of Morocco in order to assess their antifungal and antioxidant activities. The crude methanolic extracts of 30 samples were screened for in vitro antifungal activities against phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum that infect fruits and vegetables. The methanolic extracts of Carpodesmia tamariscifolia, Cystoseira humilis, Carpodesmia mediterranea, Sacchoriza polyschides, Bifurcaria bifurcata, Hypnea musciformis and Caulacanthus ustulatus were considerably active against all fungi depending on seasonal variations in the levels of inhibitory activity. B. cinerea was highly sensitive to most algal extracts than P. digitatum. Phytochemical screening revealed that the most active extracts contain alkaloids, polyphenols and tannins. The antioxidant activity of the algae that possessed high antifungal activity was studied. Methanolic extract of C. tamariscifolia contains high phenolic content while the highest content of flavonoids was found in the C. humilis extract. The organic farming in the context of sustainable agriculture may use such natural products for the management of fungal diseases. With respect to such alternative in an integrated crop disease management program, further studies on these seaweeds are needed., Moroccan Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 9, No 3 (2021): in progress

Marine algae are potentially prolific sources of highly bioactive secondary metabolites that might represent useful leads in the development of agriculture, pharmacy, cosmetic among many other fields. In Morocco, advances in seaweed biotechnology were achieved over the last decade, especially in medical and agricultural fields. However, the algal biodiversity and its ecology tend to be less studied. These two aspects give more information about the availability of each species in each period and help to preserve the algal richness for a sustainable use. Along the Moroccan coast, which extends of over than 3400 km, the algal diversity was studied years ago by some authors. The present study aims to update the green and brown seaweeds species in the intertidal zone of the Atlantic coast of Sidi Bouzid, a seaside resort near El Jadida City (Morocco) ranked each year among the beaches called “blue flag” and thus targeted for its algae good quality. The samples were collected seasonally from October 2016 to July 2018, and transported to the laboratory at 2-4°C. Algal species are identified using different identification keys. The results obtained show a very important diversity (62 species in total) with 29 brown algae and 33 green ones. These seaweeds sustained a seasonal variation and their harvest should respect their dominance period because all the dominant species exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Finally, algal diversity identified in the intertidal and upper subtidal zones of the Atlantic coast of Sidi Bouzid Eljadida don’t reflect all the algal species present along the coast. So, we should also investigate all the subtidal zone where many other algae could be used., Journal of Analytical Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Vol. 3, No 1 (2021): January - June

Synthesis and biological evaluation of sesquiterpenes containing cylopropane ring are obtained via gem dihalogenocyclopropanation and allylic oxydation from β-himachalene which isolated from essential oil of Atlas cedar (Cedrus Atlantica). The molecules synthesized were evaluated on antimicrobial activity by bioautography against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus hirae), and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). A positive inhibitory result was observed for the products tested. The results also show that the presence of the bromine atom in the compound improved the inhibition of the tested bacteria, RHAZES: Green and Applied Chemistry, Vol 6 (2019)

Punica granatum Legrelliae is a valuable medicinal plant that is widely planted in Morocco. The equilibrium moisture content was investigated. Peleg model was found the most suitable to describe the sorption phenomenon. The drying kinetic of Punica granatum Legrelliae’s flowers was investigated by using a convection solar dryer. Midilli-Kucuk model described well the drying curves’ trend. The effective moisture diffusivity values were obtained. The Arrhenius relation, with an activation energy value of 92.91 kJ.mol-1 expressed the temperature effect on the diffusion coefficient. Finally, the effect of drying these flowers at different temperatures on their quality was investigated. To assess the quality of the product after solar drying; the color, polyphenols content, antioxidant activity, and polyphenoloxydase and peroxydase activities were considered. 40 °C was the best drying temperature for the preservation of color and bioactive molecules with antioxidant property., Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality, Vol 91 (2018): Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality