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Sargassum muticum, a Japanese brown seaweed, has recently invaded various shorelines throughout the world, including the Atlantic coast of Morocco, where it has developed significant populations. We report on the use of these algae as a partial replacement of Portland cement in cement paste as part of a long-term plan to combat this invasive seaweed. With a fixed water to cement ratio (W/C = 0.45), algae powder is added at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% from the cement content in producing cement pastes. The hydration process was assessed using impedance spectroscopy throughout the setting period from 10 min to 28 days. Compressive strength tests were performed at 7, 14 and 28 days. An equivalent circuit model has been proposed. The results showed that the various strength properties of the cement paste increased or decreased with addition of algae powder. The compressive strength tends to increase with the addition of algae powder. This study shows that 10% addition of algae powder to cement paste showed an increase in compressive strength and when the addition increased to 20% the properties started to decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the potential of new ecological corrosion inhibitors, we investigated the mechanism of corrosion inhibition in carbon steel using Halopitys incurvus, an algal extract available in both crude and chromatographic fractions, in a 0.5 M H2SO4 medium. Various methods were employed, including gravimetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, polarization curves, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, and molecular dynamics. The crude extract exhibited a high corrosion‐inhibiting potential, with a maximum inhibitory efficiency of 85.30% at 600 mg/L. The electrochemical results indicated mixed behavior of the crude extract. Furthermore, we found that the adsorption of the crude extract onto the metal surface followed the Langmuir isotherm pattern. The SEM study confirmed our proposition that extract molecules were adsorbed onto the carbon steel surface. Using the chromatographic fractionation protocol, we were able to distinguish four main fractions, and the most effective fractions reached an inhibitory efficiency value of 96.00% at 100 mg/L. The molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of alginate extracted from Moroccan Bifurcaria bifurcata has not been fully established to date. In this work, we report the extraction and the characterization of alginate (ASBB) from the brown algae B. bifurcata, as well as the production of oligo-alginates (OGABs) by using a green chemistry process. The depolymerization of ASBB was carried out by controlled radical hydrolysis through our green chemistry process using a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) catalyst. The molecular weight (Mw) and degree of polymerization (DP) distribution of oligo-alginates (OGABs) obtained were then characterized by HPLC size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). Structural characterization revealed that after 6 h of depolymerization of ASBB, we obtained OGABs with Mw ≤ 5.5 kDa and 2 ≤ DP ≤ 24. These results highlight the effectiveness of the controlled radical hydrolysis of alginate to produce good yields of alginate fractions with controlled Mw with a known polymerization degree (DP) and without altering properties of oligo-alginates. Bifurcaria bifurcata can be a potential source of alginate and oligo-alginates given its abundance on the northwest Atlantic coast. The production and characterization of oligo-alginates promote their exploitation in the cosmetic, pharmaceutic, and agriculture fields.

Euphorbia resinifera (Zaggûm or Tikiut) is an endemic species of Morocco that grows in the Middle Atlas Mountain range. It is used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, especially various types of cancer. Aim of the review: In this review, we critically highlighted and discussed previous reports on E. resinifera, concerning its botanical description, taxonomy, geographical distribution, and medicinal use. In addition, bioactive compounds, toxicology, and pharmacological effects were reported. Materials and methods: We searched various scientific databases, such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, SpringerLink, SciFinder, Wiley Online, and Google Scholar, to collect data on E. resinifera. Studies involving E. resinifera or its bioactive compounds with regards to antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antileishmanial, antiprotease, immunomodulatory, irritant, and lysosomal activities are discussed here. Results: E. resinifera has been widely used in folk medicine practice in Morocco to treat several diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and inflammatory skin conditions, as well as to heal wounds. In phytochemistry studies, biochemical compounds have been identified from E. resinifera belonging specially to terpenoids. Indeed, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological investigations showed that extracts and compounds from the latex of E. resinifera exhibited a wide spectrum of biological properties, particularly antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antileishmanial, and immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activities. Conclusion: The use of E. resinifera in conventional medicine is supported by processes founded on biological evidence. However, in-depth research is necessary to prove the safety and efficacy of E. resinifera latex extracts and their compounds and to clarify their pharmacological mechanisms. In addition, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies are required for extracts and bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic treatment of water remains a great subject for discussion between the scientists. Precisely, about the benefit impact of magnetized water in agriculture. For this reason, our research was focused about the electromagnetic treatment of irrigation water on plant growth (Lactuca Sativa(L.) as example and yield factors using experimental tests in sterile Petri dishes. Experimental tests were carried out to examine the growth of lettuce in vitro, irrigated by three types of water: tap water (TW), distilled water (DW) and magnetized water (MW). Experimental outcomes showed that the electromagnetic treatment of irrigation water with an electromagnetic field had a more positive effect on the root length, as well as on the dry mass and fresh mass of lettuce, compared to tap water or distilled water. The magnetic treatment of water improve the quality and quantity of vegetative production of Plants (LS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, antioxidants have become essential in nutrition because of their ability to protect the body against oxidative cell damage that can produce dangerous diseases. Medicinal plants are a major source of many bioactive molecules that act directly on the body. Objective: The main objective of our work is to highlight the antioxidant potential of the essential oil (EO) of Origanum elongatum Emb and Maire (endemic plant of Morocco), determine its composition, and carry out fractionation operations to isolate the molecule (s) responsible for this activity. Materials and Methods: The measurement of the antioxidant activity of the EO is carried out by trapping the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and the composition of the EO is determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The fractionation of the EO was carried out by various chromatography techniques. Results: The results show that the EO has an interesting antioxidant activity with an EC50in the order of 1.2 in comparison with a reference antioxidant, δ-tocopherol whose EC50is 0.26. The EO of O. elongatum consists of 11 compounds, of which 3 are the majority: carvacrol (60.42%), para-cymene (13.9%), and γ-terpinene (9.4%). Conclusion: Fractionation of the oil made it possible to isolate a purified antioxidant molecule consisting mainly of carvacrol (95%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigella sativaL.‘Black cumin’ (Ranunculaceae) is one of the plants commonly used in Moroccan folk medicine for treatment of various ailments including diabetes mellitus. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of differentN. sativaseed extracts on insulin secretion. Different fractions of the seed were prepared: the defatted fraction (HR II), which was divided into two subfractions: the first (HR III) containing acidic and neutral compounds and the second (HR IV) containing basic compounds. The insulin secretory effects of these extracts were evaluated individually at different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 5 mg/mL), in vitro in isolated rat pancreatic islets in the presence of 8.3 mmol/L glucose. The results show that addition of the defatted whole extract or of the basic subfraction of the seed in the incubation medium significantly increased glucose-induced insulin release from the islets. In the case of the acidic and neutral subfraction, the stimulatory effect was observed only for the higher concentration (5 mg/mL). However, a clear concentration-dependent increase in insulin release from isolated pancreatic islets was observed for the basic subfraction. Our data show that the antidiabetic properties ofN. sativaseeds may be, at least partly, mediated by stimulated insulin release, and that the basic subfraction largely contributes to this stimulatory effect. Further phytochemical studies are underway in order to isolate the pharmacological compound(s) responsible for the insulinotropic effect ofN. sativaseeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]