Chemical Composition and Insecticidal Activity against Tribolium Castaneum of Thapsia garganica L. Seed Essential Oil

Due to the several side effects of synthetic pesticides, including environmental pollution, threats to human health, and the development of pest resistance to insecticides, the use of alternative healthy, available and efficient agents in pest management strategies is necessary. Recently, the use of essential oil obtained from aromatic plants has shown significant potential for insect pest management. For this reason, the essential oil isolated from seeds of Thapsia garganica L. was investigated for the first time for its chemical profile, and its toxicity and repellency effects against Tribolium castaneum adults. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the chemical composition by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed the presence of 18 organic volatiles representing 96.8 % of the total constituents. The main compounds were 1,4-dimethylazulene (51.3 %) followed by methyl palmitate (8.2 %), methyl linoleate (6.2 %) and costol (5.1 %). Concerning the repellent effect, results revealed that SEO (Seed Essential Oil) was very repellent towards T. castaneum adults, with 100 % repellency after 2 h of exposure. Furthermore, the essential oil exhibited remarkable contact toxicity against T. castaneum (93.3 % of mortality) at the concentration of 10 % (v/v). The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of the topical application of the seed essential oil was 4.4 %. These encouraging outcomes suggested that the essential oil from T. garganica seeds could be considered a potent natural alternative to residual persistent and toxic insecticides.     

Characterization of Polar and Non‐Polar Compounds of House Edible Bird's Nest (EBN) from Johor,Malaysia

This work investigated the polar (PC: protein, amino acid and metabolite) and non‐polar (NPC: fatty acid) compounds and bioactivity characteristics of the EBN harvested from the state of Johor in Malaysia. The electrophoretic gels exhibited 15 protein bands (16–173 kD) with unique protein profile. Amino acids analysis by AccQ?Tag method revealed 18 types of amino acids in EBN. Metabolite profiling was performed using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Quadrupole Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometer (HPLC‐QTOF/MS) technique and a total of 54 compounds belonging to different groups were detected and identified. These findings help to uncover the relation of therapeutic activity of EBN. The EBN was further extracted with AcOEt and BuOH. The AcOEt extract was fractionated into three fractions (F₁?F₃), and the high triglyceride content in F₂ was verified by gC‐FID. The three groups of fatty acids discovered in EBN are 48.43 % of poly‐unsaturated (PUFA), 25.35 % of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and 24.74 % of mono‐unsaturated fat (MUFA). This is the first time to report results ofEBN, BuOH, and AcOEt extracts and of fraction F₂ (TEBN) on their analysis for their antioxidant activities by DPPH, ABTS and catalase assay and for their paraoxonase and anti‐tyrosinase activities. The results showed that TEBN exhibited the significant bioactivity in all assays. These findings suggest that TEBN is a good source for natural bioactive compounds in promoting body vigor. Current work widened the content of EBN especially on the triglyceride and also marked the content of specific location (Johor, Malaysia) of EBN origin.     

Differentiation of Fanconi anemia and aplastic anemia using mitomycin C test in Tunisia

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive chromosomal instability syndrome that is clinically characterized by multiple symptoms. Chromosome breakage hypersensitivity to alkylating agents is the gold standard test for FA diagnosis. In this study, we provide a detailed laboratory protocol for accurate assessment of FA diagnosis based on mitomycin C (MMC) test. Induced chromosomal breakage study was successful in 171 out of 205 aplastic anemia (AA) patients. According to the sensitivity of MMC at 50 ng/ml, 38 patients (22.22%) were diagnosed as affected and 132 patients (77.17%) as unaffected. Somatic mosaicism was suspected in an 11-year-old patient with a FA phenotype. Twenty-six siblings of FA patients were also evaluated and five of them (19.23%) were diagnosed as FA. From this study, a standard protocol for diagnosis of FA was developed. It is routinely used as a diagnostic test of FA in Tunisia.     

THE RELEVANT USE OF THE TRADITIONAL TUNISIAN GAME ‘‘RAQASSA’’ FOR CARDIOVASCULAR STIMULATION IN SCHOOLCHILDREN

The aim of this study was to investigate the heart rate (HR) responses, the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and the feeling during physical education schooling while performing traditional games activities compared to intermittent exercise. Nineteen pre-pubertal children randomly performed on different days two types of lessons (intermittent running mode vs. traditional Tunisian “Raqassa” game) lasting 12-min each. HR was continuously recorded during both lessons, while ratings of perceived exertion and Feeling values were recorded after the sessions. The mean HR value during the traditional game was significantly higher than during intermittent exercise (p<0.05). Conversely, the perceived exertion score was significantly higher after intermittent exercise than the traditional exercise game (p<0.05), showing that the higher cardiovascular strain of the game was perceived as “lighter” than the run. Simultaneously, the children''s Feeling was significantly higher after the traditional game than intermittent exercise (p<0.001), showing a higher satisfaction from playing with respect to running. Exercise based on the “Raqassa” traditional game could be used in pre-pubertal children as an alternative or as an additional method for suitable cardiovascular stimulation during physical education lessons with lower perceived exertion and better feeling compared to intermittent running.     

New bioactive dihydrofuranocoumarins from the roots of the Tunisian Ferula lutea (Poir.) Maire

A phytochemical investigation of the roots of Ferula lutea (Poir.) Maire led to the isolation of new dihydrofuranocoumarins as two inseparable isomers, (?)-5-hydroxyprantschimgin 1 and (?)-5-hydroxydeltoin 2, together with eight known compounds, (?)-prantschimgin 3, (?)-deltoin 4, psoralen 5, xanthotoxin 6, umbelliferone 7, caffeic acid 8, β-sitosterol 9 and stigmasterol 10. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments and mass spectroscopy analysis, as well as by comparison with literature data. The anti-acetylcholinesterase and cytotoxic effects of the isolates and antioxidant activities of the mixture (1+2) were also evaluated in this work. Results showed that the mixture (1+2) has the most cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values 0.29 ± 0.05 and 1.61 ± 0.57 μM against the cell lines HT-29 and HCT 116, respectively. The greatest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 0.76 ± 0.03) was exhibited by the xanthotoxin 6. In addition, the mixture (1+2) was investigated for its antioxidant activity and showed IC₅₀ values 18.56, 13.06, 7.59, and 4.81 μM towards DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS radical monocation, singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, respectively.     

Caryophyllene Sesquiterpenes from Pulicaria vulgaris Gaertn.: Isolation,Structure Determination,Bioactivity and Structure−Activity Relationship

A new caryophyllene, named pulicaryenne A ( 1 ), along with four other known caryophyllene derivatives ( 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 ) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of aerial parts of Pulicaria vulgaris Gaertn . (Asteraceae). All compounds were isolated for the first time from this species. Compound 2 was identified as a new epimer of a known caryophyllene derivative isolated previously from P. dysenterica. Their structures were established by spectroscopic means including NMR analysis (1D‐ and 2D‐NMR) and ESI‐TOF‐MS. All compounds were evaluated for their anticholinesterase, antityrosinase and cytotoxic activities against two human cell lines (A549 and HeLa). Results showed that compound 5 exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect against A549 and anticholinesterase activity with IC₅₀ values of 8.50±0.75 and 6.45±0.09 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, compound 5 showed also an interesting antityrosinase activity with percent inhibition value of 79.0±2.5 % at 50 μg/mL. The bioactivity and drug likeness scores of the isolated compounds 1–5 were calculated using Molinspiration software and discussed. These results may suggest that the five caryophyllene derivatives endowed with good biological properties, which could be used as bioactive alternatives in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Exchange potentials of phosphorus between sediments and water coupled to alkaline phosphatase activity and environmental factors in an oligo-mesotrophic reservoir

We investigated the exchange potentials of phosphates at the water-sediment interface together with in situ benthic-chamber fractionated alkaline phosphatase activity and bacteria estimates during September and October 1998 at two stations: station 1, which received immediately the urban inputs from the Taounate city, and station 2, located in the centre of the Sahela reservoir (Morocco). The results showed that low oxygenation enhanced both the bacterial abundance and the alkaline phosphatase activity. Size-fractionated (0.65-100 microm) bacteria attached to dead organic matter together with algae and zooplankton contributed strongly (78%) to the total alkaline phosphatase synthesis in the two sampled stations, suggesting that attachment to organic particles stimulated phosphatase activities. The appearance of anoxic conditions and the decrease of pH supported the dissolution of particulate phosphorus and the release of soluble reactive phosphorus. This latter, together with persisting discharges of organic matter, sewage, and olive mill waste will exacerbate the eutrophication of the reservoir.     

School performance in Danish children exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes in utero: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

BackgroundConflicting results have been reported concerning possible adverse effects on the cognitive function of offspring of mothers with type 1 diabetes (O-mT1D). Previous studies have included offspring of parents from the background population (O-BP), but not offspring of fathers with type 1 diabetes (O-fT1D) as the unexposed reference group.Methods and findingsThis is a population-based retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2016. Nationally standardized school test scores (range, 1 to 100) were obtained for public school grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 in O-mT1D and compared with those in O-fT1D and O-BP. Of the 622,073 included children, 2,144 were O-mT1D, and 3,474 were O-fT1D. Multiple linear regression models were used to compare outcomes, including the covariates offspring with type 1 diabetes, parity, number of siblings, offspring sex, smoking during pregnancy, parental age, and socioeconomic factors. Mean test scores were 54.2 (standard deviation, SD 24.8) in O-mT1D, 54.4 (SD 24.8) in O-fT1D, and 56.4 (SD 24.7) in O-BP. In adjusted analyses, the mean differences in test scores were −1.59 (95% CI −2.48 to −0.71, p < 0.001) between O-mT1D and O-BP and −0.78 (95% CI −1.48 to −0.08, p = 0.03) between O-fT1D and O-BP. No significant difference in the adjusted mean test scores was found between O-mT1D and O-fT1D (p = 0.16). The study’s limitation was no access to measures of glycemic control during pregnancy.ConclusionsO-mT1D achieved lower test scores than O-BP but similar test scores compared with O-fT1D. Glycemic control during pregnancy is essential to prevent various adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with type 1 diabetes. However, the present study reduces previous concerns regarding adverse effects of in utero hyperglycemia on offspring cognitive function.

Anne Lærke Spangmose and colleagues examine the association between school performance and exposure to maternal or paternal type 1 diabetes in utero in Denmark.