Understanding the mechanisms underlying Argania spinosa responses to drought stress is essential for its regeneration and domestication. Toward that end, an integrative study of tolerance responses ...to drought stress in four A. spinosa ecotypes (2 contrasting coastal ecotypes (Adm and Rab) and 2 contrasting inland ecotypes (Alz and Lks)) have been conducted. Responses to soil drying and re-watering were measured at physiological and biochemical levels. Soil drying resulted in significant increase in leaf concentrations of potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) with differential responses between ecotypes. The glutathione-related enzymes: glutathione peroxidase (GP), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) showed a significant increase in their enzymatic activity in A. spinosa plants subjected to drought stress. Additionally, a significant increase in thiol protein content in the four ecotypes was recorded, during drought stress. These antioxidant traits responded differently depending on ecotype. However, rapid and significant changes in the studied physiological and biochemical traits were observed during recovery from drought, only after four days. According to the traits having the most discriminating power, the both inland ecotypes, especially Lks ecotype, seem to be potential candidates for regeneration of argan forest and their domestication in arid and semi-arid environments.
Diarrhea and respiratory diseases are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among <5-year-olds worldwide, but systematic data are not available from Mauritania. We conducted a hospital-based ...retrospective study. Data on admissions to Mauritania's National Referral Hospital (the main pediatric referral center in the country), due to diarrhea and respiratory diseases, during 2011⁻2014, were analyzed. A total of 3695 children <5 years were hospitalized during this period; 665 (18.0%) due to respiratory diseases, and 829 (22.4%) due to diarrhea. Case fatality rates in the respiratory diseases and diarrhea groups were 18.0% (120/665) and 14.1% (117/829), respectively. The highest frequency of deaths due to diarrhea occurred in the age group 2⁻5 years (16/76; 21.0%), and due to respiratory diseases in the age group 6⁻12 months (32/141; 22.6%). We conclude that case fatality rates caused by respiratory diseases and diarrhea are extremely high in children hospitalized at the National Referral Hospital. These data call for intensified efforts to reduce deaths among hospitalized Mauritanian children, and also for integrated control measures to prevent and reduce the burden of both diseases. Additional studies are needed to show the effectiveness of the introduction of vaccination programs for pneumococcal diseases and rotavirus infection in the child population, which were launched in November 2013 and December 2014, respectively.
Fatty acid desaturase ( FAD ) is the key enzyme that leads to the formation of unsaturated fatty acids by introducing double bonds into hydrocarbon chains, and it plays a critical role in plant lipid ...metabolism. However, no data are available on enzyme-associated genes in argan trees. In addition, a candidate gene approach was adopted to identify and characterize the gene sequences of interest that are potentially involved in oil quality and abiotic stress. Based on phylogenetic analyses, 18 putative FAD genes of Argania spinosa L. ( AsFAD ) were identified and assigned to three subfamilies: stearoyl-ACP desaturase ( SAD ), Δ-12 desaturase ( FAD 2/ FAD 6), and Δ-15 desaturase ( FAD 3/ FAD 7). Furthermore, gene structure and motif analyses revealed a conserved exon-intron organization among FAD members belonging to the various oil crops studied, and they exhibited conserved motifs within each subfamily. In addition, the gene structure shows a wide variation in intron numbers, ranging from 0 to 8, with two highly conserved intron phases (0 and 1). The AsFAD and AsSAD subfamilies consist of three (H(X)2-4H, H(X)2-3HH, and H/Q (X)2-3HH) and two (EEN(K)RHG and DEKRHE) conserved histidine boxes, respectively. A set of primer pairs were designed for each FAD gene, and tested on DNA extracted from argan leaves, in which all amplicons of the expected size were produced. These findings of candidate genes in A spinosa L. will provide valuable knowledge that further enhances our understanding of the potential roles of FAD genes in the quality of oil and abiotic stress in the argan tree.
The objective of study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure of Moroccan landraces of sorghum (
Sorghum bicolor
L. Moench). Samples were obtained from 34 fields in the ...northern regions, specifically from Larache (13 fields), Tangier (11 fields), Chefchaouen (5 fields), and Tetouan (5 fields). A total of 398 individual plants were collected, including three accessions from each of the five cultivated races of sorghum (bicolor, durra, caudatum, guinea, and kafir) from the World Collection. Two molecular marker methods, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), were employed. Four ISSR primers produced 185 reproducible bands, of which 177 (96%) exhibited polymorphism. Three AFLP primer combinations were used to detect 226 markers, out of which 198 (88%) were polymorphic. The average polymorphic information (PIC) values for ISSR and AFLP markers were calculated to be 0.98 and 0.97, respectively. Both markers revealed a higher relative genetic differentiation, with values of 0.5595 (ISSR) and 0.6216 (AFLP), while the gene flow (Nm) between fields was determined to be 0.3937 (ISSR) and 0.3043 (AFLP). Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) confirmed a greater variation within the field (57%). Classification of the Moroccan landraces based on Jaccard’s similarity index led to the identification of two primary genetic pools, which was further supported by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering and STRUCTURE analysis. The Mantel test revealed lack of correlation between genetic structure and microgeographical distribution. The ISSR and AFLP data suggest that the bicolor, durra, and caudatum races are more genetically related to the Moroccan landraces of sorghum than kafir and guinea.
The preservation of the diversity of endangered populations of argan trees, in their natural habitat, is a crucial step toward their conservation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ...genetic diversity of the argan trees in the wild, and to establish a phylogenetic map using DNA fingerprints. The ultimate goal was to develop a core set that would represent the existing diversity in the whole germplasm. In regard to this, 200 samples of Argania spinosa individual trees were collected from 10 different provenances in the region of Essaouira (Morocco). The genetic variation between and within these argan trees was investigated using previously described Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat markers. These markers generated a total of 149 fragments, in which 148 (99.33%) were polymorphic. The samples collected in the ‘Ouled Lhaj’ provenance showed the lowest diversity (% of polymorphic locus P=48.32%; genetic diversity Nei h=0.153; allelic richness A=1.483), compared to those collected in the ‘Mramer’ provenance (%P=68.46%; h=0.233; A=1.685). Also, the results showed a high level of genetic differentiation among provenances (AMOVA=44%, Gst=0.40), and a limited gene flow (Nm=0.73) between the provenances. In addition, these data suggested a low correlation between the genetic diversity of the tree and their respective geographical location in relation to the proximity to the littoral. Finally, a core collection of 13 genotypes that represent the essential of the detected diversity was established. The distribution pattern of this genetic diversity provides an important baseline data for the conservation strategies of argan tree species in the wild.
Composting is now at the core of the environmental policy and the circular economy as one of the best options for recycling organic waste leading to a high-value final product. However, composting ...organic waste suffers from several drawbacks in the resulting product, such as insufficient maturity, unstable organic matter (OM), accumulation of phytotoxic substances, and low amounts of nutrients. This study investigated the effectiveness of adding phosphate sludge (PS) to improve the green waste (GW) composting process, as well as its effectiveness when combined or not with sugar beet waste (SBW), GW, and oil mill waste (OMW) in the composting process of food waste (FW). The impact on the fertilizer quality of final products was also assessed. Composting treatments and controls were conducted in large-scale trials for 150 days. The composting process parameters, nutrient dynamics, phytotoxic effect, and agronomic capacity of the compost product were evaluated. The physicochemical analyses demonstrated that the addition of PS increased the pile temperature and prolonged thermophilic period by two weeks compared to controls. The PS addition brought pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) values of FW and GW composts to maturity acceptable level. The results also indicate that adding PS alone or in combination stimulated the nitrification process in FW composting with a nitrate concentration of 69.91 mg/L recorded in the treatment received the combined addition of PS and GW. The results of Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis showed a significant increase in humification by adding PS in mixtures of FW and GW. The resulting treated composts showed high total content of nutrients, no phytotoxic effect on seed germination, and growth enhancement of tomato plant compared to control compost, NPK fertilizer, and no amended soil.
Pollutions associated with mining activities are environmentally challenging worldwide, particularly in Sub Saharan African countries due to extreme climatic conditions, influencing the dispersion of ...metallic pollutants in ecosystems. Mine tailings subjected to acid mine drainage or eolian erosion represent a major source of damages to the environment. Microorganisms play a key role in biogeochemical cycles controlling metals and metalloids fate and behavior in polluted environments. Some microorganisms accelerate the oxidative dissolution of sulfide minerals, leading to the formation of acid mine drainages. In another hand, microorganisms can favor the precipitation of toxic metals and metalloids in solution, contributing to the natural attenuation of polluted waters. These natural capacities can be exploited for the bioremediation of mine impacted sites. Microorganisms also play a key role in phytostabilisation, either indirectly by promoting plant growth or directly through metals and metalloids mobilization or immobilization in soils. Thus, microorganisms are important actors of mining sites remediation. Advances in the field of high throughput sequencing techniques have revolutionized molecular biology and opened a new era in research on microbial ecology, enabling to explore the diversity and activity of microbial communities thriving in polluted environments. In-depth understanding of microbial activity will contribute to improve the mitigation of pollutions. In this work, we review the progress made in using microorganisms to remediate acid mine drainage pollutions, with emphasis on bioremediation case studies in Sub Saharan Africa. The study also highlights the role of microbial communities in the phytoremediation of mine tailings.
This study investigates the feasibility of using front face fluorescence (FFFS) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible) spectroscopies to authenticate 100 extra virgin argan oil (EVAO) samples from five ...Moroccan regions (Chtouka, Essaouira, Sidi Ifni, Taroudant, and Tiznit). Additionally, the study aims to identify and predict the percentage of adulteration in pure EVAO samples from these regions using less expensive vegetable oils (such as peanut, walnut, hazelnut, sunflower, grape, rapeseed, sesame, olive, and a mixture of these oils) at varying levels (1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%). By applying principal component analysis and factorial discriminant analysis on emission spectra acquired after excitation wavelengths set at 430 nm, 290 nm, and 270 nm, a perfect discrimination of EVAO samples based on their geographic origin was observed, achieving 100% correct classification; while UV–visible spectra data achieved 98.67% correct classification. Regarding the prediction of purity level of EVAO, partial least square regression applied to FFFS and UV–visible spectra data yielded an excellent prediction of adulteration level, with R
2
values of 0.99 for both spectral technics.
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