Publications by authors named "Limam F"

Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluated the antioxidant and antileishmanial effects of essential oil from Ballota (B.) hirsuta leaves, identifying spathulenol and germacrene D as its main components.
  • The essential oil demonstrated moderate antioxidant activity and high antileishmanial effectiveness against both promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania, with specific IC values indicating its potency.
  • The study also revealed that B. hirsuta EO primarily inhibits the sterol synthesis pathway and suggested that its main compounds may be promising candidates for developing treatments against leishmaniasis.
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  • Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria pose significant challenges for infection control, particularly through the Quorum Sensing (QS) mechanism.
  • Myrtle leaf extract demonstrated a potent anti-QS effect, inhibiting 80% of violacein production and significantly reducing various virulence factors like biofilm formation and protease activity at sub-MIC concentrations.
  • The study identified three phenolic compounds from the extract, with 3,5-di-galloylquinic acid showing the strongest interaction with the CviR QS receptor, indicating potential for developing new QS inhibitors against resistant pathogens.
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  • * Major compounds identified in the EO included α-pinene and -cadinol, but the oil showed limited antioxidant activity, failing to neutralize certain free radicals effectively.
  • * The EO demonstrated strong leishmanicidal effects against promastigote and amastigote forms, with the components showing better binding to the enzyme CYP51 compared to the conventional drug fluconazole, suggesting it could be a promising alternative treatment for leishmaniasis.
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  • Chlorpyrifos (CPF) poisoning presents a significant public health issue, and this study explores the potential protective effect of grape seed extract (GSE) against liver damage caused by CPF.
  • Treatment with CPF caused major disruptions in liver metabolism, mitochondrial functions, and induced oxidative stress and cholinergic excitotoxicity in rats.
  • GSE administration effectively mitigated the harmful effects of CPF by regulating certain gene expressions related to liver detoxification, suggesting that GSE could be a viable protective strategy against CPF-induced liver toxicity.
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Aim: The present study aimed to investigate a novel antifungal compound produced by Streptomyces blastmyceticus S108 strain. Its effectiveness against clinical isolates of Candida species and its synergistic effect with conventional antifungal drugs were assessed, and its molecular mechanism of action was further studied against Candida albicans.

Methods And Results: A newly isolated strain from Tunisian soil, S.

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Combination therapy at appropriately suitable doses presents a promising alternative to monotherapeutic drugs. In this study, and essential oils and their major compounds have exhibited substantial leishmaniacidal potential against both promastigote and amastigote forms of . However, they displayed high cytotoxicity against Raw264.

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Nanoencapsulation is widely considered as a highly effective strategy to enhance essential oils' (EO) stability by protecting them from oxidative deterioration and evaporation. The present study aims to optimize and characterize an efficient technique for encapsulating essential oil into chitosan nanoparticles using response surface methodology (RSM). Moreover, the optimized EO nanoparticle was investigated for its antibacterial (against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria), antifungal (against ), and antiparasitic activity (against parasites).

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Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Grape seed extract (GSE) and exercise training on Doxorubicin (Doxo)-induced cardio, hepato and myo toxicities in healthy rats.

Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups and daily treated by intraperitoneal route during two months either with ethanol 10% (Control); Doxo (1.5 mg/kg); Doxo + exercise (1.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study evaluated the antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties of various parts (flowers, leaves, seeds) of a specific plant using 80% methanol extraction and microdilution techniques.
  • - Flower extracts demonstrated significant antimicrobial effectiveness against Gram-positive bacteria, as well as strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with no toxic effects on macrophage cells.
  • - Two beneficial molecules, 12α-hydroxydaturametelin B and daturametelin B, were identified from the flower extract, showing promising potential for treating inflammatory disorders through effective binding with pro-inflammatory agents.
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The aerial parts of cypress ( L.) of three collect regions (Bizerte, Ben-Arous and Nabeul) were reported for their essential oil (EO) compositions, antioxidant, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities. Results showed that the higher EO yields were observed in Bizerte and Ben Arous (0.

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  • - The study explored the antibacterial and antileishmanial effects of Micromeria nervosa extracts, identifying ursolic acid as the active compound and examining its molecular mechanism of action.
  • - Ethanol and diethyl ether extracts of the plant were tested, with the diethyl ether extract showing strong antibacterial activity against certain resistant bacteria and significant antileishmanial effects against Leishmania species.
  • - Results suggest that M. nervosa extracts and the identified ursolic acid could serve as potential natural alternatives for treating infections, demonstrating low toxicity against host cells and targeting specific gene expressions in pathogens.
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Context: The liver is the organ by which the majority of substances are metabolized, including psychotropic drugs. Lithium (Li) used as drug for many neurological disorders such as bipolar disorders.

Objective: This study aims to assess lithium toxicity and to evaluate the hepatic-protective properties of a grape skin seed and extract (GSSE).

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The organic solvent extracts (hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol and water) of coriander fruits were reported for their antioxidant and repellent activities. The methanol and acetone extracts revealed the highest antiradical activity as compared to the other solvent extracts. HPLC analysis revealed that phenolic acids were the major compounds in chloroform and acetone extracts, whereas flavonoids in methanol and water extracts.

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Introduction: Bleomycin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent with main side effects including lung fibrosis which limited its clinical use. The aim of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of grape seed and skin extract (GSSE) against bleomycin-induced oxidative damage and inflammation in rat lung, by assessing respiratory index (RI), oxidative and nitrosative stress (SOD and XO activity, NO), fibrotic mediators (hydroxyproline and collagen), apoptosis (cytochrome C and LDH), inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1), and histological disturbances.

Methods: Rats were pre-treated during three weeks with vehicle [ethanol 10% control] or GSSE (4 g/kg) and then administered with a single dose of bleo (15 mg/kg bw) at the 7th day.

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Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health concern characterised by a progressive alteration of renal function, and obesity, diabetes and hypertension are major risk factors. Oxidative stress is commonly observed in CKD patients resulting from an imbalance between overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impairment of defense mechanisms. Therefore, strategies that alleviate oxidative stress may have major clinical implications towards improving vascular health and reducing the burden of CKD.

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Background: Obesity is a worldwide health problem and a significant risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Gut microbiota (GM) plays an essential role in obesity, and prebiotics such as polyphenols could be one way to improve microbial dysbiosis-induced obesity.

Objective: This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of grape seed and skin extract (GSSE), and/or orlistat on obese rats fed with high fat diet by targeting GM modulations.

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The phytochemical composition of essential oil and their anticholinesterase, antioxidant, and insecticidal potential were studied. Also, the oil volatile fraction was compared in semolina at the beginning and after storage periods. For that, a headspace solid-phase-microextraction analysis (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was undertaken.

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Current study aims to evaluate the effect of essential oil on the conservation of chicken fillets. Following a screening, was selected for its antimicrobial ( ATCC 29212, MIC < 0.031 mg/mL) and antioxidant (IC = 1000 µg/mL) potentials with no cytotoxicity effect towards murine macrophage cells.

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  • * A study analyzed the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of Peganum harmala seed extract, revealing that its n-butanol extract was more effective against drug-resistant strains than traditional antibiotics.
  • * The active compound identified as harmaline demonstrated both strong antibacterial properties and significant biofilm inhibition, making it a promising candidate for treating P. aeruginosa-related infections.
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Allium sativum (As), commonly known as garlic, has been used for a long time, for its therapeutic effects. Recent studies showed the ability of As to modulate vascular activity. The present study aimed to investigate the vasomodulatory effects of aqueous extract of As and to analyse the molecular nature of the active components.

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According to the free-radical theory of aging, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within mitochondria throughout life span leads to impairment of the main biological macromolecules as DNA, lipids, and proteins, which might be at the basis of premature aging. One way to test experimentally such a hypothesis consists in intervention studies using antioxidant nutrients aimed at limiting or inhibiting ROS production that should be able to reduce the aging rate and disease pathogenesis. Grape seed flour (GSF) contains a high level of phytochemicals among which bioactive polyphenols exhibit numerous biological properties and beneficial health effects as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, multi-organ (heart, liver, kidney, and brain among others) protective.

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Cyclic lipopeptides produced by Bacillus species exhibit interesting therapeutic potential. However, their clinical use remains limited due to their low stability, undesirable interactions with host macromolecules, and their potential toxicity to mammalian cells. The present work aims to develop suitable lipopeptide-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with improved biological properties and reduced toxicity.

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Streptomyces tunisiensis DSM 42037 exhibited growth capacity on a minimum medium containing 1% barley bran. This peculiar strain released 83.5% of total ferulic acid present in barley bran after 5 days of incubation and the highest amount of released ferulic acid (19 mg/L) was observed on the 3rd day of incubation.

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Ischemic stroke is a major health concern and a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress is an early event in the course of stroke inducing neuro-inflammation and cell death. Grape seed extract (GSE) is a natural phytochemical mixture exhibiting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.

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A bacterial strain 2H isolated from soil and identified as Thermoactinomyces vulgaris produce a potent Type II restriction endonuclease activity that has been extracted by a PEG/dextran aqueous two-phase system. Optimal temperature for the restriction endonuclease activity was 55-65°C. Specific DNA cleavage was obtained at pH range 7-10 and 10-20mM MgCl.

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