Centaurium Erythraea Extracts Exert Vascular Effects through Endothelium- and Fibroblast-dependent Pathways.

is a plant used in traditional medicine for several cardiovascular disorders, namely hypertension, but there is no scientific evidence able to provide a molecular basis for its claimed antihypertensive effects. After a preliminary screen of extracts obtained from sequential extraction of aerial parts, effects of the methanolic fraction (MFCE) on changes in perfusion pressure of isolated rat mesenteric vascular bed (MVB) and in rat cardiac fibroblasts proliferation were investigated, gathering information on the mechanisms involved in endothelium-dependent effects and their dependence on a pro-proliferative stimulus. The HPLC-DAD determination of the phenolics content of MFCE revealed the presence of 22 phenolic compounds.

Prevalence of and risk factors for overweight and obesity among adolescents in Morocco.

Background: Overweight and obesity among children and adolescents is a major public health concern and their prevalence is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries.

Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a representative sample of 12-18-year-old schooled adolescents in Fez, Morocco, and to investigate the possible risk factors associated with adolescent obesity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2014 and March 2015 in public secondary schools.

Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies of the aqueous extract from leaves of Cistus ladaniferus L. in mice and rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cistus ladaniferus L. (C.ladaniferus) (Cistaceae) is an aromatic shrub native to the Mediterranean region.