Sepsis causes severe dysregulation of organ functions, via the development of oxidative stress and inflammation. These pathophysiological mechanisms are mimicked in mice injected with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, protective properties of argan oil against LPS-induced oxidative stress and inflammation are explored in the murine model. Mice received standard chow, supplemented with argan oil (AO) or olive oil (OO) for 25 days, before septic shock was provoked with a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS, 16 hours prior to animal sacrifice. In addition to a rise in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, injected LPS also caused hepatotoxicity, accompanied by hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and hyperuremia. These LPS-associated toxic effects were blunted by AO pretreatment, as corroborated by normal plasma parameters and cell stress markers (glutathione: GSH) and antioxidant enzymology (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutase, SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GPx). Hematoxylin–eosin staining revealed that AO can protect against acute liver injury, maintaining a normal status, which is pointed out by absent or reduced LPS-induced hepatic damage markers (i.e., alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST)). Our work also indicated that AO displayed anti-inflammatory activity, due to down-regulations of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and in up-regulations of the expression of anti-inflammatory genes encoding Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10). OO provided animals with similar, though less extensive, protective changes. Collectively our work adds compelling evidence to the protective mechanisms of AO against LPS-induced liver injury and hence therapeutic potentialities, in regard to the management of human sepsis. Activations of IL-4/Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (IL-4/PPARs) signaling and, under LPS, an anti-inflammatory IL-10/Liver X Receptor (IL-10/LXR) route, obviously indicated the high potency and plasticity of the anti-inflammatory properties of argan oil.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the distribution of PON1 Q192R and L55M polymorphisms and activities in a North African population and to determine their association with cardiovascular complications. The prevalence of the QQ, QR, RR, LL, LM, and MM genotypes in the study population was 55.4%, 34.09%, 9.83%, 41.97%, 48.20%, and 9.83% respectively. The Q, R, L, and M alleles had a gene frequency of 0.755, 0.245, 0.67, and 0.33, respectively. The PON1 192 RR genotype was significantly more prevalent among ACS patients than among healthy subjects. There was a 4.33-fold increase in the risk of ACS in subjects presenting the PON1 192 RR genotype compared to those with the QQ genotype (OR=4.33; 95% CI=1.27–17.7). There was a significantly different distribution of PON1 L55M in the ACS patient groups (UA, STEMI, NSTEMI). Moreover, individuals presenting the PON1 55MM genotype present a higher risk for ACS than those with LL genotype (OR=3.69; 95% CI=1.61–11.80). Paraoxonase activities were significantly lower in coronary patients than in healthy subjects. The decrease in PON1 activity was inversely correlated with the number of concomitant risk factors for CVD (r=0.57, p<0.0001). The results of the present study suggested that the PON1 R and M alleles may play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiac ischemia in our North African population and that a decrease in PON1 activity may be a valuable marker for monitoring the development of the atherosclerosis process and the associated cardiovascular complications.

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Pomegranate (Punica granatum L) is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean countries especially in Morocco. Pomegranate peel and seed contain considerable amounts of phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. The aim of the present study was to phytochemically characterize the pomegranate peels and seeds obtained from three Moroccan provinces, using UHPLC-DAD. In addition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), and metal chelating of pomegranate peel were also evaluated. The results showed that pomegranate peel possesses the highest phenolic (TPC: 224.39 mg GAE/g dw) and flavonoid (TFC: 62.64 mg rutin/g dw) contents. Punicalagin-β and punicalagin-α, are the abundant compounds found in peel: 216.36±9.94 mg/g, 154.94±5.21 mg/g, respectively. Pomegranate peels showed significantly (p<0.05) high antioxidant activity 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) EC50: 42.71±0.04 μg/mL, 2.2′-Azino-bis(3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic Acid) (ABTS) EC50: 62.15±0.01 μg/mL), and chelating activity (FRAP 1.85±0.00 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/100 g, Fe2+: 2.52±0.01 μmol EDTA equivalents/g dw) compared to seeds. A positive correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic was found. According to achieved results, high antioxidant capacity of pomegranate extracts, especially peel, shed light to further use as natural food preservatives. Pomegranate peel could be used for the fortification of food with fiber by introducing it in dietary, as well as in health applications due to its higher antioxidant capacity.

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