Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a xerophytic shrub with a remarkable adaptability to harsh environments. This plant species is of great interest for its medicinal/pharmacological properties and its culinary uses. Its phytochemical importance relies on many bioactive components present in different organs and its cultivation can be of considerable economic value. Moreover, taxonomic identification of C. spinosa L. has been difficult due to its wide heterogeneity, and many authors fell into confusion due to the scarcity of genetic studies. The present review summarizes information concerning C. spinosa L. including agronomic performance, botanical description, taxonomical approaches, traditional pharmacological uses, phytochemical evaluation and genetic studies. This knowledge represents an important tool for further research studies and agronomic development on this indigenous species with respect to the emerging climatic change in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. Indeed, this world region is particularly under the threat of global warming and it appears necessary to rethink agricultural systems to adapt them to current and futures challenging environmental conditions. Capparis spinosa L. could be a part of this approach. So, this review presents a state of the art considering caper as a potential interesting crop under arid or semi-arid regions (such as Eastern Mediterranean countries) within the climate change context. The aim is to raise awareness in the scientific community (geneticists, physiologists, ecophysiologists, agronomists, …) about the caper strengths and interest to the development of this shrub as a crop.
Maedi-visna (MV) is a chronic viral disease prevalent in adult sheep that is caused by a virus belonging to the small ruminant lentivirus group (SRLV). This disease is considered to affect the international trade of sheep and is classified in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) list of notifiable animal diseases. Although maedi-visna virus (MVV) has been detected in many countries, no study on its occurrence has been carried out in Lebanon. For this purpose, a serological survey of infection with MVV was conducted in seven of the eight Lebanese governorates using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 184 individual blood samples from sheep of the local breed 'Awassi', originating from 16 farms distributed throughout the seven Lebanese governorates, were collected and analysed. Among the 184 tested sheep, 131 sheep from the16 farms visited were MVV positive. This presents a prevalence of 71% MVV-positive animals and 100% MVV-positive farms. The results indicate the need for further systematic investigations into the between-herd and within-herd prevalence of MV in Lebanon.
BackgroundAirways progenitors may be involved in embryogenesis and lung repair. The characterization of these important populations may enable development of new therapeutics to treat acute or chronic lung disease. In this study, we aimed to establish the presence of bronchioloalveolar progenitors in ovine lungs and to characterize their potential to differentiate into specialized cells.ResultsLung cells were studied using immunohistochemistry on frozen sections of the lung. Immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were conducted on ex-vivo derived pulmonary cells. The bronchioloalveolar progenitors were identified by their co-expression of CCSP, SP-C and CD34. A minor population of CD34pos/SP-Cpos/CCSPpos cells (0.33% ± 0.31) was present ex vivo in cell suspensions from dissociated lungs. Using CD34 magnetic positive-cell sorting, undifferentiated SP-Cpos/CCSPpos cells were purified (>80%) and maintained in culture. Using synthetic media and various extracellular matrices, SP-Cpos/CCSPpos cells differentiated into either club cells (formerly named Clara cells) or alveolar epithelial type-II cells. Furthermore, these ex vivo and in vitro derived bronchioloalveolar progenitors expressed NANOG, OCT4 and BMI1, specifically described in progenitors or stem cells, and during lung development.ConclusionsWe report for the first time in a large animal the existence of bronchioloalveolar progenitors with dual differentiation potential and the expression of specialized genes. These newly described cell population in sheep could be implicated in regeneration of the lung following lesions or in development of diseases such as cancers.
All samples were collected in full flowering stage. The plant identification was based on 'Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie' by Paul Mouterde and voucher specimen were deposited at the Herbarium of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences -USEK with their numbers. Prangos asperula (MNII 265a) and Hirtellina lobelii (MNIII 145b) were collected from "Tannourine" region in the North of Lebanon, Salvia multicaulis ((MNIII 475a) was collected from "Mdayrej" (Zahleh region) and Stachys ehrenbergii (MNIII 235c) from "Jabal El Makmel" (Arez, North of Lebanon). Methanolic extractionA 99.9% methanol HPLC Grade was used in order to dissolve the plants and to extract the active compounds. 50 g of dried aerial parts of the plants were macerated in 500 ml of methanol for 72 hours. All the extracts were macerated at room temperature, and then stored at C. Extracts analysisIn order to evaluate the chemical composition of each extract, GC-MS was used. Briefly, concentrated and diluted samples with methanol were tested in the machine. GC/MS was performed using an Agilent gas chromatograph 6890 coupled with Mass Detector 5975. The 7683 B auto sampler was injecting each time 1 µL of extract sample. GC/MS analysis was carried out using a fused silica capillary column Factor DB-5 MS, measuring 30 m x 0.25 mm internal diameter, film thickener of 0.1 µm; the oven temperature program adopted was 35 ˚C with an increase of 5˚C /min until 85˚C (20 min) and then to
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