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Background Globally, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate. This chronic pathology gravely troubled the human health and quality of life. Both insulin deficiency and insulin resistance are involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Moreover, insulin resistance is being diagnosed nowadays in a growing population of diabetic and obese patients, especially in industrialized societies. There are lots of conventional agents available to control and to treat diabetes, but total recovery from this disorder has not been reported up to this date. Plants provided a potential source of hypoglycemic drugs and are widely used in several traditional systems of medicine to prevent diabetes. A few reviews with less attention paid to mechanisms of action have been published on antidiabetic plants. Objectives The present review focuses on the various plants that have been reported to be effective in improving insulin sensitivity associated with diabetes. Key findings In this work, an updated systematic review of the published literature has been conducted to review the antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity and 111 medicinal plants have been reported to have a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity using several in-vitro and in-vivo animal models of diabetes. Conclusion The different metabolic and cellular effects of the antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity are reported indicating the important role of medicinal plants as potential alternative or complementary use in controlling insulin resistance associated with diabetes mellitus.

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Drought and desertification have a significant impact on socio-ecological systems throughout the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In this context, the impact of desertification and drought was analyzed in the pre-Sahara of Morocco. Additionally, a new conceptual framework combining various variables under the context of drought and desertification impacts was developed. The study area has an arid climate and socio-ecological system-based oases. To

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This study aims to evaluate the hypotensive activity of Capparis spinosa Aqueous Extract (CSAE) in Spontaneously Hypertensive (SH) rats. CSAE was lyophilised and administrated daily at a dose of 150 mg kg −1 for 20 days. CSAE administration produced a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after eight days of oral administration (p<0.01), a sustained reduction was observed at the end of the end treatment (p<0.01). Heart rate remained unchanged during 20 days of CSAE oral administration. In addition, CSAE administration produced a significant increase in urinary output (p<0.01) and Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) (p<0.01) at the eighth day of treatment. Urinary electrolytes excretion was also modified during 20 days of CSAE administration, a significant increase in urinary sodium and potassium excretion was observed from the fourth day (p<0.01) to twentieth day (p<0.001). However, urinary chloride excretion was increased from the eighth day (p<0.01) to the end of treatment (p<0.001). The observed hypotensive effect seems to be independent of renin angiotensin system since the CSAE did not modify the plasma angiotensin converting enzyme and renin activities (p>0.05) after 20 days of oral administration. We conclude that CSAE possess antihypertensive activity in SH rats and the underlying mechanism seems to be mediated via at least an increase in urinary and electrolytes output.

Background Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti is a widespread proven vector of Leishmania pathogens causing anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), due to L. tropica, in the old world. The activity of P. (Par.) sergenti is seasonal and sensitive to general variations in climate. Phenological data sets can thus provide a baseline for continuing investigations on P. (Par.) sergenti population dynamics that may impact future leishmaniasis transmission and control scenarios. Methods/Principal finding A systematic review of the seasonality of P. (Par.) sergenti was undertaken globally. Sixty-eight scientific papers were identified, and data were extracted from 35 ones, with informative data on sand fly seasonal dynamics on trapping performed from 1992 to December 2021 on 63 sites from 12 countries. Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus, and Georgia. The data extracted from the literature survey were further normalized. Our analysis recorded that the highest P.(Par.) sergenti activity occurs during the hot and dry seasons, primarily in July and August, whatever the location studied. We noticed a relationship between the latitude of sites and sand fly presence (from early April to June) and the type of density trend, varying from a single peak to multiple peaks. On a geographical scale, P. (Par.) sergenti concentrates between 32–37° in latitude in a large interval following the longitude and the highest number of sites with high P. (Par.) sergenti activity is located at the latitude 32°. We also quoted a similar seasonal dynamic and geographic distribution with Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi, a proven vector of L. major that causes cutaneous infection. No apparent risk for ACL occurred from December to March, at least in the years and geographic areas considered in this survey. Altogether, knowing that high P. (Par.) sergenti activity would be linked with an increased risk of leishmaniasis transmission, and our study provides information that can be used for control programs on ACL transmission. Conclusions Despite variations, we found a relatively homogeneous pattern of P. (Par.) sergenti potential behavior in sites whose data are published. A higher risk for L. tropica transmission was identified in the June-October period. Still, such risk was not equally distributed throughout the area since density waves of adults occurred earlier and were more frequent in some territories, like Saudi Arabia.