BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

In this work we studied the toxicity in clams from the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia (Southern Mediterranean). Samples from two stations (M2 and S6) were collected monthly from January 2009 to September 2010, and analyzed by the official control method of mousse bioassay (MBA) for lipophilic toxins. All samples were also analyzed with the LC-MS/MS method for the determination of lipophilic toxins, namely: okadaic acid group, pectenotoxins, yessotoxins and azaspiracids, spirolides and gymnodimines (GYMs). The results showed prevalence of GYMs since it was the only toxin group identified in these samples with a maximum of 2,136 μg GYM -A kg-1 (February 2009 at M2). Furthermore, GYMs showed persistence in the area, with only one blank sample below the limit of detection. Interestingly, this blank sample was found in June 2009 after an important toxic episode which supports the recent findings regarding the high detoxification capability of clams, much faster than that reported for oysters. In comparison, good agreement was found among MBA, the LD50 value of 80-100 μg kg-1 reported for GYM- A, and quantitative results provided by LC-MS/MS. On the contrary to that previously reported for Tunisian clams, we unambiguously identified and quantified by LC-MS/MS the isomers GYM- B/C in most samples. Phytoplankton identification and enumeration of Karenia selliformis usually showed higher densities at site M2 than S6 as expected bearing in mind toxin results, although additional results would be required to improve the correlation between K. selliformis densities and quantitative results of toxins. The prevalence and persistence of GYMs in this area at high levels strongly encourages the evaluation of the chronic toxic effects of GYMs. This is especially important taking into account that relatively large quantities of GYMs can be released into the market due to the replacement of the official control method from mouse bioassay to the LC-MS/MS for lipophilic toxins (Regulation (EU) No 15/2011), and the lack of Regulation for this group of toxins.

Significant quantities of organic matter accumulated and were preserved in central-northern Tunisia during the Ypresian (Early Eocene). The organic geochemical characterization of the organic-rich facies of the Ypresian Metlaoui Formation (Ousselat and Es-Sfeïa sections) shows their significant potential as source rocks and increases interest in the Central-Northern Tunisia oil play. The TOC content in these rocks ranges from 0.09 to 3.71% suggesting their petroleum potential, whereas their T max fluctuates from 429 to 439°C. These values and the predominance of the hetero compounds (NSO; 2-95%) point to low organic matter maturation. The diverse maturity levels reported for these organic-rich rocks never reached the conventional oil window peak stage and resulted from their different locations within the basin. The HI values and the high saturate concentrations (1-91%) compared to aromatics (1-33%), as well as the predominance of short-chain n-alkanes centered atn-C18 and n-C20 are indicative of unequivocal type-II kerogen. The fluctuation of the pristane/phytane ratio (0.97-2.53) records changes of the basin redox conditions, which mainly evolved around the sub-oxic range.

Many western countries show an increased interest in using algae in several sectors such as human food and animal feed, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, or bioenergy. Biomass of marine origin, and especially seaweed, is a key element for blue growth and is expected to contribute to the development of the growing European blue economy. Several Research and Development and Research and Innovation Projects result in the establishment of an emerging seaweed aquaculture in the Northern European countries. However, macroalgal cultivation and bioprocessing is still scarce in the Mediterranean area, particularly in Tunisia, where seaweeds are abundant on its coast, they remain little exploited. Ongoing projects from different research institutes focus on biological activities of macroalgae, the extraction of active compounds, and the potential uses as phycocolloids, pigments, lipids, and bioactive metabolites characterization as well as bioproduct enhancement. The results of these investigations demonstrate that macroalgae from the Tunisian coasts are a source of valuable compounds and that they can be used as a natural renewable resource suitable for a large array of industrial applications. Further to this, specific research activities on seaweed cultivation have been conducted particularly for Gracilaria and Ulva. In this paper, we highlight the potential of the seaweed sector in Tunisia in terms of biodiversity, cultivation, and bioprocessing and discuss the challenges in various sectors, i.e., biology, building capacity, technology, or policy, that currently hinder the expansion of a sustainable Tunisian seaweed industry., 0,681, 3,215, Q2, Q1, SCIE, 11,0

© 2014 The Authors. Hawthorn fruits (Crataegus spp.), may be a good source of antioxidants if is consumed as fresh fruit since we know that it produce a numerous beneficial effects for human health. In this study, two species of hawthorn fruit, Crataegus monogyna and Crataegus azarolus were analyzed by HPLC-DAD-MS and compared with respect to their phytochemical composition. Phenolic profiles of studied fruits showed some similarities and differences in terms of polyphenols between the two species. Twenty phenolics compounds distributed into four subclasses were identified: four phenolic acids including three hydroxycinnamic acids and one hydroxybenzoic acid, eight flavonoids representing the most abundant subclass including six glucosylated flavonols and two flavones, two anthocyanins are present as glycosides of cyanidin, with cyanidin-3-. O-glucoside is the most abundant, only in monogyna peel fraction and four flavanols divided into a monomer (-)-epicatechin identified in all fruit parts of both species, a dimer B2 and two trimers (C1 and C2). These phenolic compounds are concentrated especially in peel fraction. These results indicate that hawthorn fruits should be recommended in dietary habits as a potential source of antioxidant and anticarcinogenic phenolic compounds., Peer Reviewed

[Objectives] This study aimed to isolate and characterise extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) isolates from animals and wastewater in Tunisia., [Methods] ESBL-E from wastewater (n = 123 samples), faeces of healthy animals (poultry, sheep, goats and calves) (n = 140) and raw milk from healthy cows (n = 42) and goats (n = 20) were investigated. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined according to CLSI recommendations. The blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M and blaOXA-48 genes were analysed by PCR and sequencing. Phylogenetic groups were determined by PCR for Escherichia coli isolates. The clonality of E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates was determined by XbaI-PFGE and MLST., [Results] A total of 81 E. coli, 20 K. pneumoniae, 4 Enterobacter cloacae, 1 Citrobacter freundii and 1 Citrobacter braakii were isolated. The blaCTX-M-1 and blaCTX-M-15 genes were predominant in E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates. E. cloacae and C. braakii isolates harboured the blaSHV-12 gene. The C. freundii isolated from wastewater carried blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1 and blaOXA-204. E. coli isolates belonged to phylogroups A (37), B1 (25), B2 (7) and D (12). Seventy-eight E. coli isolates were typeable by PFGE and were classified into 34 pulsotypes. The K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to 11 pulsotypes. The E. coli isolates belonged to sequence types ST131, ST224, ST162, ST845, ST5204, ST69, ST141 and ST10. The K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to ST405, ST147, ST564, ST307, ST152, ST45, ST661 and ST1564., [Conclusion] This is the first report of O25b-B23-CTX-M-27-ST131 E. coli isolates and of C. freundii carrying blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1 and blaOXA-204 in Tunisia., This study was supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Tunisia) and the University of Seville (Seville, Spain).

This study aimed to the examination of the levels and effects of organobromine compounds (polybrominated diphenyl ethers: PBDEs and methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers: MeO-PBDEs), in Sparus aurata native to the Lagoon of Bizerte. For that, different biomarkers of exposure (somatic indices, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities) and effect (malondialdehyde level, histopathologic alterations, and DNA damage) as well as pollutant levels were measured in specimens collected from this impacted ecosystem and the Mediterranean Sea as a reference site. Bizerte Lagoon PBDE fish levels were higher than the Mediterranean Sea, whereas MeO-PBDEs were higher in the reference site. Fish from Bizerte Lagoon presented a higher hepatosomatic index, lower catalase and superoxide dismutase activity, higher level of malondialdehyde, and higher percentage of DNA tail in comparison to fish from the reference area. The histological study of the liver indicated substantial lesions in fish from the polluted site. The results showed strong positive correlations between the concentrations of the PBDE or MeO-PBDE and the MDA and DNA tail % levels and negative correlations for the activities of enzymes of SOD and CAT. Consequently, these findings could suggest a potential link between exposure to these pollutants and the observed biomarker responses in the Bizerte Lagoon seabream. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of biomarker selection and the selected sentinel fish species as useful tools for biomonitoring of aquatic pollution., The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CEMAGUA-CGL2007-64551/HID) and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientifc Research supported this study. The authors are thankful to R. Chaler, D. Fangul, and M. Comesaña for their help at the mass spectrometry work. We gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Joan Serret, David Ramos-López, Javier Gonzalez-Linares, Lydia Camps, Natàlia Brull Barco, and Constança Porredon Guarch in biomarker analysis. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Deanship of Scientific Research, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., Peer reviewed

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental pathology characterized by the impairment of social interaction, difficulties in communication, and repetitive behaviors. Alterations in the metabolism of amino acids have been reported. We performed a chromatographic analysis of fecal amino acids, ammonium, biogenic amines, and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in Tunisian autistic children from 4 to 10 years, and results were compared with their siblings (SIB) and children from the general population (GP). ASD presented significantly higher levels of fecal amino acids than SIB and GP; differences being more pronounced in younger (4–7 years) than in older (8–10 years) individuals whereas no changes were found for the remaining compounds. Lower levels of histidine were the only difference related with severe symptoms of autism (CARS scale). A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on fecal amino acid profiles clearly separated ASD, SIB, and GP at 4 to 7 years but not at more advanced age (8–10 years), evidencing more pronounced alterations in younger children. The relationship of fecal amino acids with autism needs deeper research integrating blood analytical parameters, brain metabolism, and intestinal microbiota. Fecal amino acids could be targeted for designing personalized diets to prevent or minimize cognitive impairments associated with ASD., This work received support from the project COOPA20229 financed by CSIC through the the call icoop+ 2018, and from the project AYUD/2021/50981 of the Principality of Asturias, to support the activity of their research groups. M.C. received a 3-month fellowship from the University of Monastir to carry out the current study in collaboration with IPLA-CSIC Asturias Spain. S.A. was the recipient of a postdoctoral contract awarded by the Biosanitary Research Foundation in Asturias (FINBA, Spain)., Peer reviewed

This paper effectuates a preliminary analysis of the foraminiferal distribution in two coastal lagoons of northern Africa: Nador (Morocco) and El Meleh (Tunisia). In Nador lagoon, the highest richness of species was found in the inner margin of the lagoon, with frequent specimens of Ammonia and Quinqueloculina. A single species (Nonion depressulum Walker & Jacob) was collected near an old iron mine, whereas low densities and diversities were observed near the artificial mouth. In El Meleh lagoon, high number of both individuals and species characterize the marine connection. In the remaining zones, these microorganisms are very scarce (mainly Ammonia spp.), especially near the treatment station of the Slimene town

This article aims to describe an example of inter-university cooperation, as a model of good practices and knowledge transfer in the field of International Social Work. The framework is the public announcement conducted in 2012 by Technical Cooperation Office of the AECID in Tunisia. This was a Project to Support the National Institute of Labor and Social Studies-Tunisia, for technical assistance in the definition of the training plan and studies. This paper aims to highlight the opportunity of inter-university cooperation as an effective tool for horizontal collaboration among institutions of higher education. This project adopts in all his phases the participatory methodologies in order to give priority to share learning and to recognize the leadership of local actors, versus the vertical nature of technical assistance. The objective highlights the support to improve the definition of training plan and studies of the INTES, adapting both to the interests of the academic community and the current challenges of Tunisia to rebuild its institutions and policies., Este artículo tiene por objetivo describir un ejemplo de cooperación interuniversitaria, como modelo de buenas prácticas y de transferencia del conocimiento en el ámbito del Trabajo Social Internacional. El marco de referencia es la convocatoria pública que la Oficina Técnica de Cooperación de la AECID en Túnez realizó en el año 2012, del Proyecto de Apoyo al Instituto Nacional de Trabajo y Estudios Sociales-Túnez, para una asistencia técnica en la definición del plan de formación y estudios. En este trabajo se pretende resaltar la oportunidad de la cooperación interuniversitaria como una eficaz herramienta de colaboración horizontal entre instituciones de enseñanza superior. La adopción de metodologías participativas que priman la dimensión del inter-aprendizaje frente a la asistencia técnica de carácter vertical y el reconocimiento del liderazgo de los actores locales impregnan todas las fases del proyecto, no sólo el diagnóstico inicial. El objetivo resalta el apoyo para mejorar la definición del plan de formación y estudios del INTES y su adaptación tanto a los intereses de la comunidad académica como a los retos actuales de Túnez para reconstruir sus instituciones y políticas.