AIMTo assess laminin levels in the seminal plasma of infertile and fertile men, and to analyze the correlation of laminin levels with sperm count, age, sperm motility and semen volume.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-five recruited men were equally divided into five groups according to their sperm concentration and clinical examination: fertile normozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), obstructive azoospermia (OA) and congenital bilateral absent vas deferens (CBAVD). The patients' medical history was investigated and patients underwent clinical examination, conventional semen analysis and estimation of seminal plasma laminin by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSSeminal plasma laminin levels of successive groups were: 2.82 +/- 0.62, 2.49 +/- 0.44, 1.77 +/- 0.56, 1.72 +/- 0.76, 1.35 +/- 0.63 U/mL, respectively. The fertile normozoospermic group showed the highest concentration compared to all infertile groups with significant differences compared to azoospermic groups (P<0.05). Testicular contribution was estimated to be approximately one-third of the seminal laminin. Seminal plasma laminin demonstrated significant correlation with sperm concentration (r = 0.460, P < 0.001) and nonsignificant correlation with age (r = 0.021, P = 0.940), sperm motility percentage (r = 0.142, P = 0.615) and semen volume (r = 0.035, P = 0.087).

CONCLUSIONSeminal plasma laminin is derived mostly from prostatic and testicular portions and minimally from the seminal vesicle and vas deferens. Estimating seminal laminin alone is not conclusive in diagnosing different cases of male infertility.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; physiopathology ; Fertility ; physiology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; physiopathology ; Laminin ; metabolism ; Male ; Oligospermia ; physiopathology ; Semen ; physiology ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility

Aims: Milk is rich of nutrients that are necessary for the growth of various microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microbial quantity and quality of the raw cow’s milk sold through street trading in Meknes, Morocco, and to study the variation and seasonal relationship of microbial diversity during the four seasons of the year. Methodology and results: Raw cow’s milk samples were collected randomly between May 2015 and April 2016 from 3 street trading sale points, two popular neighborhoods (station 1 and station 2) and one popular market, and they were analyzed microbiologically. The results showed that the contamination rates of Total Plate Count (TPC), total coliforms, fecal coliforms, lactobacilli, lactococci and yeasts and molds were 8.8×108 CFU/mL, 8.9×105 CFU/mL, 2×103 CFU/mL, 4.6×108 CFU/mL, 7.5×108 CFU/mL and 4.1×103 CFU/mL, respectively. Moreover, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in 66.67% (24/36), 75% (27/36), 36.1% (13/36) and 19.44% (7/36), respectively, while Salmonella was not detected in this study. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The highest microbiological count in raw milk samples was found in summer, while the lowest was detected in winter (p˂0.005). Therefore, the quality of milk marketed in Meknes region of Morocco is deteriorated due to the lack of good hygienic conditions of raw cow’s milk sold through street trading.

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic mechanism(s) of ethyl acetate extract fraction of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) leaves on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: A total of 24 adult male rats were segregated randomly into four groups (6 rats each group). Streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats were given (oral gavage) ethyl acetate extract fraction of M. oleifera (200 mg/kg b.w.) for 30 d. The rats of control and experimental groups were sacrificed after 24 hours of final dose of treatment, to extract blood and pancreatic tissue for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Results: The ethyl acetate extract fraction of M. oleifera significantly reversed (P<0.05) the manifestation of streptozotocin on the levels of serum glucose & insulin, lipid profile, hepatic damage markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase), malondialdehyde formation, antioxidants (glutathione, Vitamin C & Vitamin E), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 β , TNF- α & IL-6). Histopathological analysis of pancreatic tissues was in concurrence with the biochemical results. Conclusions: These findings support that M. oleifera leaves have potent therapeutic effect on diabetes mellitus via increasing antioxidant levels and inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Aims: The exploration of natural products with innovative uses is dynamic and expanding rapidly. Medicinal plants have fascinated many researchers that subsequently lead to research publications highlighting plant extracts with wide range of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, quinones, terpenoids, tannins and saponins that exhibit antimicrobial activities and disease control. The concentration of these bioactive compounds in each plant species varies based on the pathosystem and environmental conditions. This study aims to uncover the various types of phytochemicals with antifungal properties. Methodology and results: Seven categories of plant-based antifungal compounds were reviewed, which are terpenoids, saponins, phenolic compounds, coumarins, alkaloids, essential oils and peptides, with examples and structures of some available compounds. The mechanism of action of each category of phytochemical was discussed. Also, the impact of some compounds was explained and elaborated. Conclusion, significance and impact of study It is of a great importance to explore natural plant fighters against fungal infection. Those active plant components do not only have antifungal properties, but they also help in the healing process and some even exhibit anticancer activities. The development and knowledge of antifungal activities from plant extracts have the potential for applications in antifungal therapy. Since the exact description of how antifungal compounds function in the human body is still unclear more studies are required to unveil phytochemicals’ properties and to elucidate their effects on living cells.
Phytochemicals--therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents