Abstract:
Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant capacities
lead to several clinical manifestations and particularly, cardiovascular and liver diseases.
In this study, we evaluated the protective and the preventive effect of the crude
extract of Argania spinosa against HHcy ,hyperlipidemia, oxidant status and damages in
the aorta, heart and liver induced by high L-methionine intake in mice.
After 3 weeks of treatments, Hcy concentrations, lipid parameters, liver enzyme
activities, hepatic antioxidant status and histological sections of aorta, liver and heart were
determined. Our results showed that consumption of high L-methionine diet (500mg/Kg)
led to an increase in plasma Hcy, CHO, LDL-c, TG, AST, corresponding with decrease of
HDL-c, reduced GSH, and catalase activity. These were associated with the loss and
degeneration of endothelium, fenestration and formation of foam cells in the media of the
aorta, also the alteration of the cardiac muscle and liver tissue. However, the administration
of the crude extract of A. spinosa (150mg/Kg) in combination with L-methionine
ameliorated all these changes.
Moreover, in the present thesis, we conducted a study in vitro to evaluate the
antibacterial effect of Argan oil on biofilm formation.
The results showed that there was a trend of increasing inhibition of 4 species of
bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, and
staphylococcus haemolyticus), that belong to gram positive strain as the Argan oil was
getting more concentrated.
