Nutritional and Pharmacological Properties of Bay Leaves (Laurus nobilis L.)

Laurus nobilis L., commonly known as bay leaves, is native to the southern Mediterranean region. It is a small tree belonging to the genus Laurus of the family Lauraceae. The essential oils created from the different parts of this plant, such as the leaves and flowers, have been used in the food, drug, and cosmetic industries. The essential oil chiefly consists of 1,8-cineole, sabinene, α-pinene, and p-Cymene. Researchers have reported that bay leaves possess various biological and pharmacological properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, insecticidal, and nematicidal activities. Pharmacological studies found that bay leaf oil could be a promising candidate with the potential for designing new drugs. The goal of this review is to summarize the ethnomedicinal importance, phytochemistry, and wide spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic applications of bay leaves, which will be useful to researchers for further study.

Sustainable Rabbit Production under the Global Warming Conditions in Southern Mediterranean Region

There is still a wide gap between meat demand and meat production in Egypt. This gap is becoming larger due to the direct and indirect impacts of global warming that negatively influence the grazing area and the performance of livestock. In this context, rabbits are considered as an alternative source for animal-origin meat. In the Southern Mediterranean region, the most obvious problem encountering rabbit production is the hot waves during the summer, especially during the last decades. The narrow thermo-neutral zone of rabbits makes the high temperature hinder the success of commercial production. Different strategies may assist rabbits in coping with heat stress, which are reviewed in the current study, including the improved management practices, development of new breeds, and implementation of different nutritional strategies.

The pilgrimage and illustrated journals of David Roberts in the southern Mediterranean Sea and the Near East (1838-39) and the marketing of his illustrated journals in the Shows of London

The body of drawings and sketches created by the Scottish painter David Roberts (1796-1864) during his expedition to the Holy Lands in 1838-9 marked the high point of his professional career. This paper will look at the period after his return to Britain in July 1839, particularly to 1842. It will suggest that although Roberts was no doubt influenced by his Scottish Presbyterian upbringing, religious faith was not as central to his trip as has often been supposed. It was instead through the business acumen of his publisher F.G. Moon that this body of work came to be regarded not merely as an aesthetic achievement but as a cause célèbre. A skilful and coordinated marketing campaign elevated these drawings to the status of a pilgrimage; a contemplative journey through the sites of biblical antiquity. Through detailed analysis of contemporaneous accounts it will show how one of the costliest publications of the era was disseminated, passing from prestigious galleries and the libraries of a wealthy elite through a continuum of public art exhibitions and popular media including panoramas, dioramas and the newly-emerging field of dissolving views. This will provide a rare case study into the interconnectedness of London’s exhibition culture in the 1840s.

Assessment of the Coastal Sensitivity Using the CS Index in the Gulf of Gabes Tunisia; Southern Mediterranean Coast

Assessment of the coastal degradation using the coastal sensitivity index (CSI) in the microtidal environment (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia) shows that 78.6% of the coast is under low to moderate sensitivity. Moderate sensitivity class includes the sheltered zones and the stable sea cliffs. The highest sensitivity was recorded in sandy beaches (12.7%) where the drift actions amplify littoral fragility and flood risk.The coastal sensitivity index (CSI) is resulted from the combination of eight ranked variables: (a) geomorphology (b) coastal slope (c) hinterland topography (d) facies (e) shoreline exposure (f) shoreline changes (g) tide (h) sea-level trend. Fifty six morphodynamic cells are deduced from a strictmorphologic classification of the studied coast. Each specified cell presents a numerical pattern according to the ranked physical and structural variables. Once managed, the beaches with the highest sensitivity are immediately disturbed. Littoral disturbance is irreversible when the foredune unit is damaged but sustainable remediation of coastal areas must emphasize with the adequate planning for the environmental rehabilitation.

Keeping Lagocephalus sceleratus off the Table: Sources of Variation in the Quantity of TTX, TTX Analogues, and Risk of Tetrodotoxication

The invasion of the tetrodotoxin (TTX)-bearing silver-cheeked toadfish and potential poisoning due to its consumption (tetrodotoxication) threatens public safety in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, TTX and TTX analogues of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in fish collected off the island of Crete (Southern Mediterranean). We tested the synergistic effect of a suite of factors potentially affecting toxins’ levels and tetrodotoxication risk using general and generalized linear models, respectively. The type of tissue, geographic origin (Cretan Sea, Libyan Sea), sex, and fish maturity stage were significant predictors of toxin concentrations. Mean TTX was higher in gonads and lower in muscles, higher in the Libyan Sea and in female fish, and lower in juvenile (virgin) fish. The concentration of TTX was also significantly and positively correlated with the concentration of several TTX analogues (4-epiTTX, 4,9-anhydroTTX, 11-deoxyTTX, 5,11/6,11-dideoxyTTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX, 11-norTTX-6-ol). The analysis showed that fish originating from the Libyan Sea had significantly higher probability to cause tetrodotoxication in case of consumption. The variability explained by the models developed in this study was relatively low, indicating that toxin levels are hard to predict and the consumption of L. sceleratus should therefore be avoided.

Effect of Olive Cake and Cactus Cladodes Incorporation in Goat Kids’ Diet on the Rumen Microbial Community Profile and Meat Fatty Acid Composition

The olive cake (OC) and the cactus cladodes (CC) are two alternative feed resources widely available in the southern Mediterranean region that could be used in ruminants’ diet. Their impact on the rumen bacterial ecosystem is unknown. This work aims to evaluate their effects on the microbial community and meat fatty acids of goat’s kids. Forty-four goat kids were divided into four groups receiving diets with conventional concentrate, or 35% OC, or 30% CC, or 15% OC, and 15% CC. After 3 months, these animals were slaughtered, and the rumen liquor and longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus muscles samples were collected. Animals receiving a control diet had rumen liquor with high acidity than test groups (p < 0.001). Test rumen liquor was more adapted to digest efficiently their matching diet than control liquor (p < 0.05). These feedstuffs did not affect rumen bacteria abundance and alpha diversity (richness, evenness, and reciprocal Simpson indexes), and these results were confirmed by beta-diversity tests (NMDS plot, HOMOVA, PERMANOVA). The test diets slightly affected the individual fatty acids of meat (p < 0.05) without effect on fatty acids summaries, indexes, and ratios. Thus, these alternative feed resources could take place in goat kids’ diet to diversify their feed and to reduce feed costs.