This study is carried out to evaluate the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of berry leaves, carob and doum tea infusions and their mixtures. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of these extracts were investigated by scavenging of 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylehydrozyl (DPPH) radicals. The proliferation inhibition activities on some types of bacteria and yeast were also measured for evaluating the antimicrobial activity of berry leaves, carob and doum tea infusions and their blends. The results showed that carob was characterized by its high protein content. The highest percentage of fi ber was found in doum sample, followed by carob but ash was the highest in berry leaves samples. The levels of most elements were higher in carob sample, when compared with those of berry leaves and doum samples. The highest value of TSS was found in the tea infusions of doum and carob (22.5 Brix), meanwhile, the lowest was observed in the doum tea infusions (10.60 Brix). Acidity of berry leaves, carob and doum tea infusions was higher than that of the berry leaves +doum tea infusions, but lower than that of the berry leaves + carob + doum tea infusions. Total sugars formed the major components in doum and berry leaves + carob tea infusions. Doum and carob tea infusions had signifi cantly higher non-reducing, but lower contents of reducing sugars than the other tested samples. The results indicated that berry leaves + carob + doum tea infusions sample showed higher quality attributes especially color, taste and overall acceptability. The berry leaves and berry leaves + carob tea infusions had a high level of vit. C (11.05 and 10.28 mg/100 g), while it was low in doum tea infusions. Blended samples showed a higher content of total phenol compounds compared to tea infusions of berry leaves, carob and doum. Data indicated that the berry leaves + carob + doum, berry leaves + carob, berry leaves + doum and doum + carob tea infusions samples were good antioxidants with strong DPPH radical-scavenging activity. The results confi rmed that the investigated extracts had good antimicrobial activity, especially against bacteria.

Infection by Schistosoma mansoni resulted in morphological and biochemical changes to the foot of its intermediate host, Biomphalaria glabrata. Migration through, and emergence of cercariae from, the foot was observed and evidenced by lesions on the ciliated foot surface. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the velocity of movement by infected individuals. In vivo 31P NMR spectral analyses demonstrated that the foot of infected snails had a lower phosphoarginine (PA)/adenosine 5' triphosphate (ATP) ratio than that of uninfected controls. Moreover, kinetic experiments, employing saturation transfer, demonstrated the pseudo-first-order rate constant for the arginine kinase-catalysed exchange reaction in the forward direction, that is, PA-->ATP was decreased by infection. The reverse reaction was not observed by the NMR methods used. PA was depleted upon exposure to hypoxic conditions suggesting its traditional role in preserving ATP level. Partly oxidized metabolic end-products were not observed in snails maintained under aerobic conditions, but succinate, propionate, acetate and lactate rapidly accumulated under hypoxic conditions.

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