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The traditional medicinal properties of Carpobrotus edulis are well recognized, particularly in Tunisia where it is used for wound healing. Thus, in this study, biochemical and molecular properties of its leaves' bioactive aqueous-acetone extract were investigated. The total phenolic content (TPC) of the extract was estimated to be 184 ± 5 mg/100 g of fresh matter (FM). The qualitative and quantitative polyphenolic profile was determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (UPLC-DAD) and showed that chlorogenic acid was the major compound (43.7%). The extract exhibits potent antioxidant capacities with IC50 = 56.19 and 58.91 μg/ml, as accessed via the anionic DPPH and cationic ABTS radical scavenging assays, respectively. The extract has high antibacterial properties, especially against the Gram+ Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus strains. To investigate the extract effect on regeneration, the flatworm Dugesia sicula Lepori, 1948, was used as a model. The macroscopic analysis of planarian cultures in ordinary medium containing phenolic extract at non-toxic concentrations illustrated that the extract caused morphological changes. Additionally, the molecular study through the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) technique showed that C. edulis polyphenols can harm the stem cells' development. These results emphasize the ecotoxicological impact of phenolic rejections in the environment on flatworms' physiology.

Coliforms (FB) posing population health risks in groundwater (GW) have been identified for decades, with recent studies assessing how hydrogeological and non-hydrogeological parameters correlate with their presence. This study focused on explaining the physicochemical and hydrological factors influencing the presence of fecal contamination in the GW system of Ad-Dawadmi, KSA, a hyperarid area facing a prolonged drought. It was designed and implemented by sampling 47 working wells and their laboratory analysis. The data analyses indicated that the salinity exhibited a purification effect such that at levels higher than 3500 and 6000 mg/L, no E. coli and total coliform (TC) were detected. Heavy metals, especially copper, showed strong, hygienic effects at 195 and 300 µg/L thresholds for E. coli and TC, respectively, while those of Fe were at 1200 and 2000 µg/L. Nitrates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved oxygen (DO) showed a quasi-random interrelationship with FB. The occurrence of FB in boreholes up to 52 m below ground level (BGL) challenges the single water resource in the region. Integrating various analyses help constrain and provide multiple lines of evidence for the inferred remarks. This work presented some methodological aspects for understanding the effects of the physicochemical and hydrogeological factors on FB that may better protect water quality and improve human health outcomes.