PurposeWithin the framework of the valorization of natural resources, a characterization of the biochemical composition of the edible parts of Adansonia Digitata is applied. The antibacterial effect against bacteria is also realized and compared to some synthetic antibiotics.Design/methodology/approachThe biochemical characterization is carried out according to the norms of the French Association of Normalization, methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International) and gas chromatography (GC). The antibacterial activity is tested by disk diffusion on a solid medium. Parametric tests are used to compare the differences between groups and heat maps to show the expression of the mean inhibitions according to the studied parameters. Multivariate logistic modeling is applied to study the effect of extracts and antibiotics on bacteria.FindingsBiochemical characterization showed a variable importance of proteins, fibers and total sugars, with the presence of highly desired fatty acids such as palmitic, oleic, stearic, linoleic and a-linolenic acids. This gives the tested parts important energy values, especially in the seeds very rich in fatty acids. Methanol proved to be a better extraction solvent than dichloromethane. Antibacterial activity showed that pulp and leaves extracted with methanol had quite similar inhibitory activities against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC29212 and that this effect was better than some antibiotics. Multivariate analysis showed that the leaves had a similar effect to antibiotics, and a significant effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213.Originality/valueThis important activity and the attractive nutritional value of this plant could justify its extensive use in the traditional pharmacopoeia.

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Aims: Cancer is a major burden of disease worldwide. Each year, tens of millions of people are diagnosed with cancer around the world, and more than half of the patients eventually die from it. The present work aims to bring out the association between age, tumour location and survival of patients. Methodology: The present work consists in a retrospective study carried out in an oncology Centre in Rabat and based on a sample of 1756 cases of cancer treated during the period January 2005 -December 2006. Results: The mean age of patients is 53.49±14.98 years and men are significantly older than women. The results of the first part of this study show that patients who are between 40 and 60 years old are affected by 47.4% of all cancers. As for the influence of age on the tumour location, we noticed that testicles cancer, leukaemia and Hodgkin lymphoma affect particularly the youngest population whereas the oldest population suffers more from the cancers of prostate, bladder, liver Original Research Articleand gall bladder. Furthermore, patients who are between 50 and 60 years old have a higher risk to die from cancer which would be due to lung and liver cancers that are known for their bad vital prognosis. Finally, we found that children and elderly people survive the least to cancer which would be attributable to their health that is rather fragile. Conclusion: More efforts should be made by health authorities in Morocco to fight against cancer especially in age groups with bad vital prognosis.

Aims:Tuberculosis is considered as one of the major causes of mortality worldwide after AIDS in the recent years. The present work aims to bring out the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in the provinces of Laayoune and Tarfaya so as to contribute to the improvement of the application WHO Anti-Tuberculosis Program and to the increase of success rates of treatment in these regions. Methodology: This is a retrospective study based on 1331 cases of tuberculosis, all forms combined, reported to the Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases of Laayoune during the period between 2006 and 2012. Results: The results show that the average age of patients is 34.97±15.47 years old while median age is 32 years. The highest incidence is observed in patients who are between 20 and 50 years old. The sex-ratio men to women, which is 1.73, is highly significant (²=95.2, P<.001). Moreover, the number of cases is significantly higher during the winter and spring, compared to autumn and summer (² =16.07, P<.001).

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