souad amghar

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is well-known for its high antioxidant capacity and exceptional richness of vitamins, fiber, and polyphenols. Due to its bioactive compounds, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids, blueberry possesses various health benefits, such as anti-diabetic, anticardiovascular, and anti-carcinogenic properties. However, its limited production period and short shelf-life generate tremendous postharvest loss. In this context, post-harvest treatments are necessary to extend the shelf life of blueberries and promote their consumption throughout the year. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate changes in the physical and biochemical quality of blueberries stored at -20 °C for three months. The results showed that one month of frozen storage increased the anthocyanins content in blueberries and preserved all other characteristics. The biochemical fruit quality improved in the second month, while the titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, and weight remained preserved. However, at the end of the storage period, there was a continual rise in anthocyanins and flavonoids, whereas polyphenols and antioxidant activity remained stable, surpassing the levels found in fresh blueberries. A notable decline in physical characteristics was observed. In this context, it is recommended to store blueberries at -20 °C for one month at most to maintain fresh consumption quality. Blueberries stored for over two months must be intended for processed blueberry-based products to fully utilize their richness in phenolic compounds and avoid issues related to their sour taste and reduced weight.

Sheeppox virus causes systemic disease in sheep that is often associated with high morbidity and mortality. Protection against sheep pox is mainly based on medical prophylaxis, vaccination being the only way. In Morocco, and up to now, there is no available information about local challenge strain to use for controlling the efficiency of vaccines produced against sheep pox. Hence, the objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the pathogenicity of seven Sheeppox virus (SPVs) isolates from 1993-1995 in Morocco.
These seven SPV isolates have undergone various tests to evaluate their pathogenicity: Passages and titration on cell culture, Experimental inoculation on sheep, Virus-neutralization, In vivo titration and viral re-isolation by real-time PCR assay.
All infected lambs showed severe clinical signs, while most of them have been reproduced on 5 dpi and persisted until 21 dpi. The lambs infected by Oj1P4, Oj2P4 and BerP5 appeared lethargic, reluctant to move compared to those infected by other isolates. The results also revealed that all isolates were able to induce serological response. Virus isolation from infected organs and blood and amplification of the viral DNA by real-time PCR proved the presence of the virus in tissues and blood of infected lambs. These Moroccan SPVs demonstrated that the three isolates Oj1P4, Oj2P4 and BerP5 have a high pathogenicity; especially the BerP5 isolate which has an important infectious titer.
These results demonstrate that the Berkane isolate is the most pathogenic of the tested isolates and it can be an excellent challenge strain for the control of the efficiency of vaccines against sheep pox produced in Morocco.