Safa Béjaoui

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Verified

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• Docteur (FST)
• Professor (Assistant) at Tunis El Manar University

Widespread use of pesticides in agriculture has the potential to harm non-target creatures diffusely and contaminate aquatic habitats through leaching and runoff events. Triazoles are among the fungicides used extensively worldwide due to their efficacy against fungal crop diseases and their broad spectrum of action. In this study, the impact of To...

The byssus is a bundle of fibers that bivalves produce to anchor themselves to submerged surfaces underwater. In this study, the total lipid content (TL) and the fatty acid (FA) composition of the byssus of the bivalve Noah's ark shell (Arca noae) were determined. Results showed that TL content was higher in winter than in summer. The FA profile of...

Object In light of the dimethoate known toxicity, it is imperative to evaluate its impact on lipid profile and its potential genotoxicity of key species like the Mediterranean green crabs. Methods The current study aimed to assess the effect of dimethoate acute toxicity on the fatty acid composition and DNA integrity of C. aestuarii’s hepatopancre...

Cobalt (Co) is an essential element to fish and other organisms that become toxic at high concentrations. This element is emerging as a concerning pollutant in water bodies, potentially endangering the health of marine biota. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term subcellular toxicity of cobalt in the common carp Cyprinus carpio (0...

The current study aims to examine the concentrations of eight trace elements (TE) (nickel, aluminum, copper, cadmium, lead, cobalt, chromium, and zinc) in the edible tissue of the invasive blue crab Portunus segnis in two southern Mediterranean lagoons (i.e., Bizerte Lagoon (BL) and Ghar El-Melh Lagoon (GML)) between 2020 and 2021. The samples were...

The baleful effect of penconazole fungicide on clam Ruditapes decussatus gills: fatty acids composition, redox status and histological features, Chemistry and Ecology, ABSTRACT Penconazole is a widely used fungicide to control critical fungal diseases of crops. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of PEN exposure, for 96 h, on fatty acids comp...

Barium (Ba) is a naturally occurring alkaline earth metal that is mined and used for industrial purposes. This earth metal can easily impact organisms commonly found in coastal zones, particularly marine bivalves, through aquatic discharges resulting from industrial activities. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential toxic effects...

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the toxic effects of CoCl2-induced hepatotoxicity and fatty acid changes in juvenile Cyprinus carpio. Fish were divided into six experimental groups in duplicate. The first group served as controls. The second group received the lowest exposure dose at 2.5 µg/L. In the third group, fish were expo...

Dimethoate (DMT) is one of the most harmful and commonly used organophosphate pesticides in agricultural lands to control different groups of parasitic insects. However, this pesticide is considered a dangerous pollutant for aquatic organisms following its infiltration in coastal ecosystems through leaching. Yet, our investigation aimed to gain new...

The present study aimed to evaluate the seasonal evolution of lipid classes (polar (PL) and neutral lipids (NL)) in the gonad–visceral mass (GV) and adductor muscle (AM) of Mactra stultorum collected from the northern coast of Tunisia. Our results have shown that NL was the major lipids in GV. However, the PL characterizes the AM. Significant decre...

The effects of cold and hot smoking and the addition of Dunaliella salina polyphenol extract on the biochemical quality and shelf-life of Sander lucioperca fillets after storage for 90 days at 0-4 °C were examined. The results showed a significant increase in protein, lipid, free fatty acid, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl contents, and a decreas...

The blue swimming crab Portunus segnis has a great economic interest in local and foreign fishing markets and is in high demand by consumers. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the change in total lipid (TL), fatty acids composition and nutritional quality indices (NQI) of the meat of blue swimming crab Portunus segnis after freezing at -18...

Dimethoate is a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide and acaricide. Through various pathways, such as runoff and drift, dimethoate can reach marine environment, and easily impact common organisms in coastal areas, close to agriculture lands, namely crustaceans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of dimethoat...

The current study examined the concentrations of eight trace elements (TE) (nickel, aluminum, copper, cadmium, lead, cobalt, chromium, and zinc) in the edible tissue of the invasive blue swimming crab Portunus segnis from two southern Mediterranean lagoons, Bizerte Lagoon (BL) and Ghar El-Melh Lagoon (GML), in the years 2020–2021. The highest TE co...

The effect of frozen storage at a commercial temperature (−30°C) on the nutritional characteristics of the blue swimming crab Portunus segnis for a period of 120 days was investigated. Lipid and protein oxidation was investigated by analyses of peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, free fatty acids, and advanced oxidation protein...

: Fatty acid composition and otolith shape variation of six commercially important fishes, which differ ecologically in their living and feeding habits across the Gulf of Tunis, Tunisia, were analyzed. The aims were to investigate the discrimination and relationship between the six species using both fatty acid composition and otolith shape to exam...

The present study aimed to compare the nutritional quality of three fi sh species (Sparus aurata, Sarpa salpa, and Mullus barbatus) collected from the Bizerte lagoon (South Mediterranean coasts). Proximate composition, fatty acids and nutritional quality indices were determined. Results showed that the nutritional quality of the three fish follows...

Lithium (Li) is a toxic monovalent alkaline metal used in household items common to industrial applications. The present work was aimed at investigating the potential toxic effects of LiCl on the redox status, fatty acid composition, and histological aspects of the marine ragworm Perinereis cultrifera. Sea worms were exposed to LiCl graded doses (2...

Bivalves are known to exhibit wide morphological variations, which are closely linked to their ecology and reproductive activity. Therefore, the study of growth is necessary to model population dynamics, which, in turn, is crucial to support the exploitation and management of the stock. The current study aimed to analyze the shell morphological var...

Lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-cyh) is a potential pyrethroid insecticide widely used in pest control. The presence of pyrethroids in the aquatic ecosystem may induce adverse effects on non-target organisms such as the sea urchin. This study was conducted to assess the toxic effects of λ-cyh on the fatty acid profiles, redox status, and histopathological as...

Fatty acid composition and otolith shape variation of six commercially important fishes, which differ ecologically in their living and feeding habits across the Gulf of Tunis, Tunisia, were analyzed. The aims were to investigate the discrimination and relationship between the six species using both fatty acid composition and otolith shape to examin...

In order to increase the low-temperature resistance of Nile tilapia, the purpose of this study was to determine the potential effect of ω3 fatty acid incorporation in Oreochromis niloticus diet. To perform this, two experimental diets containing soybean oil (D1) and cod liver oil (D2) have been supplied to juvenile tilapia for 30 days. According to...

The current study was conducted to assess the beneficial effect of selenium (Se) on maneb-induced cardiotoxicity and fatty acid alterations in adult mice. Swiss albino male mice were assigned into four experimental groups. The first group consisted of negative controls. The second group represented the positive controls where mice received daily, v...

Sander lucioperca is a fresh water fish characterized with its remarkable nutritional value. Thus, smoking improves sensory and microbiological characteristics. Therefore smoking processes is associated to alterations in some physicochemical fish properties. The object of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of two different processes of...

Sander lucioperca is a fresh water fish characterized with its remarkable nutritional value. Thus, smoking improves sensory and microbiological characteristics. Therefore smoking processes is associated to alterations in some physicochemical fish properties. The object of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of two different processes of...

This investigation was aimed to assess and evaluate the effect of frying process with three different oils (corn, olive and margarine) on fatty acids and lipid classes’ composition of clam and their impact on the nutritional value and tissues quality. The results indicated that the contents of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty ac...

This study was carried out on the natural populations of Venerupis decussata from two Tunisian lagoons (North and Boughrara). Dynamics and morphological structures, growth and age characteristics of these clams were determined. Additionally, condition (CI) and gonadic (GI) indices were monthly determined from both populations. These indices were us...

Narcissus tazetta (Amaryllidaceae) is a medicinal plant widely used for cut flowers and potted ornamental plant in Tunisia flora. The current study evaluated the phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of its flower extracts and investigated its potential protective activity against cadmium chloride (CdCl2)–induced hepatotoxicity in mice. M...

Biochemical composition and fatty acid profile of raw Ark shells (RA) were compared to Ark shells submitted to three different cooking methods (BA: baking in the oven; PF: pan-frying in butter and MW: cooking in a microwave). Moisture (%) was significantly higher in RA (79.66) with respect to PF (65.09), BA (48.63) and MW (47.02). Protein (mg/g of...

In the current investigation, we evaluated the biological consequences of trace elements contamination in the two Tunisian gulfs (Gabes gulf and Tunis gulf) on the blue swimming crabs hepatopancreas (Portunus segnis). The concentrations of three trace elements (cadmium, copper, and lead) in the hepatopancreas P.segnis were evaluated. Additionally,...

Otolith mass asymmetry can significantly affect the vestibular system functionalities; usually, the X values of mass asymmetry vary between −0.2 and + 0.2 (−0.2 < X < + 0.2). These values can change during a fish life and therefore they are not related to the fish total length. We collected a total of 404 fish specimens from the Gulf of Tunis, incl...

The effect of storage time (5, 10 and 15 days) and temperature (− 20 °C and + 4 °C) on the biochemical composition of the Tunisian mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) was evaluated by investigating changes in proximate composition, fatty acids, minerals and nutritional quality indices. Lipid and protein degradations were also evaluated through sever...

The objective of the present work is to evaluate the possible toxic effect engendered by graded doses of lead chloride (PbCl2) on Mactra stultorum mantle and adductor muscles through a battery of biomarkers responses. M. stultorum were divided into 4 groups and exposed to three concentrations of PbCl2 (D1:1mg/L, D2: 2.5 mg/L and D3: 5 mg/L) with co...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the combined effects of seasonality and anthropogenic pressure on a battery of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, DNA damage and histological alterations in the native clam Ruditapes decussatus collected from a less contaminated area (LCA), Ghar El Melh, a moderately contaminated...

The aim of this study was to analyze the biochemical alterations in the gills of Venus verrucosa under exposure for 6 days to three doses of lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-cyh) (100, 250, and 500 µg L-1). Malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxide, and hydrogen peroxide levels in the gills of treated groups increased. λ-Cyh exposure significantly increased the pr...

The sea cucumber or holothurian is a marine species which has been prized in some Asian coun­tries for its nutritional qualities. The purpose of this work was to study the biochemical composition and free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of Holothuria tubulosa tegument from the Bizerta lagoon in north­ern Tunisia. The obtained data dem...

Mercury chloride (HgCl2) is a highly toxic compound which provokes a wide range of complicated disorders. The present work aimed to investigate the potential effects of HgCl2 toxicity on the redox state, fatty acids composition and histomorphological aspect of Cerastoderma edule (C. edule) gills and digestive gland. To this end, C. edule were expos...

The present study assessed the consequences of environmental changes on the biochemical quality and the physiological condition of the whole body and others organs Mactra stultorum collected from the north coast of Tunisia. Significant variations in the biochemical components, PE and CI have shown between seasons. The depletion of glycogen in all t...

Hexavalent chromium (chromium (VI)), a highly toxic heavy metal, is a common pollutant of aquatic ecosystems. The present study aimed to elucidate the potential toxic effects of chromium (VI) on oxidative stress biomarkers and fatty acids profile in the gills and digestive gland of Venus verrucosa, an ecologically and economically important bivalve...

The current study examined the concentrations of ten trace elements (TE) (nickel, chromium, cadmium, iron, zinc, manganese, aluminum, copper, selenium and lead) in the edible tissue of the Ark shell Arca noae (L. 1758) from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon, the Bizerte lagoon during 2013–2014. The analysis of several redox status biomarkers, metallot...

Coastal transitional waters are exposed to many anthropogenic threats. This study aims to assess the trace metals' pollution status of transitional waters by evaluating its biological effects in the clam Venerupis decussata. Among the studied sites along the Tunisian littoral, South Tunis and Boughrara were the most impacted, since clams from these...

Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic heavy metals that affect the physiological status of aquatic organisms. The present investigation evaluated the possible toxic effect of lead chloride (PbCl2) on biomarkers responses, DNA damage and histological alterations in Venus verrucosa gills and digestive gland. Three concentrations of PbCl2 (D1:1µgL⁻¹, D2:...

Acrylamide (ACR) is among the most deleterious pollutants in the environment and presents a serious risk to humans and ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess its effects when administered at different concentrations (5, 10 and 20 mg L–1) to evaluate antioxidant status in the gills of Mactra stultorum. Our results showed, after five day...

Zinc is one of the important essential trace minerals to human health due to its antioxidant properties. The present study was conducted to elucidate its potential protective role against maneb-induced nephrotoxicity. For this purpose, animals were randomly divided into four groups of six each. Mice of group I (negative controls) have received dail...

This study aimed to estimate the nutritional quality of Sander lucioperca fillets and alterations in lipid quality following hot and cold smoking processes. Our results revealed that the total fat content of zander fillets was 1.86 g/100g. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were higher than saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in fresh tissue...

The present study aimed to evaluate the biochemical status of Venerupis decussata collected seasonally from two Tunisian coastline lagoons (Ghar El Melh and Boughrara) submitted to different anthropogenic levels. Trace elements were significantly higher in clams from Boughrara, especially during the warm season. Fatty acids, proximate compositions,...

Lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-cyh), a synthetic pyrethroid type II, is one of the most toxic xenobiotics to aquatic organisms, which leads to a number of complex toxicological syndromes. The present study aimed to assess the adverse effects of λ-cyh, on fatty acid (FA) composition, redox status, and the histopathology aspect of Venus verrucosa digestive gl...

Bivalves are known as a healthy nutrition choice due to the highest amounts of nutrients comprising fatty acids mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The study is conducted to provide information about the nutritional qualities of four bivalves species (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Cerastoderma edulis, Venus verrucosa and Lithophaga lithophaga)...

The effects of frying treatment using diverse gastronomic oils (corn oil, extra virgin olive oil and margarine oil) on the composition of the phospholipids (PLs), nutritional and chemical quality indices were evaluated on the most commercial clams (Venerupis decussata) in Tunisia. The frying treatment resulted in significant changes on saturated (S...

The aim of this study is to elucidate the toxicity induced by PbCl2, administered in graded doses (1; 2.5; 5 mg/L), in the redox state, in the fatty acid composition and in the histological structure of Mactra corallina digestive glands. Our findings showed a progressive accumulation of Pb in the M. corallina digestive glands in all treated groups....

Ochratoxin A ( OTA ) is a mycotoxin produced by various species of Aspergillus and Penicillium . Ochratoxin A was classified as a group 2B carcinogen and is one of the major intestinal pathogenic mycotoxins. One of the most frequent modes of intoxication is consumption of contaminated food with mycotoxins. Feed represents the major cost and has a d...

Acrylamide (ACR), a ubiquitous agent, has various chemical and industrial applications, and it is found in backed or fried carbohydrate-rich food. It has been related to multiple toxicological effects, and it causes high cytotoxicity through oxidative stress. The present study aimed to investigate the potential effect of ACR toxicity administered a...

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of lead chloride (PbCl2) exposure at graded concentrations on the gills of Venus verrucosa. Clams were randomly divided into four groups: group 1 severed as control and groups D1, D2, and D3 were exposed to 1, 10, and 100 µg/L of PbCl2, respectively, during 7 days. The exposure to PbCl2 increased m...

This study aimed to provide information about the changes in fatty acid composition and quality in Ruditapes decussatus tissue after four culinary treatments (steamed, baked, grilled and fried). All treated samples showed a significant decrease in moisture and protein. In contrast, a significant increase in fat content resulted from the grilled and...

This study assessed the impact of PbCl2 on the antioxidant and macromolecules statues in C. edule gills. Cockles were exposed to graded concentrations of PbCl2 (1, 10 and 100 µg/ L) for 3 and 6 days. The exposure to these concentrations stimulated macromolecules alterations revealed with increases of malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, and advanced...

Lead is non-essential toxic metal used in the industrial process causes severe risk to aquatic organisms. This study aimed (aims) to evaluate the effect of Pb on oxidative stress in gills of Mactra corallina. During the experiment, bivalves were randomly divided into four groups, control served as control and D1, D2 and D3 groups were exposed to Pb...

Vanillin, a widely used flavoring agent, has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties. The current study was performed to evaluate its beneficial role against hepatotoxicity induced by maneb, a dithiocarbamate fungicide. Mice were divided into four groups of six each: group 1, serving as negative controls which received by intraperitoneal way only...

Mercury is one of the most harmful pollutant that threat marine biota. This study assessed the Hg impact on the fatty acid (FA) composition and the antioxidant statues in Holothuria forskali body wall tissue. Specimens were exposed to HgCl2 graded doses (40, 80 and 160 μg L−1) for 96 h. A decrease in linoleic, arachidonic and eico�sapentaenoic acid...

The copepod Lernaeosera lusci is a common ectoparasite of the hake Merluccius merluccius, which constitutes its definitive host. The present study is the first to investigate the impact of L. lusci and its infection intensity on the fatty acid (FA) composition and oil quality of its host. The results revealed a substantial decrease in the total FA...

Lake and coastal Tunisian areas are rich biodiversity habitats, although little information is available about the distribution of food sources for the inhabitant species. In this study, a fatty acid analysis was used to study the trophic ecology of Venerupis decussata communities from 10 sites located along the Tunisian Coast. The richest populati...

This study reveals information for the first time about the total lipid (TL) content and fatty acid composition (FA) of Mactra stultorum (M. corallina). Three edible organs (foot, mantle and adductor muscle) were the subjects of this research in order to determine the most favorable periods for their consumption in relation to seasonal variability....

Mercury (Hg) is among the most deleterious contaminant in the aquatic environment and presents a serious risk to humans and ecosystems. This study evaluated the effects of Hg on oxidative stress biomarkers, DNA integrity and histological structure of the respiratory tree of Holothuria forskali exposed to different concentrations of mercury chloride...

Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous and a major environmental metal pollutant in the aquatic ecosystem. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of mercury graded doses exposure on oxidative stress, redox status, metallothionein levels and genotoxicity in the intestine of sea cucumber Holothuria forskali. Specimens were exposed for 96 h to t...

The bivalve Venerupis decussata has been proposed as a sentinel species for assessment of lagoon water. Our study aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of oxidative stress biomarkers, metal content and DNA damage in Venerupis decussata digestive gland collected seasonally from contaminated (BOUGHRARA “L2”) and comparatively cleaner (...

The effect of five refrigerating conditions (including fresh and stored lots at 15, 30, 90 and 180 days) on lipid peroxidation and fatty acid composition of clams (Venerupis decussata) tissues were investigated. All storage conditions reduced the moisture and lipid contents (p<0.05). Compared with fresh samples, the proportions of saturated (SFA) a...

This work aims to examine the reproductive cycle of the bivalve Mactra corallina inhabiting the Gulf of Tunis (Tunisia). Histological analysis indicated that the reproductive cycle is composed of six stages and was synchronous between sexes. Gonadal development began in January. From April to July, an increase in temperature (from 16 to 28°C) and a...

Textural features are one of the critical qualities of meat. Usually, fishes are conserved by freezing; this conservation method causes texture degradation. In this study, we treated carp fillets with brine solutions (10%) containing sepia ink with different concentrations, before their vacuum-conservation (VAC) at 4 ° C, in order to investigate th...

Permethrin (PER) is a pyrethroid insecticide widely used in Tunisia for agricultural activities. The present investigation tried to assess the impact of PER exposure (150 μg.L-1) on the biochemical composition of two different size classes (adults and juveniles) of Donax trunculus. Results have shown a significant decrease in total lipid and fatty...

The seasonal changes in biochemical composition of the edible bivalve Arca noae harvested from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia) were investigated from October 2013 to September 2014. Potential food sources and nutritional quality indices (NQI) were determined by analyzing the fatty acid profiles of their tissues during an an...

Bivalves are known for their high nutritional value and are considered a healthy food for human consumption. The effect of different cooking methods (steaming, boiling, grilling, and frying) on proximate and fatty acid composition of Arca noae (Bivalvia: Linnaeus 1758) were determined. The comparison of raw and cooked Ark shell showed that cooking...

This study was carried out in the Bizerte Lagoon, located on the northern coast of Tunisia. This lagoon supports industry and agriculture activities and several aquaculture farms along its shores. A spatial variation of physiological responses of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus collected from three sites was conducted. Lipid peroxidation (LPO)...

Living organisms are constantly exposed to a wide range of pollutants as a consequence of anthropogenic activities and their biochemical response can be related to exposure or toxic effect of such pollutants. The present study examines changes in the activities of selected biomarkers in Paracentrotus lividus from Bizerte lagoon and evaluates the in...

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of two different drying methods, traditionally by sun and controlled temperatures of 45, 50, 60 and 70 °C and relative humidity of 20 and 30% on the chemical composition of Sepia officinalis. When compared to fresh samples, lipid content increased under both drying methods whereas protein levels...

The invasive Portunus segnis, an atlantic species, was recently recorded in Tunisian waters. Since its record in the Gulf of Gabes, no studies have been carried out about the biochemical analysis of this alien species. In this context, our study aims to evaluate the fatty acid profile, lipid classes (neutral and polar), and nutritional value of bre...

Permethrin (PER) is a pyrethroid insecticide widely used in agriculture. Dumped into the sea, this pollutant causes considerable harm to living organisms. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the toxic effects of PER, on the commercial clam Donax trunculus, largely distributed along the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Tunis. A toxicity assay (...

Teleost fish are ectothermic vertebrates. Their metabolism, physiology and behavior rely on the external temperature. This study, on the retina of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, reports on the impact of temperature on the fatty acid composition and mRNA abundance of key enzymes of lipid metabolism: fatty acid desaturase-2 (FADS2), fatty acid el...

The present study aims to investigate the effects of pollution on the oxidative status of the natural species Venerupis decussata in the southern coast of Tunisia coast. Clams were collected each month during summer 2014 from two contrasting sites (S1: Zarrat coast region and S2: Boughrara lagoon). The concentration of copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and ca...