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Tambourissa comorensis (TC) is a member of the Monimiaceae family endemic to the Comoros Islands where it is regarded as a medicinal plant. In this study, the fatty acids (FA) composition and profile of air-dried powdered fruits of TC were examined by GC-MS. Based on the results, four major common fatty acids were tentatively identified as well as five other minor fatty acids. The analysis revealed the presence of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The dried fruits exhibited oleic acid (30.64%) and linoleic acid (29.13%) as the dominant fatty acids, while palmitic acid (17.95%) and stearic acid (4.25%) were the main saturated FA identified. These fatty acids were isolated as pure compounds, with the exception of stearic acid, which was obtained as a mixture from crude lipid n-hexane extract fractionation on a silica gel column chromatography and identified in their free form by 2D-1H-NMR (300 MHz), 13C-NMR (75 MHz) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. The average oil content in dried powdered fruits of T. comorensis species was estimated to be approximately 8%, with saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated ones constituting about 22.67%, 32.07%, and 29.13%, respectively. T. comorensis fruits were found to be rich in health-promoting compounds, suggesting potential applications in the food, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries. This study is the first to profile the fatty acids in T. comorensis fruits, laying foundations for further exploration into their nutritional and therapeutic properties, as well as their potential roles in regional biodiversity and chemodiversity.

Background:Ceratonia siliqua L. (Carob tree) is a Mediterranean evergreen, well known for its medicinal properties. The different parts of Carob were proven to exert antidiabetic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiproliferative effects. Hence, the present paper aims to validate the positive correlation between the high antioxidant activity of carob seed peels and the improvement of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Materials & Methods: The antioxidant activity was carried out using the β-carotene test. Methionine and carob seed peels (CSP) extracts (50 and 100 mg/kg) were orally administrated to mice for a week. After administration, behavioral tests were assessed using the Y-maze, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming tests, as well as the novel object recognition task. Furthermore, the oxidative stress status was evaluated by analyzing the levels of the antioxidant enzymes: Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde levels (MDA). Results: Both extracts exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity and showed antibacterial effect against Gram-positive bacteria tested (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) and against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative). Therefore, Escherichia coli was very resistant. The behavioral tests proved the efficacy of CSP in enhancing the cognitive impairment of animal models of schizophrenia. Hence, the stated correlation between oxidative stress and schizophrenia was confirmed by the increased SOD and GPx activities and the decreased MDA level. Conclusions: The present study gave further confirmation of the potential correlation between oxidative stress and the development of psychiatric disorders and highlighted the use of natural antioxidants, especially Ceratonia siliqua L. in the improvement of cognitive impairment in the dementia of schizophrenia.

The antioxidant activity of Carob seed peels extracts, obtained by sequential extraction with different polarities of solvents, was evaluated by using different in vitro assays: diphenyl-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power activity and phosphomolybdenum assay. The effect of Carob seed peels extracts on mood disorders and anxiety was accessed by the y-maze, elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests. The results showed that the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity varied significantly with the nature of solvent of extraction. Both acetone and ethyl acetate extracts enhanced the spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze task and the time spent on open arms in the elevated plus maze task. However, the acetonic extract proved its efficacy in the forced swimming test. Thus, the carob seed peel revealed a strong antioxidant activity and proved its potential to open a new mechanistically approaches of antidepressant and anxiolytic drug development.