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Saffron is widely used for its medicinal and culinary properties. Its stigmas are the most expensive part comparing with the flowers that are discarded during production. For that, the objective of this work was to determine the phytocomplex of stigma and flower material (except stigma) of saffron from Algeria. Crocin, picrocrocin and safranal contents were quantified to classify its quality according to ISO/TS 3632 standards. The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of extracts were also investigated. Crocins, total phenolic content, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins were detected and quantified by HPLC-DAD and spectrophotometric analyses. The antioxidant potential was evaluated by 4 in vitro assays. The antimicrobial activity against seven bacteria and two strains of Candida albicans was also evaluated. The results revealed that the chromatographic analysis showed the presence of 20 phenolic acids and flavonoids in the plant samples, with the highest concentrations in stigmas. Crocin derivatives were found only in stigmas, except that trans-crocetin (β-D-gentiobiosyl) which was present also in flower material. The highest total phenolic, total flavonoid and total flavonol contents were observed in stigmas and the highest level of anthocyanins and hydrolysable and condensed tannins in flowers. This extract showed a stronger protection effect from β-carotene bleaching and a higher TAC. The both extracts had some antimicrobial effect. These results point out that flower material could be considered as natural bioresource of polyphenolic compounds, with higher biological activities which remain to be exploited.

Antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts (30/70) from leaves and stems of three halophytes (Tamarix africana, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Suaeda fruticose) was investigated. In vivo toxicological study and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extract of T. africana were tested on carrageenan-induced inflammatory paw edema. T. africana possessed significant anti-inflammatory activity at 150 and 300 mg/kg confirmed by histological study of inflamed tissues. Six phenolic acids and 10 flavonoids where identified by HPLC–DAD. Gallic acid, Rutin and Kaempferol-3-O-glucoside were the major compounds. For the antibiotic assays, S. fruticosa leaf extract exhibited strong bactericidal power against S. aureus with MBC of 1.25 mg/mL whereas T. africana leaf and stem samples exhibited a significant bactericidal activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis compared to the negative control (Ampicillin and Chloramphenicol). Crude leaf and stem extracts from T. africana and stem extract from S. fruticosa exhibited a strong antifungal effect against C. albicans.

The current study was carried out to investigate the chemical composition of Pistacia lentiscus fruit fatty oil by HPLC–DAD and GC analysis. The quantification of phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging capacity of this oil were furthermore evaluated. The results showed that the oil has the highest phenolic content (810 mg GAE/kg oil). The capacity to scavenge DPPH radical was admissible (EC50 = 20.619 ± 0.312 mg/mL), compared to the butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (0.012 ± 0.0001 mg/mL). The main fatty acids where oleic, palmitic, linoleic, palmitoleic and stearic acids which have specific carbon number and their values in percentage are C18:1 n-9 (50.02 ± 0.55%), C16:0 (24.83 ± 1.25%), C18:2 n-6 (17.24 ± 0.10%), C16:1 n-7(1.55 ± 0.09%) and C18:0 (1.08 ± 0.02%), respectively. The analyses showed concentrations of approximately 26% of saturated fatty acids, 52% of monounsaturated and 18% of polyunsaturated.

The antioxidant activity of the crude hydroalcoholic extract (PSMW) and its derived fractions n-hexane (PSH), diethylic ether (PSDE), chloroforme (PSC), ethyl acetate (PSEA), n-butanol (PSB) and residual aqueous fraction (PSA) of aerial part of endemic plant Pituranthos scoparius was performed using three in vitro tests : phosphomolybdate assay, reducing power and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging capacity. The total yield, total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), flavonol (TF) and condensed tannin contents (TCT) of all the fractions were also determined. This plant was also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening test for various constituents. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins and steroids in the extracts. Amongst the extracts, PCMW showed the highest TPC (8.40 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry matter), TFC (2.25 ± 0.01 mg catechin equivalent/g), TF (1.19 ± 0.04 mg quercetin equivalent/g) and TCT (1.07 ± 0.16 mg catechin equivalent/g). The Total Antioxidant Capacity (CAT) was found to be varied in different fractions from 0.11 ± 0.00 to 10.02 ± 0.02 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g). Therefore, PSEA showed the highest antioxidant activities to reduce iron (IC50 = 1.19 ± 0.00 mg/mL) and to scavenge DPPH (IC50 = 0.91 ± 0.02 mg/mL).

Anabasis articulata is a plant widely used in popular medicine to treat several pathologies in Algerian Sahara, such as diabetes. It is also associated with two other plants to cure certain types of cancer. Few research studies have been conducted on phytochemical analysis and in vivo biological activities of this species. However, no report is available on chemical elucidation of alkaloids and their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This study aims to characterise alkaloids in A. articulata stems and to evaluate their antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Alkaloids extraction was carried out using polar (E1; E2.1; E2.2) and apolar solvents (E3), while chemical characterisation was performed by GC/MS. In vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by tree tests: total antioxidant capacity (TAC), DPPH scavenging assay and β-carotene–linoleate inhibition. For antimicrobial activity, eight different microorganisms were tested. The results suggest that E2.2 extract had the highest TAC value (14.742 ± 0.224 mg AAE/g DM), but E3 extract presented the highest DPPH scavenging activity (EC50 = 1.242 ± 0.168 mg/mL) and a strong β-carotene–linoleate inhibition (EC50 = 0.943 ± 0.027 mg/mL). In addition, E3 extract had the strongest inhibitory effects against all tested microorganisms and produced inhibition zones ranging between 9 and 20 mm, while the MICs of this extract ranged from 0.781 to >100 mg/mL and the MBCs ranged between 1.562 and >100 mg/mL. Forty-nine compounds belonging to 16 families, namely cyclopeptide alkaloids, steroid alkaloids, quinoline alkaloids, camptothecin alkaloids, quinazoline alkaloids, quinazoline alkaloids, isoquinoline alkaloids, isoquinolone alkaloids, indole alkaloids, terpene indole alkaloids, pyridine/pyrrolidine alkaloids, piperidine alkaloids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, purine alkaloids, acridone alkaloids, benzazonine alkaloids and homolycorine-type Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were identified. Therefore, A. articulata can be considered as a source of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.

Extracts and fractions using six solvents of increasing polarities from Northwest Algeria (Tamarix africana, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Suaeda fruticosa) were studied for phytochemical analysis...

The aim of the current study is to analyze the phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of 34 extracts prepared from Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica, according to gender, organ type (roots, buds and fruits), geographical location and stage of ripening. Bud extracts exhibited the highest phenolic content (565.74 ± 9.84 mg GAE/g DM), followed by fruit and root extracts. TFC and TTC ranged from 0.38 ± 0.03 to 1.92 ± 0.11 mg CE/g DM and from 0.37 ± 0.03 to 16.54 ± 0.94 mg CE/g DM, respectively. For DPPH and TAC assays, the values varied from 0.038 ± 0.000 to 1.331 ± 0.114 mg/mL and 1.58 ± 0.06 to 43.64 ± 2.58 mg AAE/g DM, respectively. Besides, bud extracts showed the highest bioactivity against pathogenic bacteria and a slight antifungal effect. Additionally, HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that the caffeic acid and the dimethyl-allyl caffeic acid characterized the bud extract, while the rutin and the hydroxytyrosol were abundant in the red fruit extract. The present evidence suggests that P. atlantica may be considered as a potential source of new additives for therapeutic, food and cosmetic products.

The chemical composition of 93 oil samples from the aerial parts of Pituranthos scoparius, harvested in three regions of Algeria, was investigated by GC-FID, GC/MS and 13 C-NMR. Monoterpene hydrocarbons dominated in association with phenylpropanoids and a chemical variability was found highlighting three clusters. The composition of group I (36 samples) exhibited an atypical composition characterized by a very high contents of 6-methoxyelemicine (13.0 - 59.6%), followed by sabinene (1.1 - 43.0%) and limonene (6.6 - 39.0%), while the samples of group II (12 samples) contained a high content of limonene (9.2 - 44.0%), followed by myristicine (0.0 - 29.4%) and a lower amount of sabinene (0.8 - 2.3%). Group III (45 samples) could be divided in two subgroups. Subgroup SGIIIA was characterized by a very high content of sabinene (28.0 - 55.6%), followed by elemicine (0.0 - 29.1%), while the samples belonging to SGIIIB were characterized by the lower content of sabinene (6.2 - 35.5%) and a significant content of myristicine (1.5 - 32.4%), α-pinene (4.2 - 31.0%) and dill apiole (0.1 - 31.4%). Each harvested region was characterized by a different chemical composition.