Search

In desert environments, the date palm is a vital component of the oasis ecosystem. Despite its importance to the local community and the national economy, date palm agriculture in Algeria faces a number of challenges. One of the biggest obstacles is infectious diseases, such as the fungus Mauginiella scaettae's date palm inflorescence rot. While fungicides play an important role in controlling this disease, their use can have negative consequences for human health and the environment due to the presence of residues. In the context of this growth, there is an increasing interest in moving from pesticides to ecologically benign disease management methods. Thus, it is necessary to study innovative methods for the effective and safe control of inflorescence rot. Due to their antifungal qualities, it appears that using the essences of some aromatic and medicinal herbs is one of the most efficient methods for preventing fungal illnesses. In this regard, the latest research evaluates the efficacy of an alternative technique to synthetic fungicides, specifically the examination of Mentha pulegium essential oils' antifungal activity "in vitro". Therefore, the purpose of this research consisted of the identification of chemical components involved in Mentha pulegium as well as investigation of its possible antifungal activity against Mauginiella scaettae. In vitro testing was done to determine the antifungal effects of volatile oil at selected doses (0.25, 0.5, and 1) µl/ml against Mauginiella scaettae. The obtained data show a yield of 0.99 ± 0.041% for the essential oil. Seventeen components were identified in the essential oil studied. Isomenthone (19.31%), Thymol (11.39%), Piperenone (5.37%), Piperitone (3.04%), and p-Menthan-3-one (4.76%) are the principal constituents detected. The results demonstrated a considerable influence on mycelial growth, with inhibition rates ranging from 92.90 ± 12.28% to 100%. In addition, it was discovered that the essential oil concentration of 0.5µl/ml totally eliminated pathogen growth. This concentration was also the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) of Mauginiella scaettae. Our investigation revealed that Mentha pulegium essential oil possesses antifungal efficacy against the pathogen examined. It can, therefore, be utilized as an alternate antifungal agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lemon peel essential oil is used in food, medicines, cosmetics and perfumes, detergents, aromatherapy, pathogen inhibition, and insect control. The present work aimed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and composition of the essential oil extracted from lemon grown in Algeria. The essential oil was obtained by cold-pressing from lemon peels which lemon barks are waste from an Algerian fruit juice industry. The physicochemical properties of the essential oil were determined. Essential oil was also characterised by FTIR-ATR and by GC-MS. The obtained physicochemical properties results revealed that lemon peel essential oil was a pale yellow aromatic liquid which was miscible in ethanol. It had an approximate pH of 6, a specific gravity of 0.894, a refractive index of 1.475 and an acidic value of 2.10 mg KOH/g. The FTIR spectrum revealed the presence of alkanes, alkenes, aromatic compounds and alcohols. A total of thirty-nine chemical compounds were identified based on GC-MS analysis of the lemon peel essential oil with a variation of percentage. These compounds are dividing in three different chemical classes (monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and others). The results showed that the monoterpene hydrocarbons are the most abundant ones in the cold pressed lemon peel essential oil which represent about 93% of the total essential oil. The major constituent was a-limonene (~ 65%) and the main aldehydes were geranial (~ 2%) and neral (~ 1%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for new bioactive substances with anticancer activity and the understanding of their mechanisms of action are high priorities in the research effort toward more effective cancer treatments. In this article, we analyzed, for the first time, the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of Vicia ochroleuca Ten. (Leguminosae) by GC-MS. A total of sixteen compounds representing 82.2% of the total composition were identified. The major compounds were phytone (20.11%), hexadecanoic acid (10.23%), 1-octen-3-ol (9.84%), and 10- epi -α-cadinol (7.13%). Additionally, using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method, the EO was tested in vitro against a panel of human cancer cells, including breast (MDA-MB 231), colon (HCT116), melanoma (A375), and glioblastoma (T98G), with corresponding IC 50 values of 23.07, 47.05, 51.64, and 64.07 μg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrate cytotoxic activity and suggest that V. ochroleuca EO could be regarded as a natural bioactive source.

Melon (Cucumis melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) seeds from northwest Algeria were examined for their fatty acid and mineral contents for their nutrition potential. Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and mineral composition was examined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Linoleic and oleic acids in melon seeds oil were 60.1% and 25.3% and in pumpkin seeds they were 50.33% and 30.71%, respectively. Minerals present were potassium, magnesium, and calcium (in mg 100 g−1) at 509.80, 101.71, and 55.39 in melon seeds; and 394.8, 246.12, and 7.14, respectively, in pumpkin seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warionia saharae Benth. & Coss. (Asteraceae) is an endemic species of North Africa naturally grown in the southwest of the Algerian Sahara. In the present study, this species' hydromethanolic leaf extract was investigated for its phenolic profile characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and an electrospray mass spectrometer (UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS). Additionally, the chemical composition of W. saharae was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and its antioxidant potential was assessed through five in vitro tests: DPPH● scavenging activity, ABTS●+ scavenging assay, galvinoxyl scavenging activity, ferric reducing power (FRP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity. The UHPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis allowed the detection and quantification of 22 compounds, with taxifolin as the dominant compound. The GC–MS analysis allowed the identification of 37 compounds, and the antioxidant activity data indicate that W. saharae extract has a very high capacity to capture radicals due to its richness in compounds with antioxidant capacity. The extract also showed potent α-glucosidase inhibition as well as a good anti-inflammatory activity. However, weak anti-α-amylase and anticholinesterase activities were recorded. Moreover, an in silico docking study was performed to highlight possible interactions between three significant compounds identified in W. saharae extract and α-glucosidase enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis has been used as a medicinal agent for centuries. The chemical composition of four propolis samples collected from four locations of the Sétif region, Algeria, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was determined. More than 20 compounds and from 30 to 35 compounds were identified in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the propolis extracts against two marine pathogenic bacteria was evaluated. Finally, the in vitro effects of propolis on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) leucocyte activities were measured. The bactericidal activity of ethanolic extracts was very high against Shewanella putrefaciens, average against Photobacterium damselae and very low against Vibrio harveyi. The lowest bactericidal activity was always that found for the aqueous extracts. When the viability of gilthead seabream head-kidney leucocytes was measured after 30 min' incubation with the different extracts, both the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of one of the propolis samples (from Babor) and the aqueous extract of another (from Ain-Abbassa) provoked a significant decrease in cell viability when used at concentrations of 100 and 200 μg ml -1 . Furthermore, significant inhibitory effects were recorded on leucocyte respiratory burst activity when isolated leucocytes where preincubated with the extracts. This effect was dose-dependent in all cases except when extracts from a third propolis sample (from Boutaleb) were used. Our findings suggest that some of Algerian propolis extracts have bactericidal activity against important bacterial pathogens in seabream and significantly modulate in vitro leucocyte activities, confirming their potential as a source of new natural biocides and/or immunomodulators in aquaculture practice., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)