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The objective of this study was to perform phytochemical screening, estimate the total phenolics and flavonoids, and to evaluate the antioxidant potential of Tomborissa comorensis fruit. The dried and pulverized fruit of Tomborissa comorensis (150 g) were extracted exhaustively by the Soxhlet method with increasing polarity of solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods were used to estimate the total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extracts. Three different methods, namely, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, reducing power scavenging activity (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity, were used to determine in vitro antioxidant activity. Phytochemical screening concerns the presence of flavonoids in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts and tannins only on the methanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid content results show greater dominance in the methanol extract. All tests showed significant dose-dependent antioxidant activities. The ethyl acetate extract shows high activity in DPPH radical scavenging activity, but in a reducing power assay, it is the methanol extract that manifested high activity. The results of this study show that the fruit of T. comorensis is a rich source of phenolic compounds that can play an important role in preventing the progression of many diseases.

Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is one of the most widespread medicinal plants in the Mediterranean area. Traditionally, it was cultivated for its ethnopharmacological benefits and, more especially, for the seeds, which served as unit of measurement of jewelers “carat.” Hence, in the last half-century, numerous studies reported a wide range of phytoconstituents contained in all parts of Ceratonia siliqua such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, alkaloids, glycosides, proteins and minerals. This review article unveils the phytochemical constituents, bioactivity and pharmacological studies of Ceratonia siliqua. Recent studies have shown that the extracts of this plant exhibit an antioxidant, antidiarrheal, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic activities and also hepatoprotective and antiproliferative effects. In this review, we provide a summary of the most interesting data related to bioactivity and therapeutic potential of Ceratonia siliqua in a way to suggest possible future studies that may use Ceratonia siliqua as an undeniable natural alternative for neurodegenerative diseases treatment.

Two flavonols identified as 3,5,7,4′-tetrahydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone ( 1 ) and 3,5,7,4′-tetrahydroxy-8-methoxyflavone ( 2 ) were isolated from the seeds of Calycotome villosa subsp. intermedia . The structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was performed by the spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and MS) and also by a single crystal X-ray analysis in the case of compound ( 2 ). Vasodilator activity of compound ( 2 ) was demonstrated in isolated rat aorta contracted with high KCl or with noradrenaline.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Centaurium erytrea is used in traditional medicine for treat urine retention, abdominal colic and diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of Centaurium erythrea leaf extract (CE) against pancreas β-cells’ damage and antioxidant defense systems in streptozotocin induced diabetes rats. Materials and methods Experimental diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (65 mg/kg) administered by intraperitoneal way. The oxidative stress was measured by tissue MDA levels, protein carbonyl (PCO) content, reduced glutathione (GSH) content and by enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in pancreas. Biochemical observations were further substantiated with histological examination of pancreas. Results The increase in blood glucose and MDA levels with the decrease in GSH content and in enzymatic activities were the salient features observed in diabetic rats. Administration of CE (200 mg/kg bw/day, i.p) for 30 days caused a significant reduction in blood glucose and MDA levels in STZ treated rats when compared with diabetic rats. Furthermore, diabetic rats treated with CE leaf extract showed a significant increase in the activities of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants when compared to those of diabetic rats. Degenerative changes of pancreatic β-cells in STZ treated rats were minimized to near normal morphology by administration of CE leaf extract as evidenced by histopathological examination. Conclusion Results clearly indicate that Centaurium erythrea treatment exerts a therapeutic protective nature in diabetes by decreasing oxidative stress and pancreatic β-cells’ damage which may be attributed to its antioxidative potential.