Wild jujube “Ziziphus lotus (L.) Desf.” belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a traditionally herbaceous medicinal plant. It is very common in arid and semi-arid regions and is currently used for its antidiabetic, sedative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic activities. The aim of the present work was to characterize the physico-chemical properties and the phytochemical profile of wild jujube sample collected from the Guercif region, in order to determine the polyphenolic compounds and the antioxidant ability Analyses were carried out directly after the harvest for the determination of pH, refractive index, total soluble solid (°Brix), dry matter, sugar/acidity, total sugars, reducing sugars, as well as lipid and protein content. Results showed that the investigated fruit is acidic (pH 4.9 ± 0.23) and rich in sugars (80.2 g/100 g ± 3.81). The GC-MS analysis of the fruit revealed a number of volatile compounds, as many as 97, belonging to different chemical classes. The HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis showed the presence of a total of 20 polyphenolic compounds in both EtOAc and MeOH-water extracts. Among them, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid was the most abundant in the EtOAc extract (185.68 µg/100 mg ± 0.5) whereas Quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-glucoside was found in higher amounts in the MeOH-water extract (25.40 µg/100 mg ± 0.5). These components have medical interest, notably for human nutrition, as well as health benefits and therapeutic effects. Therefore, Moroccan jujube “Zizyphus lotus (L.)” fruit may have potential industrial applications for food formulations.

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In recent decades, landfill sites have been a potential source of contamination, which can hurt the environment due to the accumulation of heavy metals and processed organic products. In the Tangier landfill, the different types of wastes are missing any prior treatment or any soil of protection. This behavior constitutes a risk factor of contamination for the soil and groundwater. Between the waste and soil, many physicochemical and biological reactions occur. The objective of this work effort is to derive a global and in-depth characterization of the organic and mineral matter of the soil samples from the Tangier landfill. The study of organic matter (OM) in soils helps to understand the evolution of soil contamination. Eight samples of soil have been studied using a range of chemical and physical analytical methods. FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses have used to investigate the nature of organic matter. The analysis of heavy metals in the soil showed that there is a significant presence of Pb, Cd, As, Cr and Zn quantities which are mainly due to industrial waste.

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is very rich in essential and beneficial elements. In Morocco, despite its nutritional quality, this fruit remains among the forest species that are ignored. The present study has been focused on the physicochemical characterization of this species. The fruits have been harvested from the Mediterranean region of Morocco (Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima). The analysis was made directly after the harvest for the determination of pH value, acidity, Total soluble solid, refraction index, total and reducer sugar levels. Results showed that the fruit is acidic (pH 4.65±0.32), rich in water (70%) and total sugars (27.43±2.67 mg/l).  The variation of different physicochemical parameters in all fruit samples collected from different sites may be due to geographical distribution, climatic and edaphic parameters.