The chemical composition of the fruits of the north algerian ecotype Pistacia atlantica subsp. atlantica was determined and compared to other fruits of different species in the genus growing in south Algeria and other Mediterranean regions. These fruits were analyzed for their dry matter, protein, crude oil, ash, fatty acids, and phytosterol content. The main fatty acids identified by gas chromatography were oleic (54.15%), linoleic (28.84%), and palmitic (12.21%) acids. The fruits of the north ecotype were found to be rich in protein, oil, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids, suggesting that they may be valuable for food uses. The sterols isolated were campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and ∆ 5 -avenasterol with β-sitosterol as the major constituent (85%±0.85). The biochemical data indicated an elevated MUFA rate (~56%) in pistacia oil which may be important against certain pathologies for its nutritional and preventive virtues.

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Leaf essential oils of 11 samples from Ruta montana, Ruta chalepensis subsp. latifolia and Ruta chalepensis subsp. angustifolia collected from two sites have been studied by GC/MS that allowed to identify 22, 25 and 12 components, respectively. The variability in the composition of essential oils among species and seasons was very high, and hence the existence of different chemotypes has been inferred. The major components were 2-undecanone, (E) caryophyllene, 2-nonanone and 2-methyloctyl acetate. Multivariate analysis of the 11 samples suggest that the main factors capable to influence the chemical composition of leaf essential oils was both the collection period and the geographical origin. 2-Undecanone seems to be the chemotaxonomic marker of Ruta genus. Furthermore, the formation of distinct clusters and sub-clusters at high distance also supports that the patterns of distribution of chemical constituents among seasons can be used in delimiting species and infraspecific taxa within the species complexes.

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