This study reports the antioxidant properties of three wild medicinal plants from Bahrain, namely Aizoon canariense L., Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav., and Emex spinosus (L.) Campdera. Antioxidant and antiradical activities of dried materials of these plants were investigated using FRAP, DPPH and ABTS assays. Total phenolics, free phenolics and total flavonoids were also determined. E. spinosus was ranked by the assays as the plant possessing the highest antioxidant and antiradical activities with an average FRAP value of 1.84 mmol/g and IC 50 of 10.7 and 7.75 mg/ml for DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. A. tenuifolius ranked second with a mean FRAP value of 0.69, IC 50 DPPH of 1.72 and ABTS of 0.36. A. canariense possessed the lowest activities with a mean FRAP value of 0.6, and averaged IC 50 of 103.8 and ABTS of 14.6. E. spinosus possessed the highest content of free phenolics (mg/100 g) (64.64) followed by A. tenuifolius (45.21) and A. canariense (32.23). E. spinosus also exhibited the highest total flavonoids with an average 82.71 mg/100 g followed by A. canariense (55.92) and A. tenuifolius (49.10). The studied medicinal plants possess considerable antioxidant activities and may contribute to the well-being of individuals who consume them. ª 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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The influence of mesquite trees (Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) D.C.) on the physicochemical properties of soils and annual understory plants was investigated in the deserted rangelands of Bahrain. Soil properties were measured in the understory and the uncanopied adjacent areas of mesquite trees. Likewise, the number of plant species was assessed in four 1 × 1 m randomly distributed quadrates in the understory and the uncanopied adjacent areas. The results showed that sand particles exceed 96% of soil composition. Soil bulk density at the 0–5 cm soil depth was significantly higher in the understory of trees compared to the uncanopied adjacent areas. However, moisture at a depth of 40–60 cm was significantly higher in the uncanopied adjacent areas. No differences in the pH, EC, K, Na, and Ca were found between understory and the uncanopied areas in all soil depths. Levels of N, P, Mg, and organic matter were significantly higher in the understory of trees compared to the uncanopied adjacent areas. Organic matter was twice the amount in the upper 20 cm of soil layers in the understory of mesquite trees. Species richness did not differ between the understory and the uncanopied areas. Nevertheless, the density of ephemerals in the understory of mesquite trees was higher than the uncanopied areas by 18%. The Shannon-Weaver index of diversity was higher in the uncanopied areas compared to the understory. The study concluded that the canopy effects of mesquite trees on soil vary with depth. Nonetheless, the influence of mesquite on flora could be beneficial for annual understory plants but subject to many operating factors, including density and cover of mesquite trees.

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