This work is devoted to the study of the chemical composition and the evaluation of the biological activities of essential oils (EOs) extracted from the flowers of Asteriscus graveolens Forssk. plant. The EO sample was obtained by hydrodistillation and the chemical composition analysis was performed using GC and GC/MS. The major chemical components characterizing the EO were cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (44.30%) and cis-8-acetoxychrysanthenyl acetate (33.70%). Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH and Phosphomolybdenum tests. Although the EO presented a weak scavenging activity (420.16 mg/ mL), it exhibited good reducing power using the Phosphomolybdenum assay (0.28 AAEC/mg). The most important antibacterial activity was noted for Bacillus cereus. The oil revealed a remarkable activity against the nine fungi species tested with percentage inhibition up to 94.12% for Fusarium culmorum (BTCR). More important, this work investigated for the first time the anticancer effect of this EO on two types of cancer cell lines (human liver carcinoma and Rat pheochromocytoma cell lines). The EO showed a high anticancer activity against both tumor cell lines comparing to the positive control.
Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus (Lamiaceae) is a small shrub endemic to Algeria and Morocco where is found in lawns, rockeries and mountainous regions. From a phytochemical point of view this taxon has never been characterized. In this work we have analysed the chemical compositions of the essential oils obtained from inflorescences and vegetative parts by GC/MS. A new chemotype, i.e. borneol-chemotype, was characterized for the first time in the species. Furthermore, we assessed the biological activities of essential oils, namely the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity on tumor cells that were evaluated by the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, disc diffusion, and MTT methods, respectively. Biological assays highlighted a moderate inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans (inhibition zone diameter in the range 9 - 10 mm), and noteworthy cytotoxicity on A375 human melanoma cells (IC of 46.95 μg/ml).
A new HPTLC-densitometric method for diosgenin determination in fenugreek seeds was established after optimization of the conditions for efficient saponin extraction and acid hydrolysis. Several procedures were tested, the best of which was a three-step Soxhlet extraction, followed by hydrolysis of the obtained methanolic extract with 2 mol L-1 H2SO4. Best diosgenin separation from other hydrolysis products was obtained on HPTLC Si60F254 plates u sing a mixture of n-heptane/ethyl acetate (7:3, V/V) and modified anisaldehyde as a spraying reagent. The method was preliminarily validated and the determined amounts of diosgenin in fenugreek seeds of Polish and African origin were found to be similar and ranged from 0.12-0.18 %.
Certain phenolics have been recognized to possessing antibacterial and antifungal activities and high levels of flavonoids and tannins have been reported in several varieties of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. Antimicrobial activity and phenolics contents were investigated in five Algerian sorghum seeds. AS20 sorghum extract showed the highest levels of: total phenolics (3214.46±263.64 mg/100 g), flavonoids (32.03±1.64 mg/100 g) and tannins (615.35±6.10 mg/g) contents; however, comparable flavonoids content was recorded in I27 extract. FZ40 and AS12 flavonoids contents were comparable. Screening for antimicrobial activity, carried out by the disc’s diffusion method revealed an antimicrobial potential of sorghum crude extracts against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and candida albicans yeast. Minimal inhibition concentration determined by microdilution method varied between 0.2 and 2 mg/ml. the lowest value was recorded with F11 and FZ40 extract against Streptococcus pneumoniae and F11 against Escherichia coli. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus ATTCC6538 and MRSA strains showed sensitivity to all extracts. The results show these sorghums as a potential source of natural anti-streptococcal, anti-staphylococcal and anti-candida substances.
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