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Plant-derived compounds have recently been gaining popularity as skincare factors due to their ability to absorb ultraviolet radiations and their anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In this light, this work aimed to evaluate in vitro the pharmacological activities of the butanolic extract prepared from the aerial parts of Astragalus gombiformis Pomel, an endemic species to southern Algeria. The sun protection factor was used to assess the photoprotective effect (SPF), the protein denaturation method to determine the anti-inflammatory activity, and brine shrimp nauplii and OxHLIA assay, respectively, to assess the cytotoxicity and antioxidant capacity of A. gombiformis. In addition, LC–ESI–MS analysis was employed for the characterization of the phenolic constituents of A. gombiformis. The results showed that A. gombiformis had high capacity for absorbing UV radiations with an SPF of 37.78 ± 0.85 and significant anti-inflammatory activity with a percentage inhibition of 75.38% which is close to that of diclofenac and ketoprofen. In addition, A. gombiformis was found to have effective cytotoxicity against Artemia nauplii with a DC50 value of about 44.7 µg/mL, but a weak hemolytic effect against human erythrocytes. LC–ESI–MS results detected the presence of 17 phenolic compounds with a predominance of cirsiliol, silymarin, quercitrin (quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside), and kaempferol. Taken together, these results suggest that A. gombiformis extract could be used as a skincare agent in cosmetic formulations, providing excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection, allowing the treatment of skin conditions, as well as a pharmaceutical agent with multidimensional applications.

The present work is to evaluate the neurotoxicity induced by pyrethroid insecticide "Deltamethrin" at 0.32 mg/kg/day in two main regions of the Wistar rat brain (hippocampus and striatum) and the protective effects of Quercetin at 10 mg/kg/day on this toxicity after 90 days of exposure. The assay of brain parameters showed that Deltamethrin caused a significant increase of mitochondrial metabolite level (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates) and enzyme activity (glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase); a decreased amount of mitochondrial glutathione level and catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities; and an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) acid levels of the two regions. Furthermore, mitochondrial functional testing in the brains of treated rats exhibited a significant increase in permeability followed by a mitochondrial swelling. Instead, a statistically significant decrease in mitochondrial respiration (O consumption) was recorded in the striatum and hippocampus. Our study showed that the pesticide caused a significant increase of the cytochrome c amount correlated with activation of neuronal apoptosis mechanisms by the significant increase of caspase-3 of hippocampus and striatum. In particular, the results of behavioral tests (open field, classic maze tests of sucrose, and Morris water maze) have significant changes, namely bad behavior of the treated rats, affecting the level of anxiety, learning, and memory, and general motor activity has mainly been shown in treated rats. In addition, the histological cuts clearly confirm cerebral necrosis in the hippocampus and the striatum caused by the pesticide. They allow us to consider the necrotic areas, black spots, reduction, and denaturation of these brain regions in the treated rats. On the other hand, we have studied the protective effects against the neurotoxicity of Deltamethrin (DLM). In this context, after the gavage of Quercetin at the dose of 10 mg/kg/day, we have noticed an improvement in the entire parameters: mitochondrial enzyme, metabolic, histological, and behavioral parameters. This confirmed the improvement of preventive and curative effect of Quercetin against free radicals induced by the DLM.

The Astragalus armatus Willd. plant’s phenolic constituent extraction and identification were optimized using the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method and the LC–MS/MS analysis, respectively. Additionally, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), beta carotene, reducing power, DMSO alcalin, silver nanoparticle (SNP)-based method, phenanthroline, and hydroxyl radical tests were utilized to assess the extract’s antioxidant capacity, while the neuroprotective effect was examined in vitro against acetylcholinesterase enzyme. This study accurately estimated the chemical bonding between the identified phenolic molecules derived from LC–MS/MS and the AChE. The extract was found to contain sixteen phenolic substances, and rosmarinic, protocatechuic, and chlorogenic acids, as well as 4-hydroxybenzoic, hyperoside, and hesperidin, were the most abundant substances in the extract. In all antioxidant experiments, the plant extract demonstrated strong antioxidant activity and a significant inhibitory impact against AChE (40.25 ± 1.41 μg/mL). According to molecular docking affinity to the enzyme AChE, the top-five molecules were found to be luteolin, quercetin, naringenin, rosmarinic acid, and kaempferol. Furthermore, these tested polyphenols satisfy the essential requirements for drug-like characteristics and Lipinski’s rule of five. These results highlight the significance of the A. armatus plant in cosmetics, as food additives, and in the pharmaceutical industry due to its rosmarinic and chlorogenic acid content.

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The objective of the present paper is to study and evaluate the effect of selenium supplementation on diabetic nephropathy caused by reactive species generated following hyperglycemia. This study conducted on thirty-five male albino Wistar rats divided into five groups : the first group serves as control (C), the second group was treated by intraperitoneal injection of selenium (sodium selenite ) at 1.89 mg/kg / day,  regarding the 3rd  groups diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg of alloxan (single dose) (DM). One of the diabetic groups was treated by intraperitoneal injection of insulin, 3 IU/100 g PC twice a day (DTins).  Another diabetic group is treated with 1.89 mg/kg/day of sodium selenite intraperitoneally (DTSe), and this for 21 days (the two groups treated with selenium were previously treated by gavage of 2 mg/kg/day for 10 days by the same trace element). The results showed in untreated diabetic rats, a drop in body weight, and an increase in blood glucose (13.87mmol/L ± 0.62), urea (10.58 mmol/l ± 0.59), creatinine (64 µmol/l ± 1.3), and phosphorus (1.8 mmol/l ± 0.2).  A decrease in serum calcium (1.9 mmol/l±0.1), total protein (58g/l ± 5), albumin (32 g/l ± 3), insulin (0.64 µ UI/ml ± 0.06) and enzymatic activity of serum G6PDH (109.8 m UI/10GR ± 3). With a decrease in anti-oxidant defense, which results in a reduced renal tissue content in GSH (55 nmol/mg of proteins ± 2.2) and of GPx (0.198 µmol/mg of P ± 0.007) and catalase (14.64 µmol H2O2/mn/mg of P ± 0.8) activities. Meanwhile an increase activity of GSTs (0.791 nmol/mn/mg of P ± 0.03) and the concentration of TBARS (0.382 nmol/mg of P ± 0.02) were observed. Sodium selenite induced the antioxidant defense of renal tissue, which protected it from the free radical damage that can be caused by the injection of Alloxan.