Mounsef Neffa

Species of the Opuntia genus are widely recognized for their richness in bioactive metabolites and antioxidant potential, particularly in their cladodes. However, despite increasing interest in cochineal-resistant cultivars, their genotoxic safety remains poorly explored. In this study, the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and genotoxic effects of cladode extracts from three Dactylopius opuntiae-resistant Opuntia species (O. ficus-indica, O. robusta, and O. stricta) collected in eastern Morocco were comparatively evaluated. Hydroethanolic extracts were characterized for their biochemical composition and screened for antioxidant activity using DPPH, β-carotene bleaching, FRAP, and total antioxidant capacity assays. An untargeted UHPLC-Orbitrap MS/MS approach was applied to profile secondary metabolites, while genotoxicity was assessed using the comet assay on rat leukocyte DNA. The three species exhibited distinct phytochemical and antioxidant profiles. O. ficus-indica showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the strongest radical scavenging and reducing capacities, whereas O. stricta was particularly rich in ascorbic acid and exhibited the highest total antioxidant capacity. Metabolomic analysis revealed a predominance of phenolic acids and flavonoids, with piscidic acid as a major constituent, along with isorhamnetin derivatives and organic acids. Importantly, none of the extracts induced genotoxic effects compared to the negative control, while all differed significantly from the oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. Overall, these findings demonstrate the phytochemical richness, antioxidant potential, and genotoxic safety of cochineal-resistant Opuntia cladodes, supporting their sustainable valorization in food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and agricultural applications.

Optimizing growing conditions is essential for the conservation and promotion of medicinal plant species such as Caralluma tuberculata, a succulent plant of great medicinal importance. This project, this particular research was done at the experimental station of the Faculty of Sciences in Oujda, aims to evaluate the impact of two types of substrates, peat and sand, on the morpho-physiological parameters and anthocyanin pigment accumulation in Caralluma tuberculata. The study compared the effect of these substrates on germination rate and kinetics, as well as aerial and root development and red pigment concentration in transplanted seedlings. The results show that the final germination rate is not significantly different between the two substrates (p=0.358), although peat promotes faster kinetics. On the other hand, peat proved to be significantly superior for growth, resulting in significantly greater stem height (8.49 cm) and root length (8.26 cm). Conversely, sand caused an extremely significant accumulation of anthocyanin pigments, reaching 100.00%, compared to 16.20% for peat. This accumulation is interpreted as a physiological defense response to the more pronounced environmental stress in the sandy substrate. These results suggest that the choice of substrate should be based on the cultivation objective. For biomass production, peat and sand should be used to induce protective secondary metabolites.

This study investigates the effect of salt and water stress on the germination performance of Origanum majorana seeds. Salinity was applied using 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl, while water stress was simulated, using PEG 6000, at values of 0, -0.1, -0.7, and -1 MPa. In all treatments, germination percentage and rate of germination were measured. Results showed that germination decreased with increasing salt and water stress. However, at 50 mM NaCl (moderate salinity) or -0.1 MPa (moderate water stress), germination remained high (about 82-85%) and comparable to the control. High salinity (>100 mM NaCl) or intense water stress (-0.7 MPa and above) reduced germination to below 40-45%. Germination curves exhibited a typical sigmoid shape due to their longer lag times and lower germination rates under salt and water conditions. The results obtained suggest that Origanum majorana shows moderate tolerance to salinity and is highly sensitive to intense environmental stress. Hence, the current experiment indicates that Origanum majorana is moderately tolerant to salt stress and highly sensitive to stronger stress conditions, confirming that appropriate management is needed if this plant is cultivated in arid and semi-arid conditions.

This study evaluates the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of two provenances of Salvia verbenaca (Chwihiya and Ain Almou, Eastern Morocco) subjected to different intensities of water and salt stress. Salt and water stress followed a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Morphological (plant height, number of branches, stem diameter, leaf area), physiological (chlorophyll content), and biochemical (proline and soluble sugars) parameters were recorded for two months. The results showed that reduced water supply and increased NaCl concentration led to a significant decrease in vegetative growth, stem diameter and length, number of leaves and leaf area, as well as a decrease in chlorophyll content. At the same time, proline and soluble sugar contents increase significantly under stress. The Chwihiya provenance shows better morphological and physiological stability, combined with more efficient accumulation of soluble sugars, indicating greater tolerance to water and salt stress. These findings highlight the role of intraspecific variation in S. verbenaca resistance and underscore the potential of the Chwihiya provenance for conservation and cultivation in arid and saline environments.

This study investigated the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and genotoxic potential of essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation from aerial parts of four wild-growing Lamiaceae species in eastern Morocco: Spanish ziziphora (Ziziphora hispanica L.), felty germander (Teucrium polium L.), French lavender (Lavandula dentata L.), and topped lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed eucalyptol (40.08%), thujopsene (11.25%), β-myrcene (15.82%), and fenchone (30.69%) as the major constituents in Z. hispanica, T. polium, L. dentata, and L. stoechas, respectively. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using three complementary assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and β-carotene bleaching. L. stoechas and L. dentata exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.284 to 1.71 mg/mL across assays. Genotoxicity was assessed in rat leukocytes using the alkaline Comet assay at EO concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 µg/mL. All tested EOs induced statistically significant DNA damage compared to the negative control, though the extent varied by species and concentration; notably, L. stoechas at 2.5 µg/mL showed the lowest genotoxic impact. These findings highlight the dual potential of these EOs as natural antioxidants while underscoring the need for dose-dependent safety evaluation prior to therapeutic or industrial application. Given that DNA damage was detectable even at 2.5 µg/mL, a conservative practical recommendation is to keep EO levels below 2.5 µg/mL-equivalent in preliminary applications, pending further in vivo toxicology to establish NOAEL-based exposure limits.