Asmaa Oubihi

The aqueous seed extract of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu (AL-AE), a Saharan annual herb of the family Apiaceae, was evaluated for the first time as a green corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid. GC-MS analysis after acetylation derivatization identified ten constituents representing 99.22% of the total detected area, with 17-pentatriacontene (47.69%), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (13.24%), and myo-inositol (8.62%) as the dominant species. Inhibition performance was assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) over 25–100 ppm at 298–328 K. At 100 ppm and 298 K, AL-AE achieved 96.17% by EIS and 97.10% by PDP. Adsorption obeyed the Langmuir model with a standard free energy of adsorption of −38.2 kJ mol⁻¹, consistent with a mixed physisorption–chemisorption mechanism. SEM/EDS confirmed protective film formation, with surface oxygen dropping from 34.9 to 4.1 wt%. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B97-3c/CPCM (water) level in ORCA 6.1 identified 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol as the most reactive constituent, while Fukui index analysis based on Mulliken population analysis located the preferential adsorption sites on each molecule.

Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) from biological sources provides a sustainable and biocompatible approach with diverse applications in biomedicine, catalysis, and environmental remediation. In this study, silver/silver chloride nanoparticles (Ag/AgCl‐NPs) were synthesized using saponins extracted from argan press cake. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The initial indication of nanoparticle formation was a yellow coloration, with a distinct absorption band observed between 400 and 450 nm in the UV–visible spectrum. TEM analysis revealed that the nanoparticles were spherical, with an average diameter of 12.3 ± 7.6 nm. The antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of the Ag/AgCl‐NPs were also evaluated. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative pathogenic bacteria using disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. In vitro cytotoxicity was tested against MDA‐MB‐468, MCF‐7, and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results demonstrated that the biosynthesized Ag/AgCl‐NPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity and moderate cytotoxic effects, indicating their potential for biomedical applications.

This study aims to study the phyto-chemical composition of the methanolic extracts of the fruit by-products (seeds and peels) of three varieties of Persea americana, in order to evaluate their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed...

The escalating phenomenon of bacterial resistance to antibiotics over time, coupled with the conse-quential detrimental effects of oxidative stress on cellular aging, and the usage of pesticides with vary-ing degrees of toxicity, thereby impacting both human health and the environment, represents...

Ammi visnaga L. extracts were examined for the presence of phytochemicals, antimicrobial activities, and scavenging potentials. The aerial part of this plant underwent warm extraction using three different solvents: hexane, dichloromethane and ethanol. The phytochemical analysis revealed the...

In this study, we aimed to compare the phytochemical compounds (polyphenols and flavonoids), antioxidant activity, functional groups present in the compounds (FTIR), and anti-microbial effects, in aqueous and methanol extracts obtained from flowers of commercial Hypericum perforatum and native...

The extraction of gum from natural raw materials is of increasing importance in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, particularly due to their emulsifying properties and potential applications as stabilizers and thickeners. This study presents an insight on the influence of changing parameters like reagents and operating condition on yield and some properties of the flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seed gum. The extraction conditions were meticulously examined using a full factorial design, highlighting the significant impact of pretreatment, seed preparation, and solvent selection on the extraction yield. A response surface methodology (RSM) was then applied to optimize the water/benzoic acid ratio of the pretreatment step, the ethyl alcohol/water ratio, and the medium pH of the extraction method, resulting in a maximum yield of 14.47%. Furthermore, detailed analyses of the chemical and emulsifying properties of the gum were conducted showing emulsifying capacities over 94%, offering promising application prospects, particularly in the food industry.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the acute toxicity and anti-inflammatory effect in vivo, as well as the antioxidant activity, of the essential oil of Thymus leptobotrys Murb. The results indicate that the tested essential oil is non-toxic, with an estimated LD50 of 2500 mg kg⁻¹ of mice body weight. The anti-inflammatory test revealed that, at a dose of 200 mg kg⁻¹, the essential oil reduced rat paw edemas by 89.59% within 3 h of oral administration, this reduction in edema size was greater than that obtained with indomethacin (75.78%). The antioxidant activity (IC50) of Thymus leptobotrys Murb essential oil was 346.896 µg mL⁻¹ and 861.136 mg Trolox equivalent/g essential oil in the 2.2-diphenyl1-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays, respectively. The toxicity test reveals an LD₅₀ greater than 2500 mg kg⁻¹ of body weight of mice which classifies it within category 5 of non-toxic substances that can be administered orally. These results suggest that the essential oil of Thymus leptobotrys Murb is not toxic, and it represents a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant metabolites.

The aim of this work was to study the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from ginger rhizomes (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and cardamom seeds (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton). Using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), a total of 43 compounds were identified in ginger essential oil and 17 compounds in cardamom. The most abundant components, respectively, were zingiberene (22.18%) and 1.8-cinéol (43.47%). Essential oils, methanol, ethanol and chloroform extracts for both plants were tested against nine bacteria and yeast. The highest sensitivity was noticed against Staphylococcus aureus with a 25 mm inhibition zone. The antioxidant potency of both oils and extracts were measured using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) free radical scavenging and the ferric reducing power (FRP) method; the ethanolic extract of cardamom fruits exhibited the best results for both tests, with an IC 50 = 0.423 ± 0.015 mg/mL and 95.03 ± 0.076 FRP mg AAE/g.

Hydrodistilled volatile oils obtained from the fruits of Cuminum cyminum L. and Ammodaucus leucotrichus L., cultivated in Morocco, were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Twenty-one compounds repre- senting 98.7 % of the oil were identified for the C. cyminum L. species. The main components of the oil were: γ- terpinen-7-al (37.2 %), cuminaldehyde (29.1 %), γ-terpinene (10.0 %), β-pinene (7.1 %) and p-cymene (6.1 %). For the Ammodaucus leucotrichus L. species, there were 21 identified compounds, representing 98.4 % of the total oil. The major constituents were perrilla aldehyde (78.2 %) and limonene (9.5 %). Isolated essential oils were tested for radical-scavenging ability using the stable DPPH radical and the ABTS radical, for reducing power ability with a test based on the reduction of ferric cations, and for lipid peroxidation inhibitory ability using β- carotene bleaching assay. The two oils showed a particularly interesting profile concerning oxidation of the fatty unsaturated substances. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was individually evaluated against representatives of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the agar diffusion method. The most sensi- tive microorganisms are: Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus epidermis, Citrobacter freundii and Escherichia coli.