Context: There is a need for the discovery of novel natural antioxidants and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) that are safe and effective at a global level. This is the first study on antioxidant and anti-acethylcholinesterase activity of Scabiosa arenaria Forssk (Dipsacaceae). Objective: The antioxidant potential and anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of S. arenaria were investigated. Material and methods: The crude, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), butanol (n-BuOH) and water extracts prepared from flowers, fruits and stems and leaves of S. arenaria were tested to determine their total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total condensed tannin content (CTC) and their antioxidant activity by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 0 -azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), reducing power and b-carotene bleaching inhibition activity. Anti-AChE activity was also determined. Results: EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions of fruits had both the highest (TPC) (269.09 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight). The crude extract of stems and leaves had the highest TFC (10.9 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight). The n-BuOH fraction of stems and leaves had the highest CTC (489.75 mg catechin equivalents/g dry weight). The EtOAc fraction of flowers exhibit a higher activity in each antioxidant system with a special attention for DPPH assay (IC 50 ¼ 0.017 mg/mL) and reducing power (EC 50 ¼ 0.02 mg/mL). The EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions of stems and leaves showed strong inhibition of AChE (IC 50 ¼ 0.016 and 0.029 mg/ mL, respectively). Discussion and conclusions: These results suggest the potential of S. arenaria as a possible source of novel compounds and as an alternative antioxidant and AChEIs.

Context: The substantial increase in the number of diabetics has encouraged the search for new pharmacological strategies to face this problem. In this regard, triazole and its derivatives have attracted considerable attention for the past few decades due to their pharmacological significance. Objective: Evaluation of the inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase in essential oils extracted from plant Eruca vesicaria (L) Cav. subsp. longirostris (Brassicaceae) (EVL) and to verify whether the triazoles and thiadiazol bearing the lipophilic 4-methylthiobutyl group synthesized from the essential oil contribute to this activity. Materials and methods: The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from leaf, stem, root, and fruit of EVL, and their chemical compositions were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We present here the synthesis of three new types of 1,2,4-triazole-thiol and 1,3,4-thiadiazol and the structures were confirmed by NMR, mass spectrometry. The α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities were investigated in vitro . Results: The main compound in fruit, stem, and root was erucin (96.6, 85.3, and 83.7%, respectively). The three essential oils of the fruit, stem, and root have strong inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and α-amylase; IC 50 values of roots were 0.81 ± 0.02 μg/mL and 0.13 ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. Derivatives 1 b , 2 b , 3 b, and 2c showed remarkable inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase with potencies better than that of acarbose with IC 50 values ranging between 0.49 and 1.43 μM. Conclusions: Current results indicate that ECL fruit essential oil can be used as a natural precursor for the synthesis of triazoles as potential hypoglycemic agents.

The essential oils isolated from three organs, i.e., fruits, stems and leaves, and flowers, of the endemic North African plant Scabiosa arenaria Forssk. were screened for their chemical composition, as well as their possible antibacterial, anticandidal, and antifungal properties. According to the GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses, 61 (99.26% of the total oil composition), 79 (98.43%), and 51 compounds (99.9%) were identified in the three oils, respectively. While α‐thujone (34.39%), camphor (17.48%), and β‐thujone (15.29%) constituted the major compounds of the fruit oil, chrysanthenone (23.43%), together with camphor (12.98%) and α‐thujone (10.7%), were the main constituents of the stem and leaf oil. In the case of the flower oil, also chrysanthenone (38.52%), camphor (11.75%), and α‐thujone (9.5%) were identified as the major compounds. Furthermore, the isolated oils were tested against 16 Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, four Candida species, and nine phytopathogenic fungal strains. It was found that the oils exhibited interesting antibacterial and anticandidal activities, comparable to those of thymol, which was used as positive control, but no activity against the phytopathogenic fungal strains was observed.

The essential oils (EOs) of different organs (flowers, vegetative parts (stems + leaves) and roots) of Achillea cretica were investigated. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils were also evaluated. They have been analyzed by a combination of GC and GC/MS. Twenty-five, twenty-nine and twenty-five compounds, accounting for 97.9%, 98.80% and 96.20% of the root, (stem + leaf), and flower oils, were identified, respectively. The EOs were rich in monoterpenes (camphor, borneol, camphene and 1,8-cineola) and camphor was identified as a major constituent. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, ABTS and ferric reducing assays. The isolated oils showed significant radical-scavenging activity evidenced by IC50 value for ABTS radical (in between IC50 =62 µg/mL and IC50 = 70 µg/mL). The antibacterial activity was tested against two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria using the broth dilution method. The flowers essential oil shows an excellent inhibitory effect on S. aureus