This study was performed on the derived extracts [chloroform (FT-C), ethyl acetate (FT-E) and n-butanol (FT-B)] of the 70% ethanol extract prepared from Frankenia thymifolia, an endemic species to North Africa. The extracts showed high total phenolic and flavonoid contents with a wealth more marked for FT-E. These results agreed with their antioxidant effects. Indeed, all the extracts were able to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl radical, with a better power of FT-E. These results were supported by the inhibition of β-carotene oxidation assay. The extracts showed moderate activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii and Leishmania amazonensis with a better activity of FT-E against A. castellanii. Moreover, FT-B exhibited an interesting antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria. The fractionation of the most active extracts led to the isolation and structural determination of six compounds. The activities of these extracts may be associated with the presence of quercetin and its derivatives found in their chemical composition.

This work aimed to investigate, for the first time, the chemical composition, antioxidant, antiparasitic, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activities of the aromatic plant Limonium oleifolium Mill. essential oil (EO) and organic extracts. L. oleifolium aerial parts essential oil was analyzed by GC‐FID and GC‐MS, and 46 constituents representing 98.25±1.12 % of the oil were identified. γ‐Muurolene (10.81±0.07 %), cis‐caryophyllene (7.71±0.06 %), o‐cymene (7.07±0.01 %) and α‐copaene (5.02±0.05 %) were the essential oil main compounds. The antioxidant activity of L. oleifolium EO and organic extracts (MeOH, CHCl3, AcOEt, BuOH) was explored using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS, β‐carotene/linoleic acid, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and ferric reducing power assays. The results showed that L. oleifolium EO exhibit antioxidant capacity (IC50=17.40±1.32 μg/mL for DPPH assay, IC50=29.82±1.08 μg/mL for β‐carotene assay, IC50=25.23±1.01 μg/mL for ABTS assay, IC50=9.11±0.08 μg/mL for CUPRAC assay and IC50=19.41±2.06 mg/mL for reducing power assay). Additionally, the EO showed significant activity against trophozoite form of Acanthamoeba castellanii (IC50=7.48±0.41 μg/mL) and promastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis (IC50=19.36±1.06 μg/mL) and low cytotoxicity on murine macrophages (LC50 90.23±1.09 μg/mL), as well as good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results suggest that L. oleifolium essential oil is a valuable source of bioactive compounds presenting antioxidant, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, it is considered nontoxic.

No abstract

The extensive use of Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) has been associated with the various toxicities that non-target organisms can undergo including mammals. However, the mechanism of induced-LCT cytotoxicity in animal brain cells is still elusive, particularly in brain regions, notably the hippocampus, an area directly involved in cognitive function. This study aimed to investigate the neurotoxic effects in the rat hippocampus chronically exposed to LCT (0.18 mg/kg and 0.36 mg/kg), and the neuroprotective potential of Melissa officinalis L methanol extract (MOE) (200 mg/kg) against this toxicity. After experimental period (90 days), the redox status, the functional and structural integrity of the hippocampus mitochondria as well as the apoptotic signaling pathway were evaluated. The current findings suggest that LCT produces imbalance of mitochondrial redox status expressed by, on one side, increasing of stress markers such as protein carbonyls (PCO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels; and on the other side, by a decline in the potential of antioxidant systems, namely the level of mitochondrial enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH).This study also showed an increase in mitochondrial permeability, along with mitochondrial edema and considerable decrease in its O2 consumption. Moreover, the same results recorded an increase in caspase-3 and cytosolic cytochrome-c. Conversely, this study proved that all these toxic aspects induced by LCT were significantly mitigated when the administration of this synthetic pyrethroid was associated with MOE. Taken together, data of this study shed light on mitochondrial damage and apoptosis stimulation under the toxic effect of LCT and suggests that MOE is endowed with potent neuroprotective effect, possibly via its antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties.