Vegetable oil-based fuels are promising alternative fuels for diesel and light fuel engines because of their environmental and economic strategic advantages. In this study, Ongokea gore oil (OGO) and its fully hydrogenated oil were transesterified by means of ethanol in the presence of sodium ethoxide. Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) products were confirmed by 1 H NMR and characterized by physical-chemical methods in accordance with the ASTM D 6751 and AFNOR M 15-009 specifications for biodiesels and light biofuels. These methods concern determination of color, density, viscosity, flash and pour points, ash, water and sulfur contents, and corrosion on copper. It was found that pure fatty acid ethyl esters of Ongokea gore oil (B100) and its hydrogenated oil (B100-H) meet standard requirements for most of the biodiesel characteristics studied. Only the kinematic viscosity and density values were outside recommended biodiesel standard limits which makes them unsuitable for use in diesel engines. In accordance with the AFNOR M 15-009 specifications of light fuels, they can be used in light fuel engines. Physical-chemical properties of B20, a FAEE blend in petrodiesel, are within the limits prescribed for petrodiesel standards. In brief, Ongokea gore seeds, a nonedible and high-oil-producing feedstock, are suitable starting material for production of light biofuel. The latter blends in petrodiesel can be used as fuel in diesel engines.

The total oil production capacity of isano oil is estimated at about 10,000 tons annually. Previous studies of this oil revealed that it is rich in fatty acids including a conjugated diyne moiety. This makes isano oil an excellent candidate for sustainable applications development. However, only a few of its fatty acids have been isolated and identified so far. In this study, we have reinvestigated this oil by characterizing its physicochemical properties and isolating several of its fatty acids as ethyl esters for their detailed structural analysis and identification. Six ethyl esters of fatty acids constituting isanic oil were isolated by flash column chromatography and semipreparative HPLC. The detailed structural analysis of these fatty acid esters by infrared, high resolution, mass spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (1-D and 2-D) allowed determining unequivocally their chemical structure. The main fatty acid component of the oil (35.7 %) was identified as isanic acid. Four minor acids were found to possess also two conjugated triple bonds, while the sixth fatty acid does not contain carbon-carbon triple bonds nor double bonds but possessed a cis epoxide function. Results obtained in this study are currently being used to explore potential applications of isano oil.

In the face of the emergence of bacteria resistant to common antibacterials and excessive accumulation of free radicals that can cause several diseases, it is important to look for new antibacterials and antioxidants. The goal of this work was to synthesize three chalcones derivatives by the Claisen-Schmidt condensation and then evaluate their antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The structure of these 3 compounds has been determined by NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopy. The in vitro antibacterial activity assessed by Microdilution methods, was tested against Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) at different concentrations ranging from 7.82 to 1000 µg/mL. All three synthesized chalcones showed good antibacterial activity against gram positive and negative bacteria used with a range of MIC ranging from 62.50 to 1000 µg/mL. However, the (E)-3-(3, 4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one showed excellent activity against Bacillus subtilis with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 62.5 µg/mL which is similar to that of the standard (Ampicillin) against the same bacterial strain. Antioxidant activity evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl2-picryl- hydrazyle ( DPPH) revealed that all the synthesized chalcones showed an antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 8.22; 6.89 and 3.39 µg/mL for (E)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one, (E)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one and (E)-3-(3, 4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one, respectively. These values are closer to that of ascorbic acid used as a standard. The results suggest that the synthesized chalcones, especially the (E)-3-(3, 4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one could be used, after in vivo and clinical tests, like antibacterial and antioxidant supplement or even replace current drug therapies.

Three diynes, octadec-17-ene-9,11-diynoate ethyl (1: ), 8-hydroxy-octadeca-13,17-diene-9,11-diynoate ethyl (2: ), and 8-hydroxy-octadec-13-ene-9,11-diynoate ethyl (3: ), were isolated from seed oil. The structure assignment of these three compounds was based according to chemical and spectroscopic data. They were screened against, the parasite that causes malaria. micro-test (Mark III, supported by the World Health Organization) was developed to assess the response of to the isolated three compounds, and statistical analysis were performed for determination of the concentration that inhibits 50% of the parasite maturation (IC). Two of the three diynes (2: and 3: ) showed a very effective antimalarial activity with an IC of 4.5 and 1.7 µM, respectively. Compound 3: exhibited better activity than quinine (IC 1.9 µM), the drug reference, while compound 1: had no antimalarial activity (IC > 125 µM). In the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cytotoxicity screening, all compounds showed no toxicity (mean IC of 90 µM for each compound).