The present study was conducted to evaluate the anticorrosive and antioxidant activities of essential oil from Withania frutescens L. In the present study, the extraction of Withania frutescens L. essential oil (Wf-EO) was conducted using hydrodistillation before being characterized by gas chromatographic analysis (GC/MS) and flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Four bioassays were used for antioxidant testing including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching. The inhibiting effect of Wf-EO on the corrosion behavior of mild steel in 1.0 M HCl was conducted by using polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The yield of Wf-EO was 0.46% including 175 compounds identified by GC-MS. The oil was mostly constituted of camphor (37.86%), followed by thujone (26.47%), carvacrol (6.84%), eucalyptol (3.18%), and linalool (2.20%). The anti–free radical activity of Wf-EO was 34.41 ± 0.91 μg/ml (DPPH), 9.67 ± 0.15 mg/ml (FRAP), 3.78 ± 0.41 mg AAE/g (TAC), and 89.94 ± 1.44% (β-carotene). The Wf-EO showed potent antioxidant activity in all bioassays used for testing. The anticorrosion activity, polarization curves as well as EIS diagrams indicated that the Wf-EO exhibited anticorrosive properties and reacted as a suitable corrosion inhibitor in an acidic medium.

BackgroundFlora growth is always influenced by the environmental conditions that surround the plant.The Objective of the StudyThe present research work was undertaken to study the response of Withania frutescens (L.) Pauquy to changes in the environmental conditions by investigating topographical, climatological, morphological, histological, and phytochemical aspects influencing the plant’s growth.Materials and MethodsThe topography of the study area was described using the Digital Terrain Model (DTM). The bioclimatic study was carried out using a climatological database (TerraClimate) used for an old period 1960–1970 (OP) and a new period 2000–2019 (NP). The histological study on stems, leaves, and roots was investigated according to protocols as described in the present study. The phytochemical analysis was assessed using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrophotometer after silylation.ResultsThe topographical study showed that the selected stations varied in terms of topographical characteristics. The average annual precipitation recorded for the study area was 624 mm/year, and the thermal amplitude was around 34.64°C. The morphometrical study revealed that the plant had changes in length and width from one zone to another. The histometrical study of organs showed changes in tissue structure over time and location. The phytochemical content in the studied plants was also found to vary over time and location.ConclusionBased on the obtained results, we could confirm that W. frutescens has developed alternate strategies to mitigate increasingly harsh environmental conditions.

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