Phytochemical screening, antifungal and antioxidant activities of three medicinal plants from Algerian steppe and Sahara (preliminary screening studies)

Abstract

The contamination of foodstuffs by fungi and their mycotoxins, emergence of resistance to fungicides and unwanted side effects of pesticides on human and animal health currently present a challenge for researchers to create and innovate new and better solutions to fight against mycotoxigenic fungi with less harmful effects on the consumer and the environment. In the context of the valorization of natural products, this study aimed, first, to determine the phytochemical composition of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Pistacia lentiscus, Artemisia herba-alba and Citrullus colocynthis and, second, to evaluate the antifungal potential and antioxidant capacity of these extracts. The extraction of crude active compounds from selected plant species was carried out by methanolic and aqueous maceration. Antifungal activity against five fungal strains (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium graminirium, Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium expansum) was evaluated by the dilution method in solid medium. Analysis of antioxidant activity was carried out by three tests, namely, the inhibition of ABTS •+ radical cation, trapping of DPPH • radical and reduction of Fe 2+ (FRAP). The results show that the crude extracts were rich in bioactive compounds and that the crude methanolic and aqueous extracts of A. herba-alba were the most active against the tested fungal strains and had a percentage of inhibition exceeding 8%. Regarding antioxidant activity, all the extracts exhibited remarkable antioxidant potential in the tests used. The methanolic extract of A. herba-alba had the highest iron-reducing capacity. The results show that the studied medicinal plants could be a good alternative for protecting foodstuffs against toxigenic fungi.

Scutellaria petiolata Hemsl. ex Lace & Prain (Lamiaceae).: A New Insight in Biomedical Therapies

“…The S. petiolata extracts SPM, SPDCM, SPNH, and SPAQ were proceeded for the detection of various phytochemical analyses to validate the presence of representative groups of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, and carbohydrates applying the standard techniques [ 2 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seed extracts from red globe and Valenci Algerian varieties

“…Few drops of Dragendorf's reagent (potassium iodide-bismuth nitrate) were added in the tube and the appearance of orange-red precipitate was taken as positive. Few drops of Mayer's reagent (composed of mercuric chloride and potassium iodide dissolved in distilled water) were added to the second tube and the appearance of buff-colored precipitate designates the existence of alkaloids (13).…”

“…A few drops of concentrated HCl were then introduced into the mixture. The presence of a pink, orange, or red to purple coloration indicates the existence of flavonoids (13).…”

“…Two milliliters (2 ml) of the aqueous solution of the GSEs were added to a few drops of 10% Ferric chloride solution (light yellow). The occurrence of the blackish blue color showed the presence of gallic tannins and a greenblackish color indicated the presence of catechol tannins (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18).…”

Effects of Combined Stresses of Salinity (NaCl) and Heavy Metal (NiCl2) Levels on Seed Germination and Growth of Citrullus colocynthis l.

“…The oil obtained from seeds of C.colocynth L. i s identical to Brassica oil and is being used for pharmaceutical diligence (OM and Emelike, 2018) due to its anti-microbial as well as anti-cancer potentials (Kapoor et al, 2020). C.colocynth L. is also being used to treat urinary tract infections in indigenous medication by the people of the Mediterranean zone of the world (Gacem et al, 2019). The primary reason behind the harmful impact of salinity and heavy metals on the plants' seedlings is osmotic stress which inhibits the uptake of water and ion toxication (Lutts and Lefèvre, 2015).…”