Abderrahmane Romane

Chemical Studies of Leaf Essential Oils of Three Species of Juniperus From Tensift Al Haouz-Marrakech Region (Morocco)

Abstract Volatile components from fresh and air-dried leaves of Juniperus thurifera var. africana, J. phoenicea and J. oxycedrus (Cupressaceae) were isolated by direct water distillation (Clevenger-type apparatus) and analyzed using GC (FID) and GC/MS. The essential oils from leaves of J. thurifera var. africana were characterized by a high sabinene content (16.5–21.8%), γ-terpinene (9.3–11.5%), and α-pinene (7.6–9.1%). The major components for J. phoenicea were α-pinene (38.2–58%) and δ-3-carene (7.6%), while 13-epi-manoyl oxide (12.5–13.2%), (Z)-6-pentadecen-2-one (11.5–12.2%), and α-pinene (8.5–17.1%) were the major components found in the leaf oils of J. oxycedrus. The fresh leaves of J. thurifera var. africana contained 1.46% oil, while the yield was 1.14% from the dried leaves. The oil yields from the dried leaves of J. phoenicea and J. oxycedrus were 0.94% and 0.01%, respectively. Air-drying moderately effected the qualitative and quantitative composition of the oils.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Lavandula coronopifolia essential oil against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

The aim of this study was to analyse the composition of the essential oil (EO) of Lavandula coronopifolia from Morocco and to evaluate its in vitro antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from clinical infections. The antimicrobial activity was assessed by a broth micro-well dilution method using multiresistant clinical isolates of 11 pathogenic bacteria: Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, Klebsiella ornithinolytica, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Providencia rettgeri, Citrobacter freundii, Hafnia alvei, Salmonella spp., Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The main compounds of the oil were carvacrol (48.9%), E-caryophyllene (10.8%) and caryophyllene oxide (7.7%). The oil showed activity against all tested strains with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging between 1% and 4%. For most of the strains, the MIC value was equivalent to the minimal bactericidal concentration value, indicating a clear bactericidal effect of L. coronopifolia EO.

Effect of the Leaf Drying and Geographic Sources on the Essential Oil Composition of Juniperus thurifera L. var. Africana Maire from the Tensift—Al Haouz, Marrakech Region

Abstract Essential oils of Moroccan Juniperus thurifera var. africana from three provenances (Forêt Islane, Ait Lkak and Plateau of Matat) in the Tensift-Al Haouz, Marrakech region, were analyzed by combined capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The oil yields from fresh leaves showed on differences among geographical sources. Air dried leaves appeared to yield more oil at the highest elevation (1.03%, Ait Lkak, 2900 m) than lower sites (0.67%, Plateau of Matat, 2200 m; 0.57%, Forêt Islane, 2000 m). The essential oils from each geographic site had very similar composition in fresh versus air dried leaves. The essential oils from provenance Ait Lkak and Plateau of Matat were very similar and characterized by a high sabinene content (21.2, 35.9%), in contrast to 10.% sabinene from the provenance Forêt Islane. The oil from Foret Islane had a high δ-cadinene content with 12.7%, whereas Aik Akak and Plateau of Matat contained only 0.6 and 0.8%. The Moroccan oils (J. thurifera var. africana) were compared to European J. thurifera var. thurifera (Spain) oil. Moroccan oils were found to be higher sabinene and limonene than the European oil

Essential oil composition, phytotoxic and antifungal activities of Ruta chalepensis L. leaves from High Atlas Mountains (Morocco)

This study aimed at the determination of chemical composition of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation, and to evaluate their phytotoxic and antifungal activities. Leaves of Ruta chalepensis L. were collected from the region of Tensift Al Haouz (High Atlas Mountains) Marrakech, Morocco. The essential oil (oil yield is 0.56%) was analysed by GC-FID and GC/MS. Twenty-two compounds were identified and accounted for 92.4% of the total oil composition. The major components were undecan-2-one (49.08%), nonan-2-one (33.15%), limonene (4.19%) and decanone (2.71%). Antifungal ability of essential oils was tested by disc agar diffusion against five plant pathogenic fungi: Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium pseudograminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium polyphialidicum. The oils were also tested in vitro for herbicidal activity by determining their influence on the germination and the shoot and root growth of two weed species, Triticum durum and Phalaris canariensis L.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oils isolated from Juniperus thurifera L. var. Africana

This study describes the chemical composition and antibacterial activities of essential oils of Moroccan Juniperus thurifera L. var. Africana (Cupressaceae). The essential oil of dried leaves was isolated by hydrodistillation, vapohydrodistillation and microwaves. Sixty-four compounds in J. thurifera L. var. Africana oils were identified (79.9%, 92.4% and 98.4% of the oil, respectively). The most abundant compound in J. thurifera L. var. Africana oils is sabinene (38%, 36.2% and 39.4%). Antibacterial activities of J. thurifera essential oils was tested against bacteria Gram ( − ) and Gram (+). The oil is very active against all bacteria tested except Pseudomonas, which turned out to be very resistant.

New quaternized cellulose based on hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) grafted EDTA: Synthesis, characterization and application for Pb (II) and Cu (II) removal

In this paper, new quaternized cellulose derivative based on Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is successfully prepared in homogeneous medium. The resulted product is characterized using spectroscopy techniques (FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR). At the supramolecular level, the x-ray patterns show that a high hydrogen bond density occurs by grafting EDTA on the HEC fibers. The new adsorbent (HEC-EDTA) shows a high adsorption capacity of heavy metals (Pb (II) and Cu (II)) from aqueous metals solutions. The adsorption of the both metal ions follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while the adsorption isotherms are well described by the Langmuir model. The qm values are determined for Pb (II) and Cu (II), respectively. For each metal, the equilibrium adsorption time is found to be 30min. Moreover, the HEC-EDTA adsorption capacity is strongly dependent on the pH value; and the adsorption is favorable for pH values ​​between 4 and 6. Moreover, the results show a high affinity toward Cu (II) than Pb (II).

North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy

Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the described plants. Objective: Bearing in mind the lack of comprehensive and systematic studies, the aim of this review is to give an overview of studies, namely ethnobotanical surveys and experimental evidence of anticancer effects regarding medicinal plants used in North Africa for cancer therapy. Method: The research was conducted on several popular search engines including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The research focused primarily on English written papers published between the years 2000 and 2016. Results: This review on plants traditionally used by herbalists in North Africa highlights that Morocco and Algeria are the countries with most surveys on the use of medicinal plants in folk medicine. Among the plethora of plants used, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum-graecum are the most referred ones by herbalists for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, a plethora of scientific evidence qualifies them as candidates for further drug development. Furthermore, we report on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Conclusion: Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of some medicinal plants as anticancer agents. The North African flora offers a rich source of medicinal plants for a wide array of diseases, including cancer. The elucidation of their modes of action represents an indispensable condition for the rational development of new drugs for cancer treatment. Furthermore, testing the anticancer activity in vivo and in clinical trials are warranted to explore the full therapeutic potential of North African plants for cancer therapy.

Chemical Composition, Organic and Mineral Contents of Leaves of Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters. From the Tensift- Al Haouz, Marrakech region (Morocco)

Abstract The chemical composition of essential oils obtained by steam- distillation of the leaves of Tetraclinis articulata were studied by GC-FID and GC-MS. The samples were collected from Tensift Al Houz region from Marrakech (Morocco). Monoterpenes hydrocarbons constituted the main chemical groups in the oil from leaves of T. articulata contained higher amounts of α-pinene (41.2 %) and bornyl acetate (20.6 - 36.4 %). Heavy metal contents in the collected samples, i.e. Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Cu, S, Si, Al and Zn, were found at different levels. The highest mean levels of Ca, K, Mg and Si were found in this specie. The composition of organics (lipids, total nitrogen, protein and fats) of this specie is also reported.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Algerian Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters

Abstract This study evaluates the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters from Algeria. The essential oils of fresh and dried leaves were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, identifying sixty-two and fifty-four volatile compounds representing 88% and 98% of the total essential oil composition, respectively. The main compounds of T. articulata essential leaf oils were α-pinene (36.1% in fresh, 44.1% in dried leaves), camphor (1.7%/20.1%), bornyl acetate (18.3%/3.1%), limonene (2.9%/5.0%), borneol (2.3%/3.1%), myrcene (2.2%/2.9%), β-caryophyllene (2.3%/1.3%) and camphene (1.5%/1.8%). The antimicrobial activity of T. articulata essential oils were tested against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, responsible for nosocomial infections. Essential oils of T. articulata were active on all pathogenic strains tested.

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton: honeybee forage and preliminary results on the metabolic profiling by NMR spectroscopy†

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a technology for metabolite characterisation of both foods and plants. NMR technique allows to analyse metabolite content in a single experiment, in a non-destructive way and with a very simple sample preparation. This study characterises the metabolites of Perilla frutescens var. crispa leaf and flower for the first time by NMR. Our results showed higher metabolite content in leaves compared to flowers, highlighting the presence of amino acids, organic acids, saccharides and large amounts of aromatic compounds, mainly in the form of rosmarinic acid. Moreover, we cultivated Perilla, an important medicinal plant native to Asia, in a low mountain environment in Italy, to continue its evaluation as a honeybee attractive species. Interestingly, even in this type of environment, Perilla has been confirmed to be a good bee plant for both nectar and pollen.