This study aimed to compare the influence of extraction methods on the pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). For this purpose, the dried plant materials were extracted using advanced (microwave (MAE), ultrasonic (UAE), and homogenizer (HAE) assisted extractions) and conventional techniques (maceration, percolation, decoction, infusion, and Soxhlet). The tyrosinase, elastase, α-amylase, butyryl, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition were tested by using L-3,4 dihydroxy-phenylalanine, N-Succinyl-Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide, butyryl, and acetylcholine as respective substrates. Antioxidant activities were studied by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP. In terms of extraction yield, advanced extraction techniques showed the highest values (MAE > UAE > HAE). Chemical profiles were dependent on the phenolic compounds tested, whereas the antioxidant activities were always higher, mainly in infusion and decoction as a conventional technique. In relation to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties, the highest inhibitory activities against α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase were observed for Soxhlet and macerated extracts, whereas the highest activity against tyrosinase was obtained with MAE > maceration > Soxhlet. Elastase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities were in the order of Soxhlet > maceration > percolation, with no activities recorded for the other tested methods. In conclusion, advanced methods afford an extract with high yield, while conventional methods might be an adequate approach for minimal changes in the biological properties of the extract.

Cacti are one of the most significant and diversified groups of angiosperms, distributed and cultivated globally, mostly in semi-arid, arid, and the Mediterranean climate regions. Conventionally, they are propagated by seeds or through vegetative propagationviarooted offshoots or grafting. However, these multiplication procedures remain insufficient for mass propagation.In vitroculture techniques are utilized to mass propagate endangered and commercial cacti species. These include somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration through indirect or direct organogenesis. The latter is a promising tool for commercial clonal propagation of high-value species and has been successfully implemented for several species, such asMammillaria, Hylocereus, Cereus, Echinocereus, andAriocarpus. However, its success depends on explant type, basal nutrient formulation of culture medium, and types and concentrations of plant growth regulators. This study aimed to assess the potential ofin vitropropagation methods applied to cacti species and discuss the different factors affecting the success of these methods. This study has also highlighted the insufficient work onOpuntiaspecies for mass propagation through axillary buds' proliferation. The development of an efficient micropropagation protocol is thus needed to meet the supply of increasing demand ofOpuntiaspecies for human consumption as fruit, animal feed, and ecological restoration in semi-arid and arid zones.

Plants are the main source of bioactive compounds that can be used for the formulation of cosmetic products. Plant extracts have numerous proven health benefits, among which are anti-ageing and skin-care properties. However, with the increased demand for plant-derived cosmetic products, there is a crucial prerequisite for establishing alternative approaches to conventional methods to ensure sufficient biomass for sustainable production. Plant tissue culture techniques, such as in vitro root cultures, micropropagation, or callogenesis, offer the possibility to produce considerable amounts of bioactive compounds independent of external factors that may influence their production. This production can also be significantly increased with the implementation of other biotechnological approaches such as elicitation, metabolic engineering, precursor and/or nutrient feeding, immobilization, and permeabilization. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of biotechnological tools for producing bioactive compounds, with a focus on bioactive compounds with anti-ageing properties, which can be used for the development of green-label cosmeceutical products. In addition, some examples demonstrating the use of plant tissue culture techniques to produce high-value bioactive ingredients for cosmeceutical applications are also addressed, showing the importance of these tools and approaches for the sustainable production of plant-derived cosmetic products.

Background: Naringenin (NA) is a natural flavonoid used in the formulation of a wide range of pharmaceutical, fragrance, and cosmetic products. In this research, NA was extracted from Searsia tripartita using an environmentally friendly, high efficiency extraction method: an ultrasound-assisted extraction with deep eutectic solvents (UAE-DES).Methods: Six natural deep eutectic solvent systems were tested. Choline chloride was used as the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and formic acid, ethylene glycol, lactic acid, urea, glycerol, and citric acid were used as hydrogen bond donors (HBD).Results: Based on the results of single-factor experiments, response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken design was applied to determine the optimal conditions for UAE-DES. According to the results, the optimal NA extraction parameters were as follows: DES-1 consisted of choline chloride (HBA) and formic acid (HBD) in a mole ratio of 2:1, an extraction time of 10 min, an extraction temperature of 50°C, an ultrasonic amplitude of 75 W, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1/60 g/mL. Extracted NA was shown to inhibit the activity of different enzymes in vitro, including α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase.Conclusion: Thus, the UAE-DES technique produced high-efficiency NA extraction while retaining bioactivity, implying broad application potential, and making it worthy of consideration as a high-throughput green extraction method.

Isoquercetin (ISQ) is reported to be a powerful antioxidant with extremely high bioavailability and structural stability compared to aglycone quercetin. Despite this, it is not well studied due to the limited methods for its extraction. With the growing interest in the research and analysis of ISQ-rich herbs, there is a need to optimize an efficient and rapid method for their extraction. In the present study, the ultrasound-assisted extraction of ISQ from Ephedra alata Decne was optimized by a response surface methodology (RSM) using high-performance liquid chromatography as a separation method. The best possible ranges for extraction time (10–30 min), temperature (50–70 °C), ultrasonic power (60–90 W), solvent-to-solid ratio (50–70 mL/g), and ethanol concentration (50–70%) were determined using a single factor analysis. Subsequently, an optimization of the extraction conditions was performed with RSM using the Box–Behnken design. An ultrasonication time of 10 min, a temperature of 60 °C, a power of 75 W, a solvent-to-solid ratio of 60 mL/g, and an ethanol concentration of 70% were determined to be the optimal conditions for the highest recovery of isoquercetin (1033.96 ± 3.28 µg/g). Furthermore, E. alata powder morphology (using a scanning electron microscope), antioxidant activities, and the inhibition potential of key enzymes involved in skin aging (elastase and collagenase), hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase), diabetes (α-amylase), inflammation (hyaluronidase), and neurodegenerative disorders (cholinesterase) were determined and compared with those using the Soxhlet method. This study established a highly efficient method for ISQ extraction and suggested several potential applications of ISQ in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

The arid climate of the Saharan regions is accentuated even more by the consequences of climate change and environmental threats, thus affecting normal plant development. The salinization of soils is one of the major stresses in the Moroccan Sahara Desert that strongly penalizes the production. In this sense, it would be interesting to explore the native flora of the target regions, and using it remains the best option to provide sustainable agriculture. The present study is part of a collaborative project with the aim of exploring desert plant species. Different parameters were taken for each species, including soil salinity and density. Two zones showed the highest levels of salinity, Daoura and Akhfennir, both in the Tarfaya province with 19.38 and 24.33 mS/cm, respectively. Although, several species were highly tolerant to salinity and were present at moderate to high densities. Among them, one can cite Aeluropus littoralis (Gouan) Parl., Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb. and Suaeda ifniensis Caball. ex Maire.