This work focused on the leaves of Dittrichia viscosa, a plant used in Mediterranean folk medicine. Compared to water extract, the methanolic extract had higher antioxidant effects. Moreover, this extract showed potent in vitro inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase and showed an interesting antiglycation effect. Additionally, the evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extract against two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, was very promising, with no cytotoxicity towards normal cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The antibacterial effect was also assessed and showed potent inhibitory activity against Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus subtilis. On the other hand, Dittrichia viscosa leaves were rich in macro-elements containing appropriate micro-elements and high levels of phenolics and flavonoids such as caffeic acid derivatives. Taken together, the results obtained in this study indicate that Dittrichia viscosa could constitute a valuable source of bioactive molecules and could be used either on the preventive side or for therapeutic applications without toxicity.

The present study was conducted to evaluate a natural extract, obtained from the Beta vulgaris plant, for its phytochemical composition and its beneficial health effects. Therefore, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as identification and quantification of phenolic compounds by HPLC, were assessed in leaves’ extract. Moreover, antioxidant activities were investigated using free radical scavenging tests, (ABTS⁺ and DPPH⁺) and reducing power assay (FRAP) as well as ferrous ions’ (Fe²⁺) chelating activity. The Antiglycation effect was also evaluated, using the BSA-fructose model, and the antidiabetic effect was determined by inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Additionally, the in vitro antitumor effect was quantified using the MTT assay, and the antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Both aqueous and methanolic extracts exhibited potential antioxidant capacity with a higher effect for the methanolic extract. Furthermore, the in vitro antitumor activity of the methanolic extracts exhibited potent cytotoxic effects against two breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-7. Moreover, Beta vulgaris extracts inhibit not only α-amylase and α-glucosidase, but also advanced glycation end-products’ (AGEs) formation, which would prevent diabetes’ complications. Beta vulgaris methanolic extract revealed also a high antibacterial effect against Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus subtilis. Taken together, these results revealed that Beta vulgaris leaves’ extracts constitute a valuable food and natural source of bioactive molecules that could be used for the development of new, natural drugs against cancer and diabetes.

Salinity is a severe abiotic problem that has harmful impacts on agriculture. Recently, biostimulants were defined as bioprotectant materials that promote plant growth and improve productivity under various stress conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of Crataegus oxyacantha extract as a biostimulant on tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) grown under salt stress. Concentrations of 20 mg/L, 30 mg/L, and 70 mg/L of C. oxyacantha extract were applied to tomato plants that were grown under salt stress. The results indicated that plants that were treated with C. oxyacantha extract had a higher ability to tolerate salt stress, as demonstrated by a significant (p < 0.05) increase in plant growth and photosynthetic pigment contents, in addition to a significant increase in tomato soluble sugars and amino acids compared to the control plants. In the stressed tomato plants, malondialdehyde increased and then decreased significantly with the different concentrations of C. oxyacantha extract. Furthermore, there was a significant improvement in the antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR) in the stressed plants, especially after treatment with 70 mg/L of the extract. Overall, our results suggest that C. oxyacantha extract could be a promising biostimulant for treating tomato plants under salinity stress.