Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin and Clemants, also known as Mexican tea, and locally known as Mkhinza, is a polymorphic annual and perennial herb, and it is widely used in folk medicine to treat a broad range of illnesses in Morocco. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical content and the antioxidant and the antibacterial properties of essential oils isolated from D. ambrosioides aerial components, growing in Eastern Morocco (Figuig). Hydrodistillation was used to separate D. ambrosioides essential oils, and the abundance of each phytocompound was determined by using Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). In vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and inhibition of β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assays were used to determine D. ambrosioides essential oils’ antioxidant activity. The findings revealed relative antioxidative power and modest radical scavenging. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils was broad-spectrum, with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis as the most susceptible strains tested. To elucidate the physicochemical nature, drug-likeness, and the antioxidant and antibacterial action of the identified phytocomponents, computational techniques, such as ADMET analysis, and molecular docking were used.

Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin and Clemants is an annual or ephemeral perennial herb used traditionally in the Mediterranean region in folk medicine to treat various illnesses, including those related to the digestive system. This study aims to assess the antispasmodic, myorelaxant, and antioxidant effects of D. ambrosioides flower hydroethanolic extract and its chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions in a comparative study to evaluate the result of the extraction type on the potential activity of the extract. Both rat and rabbit jejunum were used to evaluate the antispasmodic and myorelaxant effect, while the antioxidant effect was evaluated using DPPH, a ferric reducing power assay, and a beta-carotene bleaching test. LC/MS-MS analysis was carried out to reveal the composition of the different types of extract. Following the results, the hydroethanolic extract showed a significant myorelaxant effect (IC₅₀ = 0.39 ± 0.01 mg/mL). Moreover, it was shown that the hydroethanolic extract demonstrated the best antispasmodic activity (IC₅₀ = 0.51 ± 0.05 mg/mL), followed by the ethyl acetate (IC₅₀ = 4.05 ± 0.32 mg/mL) and chloroform (IC₅₀ = 4.34 ± 0.45 mg/mL) fractions. The antioxidant tests showed that the hydroethanolic extract demonstrated high antioxidant activity, followed by the ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions. The LC/MS-MS analysis indicates that the plant extract was rich in flavonoids, to which the extract activity has been attributed. This study supports the traditional use of this plant to treat digestive problems, especially those with spasms.

Cancer is one of the major medical challenges, with an unacceptably high death toll worldwide. In Morocco, medicinal plants continue to play a pivotal therapeutic role despite the development of modern sanitation systems. In the current study, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out at the Moroccan national institute of oncology, Rabat, and we aimed at (1) establishing an exhaustive inventory of indigenous knowledge of Moroccan medicinal plants used to manage cancer and (2) confirming the reported ethnopharmacological uses through bibliometric review. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 291 cancer patients at the Moroccan National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, during a period of 4 months, from February to May 2019, through semistructured interviews. Ethnobotanical indices, including informant consensus factor (FIC), use report (UR), relative frequency citation (RFC), botanical family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), and index of agreement on remedies (IAR), were employed in data analyses. The survey revealed that 39 medicinal plants belonging to 27 botanical families and 38 genera were used to treat cancer. The most used ethnospecies were Aristolochia longa with the highest RFC value (0.096), followed by Nigella sativa, Ephedra alata, Euphorbia resinifera, and Lavandula dentata, with RFC values of 0.072, 0.054, 0.044, and 0.044, respectively. In regard to the plant families, Lamiaceae contributed the highest number of plants with five species (FUV=0.034), followed by Asteraceae (4 species; FUV=0.020), and Fabaceae (4 species; FUV=0.020). The leaves are the most popular plant part used by the studied population against cancer; otherwise, decoction was the most commonly used method for remedy preparation and the highest FIC was noticed for uterine cancer treatment (0.86). Considering these findings, further investigations into the recorded plant species should be performed to assess phytochemical constituents and pharmaceutical benefits in order to identify their active compounds for any drug formulations.

Thrombocytes, also known as platelets, are crucial in maintaining the balance between blood clotting. Platelet hyperactivity and oxidative stress are the primary factors contributing to cardiovascular complications. Antithrombotic therapy remains one of the most effective treatments, but various potential side effects hinder its effectiveness, including the risk of haemorrhage. Intense research has been conducted on medicinal plants to discover the natural antithrombotic compounds. Argania spinosa, commonly known as the argan tree or argan oil tree, is a native species of southwestern Morocco. This study evaluated the primary and secondary hemostasis and antioxidant activity of leaf and branch aqueous extracts of A. spinosa and also assessed the phytochemical composition of these extracts. Platelet aggregation assay was performed using washed platelets stimulated with thrombin. For plasmatic coagulation, activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time were measured using the poor plasma method. Bleeding time was evaluated by inducing bleeding at the tip of a mouse tail. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined through the DPPH, β-carotene, and FRAP methods. The presence or absence of the secondary metabolites was carried out with the help of specific reagents, and the quantitative analysis was carried out using spectrophotometric and colorimetric methods. The study results revealed the presence of phenols, total flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, and coumarins type of secondary metabolites in both types of aqueous extracts and a higher concentration of these was recorded in the leaves extracts. Both aqueous extracts significantly reduced in vitro thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, extended tail bleeding time, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin and prothrombin time and exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity. The leaf extract of A. spinosa exerts significant effects against thrombotic manifestations and could be a promising source of new antithrombotic compounds.