The present study aimed to explore the phytochemical profile, and evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal properties, of Moroccan Mentha longifolia L. essential oil (ML-EO) using in vitro and in silico assays. Noteworthily, as chromatography (GC-MS/MS) revealed that ML-EO is majorly composed of piperitenone oxide (53.43%), caryophyllene (20.02%), and (−) germacrene D (16.53%). It possesses excellent antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ of 1.49 ± 0.00 for DPPH and 0.051 ± 0.06 μg/mL for ABTS. Moreover, the RP and TAC activities were 0.80 ± 0.01 μg/mL and 315.532 ± 0.00 mg EAA/g, respectively. ML-EO exhibited a potent antimicrobial effect, specifically against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also exhibited strong antifungal ability, especially against Candida albicans. Regarding insecticidal activity, for ML-EO, a dose of 20 µL/mL produced a complete reduction in fecundity, fertility, and emergence of adult C. maculatus with mortality rates reaching 100%. In silico results showed that the antioxidant activity is mostly attributed to α-Cadinol, the antibacterial efficiency is attributed to piperitenone oxide, and antifungal capacity is related to cis-Muurola-4(15),5-diene and piperitenone oxide. Accordingly, ML-EO has high potential to be used as an alternative for preserving food and stored grain and protecting them against microbes and insect pests in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Satureja calamintha nepeta (S. calamintha) has a history of successful use in the treatment of bacterial and fungal diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from wild S. calamintha (EOSS) and domesticated S. calamintha (EOSD) for comparison purposes. Hydrodistillation was used to extract the essential oils (EOs), while GC/MS was used for chemical analysis. Antioxidant activity was studied using DPPH and FRAP assays. Antifungal activity was performed against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, and Fusarium oxysporum), while antibacterial activity was tested against clinically resistant bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus mirabilis. By using ab=n in silico approach, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the main compounds of EOSS and EOSD were also investigated. The yields obtained of EOSS and EOSD were 2.80% and 1.95%, respectively, with a dominance of eucalyptol, pulegone and rotundifolone. Concerning the antioxidant power, the IC50 values recorded by the use of the DPPH assay were in the range of 23.03 ± 4.30 and 24.09 ± 4.38 μg/mL for EOSS and EOSD, respectively, while by using the FRAP assay, the EC₅₀ values were in the range of 55.38 ± 2.16 and 60.72 ± 7.71 μg/mL for EOSS and EOSD, respectively. Importantly, both essential oils of EOSS and EOSD exhibited good antibacterial activity against all studied bacteria; notably, the inhibition zone ranged from 14 ± 0.00 to 48.67 ± 1.15 mm and the MICs ranged from 0.37 ± 0.00 to 5.96 ± 0.00 µg/mL. Similarly, the studied EOs showed important antifungal activities compared to all the studied fungi, wherein the inhibition percentage ranged from 47.33 ± 1.15 to 89.18 ± 0.75%, while the MICs ranged from 0.18 ± 0.00 to 2.98 ± 0.00 µg/mL. The molecular docking results showed that piperitenone and pulegone strongly inhibited human acetylcholinesterase, whereas (+)-Isomenthone and piperitenone strongly inhibited S. aureus nucleoside diphosphate kinase, and E. coli beta-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase, respectively. The outcome of this article suggests that EOs of S. calamintha can be developed as alternative agents to manage drug-resistant phenomena and free radical issues.

Introduction: The post-harvest period of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] is marked by substantial losses due to the insect pest Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius). The primary goal of the current study is to identify environmentally appropriate substitutes for synthetic pesticides in the management of stored seed pests. Thus, in a laboratory setting, the insecticidal activity of essential oils (EOs) from Ziziphora hispanica and Satureja calamintha against the cowpea weevil C. maculatus was assessed.Methods: The fumigant effects of these two EOs were tested with concentrations (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 μL L−1 of air per 10 g of cowpea seeds) on four biological parameters of C. maculatus: adult mortality, fecundity, fertility, and adult emergence, while concentrations of 4, 12, 16, and 20 μL/cm2 of air were used for the repulsion test.Results and discussion: The fumigant effects of these two EOs were tested with concentrations (4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 μL L⁻¹ of air per 10 g of cowpea seeds) on four biological parameters of C. maculatus: adult mortality, fecundity, fertility, and adult emergence, while concentrations of 4, 12, 16, and 20 μL/cm² of air were used for the repulsion test. The results of fumigation tests showed a remarkable efficacy of both essential oils against adult C. maculatus after 24 h of exposure. Z. hispanica EO yielded a mortality rate of 80 ± 20%, with an LC₅₀ of 2.77 μL L⁻¹ for males and 66.66 ± 11.54% with an LC₅₀ of 3.57 μL L-1 for females at 4 μL L⁻¹ of air. However, the S. calamintha EO resulted in a mortality rate of 100% for males and 86.66 ± 23.09% with an LC₅₀ of 2.17 μL L⁻¹ for females at low doses. The fecundity was 1.33 ± 0.57 eggs per female. In contrast, this parameter was absent with S. calamintha EO at the low dose, while fertility and emerging adults were missing for both EOs. Furthermore, both EOs showed highly repellent activity towards C. maculatus adults, with 81.66% for Z. hispanica and 91.67% for S. calamintha EO. According to the results of the GC–MS analysis, the primary components of Z. hispanica EO were found to be pulegone (28.17%), alpha-naphtonitrite (10.77%), and 3-(3-thienyl) pro-2-enoic acid (10.62%). Similarly, the main constituents of S. calamintha EO were pulegone (21.48%), piperitenone oxide (17.71%), and eucalyptol (11.99%). Hence, these substances are regarded as the volatile compounds accountable for controlling C. maculatus activities. The study reports that Z. hispanica and S. calamintha show promising fumigant and repellent efficacy and offer new avenues for their potential use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides against stored seed pests.

Dactylopius opuntiae (carmine cochineal) is an invasive insect that damages cactus pear crops in Morocco. This study evaluated the laboratory pathogenicity of Moroccan strains of two entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema feltiae SF-MA1 and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HB-MA2) against adult females of D. opuntiae. The experiments included five concentrations of infective juveniles (100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 juveniles per milliliter) and three temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C). Mortality was assessed from 24 to 120 h and corrected using Abbott’s formula. The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, probit regression, and response surface analysis. Mortality varied with nematode species, concentration, exposure time, and temperature. Overall, mortality increased with concentration and exposure time, and the dose–temperature interaction additionally determined nematode efficacy. H. bacteriophora achieved its highest mortality and lowest median lethal concentration at 25 °C, whereas S. feltiae was most effective at 20 °C. Response surface analysis identified combinations of moderate temperatures and high doses that maximized mortality. These findings indicated that locally adapted entomopathogenic nematodes may be promising candidates for D. opuntiae control. However, semi-field and field experiments are required to validate their use in cactus pear orchards.