Polygonum is a plant genus that includes annual and perennial species and is found at various temperatures, from northern temperate regions to tropical and subtropical areas. The genus Polygonum has been used for centuries for various disorders, including hypertension, intestinal and stomach pain, dysuria, jaundice, toothaches, skin allergies, hemorrhoids, cardiac disorders, kidney stones, hemostasis, hyperglycemia, and others. Various databases, including Google Scholar, Scifinder, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Web of Science, were utilized to collect pertinent scientific literature data. According to bibliographic studies, the Polygonum genus possesses various compounds from different families, including phenolic acids (gallic acid, caffeic acid, quinic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, and many other compounds), flavonoids (quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, quercitrin, kaempferol, myricetin, etc.), tannins, stilbenes (polydatin and resveratrol), terpenes (α-pinene, β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide, bisabolene, β-farnesene, etc.), fatty acids (decanoic acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, dodecanoic acid), polysaccharides, and others. Various chemical and biological activities (in vitro and in vivo), such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiparasitic, hepatoprotective, neuropharmacological, gastroprotective, diuretic, antipyretic, and others, have been described in several biological studies involving this species. An updated summary of Polygonum species and their ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, toxicological, pharmacological, and phytopharmaceutical formulations is necessary. Considering the numerous potentialities of the Polygonum species and their wide-ranging use, it is extremely essential to provide knowledge by compiling the accessible literature to identify the topics of intense investigation and the main gaps to better design future studies. The objective of this review is to give readers a better understanding, greater comprehension, and in-depth knowledge of the genus Polygonum's traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicological features, and galenic formulation. Several species of this genus have been detailed in this review, including those that were frequently used in traditional medicine (P. minus, P. aviculare, P. hydropiper, P. cuspidatum, and P. multiflorum) and many of the genus' therapeutic species, like P. equisetiforme, which do not get enough attention.

Ocimum basilicum is a valuable source of bioactive metabolites with high preventive and therapeutic effectiveness. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of phenological stages (vegetative and flowering stages) on essential oil composition and biological activities of two varieties of O. basilicum (Fino Verde variety and Genovese varieties). To this end, the level of essential oils, flavonoids and phenols, as well as antioxidant and antifungal activities were measured. At the metabolic level, essential oil at vegetative stage of O. bailicum Fino Verde and Genovese variety was constituted by 22 and 26 compounds representing 71.68% and 82.54% of the total oil, respectively. Where germacrene D (10.07%), bicyclogermacrene (6.07%) and β-elemene (4.88%) were the most present components in Fino Verde variety. Moreover, 22.19% are oxygenated monoterpenes represented mainly by the linalool (15.18%) and 1.8 cineole (6.36%) in Genovese variety. The individuals of essential oils were significantly increased to 40 components in Fino Verde variety (98.01% of total essential oil) and decreased to 15 components (95.6% of total essential oil) in Genovese variety at flowering stage. At this stage, the oxygenated monoterpenes (78.4%) were the major fraction represented by linalool (40.1%) and 1.8 cineole (30.96%) in Fino Verde variety, however 64.69% were esters which mainly represented by the methyl cinnamate (64.69%), and 16.83% of oxygenated monoterpenes and Linalool (12.7%) were recorded for Genovese variety. Genovese variety showed the highest levels at both vegetative and flowering stage compared to Fino Verde variety. At flowering stage, the two varieties showed high antioxidant and antifungal activities. Overall, O. basilicum properties offer prospects for their use as a source, particularly at flowering stage to extend new medicines based on natural bioactive molecules.

The present study aims to compare two innovative extraction techniques: microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) through traditional extraction techniques: hydrodistillation (HD) and steam distillation (SD) for their efficiency in the extraction of the volatile compounds from Tunisian Thymus vulgaris leaves; the kinetic, yield, composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oil were assessed in vitro. Results show that the essential oils extracted by microwaves were quantitatively (yield) similar to those obtained through the conventional methods, but qualitatively, essential oils analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) presented 17, 11, 11 and 8 compounds obtained through SFME, MAHD, SD and HD, respectively, mostly consisting of carvacrol (89.24–41.17%), followed by γ-terpinene (11.37–1.37%) and para-cymene (27.95–2.05%). The essential oils were screened for antibacterial activity against 5 microorganisms. All essential oils obtained by studied extraction methods showed the same resistance against Gram (−) and Gram (+) bacteria. The SFME method gave the best results: rapid kinetic of extraction (30 min vs. 35 min for MAHD, 120 min for SD, and 180 min for HD), less energy saving and cleanest process.

The genus Scorzonera has various medicinal values. Species belonging to this genus were traditionally used as drugs or in food. The current study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and biological properties of the tuber, leaf, and flower of Scorzonera undulata extracts, collected from the southwest of Tunisia. Phenolic compounds from the three parts were extracted using two solvents (water and ethanol) and two extraction techniques (maceration and ultrasound). The total phenolic content was measured by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Furthermore, the chemical composition of Scorzonera undulata extract was also investigated by the LC-ESI–MS method using phenolic acid and flavonoid standards. The variation of the extraction methods induced a variation in the real potentialities of the three parts in terms of bioactive molecules. However, the aerial part of S. undulata (leaves and flowers) showed, in general, the highest phenolic contents. Twenty-five volatile compounds have been detected by GC-MS in S. undulata extracts; among them, fourteen were identified before derivatization. The DPPH test showed that the aerial part of the plant has a higher antioxidant activity compared to the tuber (25.06% at 50 µg/mL for the leaf ethanolic extract obtained by ultrasound extraction). For most biological activities (anti-Xanthine, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic (alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase)), the aerial parts (flowers and leaves) of the plant showed the highest inhibition than tubers.

Various parts of the Pinaceae species, a traditional plant, have potential health benefits and exhibit antibacterial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities. This study aims to investigate the biochemical properties of both petal (P) and core (C) fractions from pinecones of P. halepensis (PA), P. brutia (PB), and P. pinea (PP). Pinecones were manually separated into P and C, which were then milled to investigate maceration with solvents of increasing polarity: cyclohexane (1SV), ethyl acetate (2SV), and methanol (3SV) at 20 °C. Spectrophotometry was utilized to quantify the total phenolic content (TPC) and to assess bioactivities. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed to identify the chemical composition. 3SV extracts demonstrated the highest TPC and a significant anti–oxidant potential. PA-P-3SV exhibited the highest TPC (460.66 mg GAE/g DW) and PP-P-3SV displayed the best IC₅₀ (10.54 µg/mL) against DPPH. 1SV and 2SV extracts showed interesting anticancer activity against Hela and HepG2 cells. No significant toxic effect of P and C extracts from pinecones was observed on HEK-293 cells. GC-MS analysis unveiled 46 volatile compounds, of which 32 were detected for the first time in these species. HPLC analysis identified 38 compounds, of which 27 were not previously detected in these species. This study highlights the significant potential of pinecones as a rich source of bioactive compounds.

Pinus species are notable in Mediterranean regions due to their ecological and economic importance. Various parts of these species are widely used in traditional medicine, especially pinecones, which are a significant source of bioactive compounds. The current study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition and biological properties of the aqueous extracts obtained by maceration from three Pinus petal fractions, from P. halepensis Mill., P. brutia Ten., and P. pinea L. (APW, BPW, and PPW respectively), and the core fractions of the same species (ACW, BCW, and PCW respectively). The results showed that APW demonstrated superior performance compared to other species and fractions (p ≤ 0.05), with the highest total polyphenol content (203.51 mg GAE/g DW) and the highest antioxidant potential (IC₅₀ = 13.51 µg/mL) against DPPH free radical. All extracts showed high anticancer activity against HeLa and HepG2 cancer cell lines, and low inhibition against HEK-293, a normal cell line (<15%), indicating that none of extracts have any toxicity effect. Furthermore, only APW exhibits a significant inhibition against α-glucosidase with 77.20% at 50 µg/mL. HPLC-DAD analysis was conducted to identify 14 compounds. GC-MS analysis was conducted to identify 28 compounds, of which 11 were detected for the first time in this species. This study offers valuable insights into phytochemistry and potential therapeutic applications of pinecones.