Medicinal plants are significant resource for drug discovery. The identification of novel biologically active compounds from plants typically relies on phytochemical analysis and assessment of their biological activity. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemicalcomposition, and evaluate the biological activity vis-à-vis the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Pituranthos chloranthus essential oil. The essential oil (EO) was extracted from the aerial parts of Pituranthos chloranthus by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The chemical composition of the EO was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated against seven laboratory strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the disc diffussion and microdilution assays. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. GC-MS analysis of P. chloranthus EO resulted in the identification of 44 compounds, with 1R-α-Pinene (18.63%), Paracymene (14.69%), α-Thujene (9.77%), and Aromadendrene dehydro (9.15%) as the majorcompounds. P. chloranthus EO exhibited antibacterial activity against the selected bacterial strains with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 9 to 19 mm, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 3 to 15 μL/mL against certain strains. P. chloranthus EO exhibited low antioxidant activity with EC50 values of 208.53 μg/mL and 81.726 μg/mL for DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively. These findings suggest that P. chloranthus EO may serve as a natural alternative source of bioactive compounds with potential antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

This study investigates the methanolic extraction and biological activities of Origanum vulgare ssp. glandulosum, a medicinal aromatic plant collected in Algeria. The plant material was air-dried, finely ground, and extracted using the Soxhlet technique with methanol (99.7%) as solvent for 6 h. The resulting extract was filtered, concentrated under reduced pressure at 40 °C, and stored for further analyses. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was evaluated against several bacterial strains using disc diffusion and microdilution methods. The tested strains included Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The results showed inhibition zones ranging from 7 to 9 mm, indicating a moderate antibacterial effect when compared to standard antibiotics, which produced significantly higher inhibition zones. In parallel, the total phenolic content of the methanolic extract was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method. The assay is based on the reduction of phosphomolybdic–phosphotungstic complexes, resulting in a blue-colored complex measured at 725 nm. The extract exhibited a high phenolic content estimated at 526.75 µg GAE/mg of extract, demonstrating its richness in bioactive secondary metabolites. Overall, the results highlight that O. vulgare ssp. glandulosum possesses notable antimicrobial potential and a high level of phenolic compounds, suggesting its possible application as a natural source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents in pharmaceutical and therapeutic fields.

Understanding the influence of temperature variations on durum wheat seed germination is of practical importance to farmers, researchers and agricultural decision-makers. The ability of seeds to germinate optimally is crucial to ensuring satisfactory crop yields. The main objective of this work is to analyze the impact of temperature variations on the viability and vigor of durum wheat seeds in Algeria. To achieve this goal, we adopted a comprehensive approach that primarily focused on studying the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and technological parameters (such as germination, seedling growth kinetics, soluble protein, proline, and soluble sugar content) of the seeds. Indeed, over a span of two years, four wheat varieties (Bousselam, Setifis, Megress, Saoura) were subjected to two distinct temperature and humidity conditions for the duration of the study. The first condition involved ambient temperatures fluctuating between 11°C and 37°C, with relative humidity ranging from 30% to 85%. However, the second condition involved storing the seeds in a cold room at a temperature of -04°C and a humidity of 12%. The results show significant variations in the germination rate of all varieties under both temperature conditions F=40, 54 P=0,000, with variety Bousselam (B) roving to be the most resistant to thermal changes. According to the results obtained, temperature affects the growth of the roots of the S variety, while the Bousselam (B), Megress(M), Saoura (SW) are not affected; in addition, storage under both temperature conditions has an impact on the average number of roots and the length of coleoptiles. Protein analyses revealed significant effects of storage under ambient conditions (F=4,70 P=0,000), while in the cold room, these effects were attenuated. In addition, storage showed variations in soluble sugar and proline content, with different responses under the two temperature conditions. These results underline the importance of understanding the responses of durum wheat varieties to variable thermal conditions, offering useful prospects for improving agricultural practices and preserving seed quality in changing environments.