Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam., an extremophyte shrub native to the Mediterranean basin, yields underexplored fruits as a source of therapeutic agents. This study combined in vitro and in silico approaches to evaluate the antioxidant potential of Z. lotus fruits and predict their potential to inhibit xanthine oxidase (XO), a key enzyme in reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress-related pathologies. The ethyl acetate extract from the hydroalcoholic macerate was enriched in total phenolics (281.33 ± 1.5 μg GAE/mg) and flavonoids (127.26 ± 5.89 μg RE/mg) and displayed remarkable effects against the ABTS^•+ radical cation (IC₅₀ = 18.49 ± 1.47 μg/mL) and phenanthroline reducing power (A_0.5 = 8.38 ± 0.69 μg/mL), together with measurable xanthine oxidase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 170.4 ± 5.90 μg/mL). The compounds tentatively identified by full-scan UHPLC-QtoF-HRMS were docked against XO (PDB ID: 3NVY), with phytosphingosine (−8.5 kcal/mol) and rutin (−8.3 kcal/mol) exhibiting the strongest binding affinities, forming favorable predicted interactions with critical catalytic residues, followed by 6‴-feruloylspinosin, 3′,5′-di-C-β-glucopyranosylphloretin and hexadecasphinganine (ranging from −7.8 to −7.6 kcal/mol). Predictive structure–activity relationships were also observed. These results provide insights into the antioxidant potential of Z. lotus phytochemicals and highlight the value of this extremophile plant as sustainable resource for phytotherapy and the management of oxidative stress-related diseases.

The production of neutral protease was carried out by the cultivation of Aspergillus oryzae Ahlburg (Cohen) 1042.72 in submerged fermentation using orange waste resulting from juice processing as a basal medium enriched with agro-industrial wastes. Optimization of the enzyme synthesis was achieved using the statistical method of Plackett-Burman design with N = 8 experimentsand N-1 factors; five real (corn-steep liquor, pH, salt, decommissioned dates, whey) and two errors. The results were modeled using a linear regression of the type: β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + β3X3 + β4X4 + β5X5 + e The statistical results (correlations and significance level) made it possible to select the factors allowing the maximum production of protease (2016 U) obtained on a medium containing orange waste enriched in corn-steep liquor in 72 h and at pH 6. A large production is therefore obtained on a cheap medium. La production d’une protéase neutre a été réalisée par fermentation d’une moisissure mésophyle (Aspergillus oryzae Ahlburg (Cohen)1042.72) en erlenmeyers sur milieux à base de déchets d’oranges enrichis à l’aide de sous-produits agro-industriels. L’optimisation de la synthèse de l’enzyme a été effectuée en utilisant une méthode statistique de planification expérimentale (les matrices de Plackett et Burman à N = 8, soit à 8 expériences et N-1 = 7 variables). Les variables utilisées sont les 5 facteurs de production (lactosérum, déchets de dattes ou dattes déclassées, corn-steep liquor, sels minéraux et pH) et 2 erreurs. Les résultats ont été modélisés selon une régression linéaire multiple de type : β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + β3X3 + β4X4 + β5X5 + e Les résultats statistiques (corrélation et seuil de signification) ont permis de sélectionner les facteurs permettant la meilleure production de l’enzyme. Celle-ci (2016 U) est obtenue sur un milieu à base de déchets d’oranges enrichis en corn-steep liquor après 72 h de fermentation à pH 6. Ainsi, le milieu optimal permet une production importante de protéase neutre sur un milieu à moindre coût.