1. For centuries, medicinal and aromatic plants have served as a natural source of products for treating various human diseases (Christaki et al. 2012). These plants include a high concentration of...

Neotorularia aculeolata belongs to the family Cruciferae that has several uses in the Egyptian folk medicine for many years. Nothing could be traced about the chemical composition of the plant. Extraction, isolation and purification of the air-dried plant material using different chromatographic techniques (PC, TLC & CC) provided seven flavonoids. Identification of the isolated compounds using different chemical and physical techniques (UV, 1H-NMR and C 13 NMR spectroscopy) allowed to characterize these compounds as kaempferol, kaempferol-7-O-rhamnoglucoside {Kaempferol-7-neohesperidoside}, quercetin, rutin, quercetin-3-O- β-D-glucoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside-3`-methylether, quercetin-3,7-di-O-α-L-rhamnoside-3`-methylether and myricetin.

Cactus pear pulp and peel are rich sources of important nutrients and bioactive compounds, which are degraded during dehydration. This work aims to determine the chemical characteristics of fresh juice and peel of Opuntia ficus-indica (yellow cultivar) and Opuntia littoralis (red cultivar), using them in cookies production and evaluating the quality of cookies. Results showed higher TSS, polyphenols, flavonoids and betalains for the red cultivar (either juice or peels), while the yellow cultivar possessed higher pH and carotenoids. The major phenolic acids of all samples are gallic followed by chlorogenic. While the predominant flavonoids are catechins followed by naringenin. Yellow and red juice cookies possessed higher moisture. Yellow or red peel cookies owned higher crude fiber. Yellow and red peel cookies recorded the best microbiological quality. Peel cookies had higher weight and hardness compared to juice cookies which had higher diameters and spread ratio. All produced cookies, are organoleptically accepted. The results suggested that, fresh prickly pear juices and peels could be used in the production of delicious and healthy cookies.

This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant effects of successive extracts of Ziziphora capitata L. aerial parts. UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS identified 79 phytoconstituents, including phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, as major phytoconstituents. Additionally, primary phytochemical investigations revealed the presence of terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins in various plant fractions. The MICs of successive extracts were tested against a range of microorganisms, including gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutants, Enterococcus faecalis, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and Enterobacter cloacae), fungi (Aspergillus niger and Penicillium aurantiogriseum), and yeast (Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis), using the disk diffusion technique. The ethyl acetate and 95% ethanol extracts exhibited significant antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms; however, the hexane fraction affected only P. aeruginosa. The effects of the CHCl₃ and H₂O fractions varied in their activities against most of the bacteria examined. Additionally, the AcOEt and 95% EtOH extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ = 18.6 ± 0.97 and 30.4 ± 1.86 µg/mL, respectively, compared to that of ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 10.6 ± 0.8 µg/mL, reference drug). Antibacterial and antioxidant activities can be attributed to phytoconstituents, which were identified using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Furthermore, docking simulations of the top ten phytochemicals of the 70% methanolic extract were carried out inside the active site of S. aureus DNA gyrase (PDB: 2XCT) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) from S. pneumoniae (PDB: 2VEG) as bacterial targets and these compounds exhibited good binding modes with different types of interactions. Graphical Abstract

The history for the use of Aloe vera for medicinal purposes starts from about 3000 years. Medicinally, this plant may be able to treat skin cancer as well as sunburns, burns, and small wounds. More than 104 compounds from various parts of this plant, including minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, sterols, anthraquinone, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, polysaccharides, sugars, and polyphenols, have been isolated thus far, according to scientific reports on phytochemical analysis of this plant. The biological activities of these compounds are diverse and include anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, diuretic, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and cosmetic effects for medical therapy. This article mainly emphasizes therapeutic, medicinal and food uses of A. vera. Peer Review History: Received: 26 October 2023; Revised: 9 November; Accepted: 25 December, Available online: 15 January 2024 Academic Editor: Dr. Tamer Elhabibi, Suez Canal University, Egypt, tamer_hassan@pharm.suez.edu.eg Received file: Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewers: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Makassar, Indonesia, ahmad.najib@umi.ac.id Prof. Ali Gamal Ahmed Al-kaf, Sana'a university, Yemen, alialkaf21@gmail.com