In this study, the essential oils (EOs) of six Algerian plants (Artemisia campestris L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Juniperus phoenicea L., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Mentha pulegium L. and Lavandula officinalis Chaix) were obtained by hydrodistillation, and their compositions determined by GC-MS and GC-FID. The antioxidant activity of the EOS was evaluated via 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assays. Moreover, their cytotoxic effect was evaluated—as well as their tyrosinase, acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase (AChE and BuChE) inhibitory activities. The chemical analyses detected 44, 45, 51, 53, 26 and 40 compounds in EOs of A. campestris, A. herba-alba, J. phoenicea, J. oxycedrus, M. pulegium and L. officinalis, respectively. A. campestris EO was mainly composed of β-pinene (20.7%), while A. herba-alba EO contained davanone D (49.5%) as the main component. α-Pinene (41.8%) was detected as the major constituent in both J. phoenicea (41.8%) and J. oxycedrus (37.8%) EOs. M. pulegium EO was characterized by pulegone as the most abundant (76.9%) compound, while linalool (35.8%) was detected as a major constituent in L. officinalis EO. The antioxidant power evaluation revealed IC50 values ranging from 2.61 to 91.25 mg/mL for DPPH scavenging activity, while the FRAP values ranged from 0.97–8.17 µmol Trolox equivalents (TX)/g sample. In the ABTS assay, the values ranged from 7.01 to 2.40 µmol TX/g sample. In the presence of 1 mg/mL of the samples, tyrosinase inhibition rates ranged from 11.35% to 39.65%, AChE inhibition rates ranged from 40.57% to 73.60% and BuChE inhibition rates ranged from 6.47% to 72.03%. A significant cytotoxic effect was found for A. herba-alba EO. The obtained results support some of the traditional uses of these species in food preservation and for protection against several diseases.

Objectives: The secondary metabolites of the fruits of Firmiana simplex (L.) were analysed by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS; furthermore, we evaluated their antioxidant and antigenotoxic properties. Methods: The antioxidant activity was investigated using the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antigenotoxic potential was determined via the comet assay. Key findings: The ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc) was analysed by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS: phenolic acids and flavonoids were the main polyphenols of the fruits. The EtOAc fraction yielded the highest content of polyphenols with 314.61 mg GAE/g extract, followed by 297.51, 153.75, 101.47, 97.19 for dichloromethane, butanol, methanol and water extracts, respectively. As expected, a strong correlation exists between the antioxidant activity of the investigated extracts and their total phenolic content. In the DPPH assay, the IC50 value of the most active EtOAc fraction was 6.79 μg/ml, relative to 2.92 μg/ml of the standard ascorbic acid. ABTS and FRAP assays supported the results of DPPH assay. Moreover, using the comet assay, we could show that the phenol-rich EtOAc extract exhibits an antigenotoxic potential in human liver cancer cells (Hep-G2) treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a genotoxic agent. Conclusions: The fruits of Firmiana simplex may be a good natural source of antioxidant and antigenotoxic agents.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a potent anti-neoplastic and immunosuppressive agent; however, it causes multi-organ toxicity. We elucidated the protective activities of Eucalyptus globulus (EG) leaf extract against CP-induced hepato–renal toxicity. Mice were treated with EG for 15 days plus CP on day 12 and 13 of the experiment. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, 26 secondary metabolites were identified in EG leaf extract. Out of them, 4 polyphenolic compounds were isolated: (1) 4-(O-β-d-xylopyranosyloxy)-3,5-di-hydroxy-benzoic acid, (2) 4-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-3,5-di-hydroxy-benzoic acid, (3) gallic acid, and (4) methyl gallate. Effects of EG extract on biochemical parameters, gene expression, and immune-histopathological changes were assessed in comparison to mesna positive control. Results showed that EG improved CP-increased serum ALT, AST, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels. The hepatic and renal tissue levels of MDA, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, TNF-α, IL-6, and immunohistochemical expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) and caspase-3 were reduced. Also, hepatic and renal GSH contents, and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRf2)/ hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling levels were increased. Histopathological findings supported our findings where hepatic and renal architecture were almost restored. Results revealed the protective effects of EG against CP-induced hepato–renal toxicity. These effects may be related to EG antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties coupled with activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been linked to several health conditions, among them inflammation. Natural antioxidants may attenuate this damage. Our study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of a methanol leaf extract from Alpinia zerumbet and its possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and antipyretic effects. Altogether, 37 compounds, representing benzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids (aglycones and glycosides), were characterized. The extract showed substantial in vitro antioxidant effects, and inhibited both cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in vitro, with a higher selectivity towards COX-2. It also inhibited 5-lipoxygenase (LOX) activity in vitro with nearly double the potency of zileuton, a reference 5-lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitor. The extract exhibited anti-inflammatory effects against carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema, and suppressed leukocyte infiltration into the peritoneal cavity in carrageenan-treated mice. Furthermore, it possessed antipyretic effects against fever induced by subcutaneous injection of Brewer’s yeast in mice. Additionally, the extract demonstrated both central and peripheral anti-nociceptive effects in mice, as manifested by a decrease in the count of writhing, induced with acetic acid and an increase in the latency time in the hot plate test. These findings suggest that the leaf extract from Alpinia zerumbet could be a candidate for the development of a drug to treat inflammation and ROS related disorders.

Marine endophytic fungi from under-explored locations are a promising source for the discovery of new bioactivities. Different endophytic fungi were isolated from plants and marine organisms collected from Wadi El-Natrun saline lakes and the Red Sea near Hurghada, Egypt. The isolated strains were grown on three different media, and their ethyl acetate crude extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi as well as their antioxidant properties. Results showed that most of the 32 fungal isolates initially obtained possessed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The most potent antimicrobial extracts were applied to three different cellulose containing fabrics to add new multifunctional properties such as ultraviolet protection and antimicrobial functionality. For textile safety, the toxicity profile of the selected fungal extract was evaluated on human fibroblasts. The 21 strains displaying bioactivity were identified on molecular basis and selected for chemical screening and dereplication, which was carried out by analysis of the MS/MS data using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. The obtained molecular network revealed molecular families of compounds commonly produced by fungal strains, and in combination with manual dereplication, further previously reported metabolites were identified as well as potentially new derivatives.

The potential hepatoprotective activities of two Lannea species were explored in vivo. Furthermore, the binding activities of their main polyphenols to the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 were investigated. Based on HPLC-MS/MS results, 22 secondary metabolites were characterized in L. stuhlmannii (mainly tannins), while 20 secondary metabolites (mainly sulphated tannins) were identified in L. humilis. Both extracts exhibited substantial antioxidant activities in vitro and counteracted D-galactosamine induced intoxication in rats in vivo and increased the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of liver tissues. In addition to reducing the elevated levels of AST and total bilirubin, both extracts significantly attenuated the deleterious histopathologic changes in liver after D-galactosamine-intoxication. Also, both extracts protected hepatocytes from apoptotic cell death and increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. The identified compounds from both extracts can bind to the Bcl-2: Bim (BH3) interface with an appreciable binding free energy. Hydrogen and ionic bonds and hydrophobic interactions with amino acid residues in the hydrophobic face of Bim (BH3) domain were discovered. To sum up, L. humilis and L. stuhlmanni exhibited promising hepatoprotective activities in vivo against D-GalN-induced liver injury and their hepatoprotection is due to the antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of tannins and proanthocyanidins.