Ethnobotanical study of some medicinal plants from Hoggar, Algeria

Exploring the anti-inflammatory, sedative, antidiabetic, and antioxidant potential in in-vitro and in-vivo models and phenolic profiling of Atractylis aristata Batt

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Atractylis aristata batt., as an endemic plant from the Asteraceae family, holds a significant position in the Ahaggar region of southern Algeria's traditional medicine. The aerial parts of Atractylis aristata was used to cure inflammation, fever, and stomach disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The objective of the present investigation was to ascertain the overall bioactive components and phytochemical components and examine the antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, acute toxicity, and sedative properties of the crude extract obtained from the aerial portions of Atractylis aristata (AaME).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The AaME's antioxidant activity was assessed by the use of pyrogallol autoxidation, (1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and reducing power (RP) techniques. 1 mg/mL of AaME was used to evaluate the antidiabetic activity by applying the enzyme α-amylase inhibitory power test. At the same time, the bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation method was employed to quantify the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity at different concentrations (1.5625, 0.78125, 0.390625, 0.1953125 and 0.09765625 mg/mL). In contrast, following the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guideline No. 423, which covers acute oral toxicity testing protocols, the limit dosage test was employed to assess in vivo acute toxicity. At the dose of 0.08 mg/mL, the carrageenan-induced paw edema approach was used to assess the anti-inflammatory efficacy in vivo, and the sedative activity was carried out at the dose of 0.08 mg/mL using the measurement of the locomotor method. Different bioactive compounds were identified within AaME using LC-MS/MS and HPLC-UV analysis.

RESULTS

The acute toxicity study showed no fatalities or noticeable neurobehavioral consequences at the limit test; this led to their classification in Globally Harmonized System (GHS) category Five, as the OECD guideline No 423 recommended. At a concentration of 0.08 mg/mL (2000 mg/kg), AaME showed apparent inhibition of paw edema and a significant (p = 0.01227) reduction in locomotor activity compared to the control animals. Our findings showed that AaME exhibited considerable antioxidant (IC50 = 0.040 ± 0.003 mg/mL (DPPH), IC50 = 0.005 ± 5.77 × 10-5 mg/mL (ABTS), AEAC = 91.15 ± 3.921 mg (RP) and IR% = 23.81 ± 4.276 (Inhibition rate of pyrogallol) and rebuts antidiabetic activities (I% = 57.6241% ± 2.81772). Our findings revealed that the maximum percentage of BSA inhibition (70.84 ± 0.10%) was obtained at 1.562.5 mg/mL. Thus, the AaME phytochemical profile performed using phytochemical screening, HPLC-UV, and LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated that A. aristata can be a valuable source of chemicals with biological activity for pharmaceutical manufacturers.

CONCLUSION

The phytochemical profiling, determined through HPLC-UV and LC-MS/MS applications, reveals this plant's therapeutic value. The aerial parts of Atractylis aristata contain bioactive molecules such as gallic acid, ascorbic acid, and quercetin, contributing to its significant antioxidant capabilities. Furthermore, identifying alizarin, the active compound responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties, could provide evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory capabilities of this subspecies.

Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, Toxicological, and Pharmacological Properties of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam.: A Comprehensive Review

Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. (Rhamnaceae) is a plant species found across the Mediterranean area. This comprehensive overview aims to summarize the botanical description and ethnobotanical uses of Z. lotus and its phytochemical compounds derived with recent updates on its pharmacological and toxicological properties. The data were collected from electronic databases including the Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Google Scholars. It can be seen from the literature that Z. lotus is traditionally used to treat and prevent several diseases including diabetes, digestive problems, urinary tract problems, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disorders, neurological diseases, and dermal problems. The extracts of Z. lotus demonstrated several pharmacological properties in vitro and in vivo such as antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-oxidant, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, analgesic, anti-proliferative, anti-spasmodic, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects. The phytochemical characterization of Z. lotus extracts revealed the presence of over 181 bioactive compounds including terpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids. Toxicity studies on Z. lotus showed that extracts from this plant are safe and free from toxicity. Thus, further research is needed to establish a possible relationship between traditional uses, plant chemistry, and pharmacological properties. Furthermore, Z. lotus is quite promising as a medicinal agent, so further clinical trials should be conducted to prove its efficacy.

Moroccan Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Cancer: Ethnomedicinal Study and Insights into Pharmacological Evidence

Cancer is one of the major medical challenges, with an unacceptably high death toll worldwide. In Morocco, medicinal plants continue to play a pivotal therapeutic role despite the development of modern sanitation systems. In the current study, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out at the Moroccan national institute of oncology, Rabat, and we aimed at (1) establishing an exhaustive inventory of indigenous knowledge of Moroccan medicinal plants used to manage cancer and (2) confirming the reported ethnopharmacological uses through bibliometric review. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 291 cancer patients at the Moroccan National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, during a period of 4 months, from February to May 2019, through semistructured interviews. Ethnobotanical indices, including informant consensus factor (FIC), use report (UR), relative frequency citation (RFC), botanical family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), and index of agreement on remedies (IAR), were employed in data analyses. The survey revealed that 39 medicinal plants belonging to 27 botanical families and 38 genera were used to treat cancer. The most used ethnospecies were Aristolochia longa with the highest RFC value (0.096), followed by Nigella sativa, Ephedra alata, Euphorbia resinifera, and Lavandula dentata, éwith RFC values of 0.072, 0.054, 0.044, and 0.044, respectively. In regard to the plant families, Lamiaceae contributed the highest number of plants with five species (FUV = 0.034), followed by Asteraceae (4 species; FUV = 0.020), and Fabaceae (4 species; FUV = 0.020). The leaves are the most popular plant part used by the studied population against cancer; otherwise, decoction was the most commonly used method for remedy preparation and the highest FIC was noticed for uterine cancer treatment (0.86). Considering these findings, further investigations into the recorded plant species should be performed to assess phytochemical constituents and pharmaceutical benefits in order to identify their active compounds for any drug formulations.

Specialized Metabolites from the Allelopathic Plant Retama raetam as Potential Biopesticides

To cope with the rising food demand, modern agriculture practices are based on the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Although this strategy leads to a temporary solution, it also severely damages the environment, representing a risk to human health. A sustainable alternative to agrochemicals is the use of plant metabolites and plant-based pesticides, known to have minimal environmental impact compared to synthetic pesticides. Retama raetam is a shrub growing in Algeria’s desert areas, where it is commonly used in traditional medicine because of its antiseptic and antipyretic properties. Furthermore, its allelopathic features can be exploited to effectively control phytopathogens in the agricultural field. In this study, six compounds belonging to isoflavones and flavones subgroups have been isolated from the R. raetam dichloromethane extract and identified using spectroscopic and optical methods as alpinumisoflavone, hydroxyalpinumisoflavone, laburnetin, licoflavone C, retamasin B, and ephedroidin. Their antifungal activity was evaluated against the fungal phytopathogen Stemphylium vesicarium using a growth inhibition bioassay on PDA plates. Interestingly, the flavonoid laburnetin, the most active metabolite, displayed an inhibitory activity comparable to that exerted by the synthetic fungicide pentachloronitrobenzene, in a ten-fold lower concentration. The allelopathic activity of R. raetam metabolites against parasitic weeds was also investigated using two independent parasitic weed bioassays to discover potential activities on either suicidal stimulation or radicle growth inhibition of broomrapes. In this latter bioassay, ephedroidin strongly inhibited the growth of Orobanche cumana radicles and, therefore, can be proposed as a natural herbicide.

Infusion of aerial parts of Salvia chudaei Batt. & Trab. from Algeria: Chemical, toxicological and bioactivities characterization

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Salvia chudaei Batt. & Trab. from Algeria is traditionally used to relieve several dysfunctions, including inflammatory and pain-related situations.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work aimed to confirm scientifically the referred properties. For that, the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity were evaluated as well as acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of different doses of the infusion of S. chudaei aerial parts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Infusion of aerial parts of S. chudaei was prepared and screened for phenolic composition by generalized methods TPC and TFC then by LC-DAD-ESI/MSn. DPPH and FRAP were used to evaluate antioxidant activity. Using mice, acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory by carrageenan-induced paw edema, and analgesic by acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced pain activities were tested.

RESULTS

The infusion showed 2018 mg GAE/100g DW of phenolics and 1956 mg ECE/100g DW of flavonoids. Phenolic profile by LC-DAD-ESI/MSn revealed the presence of ten compounds: syringic acid hexoside derivative, kaempferol-O-diglucuronide, kaempferol-O-deoxyhexoside-hexoside, kaempferol-O-glucuronide, apigenin-O-diglucuronide, caffeic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, eriodictyol-O-glucuronide, rosmarinic acid hexoside, and rosmarinic acid. This acid was the major compound representing 54% of the total content of the identified compounds and an absolute content of 18 mg/g of extract. Additionally, the infusion exhibited a good antioxidant activity (DPPH: 81 μmol TE/g DW, FRAP: 438 μmol FSE/g DW). By oral administration to mice, the infusion showed a significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent reduction of carrageenan-induced inflammation and inhibition of formalin-induced pain (late and early phase) and acetic acid-induced writhing compared with the control. On the other hand, infusion up to 8 g/kg b.w. showed no signs of toxicity or mortality.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals, for the first time, that the infusion of the aerial parts of S. chudaei is not toxic in a single dose and has remarkable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities, supporting the use of this species in folk medicine.

Climatic Zone and Soil Properties Determine the Biodiversity of the Soil Bacterial Communities Associated to Native Plants from Desert Areas of North-Central Algeria

Algeria is the largest country in Africa characterized by semi-arid and arid sites, located in the North, and hypersaline zones in the center and South of the country. Several autochthonous plants are well known as medicinal plants, having in common tolerance to aridity, drought and salinity. In their natural environment, they live with a great amount of microbial species that altogether are indicated as plant microbiota, while the plants are now viewed as a “holobiont”. In this work, the microbiota of the soil associated to the roots of fourteen economically relevant autochthonous plants from Algeria have been characterized by an innovative metagenomic approach with a dual purpose: (i) to deepen the knowledge of the arid and semi-arid environment and (ii) to characterize the composition of bacterial communities associated with indigenous plants with a strong economic/commercial interest, in order to make possible the improvement of their cultivation. The results presented in this work highlighted specific signatures which are mainly determined by climatic zone and soil properties more than by the plant species.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for epilepsy treatment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to provide the reader with a review on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment in epilepsy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, to describe the extent and factors associated with its use among patients with epilepsy (PWE), and to recommend how effectively we will be able to reduce this alarming use.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective literature search from 1945 to December 2019, regarding CAM use in the MENA region, using electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science).

CONCLUSION

The use of CAM and consultation of traditional healers for the treatment of epilepsy has so far been widespread practice for centuries in the MENA region. Lack of health professionals and non-adherence to conventional epilepsy treatment are strongly associated with the use of CAM. Improvement in the level of knowledge of epilepsy among PWE, healthcare professionals, including traditional healers, will educate PWE and their caregivers on potentially unsafe practices and promote adherence to Antiseizure Drugs (ASDs). Additionally, randomized controlled trials are needed to study the role and value of various CAM treatment options in PWEs.

Asteriscus graveolens exhibits Antihypertensive Activity through Activation of Vascular KATP Channels Activation in Rats

Objective:

The objective of the study was to evaluate the antihypertensive activity of Asteriscus graveolens.

Methods:

L-NAME hypertensive and normotensive rats have received orally the aqueous extract of Asteriscus graveolens aerial parts (AGAPE) (100 mg/kg) during six hours for the acute experiment and during seven days for the sub-chronic treatment. Thereafter, blood pressure parameters were evaluated. Concerning the in vitro investigation, the vasorelaxant effect of AGAPE was tested in isolated thoracic aortic rings.

Results:

AGAPE extract significantly decreased the blood pressure parameters in hypertensive rats. Moreover, the results revealed that AGAPE exhibited antihypertensive effect through its vasorelaxant properties. More interestingly, this vasorelaxant activity seems to be probably mediated through activation of K+ ATP-sensitive (KATP) channels.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrates the antihypertensive activity of aqueous Asteriscus graveolens extract in hypertensive rats through activation of vascular KATP channels. This finding supports the use of this plant for the management of hypertension in Morocco.

Matricaria genus as a source of antimicrobial agents: From farm to pharmacy and food applications

Matricaria is a widespread genus of flowering plants of the family Asteraceae that grow in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Some of the species are also naturalized in Australia. Some species of this genus such as Chamomiles are recognized medicinal plants and cultivated in several countries for commercial purposes: to obtain its blue essence, as herbal tea, and for pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical uses. The phytochemical composition of Matricaria spp. includes volatile terpenoids (e.g., α-bisabolol, bisabolol oxide A and B, β-trans-farnesene and chamazulene), sesquiterpene lactones such as matricin, and phenolic compounds (flavonoids, coumarins and phenolic acids). Their essential oil is obtained from the fresh or dried inflorescences by steam distillation, and additionally cohobation of the remaining water. The volatile composition of the essential oil, especially the content of the valuable components α-bisabolol and chamazulene, depends on the plant part, origin and quality of the source, genetic, and environmental factors. Moreover, other parameters, such as season of harvest and methods of extraction, can affect the extraction yield of the essential oils/extracts, their composition and, therefore, their bioactivity. Due to the importance of this genus and particularly M. recutita (M. chamomilla), this review focus on its cultivation, factor affecting essential oils' composition and their role in traditional medicine, as antibacterial agents and finally as food preservatives.

Detailed phytochemical characterization and bioactive properties of Myrtus nivelii Batt & Trab

The endemic Algerian myrtle, Myrtus nivelii Batt & Trab., was evaluated for its bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities, and correlated with the individual phenolic compounds identified in its crude aqueous extract and subsequent organic fractions (ethyl acetate and butanol). Flavonols, such as myricetin, kaempferol and quercetin glycoside derivatives, were the major phenolic compounds found, along with the presence of ellagitannins. The ethyl acetate fraction contained the highest amount of phenolic compounds, followed by the butanol fraction and, finally, the crude aqueous extract. In general, all samples exhibited an excellent bioactivity, namely the ethyl acetate fraction that presented strong antioxidant activity, when compared to the standard trolox, strong cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity, especially against MRSA and MSSA. The present study revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction of M. nivelii could be used as a source of bioactive compounds in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Profiling polyphenol composition by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn and the antibacterial activity of infusion preparations obtained from four medicinal plants

Infusions ofT. pallescens,P. verticillataandL. guyonianumare a source of bioactive compounds.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used in Daraa-Tafilalet region (Province of Errachidia), Morocco

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

We carried out an ethnobotanical survey in Tafilalet region. This region is classified by the UNESCO as a reserve of biosphere and represents an important area with important knowledge of traditional medicine, especially the use of medicinal plants for human healthcare. Furthermore, the geographic location of this region makes this site a diverse and interesting resource of herbal biodiversity.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aimed to collect information about medicinal plants used in Tafilalet region as well as the indigenous knowledge related to the use of this natural resource in healthcare by the local population in order to preserve and protect this invaluable inheritance from loss and overlook. We aimed also to compare taxa used by the indigenous people of Tafilalet for health-care purposes in comparison with other regions of Morocco as well as neighboring countries.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The total of informants interviewed in this study was 1616 (1500 were local inhabitants and 116 were herbalists). This enquiry was carried out through semi-structured and unstructured interviews and the sampling technique used was the stratified sample (9 stratums). Data obtained were analyzed calculating 6 indices: Use Value (UV), Family Use Value (FUV), Fidelity Level (FL), Rank Order Priority (ROP), Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Jaccard similarity Index (JI).

RESULTS

194 species belonging to 69 families were inventoried in this survey and 17 species were cited for the first time in an ethnobotanical survey in Morocco. The highest value of UV was obtained for Rosmarinus officinalis L. (UV=0.24) and Liliaceae was the family frequently used by inhabitants of Tafilalet (FUV=0.106). In addition, the highest value of FL was recorded for Cistus salviifolius L. and Daphne gnidium L. with FL value of 100% for both species and Origanium vulgare L. had the highest ROP with a value of 53% while the highest value of FIC was mentioned for digestive system disorders (FIC=0.29). Concerning the level of similarity between our study and other regions of Morocco, the province of Tata seems to be the most similar to Tafilalet (JI=42.97), while M'sila (Algeria) was the most similar to Tafilalet among areas in neighboring countries (JI=13.00).

CONCLUSION

Despite the richness which characterizes Tafilalet regarding diversity and effectiveness of medicinal plants as well as the largest culture and knowledge related to the popular phytotherapy among local people in this region, several procedures must be realized to protect and to valorize this interesting inheritance.