Analysis of Chemical Composition and In Vitro and In Vivo Antifungal Activity of Raphanus raphanistrum Extracts against Fusarium and Pythiaceae, Affecting Apple and Peach Seedlings.

The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficiency of Raphanus raphanistrum extracts against Fusarium and Pythiaceae species associated with apple and peach seedling decline in Tunisian nurseries. A chemical composition of organic extracts was accomplished using liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and gas chromatography analysis. The in vitro test of three aqueous extract doses of R. raphanistrum against some apple and peach decline agents showed its efficacy in reducing mycelia growth. The in vivo assay of fine powder of this plant on peach seedlings revealed that treatment 8-weeks before the inoculation and planting was more efficient than the treatment before one week. This experiment revealed that the root weight of peach seedlings inoculated by F. oxysporum was improved to 207.29%. For apple seedlings, the treatment 8 weeks before the inoculation and plantation was more efficient than the treatment one week before; it reduced the root browning index. The study of R. raphanistrum chemical composition and its efficiency showed that the glucosinolates products: nitrile (4-Hydroxy-3-(4-methylphenylthio) butane nitrile, benzene acetonitrile, 4-fluoro,butane nitrile, 4-hydroxy-3-[(4-methylphenyl) thio] nitrile), and thiocyanate molecules (thiocyanic acid, ethyle) are responsible for the anti-fungal activities.

Physiological responses and expression of sugar associated genes in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) exposed to osmotic stress.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is the major food legume crop in Tunisia. However, its growth and yield is strongly affected by water-limited environments. In this study, osmotic stress exhibited a negative effect on Bachar and Badii cultivar. Nevertheless, the deteriorating effects of osmotic stress were relatively low on studied parameters of Bachar due to its better efficiency to reduce oxidative damage by increasing enzymatic activities such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), accumulation of total chlorophyll (Chlt), soluble sugars and leaf relative water content (RWC). GC-MS analysis determined a total of 11 soluble carbohydrates induced by osmotic stress and differentially accumulated in the both cultivars. Bachar showed elevated levels of mannose, glucose, galactose, ribose, rhamnose and myo-inositol which might help to maintain osmotic adjustment, membranes and proteins protection from the damaging effect of reactive oxygen species. Sugar metabolism related genes (VfNINV3, VfPHS2, VfFRK4, VfHXK1, VfGPI1, VfSTP1.1, VfpGlcT1.1, VfSTP5.1, VfpGlcT1.2, VfSWEET2.1, VfVINV2, VfSUS1, VfPGM1, VfSUT1.1, VfGPT1, VfSPS1, VfSPP1, VfPHS1, VfSUT4.1 and VfTMT1.1) were differentially expressed in both cultivars demonstrating their important roles in sugar accumulation. Most of these genes were upregulated in the leaves of Bachar under moderate and severe stress, which could lead to increase glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle in order to accelerate energy production, necessary to increase osmotic regulation and consequently enhancing the osmotic stress tolerance in that cultivar. Overall, sugars accumulation ability can be used as a useful indicator for the osmotic stress tolerant potential in faba bean breeding programs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1007/s12298-021-00935-1).

Genetic variability in Tunisian populations of faba bean (Vicia faba L. var. major) assessed by morphological and SSR markers.

The genetic diversity of 21 faba bean populations was examined using morphological and molecular markers. DNA was extracted from 189 individuals and 8 microsatellite markers were genotyped individually in these 21 populations. A total of 53 alleles were obtained in all populations, with an average of 6.62 alleles per locus. The expected and observed heterozygosity was 0.38 and 0.62 respectively. The average polymorphism index content of SSR markers was 0.61, ranging from 0.31 to 0.81. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram clustered all the populations into two groups, each for them subdivided into 3 sub-groups according to geographical origin. Morphological variation showed that the populations were not grouped according to their geographical origin. Therefore, patterns of differentiation of morphological traits did not coincide with molecular differentiation, indicating that morphological variation does not reflect genetic subdivision in studied faba bean populations. Analysis of molecular variance revealed high levels of genetic variation (83%) within population and provides a good base for designing genetic improvement programs. The result of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that three dimensional principal components (PC1, PC2 and PC3) contributed 40.56% of the total variability and accounted with values of 20.64, 11.22 and 8.70%, respectively. Cluster analysis based on PCA indicated three separate groups of populations. The genetic relationships found between the 21 populations samples were the same in both the PCA and STRUCTURE analysis which support the results observed. These data may serve as a foundation for the development of faba bean breeding programs.

Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of essential oil and methanol extract from Tunisian and French fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seeds.

This study was designed to examine the effect of provenance on the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of essential oil and methanolic extract from Tunisian and French fennel seeds (FFS). Analysis of the essential oil showed that although the same main compounds were found in Tunisian and FFS cultivars, some differences were present in their proportions allowing to classify them in two chemotypes. The first class was composed by trans-anethole (63.41%-78.26%) for Tunisian cultivars and the second one by estragole (44.72%-88.92%) for French cultivars. The phenolic composition of all fennel seed extracts was characterized by its richness in quinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, p-coumaric acid, and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid. All fennel seed extracts showed a better antioxidant potential than their essential oils depending on the origin. Principal component analysis showed a dispersion of the cultivars on three groups depending on the chemotype diversity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Recently, much attention has been focused on fennel due to the nutritional and health-protective value of their seeds. Several studies have highlighted the importance of fennel seed extracts and essential oils as key ingredients rich in bioactive compounds serving in formulation of new functional food products. This investigation designed to examine the effect of provenance on phytochemical and antioxidant potentials of Tunisian and French fennel seed extracts and essential oils.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and its bioactive constituents.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), a member of the Apiaceae family, is among most widely used medicinal plant, possessing nutritional as well as medicinal properties. Thus, the aim of this updated review is to highlight the importance of coriander as a potential source of bioactive constituents and to summarize their biological activities as well as their different applications from data obtained in recent literature, with critical analysis on the gaps and potential for future investigations. A literature review was carried out by searching on the electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for studies focusing on the biological and pharmacological activities of coriander seed and herb bioactive constituents. All recent English-language articles published between 2000 and 2014 were searched using the terms 'C. sativum', 'medicinal plant', 'bioactive constituents', and 'biological activities'. Subsequently, coriander seed and herb essential oils have been actively investigated for their chemical composition and biological activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant and anti-cancer activities, among others. Although coriander has been reported to possess a wide range of traditional medicinal uses, no report is available in its effectiveness use in reactive airway diseases such as asthma and bronchiolitis. In brief, the information presented herein will be helpful to create more interest towards this medicinal species by defining novel pharmacological and clinical applications and hence, may be useful in developing new drug formulations in the future or by employing coriander bioactive constituents in combination with conventional drugs to enhance the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer and cancer.