First report on phytochemical investigation, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Helianthemum getulum.

A new flavonoid, 5,7,2',4',5'-pentahydroxyflavone 3-O-ß-D-galactopyranoside (12) and twelve known derivatives: an aryltetralin-lignan (3), seven flavonoids (4-5, 7-10, 13) and four phenolic acids (1-2, 6, 11) have been isolated from the aerial parts of Helianthemum getulum Pomel. (Cistaceae family) an endemic species to the septentrional Sahara that is being studied for the first time. Structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was established by means of spectroscopic methods especially NMR and Mass Spectrometry. In vitro antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, GOR and CUPRAC assays) and antidiabetic (micro-dilution method) activities of the crude extract, fractions and isolated compounds were performed. The new flavonol (12) and Compounds (2, 3, 7, 9) were found to be the most active, some of them exhibiting better activity than the antioxidant standards. Compounds 7, 9 and 3 showed higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity compared to standard acarbose (IC50= 2.70 ± 0.03 µM, 3.09 ± 0.03 µM, 37.28 ± 1.20 µM and 275.43 ± 1.59 µM, respectively).

Evaluation of the Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Cytoprotective Activities of Halophyte Extracts against Mycotoxin Intoxication.

Twelve halophyte species belonging to different families, widely represented along French Atlantic shoreline and commonly used in traditional medicine, were screened for protective activities against mycotoxins, in order to set out new promising sources of natural ingredients for feed applications. Selected halophytic species from diverse natural habitats were examined for their in vitro anti-mycotoxin activities, through viability evaluation of Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) and intestinal porcine enterocyte (IPEC-J2) cell lines. Besides, the in vitro antioxidant activities of plant extracts were assessed (total antioxidant and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-scavenging bioassays). Of the 12 species, Galium arenarium, Convolvulus soldanella and Eryngium campestre exhibited the most protective action on MDBK and IPEC-J2 cells against zearalenone (ZEN) or T2 toxin contamination (restoring about 75% of cell viability at 10 µg·mL-1) without inflammation response. They also had strong antioxidant capacities (Inhibitory concentration of 50% (IC50) < 100 µg·mL-1 for DPPH radical and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of 100 to 200 mg Ascorbic Acid Equivalent (AAE)·g-1 Dry Weight), suggesting that cell protection against intoxication involves antioxidant action. A bio-guided study showed that fractions of G. arenarium extract protect MDBK cells against T2 or ZEN toxicity and several major compounds like chlorogenic acid and asperuloside could be involved in this protective effect. Overall, our results show that the halophytes G. arenarium, C. soldanella and E. campestre should be considered further as new sources of ingredients for livestock feed with protective action against mycotoxin intoxication.

Antiviral activities of sulfated polysaccharides isolated from Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Rhodophytha, Gigartinales) and Boergeseniella thuyoides (Rhodophyta, Ceramiales).

Water-soluble sulfated polysaccharides isolated from two red algae Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Gigartinales, Sphaerococcaceae) and Boergeseniella thuyoides (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) collected on the coast of Morocco inhibited in vitro replication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at 12.5 µg/mL. In addition, polysaccharides were capable of inhibiting the in vitro replication of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) on Vero cells values of EC50 of 4.1 and 17.2 µg/mL, respectively. The adsorption step of HSV-1 to the host cell seems to be the specific target for polysaccharide action. While for HIV-1, these results suggest a direct inhibitory effect on HIV-1 replication by controlling the appearance of the new generations of virus and potential virucidal effect. The polysaccharides from S. coronopifolius (PSC) and B. thuyoides (PBT) were composed of galactose, 3,6-anhydrogalactose, uronics acids, sulfate in ratios of 33.1, 11.0, 7.7 and 24.0% (w/w) and 25.4, 16.0, 3.2, 7.6% (w/w), respectively.

New antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of falcarindiol isolated in Crithmum maritimum L. leaf extract.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a chloroformic extract obtained from Crithmum maritimum leaves led to the chemical isolation of falcarindiol, a polyacetylene widely distributed within the Apiaceae family. Structure of this compound was confirmed by NMR and activity was tracked using a screening microplate bioassay. Falcarindiol strongly inhibited the growth of Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus cereus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 50 microg ml(-1). Moreover, this compound showed cytotoxicity against IEC-6 cells with an IC50 value of 20 microM after 48 h of exposition. These results suggest that Crithmum maritimum could be potentially used in food manufactures and cosmetology as preservative agents and biopesticides, or in medicine as new antibiotics, confirming the interest in studying halophytic species as sources of bioactive compounds.