Antioxidant activity of Haloxylon scoparium alkaloid extracts from Figuig region (southeastern of Morocco)

Abstract The aim of this paper is to study the chemical composition of alkaloids present in Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extracts and to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. The alkaloids were isolated from two parts of Haloxylon scoparium plant by two extraction protocols. and The quantitative study made it possible to propose the best protocol for the extraction of the alkaloids. Moreover, GC-MS analysis of alkaloid extracts allowed us to determine their chemical composition. Haloxylon scoparium contains four types of alkaloids: tetraisoquinolines, phenylethylamines, tryptolines and tryptamines. The main compounds are the tetraisoquinolines type, the predominant product of which was N-methylsalsoline. These compounds present a great interest for the researchers due to their various pharmacological and biological activities. The antioxidant effect of the different plant extracts was studied by two methods: the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl free radical (DPPH·) scavenging tests. The results show that extracts of root part are more active than those from aerial part; the acetone/water extract is the most powerful. The interesting results obtained in this study will be supplemented by other analyses and biological tests in order to better valorize this plant.

Corrosion inhibiting effect of a green formulation based on Opuntia Dillenii seed oil for iron in acid rain solution.

This study examines the development of a new green and eco-friendly formulation derived from Opuntia dillenii seed oil (labeled as FOD) and its application as a corrosion inhibitor to protect iron which is subject to corrosion phenomena that become important especially in acidic environments as acid rain. Physicochemical properties and fatty acid analysis of Opuntia dillenii seed oil were performed and they demonstrated that the oil is a major source of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular linoleic acid, with a percentage of 73.388%. Corrosion inhibition effect of FOD was studied by gravimetric methods, electrochemical measurements, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with elemental analysis (SEM/EDX). Obtained results confirmed that FOD behaves as a good mixed corrosion inhibitor with predominant anodic activity. Inhibition efficiency of FOD is more important when the concentration of FOD and the immersion time increase, reaching values up to 99%. FOD forms a barrier layer on the surface of the iron, and thereby minimizes the contact area between the metal surface and the corrosive solution. The adsorption behavior of FOD on iron surface obeys Langmuir adsorption isotherm with chemisorption and physisorption mechanism.

A selective method for quantification of diazinon in human plasma by GC-MS.

Diazinon is a synthetic molecule known as an organophosphorus insecticide. It is used for gardens and for agriculture. This molecule represents a toxicological concern for humans. For this reason, the detection and the quantification of the diazinon in human samples are important in order to monitor an exposure and to diagnose intoxications. The aim of this work is to develop a selective method for the quantification of diazinon in human plasma by means of a gas chromatography (GC) with a mass spectroscopy (MS) detector. The method presented in this article includes a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) using dichloromethane/propanol-2/heptane. The correlation coefficient for the calibration curve is 0.992. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) are respectively 5 µg/L and 2 µg/L. The average recovery of the three different concentrations (15, 250 and 375 µg/L) varies from 22.8% to 31%. A test of stability at ambient temperature for 24 hours and at 4 °C for 48 hours was conducted. The relative error factor was found to be inferior to 15%. The results obtained show that the method developed gives satisfying validation parameters in human plasma. Therefore, the compound could be detected at very low concentration with a good linearity. This method can be used with other matrices, such as blood or urine, for a partial validation.