In Vitro Assessment of Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents, Antioxidant and Photoprotective Activities of Crude Methanolic Extract of Aerial Parts of Capnophyllum peregrinum (L.) Lange (Apiaceae) Growing in Algeria.

Background:Capnophyllum peregrinum (L.) Lange (Apiaceae) is the unique taxon of capnophyllum genus in Algerian flora. It has never been investigated in regards to its total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant and photoprotective activities. Methods:C. peregrinum aerial parts extracted with absolute methanol. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the extract were evaluated to determine their correlation with the antioxidant and photoprotective activities of the extract. Results: The methanolic extract demonstrated a significant amount of phenolics and flavonoids (74.06 ± 1.23 mg GAE/g, 44.09 ± 2.13 mg QE/g, respectively) and exhibited good antioxidant activity in different systems, especially in 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power and total antioxidant capacity assays. Furthermore the extract showed high photoprotective activity with the sun protection factor (SPF) value = 35.21 ± 0.18. Conclusions: The results of the present study show, that the methanolic extract could be used as a natural sunscreen in pharmaceutics or cosmetic formulations and as a valuable source of natural antioxidants.

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Cachrys libanotis from Algeria.

The essential oil of aerial parts of Cachrys libanotis L. (Apiaceae) from east Algeria was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Thirty-one compounds were identified, the main components being germacrene-D (18.0%), gamma-terpinene (6.4%), p-cymene (5.5%), caryophyllene oxide (5.1%), and limonene (5.1%).

Variability of two essential oils of Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC., a traditional Algerian medicinal plant.

The essential oils of the aerial parts of Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC collected from two Algerian localities, El Kala (near the coast) and Béjaia (from a meadow about 10 km from the coast), were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Although both samples showed similar overall chemical compositions, the major components of the Béjaia sample were identified as being spathulenol (14.8%), caryophyllene oxide (12.2%), salvial-4(14)en-1-one (10.1%), 1,5-epoxysalvial-4(14)ene (5.2%) and germacrene D (3.2%), while in the ElKala sample the main compounds were found to be salvial-4(14)en-1-one (16.4%), 1,5-epoxysalvial-4(14)ene (6.5%), chrysanthenyl acetate (5.2%) and alpha-amorphene (2.9%).