High perillaldehyde content from essential oils of Ammodaucus leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu fruits from Aougrout (Algeria).

The chemical composition of the essential oil produced by hydrodistillation from the fruits of Ammodaucus leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus Cosson & Durieu collected from southern Algeria, precisely in Aougrout District (Adrar Province), was determined by GC-MS analysis. Nineteen (19) compounds, representing 85.71% of the essential oil, were found. The essential oil contained a high percentage of perillaldehyde (80.69%). This composition is compared to numerous reported essential oils of A. leucotrichus subsp. leucotrichus fruits that are found across Algeria and Morocco in various regions. The major component perillaldehyde has drawn a lot of interest in recent years due to its notable antifungal and broader antimicrobial properties, as well as its potential advantages for human health. Thus, the studied plant represents a source of this component that should be used as food additives, perfume ingredients, and in formulations of traditional medicine.

Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins in dried figs and nuts in Algeria.

The presence of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxin (AF) contamination was investigated in 112 samples of peanuts, almonds and dried figs collected in Algeria. The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1) and G2 (AFG2) in different commodities has been determined with a sensitive method based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection with post-column photochemical derivatisation. Analytical results indicated that 28 samples of peanuts, 16 samples of almonds and 26 samples of dried figs contained detectable levels of AFs. A total of 69 samples (61.6%) were contaminated with AFB1 ranging from the limit of quantification to 174 µg kg-1. AFB2 was found in 12 samples (10.7%) and varied from 0.18 to 193 µg kg-1. Seven samples revealed AF concentrations lower than the limit of quantification. Eleven peanut and fourteen dried fig samples exceeded the European maximum limits for AFB1.

Taxonomy and chemical characterization of antibiotics of Streptosporangium Sg 10 isolated from a Saharan soil.

A new actinomycete strain designated Sg 10, producing antimicrobial substances was isolated from an Algerian soil. Morphological and chemical studies indicated that strain Sg 10 belonged to the genus Streptosporangium. The comparison of its physiological characteristics with those of known species of Streptosporangium showed significant differences with the nearest species Streptosporangium carneum. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence of strain Sg 10 showed a similarity level ranging between 96.3% and 97.8% within Streptosporangium species, with S. carneum the most closely related. However, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain Sg 10 represent a distinct phyletic line suggesting a new genomic species. The antimicrobial activity of strain Sg 10 showed an antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria as well as an antifungal one. Four active products were isolated from the culture broth using various separation procedures. On the basis of UV-VIS spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and chemical revelations, the antibiotics were classified in the group of glycosylated aromatics.