Note sur une nouvelle station d’Anacyclus monanthos subsp. cyrtolepidioides (Pomel) Humphries dans la région du Chott el Hodna (M’sila, Algérie)

Note sur une nouvelle station d’Anacyclus monanthos subsp. cyrtolepidioides (Pomel) Humphries dans la région du Chott el Hodna (M’sila, Algérie). Mots clés: Asteraceae, Anacyclus monanthos, espèce endémique, Algerie. Key words: Asteraceae, Anacyclus monanthos, endemic species, Algeria

Architectural Design Strategies for Enhancement of Thermal and Energy Performance of PCMs-Embedded Envelope System for an Office Building in a Typical Arid Saharan Climate

The literature showed many studies that evaluated single or multiple Phase change materials (PCMs) layers in passive, active, or in hybrid configurations for building applications. However, little attention has been given to evaluating the energy performance of buildings when PCMs are used together with other passive design strategies. In this work, the energy performance of an office building in a typical arid Saharan climate is simulated using EnergyPlus when a PCMs-embedded envelope is implemented. The office building was analyzed without/with PCMs using various thicknesses. Results indicated that the annual electrical energy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) could be reduced between 3.54% and 6.18%, depending on the PCM thickness. The performance of the office building, including PCMs, was then simulated using two practical architectural design strategies, namely windows-to-wall ratio (WWR) and rezoning of the interior spaces. Outcomes revealed that the annual energy consumption for HVAC can be reduced from 10% to 15.5% and from 6.1% and 8.54% when WWR is reduced by half to three-quarters, and the perimeter zones are enlarged by one-third to two-thirds of the original space area, respectively. By combining both architectural design strategies and PCM, the annual electrical HVAC energy can be reduced between 12.08% and 15.69%, depending on the design configuration and PCM thickness. This design option provides additional benefits also since it reduces the vulnerability of increasing the lighting and fuel gas heating energy because more perimeter zones are exposed to daylighting and solar radiation, respectively

Essential oils from three Algerian medicinal plants (Artemisia campestris, Pulicaria arabica, and Saccocalyx satureioides) as new botanical insecticides?

Medicinal and aromatic plants represent an outstanding source of green active ingredients for a broad range of real-world applications. In the present study, we investigated the insecticidal potential of the essential oils obtained from three medicinal and aromatic plants of economic importance in Algeria, Artemisia campestris, Pulicaria arabica, and Saccocalyx satureioides. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the essential oil chemical compositions. The three essential oils were tested against a mosquito vectoring filariasis and arboviruses, i.e., Culex quinquefasciatus, a fly pest acting also as pathogens vector, Musca domestica, and an agricultural moth pest, i.e., Spodoptera littoralis, using WHO and topical application methods, respectively. The essential oil from A. campestris, containing β-pinene (15.2%), α-pinene (11.2%), myrcene (10.3%), germacrene D (9.0%) (Z)-β-ocimene (8.1%) and γ-curcumene (6.4%), showed remarkable toxicity against C. quinquefasciatus (LC50 of 45.8 mg L-1) and moderate effects (LD50 of 99.8 μg adult-1) against M. domestica. Those from P. arabica and S. satureioides, containing epi-α-cadinol (23.9%), δ-cadinene (21.1%), α-cadinol (19.8%) and germacrene D-4-ol (8.4%), and thymol (25.6%), α-terpineol (24.6%), borneol (17.4%) and p-cymene (11.4%), respectively, were more active on S. littoralis showing LD50 values of 68.9 and 61.2 μg larva-1, respectively. Based on our results, the essential oil from A. campestris may be further considered a candidate ingredient for developing botanical larvicides

Essential oils from three Algerian medicinal plants (Artemisia campestris, Pulicaria arabica, and Saccocalyx satureioides) as new botanical insecticides?

Medicinal and aromatic plants represent an outstanding source of green active ingredients for a broad range of real-world applications. In the present study, we investigated the insecticidal potential of the essential oils obtained from three medicinal and aromatic plants of economic importance in Algeria, Artemisia campestris, Pulicaria arabica, and Saccocalyx satureioides. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the essential oil chemical compositions. The three essential oils were tested against a mosquito vectoring filariasis and arboviruses, i.e., Culex quinquefasciatus, a fly pest acting also as pathogens vector, Musca domestica, and an agricultural moth pest, i.e., Spodoptera littoralis, using WHO and topical application methods, respectively. The essential oil from A. campestris, containing β-pinene (15.2%), α-pinene (11.2%), myrcene (10.3%), germacrene D (9.0%) (Z)-β-ocimene (8.1%) and γ-curcumene (6.4%), showed remarkable toxicity against C. quinquefasciatus (LC50 of 45.8 mg L-1) and moderate effects (LD50 of 99.8 μg adult-1) against M. domestica. Those from P. arabica and S. satureioides, containing epi-α-cadinol (23.9%), δ-cadinene (21.1%), α-cadinol (19.8%) and germacrene D-4-ol (8.4%), and thymol (25.6%), α-terpineol (24.6%), borneol (17.4%) and p-cymene (11.4%), respectively, were more active on S. littoralis showing LD50 values of 68.9 and 61.2 μg larva-1, respectively. Based on our results, the essential oil from A. campestris may be further considered a candidate ingredient for developing botanical larvicides

Chemical compounds and antioxidant activity of Centaurea solstitialis ssp. schouwii (DC.) Q. et S. (Asteraceae)

International audienc

Determination of Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents and Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of an Algerian Medicinal Species, Arbutus serratifolia Salisb: Arbutus serratifolia Salisb

Arbutus serratifolia Salisb. is known as a strawberry tree belonging to the Ericaceae family and represents a Mediterranean evergreen shrub. The species distributed in the forest of El Milia region (Jijel) was chosen as a specimen for chemical investigation and biological evaluation for the first time from this region. The MeOH extract of the aerial parts underwent qualitative phytochemical screening using conventional techniques. While CHCl3, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and even MeOH fractions were subjected to quantitatively determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents using the Folin-Ciocalteu and Aluminium trichloride methods respectively. The antioxidant potential of these fractions was assessed using the DPPH scavenging activity, ABTS cation radical reduction, CUPRAC reducing capacity and Phenanthroline assays. This study revealed that A. serratifolia Salisb. fractions are endowed with potent antioxidant activity; thus, it is worth noting that this plant could be used as a rich food source for a wide range of phenolic compounds, particularly of new antioxidant agents