Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Various Propolis Samples Collected from an African and an Asian Region and Their Impact on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities

The biological activities of propolis samples are the result of many bioactive compounds present in the propolis. The aim of the present study was to determine the various chemical compounds of some selected propolis samples collected from Palestine and Morocco by the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Photodiode Array Detection (HPLC-PDA) method, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of this bee product. The chemical analysis of propolis samples by HPLC-PDA shows the cinnamic acid content in the Palestinian sample is higher compared to that in Moroccan propolis. The results of antioxidant activity demonstrated an important free radical scavenging activity (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2′-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and reducing power assays) with EC50 values ranging between 0.02 ± 0.001 and 0.14 ± 0.01 mg/mL. Additionally, all tested propolis samples possessed a moderate antibacterial activity against bacterial strains. Notably, Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) values ranged from 0.31 to 2.50 mg/mL for Gram-negative bacterial strains and from 0.09 to 0.125 mg/mL for Gram-positive bacterial strains. The S2 sample from Morocco and the S4 sample from Palestine had the highest content of polyphenol level. Thus, the strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties were apparently due to the high total phenolic and flavone/flavonol contents in the samples. As a conclusion, the activities of propolis samples collected from both countries are similar, while the cinnamic acid in the Palestinian samples was more than that of the Moroccan samples

Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Various Propolis Samples Collected from an African and an Asian Region and Their Impact on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities

The biological activities of propolis samples are the result of many bioactive compounds present in the propolis. The aim of the present study was to determine the various chemical compounds of some selected propolis samples collected from Palestine and Morocco by the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Photodiode Array Detection (HPLC-PDA) method, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of this bee product. The chemical analysis of propolis samples by HPLC-PDA shows the cinnamic acid content in the Palestinian sample is higher compared to that in Moroccan propolis. The results of antioxidant activity demonstrated an important free radical scavenging activity (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2′-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and reducing power assays) with EC50 values ranging between 0.02 ± 0.001 and 0.14 ± 0.01 mg/mL. Additionally, all tested propolis samples possessed a moderate antibacterial activity against bacterial strains. Notably, Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) values ranged from 0.31 to 2.50 mg/mL for Gram-negative bacterial strains and from 0.09 to 0.125 mg/mL for Gram-positive bacterial strains. The S2 sample from Morocco and the S4 sample from Palestine had the highest content of polyphenol level. Thus, the strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties were apparently due to the high total phenolic and flavone/flavonol contents in the samples. As a conclusion, the activities of propolis samples collected from both countries are similar, while the cinnamic acid in the Palestinian samples was more than that of the Moroccan samples

An Investigation of Moroccan Vinegars: Their Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities

Vinegar is a natural product rich in bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, and organic acids. Several factors affect the quality of vinegars such as apple origin, environmental conditions, production methods, processing, and storage conditions. We investigated the quality of apple vinegars as well as their physicochemical properties and the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of vinegars collected from different areas in Morocco. For physicochemical properties, the outcomes showed the following values: pH (3.18–3.83), electrical conductivity (2.11–2.90), acidity (0.24–5.6), Brix (3.25–6), and density (1.0123–1.0233). The polyphenols content of samples was 68.91 mg AG/100 mL in sample S6 as the minimum value and 147.54 mg AG/100 mL in sample S2 as the maximum value. The best ability to scavenge the DPPH radical was observed in sample S3 (IC50 = 0.45 ± 0.013 µL/mL). Sample S2 showed moderate antibacterial effect against microorganisms tested with MICs ranging from 0.78 µL/mL to 1.125 µL/mL and with a diameter of inhibition ranging from 15.65 mm to 27.65 mm. In addition, a strong correlation was observed between the antibacterial activity of vinegars and physicochemical parameters (pH and total acidity). These outcomes have shown that our vinegar samples are an excellent source of bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant and antibacterial potentials

Antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of essential oils from two salvia species with in vitro and in silico analysis targeting 1AJ6 and 1R4U proteins

Abstract The Middle Atlas is a Moroccan territory that serves as an abode to plants with incredible biodiversity, of which aromatic and medicinal plants that have been of folkloric use are a significant component. However, their effective utilization in modern medicine requires the characterization of their phytochemicals to facilitate their entry into drug discovery pipelines. Hence, this study aimed to characterize and investigate the antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effects of the essential oils (EOs) of Salvia lavandulifolia subsp. mesatlantica and Salvia officinalis L. by use of in vitro and in silico assays. Ten phytochemicals were identified in the EOs of S. lavandulifolia, while twenty phytochemicals were identified in S. officinalis. Camphor was the most abundant compound in both species, comprising 26.70% and 39.24% of the EOs of S. lavandulifolia and S. officinalis, respectively. The EOs of both plants exhibited significant DPPH free radical scavenging activity, with S. lavandulifolia and S. officinalis showing estimated scavenging rates of 92.97% and 75.20%, respectively. In terms of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), S. officinalis demonstrated a higher value (72.08%) compared to that of S. lavandulifolia (64.61%). Evaluation of the antimicrobial effects of the EOs of S. officinalis and S. lavandulifolia against microorganisms revealed bactericidal activities against Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus subtilis at low concentrations. It showed bactericidal activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans at a relatively higher concentration. Molecular docking of antioxidant and antimicrobial proteins offers significant insights into ligand–protein interactions, facilitating the development of innovative therapeutics from the current study. Ultimately, this study identified the phytochemical composition of S. lavandulifolia and S. officinalis and highlighted their potential for therapeutic discovery