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Background:Desert truffles (Terfezia species) are known by their vital nutritional benefits as they are considered as rich sources of vitamins, fatty acid, minerals and proteins.Methods:The chemical constituents of the different solvent extracts of Terfezia species were isolated and identified by column chromatography, spectroscopic and GC-MS analyses. Also, the ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of different fungal isolates, associated Terfezia, after grown on rice medium were screened for their antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant activities via disc agar plate, micro culture tetrazolium (MTT) and 2,2-azino-di-[3-ethylbenzo-thiazolin-sulphonate] (ABTS) assays, respectively. The promising fugal strains were molecularly identified by 18SrRNA tool.Results:Bio-guided separation of methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of Terfezia species led to identification of nine compounds namely; (R)-4,8-dihydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-6- methoxy isochroman-1-one (1), 4-deoxy-4α-phorbal-12-(2,3-dimethyl)butyrate-13-isobutyrate (2), oxyphylline B (3), terfezien A (4), latilagascene D (5), amaiouine (6), senbusine acetate (7), terfezien B (8) and marinoquinoline D (9). Moreover, sixteen compounds were identified in the n-hexane extract via GC-MS analysis, accounting for 93.69% of the total detected components in the extract. While, twenty five components were detected in the methylene chloride extract, representing 43.86% from total detected components in the extract. Eight fungal strains were isolated from Terfezia sp., powder by serial dilution methods and these fungi were cultivated on solid rice medium. Also, their ethyl acetate and acetone extracts were subjected to biological studies including antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. The three potent fungal strains (1M, 4M and 8M) were identified by the molecular technique 18SrRNA as Aspergillus niger 1M-EGY-IQ, Penicillium crustosum 4M-EGY-IQ, and Fusarium proliferatum 8M-EGY-IQ for 1M, 4M and 8M, respectively.Conclusion:Terfezia sp., comprise a rich source of bioactive compounds and could be considered as an interesting candidate for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Aim: our study has been aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral activities of Phyllanthus emblica leaves, as well as characterization of bioactive chemical constituents. Methods: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of plant extracts were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu’s and aluminium trichloride assays, respectively. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by different methods as well as the anticancer activity via MTT assay, while the antiviral activity was evaluated using cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition and anti- HCV assays. Moreover, the extracts phytoconstituents were characterized using reversed phase high-performance liquid-chromatography method. Results: Our finding revealed that P. emblica is rich in glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids and tannins. The n-butanol fraction exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents with values 654.78 mg GAE /g ext and 110.14 mg RE / g ext, respectively. Also, it possessed the most effective antioxidant activities (DPPH; SC50=19.59 µg/mL, RPAA; 0.948 mg AAE /g ext., and TAC; 543.62mg AAE /g ext.) and anticancer activity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines with an IC50 of 25.63 and 22.80μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, Phyllanthus emblica extracts exhibited anti-HCV activity. The HPLC finger print results of Phyllanthus emblica extracts showed 14 peaks superimposed to the standards. Structure elucidation of pure isolates was achieved via IR, UV, 1H & 13C-NMR

Eight compounds were isolated and identified from the soil-inhabiting fungus Aspergillus fumigatus 3T-EGY, namely, stearic acid (1), α-linolenic acid (2), physcion (3), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (4), 2,4,5,17-tetramethoxy pradimicin lactone (5), 3,5-dihydroxy-7-O-α-rhamnopyranoyl-2H-chromen-2-one (6), juglanthraquinone A-5-O-d-rhodosamine-(4′→1″)-2-deoxy-d-glucose (4″→1″′)-cinerulose B (7), and micropeptin (8). Their structures were determined on the basis of one-dimensional (1D-) and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) [1H-, 13C-NMR, 1H-1H COSY (COrrelated SpectroscopY), and 1H-13C HMBC (Heteronuclear Multiple Bond Correlation) spectroscopy]. Compound 7 showed moderate in vitro antimicrobial activity against three pathogenic strains with inhibition zones values were ranged from 9.0 to 10.66 mm compared to neomycin as a positive control with inhibition zones values were ranged from 14.0 to 19.0 mm.

Objectives The secondary metabolites of the fruits of Firmiana simplex (L.) were analysed by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS; furthermore, we evaluated their antioxidant and antigenotoxic properties. Methods The antioxidant activity was investigated using the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antigenotoxic potential was determined via the comet assay. Key findings The ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc) was analysed by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS: phenolic acids and flavonoids were the main polyphenols of the fruits. The EtOAc fraction yielded the highest content of polyphenols with 314.61 mg GAE/g extract, followed by 297.51, 153.75, 101.47, 97.19 for dichloromethane, butanol, methanol and water extracts, respectively. As expected, a strong correlation exists between the antioxidant activity of the investigated extracts and their total phenolic content. In the DPPH assay, the IC50 value of the most active EtOAc fraction was 6.79 μg/ml, relative to 2.92 μg/ml of the standard ascorbic acid. ABTS and FRAP assays supported the results of DPPH assay. Moreover, using the comet assay, we could show that the phenol-rich EtOAc extract exhibits an antigenotoxic potential in human liver cancer cells (Hep-G2) treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a genotoxic agent. Conclusions The fruits of Firmiana simplex may be a good natural source of antioxidant and antigenotoxic agents.

Chemical analysis of methanol extract of flowers and leaves of Bougainvillea alba led to isolation of four compounds identified as 3’, 4’, 6 - trimethoxy, 5 – hydroxyl 7-prenyl 3-O- (feruloyl (1→2) - rhamnpyranosyl) flavone[1], 3-O β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→3”) β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→3”’) α-L–xylopyrenoside [2], Lepidolide [3], E feruloyl 3-O- Coumaroyl α-L Rhamnopyranoside [4]. In addition, two oil fractions, the major identified components of oil are Elemene, Lanceol , Nerolidol , Methyl palmitate and Abietatriene. Cytotoxic activity of methanol extract of both leaves and flowers of Bougainvillea alba, isolated compounds and oil fractions were determined using the SRB Assay on human tumor cell line (Hepatocyte generation 2, HepG2). The isolated compounds showed cytotoxic activity at LC50 15.2, 17.2, 15.6 and 2.82 μg/ml for compound 1,2, 3 and 4 respectively, while the two oil fraction showed activity at 2.67 μg/ml.

Background: Penicillium is a diverse genus occurring worldwide; its species are of major importance in the natural environment as decomposer of organic materials as well as food and drug production. Objective: Chromatographic isolation and identification of its bioactive secondary metabolites and their evaluation as antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: Disc agar plate method has been recognized to assess the antimicrobial activities. The antioxidant activity was determined using phosphomolybdenum method. The fungus strain SAM16-EGY was isolated from soil and was molecularly identified as Penicillium sp. SAM16-EGY using 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid technique (acc. no., KP125952). Results: Seven compounds namely 3-O-docosyl-4-benzoyloxy methyl-3-oxobicyclo (4.1.0) heptane-1,5,6,7 tetrol (3-O-docosyl-3-debenzol rotepoxide) (1), (4bE, 6Z, 8E, 9aS, 10S)-1,4-dihydroxy-9a, 10-dihydro-10,12-epoxy-5-methylbenzo[a] azulen-12-one (2), 7α,9β,15β-triacetoxy-3-β-hydroxy jatropha-5E, 11E-diene (3), sesquiterpene I diol dihexoside malonate ester (4), piperogalone (5), (5R, 8Z, 11Z)-5 β-(6'-O-malonyl-β-glucopyranozyloxy-6-hydroxy tetradeca-8, 11-dienoic acid (6), and n-trcosanyl-n-octaced-9-enoate (7) were isolated and identified from this fungus. Their structures were determined on the basis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 exhibited antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans only, whereas compound 3 exerted higher antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (9 mm), P. aeruginosa (9 mm), C. albicans (11 mm), and Aspergillus niger (13 mm) as compared to the other compounds. In the phosphomolybdenum assay, compound 5 showed high total antioxidant capacity value of 608.59 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g compound, followed by compound 2 (443.66 mg) and compound 1 (332.16 mg). Conclusion: The isolated compounds showed promising antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

Background: Strelitzia nicolai Regel and Korn (Strelitziaceae) is native to Southern Africa whose phytochemistry and pharmacology were slightly investigated. Materials and Methods: In the current work, different solvent extracts of S. nicolai were screened for their chemical profiles through high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) analyses. Furthermore, their in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anticancer activities were evaluated using 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) & ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and crystal violet staining (CVS) colorimetric assays, respectively. Results: HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analyses led to the identification of nineteen and eleven phenolic compounds from the ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts, respectively including flavonoids (e.g., quercetin 3-(2 G-rhamnosylrutinoside, quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3,7-O-dirhamnoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside), phenolic acids derivatives (e.g., chlorogenic acid glycoside, protocatechuic acid-O-glucoside and caftaric acid), chalcones (e.g., xanthoangelol), and phenylethanoids (e.g., ligstroside glucoside). Moreover, in the DPPH assay the IC50value of the most active ethyl acetate extract was 20.49 μg/mL, relative to 2.92 μg/mL of ascorbic acid. ABTS and FRAP results reinforced the results of DPPH assay. According to the National Cancer Institute criteria, the tested extracts showed weak to moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50values ranged from 65.23 to 451.29 μg/mL. Furthermore, the EtOAc and n-BuOH extracts showed a noticeable anticancer activity with CVS spectroscopic readings for liver hepatocellular carcinoma growth 0.806 and 0.684 at a concentration (125 μg/mL), as well as 0.730 and 0.618 at concentration (500 μg/mL), respectively against control at 1.022. Conclusion: The obtained results reveal the high efficacy of the phenolic-rich extracts from S. nicolai as naturally occurring antioxidant and anti-tumor agents. Abbreviations Used: HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS: High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionization-mass/mass; DPPH: 2,2'-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical; ABTS: 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid); FRAP: Ferric reducing antioxidant power; TPTZ: Tripyridyl-s-triazine; FE: Ferrous equivalents; DMEM: Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide; EDTA: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; PBS: Phosphate buffered saline; HepG-2: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma; CVS: Crystal violet stain; NCI: National cancer institute; Glu: Glucose; Rha: Rhamnose.

Objectives: The present study on the methanol extract of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) [Malvaceae] afforded ten compounds. Findings from this assessmentindicated that A. hirtum leaves possessed vast potential as medicinal product especially in liver cancer treatment.Methods: Dried-powdered leaves were boiled under reflux in 10 L of petroleum ether for 8 hrs. After filtration, the solvent was evaporated; afforded15 g of petroleum ether extract followed by boiling with reflux for 8 hrs with chloroform, then filtration and the residue was evaporated to give 34 gchloroform extract. Ethyl acetate was added and refluxed for 8 hrs, then filtration and evaporation to give 31 g ethyl acetate extract. Finally the leaveswere refluxed with 10 L of 85 % aqueous MeOH, after cooling, the solution was filtered and evaporated and the residue was 210 g methanol extractthen the residue was dissolved in de-ionized water (250 ml), then the salt was removed by adding excess methanol solution (2.5 L), and finally filtered.The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was evaluated towards HepG2 liver-carcinoma cell line using MTT assay, the antimicrobial activity wastested using the Disc agar plate method and the total antioxidant capacity was determined according to phosphomolybdenum method.Results: The isolated compounds identified as methyl gallate, cuneataside E, bergapten, gallic acid, ellagic acid, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate,kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, benzyl-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, 2(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and β-sitosterol. All the isolatedcompounds are known; but they were isolated from Abutilon hirtum for the first time.Conclusion: This report may serve as a footprint concerning the biological and pharmacological activities of A. hirtum leaves.Keywords: Abutilon hirtum, Malvaceae, HepG2, Phenolics, Antioxidant.

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant activity and chemical composition of Punica granatum L. and test it as immunostimulants against Schistosoma mansoni infection to Biomphalaria alexandrina snails. Methods: Antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the free radical scavenging activity of the 90% defatted methanol extract (90% DM) of P. granatum peels and its sub-derived fractions was evaluated via 2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and its chemical constituents were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. B. alexandrina snails were exposed to pomegranate extracts (PEs) for 1 month before their challenging with S. mansoni miracidia. Infection rates, immunological and histological parameters were, then, evaluated in PE-exposed snails and compared to controls. R esults: The antioxidants activities of PE, expressed as scavenging concentration at 50%, were in the following order; 90% DM (12.45) ˃ n -butanol(15.59) ˃ethyl acetate (21.36) ˃water (49.16) µg/ml, compared to 7.50 µg/ml for ascorbic acid. The infection rates of PE-exposed snails were 20%,50%, 60%, 70%, and 80%, respectively, for 90% DM, n -butanol, ethyl acetate, water, and dichloromethane extracts compared to 95% in control snails. The number of amoebocytes showed a significant increase, clear differentiation, and size increment in exposed snails compared to controls. Moreover, hermaphrodite glands histology shows a full maturity in the formation of reproductive cells in PE-exposed snails. The GC-MS analysis of the 90% DM extract revealed the presence of 36 compounds representing 93.1% of the total composition. Piperidin-4-ol, 1,3-dimethyl-2,4,6-triphenyl (19.87%), and 6,11-dihydroxy-5,12 naphthacenequinone-1-carboxylic acid (7.80%) were the major components. C onclusion: The identified compounds in 90% DM extract of P. granatum may be responsible for the high antioxidant activity of the fruit and it may account for its immunostimulatory effect against S. mansoni infection in B. alexandrina . Ke ywords: Punica granatum L., Antioxidant activity, Biomphalaria alexandrina, Schistosoma mansoni , Infection rate, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Chemical analysis of methanol extract of flowers and leaves of Bougainvillea alba led to isolation of four compounds identified as 3’, 4’, 6 - trimethoxy, 5 – hydroxyl 7-prenyl 3-O- (feruloyl (1→2) - rhamnpyranosyl) flavone[1], 3-O β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→3”) β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→3”’) α-L–xylopyrenoside [2], Lepidolide [3], E feruloyl 3-O- Coumaroyl α-L Rhamnopyranoside [4]. In addition, two oil fractions, the major identified components of oil are Elemene, Lanceol , Nerolidol , Methyl palmitate and Abietatriene. Cytotoxic activity of methanol extract of both leaves and flowers of Bougainvillea alba, isolated compounds and oil fractions were determined using the SRB Assay on human tumor cell line (Hepatocyte generation 2, HepG2). The isolated compounds showed cytotoxic activity at LC50 15.2, 17.2, 15.6 and 2.82 μg/ml for compound 1,2, 3 and 4 respectively, while the two oil fraction showed activity at 2.67 μg/ml.