Phytochemical screening, antiobesity, antidiabetic and antimicrobial assessments of Orobanche aegyptiaca from Palestine

Background Microbial resistance, diabetes mellitus, and obesity are global health care problems that have posed a serious threat to both human and environmental ecosystems. The goals of the present investigations are to investigate the phytoconstituents, antilipase, anti-α-amylase, and antimicrobial activity of Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. (OA) from Palestine. Methods Identification of the phytoconstituents of OA plant petroleum ether, methylene chloride, chloroform, acetone, and methanol extracts were conducted using pharmacopeia’s methods, while porcine pancreatic lipase and α–amylase inhibitory activities were examined using p-nitrophenyl butyrate and 3,5-dinitro salicylic acid methods, respectively. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity was evaluated utilizing broth microdilution assay against eight bacterial and fungal strains. Results The phytochemical screening results showed that the methanol extract of the OA plant is rich in phytochemical components, also this extract has powerful antilipase potential with an IC50 value of 19.49 ± 0.16 μg/ml comparing with the positive control (Orlistat) which has antilipase activity with IC50 value of 12.3 ± 0.35 μg/ml. Moreover, the methanol and chloroform extracts have powerful α-amylase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 28.18 ± 0.22 and 28.18 ± 1.22 μg/ml, respectively comparing with Acarbose which has α-amylase inhibitory activity with IC50 dose of 26.3.18 ± 0.28 μg/ml. The antibacterial results showed that the methylene chloride extract exhibited the highest antibacterial activity among the other OA plant extracts with a MIC value of 0.78 mg/ml against S. aureus, while, the methylene chloride, petroleum ether, and chloroform extracts of the OA plant showed potential antifungal activity against C. albicans strains with MIC value of 0.78 mg/ml. Conclusion The OA methanol and chloroform extracts could be excellent candidates as antilipase and anti-α-amylase bioactive materials. In addition, methylene chloride, petroleum ether, and chloroform extracts could be potential natural antimicrobial products.

Revision of F. K. Meyer’s herbarium from Albania

Herbarium specimens collected by F. K. Meyer in Albania have been studied and revised. As a result of the revisions of the holotype specimens – Campanula latifolioides should be treated as synonym of Campanula trichocalycina, Chamaecytisus mitrushii as synonym of Chamaecytisus purpureus, Euphorbia cikaea as synonym of Euphorbia herniariifolia, Genista albanica as synonym of Anthyllis hermanniae, Medicago coerulescens as synonym of Medicago disciformis and Seseli angustum as synonym of Carum graecum. Twenty-one taxa are erroneously reported from the country (Acer opalus, Allium pallens subsp. tenuifolium, Anchusa arvensis subsp. orientalis, Arbutus ×andrachnoides, Arum longispathum, Brachypodium phoenicoides, Bupleurum baldense and subsp. gussonei, Cardamine chelidonia, Carex appropinquata, Carex hispida, Dianthus biflorus, Glyceria arundinacea, Lonicera glutinosa, Onosma halacsyi, Orobanche aegyptiaca, Orobanche oxyloba, Plantago maritima subsp. serpentina, Stachys parolinii, Stipa endotricha and Valeriana crinii subsp. epirotica), including Bupleurum baldense, Carduus carduelis, Erysimum diffusum, Salix serpillifolia, Senecio gallicus and Stellaria palustris which have preceding reports also. Two species are erroneously reported or questionable (Orchis militaris and Thymus leucotrichus) and 12 taxa are proposed to treat as questionably occur in Albania (Achillea seidlii, Chamaecytisus supinus, Dianthus giganteus, Echinops spinosissimus, Euphorbia villosa, Jovibarba globifera, (and subsp. hirta), Koeleria pyramidata, Saxifraga scardica, Sideritis scardica, Viola alba and Viola epirota).

EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT GERMPLASM OF BRASSICA JUNCEA AGAINST OROBANCHE AEGYPTIACA

Among the major weed groups that cause huge economic losses to important cropping systems, Orobanche species are greatly devastating. Egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca) is a parasitic weed causing major yield loss in many field and vegetable crops and is a serious threat to Indian mustard. In this study, severalgenotypes of Indian mustard were screened in order to identify resistant genotypes against O. aegyptiaca. In the greenhouse conditions, genotypes were different in the degree of susceptibility to Broomrape. Attachment number, emergence number, and dry matter of parasitic broomrape were affected by biomass of genotype. A significant impact of the parasitism onto the dry weight of all infected mustard genotype with variable degree was observed. Broomrape attachment was observed in all the cultivated genotypes with Pusa mustard 24 being the most susceptible with the greatest number of emerged Orobanche shoots. In contrast, no emergence shoots were observed in four out of the fifteen genotype viz., Pusa Jaikisan, Pusa bold, Pusa Vijay and Pusa mustard 26 which have less attachment number and emergence number. These genotype appear to be interesting for our objectives.