Phytochemical Investigation by Microwave‐Assisted Extraction of Essential Oil of the Leaves of Walnut Cultivated in Algeria

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaves are used traditionally as an herbal tea indicated for non‐insulin‐dependent diabetics. In recent years, the type‐II diabetes is occurring worldwide with increasing frequency. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore the new beneficial biomolecules on the human health. Our objective was to investigate, for the first time, the volatiles profile of Juglans regia L. leaves from Algiers region. The extraction of essential oil of fresh plant material was performed by microwave‐assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD), for the first time, a relatively recent method, then by the conventional hydrodistillation technique (HD) for comparison. The collected extracts were analyzed by GC‐FID and GC/MS using two capillary columns with different polarity. Extraction time of 1 h by MAHD provided higher yields (0.050±0.001% (w/w)) than by HD (0.030±0.006% (w/w)) after 3 h. A total of 38 compounds were identified using both techniques. Essential oils had similar qualitative but different quantitative composition in terms of chemical compounds. The MAHD method improved yield while reducing the extraction time. The sesquiterpenes were the dominant family in both MAHD and HD essential oils with β‐caryophyllene being the major constituent. Monoterpenes, including hydrocarbon and oxygenated, prevail in HD volatile fraction with β‐pinene and eucalyptol, respectively, as major components.     

On the diophantine equation x 2 + 2 a · 3 b · 11 c = y n

In this note, we find all the solutions of the Diophantine equation x ² + 2 ^a · 3 ^b · 11 ^c = y ⁿ , in nonnegative integers a, b, c, x, y, n ≥ 3 with x and y coprime.     

Separation and identification of bioactive compounds in Anabasis articulata (Forsk) Moq. roots

In the present paper, for the first time, we are interested to separate and identify some bioactive fractions isolated from the roots of a Saharan plant Anabasis articulata, which is widely used in traditional medicine against cancer. The crude methanolic extract of the roots was fractionated on column chromatography, and eluted with dichloromethane/methanol each time with increasing polarity of methanol; 17 fractions were separated. One of these fractions named F12 showed more antioxidant activity to scavenge DPPH free radical with percentage inhibition of 95.29%. F12 was separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to give 12 compounds. A second preparative TLC of compound 2, which has antioxidative activity of 74.92%, provided the three phenolic acids M1, M2 and M3, analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography and UV–visible spectrophotometry.     

On‐Line Radical Scavenging Detection and Characterization of Antioxidants from Artemisia herba‐alba

Four caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives, 5‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid ( 1 ), 3,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid ( 3 ), 4,5‐di‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid ( 4 ), and 3,4,5‐tri‐O‐caffeoylquinic acid ( 5 ), have been isolated from Artemisia herba‐alba growing wild in Algeria, using the on‐line HPLC? DAD? DPPH radical‐scavenging detection technique as guidance. In the course of the purification work, the non‐frequent (E)‐2‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐4‐methoxycinnamic acid ( 2 ) has also been isolated. The CQAs showed fair‐to‐good antioxidant activities determined by the DPPH^. scavenging assay. The structures of the five isolated compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods. The on‐line HPLC? DAD? DPPH technique allowed for a rapid pinpointing of antioxidants in the studied plant, accomplishing the facile guided isolation of the target molecules. Algerian A. herba‐alba could be an interesting source of natural antioxidants that deserve further work.