HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS Analysis of Phenolic Compounds and Bioactivities of the Ethanolic Extract from Flowers of Moroccan Anacyclus clavatus

Medicinal plants and their derivatives for skin and hair: a Mediterranean perspective of women care

Since olden days, medicinal and aromatic plants have been consumed due to their well-known therapeutic, ornamental, culinary, and cosmetic properties. Plant-based cosmetics comprise a growing market offering brands of sustainable products with the ultimate goal of responding to the woman needs to boost their natural beauty, such as soothing, toning, moisturizing and protecting skin and hair. The increasing focus on body and beauty care, combined with a better understanding of the diverse biological effects of plants and their derivatives, has revitalized their significance in aesthetic, cosmetic, and dermatological contexts. Concurrently, the increasing prevalence of allergies and hypersensitivity reactions to synthetic additives commonly found in cosmetics and other skin products has spurred interest in seeking healthier and more efficacious natural alternatives. An intense investigation has been stated around the formulation of medicinal plants- and other plant-based cosmetic products for dermatological and aesthetic purposes. Similarly, a raising awareness by cosmetics' manufacturers and related industries have been progressively stated, culminating with the emergence of a line of plant-based cosmetics increasingly safe and with reliable quality features for multiple purposes. Although a high demand for natural-based products for cosmetic purposes has been stated, further studies are required to deepening knowledge on their beneficial properties, safety and quality features and to identify the main limitations and likelihood of side effects occurrence. In this review, an outlook of the current scenario regarding the use of medicinal and aromatic plants as cosmetic ingredients in the formulation of skin care and other dermatological products traditionally used by the Mediterranean woman for prevention and even cure of skin and hair diseases or for beautification is provided.

Phenolic Compound, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and In Silico Studies of Extracts from the Aerial Parts of Lactuca saligna L

Medicinal plants are considered a major source for discovering novel effective drugs. To our knowledge, no studies have reported the chemical composition and biological activities of Moroccan Lactuca saligna extracts. In this context, this study aims to characterize the polyphenolic compounds distributed in hydro-methanolic extracts of L. saligna and evaluate their antioxidant and antibacterial activities; in addition, in silico analysis based on molecular docking and ADMET was performed to predict the antibacterial activity of the identified phenolic compounds. Our results showed the identification of 29 among 30 detected phenolic compounds with an abundance of dicaffeoyltartaric acid, luteolin 7-glucoronide, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 5-caffeoylquinic acid with 472.77, 224.30, 196.79, and 171.74 mg/kg of dried extract, respectively. Additionally, antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) assay showed interesting antioxidant activity. Moreover, the results showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes with minimum inhibitory concentrations between 1.30 ± 0.31 and 10.41 ± 0.23 mg/mL. Furthermore, in silico analysis identified three compounds, including Apigenin 7-O-glucuronide, Quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, and 3-p-Coumaroylquinic acid as potent candidates for developing new antibacterial agents with acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. Hence, L. saligna can be considered a source of phytochemical compounds with remarkable activities, while further in vitro and in vivo studies are required to explore the main biological activities of this plant.

Natural Antimicrobials: A Reservoir to Contrast Listeria monocytogenes

Natural environments possess a reservoir of compounds exerting antimicrobial activity that are forms of defence for some organisms against others. Recently, they have become more and more attractive in the food sector due to the increasing demand for natural compounds that have the capacity to protect food from pathogenic microorganisms. Among foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate food during production, distribution, or storage, and its presence is especially detected in fresh, raw food and ready-to-eat products. The interest in this microorganism is related to listeriosis, a severe disease with a high mortality rate that can occur after its ingestion. Starting from this premise, the present review aims to investigate plant extract and fermented plant matrices, as well as the compounds or mixtures of compounds produced during microbial fermentation processes that have anti-listeria activity.