Antifungal and antioxidant activities of some aromatic and medicinal plants from the southwest of Morocco

Oukacha Amri, Redouane Elguich

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess levels of phenols and flavonoids and determine the antioxidant potential of 36 aromatic and medicinal plants from the southwest of Morocco. The antifungal activity against the growth of Penicillium digitatum, the causal agent of citrus green mold, was studied in 11 species that showed high antioxidant power. The analysis of total phenols showed that leaves of Pistacia atlantica and Periploca laevigata contained 63.73 μg cafeic acid equivalent (CAE)/mg of dry weight (DW). The resin of P. atlantica and the whole plant Cistus villosus content was 60.93 μg CAE/mg DW. Ceratonia siliqua, Pistacia lentiscus also had high levels of total phenols; 56.80 and 54.80 μg CAE/mg DW respectively. The flavonoids content ranged from 1.41μg rutine equivalent (RE)/mg DW in extract of Senecio antheuphorbium to 31.77 mg RE/mg DW in that of Rhamnus alaternus. The antioxidant activity of plant extracts was above 80% for P. atlantica, C. villosus, Rumex thyrsoides, Vitis vinifera, Rhus tripartita, Rhus pentaphylla and P. lentiscus. Five plants (C. villosus, Ononis natrix, Rosa canina, P. atlantica and Lawsonia inermis) showed strong antifungal activity that could be related to their antioxidant activity.