Abstract
This investigation included the chemical analysis of Peganum harmala (P. harmala) seed oil and its antifungal properties against 10 fungal species. Seed oils of six populations were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The HPLC analysis indicated that P. harmala seed oil exhibited a very high level of tocopherol contents, with values in the range of 2385.66–2722.68 mg/100 g. The most abundant tocopherol isomer was δ-tocopherol (90.39%), followed by γ-tocopherol (8.08%) and α-tocopherol (1.14%). We discovered for the first time the presence of tocotrenols in P. harmala seed oils of the six populations studied. The GC-MS analyses revealed that linoleic acid was the main fatty acid (65.17%), followed by oleic acid (23.12%), palmitic acid (5.36%) and stearic acid (3.08%). We also studied the antifungal activity of seed oil of the Medenine (MD) population on ten fungal pathogens. The antifungal effects differed among pathogens and depended on oil concentrations. Seed oil of the MD population caused a significant decrease in mycelial growth of all fungi tested, with values ranging 31.50–82.11%, except for Alternaria sp., which showed no inhibition. The antifungal activity against the 10 selected fungi can be explained by the richness in tocols of the extracted oil and make P. harmala a promising crop for biological control. Furthermore, the importance of fatty acids and the wide geographic spread in Tunisia of this species make this crop a potential source of renewable energy.
Highlights
Peganum harmala Linn, known as wild rue, harmel or esphand, is a perennial plant species belonging to the Nitrariaceae family
The present paper focuses on the tocols and fatty acid composition of seed oils of P. harmala plants, collected from different regions of Tunisia
The seed oil content and fatty acid composition were determined for six P. harmala populations collected from different regions in Tunisia
Summary
Peganum harmala Linn, known as wild rue, harmel or esphand, is a perennial plant species belonging to the Nitrariaceae family (previously called Zygophyllaceae). Peganum harmala plays an important role in local ecosystem restoration as a drought-resistant species and is considered among the most important medicinal plants in North Africa. Anthraquinones, flavonoids, polysaccharides and amino acids are found in its seeds, flowers, leaves, stems and roots [6] Various parts of this plant have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of human ailments such as asthma, colic, lumbago, jaundice and menstrual flow [7]. Based on the wide geographic distribution of P. harmala in Tunisia with semi-arid, arid and Saharan climatic zones, we hypothesized that the geographic origin of the plant affected the tocol and fatty acid contents of the oils extracted from seeds. The principal constituents and antifungal effect of Tunisian P. harmala seed oil were addressed
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