Jalloul Bouajila

• Professor
• Professor at Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier

Microbial fermentation is a fundamental bioconversion mechanism widely used in diverse industrial sectors, notably in food processing and bioenergy production. Over the years, the wealth of information and scientific and technological advances in the field of fermentation have made considerable progress. Most recent research studies are currently d...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of two extraction solvents, ethanol (EtOH) and water (AQ), on the chemical composition (HPLC-DAD and GC-MS) and in vitro biological properties of P. equisetiforme aerial parts. Biological activities included antixanthine oxidase (anti-XOD), antiacetylcholinesterase (anti-AChE), anti-5-lipoxygenase...

Increasing interest has been devoted to the seeds of the amaranth, a plant that has garnered attention for its multifaceted uses in daily life. In this research, we focused on four genotypes of two amaranth species cultivated in two different sites in the southwest of France. Oil content, fatty acid composition, and unsaponifiable levels were carri...

A novel series of oleanolic acid (OA, 1) derivatives incorporating phenolic and coumarin moieties were synthesized. This acid was extracted from olive pomace (Olea europaea L.) using an ultrasound-assisted method. The structures of these novel derivatives of OA were characterized through the utilization of ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and ESI-HRMS analyses. An...

The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of pressure variation and co-solvent addition in the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of bioactive compounds from Eucalyptus leaves regarding yields, total phenolic contents (TPC), chemical profile, and biological activities of different extracts. The pressure was varied from 90 t...

Thymus capitatus Hoff. et Link. essential oil was constituted by thymol (89.06%) as a major component followed by p-cimene (5.04%) and g-terpinene (3.19%) after analysis by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity assays of the essential oil used in the inhibition of the radica...

Considering the circular economy, this research addresses concerns about Tunisian pinecone valorization within the cosmetic industry. This study aims to optimize the extraction of antioxidant compounds from P. halepensis petals through maceration in water by analyzing rheological behavior and decantation phenomena to intensify the extraction proces...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different heat treatments on camel milk’s in vitro anti-Alzheimer and anti-diabetic potential. Camel milk was subjected to three heat treatments: low and high-heat pasteurization and boiling. Unheated camel milk was used as a control. Camel milk caseins were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacry...

P. equisetiforme Sm. is an herbal remedy applied as a treatment for coughs, colds, and sore throats. This plant has also been used to clean wounds, promote healing, and flavor tea. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effects of four different extraction solvents (CHX, EtOAC, MeOH, and H2O) on the composition of P. equisetiforme and it...

The date palm, scientifically known as Phoenix dactylifera, is an important cultural and economic source of wealth in southern Tunisia. It produces considerable agricultural waste, including palm leaves, the disposal of which is often a challenge. Our study addresses the sustainable conversion of date palm leaves into a valuable product through kom...

Pinus species are notable in Mediterranean regions due to their ecological and economic importance. Various parts of these species are widely used in traditional medicine, especially pinecones, which are a significant source of bioactive compounds. The current study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition and biological properties of the aq...

Anabasis oropediorum is a spontaneous chamaephyte growing in the arid regions of North Africa. The present work focused on the evaluation of chemical composition analysis and bioactivity of A. oropediorum organ extracts. Stems and leaves powder were successively extracted with cyclohexane (CYHA), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and me...

Since ancient times, humans have turned to medicinal plants for treating various ailments and curing specific diseases, as these natural plants serve as the primary source of a range of phytochemicals, including triterpenes. Maslinic acid (MA), also known as (2α,3β)-2,3-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, is a pentacyclic triterpene acid present in n...

Prunus armeniaca, widely known as apricot, has been recognized as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, particularly in its by-products. The fruit is rich in nutritious and bioactive substances, offering a range of health benefits. This study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to investigate the chemical composition and evaluate the in...

Pseudopospermum undulatum (synonym of Scorzonera undulata), is a perennial plant that has different uses in both food and medicine. It has several therapeutic and nutritional benefits. It is used as a traditional medicine to treat burns, snake bites, and diabetes. In North Africa, the delicious root of Pseudopodospermum undulatum is consumed raw or...

Various parts of the Pinaceae species, a traditional plant, have potential health benefits and exhibit antibacterial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities. This study aims to investigate the biochemical properties of both petal (P) and core (C) fractions from pinecones of P. halepensis (PA), P. brutia (PB), and P. pinea (PP). Pinecones were manu...

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a vegetable chemical that is present naturally in a number of edible and medicinal botanicals. It has been extensively studied by medicinal chemists and scientific researchers due to its biological activity against a wide range of diseases. A significant number of researchers have synthesized a variety of analogues of OA by m...

The study of Ammoides pusilla, a Tunisian medicinal plant, explored its chemical composition and biological activities, highlighting its under-exploited therapeutic potential. The essential oil, obtained by steam distillation, reveals twenty major compounds, including perilic aldehyde, β-phellandrene, and o-cymene. Two new natural constituents were...

The Cypress "Cupressus sempervirens. L." is a species of evergreen trees of the Cupressaceous family. The goal of this study was to investigate how three commonly used extraction process [ethanol (EtOH), ethanol 50%, and water] affected the yields, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, as well as, their biological activities of cones and seed...

Pancratium maritimum L. or sea lily is a bulb perennial plant from Amaryllidaceae family growing wild in the sandy coasts of the Mediterranean regions. Nowadays, P. maritimum is a neglected and endangered species due to coastal urbanization. The present study aims to give a value to P. maritimum using leaves and bulbs as new substrate for kombucha...

Winemaking is one of the oldest biotechnology techniques in the world. The wine industry generates 20 million tons of by-products, such as wastewater, stalk, lees, pomace, and stems, each year. The objective of this research project is to valorize wine industry by-products by producing a functional beverage via the fermentation of grape pomace with...

olygonum is a plant genus that includes annual and perennial species and is found at various temperatures, from northern temperate regions to tropical and subtropical areas. The genus Polygonum has been used for centuries for various disorders, including hypertension, intestinal and stomach pain, dysuria, jaundice, toothaches, skin allergies, hemor...

Copaifera mildbraedii Desf. is an evergreen tree with an umbrella-like crown. It is distributed from south-eastern Nigeria eastward to the Central African Republic (CAR). The aim of this study was to assess the chemical composition and biological activities of C. mildbraedii bark, as well as the chemical composition of the essential oil. Ethyl acet...

Bacillus megaterium is particularly known for its abundance in soils and its plant growth promotion. To characterize the metabolites excreted by this specie, we performed successive liquid/liquid extractions from bacteria culture medium with different polarity solvents (cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanol) to separate the metabo...

This study aimed to investigate the influence of galvanized steel coupons on black tea kombucha fermentation. As a secondary objective, the corrosion activity of the fermented medium at different stages of fermentation was investigated. The results revealed significant interactions among microorganisms, the metal, and the fermented medium. On one h...

Indigenous to Lebanon, Origanum syriacum L. and Cousinia libanotica D.C. are notable plants in the Middle East, with O. syriacum known for its aromatic qualities and C. libanotica being less explored. Both plants have a significant role in traditional medicine for treating various ailments. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition...

Limonium. Mill is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Plumbaginaceae family. The present study aimed to compare two Limonium species (L. pruinosum Kuntze and L. tunetanum (Barratte & Bonnet) Maire) in terms of their chemical composition and bioactivity. Chemical profiling showed that the methanolic (MeOH) extracts of both species were the...

Infusions of Camellia sinensis leaves have been known for their health benefits. The Bio Concentrate Assets® (ABC) method is a method of enriching organic infusion leaves (from Camellia sinensis) with organic dry and concentrated extracts using organic acacia gum, and its application to white tea has provided Qi cha tea®. In the present study, the...

A highly α-regioselective N-nucleophilic allylic substitution of cyclic MBH alcohols and acetates with imidazole or benzimidazole, in toluene at reflux with an azeotropic distillation, was successfully carried out with no catalysts or additives, affording the corresponding N-substituted imidazole derivatives in good yields. On the other hand, in re...

Rutabaga, also known as swede and scientifically classified as Brassica napus napobrassica, is a biennial edible root vegetable that belongs to the Brassica genus and is widely cultivated in North Europe and North America. The present study highlights both the phytochemical profile and the in vitro biological properties of rutabaga seed extracts ob...

Infusions of Camellia sinensis leaves have been known for their health benefits. The ABC method is a method of enriching organic infusion leaves (from Camellia. sinensis) with organic dry and concentrated extracts using organic acacia gum and its application to white tea has provided Qi cha tea®. In the present study, we assessed the content of tea...

Kombucha is a traditionally non-alcoholic drink prepared by fermenting sweet-flavored black tea with tea fungus. In the present study, Salvia aegyptiaca tea was used as alternative substrate for kombucha fermentation due to its bioactivity which could improve the functional characteristics of kombucha. The prepared infusions (unfermented controls,...

Prunus dulcis is one of the most widely cultivated species in the world. Its fruit (almond) is rich in various nutritious and bioactive compounds that exert several beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical profile and evaluate the biological potential in vitro of almond shell extracts. The chemical analysis of shell e...

Prunus dulcis is one of the most widely cultivated species in the world. Its fruit (almond) is rich in various nutritious and bioactive compounds that exert several beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical profile and evaluate the biological potential in vitro of almond shell extracts. The chemical analysis of shell e...

A highly a-regioselective N -nucleophilic allylic substitutions of cyclic MBH alcohols and acetates with imidazole or benzimidazole, in toluene at reflux with an azeotropic distillation, was successfully carried out with no catalysts or additives, affording the corresponding N -substituted imidazole derivatives in good yields. On the other hand, in...

Berberis libanotica Ehrenb. ex C.K. Schneider of the Berberidaceae family is an endemic Lebanese plant and is widely used in folk medicine. This study highlights the phytochemical composition and biological activities (in vitro) of fruit and leaf extracts. The two organs were extracted by cold maceration with four solvents of increasing polarity: c...

This study investigated the effect of pre-fermentation treatments on the phenolic compounds and biological activities of red grapes of Vitis vinifera var. Syrah and var. Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah and Cabernet sauvignon musts from two different regions and consecutive vintages. Specifically, cold soak at 10 °C and heat maceration at 60, 70, and 80 °C...

The genus Scorzonera has various medicinal values. Species belonging to this genus were traditionally used as drugs or in food. The current study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and biological properties of the tuber, leaf, and flower of Scorzonera undulata extracts, collected from the southwest of Tunisia. P...

Soilless culture is considered the mostpromising, intensive, and sustainable approach with various advantages for plant production in terms of saving water and nutrients. It can provide consumers with sufficient and high-quality food. However, the commonly used growing substrate for soilless cultivation, coconut fiber (CF), is usually imported and...

The Salvia fruticosa (Mill.) is the most medicinal plant used in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to investigate the phytochemical composition and the biological activities (in vitro) of its extracts. The plant was extracted by cold maceration with four solvents presenting an increasing polarity: cyclohexane (CHX), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl ace...

This work aimed to evaluate the biological activities of 20 flavones (M1 to M20) and discuss their structure–activity relationships. In vitro assays were established to assess their numerous biological activities (anti-α-amylase, anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-xanthine oxidase, anti-superoxide dismutase, and anticancer cell lines (HCT-116, MCF7, O...

Phytochemical properties have recently increased the popularity of plant polysaccharides as wound dressing materials. This work aims at studying the structural characteristics of polysaccharides extracted from Moringa leaves (Moringa Leaves Water Soluble Polysaccharide: MLWSP), and its antioxidant activities, cytotoxic effects, and laser burn wound...

The Lebanese flora is known for its biodiversity and high rate of endemism. The data found in the literature between January 2010 and October 2021, about the extracts and essential oils of Origanum ehrenbergii Boiss., Origanum syriacum L., Stachys nivea Labill., Stachys ehrenbergii Boiss., Cousinia libanotica DC., Salvia fruticosa Miller and Berber...

In the present study, the effects of three techniques of extraction (maceration, fractionation and reflux) using successively four solvents (dichlormethane (DM), ethyl acetate (EtAc), butanol (But) and water (W)) on phytochemical contents (total polyphenols and total flavonoids) and biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholin...

Traditionally, Brassica species are widely used in traditional medicine, human food, and animal feed. Recently, special attention has been dedicated to Brassica seeds as source of health-promoting phytochemicals. This review provides a summary of recent research on the Brassica seed phytochemistry, bioactivity, dietary importance, and toxicity by s...

Less used date palm fruits, as Bouhattam variety, are being converted into coffee through a roasting thermal process. Therefore, laboratory assays were conducted to investigate chemical and cytotoxic proprieties of this commercial coffee. Mineral content determination showed that roasted seeds of Bouhattam were a source of K+ and Ca2+. Date seed po...

The olive species (Olea europaea L.) is an ancient traditional crop grown under rainfed conditions in the Mediterranean Basin. In response to the growing national and international demand for olive oil, the olive cultivars are introduced into highly arid new bioclimatic areas. Subsequently, the morpho-physiology and phytochemistry of olive trees ar...

This work was undertaken to determine the structural characteristics of polysaccharides extracted from CO2-enriched Arthrospiraplatensis (Spirulina Water Soluble Polysaccharide: SWSP), as well as its antioxidant activities, cytotoxic effects and laser burn wound healing in rats. This SWSP was structurally characterized by Scanning Electron Microsco...

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of various heating temperatures on the antioxidant activities of camel milk caseins. The samples were processed with three different heat treatments: Pasteurization at low and high temperatures and boiling. Fresh camel milk (unheated) was used as a control. Camel milk caseins were separated by fast ion exchan...

Natural products always have been relevant for the advancement of new pharmacological products intended to prevent oxidative stress and many diseases since ancient times. Herein, the chemical composition was investigated via chromatographic analysis of varying polarity solvents (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water) from Tun...

Manilkara mabokeensis Aubrév is a tree that belongs to the Sapotaceae family, native to the tropical forest in Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The bark of this species is used as traditional medicine to treat diseases. The present study is the first phytochemical investigation on M. mabokeensis Aubrév bark in terms of phytochemical comp...

Vitis vinifera (V. vinifera) is a herbaceous plant, cultivated worldwide and known for its biological benefits. The aim of this study is the investigation of the chemical composition as well as the determination of the biological potential of different grape stem extracts obtained by maceration and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). The HPLC ana...

Kombucha is a traditional healthy beverage usually made by the fermentation of sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The consumption of kombucha is associated with numerous health benefits and therefore the beverage has attracted the attention of consumers worldwide. Non-typical substrates (fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs,...

Essential oils and solvent extracts of E. brevifolia F.M and E. strickalndii M. were screened for their chemical composition, and biological activities. 39 compounds were identified in, E. brevifolia F. M. EOs, whereas 41 volatile compounds were identified in E. stricklandii M. EOs. The organic extracts were rich on polyphenols and tannins. The IC5...

In this paper, three extraction methods: conventional hydrodistillation, microwave assisted hydrodistillation and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, were applied to isolate essential oils from two Eucalyptus species. To our knowledge, it is the first study dealing with extraction and characterization of essential oils from E. intertexta and E...

Rumex roseus L. (R. roseus) is acknowledged as an aromatic plant. For its excellent biological properties, it was used as a traditional medicine. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the chemical components and their effect as the biological activities of Tunisian extracts of R. roseus. Consecutive extractions by cold maceration of the aeria...

This study is aimed at identifying the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from the Syzygium aromaticum seeds, as well as investigating its biological activities, insecticide effect, and allelopathic properties. The extraction yield was about 14.3 and 7.14% for grounded and ungrounded seeds, respectively. The GC-MS analysis allowed...

Carbohydrates are the main source of calories in most diets, and α-amylase is considered one of the main enzymes that initiate their digestion. The inhibition of α-amylase is therefore considered to be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of disorders of glucose absorption, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, overweight, obesity and dia...

Rumex crispus L. (R. crispus) is regarded as an aromatic plant. It was used for its excellent biological properties in traditional medicine. The aerial part was extracted successively by maceration with three solvents increasing polarity (cyclohexane (CYH), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH)) to evaluate their chemical compositions and biol...

The present study was carried out in an attempt to synthesize, under classical and microwave irradiation conditions, a new class of cytotoxic 1,2,3-triazole linked flavonols hybrids by Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) to afford, in good yields (78-93%), 24 compounds 1′a-i, 2′a-h and 3′a-g, using three previously synthesized highly...

The membrane-damaging activities of four phenolics chosen for their bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus CNRZ3 were investigated: 5,7-dihydroxy-4-phenylcoumarin (DHPC), 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DHNQ), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and isobutyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (IBHB). S. aureus CNRZ3 cells, as well as model liposomes mim...

Background 1,4-Naphthoquinones (1,4-NQs) are secondary plant metabolites with numerous biological activities. 1,4-NQs display low water solubility and poor bioavailability. Bigels are a new technology with great potential, which are designated as drug delivery systems. Biphasic bigels consisting of solid and liquid components represent suitable for...

Origanum ehrenbergii Boiss, endemic to Lebanon, is widely used in culinary preparations. The aim of this study is to assess the chemical composition and biological activities of four extracts obtained by consecutive extractions with four different solvents presenting an increasing polarity (cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol)...

Essential oil (EO) of Laurus nobilis, from Tunisian, France and Austrian were screened for their chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and compared. GC-MS analysis showed that leaves of Tunisian L. nobilis had camphor (34.43%), 1,8-cineole (20.21%) and α-terpineol (7%) as major components. France and Austrian EOs had a high...

The production of bacterial cellulose has been limited due to its high cost and low productivity. Alternative low‐cost sources of this biopolymer of high purity and biocompatibility are needed in order to benefit from its enormous potential. Kombucha tea is a trend functional beverage whose production is growing exponentially worldwide, and the bac...

Kombucha is a fermented tea. Here we investigate the fermentation kinetics, metabolite production, microbiome and potential health promoting properties of three different kombucha consortia. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed several dominant bacterial genera such as Komagataeibacter, Gluconacetobacter and Gluconobacter. Brettanomyces and Schi...

In Tunisia, several studies estimated the soil organic matter (SOM) stocks. However, little is known about SOM composition and dynamics especially in arid regions. Globally, arid soils of Tunisia are saline. This study aims to investigate the composition and stability of SOM in salt-affected soils under different vegetation covers in Southeastern T...

Brassica tournefortii is an annual herbaceous plant, native to the North Africa and Middle East. It is considered as an excellent medicinal plant due to its richness by antioxidant like isothiocyanates and polyphenols. The present study is the first phytochemical investigation on Brassica tournefortii organs (leaves, stems, and roots) in terms of n...

Pure compounds belonging to phenolic family were studied for their biological potential such as 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (M1), rutin hydrate (M2), 2,3-dichloro-5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (M3), taxifolin (M4), myricetin (M5), plumbagin (M6), silibinin (M7), dihydromyricetin (M8), shikonin (M9), quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside (M10), (±)-taxi...

Fusariumsporotrichioides and F. langsethiae are present in barley crops. Their toxic metabolites, mainly T-2 toxin, affect the quality and safety of raw material and final products such as beer. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce Fusarium spp. proliferation and T-2 toxin contamination during the brewing process. The addition of Geotrichum candidum...

The effect of CO2 enrichment on the content of minerals, crude proteins, carbohydrate, and total polyphenols and flavonoids as well as antioxidant, cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of Arthrospira platensis were studied. A. platensis grown with CO2 enriched medium had less crude protein but more carbohydrate and phytochemical compounds. Increase...

Abstract: Background: Lotus taxa (Fabaceae) were well known as an important source of polyphenols and flavonoids. Lotus lanuginosus Vent. is a widespread plant in the northern region of Saudi Arabia. Phytochemical and biological activities screening focusing of the species are rare. Objective: The objectives of this study were to isolate secondary...

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by amyloid β aggregation and cholinergic neurodegeneration. In the present study, pure DDN (2,3‐dichloro‐5,8‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone) was examined, for the first time, for its dual potential as inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Aβ42 aggregation. Such investigation was encouraged by the in vitro h...

Discovering new antioxidant agents and optimizing their processing is a necessity to treat skin diseases. The assessment of quality and antioxidant activity of topical formulations based on 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (M1) and 2,3-dichloro-5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (M2) was carried out for the first time for this purpose. Stability stud...

The production of natural bioactive compounds through the fermentation of plants has increased in recent years. The biological activities of the extracts obtained from the fermentation of black tea with the kombucha consortium were evaluated. To improve the productivity of these compounds two different vessel geometries were used and successive ext...

A new series of 3-hydroxyflavones (1–46) were synthesized according to the Claisen-Schmidt followed by Algar-Flynn-Oyamada reactions (AFO) in one step. The synthesized flavonoids were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and DCI-HRMS. All the synthesized compounds were tested in vitro for their 15-lipoxygenase inhibitory and cytotoxic activity against...

With regard to the other vegetables, Brassica crops contain a huge spectrum of various secondary metabolites (glucosinolates, carotenoids, phenolics compounds) and are rich of vitamins and minerals. However, little information is available in the literature about Brassica tournefortii chemical composition and biological activities compared to the o...

Background This study reports an easy method of veterinary drug investigation in raw milk, based on QuECHERS extraction followed by RP-HPLC-UV analysis. Use of this benchtop system was motivated by its availability and moderate cost relatively to other sophisticated methods such as LC-MS which are more performant. Methods This developed method has...