Farid Kirollos

LC-ESI-MS/MS was used for a comprehensive characterisation of ethanol extract from the leaves of three Pistacia species. After optimisation of the method and the use of the negative ionisation mode, a total of 42 different compounds were identified, of which 22 were tentatively characterised in P. chinensis Bunge, 33 in P. khinjuk stocks and 25 in P. lentiscus L. leaves. Flavonoids, phenolic acids, and their derivatives were the most abundant identified compounds. LC-ESI-MS/MS revealed identification of 15, 18 and 6 not previously detected compounds in P. chinensis Bunge, P. khinjuk Stocks and P. lentiscus L., respectively. The three extracts were also tested for their cytotoxic activities against human PC3 prostate cancer, A549 lung cancer, MCF7 breast cancer and HepG2 liver cancer. Generally, all the extracts have a moderate cytotoxic activity against lung, breast and prostate cancer, with different IC. However, only P. lentiscus L. showed moderate activity against liver cancer.

The hydrodistilled essential oils of peels and leaves of four cultivars of Citrus deliciosa var. tangarina (Fina Clementine, Nour Clementine, Spinosa Clementine and Thornless Clementine) belonging to family Rutaceae were analyzed by GC/MS. Limonene was the major constituent of all the oil samples under investigation except in case of Nour Clementine leaves, where sabinene was the major component. Generally, total hydrocarbons were of higher percentage than total oxygenated compounds, also total monoterpenes showed higher percentage than total sesquiterpenes. The studied essential oils showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity. Thornless leaves oil showed the highest antioxidant potential, it recorded the same EC50 as ascorbic acid. The antimicrobial activity of Citrus peels and leaves oils was screened against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungi. Leaves oils showed higher antimicrobial activity than peels oils against all the tested microorganisms among them Thorny Clementine leaves oil was the most potent. Peels oils were tested for cytotoxic activity against liver, cervix, breast carcinoma and normal baby hamster kidney fibroblast cell lines. Peels oils showed potent cytotoxic activity against the tested carcinoma cell lines comparing to doxorubicin, while they exhibited no effect on normal baby hamster kidney fibroblast cell line which indicated their safety. The antiviral activity of the studied essential oils was tested by hemagglutination test of washed chicken erythrocytes. The allantoic amniotic fluid of embryonatic eggs inoculated with different Citrus essential oils under investigation, suspension of H5N1 virus and antibiotic gave a positive test, this indicates inactivated H5N1 virus.