Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Insecticidal and Anti-Cholinesterase Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from <i>Cinnamomum verum</i> L.
Ghada Beniaich,
Otmane Zouirech,
Aimad Allali,
Mohammed Bouslamti,
Imane Maliki,
Abdelfattah El Moussaoui,
Mohamed Chebaibi,
Hiba-Allah Nafidi,
Yousef A. Bin Jardan,
Mohammed Bourhia,
Mustapha Taleb
Affiliations
Ghada Beniaich
Laboratory of Engineering, Electrochemistry, Modelling and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez 30050, Morocco
Otmane Zouirech
Laboratories of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30000, Morocco
Aimad Allali
Laboratory of Plant, Animal and Agro-Industry Productions, University of Ibn Tofail, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Mohammed Bouslamti
Laboratories of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30000, Morocco
Imane Maliki
Laboratory of Health and Environment, Department of Biology, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes 50050, Morocco
Abdelfattah El Moussaoui
Laboratory of Biotechnology, Environment, Agri-Food and Health, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 30050, Morocco
Mohamed Chebaibi
Biomedical and Translational Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Fez, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez 30050, Morocco
Hiba-Allah Nafidi
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Yousef A. Bin Jardan
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Bourhia
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune 70000, Morocco
Mustapha Taleb
Laboratory of Engineering, Electrochemistry, Modelling and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez 30050, Morocco
This study is aimed at evaluating the potential of the essential oil of Cinnamomum verum (EOCV) as an antioxidant, as an insecticide against Callosobruchus maculatus and for its anti-acetylcholinesterase activity. To this end, EOCV was extracted via hydrodistillation from this plant, and the identification of the phytochemicals was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antioxidant power was determined via in vitro tests, the insecticidal ability was tested via exposing C. maculatus to EOCV, and molecular docking was used to evaluate the anti-cholinesterase ability. The results of these GC–MS analyses show that the main composition of EOCV comprises Cinnamaldehyde dimethyl acetal (64.50%), cinnamicaldehyde (35.04%) and α-Copaene (0.11%). The insecticidal potential of the studied OEs, determined by using the inhalation test, and expressed as the concentration of EOs required for the death of 50% of the insects (LC50) and that required the death of 95% of adults (LC95) after 96 h of exposure, was 3.99 ± 0.40 and 14.91 ± 0.10 μL/L of air, respectively. In the contact test, 96 h of exposure gave an LC50 and LC95 of 3.17 ± 0.28 and 8.09 ± 0.05 μL/L of air, respectively. A comparison of the antioxidant activity of EOCV to that of ascorbic acid via DPPH free radical scavenging ability and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) revealed the IC50 and EC50 values of EOCV to be much higher than that obtained for ascorbic acid, and the molecular docking simulation revealed Coumarin, Piperonal, Cinnamaldehyde dimethyl and alpha-Copaene as possessing potential inhibitory activities against human acetylcholinesterase. However, further experimental validation is needed to enhance the prospects of this study.
