Résumé:
As part of the development of natural resources, we undertook a theoretical study on a plant widely used by North African populations, namely pennyroyal. This work primarily contributes to the knowledge of some antioxidant and insecticidal activities of the essential oil of Mentha pulegium L known since European antiquity as a medicinal plant belonging to the Labiee family.
The extraction of the essential oil by hydro-distillation of the Clevenger type carried out on samples from Rabat (Morocco), Tlemcen and Laghouat in Algeria gave yields of 5.4%, 2.7% and 0.91% respectively.
GPC / MS analysis identified 21 compounds in the EO of Mentha pulegium from Tlemcen and Rabat regions and 26 compounds in that of Laghouat region including pulegone as the most abundant compound (77.3%, 40.98% and 76.9% respectively).
Evaluation of antioxidant activity by two chemical methods revealed remarkable anti-free radical and reducing capacities. Thus, the IC50 results obtained by the DPPH test of the essential oil of mint indicates that the latter is able to inhibit the free radical DPPH with values of 29.24 mg / ml and 3.07 mg / ml for Tlemcen and Laghouat respectively.
In addition, the EC50 obtained by the FRAP test are 39.4 mg / ml and 5.31 mg / ml for essential oil from Tlemcen and Laghouat in Algeria and 0.0857 mg / ml for Rabat (Morocco).
The study of the insecticidal activity of the Royal Penny (Tribolium castaneum) showed that the essential oil of Mentha pulegium L. from Algeria and Morocco caused 100% mortality at a concentration of 20 μl / l of air after 12 hours of exposure. On the other hand, the essential oil of Mentha pulegium L. from Tunisia caused 100% mortality at a concentration of 586.2 μl / l of air after 11 hours of exposure.
This very promising work can be considered as a starting point for applications of this aromatic plant in the fields of health, in the agrifood or pharmaceutical sector.
