Enhancing the value of two spontaneous Tunisian species

Flora is a powerful reservoir of secondary metabolites used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Thus, synthetic molecules that are harmful to health need to be replaced by natural molecules that can act individually and/or synergistically. This study compares the biological potential of extracts and essential oils from two spontaneous species, Lavandula stoechas and Phillyrea angustifolia. Phillyrea angustifolia has a high antioxidant capacity, strongly correlated with its richness in bioactive compounds. In addition, the essential oil has potential anticancer activity, inhibiting the proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and HepG2 liver cancer cells. The efficacy of this species is probably due to the presence of gallic acid in the extracts and the alpha-pinene chemotype characteristic of this plant's essential oils, which contributes to the value of P. angustifolia as a source of biomolecules.