ABSTRACT Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima D.) is an angiosperm belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family generally characterized by climbing herbaceous vine with tendrils. The fruits vary in size, colour, shape and weight and have a moderately hard rind, with a thick edible flesh, and numerous seeds in the fruit which are either plump and tan or soft white.Preliminary phytochemical evaluation on different extracts of seed and fruit of C.maxima reveals the presence of proteins, carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, coumerins, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and glycosides. A C.maximum contains antioxidants (such as: tocopherols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, carotenoids or ascorbic acid) which are molecule that are capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. They may protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves.Free radical scavenging or antioxidant activity of the extract was determined on the basis of their scavenging activity of the stable 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. Antibacterial activity of the crude extract was determined by Cup-cut agar diffusion method.The pulp and seed extracts showed significant antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner with good IC50 values. For the pulp IC50(s) were 4.25 ± 0.05, 3.84 ± 1.18 and 4.12 ± 0.32 for petroleum ether, chloroform and Methanol extracts, respectively. In addition the the seed IC50(s) were 9.22 ± 0.20, 14.5 ± 0.14 and 5.97 ± 1.70 for petroleum ether, chloroform and Methanol extracts, respectively. C.maxima extracts contains antioxidants that prevent the oxidative damage to DNA in presence of DNA damaging agent (Sybr Gold) at a high concentration. The percentage of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of C. maxima determines the ability of antioxidant to scavenge the hydroxyl radicals. The antioxidant activity of C. maxima extracts has high scavenging activity (thermodynamic property) and relatively high reaction rate (kinetic property); therefore, the second order rate constant (ks) of the H-atom transfer from antioxidant to the hydroxyl radical was seen. The seed extract showed antibacterial properties on both Gram- positive and Gram-negative bacteria used in this study. This means that C. maxima are useful as potential antibacterial agents. It was also observed from this study, the variations in the antibacterial activities of the C. maxima may be due to the differences in their bioactive compositions or concentrations. In conclusion, the physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical evaluation of fruit and seeds of C.maxima provide valuable information regarding their identification, authentication and chemical constituents which may be useful for the standardization and preparation of medicinal plants. The constituents of fruit and seeds of C. maxima may have several medicinal properties and can be utilized for the treatment of various diseases. Further research on this species in Libya may help in the isolation of therapeutically potent compounds which can be finally be subjected to pharmacological activities, thus leading to opening up new avenues in the use of natural products for therapeutic purpose.
إيناس عبدالله السعداوي (2016)

Spices are any pungent, aromatic plant substances used to flavor food or beverages. Plant foods and agricultural commodities including spices are increasingly subjected to adulteration by design or default. This study aimed to compare home grinded spices against ready locally prepared ones in Libyan market. Chosen spices were compared according to their percentage of yield, organoleptic features, and pharmacognostic parameters as macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, pH measurement, microbial contamination (total viable count and microbial identification), and thin layer chromatography (TLC) chromatogram and diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. From the results, the ready prepared samples showed to have higher percentage of yield compared to home prepared ones. There were no difference in organoleptic test results, macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and pH test results. Bacteria in spices samples were too many to count (TMTC) in most samples, however thyme, rosemary and cinnamon showed better results. The isolated bacteria were identified as Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli species. TLC chromatogram and DPPH scavenging activity test also showed no difference in both sample groups. All these tests indicates that the samples obtained from market as grinded powder and the same samples of spices that was brought as a raw materials and grinded at home had the same characteristics, which indicated that they are of the same quality which not necessary to be a good one. arabic 12 English 75
Sakina Salem Mohammed Saadawi, , , AMAL .A ABOALLA AMMAR, (1-2015)

نبات الثوم الأسود والمنتمى للعائلة النباتية (البصلية) ، ينمو في بعض المناطق من العالم كما قبرص ولقد سجلت دراسات محدودة حول هذا النبات. ولقد تم في هذه الأطروحة العلمية الفحص الكيميائي النباتي الأولي، وتقييم النشاط المضادة للأكسدة، وتحديد القيمة الغذائية والتحقيق في النشاط المضادات للميكروبات لنبات الثوم الأسود. لقد تم جمع النبات من منطقة مسلاته في ليبيا. ولقد تم فصل الأجزاء الهوائية عن الأجزاء الجذرية وتم التجفيف فى الظل ثم طحنت الأجزاء الجافة الى مسحوق بودرة. مسحوق البودرة الجافة لكل من الأزهار والأبصال قد شهد استخلاص بطريقة النقع البارد باستخدام الميثانول فقط. نواتج الإستخلاص لكل من الأزهار والأبصال(2.30٪، 2.75٪) على التوالي. الفحص الكيميائي النباتي لنبات الثوم الأسود كشف عن وجود مركبات الفلافونويد، والمواد القابضة, السابونين والكومارين. لقد تم تقطيرالزهور الطازجة لنبات الثوم الأسود بطريقة التقطير بالبخار للحصول على الزيت العطري. الزيت العطرى المستخلص من أزهار نبات الثوم الأسود يتميز بلونه الأبيض ورائحته المميزة. وله ناتج استخلاص (0.065٪). الزيت العطرى المستخلص من الأزهار والمستخلص الميثانولى للأبصال تم تحليلهما عن طريق تحليل الكروماتوغرافيا الغازية - طيف الكتلة لتحديد التركيب الكيميائي. كانت المكونات الرئيسية من الزيت العطري تتكون من85.51) GRADSPK / 1 ٪) حيث تركيبته الجزيئية لم تحدد في المكتبة الخاصة بالجهاز 2،4 ثنائي ميثيل انديكان( 2.64, %( وحمض الديكانديويك دايديكيل داى استير، (%1.67) هيبتان 4-إيثيل (1.23٪)، 2-أمينودلتا-2-تايازولين المعرفة (0.94)، 1،1-مكرر فينيل سلفونيل-3-الميثيلين -4-ثلاثى الميثيل سيليل بيوتان (0.96٪). وعند تحليل مستخلص الأبصال المحضر بواسطة الميثانول بنفس طريقة التحليل المستخدمة للزيت العطري المستخلص من الأزهار كشف عن وجود مركبات رئيسية منها البينتاكسان, النوناكسان, الهينيكسان وكانت نسبها عالية نسبيا كما أظهر التحليل, ولقد أظهرت الدراسات العلمية السابقة أن هده المركبات لها تأثيرات طبية هامة ومنها التأثير الخافض للكوليستيرول, والمضاد للأكسدة, ولقد تم في هده الدراسة العلمية تقدير الفائدة الغذائية للأبصال من ناحية نسب البروتين والدهن والألياف والكربوهيدرات واستخدمت رابطة الأساليب التحليلية الرسمية للكيميائيين كطريقة معتمدة عالميا لإجراء هذا التحليل وكانت القيم التي تم الحصول عليها من البروتين، والدهون والألياف والكربوهيدرات (0.01 ± 0.65، 0.45 ± 0.01، 1.34 ± 0.09، 30.66 ± 0.58) على التوالي. وعند المقارنة بين كل من مستخلصات الأزهار والأبصال من ناحية التأثير المضاد للأكسدة, أظهرت النتائج أن فاعلية مستخلص الأبصال كمضاد للأكسدة أكثر من فاعلية مستخلص الأزهار. ومن الدراسات التي تم استخدامها في هده الرسالة البحثية أيضا هي تقييم النشاط المضاد للميكروبات لمستخلص الأبصال ولقد أظهرت النتائج أن المستخلص له تأثير فعال على الفطريات، وأما بالنسبة للبكتيريا فلم ينتج أي تأثير مضاد للبكتيريا على الأنواع البكتيرية المضمونة في الدراسة مما يعطينا إنطباع بأن هناك مركبات فعالة في نبات الثوم الأسود تحتاج إلى المزيد من الدراسة والفصل نظرا لفاعليتها المضادة للفطريات. Abstract: Allium nigrum family Alliaceae grows in some regions of the world as Cyprus, and a limited studies are reported on this plant. In this thesis a preliminary phytochemical screening, evaluation of antioxidant activity determination of nutritional value and investigation of antimicrobial activity of Allium nigrum. The plant was harvested from Msselata area in Libya. The aerial parts were separated from the root part and both were allowed for shade drying then grounded into a coarse powder. Then the ground powder of both flowers and bulbs had undergone extraction by cold maceration method using methanol only. The extraction yields for both flowers and bulbs are (2.30%, 2.75%) respectively. The phytochemical screening of A.nigrum revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins and coumarins. The fresh flowers of Allium nigrum allowed to be distilled by steam distillation method to obtain the essential oil. The oil characterized by white in colour with acharacterstic odor and has extraction yield of (0.065%). The extracted essential oil of flowers and methanolic extract of bulbs analyzed by GC-MS analysis for identification of the chemical composition. The major constituents of essential oil of A. nigrum were GRADSPK/1(85.51%) where its molecular formula not identified in this library, 2,4 dimethyl -undecane (2.64%), decanedioic acid, didecylester (1.67%), heptane-4-ethyl (1.23%), 2-amino -Delta.2-thiazoline (Labelled)(0.94),1,1-Bis (phenylsulfonyl) 3-methylene 4 (trimethylsilyl) butane (0.96%), and A, D-bridged Nitrocalixarene (0.72%).The GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract of A.nigrum showed the presence of thirty five compounds. The major components are pentacosane (8.468 %) nacosane (4.793 %), 4,6-diethyl-1,2,3,5-tetrathiolane (3.778%), pentacosane heneicosane, noncosane and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester were predominant in the extract. These five major compounds have been reported to have hypocholesterolemic activity, antioxidant and lubricating activity. The nutritional value of the bulbs of A. nigrum has been investigated and Association of the Official Analytical Chemists methods (2002) were used for performing this analysis. The obtained values for protein, fat, fibers and carbohydrates were (0.01 ±0.65 , 0.45 ± 0.01, 1.34 ± 0.09, 30.66 ± 0.58) respectively. In vitro antioxidant study revealed that the methanolic bulb extract was more potent as antioxidant (IC50=43.13) compared to methanolic flower extract (IC50 =227.68). The methanolic bulb extract was examined for antimicrobial activity which showed activity against Candida albicans (fungi) with zones of inhibition (7.5, 10 and 12.5mm) according to different extract concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) respectively. Otherwise the extract was ineffective against bacteria.
احمد محمد الحمروني (2015)