305 Floral research doi: 10.1016/S2222-1808(15)61035-0 ©2016 by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease. All rights reserved. Phytochemical, organoleptic and ferric reducing properties of essential oil and ethanolic extract from Pistacia lentiscus (L.) Dalila Beghlal 1,# , Khalid El Bairi 2,3,#,* , Ilias Marmouzi 4 , Leïla Haddar 2,3 , Boukili Mohamed 5 1 Biotechnology, Environment and Health Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, University of Blida-1, Algeria. 2 Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohamed Ist University, Oujda, Morocco. 3 Independent Research Team in Cancer Biology and Bioactive Compounds, Mohamed Ist University, Oujda, Morocco. 4 Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmacokinetic Research Team, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco. 5 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco Asian Pac J Trop Dis 2016; 6(4): 305-310 Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apjtd *Corresponding author: Khalid El Bairi, Mohamed I University, Oujda, Morocco. Tel: +212 648830811 E-mail: k.elbairi@ump.ac.ma #These authors contributed equally to this work. The journal implements double-blind peer review practiced by specially invited international editorial board members. 1. Introduction The oxidation is one of the most important mechanisms for producing free radicals in food, drugs and even physiological systems[1,2]. Reactive oxygen species may be the causative factor involved in many human degenerative diseases, and antioxidant compounds are known to have some degrees of preventive and therapeutic effects on these disorders[3]. Antioxidant supplements in foods may be used to help the human body reduce oxidative damage caused by free radicals[4]. It is well-known that oxidation damages various biological substances and subsequently causes many diseases. Accordingly, there are many research papers on the relationships between oxidative damages and various diseases including cancer[5], aging[6], inflammation[7], diabetes[8,9] and atherosclerosis[10]. Recently, the interest in natural antioxidants, in relation to their therapeutic properties, has increased dramatically. For these reasons, many extractions, identification and quantification methods have been developed[11,12]. The antioxidant activity of a compound is defined as the ability to scavenge or inhibit oxidation radicals. Major antioxidants are the ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E) as well as ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Objective: To study the phytochemical composition and organoleptic properties of Pistacia lentiscus (L.) (P. lentiscus) from Algeria and to investigate the antioxidant activities of its essential oil and ethanolic extract. Methods: Aerial parts of P. lentiscus were collected at Hammam Melouane (Blida), 50 km from Algiers. Different solvent extractions were made for the preliminary screening of phytochemicals. Additionally, the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of the Algerian variety have been characterized. Moreover, P. lentiscus essential oil and ethanolic extract were studied for their antioxidant potential by ferric reducing power test. Results: Phytochemical screening of P. lentiscus revealed the presence of various biochemicals, including leuco-anthocyanins, condensed tannins, gallic tannins, saponoside, coumarins, and flavonoids, while others were absent (anthocyanins and alcaloids). Essential oil showed lower antioxidant potential compared to the ethanolic extract, reflecting the potential phenolic content responsible for this activity. Conclusions: The present study reveals the presence of various phytochemical classes in P. lentiscus, and the antioxidant experiment shows a good bioactivity of the aerial parts of the Algerian P. lentiscus. The literature review of the essential oil composition shows also important variations due to geographic and environmental conditions. This preliminary investigation will help explore the bioactive compounds of P. lentiscus, and will bring data for a better physicochemical and organoleptic classification of the Algerian variety. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Article history: Received 16 Oct 2015 Received in revised form 8 Mar, 2nd revised form 9 Mar 2016 Accepted 12 Apr 2016 Available online 20 Apr 2016 Keywords: Pistacia lentiscus (L.) Antioxidant Ferric ion reducing antioxidant parameter Essential oil Ethanolic extract