Antimicrobial, Herbicidal and pesticidal potential of Tunisian species: Chemoprofiling and biological evaluation.

The genus, characterized by its imposing stature and fragrant foliage, has been a source of fascination for humanity over the centuries. The focus of the present investigation was directed towards the essentials oils (EOs) of five trees cultivated in Tunisia. The GC-MS analysis unveiled unique compositional profiles, a finding substantiated by both Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) conducted on the leaves EOs. These analyses resulted in the formation of discrete HCA clades, delineating 23 significant components. Notably, the percentage of eucalyptol emerged as the pivotal factor demarcating the separation between three distinct groups. The statistical analysis revealed a dose-dependent relationship in both phytotoxicity evaluation and antibacterial activity. The EOs from and exhibited the highest phytotoxicity, inhibiting radical elongation and germination of various seeds, especially and . The antimicrobial assessment demonstrated significant inhibitory effects of the EOs on bacterial strains, with MIC values spanning from 14 to exceeding 50 mg/ml. The EOs also affected biofilm formation and cellular metabolism, displaying varied efficacy among different species against some bacterial strains. The EOs exhibited selective inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. EO showed the highest AChE activity, while and EOs were most potent toward α-amylase. EO demonstrated notable activity against α-glucosidase. Overall, these findings provide important data about the diverse biological activities of EOs, suggesting potential applications in agriculture, medicine, and pharmacy.