Abstract
This work was conceived in the context of valorisation of the endemic forest species Cedrus atlantica (Pinaceae family), widespread in the mountainous massif of eastern Algeria. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and insecticidal activity of the methanolic extract of the aerial part (leaves) of C. atlantica (CAMeOH). The extraction made it possible to obtain a yield of approximately 7.49% from 350 g of dry powdered plant material. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids and flavonoids as major components. In vitro antioxidant evaluation was carried out using two different methods. The reducing power assay test result revealed an optical density (DO) value of 1.7±0.02 at a dose of 600 µg/mL of CAMeOH. Concerning the iron chelation activity, the recorded IC50 value was 62.12 μg/mL and R²=0.87. The insecticidal activity against the stored-food insect Tribolium confusum was evaluated using the contact treatment mode and showed a significant dose-dependent effect (P≤0.05) with a mortality rate of 98.32 ± 0.50 % at a dose of 50 mg/mL (after 96 hours of contact). The results of this study confirmed the potential antioxidant and insecticidal activity of the methanolic extract from the leaves of C. atlantica.