Comparative Analysis of Algerian Juniperus oxycedrus Tar from Two-Regions: Physico-chemical Characterization and Antibacterial Performance in Wastewater Treatment

Naima Hellali; Mustafa Chouireb; Ouahiba Mimouni; Habiba Ben Abderrahmane

doi:10.14233/ajchem.2025.33926

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 10 (2025): Vol 37 Issue 10, 2025

Issue Published : 30 September 2025

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Comparative Analysis of Algerian Juniperus oxycedrus Tar from Two-Regions: Physico-chemical Characterization and Antibacterial Performance in Wastewater Treatment

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2025.33926

Naima Hellali

Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Université de Ghardaia, BP 455 47000 Ghardaia, Algeria

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-4882

Mustafa Chouireb

Research Laboratory of Water Resources, Soil and Environment (RLWRSE), University of Ammar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5949-5429

Ouahiba Mimouni

Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Université de Ghardaia, BP 455 47000 Ghardaia, Algeria

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8903-9202

Habiba Ben Abderrahmane

Laboratoire d’Informatique et des Mathematiques, University of Ammar Telidji, Laghouat, Algeria

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6212-2106

Corresponding Author(s) : Naima Hellali

hellali.naima@univ-ghardaia.edu.dz

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 37 No. 10 (2025): Vol 37 Issue 10, 2025
Article Published : 30 September 2025

Abstract

In this study, the comparative study characterizes the region-specific properties of Juniperus oxycedrus tar (Cade oil or Gatran) from two Algerian provenances (Djelfa and M'sila), evaluating both physico-chemical parameters and antimicrobial potential. Laboratory analyses identified substantial provenance-based differentiation, particularly in rheological behaviour, where M'sila-sourced tar displayed 3.7-fold greater dynamic viscosity (1544 mPa·s) than Djelfa samples (420 mPa·s) under the standardized conditions (31.5 ± 0.4 ºC). Both variants exhibited complete bactericidal activity (100% elimination) against wastewater indicator organisms (total coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci) at operational concentrations of 0.1 mL/L with 30 min contact time. The observed dissociation between antimicrobial efficacy (which showed no geographic variation) and physico-chemical profiles suggests that while biological activity remains consistent, material properties may dictate specific industrial applications. These results suggests for the potential integration of J. oxycedrus tar as a sustainable disinfectant in water treatment systems, pending further investigation into its environmental persistence and comparative cost-effectiveness relative to the conventional biocides.

Keywords

Juniperus oxycedrus Tar Cade oil Gatran M'sila Djelfa Wastewater Bacteriological analyses

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Hellali, N.; Chouireb, M.; Mimouni, O.; Abderrahmane, H. B. Comparative Analysis of Algerian Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar from Two-Regions: Physico-Chemical Characterization and Antibacterial Performance in Wastewater Treatment. ajc 2025, 37, 2393-2396.

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References

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References

J. Bellakhdar, La pharmacopée marocaine traditionnelle, Fung Kwan Tam Ed. (1997).

B. Marongiu, S. Porcedda, A. Caredda, B. De Gioannis, L. Vargiu and Paolo, Flavour Fragrance J., 18, 390 (2003); https://doi.org/10.1002/ffj.1224

S. Skalli, A. Chebat, N. Badrane and R.S. Bencheikh, Food Chem. Toxicol., 64, 81 (2014); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2013.11.009

Y. Gall and P. Litoux, Bull. Esthet. Dermatol. Cosmetol., 48, 25 (1989).

A.B. Stefaniak, C.J. Harvey and P.W. Wertz, Int. J. Cosmet. Sci., 32, 347 (2010); https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2010.00561.x

M.-Y. Lee, I.-S. Shin, C.-S. Seo, J.-H. Kim, S.-R. Han and H.-K. Shin, J. Ethnopharmacol., 144, 720 (2012); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.10.019

M. Amrani, M. Marghich, A. Karim, H. Mekhfi, A. Ziyyat and M. Aziz, Toxicon, 251, 108150 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108150

J.F. Dayrit, L. Bintanjoyo, L.K. Andersen and M.D.P. Davis, Int. J. Dermatol., 57, 901 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.13901

C Cavaleiro 1, E Pinto, M J Gonçalves and L Salgueiro, J. Appl. Microbiol., 100, 1333 (2006); https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02862.x

B. Ilić, N. Unković, D. Ćoćić, J. Vukojević, M. Ljaljević Grbić, and S. Makarov, Arthropoda Selecta, 29, 413 (2020); https://doi.org/10.15298/arthsel. 29.4.03

H. Wu, S. Gao and S. Terakawa, Pharm. Biol., 57, 1 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2018.1548626

P. Kilpeläinen, E. Liski and P. Saranpää, Ind. Crops Prod., 192, 116089 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.116089

X. Zhao, R. Ma, X. Zhang, B. Wang, B. Rong, N. Jiang, W. Feng, M. Chen, Z. Huo, S. Li and T. Xia, J. Ethnopharmacol., 278, 114298 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.114298

P. Mathur, U. Ghosh, R. Chetani, P. Chaturvedi, C. Sharma and P. Bhatnagar, S. Afr. J. Bot., 148, 492 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2022.05.033

X. Hu, X. Peng, Y. Zhang, S. Fan, X. Liu, Y. Song, S. Ren, L. Chen, Y. Chen, R. Wang, J. Peng, X. Shen and Y. Chen, Phytomedicine, 123, 155214 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155214

ISO/IEC 17025:2017, "General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland (2017).

T. Bouziane and A. Makhloufi, Appl. Biol. Saharan Areas, 1, 33 (2017).

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Guidelines for Water Disinfection, EPA 815-R-21-006 (2021).

B. Terfaya, A. Makhloufi, A. Mekboul, L. Benlarbi and D. Abdelouahed, Appl. Biol. Saharan Areas, 1, 33 (2017).

World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality, 4th ed., WHO Press, Geneva, edn 4 (2011).

UNESCO The Practical Salinity Scale 1978 and the International Equation of State of Seawater 1980, UNESCO Tech. Pap. Mar. Sci., p. 36 (1981).

American Public Health Association, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, APHA Press, Washington, DC, edn 23 (2017).

ISO 10523:2012, "Water Quality - Determination of pH, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva (2012).

University of Ghardaia, Laboratory Protocols for Physicochemical Analysis, Internal Technical Report (2022).

Algerian Water Company, QA/QC Manual for Water Analysis, Algiers (2021).

Public Works Laboratory of the South (LTPS), Technical Report on Water Treatment Materials, Ghardaia (2022).

S.C. Edberg, E.W. Rice, R.J. Karlin and M.J. Allen, J. Appl. Microbiol., 88(S1), 106S (2000); https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2000.tb05338.x

Santé Canada, Recommandations pour la qualité de l'eau potable au Canada – Document technique: Indicateurs bactériologiques de la qualité de l'eau potable, Ottawa, ON, Canada (2012).

R.Y. Morita, Psychrophilic Bacteria, eds.: N.R. Krieg and J.G. Holt, In: Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, vol. 1, p. 144, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore (1985).

H. Warda and M. Amar, Algerian J. Arid Environ., 9, 2 (2019).

S. El Ouarghi, M. Berrada and D. Bousta, J. Appl. Pharm. Sci., 9, 55 (2019).

APHA, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (23rd ed.), American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation (2017).

H. Leclerc, D.A.A. Mossel, S.C. Edberg and C.B. Struijk, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 55, 201 (2001); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.micro.55.1.201

A. Rompré, P. Servais, J. Baudart, M.-R. de-Roubin and P. Laurent, J. Microbiol. Methods, 49, 31 (2002); https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-7012(01)00351-7

J.P.S. Cabral, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 7, 3657 (2010); https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph7103657

WHO, Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (4th ed., incorporating the 1st addendum), World Health Organization (2017).

M.N. Byappanahalli, M.B. Nevers, A. Korajkic, Z.R. Staley and V.J. Harwood, Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., 76, 685 (2012); https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.00023-12

J. Rodier, B. Legube, and N. Merlet, L’analyse de l’eau, eaux naturelles, eaux résiduaires, eau de mer, chimie, physico-chimie, microbiologie, biologie, interprétation des résultats., Paris, France: Dunod, edn 9 (2005) (In French).

Author biographies is not available.