Proximate Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Potential of Wild Halophytes Grown in Coastal Salt Marsh Habitats

Halophytes have been characterized as a potential resource for fiber, food, fodder, and bioactive compounds. Proximate composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of five wild dominant halophytes (Arthrocnemummacrostachyum, Halocnemumstrobilaceum, Limoniastrummonopetalum, Limoniastrumpruinosum, and Tamarix nilotica) naturally growing along the Nile Delta coast were assessed. The soil supporting these halophytes was sandy to sand-silty, alkaline, with low organic carbon, and relatively high CaCO3. H. strobilaceum attained the highest moisture content, ash, crude fiber, lipids, and total soluble sugars. L. monopetalum showed the highest content of crude protein (18.00%), while T. nilotica had the highest content of total carbohydrates. The studied halophytes can be ranked according to their nutritive value as follows: H.strobilaceum > L.monopetalum > A.macrostachyum > L.pruinosum > T. nilotica. A. macrostachyum attained the highest amount of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. A. macrostachyum showed a high content of phenolic compounds, while H.strobilaceum was rich in tannins and saponin contents. The MeOH extract of A. macrostachyum and H. strobilaceum exhibited substantial antioxidant activity. The present results showed that the studied halophytes could be considered as candidates for forage production or used as green eco-friendly natural resources for bioactive compounds.

Coastal Stability using Remote Sensing and Radioactive Materials in the Northwest Nile Delta Coast, Egypt

This paper points to changes of the coastline using two ways, calculating the annual rate of erosion using 1) radioactive materials and 2) GIS and DSAS extension. Finally, both results were verified. Radioactivity results indicate both erosion and accretion zones, the annual scavenging rate in Promontory area shows that it is presented main accretion area, unlike the results of the DSAS extension, which showed that the Promontory is erosion area. The Burullus area annual scavenging rate results showing erosion, despite results of DSAS, it shows that it is an accretion area, but this was clarified by calculating the average distance between the shoreline of 2017 and 2018, and the 2018 shoreline retreat with an average distance 41.4 cm, which makes the Burullus region suffer from erosion. Two methods showed similarity in results in the Edco area, which shows that the Edco area suffers from erosion.