L’objectif des travaux de cette thèse concerne la caractérisation du germoplasme marocain du cactus Opuntia. Les études réalisées pour atteindre cet objectif ont portées sur le comportement phénologique, les caractéristiques génétiques et la composition physicochimique du cactus, ainsi que sur les molécules à fort potentiel thérapeutique, susceptibles d’avoir des effets bénéfiques pour les cellules du système nerveux central, dans les extraits de cactus (fruit, fleur, graine, huile, raquette et épine) et ceci en comparaison avec l’huile d’Argan. Les travaux ont été réalisés dans quatre laboratoires partenaires partageant des compétences dans les domaines d’analyses agronomique, biochimique et moléculaire. Les résultats de nos travaux sont présentés dans trois volets : (i) la caractérisation agronomique du cactus, (ii) la purification et la caractérisation des extraits et des molécules naturelles et (iii) l’évaluation des effets biologiques de ces molécules sur un modèle cellulaire. L’étude phénologique sur des écotypes âgées de 4 ans, issus du site expérimental de l’INRA d’Ain Nezagh, nous a permis de les classer selon le taux de fructification ou la production de biomasse de manière à mieux orienter leur utilisation en fonction de l’origine géographique et de l’espèce. L’étude de la diversité génétique, basée sur les traits morphologiques et les marqueurs moléculaires, a permis d’identifier sur le site d’Ain Nezagh sept espèces de cactus dont deux n’avait jamais été décrites au Maroc, O. leucotricha et O. inermis. Les analyses morpho-anatomique et physico-chimique de la fleur, du jus, du fruit et de la raquette d’écotypes âgées de 10 ans provenant du site de l’INRA de Jemâat Riah ont démontré la présence de deux espèces différentes de cactus du genre Opuntia, comportant quatre variétés non identifiées auparavant sur ce site. Nos travaux montrent donc l’existence d’une grande diversité génétique intra-espèces (variétés) et inter-espèces chez le cactus au Maroc. Paralèllement à ces études, les compositions chimiques des huiles essentielles de raquette et de graine de cactus ainsi que celle d’huile d’argan ont été déterminées. A partir de ces analyses, nous avons choisi d’étudier les effets de deux stérols, le spinastérol et le schotténol, ainsi que d’extraits de stérols sur l’activation du récepteur nucléaire LXR (Liver X receptor, impliqué dans la régulation du métabolisme du cholestérol) dans les cellules cérébrales de la microglie (lignée murine BV-2). Nos résultats montrent que le spinastérol et le schotténol, sans être cytotoxiques, peuvent moduler les expressions des deux isoformes de LXR, LXR-α et LXR-β, ainsi que de leurs gènes cibles ABCA1 et ABCG1. De plus, le schotténol provoque une activation spécifique de LXR-β. Ces résultats suggèrent que ces deux phytostérols pourraient avoir un rôle protecteur dans la modulation du métabolisme du cholestérol dans la microglie. / The objective of this PhD thesis is to characterize the Moroccan germplasm of the cactus Opuntia collected from different regions in Morocco, by studying the phenologic behavior, the genetic features and physicochemical composition, along with the molecules of high therapeutic potential which may have beneficial effects on the central nervous system cells from cactus extracts (fruit, flower, seed, oil, cladodes and spine) and compared to Argan oil. This work has been conducted in fours different laboratories sharing complementary analyses skills at agronomic, biochemistry, molecular levels. Our results are presented in three parts : (i) cactus agronomic characteristics, (ii) purification and characterization of natural extracts and molecules and (iii) the evalution of biological effects of these molecules using a cell model. Initially, the first experimental INRA site of cactus culture, located in Ain Nezagh and containing ecotypes older than 4 years, allowed us to achieve a phenological study with the classification of the ecotypes according to fruiting rate and to the biomass production in order to better guide their use according to geographical origin and species. The genetic diversity study based on morphological traits and molecular markers permited the identification, on the site of Ain Nezagh, of the presence of seven species of cactus among which two have never been described in Morocco: O. leucotricha and O. inermis. The morpho-anatomical and physicochemical analyses of cactus flower, juice, fruit and cladodes of 10 years old ecotypes issued from the Jemâat Riah INRA site, demonstrated the presence of two different species of the genus Opuntia including four varieties not previously identified on this site. Thus, our work indicates the existence of a large intra-species (varieties) and inter-species genetic diversity. Secondly, the chemical compositions of cladode essential oils or cactus seeds as well as argan oil were determined. From these analyzes, we have chosen to study the effects of two sterols, spinasterol and schottenol and also sterol extracts on the activation of the nuclear receptor LXR (Liver X receptor, involved in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism) in microglia brain cells (BV-2 murine cell line). Our results show that spinasterol and schottenol, without being cytotoxics, can modulate the expression of the two isoforms of LXR, LXR-α and LXR-β, as well as of their target genes ABCA1 and ABCG1. In addition, the schottenol causes LXR-β specific activation. These results suggest that these two phytosterols could have a protective role in the modulation of cholesterol metabolism in microglia.

The species Vernonia tweedieana Baker is an herbaceous plant widely distributed in the plains of Paraguai, Argentina and south of Brazil and popularly known as assa-peixe . This plant is used in traditional medicine as an expectorant medicament. So far, this plant was not studied on the phytochemical and biological point of view. This work is a contribution to the phytochemical study of the Asteraceae. The leaves of V. tweedieana Baker were collected in march of 2004, in Ijuí Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and identified by Dr. Geraldo C. Coelho (UNIJUÍ). The respective voucher specimen was deposited in the herbarium of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM)-RS (code SMDB 9536). The leaves (1.900 g) were dried in an air circulating stove at 40 ºC, pulverized in mill and extracted by maceration with 65% EtOH at room temperature for seven days. The ethanolic extract was filtered and the ethanol was removed. Finally, the extract was retake in water and partitioned using organics solvents with increased polarity: CH2Cl2, AcOEt and n-BuOH. We report the isolation and identification of six constituents of the CH2Cl2 fraction: the triterpenes a-amyrin, b-amyrin and lupeol and the steroids b- sitosterol, stigmasterol and spinasterol. The flavanone eriodictyoI was isolated from the AcOEt fraction. The constituents were identified through spectral data of the infra-red, GC-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and DEPT. No deaths and other signs of toxicity and adverse effect were observed in the evaluation of acute toxicity with doses up to 5.000 mg/kg, that is the maximum dose for acute oral toxicity test for extract of plants. Also, through DPPH method, AcOEt and n-BuOH fractions of the plant showed good antioxidant activity with IC50 22.52 and 17.44 mg/mL, respectively. / O uso de plantas medicinais sempre teve uma importância vital no cotidiano da humanidade. No entanto, apenas uma pequena parte destas já foram estudadas e tiveram suas ações farmacológicas comprovadas cientificamente. Um exemplo de planta ainda desconhecida quimicamente é Vernonia tweedieana Baker (Asteraceae), vulgarmente conhecida como assa-peixe. É uma planta característica da região Sul do Brasil que é usada popularmente para o tratamento de doenças respiratórias, principalmente pelas suas propriedades expectorantes. Este trabalho descreve o isolamento e identificação de seis constituintes químicos presentes no extrato CH2Cl2 e de um no extrato AcOEt das folhas de Vernonia Tweedieana Baker. As folhas foram coletadas em março de 2004, no município de Ijuí RS. A espécie foi localizada e identificada pelo Prof. Dr. Geraldo C. Coelho (DeBQ-UNIJUÍ). Material testemunha encontra-se depositado no Herbário do Departamento de Biologia da UFSM sob o registro n° SMDB 9536. O material vegetal seco e moído (1.900 g) foi macerado utilizando como solvente etanol:água (65:35, v/v). Após sete dias o extrato foi filtrado e concentrado sob pressão reduzida para remover o etanol. Fez-se fracionamento desse extrato bruto com solventes orgânicos de polaridades crescentes (CH2Cl2, AcOEt, n- BuOH). Da fração CH2Cl2 caracterizou-se os triterpenos a e b-amirinas e lupeol, ainda os esteróides b-sitosterol, estigmasterol e espinasterol; e da fração AcOEt o flavonóide eriodictiol. Os compostos isolados foram analisados por CG-EM-IE, IV, RMN de 1H e RMN de 13C e seus dados espectroscópicos foram comparados com os obtidos da literatura. Ainda, na avaliação da toxicidade aguda foi verificado que nenhum dos extratos apresentou toxicidade em doses até 5.000 mg/mL. Também, pelo método do DPPH, foi constatada atividade antioxidante para as frações AcOEt e n-BuOH da planta, apresentando IC50 de 22,52 e 17, 44 mg/mL, respectivamente.