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The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), the only African macaque and an endangered species, faces significant conservation challenges. By compiling both published and unpublished data, this review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of knowledge on the Barbary macaque in Algeria, with a specific focus on (1) geographic distribution and population estimates, and (2) anthropogenic threats. We reviewed 409 studies and identified 41 relevant to the Algerian context. Our findings update population estimates, revealing over 9000 individuals across national parks such as Djurdjura, Gouraya, and Chréa. We also document new presence data of the species in Skikda and Jijel. Finally, an analysis of the available studies on the impact of anthropogenic activities on the species in Algeria shows that the primary factors affecting macaques include habitat loss, overgrazing, illegal trade, road mortality, and tourism-related disease transmission. While species monitoring has improved, many forest regions remain understudied. We call for expanded systematic research and conservation efforts, particularly in unsurveyed habitats such as the Akfadou and Guerrouche forests and Babors-Tababort National Park. By integrating diverse data sources, this review supports the need for evidence-based conservation of M. sylvanus in Algeria and highlights its critical role in North African biodiversity. Full article

Previous research has revealed the gut microbiota profile of several primate species, as well as the impact of a variety of anthropogenic factors, such as tourist food supply, on these bacterial communities. However, there is no information on the gut microbiota of the endangered wild Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus). The present study is the first to characterize the faecal microbiota of this species, as well as to investigate the impact of tourist food provisioning on it. A total of 12 faecal samples were collected in two groups of M. sylvanus in the region of Bejaia in Algeria. The first group—a tourist-provisioned one—was located in the tourist area of the Gouraya National Park and the second group—a wild-feeding one—was located in the proximity of the village of Mezouara in the forest of Akfadou. After DNA extraction, the faecal microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rDNA sequencing. Statistical tests were performed to compare alpha diversity and beta diversity between the two groups. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) was applied to visualize biodiversity between groups. Behaviour monitoring was also conducted to assess the time allocated to the consumption of anthropogenic food by the tourist-provisioned group. Our results revealed the presence of 209 bacterial genera from 17 phyla in the faecal microbiota of Barbary macaques. Firmicutes was the most abundant bacterial phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia. On the other hand, the comparison between the faecal microbiota of the two study groups showed that tourism activity was associated with a significant change on the faecal microbiota of M.sylvanus, probably due to diet alteration (with 60% of feeding time allocated to the consumption of anthropogenic food). The potentially low-fibre diet at the tourist site adversely influenced the proliferation of bacterial genera found in abundance in the wild group such as Ruminococcaceae. Such an alteration of the faecal microbiota can have negative impacts on the health status of these animals by increasing the risk of obesity and illness and calls for special management measures to reduce the provisioning rate in tourist areas. Full article

Plants of the Daucus genus (Apiaceae) are used worldwide as traditional medicines or culinary ingredients. In this work, in order to explore a new chemotype, the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of Daucus reboudii Coss., collected from the National Park of Gouraya (Bejaïa, Algeria), was analyzed by GC-MS. Twenty-eight compounds were identified, accounting for 96.6% of the total oil. (E)-anethol was the main constituent (59.4%), followed by estragol (21.2%) and dodecanal (4.4%). (E)-anethol is an uncommon constituent of Daucus genus, hence it could be considered as a marker that contributes to differentiating D. reboudii from other species. Metal chelating, ABTS^•+ and DPPH^• assays were performed to determine the antioxidant activity. The highest activity was revealed by the DPPH^• method, where D. reboudii essential oil showed a significantly higher activity compared to the reference standard BHT at doses of 50 and 100 µg/mL. Results suggest that the essential oil from D. reboudii could have a potential use in the food industry as food preservative. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to assess its applicability, and to elucidate also the composition of non-volatile compounds of this plant. Full article