Search

In this study, the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil from leaves and flowers of collected Gentianella longibarbata (Gilg) Fabris from the highlands of Ecuador were studied. The most abundant components were aliphatic compounds, predominantly methyl ketones (35.7%), and aromatic compounds (37.6%). The major compounds included carvacryl acetate (18.5%), nonan-2-one (14.5%), undecane-2-one (13.5%), and carvacrol (11.4%). Antioxidant activity was examined using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil, evaluated by DPPH (IC50 14.01 mg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 38.87 mg/mL) assays, exhibited a strong ability in scavenging radicals. The essential oil also showed ferric reducing activity. Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was evaluated against four bacteria and a yeast. The essential oil showed very good activity against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, but low activity against S. enterica serovar and C. albicans. The MIC value of the essential oil varied from 0.43 μL/mL to 23.72 μL/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of rhizome essential oil (EO) of Meistera verrucosa growing wild in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. The EO was isolated using hydrodistillation, then the chemical composition was analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). In addition, the antioxidant activities were determined by the DPPH scavenging method and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The results showed that α-pinene, β-pinene, and (E)-β-ocimene were major components in the EO, accounting for 39.6%, 20.7%, and 12.2%, respectively. The EO showed antioxidant activity, the IC50 value of DPPH scavenging activity, and the EC50 value of FRAP assay were 91.01 mg/mL and 17.50 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, to evaluate the inhibitory interaction potential of Keap1, docking analysis indicated that α-pinene has the strongest affinity among the major compounds surveyed. The key interactions observed in the complexes of the major compounds with Keap1 are predominantly hydrophobic interactions (pi-sigma and pi-alkyl), which significantly contribute to their binding affinities. These results provide more information on the volatile compounds of the EO from the rhizomes of M. verrucosa and first reveal its antioxidant power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils were hydro-distilled and analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The oil yields were found between 0.08-0.23% w/w. A total of 42 compounds were identified in the essential oil of aerial part of Boenninghausenia albiflora obtained from sample B1 accounting total 91.5% identification and germacrene D (21.4%), β-pinene (17.9%), limonene (11.9%) and (E)- caryophyllene (8.9%) were found as major compounds. In the essential oil of aerial part of sample B2 accounting total 90.5% identification and germacrene D (22.6%), β-pinene (25.4%), limonene (8.2%) and (E)-caryophyllene (4.8%) were found as major compounds. In the essential oil of aerial part of sample B3 accounting total 97.2% identification and germacrene D (18.2%), β-pinene (15.8%), limonene (9.6%) and (E)-caryophyllene (9.3%) were found as major compounds. In the essential oil of aerial part sample B4 accounting total 91.4% identification and germacrene D (24.3%), β-pinene (19.4%), limonene (12.3%) and (E)-caryophyllene (7.7%) were found as major compounds while in the essential oil of aerial part of sample B5 accounting total 82.5% identification and germacrene D (17.4%), β-pinene (22.9%), limonene (14.9%) and (E)-caryophyllene (8.4%) were found as major compounds. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of essential oil of B. albiflora collected from Mukteshwar area of Kumaun Region was investigated in vitro using seven assays: Hydroxyl free radical scavenging assay, NO scavenging assay, and FRAP assay. IC50 value for all three assays was calculated by using software Graph Pad prism 6. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis was used to demonstrate geographical variations in the composition of the essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck is considered as one of the most significant horticultural as well as essential oil crop. However, the significance of the fruit peels left after the utilization of the sour fruit find limited importance and these leftover peels are rich in essential oil. Lemon peel essential oil (LPEO) finds used in the fragrance, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. In this study lemon peel were used for isolation of essential oil by hydro-distillation, analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS and was further subjected to in vitro anti-oxidant (DPPH, ABTS), anti-inflammatory, anti-tyrosinase, genotoxicity and anti-diabetic assays. The essential oil analysis has revealed limonene as major compound (38.08%) along with other minor compounds namely, α-citral (12.02%), decanal (8.14%) and neral (7.36%). The total amount of citral (α-citral and neral) was found to be 19.38%, comparatively higher compared to previous reports. LPEO was found to exhibit very strong tyrosinase inhibition activity along with good alpha-amylase inhibition. The results from this study further strengthen the immense potential of LPEO as an anti-diabetic and skin whitening agent. The results framed from this study will further strengthen the position of earlier works on biological activities of C. limon besides providing a descriptive work on the potential of Assam LPEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montanoa bipinnatifida is a perennial shrub belonging to family Asteraceae and geographically distributed in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from M. bipinnatifida leaves through GC-MS analysis accompanied by in-depth investigation of antimicrobial properties against wide arrays of microbial strains via agar diffusion method and disk diffusion method. The GC-MS analysis of the tested oil revealed presence of sixteen components (∼99.99%), predominated by germacrene D (37.22%), β-caryophyllene (30.73%), α-pinene (4.56%) and β-germacrene (4.48%). The undiluted oil exhibits varying levels of activity against different microbes. The leaf oil showed a significant inhibition against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis (both vegetative and spores), Mycobacterium phlei, and Candida albicans. However, its activity against Sarcina lutea, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae appears to be less pronounced. Thus, the leaf oil of M. bipinnatifida demonstrates broadspectrum antimicrobial activity and is recommended in the pharmaceutical industry to overcome the current problem related to the microbial resistance to antibiotics. Further experimental studies are warranted to investigate the underlying mechanism of action and the responsible individual components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toona sinensis is one of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials with rich physiological activities. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition differences of the essential oils from the tender leaves and shoots of T. sinensis, collected from four main producing areas in China, and to verify their anti-listeria and antioxidant properties. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was conducted on the essential oils obtained by hydro-distillation. The results indicated that compounds such as β-elemene (3.5∼8.1%), α-caryophyllene (3.7∼7.2%), and trans-caryophyllene (4.0∼9.7%) were the main common components of T. sinensis essential oils (TSEO) from four producing areas. The results of DPPH and ABTS showed that the essential oil from Dazhou, Sichuan, China had the best antioxidant effect. At a concentration of 1.25 mg/mL, the antioxidant activity of TSEO-DZ from Sichuan was comparable to 0.08 mg/mL of BHT and was only slightly lower than 0.06 mg/mL of VC. The broth dilution method showed that the essential oil from Tai 'an, Shandong, China, showed better antibacterial effect, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MLC) values of 1.25 μL/mL and 2.54 μL/mL, respectively. This study demonstrates that TSEO possesses promising application potential in antioxidant and anti-listeria activities, and it confirms that the growth environment of T. sinensis significantly influences the quality, content, and biological activity of the essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng has been used as an ingredient in medicinal formulations. Several studies have reported on the potential of M. koenigii leaves to enhance learning and memory functions in animal models. This study aimed to identify the chemical constituents and evaluate the anti-cholinesterase activity of the essential oil extracted from M. koenigii leaves. The essential oil extracted via hydrodistillation was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 41 constituents were identified, with β-phellandrene (35.42%), β-caryophyllene (16.79%) and α-pinene (17.75%) predominating in the essential oil. Using Ellman's colorimetric method, the M. koenigii essential oil demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), with an IC50 value of 36.89 μg/mL. Interestingly, a mixture of the three major constituents (β-phellandrene, β-caryophyllene, and α-pinene) was more effective than the individual constituents (β-caryophyllene and α-pinene). In conclusion, the study on the neuroprotective effects of M. koenigii essential oil has yielded promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to describe the chemical composition of essential oils from three Vietnamese Annonaceae species, Meiogyne virgata, M. vietnamica, and Orophea polycarpa, and their antimicrobial activity. Essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation. From the GC-FID/MS (gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and mass spectrometry) analysis, the leaf essential oil of M. virgata was reported to contain the major compound germacrene D (42.48%). Spathulenol (24.51%), bicyclogermacrene (18.58%), β-selinene (11.14%), and germacrene D (8.20%) can be seen as the main compound in M. vietnamica leaf essential oil. α-Phellandrene (39.35%), bicyclogermacrene (13.07%), β-phellandrene (10.87%), and limonene (8.27%) represented O. polycarpa leaf essential oil. Essential oil of M. virgata leaves exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against the Gram (+) bacterium Bacillus subtilis ATCC 5230, the Gram (-) bacterium Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, and the fungus Aspergillus niger ATCC 9587 with the same MIC value of 16 μg/mL. The docking method showed that germacrene D has the ΔGbinding (binding affinity) values of –6.68, –5.265, and –5.602 kcal/mol with the proteins E. coli DNA gyrase, B. subtilis TasA, and A. niger PhyA, respectively. Alkyl and pi-alkyl interactions are the main contributors to the binding affinity between the studied proteins and ligands. Furthermore, germacrene D is predicted to have low toxicity and is not active against any of the considered organ targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile oils of Satureja species are rich in thymol and carvacrol, phenolic bioactive compounds with unique biological properties. Drying is one of the most critical post-harvest treatments that can influence the biosynthesis of the phytochemicals and the microbial quality of the plant. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different drying methods (shade, sun, oven (temperature of 40, 50 and 60°C), microwave (power of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 W), and freeze-drying) on the quantity and quality of essential oil (EO) and the control of microbial contamination of S. spicigera flowering shoots. The results showed that shade drying produced the highest amount of EO (1.35%). The maximum values of thymol (60.64%) and carvacrol (42.4%) were determined after drying in a microwave at 400 W and oven at 40°C, respectively. Thymol and carvacrol are selectively biosynthesized with the highest conversion rate of the precursor p-cymene under microwave irradiation at 400 W and oven heating at 40°C, respectively. Based on the evaluation of microbial contamination of the dried plant, the highest microbial control was achieved by freeze drying, with minimal contamination of Enterobacteriaceae (1.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.4%), Salmonella sp. (1.64%), moulds and yeasts (12.5%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cymbopogon flexuosus, commonly known as Lemongrass (Poaceae) is an industrially significant plant due to its fragrant compounds and ability to produce a large amount of essential oil. However, variations in chemical components, agronomical characters and essential oil output can be observed due to grown in different climatic conditions. Pertaining to the economic importance of the crop, the present study was designed to evaluate the stability indices of the developed and registered variety of lemongrass 'Jor Lab L-8'. In this experiment, cv. Jor Lab L-8 was assessed along with two check varieties at eight different locations of NE India for two years (2021-2022, 2022-2023). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) by regression method revealed that Jor Lab L-8 had a significantly higher herbage yield, essential oil yield, citral content and total essential oil yield than the other two check varieties. Furthermore, AMMI ANOVA was used to confirm the consistent performance of the recorded agro-morphological and quality characters and Jor Lab L-8 was shown to be stable in plant height, herbage yield, essential oil yield, citral content and total essential oil yield. The GC-MS study of the essential oil identified 18 constituents, with citral emerging as the predominant constituent. Additionally, majority of the locations were pinpointed as ideal environments for cultivating Jor Lab L-8, underscoring its resilience across multiple locations and highlighting its long-term industrial promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laurus nobilis L. is an export plant that contributes to the industry with its medicinal and aromatic properties, as well as the use of its leaves or fruits in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This study aims to predict the first three main components of bay laurel essential oil with different machine learning methods as a result of GC-MS analysis, taking into account a wide range of parameters used before and after the analysis of the essential oil in pharmacognostic studies. In this study, the K-Means algorithm was used to detect unknown relationships (chemical or physical properties) between the data obtained as a result of the analysis, and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Decision Tree machine learning methods were used to perform prediction operations. Based on this, considering the R2 values obtained from ANN analyses, R2 values of 0.9992 for testing, 1 for training, 1 for validation value, and 0.99992 for all were obtained. The ANN model produced results close to the real values with an accuracy rate of 98.97% in predicting the three main components. The Decision Tree algorithm achieved classification with a 96.23% accuracy rate in predicting the three main components. K-Means clustering was performed with an accuracy rate of 97.83% and significant relationships between the features of the Laurus nobilis dataset were detected. This comprehensive study serves as a guide for machine learning research on other essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raw essential oil (EO) of Eucalyptus hybrida extracted from the leaves of trees found in Uttarakhand state and nearby areas consists of a mixture of monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and several different volatile compounds of which 1,8-cineole i.e., eucalyptol, a monoterpenoid cyclic ether is a major component. The eucalyptol rich EO also holds antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, broncholytic and mucolytic potential. In this work experimental tests were done to evaluate the feasibility of batch fractionation or fractional distillation (FD) technique in performing value addition of eucalyptus essential oil. The proximity of boiling points of eucalyptol, limonene and p-cymene act as a barrier in separating these compounds. A two-stage FD procedure was devised, which recovers relatively light terpene fractions in first stage and provides eucalyptol rich fractions in second stage. The GC-MS analysis of the fractionated samples revealed good separation results with three stage-B fractions (B8, B9 and B10) containing >90% purity of eucalyptol, while two stage-A fractions (A1 and A2) containing >90% purity of pinene mixture (α-pinene and β-pinene). FD thus proved to be an effective method for adding value to the eucalyptus EO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, insecticidal and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities of crude essential oils (CEO) extracted from the stem-leaf parts of the endemic Centaurea paphlagonica plant via steam distillation, as well as its chromatography-based fractions for the first time. According to GC-MS analysis, eighty-five compounds were identified representing 98.49% of the total essential oil. β-Eudesmol (15.17%), phytol (8.69%), and spathulenol (8.03%) were determined as the main components. The CEO demonstrated a remarkably insecticidal activity against S. granarius and R. dominica insects, ranging from 98.35% to 100%, while achieving a 50% against T. confusum at a 10% concentration. The silica gel-based fractionation of CEO resulted in four qualitatively different fractions (CEO-F1 to F4). The CEO-F2, predominantly comprised of β-eudesmol and spathulenol, exhibited superior activity compared to CEO across all tested insects. In addition, the inhibitory activity of BChE, which causes death in insects by altering nervous system activities, was assessed. BChE inhibition activity of CEO and CEO-F2 was determined as IC50=346.57 μg/mL and 96.02 μg/mL, respectively, supporting the insecticidal activity tests and molecular docking studies. The volatile oil obtained from C. paphlagonica can be considered a potential natural source to combat storage product pests, with its significant natural volatile compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116) cells are adherent epithelial cells derived from the human colorectal carcinoma cell line commonly used to study inflammatory responses in colonic epithelial cells. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Inula viscosa essential oil (IVEO), an effective antioxidant compound with a radical scavenging activity in vitro using HCT-116 cells. The chemical composition of hydrodistilled IVEO was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS systems. The major compounds of essential oil were borneol acetate (51.54%) and borneol (21.17%). The cytotoxicity was determined using the colorimetric MTT assay for 24 h, and 48 h. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, some enzymes activities including catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in the HCT 116 cells both with and without IVEO treatment. In this study, there was a significant decrease in activities of cellular SOD and CAT, increased in the MDA levels in the cells treated with IVEO. These result indicate that IVEO can serve as an agent with strong potential to be utilized for the development of colorectal cancer chemoprevention. However, further molecular investi-gation is required to understand the molecular bearings of IVEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne outbreaks associated with Escherichia coli O157 in the production of fresh cheese typically resulted in several bacterial infections in humans. Therefore, a number of additives-particularly natural additives-were employed to inhibit the growth of these microorganisms. In folk medicine around the world, Myrtus communis L. is a commonly employed traditional plant for treating an assortment of ailments. M. communis essential oil (McEO) is utilized for cosmetic formulations and food additives for covering off some foods' flavors. In this study, the antibacterial effect of McEO against E. coli O157 in Egyptian fresh soft cheese has been evaluated. The results showed that McEO exhibited inhibitory activity (MIC) against E. coli O157 at concentration of 0.8% (v/v) and bactericidal effect (MBC) at concentration of 3.2% (v/v). The bioactive components of McEO were characterized via the GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. Twenty-one volatile compounds were identified accounting 98.52% of the total oil mass. Terpenes represented overall identified constituents especially monoterpenes (94.99%). The three antibacterial compounds 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, and D-limonene were assigned as the primary components with corresponding relative concentrations of 42.18, 38.74, and 6.51%. Current findings provided evidence to support the idea of employing McEO as an E. coli O157 inhibitor in manufacturing of the Egyptian fresh soft cheese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) is considered as a major stored product pest. Conventional insecticides induce adverse effects on the environment. Plant derivative products constitute a promising alternative for pest control. The purpose of our research was to identify the chemical profile of essential oil (EO) extracted from Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) and to evaluate the fumigant and the contact toxicity, and the repellent activity of this oil on adults of Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Coleoptera), a major pest in products that are stored around the world. The effects of this oil were examined on biochemical profile (energy reserves and Proteins), selective biomarkers like acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione S-transferases (GST) and glutathione (GSH), and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Digestive enzymes were also investigated. The major chemical compounds identified by the GC-MS were α-phellandrene (16.613%), ß-phellandrene (12.104%), elemol (9.028%) and β-eudesmol (5.872%). Then, we evaluated the repellent activity, and also the effects in nutritional reserves and some biomarkers. This EO exhibited an insecticidal and repellent activity as a function of the exposure time and concentrations. Contact (LC50 at 24 h: 19.99 μL/mL) is the most effective mode of application compared to fumigation (LC50 at 24h: 174.30 μL/L air). S. molle EO was also investigated in digestive enzymes' activities (α-amylase, lipase, chitinase and protease). Our results revealed a decrease in both α-amylase, lipase, protease and chitinase activities in treated adults compared to controls. In addition, we noticed a neurotoxic activity of S. molle EO traduced by a decrease of AChE. An induction of the detoxification system was observed via a decrease in GSH rate and an increase in GST activity. Moreover, the treatment induces an alteration of biochemical profile of R. dominica adults. Lastly, essential oil was examined on nucleic acids. Results showed an increase in DNA and RNA amount in treated adults when compared with control. Due to their effective source of bioactive compounds, the EO from the studied plant could be used as an alternative strategy for the management of stored product pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Rumex obtusifolius L. were studied. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this essential oil has never been fully characterized. The component analysis of the essential oil was done by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and mass selective detector (GC-MS). A total of 104 compounds, representing 97.8% of the essential oil, were identified. Aliphatic compounds, mainly methyl ketones (74.2%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (13.7%) were found to be the most abundant compounds. The major compounds were undecan-2-one (47.6%) and nonan-2-one (13.4%). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil, evaluated by DPPH (IC50 9.11 mg/mL) and ABTS (IC50 36.72 mg/mL) assays, exhibited a weak ability in scavenging radicals. The essential oil also showed a low ferric reducing activity. The essential oil exhibited very good activity against E. coli and S. aureus, but low activities against S. enterica serovar, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. MIC values of the essential oil varied from 0.38-27.04 μL/mL, with the lowest for E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zingiber genus has been widely applied in food and pharmaceuticals due to its varied chemical composition and significant benefits. Zingiber plicatum Škorničk. & Q.B. Nguyễn was described in Vietnam in 2015, yet there has been no report on its phytochemicals and bioactivity. In this study, we first analyzed the chemical composition of essential oil and its antioxidant activities. Isolation of the rhizome essential oil was performed through hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus for 3.5 h, then volatile compositions were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Additionally, the antioxidant activities were assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing power assays. The GC-MS analysis showed a total of 54 volatile components, mainly belonging to monoterpene hydrocarbons (57.69%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (28.98%). The main compounds were β-pinene (26.85%), α-pinene (11.73%), limonene (10.03%), and germacrene D (5.26%). The essential oil also showed antioxidant activities, with an IC50 of 84.53 mg/mL for DPPH scavenging activity and an EC50 of 17.3 mg/mL for ferric reducing power. These findings first provided data on the chemical components and antioxidant properties of Z. plicatum essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piper baccatum is a woody climber and grows throughout the tropics mostly in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The studies on essential oil composition and anticholinesterase activities were performed, along with molecular docking of all components. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, while anticholinesterase activity was assessed using Ellman method. A total of 14 components were identified, representing 98.1% of the total composition of the essential oil. The major identified components were β-caryophyllene (30.7%), camphene (22.1%), eucalyptol (14.9%), γ-muurolene (6.9%), and α-pinene (5.3%). A moderate inhibitory effect was observed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC50 values of 80.5 and 96.4 μg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking studies of P. baccatum components with AChE and BChE revealed binding energy ranges of -5.6 to -8.5 Kcal/mol and -5.2 to -7.8 Kcal/mol, respectively, predominantly involving hydrophobic interactions with active site residues. Notably, β-caryophyllene and γ-muurolene exhibited superior binding energy profiles with both AChE and BChE compared to other components. The docking results underscore the potential of P. baccatum essential oil components as cholinesterase inhibitors, with implications for applications in food, aromatherapy, and pharmaceutical industries. The identified components, particularly β-caryophyllene and γ-muurolene, showcase promising attributes for further exploration in developing therapeutic interventions targeting cholinesterase-related conditions. This essential oil in general could be potentially used as a cholinesterase inhibitor with possible applications in food, aromatherapy, and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litsea mekongensis Lecomte is a native species that originated in Vietnam and Laos. To date, the volatile components and antibacterial activity of the essential oils derived from L. mekongensis leaves have not yet been reported. This study aims to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of L. mekongensis leaf essential oil. The chemical constituents were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), and the antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. The GC-MS analysis showed that fifty-four volatile components were detected, of which sesquiterpene hydrocarbons accounted for almost 65% of the total, while the proportion of monoterpene hydrocarbons was 19.84%. Germacrene D (16.17%), γ-elemene (7.82%), β-phellandrene (6.76%), α-pinene (6.62%), and δ-cadinene (5.68%) were identified as major components. The essential oil exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. S. aureus was the most sensitive species, but no inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recorded. These findings revealed information on the chemical constituents of the essential oil prepared from L. mekongensis and its potential antibacterial activity against several pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hinterhubera imbricata Cuatrec. et Aristeg belongs to Asteraceae family and it is one of the six endemic species that grows in Venezuela Andean. Present investigation aimed to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of Hinterhubera imbricata and to evaluate the cytotoxic activity in human tumor cell lines from MCF-7 (breast carcinoma without over-expression of the HER2/cerb-2), PANC-1 (pancreatic adenocarcinoma ductal type) and SKBr3 (breast carcinoma, in which the HER2/cerb-2 gene is overexpressed). Results indicated that essential oil was mainly composed of monoterpenes being α-phellandrene, α-pinene, β-phellandrene and p-cymene as major components. Cytotoxic analysis revealed that this essential oil exhibited antitumor activity in all human tumor lines tested being more cytotoxic for the pancreatic cancer tumor line. To the best of our knowledge there are no published studies regarding either the genus Hinterhubera or the species Hinterhubera imbricata, thus, present investigation is considered as a contribution to the genus Hinterhubera study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) oils have an essential function in the food and therapeutic industries. The study's purpose was to describe how different environmental circumstances and locations in Egypt affected the fennel oil yields and compositions. To assess the growth, yield, and essential oil constituents of F. vulgare at four differing agro-ecological regions in Egypt (El-Minia Governorate, Bahariya Oasis, El-Sharkia Governorate, and Aswan Governorate) at two different planting dates, in-field study was performed throughout the seasons 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. According to the data, there are highly significant differences between locations and sowing dates; the second date (15th November) is the best date for planting fennel plants. Plants grown in the Bahariya Oasis location had the maximum oil yield in mL/plant and L/acre, whereas the Aswan location had the highest percentage of EO. Eight EO samples underwent GC-MS analysis and chemometric analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), yielding identification of a total of 22 compounds. EOs from plants grown in various environments varied significantly in terms of their chemical composition, mainly components' concentrations. The main components were identified as estragole (66.62-89.73%), D-limonene (5.76-17.04%), and fenchone (2.02-9.23%). In samples gathered on November 15, 2020-2021, at the Bahariya Sekem Farm, anethole was found at a high concentration (12.79%), despite the compound's absence or minimal presence in the other EOs. According to the current study findings, modulation of the cultivation and ecological circumstances can be used for the improvement of funnel EO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical characterization of the essential oil of the endemic Moroccan species, Calendula maroccana, was achieved by GC and GC-MS methods. The antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of this essential oil were also studied. Eighty-one compounds were identified in the essential oil, representing 94.82% of the total. Sesquiterpenes predominate in the essential oil; 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol (16.13%), δ-amorphene (13.56%), α-cedrene (6.23%), γ-curcumene (5.10%) and α-bisabolol (4.94%) were the main constituents. The antioxidant potential was evaluated by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays: the essential oil exhibited antioxidant effectiveness with IC50 values of 0.92, 0.3 and 1.7 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the essential oil showed potent antimicrobial activity as revealed by inhibition zone values against selected clinically important pathogenic microorganisms. Inhibition zone values of 15.33 ± 0.19, 23 ± 0.05 and 15.33 ± 0.33 mm were observed against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and C. tropicalis, respectively. The maximal and minimal inhibition concentration values were in the range of 0.25 ± 0.17 - 4.68 ± 0.10 mg/mL for bacteria and 0.06 ± 0.03 - 0.12 ± 0.14 mg/mL, for Candida. The essential oil showed potent anti-biofilm activity with dual actions, inhibiting (69 - 88%) and eradicating (75 - 92%) the biofilms formed by the three tested bacteria strains. Based on these results, this essential oil can be considered as a natural antioxidant, antibacterial and antibiofilm agent that could be applied in phytotherapy, pharmaceutical and food sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melaleuca polandii, commonly known as "Gold-tipped Bottlebrush", is widely grown in Indian gardens and parks as an ornamental plant. In the present study, the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of M. polandii leaf essential oil (MPLEO) have been investigated. GC-MS analysis of MPLEO isolated from plants grown along the coastal plains of Eastern India revealed the presence of 50 constituents with α-pinene (46.17%), 3Z-hexenyl acetate (10.10 %), α-terpineol (5.43%), limonene (3.63%) and ρ-cymene (2.44 %) as the major constituents. MPLEO exhibited moderate antioxidant capacity in DPPH, ABTS and Reducing ability assays with IC50 values of 7.94 ± 0.34 μg/mL, 5.71 ± 0.21 μg/mL and EC50 7.09 ± 0.35 μg/mL, respectively. Of the 5 bacterial strains tested, the EO exhibited highest sensitivity against Bacillus subtilis with the ZOI of 12.66 ± 0.57 mm and strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus saprophyticus with MIC value of 6.25 μg/mL. MPLEO exhibited significant cytotoxic effects against Human alveolar lung adenocarcinoma (A549), Human hepato-cellular carcinoma (HepG2), Human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and normal Human Embryonic Kidney cell (HEK-293) as evaluated through MTT assay with IC50 values of 9.5 ± 0.38 μg/mL, 22.73 ± 0.95 μg/mL, 20.41 ± 0.82 μg/mL and 237.68 ± 9.26 μg/mL, respectively. The findings of the present study demonstrated that MPLEO could be considered as a potential bioresource having applications in pharmaceutical industries as an antibacterial and antiproliferative agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boesenbergia albosanguinea is a member of the genus Boesenbergia, which traditionally serves a range of purposes, including food, medicinal applications, ornamental use, and ritualistic practices. It is found growing in wet, shady forest areas on sandstone or quartz-derived soils. This study aims to characterize the essential oils from the rhizomes of B. albosanguinea, assessing their activity against acetylcholinesterase using in vitro methods, along with molecular docking analysis. The essential oil was obtained through hydrodistillation and the volatile components were analysed using gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. A total of 34 chemical components, which constitute 96.7% of the oil content, were successfully identified. The most abundant components were elemicin (44.0%), α-gurjunene (9.3%), β-caryophyllene (4.5%), and safrole (4.1%). Anticholinesterase activity was assessed using Ellman method. A moderate inhibitory effect was observed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes with IC50 values of 90.5 ± 0.2 and 110.8 ± 0.2 μg/mL, respectively. The molecular docking studies of elemicin against the cholinesterase target revealed a robust docking score (-7.0 kcal/mol), but it also showed important interactions with some key amino acid residues, providing crucial insights into its potential as a cholinesterase inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acroptilon repens is a widespread weed in Asia, and has a complicated taxonomy. Recent taxonomical treatment explored that Acroptilon species must be classified in the genus Rhaponticum. Therefore, the scientific name of this species has been converted into Rhaponticum repens. In the current study, essential oil composition, and its ability to green synthesis of iron nanoparticles for future use to adsorb Cr (VI) ions pollution of aquatic solution were evaluated for the first time. The GC-MS analysis revealed oxygenated monoterpenes constituted great proportion of the essential oil, with 1,8-cineole and camphor as the main essential oil components. Several appropriate methods, including UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, DLS, and VSM revealed the green synthesis of a mixture of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles by the extracted essential oil. Sizes of the produced nanoparticles were not equal and detected in the range of 3 to 50 nm, with an average size of 31.5 nm and the magnetic property of 15 emu/g. The green-synthesized nanoparticles could adsorb Cr (VI) ions pollution from aquatic solutions. However, under an optimum condition, the Cr (VI) ions adsorption capacity and removal were 167.6 mg/g and 91%, respectively. Findings revealed the major essential oil composition highly differed from those reported in the previous phytochemical studies. Although the synthesized nanoparticles were not uniform, they could remove Cr (VI) ions pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heracleum pinnatum, an aromatic herb, is used as a traditional medicine in the Amchi system of Trans-Himalayan Ladakh (India). The study evaluates the leishmanicidal and cytotoxic potentials of H. pinnatum essential oil (HPEO). HPEO was found to be non-toxic against RAW 264.7 cell lines (CC50 = ∼56.42 μg mL−1) with a selectivity index (SI) of >28.2. It restricted the proliferation of promastigotes of Leishmania donovani (IC50 < 2 μg mL−1). GC-MS coupled with GC-FID revealed 26 components (98.05% of EO), with bornyl acetate (42.45%), γ-terpinene (14.05%), p-cymene (10.94%), and limonene (9.06%) being the major components. In silico docking revealed that the major components also bonded efficiently with the metabolic enzymes of L. donovani, disrupting and inhibiting the pathways and affecting the survival of the parasite. The research demonstrates that HPEO exhibits potent antileishmanial properties, potentially attributed to its inhibition of specific metabolic pathways utilised by the parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng., is a renowned medicinal and aromatic plant having antimicrobial and broad biological activities. In the present study, the essential oil chemical profile of the leaf and floral part were analysed using GC-FID and GC-MS, and the antimicrobial activities were determined by disk diffusion assay. The scientific analysis revealed α-pinene (40.41%) was the major compound of leaf essential oil (MKL) followed by sabinene (29.66%), β-pinene (7.92%), caryophyllene (4.24%), limonene (3.39%), terpinen-4-ol (3.25%), γ-terpinene (2.63%), terpinolene (1.58%), linalool (1.32%), along with other trace components. The floral part (MKF) contains the compounds α-pinene (74.02%) as the major compound followed by β-pinene (7.17%), sabinene (5.72%), limonene (4.19%), β-myrcene (1.98%), γ-terpinene (1.47%) and terpinen-4-ol (1.41%) along with other trace compounds. The MIC result revealed essential oil showed effectiveness against Escherichia coli (40 μg/mL), Micrococcus luteus (80 μg/mL), Aspergillus fumigatus (60 μg/mL) and Aspergillus brasiliensis (80 μg/mL) for MKL while MKF did not exhibit potent antimicrobial activities. The essential oils revealed potent antioxidant potential as determined by DPPH method with IC50 values of 14.02 μL/mL (MKL) and 5.45 μL/mL (MKF) and the ABTS method with IC50 values of 5.07 μL/mL and 8.38 μL/mL in MKL and MKF respectively as compared to that of the standards. The essential oils revealed potent antidiabetic activity with 6.02 μL/mL (MKL) and 8.18 μL/mL (MKF) as that of the standard. However, both MKL and MKF were not much effective in protease inhibitory activity and anti-tyrosinase activity. The study results exhibited a potent bioactivity profile and revealed many new utilization aspects of this essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of pesticides, particularly bifenthrin, has raised concerns about their impact on the environment and human health. Bifenthrin has been shown to have adverse effects on male reproductive health, making it a pressing issue to address. In this study, we investigated the potential of Citrus sinensis 'Maltese Half-Blood' essential oil (CsEO) to mitigate bifenthrin-induced testicular toxicity. Our approach combined molecular docking, network pharmacology, histopathology, along with in vitro and in vivo assays. to evaluate the antioxidant properties of CsEO and its ability to counteract bifenthrin's harmful effects. Our results showed that CsEO possesses robust antioxidant attributes, primarily due to its rich phytochemical composition. Limonene, α-pinene, and γ-terpinene were identified as the most contributive compounds. In rat models, CsEO treatment significantly alleviated oxidative stress markers induced by bifenthrin. Network pharmacology analyses revealed the intricate interactions between CsEO's molecular constituents and their biological targets, with compounds like cedrene and geraniol playing key roles. Molecular docking data demonstrated that certain essential oil components have binding affinities to protein targets that rival or even exceed those of bifenthrin. CsEO effectively counteracted bifenthrin-induced testicular oxidative stress, highlighting its therapeutic potential. Our findings provide compelling evidence that CsEO can effectively counteract the harmful effects of bifenthrin on testicular health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild growing Origanum majorana L. var. tenuifolium Weston was collected from three different locations (Om1: Avtepe, Om2: Alevkayası, Om3: Kozanköy) in North Cyprus. The essential oils were hydrodistilled and chemical composition analyses were simultaneously performed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The average yields of essential oils were 5.46-8.14%. Major compounds of flowering Om1 oil were cis-sabinene hydrate (45.0%) and terpinen-4-ol (11.1%) while those of Om3 (Kozanköy) oil were cis-sabinene hydrate (33.3%), terpinen-4-ol (12.3%) and α-terpineol (11.5%). In the post-flowering stage, the major compounds for Om1 and Om3, respectively, were cis-sabinene hydrate (16.7% and 18.8%), terpinen-4-ol (18.1% and 14.5%) and α-terpineol (23.9% and 20.0%). However, the main compound of the essential oils of the flowering and post-flowering oil of Om2 was α-terpineol (76.9% and 51.6%). Statistical Principal Component (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA) tools demonstrated the composition variations of the essential oils at different times and locations. Om1 and Om3 (HCA similarity level: 98.98%) were similar while Om2 (HCA similarity level: 46.32%) was discordant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the chemical composition, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic properties of the essential oils extracted from Rhanterium adpressum Coss. & Dur. (EORA) and Rhanterium suaveolens Desf. (EORS). The main compounds of EORA were myrcene (18.51%), α-pinene (14.36%), sabinene (13.55%), β-pinene (5.67%), and camphene (5.39%). While camphene (25.06%), α-pinene (13.14%), myrcene (9.74%), sabinene (8.27%), D-limonene (7.86%), and β-pinene (7.34%) constituted the major components of EORS. A potent antibacterial activity was also recorded against Escherichia coli with MIC = 5.72 mg/mL for EORA and MIC = 5.96 mg/mL for EORS. Concerning the antifungal effect, a remarkable efficiency was exerted against the two tested Candida albicans strains (MIC < 5.96 mg/mL) for EORS and against Candida albicans 26 (MIC = 5.72 mg/mL) for EORA. Furthermore, a promising antiparasitic ability was observed against Acanthamoeba castellanii (IC50 = 6.42±0.21 μg/mL) for EORS and against Leishmania amazonensis (IC50=9.66±1.46 μg/mL) for EORA. However, low cytotoxicity was recorded against macrophages J774-A1 (LC50 = 67.68±4.02 μg/mL) only for EORS. Based on the present findings, it may be concluded that the two tested EOs possess significant antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities with minimal cytotoxicity, so they can be used as new sources of antimicrobial and antiparasitic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, chemical composition, enzyme inhibitory activities, and molecular docking studies of essential oil (EO) of Knema globularia leaves collected from Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, were investigated. The EO from the leaves of K. globularia was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The leaf EO yield was 0.14 ± 0.01% (w/w), comprising 39 identified components, constituting 96.77% of the EO content. Notable constituents included β-caryophyllene (54.11%), α-humulene (12.67%), and (E)-β-ocimene (8.82%). Enzyme inhibitions were assessed via the α-amylase inhibitory assay (IC50 = 282.71 ± 10.06 μg/mL) and tyrosinase inhibitory assay (IC50 = 993.92 ± 37.40 μg/mL). The molecular docking method has been employed to observe valuable binding interactions and binding energy with the main compounds on the target enzymes α-amylase and tyrosinase. Caryophyllene oxide exhibits the strongest affinity with α-amylase among the other major compounds. Meanwhile, viridiflorene shows the best binding energy with the tyrosinase enzyme. This is the first study providing valuable scientific data on the in vitro inhibitory activities of α-amylase and tyrosinase enzymes of the leaf EO of K. globularia and evaluating its main compounds through a molecular docking approach on these enzyme targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida albicans is the yeast strain that causes candidiasis, which can vary from minor skin and soft tissue infections to potentially fatal infections like candidemia, which can get worse due to drug resistance. Natural substances could be used as antifungal agents' alternatives, especially against C. albicans. Thereby, the main objective of this research was to define the chemical content and evaluate the bioactivity of Melissa officinalis and Lavandula stoechas essential oils (EOs). Additionally, the synergistic effect of both oils was carried out against C. albicans, in order to formulate EOs combination-based creams. Their chemical compositions were analyzed using the combination of gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The interaction with both EOs was also evaluated and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, and the development of anti-candidiasis formulations was tested in vitro. Our results showed that the main compounds of M. officinalis EO (MOEO) were geranial (35.7%) and neral (24.1%), whereas, 1.8-cineole (61.9%) was dominant in Lavandula stoechas essential oil (LSEO) and the main compounds of the combination between both EOs were 1,8-cineole and geranial. Moreover, the MOEO exhibited substantial antifungal action against all tested microorganisms with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to 0.0019. This EO also showed synergistic effect when combined with that of L. stoechas. These findings, suggest the good bioactive qualities of the topical creams developed against C. albicans, revealing their potential to be possibly applied as an antifungal agent in industrial pharmaceutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and some biological activities of the essential oils (EOs) from needles of Pinus canariensis, P. jeffreyi, and P. taeda cultivated in Tunisia. The chemical composition of the EOs revealed the presence of 119 components, with monoterpene hydrocarbons (in EOs of P. canariensis and P. taeda) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (in P. jeffreyi EO) being the main chemical classes. The EOs showed significant inhibitory effects on the germination and seedling and radical growth of the weeds, Sinapis arvensis, Lolium rigidum, and Trifolium campestre. The EO of P. jeffreyi exhibited the highest phytotoxicity, while T. campestre was the most tolerant seed. The EOs showed antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) and Gram-negative (Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli) pathogenic bacterial strains, depending on the EO, and the concentration tested. Overall, the EOs displayed efficacy against mature biofilms and were effective also against the metabolism of the sessile cells in the biofilm. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential applications of these EOs in phytotoxic and antibiofilm strategies, for agriculture, food and pharmaceutical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical compositions of Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus essential oils, an endemic plant in north Africa, were investigated using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity of the studied essential oils was evaluated through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,20-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) free-radical scavenging assays. Disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination were applied to investigate the antimicrobial activity of Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus essential oil against ten bacterial and fungus strains. Fifty-one compounds were identified accounting for 90.3-95.9% of the total amount. Camphor (04.09-25.92%) was the major component in the essential oils obtained from five localities, followed by myrcene (00.66-17.11%) in four stations, then borneol (07.37-38.96%) in the essential oil obtained from three samples. The chemical variability of Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus essential oils was studied using statistical analysis, in which we found a direct relationship between geo climatic conditions and their chemical compositions. Thymus munbyanus subsp. coloratus essential oils exhibited a good radical-scavenging activity with IC50 values up to 0.250 ± 0.51 and 0.596 ± 0.15 (mg/mL) in reductive potential of ABTS and DPPH free radicals, respectively, and a significant antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria and fungal species with MIC up to 0.66 ± 0.28 (mg/mL) against Aspergillus flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to elucidate the interplay between number of plants and nitrogen dose on the agronomic attributes, as well as the essential oil yield and composition of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) in the challenging ecological conditions of Mardin, situated in South Eastern Anatolia. A split-plot experimental design was employed during 2018-2019, manipulating the variables of number of plants and nitrogen application rates. The experiment identified camphor, 1,8-cineole, α-thujone, and β-thujone as the major components. The PCA analysis unveiled statistically significant inverse correlations between the concentration of camphor and 1,8-cineole, as well as α- and β-thujone. The results demonstrated that the combination of lower plant number with elevated nitrogen levels yielded higher fresh herb dry herb and dry leaf. While lower plant number and higher nitrogen application independently exerted positive influences on essential oil production and yield, the interactive impact of these treatments yielded inconclusive results. Specifically, nitrogen treatments led to an increase in camphor content while reducing α- and β-thujone contents in the essential oil. Conversely, lower plant numbers resulted in decreased camphor content and an increase in thujone content within the oil. In light of these findings, it is recommended that, under semi-arid conditions, optimal yields can be achieved by employing plant number of 50000 plants ha−1 and a nitrogen fertilizer rate of 120 kg ha−1. This research sheds light on the intricate relationship between agronomic factors and the quality of sage cultivation, offering valuable insights into sustainable agricultural practices in semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an investigation of the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil (EO) extracted from aerial parts of Echinophora chrysantha (EC). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of twenty-two components, representing 97.5% of the total oil. Major constituents were determined as α-phellandrene (55.74%), β-phellandrene (17.41%), and p-cymene (8.95%). The EO was screened for antimicrobial and antifungal activity against a panel of bacteria and fungi using a broth micro-dilution and fumigant activity assay, respectively. EO sample exhibited better activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus Enterococcus faecium with 31.25, 31.25, and 62.5 μg/mL MIC values. EOs showed moderate mycelium growth inhibitory activity against Phytophthora infestans (32.9±1.9%), Verticillium dahliae (42.3±1.8%), and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (53.0±2.9%) at 8 μL/petri concentration. The insecticidal activity of EO was also evaluated against two insects (Rhyzopertha dominica and Tribolium confusum) showing moderate activity with mortality rates of 25.8±0.6% and 37.9±1.2% at a 5% (v/v) concentration. Literature search has not revealed any previous work on the antimicrobial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities of the EO from E. chrysantha. In conclusion, this is the first report describing the biological activities of this plant EOs. Additionally, these findings highlight the practical implications of the utilizing essential oil of EC as a potential natural remedy against a spectrum of microbial threats in both pharmaceutical and food preservation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the volatiles and odor-active compounds (OACs) in essential oils (EOs) from leaves, fresh fruits and seed shells of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, three EOs were extracted and analyzed by hydrodistillation combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O) and GC. The yields of three EOs were 0.22%, 0.48% and 1.94%, respectively; a total of 77 compounds were identified by comparing their mass spectra and retention index with those of the authentic standards or the related data reported in the references, and 29 odorants were determined as OACs. Among them, 58 volatile components were identified in the leaf EO, accounting for 98.19% of the total volatiles, of which 18 compounds were screened as OACs; 47 volatile components were determined in the fruit EO, representing 98.98% of the entire volatile oil, of which 12 compounds were sniffed as OACs; 49 volatiles were found in seed shell EO, covering 97.26% of the whole volatiles, of which 19 compounds were detected as OACs. OACs in three EOs were significantly different, and the odorants with higher concentrations included α-pinene, sabinene, δ-3-carene, myrcene, β-caryophyllene, α-terpinyl acetate, cedrol, etc., which could be used as indexes for optimizing extraction process parameters of POF EOs and evaluating EO quality. The in vitro antioxidant activity of three EOs was tested by DPPH assay, ABTS assay and FRAP assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of Machilus cicatricosa S.K. Lee and Machilus bonii Lecomte from Vietnam were studied and reported. The techniques of gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to characterize the chemical constituents of the essential oil while the microdilution assay was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity. The main constituents of the leaf oil of M. cicatricosa were α-pinene (20.6%), bicyclogermacrene (15.2%), linalool (14.9%), and β-pinene (8.4%). On the other hand (E)-β-ocimene (26.3%), bicyclogermacrene (23.6%) and (E)-nerolidol (9.1%) were the major constituents of M. bonii leaf essential oil. The studied essential oils displayed antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 64.0 μg/mL. In addition, essential oil from the leaf of M. bonii was the most active towards Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 with MIC value of 64.0 μg/mL, while M. cicatricosa showed stronger anti-candidal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 with MIC value of 32.0 μg/mL. This is the first report on the chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of M. cicatricosa and M. bonii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcuma zedoaroides Chaveer. & Tanee (Vietnamese name: Nghệ đắng) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family which is the new Curcuma species discovered in Thailand and Vietnam in recent years. This study aimed to determine the chemical compositions and the cytotoxic activities of C. zedoaroides rhizome essential oil for the first time. The essential oil was obtained from the rhizomes through hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Results showed that the majority of the rhizome essential oil of C. zedoaroides was dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenes (61.54%) mainly curdione (27.45%), followed by widdrol (8.03%) and trans-β-elemenone (5.47%). Notably, the essential oil of C. zedoaroides rhizomes exhibited cytotoxic activities using the MTT assay with the IC50 (half-maximal effective concentration) values of 75.16 ± 2.79, 77.08 ± 1.98, 81.35 ± 1.55, 83.67 ± 2.26, 32.74 ± 1.95, 23.14 ± 1.43, 73.35 ± 2.20 μg/mL against A549, MCF-7, HepG2, HT29, HL-60, K562 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. In addition, three major compounds targeting specific proteins related to essential oil's anti-cancer activity were assessed using molecular docking simulation. From the results observed, widdrol was suggested to have the highest binding affinity for both EGFR and HER2, with ΔG values of -6.246 kcal/mol and -6.916 kcal/ mol, respectively. These results suggest the potential of the rhizome essential oil of C. zedoaroides to provide leads for the development of anti-cancer agents as well as considered a valuable source of bioactive components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lindera communis is a medicinal and aromatic plant widely distributed in China. Its leaves are rich in essential oil (EO), but the reports on biological activities of the leaf EO are limited. This study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of L. communis leaf EO and evaluate its different biological activities. The leaf EO was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. 53 compounds were identified, representing 96.80% of the total composition. The major compounds included germacrene D (28.34%), bicyclogermacrene (21.07%), germacrene B (6.14%) and spathulenol (5.73%). SC50 values of L. communis leaf EO in DPPH and ABTS assays were 252.36 and 34.25 mg/mL, respectively, indicating inactivity in antioxidant effect. MICs of L. communis leaf EO against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were 25 mg/mL. Of four enzymes, inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and butyrylcholinesterase were observed, with kojic acid equivalent (KAE) and galanthamine equivalent (GE) values as 22.89 ± 1.38 mg KAE/g of EO and 67.13 ± 0.99 mg GE/g of EO, respectively. L. communis leaf EO also demonstrated strong antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 and HepG2 cells. At the concentration of 500 μg/mL, the cell viability of MCF-7 cells was only 4.86%. L. communis leaf EO could find its possible use in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zingiber densissimum S.Q.Tong & Y.M.Xia and Kaempferia laotica Gagnep., belong to the Zingiberaceae family, which were found in Vietnam and Laos in recent years. To date, there has been very limited information on their phytochemical profiles and pharmacological activities. The present study was conducted to give insights into the chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from two plants and their antimicrobial activities. Gas Chromatographic–Mass Spectral (GC-MS) analysis was utilized to identify the chemical composition of the rhizome essential oils of Z. densissimum and K. laotica. The antimicrobial activities were evaluated on three Gram-positive bacterial strains, three Gram-negative bacterial strains, and a pathogenic yeast. The GC-MS analysis showed that β-pinene (38.36%), β-phellandrene (26.85%), and α-pinene (13.31%) were the most dominant components in Z. densissimum rhizome essential oil, while K. laotica rhizome essential oil was found to contain mainly camphene (23.44%), α-pinene (10.69%), 3-carene (8.60%) and β-pinene (6.85%). As for the antimicrobial activity test results, the rhizome essential oil of Z. densissimum displayed potent activities against Candida albicans (MIC value = 2 μg/mL), Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli (MIC values = 8 μg/ mL). Meanwhile, the rhizome essential oil of K. laotica showed weaker activities against all investigated microbial strains (MIC values ranging from 32 to 256 μg/mL). The study results indicated the chemical constituents of the essential oils prepared from these plants. The two essential oil samples were also shown to exhibit potential antimicrobial activities against several pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissa officinalis L. is a cosmopolitan aromatic and medicinal plant from the Lamiaceae family, which is necessary for pharmaceutical and cosmetic production. To evaluate the impact of different harvesting times and plant materials on the essential oil content and composition of M. officinalis 4-year-old plants, the present study was conducted in Fars province, Iran, under industrial field conditions. A randomized factorial experiment with three replications was used. Each replication contained six treatments [3 harvesting of M. officinalis × 2 treatments (shade drying + fresh state)]. Hydrodistillation was used to obtain the essential oils from each treatment, which were subsequently analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. The results demonstrated a significant influence of harvesting times and plant materials on the essential oil content and composition of M. officinalis. The average essential oil content was 0.028% to 0.095% (w/w). At different harvest times, the fresh plant yielded a higher content of essential oil compared to the dry plant. The number of chemical constituents in the essential oils was influenced by different harvesting times and plant materials. The predominant and common constituents in all harvested plant materials were the oxygenated monoterpenes geranial (28.7-43.2%) and neral (12.9-30.9%). Based on the major compounds, the essential oils from different harvesting times and plant materials were categorized into two chemotypes: chemotype I (geranial/thymol) and chemotype II (geranial/neral). It is recommended that drying operations not be used as a post-harvest processing method to achieve the highest essential oil yield from M. officinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils of Teucrium flavum and Teucrium polium, collected from Babor mountains in Algeria. The essential oils were extracted using the hydrodistillation method and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty-two components were identified in the essential oil of T. flavum representing 91.40% of the total essential oil. Its major components were germacrene D (18.0%) followed by (Z)-γ-bisabolene (10.3%), β-caryophyllene (7.6%), α-pinene (6.7%), β-pinene (6.2%), α-humulene (5.8%) and limonene (5%) with a prevalence of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (59.1%). However, sixty-four components were identified in the essential oil of T. polium (96.80% of total essential oil). Its major components were germacrene D (36.5%), β-pinene (11.8%), epi-α-cadinol (9%) and bicyclogermacrene (7.3%). Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons constituted the most abundant fraction of this essential oil (55.6%). The antioxidant potential was tested using free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl, and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays. Both the essential oils exhibited moderate to low activity. Overall, the essential oil of T. flavum was more effective than that of T. polium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentha arvensis L. (family Lamiaceae) is one of the important medicinal plants and India is the largest producer of Mentha oil in the world, contributing about 80% of the total global production followed by China (9%), Brazil (7%) and the USA (4%). However, this crop suffers quantitative and qualitative losses due to the wilt and leaf spot diseases caused by the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria alternata, respectively; therefore, an attempt has been made for the management of these fungal pathogens. The citronella essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation method (Clevenger, 1928). The oil thus extracted was used for in vitro antifungal efficacy against the both fungi F. oxysporum and A. alternata, using poison food technique. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the citronella oil against F. oxysporum and A. alternata was 1.0 μL/mL; however, it was cidal in nature at 1.2 μL /mL and 1.5 μL/mL against both fungi, respectively. Further, phytochemical characterization of citronella oil was done using GC/GC-MS. Gas chromatographic analysis of the citronella oil revealed 18 phytoconstituents which were identified by retention indices aided with NIST-MS database. The major constituents of essential oil were citronellal (28.78%), geraniol (26.31%), citronellol (12.90%), geranial (9.85%), and neral (7.9%). The findings of the current study show that citronella oil could be an alternative to synthetic fungicides, after detailed investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study involves the chemical characterization and antifungal potential of fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) seeds/leaves essential oils and their major constituents along with computational molecular docking calculations. The fenugreek seeds and leaves essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation and characterized by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Benzyl acetate (51.70%) and γ-tocopherol (42.09%), the major compounds in fenugreek seeds and leaves essential oils respectively were isolated by column chromatography. The essential oils and their major compounds were investigated for their antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani and Drechslera oryzae by the Poison food technique. Among all the treatments, fenugreek leaves essential oil was the most effective with ED50 values of 850 and 1120 ppm against R. solani and D. oryzae respectively. All the treatments were found more effective against R. solani than D. oryzae. Molecular docking studies of the major compounds present in the essential oils against R. solani agglutinin (PDB ID 4G9N and 4G9M) suggested that 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol present in abundance in fenugreek leaves essential oil than the seeds essential oil bound effectively with the targeted protein with the docking score of -6.14 kcal mol−1. Overall, our combined experimental and computational study provides scientific justification for the use of fenugreek leaves essential oil as a natural antifungal agent against R. solani. Moreover, fenugreek leaves essential oil being most effective against D. oryzae may also be used as a natural antifungal agent against it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of cold-pressed oil from Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle fruits (OCA), after chemical characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), was investigated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and related signaling pathways in dystrophic muscle cells. The chemical composition of OCA showed 24 compounds with a predominance of monoterpenes, such as limonene (42.6%), cymene (11.8%), α-terpineol (11.8%), terpinolene (5.3%) and γ-terpinene (4.6%). DPHH and ORAC assays showed a significant antioxidant activity of OCA. Because the OCA is rich in limonene, it exhibited marked anti-inflammatory (as indicated by the reduction of TNF- α and NF-κB levels) and antioxidant effects (as indicated by the reduction of 4-HNE-protein adducts, SOD-2, GSR and H2O2 levels) on dystrophic muscle cells. These effects appear to be mediated through the activation of PGC-1α pathway. Therefore, OCA can be considered a promising bioactive for therapeutic applications in dystrophinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit pericarp of Zanthoxylum armatum DC is used in spices and to manage different diseases like toothaches, inflamed gums, arthritis, swollen joints, insect bites, diarrhea, common flu, and respiratory difficulties by local people. In this study, the essential oil was extracted from the fruit pericarp of Z. armatum DC collected from different commercial sites in Nepal using the hydro-distillation method. The chiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify the chemical compounds present in the essential oil with their stereochemistry. Major constituents identified in all samples included linalool, limonene, and methyl trans-cinnamate. Linalool, a monoterpene alcohol, exhibited the highest percentages in all three samples, recording 58.31%, 58.45%, and 80.37% in Salyan, Surkhet, and Myagdi respectively. Notably, twenty-five enantiomeric components were identified using chiral GC/MS among its sixty constituents. The enantiomeric component distribution of linalool and limonene was in their (+) dextrorotatory form, while others were dominant in the levorotatory form. This research underscores that Z. armatum from the Myagdi district of Nepal, is a prominent source of the medicinally and industrially important compound linalool, along with exhibiting higher antimicrobial activity. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of a chiral GC/MS study conducted on this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of plant shading (covered by pearl shade nets with a 40% shade index or nonshading plants from open field) on the content and composition of essential oils extracted from summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) during the flowering stage cultivated under the ecological conditions of Serbia. The summer savory essential oil (SSEO) was extracted by Clevenger hydrodistillation. According to the GC/MS analysis of the SSEO, twenty-five and twenty-six components were detected in the non-shaded and shaded plants, respectively. The yield of SSEO from non-shaded plants was 1.64%, while SSEO from plants covered by shade nets was 1.76%. Carvracol (48.7–53.25%) and γ-terpinene (32.7%–36.8%) were found to be the main components in SSEO, followed by p-cymene (3.4%-3.2%), α-terpinene (2.9%-3.5%) and limonene (1.9-1.3%). In the DPPH assay, SSEO showed an IC50 of 0.99 μg mL−1 in shaded and an IC50 of 1.01 μg mL−1 in non-shaded plants. Additionally, SSEO exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (44.3–48 mm inhibition zone), Bacillus subtilis (34.7–41.0 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.3–29.0 mm) and Proteus vulgaris (21.0–24.3 mm). A possible practical application of this study would be to grow summer savory at higher plant densities, or as an intercrop, because it does not require too much light for production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), javanese ginger (Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb.), and pale turmeric (Curcuma heyneana Val. & v. Zijp) are medicinal plants that belongs to the family Zingiberaceae whose rhizomes contain essential oils and often consumed as traditional medicines based on empirical experiences and hereditary beliefs. This study aimed to determine the chemical components and antibacterial and antioxidative activities of the essential oils of turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric cultivated in Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia. α-Chamigrene (24.92%), zingiberene (29.53%), and 2-pinene-4-one (12.08%) were the largest components found in turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric, respectively. All the curcumas contain 1,8-cineol with concentrations of 3.32, 1.33, and 7.34% and α-pinene with concentrations of 0.48, 0.61, and 1.31% for turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric essential oils, respectively. The inhibition zones of turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 were 10.16 (strong), 7.98 (moderate), and 11.59 mm (strong), respectively. Only the essential oil from pale turmeric showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 with an inhibition zone of 6.74 mm (moderate). The antioxidative activities (IC50) of turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric essential oils were 66.08 ppm (strong), 82.76 ppm (strong), and 50.23 ppm (strong), respectively. In the fields of medicines, cosmetics, and foods, turmeric, javanese ginger, and pale turmeric rhizomes essential oils can be used as natural antioxidants and antibacterials against S. aureus ATCC 25923. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]