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The hydrodistilled essential oils from eighteen samples of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. collected in six localities of Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy) during three different seasonal periods were analyzed by GC-MS for the first time. Fifty-five components were identified, representing 96.8–99.6% of the total chemical composition. All the tested essential oils were characterized by a high content of monoterpenes (oxygenated 49.2–80.3%; hydrocarbons 18.7–48.3%). Among them, 1,8-cineole (26.4–49.1%), α-pinene (4.5–34.8%), camphor (1.1–18.8%) and borneol (1.7–16.2%) were the main constituents. The high amount of 1,8-cineole/α-pinene/camphor/borneol may suggest the presence of an intermediate rosemary chemotype. Statistical analysis was also performed on the essential oil (EO) composition evidenced an expected difference depending on the collection seasons, to the geographical areas and soil composition. A comparison with the essential oil composition from S. rosmarinus collected in all the other islands of Tuscan Archipelago (Italy) was also reported, together with a Multivariate Statistical Analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils obtained from six species of Helichrysum ( H. archimedeum C. Brullo & Brullo, H. errerae Tineo, H. hyblaeum Brullo, H. orientale (L.) Vaill., H. panormitanum Tineo ex Guss. subsp. panormitanum, H. serotinum subsp. picardii (Boiss. & Reut.) Galbany, L. Sáez & Benedí) grown in Italy were analyzed by GC-MS. One hundred seventeen components were identified representing 90.1–98.5% of the total chemical composition, mainly characterized by sesquiterpenes and monoterpene compounds. All the analyzed oils showed a monoterpene content ranging from 7.8% ( H. serotinum subsp. picardii ) to 50.9% ( H. errerae ), while sesquiterpene compounds ranging from 28.5% ( H. errerae ) to 77.9% ( H. archimedeum ). α-pinene (39.6% H. hyblaeum and 32.0% H. errerae , respectively), β-caryophyllene (23.8%, H. panormitanum subsp. panormitanum ), β-selinene (20.8%, H. archimedeum ) and β-eudesmol (19.1%, H. orientalis and 17.2% H. orientale , respectively) were the main constituents. This is the first report on the essential oil composition of H. archimedeum , H. errerae, H. hyblaeum , H. panormitanum subsp. panormitanum , H. serotinum subsp. picardii . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main constituents of essential oil (EO) of Origanum syriacum L. collected from cultivated and growing wild in Sinai, Egypt were identified and determined by GC–MS. The antimicrobial activity of these essential oils against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains was studied. The antimycotic activity of these EOs was also evaluated against eight fungal strains isolated from different sources. Forty-six compounds were identified in the EO of both samples, dominated by carvacrol in cultivated type. Thymol, γ-terpinene, linalool and 4-terpineol were the most represented constituents in O. syriacum plants collected from wild populations. Both EOs showed antibacterial activity with varying magnitudes, while EO from cultivated O. syriacum showed high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with an inhibition zone of 32 ± 4.0 mm. Both EOs showed good antifungal activity against all fungal strains. O. syriacum EO from cultivated plants showed the lowest MIC 0.25 mg/L with Aspergillus fumigates clinical strain isolated either with Aspergillus flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of herbal products with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimycotic properties are available for dermatological usage. The successful treatment of 13 sheep affected by ringworm due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes with a mixture consisting of essential oils (EOs) of Thymus serpillum 2%, Origanum vulgare 5% and Rosmarinus officinalis 5% in sweet almond ( Prunus dulcis) oil. The effectiveness of EOs and of the major components of the mixture (thymol, carvacrol, 1,8 cineole, α-pinene, p-cymene, γ-terpinene) against the fungal clinical isolate was evaluated by a microdilution test. Thirteen animals were topically administered with the mixture twice daily for 15 days. The other sheep were administered with a conventional treatment (seven animals) or left untreated (two animals). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 0.1% for T. serpillum, 0.5% for O. vulgare, 2.5% for I. verum and 5% for both R. officinalis and C. limon. Thymol and carvacrol showed MICs of 0.125% and 0.0625%. A clinical and aetiological cure was obtained at the end of each treatment regimen in only the treated animals. Specific antimycotic drugs licenced for food-producing sheep are not available within the European Community. The mixture tested here appeared to be a versatile tool for limiting fungal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rutaceae are widely recognized for their toxic and repellent activity exerted against mosquitoes. In our research, the essential oils extracted from fresh leaves of wild and cultivated plants of Ruta chalepensis L. (Rutaceae) were evaluated for larvicidal and repellent activity against the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae), currently the most invasive mosquito worldwide. In this research, gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of the essential oils from wild and cultivated plants showed only quantitative differences, in particular relatively to the amounts of ketone derivatives, while the qualitative profile evidenced a similar chemical composition. Both essential oils from wild and cultivated R. chalepensis plants were able to exert a very good toxic activity against A. albopictus larvae (wild plants, LC = 35.66 ppm; cultivated plants, LC = 33.18 ppm), and mortality was dosage dependent. These data are the first evidence of the toxicity of R. chalepensis against mosquitoes. Furthermore, the R. chalepensis essential oil from wild plants was an effective repellent against A. albopictus, also at lower dosages: RD was 0.000215 μL/cm of skin, while RD was 0.007613 μL/cm. Our results clearly evidenced that the larvicidal and repellent activity of R. chalepensis essential oil could be used for the development of new and safer products against the Asian tiger mosquito. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) has been one of the fastest spreading insects over the past 20 years. Its medical importance is due to the aggressive daytime human-biting behavior and the ability to vector many viruses, including dengue, LaCrosse, Eastern Equine encephalitis and West Nile viruses. In this research, the essential oils (EOs) extracted from fresh air dried leaves of Salvia dorisiana, S. longifolia, and S. sclarea (Lamiaceae) were evaluated for their repellent activity against A. albopictus by using the human-bait technique. The EOs chemical composition was also investigated, and EOs were divided in three different profiles on the basis of their chemical composition: EO with large amount of monoterpenes from S. sclarea, EO rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenes from S. dorisiana, and S. longifolia EO characterized by similar percentages of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The efficacy protection from S. dorisiana, S. longifolia, and S. sclarea EOs, at dosages ranging from 0.004 to 0.4 μL cm of skin, was evaluated during 120 min of observation. Results indicated that S. dorisiana, S. longifolia, and S. sclarea EOs had a significant repellent activity (RD = 0.00035, 0.00049, and 0.00101 μL cm, respectively), with differences in repellency rates, as a function of oil, dosage, and observation time. S . dorisiana was the most effective oil: at the two higher dosages, it gave almost complete protection (with a protective efficacy of 90.99% and 95.62%, respectively) for 90 min. The best protection time was achieved with S. dorisiana essential oil. It ranged from 9.2 to 92.4 min. Protection times of S. longifolia and S. sclarea oils ranged from 3.2 to 60 min, and from 3.6 to 64.2 min, respectively. Our findings clearly reveal that these EOs have a good repellent activity against A. albopictus, therefore they can be proposed to improve the efficacy of repellent formulations against the Asian tiger mosquito. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In the past few years, an increasing interest in the volatile secondary metabolites of Hypericum perforatum L. (Guttiferae) has been arising. Objective: The present study is a contribution to better understand the relationship between the morphological variations and volatile composition during the phenological cycle. Materials and methods: Leaves at the stages of vegetative, floral budding, flowering and green capsule, buds, full opened flowers and green capsules were assayed for essential oil (EO) components by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (MS). Results: Significant amounts of sesquiterpenes (oxygenated 26--50% and hydrocarbons 20--40%) and oxygenated hydrocarbons (13--38%) characterized the all analyzed samples showing peculiar fluctuations during the seven phenological stages. Although monoterpenes were present in much lower amounts (monoterpene hydrocarbons 0.4--6%; oxygenated monoterpenes 0.8--6%) they were considered also important discrimination for several stages. The green capsules and the full opened flowers collected at flowering stage were clearly distinguished in terms of EO compositions from the other samples. Discussion: For the first time, the EO composition of Turkish wild Hypericum perforatum was monitored by the hydrodistillation of different plant organs collected at different seven stages in order to point out the modification of target volatiles related to each phenological step. Conclusions: Based on the EO composition monitored during these seven morphological stages by GC-MS, principal component analysis and cluster analysis, significant metabolite modifications were observed during the phenological cycle which involved the levels of specific volatile target compounds belonging to the chemical classes of hydrocarbons, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ten of the most known and used commercial essential oils (Cinnamomum zeylanicum L., Citrus bergamia Risso, Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Origanum majorana L., Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Satureja montana L., Thymus vulgaris L. ct. carvacrol, Thymus vulgaris L. ct. thymol) were tested against six bacteria strains Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus xylosus and Escherichia coli, responsible for mastitis in animals. The best results were achieved by S. montana, T. vulgaris ct. thymol and O. vulgare. Two binary mixtures of essential oils (EOs) were prepared of S. montana and T. vulgaris ct. thymol (ST) and of S. montana and O. vulgare (SO). The ST mixture exhibited the best inhibitory activity against all the tested bacterial strains. Two artificial mixtures of carvacrol/thymol (AB) and carvacrol/thymol/p-cymene (CD) were prepared and tested against all of the bacterial strains used. The results exhibited a general reduction of the inhibitory activity of mixture AB, although not reaching the inhibition of the ST and SO mixtures. However the mixture CD presented an apparent strong inhibition against S. aureus and S. sciuri. The EO mixtures and the mixture CD represent promising phytotherapic approaches against bacteria strains responsible for environmental mastitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]