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The work focuses on the phytochemical and biological study (antimicrobial activity) of the essential oil (EO) from the underground parts ofCymbopogon schoenanthus, collected from the cultural park of Ahaggar in southern Algeria. The extraction of the essential oil gives a yield of more than 4 ml per 100 g of dry matter (gdm). Chromatographic analysis of the essential oil of this species shows a richness in monoterpenes (59.7%) with a predominance of piperitone (50.25%) and secondarily α-elemol (11.06%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, tested on six microorganisms, shows a strong antifungal and antibacterial action. This bioactivity is mainly due to the richness of this essence in piperitone known for its effectiveness against microbial agents. The limit test of toxicity shows that a dose of 2 g of essential oil/kg of body weight is not toxic.

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, was detected in Georgia, USA, in 2002 and has since spread to 11 additional states. This wood-boring weevil carries a symbiotic fungus, Harringtonia lauricola, that causes laurel wilt, a lethal disease of trees in the Lauraceae family. Native ambrosia beetles that breed in infected trees can acquire H. lauricola and contribute to the spread of laurel wilt. Since 2002, laurel wilt has devastated native Persea species in coastal forests and has killed an estimated 200,000 avocado trees in Florida. Since laurel wilt is difficult to manage once it has entered a susceptible agrosystem, this study evaluated piperitone as a candidate repellent to deter attacks by X. glabratus and other ambrosia beetles. Additionally, piperitone was compared to the known repellent verbenone as a potential cost-effective alternative. The repellent efficacy was determined by comparing captures in traps baited with commercial beetle lures containing α-copaene versus captures in traps baited with lures plus a repellent. In parallel 10-week field tests, the addition of piperitone reduced the captures of X. glabratus in α-copaene-baited traps by 90%; however, there was no significant reduction in the captures of native ambrosia beetles in ethanol-baited traps. In two replicate 10-week comparative tests, piperitone and verbenone both reduced X. glabratus captures by 68–90%, with longevity over the full 10 weeks. This study identifies piperitone as a new X. glabratus repellent with potential for pest management.

BACKGROUND Clinopodium thymifolium is an aromatic plant species that is widespread in the Mediterranean region. It has been considered as a condiment and is used in cooking. As a promising spice plant, some efforts are being made to introduce this plant as a new crop species and it has been successfully cultivated in northern Italy. RESULTS Essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of a flavoring species C. thymifolium were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results of a detailed analysis of the chemical composition of the oils showed the domination of pulegone, piperitone, piperitenone and isomenthone, as well as a significant alteration of the pulegone/isomenthone ratio with the developmental stage of the plant. Additionally, a comprehensive chemical analysis of the oils in combination with detailed spectral analyses and chemical synthesis of selected compounds has led to the identification of two new natural products: isomenthyl formate and neomenthyl 2-methylbutanoate. CONCLUSION The observed chemical variability at the intrapopulation level appeared to be a phenological variation. In an evolutionary sense, the alteration of the pulegone/isomenthone ratio suggests their possible role in the ecological adaptation of the species to pollinators. Significant quantitative changes in the chemical composition of the oil at different phenological stages may be relevant in the case of plant material intended for edible purposes. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Introduction: Species of the Salvia genus are aromatic herbs and traditionally used for many medicinal purposes in Anatolia. The genus has produced an extraordinarily large number of beneficial secondary metabolites belonging to numerous chemical groups. Salvia pisidica is an endemic plant of southwest Anatolia, the dried parts of which are used as herbal tea and local materia medica. Methods: The composition of endemic S. pisidica essential oil was determined through GC-MS studies. In vitro cytotoxicity activity and apoptosis analysis were investigated by MTT assay, q-PCR and Annexin V staining experiments. Results: Our results showed that 1,8 cineole (19.15 %) camphor (18.12 %) and γ-gurjunene (8.58 %) were the major constituents of the essential oil. It showed cytotoxic effects on the human breast cancer MCF-7, colon carcinoma Caco-2, hepatocyte carcinoma HepG2, and prostate carcinoma LnCap. The results of q-PCR and image-cytometer analysis showed that the essential oil caused induction of apoptosis by intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in all cancer cell lines. Conclusion: S. pisidica essential oil demonstrates considerable cytotoxic activity due to an apoptosis-related mechanism, suggesting that their bioactive components could be used as natural anticancer substances. © 2023 Elsevier GmbH

Introduction: One of plants that may have therapeutic potential is the Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng, also known as camel grass. Aim: This review aims to investigate and gather comprehensive information about camel grass plants and their potential to be developed into a nanotechnology drug delivery system. Methods: This review examined a variety of online literature. Results: It was found that camel grass contains essential oil such as piperitone. Piperitone is efficacious as an antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, in addition to other properties . The development of camel grass essential oil into lipid-based nanotechnology preparations can improve its bioavailability, solubility, and stability, thereby improving its potential effectiveness.

The aerial parts of Artemisia judaica L. (A. judaica) and Artemisia monosperma (Delile) (A. monosperma) were collected from wild plant populations located in the eastern desert of Egypt. The essent...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the Chrysactinia mexicana A. Gray essential oil, on C. glabrata clinical isolates. The essential oil was obtained by steam entrainment of flowers, leaves and secondary branches of C. mexicana. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were performed to determine the oil composition. Logarithmic and stationary phase microdilution assays were performed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and clinical isolates of C. gla­brata to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the oil. The cultures were incubated in liquid YPD medium, for 7 h in fresh medium (logarithmic phase) or 3 h in recovering medium (stationary phase), with the oil and microdilution tests were performed. The three main oil compounds identified were piperitone (29.57%), eucalyptol (26.86%) and α-terpineol (14.65%). The MICs obtained were, a) stationary phase: S. cerevisiae (BY4741) 2.78 mg/mL and C. glabrata (CBS138), (NY66) and (AN400) 6.50 mg/mL and (NY62) 9.29 mg/mL; b) logarithmic phase: S. cerevisiae (BY4741) 3.71 mg/mL and C. glabrata (CBS138) 4.64 mg/mL, (NY66) 6.5 mg/mL, (AN400) 8.36 mg/mL, and (NY62) 18.5 mg/ mL. This work constitutes the first report of the fungicidal effect of the C. mexicana essential oil on human pathogenic fungi such as C. glabrata.

Mentha species are medicinally used worldwide and remain attractive for research due to the diversity of their phytoconstituents and large therapeutic indices for various ailments. This study used the metabolomics examination of five Mentha species (M. suaveolens, M. sylvestris, M. piperita, M. longifolia, and M. viridis) to justify their cytotoxicity and their anti-Helicobacter effects. The activities of species were correlated with their phytochemical profiles by orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Tentatively characterized phytoconstituents using liquid chromatography high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-HR-ESI-MS) included 49 compounds: 14 flavonoids, 10 caffeic acid esters, 7 phenolic acids, and other constituents. M. piperita showed the highest cytotoxicity to HepG2 (human hepatoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), and CACO2 (human colon adenocarcinoma) cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. OPLS-DA and dereplication studies predicted that the cytotoxic activity was related to benzyl glucopyranoside-sulfate, a lignin glycoside. Furthermore, M. viridis was effective in suppressing the growth of Helicobacter pylori at a concentration of 50 mg mL−1. OPLS-DA predicted that this activity was related to a dihydroxytrimethoxyflavone. M. viridis extract was formulated with Pluronic® F127 to develop polymeric micelles as a nanocarrier that enhanced the anti-Helicobacter activity of the extract and provided minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations of 6.5 and 50 mg mL−1, respectively. This activity was also correlated to tentatively identified constituents, including rosmarinic acid, catechins, carvone, and piperitone oxide.

The volatile components of kuromoji oil (Lindera umbellata Thunb.) obtained in Shizuoka Pref. were analyzed by GC/MS. Linalool, α-pinene, limonene, camphene, cis- and trans-dihydrocarvone, 1,8-cineol, 4-terpinenol, α-terpineol, piperitone, geranyl acetate, geraniol, and trans-nerolidol were identified as major components. Using enantio-MDGC-MS, the enantiomeric ratio ((R)-(-) vs (S)-(+)) of linalool in this oil was determined to be 67.8/32.2. Touch care treatment while sniffing this oil was done on cancer patients. We found that the relaxation effect persisted longer after the treatment compared to treatment without aroma.

Altitudinal variations in the content of main bioactive secondary metabolites namely, hypericin, pseudohypericin, hyperforin, the chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, caffeic and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, avicularin, hyperoside, rutin, biapigenin, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin and in the composition of essential oil (EO) among Hypericum perforatum populations from two growing sites of Northern Turkey were investigated in detail for the first time. Aerial parts of 30 individuals at full flowering were collected at five different altitudes (391, 631, 1318, 1586 and 1733 m) of “Anzer” upland and six different altitudes (1311, 1447, 1968, 2068, 20169 and 2210 m) of “Cimil” upland in territory of Rize province, Turkey. Air dried plant samples were assayed for polar ingredients by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and for EO components by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) supported gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. All the tested polar phytochemicals were detected at various levels depending on altitude in both uplands and the accumulation level of each compound showed a positive consistent and significant response to altitudinal gradient. A considerable diversity in quality and quantity of major EO components was also observed and 2,2,6-trimethyl-cyclohexanone, caryophyllene oxide, tricycloheptane, hexanoic acid, tetradecanol, 2-methyl-dodecane, tetradecane, α-amorphene, eicosene, β-cedrene, piperitone, spathulenol, β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene and linalool were identified as major EO components depending on altitude. The present results suggest that altitude of plant habitat has an ultimate effect on secondary metabolism of Hypericum perforatum and indicate the investigated populations as new chemotypes in terms of their EO composition. Such kind of findings could be useful to characterize the unique strains with desired chemical composition and can provide new viewpoints for investigations on this valuable medicinal plant.

Buchu (Barosma betulina) is a small flowering plant found in the family Rutaceae in Western Cape of South Africa, Namibia and Australia, capable of growing up to 2 meters with a simple rounded leaf that produced essential oil of strong peppermint and sweetish smell. The Buchu oil as an essential oil consist of many chemical constituents, the main components includes piperitone, pulegone, piperitone epoxide, iso-menthone, P-menthane-8-thiol3-one, 4-diosphenol. The piperitone epoxide and Pmenthane-8-thiol-3-one constituents in Buchu oil have high commercial values, which extensively used as fragrances in perform, flavor, food additives, tonic and medicinal stimulant in modern medicine in the manufacture of insecticides, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory and antioxidant in cosmetic products. The extinction threat of the plant and chemistry benefit of these chemical constituents initiate scientist with synthetic route for synthesizing the compounds from Eucalyptus dives oil and pennyroyal oil, which are also an essential oils and abundant in nature. In the synthesis, purified piperitone and pulegone from the Eucalyptus dives oil and pennyroyal oil produced two enatiotiomers of piperitone epoxide and P-menthane-8- thiol-3-one respectively. The analytical analysis such infrared and GC-Mc conducted for the starting materials, synthesis processes and synthesize products showed results of significant value in terms chemical reactions and structural re-arrangement.

The present study assessed the phytotoxic and cytotoxic potential of the essential oil (EO) extracted from aboveground parts of Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed 39 compounds constituting 99.67% of the EO. The EO was rich in monoterpenoids (mostly oxygenated monoterpenes), which accounted for 89.28% of the oil. The major components in EO were monoterpene ketones such as piperitone oxide (53.83%) and piperitenone oxide (11.52%), followed by thymol (5.80%), and (E)-caryophyllene (4.88%). The phytotoxic activities of EO were estimated against Cyperus rotundus, Echinochloa crus-galli, and Oryza sativa (rice) through pre- and post-emergence assays at concentrations ranging from 10 to 250 μg/ml and 0.5-5%, respectively. In pre-emergence assay, the phytotoxic effect of EO was most pronounced on C. rotundus, thereby significantly affecting percent germination, plantlet growth, and chlorophyll content. On the contrary, the impact was comparatively lesser on rice, with ~ 40% germination in response to 250 μg/ml of EO treatment. In the post-emergence assay, the spray treatment of EO caused a loss of chlorophyll and wilting in test plants, and subsequently affected the growth of plants, even leading to death in some cases. The cytotoxic activity of EO (at 2.5-50 μg/ml) was studied in meristem cells in onion (Allium cepa L.) root tips. EO exposure to the onion roots induced various chromosomal aberrations such as chromosomal bridges, c-mitosis, stickiness, vagrant chromosomes, etc., and negatively affected the mitotic index. At 50 μg/ml, EO treatment triggered the complete death of roots. The study concludes that M. longifolia EO has phytotoxic activities due to the mito-depressive effect, along with other physiological effects on target plants. Therefore, EO of M. longifolia could be developed into a novel bioherbicide for sustainable management of weeds in agricultural systems.

The volatile chemical constituents derived from two Asteraceae species (Artemisia judaica and A. herba-alba) were analyzed and compared for the first time using gas chromatography techniques (GC–MS, GC–FID, Co-GC, LRI determination, database and literature searches) on two different stationary phase columns (polar and nonpolar). This analysis led to the identification of a total of 110 and 81 components from whole plant (stems, leaves and flowers) oils of A. judaica and A. herba-alba respectively. The major classes of compounds in both plants included oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and hydrocarbons. The prominent components in the oil of A. judaica were β-eudesmol, hexadecanoic acid, spathulenol, eudesma-4 (15),7-dien-1-β-ol, carvacrol and thymol which account for 67.3% of the total essential oils composition (96.7%). While the main oil constituents from A. herba-alba were piperitone, (E)-ethylcinnamate, (Z)-ethylcinnamate, thymol, isophrone which account for 78.0% of the total oil composition (99.6%). Comparison showed similar composition in thymol and spathulenol while in others major constituents, have opposite values. To the best of our knowledge, both plant species (A. judaica and A. herba-alba) from Saudi Arabia were considered for the first time in this study. In addition, the oils of these plants were screened for their bio-activities and were found to possess significant anti-microbial activities. Keywords: Artemisia judaica, A. herba-alba, Essential oils, β-eudesmol, Piperitone, (Z) and (E)-ethylcinnamate, Thymol, Anti-microbial activities

Objective: Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst and Ruta chalepensis L. are aromatic plants used in the Republic of Djibouti, both as food and medicine. The importance of essential oils of these two species in the treatment of certain pathologies such as inflammations and infections has led to an assessment of their composition in volatile organic compounds and their hepato-protective properties on rats poisoned by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Methods: The chemical composition of essential oils studied was determined by GC-MS. The hepato-protective properties of the essential oils of Boswellia papyrifera and Ruta chalepensis were assessed through inhibition of hepato toxicity in rats by CCl4 poisoning. The hepato-protection of essential oils was estimated by measuring biochemical and hematological parameters. Results: Essential oils of Boswellia papyrifera and Ruta chalepensis reduced the blood level of transaminases and triglycerides at the dependent dosage, and restored liver proteins (0.27 g/l) to levels similar to those rats not poisoned by CCl4. Blood levels of uric acid, urea, creatinine and HDL have also been restored to values similar to those of non-poisoned rats. The chemical composition of the essential oils studied shows that Boswellia papyrifera contains incensole acetate (43.76%) and isoincensole (18.42%), and that Ruta chalepensis contains menthyl acetate (29.8%) and piperitone (22.22%). Conclusion: The studies carried out have shown that the essential oils of Boswellia papyrifera and Ruta chalepensis have a hepato-protective potential similar to that of sylimarin (reference hepato-protective substances). The results show that the essential oils of Boswellia papyrifera and Ruta chalepensis could present good prospects in the formulation of phytomedicines for the management of liver diseases.

Purpose. To study the impact of clonal micropropagation and sanitation in vitro by viricide Ribavirin on ex vitro plant productivity, quantitative content and qualitative composition of peppermint essential oil components obtained from four breeding samples of peppermint plants (Mentha piperita L.) and the ‘Chornolysta’ variety. Methods . The study used methods of field agrotechnical one-factor experiment, essential oil distillation with water vapor according to the Ginzberg method, capillary gas chromatography and statistical analysis. Results. Due to the sanitation process in vitro, the yield of air-dried leaves of breeding samples increased by 2.9–7.1%, the ‘Chornolysta’ variety by 51.4% and rhizomes by 2.2–3.8% and 28.5% respectively, which amounted 0.35–2.74 t/ha. A significant increase of essential oil yield of breeding samples from 4.0 to 9.9 kg/ha was shown, and of the ‘Chornolysta’ variety – up to 28.6 kg/ha. After in vitro sanitation and clonal cropropagation of the breeding sample M 01-12, the content of essential oil was more than 4%. The following components of peppermint essential oil were identified: limonene, cineole, menton, mentofuran, isomenton, menthyl acetate, β-caryophyllene, isomenthol, menthol, pulegon, piperitone and carvone. A clear tendency to a decrease in the amount of menton and isomenthol with isomenton and menthol increase in plants, sanitated and propagated in vitro, was revealed. Conclusions . The use of tissue and organ culture methods and in vitro sanitation improves the qualitative composition of terpenoids by increasing the amount of menthol and menton reducing. The data obtained on the composition of terpenoids should be considered in peppermint selection as one of the integral criteria, which should be included in the list of economically valuable characteristics of peppermint plants, such as foliage, biomass of air-dried leaves, plant rhizomes and the amount of peppermint essential oil. Six indicators of the essential oil of the breeding sample M 01-02, namely citric acid, cineole, mentofuran, isomentone, pulegon, carvone, as well as the cineole / limonene ratio, meet the criteria of the European Pharmacopoeia, so it can be considered as promising for cultivation among the studied samples.

Background Wild medicinal plants are suffering natural environmental stresses and habitat destruction. The genetic diversity evaluation of wild accessions and their in vitro raised genotypes using molecular markers, as well as the estimation of substances of pharmaceutical value in wild plants and their regenerated genotypes are convenient approaches to test the genetic fidelity of regenerated plants as a source of substances of pharmaceutical value. In this study, the genetic diversity of 12 accessions of the medicinal plant Achillea fragrantissima, representing five sites in the mountains of South Sinai, Egypt, were estimated by the inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting and their volatile oil components were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The same accessions were regenerated in vitro and the genetic diversity and volatile oil components of propagated genotypes were determined and compared to their wild parents. Results Clustering and principal component analyses indicated that the wild accessions and their regenerated genotypes were genetically differentiated, but the regenerated plants are relatively more diverse compared to their wild parents. However, genetic variation between wild accessions is inherited to their in vitro propagated genotypes indicating genotypic differentiation of the examined accessions. The number of volatile oil compounds in the wild A. fragrantissima accessions was 31 compounds while in the in vitro propagated plants only 24 compounds were detected. Four major compounds are common to both wild and regenerated plants; these are artemisia ketone, alpha-thujone, dodecane, and piperitone. Conclusions Genome profiling and essential oil components analysis showed variations in A. fragrantissima accessions from different populations. Genetic differences between wild and regenerated genotypes were analyzed and validated with the final conclusion that in vitro conditions elicited higher genetic variation that is associated with reduced amount and diversity in the essential oil components.

Clinopodium nepeta subsp. glandulosum (Req.) Govaerts is a natural perennial grass belonging to the Lamiaceae family, growing spontaneously on the Mediterranean coast. It is locally known as “kedi fesleğeni” in Turkey. This aromatic plant is used as a mint-like spice in food preparations and in the composition of some recipes during religious feasts. In folk medicine, it is used as stimulant, antiseptic and antispasmodic. Aerial parts of C. nepeta subsp. glandulosum were collected from Bilecik in July 2017, and was air dried. The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and the composition of the essential oil was simultaneously analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Piperitenone oxide (47.8%), limonene (18.6%) and piperitone oxide II (13.6%) were found as major components. Antibacterial activity of the essential oil was tested against Escherichia coli NRRLB-3008, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311, Bacillus cereus NRRL-B3711 and Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556 were used by broth microdilution method. Ciprofloxacin was used as control and Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined. The highest activity was found against S. typhimurium (1250 µg/mL). The essential oil is more effective against B. cereus (2500 µg/mL) and S. sanguinis (2500 µg/mL). The lowest activities were determined against E. coli (5000 µg/mL) and P. aeruginosa (10000 µg/mL).

In the present study the ability of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) extracts of M. longifolia L. leaves to modulate low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) expression was evaluated in cultured human hepatoma cell lines Huh7 and HepG2. Two SCO2 extracts, one oil (ML-SCO2) and a semisolid (MW-SCO2), were subjected to detailed chemical characterization by mono- and bidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D, 2D-NMR), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Chemical analysis revealed significant amounts of fatty acids, phytosterols and terpenoids. ML-SCO2 was able to induce LDLR expression at a dose of 60 µg/mL in HuH7 and HepG2 cell lines. Furthermore, ML-SCO2 reduced PCSK9 secretion in a concentration-dependent manner in both cell lines. Piperitone oxide, the most abundant compound of the volatile constituent of ML-SCO2 (27% w/w), was isolated and tested for the same targets, showing a very effective reduction of PCSK9 expression. The overall results revealed the opportunity to obtain a new nutraceutical ingredient with a high amount of phytosterols and terpenoids using the SCO2 extraction of M. longifolia L., a very well-known botanical species used as food. Furthermore, for the first time we report the high activity of piperitone oxide in the reduction of PCSK9 expression.

Essential oils of Mentha pulegium (Lamiaceae) have shown a high potential for use in pest control. In the present study we examined the comparative potential of the M. pulegium essential oils representing pulegone (EO1) and piperitone (EO2) chemotypes for the control of three serious crop pests, along with their side effects on a beneficial insect. In the case of Tetranychus urticae, the mortality rate of females sprayed at the concentration of 500 μL/L was 68.5% and 71%, for EO1 and EO2 respectively, while the mortality rate at 1000 μL/L was 86% and 92.5%, which were significantly higher compared to the control (21%). In the experiments on Aphis gossypii, the sprayings were held under greenhouse conditions at 1000 μL/L. The mortality rate caused by EO1 was 82% and that of EO2 was 88%. In the control treatment dead aphids were not observed. The results on the third pest, Aphis spiraecola, showed a mortality rate of 40% and 48% for the EO1 and EO2 chemotype, respectively, at 500 μL/L. Interestingly, the mortality caused by both essential oils on the polyphagous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis was not significantly different to the control treatment. All this evidence suggests that the effects of both M. pulegium essential oil chemotypes are equally effective in the control of the pests tested, causing only minor effects on a beneficial insect. Therefore, due to the constraints reported for the pulegone use in pest control, the piperitone-based chemotype can be a valuable source for new crop protection products with the aim of being compatible with modern Integrated Pest Management strategies.

The aim of this work was to investigate the essential oil of Artemisia judaica L. (ssp. Sahariensis) originated from south of Algeria by evaluating its antimicrobial activity as well as its mechanisms of action against bacterial and fungal microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against 17 microbial strains. The mechanisms of action of Artemisia judaica essential oil (AJEO) have been studied by the evaluation of the release of cellular material (260 nm), the cell viability, the activity of lipase, and the salt tolerance. The AJEO yield was 1.27 ± 0.24% (w/w). The chemical composition of AJEO was characterized by a high content of piperitone (71.1%). The most sensitive bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC of 2.73 mg/mL. AJEO was found to be enough to kill strains tested at least 40% after thirty seconds of incubation and to induce release of cellular material. On the other hand, AJEO showed complete inhibition of lipase activity of Candida albicans cells as well as the ability of cells to form colonies on saline medium. AJEO has a powerful antimicrobial activity against different microbial organisms with different mechanisms of action. AJEO seem to be useful in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic application.

Introduction: Solenostemma oleifolium is a species that grows in extremely dry conditions. It is widespread at the foot of cliffs and in rocky areas. It is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of diabetes, respiratory disorders, rheumatism, stomach pain, urinary tract infections and febrifuge. As a part of this research program on natural compounds with antioxidant properties, the main objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of essential oil of S. oleifolium. Material and Methods: In this study, the aerial parts of the plant were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The isolated essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing power (FRAP). Results: The essential oil of S. oleifolium was principally characterized by oxygenated monoterpenes (94.3%) represented by linalool (59.0%), α-terpineol (14.5%) and geraniol (12.4%), followed by small amounts of nerol (3.7%) and piperitone (3.6%). The results of the antioxidant activity of essential oil showed an interesting propriety in the quenching of DPPH radical, with an IC50 of 3.3 g/L. On the other hand, essential oil showed the presence of the reductive effect, which increased with an increase in concentration. Conclusions: The results of this research showed that the S. oleifolium essential oil presented an interesting antioxidant property. Actually, it could be proposed as a new potential source of natural additives for the food or pharmaceutical industries.

Mints are perennial herbs that are cultivated for medicinal and aromatic purposes. They are highly polymorphic and their taxonomy is difficult. Sixty mint accessions, representing seven Mentha species (M. aquatica L., M. longifolia L., M. piperita L., M. pulegium., M. rotundifolia L., M. spicata L. and M. spicata var. crispa 'moroccan'), were collected at full flowering from 51 Tunisian localities. Essential oil yields were found to vary from 0.45 to 2.5%, (w/w). Analyses of these oils by GC/FID and GC/MS and their subsequent classification by statistical analysis resulted in six clusters with significant variations in their terpenoid compositions: i) pulegone/isomenthone/menthone; ii) isomenthone/pulegone; iii) menthone/pulegone ; iv) piperitenone oxide; v) linalool/linalyl acetate/1,8 cineol/myrcene; and vi) carvone/limonene/1.8 cineol. M. pulegium accessions grouped two chemotypes: one rich in pulegone and the second rich in isomenthone. M. longifolia grouped one chemotype rich in pulegone and a second rich in menthone. M. spicata grouped one chemotypes characterized by a moderate to high carvone content and the second pulegone-rich. M. rotoundifolia accessions were piperitone oxide-rich. M. aquatica and M. piperita have linalool and linalyl acetate as major compounds. These results clearly indicate that there were a large biochemical diversity among the investigated Tunisian Mentha spp. accessions. Genetic and ecological diversities may explain this chemical diversity.

Plant derived substances, particularly essential oils have been an increasing interest in their safe and environmentally-friendly application to crops, as a powerful alternative to chemical herbicides. The present investigation studied the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from Tagetes erecta L. and evaluated its herbicidal activities (pre-and post-emergence) against Echinochloa cruss-galli (L.) Beauv. The yield of essential oil from T. erecta was 0.72 mg.kg−1 fresh weight. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to determine essential oil chemical composition. Relatively high amounts of monoterpines were detected, consisting mainly of piperitone (17.12%), piperitenone (10.46), and ocimine (8.59%); identified sesquiterpenoids consisted mainly of neophytadiene (16.18%) and caryophyllene (11.10%). The essential oil was formulated as emulsifiable concentrate (EC-EO) for herbicidal applications. Seed germination and seedling growth of E. crus-galli was determined by Petri dish bioassay for EC-EO concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 2 mL.L−1. At 2 mL.L−1, the EC-EO completely inhibited germination and growth of E. crus-galli seed due to the inhibition of α-amylase activity. Post-emergence application of EC-EOs was also tested, with concentrations of 10 to 80 mL.L−1 foliar applied to 21-day-old E. crus-galli plants. The leaves of treated plants appeared wilted and desiccated. Increasing concentrations of oil decreased chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoid content, indicating that the EC-EO interferes with photosynthetic metabolism. The EC-EOs also caused loss of membrane integrity and increase of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Taken together, these results indicate that the T. erecta essential oil has phytotoxic compounds that could be utilized as natural herbicides for future weed control.

Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Benth.) Briq (S. tenuifolia), a traditional Chinese medicine, is an annual herbaceous plant that is widely distributed in China, Japan, and Korea. The essential oil (EO) of S. tenuifolia has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the components contributing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities remain unclear. This study was aimed at investigating the spectrum-effect relationship between gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprint and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of S. tenuifolia EO. Herein, the fingerprints of EO from ten batches of S. tenuifolia from various sources were established using GC-MS, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory assays, respectively. Finally, 13 common peaks were identified from ten batches of S. tenuifolia, by searching against the standard mass spectra in NIST 14 and comparing the literature retention index. The different sources of S. tenuifolia EO exhibit mild antioxidant activities and significant anti-inflammatory effects. Specifically, menthone (peak 3), isomenthone (peak 4), pulegone (peak 7), piperitone (peak 8), and β-caryophyllene (peak 11) might be the dominant constituents responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of S. tenuifolia EO. This method may provide a time-saving, convenient way to screen the potential effective components of S. tenuifolia EO.

Aim of the present study was to determine the In-vitro antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of E. globulus leaves against common multidrug resistant poultry pathogens. Phytochemical analysis through HPLC revealed that kaempeferol (7.315min) followed by querecetin (6.655min) and myrecetin (3.655min). Percent area of kaempeferol (6826.88%) was highest, followed by myrecetin (5516.22%) and querecetin (163.748%). Phytochemical investigation of ethanolic extract of E. globulus leaves through GCMS showed highest retention time (min) α-pinene (20.43) and α-terpineol (20.15) accompanied by spathulenol (11.97), piperitone (11.04). The ethanolic extracts of E. globulus leaves showed a highest zone of inhibition against S. pullorum SP6; 20.64± 2.08, E. coli SE 12; 19.75± 2.83, C. perfringens type A (CPM38-01); 19.46± 2.02. The highest level of MIC of E. globulus noted were against S. gallinarum S22; 133.37±53.294, S. gallinarum S1; 130.20±45.10, S. gallinarum S4; 129.47±24.182, S. gallinarum S3; 126.83±72.392. In conclusion, the study confirmed that the ethanolic extract of E. globulus is composed of active ingredients having antibacterial activity and can be referred as an alternate to antibiotics.

Green prickly ash (Zanthoxylum armatum) and red prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) fruit have unique flavor and aroma characteristics that affect consumers' purchasing preferences. However, differences in aroma components and relevant biosynthesis genes have not been systematically investigated in green and red prickly ash. Here, through the analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially abundant metabolites, and terpenoid biosynthetic pathways, we characterize the different aroma components of green and red prickly ash fruits and identify key genes in the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify 41 terpenoids from green prickly ash and 61 terpenoids from red prickly ash. Piperitone was the most abundant terpenoid in green prickly ash fruit, whereas limonene was most abundant in red prickly ash. Intergroup correlation analysis and redundancy analysis showed that HDS2, MVK2, and MVD are key genes for terpenoid synthesis in green prickly ash, whereas FDPS2 and FDPS3 play an important role in the terpenoid synthesis of red prickly ash. In summary, differences in the composition and content of terpenoids are the main factors that cause differences in the aromas of green and red prickly ash, and these differences reflect contrasting expression patterns of terpenoid synthesis genes.

The aim of the study was to investigate the micromorphology of Mentha pulegium leaves and flowers harvested in three different Sicilian (Italy) areas with peculiar pedo-climatic conditions, and to characterize the phytochemical profile, the phytotoxic activity, and the eco-compatibility of their essential oils (EOs) for potential use as safe bioherbicides. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) highlighted that M. pulegium indumentum consists of non-glandular and glandular trichomes of different types. Peltate trichomes of plants from the different sites showed few significant differences in dimension and abundance, but they were characterized by a surprisingly high number of secretory cells both in leaves and flowers. Phytochemical analyses showed that oxygenated monoterpenes were the most abundant class in all the EOs investigated (92.2–97.7%), but two different chemotypes, pulegone/isomenthone and piperitone/isomenthone, were found. The complex of morphological and phytochemical data indicates that soil salinity strongly affects the expression of the toxic metabolite pulegone, rather than the EO yield. Phytotoxicity tests showed a moderate activity of EOs against the selected species as confirmed by α-amylase assay. Moreover, the low toxicity on brine shrimp provided a rationale for the possible use of investigated EOs as eco-friendly herbicides.

A novel automated method was developed for the quantitative determination of nine terpenoids that could contribute to the minty notes of red wine bouquet. The method couples headspace SPME-Arrow extraction with GC-MS/MS analysis. PDMS/DVB fiber was chosen for the extraction and an ionization energy of 30 eV permitted to optimize the analyte detection. The optimal sample preparation consists of a two-fold dilution of the wine sample with addition of 4 g of sodium chloride while the most suitable extraction conditions take place at 50 °C for 1 h. The method shows good linearity, intraday variations between 2 and 25%, interday variations between 7 and 23% and recoveries between 80 and 119%. The method exhibits the required low detection (between 3 and 60 ng/L) and quantification (between 6 ng/L and 200 ng/L) limits. These limits have permitted the quantification of the pool of minty terpenoids in fourteen red Bordeaux wines.

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (family Lamiaceae; common name rosemary) is an aromatic, evergreen, medicinally important plant species. The species is widely used for cooking, consumed as an herbal tea, preparation of cosmetics, as well as traditional and modern medicine system (viz. cold, cough, rheumatism, etc). In addition, essential oil of the species has antibacterial and cytotoxic properties and reported good sources of 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, linalool, myrcenol, camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, verbinone, piperitone and β-pinene. Due to the presence of several secondary metabolites species showed antimutagenic properties, antiinflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, antiatherosclerotic, antithrombotic, hepatoprotective, and hypocholesterolemic effects. Numerous reports highlighted the importance of the species and suggested utilization for to treat depression, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, etc. Besides this, further studies and clinical trials are needed for knowing the impact of rosemary on CNS-related diseases or disorders. Therefore, detailed investigation of pharmacological and clinical studies is essentially required for future utilization.