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Essential Oils of Laurus nobilis L.: From Chemical Analysis to In Silico Investigation of Anti-Inflammatory Activity by Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase (sEH) Inhibition

Authors :
Francesca Fantasma
Vadym Samukha
Michela Aliberti
Ester Colarusso
Maria Giovanna Chini
Gabriella Saviano
Vincenzo De Felice
Gianluigi Lauro
Agostino Casapullo
Giuseppe Bifulco
Maria Iorizzi
Source :
Foods, Vol 13, Iss 14, p 2282 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Laurus nobilis L. is commonly used in folk medicine in the form of infusion or decoction to treat gastrointestinal diseases and flatulence as a carminative, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory agent. In this study, the essential oil (EO) composition of wild-grown L. nobilis L. leaves collected from seven different altitudinal locations in the Molise region and adjacent regions (Abruzzo and Campania) was investigated. EOs from the leaves were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS, and 78 compounds were identified. The major oil components were 1,8-cineol (43.52–31.31%), methyl-eugenol (14.96–4.07%), α-terpinyl acetate (13.00–8.51%), linalool (11.72–1.08%), sabinene (10.57–4.85%), α-pinene (7.41–3.61%), eugenol (4.12–1.97%), and terpinen-4-ol (2.33–1.25%). Chemometric techniques have been applied to compare the chemical composition. To shed light on the nutraceutical properties of the main hydrophobic secondary metabolites (≥1.0%) of laurel EOs, we assessed the in vitro antioxidant activities based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging activity and the reducing antioxidant power by using a ferric reducing power (FRAP) assay. Furthermore, we highlighted the anti-inflammatory effects of seven EOs able to interfere with the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), a key enzyme in the arachidonic acid cascade, in concentrations ranging from 16.5 ± 4.3 to 8062.3 ± 580.9 mg/mL. Thanks to in silico studies, we investigated and rationalized the observed anti-inflammatory properties, ascribing the inhibitory activity toward the disclosed target to the most abundant volatile phytochemicals (≥1.0%) of seven EOs.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
23048158
Volume :
13
Issue :
14
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Foods
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.71ada3ed674e509b57e7351c512916
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13142282