Abstract
Since ancient times, plant roots have been widely used in traditional medicine for treating various ailments and diseases due to their beneficial effects. A large number of studies have demonstrated that—besides their aromatic properties—their biological activity can often be attributed to volatile constituents. This review provides a comprehensive overview of investigations into the chemical composition of essential oils and volatile components obtained from selected aromatic roots, including Angelica archangelica, Armoracia rusticana, Carlina sp., Chrysopogon zizanioides, Coleus forskohlii, Inula helenium, Sassafras albidum, Saussurea costus, and Valeriana officinalis. Additionally, their most important associated biological impacts are reported, such as anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, pesticidal, and other miscellaneous properties. Various literature and electronic databases—including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Wiley—were screened and data was obtained accordingly. The results indicate the promising properties of root-essential oils and their potential as a source for natural biologically active products for flavor, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and fragrance industries. However, more research is required to further establish the mechanism of action mediating these bioactivities as well as essential oil standardization because the chemical composition often strongly varies depending on external factors.
Highlights
The use of aromatic plants by humans holds strong traditional value
We aim to provide an overview of various biological properties associated with the essential oils (EOs) and volatiles of nine aromatic roots, selected either due to their high impact in cosmetics and pharmacy, their interesting chemical composition, or their historical importance: Angelica archangelica, Armoracia rusticana, Carlina sp., Chrysopogon zizanioides, Coleus forskohlii, Inula helenium, Sassafras albidum, Saussurea costus, and Valeriana officinalis
Nykänen et al reported that the total amount of angelica volatiles by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) strongly depended on extraction pressure, with total amounts of volatiles ranging from 0.13% up to 0.55%
Summary
The use of aromatic plants by humans holds strong traditional value. research interest seems to increase tremendously as modern medicinal systems integrate the use of herbal remedies. High molecular weight compounds (lactones, terpenes, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes) increased in their amount with distillation time at the expense of the more volatile components [26] These results are in accordance with a study conducted on the EO of angelica roots grown in southern Brazil, isolated by hydrodistillation for 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 24 h. Comparative analyses of steam distilled EOs from angelica rootles, roots, and tubers collected in France revealed the presence of 65 identified compounds, with no mentionable differences in their chemical composition. Apart from different plant developmental stages, it is known that the content and composition of A. archangelica root oil significantly vary according to different greenhouse growing conditions and light intensities. Angelica EO may have potential as an inflammatory tool, considering the dose dependence [38]
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