Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don Essential Oil from Serbia: Chemical Composition, Classification and Biological Activity—May It Be a Suitable New Crop for Serbia?

Milica Aćimović,Jovana Ljujić,Lato Pezo,Valtcho D Zheljazkov,Jelena Vulić,Ana Varga,Vesna Tumbas Šaponjac

doi:10.3390/agronomy11071282

Abstract

H. italicum essential oil (EO) is one of the most popular ingredients utilized by the cosmetic industry, and it is also used as natural antioxidant and as a value-added ingredient in food products. The chemical composition of the EO H. italicum cultivated in Serbia was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The quantitative structure–retention relationship was used to predict the retention indices of the EO constituents acquired by GC-MS data, applying five molecular descriptors selected by factor analysis and a genetic algorithm. Also, antimicrobial activity, and biological activity by four common antioxidant tests (DPPH and ABTS assays, reducing power, and β-carotene bleaching test), and in vitro antihyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory capacities were evaluated. A total of 70 EO constituents were detected, of which 17 (8.5%) could not be identified. The H. italicum EO in this study belonged to γ-curcumene chemotype. The coefficients of determination reached the value of 0.964, demonstrating that this model could be used for prediction purposes. All applied tests showed that H. italicum EO possesses good biological activity and an interesting chemical composition. Therefore, the EO of H. italicum grown in Serbia has a potential to be used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products.

Highlights

The genus HelichrysumMill. includes over 300 species out of which 25 are distributed in Europe and the Mediterranean, while the others are distributed in Africa and Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand [1,2,3], and in temperate regions of Asia, including in India, Iran, and Turkey [4,5,6]
H. italicum was grown in the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS) collection garden of medicinal and aromatic plants in Backi Petrovac (45.336508; 19.669867 geographic coordinates are given in decimal degrees (WGS-84)), confirmed by Milica Rat, PhD, and deposited at the Herbarium of the University of Novi Sad (BUNS), under the Vouch
The essential oil (EO) of flowering aerial parts of H. italicum introduced from Bosnia and Hercegovina and grown in the Serbia showed an interesting chemical composition

Summary

Introduction

The genus HelichrysumMill. includes over 300 species out of which 25 are distributed in Europe and the Mediterranean, while the others are distributed in Africa and Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand [1,2,3], and in temperate regions of Asia, including in India, Iran, and Turkey [4,5,6]. Mediterranean species belong to the Stoechadina section [7], and H. italicum (Roth) G. H. angustifolium D.C.) is the most widespread species, and it is found on alkaline, dry, sandy and poor soil [8] or even on coastal rocks where it identifies habitats protected by the European directive [9,10]. It is characterized by a high degree of anatomical and morphological polymorphism traits and a diversity of ecotypes [11,12]. Some botanists think that H. italicum is a complex species, which includes three species: H. litoreum Guss., H. serotinum Boiss. with two subspecies: ssp

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