Abstract
Pulicaria genus (fleabane) is characterized by its fragrant odor due to the presence of essential oil (EO). According to the literature reviews, the EO of Pulicaria somalensis O.Hoffm. (Shie) is still unexplored. For the first time, 71 compounds were characterized in EO derived from above-ground parts of P. somalensis collected from Saudi Arabia. Sesquiterpenes represented the main components (91.8%), along with minor amounts of mono-, diterpenes, and hydrocarbons. Juniper camphor (24.7%), α-sinensal (7.7%), 6-epi-shyobunol (6.6%), α-zingiberene (5.8%), α-bisabolol (5.3%), and T-muurolol (4.7%) were characterized as main constituents. The correlation analysis between different Pulicaria species showed that P. somalensis has a specific chemical pattern of the EO, thereby no correlation was observed with other reported Pulicaria species. The EO showed significant allelopathic activity against the weeds of Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. (crowfoot grass) and Bidens pilosa L. (hairy beggarticks). The IC50 value on the germination of D. aegyptium was double that of B. pilosa. The IC50 values on the root growth of B. pilosa and D. aegyptium were 0.6 mg mL−1 each, while the shoot growths were 1.0 and 0.7 mg mL−1, respectively. This variation in the activity could be attributed to the genetic characteristics of the weeds. Moreover, the EO exhibited significant antioxidant effects compared to ascorbic acid. Further studies are necessary to verify if these biological activities of the EO could be attributable to its major compounds.
Highlights
Since their early presence on Earth, humans have depended largely on plants for food, energy, and medicine [1]
Mono, di, and sesquiterpenes as well as hydrocarbons and aromatic phenolic compounds were characterized as components of the essential oil (EO)
The present study showed that the EO from P. somalensis has 71 compounds
Summary
Since their early presence on Earth, humans have depended largely on plants for food, energy, and medicine [1]. Even with highly scientific and technological developments, aromatic and medicinal plants are still the main source of food and medicinal products. Most of the scientists focused on finding and developing new products derived from plants, plant extracts, and constituent choices for the treatment of different diseases and illnesses [2]. Asteraceae or Compositae is a widely distributed family throughout the world and contains around genera with more than 23,000 plant species [3]. Pulicaria (fleabane) genus (family Asteraceae) comprises around 75 species widely distributed in Africa, Europe, and Asia [4]. Pulicaria species are used in the treatment of several diseases such as cancers, fever, hypoglycemia, microbial, inflammation, and spasmodic diseases [5,6,7]
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