The variability of essential oil compositions in 10 populations of Phlomis olivieri Benth. using multivariate analyses

Background: Bellota species are used to treat various diseases in traditional folk medicine. Objectives: This study aimed to chemically characterize the essential oils and the hydrosol extract and regional specificity of the major components of Ballota nigra essential oil and to evaluate their in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities. Methods: Essential oils were obtained by a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS). The antifungal activities were tested to three phytopathogenic stains (Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata). Results: Altogether, 38 compounds were identified in the essential oils, representing 92.1-96.8% of the total oil composition. Their main constituents were E-β-caryophyllene (4.8-24.6%), E-β-farnesene (3.3-22.9%), β-bisabolene (7.6-30.2%), α-humulene (2.1-13.3%) and geranyl linalool (1.1-8.2%). The statistical methods deployed confirmed that there is a relation between the essential oil compositions and the harvest locations. Hydrosol extract was constituted by seven components, represented principally by methyl eugenol (75.2%) and caryophyllene oxide (12.5%). The results of in vitro antifungal activity with essential oil and hydrosol extract have shown very interesting antifungal activities on Penicillium expansum and Alternaria alternata strains with percentage reductions up to 80%. Additionally, in in vivo assays, Ballota nigra essential oil and hydrosol extract significantly reduce decay in artificially inoculated tomato by Alternaria alternata. Conclusion: The essential oil and hydrosol extract can be used as a potential source of sustainable eco-friendly botanical fungicides to protect stored tomatoes from pathogens, saprophytic fungi causing bio-deterioration to a variety of food commodities.

Introduction. In the family Myrtaceae (Myrtaceae L.) there are more than 100 genera and more than 3000 representatives. Insufficiency of data on diagnostics of raw materials of common myrtle and closely related species is an actual problem of modern pharmacognosy. The aim of the present study is a comparative qualitative and quantitative analysis of essential oil components of leaves of common myrtle, closely related to Myrtle species – Eucalyptus twiggy of family Myrtaceae, as well as industrial samples of essential oils of Myrtle and Eucalyptus by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Material and methods. Leaves of common myrtle harvested in the Republic of Crimea (Russia) and Relizane province (Algeria) were used as objects of research. Also as objects of comparison were used leaves of eucalyptus twiggy, harvested in Abkhazia, and industrial samples of common myrtle and eucalyptus twiggy essential oils. Samples of essential oil were obtained from leaves of myrtle and eucalyptus. Essential oil samples were obtained from myrtle and eucalyptus leaves and the qualitative and quantitative composition of their components was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results and discussion. Essential oils samples of Myrtaceae representatives leaves are characterised by a high content of mono- and bicyclic monoterpenes, but they differ significantly in dominant components depending on the place of growth. In a sample of essential oil from the leaves of Crimean Myrtle, 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol) dominates, and in a sample from the leaves of Algerian Myrtle, α-pinene dominates. In the study, it was found that some identified components of the common myrtle essential oil, such as myrtenyl acetate, humulene, linalyl acetate, β-myrcene and their derivatives, were absent in the eucalyptus twiggy essential oil, which may serve as a diagnostic sign for Myrtus species. On the contrary, the presence of globulol and its derivatives in the component composition of essential oil was found only in samples of Eucalyptus viminalis L. species and are not determined in the common myrtle essential oil. Industrial samples of essential oils are characterised by the absence of such important components of Myrtle essential oil as α-pinene, globulol, myrtenyl acetate, geraniol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, humulene and its derivatives. Conclusion. Species specificity of the common myrtle can be confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on diagnostically significant components of the common myrtle essential oil, which are absent in the essential oil of the species closely related to myrtle – еucalyptus twig, which can be used in the preparation of the draft pharmacopoeial article on a new type of medicinal plant raw material – ‘Common myrtle leaves’.

The stem bark and leaves of Daniellia oliveri were obtained from two sites, Batsari and Zurmi, in Nigeria. Leaves of Leptoderris micrantha were obtained from Agbagi, Nigeria. Essential oils of these plants were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components in the bark essential oil of D. oliveri were δ-cadinene (12.8%), α-muurolene (6.7%), α-calacorene (5.9%), and caryophyllene oxide (5.5%). The major components in the leaf essential oils from Batsari and Zurmi, respectively, were humulene epoxide II (8.0% and 16.3%), caryophyllene oxide (7.4% and 12.4%), pentadecanal (8.9% and 6.0%), phytone (6.5% and 2.2%), δ-cadinene (5.3% and 3.0%), and α-muurolene (5.3% and 2.6%). The major components in the leaf essential oil of L. micrantha were incensole (16.2%), phytone (15.4%), pentadecanal (13.7%), α-pinene (7.7%), and iso-phytol (5.2%). The essential oils were screened for antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens, and for antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Cryptococcus neoformans, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Candida albicans, using the microbroth dilution method. The leaf essential oils of D. oliveri and L. micrantha showed only marginal activity against the panel of microorganisms. However, D. oliveri bark essential oil showed notable antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Trichophyton rubrum with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 78.1 µg/mL for each. This is the first report on the essential oil compositions of D. oliveri and L. micrantha from Nigeria and their antimicrobial activities.

The aim of this study was to investigated the chemical composition of essential oils from different organs (fruits, leaves, and stems) and determined the heavy metal and nutrient elements in leaves of Xanthium strumarium cultivated in culture conditions. The essential oils of the plant parts dried in the shade isolated by hydrodistillation and the essential oils extracted by using Clevenger apparatus analyzed by GC-MS. Nutrients and heavy metals (aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, and sodium) in the leaves using an iCAP-Qc ICP-MS spectrometer detected. While the main components in the fruit essential oil were 6-epi-shyobunol (17.13%), α-bisabolene epoxide (12.34%), α-cadinol (10.28 %), and tau-cadinol (10.06%),the main components of leaves essential oil were recorded as α-cadinol (12.40%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.88%), while borneol (9.24%), isoaromadendrene epoxide (8.74%), cubedol (8.62%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (8.06%), tau-cadinol (6.79%), 2,2,6-trimethyl- 1-(3-methylbuta-1,3-dienyl)-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-3-ol (5.01%), and α-bisabolene epoxide (5.00%) were recorded abundantly. Duraldehyde formed 79.92% of the stem essential oil. Other important components in this essential oil were mesitol with 8.89% and mesitioic acid with 4.49%. Among the three macro minerals (Ca, K and P) in the dried leaves of X. strumarium evaluated in the study, K had the highest value. The microelement content of the leaves varied between 0.305�0.002(Zn)-3.235�0.062 (Fe) ppm. The mineral content of the plant, whose fresh leaves are consumed as a vegetable by the local people, was found to be low. Generally, X. strumarium is a rich source of essential oil components. In this study, fruit essential oil was for the first time. The findings from this study can be useful for future studies.

Essential oil variation and antioxidant capacity of Mentha pulegium populations and their relation to ecological factors

Chemical profiling and biological screening of Thymus lotocephalus extracts obtained by supercritical fluid extraction and hydrodistillation

Eugenia species are well known for their great economic potential as edible fruits. The leaves of 4 Eugenia biflora specimens (Ebi-1 to Ebi-4) were sampled in the Caratateua Island, Pará state, Brazilian Amazon. Then, the essential oils were hydrodistilled, analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC mass spectroscopy, and their volatile compositions submitted to multivariate analysis (principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis). Ebi-1 and Ebi-2 specimens were classified in the caryophyllene group, with significant content for the sesquiterpenes ( E)-caryophyllene (16.8% and 11.4%) and caryophyllene oxide (28.6% and 20.5%). Ebi-3 specimen was grouped into the cadinane group, characterized by the presence of α-cadinol (14.7%), an oxygenated sesquiterpene. EBI-4 specimen was inserted into the aromadendrane group, with the predominance of the sesquiterpenes globulol (9.8%), germacrene B (7.9%), and γ-elemene (3.1%). Based on the results, a remarkable chemical variability was observed in the oils of Eugenia biflora with occurrence in Pará state, North Brazil. This work is presenting for the first time its caryophyllene, cadinane, and aromadendrane profiles.

Essential oils are secondary metabolites in plants with a variety of biological activities. The flavor and quality of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. are mainly determined by the essential oil components in the Chinese prickly ash peels. In this study, the correlation between climate change in different regions and the content of essential oils of Z. armatum was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and multivariate statistical analysis. The Z1-24 refers to 24 batches of samples from different habitats. A total of 145 essential oils were detected in 24 batches of samples, with the highest number of terpene species and the highest content of alcohol. The relative odor activity (ROAV) values identified nine main flavor compounds affecting the odor of Z. armatum. Linalool, decanal, and d-limonene were the most critical main flavor compounds, giving Z. armatum a spicy, floral, oily, and fruity odor. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) classified Z5 into a separate group, Z2 and Z7 were clustered into one group, and the rest of the samples were classified into another group. Correlation analysis and path analysis showed that temperature and precipitation were the main climatic factors affecting essential oils. Comparisons can be made with other plants in the genus Zanthoxylum to analyze differences in essential oil type and content. This study contributes to the identification of Z. armatum quality, promotes the accumulation of theories on the effects of climatic factors on essential oils, and enriches the site selection and breeding of Z. armatum under similar climatic conditions.

BackgroundScabies, sarcoptic itch, is a highly contagious and pruritic skin inflammation. Given their ecological benefits and previous therapeutic properties, essential oils are worth investigating as potentially safer alternatives to synthetic anti-scabies agents.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three essential oils derived from cassia barks, myrrh oleo-gum-resin, and fennel fruits against Sarcoptes scabiei (Linnaeus, 1758), the causative agent of scabies, using lemongrass and clove essential oils as standards. Additionally, the study explored the structure-activity relationship by characterizing the chemical compositions of these essential oils. Further, a molecular docking study was performed to get further insights into the mechanism of the scabicidal effect of the active essential oils.MethodsEssential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation from dried cassia, myrrh, and fennel using the Clevenger apparatus, and their chemical profiles were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The contact bioassay method was utilized to assess their scabicidal activities. The molecular docking study incorporated two target enzymes, glutathione transferase (GST) and inactive serine proteases of scabies mite (SMIPP-S-D1). This is owing to the involvement of these two enzymes in the scabies defense mechanisms.ResultsThe GC-MS analysis identified (E)-cinnamaldehyde as the primary constituent in cassia essential oil, while β-ocimene, α-copaene, and trans-α-bisabolene were major components of myrrh essential oil. Fennel essential oil predominantly consisted of estragole. The contact bioassay demonstrated noteworthy scabicidal activities of cassia and myrrh essential oils, against all tested stages of S. scabiei. The docking analysis revealed higher binding affinities between the main phytochemicals of these active essential oils and GST, with binding scores ranging from − 7.7 to − 5.3 kcal/mol, compared to lemongrass and clove essential oils’ main components. Additionally, these components displayed favorable binding affinities to SMIPP-S-D1 ranging from − 5.5 to − 4.0 kcal/mol, comparable to lemongrass and clove essential oils’ main components. These findings suggest that cassia and myrrh essential oils could inhibit the defense mechanisms of scabies mites.ConclusionThese findings revealed the potential for anti-scabies of essential oils from cassia bark and myrrh oleo-gum-resin, which could effectively control scabies. The Docking analysis showed strong to moderate binding affinities of major components of cassia and myrrh essential oils towards GST and SMIPP-S-D1 enzymes.

Essential oils (EOs) have been reported as a promising group of naturally extracted compounds due to their various reported biological activities. Ipomoea carnea is a widely distributed plant with many traditional uses worldwide. However, although the EOs of various Ipomea species have been reported, I. carnea remains poorly studied. Therefore, the present investigation aimed to characterize the chemical profile of the EO of I. carnea growing in Egypt via gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and correlate its profile with other reported species via chemometric analysis using agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) and principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, the aim was to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the extracted EO. Depending on the GC-MS analysis, 31 compounds were identified, mainly terpenes (94.82), with traces of carotenoid and apocarotenoid-derived compounds. The major compounds were tau-cadinol (35.68%), α-cadinol (26.76%), spathulenol (8.11%), and caryophyllene oxide (6.56%), which were assigned as major compounds. The chemometric studies showed that the Egyptian ecospecies of I. carnea differs in chemical profile from those growing in Brazil, as well as those reported for other Ipomea species. The EO showed significant DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities, with IC50 values of 33.69 and 40.86 mg L−1, respectively. Additionally, the I. carnea EO displayed significant inhibition against the growth of all tested bacterial strains, where it showed an MIC range of 82–1442 mg mL−1. Based on the current results, the I. carnea EO, particularly the major identified compounds, could be used as a potential eco-friendly green resource for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, further study is recommended to evaluate the biological significance of the main compounds, either individually or in combination, as well as assess their modes of action and safety.

Background Cuminum cyminum L., commonly known as cumin, has been traditionally used in Thai traditional medicine and traditional food flavoring. The present study investigated the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity against all tested major food-borne pathogenic bacteria, and bioactive components of essential oil extracted from C. cyminum L. collected in Thailand. Methods The main components of the essential oil were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Antibacterial activities against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhi were investigated by disk diffusion and microdilution method. The presence of the biologically active antibacterial components was also confirmed by the thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-bioautography. Results The main components of the essential oil investigated by GC-MS were cuminaldehyde (27.10%), beta-pinene (25.04%) and gamma-terpinene (15.68%). The essential oil exhibited antibacterial activity against B. cereus, S. aureus, E. coli and S. Typhi. The essential oil showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against B. cereus with a comparable inhibition zone to tetracycline. TLC confirmed the presence of biologically active antibacterial component in the essential oil against all tested food-borne bacteria. It is further demonstrated that cuminaldehyde was the most active compound in TLC-bioautography which inhibited all of tested bacteria. Conclusions Essential oil extracted from C. cyminum L. exhibited antibacterial activity against all tested major food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Cuminaldehyde is a major bioactive component. Our results suggest that the essential oil extracted from C. cyminum L. could be applied as an alternative natural preservative to control food-borne disease and have the potential for further development of new antibacterial agents.

Essential oil crops and their essential oils are widely used in perfumery, cosmetic and food industries, traditional and folk medicine. The most important qualitative characteristic of essential oil crops is the content, component and enantiomeric composition of essential oils. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L. and Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) belong to the promising essential oil crops for cultivation in the soil and climatic conditions of the Republic of Belarus. In the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy has created a number of varieties of essential oil crops, including 3 varieties of basil Ocimum basilicum L., 1 variety of basil Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) and 1 variety of hyssop Hyssopus officinalis L. The new varieties of basil and hyssop are characterized by a complex of morphometric, morphological and phenological sings.In the studies of the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy and the Belarusian State Technological University, the yield and content of essential oils of new zoned varieties of basil and common hyssop were analyzed. Using the method of enantioselective gas chromatography, the component and enantiomeric composition of essential oils of the studied varieties was determined. As a result of the research, it was determined that each variety has its own characteristic component and enantiomeric composition of essential oils. The studied varieties of basil and common hyssop contained up to 20 and 18 different components of essential oils respectively. The features of the component and enantiomeric composition of essential oils allow identifying the already created varieties of essential oil crops, as well as carrying out their selection to create varieties with certain properties.

The study is majored in the analysis of their chemical components of essential oils by water distillation of the peels and leaves from three kinds of Citrus medica L. var. Medica (CML), Citrus hystrix L.(CHL), and Citrus aurantifolia swingle (CAS) by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The results were shown that the yields of the essential oils of peels and leaves of CML, CHL, and CAS are 0.85% ± 0.02% and 0.16% ± 0.02%, 6.49% ± 0.25% and 2.04% ± 0.21%, 0.86% ± 0.04% and 0.57% ± 0.03%, respectively. The main component of the essential oils of peels and leaves of the CML and the CAS is the monoterpene compound D-limonene (87.02%, 31.78%, 56.18%, 29.88%). The main component of the essential oils of the peels of the CHL is the monoterpene compound β-pinene (36.08%) and the main component of the essential oils of the leaves of the CHL is the aldehyde compound citronellal (90.18%).

Nowadays, the overdose use of antibiotics and the increase of microbial resistances have made researchers to carry out more studies about the new drugs with new chemical composition. In order to produce these new drugs, different species of special plants can be useful by scientists and researchers. Base on this, the leaves and fruits of Juniperus excelsa and Juniperus horizontalis were collected from Iranian National Botanic Garden. Essential oils were isolated by hydro-distillation method. The essential oil components were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The yields of the leaves and fruits of J. excelsa and J. horizontalis essential oils were 0/79 to 4/15% and 1/083 to 2/7%, respectively. There were 15 and 27 components in the essential oil of J. excelsa and J. horizontalis, respectively. The major compound in the essential oils obtained from the leaves and fruits of J. excelsa were α-pinene (79/95 and 89/49%, respectively). The main compound in the essential oils obtained from the leaves and fruits of J. horizontalis were sabinene (30/21 and 38%, respectively). In addition, bornyl acetate (10/66%) and delta-cadinene (3/79%) were identified as major components in the essential oil of the leaves obtained from J. horizontalis. Juniper essential oils were evaluated for the antibacterial activity against thirteen bacterial species by disk diffusion and micro dilution method. Juniper essential oils showed more antibacterial activities against Gram-positive as compared to Gram-negative bacteria species. The antibacterial activity of essential oils may be related to presence of α- pinene, limonene, and sabinene which are known to have antibacterial properties. Key words: Antibacterial activity, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), essential oil, Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus horizontalis.

BackgroundMentha longifolia L. is a perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family that has a wide distribution in the world. M. longifolia has many applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its terpenoid and phenolic compounds. The phytochemical profile and biological activity of plants are affected by their genetics and habitat conditions. In the present study, the content, constituents and antifungal activity of the essential oil extracted from 20 accessions of M. longifolia collected from different regions of Iran and Iraq countries were evaluated.ResultsThe essential oil content of the accessions varied between 1.54 ± 0.09% (in the Divandarreh accession) to 5.49 ± 0.12% (in the Khabat accession). Twenty-seven compounds were identified in the essential oils of the studied accessions, which accounted for 85.5-99.61% of the essential oil. The type and amount of dominant compounds in the essential oil were different depending on the accession. Cluster analysis of accessions based on essential oil compounds grouped them into three clusters. The first cluster included Baziyan, Boukan, Sarouchavah, Taghtagh, Darbandikhan, Isiveh and Harir. The second cluster included Khabat, Kounamasi, Soni and Mahabad, and other accessions were included in the third cluster. Significant correlations were observed between the essential oil content and components with the climatic and soil conditions of the habitats. The M. longifolia essential oil indicated antifungal activity against Fusarium solani in both methods used. In all studied accessions, the fumigation method compared to the contact method was more able to control mycelia growth. In both methods, the inhibition percentage of essential oil on mycelia growth increased with an increase in essential oil concentration. Significant correlations were found between the essential oil components and the inhibition percentage of mycelium growth.ConclusionThe studied M. longifolia accessions showed significant differences in terms of the essential oil content and components. Differences in phytochemical profile of accessions can be due to their genetic or habitat conditions. The distance of the accessions in the cluster was not in accordance with their geographical distance, which indicates the more important role of genetic factors compared to habitat conditions in separating accessions. The antifungal activity of essential oils was strongly influenced by the essential oil quality and concentration, as well as the application method. Determining and introducing the elite accession in this study can be different depending on the breeder’s aims, such as essential oil content, desired chemical composition, or antifungal activity.