Major Components Of Essential Oil Research Articles

Comparing Three Different Extraction Techniques on Essential Oil Profiles of Cultivated and Wild Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Flower.

Essential oil components of Nelumbo nucifera flowers from cultivated and wild lotus samples were analyzed and compared using three different extraction techniques, i.e., headspace extraction (HE), steam distillation (SD) and solvent extraction (SE), coupled with GC-MS. Forty-two peaks in the GC-MS analysis were identified as essential oil components extracted by the three methods from N. nucifera flower. The major essential oil components extracted by SD method were found to be Z,Z-10,12-hexadecadienal and E-14-hexadecenal with relative contents of 16.3% and 16.7%, respectively, which is different from that of SE method, i.e., n-hexadecanoic acid and Z,Z-9,12-octadecadienoic acid accounting for 25.8% and 26.8%, respectively. HE method demonstrated a possibility to be used as an in situ and simplest method for extracting the essential oil components from raw materials. By adding a small amount of glycerinum onto the surface of the air-dried flower sample as a solvent trap in the HE method, the volatility of the essential oil components was found to increase by two times for the first time, which could be further utilized to improve the extraction efficiency and the recovery of the essential oil components from other materials for more applications. In addition, the comparison of essential oil components between cultivated and wild samples showed that they differed only in the chemical contents but not in chemical components. This will be a comprehensive report on the chemical information of the essential oil components of N. nucifera flower and provide guidance for its further exploration as high value-added products in the food and healthcare industries.

Extraction of essential oil from methyl cinnamate basil (Ocimum canum Sims) with high yield in a short time using enzyme pretreatment.

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of viscozyme pre-treatment followed by hydrodistillation (E-HD) on extraction yield, extraction time and quality of methyl cinnamate basil (O. canum) oil. The viscozyme, as a multienzyme acting on cell wall, was used at different concentrations (0.5% and 1%, v/w) for 30, 60 and 90min at 50 °C and pH 5 before hydrodistillation (HD). Oxygenated monoterpenes/monoterpene hydrocarbons ratio was used as a quality index for the obtained essential oil. Enzymatic pretreatment at 1% enzyme concentration for 90min followed by HD increased yield of essential oil by 44.5% with high quality index and decreased HD time from 180 to 30min. Thirty-nine volatile compounds, comprising > 99% of the essential oil were identified and quantified by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum (GC-MS). The major components of essential oil were (E)-methyl cinnamate, camphor, trans-β-caryophyllene and 1,8-cineole. Results confirm the effectiveness of the enzyme pretreatment, which enhance extraction of O. canum essential oil in a short time, with a high quality.

Control of anthracnose in banana with cassava starch film associated or not with essential oils

The objective of this work was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo potential of cassava starch film associated or not with essential oils in the control of Colletotrichum musae of banana. Were tested clove oils (Eugenia caryophyllata), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) at 0.1% associated or not with film 2 and 3%. Mycelial growth and conidial germination in vitro and anthracnose in vivo were evaluated. In the curative and preventive controls, the fruits were inoculated with conidia before and after coating, respectively. The major components of essential oils were: eugenol, ?-caryophyllene and ?-humulene in clove; thymol, ?-cymene, carvacrol and ?-pinene in thyme; geranial and neral in lemongrass; trans-Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol in cinnamon; carvacrol, ?-Terpinene and linalool in oregano. In vitro, total inhibition of mycelial growth and germination of conidia with oregano oil was observed. The films in the concentrations of 2 and 3% isolated and combined with oils of lemon grass and thyme, in addition to these isolated oils, provided a reduction in the size of anthracnose lesions.

Phytochemical constituents, biological activities, and health-promoting effects of the genus Origanum.

Origanum species are mostly distributed around the Mediterranean, Euro-Siberian, and Iran-Siberian regions. Since time immemorial, the genus has popularly been used in Southern Europe, as well as on the American continent as a spice now known all over the world under the name "oregano" or "pizza-spice." Origanum plants are also employed to prepare bitter tinctures, wines, vermouths, beer, and kvass. The major components of Origanum essential oil are various terpenes, phenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids with predominant occurrence of carvacrol and thymol (with reasonable amounts of p-cymen and -terpinene) or of terpinene-4-ol, linalool, and sabinene hydrate. Many species of Origanum genus are used to treat kidney, digestive, nervous, and respiratory disorders, spasms, sore throat, diabetes, lean menstruation, hypertension, cold, insomnia, toothache, headache, epilepsy, urinary tract infections, etc. Origanum essential oil showed potent bioactivities owing to its major constituents' carvacrol, thymol, and monoterpenes. Several preclinical studies evidenced its pharmacological potential as antiproliferative or anticancer, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, renoprotective, antiinflammatory, vasoprotective, cardioprotective, antinociceptive, insecticidal, and hepatoprotective properties. Its nanotechnological applications as a promising pharmaceutical in order to enhance the solubility, physicochemical stability, and the accumulation rate of its essential oils have been investigated. However, Origanum has been reported causing angioedema, perioral dermatitis, allergic reaction, inhibition of platelet aggregation, hypoglycemia, and abortion. Conclusive evidences are still required for its clinical applications against human medical conditions. Toxicity analyses and risk assessment will aid to its safe and efficacious application. In addition, elaborate structure-activity studies are needed to explore the potential use of Origanum-derived phytochemicals as promising drug candidates.

Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils of Four Species of the Lamiaceae Family

Aims: The biological properties of essential oils represent possible therapeutic alternatives, with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, and application in many areas of the industry. The objective was to determine the yield, chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia, Pogostemon cablin, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the microbiology laboratory of the Federal University of Technology - Paraná, Brazil, in the period between June 2016 to May 2017.
 Methodology: The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity was determined by microdilution in broth, showing minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH).
 Results: The average yields of essential oils from L. angustifolia, P. cablin, R. officinalis,and T. vulgaris were (%) 0.85; 2.0; 1.20, and 1.19, respectively. The major components of lavender essential oil were linalyl acetate (40.1%) and linalool (35.2%); for P. cablin - patchoulol (31.5%), seichelene (13.6%) and α-bulnesene (15.6%); for rosemary - camphor (32.5%), 1.8-cineole (13.6%) and α-pinene (9.8); for T. vulgaris - thymol (47%), o-scimene (21.6%), and carvacrol (11.4%). Thyme oil showed the best results for antibacterial activity, and low values (0.195 µL mL-1) of minimum inhibitory concentration were needed to inhibit S. aureus and S. enteritidis, and for L. angustifolia, P. cablin, and R. officinalis higher concentrations of essential oil were required. The essential oils of P. cablin and T. vulgaris had the strongest antioxidant properties (12.08 and 10.2 µmol trolox mL−1).
 Conclusion: The essential oils evaluated have an inhibitory effect on the microorganisms under study and also interesting antioxidant activity, which could be used by medicine to control bacterial infections, with potential application as natural food preservatives and as nutraceuticals.

Method validation of 15 phytochemicals in Hypericum lysimachioides var. spathulatum by LC–MS/MS, and fatty acid, essential oil, and aroma profiles with biological activities

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a LC–MS/MS method for quantification of 15 phytochemicals in Hypericum species. The developed method was fully validated in terms of repeatability (inter-day and intra-day precision), limits of detection and quantification, linearity, recovery and relative standard uncertainty. The developed and validated LC–MS/MS method was applied to determine 15 phytochemicals in the ethanol extracts of H. lysimachioides var. spathulatum aerial parts (HLS-A) and roots (HLS-R). Hyperoside was found to be the major compound in HLS-A and HLS-R ethanol extracts (16,560.3 and 3561.6 µg analyte/g extract, respectively). According to the results of GC–MS analyses, cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (35.0%), caryophyllene oxide (24.33%) and undecane (28.21%) were determined as the major components in fatty acid, essential oil and aroma compositions of H. lysimachioides var. spathulatum, respectively. HLS-A and HLS-R ethanol extracts showed moderate activity in ABTS cation radical decolorization assay. The major components (hyperoside, astragalin, and quercetin) present in HLS-A and HLS-R ethanol extracts were found to have also the highest antioxidant effect in ABTS cation radical scavenging method. The extracts, main constituents in the extracts and essential oil had no toxic-cytotoxic potential against PDF, MCF-7 and HT-29 cell lines. HLS-A ethanol extract and essential oil exhibited high butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Quercetin showed the highest inhibitory effect against acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase, urease and tyrosinase among the tested samples. According to biological activity studies, H. lysimachioides var. spathulatum and their major components might be promoted as promising sources of natural agents and used in the development of nutraceuticals, functional food ingredients and pharmaceutical industry.

Comparative study of the antioxidant activity of forty-five commonly used essential oils and their potential active components

This study was to examine the in vitro antioxidant activities of forty-five commonly used essential oils and their major components. The oils and major components were subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by measuring the ABTS+. radical scavenging ability, reducing power and metal chelating activity. The ABTS+. radical scavenging ability and reducing power of cinnamon leaf and clove bud essential oils are the best two among these essential oils. At the concentration of 1 mg/mL, cinnamon leaf (96.45 ± 0.01%) and clove bud (96.33 ± 0.01%) essential oils showed the strongest ABTS+. radical scavenging ability. The EC 50 values of cinnamon leaf and clove bud essential oils are 12 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL, respectively. At the concentration of 10 mg/mL, cinnamon leaf and clove bud essential oils showed reducing power of 119.42 ± 0.68% and 112.92 ± 0.87% relative to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), respectively. Eugenol is the main component of cinnamon leaf and clove bud essential oils that contributes significantly to their ABTS+. radical scavenging activity and reducing power. In the metal chelating activity test system, basil essential oil was determined to be 57.48 ± 0.25% and its EC50 value is 984 μg/mL. Methyl chavicol is the major component of the basil essential oil that attributes greatly to its metal chelating activity. The higher phenolic content may explain the higher ABTS +. radical scavenging and reducing power activity of the forty-five kinds of commonly used essential oils. High electron density of the oxygen atom and low steric hindrance of the plane molecule of the methyl chavicol are the two possibilities that account for its higher metal chelating ability.

Computational evaluation of major components from plant essential oils as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 has recently emerged as a global pandemic. Intense efforts are ongoing to find a vaccine or a drug to control the disease across the globe. Meanwhile, alternative therapies are also being explored to manage the disease. Phytochemicals present in essential oils are promising candidates which have been known to possess wide range of therapeutic activities. In this study, major components of several essential oils which are known for their antimicrobial properties have been docked against the S1 receptor binding domain of the spike (S) glycoprotein, which is the key target for novel antiviral drugs, to ascertain their inhibitory effects based on their binding affinities. It has been found that some monoterpenes, terpenoid phenols and phenyl propanoids such as anethole, cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, geraniol, cinnamyl acetate, L-4-terpineol, thymol and pulegone from essential oils extracted from plants belonging to families such as Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Apiaceae, Geraniaceae and Fabaceae are effective antiviral agents that have potential to inhibit the viral spikeprotein.

Insecticidal and repellent activities of Cymbopogon citratus (Poaceae) essential oil and its terpenoids (citral and geranyl acetate) against Ulomoides dermestoides

The peanut beetle, Ulomoides dermestoides Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a worldwide pest of stored grains. This study evaluated the toxicity and repellency of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil and its components (citral and geranyl acetate) against U. dermestoides adults. Lethal doses (LD50 and LD90), survival rate, respiration rate, and repellent activity were determined. The major components of lemongrass essential oil were neral (24.6%), citral (18.7%), geranyl acetate (12.4%), geranial (12.3%), and limonene (7.5%). Lemongrass essential oil (LD50 = 5.17 μg insect−1), citral (LD50 = 4.17 μg insect−1), and geranyl acetate (LD50 = 7.21 μg insect−1) caused high contact toxicity in U. dermestoides adults. The survival rate was 99% in control insects, decreasing to 65.7% in insects exposed to the LD50 of lemongrass essential oil, 41.3% in insects treated with geranyl acetate, and 28.5% in those treated with citral. Insects exposed to lemongrass essential oil, geranyl acetate, or citral showed low respiration rates, reduced locomotor activity, and avoidance responses to treated surfaces. These findings demonstrate that lemongrass essential oil and its terpenoid components exhibit insecticidal and repellent activity against U. dermestoides, suggesting their potential for controlling this stored grain pest.

Acute toxicity, sublethal effect and changes in the behavior of Lasioderma serricorne Fabricius (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) exposed to major components of essential oils

The objective of this work was to evaluate the acute toxicity, sublethal effect and behavioral alteration of L. serricorne exposed to the major components of essential oils, thymol, camphor, terpineol, camphene, eucalyptol, limonene, βpinene and eugenol. The adults of L. serricorne , aged 5 days, not sexed, were submitted to acute toxicity by fumigation, used fumigation chambers, 200 ml glass containers with 20 insects, subsequently the sublethal effect, longevity and behavioral response. The results show that the major components and mixtures caused acute toxicity, reduced the survival time and production of offspring and altered the behavioral activity of L. serricorne. The major components eucalyptol and terpineol presented 65% mortality, in which the mixtures terpineol + eucalyptol and camphor + thymol presented 47 and 52% over adults of L. serricorne. The mixture between terpineol + limonene allowed only 4% ofadults to L. serricorneemerge. Behavioral activity was altered by the eucalyptol + eugenol mixture. The results showed that the major components and mixtures are promising for the preparation and production of new insecticides.

Combined effects of Allium sativum and Cuminum cyminum essential oils on planktonic and biofilm forms of Salmonella typhimurium isolates.

Sa lmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) represents an important global public health problem and has the ability to survive under desiccation conditions in foods and food processing facilities for years. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Allium sativum (A. sativum) and Cuminum cyminum (C. cyminum) essential oils (EOs) against planktonic growth, biofilm formation and quorum sensing (QS) of S. Typhimurium isolates, the strong biofilm producers. The major components of EOs were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Biofilm formation of S. Typhimurium isolates was measured by crystal violet staining. Then, the effects of the EOs on the planktonic cell growth (using determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)), measurement of the synergistic effects of EOs (using checkerboard method), biofilm formation (using microtiter-plate test and scanning electron microscope (SEM)), and expression of QS and cellulose synthesis genes (using quantitative real-time PCR) were assessed. Finally, tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTT) assay was used to examine EOs cytotoxicity on the Vero cell line. GC-MS analysis showed that terpineol, carene and pinene in C. cyminum EO and sulfur compounds in A. sativum EO were the major components of the plant extract. The Geometric mean of MIC values of the A. sativum and C. cyminum were 0.66 and 2.62 μLmL-1, respectively. The geometric means of the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi) for both EOs were calculated as 1.05. The qPCR results showed that MIC/2 concentrations of both EOs significantly down-regulated of QS (sdiA and luxS) and cellulose synthesis (csgD and adrA) genes. Scanning electron microscopy showed the EOs reduced the amount of S. Typhimurium mature biofilm. In general, we showed that C. cyminum and A. sativum EOs can be considered as the potential agents against planktonic and biofilm form of S. Typhimurium without any concern of cytotoxic effect at 4 MIC concentrations on the eukaryotic Vero cells.

Determination of chemical compositions and antifungal activities of laurel and fennel essential oils against fungal disease agents of cypress seedlings

Fusarium oxysporum and Pestalotiopsis funerea are the most common fungal disease agents of conifer seedlings causing root rot and shoot or tip blight diseases. In this study, chemical compositions and antifungal activities of essential oils of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) were determined against root rot and wilt disease agents F. oxysporum and P. funerea in vitro conditions. Chemical compositions of essential oils were determined by using GC-MS analysis. Antifungal volatile phase effects of essential oils were determined on inhibition of mycelial growth in vitro conditions by using different concentrations. The effect of most effective concentrations of essential oils on the morphology of fungal hypha was also determined by using light microscope. GC-MS analysis of essential oils of laurel and fennel plants revealed that eucalyptol (46.97%) and α-terpinyl acetate (19.82%) were major components of laurel; trans-anethole (82.44%) and limonene (5.18%) were major components of fennel essential oils. Volatile phase effects of fennel and laurel essential oils were found to completely inhibit mycelial growth of F. oxysporum at 30.0 and 50.0 µl petri-1 concentrations, respectively. Complete growth inhibition of P. funerea by essential oil of fennel and laurel were observed at relatively lower concentrations (20.0 and 25.0 µl petri-1 concentrations, respectively). Light microscopic observations on hyphae, exposed to volatile phase of the most efficient concentrations of essential oil, revealed considerable structural deformations such as cytoplasmic coagulation, vacuolations and protoplast leakage. In conclusion, our results suggest that essential oils have the potential for use in control of fungal diseases of conifer plants.

Different drying methods of Pistacia Atlantica seeds: Impact on drying kinetics and selected quality properties.

The effect of different drying procedures on the quality characteristics of Pistacia atlantica subsp. kurdica is addressed in this work. Using five different drying methods include microwave, oven (40 and 60°C), sun, and shade, P. atlantica were dried. The variations in moisture content, drying rate, major components of essential oil, and texture property were assessed at the start and at the end points of the drying process. Comparison of the drying methods indicated that microwave drying to be most effective in lowering moisture content, while the shade drying had the lowest rate among methods. In the case of microwave, the dried seeds had highest brittleness, while the highest score for the penetration force was observed in oven 40°C. Regarding major elements of the essential oil (α‐pinene, α‐terpinen‐4‐ol, myrcene, β‐ocimene, β‐caryophyllene, and limonene), there were no significant differences between the five drying techniques, nor compared to the fresh sample. To model the drying process, six thin‐layer drying kinetic models were chosen. It was found that the Midilli–Kucuk model was the most suitable for explaining the drying curve of oven 40 and 60°C, microwave, and sun methods; Wang and Singh model was excellent to explain thin‐layer shade drying behavior of the P. atlantica seeds. In conclusion, in this study, an opportunity is represented to apply the most effective procedures to decrease the drying period and to achieve a product with appropriate safety and quality features.

Conversion and Hydrothermal Decomposition of Major Components of Mint Essential Oil by Small-Scale Subcritical Water Treatment.

Thermal stabilities of four major components (l-menthol, l-menthone, piperitone, and l-menthyl acetate) of Japanese mint essential oil were evaluated via subcritical water treatment. To improve experimental throughput for measuring compound stabilities, a small-scale subcritical water treatment method using ampoule bottles was developed and employed. A mixture of the four major components was treated in subcritical water at 180–240 °C for 5–60 min, and then analyzed by gas chromatography. The results indicated that the order of thermal resistance, from strongest to weakest, was: l-menthyl acetate, l-menthol, piperitone, and l-menthone. In individual treatments of mint flavor components, subsequent conversions of l-menthyl acetate to l-menthol, l-menthol to l-menthone, l-menthone to piperitone, and piperitone to thymol were observed in individual treatments at 240 °C for 60 min. As the mass balance between piperitone and thymol was low, the hydrothermal decomposition of the components was considered to have occurred intensely during, or after the conversion. These results explained the degradation of mint essential oil components under subcritical water conditions and provided the basis for optimizing the extraction conditions of mint essential oils using subcritical water.

Effect of growing seasons on the leaf essential oil composition of Citrus species that are cultivated in Egypt

ABSTRACT Essential oil (EO) of Citrus has some biological and pharmaceutical properties; thus, it can be used in food and drug industries. Changes in growing seasons play important roles in physiological processes of Citrus EO especially that extracted from young leaves. The aim of this study was to evaluate the EO extracted from young leaves of twelve Citrus species in different seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn) under Egyptian conditions. The Citrus species in this investigation were Valencia Orange, Navel Orange, Sour Orange, Lemon, Volkamer Lemon, Lime, Persian Lime, Sweet Lime, Mediterranean Mandarin, Dancy Tangerine, Grapefruit and Shaddock. The EOs of young leaves were extracted by hydrodistillation method (HD), and then analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA. Sabinene was identified as the major component in EO isolated from Valencia Orange, Navel Orange and Grapefruit while linalool was the main compound in EO of Sour Orange, Mediterranean Mandarin and Dancy Tangerine. The major constituent of EO produced from Lemon, Volkamer Lemon, Lime, Persian Lime and Sweet Lime was limonene, but it was E-phytol in Shaddock EO. The greatest contents (%) of EO isolated from young leaves and major constituents of all Citrus species were detected in the samples harvested during the spring season. The EO constitutes that detected in leaf EO were classified into five chemical groups “monoterpene hydrocarbons (MH), oxygenated monoterpenes (OM), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SH), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (OS) and oxygenated diterpenes (OD)”. It was found that the detected compounds of EO extracted from various Citrus species belonged to MH, OM, SH and OS, except the compounds of Dancy Tangerine and Shaddock were belonged to MH, OM, SH, OS and OD. Different changes were observed in the minor components and various chemical groups in different growing seasons.

Uso de Emulsiones Pickering en la Reaccion de Obtención de Terpineol a partir de Aceite Esencial de Pomelo

El objetivo de este trabajo fue aumentar el rendimiento y selectividad en la reacción de obtención de α-terpineol a partir de limoneno, componente mayoritario del aceite esencial de pomelo, con el uso de emulsiones pickering de agua:aceite. Se utilizaron carbón activado, bentonita, sílica y alúmina como sólidos estabilizantes de la emulsión. Se caracterizaron las emulsiones midiendo su conductividad en distintas relaciones agua:aceite para determinar el punto donde ocurre la inversión de fase de la emulsión. Se prepararon las emulsiones pickering de tipo aceite/agua (o/w), estableciendo las concentraciones másicas óptimas de cada sólido. El rendimiento máximo obtenido en α-terpineol fue de un 43 % utilizando sílica, un 36 % más que en medio de reacción sin sólidos. También se logró reutilizar los sólidos dos veces sin diferencias en el rendimiento de la reacción.

Characterization of citronella grass essential oil of Cymbopogon winterianus from Batang region, Indonesia

The needs of herbal medicine tend to increase because of their little side effect and complications. Citronella oil has been under an attention due to progressive need for new biochemical effects to establish a novel production from this essential oil. The chemical properties of essential oil of Citronella grass from Batang Indonesia, distilled from leaves and shoots of Cymbopogon winterianus were found to be within the specifications set by Indonesia National Standart for Essential Oil. The result of GC-MS analysis showed 30 component with the major components of essential oil: Isopulegol, Tricyclo[5.2.1.0(1,5)]decane, LINALOOL L, Butanoic acid, Citronellyl acetate, Geranyl acetate, and Elemol. Comparison with commercial citronella oil showed different concentrations in the essential oil of Citronella grass from Batang Indonesia. Essential oil of Citronella grass from Batang Indonesia was also showed antimicrobial and dermatophic activity according to PASS analysis.

Surface and Subsurface Drip Irrigation Improving to Cultivate Fennel Plants at Old Land in Nile Valley of Egypt

The object of this study is to improve irrigation system in the old land in Nile Valley in Egypt to diminish the water lost in irrigation process by using the systems of Surface Drip Irrigation (SDI) and Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SSDI). The research also, study the effect of previous systems and drought stress on Fennel growth, yield, essential-oil and and some chemical constituents in two successes seasons. The results showed that in both seasons, SSDI irrigation system increased all characters of vegetative growth, seed yield and essential-oil percentage and yield, compared with the obtained with SDI system. The results also pointed to drought stress inspired a significant decline in all of the growth parameters and the yield of essential-oil at compared with control in SDI system, while the opposite occurred in the SSDI system where 85 % from ETp treatment gave the highest values in growth and essential-oil compared with other treatments. The water productivity (kg/m3) in SSDI system gave the highest values under the same conditions especially at85% of total water applied, in both seasons. Fifteen essential-oil components were recognized about99.81-99.95 % of total contents of essential-oil. The major essential-oil components were Estragol (71.12-75.80 %), D-Limonene (10.18-15.16 %), and Fenchone (5.46-11.45 %).The percentages of these compounds unclear affected by irrigation system and water applied treatments.

Phenolic -OH group is crucial for the antifungal activity of terpenoids via disruption of cell membrane integrity.

Terpenoids, one of the major components of essential oils, are known to exert potent antifungal activity against yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They have been the subject of a considerable number of investigations that uncovered extensive pharmacological properties, including antifungal and antibacterial effects. However, their mechanism of action remains elusive. In order to use terpenoids as the antimicrobial and antifungal agents in food preservation in a rational way, a good knowledge of their mode of action is required. We hypothesized that the cellular membrane is the main target site for the antifungal agents, and that structural properties of these agents are key to penetrate and act upon phospholipid bilayers. In this study, we thus aimed to study the effect of terpenoids on the cell membrane integrity, with the focus on both their structural properties, such as the presence of aromatic ring or hydroxyl group; and their hydrophobicity, as a consequence of these structural features. We first uncovered the antifungal properties of phenolic terpenoids thymol, carvacrol and eugenol, cyclic terpenes limonene, carveol, and α-pinene, in addition to the closely related compounds of different chemical structures. We then examined the cell membrane deterioration upon the addition of these reagents. Our results demonstrate that the presence of a phenolic -OH moiety is crucial, and hydrophobicity gained by the aromatic ring structure contributes to the ability of penetration and damaging yeast plasma membrane to achieve high antifungal activity.

Six herbs essential oils suppressing inflammatory responses via inhibiting COX-2/TNF-α/IL-6/NF-κB activation

Frankincense, Myrrh, Radix aucklandiae, Matricaria chamomilla, Jasminum sambac and Syzygium aromaticum have been widely used as Chinese herbs. The composition and anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils from Frankincense, Myrrh, R. aucklandiae, M. chamomilla, J. sambac and S. aromaticum are analyzed in this study. The dominant compositions of Frankincense essential oils are octyl acetate (39.62%), octane-1-ol (10.23%) and eucalyptol (7.42%). The major components of Myrrh essential oils are α-elemene (13.17%), β-elemene (7.92%), germacrene D (6.85%) and α-copaene (6.42%). The main compositions of R. aucklandiae essential oils are 1,4,8-cyclododecatriene (10.88%), γ-costol (10.4%), γ-gurjunenepoxide-(2) (8.18%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.67%). The major compositions of M. chamomilla oils are (E)-tonghaosu (30.83%), α-bisabolone oxide A (18.89%), α-bisabolone oxide B (10.73%) and chamazulene (6.63%). The major compounds of J. sambac and S. aromaticum essential oils are eugenol with a percentage of 52.47% and 96.71%, respectively. In TPA-induced ear edema assay, most of essential oils reveal decent anti-inflammatory activity, especially that Myrrh, R. aucklandiae and M. chamomilla essential oils are even better than commercial anti-inflammatory medicine (ibuprofen), via markedly down-regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines, like cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in vivo. Therefore, it is reasonably speculated that these natural essential oils will be potential anti-inflammatory drug for inflammation with little side effects.