Phytochemical Composition Of Essential Oils Research Articles

Arbutus andrachne: The Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of Fruit Extracts and the Phytochemical Composition of Essential Oil

Background: Arbutus andrachne L. is a perennial evergreen shrub widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean region. This plant holds great scientific significance owing to its nutritional, pharmacological, and chemical characteristics, making it a popular choice as a medicinal plant. It is well known for its diverse applications in science and medicine. Objectives: The primary purposes of this study were to explore the antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of A. andrachne and to identify the phytochemicals in A. andrachne essential oil. Methods: The fruits of A. andrachne L. were collected and taxonomically identified. Aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts were then prepared. The fruits of A. andrachne were subjected to advanced hydrodistillation to extract essential oils, which were carefully analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify their phytochemical components. A ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay was used to test the extracts' antioxidant activity. The colorimetric assay [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] (MTT) was used to test the extracts' antiproliferative activity against five specific cell lines: T47D and MCF-7 (breast cancer), Caco-2 and HCT-116 (colorectal cancer), and MRC-5 (a standard fibroblast cell line used as a control). Results: The main findings indicated that the essential oil of the fruits comprises 35 different components. The main ingredient in A. andrachne fruits is pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester (19.87%). The methanolic extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (18.27 µmol/L Fe2+ equivalents). Furthermore, all tested extracts exerted weak antiproliferative activity against the tested cancerous cell lines and had no significant effect on normal cell lines. At 200 µg/mL, the aqueous, methanolic, and ethanolic extracts showed high viability of the treated cells across all tested cell lines (ranging from 99.30 - 100.00%). Conclusions: The A. andrachne crude extracts, with their non-cytotoxic activity on both cancerous and normal cells, present a promising natural source of antioxidants. This potential opens up various applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries, highlighting the relevance and impact of these findings.

Insecticidal Potential of Essential Oils from Ammi visnaga L. and Trachyspermum ammi L. against Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and In Silico Study of Their Major Constituents

There is a high interest in utilizing natural bioactive products derived from plants as a substitute for synthetic chemicals in the industry. This research focuses on the phytochemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of Ammi visnaga L. and Trachyspermum ammi L and their insecticidal activity against Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a common pest found in stored cereals. The EOs were extracted through steam distillation and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The EOs of A. visnaga consisted of twenty-four components, with Abietadiene (41.23%) being the most abundant, followed by linalool (25.54%) and limonene (19.04%). On the other hand, the EOs of T. ammi consisted of twenty-eight main components, with isothymol being the most abundant (51.88%). The results revealed that the EOs of T. Ammi (DL50 = 0.1 µL EOs/L of air) were more toxic than A. visnaga (0.38 µL EOs/L of air), with the toxicity varying based on doses and exposure periods. To further understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this activity, molecular docking and dynamic simulations were performed using the major chemical constituents of the oils. The simulation results indicated that the major compounds, Abietadiene and isothymol, interact with the catalytic sites of the target proteins, inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and chitin synthase. These interactions form energetically favorable systems that remain stable throughout the molecular dynamic period. This research provides valuable insights into the potential of these EOs as natural insecticides and highlights the importance of molecular modeling in understanding the biological activities of plant-derived compounds.

Promising antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of essential oils extracted from fruits of Juniperus thurifera: In vitro and in silico investigations

Abstract The objective of this work was to characterize the phytochemical composition of essential oil from Juniperus thurifera (L.) fruits (EOFT) and study its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. EOFT was extracted by hydrodistillation and fingerprinted by using GC–MS. The antioxidant effect of EOFT was evaluated using 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric iron reduction assay (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. Importantly, the antimicrobial activity of EOFT was performed against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus mirabilis. In addition, the inhibitory capacity of NADPH oxidase and human acetylcholinesterase was also investigated using molecular docking. The results of the chemical composition reveal that EOFT constituted 11 terpenic compounds with dominance of elemol (33.86%), terpinen-4-ol (27.80%), and cryptomeridiol (18.36%). The antioxidant power of EOFT recorded IC50 values of 197.07 ± 0.09 μg/mL (DPPH) and 216.34 ± 0.06 μg/mL (FRAP), while TAC of EOFT was determined to be 181.06 μg AAE/mg. The antibacterial potency on solid medium revealed that EOFT induced inhibition zone diameters reaching 14 mm, and a minimum concentration up to 2.78 µg/mL against the studied bacterial strains. The EOFT also showed an important antifungal effect as the inhibition reached 42%, and the MIC was between 7.50 and 22.25 µg/mL. The in silico study showed that o-Cymene was the most active molecule against NAD(P)H oxidase followed by cadinol with a Glide score of −5.344 and −5.143 kcal/mol, respectively. Due to their promising results, the outcome of this work suggests that EOFT could be used as an interesting natural weapon to control microbial and freed radical-related diseases.

Comparative chemical composition and pesticidal evaluation of Acorus calamus accessions collected from different geographical locations

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the phytochemical composition of essential oils (EO) from rhizomes of Acorus calamus collected from Jorhat, Assam; Munsyari and Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. EOs were studied for different pesticidal activities viz; nematicidal, insecticidal, and herbicidal activity. To study the synergistic effect of EOs on pesticidal activity, four combinations of EOs were prepared. Phenylpropanoids with β-asarone as the main compound were identified in all collections with varying percentages. Its contribution was found to be 85.8% in Munsyari EOs followed by 74.3% in Pantnagar and 62.6% in Assam collections. All EOs exhibited dose-dependent in vitro nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita in terms of immobility and inhibition of egg hatching. The activity was observed as maximum in the EO combination of all three collections (1:1:1) whereas minimum in the Assam collections. In insecticidal activity against Lipaphis erysimi and Selepa celtis, maximum mortality was observed in Munsyari collections. The oils were assessed for sprout inhibition activity in terms of seed germination inhibition, coleoptile growth of the shoot and root against Raphanus raphanistrum. Maximum seed germination inhibition, % shoot, and root growth inhibition were found in all collections EO combinations. To predict the possible mode of action and the structure-activity relationship between major compounds of EOs and biological activities, in silico molecular docking and ADME/Tox studies were performed. The docking results revealed the mode of action of proteins of insects, nematodes, and weeds and were found in support of in vitro experiments. The study may be helpful for the development of herbal-based pesticides after proper clinical trials.

Phytochemical composition of essential oils from aromatic plants inherited with bioherbicidal activity in arabica coffee production system of Ethiopia

Essential (EOs) can be considered as an alternative tool to control weeds, as they are eco-friendly and safe bioherbicides. Based on their herbicidal efficacy against coffee weeds in the prescreening under in-vitro , lath-house and field experimentations, five aromatic plants namely, Cymbopogon citratus , C. martinii , C. winterianus , Eucalyptus citriodora and Thymus schimperi were selected to identify their chemical composition using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of 45 compounds in C. citratus oil dominated with citral (84.86%) from the subclasses of trans-Citral and cis-Citral. Thirty-three compounds were fractionated and identified in C. martinii oil containing geraniol (55.27%), trans-Geranyl acetate (16.82%), (6R,7R)-Bisabolone (7.23%) and trans-.beta.-Ocimene (6.18%) as the main inherited components. The EO from C. winterianus contained 47 compounds with citronellal (31.31%), geraniol (21.24%), citronellol (12.06%) and elemol (6.68%) as the major component. Similarly, a total of 52 compounds were identified from the EO of E. citriodora containing two major compounds namely, citronellal (76.93%) and citronellol (15.24%). The EO from T. schimperi were composed of 32 compounds with carvacrol (72.55%) and thymol (9.12%) as the main constituents. The present finding indicated that herbicidal activities of the EOs might be attributed to their fingerprint components such as citral (3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienal), geraniol (2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-ol), citronellal (3,7-dimethyloct-6-enal), citronellol (3,7-Dimethyloct-6-en-1-ol), carvacrol (2-methyl-5-propan-2-ylphenol) and thymol (5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylphenol). Therefore, these bioactive agents have the potential to be used as herbicides to manage weed species in coffee farms for the future. • Cymbopogon species, Eucalyptus citrodora and Thymus species had bioherbicidal activities. • Citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, carvacrol and thymol are major compounds found in EOs of the tested plants. • The major constituents in the EOs of the investigated plants are enriched in monoterpenes. • The herbicidal activities of the EOs might be attributed to their fingerprint components.

Exploring phytochemical composition, photocatalytic, antibacterial, and antifungal efficacies of Au NPs supported by Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil

Biofabrication of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the aromatic essential oils is highlighted due to its simple, economical, low toxicity, and eco-friendly nature. Essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (CF), an economically valuable medicinal plant, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. For the first time, this research accounts for the biosynthesis, physicochemical, photocatalytic, antifungal, antibacterial properties of biogenic AuNPs, fabricated using CF essential oil collected from different altitudes (S1-Palampur, S2-Haryana, S3-Dehradun). The altitudinal disparity in the phytochemical composition of essential oils is highlighted. The average crystallite size ranged from 10 to 32 nm and was influenced by CF samples used in the synthesis. The spectroscopic outcomes revealed the involvement of bioactive reagents from CF essential oil in the fabrication and stabilization of AuNPs. The fabricated AuNPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against all tested strains (Staphyloccucs aureus, Escherichia coli, Fusarium oxysporum), showing their efficacy as an antimicrobial agent to treat infectious diseases. Moreover, AuNPs exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficacy of around 91.8% for the degradation of methylene blue under exposure of direct sunlight for 3 h without the assistance of an external reducing agent. The outcomes highlight a potential economic and environmentally friendly strategy to fabricate biogenic AuNPs for diversified industrial applications where antimicrobial and photocatalytic efficacies are the key requirements.

Phytochemical composition of essential oils from aerial parts of sweet basil infected by a mixed infection of tobacco mosaic virus and phytoplasma

Ocimum basilicum, commonly known as sweet basil, was found naturally infected showing mosaic mottling and witches’ broom symptoms. Semi-nested PCR using specific primers revealed the presence of a mixed infection of TMV and Candidatus phytoplasma. This study aims to evaluate and compare the phytochemical composition of essential oils from aerial parts produced in sweet basil. The comparison covered uninfected, mixed infected, TMV infected, and phytoplasma infected sweet basil. Thirty different essential oils were isolated and evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The essential oils produced were grouped into 5 main classes: monoterpenes hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes and ketones. All classes were severely altered due to TMV and Candidatus phytoplasma infection compared to the control. The pathological stress caused by the mixed infection was significantly higher than each pathogen separately. The monoterpenes hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes and ketones showed a significant increase in the essential oil percentages induced in the mixed infection than that of single infections. Yet, a significant decrease in sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes was reported in the infected plants. Furthermore, α-bergamotene, (+)spathulenol, α bergamotene, δ-guaiene, cubenol, bornyl acetate and 1,3-bis(cinnamoyloxymethyl)adamantane, were found only in healthy plants, while α-pinene, camphene, sabinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, trans-sabinene hydrate, eugenol and trans-caryophyllene were detected only in infected plants. This study reports the possible metabolic consequences and defense mechanisms that induced in sweet basil due to TMV and phytoplasma infection.

Relationship between volatile components, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil, hydrosol and extracts of Citrus aurantium L. flowers

IntroductionIn the Mediterranean Region, essential oil, hydrosol, and ethanol extract of C. aurantium flowers have a long history of usage in different products such as a flavoring agent and an ingredient of many traditional anti-infectious and skin care products. The present study was undertaken to compare the antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity and phytochemical composition of essential oil (EO), hydrosol and ethanol extract of Cyprus Citrus aurantium L. flowers. MethodThe chemical composition of samples was determined by GC/MS. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay, respectively. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The antimicrobial activity of the samples was determined by disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods against five foodborne pathogenic bacteria. ResultThe EO and ethanol extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against all tested pathogens which were attributed to the presence of important phytochemical classes such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes. The EO showed higher antimicrobial activity followed by ethanol extract with minimum inhibitory concentrations ≤1562mg/l and ≤6250mg/l, respectively, against Amoxycillin resistant Bacillus cereus and other test organisms. Significantly (p≤0.05) the higher total phenolic (81.37mg GAE/g) and flavonoid contents (20.34mg QE/g) were obtained in the ethanol extract with the higher antioxidant activity as compared to EO and hydrosol with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 96.07μg/ml in the DPPH and 66.50μg/ml in the H2O2 assay. A significant correlation (R2≥0.94) was found between phenolic content and IC50 values for DPPH and H2O2 assays. β-Cholesta-5,22-dien-3-ol, herboxide isomer and isochiapin-B are reported for the first time for essential oil. ConclusionCitrus aurantium L. flowers have strong potential for the isolation of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for further use in food and medicine industries as natural preservatives.

Phytochemical composition of essential oils from Cinnamomum camphora leaves of different areas and their analgesic properties

This article was aimed to analyze the essential oils from Cinnamomum camphora leaves of four areas by GC-MS and to study their analgesic properties. Analgesia test was performed employing mouse acetic acid writhing method, hot plate method and reserpine induced migraine model, and plasma and brain tissue NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) contents were determined. The major compounds from essential oils of Suzhou C. camphora leaves (SZ), Nanjing C. camphora leaves (NJ), Nantong C. camphora leaves (NT) and Lianyungang C. camphora leaves (LY) are different, but they all consist of nerolidol and (E)--atlantone. (E)--atlantone exists as the main constituent and it is first reported in this plant. In the hot plate test, NJ or LY (1 ml×kg-1 each) significantly prolonged the reaction time after 30 min treatment and plasma and brain tissue NO and PGE2 in the mice with NJ or LY (1 ml•kg-1) administration were significantly decreased. In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, NJ (1 ml×kg-1 each) significantly decreased the number of acetic acid-induced writhes in mice compared to the animals that received vehicle only. In the migraine test, Plasma NO in the mice with NJ or NT (1 ml×kg-1) and NJ (0.25 ml×kg-1) administration were significantly decreased. NJ and LY have obvious analgesic effect and the mechanism is related to the reduction of central and peripheral NO and PGE2 levels. NJ was effective on migraine mice induced by reserpine and the mechanism may be related to the inductionof NO release. NJ and LY have significantly analgesic effects in three experimental models of pain.

First report from Indonesia, phytochemical composition of essential oils from leaves and fruits of Zanthoxylum avicennae (Lam.) DC.

First report from Indonesia, phytochemical composition of essential oils from leaves and fruits of Zanthoxylum avicennae (Lam.) DC.

Yield and composition of lavender essential oil grown in substrate

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of successive harvesting times and shading on the production of biomass, yield and phytochemical composition of essential oil in leaves and inflorescences of soilless grown Lavandula dentata. Plants were grown in pots filled with sand, inside a polyethylene greenhouse, in a closed system at UFSM. Plants were harvested at 150, 213 and 320 days after planting date (DAP) in winter, spring and summer, respectively. At 150 DAP, a 50% shading screen was installed. The experimental design was a randomized 3x2 factorial in subdivided plots with 36 plants per subplot. Fresh (FM) and dry mass (DM), yield and chemical composition of essential oil in leaves and inflorescences were determined after each harvest date. The essential oil was extracted, using 70 g fresh mass of leaves and of inflorescences, respectively. Identification and quantification of compounds in the essential oil were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The FM of inflorescences was higher on plants harvested 213 DAP grown without shading while of leaves it was higher on plants harvested 320 DAP grown without shading. The yield of the essential oil was higher in the leaves of plants harvested 320 DAP grown without shading. Thirty-one compounds were identified and quantified, being the major ones 1.8 cineol, camphor and linalool, without significant difference among treatments. Three consecutive harvests can be made in August (150 DAP), October (213 DAP) and February (320 DAP) without replacing plants.

Composition and potential of Tanacetum haussknechtii Bornm. Grierson as antioxidant and inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-amylase enzymes

ABSTRACTThe phytochemical composition of essential oils and extracts of Tanacetum haussknechtii were investigated with GC–FID–MS and LC–MS/MS techniques and evaluated against oxidation, acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-amylase enzymes. The major volatile constituents of T. haussknectii were found to be α- and β-pinene, and borneol. Caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoids were detected in the aqueous, alcohol, and ethyl acetate extracts. In DPPH assay, the methanol extracts exhibited the highest activity. TEAC assay resulted with superiority of all methanol and the capitula ethyl acetate extract. In β-carotene bleaching assay, linoleic acid was the best protected by the ethyl acetate extract of flower. The flower oil inhibited higher acetylcholinesterase activity than the remaining extracts. The flower ethyl acetate extract was found as the most effective inhibitor of α-amylase. The herb and the leaf+stem water extracts possess highest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.

Genetic, phenotypic, and phytochemical polymorphism in Eastern European populations of Mentha arvensis L.

Variability of M. arvensis from five geographically distanced populations was examined using morphological traits and phytochemical composition of essential oil and with the help of DNA fingerprinting using ISSR markers. The population differentiation based on morphological traits was weak. Analysis of the essential oil composition provided the subdivision of the sample into three groups and, on the basis of the composition of ISSR amplicons, into four groups of specimens. A high degree of genetic polymorphism of M. arvensis and substantial, though incomplete, population differentiation were identified. It was demonstrated that the population of M. arvensis from the Komi Republic was the most genetically isolated, while the populations from Moscow and Penza provinces were weakly differentiated from each other. The population from the Republic of Belarus (near Grodno) was genetically and phytochemically considerably different from the other studied populations, although morphologically indistinguishable from them. We argue that the differentiation was caused not only by the isolation by distance but also owing to the formation of three different ecotypes adapted to different climatic conditions.

Phytochemical composition of essential oil from seeds of Zingiber roseum Rosc. and its antispasmodic activity in rat duodenum

A combination of GC and GC–MS revealed the presence of 60 compounds out of which 47 compounds (96.2% of the oil) were identified in the essential oil of seeds of Zingiber roseum Rosc., the major compounds being α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, p-cymene, α-terpineol and verticiole. The unique feature is the dominant presence of mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons which make about 82% of the oil. The oil showed myorelaxant activity on isolated rat duodenal smooth muscle. The Zingiber roseum seed essential oil (ZRSEO) relaxed both cabachol- and KCl-induced contractile responses with IC 50 of non-significant difference. The results confirm a common mechanism in both the types of action of ZRSEO and suggests a probable inhibitory effect of ZRSEO on influx of Ca 2+ through cell membrane of rat duodenal smooth muscle.