Rich Essential Oil Research Articles

Antioxidants Extraction and Heavy Metal Detection of Medicinal Plant Thymus linearis Benth

Thymus species are amongst the most used aromatic and medicinal plant worldwide due to their phenolic rich essential oil that imparts excellent biological activity. A void range of biological and pharmacological properties have been reported from this genus, including antiseptic, antitussive, expectorant, antispasmodic, anthelimantic and anti-inflammatory. This research work deals the comparison of heavy metal in plant extract. A series of solvent like methanol, ethanol, n-hexane and dichloromethane were used during the extraction process. The antioxidant activity of the phenolic extracts was measured by using DDPH radical acavenging activity. Element such as Ca, Ni, Co, Mg, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). This made it possible to access the medicinal effect of the Thymus linearis benth along with possible toxicological risk associated with its consumptions.

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils in the family Lamiaceae

Abstract The family Lamiaceae, commonly known as the mint family, comprises a diverse group of aromatic plants known for their rich essential oil content. This systematic review aims to comprehensively evaluate the chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils derived from various species within the Lamiaceae family. A thorough literature search was conducted across reputable scientific databases, resulting in a meticulous selection of studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The review synthesizes findings from a wide range of investigations, highlighting the chemical constituents present in Lamiaceae-derived essential oils. Major components such as monoterpenes (e.g., limonene, menthol) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., caryophyllene, germacrene) are commonly identified across various species. Moreover, this review provides an extensive overview of the diverse biological activities associated with these essential oils, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and insecticidal properties. Furthermore, the systematic review discusses potential applications and implications of Lamiaceae-derived essential oils in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, and food preservation. The comprehensive analysis presented in this review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and industries interested in harnessing the immense potential of essential oils from the Lamiaceae family for a wide array of applications. Future research directions are also suggested based on identified knowledge gaps in the existing literature.

Effects of MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 transcription factors on the monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway in l-menthol chemotype of Mentha haplocalyx Briq.

Transcription factors MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 correlate with monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway in l-menthol chemotype of Mentha haplocalyx Briq, which could affect the contents of ( -)-menthol and ( -)-menthone. Mentha haplocalyx Briq., a plant with traditional medicinal and edible uses, is renowned for its rich essential oil content. The distinct functional activities and aromatic flavors of mint essential oils arise from various chemotypes. While the biosynthetic pathways of the main monoterpenes in mint are well understood, the regulatory mechanisms governing different chemotypes remain inadequately explored. In this investigation, we identified and cloned two transcription factor genes from the M. haplocalyx MYB family, namely MhMYB1 (PP236792) and MhMYB2 (PP236793), previously identified by our research group. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that MhMYB1 possesses two conserved MYB domains, while MhMYB2 contains a conserved SANT domain. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) analysis results demonstrated that both MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 interacted with the promoter regions of MhMD and MhPR, critical enzymes in the monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway of M. haplocalyx. Subsequent virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 led to a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in the relative expression levels of MhMD and MhPR genes in the VIGS groups of M. haplocalyx. In addition, there was a noteworthy decrease (P < 0.05) in the contents of ( -)-menthol and ( -)-menthone in the essential oil of M. haplocalyx. These findings suggest that MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 transcription factors play a positive regulatory role in ( -)-menthol biosynthesis, consequently influencing the essential oil composition in the l-menthol chemotype of M. haplocalyx. This study serves as a pivotal foundation for unraveling the regulatory mechanisms governing monoterpenoid biosynthesis in different chemotypes of M. haplocalyx.

Unlocking the food treasures: Trachyspermum ammi–A comprehensive exploration from field to pharmacology

AbstractRecent pharmacological research on Tracyspermum ammi has unveiled its diverse medicinal properties, bolstering its status as a notable herbaceous plant. Cultivated extensively in regions like Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, T. ammi has drawn attention due to its rich essential oil content, prominently thymol. Commonly used in food processing, such as in pickles, this plant exhibits a wide array of pharmacological effects, from diuretic and antibacterial properties to potential as an antitussive, antiplatelet, antihypertensive, bronchodilator, and antihyperlipidemic agent. While the medicinal potential of T. ammi is acknowledged, challenges persist in optimizing its efficacy. The preclinical and clinical trials of T. ammi have been performed and data are compiled to assess its efficacy in humans. Novel drug delivery systems, including nanoparticles, microemulsions, niosomes, and liposomes, among others, offer a means to overcome the constraints associated with conventional formulations. In conclusion, the comprehensive overview presented here highlights the morphological characteristics, food processing, chemical constituents, pharmacological significance, preclinical and clinical trials along with traditional use and novel dosage forms of T. ammi which underscores the need for modernization in drug delivery systems to maximize its therapeutic potential thereby advancing the addition of herbal medicines into contemporary healthcare practices.

Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum americanum: A Systematic Literature Review on Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial Properties

Objectives This systematic review aimed to evaluate the chemical compositions and Pharmacological applications of Ocimum basilicum, known as sweet basil, and Ocimum americanum, known as hoary basil, to assess their antimicrobial properties. Both plants are renowned for their culinary uses and medicinal properties, with studies suggesting potential therapeutic benefits due to their rich essential oil. Methods A systematic approach was adopted to gather and analyze the relevant literature on the chemical profiles and pharmacological activities of Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum americanum. Electronic databases including Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched using keywords such as chemical composition of Ocimum basilicum, chemical composition of Ocimum americanum, antimicrobial activities of Ocimum basilicum, and antimicrobial activities of Ocimum americanum. Results Ninety-nine articles meeting the determined inclusion criteria were incorporated in this systematic review. Several studies have consistently demonstrated the antimicrobial activities of these 2 plants, although the specific compounds responsible for this activity vary between the 2 species. Conclusion The diverse array of bioactive molecules present in these plants contributes to their pharmacological effects, suggesting avenues for further research into their therapeutic applications. This review supports the continued exploration of the medicinal properties and potential development of sweet basil and hoary basil as antimicrobial agents.

Ölmez Otu (Helichrysum italicum (ROTH) G. DON) Bitkisinin in vitro Mikroçoğaltımı

Immortelle grass (Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don), which spreads in the Southern Marmara and Aegean regions, can be grown in arid and semi-arid regions. In addition, due to its rich essential oil and secondary metabolite content, it has an important place in modern medicine and cosmetics, including traditional treatment methods. Although the propagation of plants by shoot regeneration in vitro has been achieved in many plant species, studies on tissue culture in immortelle grass are limited. This study aims to optimize the tissue culture study in immortelle grass and provide a basis for the next in vitro, molecular, and secondary metabolite studies. In addition, it promotes the plant by optimizing the healthy and disease-free seedling production method for cultural agriculture in the region. Three different (15%, 25%, and 35%) NaOCl concentrations were tested for 10 and 20 minutes during the sterilization phase of the explants. The most successful result was obtained in the medium containing 35% NaOCl for 10 minutes. Sterilized explants were transferred to MS and Gamborg B5 nutrient media containing BAP, GA, and NAA plant growth regulators for shoot regeneration. The best regeneration in explants was obtained in MS medium containing 0.5 mg L-1 BAP, 1 mg L-1 GA, and 0.2 mg L-1 NAA. No growth was observed in trials containing Gamborg B5, and vitrification and darkening occurred in the explants. After four weeks, the shoots reaching a length of 3 cm were taken into MS and ½MS medium containing 0 MS, 0.5 mg L-1 IBA, 1 mg L-1 IBA, 1.5 mg L-1, and 2 mg L-1 IBA as a rooting medium. 100% rooting was observed in all prepared media within four weeks. As a result of micropropagation studies, the rooted plants were transferred to the acclimatization stage within three months and then moved to the pots in the greenhouse and to the field one month later.

Endo-fenchyl acetate rich essential oil of Strobilanthes sessilis Nees inflorescence and its characterisation using GC, GC-MS, and NMR techniques

Strobilanthes Blume is a genus in the family Acanthaceae, with many species endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Strobilanthes sessilis Nees is endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India. The essential oil of dried inflorescence of S. sessilis was extracted using hydrodistillation method and the chemical composition was determined using GC and GC-MS techniques, which revealed the major compound to be endo-fenchyl acetate (89.33%). Other minor compounds like endo-fenchol (3.74%), (E)-caryophyllene (1.07%), and limonene and β-phellandrene (0.55%) were also observed. The major diastereomer of fenchyl acetate was determined using 2D-NMR techniques like HSQC, HMBC, and ROESY to confirm the endo configuration. The optical rotation of the oil in different solvents deduced that the laevorotatory enantiomer of endo-fenchyl acetate as the major or single compound. S. sessilis could be further explored as a major source of endo-fenchyl acetate, which has high importance in flavouring and other biological applications.

Analysis of Pharmacological Activities and Mechanisms of Essential Oil in Leaves of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' by GC-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology.

Citrus grandis 'Tomentosa,' a fruit epicarp of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' or C. grandis (L.) Osbeck is widely used in health food and medicine. Based on our survey results, there are also rich essential oils with bioactivities in leaves, but the chemical compounds in this part and relevant pharmacological activities have never been studied systematically. Therefore, this study was to preliminarily decipher the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of the essential oil in leaves of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' by an integrated network pharmacology approach. Essential oil compositions from leaves ofC. grandis 'Tomentosa' were identified using GC-MS/MS. And then, the targets of these oil compositions were predicted and screened from TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction, STITCH and SEA databases. STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction networks, and the eligible protein targets were input into WebGestalt 2019 to carry out GO enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Based on the potential targets, disease enrichment information was obtained by TTD databases. Cytoscape software was used to construct the component-target-disease network diagrams. Finally, 61 essential oil chemical components were identified by GC-MS/MS, which correspond to 679 potential targets. Biological function analysis showed 12, 19, and 12 GO entries related to biological processes, cell components and molecular functions, respectively. 43 KEGG pathways were identified, of which the most significant categories were terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, TNF signaling pathway and leishmaniasis. The component-target-disease network diagram revealed that the essential oil compositions in leaves of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' could treat tumors, immune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and respiratory diseases, which were highly related to CHRM1, PTGS2, CASP3, MAP2K1 and CDC25B. This study may provide new insight into C. grandis 'Tomentosa' or C. grandis (L.) Osbeck and may provide useful information for future utilization and development.

Decoupling subgenomes within hybrid lavandin provide new insights into speciation and monoterpenoid diversification of Lavandula.

Polyploidization and transposon elements contribute to shape plant genome diversity and secondary metabolic variation in some edible crops. However, the specific contribution of these variations to the chemo-diversity of Lamiaceae, particularly in economic shrubs, is still poorly documented. The rich essential oils (EOs) of Lavandula plants are distinguished by monoterpenoids among the main EO-producing species, L. angustifolia (LA), L. × intermedia (LX) and L. latifolia (LL). Herein, the first allele-aware chromosome-level genome was assembled using a lavandin cultivar 'Super' and its hybrid origin was verified by two complete subgenomes (LX-LA and LX-LL). Genome-wide phylogenetics confirmed that LL, like LA, underwent two lineage-specific WGDs after the γ triplication event, and their speciation occurred after the last WGD. Chloroplast phylogenetic analysis indicated LA was the maternal source of 'Super', which produced premium EO (higher linalyl/lavandulyl acetate and lower 1,8-cineole and camphor) close to LA. Gene expression, especially the monoterpenoid biosynthetic genes, showed bias to LX-LA alleles. Asymmetric transposon insertions in two decoupling 'Super' subgenomes were responsible for speciation and monoterpenoid divergence of the progenitors. Both hybrid and parental evolutionary analysis revealed that LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposon associated with AAT gene loss cause no linalyl/lavandulyl acetate production in LL, and multi-BDH copies retained by tandem duplication and DNA transposon resulted in higher camphor accumulation of LL. Advances in allelic variations of monoterpenoids have the potential to revolutionize future lavandin breeding and EO production.

Pharmacological, Phytochemistry and Ethnomedicinal profiles of Osyris quadripartita Salz. Ex Decne.: A Critical Review

Osyris quadripartita Salz. ex Decne. (Santalaceae), prominently known as African sandalwood, is one of the most seasoned and most valuable sources of natural fragrance with immense medicinal and commercial significance. O quadripartita has been grown in Africa and Indian sub- continents from the ancient times and esteemed all over the world for its tonic, and the aromatic oils are used in different products for manufacturing expensive perfumes, rare soaps, quality lotions, and sweet-smelling candles. Leaf stem bark and African shoe heart wood the essential oil derived from African sandalwood has been used in various traditional and tribal systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Folk and Unani medicine, in the treatment and counteraction of a great many sicknesses. It is utilized to treat different illnesses, including helminth contaminations, leishmaniases like infection, irregularities, kidney sickness, scavenge, sterile/perfuming, eye torment, cool, anaphylactic shock, epilepsy, circumcision wounds, toothache, tonsillitis, stomach agony, and pee issues. The flexible restorative and medical services significance of sandalwood is ascribed to its rich essential oil of phytochemicals, especially sesquiterpenes. African sandalwood, recently utilized for its ancestral modern purposes, is presently acquiring consideration for its helpful as well as food and nutraceutical utilizes. An intensive bibliographic examination was done by dissecting overall acknowledged logical data sets such as Google scholar, Publons, Sci-Finder, Pub Med, Scopus, Web of Science, Research Gate, perceived reference books, and UGC Care listed as well as non-listed international journals. Current pharmacological examinations have shown a great many pharmacological activities, going from antimicrobial to anti-cancer. No huge poisonousness has been demonstrated by African sandalwood essential oil and its singular constituents; in any case, further concentrate on compound constituents and their components in showing specific natural exercises is expected to comprehend the full phytochemical profile and the complex pharmacological impacts of this plant. The expanded business abuse of African sandalwood and low efficiency of this huge restorative plant have raised worries over its preservation and efficiency upgrade through current instruments and procedures. The complete survey examines conventional purposes, ancestral purposes, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biological activities of African sandalwood to unveil its restorative and modern worth and distinguish holes requiring future exploration.

Seed Oil Extraction of Cucurbita maxima Duchesne Growing in Madagascar: Impact of Storage and Use of a Cineole–Rich Essential Oil as a Green Solvent

The performance of a cineole-rich essential oil as an extraction solvent for vegetable oil was studied. This essential oil was obtained from Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) St Blake Myrtaceae, commonly called niaouli, an invasive plant on the eastern coast of Madagascar. The whole essential oil was used without preliminary isolation of terpenes. Experimentation was carried out with Cucurbita maxima Duchesne Cucurbitaceae seeds. The Soxhlet method was used for the oil extraction, and solvent recovery was performed by hydrodistillation. Niaouli essential oil allowed a better extraction yield of 39% compared to hexane, with 36%. The linoleic acid content of the oil was also higher: 37.19% against 7.25% for hexane. After 30 weeks of storage, the seed powder linoleic acid content increased to 44.99% for niaouli oil against 25.00% for hexane oil. With the screw press extraction method, the best yield of 13.00% was obtained with roasting pretreatment while heating at 60°C. However, the best oleic acid content of 45.36% was obtained at 50°C. It was demonstrated that the seed powder underwent biochemical changes during storage which were similar to intracellular catabolic reactions of fatty acids. The high expenses induced by the deterpenation process in terms of cost and energy limit the diffusion and the development of the use of terpenes as alternative solvents. The results of this research support the idea that it is possible to avoid this costly step by directly using the entire essential oil since this can provide a vegetable oil of good quality.

Limonene and eucalyptol rich essential oils with their antimicrobial activity from the leaves and rhizomes of Conamomum vietnamense N.S. Lý &amp;amp; T.S. Hoang (Zingiberaceae)

Conamomum vietnamense, a new species of Zingiberaceae family, has been discovered and described from Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands, Vietnam) in 2022. The present study described the preparation of essential oil from leaves and rhizomes of the plant by hydrodistillation process. Then, the chemical composition of these essential oils was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which indicated that limonene (18.74 and 26.20%) and eucalyptol (40.47 and 49.49%) were the main components, respectively. The essential oils also showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 299212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579), Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13076), and a pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231) in the MIC range of 32–256 μg/mL, which was comparable to those of positive controls, streptomycin and cycloheximide. For the first time, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of C. vietnamense were studied.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Anti-Bacterial, and Anti-Cancer Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from Citrus limetta Risso Peel Waste Remains after Commercial Use

Citrus plants are widely utilized for edible purposes and medicinal utility throughout the world. However, because of the higher abundance of the antimicrobial compound D-Limonene, the peel waste cannot be disposed of by biogas production. Therefore, after the extraction of D-Limonene from the peel wastes, it can be easily disposed of. The D-Limonene rich essential oil from the Citrus limetta risso (CLEO) was extracted and evaluated its radical quenching, bactericidal, and cytotoxic properties. The radical quenching properties were DPPH radical scavenging (11.35 ± 0.51 µg/mL) and ABTS scavenging (10.36 ± 0.55 µg/mL). There, we observed a dose-dependent antibacterial potential for the essential oil against pathogenic bacteria. Apart from that, the essential oil also inhibited the biofilm-forming properties of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. enterica, and S. aureus. Further, cytotoxicity was also exhibited against estrogen receptor-positive (MCF7) cells (IC50: 47.31 ± 3.11 µg/mL) and a triple-negative (MDA-MB-237) cell (IC50: 55.11 ± 4.62 µg/mL). Upon evaluation of the mechanism of action, the toxicity was mediated through an increased level of reactive radicals of oxygen and the subsequent release of cytochrome C, indicative of mitotoxicity. Hence, the D-Limonene rich essential oil of C. limetta is useful as a strong antibacterial and cytotoxic agent; the antioxidant properties exhibited also increase its utility value.

Realization of Lodging Tolerance in the Aromatic Grass, Cymbopogon khasianus Through Ploidy Intervention.

Artificial polyploidy that brings about increase in cell size confers changes in histo-morphology leading to altered phenotype, causing changes in physiological attributes and enhanced concentration of secondary metabolites. The altered phenotype is generally a manifestation of tissue hardiness reflected as robust plant type. Based on a case study undertaken on an industrially important grass, Cymbopogon khasianus (2n = 60) valued for its citral rich essential oil, here we report that the artificial polyploidy not only brings about enhancement in concentration of essential oil but also facilitates lodging tolerance. The latter is contributed by ploidy mediated changes that occur to the cells and tissues in various plant organs by way of increased wall thickening, tissue enhancement and epidermal depositions that enable robust features. An exhaustive illustrated account covering various micro-/macro-morphological, skeletal and histochemical features constituting growth and development vis-a-vis ploidy mediated changes is presented highlighting the novelties realized on account of induced polyploidy.

Comparative study on eucalyptol and camphor rich essential oils from rhizomes of Hedychium spicatum Sm. and their pharmacological, antioxidant and antifungal activities.

The aim of present study was to evaluate chemical composition and different biological activities viz., pharmacological and antioxidant activities of essential oils. The chemical composition of essential oils was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry while biological activities were evaluated by standard protocols. Essential oils of Hedychium spicatum Sm. from two different ecological niches viz; Nainital (Site-I) and Himachal Pradesh (Site-II) of India revealed the qualitative and quantitative chemo-diversity. Both the oils were dominated by oxygenated terpenoids. Major marker compounds identified were eucalyptol, camphor, linalool, α-eudesmol, 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, and iso-borneol. Both the oils exhibited anti-inflammatory activity suppressing 17.60 % to 33.57 % inflammation at 100mg/kg b. wt. dose levels compared to ibuprofen-treated group (40.06 %). The sub-acute inflammation in oils-treated mice groups (50 and 100 mg/kg b. wt.) increased on day 2 but showed a gradual decrease from day 3 onwards and then recovered to normal by day 10. The antinociception percentage for doses (50 and 100 mg/kg b. wt.) ranged from 33.70-40.46 % in Site-I and 30.34-42.39 % in Site-II compared to standard drug, ibuprofen (43.08 %). The oils also showed a good antipyretic effect by suppressing Brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) induced pyrexia after oil dose injection. The oils also exhibited good antioxidant activity.

Chemical Composition of Carvacrol Rich Leaf Essential Oil of Thymus vulgaris from India: Assessment of Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential

The essential oil of Thymus vulgaris is extensively used in the food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic and fragrance industries. The present work was carried out to analyse the chemical constituents of T. vulgaris leaf essential oil of Western Himalayan (India) origin and study its antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. The analysis of the essential oil through GC-MS led to the identification of a total of 27 compounds representing 99.11 % of the total oil showing carvacrol (45.53 %) as the predominant constituent followed by o-cymene (11.29 %), linalool (9.60 %), diethyl phthalate (8.48 %) and thymol (6.12 %). The antioxidant study of the essential oil through DPPH and FRAP assay exhibited IC50 value and EC50 value as 1.71±0.02 and 1.032 ± 0.01 μg/ml respectively. Essential oil revealed strong antibacterial activity against nine food spoiling pathogenic bacteria with MIC values ranging from 0.02 to 1.56 μg/ml. Cytotoxic study of essential oil revealed moderate cytotoxic activity as evaluated by MTT assay with IC50 value of 135.46 and 98.59 μg/mL respectively for HepG-2 and PC-3 cancerous cell lines. The present paper with confirmatory evidence of significant bioactivity of carvacrol-rich leaf essential oil of T. vulgaris from India ascertained its therapeutic value for health benefits.

Diversity of Essential Oils and the Respective Hydrolates Obtained from Three Pinus cembra Populations in the Austrian Alps

Pinus cembra, stone pine, is an Alpine coniferous tree rich in aromatic compounds. Twigs with needles are used commonly to produce essential oils for various purposes in pharmacy, food industry, and cosmetics. Hydrolates as byproducts of hydrodistillation encounter increasing interest owing to their aromatic properties. The variabilities in the compositions of essential oil and the related hydrolates are studied in samples from individual trees growing on three sites in the Austrian high mountain range. The essential oils have been obtained by steam distillation. All essential oils contained monoterpene hydrocarbons as main compounds, especially α-pinene (36–37%), β-phellandrene (27–30%), and β-pinene (7–9%). In contrast, the volatiles in the corresponding hydrolates were dominated by oxidized compounds as α-terpineol (28–34%), terpinen-4-ol (6–8%), and verbenone (6–7%). The pinene rich essential oils might be used in pharmacy as pinene containing oils from other Pinus species, while the hydrolates are of interest for cosmetics and other well-being promoting products.

Gas Chromatographic-Mass Spectrometric Analysis, Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of the Needle Essential Oil of Abies pindrow growing wild in Kashmir, India

The essential oil composition of the leaves of Abies pindrow, growing in Kashmir, India, along with its antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activity is reported for the first time. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of 12 constituents, representing 99.9% of the total oil. The major constituents of the oil were limonene (38.9%), α-pinene (36.5%), β-pinene (6.9%), and α-selinene (4.4%). The essential oil was dominated by the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons (90.2%), followed by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (6.761%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (2.096%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (0.942%). The monoterpene rich essential oil was subjected to antibacterial activity against 4 Gram negative bacteria and 2 Gram positive bacteria at three different concentrations using Agar Well Diffusion Method taking streptomycin sulphate as reference. The oil displayed significant and broad spectrum antibacterial activity against different bacteria used. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the active essential oil was determined using Agar Dilution Method. Highest antibacterial activity was shown by the oil against E. Coli (25 mm), and the lowest by Bacillus subtilis (14 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14 mm). The oil was subjected to cytotoxic activity by MTT assay against human mammary carcinoma (MCF), human ductal breast epithelial tumour (T47D), human lung adeno-carcinoma epithelial (A549) and rat glial (C6) cell lines at three different concentrations. The results revealed significant sensitization of the cell lines with highest inhibition against human ductal breast epithelial cell line (51%) and the lowest against rat glial cell line (33%) at a concentartion of 50 μg/mL. The oil displayed a significant free radical scavenging activity with DPPH.

Methyl Eugenol, 1,8-Cineole and Nerolidol Rich Essential Oils with their Biological Activities from three Melaleuca Species Growing in Tarai Region of North India

HIGHLIGHTS E-nerolidol, 1,8-cineol and methyl eugenol rich species of Melaleuca were identified in this study. Essential oils exhibited strong antioxidant,antibacterial and Invitro anti inflammatory activity. These marker constitutents impart valuable place of this crop in agriculture.

Investigation of monoterpenoids rich essential oils of two Ocimum basilicum L. varieties at different agro-climatic conditions in India

India is an emerging basil essential oil producer in South-east Asia. Two high essential oil yielding hybrids, namely one inter specific hybrid between of O. basilicum and O. kilimandscharicum Gürke (HYBL-1) and another intraspecific hybrid of O. basilicum × O. basilicum (OBL-1) of basil were analyzed using GC, enantiomeric GC, NMR, enantio-GC–MS and GC–MS methods. Inter specific hybrid HYBL-1 contained high essential oil-rich in linalool (68.5%), camphor (8%), and 1,8-cineole (4.6%) as characteristic constituents among monoterpenoids, whereas β-caryophyllene (1.9%), germacrene D (1.0%), and epi-α-cadinol (1.9%) were the sesquiterpenoids at the Lucknow (North Indian conditions) and linalool (71.8%), camphor (9.4%) and 1,8-cineole (4.3%) at Hyderabad (South Indian conditions) locations. Intraspecific hybrid (OBL-1) possessed linalool (66.1%), 1,8-cineole (5.4%) and geraniol (8.6%) with sesquiterpenoids in low proportions. Inter specific hybrid HYBL-1 showed superiority over OBL-1 in the multi-location trials conducted at Lucknow and Hyderabad. Average mean performance of inter specific hybrid over locations was: herb yield 44.80 t/ha, oil content 0.63%, oil yield 188.50 kg/ha, linalool content 67.65%, camphor content 8.90% v/s OBL-1 herb yield 21.32 t/ha, oil content 0.53%, oil yield 97.50 kg/ha, linalool content 65.55%, camphor content 0.00%, respectively. The essential oil of these two hybrids subjected to enantiomer differentiation revealed a high enantiomeric excess for (3R) -(−)-linalool, whereas (1R)- (+)-camphor was recorded exclusively in inter specific hybrid. The extensive NMR experiments were performed to confirm constituents in these hybrids and found that NMR spectroscopy could also be an ideal tool for the differentiation of essential oils from commercial samples declared as natural.