Trachyspermum Ammi Seeds Research Articles

Phytochemical Evaluation and Comparative Study of Marketed Ajwain Ark Formulations

Background: A study has been conducted on ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi), a herb with therapeutic properties. Two formulations, SATVYK ark (made with water) and PURNDHENU ark (using cow urine as a solvent), have been compared. Objectives: The research includes evaluating the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of ajwain seeds; Hence, this article involves the phytochemical evaluation of Ajwain seeds and other qualitative evaluation aspects such as TLC of two different marketed ajwain ark formulations. Methods: TLC was obtained using Toluene: Ethyl acetate (9.3:0.7, v/v/v) as mobile phase and Silica gel plates as stationary phase. Based on these there is a comparative study of these two marketed ark formulations with MINITAB software version 19. Result: Macroscopic evaluation, microscopic evaluation and powder characteristics of seeds of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague were performed and Physico-chemical parameters of two different marketed ark formulations were also evaluated. Using various chemical tests Preliminary phytochemical analysis has been carried out. Conclusion: The method suggests both formulations are viable, leaving the choice dependent on factors like patient preferences and therapeutic goals.

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential oil Extracted from Trachyspermum Ammi (ajwain) Seeds: an In-vitro Study

The food industry uses essential oils derived from natural sources as flavouring and preservatives. The purpose of this study is to investigate how temperature affects the essential oil extracted from Trachyspermum ammi, seeds which has the best antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, in order to find a green substitute for toxic chemically produced preservatives used in food and pharmaceutical chemistry. Trachyspermum ammi (ajwain seeds) seeds were hydrodistilled at various temperatures (60°C to 90°C). The amount of essential oil was found to decrease on increasing temperature (2.1ml, 1.5 ml and 1.0 ml at 70°C, 80°C, and 90°C respectively). Hence, 70°C was the ideal temperature for extracting the essential oil from ajwain seeds. 25 components were discovered in the essential oil extracted from ajwain seeds by GC-MS technique. The predominant ingredient was shown to be thymol (31.40%). The percentages of scavenger activity against hydrogen peroxide were 70.75%, 86.99%, and 95.28% for 70°C, 80°C, and 90°C respectively. Due to the presence of the largest concentration of thymol (67.66%), the results showed that essential oil extracted at 90°C demonstrated the highest level of antioxidant property. By using the disc diffusion method, the antimicrobial activity of an essential oil made from ajwain seeds was evaluated. MIC50 of standard essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi seeds against gram positive strain was observed 10 µL/mL of culture and 25µL/mL of culture was observed against gram negative bacteria. Essential oil extracted at 70°C showed antimicrobial activity by forming zones of inhibition with diameters including discs of 18.3 mm and 14.36 mm against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Essential oil extracted at 80°C produced zones of inhibition with diameters of 18.68 mm and 15.30 mm, respectively. In the case of essential oil extracted at 90°C, the zones of inhibition against S. aureus and E. coli had diameters of 18.690.3 mm and 15.38 mm, respectively. As a result, using Trachyspermum ammi essential oil as a food preservative and the temperature at which it is extracted are unaffected by an increase in extraction temperature. Hence, essential oil obtained from Trachyspermum ammi seeds can be used as green alternative of chemically synthesized toxic preservatives used in food and pharmaceutical chemistry.

An insight investigation to the antiurolithic activity of Trachyspermum ammi using the in vitro and in vivo experiments.

The crude extract of Trachyspermum ammi seeds (Ta.Cr) was studied for its antiurolithic activity using the in vivo and in vitro experiments. In the in vivo experiments, Ta.Cr treatment showed a diuretic activity at the dose of 30 and 100mg/kg and exhibited curative effect in male hyperoxaluric Wistar rats, which received 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) in drinking water given for 3weeks, with 1% ammonium chloride (AC) for initial three days. In the in vitro experiments, Ta.Cr delayed the slopes of nucleation and inhibited the calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner like that of potassium citrate. Ta.Cr also inhibited DPPH free radicals like standard antioxidant drug butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and significantly reduced cell toxicity and LDH release in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, exposed to oxalate (0.5mM) and COM (66µg/cm2) crystals. In isolated rabbit urinary bladder strips, Ta.Cr relaxed high K+ (80mM) and CCh (1µM)-induced contractions, showing antispasmodic activity. The findings of this study suggest that the antiurolithic activity of crude extract of Trachyspermum ammi seeds may be mediated by a number of mechanisms, including a diuretic, an inhibitor of CaOx crystal aggregation, an antioxidant, renal epithelial cell protection, and an antispasmodic, thus, showing the therapeutic potential in urolithiasis, for which there is no viable non-invasive option in modern medicine.

TNF-α and IL-1β in Diabetes-Induced Liver Damage: The Relationship between Trachyspermum ammi Seeds Methanol Extract and Inflammatory Cytokine Inhibition

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi) on the liver of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. This study began by identifying the methanolic composition of T. ammi. The presence of three compounds was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), with Thymol (60.705%), ϒ-Terpinene (22.216%), and P-cymene (17.078%) being the most prevalent. Afterwards, diabetic rats were treated with T. ammi (200–500 mg/kg) or losartan (20 mg/kg) daily for 60 days. In the diabetic rats treated with T. ammi, levels of hepatic indicators, lipid peroxidation markers, and proinflammatory mediators decreased significantly. In the liver of T. ammi-treated diabetic rats, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) increased significantly. Despite the fact that proinflammatory cytokine levels were significantly increased, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels decreased in the groups administered the extract. From these results, it can be concluded that T. ammi significantly restored the liver’s antioxidant balance and inflammation caused by hyperglycemia.

Azotobacter chroococcum inoculation under low drought stress condition improves Trachyspermum ammi seeds' essential oil bioactivity

Trachyspermum ammi seed is an important spice and aromatic herb due to its bioactive essential oil. Drought stress and Azotobacter chroococcum have also been reported to improve medicinally important biomolecules and secondary metabolite content in plants. The present study was undertaken to determine the ability of A. chroococcum in combination with drought stress to improve the anticancer potential of T. ammi seed essential oil. The overall results indicated that several compounds in T. ammi seeds essential oil increased following A. chroococcum bacteria treatment under slight drought stress (irrigation at 80% field capacity), thus improving the antiradical efficacy. Furthermore, the application of A. chroococcum as plant growth promoting agent together with slight drought stress significantly (p < 0.05) resulted in a remarkable decrease in tumor size, diminish the liver enzymes activities and lipid peroxidation potential in mice inoculated with TUBO cell line (breast cancer cell). The up-regulated caspase-3 gene expression also confirms the results as well. Our finding revealed that slight drought stress (irrigation at 80% field capacity) together with treatment of T. ammi plant with A. chroococcum bacteria could be a promising approach to improving the pharmaceutical properties of T. ammi seeds' essential oil.

Thymol screening, phenolic contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Iranian populations of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague (Apiaceae)

The seeds of Trachyspermum ammi were gathered at the ripening stage from different regions of Iran and grouped into 14 populations (P1-P14) accordingly. The essential oil (EO) extraction yielded in the 3.16–5% range. EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and 11 constituents were identified. Thymol (59.92–96.4%), p-cymene (0.55–21.15%), γ-terpinene (0.23–17.78%), and carvacrol (0.41–2.77%) were the major constituents. The highest contents of thymol and carvacrol were found in the Ghayen population (P2). Also, P2 and P8 (Estahban) had the highest value of total phenol (TPC) 43.2 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, and total flavonoids (TFC) 8.03 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g DW, respectively. P1 (Kalat) had the highest total coumarin (TCC) value (0.26 mg coumarin equivalent CE/g DW). Based on EO constituents, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis classified populations into two chemotypes of thymol/p-cymene/γ-terpinene and thymol/carvacrol. The highest positive correlation coefficient was between α-terpinene and limonene (0.96), while the highest negative correlation was between thymol and p-cymene (–0.984). The antioxidant activities of extracts and EOs were evaluated by phosphomolybdenum (total antioxidant capacity; TAC), diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH IC50), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Also, the antimicrobial activity of EOs was studied against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. P8 with high thymol, EO content (%v/w), TFC, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities is recommended but further studies are needed to confirm the chemotype introduction.

In-vitro Study of Trachyspermum ammi extract against Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes resulting from the low secretion of insulin and insulin resistance, is a chronic metabolic disorder. Medication from plant materials for treatment of Diabetes Mellitus is advised as good source for novel drug or leading to preparation of novel drug. We investigated the antidiabetic property of fractions and subfractions obtained from the ethyl acetate extract of Trachyspermum ammi seeds. TLC analysis of crude extract was done. Then column chromatography was used to isolate the fractions of T. ammi. Primary screening of fractions was done by Starch-Agar Gel Diffusion assay for identification of Alpha-amylase inhibitors. Then after chromatographic separation of subfractions, their secondary screening was carried out by Glucose-Uptake assay in Yeast cells. Finally the in vitro Anti-diabetic activity of crude and screened subfraction of ethyl acetate extract of T. ammi was evaluated in 3T3-L1 cell lines. The results presented the antidiabetic activity of T. ammi and their fractions along with subfractions. Further in vitro cell line assay also proved the antidiabetic activity of T. ammi. It is suggested that the T. ammi had antidiabetic activity by inhibiting the α-amylase enzyme, also by facilitating the glucose utilization in adipose tissues and skeletal muscles.&#x0D; HIGHLIGHTS&#x0D; &#x0D; TLC analysis of crude extract of Trachyspermum ammi was performed&#x0D; Starch-Agar Gel Diffusion assay for identification of Alpha-amylase inhibitors was done&#x0D; Glucose-Uptake assay in Yeast cells was carried out&#x0D; In-vitro Anti-diabetic activity of ethyl acetate extract of ammi was evaluated in 3T3-L1 cell lines&#x0D; &#x0D; GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Enhancing biosynthesis and bioactivity of Trachyspermum ammi seed essential oil in response to drought and Azotobacter chroococcum stimulation

BackgroundPlant growth-promoting bacteria have fundamental role in enhancing natural bioactive compounds and proved to increase the plant growth and mineral availability in soil. These phytochemicals, like phenolic and essential oils, illustrated wide range of biological properties. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Azotobacter chroococcum (A. chroococcum) alone or in combination with slight (irrigation at 80% filed capacity) or moderate (irrigation at 60% filed capacity) drought stresses on the yield, phytochemicals, antioxidant, and the toxicity of Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi) seeds essential oil.ResultsOverall, the application of A. chroococcum as plant growth-promoting agent together with slight drought stress significantly (p < 0.05) resulted in higher essential oil yield, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and higher antioxidant activity. The gene expression analysis in the developing seeds confirmed the up-regulation in the expression of antioxidant-related gene (SOD) and thymol synthesis gene (TSG) upon A. chroococcum bacteria treatment in combination with slight drought stress. The toxicity study showed no prominent signs of toxicity in mice upon oral administration of essential oil up to 100 mg/kg body weight for 28 days.ConclusionThe slight drought stress (irrigation at 80% filed capacity) together with treatment of T. ammi plant with A. chroococcum bacteria as plant growth-promoting agent could be promising approach in improving the yield and medicinal value of the T. ammi seeds essential oil.Graphical

Macroporous resin-assisted enrichment, characterizations, antioxidant and anticandidal potential of phytochemicals from Trachyspermum ammi.

Extract of de-oiled seeds of Trachyspermum ammi was purified using macroporous resins and the performance of three resins were evaluated to enrich major phytochemical component. A HPLC method has been developed to separate major phytochemical constituents in the crude (CTAE) and partially purified extracts (PTAE). Macroporous resin assisted enrichment and purification suggested XAD-16 as the most efficient (yield 29.8%) followed by XAD-7HP and Diaion HP-20. Concentrated PTAE was subjected to multiple preparative-TLC to afford three compounds, namely, rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucopyranoside (TA-1), kaempferol-(coumaroyl-glucosyl)-rhamnoside (TA-2) and quercetin-3-O-galactoside (TA-3). The structure of these compounds was elucidated from their corresponding spectroscopic characterizations in FT-IR, HR-MS, and partially by 1 H NMR. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined. Antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, CUPRAC assays indicated the highest antioxidant potential of CTAE. Among the compounds, TA-1 exhibited the highest scavenging activity in ABTS (IC50 33.41µg/ml) and DPPH (IC50 69.23µg/ml), however, relatively lower than CTAE. In vitro anti-candidal activity against virulent strains of Candida spp. revealed C. albicans 4718 as the most susceptible (23.9µg/ml) to PTAE. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Seeds of Trachyspermum ammi has been extensively investigated for volatile aromatic components of the essential oil. However, the de-oiled seeds have rarely been exploited for potential bioactive phenolics. The present investigation envisaged possible utilization of the de-oiled Trachyspermum seeds for its phenolic constituents, which could be used as natural antioxidant with additional benefits of anticandidal properties. Indeed, macroporous resin assisted enrichment and purification of extracts of T. ammi seeds generate valuable reference compounds, rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucopyranoside, kaempferol-(coumaroyl glucosyl)-rhamnoside, and quercetin-3-O-galactoside.

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer activity of methanolic extract of Trachyspermum ammi seed on human oral cancer (KB) cell line

The present study was to determine the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant, and anticancer potential of methanolic extract from the seeds of Trachyspermumammi on KB, human oral cancer cell line using in the vitro assay system. The seeds of the T. Ammi were extracted with methanol. Phytochemical screening was done using standard qualitative biochemical tests. The antioxidant activity of the T. Ammi extract was determined by using a phosphomolybdenum assay.MTT assay was used to estimate the antiproliferative activity of the extract against the human oral cancer (KB) cell line. The apoptotic inducing ability of the extract was investigated by intracellular ROS analysis, antioxidant enzyme levels (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH), EtBr/AO staining, and TBARS analysis. The qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of different secondary metabolites. The phytochemical content present in the methanolic extract possessed high antioxidant capacity with transition metal reduction in phosphomolybdate assay. The methanol seed extract was found to be cytotoxic in vitro to (KB) oral cancer cell lines with IC50 value125µg/ml. Significantly, the T. Ammi seed extract showed a broad-spectrum anti-cancer activity through promoting ROS generation via modulating apoptosis induction in KBoral cancer cells. From the results, it can be concluded that T. ammiseed extract was a promising antioxidant and anticancer agent for KB human oral cancer cell line. The results figure the sufficient scientific backgrounds to isolate and purify the bioactive compounds in future for further applications.

Synthesis, Characterization and Bioactivity Profiling of Gold Nanoparticles of Trachyspermum ammi Crude Extract

Trachyspermum ammi seeds were selected for photochemical study. The crude T. ammi methanol and aqueous extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, coumarins, betacyanins, flavonoids and soluble starch. The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using T. ammi extract was characterized using UV-visible, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The appearance of sharp peak at 520 nm in the UV visible spectra, and the appearance of broad band nanoparticles spectra at 563.21 cm-1, 516.92 cm-1 and 462.92 cm-1 as well as the disappearance of the carboxyl OH bond and carbon-carbon triple bond supported the formation of AuNPs. The crude T. ammi methanol and AuNPs were investigated for antioxidant potential using DPPH· free radical assay, which shows that crude extract has significant antioxidant effect. The synthesized AuNPs was also evaluated for antibacterial activities against staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis. The crude extract showed activity against Bacillus subtilis, while AuNPs showed activity against staphylococcus aureus. The in vivo sedative effect and analgesic effect were enhanced in AuNPs treated animals in 5 times less dose (i.e., 5, and 10 mg/kg) than that of crude extract. It was concluded that T. ammi extract include capping and reducing agents, which make it capable to be developed as stable AuNPs. The biological action of AuNPs is either enhanced (sedative and analgesic) or changed (antibacterial activity), when compared with that of plant extract.

Volatile Oil, Phytochemical, and Biological Activities Evaluation of Trachyspermum ammi Seeds by Chromatographic and Spectroscopic Methods

Trachyspermum ammi L. (bishop’s weed), belonging to Apiaceae family, is used as a condiment in curries, and in folk medicine for its antidiarrheal and anthelmintic properties and as a laxative. The current study was designed to extract and analyze the volatile oil of T. ammi by simultaneous-distillation extraction (SDE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and identify its major constituents by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the study evaluated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticholinesterase activities by ultraviolet spectroscopy. Among the 81 prominent peaks observed in GC-MS, the major volatile flavor compounds were thymol (50.04%) > γ-terpinene (19.13%) > ρ-cymene (18.95%) > β-pinene (2.11%) > carvacrol (1.53%). Additionally, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol fractions exhibited comparatively high of phenolic and flavonoid contents. These fractions also potently inhibited the DPPH and ABTS free radicals. However, n-hexane, chloroform, and aqueous extracts were shown to provide significant antibacterial, antifungal, and anticholinesterase activities. Hence, T. ammi confirmed to be a rich source of volatiles and phenolics exhibiting significant antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities, and thus, may provide positive health impacts.

IN VITRO SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ISOLATED SHIGELLA FLEXNERI AND SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE TO THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF TRACHYSPERMUM AMMI AND PEGANUM HARMALA

Objective: This study represents the first attempt to investigate the antimicrobial activity of Peganum harmala, and Trachyspermum ammi seeds extract against the isolated bacillary dysentery-causing microorganisms.Methods: T. ammi and P. harmala were extracted by 96% ethanol using Soxhlet apparatus. The extracts were screened for their phytochemical constituents. Their antimicrobial activity against the isolated dysentery-causing microorganisms was evaluated using the agar diffusion method.Results: The antimicrobial activity result showed that, the two isolated bacteria, Shigella flexneri, and Shigella dysenteriae were found to be sensitive to the extract of T. ammi seed with inhibition zones up to 25 mm, compared to the inhibition zone of 20 mm produced by Gentamycin standard drug, this is mainly due to the presence of the different phytochemical in the extract such as tannin, flavonoids, terpenoids which are well known for their antimicrobial effects. The two isolated bacteria were found to be insensitive (zero mm) to P. harmala extract, Amoxicillin, and Amoclan (Amoxicillin+clavulanic acid) standard drugs, this is due to the fact that, the phytochemicals constituents of P. harmala possess the antagonistic effect to each other’s. Addition to; these bacteria became resistant to both Amoxicillin and Amoclan.Conclusion: From the results it concludes, T. ammi seeds extract had a considerable level of antimicrobial activity against bacillary dysentery-causing microorganisms resistant to Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin+clavulanic acid drugs.

EVALUATION OF TRACHYSPERMUM AMMI SEEDS FOR ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify medicinally important phytochemicals and evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Trachyspermum ammi seeds. Methods: Four different extracts (methanol, acetone, chloroform, and water) were prepared using a soxhlet apparatus, antimicrobial activity was tested using agar well-diffusion technique. Results: The results revealed the presence of flavonoids and saponins in all the extracts prepared. Similarly, alkaloids and phenols presence were obtained in methanol and aqueous extracts. Glycosides and carbohydrates in methanol, chloroform, and aqueous extracts. Further, proteins, terpenoids, and tannins presence were found in methanol, chloroform, and aqueous extracts, respectively. The maximum zone of inhibition was found in the methanolic extract (13.5 mm). Acetone, chloroform, and water extracts showed 9 mm, 10.5 mm, 11 mm respectively, while ciprofloxacin (control) showed 17.5 mm of the zone of inhibition. Conclusion: T. ammi seeds exert biological properties due to the presence of various chemical constituents. Thus, it can be used to obtain novel antibacterial compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases in the future.

Vibrational and electronic spectral analysis of thymol an isomer of carvacrol isolated from Trachyspermum ammi seed: A combined experimental and theoretical study

Abstract Phytochemical study of a natural product, Thymol an antiseptic drug was isolated from the seeds of Trachyspermum Ammi. The structure of thymol was established using spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, UV and GC–MS method. Density functional theory calculations were carried out for thymol and compared with its isomer carvacrol. DFT calculations have been performed at B3LYP/6–31 + G (d,p) level of theory for obtaining geometric and spectroscopic properties of thymol and carvacrol. The simulated vibrational spectrum of thymol at B3LYP/6–31 + G (d,p) shows a nice correlation with the experimental IR spectrum there by to confirm the structure of the isolated compound. The biological activity of thymol was carried out using molecular docking to identify the hydrogen bond lengths and binding energy with different antimicrobial protein. Further, electronic properties such as band gap, Ionization potential and electron affinities, inter-molecular interaction and thermodynamic properties were also simulated and reported for the first time.

Evaluation of the nutrient profile of Trachyspermum ammi L. seed under the influence of nanoparticles during germination.

Trachyspermum ammi L. commonly known as Ajwain is an annual herb belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is enormously grown in Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India as well as European region. Seeds of Ajwain were highly administered by traditional healers and usually employed for different ailments. Nanomaterials are known to have plant growth promoting effects, which could find applications in agriculture. In this study, the nanoparticles (NPs) showed the potential to enhance the primary metabolites when administered during germination. Therefore, nanoparticles elicitation can be used to increase the productivity, nutritional values and metabolite contents in Trachyspermum ammi L. This study aimed to provide new insight of the potential growth promoting effects of the nanoparticles () on plant system. Different concentrations of two nanoparticles, that is, iron pyrite (FeS2) and molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) at three different concentrations of 25ug/ml, 50ug/ml and 75ug/ml were tested on the seeds of Trachyspermum ammi L. The data indicated that nanoparticles enhanced the seedling growth as greener leafs and increased lengths of epicotyl and hypocotyls were seen. These nanoparticles also showed the potential to increase the contents of primary metabolites during germination and the total soluble protein content in seed was increased in nanoparticles-treated seeds as compared to control. The total protein profiling by SDS-PAGE indicated significant differences in number and molecular weights of protein bands upon exposure to nanoparticles.

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil Extracted by SC-CO₂ from Seeds of Trachyspermum ammi.

Bcakground: Extracts obtained from natural sources such as plants are of immense importance for humans. Methods: Therefore this study was conducted to obtain essential oil from the seeds of T. ammi by conventional and non-conventional methods. Hydrodistillation (HD), Solvent Extraction (SE), Ultrasonication (US), and Supercritical Carbon-dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction techniques were used to extract essential oil from the powdered seeds of T. ammi. A quality control method for each extracted oil was developed using HPTLC, FTIR, and GC-MS. The optimization process was carried out using fractional factorial design (FFD) under which three parameters were considered: pressure (150, 175, and 300 bar), temperature (25, 30, and 40 °C), and CO2 flow rate (5, 10, 15 g/min). Results: The yield of essential oil obtained from the HD, SE, US, and SC-CO2 methods were 1.20%, 1.82%, 2.30%, and 2.64% v/w, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH and superoxide scavenging methods and the IC50 (Inhibition Concentration) values of the T. ammi oil sample were found to be 36.41 and 20.55 µg mL−1, respectively. Conclusion: The present paper reported that different extraction methods lead to different yields of essential oils and the choice of a suitable method is extremely important to obtain more preferred compounds. The yield was higher in the SC-CO2 method and it is a sustainable and green extraction technique. Many important constituents were detected in analytical techniques. Antioxidant activities carried out showed that essential oil extracted from T. ammi seeds possess significant antioxidant activity.

Endothelium-independent vasorelaxant activity of Trachyspermum ammi essential oil on rat aorta

ABSTRACTSeveral pharmacological activities of the essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi seeds (TAEO) have been previously studied. These include antitussive, antihypertensive, and antispasmodic effects. However, its action on isolated aorta has not yet been studied. This study was aimed to investigate the vasorelaxant activity of TAEO and characterize its mechanism of action. Extraction of TAEO was performed using Clevenger-type apparatus with the final content of 4.5% (v/w). To evaluate some probable mechanisms of action of TAEO, the action isometric tension was then measured in the aortic rings from Wistar rats which were precontracted with phenylephrine (PHE) (1 µM) or KCl (60 mM). The major constituents of TAEO included Thymol (38.1%), gamma-terpinene (33.3%), and p-cymene (23.1%), as was analyzed by GC-MS. The cumulative concentrations of TAEO reduced precontraction caused by PHE and KCl (p < 0.05) significantly, which was dose dependent. The vasorelaxation caused by TAEO was not influenced in the presence of methylene blue and L-NAME in the endothelium-intact and denuded aorta ring. The inhibitory effect of TAEO on the aortic rings precontracted with KCl and PHE was considerably reduced by nifedipine. These findings hypothesized that the vasorelaxation caused by TAEO is completely endothelium independent and the extracellular Ca2+ influx was also inhibited by TAEO.

Antimicrobial Efficacies, Antioxidant Activity and Nutritional Potentials of Trachyspermum ammi

Trachyspermum ammi (TA) is a traditional medicinal plant which can be considered as a source of natural antioxidants and can be used for a wide range of infectious diseases. Our objectives were to explore the biochemical efficacies of the aqueous and acetonic extract of TA with special emphasis on antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Nutritional profile and phytochemical screening were performed by standard methods. The agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial activity against ten (10) clinical bacterial strains and five (5) fungal stains. The free radical scavenging activity of the acetonic extract was estimated spectrophotometrically by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. In seeds of TA, the crude fat, crude fiber, vitamin C, moisture, ash contents, crude protein, TSS, total acidity, pH and total sugar were 4.6 ± 0.19%, 4.2 ± 0.1%, 13.5 ± 0.7%, 9.5 ± 0.19%, 11.5 ± 1.7%, 1.46 ± 0.2%, 1.1 ± 0.01%, 0.65 ± 0.01%, 5.75 ± 0.9% and 5.1 ± 0.9% respectively. TA tested positive for alkaloids, carbohydrates and sugar, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, protein and amino acid, gum and mucilage and tannins, while negative results were found for saponins. Antioxidant assessments by DPPH assay showed that acetonic extract of TA possess high radical-scavenging activity i.e., 71.0 ± 2.3%. Vitamin C was used as reference standard. Susceptibility testing of acetonic extract of TA revealed strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (zone of growth inhibition 13 mm), good activity against Salmonella typhi and Xanthomonas (with zone diameter of 12 mm), while TA was least active against Salmonella heidelberg (inhibition zone diameter of 5 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Clostridium with 6 mm zone of inhibition. TA also exhibited maximum antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger (15 mm) and Entomola (11 mm). While least activity was observed against A. flavus and Alternaria alternata (inhibition zone diameter of 9 mm, each). Based on the experimental data, TA could be considered as a therapeutic agent to inhibit the free radical-mediated reactions in biological systems. However further molecular studies and mechanistic insights are needed.

Subcritical Water Extraction of Essential Oils from Trachyspermum ammi Seeds

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) was applied to extract essential oils from Trachyspermum ammi. Thymol as the main component of the extracted essential oils was quantified by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection at 280 nm. The effects of various parameters on SWE such as temperature, pressure, water flow rate and mean particle size were screened by a fractional factorial design. The results showed that the temperature and water flow rate were significant (p<0.05), but the mean particle size and pressure were found to be insignificant. The response surface methodology (RSM), based on central composite design (CCD) was employed to obtain the optimum conditions of the significant parameters (temperature and water flow rate). The most suitable condition for extraction of essential oils was found to be at temperature 175oC, water flow rate 4 mL/min, mean particle size 1 mm and pressure 2 MPa. At these optimum extraction parameters, the maximum yield of thymol obtained experimentally (12.9634 mg/g dry sample) found to be close to its predicted value of 12.8921. The mathematical model developed was found to fit well with the experimental data. The SWE yield at optimized conditions was significant compared by hydrodistillation.