Chemical composition of hips essential oils of some Rosa L. species

The chemical composition of the hips essential oils of 9 taxa of Rosa L. was analyzed and compared using the standardized analytical GC and GC/MS methods. The volatile hips oil compositions for these species are presented. All oil samples were dominated by following components: vitispiran (isomer), a-E-acaridial, dodecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, docosane (C22), beta-ionone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 2-heptanone, heptanal, myristic acid and linolic acid. Statistical analyses of 97 GC peaks of these oils were used to distinguish compositional patterns. There appeared to be correlation between the essential oil patterns and the classification within Rosa L. Cluster analysis of the composition of main components clearly showed two groups, one constituted by R. rugosa Thunb. from the Cinnamomea section, and the other constituted by the remaining taxa from the Caninae section.     

Antifeedant effects and chemical composition of essential oils from different populations of Lavandula luisieri L.

Forty-seven individual Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Riv.-Mart. plants were grouped into six categories according to their volatile composition using Principal Component Analysis. The essential oils from flowers and leaves from these six groups were analyzed by GC–MS and their antifeedant effects tested against the insect species Spodoptera littoralis, Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Myzus persicae; L. decemlineata and M. persicae being the most sensitive species. The antifeedant effects of these oils could not be justified by the activity of their major components considered individually thus pointing to synergistic effects among the oil components as suggested by a stepwise linear regression of compound concentrations on antifeedant effects for these groups.     

Variation of the chemical composition of essential oils in Brazilian populations of Cunila menthoides Benth. (Lamiaceae)

Cunila menthoides Benth. is characterized as a xilopodiferous subshrub with strong and pleasant smell. This species is commonly used in South Brazilian folk medicine. Air-dried samples of four Brazilian populations of C. menthoides were extracted by steam distillation and analyzed using GS and GS–MS. A total of 15 volatile compounds were detected and identified. Two groups, which can be considered as chemotypes, were formed by the average linkage cluster analysis. The first group was characterized by high concentrations of pulegone, with some individuals showing variations to menthone; and the second group was characterized by high concentrations of linalool.     

Chromatographic profiles and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils obtained from some species and cultivars of the Mentheae tribe (Lamiaceae)

The present study was focused on the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils (EsO) obtained from five Lamiaceae representatives grown in the south of Ukraine. Among them are Salvia sclarea L., Monarda didyma (cultivar ‘Cambridge Scarlet’), Thymus pulegioides (cultivar ‘2/6-07’), Thymus vulgaris (cultivar ‘Jalos’), and Thymus serpyllum L. The component analysis of the EsO was carried out by gas chromatography method coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antimicrobial properties of the EsO were determined using the agar diffusion test against widespread pathogenic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes) and opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. The EsO of Thymus serpyllum and Thymus vulgaris (cultivar ‘Jalos’) displayed noteworthy antibacterial properties against a wide spectrum of the microorganisms. These antimicrobial properties could be attributed to the high content of aromatic monoterpenoid thymol (52.56% and 47.33%, respectively). The EsO of Salvia sclarea with the dominance of linalyl acetate (45.51%) and linalool (38.98%) as well as Thymus pulegioides (cultivar ‘2/6-07’) containing α-citral (27.10%) and β-citral (17.11%) demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial effects on typical and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus with the inhibition zones in the range of 24.0–31.0 mm. The Salvia sclarea EsO demonstrated the most significant effect against clinical strains of Candida albicans. In conclusion, the present study revealed the chemical composition of five Lamiaceae species and cultivars grown in the south of Ukraine and considerable antimicrobial activity of the tested EsO, especially against the typical and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The obtained results could be perspective for applying in the pharmaceutical industry and for the conservation of food and cosmetic products.     

Antimicrobial activity of some Salvia species essential oils from Iran

The aerial parts of Salvia multicaulis, S. sclarea and S. verticillata were collected at full flowering stage. The essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by combination of capillary GC and GC-MS. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oils were studied against eight Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumulis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and three fungi (Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger). The results of antibacterial activity tests of the essential oils according to the disc diffusion method and MIC values indicated that all the samples have moderate to high inhibitory activity against the tested bacteria except for P. aeruginosa which was totally resistant. In contrast to antibacterial activity, the oils exhibited no or slight antifungal property, in which only the oil of S. multicaulis showed weak activity against two tested yeasts, C. albicans and S. cerevisiae.     

Variation of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils of Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae) collected from different bioclimatic areas of Tunisia

The variation of the essential oils composition of 10 Tunisian Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) Huds. Populations and their antioxidant activity were assessed. Essential oils showed high percentages of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Rotundifolone, p-menthane-1,2,3-triol, β-caryophyllene and germacrene D were identified as main compounds at the species level. A variation in the essential oil composition was observed according to the populations and ecological factors. The populations 7, 8, 9 and 10 from the upper semi-arid bioclimatic zone and situated at high altitudes, exhibited the highest amount of rotundifolone. The populations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 from the lower humid showed a rotundifolone/β-caryophyllene/germacrene D chemotype. The population 6, situated at the lowest altitude, was characterized by the highest amount of p-menthane-1,2,3-triol. The level of antioxidant activity of the populations was linked to their chemical composition difference. The highest scavenging activity and the best ability to reduce ferric ions were recorded for the population 10. The most important capacity to inhibit β-carotene bleaching was revealed for the population 8. For all populations, the antioxidant activities were substantial but lower than antioxidant standards used (Trolox and BHT).The populations (7, 8, 9 and 10) from the upper semi-arid showed the best yields of essential oils and the highest contents of rotundifolone. Chemotypes within these populations could be selected for improvement programs.     

Chemical composition of the essential oils of two Rhodiola species from Tibet

The essential oils from rhizomes of Rhodiola crenulata and R. fastigiata in eastern Tibet were analyzed by using GC-MS. The major constituents were geraniol (53.3%), n-octanol (13.4%), 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (10.8%), citronellol (5.3%), 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol (4.0%), myteol (3.0%), and linalool (2.4%) for R. crenulata and geraniol (45.3%), n-octanol (12.3%), 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (8.0%), linalool (5.1%), isogeraniol (4.5%), citronellol (4.4%), and cis-sabinenehydrate (3.6%) for R. fastigiata.     

Floral nectar chemical composition of some species from Patagonia. II

Floral nectar chemical compositions of 28 species native to Argentinian Patagonia are reported. Most data obtained are new reports at the generic and/or the specific level. Nectars of these species show high mean concentrations (42.35±15.56; %, wt/total wt of solution). Most of the species are hexose dominant (68%) and the remaining are sucrose rich (11%) or sucrose dominant (21%). The hexose ratio shows that in most species (71%) glucose predominates over fructose. The nectars of all species have amino acids. In 32% of them, lipids were detected, whereas phenols were present in around 60%. Most of the species are entomophilous, mainly melittophilous and psychophilous. These data together with those of our previous report include a total of 57 species from 19 families, and suggest three trends in the nectar sugar traits of Patagonian plants, regardless of their systematic relationship or floral syndrome: high concentration, hexose dominance, and predominance of glucose. These results suggest that nectar characteristics are not always as similar for plants pollinated by the same animal taxa as formerly thought.     

Antifungal activity of the essential oils from some species of the genus Pinus

The chemical composition of the essential oils from the needles of Pinus ponderosa (north american pine), P. resinosa (red pine) and P. strobus (eastern white pine) has been determined by GC/MS (FID). The essential oils from P. resinosa and P. ponderosa in comparison to P. strobus have been characterized by the higher content of beta-pinene (42.4%, 45.7% and 7.9% respectively). On the other hand, a-pinene (17.7%) and germacrene D (12.2%) were dominant compounds of P strobus. Moreover the essential oil from P. resinosa was more rich in myrcene-15.9%. Estragole and delta-3-carene, each one in amount ca 8% were identified only in P. ponderosa. The content of essential oils in the needles slightly varied--0.65%--P. resinosa, 0.4%--P strobus, 0.3%--P. ponderosa. The antifungal activity has been investigated towards Fusarium culmorum, F solani and F. poae. The strongest activity was observed for the essential oil from P. ponderosa, which fully inhibited the growth of fungi at the following concentrations--F. culmorum, F. solani at 2% and F. poae at 5%.     

Variations in the essential oil composition from different parts of Coriandrum sativum L. cultivated in Tunisia

Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from different organs (flowers, leaves, stems and roots) of Tunisian coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) was analyzed. GC and GC-MS analysis enabled us to identify 64 compounds and revealed great qualitative and quantitative differences between the analyzed parts. In all organs, the main compound was (E)-2-dodecenal, followed by (E)-2-tridecenal, gamma-cadinene, (Z)-myroxide, neryl acetate and eugenol. Multivariate analysis (PCA) revealed a high similarity in the essential oils composition between upper leaves and flowers in one hand and basal leaves, roots and stems on the other hand. Further, it has been reported an organ-dependant distribution of essential oil compounds.     

Chemotaxonomy of Serbian Teucrium species inferred from essential oil chemical composition: the case of Teucrium scordium L. ssp. scordioides

The volatile constituents of Teucrium scordium L. ssp. scordioides, T. polium, and T. montanum, obtained by hydrodistillation, were investigated by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. A total of 296 constituents were identified, representing 89.8-98.4% of the oil compositions. The oils of T. polium and T. montanum consisted mainly of sesquiterpenes (64.3 and 72.7%, resp.), with germacrene D (4; 31.0%) and δ-cadinene (10; 8.1%) as the main constituents, respectively. In contrast, the monoterpene menthofuran (1; 11.9%) predominated in the oil of T. scordium ssp. scordioides, and this clearly distinguished this species from the other Teucrium taxa investigated up to date. The chemistry of the volatiles of eight Teucrium taxa from Serbia and Montenegro were compared using multivariate statistical analysis, and this provided chemotaxonomically important conclusions.     

Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of essential oils from Piper species

The larvicidal activity of essential oils of four species of Piper from the Amazon Forest was tested using third-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. The oils were extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by GC and GC–MS. The main components isolated from each Piper species were as follows: viridiflorol (27.50%), aromadendrene (15.55%) and β-selinene (10.50%) from Piper gaudichaudianum; β-selinene (15.77%) and caryophyllene oxide (16.63%) from Piper humaytanum; dillapiol (54.70%) and myristicin (25.61%) from Piper permucronatum; and asaricin (27.37%) and myristicin (20.26%) from Piper hostmanianum. Amongst all essential oils tested, the most active against larvae of A. aegypti was the oil extracted from P. permucronatum, with a LC₅₀ = 36 μg/ml (LC₉₀ = 47 μg/ml), followed by the essential oil of P. hostmanianum, with a LC₅₀ = 54 μg/ml (LC₉₀ = 72 μg/ml). The oils with higher content of arylpropanoids were more active against larvae of A. aegypti.     

Associating particulate essential fatty acids of the ω3 family with phytoplankton species composition in a Siberian reservoir

1. We studied variation in the composition of fatty acids in the seston of a small freshwater reservoir with changes in phytoplankton composition during four growth seasons. We focused on the dynamics of the ω3 fatty acids because of their potential importance for zooplankton nutrition. 2. Total diatoms were related to the 20:5ω3 fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic, EPA) content in seston. Among two dominant diatom genera, Cyclotella was not associated with EPA content. In contrast, there was a significant correlation between Stephanodiscus and the percentage contribution and content of EPA throughout the study. Hence, freshwater diatoms can differ strongly in content of the essential EPA. 3. We considered abundant cyanobacteria as a potential source of 18:3ω3 fatty acid (linolenic, ALA) to aquatic food webs. Among four dominant cyanobacteria species, two (Anabaena flos‐aquae and Planktothrix agardhii) showed significant correlation with the ALA content of the seston, while the other two (Aphanizomenon flos‐aquae and Microcystis aeruginosa) did not. 4. Dinophyta had a relatively high level of 22:6ω3 (docosahexaenoic, DHA) for freshwater species and can be also a source of EPA to aquatic food webs. 5. Our results show that various species of diatoms as well as cyanobacteria can be of contrasting nutritional value for zooplankton because of their different content of the essential PUFAs. Diatoms, which are low in EPA, could not be considered as a valuable food, while some field populations of cyanobacteria might be valuable sources of essential ALA.     

DNA barcoding of some medicinally important plant species of Lamiaceae family in India

Molecular Biology Reports - Several species of the Lamiaceae family are the primary source of bioactive aromatic oils and secondary metabolites, having broader applications in the cosmetics,...     

Yield,chemical composition,and bioactivity of essential oils from 12 species of Eucalyptus on Aedes aegypti larvae

The insecticidal activity of essential oils from 12 species of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) was evaluated on larvae of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae), the most important vector of dengue and yellow fever in the Americas. Oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and their chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry; yields ranged from 0.2 to 2.5%. Essential oils were mainly composed of 1,8‐cineole, α‐pinene, α‐phellandrene, β‐phellandrene, γ‐terpinene, 4‐terpineol, α‐terpineol, p‐cymene, and spathulenol. Larvicidal effects were tested on susceptible third or fourth stage Ae. aegypti larvae, determining median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) and median effective concentration (EC₅₀). Essential oils from Eucalyptus dunnii (Maiden), Eucalyptus gunnii (Hook), Eucalyptus tereticornis (Smith), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Dehn), and Eucalyptus saligna (Smith) showed the best larvicidal activities with LC₅₀ values of 25.2, 21.1, 22.1, 26.8, and 22.2, respectively. No significant differences were observed between LC₅₀ and EC₅₀ values of the same oil. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between total essential oil yields and 1,8‐cineole concentration. Significant relationships were also revealed between larval mortality and the concentration of 1,8‐cineole and p‐cymene. This indicated that Eucalyptus species with high oil yields have higher 1,8‐cineole concentrations and lower p‐cymene concentrations and have less effect on Ae. aegypti. Our results suggest the potential of controlled crossing methods to obtain Eucalyptus trees with chemical profiles having enhanced activity against this mosquito.     

Chemical composition of the essential oils of two Alpinia species from Hainan Island, China

The essential oils of two Alpinia species, ie. A. hainanensis and A. katsumadai, from Hainan Island, China were analyzed by using GC-MS. The major constituents in the leaf oil of A. hainanensis were ocimene (27.4%), beta-pinene (10.1%), 9-octadecenoic acid (6.5%), n-hexadecanoic acid (5.8%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (5.4%), and terpinen (4.3%). The oil constituents obtained from the flowers of A. hainanensis were ocimene (39.8%), beta-pinene (17.7%), terpinene (5.5%), p-menth-1-en-ol (4.9%), caryophyllene (4.9%), and phellandrene (4.4%). In A. katsumadai, the major constituents in the leaf oil were p-menth-1-en-ol (22.0%), terpinen (19.0%), 4-carene (9.1%), 1,8-cineole (8.3%), and camphor (5.6%). The major constituents in the flower oil were p-menth-1-en-ol (21.3%), 1,8-cineole (20.2%), terpinen (12.6%), phellandrene (7.0%), 4-carene (6.4%), and beta-pinene (5.2%).     

Chemical composition of the essential oils of two Chinese endemic Meconopsis species

The essential oils from two Chinese endemic Meconopsis species, i. e., M. punicea and M. delavayi, were analyzed by using GC-MS for the first time. The major constituents were hexadecanoic acid (16.8%), 1,2-dimethyl naphthalene (11.4%), 1,4-dimethyl naphthalene (6.6%), 1,3-dimethyl-5-ethyl naphthalene (5.9%), and 3-methyl biphenyl (5.6%) for M. punicea, and hexadecanoic acid (9.9%), 1,2-dimethyl naphthalene (7.9%), 1,3-dimethyl-5-ethyl naphthalene (6.2%), tetradecane (5.9%), and hexyl cinnamaldehyde (5.5%) for M. delavayi.     

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils extracted from Korean endemic citrus species

The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of 14 kinds of citrus oils and to test their biological activities. Citrus essential oils were obtained by steam distillation from immature fruits collected from Jeju Island and were analyzed using gas chromatograph (GC)- flame ionization detectors (FID) and GC-MS. Limonene (55.4% to 91.7%), myrcene (2.1% to 32.1%), alpha-pinene (0.6% to 1.6%) and linalool (0.4% to 6.9%) were the major components in most citrus species. To evaluate in vitro antibacterial activity, all essential oils were tested against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Nine out of fourteen citrus oils exhibited antibacterial activity against P. acnes, but not against S. epidermidis. The effects of the citrus oils on DPPH radical scavenging, superoxide radical anion scavenging, nitric oxide radical, and cytotoxicity were also assessed. Three essential citrus oils, Joadeung, Dongjunggyul, and Bujiwha, exhibited potent inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production. Two essential oils, Dongjunggyul and Joadeung, showed potent free radical scavenging activities in the DPPH assay. For future applications in cosmetic products, we also performed MTT assays in a human dermal fibroblast cell line. The majority of the essential oils showed no cytotoxicity. The results indicate that citrus essential oils can be useful natural agents for cosmetic application.     

心叶留兰香的挥发油成分

心叶留兰香的挥发油成分周自新, 桂新（南京市卫生防疫站,南京２１０００３）（安徽中医学院中药系,合肥２３００３８）Ｔｈｅｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｃｏｍｐｏｎｅｎｔｓｉｎｔｈｅｅｓｓｅｎｔｉａｌｏｉｌｓｆｒｏｍｍｅｎｔｈａｃｏｒｄｉｆｏｌｉａ￥ＺｈｏｕＺｉ－Ｘ?..