Screening of chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Artemisia essential oils

The chemical composition of essential oils isolated from aerial parts of seven wild sages from Western Canada – Artemisia absinthium L., Artemisia biennis Willd., Artemisia cana Pursh, Artemisia dracunculus L., Artemisia frigida Willd., Artemisia longifolia Nutt. and Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt., was investigated by GC–MS. A total of 110 components were identified accounting for 71.0–98.8% of the oil composition. High contents of 1,8-cineole (21.5–27.6%) and camphor (15.9–37.3%) were found in Artemisia cana, A. frigida, A. longifolia and A. ludoviciana oils. The oil of A. ludoviciana was also characterized by a high content of oxygenated sesquiterpenes with a 5-ethenyltetrahydro-5-methyl-2-furanyl moiety, of which davanone (11.5%) was the main component identified. A. absinthium oil was characterized by high amounts of myrcene (10.8%), trans-thujone (10.1%) and trans-sabinyl acetate (26.4%). A. biennis yielded an oil rich in (Z)-beta-ocimene (34.7%), (E)-beta-farnesene (40.0%) and the acetylenes (11.0%) (Z)- and (E)-en-yn-dicycloethers. A. dracunculus oil contained predominantly phenylpropanoids such as methyl chavicol (16.2%) and methyl eugenol (35.8%). Artemisia oils had inhibitory effects on the growth of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis), yeasts (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans), dermatophytes (Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum), Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Aspergillus niger. A. biennis oil was the most active against dermatophytes, Cryptococcus neoformans, Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Aspergillus niger, and A. absinthium oil the most active against Staphylococcus strains. In addition, antioxidant (beta-carotene/linoleate model) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities were determined, and weak activities were found for these oils.     

Trypanocidal,trichomonacidal and cytotoxic components of cultivated Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus (Asteraceae) essential oil

Artemisia absinthium is an aromatic and medicinal plant ofethnopharmacological interest and it has been widely studied. The use ofA.absinthium based on the collection of wild populations can result invariable compositions of the extracts and essential oils (EOs). The aim of this paperis the identification of the active components of the vapour pressure (VP) EO from aselected and cultivated A. absinthiumSpanish population (T2-11)against two parasitic protozoa with different metabolic pathways: Trypanosomacruzi andTrichomonas vaginalis. VP showed activity onboth parasites at the highest concentrations. The chromatographic fractionation ofthe VP T2-11 resulted in nine fractions (VLC1-9). The chemical composition of thefractions and the antiparasitic effects of fractions and their main compounds suggestthat the activity of the VP is related with the presenceoftrans-caryophyllene and dihydrochamazulene (main components offractions VLC1 and VLC2 respectively). Additionally, the cytotoxicity of VP andfractions has been tested on several tumour and no tumour human cell lines. FractionsVLC1 and VLC2 were not cytotoxic against the nontumoural cell line HS5, suggestingselective antiparasitic activity for these two fractions. The VP and fractionsinhibited the growth of human tumour cell lines in a dose-dependent manner.     

中国蒿属植物化学分类的初步研究――精油化学成分与系统分类的相关性

分析了171个中国蒿属植物样品的精油化学成分,鉴定出305个化合物。这些样品代表64个种,其中蒿亚属47种,龙蒿亚属17种。 分析结果表明,这些化合物在两亚属中的分布有一定的规律性。在蒿亚属精油中主要含单萜类和倍半萜类化合物,而在龙蒿亚屑精油中主要含倍半萜类化合物和芳香族化合物。这种分布与中国蒿属植物从较原始到进化划分为7个组的系统分类有一定的相关性,即蒿亚属:莳萝蒿组(单萜类化合物)→艾蒿组(单萜类化合物)→艾组(单萜类化合物)→腺毛蒿组(单萜类化合物和倍半萜类化合物)→白苞蒿组(倍半萜类化合物)。龙蒿亚属:龙蒿组(倍半萜类化合物和芳香族化合物)→牡蒿组(倍半萜类化合物和芳香族化合物)。     

植物精油化学成分及其抗菌活性的研究进展

植物精油是一类从植物中萃取的芳香味油状液体,是一类优良的天然抗菌材料。作为抗菌材料,植物精油具有以下优点:具有广谱高效的抗菌活性;具有熏蒸特性、气味芳香;取自天然植物,绿色环保;来源广,提取容易。植物精油因其多种优点,在抗菌领域具有巨大的潜在应用价值。本文从植物精油的分布及化学成分、抗细菌活性和抗真菌活性的研究,以及植物精油化学成分与抗菌活性之间的联系等方面对植物精油的抗菌性能进行评述,以期促进植物精油在抗菌领域的广泛应用,同时给从事植物精油抗菌研究的科研工作者提供参考。     

Campanula portenschlagiana Roem. et Schult.: Chemical and Antimicrobial Activities

The phytochemical profile and the antimicrobial effects of the volatile oil and the aqueous extract of Campanula portenschlagiana, a wild growing plant endemic to Croatia, were described. In the volatile oil, 53 compounds were identified by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. Diterpene alcohols constituted the major compound class with labda‐13(16),14‐dien‐8‐ol as the main compound. The aqueous extract was characterized by the total phenolic content. The antimicrobial potential of the volatile oil and the aqueous extract was evaluated against a diverse range of microorganisms comprising food‐spoilage and food‐borne pathogens. The volatile oil exhibited interesting and promising antimicrobial effects against the tested species, which were generally more pronounced against Gram‐negative bacteria. In addition, the inhibitory effect of this volatile oil was also evaluated against eleven extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL)‐producing isolates. The results suggest that the C. portenschlagiana volatile oil might be used as antimicrobial agent against ESBL‐producing isolates and Gram‐negative bacteria.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Teucrium ramosissimum (Lamiaceae)

The phytochemical composition of the essential oil of Teucrium ramosissimum (aerial parts), harvested in a mountainous region of Tunisia, was analyzed. A total of 68 compounds, accounting for 99.44% of the essential oil, were identified by GC and GC/MS. The major compounds were beta-eudesmol (61; 44.52%), caryophyllene oxide (56; 9.35%), alpha-thujene (1; 5.51%), sabinene (4; 4.71%), and T-cadinol (59; 3.9%). The essential oil, which is being used in Tunisian folk medicine against infectious diseases, was tested for its antimicrobial properties against five different bacteria, and found to have weak to moderate activity, with minimal-inhibitory-concentration (MIC) and minimal-bactericidal-concentration (MBC) values in the range 0.24-0.36 and 1.3-2.9 mg/ml, resp.