广西小叶红叶藤挥发油化学成分及抗氧化性研究

采用气相色谱-质谱联用技术对小叶红叶藤挥发油的化学成分进行分析,并用DPPH·法、ABTS,+法和铁氰化钾还原法对其抗氧化能力进行研究.结果表明:从小叶红叶藤挥发油分离出221个色谱峰,共鉴定64个化合物,占挥发油总量的95.72％,主要成分为dl-薄荷酮(53.43％)、(E)-薄荷酮(14.20％)、5-甲基-2-...     

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.     

江西迷迭香精油的成分分析及抗氧化、抑菌活性研究

为了研究江西迷迭香精油的化学成分及抗氧化、抑菌活性,采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取迷迭香精油,利用气相色谱-质谱联用法(GC-MS)对迷迭香精油成分进行分析,通过对DPPH自由基、羟基自由基的清除活性和还原力来研究迷迭香精油的体外抗氧化活性;通过以枯草芽孢杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌为供试菌,测定抑菌圈大小和最低抑菌浓度(MIC)来研究迷迭香精油的抑菌活性。实验结果表明,从迷迭香精油中鉴定出40种化学成分,占精油总量的99.46%,其主要化学成分有α-蒎烯(39.05%)和1,8-桉叶素(16.86%),其次是莰烯(4.22%)、D-柠檬烯(3.87%)、龙脑(3.74%)、β-石竹烯(3.11%)等,α-蒎烯的含量高于国内其他产地;迷迭香精油对DPPH、羟基自由基和还原力的半数清除率IC₅₀值分别为76.42、51.40和49.15μL/mL;精油对枯草芽孢杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌的抑菌圈大小分别为14.40±0.66、11.41±0.19、11.70±0.27 mm,最低抑菌浓度(MIC)分别为2.50、10.00、10.00μL/mL,对枯草芽孢杆菌的抑制作用明显强于金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌。结果表明迷迭香精油具有较好的抗氧化、抑菌活性。     

粤北阴香不同器官中精油成分研究

采用水蒸汽同步蒸馏法分别对采自粤北的阴香的果、叶、枝条提取精油,并用气质联用仪对所提取的精油进行了成分分析和鉴定。共鉴定了41种成分,主要成分为龙脑（68．5％～73．8％）、芳香醇、丁子香烯、橙花叔醇、榄香烯、柠檬醛、莰烯、葑醇、愈创烯、香叶烯、枞萜、萜品醇、蒎烯等。阴香不同器官（果、叶、枝）中的精油成分及所占比例均有差异。     

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, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the essential oils of three Salvia species from Turkish flora

Essential oils of three different Salvia species [Salvia aucheri var. aucheri (endemic), Salvia aramiensis and Salvia pilifera (endemic)] were screened for their possible antioxidant and antimicrobial properties as well as their chemical compositions. According to the gas chromatography (GC)/EIMS (gas chromatography/electron impact mass spectrum) analysis results; 41 (97.2%), 51 (98.5%) and 83 compounds (98.2%) were identified, respectively. While 1,8-cineole (30.5%), camphor (21.3%) and borneol (8.50%) are the major compounds for S. aucheri var. aucheri oil, beta-pinene (10.3%), was the main constituent for S. aramienesis together with 1,8-cineole (46.0%) and camphor (8.7%). In the case of S. pilifera oil, alpha-thujene (36.1%) and alpha-pinene (13.8%) determined as the major compounds. Antioxidant activity was employed by two complementary test systems namely 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and beta-carotene/linoleic acid systems. Antioxidant activity of S. aramiensis was found to be higher than those of the others for the both systems (12.26+/-1.09 and 92.46%+/-1.64 microg mg(-1), respectively). Additionally, antioxidant activities of BHT, curcumin, ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol were determined in parallel experiments. In the case of antimicrobial activity, similar activity pattern was obtained (both in disc diffusion and MIC tests). Antimicrobial activity of S. aramiensis was followed by S. aucheri var. aucheri and S. pilifera, respectively. In these experiments, the most sensitive microorganism Acinetobacter lwoffii was followed by Candida albicans.     

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils of Salvia officinalis aerial parts as affected by diurnal variations

The main objective of this work is to evaluate the impact of the diurnal variation on the essential oil (EO) of Salvia officinalis and on their antioxidant, antifungal and insecticidal potentials. Obtained results showed that the chemical composition of EOs of sage varied significantly during the day. For the EO, the 7 am extract was characterized by the most significant antiradical activity. The EOs of 12 and 5 pm used at a dose of 10 μL were found to have the most effective potential to inhibit the growth of Botrytis cinerea whereas, the EO of 5 pm used at the same dose (10 μL) was the most effective against Fusarium sambucinum. For the fumigant test, the EO from 7 am had the highest activity against Spodoptera littoralis. The EO of 12 pm had the largest repellency activity against Trogoderma granarium. In addition, the EO from 7 am belongs to the repulsive class III, those of 12 and 5 pm belong to the repulsive class IV. The results of this study indicate how to optimize the best harvesting hour to obtain extracts characterized by the best yield of active compounds and by the more effective biological activity.     

Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oils from Spain: composition,antioxidant capacity,lipoxygenase and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory capacities,and antimicrobial activities

Abstract

Six Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oils (RoEOs) from Murcia (Spain) were studied using gas chromatography. Analysis of their relative and absolute composition showed 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene and camphene to be the main compounds. Moreover, enantioselective gas chromatographies showed different enantiomeric ratios of camphor, limonene and borneol. The antioxidant and chelating capacities of RoEOs and their individual components were measured in an attempt to ascertain the cause of RoEO activity as a whole. All the essential oils were able to inhibit lipoxygenase activity due to bornyl acetate, camphor, terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole and acetylcholinesterase activity due to 3-carene and 1,8-cineole, mainly. When the antimicrobial activities were tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, the least sensitive microorganism was P. aeruginosa and the most sensitive C. albicans. This study furthers our knowledge of six RoEOs from two chemotypes, all of which show potential for industrial applications.     

Terpenoid compositions, and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the rhizome essential oils of different Hedychium species

A phytochemical study of the rhizome essential oils of four different Hedychium species was performed by means of GC and GC/MS analyses. H. ellipticum mainly contained 1,8-cineole, sabinene, and terpin-4-ol, while H. aurantiacum possessed terpin-4-ol, para-cymene, and bornyl acetate as the major entities. Similarly, trans-meta-mentha-2,8-diene and linalool were noticed in H. coronarium. Three different collections (I-III) of H. spicatum showed amazing differences in the relative contents of their essential oils, 1,8-cineole and 10-epi-gamma-eudesmol being identified as markers for samples I and II, terpin-4-ol and sabinene being the major compounds in sample III. The rhizome essential oils of the above species were studied for their antioxidant activities by different methods, including their effect on the chelating properties of Fe(2+), DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and reducing power. Antimicrobial screenings of the oils by the paper-disc method were performed against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica enterica, and the respective minimum-inhibitory-concentration (MIC) values were determined. The rhizome essential oils from all Hedychium species exhibited moderate-to-good Fe(2+) chelating activity. H. spicatum from collection site III showed a completely different DPPH radical-scavenging profile than the samples from the other collection sites.     

Achillea ligustica: composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from the leaves, flowers and some pure constituents

The composition of the essential oils obtained from the leaves and the flowers of Achillea ligustica (Asteraceae) growing in Sicily has been studied. The main constituents of the leaves were 4-terpineol (19.3%), carvone (8.9%), γ-terpinene (7.2%) and β-phellandrene (6.8%). 4-terpineol (12.0%), carvone (10.0%), and β-phellandrene (5.4%), along with linalool (20.4%) and cedrol (4.3%) were detected in the flower’s oil. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and of some of the main constituents were assayed on bacteria and fungi. In memory of Prof. Ivano Morelli (1940–2005)     

The survival of three strains of Arcobacter butzleri in the presence of lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils and their components in vitro and on food

AIMS: To test the effect of oils and vapours of lemon, sweet orange and bergamot and their components against three Arcobacter butzleri strains. METHODS AND RESULTS: The disc diffusion method was used to screen the oils and vapours against three strains of A. butzleri. In vitro bergamot was the most inhibitory essential oil (EO) and both citral and linalool were effective. On cabbage leaf, the water isolate was the least susceptible to bergamot EO, citral and linalool (1-2 log reduction), with the chicken isolate being the most susceptible (6-8 log reduction). However, the latter appeared not to be susceptible to vapours over 24 h although type strain and water isolate populations reduced by 8 logs. On chicken skin, the effectiveness of the oils was reduced compared with that on cabbage leaf. CONCLUSIONS: Bergamot was the most effective of the oils tested and linalool the most effective component. All strains tested were less susceptible in food systems than in vitro. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Arcobacter isolates vary in their response to EO suggesting that the results of type strain studies should be interpreted with caution. Bergamot EO has the potential for the inhibition of this 'emerging' pathogen.     

紫娇花挥发油成分的GC-MS分析及抗氧化能力测定

采用水蒸气蒸馏法和固相微萃取法提取紫娇花不同部位的挥发油,结合气相色谱—质谱(GC-MS)与计算机检索联用技术对其化学成分进行分析和鉴定,用面积归一化法测定各组分的相对含量,并对该挥发油清除DPPH·自由基能力和总抗氧化能力进行了研究。结果表明:紫娇花挥发油具有成分及相对含量差异大、成分较简单、化合物种类以含硫化合物为主的特点。两种方法在紫娇花不同部位挥发油中共检测出了16种化学成分,以硫醚类和含硫烃类化合物为主,相对含量占总成分在80%以上,其中Disulfide,bis(2-sulfhydrylethyl)-含量最高,其余许多成分还具有一定的药用价值。两种方法所得到的挥发油化学成分具有一定的差异性,固相微萃取法对醇类、醛类和酯类物质提取效果较好,而水蒸气蒸馏法对含硫烃类、硫醚类和萜类的提取效果更好。实验条件下紫娇花挥发油清除DPPH·自由基的IC_(50)为17.46 mg·mL~(-1),清除率可达54.86%;紫娇花挥发油在相同条件下较L-抗坏血酸具有更强的总抗氧化力。该研究结果为进一步开发利用该植物资源提供了理论依据。     

Antioxidant,antimicrobial activities and comparative analysis of the composition of essential oils of leaf,stem, flower and aerial part of Nepeta hindostana

Nepeta hindostana (B.Heyne ex Roth) Haines is belonging to lamiaceae family and used as a component of herbal ayurvedic formulation Abana which is useful for the treatment of Hyperlipidemia, Dyslipidemia and Hypercholesterolemia. In the present study, the essential oil from aerial parts (flower, leaves, stem and whole aerial) was collected and the major constituents of essential oils were characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS and further evaluated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy. The major components of the essential oil were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (77.2, 80.5, 62.5, 77.8%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (10.5, 9.2, 20.6, 9.2%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (5.3, 4.2, 2.5, 3.6%) in leaves, stem, flowers and aerial part, respectively. The major compounds in essential oils were identified as β-sesquiphellandrene, cadina-1,4-diene, α-cadinene, (E)-caryophyllene, α-humulene and β-bisabolene. At 100 μg/mL concentration, leaves essential oil showed strong 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate free radical scavenging activity with the IC₅₀ 2.8 μg/mL and 34.0% by β-carotene bleaching assay. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity was tested against four Gram-negative and five Gram-positive pathogenic strains. The essential oil from flower showed potent activity (37.5 μg/ml) against S. aureus, S. mutans but was less active against Gram-negative bacterial strains. In anti-MRSA activity, leaves and flowers exhibited strong activity against S. aureus (SA-2071) and S. aureus (SA-4627) with lowest IC₅₀ value of 50–100 μg/mL. Overall, N. hinodostana (L.) essential oil represented a potential reservoir of molecules having potent antioxidant and antimicrobial potential.     

Essential oils from wild populations of Algerian Lavandula stoechas L.: composition, chemical variability, and in vitro biological properties

In an effort to develop local productions of aromatic and medicinal plants, a comprehensive assessment of the composition and biological activities of the essential oils (EOs) extracted from the aerial flowering parts of wild growing Lavandula stoechas L. collected from eleven different locations in northern Algeria was performed. The oils were characterized by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses, and 121 compounds were identified, accounting for 69.88–91.2% of the total oil compositions. The eleven oils greatly differed in their compositions, since only 66 compounds were common to all oils. Major EO components were fenchone ( 2 ; 11.27–37.48%), camphor ( 3 , 1.94–21.8%), 1,8‐cineole ( 1 ; 0.16–8.71%), and viridiflorol ( 10 ; 2.89–7.38%). The assessed in vitro biological properties demonstrated that the DPPH‐based radical‐scavenging activities and the inhibition of the β‐carotene/linoleic acid‐based lipid oxidation differed by an eight‐fold factor between the most and the least active oils and were linked to different sets of molecules in the different EOs. The eleven EOs exhibited good antimicrobial activities against most of the 16 tested strains of bacteria, filamentous fungi, and yeasts, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.16 to 11.90 mg/ml.     

Comparative evaluation of petitgrain oils from six Citrus species alone and in combination as potential functional anti-radicals and antioxidant agents*

Six Citrus petitgrain oils, namely C. × sinensis (L.) Osbeck., C. × limon (L.) Osbeck., C. × clementina Hort., C. × aurantium L., C. reticulata Blanco and C. × bergamia Risso & Poit. (P1-P6), were characterized by means of gas chromatography equipped with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and evaluated for their food functional-related properties. Antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties were tested by means of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, β-carotene bleaching test and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays. The synergistic interactions on antioxidant efficacy of petitgrain oils in combination were studied. The Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI) was applied from the perspective of statistics by integrating the antioxidant capacity data determined by all used methods. A high content of monoterpenes and a less representative content of sesquiterpenes characterized Citrus petitgrain oils. In the DPPH assay, C. × aurantium showed major effectiveness with an IC₅₀ value of 27.2 μg/ml. Citrus petitgrains oils, a rich source of healthy phytochemicals, should be considered a by-product of interest.     

Impact of essential oils on growth rate, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol production by Fusarium graminearum under different temperature and water activity conditions in maize grain

AIMS: The effect of five essential oils (oregano, cinnamon, lemongrass, clove and palmarose) on growth rate, zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) production by Fusarium graminearum strains was assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS: The influence of the essential oils was tested on irradiated maize at two concentrations (500 and 1000 mg kg-1), at different water activity (aw) (0.95 and 0.995) and temperature (20 and 30 degrees C) levels. At 0.995 aw all essential oils tested had an inhibitory effect on growth rate of F. graminearum at both temperatures studied. At this aw level, DON production in general was inhibited by all essential oils at 30 degrees C and, although palmarose and clove were the only essential oils with statistically significant inhibitory effect on ZEA production, an inhibitory trend was observed when cinnamon and oregano oils were added to maize grain. CONCLUSIONS: Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activity of the essential oils assayed was shown to depend on environmental conditions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: It is apparent that essential oils should be considered as alternative preharvest natural fungicides. Further investigation on natural maize grain might be useful to study the effectiveness of these essential oils in the presence of natural mycoflora of maize grain.     

The effect of lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils and their components on the survival of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in food systems

AIMS: To investigate the effectiveness of oils and vapours of lemon (Citrus limon), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and bergamot (Citrus bergamia) and their components against a number of common foodborne pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS: The disc diffusion method was used to screen the oils and vapours against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli O157 and Campylobacter jejuni. The survival of each species, demonstrated to be susceptible in the in vitro studies, was tested on cabbage leaf for 60 s by direct contact and on chicken skin for 10 min by direct contact and 24 h by vapour. The results indicate that bergamot was the most inhibitory essential oil (EO) and citral and linalool mimicked its effect (P > 0.001). Citral and linalool vapours produced 6 log reductions in L. monocytogenes, Staph. aureus and B. cereus populations on cabbage leaf after 8-10 h exposure but bergamot vapour exposure, while producing a similar reduction in L. monocytogenes and B. cereus populations, had no effect on Staph. aureus. CONCLUSIONS: Bergamot was the most effective of the oils tested and linalool the most effective anti-bacterial component. Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria in vitro, although Camp. jejuni and E. coli O157 were inhibited by bergamot and linalool oils and by linalool vapour. All bacteria tested were less susceptible in food systems than in vitro. Of the Gram-positive bacteria tested Staph. aureus was the least susceptible to both the oils and the components tested. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Results suggest the possibility that citrus EOs, particularly bergamot, could be used as a way of combating the growth of common causes of food poisoning.     

Insecticidal and feeding deterrent activities of essential oils in the cabbage looper,Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Ten essential oils were tested against the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni larvae for contact, residual and fumigant toxicities and feeding deterrent effects. Against third instar T. ni, Syzygium aromaticum (LD₅₀ = 47.8 μg/larva), Thymus vulgaris (LD₅₀ = 52.0 μg/larva) (the two positive controls) and Cinnamomum glanduliferum (LD₅₀ = 76.0 μg/larva) were the most toxic via topical application. Litsea pungens (LD₅₀ = 87.1 μg/larva), Ilex purpurea (LD₅₀ = 94.0 μg/larva), Cinnamomum cassia (LD₅₀ = 101.5 μg/larva) and Litsea cubeba (LD₅₀ = 112.4 μg/larva) oils were equitoxic. Thymus vulgaris (LC₅₀ = 4.8 mg/ml) and S. aromaticum (LC₅₀ = 6.0 mg/ml) oils were the most toxic in residual bioassays. Cymbopogon citratus (LC₅₀ = 7.7 mg/ml) and C. cassia (LC₅₀ = 8.5 mg/ml) oils were equitoxic followed by Cymbopogon nardus (LC₅₀ = 10.1 mg/ml) in this bioassay. The remaining five oils showed little or no residual effects. In a fumigation bioassay, L. cubeba (LC₅₀ = 16.5 μl/l) and I. purpurea (LC₅₀ = 22.2 μl/l) oils were the most toxic. Cinnamomum glanduliferum (LC₅₀ = 29.7 μl/l) and Sabina vulgaris (LC₅₀ = 31.2 μl/l) oils were equitoxic. Interestingly, S. aromaticum did not exhibit any fumigant toxicity. Cymbopogon citratus, C. nardus and C. cassia strongly deterred feeding by third instar T. ni (DC₅₀s = 26.9, 33.8 and 39.6 μg/cm², respectively) in a leaf disc choice bioassay. The different responses of T. ni larvae to the oils in different bioassays suggest that these essential oils exhibit different modes of action. Based on their comparable efficacy with essential oils already used as active ingredients in many commercial insecticides (i.e. clove oil and thyme oil), some of these essential oils may have potential as botanical insecticides against T. ni.     

Chemical composition,antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Ferulago bernardii Tomk. & M. Pimen of Iran

The aim of the study was to investigate chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities of the essential oil (EO), polar and nonpolar sub-fractions of methanolic extract of Ferulago bernardii. The chemical constituent of the EO was identified by means of GC–MS. The antimicrobial activities of the EO, polar and nonpolar extracts were evaluated by micro-dilution and agar disc diffusion assays. The antioxidant activity was measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay. The main components of the EO were α-pinene (35.03%), z-β-ocimene (14.24%) and bornyl acetate (11.64%). Bacillus cereus and Salmonella typhimurium were the most susceptible and resistant to the antibacterial activity of the essential oil and extract, respectively. The free radical scavenging activities of all extracts and the essential oil were in the order: polar > non-polar > EO. Our findings indicate that F. bernardii essential oil and methanolic extract has a potential to be applied as antimicrobial and antioxidant agent.     

Variation of the essential oil content and composition in leaves from cultivated plants of Hypericum androsaemum L

The amount and composition of the essential oil from leaves of Hypericum androsaemum L. cultivated in Arouca (Portugal) were determined in six samples harvested during 1 year at intervals of 2 months. The seasonally dependent essential oil content ranged from 0.7 mg/g biomass dry weight in September to 3.4 mg/g in February. The oil contained more than 80 compounds, 70 of which (constituting 88-93% of the total oil) were identified by GC and GC-MS. An approximation of the absolute quantification of each compound and compound class was performed using a GC method with an internal standard. The relative and the absolute content of each compound and compound class changed during the year. At the end of the winter and in the spring, the essential oil was dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and accumulated a high number of intermediate to long chain n-alkanes and 1-alkenes. In September, the essential oil contained the lowest levels of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (43%) and the highest levels of 1-octene and 2-hexenal (38%). In February, the essential oil had the highest level of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (73%) and the highest diversity of intermediate to long chain n-alkanes and 1-alkenes.