Effects of essential oil from Teucrium polium on some digestive enzyme activities of Musca domestica

The essential oil from Teucrium polium was evaluated for its adverse effects on larval instars of Musca domestica . The essential oil was blended with a diet at a concentration that produced 50% mortality of subjected insects (LC₅₀) (80 ppm). To learn about the situation of digestive enzymes of M. domestica treated with the essential oil, third larval instars were dissected under non-active enzyme conditions and their midguts were removed. The supernatant was used as an enzyme source after homogenization and centrifugation of the homogenates. Results revealed that some main digestive enzymes in the larval midgut were adversely affected when exposed to the food-incorporated essential oil. Proteinase extracted from larval midgut hydrolyzed the synthetic substrates B-Arg-pNA, Z-Arg-Arg-PNA and Z-Phe-Arg-PNA for trypsin, cathepsin B and cathepsin L activities, respectively, in control and treated larvae. The essential oil caused a reduction of 61.5% in tryptic activity. Significant 69% and 79% reductions were also observed in cathepsin L and B activities, respectively. Carbohydrase activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase were detected in larval midgut extract. All assayed carbohydrases were affected by the essential oil. The most notable impact, a 93% reduction, was observed in α-amylase. Decreases of 69.5% and 42% were obtained in α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase activity, respectively. This study indicated that the larvicidal effect of the essential oil from Teucrium polium may be due to its detrimental effects on digestive enzymes. It seems that the detrimental effect of the oil can be due to both the inhibitory nature of the oil and the destruction of the midgut epithelium.     

Enhancement of single cell oil production by Yarrowia lipolytica growing in the presence of Teucrium polium L. aqueous extract

Yarrowia lipolytica, grown in a nitrogen-limited continuous culture (D = 0.032 h^–1), produced 9.3 g dry biomass l^–1, which contained 0.25 g oil g^–1. When an aqueous extract from Teucrium polium L. was added, the biomass concentration remained constant while the oil content increased to 0.33 g oil g^–1 dry weight. The specific rate of oil formation increased from 7.9 to 10.6 mg oil g^–1 biomass h.     

Efficiency of Calamintha officinalis essential oil as preservative in two topical product types

AIMS: To verify the efficiency of Calamintha officinalis essential oil as natural preservative in two current formulations. METHODS AND RESULTS: The 1.0 and 2.0% (v/v) C. officinalis essential oil was assayed for its preservative activity in two product types (cream and shampoo). The microbial challenge test was performed following the standards proposed by the European Pharmacopoeia Commission (E.P.) concerning topical preparations using standard micro-organisms and in addition wild strains, either in single or mixed cultures were used. The results clearly demonstrated that the C. officinalis essential oil at 2.0% concentration reduced the microbial inoculum satisfying the criterion A of the E.P. in the cream formulation and the criterion B in the shampoo formulation. Standard and wild strains showed a behaviour similar, both in cream and in shampoo formulation, with no significant difference (gerarchic variance, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: C. officinalis essential oil confirmed its preservative properties but at higher concentration than that shown in previous studies on cetomacrogol cream. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The nature of the formulation in which an essential oil is incorporated as preservative could have considerable effect on its efficacy.     

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.     

Effect of a Teucrium polium L. extract on the growth and fatty acid composition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica

Aqueous Teucrium polium extract slightly inhibits the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (K_i=0.029 [g/l]^-1) and Yarrovia lipolytica (K_i=0.061 [g/l]^-1). However, this extract causes important changes in the unsaturation degree (/mol) of the cellular lipids. It moreover favours the increase of the linolenic acid concentration and the decrease of the oleic one in both species.     

河南荆芥属一新种

本文发表了河南荆芥属一新种, 即河南荆芥 Nepeta henaensis C.S.Zhu, sp.nov.。     

The Accumulation of Zinc and Nickel in Irankoh Indigenous Plant Species on a Contaminated Land

The accumulation of heavy metals by plants determines both the micronutrient content and the toxic metal content of our food. A field survey of higher terrestrial plants growing on a metalliferous site of the Iranian arid mountain in Isfahan was conducted to identify species accumulating exceptionally large concentrations of Zn and Ni in shoots and roots. Plant samples were collected from Irankoh areas near the Bama Pb and Zn mine. Sampling was carried out in Spring 2004 and analyzed for DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) extractable Zn and Ni by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean total and available Zn in the studied soils were 259.7 μgg^?1 and 5.067 μgg^?1, respectively. Soil total and available Ni were relatively low (58.9 μgg^?1 and 0.143 μgg^?1 respectively). Zinc concentrations were considerably high in shoots of Stachys inflate, Ebenus stellata, and Astragalus glaucanthus (556.88, 508.8, and 449.53 μgg^?1, respectively). Nickel concentrations were markedly high in shoots of Teucrium polium, Alyssum bracteatum, and Ebenus stellata (13.21, 10.98, and 8.84 μgg^?1, respectively). Zinc translocation factor (TF or shoot/root concentration ratio) was higher than Ni TF in most plant species. Zinc and Ni enrichment factors and shoot/root concentration ratios were also significantly high in Stachys inflate, Ebenus stellata, Astragalus glaucanthus Teucrium polium, Stipa barbata, Bromus tectorum, and Alyssum bracteatum. Results suggest that these plants could be good candidates for use in the revegetation and phytoremediation of Zn and Ni contaminated lands in arid regions.     

Constituents of the essential oil of Salvia stenophylla

The composition of the essential oil of Salvia stenophylla was investigated by GC-MS. The oil contains a high percentage of α-bisabolol and manool which are mainly responsible for its characteristic smell; in addition, 24 other components were identified.     

两种精油熏蒸处理对金针菇贮藏品质的影响

为了开发高效的食用菌绿色保鲜剂,以新鲜的白色金针菇为供试材料,以花椒精油和丁香精油为供试熏蒸剂,分别在常温（25±1）℃和低温（4±1）℃条件下开展了适用于金针菇保鲜的精油种类和浓度的筛选试验,并对金针菇贮藏期内的感官评价、失重率、呼吸强度、褐变度、多酚氧化酶（PPO）活性、苯丙氨酸解氨酶（PAL）活性、丙二醛（MDA）以及总酚含量进行了测定。结果显示,常温（25±1）℃条件下用0.1 mL·kg-1花椒精油和0.5 mL·kg-1丁香精油保鲜效果优于其他处理,且有统计学意义（P<0.05）,0.1 mL·kg-1花椒精油和0.5 mL·kg-1丁香精油处理组感官评分分别高于对照组23.4%和27.8%,二者均能够抑制金针菇褐变、减轻腐败变质,且有统计学意义（P<0.05）;在低温（4±1）℃贮藏试验中发现,0.1 mL·kg-1花椒精油和0.5 mL·kg-1丁香精油均能有效抑制呼吸强度和PPO活性的升高（P<0.05）,其呼吸高峰较对照组分别降低了28.3%和39.6%;贮藏15 d后,精油处理组PPO活性较对照组分别降低了8.2%和16.6%;精油处理有效降低了MDA含量的产生,保持着较高的总酚含量、减轻腐烂褐变的程度。第15天时,对照组MDA含量为1.75 μmol·g-1,而花椒精油和丁香精油处理组MDA含量分别比对照组低0.15、0.40 μmol·g-1,丁香精油处理组显著低于花椒精油处理组和对照组（P<0.05）。研究结果表明,0.1 mL·kg-1花椒精油和0.5 mL·kg-1丁香精油均对金针菇采后贮藏保鲜效果显著,其中,0.5 mL·kg-1丁香精油的保鲜效果最明显,在15d的贮藏期内,金针菇依然保持着良好的品质,而对照组已经轻微褐变,部分开始腐烂。研究结果为花椒精油和丁香精油应用于金针菇采后贮藏保鲜提供了理论依据。     

香科科属植物中二萜研究进展

文章综述了近五年来国内外研究香科科属植物中二萜的进展情况,列出了３３个二萜化合物的简要理化常数,重点分析了Ｃｌｅｒｏｄａｎｅ型二萜珠结构特点及光谱特征。     

小果蔷薇净油化学成分的研究

从贵州的小果蔷薇(Rosa cymosa Tratt.)花制备净油。用毛细管色谱/质谱/计算机联用方法进行了化学成分分析,鉴定了34个化合物。占净油的93.75％。主要芳香成分为苯甲醇(46.26％).丁香酚(10.02％),苯乙醇(9.17％),肉桂醛(6.87％),苯丙酸乙酯(4.11％)。芳樟醇(3.76％),苯甲酸乙酯(3.19％),柠檬醛(2.07％)等。该油具有特殊芳香。适用于调配化妆品、食品、饮料等香精,具有增香、定香的作用。     

玫瑰精油的提取和理化性质分析

采用水蒸汽蒸馏法从江西首次引种的大马士革玫瑰(Rose damascene Miller)花中提取获得精油,得率为0.023％.按照ISO 9842:2003玫瑰精油标准方法测定精油的物理指标和主要组分,结果表明:该精油为黄色液体,具有天然的玫瑰花香,其物理指标和特征组分的百分含量符合标准要求,且主要组分构成与标准中保加利亚玫瑰精油相似.气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)结合直观推导式演进特征投影法(HELP)分析江西大马士革玫瑰精油,共鉴定出73个组分,其中香质组分较为完整,高品质玫瑰精油的标识成分β-突厥烯酮也被检出.     

地枫皮精油化学成分的研究

从广西的地枫皮制备精油,并用毛细管色谱/质谱/计算机联用方法进行了化学成分分析,鉴定了25种成分,占精油的81.50％。主要芳香成分为黄樟醚(21.74％)、芳樟醇(15.81％)、1,2-二甲氧基-4-(2-丙烯基)苯(6.30％)、α-松油醇(5.89％)。     

广西产生姜精油成分的研究

采用水蒸汽蒸馏法,提取三种广西产生姜的精油,并进行了分析比较。通过GC/MS/DS技术对姜的精油进行定性、定量分析,检出53个成分,鉴定其中34个,占精油的92.2%。     

四种裸子植物叶精油化学成分的研究

采用气相色谱—质谱—计算机联用仪对穗花杉、南方红豆杉、三尖杉和罗汉松叶精油化学成分的研究发现,三尖杉和穗花杉叶精油的组成特点极为相似,相同成分１３个,占各自精油组成的４８．０７％和３３．３２％．三尖杉和南方红豆杉叶精油的相同成分４个,占各自精油组成的１６．１４％和４０．５９％．在一定程度上支持三尖杉科和红豆杉科的亲缘关系接近,红豆杉科可能是通过穗花杉属和三尖杉科相联系的观点．罗汉松和穗花杉叶精油的相同成分４个,占各自叶精油组成的比例为２４．０９％和２０．８２％,比罗汉松和南方红豆杉、三尖杉之间组分的相似性要高．反映出罗汉松科和红豆杉科之间有一定联系,穗花杉属是认识红豆杉科、三尖杉科和罗汉松科之间系统关系的关键属